I like Emperor of the Sea.

Emperor of the Sea is a Korean epic drama. The setting of the story is the Unified Shilla Empire in 8th or 9th century.

Emperor of the Sea seems bland in some aspects and delightfully epic in others. Actor performance seems unexceptional, but the story is interesting enough to keep watching.

The main character is a young shipbuilder slave who slowly masters martial arts and is out to change his destiny.

Emperor of the Sea introduces us to a world of trade, intrigue and politics. There are many factions with the interest to further their influence, mostly at the expense of others.

As the story unfolds, characters advance and even shift loyalties if necessary. This makes the characters feel more human, not just set pieces in the tapestry. (Of the episodes I watched, the main character is still a slave, although he has changed many masters.)

There is no outright malice in any of the characters; they pursue their goals, and make their decisions in order to achieve those goals.

The uniqueness, the dynamic aspect of the story gives it an epic feel even when other aspects are lacking. (I suspect the creators might have done this deliberately - strip away what is not their forte and focus on what is.)

I hope the degree of quality of the story remains the same throughout the 50 episodes this series consists of.

Go watch Emperor of the Sea!