My Country: The New Age is nothing short of an epic masterpiece that seems to have elements of “Ben-Hur,” “Game Of Thrones,” and “Braveheart” in it. I know next-to-nothing about Korean history, so I would be curious to find out how many of these characters are based upon actual persons from history. The series is grand in its scale, filled with deep, complex, courageous and magnanimous characters.

The story takes place in the late 1300s when “Korea” is in a feudalistic state of rival factions and uprisings all bent on taking control of the country. The king is overthrown and replaced by its corrupt general who has eight sons. A number of them are plotting to take the throne for themselves. The plots and factions are so muddled that an ally in one moment can suddenly become an enemy in the next or vice versa.

Seo Hwi is the orphaned son of the country’s greatest general and warrior. He inherits much of his father’s principles and ideals and sense of justice. He embodies what it means to be a true hero; a man who fights for the people who are caught in the middle of this massive civil war. Initially betrayed by his best friend, Nam Sun Ho, Seo Hwi escapes danger and death time and time again, only to rise up and become an integral part of the country’s formation. Seo Hwi embodies all that it means to be noble; a man who will always do right by his loved ones, his friends, his comrades, and his country.

Nam Sun Ho is Seo Hwi’s best friend and the bastard son of Nam Jeon, a man who will stop at nothing to gain control of the throne for himself. Nam Sun Ho lacks Seo Hwi’s character and ability to stand up to his father. Instead, and once too often, he finds himself attempting to play multiple sides which pretty much all end up in failure. He’s a man mired in darkness and gives into it for a time in order to gain more power and control. History is riddled with such men who believe that there is a nobility in acquiring power with the justification that it be used to help the greater good. The Hitlers, Stalins, and Trumps of this world have always propagated such rhetoric. However, Nam Sun Ho is also someone who begins to see the error of his ways, and he proves himself to be as much of a hero as Seo Hwi.

Finally, there is Han Hee Jae who is, herself, an orphan who is saved as a child by Seo Hwi’s father. While their initial meeting is somewhat cold and ambivalent, Hee Jae and Seo Hwi fall in love, and Hee Jae becomes a part of Ihwaru, a “brothel” run by Madame Seo who uses it for the greatest power of all: the acquisition of information. And to the most cunning and dangerous, information is power. Hee Jae uses her position to help Seo Hwi and to uncover the latest plots being hatched by the current king as well as the princes.

The most dangerous prince is Bang Won, the fifth son of the current king to aspires to take over the throne one day. However, as with so many Korean shows, not everything is at it appears to be, and Bang Won is easily the most intricate and complex character of the series as the viewer attempts to find out who the true “villain” of the story is, or if, in fact, there is only one!

The series plays like a tangled web of characters and stories being laid out with a new plot direction being thrown in as soon as one appears to have been resolved. We never quite know who to trust, which puts us right in the center of things and our hero, Seo Hwi, who endeavors to deal with each new danger as they spring up.

We see the country struggling to form, but we see Seo Hwi and Nam Sun Ho struggling with their principles as well as their friendship. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself cheering one character only to pray for his downfall in the next.

Performances in this series are all incredibly stellar! While Yan Se Jong gives us a true hero in Seo Hwi, Woo Do Hwan gives us a Nam Sun Ho who is in constant struggle with himself. Unable to fully recognize the strength he has that Seo Hwi sees, he straddles the line between “right” and “wrong,” which takes someone with serious acting chops to do and do well! Finally, Kim Seol Hyun gives us a Hee Jae who is strong and steadfast in her love and devotion to Seo Hwi. She is a strong woman who is more than a match for any man in this world. She may not fight with a sword, but her weapons of information make her, arguably, the most dangerous and powerful character in the series.

Of course, a series like this is only as good as its villain, or “villains.” From Nam Jeon to Bang Won to Lee Sung Gye, we get a whole nest of vipers and villains. Sometimes, it’s challenging to determine who is the worst as each is so incredibly effective in their own way. We’re not cheated by silly theatrics and plot twists that always seem to be the demise of such characters. Instead, we fully appreciate the men that Seo Hwi is up against. Yes, indeed! The villains make the hero!

There are plenty of humorous and touching scenes in this series with incredible landscapes, colors, and memorable characters. Perhaps nothing will quite prepare you for that powerful ending that few might see coming. One can only surmise that Seo Hwi and Nam Sun Ho finally achieved what they both set out to do. You can feel Hee Jae’s despair and angst as the palace doors shut with Seo Hwi cradling the body of his best friend and awaiting his own fate. But then again, it really couldn’t have ended any other way and be as effective as it was.

This is an exhilarating series that ranks right up there with some of the best and most profound epics ever to be put to screen, either big or small. If you haven’t seen this amazing series yet, you’re in for a real treat!