I did not get exactly what happened thousands year ago that they had that much in trouble :)This show had a serious 'writing' trouble but I must say that last ten minutes was the best part of drama for sometime. Si hyo and Do Yun become a family and Hwal &Sung Un meeting was pretty emotional .Hawal was much more handsome with the new hair cut ! Why his hair was awful during 16 and half episodes :)and Sung Un was the worst dressed up FL of year :) Hwal looked so much like Eward Cullen from Twilight at this episode :)

Thank you for the recap. I was actually watching the drama but then abandoned it but was still curious to know how the story unfolds. I only got one question, the reason that Ok Eul-Tae felt the pain whenever something happened to Sang-eon was that she actually was carrying his soul? Did I get it right, or I'm missing something?

I'm so sad this drama ended...

I was wondering why Sang-un and Hwal reincarnated again.
But I saw some tweet, it made so much sense to me.
Basically they are not soulmates, they share the same soul or whatever they have...
They are always be one.
Sang-un begged Hwal to be reincarnated before he died. If he reincarnates, she does too, as two people just like twins.
Because they are always together.
Anyway, that's what I want to think...

So, basically, the root of all problems was the Bulgasal Candy from 1000 years ago who wanted to play with dolls (I mean, little humans), so she left her other half to do so. Because if she didn't leave Hwal to go and live with then-siblings SiHo and DoYeon (and do what? Mrs. Lee was already taking care of them), there would be no need to save her = bloodshed = enraged Hwal throwing curses at everybody. :D
And Eul-tae would eventually just die like a normal human worm that he was.
Anyway, the ending was pretty good for me. Much better than I feared, not so many loose ends left flying around.
I also appreciate that Sang Eun's wardrobe commemorated it appropriately by being maybe the worst yet from all of the episodes.
Also, the Bulgasal Hotness from 1000 years ago is the hottest Hwal version for me.
In the end, I have only one true complaint: there was no smooch!!! :(

I agree that this was mostly a satisfying and fun ride, even with the Greek tragedy ending. I also was fine with the reunion at the end, although it's true that the reason why Sang-eon was able to reincarnate one more time after all was never explained.

A few other thoughts/questions:

It wasn't clear to me at all when/how/why Hwal and Sang-eon finally remembered the totality of their past. What triggered that? We've waited the whole episode for this reveal as viewers, but the characters have also waited, so I wanted to see the moment when they finally understood their connection.

Was I the only one who found the confrontation between Hwal and Ok Eul-tae to be very erotically charged? The grappling, stabbing, biting and Ok Eul-tae muttered something about wanting him to be his had a definite sexual undercurrent, imo. This isn't that surprising because I think that energy has been there since their first scene together, and it definitely made the end scene more powerful because Ok Eul-tae's emotional landscape as a character proved to be more nuanced and interesting than that of the garden-variety supernatural villain.

I felt a bit sad that Si-ho appeared to never marry or reunite in some way with the father of her daughter. She already lost so much. I know she had Do-yoon, but that's not quite the same as a partner.

Loved how they wrapped up Kwon's arc not only by his death, but also a scene showing how he had defended his son in the last moments of the bloody village massacre. I did, however, long for some kind of present day realization that in his past life he had rejected his sickly, weaker son and that's what started the whole mess.

And finally, so glad Sang-eon had a semi-decent outfit in the epilogue scenes! Seriously, one of the most frustrating parts of this drama was her awful wardrobe--that baggy floral dress, puffer vest, and leggings combo in the final episode seriously detracted from any bad-assery she was exhibiting in her final confrontations with Eul-tae and teary goodbye to Hwal. I do applaud the actress' lack of vanity, but still, the costuming people did her dirty. They must have spent all their money and inspiration on Lee Joon.

And speaking of Lee Joon, I'm a broken record, but he really made this drama work for me. I'm not sure I would have watched it all the way through and enjoyed it so much without him. He's a really good actor.

Thank you for the recap. The ending was a bittersweet one and I will admit that I would've loved for Hwal, Sang-eon, Si-ho, and Do-yoon to have lived happily ever after as one big family. However, it was Hwal's sacrifice that made it possible for Si-ho and Do-yoon to finally live whole and fulfilled lives. They each had their own families and continued to love and support one another. I was also happy that Hwal and Sang-eon were also given the opportunity to find one another and fall in love all over again. I am sad that it ended but also glad that I watched this drama. Bulgasal provided me with a wonderful escape. It made weekends all the more exciting. I look forward to seeing what story the writer(s) come up with next.

I guess when you’re immortal, ten years don’t really matter? But then again, it does, because while she’s been gone, Hwal has waited, but his patience has grown thin and a jealous rage has taken its place.

Might have saved some trouble if she had hiked up the mountain now and then to visit him. Just sayin'. #hownottodoashortdistancerelationship

Never mind the unlikeliness of the house surviving another fifty years

ALL emotionally-significant former residences in kdramaland are protected by demolition-armor.

I think Hwal reincarnated because once he destroyed the pair of Bulgasal, Sang Un still remained. Her soul got split in two when she was reincarnated as twins. One part got destroyed by Ok Eul Tae but the other half wasn't destroyed as Sang Un died a natural death. Since she was originally connected to Hwal, once Hwal freed himself from Ok Eul Tae taking back his curse....he got reincarnated because Sang Un survived. I liked the ending. So Ho and Do Yoon living full life and then finding reincarnated Sang Un was a good closure. They didn't meet right away but I think Si Ho sent the picture to reincarnated Sang Un. Yes, its an open end but Sang Un and Hwal have now met without any past grudge with a new lease of life so I imagine in time they'll get to experience love, family and everything they ever wanted together. Its in a way good that Si Ho, Do Yoon didn't outright meet Sang Un....because they came between the original Bulgasal pair and set things in motion over the next 1000 years. Its only appropriate they step aside this time. Its also poetic how Hwal set up suffering for everyone he held dear by that curse because that is how a curse and retribution manifest. I agree this show had major writing and pacing issues but enjoyed watching it very much. Some parts remain a mystery but I still liked it. Lee Jun was amazing. The cast had incredible rapport on screen. Cinematography was fantastic.

Sigh. Neck-biting. I fear we may be stuck with that for a long time, and not just because everyone is having fun with their zompire trend. Or because it's a way to sneak in something that could be a bit erotic. Not all killings take place in Truck-accessible eras and locations, guns are supposed to be hard to get, and if you want to stab someone you have to blur out the knife. Fatal neck-bites are not just temporarily trendy, they're convenient.

This drama had good vision but poor execution. You really only needed to watch the first two episodes and the last because not much happened in between. Also, the 5-10 minutes Eul-tae got per episode because Lee Joon was fun to watch. Still, it was a ride, and the ending was fine.

We guessed most of the backstory though I found it funny that Hwal was the one responsible for the curse. Speaking of the curse, Bulgasal Hwal was quite the drama king, cursing the three and promising to track them down and kill their reincarnations. So they stabbed him. Big deal. He was immortal.

I was hoping the final episode would make all that staring between Hwal and Sang-eon worth it, but honestly, the Bulgasal romance was not healthy and the relationship in the present day wasn’t particularly healthy either. I’m not sure why I was supposed to be rooting for them to get another crack at it but whatever.

Pretty convenient that they reincarnated at the same time lol.

I know the whole point was that Hwal embraced humanity and chose not to be a monster, but I didn’t really feel like he learned to understand or care about humans that he didn’t consider “his.”

Eul-tae and Hwal’s scenes were so sexually charged. All that biting … whew! I would have watched the heck out of a BL version of this drama.

Si-ho was underutilized, but I liked her relationship with Do-yoon. While Do-yoon married, it looked like Si-ho never did and it was just her and her daughter. That’s kind of sad. I didn’t understand the point of her pregnancy until we learned Hwal cursed her womb (though I don’t get how she gave birth to A-chan).

The biggest question I was left with was why the heck was Sang-eon’s wardrobe so bad? All of her outfits were tragic but that last one … what even was that?

First, many thanks to @missvictrix for your detailed summary of each episode. As the finale drew near, my safety net was knowing that your final recap would help explain everything.
A couple of lingering minor points...why did Eul-Tae tell Hwal (in ep. 12-13?) that he (Eul-Tae) was only half Bulgasal? Also, in ep. 14, Hwal tells Sung-Un that Bulgasals were not able to reincarnate. But these are only minor points. The entire story was an epic tragedy, on every level.
So for me, Eul-Tae's relationship with Hwal did hint of a darkly erotic, unrequited passion. Lee Joon's performance was brilliant and I looked forward to every scene with him in it.
My thanks to all the commenters whose observations and questions enriched my enjoyment of this show!

I read a comment on another sight that got me thinking about Eul-tae's determination to seperate Hwal and Sang-eon. One aspect of the show that I was hoping would be explored (and wasn't) was how Eul-tae developed feelings for Hwal. The only interaction between both men one thousand years ago happened at the moment that Eul-tae was turned. Hwal extracted a promise from Eul-tae and then turned into ash. Hwal is then reborn as a human and then turned back into a Bulgasal. During this time between Hwal being human and then becoming a Bulgsal the two men never meet or interact. So again, where do Eul-tae's strong feelings stem from?

Morale of the story, "Beasts, don't get involved with humans. Because humans will find all kinds of ways to turn everything into a hot pile of beastly mess of galactic proportion."

I think this is the part I love the most — that he cursed Kwon, Si-ho, and Do-yoon for how they turned on him, and yet he wound up the person most victimized by the curse.

OMGYES exactly. Love this line from missvictrix!

I felt similar to missvictrix. I was ready for the finale, but yet I was sad to see it go.

This drama had beautiful cinematography and had a good background story. The potential was there for it to be really epic and amazing, but it fell a little short. I liked the finale and how things wrapped up, but the middle parts of this drama dragged so the overall story didn't feel super satisfying.

Det. Kwon's death again wasn't a surprise to me. I accepted it. But oh man, the scene with him telling Hwal to accept his blood broke me. T_T

I accepted Hwal's death too. He brought on the curses on everyone and his death along with Eul Tae's was the only way that everyone else could be free. His final hug with Sang Eon was so poignant. The closing of his eyes during their embrace. ;_; His time to rest.

It was interesting that Si Ho and Do Yoon were closer than I thought. Before they were Hwal's family, they were actual siblings in their past lives. Their present bond was one that I liked and looked natural. They were the true humans in the past and were affected by the actions of BOTH Hwal and Sang Eon so I'm glad they survived and lived out their lives in the present.

There were probably more than a few plot holes and missing details. One thing I'm wondering was how could Hwal reincarnate? One way to answer that could be that he mistakenly thought Bulgasals could not reincarnate. .... Then I'm wondering about Eul Tae and when/if he is going to reincarnate. And Sang Eon had some flashes of power in past episodes. I kept thinking she would use some of that against Eul Tae.

Anyways. Glad I watched this drama. I liked Lee Jin Wook in this role. He was great.

Thanks @missvictrix for the thoughtful recaps. I will strangely miss this drama. It had its flaws but it ended pretty well.

In spite of the not so great writing, the repetitive situations, the candyness of the FL, the awful terrible clothes for the women, something worked for this drama. For me it was the glimpses of the past. All the characters had more depth in the past and the present day characters were mostly clueless.

Hwal and Sang-Un as a Bulgasal pair had a connection that was obvious even when they only had a few scenes together. Way more than the present day pair. Some how the FL’s emotional range was higher in the flashback scenes than in the present day. But I also strangely shed tears when the present day candy FL died. So I guess emotionally I was as all over the place in reacting to this drama as the drama itself was. In the end there weren’t any black and white characters which was pretty awesome. Even the candy FL contributed to the tragedy by ghosting her partner for the sake of kids (!) who ended up murdering the other half of our soul.

On the whole, I’m glad I watched it and will probably rewatch the few and far between scenes of the lord and lady Bulgasals together.

So, didn’t watch it but would like to know if it’s worth your time, should I give it a try?

Not much of a fan of kwon Nara’s acting, feels too green. And never saw much of the lead in anything to tie me in. The premise or plot of the show from google didn’t say much either to tie me in. It didn’t help that I was so hoping won bin would come back on our screen with this but later rejected. So, is this worth your time? Should this be given a try?

the show was frustrating for me. It had all the build up of an epic love story, but at the end it kind of fizzled out. I would have preferred more scenes of the bulgasal couple 1000 years ago to show the foundation of their passionate relationship and why Hawl went berserk on the villagers. I would have also preferred a scene where both Hawl and Sang Eon's full memories come back and they realize how important they are to each other. It just felt like the backbone of the story should be their relationship. And it was the rift in that relationship that triggered this 1000 year journey. The romance line, while worked on paper, lacked in passion in its execution. There was way more passion in Ok Eul Tae's love for Hawl, LOL. Anyhoo, the cinematography was heavenly though. So gorgeous.

I enjoyed this ending a lot. It was just right. It made me think of Dcarlet Ryeo and how I wanted the ending to be something like this.

I'm glad the how redeemed itself a little with that ending. I was ready to do a hate post if the writers again insists on forcing a happy ending by some miracle, letting Hwal live . As I fully expected the 3 main characters to die for a complete reset of the storyline. Somehow Lee Jin Wook catapulted to the top of my "Hotness chart" =) (although Gong Yoo still cannot be dislodged from the top slot). The others have already mentioned cinematography,but the one other thing I liked in this show is the OST, especially that haunting one played during the 1000 years ago scenes.

I really enjoyed this - the writing didn’t bother me that much. And I love the Greek tragedy bit.

Have always thought Lee Joon to be one of the better idol-actors out there and he slayed this totally.

I thought Kwon Nara wasn’t that bad. Actually, I thought Lee Jin Wook’s acting was rather weak…lack depth and his face esp eyes lack expression to me. But I totally agree that the Hwal from 1000 yrs ago was sooo hot!!!

I knew Kim Woo Seok from Produce X101 and I thought he did a better job that I expected.

Oh, one silly thing that bothered me was how they depicted how the world looked like 50 years later. Like nothing changed! And how can the photo not fade or disintegrate? 🤪

Thank you missvictrix for the recap. As much as I loved this type of genre I actually lost the plot a few episodes in. Though I still watch each episodes until the end I was watching it at a blur so I really appreciate the reviews to help me process what I'm actually watching :P .....I supposed that the repetitive scenes throughout the show really did it in for me, probably too much of it that I can no longer make sense of the story. In the end you just needed the last 15 mins of the finale to understand the root cause sigh.....

I loved the reveal that the soul in question is actually Eul-tae's. That was brilliant. I also thought it was so well done how he didn't want the soul or to go back to being human while Hwal and Sung Un were both desperate to be human. I had wondered why the dark hole, but it makes since. Hwal could lose "his" soul but it didn't leave a hole because it wasn't his to begin with. While there were loose threads (and I'm not opposed to some loose threads, because if the story ties up TOO neatly it feels unrealistic or something), I thought they did a great job of bring all the bits and pieces together in the end.
I am also happy to see so many people jumping on the Lee Jin Wook is HOT bandwagon! I fell for his sexy charm back in 2016 when he showed up at a pivotal moment in the movie version of Beauty Inside. Smokin' hot!

Ooof! A good but twisted tale, although my reaction to Bulgusal likely would have been much better with a different Female lead. Whereas Lee Jin Wook showed his acting talent with those tortured and angry eyes and his fiercely dark brooding presence glowering from his every pore, Kwon Nara couldn't seem to bring many layers to her acting skills. If this was a Director's choice, fine, but it killed my empathy for her. When it came to showing emotions, sad or scared, it seemed like all she could do was make her face 'look' sad or frightened. I never got any of those feelings from the tension in her body or voice, or the way she moved. She just 'looked' her way through this. However, because she was surrounded by other great actors who could carry the emotional weight needed for the series, I was entranced by the intriguing storyline, which pulled me in easily. The karmic thread was fascinating to follow, especially seeing our characters keep re-meeting each other along their fated timeline with each other. Lee Joon's performance is the quintessential example of layered character building. He made me believe in ALL parts of Ok Eul-Tae, the arrogantly powerful but vulnerable monster who ultimately just wanted to be loved. The OST was haunting...the costumes for the FL was wanting...and the many many times we were forced to watch people go off on their own to deal with evil was daunting. Especially our wonderful Detective and our overconfident heroine who always followed Hwal into danger against orders, thinking she would save him, but instead put him in more danger as he protected her. The actress who played the kids' first Mom when the female Bulgasal lived with them is a powerhouse. Lots to like about this drama. Yet, the repetitive kidnappings, our female lead's constant tripping over her ankle and a reliance by the writers on every character falling for Ok Eul-tae's tricks weakened it. As for the ending...yes, a ray of light at the end of a very long tunnel filled with neck gashing. My biggest regret is that our fiercely protective Detective wasn't told earlier that he was Hwal's guardian/father in his lifetimes. Sad. But at least all of our emotional turbulence in this series was rewarded finally when our leads got a chance at new lifetime together.

A good ending to a messy drama. I don't regret not dropping it, the final explanation alone made up for a lot of the silliness and repetitions. However there are some things I must be forgetting.

Why did Eul-tae kill his family 600 years ago? How could he know that would make Red Bulgasal steal the soul and turn him again into Bulgasal?

The drama could have used so much of that past to explore the future better.

The plain weirdness of Sang-Un could have been explained by the fact she was a Bulgasal with a "stolen" soul. The fact Eul-Tae could always find her easily could have been because of his connection to her. Detective should have known about his previous role as their father. It was crazy when he blamed Hwal for his sister. Hwal should have met them all again several times in many reincarnations, always chasing revenge before this last battle. It would have been epic. This show should have been a 10 eps drama.

If I've ever have any shred of pity or sympathy for Ok Eul-tae, that was thoroughly obliterated the moment we finally got the complete account of the past. This 1.000 years old tragedy would never came to pass if not for him trying to cover the fratricide he committed unprovoked. The massacre that came afterwards, that was an overwhelmingly unintended result of the selfishness of 1 human being.

I couldn't be any more satisfied with the way Eul-tae got to his end. Not just because he finally got his much deserved death after cheating on it for centuries, but also because up until the very end, he still couldn't understand that the world and its occupant has learned to change and let go of the bad past. That in the end, he was the only one clinging to his past goal with the blind ignorance of one who thought power was everything. He deserved all that grievances he carried with him to his death. May he never be reborn again to wreak another hahov in good people's lives.

As expected, this drama delivered its stories the strongest when it explored the character's intertwined past. Maybe it's the gravity of Goryeo era adding weight to the dark folklore that was the barebone of this story. Or maybe it's the brevity of the past that made its characters more vibrant and left a lasting impression. Maybe it's the atmospheric shoot, the brooding mysterious vibe, and the sparse dialogues that created such epic tale. But whatever disappointment I felt for the middle, mdern-world stretch, I'm grateful that this drama knows how to use its best part to open and close this dark fantasy.

As for the ending myself, I'm very much satisfied with it. I already said that "happily ever after" wouldn't suit this drama one bit. I'm happy that the creator didn't pull any of their punches and let this bloody tale has its bloody ending. Despite the high body count, every death was important and served its narrative purposes well. It brought forward story of redemption, forgiveness, regret and love. It tied everything thematically, let the characters stay true to themselves till the very end, and that's not something I'd take for granted from a fantasy drama. (Yes, there are still several questions we never got any answer from, but the detail was negligible in comparison.)

That epilogue was certainly a very nice bonus. Hopeful with a tinge of grief and regret. But it was also rife with possibilities, and that was probably the one thing that made these people the happiest.

I absolutely loved this drama.

For me, as usual, this drama delivered. Always amazed at the crafting of the writers. I did enjoy the Greek tragedy ending, necessary, though the "decades" after meeting was not unexpected AND pleasing. I would have been VERY disappointed without that. Hwal being the source of the curse I didn't see coming, and it did explain Hye-Seok's animosity towards him when she was prophesying. One of my favorite parts is when, after the slaughter that started it all, bulgasal Sang-eon found her “sound” voice as she screamed in horror at the devastation around her.

As to plot "holes": As mentioned above, Hwal and Sang-eon were bulgasal who never had souls. Ok Eul-tae was a human who had a soul. When it was ripped out, he became a bulgasal, but the hole left by his soul's removal left the black hole. A bulgasal who never had their own soul would not have a black hole when a "borrowed" soul was removed. Sang-oen's and Ok Eul-tae's entanglement was caused because they "shared" a soul; Sang-eon had Ok's soul. Ok wanted Hwal to crush the soul so, Ok thought, that would a) permanently kill Sang-eon, no reincarnation that he'd have to worry about again, and b) repair the black hole as now there would be no "separated/missing" soul in existence. He would be a “complete” bulgasal without a soul (somewhere). He couldn't destroy his own soul, but Hwal could as it wasn't Hwal's soul. Ok wanted Hwal by his side so as to feel accepted, to be his equal, and to have a bulgasal companion, superior to mere humans.

As to the house surviving for 50 years, Si-ho remained in it until she moved to the old age home, but her daughter, or Do-Yoon or his kids, would have cared for the house and kept it in "the family". Their children might not have understood the house's "history", but given both Si-ho and Do-Yoon had faith that Hwal and Sang-eon would reincarnate and cross paths (with a little help), the house would be cared for as a family heirloom.

Sang-eon reincarnated as the soul was not crushed (destroyed). Hwal reincarnated as fate, God of the Underworld, whatever, gave him that chance as he had atoned for his sin and become human with emotions for others.

I thought Kwon Na-Ra always looked better as a bulgasal than as a human.

My only question would be, at the VERY end, last shot, was the "dinner" photo still in the house, or with Si-ho at the old age home, or just a past flashback to when Si-ho did live there? I assume the house where it would eventually be found by Hwal and Sang-eon.