No. of episodes: 16
Genre: War, Historical, Romance

Native title: 나의 나라
Original network: JTBC, Netflix

The drama is set around the end of the Goryeo dynasty and transiting into the Joseon dynasty. Seo Hwi (Yang Se Jong) and Nam Seon Ho (Woo Do Hwan) turn their swords against one another due to the different opinions of “my country”.

Story was partially non-fiction but mostly fiction.

The first King of the Joseon Dynasty, Yi Sung Gye (Kim Yeong Cheol) Taejo of Joseon was the main prominent figure in the overthrowing of the Goryeo Dynasty. His fifth son, Yi Bang Won (Jang Hyuk) is the third king of Joseon, before that he helped his father to establish the new Dynasty.

Goryeo Dynasty

Seo Hwi was the son of the famous swordsman Seo Geom, but he was publicly killed due to the corrupted government that frames him. Ever since that day, Seo Hwi and his younger sister Seo Yeon (Jo Yi Hyun) live day by day in hell. Even so, Seo Hwi still holds a smile when he is back home.

Nam Seon Ho is born into the lowest class and looked down by others. However, he was adopted as the son of Nam Jeon (Ahn Nae Sang), an official in the palace. Seon Ho was then trained to be a tough and fit warrior by his father.

Seo Hwi, Seon Ho, and Seo Yeon grew up together and spent their childhood playing and practicing together. Both of them are talented and fit, just that Seo Hwi is better in archery and usually better than Seon Ho.

Military Service Examination

Gwageo is the national civil service examination during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. Separated into three main categories, Seon Ho was sent in to sit for the military examination Mugwa by his father. Seo Hwi is also interested to enroll as one candidate but was rejected due to his lower class and father’s ‘crime’.

While helping Seon Ho as a runner, Seo Hwi’s talent was recognized by the then influential general of Goryeo, Yi Sung Gye. He gave him a token to symbolized his authority for Seo Hwi to enroll in Mugwa.

Nam Jeon witness the entire process and warned Seo Hwi not to participate as he knows he is better than his son.

Sent to the war zone

Han Hee Jae (Kim Seol Hyun) is born in the Kisaeng house. Kisaeng were the government’s legal entertainers and not all Kisaeng engaged in prostitution. Hee Jae’s mission is to collect as much information as possible, the secrets that help to protect them and sell to officials.

An incident ties Hee Jae, Seo Hwi, and Seon Ho together. Slowly, Seo Hwi and Hee Jae fell in love. After Seon Ho won the military exam by the scheme and sent Seo Hwi to the war zone using the excuse of him not paying the ridiculous tax.

Seo Hwi was sent to the war zone to fight day in and out for 3 consecutive months. There he met Park Chi Do (Ji Seung Hyun), Park Moon Bok (In Gyo Jin), and Jung Beom (Lee Yoo Joon).

Park Chi Do is actually one of the soldiers from Seo Hwi’s father’s secret group. After he reunited with Seo Hwi and seen his capability, he handed him the armor that was used by this father and discover a hidden secret.

Hee Jae finally reunited with Seo Hwi after seeing him back in the country. He was scared physically and mentally and the more felt like he don’t deserve Hee Jae’s love. Finally see him returning in one from battlefields, she want to protect him with all her heart and mind.

Strife of Princes

Yi Bang Won did not earn the title of Crown Prince despite the things he been through to help his father establish Joseon Dynasty. He was not satisfied that his father used him to achieve his goals and ditch him aside.

Bang Won saw the potential of Seo Hwi and together with the survivors from the war, they are recruited under him. Seo Hwi went back home and the first thing is to find his sister, however, the shock made Seo Yeon lost her memory and have been living under Nam Jeon’s house.

To protect her, Seo Hwi decided not to reunite with her and solely focus on helping Bang Won. That begins the historical moment known as the strife of princes.

For those that love historical production, this one is definitely one to check out.