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

Episode 9

E9. Well, this episode turned out to be pretty pivotal. Not only do we get some key narrative movements, like Uk joining Songrim, we also get insight into the officially missing Bu Yeon. Ooh. That’s more than I’d been expecting, to be honest.

Since I’m most intrigued by what the deal is, with Bu Yeon, let’s start there today.

From what we can see in the flashbacks, Bu Yeon had been blind as a child, but had had a strong affinity for magic and picking up on energy and all that.

And then we see in the present, that Bu Yeon can now see – and is looking for her friend, Mu Deok.

Hrmmm. Does this mean that Bu Yeon had soul-shifted into Mu Deok’s body, and that’s why Mu Deok had been blind when we’d first met her?

I mean, that does line up with the fact that Naksu-Mu Deok (this is getting confusing to talk about) had been able to open Jinyowon just by touching the vine; it had been because she’s in Bu Yeon’s body.

Innteresting. But then, what does that mean for Original Mu Deok’s soul, who’s been displaced by Naksu entering Original Mu Deok’s new Bu Yeon body..?

I don’t know why I’ve never thought of this before, but since Bu Yeon and Mu Deok literally switched bodies when they (I assume) soul-shifted, then wouldn’t Original Mu Deok have been shifted into Naksu’s dying body..?

Doesn’t this mean that Original Mu Deok’s soul is.. dead, now that Naksu’s body is dead, and has even been cremated?

That’s sad, and a really raw deal for Mu Deok.

Also, I don’t think very well of Bu Yeon, since it looks like she had soul-shifted into her friend’s body, to escape her blindness, and to have a carefree life. Which means that she’d saddled her friend with her own blind body, in exchange.

What kind of friend does that? And now, Bu Yeon’s back and looking to stay with Mu Deok for a bit, because Mu Deok’s just nice that way?

GAH. That’s horrible, and the more I think about it, the more I dislike Bu Yeon, even though we’ve barely met her.

That said, it would seem rather likely, that Bu Yeon’s hidden the ice stone within her own body (ie, the body that Original Mu Deok inhabited, which then got taken over by Naksu), since we see from that flashback, that Bu Yeon had found the ice stone, but hadn’t handed it over to Jin Mu.

This would likely be the reason why the soul-shift has been able to go on for so long, and why neither Original Mu Deok nor Naksu-Mu Deok experienced any problem with petrification, even though all the other soul-shifters we’ve seen, have struggled with that.

That’s an interesting idea, though I wonder if I’ve figured it out correctly. 😅

ALSO. How intriguing that Jin Mu and and the Real Danju (whom I’m assuming to be the Queen, though I’m not so sure because the makeup and demeanor is so different that I’d also believe it, if you told me this was a completely different person) talk about Bu Yeon being dead.

Clearly, we haven’t seen the complete flashback yet. I suppose Bu Yeon had appeared to die, after finding the ice stone, but that the ice stone had somehow saved her, thus enabling her to soul-shift with Mu Deok and then run away?

At least, that’s what I’m imagining in my head right now, given the fragments of information that we get.

Bu Yeon and Naksu-Mu Deok don’t cross paths this episode, but I’m sure they will soon, since Bu Yeon’s actively seeking her out, thinking that she’s Original Mu Deok.

I can’t wait for our Mu Deok to give Bu Yeon a taste of her sardonic sass, and also, call her out on being a horrible friend.

In terms of Uk joining Songrim, I do like the beat where Uk gets dressed in his new uniform, and Mu Deok compliments him as his Master, saying that he looks impeccably cool in it.

Also, I can’t help but get a bit of a kick from the fact that Uk and Mu Deok switch roles so seamlessly while bantering with each other.

One moment he’s addressing her as Mu Deok, and himself as Young Master, and when she feigns ignorance in response to his question about how he looks, he changes tack and addresses her as Master instead, while referring to himself as her pupil.

The way they switch back and forth like it’s as natural as breathing, makes me feel like they’ve spent a lot of time together, and there really have a strong foundation for their relationship. I like that.

Of course, there’s also the thing where Uk seems to have developed a habit of hugging his Master during important occasions, and she doesn’t seem to mind too much, even though she might grumble a bit, that she can’t breathe.

This casual skinship also gives me a bit of a thrill. 😁

And, not forgetting the fact that when it comes to sharing good things – like food, or like that special pill that Master Heo sends – Uk’s first instinct, is always to share it with Mu Deok (to Maidservant Kim’s dismay, heh).

All of these little details makes the connection between Uk and Mu Deok really pop for me, and I find myself perking up in a big way, any time Show gives us another tidbit to prove their closeness. 🤩

That said, I do find myself also reaching for the conclusion that Mu Deok’s very good at playing along with people, and getting them to like her – or at least trust her.

Like the way she talks to Yul this episode, and also, the way she talks to the Crown Prince.

Her way of approaching each of them is extremely different – with Yul, she’s gentle and thoughtful, and with the Crown Prince, she’s bubbly and full of easy praise – but the outcome is rather similar, in that both of them end up looking towards her, and wanting her company.

In that sense, it does seem to me that Mu Deok’s good at reading people.

I know I’ve been saying that I’m rather amused at the romantic tension between Park Jin and Maidservant Kim, but Show’s really leaning into it this episode, and I feel like if Show doesn’t let up soon with this, I might soon grow tired of it. 😅

For now, it’s still mildly amusing, and I was also suitably amused by Maidservant Kim’s close encounter with Master Lee, which was full of heart-thumping tension on both sides.

Any potential connection between Master Lee and Maidservant Kim could prove a bit finicky to work out, though, since Master Lee’s committed to celibacy for the sake of his craft.

But maybe that’s where the humor will be; Master Lee being conflicted over whether to break his vow of celibacy and thus become less powerful, in order to romance the lady..?

Well, nothing says “I love you” like “I would break my vow of celibacy for you, even at the cost of the power that makes me so awe-inspiring to everyone”? 😁

I enjoy Show best when Uk and Mu Deok are together, so I was just as bummed as Mu Deok, to realize that she can’t enter Songrim with Uk. Dang. That sucks.

And, while Mu Deok’s stuck outside, Show brings in Yun Ok, Heo Yeom’s granddaughter, who’s clearly developed a crush on Uk ever since he’d saved her from the soul-shifter.

This could prove rather troublesome, since Master Heo’s on the hunt for a marriage partner for Yun Ok, and is already gleefully struck by the fact that Yun Ok seems to have a soft spot for Uk.

Gah. I hope that Mu Deok manages to find her way into Songrim quickly, via that hiring notice that she gets from Ju Wol.

I’d been a little worried, when Mu Deok had started to conclude that Uk no longer plans to have her around, now that he’s achieved his goal of being accepted into Songrim.

That’s the opposite of the truth, and I’m SO GLAD, that Maidservant Kim reveals to her that the woman Uk’s heart belongs to a woman who’s like a single bird egg on top of a tall tree.

YES, MU DEOK. THAT’S YOU. That’s such a specific reference; it couldn’t be anyone else but you!

ALSO. I love that at the close of the episode, we get that bit of clarity from Uk, where he  realizes he misses Mu Deok, and articulates it out loud.

Yes, Show. Please reunite these two as soon as possible, so that Uk can actually say the words to Mu Deok in person.

“Mu Deok-ah. I miss you so much.”

Episode 10

E10. This episode, things move into place so that Uk and Mu Deok can be reunited, and even though, on paper, that sounds like a tee-up sort of episode, it doesn’t really land like one?

What I mean is, I actually liked watching Uk and Mu Deok work so hard, in their individual capacities, to overcome the obstacles that have suddenly popped up between them, in order to be together.

The all-in, valiant efforts on both sides is quite moving, in and of themselves, and I liked watching each of them reach out to the other, in their own ways.

In this case, it does feel like absence makes the heart grow fonder. 😁

I think that the thing that surprises me most, this episode, is the fact that Mu Deok is actually cognizant of the feelings between her and Uk.

For some reason, I’d thought that she wouldn’t be, and that she’d be so focused on her goal, that she wouldn’t really notice or stop to think about the feelings aspect of things.

Instead, at the very top of the episode, she acknowledges in voiceover, that love may have seeped in between them, but resolves that she will eventually leave it behind, once she’s accomplished her goal.

Meanwhile, it seems like she’s allowing those feelings to exist, and isn’t doing anything to proactively stamp them out – which I like, as a viewer, heh.

I’m somewhat peeved at Park Jin, because his entire thing about taking in Uk to train him, turns out to be a big fat lie, designed to be a cover, so that Park Jin can keep Uk cooped up in Songrim indefinitely, so that he can’t get into trouble.

I mean, I understand that Park Jin has the bigger picture in mind, and thinks that he’s doing his duty, but it sucks that he’s lying to Uk, and pretending to train Uk, when all he’s really doing, is systematically throwing obstacles in Uk’s way.

Which is why I’m rather glad that Uk doesn’t let a few Songrim rules stop him from sneaking out to see Mu Deok.

I mean, if Songrim’s doing him dirty like this, it doesn’t seem fair to expect Uk to adhere to the strict rules they’re imposing on him, right?

I’m glad he makes it out and gets to go home and have a bath and enjoy some cookies while he waits for Mu Deok, even though I do feel a bit bad for Yun Ok, that she ends up waiting for him for 4 hours.

To be fair, though, Uk never asked her to wait for him, and she did that all on her own, because she wanted to help him.

In the end, I’m glad that Mu Deok and Uk do manage to see each other face to face, even though it’s pretty fleeting.

The sense of urgency on both their parts, to make the most of the few moments they manage to have, as Uk’s boat passes by, is quite thrilling, I have to say.

It’s pretty great to see that seeing Mu Deok’s face, even if it’s just for this quick moment, is enough to satisfy Uk.

And, it’s also pretty great, that Mu Deok finds a way to let Uk know about how she plans to join him at Songrim, by tossing him the flyer about the Songrim hiring competition, so that he’ll have peace of mind that he’ll see her soon.

On a side note, we do see fake blind girl again this episode, and she’s briefly addressed as So-I, and Yul comes to her rescue for a bit, before she gets kidnapped by someone.

I just wanted to say, in case you missed it in the comments last set of notes, that Trent pointed out that there’s no real evidence that this girl is Bu Yeon like I’d assumed; that, in fact, Bu Yeon’s more likely the vision of “blind Mu Deok” whom we’d seen in the spirit realm, who had saved Uk.

My bad. I’d totally jumped to the wrong conclusion there, mainly because I’d assumed that the way Show had interspliced the scenes of So-I, with the scenes of young Bu Yeon, indicated that the girl on my screen was grown-up Bu Yeon.

I take it back, and will wait to see what else Show reveals about So-I, going forward.

Also, I can’t help wondering if So-I’s kidnapping has anything to do with Jin Mu’s resolve to help Madam Jin find the missing Bu Yeon..? As in, might Jin Mu kidnap So-I, and then try to pass her off as Bu Yeon, perhaps?

On a completely different note, I do find myself growing more fond of the Crown Prince, compared to when we’d first met him.

He’s becoming more and more amiable, with each passing episode. I find that both surprising and quite pleasant, really.

For example, the Crown Prince could’ve totally ratted on Uk, since he catches Uk redhanded, taking a stroll outside Songrim when he should be ensconced within Songrim at all times.

And yet, he pretty much agrees to keep Uk’s secret, in exchange for a honey cookie. Tee hee. It amuses me greatly, actually, that the Crown Prince can be bribed with a sweet cookie.

The other attempted bribe this episode, where Maidservant Kim tries to bribe Maidservant Park to give Mu Deok a place in Songrim, doesn’t go as well, and works out to be a bit of light filler entertainment.

The way Park Jin tries to talk to Maidservant Kim about it, and ends up offending her and putting a deeper wedge between them than ever, feels like a bit of a running gag, by this point.

Likewise, afterwards, the way Master Lee ends up being the unwitting recipient of Maidservant Kim’s good intentions, also feels like it’s becoming a bit of a pattern.

Unlike the previous incident, however, this time, it looks like it’s Master Lee who’s rather entranced, instead of Maidservant Kim.

I half wonder if he’ll reconsider his training, as a result of being swayed by Maidservant Kim’s charms? 😁

I am nicely amused by how Yul, Dang Gu and the Crown Prince put their heads together to solve the written part of the Songrim hiring competition, all because they want to help Mu Deok succeed.

That’s dorky and endearing, at the same time.

While it’s true that Mu Deok would’ve failed the first round of the competition without their help, she passes the second and third rounds, all on her own effort.

And seeing as how Mu Deok literally passes out after passing the third round, she really did push herself very hard, in order to pass – and all for the sake of reuniting with Uk.

Sure, it’s to further her own goals, ultimately, but somehow, I still feel touched that she would push herself this hard, in order to gain the chance to be in Uk’s orbit again.

In his own way, Uk’s works hard this episode as well.

Even though Master Lee does give Uk a clue in terms of how to approach the magic book, Uk cracks that code on his own effort too – and the reason he works so hard to do that, is so that he can leave that room, and see Mu Deok.

In fact, the moment he completes the task of reading the magic book, he goes straight to Mu Deok, to bring her to Sejukwon for treatment.

Aw. He really cares about her a lot, doesn’t he? 🥰

Unfortunately, this does give Park Jin pause, as he pieces together the fact that Uk’s always had Mu Deok with him, as he’s progressed through his various milestones.

I’m guessing that Park Jin’s going to be very suspicious of Mu Deok, going forward, which might prove detrimental to our OTP actually spending time together.

In the meantime, though, it feels like sweet relief, to see Uk and Mu Deok sitting together and chatting; it feels like they’ve been apart for too long already.

I love how Uk interprets Mu Deok’s thrown flyer not just as a letter, but one that says, “I will go this far just to see you. I can do anything if it means being able to see you.”

And then he tells her his reply, “I also missed you.”

Melt. Even though Mu Deok’s regretting already that her love letter (which she acknowledges! Eee!) should never have been delivered, I have to admit, that’s some sweet, swoony stuff.

More of this, Show, please and thank you. 🥰

Next Open Thread will be up on: Sunday, 5 April 2026!