Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining this group watch! ❤️
As mentioned in the announcement post, these are my episode notes exactly as they originally appeared on Patreon.
ZERO SPOILER POLICY
Only events that occur in the episodes discussed here may be referenced.
No future developments, relationship outcomes, mythology reveals, major twists, or “just wait…” hints — even vague foreshadowing can affect first-time viewers.
If you’re ahead of the group watch, please keep that knowledge to yourself. Let’s protect the innocent! 😉
Since spoiler tags don’t work in email notifications, we will not be using spoiler tags in this Open Thread.
Without further ado, here are my reactions to this set of episodes. Have fun in the comments! ❤️
My thoughts
Episod
e 3
e 3E3. I am having more fun watching this show than I’d expected, and I can’t begin to tell you guys how happily surprised I am, by this. The Hong sisters are back indeed! 😁
So far, I find that our story navigates its more serious narrative bits, and its funnier beats, very deftly, so it never feels like an uneasy cohabitation of two different shows on my screen. That’s hard to do, and I think it’s quite remarkable that Show does it so effortlessly, honestly.
I think one of the things that makes it work, so far, is the fact that the serious bits are more or less confined to the past backstory, and it’s the stuff in the present, that is more irreverent and comical.
In terms of backstory, this episode, we see Jang Gang talk about Uk’s birth secret with Park Jin, and we finally get an answer as to why Jang Gang sealed off Uk’s energy gates in the first place.
I’d thought that it had to do with Jang Gang’s anger that Uk’s not his child, but the King’s, but that wasn’t quite the case, after all.
Jang Gang had sealed off Uk’s energy gates, in order to prevent him from attracting attention. And the reason he felt that would be safest for Uk, is because the new King and his bloodline, would consider Uk a threat to the throne, if it became known that Uk is the son of the late King.
Ahhh. That makes sense, actually. I can understand why Jang Gang would make that choice.
On the other hand, poor Uk, to be expected to live a sickly existence, where he can’t withstand strong cold or heat, and can’t learn magic the way everyone else does.
And, it’s made so much worse, because he has no idea why his father, Jang Gang, would do that to him. If he at least knew the reason, perhaps it would’ve made it easier to bear.
But to be expected to bear such an existence, for no apparent reason? That’s not something most people would be able to accept.
It’s no wonder Uk is so determined to open his energy gates, since, as far as he can see, that’s the key to him being able to live a normal life like everyone else.
With this backstory revealed, Park Jin’s actions towards Uk become more understandable as well. He’s not out to punish Uk for punishment’s sake; he’s more concerned with keeping Uk safe too.
This explains why Park Jin would give permission for Uk to receive treatment at Sejukwon, at the beginning of the episode, but then expel Uk from Songrim, at the end of the episode. To Uk, this might seem very contradictory, but knowing what we know, it actually makes perfect sense.
Outside of this, though, in the small beats, I have to say that Park Jin sometimes reminds me of Yoo Jun Sang’s other character that I’m watching right now, Han Jung Ho, in Heard It Through The Grapevine.
That whole sequence of Park Jin denying that he ever keeps wine in his study, to him hunting down Dang Gu, for stealing that very wine that he keeps in his study, is quite comical, and reminds me so much of the kind of antics that Han Jung Ho would get up to, in Grapevine. 😁
How handy, that Heo Yeom’s given Uk 10 years’ worth of energy, because not only does that offer Uk a head-start in his quest to make up for lost time and learn magic, it also becomes the basis of much of our hijinks this episode.
On top of all this, there’s a bit of an undercurrent of Something, between Uk and Mu Deok.
Like the way he casually tells her that he’d personally changed her clothes, and Mu Deok looks awkward and hyperaware, for a long second, as she considers the implications.
How convenient, that Uk’s the only one who knows about the blue marks in Mu Deok’s eyes – making him the only person who can safely get that near to her, heh.
Through all this, it’s the facial expressions of Uk and Mu Deok, that make these types of moments as amusing as they are. Mu Deok’s shifty eyes and stiff upper lip, and Uk’s knowing smirk; it all comes together really nicely.
As Uk and Mu Deok officially become master and pupil, Mu Deok’s condition – that their master-pupil relationship last only until she gets her energy back, because then he’d have no reason to protect her and she’d have no reason to spare him – does hint at some potential angst in their future.
I don’t relish the idea of Uk and Mu Deok being on opposite sides, because I’m just now becoming quite fond of the idea of them sticking through thick and thin together, but.. I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
In the meantime, I’m reasonably entertained by Mu Deok’s efforts to teach Uk, now that they’re officially master and pupil.
On that note, I do wonder at some of the moves that Mu Deok’s able to pull off. Sure, Show makes it such that she gets all weak and out of breath after a while, but comparing her strength now, to when Naksu had first entered Mu Deok’s body, there is still a distinct difference.
I wonder if the treatment at Sejukwon has made Mu Deok stronger, or if this is just a convenient narrative leap that we’re supposed to embrace? Hmm.
Generally, though, I’m quite tickled by the dynamics between Uk and Mu Deok.
Sometimes, Mu Deok’s all commanding and Uk’s nicely obedient, but then at other times, because he’s still the young master whom she serves, he’s smart alecky and talks back, and refuses to do what he’s told.
But then, at other times, Uk does thoughtful things like save the nourishing ginseng soups that Maidservant Kim prepares for him, for Mu Deok. Ooh, is that why Mu Deok’s now stronger than before, then?
I’m pretty tickled at this energy core business, because it gets Mu Deok up close and personal, not only with Uk, but with Yul as well.
Ooh, double the hyperproximity, for the price of one plot point? Nicely done, Show!
I’m sure Uk’s discombobulation, when Mu Deok undoes his clothing to check his energy core, has something to do with his apparent jealousy later on, when he realizes that Mu Deok’s checked Yul’s energy core as well. Hee.
The cover story for Mu Deok wanting to be near Yul is pretty perfect, though. Not only does it give her an excuse for wanting to be close to him, it’s.. also rather true, judging from the flashbacks that we get of her and Yul together, in their youth.
I do like that Yul’s smart enough to figure out that the reason Mu Deok’s following him around and trying to touch him, is because she’s trying to learn his breathing pattern; I do like a smart second lead.
Mu Deok’s pretty smart too, though, with the way she steals that bird whistler (flute?) off him, and then strikes that bargain with him.
Honestly, that moment, when Yul allows Mu Deok to read his breathing pattern, just for three breaths, is pretty charged; more charged, in fact, than the various moments of hyper-proximity we’ve seen between her and Uk.
Ooh, I do like the idea of a worthy second male lead; that makes him a potential romantic rival to be reckoned with, since Mu Deok already seems to have feelings for him.
I also really like how Uk gets suspicious and low-key jealous, when he notes Mu Deok’s expression, after having been in close proximity with Yul.
I mean, he’s so proud of himself for getting the breathing pattern off a drunk Heo Yeom (which, well done, by the way, Sneaky Uk!), but he still gets all perplexed and blustery, when he tells Mu Deok that it’s not safe for her to allow anyone else that close to her – except for him, heh.
That moment when he states emphatically, “Only I get to come this close,” Mu Deok does have a bit of awkward hyper-awareness in her expression, as she tries to agree in as nonchalant a manner as possible.
I do love how Show turns on its heel after this, and goes right into comic territory, with Mu Deok saying she’ll try not to fall for Yul because Yul’s handsome, and Uk getting all perplexed when she says that with Uk, she doesn’t need to try not to fall for him. Snerk.
I do feel bad for Uk, when Park Jin has his flogged for losing the Spirit Plaque, and then expels him from Songrim, because I’m sure Uk reads all this as rejection, even though we as the audience now understand Park Jin’s real intention.
But, I’m also rather pleased that with this expulsion, this opens up lots of narrative possibilities, as Uk and Mu Deok set off together, into the unknown.
Bring on the adventures – and the sparky bickering hyperawareness hijinks, I say!
Episode 4
E4. Well. Uk’s expulsion doesn’t quite go the way I’d expected, and I’ll count that a good thing. I like that Show is proving to be rather unpredictable; it keeps the watch experience fresh.
So, I’m only loosely following the magic that’s being outlined for us, particularly in the flashbacks, but what I gather is that Uk, being the son of the King, is fundamentally powerful.
As the King himself puts it, his son will have the energy of the King’s Star. We don’t know what that really means, but I am guessing that this means that Uk has more innate energy for magic than the average person.
Which is probably also a big part of the reason that Jang Gang decided that it would be best to close Uk’s energy gates. Because, if his energy is that strong, surely other mages would be able to pick it up – and that would put Uk in danger.
In the present timeline, I’m most surprised by the fact that Uk recovers from the flogging so quickly, and even benefits from the flogging, because it inadvertently fast-tracks the surging of the torrent of energy that Heo Yeom had given him.
I do like this unexpected twist, because it does give me thrill to think that Uk might be very powerful very soon, rather than much later in our story. That definitely would open up new and interesting narrative possibilities.
Plus, it’s also nice to see Mu Deok supporting Uk through the hot and cold portions of the energy journey.
It really feels like she’s the only one in the world on whom he can truly depend, in this moment, because she’s the only one who knows what he’s going through. And I just like the idea that they’re in this together, for better or for worse.
While there’s a bit of hyperproximity thrown in there, when Mu Deok climbs under the covers to help warm up Uk, who’s shivering like a leaf, I would say that Mu Deok is extremely matter-of-fact about it, so it doesn’t actually feel romantic.
What I do like, is the story that Mu Deok tells Uk, when he asks her to say something heartwarming, during his coldest time.
The way she describes that egg as alone and helpless, with only the mother bird to protect it and care for it, then compares herself to that egg, and Uk to the mother bird, is really quite heartwarming indeed.
This episode, we are kinda-sorta introduced to a new character, in that we see him, and from his actions, get the sense that he will be important to our story later on, but we don’t yet know who he is.
All I know is, it’s Im Chul Soo (yay!), and I’ve really, really enjoyed him, in just about any role that I’ve seen him in, so I’ve got a good feeling about this. 🤩
So far, it does seem like Mysterious Dude is very powerful with the magic stuff, and we see him gain an ally (assistant?), when he summons a spirit by the name of Sapsali, from its resting place (which looks to be some kind of private holding place?).
It seems that Mystery Dude is enlisting Sapsali’s help to find the soul shifters. Hrm. I wonder why he’s looking for the soul shifters, and whether he’s working for someone, or is an independent agent?
This episode, I’m somewhat bemused by the Crown Prince and his visit to Uk’s home, to demand not only Naksu’s sword, but Jang Gang’s sword as well.
So far, I’ve only seen Shin Seung Ho in bully type roles, and so it’s not helping my mental image of him, to see him become a bully Crown Prince too. 😝
Because, that’s exactly what the Crown Prince does, through his entire visit.
The way he challenges Uk to a fight is not cool, particularly since he knows that Uk’s just been flogged, and also, isn’t trained to fight, because his energy gates have only just been opened.
The fact that he gives himself a handicap is practically almost nothing at all, since he’s so much stronger than Uk.
I do love how Mu Deok takes things into her own hands, and uses a big splash of chamber pot water, to get the Crown Prince to retreat – right over that line that he’d drawn in the ground. YAY, Mu Deok!
I love how she won’t let Uk get hurt, and will step in to save him, even if it means offending the Crown Prince.
Afterwards, I hate that the Crown Prince would actually take his sword to Mu Deok, to punish her. That certainly shows the kind of person he is, that he would think of taking the life of a servant, just because she’s spilled dirty water on him.
How exciting, though, that this is when the additional beatings from the Crown Prince actually unlocks Uk’s torrent of energy, and allows him to not only unsheathe his father’s sword, but actually fight the Crown Prince with it, and break the Crown Prince’s sword.
I cheered internally at this, not gonna lie. Clearly, I don’t care for the Crown Prince much at all.
It only becomes clearer after a few minutes, that the sword is dragging Uk around, and not the other way around.
Kudos to Lee Jae Wook, because I imagine it’s hard to do a fighting scene where it looks like you’re being dragged around by the sword instead of wielding it, but he does it very convincingly! And, I found it quite funny in the execution too, which is bonus.
I found it less funny, the way Mu Deok, then Uk, then Maidservant Kim, then Dang Gu, get into the act of arguing over who should drink the rest of the chamber pot water, to appease the Crown Prince. Ew.
Given such a situation, it would make sense that just about anyone would call off the whole thing, because it’s getting ridiculous how many people are arguing over who should drink up the chamber pot water (again, ew), but notably, the Crown Prince doesn’t say anything.
It’s only when Yul intervenes, and asks if the Crown Prince must let them drink the filthy water to appease him, that the Crown Prince leaves in a petty huff.
What I did like, was the way Mu Deok goes after the Crown Prince with Naksu’s sword, then praises him to the high heavens, while assuring him that he most certainly did win that day, since he’s leaving with what he’d wanted.
The way Mu Deok plays it, the Crown Prince’s peevishness seems completely smoothed over, and it does look like she’s successfully made sure that he won’t return another day, to continue to badger Uk.
I just love Mu Deok’s sly skill in all this, as well as her no-holds-barred, no-vanity way of brown-nosing the Crown Prince. She really doesn’t care about her pride or her dignity, in order to achieve what she wants.
And even though I know that ultimately she’s thinking about her deal with Uk and what she stands to gain from it, it somehow still feels significant, that she would do this, to protect Uk from having to fight the Crown Prince again, before he’s ready for it.
That beat in the middle of the episode, where Uk searches everywhere for Mu Deok, so that he can hug her and tell her that he finally did it, feels heartwarming too, just like that earlier beat where Mu Deok had been the only one who knew what he was going through.
After this momentous achievement, Mu Deok really is the only person who can understand what he’s been through to get here, and what it means to him, and therefore she’s the only person he wants to celebrate it with. Aw.
Last episode, I’d thought that Mu Deok and Uk would be off on an adventure together, after his expulsion from Songrim, but this episode, Uk’s right back at Songrim, unsheathing his father’s sword for Park Jin to see, so that Park Jin can make good on his promise to accept him into Songrim.
Unfortunately for Uk, Park Jin’s point, that it’s useless if he can’t control the sword, is a valid one.
Gah. Too bad for Uk, that this attempt to be accepted at Songrim, results in his imprisonment instead. What a rollercoaster!
I feel so bad for Uk, though, that Park Jin chooses to tell him that he’s not Jang Gang’s son, but the result of an affair that his mother had had with someone.
That must be such a huge blow to Uk, since he’s spent his entire life trying to prove that he really is his father’s son, and is worthy of being acknowledged as such.
Now, with this semi-reveal, Park Jin’s basically made all of Uk’s efforts utterly meaningless. Poor Uk.
For years, he’s never flinched in the face of rejection, because he’s so used to it, but now, he really does appear broken, at this realization. 💔
I can see why Uk would suddenly lose all his determination to train.
That said, I don’t blame Park Jin, because I can see that he is doing this to protect Uk. If Uk hadn’t had his energy gates opened, and grown so strong so fast, Park Jin wouldn’t have felt the need to stop him in his tracks, I’m sure.
In the meantime, I don’t know what to think of the mysterious soul shifter that Jin Mu’s assistant Kil Joo keeps assisting.
The soul shifter dude is awful, and gives off a rather gross, oily, sickening sort of vibe, particularly with the way he casually sucks the energy out of people, and then discards them like yesterday’s news.
I still can’t figure out what this soul shifter’s place is, in our story.
Maybe he’s the one whom Mystery Dude is looking for..?
How smart of Mu Deok, to make use of the fact that Jin Mu is out to have Uk killed in a duel with the Crown Prince, to force Uk to flee with her.
I mean, she didn’t create the situation – Jin Mu’s evil that way, all by himself – but she’s really quick to assess the situation and figure out how to use it for her purpose. I do rather admire her for that ability, honestly.
And Yul has a point, that Mu Deok keeps putting Uk into danger. And Mu Deok’s counterpoint, that this is how he will get what he wants, is valid too.
She’d poisoned him before, to get his energy gates open, and now, she’s helped to ensure that his life is in danger because of the duel with the Crown Prince – but she’s also going to make sure that he’ll be in fighting form to face it, when the time comes.
Or at least, that’s what it looks like.
NOW, finally, Uk and Mu Deok really are off on a training adventure, and I’m rather looking forward to see where our story goes next.
I am very, very late to this round, and so much good conversation has been put up that I don’t have much more to add, with a couple of exceptions:
I have read through all the other comments, and enjoyed it so much. I hope I can be a bit more quicker to get involved in the the next round. Thank you all!
N
@Nathan, I am right there with you re late comments. Happy to hear from you whenever you can join!
Am I the only one who is more disappointed in Jin Park than Jang Gang? I forgive the latter for doing the alchemy of souls out of loyalty to his emperor. I don’t believe he actually had a choice when the emperor gave the command. As for his departure, we don’t know what he’s doing. I always assumed it was something of the utmost importance such as finding a way to reverse the petrification process of the soul-shifters, or researching Naksu’s background since she seems to be able switch souls without having to refuel life out of others.
Granted – It would be nice to know what he’s up to,
okay – time to watch the next two episodes. 😁
Hi, everybody…late (again).
Greaat comments all around. A few comments and responses:
• Again marveling at the acting troupe assembled here. Ditto on KFG’s observation on Yoo Jun-sang as Park Jin. I’m a fan of both the actor and his character here; trying to imagine watching this as the same time as “Heard It Through the Grapevine” – talk about range. And I’ve just started (quite happily, I may add) “Can This Love Be Translated” to find Go Youn-jung (Naksu II) and Im Chul-soo (Mystery Power Dude/Dogwalker). So good.
• Speaking of the latter, my dogs have suddenly taken an interest in this show.
• Is far as @Haniczka’s question about what ur-Naksu was doing at the beginning of the show, my sense was that she was not on a mission but rather running for her life. Which is kind of a mission, I guess.
• And since @Haniczka brought up the whole “Cruel to Be Kind” thing, my mind has gone all off on Nick Lowe’s song. Kind of like every time someone mentions “Jang Gang” I read it as “James Gang” and think about Joe Walsh’s first band.
• @Ele mentions the music, and I’m sure liking it as well. I started listening to the OST in the car this week and it stands up well. Especially the main theme, “Scars Leave Beautiful Trace”. You know, the one that goes “I’m going sing high NOW LOUD….”
• I am not surprised that a number of you weighed in on the whole scene about the potty water drinking, but I was thinking about something different at that point – and it’s a little bit of a critique. Whatever one thinks about that particular bit of humor, I think one way the show could have done a little better is with the timing of the repartee. There’s a lot of funny stuff throughout the show, but this scene felt dragged out, which doesn’t do the script any favors. A little better editing would have done wonders there.
• Which fraternity do you all think the Crown Prince was in at college?
• @Elaine hit the nail on the head with the tension between Naksu’s “go big or go home” approach vs. Park Jin’s “don’t stick your finger in that socket” caution. It’s a major theme of the show, so far at least.
See you all next week!
Scars leave beautiful traces is really good and the band name (I guess it’s a band) Car, the garden is so strange that it’s brilliant.
For some reason I actually found the potty scene funnier this time round, but yes, it does drag out a bit too long.
We don’t do fraternities where I live, but I guess he should be in a fraternity for people with power and money. Do I even understand what a fraternity is? Probably not!
@My, the site wouldn’t let me like your comment – sorry! I do like it! Yes, that is a fantastic band name! Although, if I put my Mr. Persnickety hat on, I have to point out that the name of the song does quite make sense – aren’t scars themselves traces of something else. I’m already in enough trouble due to the DNA thing so I’m going to not go there. 😂
The “fraternity” joke alludes to organizations that young men are in during college. I made that joke because at this point, the Crown Prince has the same vibe as the American frat‑bro stereotype—super privileged, very confident, surrounded by his guys, and used to everyone treating him like he’s important. A little clueless, maybe.
The Crown Prince and his entourage…. Yep, I see what you mean. And still I liked him from the start on my first watch. I guess he kind of vibes some goodness underneath, or something. Had a colleague ( now retired) from another school, who kind of swept in late at a conference, with an entourage of underlings ( he was a vice principal). Kind of the same thing, I guess. He also never seemed to remember that we had met several times 😂. Can’t say I cared, but still .. he would have loved a frat club.
this is not related but Car, the garden did a fantastic track for the Beyond Evil soundtrack. they’re great (even if they have a strange name)
Love the name! So weird. But catchy!
@j3ffc: It is always fun to read your comment/notes 🙂
I loved the OST and the Scars song…especially the use of it at the end of Ep3 when Uk walks off in slo-mo after asking Mu-Deok to follow him with the swords. oof! I was so excited to see that scene play out. Funnily, I still am , on my Nth rewatch 🙂
I didn’t like that chamber pot scene as well. it did go on for too long and made no sense.
Hey, thanks, @Kumari! Love these group watches!
That is one really effective song!
See you on the other side of this week’s assignments.
Loved these set of episodes.
I might have clapped my hands in glee when Im Cheol-Soo made his appearance. I have loved him in every show.
Elaine has already explained Sapsali beautifully.
This time around, I focused a lot on facial expressions and body language.
That long look Uk gives Mu-Deok when she asks if he is okay after being flogged and expelled from Songrim – a conversation we weren’t privy to. And then show h
just makes him swoosh his coat and brings it back to a lighter tone.
Lee Jae Wook was phenomenal in that scene where he learns about his birth- so much sadness brought up without speaking a word 💔 I cried again. How wonderful the actor playing Park Jin emoted in these scenes – so stoic when Uk’s sword stabs him and so emotional pleading with Uk to give up magic.
i am just mad at Jang Gang for creating a mess and leaving it to his best friends to clean up.
As for why Park Jin didn’t teach Jang Uk a trade – i think Uk was not going to settle for that as soon as he learnt his friends could do magic. We hear him say that he was happy and thought he could do/be anything until he learnt that his energy was locked up.
The way I understood Jang Uk’s character – he would have gladly learnt a trade if he felt he was someone not born with inherent magic to do spells. At this point he feels he is being denied his right
And his dad’s action has onlt fueled the rumors – which could be the reason he just fixated on this goal – to become a mage.
i am sure Park Jin must have tried multiple times to teach him other stuff but he is never going to waver from this goal.
That Jang Gang guy should get a kick on the shins. What I can’t understand is how he can still be the Gwangju ( is that the word) after gallivanting around who knows where for 20 years? And how can he still be respected after leaving child and work? That might be the biggest mystery in show!
@My I totally agree, Jang Gang deserves many kicks in the head for even switching bodies with the king in the first place, like what did he think would happen next?! If it wasn’t his own wife, then was it supposed to be the king’s concubines? But no one would know the king was in Jang Gang’s body cos alchemy of Souls was forbidden!
And yes, the Gwanju role doesn’t seem to be just an honorary title but there are duties right? Like being magical security headquarters or something?? Poor assistant has to do the work without the title!
No wonder the assistant is such an evil guy. He has been swamped with work but no nice title for 20 years!
Jang Gang annoys me immensely. Such an ass!
@My: All work and no title or pay rise can make anyone mad. Jang Gan should have been replaced as soon as he disappeared. What use is a King if he can’t switch up personnel as he pleases?
@Elaine: It can only be Jang Gang’s wife right? since the souls are switching, the King cannot go in Jang Gang’s body to his own Queen or concubines – he would be executed. So it was a stupid idea from the first, even as a secret between the two of them. For all his genius skills, shouldn’t Jang Gang have first asked the King what he wanted? And once you realize he wants a son, that is when you give the king a soporific and put him to bed.
Is it obvious that I am mad at Jang Gang?
well Jang Gang’s stupidity gave us 29 episodes of fun so that’s that 🙂
Hi Kumari, thanks for weighing in on Jang Uk’s motivations! I think that’s a pretty good explanation. Haniczka had brought up a really good point that I didn’t think about in my first watch, that if Uk’s energy gate was blocked as a baby why didn’t they channel him to another career? As it is, in this story world the only possible career is to be a mage if you’re born to a mage family, and Uk was the only Muggle. But if his energy gate was blocked then why bother sending him to different masters to learn magic if he couldn’t practice magic anyway?! Questions which might not have answers heh.
@Elaine: I think the reason Park Jin sent him to all these Masters was under hope that Uk would give up wanting to do magic. The reason Uk went was under assumption that his money( which all these Masters needed for their schools/monasteries/whatnot) would convince them to go against Jang Gang and remove his energy block. Both of them were wrong.
Watched the first season in January so I didn’t think I would do a rewatch so soon. But show’s great and a group watch is always fun, so here I am, already re-enjoying My Deok’s glares and fake servility. And the Crown Prince! Made me happy when he turned up again!
Like many of you have said. I’m thoroughly enjoying this experience – both rewatching a fantastic kdrama and participating in a group chat as we go.
I have some questions/observations.
My two cents with the whole “Where did Uk’s powers come from?” discussion….
In spite of this being a rewatch of a show I watched in January, I totally missed what Naksu’s mission was before she changed bodies. Did they say anything about it? In that case, I must have missed it. Twice!
When it comes to Jang Uk and the King’s Star, you might be onto something there. Maybe it has very little to do with the king being his “father” and more to do with the day he was born. I really can’t wrap my head around why the king is supposed to be his father, when they can’t possibly share any DNA. And if his biological father wants to protect him, why just close his energy gate and abandon him? Extremely irresponsible, in my opinion. But it does lead to a good plot!
I think Naksu’s mission in E1 was to kill Park Jin, it was mentioned somewhere in these episodes.. Maybe in a flash back when the shadowy Danju gave an order to her.
I am obviously not paying enough attention to detail! Totally missed that information. Twice. That’s one reason why discussions and group watches are so nice.
One of the many things I appreciate about good K-dramas is the wonderful secondary characters and the actors who specialize in them. Im Chul-soo is at the top of that list. Sometimes I think he’s been in everything I’ve seen and he’s always great. (My other all time favs are Ajumma and the dad in Healer). I appreciate the comments about the detailed care that went into the look of this world–costumes, scenery, etc. It feels very real.
Ah, this is so good watching again! I am loving the relationship between Mu Deok and Uk. It’s written very believably, the growing reliance on each other, protection, kindness – ooh, and hints of chemistry! All very excellent.
I also really appreciate the various perils. That tension of secrets kept, secrets known is really clever. Will the doggy sniff out Mu Doek’s Naksu soul? Will the King / Crown Prince realise who Jang Uk really is? Will the horrible soul sucker guy suck everyone dry?! As KFG says, the show, while hinting nicely at the perils to come, isn’t obvious in its journey there. I like this a lot.
I also really like the look of the show – the colours, specifically. The added CGI elements give it all such a pleasing “magicky” feel without (generally) it ever looking cheap. No disrespect to kdrama, but sometimes I find costumes / set can look a tad unconvincing compared to the more lavish design of cdrama. But not here. It holds its head up very well.
And, lastly, I love the music. I hear it when I need to, but it never outstays its welcome.
Ooh, yippee for the next two episodes! It has become quite a delicious weekly treat.
To me the highlight of show is very much the chemistry between MuDeok and Jang Uk, and how they can communicate just by looking and ( in My Deok’s case) glaring!
I am LOVING this rewatch! It’s so much more fun for me since I’m more grounded in watching kdramas overall and not missing as much. As both Elaine & ABV have said, Jung So Min is fantastic in this role!! The bickering between Mu Deok & Uk is so much fun to watch. And these two episodes introduced 2 of my favorite characters: our mystery guy (Im Cheol SuI–who I love in everything) and the Crown Prince. I’ve been waiting to hear him call her ‘filthy Mu Deok’ hahahaha. And I agree with Elaine that Sapsali is the spirit of Gwigu and also laughed out loud at the whole chamber pot scene! I’m doing my best to resist the urge to move ahead and stick with the group watch pace 🙂
Just a quick note that Im Cheol Su’s mysterious character summoned Sapsali from the magic vault of the Jin family (Matriarch Jin of the thick eyeliner and her daughter Jin Cho Yeon are like the guardians of many highly powerful, dangerous magical artifacts, and they mention in this set of episodes that only someone of the bloodline of the Jin family can open that vault). Im Cheol Su’s character gets around the vault door by summoning Sapsali from the vault itself. If I’m not wrong, I think Sapsali is the spirit of Gwigu (the ghost dog hunting down soul-shifters from the previous set of episodes), we see it being summoned from Gwigu’s broken-and-now-repaired statue, and go into the dead dog, and after that Im Cheol Su calls it Sapsali.
This was a fun set of episodes. Unlike KFG I actually found the scene of Mu Deok, Uk and Maidservant Kim (and I think Park Dang Gu also??) volunteering to drink the chamberpot water to be really hilarious hahahahah. Jung So Min just hammed it up, and Oh Nara as Maidservant Kim is just delightful. I found her ladylike yet comical gag reflex so funny! Obviously Yul is too dignified for such nonsense, and because Show mentions he is a relative of the Crown Prince, perhaps that’s why he actually has the status/clout to speak directly to the prince, and act as the voice of sanity in that chaotic duel-turned-farce. Heh.
I do like that Yul is a pretty sharp character (unlike most 2MLs whose only function seems to be to pine after FL and get in the way of the OTP!). He’s so perceptive in reading Mu Deok’s intentions, not just with the breathing technique, but the overall big picture of what she’s trying to do with Uk, helping him break barriers, get his energy gate open etc but Yul is also right in observing that her way of doing so is highly dangerous. I like that they bring out this tension between Naksu’s “go big or go home” vs everyone else in Uk’s life keeping him safe. Park Danggu and Seo Yul are Uk’s faithful friends but by keeping him safe they are contributing to him feeling stifled and imprisoned. I’ve mentioned before but I’ll mention again that Lee Jae Wook brings across very well the “outwardly bright but inwardly tortured” soul very well, you can see on his face the awful feeling of being left out, or thought of as less-than, when he couldn’t do magic like his peers. Speaking of which, when the “Four Seasons” were introduced in E1, it looked so cheesy and idol-drama, especially the way they were dolled up like anime characters. But we see that it’s a concept which is more than superficial. With just that brief intro, we see how 3 out of the 4 are very skilled in magic/martial arts, and how Uk would thus feel very left out, comparing himself to the skill level his age-mates have achieved by now. And beyond just being peers of Uk, we find out in this episode that the 4 of them are the scions of the 4 most powerful mage families in the land – aristocracy as it were – and Crown Prince’s eunuch advises him not to get into open conflict with the 4 of them. Park Dang-gu – nephew of Park Jin of the salt-and-pepper beard and head of magic academy Songrim. Since Park Jin doesn’t have his own children, Danggu is the presumed heir to Head of SongrimSeo Yul – son of the powerful Seo family which guards a border city I think. Jin Cho Yeon – as mentioned above, daughter and heir to Matriarch Jin, the Jins have specific specialty in working with magical artifacts. Back to the story,I was like Gaaaaah when Park Jin allowed Uk to stab him in the shoulder, quite a heartbreaking moment especially when we contrast how harsh Park Jin is towards Uk in public with how he is such a fond uncle actually in private, and him standing up for Baby Uk in the flashbacks. Sigh.
Was it in this set of episodes that Naksu-Mu Deok runs around with the broom as she recollects how powerful she was at martial arts in her Naksu days? And then she pants, out of breath and remarks again how weak her current body is? Hahaha. Jung So Min really is killing it in this role.
Ahem, and having chemistry with Minhyun as Seo Yul too! I did find the 3-breaths scene on the bridge very heart-fluttering, especially with the layer of their teenhood connection and the meaning of the bird-whistle-flute thing.
Really enjoyed this pair of episodes. The storyline has settled in and things are much easier to follow. Growing very fond of the core cast of characters. The dynamic between Mu-deok and Jang-uk is so entertaining. I just love their banter and facial expressions. One thing I just can’t predict how I’ll react to is the change in the female lead in season two as Jung So-min has been brilliant so far. She just has natural chemistry with everyone in this show.
Every time they talk about Jang-uk’s birth, it feels very uncomfortable. I also like the interactions between Maidservant Kim and Park Jin. Hilarious.
Now looking forward to Uk’s training with Mu-deok. I very much enjoyed the confrontation between Uk and the Crown Prince. Also loved seeing Mu-deok use her wits to diffuse the situation.
My brother and I have decided to watch this drama at the group watch pace so we intend to check out two episodes every Saturday.