Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining this group watch! ❤️
This is the last one for Part 1, but we’re embarking on Part 2 right away (next week!), so we’re still using the:
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 19
E19. Well, what a dramatic penultimate episode this turned out to be.
It really feels like A LOT happens, this episode, and it also feels like we get a reasonable amount of resolution, so much so that this could well have been the place our writers chose to pause our story, before taking us into the final act with Part 2.
But it isn’t, which makes me think that this is perhaps the closing of the Act, and our finale might be the introduction to Act 3, to whet our appetite, before Part 2 actually airs?
In flashback, we finally see how Bu Yeon had “died” that day, and I’m rather shocked to see that Jin Mu had pushed her into the water, in order to get his hands on the ice stone.
Wow. The nerve of Jin Mu, to then make the offer to Madam Jin, to help her find her missing daughter!
I’m also glad to find out how Bu Yeon had become Mu Deok; it hadn’t been a soul-shifting thing after all. She’d simply lost her memory and gained a new name, a happening which would have been much easier to guess, if I weren’t so distracted by the magicky possibilities in this particular story world. 😅
Also, although we’ve been told Jang Gang’s story in broad strokes, it somehow hadn’t come together in my mind, that he’d been to blame for so many of the terrible things that had happened.
It’s true that if he hadn’t dabbled in the alchemy of souls, that many things wouldn’t have happened. And it’s also true that if he hadn’t used the ice stone to save Bu Yeon as a baby, a lot of things could have been avoided as well.
And yet, somehow, this didn’t come together in my head until this episode spelled it out for me. Whoops. 😅
What I don’t understand, though, is why Jang Gang considered a soul-shifter, in this episode, and why he gets petrified and dies.
I mean, he’d switched souls for a while with the late King, but he’s been back in his own body for decades?
I’d assumed that soul shifters who get petrified are the ones occupying bodies which aren’t their own?
How does that work, if this is Jang Gang’s body, and also, his soul? 🤔
Beyond that, though, I’m touched by Uk’s choice to sacrifice his energy, in order to save Yul and everyone else within Jeongjingak.
It is a big sacrifice, and I can see why both Mu Deok and the Crown Prince separately balk at the idea at first.
What I like, though, is how, when Uk frames his decision as wanting to protect someone, just like the way Mu Deok chooses not to use her chance to use the ice stone’s energy in order to protect Uk himself, Mu Deok begins to understand, and comes around to support his effort.
That’s so giving, on both of their parts, and I really like that.
And, the way Uk asks the Crown Prince to take responsibility for the lifting of the fog, in his stead, also feels somewhat sacrificial, even though Uk phrases it as the Crown Prince helping him to clean up his mess.
After all, it does have to do with ceding glory and honor that rightfully belongs to him, to the Crown Prince. I do admire Uk for doing that, and without hesitation too.
Unfortunately, the appearance of the King’s Star means that several people are now out to kill Uk, and among them, it pains me most, that the Crown Prince is starting to perceive him as a threat.
Aw, nooOoo. I was just starting to really enjoy the reluctant partnership and mutual respect that we were getting between him and Uk. 😩
On another note, I really do appreciate the note of closure that we get between Yul and Mu Deok.
It’s time that they both acknowledge the truth, and put the past to rest, so that they are both free to move forward.
I really like the vibe of their final conversation; there’s care and respect, and amidst the lashings of wistfulness, there’s a gentle groundedness that I really like. It’s perfect.
I’m also glad that Uk comes to find out that the man he’d met at Gaema Village had been his father. Ok, well, technically not his father, I suppose, but the person closest to a father that he’s had in his life.
It feels fitting, that in their short conversation, Jang Gang had looked him in the eye and identified him as the son of Cheonbugwan’s Gwanju. That was him giving Uk his acceptance and approval, wasn’t it?
It feels meaningful as well, that Jang Gang had given Uk a drink. It makes me think of how fathers teach their sons to drink, and while it may not be much in the overall scheme of things, it does feel like a precious father-son sort of moment.
And of course, at the end of our episode, there’s the scene where Uk asks his Master for permission to end his training as her pupil.
I love what Uk says, in his little spiel, because it acknowledges and cherishes the efforts that Mu Deok’s put into helping him as his Master, but also points the way to a new chapter, in their relationship.
“Master. As of today, I wish to end my training as your pupil. I am grateful that you always pushed me to train harder despite how lacking I was.
I know that you gave up your chance to regain your energy. And I, too, chose to give up the energy I tried so hard to build.
But instead, I now have someone precious that I wish to keep by my side forever. I do not wish to be used and discarded. I wish to protect and cherish you. Thus, allow me to quit.”
“I, Mu Deok, your Master, will allow my pupil, Jang Uk, to quit.”
“All right, then. Marry me, Mu Deok-ah.”
Awww! Melt. That is so casually, offhandedly, sincerely sweet.
I really love the happy, contented smiles they smile at each other, after Uk’s proposal; it makes me think that these two will be happy together for a long, long time.
I would honestly be happy to just stop our story here (because, happy ending!! *grabby hands*), but I realize, of course, that there are still many unfinished threads to develop, and therefore more story to tell.
I just.. want to bask in The Happy, for a bit. 🥰
Episode 20
E20. Wow. What a finale! 🤯
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this finale, since I tend to like my dramas in single seasons, with closure at the end, and this is most definitely not that.
I’m very pleased to report that all in all, I really liked this finale, AND, I’m also very much looking forward to seeing what else Show is planning to serve up, in Part 2.
When I’d first heard that this was just the first of a two-parter, I’d been a bit afraid that Part 2 would be a long time coming (like with Arthdal Chronicles, which I’m now glad I didn’t get around to watching 😅), so this is excellent news all-around, from where I’m sitting.
This episode, Show does give us many elements of a conventional finale, with good amounts of sweet and cute among our various characters.
From Park Jin finally coming to realize that Maidservant Kim likes him and not Master Lee, to Uk and Mu Deok getting wedding rings made out of their yin-yang jade eggs, to Dang Gu and Cho Yeon preparing for their wedding, there are many things which signal Happy Ending, this finale.
Also, there’s how the Crown Prince tells Jin Mu that he does not see any real reason to eliminate Uk, since Uk’s lost his energy and his ability to cast spells.
I’m glad for that, because I can see that the Crown Prince is really speaking out of a reluctant affection for Uk, and sincerely doesn’t want to hurt Uk.
BUTTTT. Jin Mu’s not one to give up easy, certainly, and that’s when he brings out those darned magic bells, which he uses to essentially hypnotize Mu Deok, in order to make her his weapon.
Urgh. That was pretty hard to watch, even though my brain did clock that Jung So Min does a really good job of toggling between Zombie Mu Deok and Sentient Mu Deok.
Of course, there’s other stuff that unfolds to support the unraveling of our key mysteries, of what had really happened with Mu Deok’s father, and who Mu Deok really is, and of course, the secret that Uk is the one born under the King’s Star.
But, the thing that grabbed my attention the most, is the way Jin Mu turns Mu Deok zombie, and harnesses her for his purposes.
It’s trippy, and unsettling, and upsetting, all at the same time, to see Mu Deok not only attack Jin U Tak, but also, swiftly kill servants whom she’s worked with, and then, fight both Dang Gu and Cho Yeon, looking like she’s ready to kill them.
Most of all, though, it was trippy and upsetting to see Mu Deok come face to face with Uk, and then, after a moment of coming to her senses, slip right back into zombie mode, to stab him with her sword.
Ack. That’s just so horrible and worrying.
And it guts me that Uk seems willing to die by her sword, just like he’d said before, because instead of trying to get away from her, he holds her to himself, which is how she stabs him a second time. ACK. 😭
And then, as Mu Deok comes to, and realizes what she’s done, her anguish is also so sharp and harrowing to witness. What a horrible, horrifying thing for Mu Deok too.
I was expecting Uk to survive somehow, because we’re only in Part 1 of this story after all, but no, he dies, and they even cremate his body, which felt very surreal to me.
I mean, I know that this is a magical world where many things are possible, but it still felt weird to see Uk getting cremated, y’know?
WHAT A TURNAROUND, though, when the power of the ice stone within Uk actually brings him back to life via the fire.
As the fire started burning blue, I remembered all the various times that our characters have mentioned that the ice stone has no form, and therefore, can be water, or fire, or wind.
And it started to come together in my head, that with the cremation, the ice stone is taking the form of fire. Perfect.
I love how that comes together, and how Show’s been educating us on this, enough that it comes together for us (or at least, for me), at just the right time. I love it.
I also love the drama with which we see Uk walk out of that fire. It reminds me so strongly of the legend of the phoenix, which is an immortal bird that gets reborn through the fire. That’s just perfect, isn’t it? 🤩
I’m not super sure of how Mu Deok’s being saved from the water, as Uk comes out of the fire, but I can’t help but think that it also has something to do with the power of the ice stone, since Uk’s wish has always been to use the power of the ice stone to save her.
It feels like SUCH a great moment in our story, where both our leads are being reborn, in a manner of speaking, and in Uk’s case at least, with more power than I’m sure anyone could imagine.
The narrative possibilities arising from this feel very exciting to me, and I’m so pleased to say that I’m very much looking forward to see where Show will take our characters next.
Bring on Part 2, Show – I’m ready! 🤩
I came into this rewatch knowing that I was totally dreading Ep 20. For my first watch, I was absolutely smitten by Jang Uk and Mu-doek’s long-overdue confession and really looking forward to how they would end up as a team. Then, Ep 20 comes and Jin Mu just can’t keep his slimy hands out of this hard-won bliss. I was devastated by the control he was able to take over Mu-Doek’s actions. And then when she stabs Uk and realizes what she’s done he is so cruel that she is isn’t allowed to mourn before being driven to madness again. It was no less devastating this time despite knowing it was coming.
I’ve stated before that, above all else, this was a Jung So-min showcase, and I did mourn losing her for Season 2. I’ve watched other shows she’s been in and while some are reasonably decent, she has not yet (IMHO) been able to match the screen-grabbing presence she had as Mu-doek.
Here is my attempt at making sense of Bu Yeon’s birth and of the timeline. Please correct me if any of this sounds implausible.
Jang Gang raids Gaema village, finds the Alchemy of Souls spellbook and gets interested in sorcery. The Choi siblings escape.
Choi U Tak meets Madam Jin, who falls in love with him and marries into the Jin family.(lingering doubt- did he change his last name when meeting her coz in Ep19 she is shocked to hear he is a Choi descendant).
Jang Gang meanwhile tries his darndest to get into the relic room and find the ice stone to test Alchemy of Souls. Madam Jin rolls her eyes at him until Bu-Yeon dies in the womb — then she throws caution to the wind and brings him in.
Jang Gang uses the ice stone to bring Bu-Yeon back to life but also sneaks said stone away with him. All this must have made the already insecure Jin Tak more anxious — he assumes his wife always had feelings for Jang Gang.
Jang Gang practices Alchemy for over a year until the King uses him to soul swap. Trapped as the King, he teaches Jin Mu alchemy so Jin Mu can help him swap back. By then poor Do-Hwa is already pregnant.
And just like that, Jang Gang decides Alchemy is bad and hides the ice stone in that magicky lake. (I rage at the fact that if the King hadn’t touched his wife, this douchebag would have continued Alchemy without a second thought. So even this moral outrage was only because someone dared to take his “stuff.”)
Now knowing Jang Gang is planning to stop Alchemy, Jin Mu goes behind his back and soul swaps his bestie.
Darling Uk is born. Evil Jang Gang seals his energy and stomps off to buy redemption at half-price.🙄🙄🙄
A few years later Jin Mu realizes he needs the ice stone to make more soul ejectors. He seeks out Shaman Choi and through her brother finds out about Bu-Yeon’s divine power to recognize concealed objects of energy.
Jin U Tak agrees to this, thinking Bu-Yeon is Jang Gang’s child anyway — but even then he didn’t agree to harming her. Though I do wonder why he didn’t intervene or use his magic to protect his daughter when things went too far. That brings lingering doubt#2 – can he do magic?
My, while writing this down I realised how selfish and evil Jang Gang truly is and I shall take back all the grace I ever gave him in my earlier watches.
This is excellent and super helpful! But I am typically dense and not sure what you mean about Jin Mu and the bestie swapping….
@j3ffc: Thank you. By bestie I meant Naksu’s dad whose name I cannot recall now. It was Jin Mu who made him a soul shifter since he was a constellation mage and would have seen Jang Uk’s King Star plate ( tho i think he did that to torment Jang Gang)
Ah, thanks, Kumari! So he did marry Madam Jin before she even got pregnant. For some reason I’d had the impression Bu Yeon was born and then he met and married Madam Jin. But your way makes more sense!
@Ele, I also got the impression that he met Madam Jin after But Yeon was born. But some details are rather unclear and ambiguous.
The thing with Jang Gang is that he looks quite much like a teddy bear and therefore it ‘s easy to miss that he’s actually evil. Plus he is friends with all those good mages, so one kind of supposes he is good as well.
Your timeline seems quite reasonable.
Very nice Kumari!
As usual, so very thoughtful consideration of the show.
Oh, it was so brilliant and so upsetting and then so brilliant!! Maidservant Kim crying over Uk’s death and the insult of his cremation-like-a-criminal absolutely broke my heart. She totally got me bawling.
And, oh, the rising from the ashes was honestly some of the best TV I have seen! It was soooooo satisfying and, hehem, may I say our Jang Uk had never looked better, all dark and glowering, all former dorkiness gone. I know, I know, I should like a guy who smiles, but give me that scowl any day of the week (obviously strictly in dramaland, not real life!)
As for Jang Gang the-worst-gwanju-EVER, it is hard to believe he could get any worse but somehow he’s an unwanted (if totally handsome!) gift that keeps on giving. I think you’re too generous KFG to think he made eye contact with Uk to make a point of saying he’s the gwanju’s son as if true (he’s been useless as a father and a breath later had said his wife “had an affair” – my teeth ache with grinding…) But I think that rather he was checking if Jang Uk knew the truth of his birth, that he is the late King’s son.
And also, as others have said, I must say I had a heart attack when Choyeon’s dad implied our Worst Gwanju Ever was probably Buyeon’s dad because it made my head hurt thinking that Jang Uk and Mu Doek effectively have the same father – bleurgh! And then, just to add to the muddle, Madam Jin seems to imply that Choyeon’s dad (also a terrible father by the way) is also actually Buyeon’s dad but that got me confused because I kind of had the impression he’d come along after Buyeon’s birth. It is a plot point I feel maybe would be clearer on a third watch…
As for Mu Doek going all Naksu on her friends and comrades, that was, as you say, painful to watch. Especially after the glowing sunny lead up where she actually occasionally threw Jang Uk some sweet shy glances (about time!) and more effectively gently parted ways with Yul. Oh Yul! Side note, So-i putting in the gut devouring worm in Yul and only latterly thinking he might need some pain relief for that?! I guess she was preoccupied trying to survive…
So, anyway, my very favourite thing about this show is the originality and plot-pacing. Wondrous! I also loved the relationships between characters, even ones on the periphery, such as Eunuch guy gently comprehending everything and deftly assisting the Crown Prince, the smiley nurse guy who gets slashed by Naksu but manages to alert everyone to her presence, the rather dishy Songrim guard – did he die by Naksu’s sword? I can’t remember if he’s in season 2.
And as for the promise of season 2 – SQUEEEEE!!!!!! I remember I enjoyed season two even more, mostly because Jang Uk is super mardy and wears the glower with panache… I will be interested, watching them back-to-back this time, if I feel the same way. I know many people mourned the exit of Jung So-min, which is understandable because she is very central to this season and performs very well. Possibly, because I find her style of acting sometimes a little too closed (especially in the OTP department, which is always very important to my viewing pleasure) I didn’t mind the change in female lead the first time like many did.
Lovely to watch with you all and read your comments!!!
Oh @Ele, it was indeed so awesome to watch Jang Uk walk out from that fire.
it feels like he just grew up finally. Until now, even when he was in serious mode, he came across as someone still very innocent and full of light – but this Jang Uk is so darn moody and brooding.
and yes the dramaland heroes can give me those scowls and glowers- irl I will balk at it 😂
and as much as I loved Jung So-Min, I definitely loved Go Youn-Jung’s portrayal so I am very excited for S2.
Park Jin’s right hand man is still alive and didn’t get killed by Naksu.
i am basically in shock and my jaw is on the floor after these episodes. friends, i don’t have much words. when Naksu/Mu Deok fulfils their promise and stabs Jang Uk and he pulls her in closer and pushes the sword in further and calls her name over and over – and she comes to realise the horror of what she’s done and sees him die by her hand – and the silence after when they show the aftermath. i felt like my heart died too.
then when Jang Uk is reborn (that smoke and fire and that walk? insane filming!) and when Mu Deok is pulled out of the water… well, i’m just glad i can go straight into part 2 instead of waiting months!
(there were many other fantastic moments worthy of discussion but i’m too emotionally spent after ep 20!)
It was so emotional! I had to wait a day before making a comment here.
Phew! What a finale! 6th time watching it and I still cried a lot. Dang it!
1. What an amazing masterclass on class/status/prejudice in that outburst by Kang Kyu-Hyun as the ss-Queen! How powerful must Shaman Choi be to not just know Alchemy of souls, but also divination spells that can make those soul shifters run wild on her whim! This answers why some run wild and some don’t. And just because she was a shaman using her magic to curse people (as a way of survival) she is deemed evil while the 4 great families of Daeho also used it for their own selfish reasons but they are accepted by society. Ugh! I never thought i will feel sorry for the Choi siblings but I do.
2. 💔💔💔 for that Yul – MuDeok conversation. Agree with KFG’s notes, it was so honest and heartfelt. And when Mu-Deok asks him to take the medicine even if it is bitter and when Yul agrees saying this time he will heal for good, I felt they were both talking of his love for Naksu. I cried.
3. oh that banter between the three friends – how so cute it was! This friendship was a huge factor for me loving this show so much.
4. 💔💔💔💔 Zombie Naksu unleashed scenes were hardest to watch and most of it was blurry due to someone crying nonstop by this point. Jung So-Min was stellar in showing Naksu’s ruthlessness and then that confusion & eventual heartbreak when she realized she had stabbed Jang Uk. I can’t even…
5. oh Crown Prince! He was amazing in that angry confession to Mu-Deok on what happens when he can’t have what he so madly wants. And Mu-Deok calmly taking it in and gracefully taking that violent outburst. The look on his face when he hears from Eunuch Oh what happened to Uk & Mu-Deok – if regret had a face that would be his 💔💔💔
6. and after all those heartbreaks, when the pyre literally and figuratively blew up in their faces, and my Uk-ah walked out, still bloody but oh-so-handsome – I was whooping and clapping.
what an amazing ride this season was, can’t wait for S2 to start.
Oh j3ffc, I did make yakgwa cookies to watch the finale. They tasted nice but looked pretty bad. Hopefully I would have mastered it by the time S2 finale happens 😀
The Crown Prince really does have an expressive face. I like when evil Jin Mu tries tricking him – even at the end – you can read the Crown Prince’s “that does not sound plausible” thoughts ruminating in his face. As someone who relies on facial expression, especially micro-expressions, to follow feelings and emotions, I really appreciate his!
About the petrification of Jang Gang, my least valuable player, I think that he chose to become petrified, not that he actually ran wild. No idea how he did it, though. But he was after all, the gwanju, so I guess he had some serious magic skills.
@My: his petrification happened when he absorbed all the soul ejector energy – from the one ss-queen cast inside.
Yes, My, I think he chose that moment to die, all a tad convenient for him. He never had to witness any of the fallout from his terrible choices. Like, even after taking the blast of energy, he could have held out to see Jang Uk but no, he evidently felt like their brief, anonymous chat in the Choi village was more than enough for a lifetime… Tsk!
@Ele, he always chose what’s convenient for him. Such an irritating character! Still can’t understand how he can be the Gwangju without ever being at work!
“With great power, comes great….” Really? Did they have to go there? [I have a whole rant on the appropriation of other movies, TV shows, tropes, song titles in K-drama but I’ll save it for later.]
But they made up for it with: “Those leaving will leave and those returning shall return.” Maybe not the prose per se, but respecting Master Lee’s grasp of the situation.
I liked Cho-yeon’s undercover hat. OK, I’ll be honest – I like Cho-yeon in her undercover hat. 🫢
Evil stepfather is a cliché for a reason (I am one too!! 😈). I only felt for Cho-yeon as she saw her father meet his tragic end.
All these flashbacks show that Jin Mu was in the middle of everything bad from Day One. And after all of that work and experience, he only got as high as Assistant Evil Gwanju?
Let us take a moment to gaze in wonder at just how useless this king is.
The first of my many emotions in these episodes was the “goodbye” scene between Mu Deok and Seo Yul. He is the moral center of this show and deserves to be happy. And I’ve totally forgotten if he ends up that way or not.
Did Kang Kyung-hun, as ss-Queen-ex-Shaman Choi chew the scenery as she was found out in E19? I’ll go out on a limb and say that I think she actually nailed her outburst, with my only reservation being how the writing team created the whole “I’m going crazy in this body” prelude seemingly out of nowhere beforehand. I think they did it using only a single drop of water.
And @My, I can only guess just how much you’ll miss Jang Gang. (Cue “Walk Away” by the James Gang…..)
Writing these notes in real time, I will share that I’ve been dreading episode 20 since the beginning of this rewatch. Tissues are at the ready.
Surprised that they opened the final episode of S1 with Maidservant Kim and Park Jin. But not as surprised as I was at hearing the Korean word for “lovingly” (kun-kun-kun?) 😳 But their confession scene was unexpectedly moving.
I think the Crown Prince wins this show’s award for best self-understanding.
In my first watch, I didn’t really comprehend why Naksu – which is what we should be calling her at this point – targeted Woo-Tak. I’d like to think that Naksu’s body count in this scene, considerable as it as, was moderated by the influence of Mu Deok/Bu Yeon even as she was running wild.
It will be interesting to be able to delve right into S2 after this.
But before I close, I thought we saw absolutely incredible acting by Jung So-min in this episode (and throughout the entire show, for that matter). She’s had a long career, and I hope it continues for years to come, but if this show wasn’t a performance of a lifetime, I’ll eat my honey biscuit. Brava, JSM, brava. You will be sorely missed on my screen. I am in mourning.
@j3ffc – I second the brava for JSM. She was absolutely wonderful in this drama and I agree with your sentiment about her future career. And this is the second time one of your posts has triggered a song from the past to play in my head….Walk Away…’you just turn your pretty head and walk away’. Now I have Funk 49 playing in my head….;-)
@j3ffc
I just finished watching episode 19, and again I’m blown away by the caliber of this show. The writing, acting, scenery, costumes, gushhhh.
Last time, I did not catch Jang gang was probably Bu Yeon’s father. I’m not even sure it registered that he stole the “Alchemy of Souls” book from the fire intended to destroy Shaman Choi’s materials. I loved discovering new things with this watch.
But overall, I feel what you described up there. I think for me, a really good show has now come to a solid conclusion. Uk and Mu-deok live happily ever after.
@j3ffc, I really am an anti- fan of Jang Gang, with or without music by other gangs! Ok, he has atoned for his sins, but wait, what other misdeed is showing up; he’s Bu Yeon’s father! Ok, that might seem innocent. A secret love affair with scary priestess, how cute? Well, but aren’t all the seasons more or less of the same age? Did he have his affair before marrying his wife? Or when he was married to her? Honestly, the man is a mystery and the Hong sisters must have had fun creating the character. He annoys me every time.
Totally agree on the greatness of Jung So- min. She is wonderful as Mu-Deok.
As I might have mentioned once or twice or maybe every week I love the Crown Prince to bits ( if our Crown Princess wasn’t so great I would start a vote for him as our next regent) and see, he also has great self- understanding! Yep, he is worthy of my love.
And after rewatching the first season I realised that I actually, to my own surprise, enjoyed show even more this time.
@My and @Haniczka:
Jang Gang is not Bu-Yeon’s dad at all. He just uses the ice stone from Jinyowon, willingly handed to him by Madam Jin to bring back to life the baby dead in her womb.
i am sure all this must have happened in secret, which led to Jin U-Tak assuming his wife n Jang Gang had a secret baby and she married him to hide that 🙄🙄
which is why Madam Jin visits him at that magic hospital to tell him how she fell in love with him and that Bu-Yeon was their daughter not to clear his misunderstanding but to make sure he suffers with the knowledge he willingly let Jin-Mu harm his child 😩
one thing is clear – Madam Jin might not be a great mage but she sure is good at tormenting people 🙄
Now I feel very confused. Thought U-Tak said he wasn’t Bu -Yeon’s father. The scene where U-Tak watches Madam Jin and Bu-Yeon and chooses a hair clip for Bu-Yeon, I thought was to show what a kind guy he used to be. The doting step-father. Obviously there are too many things happening at once for me to actually understand everything!
@j3ffc: I agree on the uselessness of this King. And the ss-Queen’s outburst was pretty darn good.
Jung So-Min totally ate all of them up with her portrayal of Naksu in that last episode.
i am in mourning too – What a heartbreaking life Naksu’s was – to witness her dad massacre her entire family and then have him brutally killed by mages, then to be raised alone in a forest as an assassin, try to soul shift only to be trapped in a body with no power – girl finally finds love and then gets an ending more traumatic than what her dad got.
Hong sisters just twisted that knife deep in my heart 😩
half a bottle of makgeolli later, I am still sad.
@Kumari I feel your pain! Poor Naksu-Mu Doek – and actually, she has her original name too which I can’t remember. She definitely has had it tough. Maybe season two the Hong Sisters will change her sorry fate…?!
I definitely think zombie assassin-Naksu’s sword-wielding was tempered by gentler, kinder Mu Doek-Naksu otherwise how would anyone have survived? I mean, Jin Mu was instructing her to kill everyone responsible for her father’s death but she didn’t go near Park Jin (who was just in the trees) she literally flew in the opposite direction, away from Jang Uk’s dead body (sob) but also away from Jin Mu’s evil-bell instructions. It was a victory of sorts…