Alchemy of Souls: Episodes 7-8
by alathe
With his best friend’s life hanging in the balance, our hero invades Cheongbugwan, setting off a fateful political crisis. Soon, he’ll be forced to reckon with his worst enemy — and our heroine, with whether or not she can rely on his loyalty. Buckle up, folks! Things are about to get brutal.
EPISODES 7-8 WEECAP
Wook proceeds to fulfill last week’s threat masterfully. RIP to Mu’s lackey-of-all-seasons, Yeom-su — you will not be missed! However, one person does leave the room alive: Yul — still clinging to this mortal coil by a thread. Prior to his well-deserved demise, Yeom-su implicated his master. When Wook marches on Cheonbugwan, felling guards like dominoes, his friends have the perfect excuse to back him.
Daeho’s establishment would scarcely have blinked at the demise of a gutter rat like So-yi, but with a nobleman’s life on the line, it’s outright crisis. Wook stands firm in Cheonbugwan’s courtyard, threatening Mu’s life and those who protect him. This includes the Crown Prince. However, Won’s only thought is to restrain Wook from doing something rash. Inadvertently, his efforts to negotiate with Mu help Wook achieve his true objective: as Mu wriggles on the hook, he strives to bring his sister down with him.
Ho-gyeong, dragged into the only atrocity this season she truly had no hand in, resentfully brokers a solution. Yul’s salvation lies in Jinyowon; the fire bird’s power can vanquish the blood worm. She’ll happily open the gates — for the price of Bu-yeon’s freedom. It’s hard to forgive Wook for what he does next. Without a flicker of hesitation… he agrees.
Bu-yeon is no fool. Her next meeting with Wook is fraught with painful subtext. She wants to help, she insists. Not for Wook’s sake. For Yul’s. Blinkered by worry, Wook ignores the opening. But for all that he tells himself it’s necessary — that it’s selfish to keep her by his side — it doesn’t change the fact that Bu-yeon knows what he did. He chose to abandon her.
Our heroes assemble to plot Yul’s rescue, Mission Impossible style. The plan is to transfer the blood worm — gorged energy and all — to Jinyowon, where the fire bird will purge the parasite. They mustn’t break the fire bird’s barrier; instead, they’ll extend it with a ring of gold. That’s easy: Wook has amassed an entirely useless fortune via widespread soul-shifter slaughter. More pertinently, Yul can’t be moved. A proxy with Jin blood must carry his energy, via Soul Lantern water wick.
The proposed carrier is Cho-yeon, which proves… problematic. Energy transferal may cause side effects if pregnant. She won’t take the risk — not after a wild night spent in secret with Dang-gu! And so it is Bu-yeon, with her tragically unconsummated marriage, who agrees to hold the water wick in her mouth. She and Wook travel to Jinyowon, where Won waits.
Much of this plan hinges on the impossible: Won and Wook’s peaceful cooperation. With Yul’s life quite literally between her teeth, Bu-yeon can’t utter a peep. It’s the perfect formula for a truly unhinged comedy of errors. Bu-yeon descends. Won’s eyebrows skyrocket in opposite directions. Turtle Shaman? Bu-yeon’s eyes widen in earnest bafflement. Eunuch Go?? Everyone takes a moment to awkwardly disentangle who everyone else is, and precisely how a turtle got involved.
Won lifts Bu-yeon into the circle, chivalrously insisting that if she still hasn’t sourced a room of her own (Bu-yeon shrugs, mournfully) — well, guess where you can find lots of rooms? Palaces! And he just happens to own one! Bu-yeon glows. Wook glowers. Miraculously, they then remember they’re here to perform a ritual. Wook makes the fire bird’s energy flare, suffusing Bu-yeon’s body. Cutting into her arm, Won extracts the parasite. Shaken but unharmed, Bu-yeon allows Wook to very pointedly lift her back to safety. (The crown prince raises his own arms, expectantly.) (He is ignored.)
Bu-yeon returns to Yul’s sickbed. At Yeom’s insistence, she leans close, pressing her lips to his. The energy travels back to its source — and Yul draws breath.
In the aftermath, a series of unfortunate realizations are made. Mu — incensed that Won likes soft, useless things like turtles, rather than proper, royal things like manipulation and revenge — attempts to sway him back to the fold. He tells Won exactly why Wook is the King’s Star. Meanwhile, Yul confronts Master Lee. Serenely, Daeho’s most inscrutable meddler reveals that the original Bu-yeon’s soul was never gone. When Naksu recovers her memories, Bu-yeon will repossess her body — destroying Naksu for good.
Elsewhere, Bu-yeon faces the fallout of Wook’s betrayal. Did he think she was stupid? She chose to go back. Maybe she is useless to Wook. Still, you can miss a brazier even in the summer. But Wook’s response is icy: perhaps, he snaps, I’ll miss you when it’s cold. Bu-yeon’s temper flares. Fine, she says. Freeze to death alone. Later — and very alone indeed — Wook regresses to an old routine. He sits. (Will Bu-yeon be all right?) He remembers. (Could he find an excuse to see her?) He mourns. (Doesn’t she belong by his side?) All the while, the Jinyowon lamp flickers.
When Bu-yeon visits Songrim, he’s there. The lantern, he explains, is out of its mind. He’s out of his mind. Does she think he abandoned her because she’s useless? He had wanted her to kill him, not keep him warm. Now? He’s sorry. He’s grateful. When the lantern is on, he’s sane, and he knows she must return. But, when it flickers out… he pines.
Bu-yeon steps closer. She breathes out a puff of air. I turned it off, she says. A second later, the two are kissing so fiercely it’s like they never intend to part.
It’s a mind-blowing kiss. It’s sizzling, and desperate, and Bu-yeon’s outer jacket is very nearly removed. But before our heroes can thoroughly scandalize any passing Songrim students, Wook recalls himself. They’ve got a promise to break. When Bu-yeon protests, he grins, lifts her onto the desk, kneels before her… and insists he’ll win over her mother.
As they leave hand in hand, giddily flirting, Bu-yeon recalls the first time they met. She knew the moment she saw him. He was her husband. The two smile — then freeze. Both remember Wook’s words to Mu-deok. I knew the moment I saw you. You are my master. For a moment, there is agonizing silence. Then, Bu-yeon says something that stops my heart. I don’t mind that you didn’t recognize me. This time, I recognized you first. The two stand on the precipice of the truth — but they refuse to fall.
Later, Yul, burdened with fresh knowledge, takes a sledgehammer to Bu-yeon’s happiness. You and Wook, he informs her bluntly, will cause each other pain. Bu-yeon flinches as fresh memories assault her. Go to Danhyanggok, Yul commands, and you’ll learn why. But Bu-yeon won’t give in. She pleads for him to let her be foolish, just a little longer. And so, Yul promises her time. True to his word, he approaches Ho-gyeong, armed with the truth: that soon, the real Bu-yeon will triumph. Knowing this, won’t she let Naksu be?
Wook faces his own unwelcome collision with reality. Won has sent his royal medallion, insisting that they must speak. As he shrugs on fresh robes, Bu-yeon enters. She spots the bright scar on his chest that, in another life, was her parting gift. Wook watches her, carefully. He doesn’t know why Naksu did it. And Bu-yeon refuses to remember. Wook pulls her into a hug, urging her to wait for him — he’ll return to her side.
Won stares at the turtle enclosure. Ever since Mu visited, it’s been suspiciously empty. Gravely, he prepares to issue Wook with an ultimatum. If Wook truly doesn’t intend to fight him for the throne, then he will retreat to the North Fortress. Still, even as Wook publicly declares his intention to leave — even as Won sits down for tea and scheming with Mu — Won glances towards the turtle’s deserted terrarium. There’s a skeptical slant to those magnificent eyebrows.
Meanwhile, it’s Yun-ok’s turn to meddle. During Yul’s illness, she stumbled upon the letter revealing Naksu’s identity, and immediately decided to make it her business. Sadly cementing her degeneration into Generic Jealous Villain #10003, Yun-ok forces Bu-yeon to face the truth. Luring her to the Forest of Brooding, Yun-ok splashes Bu-yeon with a medicine designed to reveal hidden scars — including the soul-shifter’s mark. As Bu-yeon washes her face in the stream, she watches her eyes bloom blue.
The trickle of memories swells to a tide. Bu-yeon finally makes her way to Danhyanggok. The tree looms before her. Her eyes well up as gold mist surges, and she finds herself facing — Bu-yeon. The original. It’s a shame, the blind girl tells her. You’ll have to leave this body soon. As she faces the soul that will soon be her destruction, Naksu finally lets a tear shed.
She finds herself sitting outside Chwiseonru, where she and Wook first met. Where Wook first proposed. And, of course, it is here that he finds her, having waited and searched. I know who I am, she tells him. And I can no longer wait for you. There was a man I cared for. I liked him more than he liked me — and I hurt him, gravely. Jang Wook, she says, in a tone that is pure Naksu, turn the light back on.
It’s Wook’s turn to be viciously jealous — of himself. To agonize, and rant, and feel useless as a brazier on a hot day. But, as ever, he is resolute in his devotion. He stands outside Jinyowon, where Naksu intends to fade in silence, waiting. And, when he spies her watching him leave — he sneaks in to see her. I’m not confused, or crazy, he insists. I just like you. If destiny has decreed that he be the brazier — then, very well! He’ll be the brazier!
As Wook prepares to retreat north, Yul demands an explanation from Master Lee. Why not tell him the truth? Because, says Master Lee, if Wook wanted, he could save Naksu — by killing Bu-yeon’s soul. He wished to spare him the agony of choice. Frankly, this is optimistic: I doubt Jang “I’d burn the world twice over for Naksu!” Wook would even hesitate. Anyway, a glimmer of hope remains… in the unlikely form of a truant turtle. In the strangest twist yet, we learn that Won’s pet is a powerful creature that guides those who’ve lost their way. This time, it has alighted on Naksu.
Meanwhile, Team Evil — of whom Won is, alarmingly, an acting member — force a confrontation with Ho-gyeong. Mu seeks to destroy her position as head of Jinyowon, on the basis of her graying hair and dwindling powers. Now that’s cheek, coming from a man whose head is entirely silver. Hearing this snaps Naksu out of her depression. She decides to act.
It’s a delicious moment. Memories recovered, dignity repaired, and turtle in hand, Naksu strides into Cheongbugwan, declaring that she will take over Jinyowon. Slimy as ever, Mu insists upon a test of her divine powers. He casts Jinyowon’s plaque into Cheonbugwan’s labyrinthine prison. If she can retrieve it, he’ll acknowledge her position.
Passing through the doorway, Naksu emerges in a forest surrounded by sea. It’s all she can do to follow her guide, the turtle… very slowly. Soon, she stumbles not on the plaque, but on a skeleton — whose ribs contain what seems to be an ice stone. Just as she reaches for it, she’s forced back. One of the prison’s resident wraiths comes careening towards her, sending her stumbling back down the path. As she’s backed against a tree, she throws up her hands — only to be met with nothing. Wook’s sword has already swept it away.
He’s here. She looks at him, stunned. He looks back. And, seeing the blue marks surface in her eyes, he asks — who are you?
This week saw the return of so many things that thrilled me in Part 1. There’s Wook’s impossible devotion, the way he will always, always return to Naksu: his ability to spit in the face of noble idiocy and say, not today! And as for Naksu — be still my heart. She’s back! Go Yoon-jung’s performance is flawless. She has the same calculating, almost hungry stare, the same unwavering tone of command — all braided together with Bu-yeon’s vulnerability and gorgeously soulful expressions.
Fate is inexorable, and our protagonists are running out the clock. The tragedy of this drama is one of time. Bu-yeon never got that room of her own — just the realization that she needed one. Our leads never got their first marriage — just the promise of one. And Alchemy of Souls had the space of another season — but ten episodes hardly feel enough for this story to explore its new vistas of character and plot. All our protagonists can do is revel in those stolen moments where the light flickers out. And, much as I’d love to wallow in the world of Daeho forever, I cannot wait for the sheer scope of what the Hong sisters will achieve next week. In this drama, one episode has always been a world of time. Whether Wook and Naksu’s story will be open-ended, or a series of intense moments snatched breathlessly from the jaws of death, it’ll have been worth it every step of the way.
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Tags: Alchemy of Souls 2, Arin, Do Sang-woo, Go Yoon-jung, Jung So-min, Lee Jae-wook, Minhyun, Oh Nara, Shin Seung-ho, Yoo In-soo, Yoo Joon-sang
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1 Unaspirated
January 2, 2023 at 2:06 PM
Jang Uk swooping in at the last minute to swipe danger away with a sword or a blast of energy is always my favorite thing. I would be completely fine if at least one of those was included in every single episode. That said, our poor, poor OTP. Of course it was always going to be this way. As soon as they reached a point of mutual understanding, as soon as they finally communicated and were honest with themselves and each other, as soon as the dust from one disaster begins to settle, they get ripped apart again. I could have done without the noble idiocy on her part (I kept shouting at my tv, “Just look at her Uk! Surely you are close enough to see her eyes!”), but I’m glad it didn’t last long. I don’t have any idea how Uk will react in the next episode because it’s so hard to imagine what an appropriate reaction would even be. He’s made so much progress in the last few episodes and it feels like the whole thing could unravel so quickly.
I’m not mad about how Yun-ok has turned out, but I am disappointed. In part 1, I thought of her as an interesting character and was excited to see how things would turn out for her in part 2, but she’s become so bitter. I thought her devotion to/interest in Jang Uk was endearing in part 1, but three years of watching him be desperately, tragically, hopelessly in love with someone else has turned her into someone else. I think I would mind it more if it didn’t feel so logical. I can’t help but think that she is a pretty realistic depiction of someone in those circumstances. It’s made her vengeful and underhanded when she used to be kind and warm. Certainly there are other ways that she could have reacted to the situation, but honestly (and unfortunately) this feels like a believable one to me. I know that others will be angry that this is the direction her story went, but I’m mostly just mad at the character herself. She has told herself that she is doing these things (reading letters, throwing medicine on people, generally being a loose cannon on deck) to save Uk from pain, but really she is doing them out of spite and jealousy. Her blindly loyal and decidedly annoying maid is, if anything, worse, and the less I can have her on my screen, the happier I will be.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 2:30 PM
I'm really pissed at Yun-ok too. What exactly made her a candidate to read Yul's sealed letter? They had no prior relationship of any sort.
But then, her actions moved the plot forward in a manner I didn't expect to happen. She's not entering my good book though. Her pining when she'll not even be getting breadcrumbs is patronizing. 'Grow out of it. It's unhealthy'.
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Elinor
January 2, 2023 at 2:33 PM
I'm low-key shipping Yun-ok with Jin Mu now - and may they sail straight over a thousand-foot waterfall. They've both become caricatures when they could have been so much more interesting.
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SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 2:39 PM
Hahaha I'm so here for that ship and Waterfall of Wasted Potential
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Linarrick
January 2, 2023 at 3:41 PM
lol when you first mentioned Yun-ok’s name I had no idea who you were talking about. That’s how uninteresting and insignificant she is on the show
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Firewife5
January 2, 2023 at 5:06 PM
Me too! I was all, “ Yun-ok who? Oh yeah, her.”
SP2022
January 3, 2023 at 11:47 AM
I learnt her name not from the show, but from people complaining about her in the comments lol
sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 7:37 PM
😂😂🤣
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Unaspirated
January 2, 2023 at 2:47 PM
I loved how straightforward Heo Yeom was to her! He is so over it. "Don't even be curious about him!" I want to grab a drink with him and complain about her childish behavior.
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SEDH
January 2, 2023 at 2:53 PM
I had thought that Yun-Ok might be a potential partner for CP Won - even now, that might be a possibility if they both redeem themselves and find their way back on track? They've both been seduced by the dark side of jealousy and insecurity but they are still good people inside. I'm actually more annoyed by her maid, who is just a mean girl. She can be sacrificed.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 3:01 PM
So far, so many people have been paired or entangled with CP Won :)
- Cho-yeon in part 1
- Mu-deok in the love square in part 1
- The Turtle Shaman Bu-yeon in part 2
- And now Yun-ok you're pairing him with Yun-ok.
What a track record worthy of an heir apparent ;)
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SEDH
January 2, 2023 at 3:05 PM
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a kdrama crown prince in possession of a good fortune must be in need of a pairing (or many pairings). Or maybe I think he's in competition with Jang Uk's 6 (7?) broken engagements....
ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 3:46 PM
I feel Won also needs to be paired with Wook. I feel like they have a low-low-key boys love thing going on. Won was the original holder of the love egg. Wook totally pretended to leave the prince behind the gold barrier and then went back for him. And "How did she mistake you for a eunuch" sounds like a total come-on.
Linarrick
January 2, 2023 at 3:52 PM
Whaat you’re forgetting the CP & Uk pairing/ship! 😁
Linarrick
January 2, 2023 at 3:55 PM
@ar you described their relationship perfectly! Also you’re making my heart flutter again ~
parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 4:16 AM
@ar and the CP getting excited thinking Wook saved the turtle for him.
empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:19 AM
remember Ju-wol's grand introduction of the Four Most Eligible bachelors in Daeho to Bu-Yeon in the S2 pilot?
CP Won is Candidate #1 lol. Enuff said.
Unaspirated
January 3, 2023 at 5:15 AM
Ugh, I know. The maid has no place in my imagined ending. She just encourages all the worst parts of Yun-ok.
I'm still open to redemptive actions from Yun-ok, but it better be something big.
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 12:39 PM
The maid is just a snot who hasn't been trained better to keep her place. Granted, she's a plot piece, but not a well placed one. She should have been acting like the Secretaries in Cinderella and the Four Knights, or Goblin. Funny, sometimes smug, and always clever. She should have been busting Yun-ok chops to move on.
Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 2, 2023 at 6:17 PM
"What exactly made her a candidate to read Yul's sealed letter?"
There's a law in kdramaland. Everyone is required to snoop thru other people's private papers when they get a chance.
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SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 3:03 PM
I hadn't considered Yun-ok's behaviour in the context of seeing Jang Uk for three years, I think it'll help me be slightly less frustrated on rewatch - thanks!
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Unaspirated
January 4, 2023 at 5:43 AM
Yeah she's incredibly frustrating, but I also can't imagine how painful it's been to watch the person you like betrayed to that extent and then see him casually brooding all over Songrim for three years. I can understand her more for her behavior after she learns Bu-yeon's identity, though I'm still frustrated with her for how she's behaved the rest of the time. That, I think, was just classically territorial behavior. Bleh.
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Dew Robin
January 3, 2023 at 2:50 PM
It's not just three years of watching Jang Uk give her the cold shoulder, but three years of seeing Jang Uk suffer and believing that Naksu had planned this betrayal all along. But yeah, the treatment her character received this season, while realistic, feels very much like a waste. Then again, we are seeing many contrasts this season. Just sucks that we're back to bashing the convenient jealous jilted woman.
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Unaspirated
January 4, 2023 at 5:30 AM
I agree it's a bit cliche, but at least in this case I can see how she got here - they didn't just make her bitter out of nowhere like some second FLs. Good point about believing Naksu had planned the betrayal from the start. I keep forgetting that almost no one (besides us) knows what really happened that day.
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 12:41 PM
I don't see how Naksu committed any betrayal. She was always under the control of others until she, herself, was betrayed.
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Dew Robin
January 6, 2023 at 3:30 AM
Yes, but apart from JM, and possibly CP, no one else actually knows that, though it seems the revelation will come in the final two episodes.
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:42 AM
Second that. Even Uk himself said that to Bu-Yeon when she saw his stab wound (when he was undressed): "People said she did it to avenge her family."
Like it or not, Naksu's reputation went from fearsome/criminal to outright notorious after this incident. So to a degree, Lady Heo's fears and suspicions are not entirely unjustified.
So yes, I may not agree with Lady Heo's behaviour BUT I can understand it. And to be fair to her, she did qualify before doing her forensic expose ("I am a physician, I would never harm a person.")
She told Seo Yul she merely wanted Naksu to leave on her own accord after knowing her true identity.
Not the nicest kindest way to do it, but yeah I can understand.
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2 SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 2:23 PM
If you'd told me before the season started that the amnesia would last for 8 episodes and I'd be on board with it, I wouldn't have believed it.
As much as I wished it was revealed earlier, I absolutely love that Jang Uk fell for JB/Naksu while mourning/healing and had a chance to make that clear to her before he found out who she really was. I'm not sure if I'll still feel like this once the seasons over, but I'm trying to see and love the season for what it is (and there's so so much I've unexpectedly enjoyed) and not in comparison to what I wanted it to be.
I can't wait till next week but I'm also not ready for it to end. Though I'll probably just go back to S1 ep 1 as soon as I'm done which I think will help... For me, its been one of the most rewatchable dramas ever
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Unaspirated
January 2, 2023 at 2:51 PM
I think this is the best philosophy for enjoying dramas in general. Expectations suck enjoyment out of so many shows sometimes. This show is so fundamentally about our central love story and dealing with past events, so I understand why some people who were expecting something different aren't into it. But what the show is doing, I think its doing really well, and I agree it might be one of the most rewatchable dramas I've ever come across!
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LaurenSophie
January 2, 2023 at 3:59 PM
I'm not a re-watcher in general, but I have watched each episode this season twice already, and know I will come back to these 10 episodes time and again. I've also loved watching JU fall for Naksu all over again, and am glad I didn't know going in that the amnesia plot would last almost until the end. I would have been annoyed anticipating that, but it allowed the love story to be the entire story this season which I've personally found extremely compelling.
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zzthorn
January 2, 2023 at 9:25 PM
The amnesia also allowed UK the time he needed to grieve over Mudeok and it allowed us to grieve, too. I know how disappointed I would have been if he had jumped right into the arms of BuYeon at the beginning of the season. There was almost an anger he was showing whenever BuYeon seemed to remember things that would sound/seem like MuDeok. Uk needed to resist any other woman to be able to give his love of MuDeok/Naksu the honor and depth it made in his heart.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:49 AM
Totally.
We both (Uk and viewers) need that space and time to grieve for what we have irrevocably lost in S1, before we can embrace this iteration of Naksu in S2.
The anger that he shows is the same anger that many fans have expressed as they struggle to honour their own cherished memories of S1's epic love story (whilst rejecting the new woman in town lol).
But I agree with everyone that I actually am glad he fell in love with her before finding out THIS is THAT, one and the same.
His reasons are so realistic and simple that they border on moving:
1) She helps him face his grief and memories that he did not dare to even speak about;
2) She helps him to sleep in peace when he never thought he could again;
3) He could hold her hand when this simple gesture is such a trauma trigger because of the deep significance it held for the lovers
In short, she helped him want to live again. He stops wanting to kill himself. and THAT, is a great deal.
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DancingEmma
January 4, 2023 at 1:50 PM
Comment was deleted
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:48 AM
@dncingemma: Thanks for your kind kind words! Not embarrassing at all. It totally brightens my day here (where it's raining outside my window) LOL
DancingEmma
January 5, 2023 at 2:10 AM
I deleted my comment as didn’t want to appear insincere but I genuinely enjoy and appreciate your comments. I hope the weather improves soon!
empressgirl
January 11, 2023 at 11:08 PM
On Waiting l The Use & Uselessness of Love:
I used to remember my Lit Prof saying:
The classical definition of comedy is things happening at the right time, in the nick of time etc.
Therefore by inference, the definition of tragedy is things happening out of time, either too early or too late.
A lot of the angst-filled waiting for star-crossed lovers arc is really about the timing not synching up.
The writers have always straddled that delicate line to prolong that angst without tipping into melodrama or misery and then wrest us back into safe ground again with light comic relief. SO I trust the Hong Sisters to pull through for us!
--------------------------------------------
On Love & Utility (or the lack thereof):
Best declaration of love by Uk in S2: "I shall be your brazier in summer then!"
This is either a growth arc (or plain comic comeuppance) for our hero here.
From S1, the T&C of our OTP relationship has always been framed around the idea of "use/usefulness".
S1:
Naksu to Uk: "Be my Lake Gyeongcheongdaeho!"
Uk to Naksu: "You are useless now. Just like me." (when she could not unsheathe her sword)
S2:
Naksu to Uk: "Though I do wish you would come back for me, in spite of the fact that I am of no use to you." (when he bride-snatched at the Unanimous Assembly, the 2nd time)
Uk to Naksu: "You thought I abandoned you because you are useless to me."
Now, he is willing to be the most useless gratuitous item in the wrong season
A brazier in summer, waiting just waiting, until the season of his element, until winter, to be ablaze again for a freezing lover.
Burn away, Jang Uk. Burn for your love.
SP2022
January 3, 2023 at 8:57 AM
Completely agree, I think that's a huge part of my I'm okay with the amnesia lasting for as long as it did, it added meaning to the original story we all loved as well as adding emotional depth to Jang Uk's eventual acceptance of how he felt - the passage of time was needed.
It reminds me of how I felt about the break between part one and two - it was painful and I disliked the idea of it, but ultimately made the story more effective in showing the passing of time. It did for me antw9, I think I'd have had trouble internalising 3 years had actually passed without some time in between the actual episodes.
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empressgirl
January 6, 2023 at 3:21 AM
Yes, waiting and the passage of time.
“Am I in love? – yes, since I am waiting. The other one never waits. Sometimes I want to play the part of the one who doesn't wait; I try to busy myself elsewhere, to arrive late; but I always lose at this game. Whatever I do, I find myself there, with nothing to do, punctual, even ahead of time. The lover's fatal identity is precisely this: I am the one who waits.” ― Roland Barthes, A Lover's Discourse: Fragments
empressgirl
January 6, 2023 at 4:00 AM
On Amnesia:
I know some irate fans reserved nothing but bitter vitriol for this trope in S2 BUT today a thought came to mind! I hope it can help assuage some unhappiness about the narrative choices made.
(a) Amnesia OR Tabula Rasa:
Strictly speaking, Naksu2.0 straddles both grounds. But because we frame her "memory loss" as amnesia, we process her characterization through the usual lens of how we understand drama-land amnesia. And therefore she carries this unfair burden of mismatched expectations.
IRL, amnesiac folks do still retain their skillset, general knowledge and personality. But Naksu2.0 has lost far FAR more (and God knows what Master Lee erased from her; maybe assassin skills?)
In this respect, she is like a Tabula Rasa. Thinking of her like a 3-year-old may not be that far from truth. That is also why Douchebag Uncle Seo & the slimy mages called her "daft". She isn't. Cut her some slack?
(b) She being a "Blank Slate" achieves one very key narrative objective in S2 which didn't strike me until now.
Without any emotional baggage or prior knowledge of the "#1 Taboo Subject to be Avoided" in Daeho, Naksu2.0 is practically fearless in battering down the fortified door of his heart.
She slays sacred cows in conversations. She voices things that no one, absolutely NO one dared to in front of Uk-- for the past three years.
In short, this trope absolutely short-fuses the recovery of Uk from grief. In record time. And accomplished something no one else could -- not even his closest and dearest kin. Simply because no one in their right mind could/would dare do it.
You need a blank slate, a zero to start afresh (just like her real name: Cho "Yeong" meaning, zero).
3 SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 2:26 PM
Also, did Jin Mu learn his evil laugh from cartoons? I had to pause to laugh, possibly the only time I've had anything other than a scowl on my face while he's been on screen.
Wishing for his painful death next week
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Unaspirated
January 2, 2023 at 2:52 PM
seconded!
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Warrior Ajumma
January 4, 2023 at 4:25 PM
Snidely Whiplash, if you remember Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.
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4 jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 2:26 PM
In giant strides, Alchemy of Souls is becoming my reluctant bean to begin the year. I read the memo, I know what I signed up for - a love story majorly, and a fantasy. If only the time spent on conflicted love emotions, assuring and unassuring and reassuring and unreassuring Bu-yeon and Jang Uk's love is devoted to moving the plot forward or developing them as characters individually, or even the secondary characters in the movie, would it have been different? At this point I wish we had more of the Unanimous Assembly and Royal Court scenes where they do their political nitpicking to replace the excess sugar. There are other plot points that need to be taken care of. I know they love each other to the moon and back.
Here I was cheering as Naksu took it upon herself to defend Jinyowon and take a dangerous risk. Alas! Tada!! Who shows up to save the day? Can I stop having that. It takes away necessary growth.
And they've basically relegated the rest of the Four Seasons to the third wheel. Even if they do not share equal screentime give them something contributing to do, not just to chip in here and there or some explanation of some sorts, like get into the action.
The level of audacity the Hong sisters give Jin Mu is becoming a cartoonish and Jin Mu is becoming cartoonish himself. His fall will become our regular everything comes crashing down right when the power trip was at the highest. How many more power trips from the Hong sisters will I have to sit through?
How do you threaten Jinyowon, to the point of asking Ho-gyeong to surrender Jinyowon's gold plaque, questioning her efficacy and strength, pointing to her lines of gray hair, gray hair that became prominent while she was forced to save your ass. What if she used the plaque to reject the King's order then? Where would he be? In Seoho dungeons I believe. And now he's threatening to the point that Jinyowon's leader starts to fret. I laugh and shake my head at whosoever is in the writing room deciding what next he's going to do. Request that the right to convene the Unanimous Assembly at any point be transfered to Cheonbugwan.
CP Won is really a disappointment. I get his renewed insecurities but I'm still disappointed. I wish that the turtle does some magic trick and brings back our good guy.
'Heroic bow out So-i'. Even after the end, she was not separated from her symbol of light - the umbrella.
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 2:50 PM
I'm about 99% sure that CP is faking it, in cahoots with Uk.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 2:55 PM
Yeah. That'll explain how he ended up coming through in the Gwigu realm.
But I'm not hoping and do not wish that it is a fakeout. I hoping the CP had a sudden change of heart on the spot, and Uk disobeyed the royal order he had earlier agreed to follow through.
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 3:13 PM
Don't know, to me it just seems like super obvious, ever since they introduced CP as a character I never once thought that he would become evil, and I feel that the show is actually showing that, even if it's unintentionally. I feel like they're showing: "see, he is in a position where a person COULD turn evil, but it just won't happen with this guy. Not with these eyebrows." Ofc, I could be wrong.
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sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 7:43 PM
@turka No lie, between Uk and CP I'm swooning all episode long. 😍
jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 10:03 PM
I never thought he'd become evil. This is someone I really liked in part 1 for his objectiveness despite his sweet arrogance, which he should have of course. I came to the conclusion that CP Won will be the ruler who has a relationship that purely formalities between the Royal Family and the major families of the Unanimous Assembly who have thier roots in the Capital. And I didn't even come to the conclusion first, CP Won was the one who pushed for it with his actions in part 1.
So while he was very guilty for how his relationship with Uk and by extension the F4 got soiled, I loved that he paid the price. He lost one of the things he cherish and wished to adopt in his rule - friendship with the mages. But that didn't stop him from calling Uk to order in ep 5 and I like him for that. It only instilled more confidence in him.
But to see him falter yet another time in quick succession right after I thought he is finally leaving Mu's shadow, I understand him, I get his insecurities, I know he won't get to the point of no return - his actions have shown that time and time again. Still, I am equally disappointed. We are back at part 1 ep 18 when he turned bad guys on Uk and Naksu and he's repeating the same thing, except this time he might not follow through to the end.
Jang Uk freaking let him take on the identity of the King's star without any machinations from Uk's side whatsoever and no one knows the truth till tomorrow except for a few. So why does he think he can't trust Uk on this one? 'You can falter for a moment, yes I understand. But you should get right back up'.
Does he think Park Jin will ever allow Uk lay claims to the throne while he is still breathing? Or Kim Yeon? I don't know of Hemp Master Lee cause that guy is very inconsistent, vague and loves ambiguity.
There are so many things that reassures CP Won that Jang Uk won't go overboard - Jang Uk himself, the people Jang Uk wants to protect, the people who love Uk but will use their very dying breath to resist him if ever he tries to actualize the notion of being Daeho's ruler. I'm disappointed he's not thinking about these things to placate his renewed insecurity, instead he's letting My get into his head more and more. I get his anger at Mu taking away his Turtle head being a lingering point but it doesn't mask my disappointment at all.
parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 4:22 AM
It’s hilarious that the CP’s eyebrows is such a defining feature for him 😂
Meanwhile, i’ve been distracted by Buyeon’s disappearing eyebrows.
SP2022
January 3, 2023 at 8:15 AM
'Not with these eyebrows.` LOL love that, this line will be in my head when it's 'revealed' he's actually good
Warrior Ajumma
January 4, 2023 at 4:28 PM
He’s saving Miss Turtle! Jin Mu really got him riled!
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too_much_tv
January 2, 2023 at 3:13 PM
I also think the CP is faking being aligned with Jin Mu. I don't know whether he's conspiring with UK. When Jin Mu tells him that Uk only fights to protect people, I thought the CP acknowledged that like it was a good thing. He has good energy.
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kdramacurious
January 2, 2023 at 9:17 PM
Yes, there was a scene in Episode 5 where the Prince tried to say his deal with Mu ended three years earlier, and Mu threatened to tell Uk the truth about the CP's deal with Mu if their deal is over.
I remember watching that scene and thinking that the Prince has finally realized that the only way to stop Jin Mu is to kill him. That scene, plus the Prince's barely concealed displeasure at losing his turtle, makes me think he's playing Jin Mu.
We also don't know what the CP and Uk talked about when Uk went back to Jinyowon to help the prince out of the wall of gold around the firebird.
Plus, Buyeon can't be wrong when she says the CP has a "warm heart"?
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Linarrick
January 2, 2023 at 9:43 PM
Agreed and I felt Jin Mu kept trying to test where Prince Won’s loyalty lay, and for sure CP noticed this. Also his look of guilt when he saw Bu-yeon, all feels like he playing double agent to me
But can I also gush how we’re finally getting the sassy S1 Naksu back! Her sharp pointed look of displeasure at CP made giddy with delight. She’s back finally!
kdramacurious
January 2, 2023 at 10:07 PM
Yes, that side-eye was awesome. haha!
ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 3:55 PM
Especially with Uk so obediently taking up that post at the Northern Fortress.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 2, 2023 at 6:23 PM
More precisely, pretending to while he circles around, lulling Jin Mu into a false sense of security.
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 11:42 PM
Exactly.
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Alluvial_Fan
January 2, 2023 at 4:39 PM
So much so I fully expected a , "Hold my turtle" moment before our heroine entered the Guido.., er rather the Gwido thingy.
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hacja
January 2, 2023 at 8:46 PM
Didn't you say to yourself -- yet one more plot that is depending on the deus ex testudines.
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too_much_tv
January 2, 2023 at 9:17 PM
🤣🤣🤣
Alluvial_Fan
January 7, 2023 at 7:52 AM
Laughing loudly while watching the first minutes of ep 9 as I recall your deus ex testudines comment.
If turtles could talk....
hacja
January 7, 2023 at 8:20 AM
Actually I was thinking of you as a scientist when I was looking up the taxonomy of turtles!
brian
January 3, 2023 at 1:45 PM
Apparently Daeho doesn't use that slang, hehe.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:23 AM
Confirm they are in this scheme together.
There is this shot in trailer where they close up on the hemline of Uk's robes as he strides off to carry out the King's order to guard the North Fortress.
His hemline of his inner robe is peeking out: it is BLUE! That signifies that his fighting spirit is back, and this is war
It is also a STEALTH OP, (hence hidden in inner robe under his black somber clothes). So yes, they are just putting on a grand pretense to out-maneuver the sly Rat-face.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 2:52 PM
It's sad that I'll be going into the finale with no hopes or expectations of any sort. I am just expecting Park Jin and Kim Yeon's wedding to occur onscreen, and a possibly nice place to wrap up Dang-gu and Cho-yeon's romance. Even if nothing, these two romantic stories deserve a proper ending and are a parting gift gift well deserved.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:56 AM
1) Yes, a wedding is in order! with fireworks and (hopefully) festive cuisine that doesn't poison half the Daeho populace
2) Dang-gu and Cho-Yeon will go house-hunting (again) for their bridal home midway between Jinyowon and Songrim (again) and then end up having a hot quickie (this time, onscreen). They pop a kid before he gets a nephew from Uncle Park Jin.
3) The turtle to come under PETA animal protection, please.
4) I still want my OTP to climb their tree. INSIST.
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5 welh
January 2, 2023 at 2:32 PM
Uk finally wails his anger at Jin Mu’s minions. But the blood parasite removal did not come across as that dangerous or difficult. It just fizzled out with no ramifications. During the process, the disturbing and demeaning part of it was BY was basically told to shut up and do what she was told.
I was right that two souls reside in BY’s body, but Master Lee saying BY is just feeding off Naksu’s energy until her own soul is revived seems wrong. I still believe BY captured Naksu’s soul to complete herself; to take Naksu's traits, skills and personality to become the person she wanted to be: strong, independent and not an object controlled by others, including her mother. Uk is denser than Lord Park when it comes to romance, since he still doesn’t know BY is Mudeok (which is a conundrum when BY’s soul recovers to become dominant - - - will not her face change back?) It seems the lantern going on and off was all Uk’s doing as if he was flicking a light switch in his heart to finally realize he loves, supports and needs BY. Where did Uk get Jin power? Or does the ice stone trump all?
I also found interesting that BY’s recovered memories came when touches someone who has her lost shared memories like Yul. I wonder why being so close to Uk did not trigger stronger recall. Perhaps BY soul was the cause of the repressed memories. I find this another example of inconsistent writing. And Yul being extremely jealous of Uk’s bride-to-be to have him plotting to kill Naksu so Uk could never have her was startling for a mage represented as a calm, cool, and quiet soul.
BY's soul returns as the blind teen to confirm that Naksu’s soul would soon disappear once she regained her full divine powers. Was that BY’s plan all along? To capture Naksu’s energy in order gain her full divinity? Or all along was her prize Uk? It was shown that BY could balance two souls without going mad, bells not withstanding. And it also showed that BY soul never went away - - - she was repressing Naksu’s memories in order for Master Lee to move the chess pieces in place to bring order back to Daeho.
The push-pull of BY and Uk was extreme. It took a very long time for the OTP to realize that Uk’s current crush is his old master; that BY is one and the same. Being trapped in a dimensional prison as the climax of season 2 is not very great. Uk’s teleportation skills come in handy but part 2 can be best remembered for his entrances.
At this point we will not get answers to all the important questions. It is an easy path for a mellow happy ending: Uk helps saves Jinyowon’s power base and plaque so Lady Jin accepts their marriage; and the CP realizing that Uk-BY duo is a more powerful ally than Jin Mu, he destroys his secret network to secure the throne succession for himself.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 2:46 PM
And Yul being extremely jealous of Uk’s bride-to-be to have him plotting to kill Naksu so Uk could never have her was startling for a mage represented as a calm, cool, and quiet soul.
Having the bloodworm reside in him caused him to have such negative thinking and disposition. It corrupted him and as such he reasoned to killing Naksu in Dangyanguk. I believe it came with the total package.
There's a chance that even if he knew about the Bu-yeon's soul taking over later in the future, he'd still not consider that as an option because then he wasn't predisposed to positive Naksu vibes. The only positive vibes he could emanate came from So-i. Now without the worm, he's no longer murderous.
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welh
January 2, 2023 at 2:56 PM
I believe part two was written to show Yul's jealousy was to mirror Yun-ok's jealousy as agents to break up the BY-Uk couple.
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aishh
January 2, 2023 at 4:25 PM
i dont think so. There's no indication that he want to break up the main otp whatever for his gains. Why do i feel a lot people are purposefully misunderstanding Yul up till this point.
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LadyShayo
January 3, 2023 at 1:53 AM
Exactly. What I understand is that Seo Yul feels guilty he allowed his feelings in S1 influence him so much, he turned a blind eye to the fact that there was a soul shifter walking amongst them, and that person ended up killing Jang Uk reinforcing his knowledge that they are a danger to society . In S2, he doesn't want to make the same mistake but still can't bear to kill her & live, hence the murder-suicide (Also, he knows Jang Uk wouldn't understand)
SEDH
January 2, 2023 at 2:58 PM
I understood Yul's motivation for offing Naksu to be totally different - he felt responsible for not revealing that Mudeok was Naksu earlier and thus he was partly to blame for the blood bath wrought by the bell-hypnotized Naksu. That's why he was going to take care of offing her - because he perceived her as still dangerous and it was his responsibility to remove that danger. When he found out that her soul was going to disappear soon anyway, he changed his tune about her needing to die and he wanted her to be with Uk for whatever time they have left. I didn't see it as a jealousy move or murderously evil plotting.
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 4:53 PM
Agree. I didn't see Yul as jealous at all. In S1, he said it was their responsibility to protect the world from "monsters", and he accepted that he might one day need to slay Naksu when she runs wild. Given that his character is very square, he believes it to be his responsibility to off Naksu even more for 2 reasons
1. He regrets not doing anything despite knowing in S1
2. He recognized her first this time
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:59 AM
"Now without the worm, he's no longer murderous."
-- this is untrue, unfortunately. After regaining sobriety post-op, he unequivocally told BY again she would not consider him a friend once she knew what he intended to do to her at Danghyangok. His tone did not indicate that he relented or repented this earlier posture.
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too_much_tv
January 2, 2023 at 5:02 PM
"And Yul being extremely jealous of Uk’s bride-to-be to have him plotting to kill Naksu so Uk could never have her was startling for a mage represented as a calm, cool, and quiet soul." I do not think this is the reason that Yul is having sad and scary dreams of killing Bu-Yeon. He felt guilty that he didn't tell anyone that Mudeok was the assassin Naksu, because he loved the person who became Naksu. The blood worm had him obsessed with his obligation to kill his friend/first love, and with his fear that she would kill him instead. When he was healed, not only did his head clear, but he got more information about Bu-Yeon. The problem of jealousy was always there in the last series and will always be there until the very end. His best friend and his first love are in love with each other! No one can confront this without some ambivalence. But jealousy is never going to motivate Yul to kill someone, not even when a magical bloodworm is poisoning him.
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:58 AM
1) It's not gonna be a mellow ending, but I sure hope it won't go makjang / melodramatic either!
2) Gwuido Prison portal won't be the climax of S2 am pretty sure but it will be the penultimate set-piece (where key Easter eggs will be collected / mysteries solved / moral dilemmas deliberated / and perhaps, some frantic fishing of chestnuts from the water bowl)
It will be the parallel mirrored piece to Ice Stone barrier story beat in S1: E17-18
3) The mother-of-all-battle with elaborate fight scenes / CGI energy blasts / and all-out faction war will be the grand showdown (also, great money shot)
4) Yes, her face will change back once Naksu exits and Bu-Yeon awakens (JSM gets a cameo!)
5) I don't relish seeing the real Bu-Yeon. She has assumed an almost sinister air since the last reveal. She reminds me of the parasitic and fatal Blood Worm that burrows deep into one's energy core (Naksu's) and suck it dry before spitting her out like a dry raisin. Not pretty
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 12:49 PM
BY/Naksu = Mudeok/Naksu +BY
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6 sunnysaturdays
January 2, 2023 at 2:36 PM
I have an exam tomorrow and but alathe dropped a recap so of course I am here, reading and laughing. Two episodes left but I only want one thing at this point. Actually, two things. Jin Mu's head and not to cry too much in the last episode. I know we are going to get a sad ending but please Hong sisters, I am begging on my literal knees, make their deaths quick. I only have so many tears to cry.
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7 kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 2:43 PM
I am still baffled and frustrated with how this season managed to botch the plot entirely, but I'm entirely enamoured with our two leads. I'm done speculating and will not even hold any expectations or hope for this story to make sense anymore. These two actors literally carry this drama. Thank you for your lovely recap and infectious enthusiasm @alathe. I can't wait till next week puts me out of this inexplicably pleasurable and painful misery.
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Elinor
January 2, 2023 at 2:56 PM
That's exactly what it is. I've enjoyed the hell out of this show, but am I the only one feeling like I will probably wish I'd just stopped now? We’ve already seen a kiss scene that was the best of 2022 and then somehow managed to get even better in 2023. A tragic ending has been telegraphed from the first few episodes of part 1 and I’m not sure I want to stick around for it (yes, I’m a coward, but I also don’t think the show is going to pull off a satisfying, coherent tragic ending). The magical nonsense is flying thick and fast with the Hong Sisters pulling new tricks and new rules out of … somewhere … and despite all the fun the show has provided, I’m starting to get weary of their act. I’ve lost count of the tragedy-foreshadowing moments and the number of times Master Lee has contradicted himself. I don't even know what to hope for to resolve the BY/Naksu conundrum - I just want a little more CP and fanservice and Wook throwing thunderbolts like Thor before he goes out in a blaze of self-sacrificing glory.
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SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 3:09 PM
'but am I the only one feeling like I will probably wish I'd just stopped now'
I think this captures what I've been feeling since I watched episode 8 yesterday - I've been rewatching the season bc right now there are endless possibilities, but after next week whatever happens is the end and will always colour how I see the previous episodes
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kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 3:16 PM
@sp2022 🙈 omgsh so true. fingers crossed my friend that it's an ending that is merely mediocre but not a shit show
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SP2022
January 2, 2023 at 3:31 PM
I just want them to live so bad, if they die, I'll rewatch every episode with the sense of dread of knowing where its going :( my heart hurts just thinking about it
But whatever happens, this show has given me a lot of enjoyment and I'll definitely rewatch because I've loved the journey
parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 4:42 AM
I’m 99% confident that the OTP will live happily ever after but as for the rest of the plot not going shitti(er) i have no insurance against that.
Drama for reference is BIG where the OTP ended up together but they butchered the fantasy element so much that i, who suffer from drama amnesia still remember how mad i was at the ending even years later.
kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 7:40 PM
yea as frustrated as I am, I'll defn be rewatching this drama later i think. It's one of those very rewatchable dramas. It's the cute banter and comedy that's so delightful
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 2:09 AM
Yes, how it was for me for S1. I’m sure I’ve watched all of it at least 10x. Haha. Found it so funny and loved the characters. Really rewatchable.
empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:04 AM
Hands up!
I felt like "Okay, quit while you're ahead." LOL
That major jaw-dropping reveal of "Bu-yeon's soul is returning, and Naksu will do a reverse fade-out" isn't just rain on my parade, it is like just 2 notches down from Noah's Flood.
I just feel my giseya leave me, and wanted to walk to the kitchen for a stiff drink.
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SP2022
January 3, 2023 at 8:47 AM
That soul reveal, I had to pause to take a few deep breaths, scream into a pillow, then resume watching with my feelings still very much <\3
I'll be on edge anytime Master Lee opens his mouth for the final two episodes.
kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 3:10 PM
@elinor, you summarized my thoughts exactly. I'm both nervous and anxious for next week. At least this drama allowed some budding actors to demonstrate their excellent skillset, after which I hope they get chosen for solid projects. I also love this director; abrupt transitions or not, the comedic timing, especially in season 1, was stellar. Looking forward to seeing more from this entire team.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 4:32 PM
I feel like there isn't a good way for them both to live. Now that it's confirmed that Bu-yeon is also in that body, I'd feel bad for Bu-yeon to be killed off so that Naksu could live. And Naksu needs a body. And Wook's life is only alive because of the ice stone which is always drawing wraiths to him. What happens if Naksu dies in her 50s and then Wook just lives, tormented forever? Like Shin in Goblin? If they're getting killed off, I want them to at least do a fan-service reincarnation scene. Like Wook can be Park Jin+Kim Do-joo's son.
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FiyaShady
January 2, 2023 at 4:46 PM
I still clearly remember when I dropped Descendents of the Sun, it was exactly on ep.12 with them going back to hospital after the Uruk crisis. It was a perfect ending and I stopped at correct time 😅😅😅.
I wish I could do the same for all Hong sisters drama but they really know how to push ending button, even with some of crappy misfortune finale.
To scratch them from my favorite writer, still a long way for me then 😆
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kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 7:43 PM
LOL HOW did you muster the self-control to drop Descendents at ep 12? That's impressive 🤣
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 7:01 PM
I don't know what makes me more fearful of the last 2 episodes -- a tragic ending or a botched story.
I love the show so much, but it feels like it's unraveling into a big mess (I'm still hoping it doesn't). It's quite tempting to not watch real-time next week, and instead do a rewatch (again) of all the eps just so I could appreciate it one last time (and hang onto the love I have for the show for as long as I can) before facing the end, whenever that may be.
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ophelia7
January 2, 2023 at 7:06 PM
I'm so glad I’m not alone in feeling this way! I’ve been psyching myself up for a sad ending since Part 1 (and we all know sad endings are not necessarily a bad thing) and I totally agree with @SP2022 that re-watching the prev episodes will never be the same again after this weekend's finale. It's so rare that a k-show generates this many theories and get dissected by this many people — the story coupled with the cast's acting chops make this truly legendary in k-dramaland. Like many others, I don’t know how they’re going to tie up everything without fudging up the ending, but I hope it’s not too fluffy or too illogical. Just 4 more days for us all to rewatch the last 28 episodes without being affected by the ending — whatever that may be.
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 1:01 AM
We will need AoS group therapy session after this, if the ending is disastrous.
Savor the last two days of innocence before the Grand Showdown!
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kdramacurious
January 2, 2023 at 9:37 PM
Quoting Elinor: "the number of times Master Lee has contradicted himself."
I was frustrated by this as well, but now that I've rewatched that conversation Master Lee had with Yul, I'm wondering if he miscalculated.
He'd said that, contrary to his intentions, Buyeon's plans will still come to fruition. That makes me wonder if he had tried to remove Buyeon's soul from the body three years ago, and he's realizing only now that Buyeon isn't that easy to remove.
That would also explain why he originally wanted to tell Uk who Buyeon/Naksu was, and now says it's just as well Uk doesn't know since Naksu's soul will disappear in the end.
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Bethy80
January 3, 2023 at 8:19 AM
Yeah, I think Master Lee, rather than being some all powerful puppet-master, is just trying his best to keep people alive and he doesn't always succeed. He kept the secret of her identity, not because he wanted to but because it got him the cooperation of Lady Jin (who would have happily eliminated Naksu immediately). And now he is still trying to spare Uk pain, an impossible choice of watching his love fade away or ousting the soul of Bu-Yeon and becoming a murderer... This "who do you save" question is getting repeated again and again this season. I think Master Lee is hoping for a way to save both, just like Park Jin said we should always try to do.
Master Lee was trying to balance the two souls, restrict them a little in power/memory to keep them both alive to try to find solutions. He's doing triage/emergency medicine like the healer that he is, but eventually the situation is not tenable... and he can't stop it.
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kakakash
January 3, 2023 at 10:39 AM
@bethy80 yes I can respect that. Master Lee is human after all. I blamed Master Lee at first for being so callous. But then he did give Uk a fair chance to ask about the origins of the girl he nursed back to health...but Uk was just not interested. Instead, Yul asked. Lol it's maddening...so best not to think about the details anymore.
Unaspirated
January 4, 2023 at 7:36 AM
This is what I assumed. That Master Lee hasn't been lying, he's just been mistaken. It's not like any of this has ever happened before, so pretty much everyone is flying blind and having to make educated guesses about each new part of the situation.
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FormAnOrderlyQueue
January 2, 2023 at 4:28 PM
This! There are so many things about the plot which are exhausting me. (One culprit being that JU's fallen for BY as well as Naksu now and has been forced to make a choice between the two of them. Really, show, could you not just let this be an epic JU-Naksu tale? Do we need extra angst?) But the leads are just fantastic - and I'm getting as much joy (maybe more?) out of the bts as the drama itself. Telling...
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 4:41 PM
Wook is still in love with Naksu, whom he knows as Buyeon now. Buyeon's soul had been suppressed and it has been Naksu's amnesiac soul that has been interacting with Wook. The difficult choice being presented now would a moral one rather an emotional one. Like to save your loved one, would you kill an innocent bystander? Wook killing Buyeon's soul so that Naksu could have a body and live....he may be happy to have Naksu back, but could he live with himself?
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:13 AM
Honestly, I was just telling a gf -- the real love triangle isn't Jang Uk / Naksu / Seo Yul, or even Jang Uk / dead Naksu / amnesiac Naksu.
The real love triangle is Jang Uk / Real Naksu / Real Bu-Yeon.
They all need to seriously sit down for couples counselling and therapy. Just to sort out the body time-share thingy and who's who, what's when.
Can they all just step into that Ice Stone vortex and have their dialogue session pls
(p.s. I thought the young blindfolded BY session with Naksu is important, I just wish they call the S.O. into the therapy room too)
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Kurama
January 3, 2023 at 6:35 AM
Uk and Bu-Yeon never had any kind of relationship. Her soul didn't communicate with him (in the mirror she helped). They always use her child body to represent her (even if it doesn't make sense).
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 10:39 PM
What I meant by "triangle" is they need to decisively solve this longstanding conundrum of "1 body-2 souls" once and for all, in order to have a proper love relationship with the ML
Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 12:54 PM
JU does not know the actual BY - by looks or her soul, but he does know Naksu's soul, regardless of the packaging, irrespective of how late he's coming to the knowledge.
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Mirana
January 2, 2023 at 5:10 PM
This is exactly how I felt after ep18 Part 1. When MD said fine make that promise about our future and they kissed - I wish it all ended there. ep 19 was still ok with the proposal and then with ep 20, sht hit the fan. So i'm thinking ep 9 of Part 2 will still be ok...not sure anymore about ep 10.
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EmilyK
January 3, 2023 at 7:17 AM
I strategically stopped watching after episode 19, because I knew episode 20 would have to blow everything up for the second season.
I just spent the long weekend catching up in time for the finale, so the verdict is still out on whether I should have just stopped at 19.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:29 AM
Oh smart move.
This was what we advised a gal friend who started watching S1 after the fact, we told her to watch all the way up to E19, and just hold out for 2 months, then watch E20 and segue smoothly to S2. so she wouldn't experience the shock and trauma we did.
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kakakash
January 3, 2023 at 10:34 AM
@emilyk damn that's smart. i will advise anyone interested in this drama to do the same
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EmilyK
January 3, 2023 at 12:43 PM
I was live watching the first season and didn't intend to stop at 19, but I was happy with where things ended at that point a. I glanced at the 19-20 recap here long enough to confirm that things got blown up in episode 20 (but not get truly spoiled). If the reaction here to season 2 was poor, I figured I could just stop there.
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 1:06 AM
"If the reaction here to season 2 was poor, I figured I could just stop there."
Wow - tremendous willpower you have, I must say.
Which reminds me...I still haven't got round to watching the last episode of 2521 (cos a gf told me it was so universally vilified for its unfairly unhappy ending). So...maybe time to muster up the courage and watch it now LOL.
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8 kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 2:48 PM
There's no way that CP went to the team evil, he's just acting for the sake of a scheme that he orchestrated with Wook, which we will find out next week.
On another note, here's another six days of just biting my nails while trying not to think about a possibility of a shitty ending, because of my ever-existing K-drama endings PTSP, induced by the likes of Hwayugi.
P.S. I somehow have a hope that we will se both girls alive and incarnated at the end - original Bu Yeaon and Naksu, in their original bodies.
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queenmee
January 2, 2023 at 3:01 PM
I love both my girls! Both of them deserve full lifes, my blood pressure is going to be high the whole time waiting for ending.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 2, 2023 at 6:36 PM
I don't know about kdramaland, but in happy-ever-after-land the combined power of Uk, Bu-yeon (or should I call her Bu-naksu?), ice stone etc should be able to reconstruct a spare body in some dramatic fashion, and we get a Jung So-min cameo with separate Naksu & Bu-yeon & friends crushing Jin Mu in suitably spectacular fashion. Please(?)
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 11:45 PM
Totally agree. But also, totally curbing my enthusiasm, because I know what genre I'm watching.
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9 geminirat
January 2, 2023 at 2:52 PM
Thank you, @alathe, for the weecap! I love the way Seo Yul is quietly taking care of Naksu because he knows that she has always loved Jang Uk. He could even threaten Jin Bu-yeon's mother so she could stay with his rival for a little more time. I also love it that Jin Bu-yeon is showing her mother that she can also be the leader of Jinyowon and representing the family to help Yul.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:21 AM
I thought Bu-yeon stepping up to uphold the family honour was so kickass and such an "up-yours" gesture to Jin-Mu.
#girlpower
But Bu-Yeon tripping twice whilst running away is not cool.
#epicFAIL
Jang Uk showing up is awesome, Naksu is like Eun-Tak who can summon the Goblin at her whim. Similarly she is the first love who pulls him like Newton's apple towards gravity.
They can kill monsters and kick ass together in the Gwuido Prison after he sights her blooming blue eyes. #powerduo
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10 queenmee
January 2, 2023 at 2:58 PM
I thoroughly enjoy this drama. Flaws and all, I love it. The whole time the otp is together im giggling, throw in the crown prince in the mix and im laughing like a mad person. I love the comedy in that while their friend was dying, they were messing around, my anxiety was off the roof though. Glad the side characters have "wild nights" albeit its off screen but still good. I just felt disappointed when jang uk showed up in the end, im 100% naksu/buyoen could have handled the whole situation if the writers wanted in that way. Oh well my heart currently beats for Alchemy of souls and I shall not be moved from this mountain!
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FiyaShady
January 2, 2023 at 5:04 PM
Oh, me too...the frustration is high when Uk appears in front of BuYeon. Although she might not fully regain her divine power, but writernim fails to give us some epic moment from her side 😪. Makes me wondering even if she managed to have full power, does she not be able to kill some wraith (then what is her full divination then?🙃)
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Jance
January 3, 2023 at 1:06 PM
Yeah! I want more Naksu skills back….
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11 Emperor Titus
January 2, 2023 at 3:16 PM
I start to believe Master Lee is not that know-it-all, plot-twisting Mago (Mago has that function in Hotel del Luna, who is kind of the representative of screenwriter in the show), but Buyeon, the soul of Buyeon.
(In the following, I am defining Mudeok as the surface people seeing the female lead, as well the body containing the two souls, Buyeon and Naksu).
There are 2 questions we must ask here:
1. Why Buyeon becomes Mudeok in the first place?
2. Why Buyeon let Naksu (even forces her) into her own body?
I guess getting the Ice Stone had severely weakened Buyeon, and she needed a long time to recover herself. Therefore she need to disguise herself in a small village to be Mudeok, also prepared herself to destroying the Ice Stone. Attaining Naksu's, I believe, can at least speed up the process (If you remember in S1E1, Naksu first choose someone else to switch soul with, not Mudeok at all), even essential; which case it is, I guess, will be revealed in the last episode of this season, I guess.
I am not sure if Buyeon love Wook or not (if so, this will be a pretty complex yet interesting love polygon, haha), but that analogy of having two love one fall into the lake is pretty essential as well: Jin mentioned this analogy three times in this short season already. Also Master Lee did mention one of the options Wook has is to drive Buyeon's soul away to keep Naksu in Mudeok's body. Therefore, what if another (better) option is keeping both soul, but turning one soul into another body (which Wook can even create it himself? How about a Jung So-min body for Naksu?)?
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12 sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 3:20 PM
I knew Jang Uk wouldn't really go North, his line about being back sooner than she thought was a dead giveaway. I guess the egg called to him, and because they also stated that there wasn't anywhere he couldn't be, poof, he appeared just in time! Forgive my chagrin, but I can't help but notice how convenient everything is turning out to be, I'm looking at you sage honing turtle. Did anyone else catch the stray ice stone/energy orb in the skeleton's chest? Something tells me that will be the key to this whole "Whose Soul is it Really?" conundrum. I see them both walking away with ice stones while the real Bu Yeon makes a sneak appearance to do the rain dance just in time to save the day.
Speaking of which, Bu Yeon, I am totally side-eyeing you! Girl, I thought you were a force for good, but you're on board with ousting Naksu? Not cool! Totally rude, especially since we all thought you were dead. My head hurts. At this point there are a number of schemes and plots in the air; I'm looking forward to the final episodes for closure if nothing else. I doubt it will be a sad ending, but I do need several answers to questions and for the conclusion to make sense.
I am a simple woman, let my couple get married and turn off the light as often as they'd like, that is all. 😔
Along with killing Jin Mu, because COME ON.The stakes have never been higher and CP is clearly plotting against the Skeev Master General. He wants Jin Mu to lure the dissenters into one place and have Uk annihilate them when there is no means for escape. I hope it all goes to plan, but things are definitely getting tense. The clip of the bells from season 1 gave me PTSD and all I can say is, not ever Satan! One tragic end was more than enough.Finally, my "They Better be Dead by the End of This" list:
🎀 Jin-MOTHER-FLUFFING-Mu. I am done with you, Frosty Tips. If you live in ANY capacity, I will riot.
🎀 The
Crowned CroneQueen needs to go. I don't know, lady, maybe look inward and blame yourself for your problems instead of pointing fingers at everyone else.🎀 Yun Ok. This is a bonus, but you can go right ahead and die. Please take your annoying maid servant with you, y'all are banished to oblivion. I allowed the possibility that she could become queen, but my threshold for annoyance was reached this week with her fiendish antics. Why even bring her back if she was just going to be a cartoonish villain? I’ve had enough. She doesn't have to die, but I am done wasting screen time on her.
🎀 Mama Jin has got to go. Cho Yeon mentioned that it pains her to see the person she hates the most being happy and I'm unsure if that was in reference to Uk or Naksu. Either way, she's just a sad, sad person. I don't see her living until the end.
🎀Stray Observations:🎀
🎀 Cho Yeon and Dang Gu might have a little witness of their own.
🎀 Maybe Bu Yeon isn't fully on the dark side? I think she was trying to hold on long enough to do the...
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sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 3:21 PM
...rain dance and then maybe leave willingly, giving Naksu the body? This is probably wishful thinking on my part, but I'll hold onto hope.
🎀 Provided that my earlier point is incorrect, the Jin's are some bad bananas, excluding Cho Yeon. This streak of using people without remorse is definitely genetic.
🎀 The Crown Prince will have his revenge! How dare Jin Mu discard his turtle! CP is biding time, but his rage is thinly veiled and I can’t wait to see their plan unfold.
Thank you for the wonderful recap!! I can't wait to see how this beautiful story ends. 😊
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:29 AM
Hahaha!
1) Yes Frosty Tips and Crowned Crone can both plunge into the Volcano and burn.
2) yes, shaman bells give me PTSD too. I nearly froth at my mouth when they troll us in the trailer with that awful clip
3) I forgive Yun-Ok for her forensic snooping for just one reason: she serves the plot by short-fusing the recognition of our Naksu by her true love, Uk! That splash caused her eyes to bloom like flowers.
4) Black Turtle: I was seriously ranting with all this magic items littering the S2 story landscape with promiscuous glee. BUT it had a nice neat payoff with our Turtle Shaman! I like.
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Elinor
January 2, 2023 at 4:12 PM
Park Jin and others keep comparing BY to Jin Seol-ran, but what if that’s been a smokescreen all along? BY is a Choi as well as Jin descendent; maybe her soul is the rebirth of the Choi mage who first used the ice stone and kicked off civil war 200 years ago, and she is thus actually a force of chaos or destruction and not good? Maybe when child BY refuses to turn the ice stone over to Jin Mu on the boat, it’s because she covets it herself? If so, the parallels would be:
Wook = Master Seo Gyeong
Cho Yeong/Naksu = Jin Seol-ran
BY = Mage Choi
Still not happy news for the OTP, but it makes a few things make more sense. And in a way, BY doesn’t have any more of ‘right’ to exist than Naksu or Wook do because she was also born from sorcery.
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FiyaShady
January 2, 2023 at 5:13 PM
Great analysis, @elinor.
I do agree that BY is really a part of Choi's mage bloodline and does not fully represent Jin Seol Ran at all.
But Naksu/ Cho Young as JSR is quite a stretch tho.
There are still many unexplained things that makes sense but anyhow, I always throw my logic brain out-of-window when watching Kdrama 😅. It will be easy for me to ride the show until the end 🙈
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sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 7:20 PM
@elinor **gasp** I never thought of it that way! I assumed the ice stone was a force for good, but every time it's used, there's great upheaval and literal chaos in the weather. Not to mention, it comes from the sky which is seldom without turbulence. There are periods of calm, but thunder, lightening, hail, storms and tornadoes prevail. This is a very interesting theory, thank you for sharing. I hope it pans out! Ironic that all three characters, Bu Yeon, Jang Uk and Naksu technically are against the natural order of things, but their existence is seemingly necessary to save the world.
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13 kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 3:21 PM
I just loved these two episodes. Wook's Yul-saving killing spree was beyond awesome, Wook, CP, and Naksu/BY realizing everything was totally hilarious, and Wook-Naksu confession and smooching was super touching, and hot.
I decided that I won't wish for anything for the last two eps, except to see Naksu wearing her assassin bun and having eyebrows again.
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kakakash
January 2, 2023 at 7:50 PM
I been waiting more than 28 hours to see this girl with her assassin bun but will we get to see this will happen? 😭
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 11:47 PM
I know, I know, I feel you...
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:36 AM
Second that.
I RELISH the first 20 minutes of Ep 7 -- it was EPIC and escalates quickly into a near all-out factional war with Songrim, Cheongbuwan, Jinyowon, Royal family, Unanimous Assembly and even Seoho Fortess getting embroiled in one multiple automobile car-crash pileup. It was DELICIOUS.
I also love how Park Jin (for the first time) backed Uk up in such an unequivocal show of support in war. It was oh-so-satisfying. #catgotitscream
Alas it petered out way too quickly (yes I realized we don't have enough time, S2 should have been a 16-ep arc not 10).
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14 LaurenSophie
January 2, 2023 at 3:55 PM
Truly loved these episodes, even though I did feel the writing was a bit of a (beautiful) mess, especially in ep 8.
But wow, those kisses were fire. I think I'm still blushing over the scenes that closed ep 7 and opened 8. They were so well-executed from the just-right use of that beautiful "I'm Sorry" song (which enhanced the scene rather than taking it over--something that has sadly ruined many a kdrama kiss), masterful direction and camera angles, and of course, performances that allowed the scenes to respect k-drama boundaries but still be fully passionate, intimate, and romantic. It's clear every shot was highly choreographed and probably took forever to complete because of said boundaries, but there wasn't a single moment that didn't feel natural and real. Well done, AoS team.
My biggest laugh-out-loud moment this week was the revelation about Dong-gu and Cho-yeon's hook-up in the house they planned to buy (presumably no one currently lives there?). The second was all due to the excellent face acting of Bu-yeon as she pointed out her husband to the CP and basked in his offer of a room in his palace.
Silliest fan service for me was Nu-yeon passing that water wick marble or whatever it was from her mouth to Yul's. No one who ever really shipped them would find that remotely satisfying.
Biggest surprise was how integral the turtle has now become to the plot. He led Naksu to that skeleton with the encased ice stone that will likely be the key to her salvation. I admit that I never, ever saw that one coming.
I'm going to just roll with the explanations regarding whose body belongs with what soul, but Master Lee is working my last nerve. Does this man have any real motivations guiding his behavior? He's supposedly some wise sage, and yet his most enduring quality is utter randomness. Why did he tell Ho-gyeong that only Naksu's soul remained if Bu-yeon's was there, too? And I still don't understand why he ever agreed to keep Naksu's continued existence a secret from Jang Uk in the first place. His decision to keep a promise to the not-mom that locked her "daughter" up for three years has no basis in morality or honor.
Now he's babbling about how the body will reject the soul, killing Naksu once and for all unless JU goes against law and custom and uses sorcery to keep Naksu's soul exactly where it is. If Master Lee is leaving everything to fate, why did he do anything at all to save Naksu/Bu-yeon in the first place? And what exactly is his rationale for keeping the truth from JU, especially at this point? Sparing him the agony of choice is an excuse, not a reason, for his lack of action. JU is going to be in agony if he loses Naksu, period. Compounding that fact with the realization that there may have been a way to save her but no one bothered to tell him would be intolerable.
Plus, as alathe said, this explanation betrays a distinct lack of basic knowledge of JU's personality and devotion to Naksu...
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LaurenSophie
January 2, 2023 at 3:55 PM
He wouldn't spend two seconds agonizing over anything. If it would save Naksu, he'd do it. Period.
Speaking of completely illogical decision making, Yul has somehow determined that it's kinder to kill himself and Naksu or simply to just let her die without ever telling JU the truth. Both scenarios would magnify JU's pain, not prevent it. Does Yul really think he's helping his friend by preventing him from recognizing his true love as his true love? This is particularly baffling because Yul can see that JU is in love with this woman even without knowing the truth.
I know the answer to these questions is simply that plot takes precedence, and I do love this show, but there were some other moments this week that took me out of Dae-ho and into the sad, cynical place where I can't help but notice dialogue breaking down. For example, after their makeout session is complete, and JU and Bu-yeong are walking hand-in-hand, their conversation made no sense to me, especially when JU suddenly talked about flowers blooming in Naksu's eyes. I know that was just set-up to later when the same flowers bloomed again, but my god, that was clunky.
Speaking of words, I'm sorry, but "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were my husband" isn't really that similar to "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were my master." If he'd said "wife" instead of "master," then fine. But I liked that they transitioned quickly to Bu-yeon noting that this time, she recognized him first. That was much more of an anvil.
Other musings: does Bu-yeong/Naksu remember killing JU? The flashback montage didn't include those final moments of last season, and I couldn't tell if that was deliberate or not. Certainly, extreme guilt and sadness over the fact that she stabbed JU would have been a stronger motivation for her noble idiocy than simply wanting to spare him watching her die all over again. (Again, I must point out: breaking his heart now doesn't mean that same heart won't break again when her body rejects her soul). However, I am thankful she did so because it was Uk's turn to be jealous of himself, a trope of which I can never get enough.
Finally, why does Naksu think she loved Uk more than he loved her? I don't remember that being a real or imagined dynamic between them in the first season.
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Mirana
January 2, 2023 at 5:28 PM
Agree with everything you've just said.
I have voiced my complaints here at alathe's blog so much making it seem i dislike the show but all my disappointments come from loving S1 so much - where i loved all the characters, every dialogue and where i found everything compelling enough to forgive minor inconsistencies.
but here in S2 - everything jars me. like what you've just pointed out. "master" is far from "husband" and different context too. Uk was looking for a master (specifically Naksu, actually) all his life and so that was big moment when he recognized Naksu in MD. What is the similarity for JBY to now say "i knew you were my husband all along"? It would be fine if MD and Uk got married in S1 but they didnt. So again...this pushes me off the AOS storyline train I'm trying so hard to ride.
Yul too - I am as baffled by his choices. Everything is wrong. First with wanting to kill her and then now with keeping her identity from Uk a secret.
Finally - Naksu in S1 could not have loved Uk more than he did her. How was that even possible? It was Uk who started off with having gratitude in his heart for her presence and for getting his energy back and had the open mind to appreciate her as a person. She was oblivious to "love" and any warm feelings until the end. And let's just say she fell as hard...I cannot begin to think that she loved Uk more.
So strange all these things they add now. Like they added that dialogue to make us believe all these happenings in S2. To appease the hurt Uk went through.
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 7:22 PM
@mirana have loved all the comments I've seen from you on S2 and agree with alot of it. Nothing here makes sense and it's a very frustrating watch tbh - I keep reading recaps in hope that maybe sth good may happen but it continues to ride the disappointing plot train. The hong sis had zero clue what to do with this season didnt they. Like exactly to your point - how on earth could naksu love him more when he was the one that recognised her first in s1 and spent all that time with her/learning from her? heck, how did he even fall for jby - cos shes pretty? The romance up til now with Uk confirming to himself and to us that he only just recognised naksu meant that he fell for a different woman in jby. And yet the entire premise was based off his and naksus "epic" romance so like... huh? Plus the complete weird 180 turnaround and butchering of yul's character. None of the characters make sense this season tbh. Alot of the spark and the alchemy and fights etc from s1 have all disappeared and it's like im watching a different show altogether, not a continuation. It's super jarring.
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 12:53 AM
Thank you so much, Evelyn!! I wrote a separate post so as not to duplicate response to you and some others' comments that I agree with. Though I might just end up adding this and that to all the interesting comments out there, including yours.
ophelia7
January 2, 2023 at 7:27 PM
YES! I was smh when she said it. I was tearing up at that scene as both leads were amazing here. The look of guilt and despair on her face and the sheer confusion and hurt in Wook's was so believable... and then I hear her say those words!? Woman! Did you not like us, witness how much pain and pining he had for you? How did you come to that conclusion??
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 8:28 PM
I think when she stabbed him to death in Part 1, the pain of losing him and feeling his life slip away made her realize how much she loved him. Also, she may have assumed that her stabbing him to death could have diminished some of the love he had for her. Wook gets cranky when the issue of Naksu comes up. We know it is because of grief. But perhaps Naksu thinks it's because he felt hurt and betrayed? When people allude to Naksu, they seem to imply "yeah this girl Naksu. Wook gave his heart to this girl, and she hurt him real bad." as if she was some terrible ex.
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hacja
January 2, 2023 at 8:01 PM
To a romance fan like myself, Yul has become an annoying and toxic second lead, doing his best to destroy the main couple relationship.
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 11:52 PM
That master-husband thing makes sense in Korean because there the two words sound very similar, like a rhyming song. Both have three syllables, start with an S and end with -nim. :) It's actually very convincing, that it sparked his memory
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aicaramba
January 3, 2023 at 12:27 AM
Oh this makes sense, given that there seems to be a lot of wordplay in the show
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LaurenSophie
January 3, 2023 at 7:26 AM
Thank you! I take back that criticism then :)
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 9:08 AM
I love that entire scene. It is deeply poignant and has this inexplicable sadness to it even?
The actors interpreted the scene with great nuance. It's like body memory; the truth leaks out of them even before they can fully grasp the depth and implication of what has been uttered. Then this fleeting and complex interplay of emotions on their faces. Haunting.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:19 AM
"Finally, why does Naksu think she loved Uk more than he loved her? I don't remember that being a real or imagined dynamic between them in the first season."
Actually, I have a slightly different take. I find that line and her expressed sentiment deeply moving (and gives us a rare peek into her true feelings for once).
All along in S1, we have felt that Jang Uk is the more invested party in this romance. And no wonder, because Uk wears his heart on his sleeves for all and sundry to see. He is unashamedly honest about his love for Naksu and clings to her relentlessly.
Naksu, on the other hand, is so much harder to read because she is a true-blue emotional introvert and a closed book. But in Uk's words, "Just because something is invisible or hidden does not mean it is not there. You just need to know how to look."
So for Naksu to say she loves him more than he loves her is saying a whole lot. Her love is like the 9-part iceberg submerged underwaters -- unfathomable.
It is probably the second direct confession of love she has ever made to him (the first being "I really like you a lot" -- and only when she was roaring drunk and loosed tongued. She died the next day).
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 6:09 AM
I wish she would repeat this to Uk then when Uk already knows she is Naksu and she is speaking fully as Naksu. This is also an answer to what has been troubling Uk since he's been stabbed. Not that Naksu had consciousness when she did but indirectly - that she would never harm him, much less kill him, because she truly does love him too.
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 3:29 AM
"I wish she would repeat this to Uk then when Uk already knows she is Naksu and she is speaking fully as Naksu."
Truth be told, I actually feel her current response is consistent to S1Naksu. In fact, it is classic.
When an AoS character struggles to articulate their deepest buried emotions, we see the script does several things to illuminate these feelings for the viewers.
1) Via Proxy Confessions:
(a) Naksu could never directly express her love in words to Uk. The script cleverly uses displacement in the Prisoners' Dilemma story beat to wrest a true confession of love under duress.
Notice that she confesses to Park Jin that she loves Uk him "to death". Even a surprised Uk concedes that he doesn't go that far in his confession.
2) Via Extrapolation:
Naksu and Seo Yul are not "foolish" friends for no reason. Their common Achilles heel is emotional reticence -- in the extreme.
Seo Yul did the very same act of vicarious love confession to her (that she now does to Uk).
He told her that once upon a time, he once liked the owner of the bird whistle very much but never had a chance to confess to her (knowing fully well the person standing in front of him is Naksu).
And he said something very revealing about himself (that we can extrapolate is equally true for Naksu):
"IF you really like someone, saying "I love you" -- just even once to them -- is hard enough." (when Naksu glibly claims she can confess her love to Seo Yul gazillion times if he likes)
That's Naksu for you. And therefore it is deeply in character, and also deeply poignant that she can only bare her deepest love in such a way to Uk.
aicaramba
January 4, 2023 at 6:58 PM
Very insighful @joanna, excellent analysis!
This must be why we love the show so much -- the main characters are fleshed out well (their story begs a different conversation), like real people who have idiosyncrasies and cognitive biases. They learn, but not everyone learns as quickly as Uk (he's a genius after all) and may need repeat lessons.
So no matter what happens to the story, it's really the characters we adore and connect with.
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:33 AM
@aicaramba:
To quote Jang Uk:
"You must have really poisoned me." (read: made me fall head over heels in love with you)
AoS has made us love the characters so much, they are like real people talking in our heads ❤❤
Mirana
January 5, 2023 at 6:24 AM
@joanna yes, agree with you on how the characters articulate themselves. and very well said too! what I was trying to say though is was it even "Naksu" who said it? Did JBY actually know and feel it as Naksu here? Or did she have some snippets of memories, which she was forced to attribute to herself cause Yul said she was Naksu?
In all the instances you've mentioned, each character had their full faculties and knew who they were and they also knew who the other person was. Yul knew MD was Naksu, and MD knew she was Naksu and knew who Yul was and both knew to which whistle/memory/etc was being referenced.
In this case, not sure JBY knew exactly what she's talking about except she thinks she sort of had a memory of loving someone or extrapolated from Ju Wol's/others' stories that Uk and Naksu loved each other etc AND for sure Uk does not know that JBY or the person in front of him is Naksu.
Therefore, this is not a case of people speaking in metaphors or allegories or poetically or even indirectly where both know and understand what is being said whatever figure of speech is used. Uk here has no knowledge whatsoever who she is and who she was referring to.
So I did wish that Uk eventually knows it's Naksu after all who loved him more and the Naksu saying it herself actually means it.
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 10:52 PM
Quick one:
1) In the breakup scene, Naksu is definitely all back - lock, stock and barrel.
The script and directing made it unequivocal from the story beat of the FTF "soul portal" meeting with child Bu-Yeon at the tall tree. They both concede that Naksu got all her memories back.
2) Later in her own interior monologue as she strides to Jinyowon, her v/o is all in the personal pronoun: "Amongst many things that I remember, I remember he was the one who raised ME as an assassin, and he was the one who killed ME." (she totally owned her story; her life script as Naksu)
3) Naksu's indirect love confession to Uk therefore directly parallels Seo Yul's indirect love confession to Mu-deok.
Both cases the "confessor" knows their own identity and the true identity of the person they are confessing love to. But the receiver do not (this set up is what allows Naksu & Seo Yul to make their love confession, something they struggle to do IF the object of their love is actually cognizant of receiving the confession).
4) BUT yes, I also wish as you do, that she would have that courage and honesty to tell him DIRECTLY. That would be a Naksu growth arc I dearly wish to see (and cheer for). For the sake of Uk too. I mean, that poor dude suffered a fatal stab wound, for crying out loud.
Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 1:08 PM
The only other notable kissing scenes, for me, are from "It's okay to not be okay"
KSH and SYJ cannot be denied.
Ummm, well, PMY and SKJ in ep 8 of "When the weather is fine" - that was pretty good, too....
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 1:22 PM
BTW, Lee Jae-wook is in "When the Weather is Fine" as well.
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15 ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 4:16 PM
Thank you for the wonderful recap, Alathe!
THE TURTLE CAME BACK!!!! TURTLE POWER! I was half-expecting Jin Mu to tell Won that he had it cooked and eaten.
After the threat of Yul's dad coming to Daeho...I was a bit disappointed when he didn't show up. I wanted to see if he is handsome!
I'm peeved that Wook came in save Naksu since I was expecting her to release some divine-powered whoop-ass. Sort of like when she petrified that dude who was trying to kill her in the constellation room in Part 1. Wook, can you just sit back for a little bit?
Giving Naksu the equivalent of terminal illness and all the "i should push him away" behavior. Sigh. Seems like she is misunderstanding his grief for her loss as a need to know why she turned on him.
The implication seems to be that Jin Buyeon 1.0 is not someone who is naive - she's playing the long game. Looks like Master Lee - if we are to believe anything coming out of that man's mouth- intended for Naksu to be the primary soul? But Jin Buyeon is surprisingly taking over.
So used to the mother-in-law+daughter-in-law strife in kdramas - sort of funny to have a MIL+son-in-law strife. If I were Wook, I would just burn down Jinyowon and its relicts. Would anyone really care?
Someone needs to do a version of the Part II posters and replace Bu-yeon with the prince. Wook and Prince are generating some strong boys love chemistry to rival the Wook+Naksu/Buyeon romance.
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pliplipli
January 2, 2023 at 6:01 PM
I was so ready for a special cameo of a cool older actor playing his dad LOL the whole fire bird/worm and him getting better was a bit anti-climatic to be honest.
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kimchiturka
January 2, 2023 at 11:54 PM
Yes, the son-in-law strife is epic here, thank you for naming it! And yes, TURTLE POWER!!!!
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LadyShayo
January 3, 2023 at 2:02 AM
Yh, it does seem Bu Yeon has been playing the long game right from S1 when she did the soul thing with Naksu, and I think Master Lee honestly thought he had removed BY's soul 3 years ago(is that even ethical?) but of course, BY is too powerful to go down so easily
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 5:02 AM
Yes I agree. Which is frankly... disturbing.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:39 AM
"If I were Wook, I would just burn down Jinyowon and its relics."
Actually, he DID threaten to do that. Lol
When he found out Bu-Yeon went home, only to return to her dreary and dark locked chamber-prison, he was so furious he said he should have destroyed the entire place the last time he was here (when he crushed the GPS tracker).
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 1:10 PM
and just how did he gain access to the "dreary and dark locked Jin-genetics-locked chamber-prison"?
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ar_arguably romantic
January 5, 2023 at 4:05 PM
Power of love and destiny! J/k. or maybe not j/k. No one knows. The path just opened up for Wook
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 10:56 PM
Love your answer - power of love & destiny LOL
That is a GREAT umbrella answer for anything we can't explain in this magical Daeho universe 🤣
On a serious note, Uk did explicitly tell Bu-Yeon before there is no place on earth that he cannot enter (when she cajoles him to visit her secretly by climbing the walls of Jinyowon)
LetuseatCake
January 4, 2023 at 12:16 PM
The General is definitely a character I'd love to see. Everyone was terrified and also absolutely sure he would come if Yul died. The fear is what I find fascinating. Yul's people seem to be the most battle hardened ones.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 4, 2023 at 3:15 PM
It would be funny if many of Yul's people end up looking like kpop idols.
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Elinor
January 4, 2023 at 3:36 PM
Idol hair, lip gloss, and double swords as family traditions!
I still can't figure out how Yul's double sword works - the sheath looks the same as everyone else's when he's carrying it around, and then suddenly when he's fighting he has a blade in each hand and no sheath. It's been bothering me for 28 episodes now.
Yul, the queen, and Uncle Shifty-eyes are the only Seo family members we've met, right? (And I suppose Heo Yeom, who's a distant relative; not sure whether to also count Yun-ok.) It's hard to find much in common among them. I was really hoping Part 2 would visit Seoho Fortress, but it's probably too late now.
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Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 1:13 PM
If I remember, the swords used by mages are very special, -like Excalibur special (sentient). Perhaps in the hands of a mage, he can transmute the scabbard into another sword. Certainly, he can make the scabbard function as a force sword, eh...
empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 11:39 PM
@ar: Hilarious!
You are putting ideas into my head. That would be quite the saguek fashion parade.
@pd: Yes - cos the Seo family was sent to guard the borders hence they are a military/warring faction.
In Ju-wol's words: "the most prestigious family" (possibly also the added stature of being allied to the Royal family by marriage)
@Elinor:
I think Master Seo (OG Daeho saviour) may possibly be their clan progenitor? But we only saw him in flashback exposition.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 5, 2023 at 4:03 PM
I think they mentioned Seo Gyeong volunteered to move to Seoho Fortress to avoid potential conflict with the king since Seo Gyeong was also born with the king's star and was such a big hero that people may be tempted to make him king instead.
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 10:59 PM
Master Seo volunteered to go to North Fortress I think. (but honestly, they are probably all related lol)
16 InfinityK
January 2, 2023 at 4:27 PM
My main problem with this show is that no one seems to respect Naksu. Why are the characters (namely Yul, Master Lee) only considering Jang Uk's feelings, when they also know and were friends with Naksu? They all seem fine with keeping her in the dark and making life & death decisions for her, as if she's not a real person.
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 7:08 PM
Say it louder. I dislike how this show treats its female characters, especially naksu and mudeok. It's like they dont exist 3 years later. Nobody talks about them like real ppl and they all behave like she's this spirit from christmas past or sth, all make decisions on her behalf. And this is all done to prop Uk up as this amazing dude who gets to fall in love with idk 2? 3? different women - who all seem to exist for his growth and his journey only. I do find it a tad bit gross tbh like I'm watching this through a patriarchal lens and the series is written by 2 women. gawd.
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hacja
January 2, 2023 at 8:05 PM
I actually have felt this myself. I know its just a fantasy, and there is a lot of enthusiasm for the "world-building" but it sure isn't a world for women, unless you are an evil dominating mother. Then you can do some damage!
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 9:17 PM
It's really annoying I must say.
I was thinking Naksu will handle the Gwigu realm thing with her own strength but alas! Jang Uk shows up. It's like they set characters up in danger just for one reason - to show us how amazing Jang Uk. I know kdramas do this a lot with their male leads but here, it's so patronizing.
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 11:02 PM
@hacja yes it isn't - and i'm sad that dramas are still written with this kinda lens. yess the women in this drama are either evil or exist to be fawned over, there's no in between.
@jerrykuvira YES!! u nailed what has been annoying me. They could have so many times (even in s1) gone with the ladies just stepping up and showing their strength, but no, let's get jang uk to show up and show off what an amazinggg man he is! Patronizing is the word and it's especially obvious in this drama. And jarring cos it's like stepping back into another world we left when kdramas have slowly started to depict more female empowering dramas over the past years. Alas.
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17 aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 5:01 PM
Woah. That kiss has got to be one of the best kisses in kdramaland ever. Keep the lights off! Ffffff! Ffffff!
And that runway faceoff between Uk and the Crown Prince. Sageuk fashion show, anyone?
Ok so Bu Yeon is alive and Naksu will disappear... *updates my understanding of the magical rules*. I'm happy Bu Yeon's alive, but the way the show/Master Lee shares and withholds, and seemingly makes up new information about BY's body/ Naksu's soul feels manipulative at this point.
Heo Yeom, on the other hand, just solidified his place as my fave supporting character. He's shown to be frivolous at times, but when it really matters, he acts based on what he thinks is best for our young mages, and is always firm with his decisions. I celebrated when he was quick to express support for Wook!
Yul's brush with death spurring Uk to action, plus Dang Gu running to them knowing exactly what Uk will do felt so satisfying. It's so in character for the three friends to be there for each other. And I'm so glad Yul didn't die! Yay! (Oh wait. We have 2 more episodes. Pls don't die pls don't die pls don't die.)
Hmm... I thought Bu Yeon is able to cast away wraiths (which we were simply told but never shown, btw), why did she need rescuing from that 1 wraith in Gwido? I hoped to see her using her powers and being bad*ss like her former Naksu self in there.
And, was it just me or were those last 20mins without Uk really dragging?
Next Saturday feels so far away!
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 5:29 PM
Bu-yeon is more like wraith repellant. Like I think when she's near Wook and the wraiths want to approach, they sense her and then are like "I guess we'll come back next time" rather than them coming by and her going "you get the eff out of here!". But this wraith was like, "come hang out with me and my ugly face!" I actually enjoyed those last 20 minutes without Wook since it's been annoying that Wook keeps getting heroic entrance after heroic entrance and Bu-yeon doesn't get anything. I liked seeing her confront Jin Mu even if it's on behalf of Jinyowon. Yeah, I had hoped to see her using her powers too since she was so confident that she could beat this challenge and prove that she has divine powers.
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 6:33 PM
Oh was that what she was? I was totally under the impression she had a more active role in casting out wraiths from Uk's conversation with Maidservant Kim. Or perhaps it was just lost in translation.
Yes, I did enjoy Bu Yeon's stride with her entourage going into Cheonbugwan. Sorry I made it sound like Uk's absence was what made it boring, but it wasn't that. Perhaps the pacing? Or too much Jin Mu and Jin Ho Gyeong? I've had enough of those two.
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18 Chrysalidding
January 2, 2023 at 5:32 PM
Totally on an irrelevant thread - did the turtle have a sudden growth spurt, or do I need new glasses?
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 6:25 PM
Perhaps they couldn't get the baby turtle to walk as much as the bigger one. lol
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sailorgirl
January 2, 2023 at 8:23 PM
@aicaramba ...Slow and steady 🐢
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:42 AM
THIS.
cos well, the sandy beaches of Gwido Prison
s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s for a mile...lol
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welh
January 3, 2023 at 6:52 AM
How did Uk get into the prison realm without the pass key? Since he can manipulate nature, I wonder if Uk was the turtle. Jin Mu would have never allowed a second person in; BY asked permission to bring in the turtle getting consent to her cheat code.
In the end of the plaque search, BY and Uk will have two ice stones in hand. Enough to separate BY/Naksu into two different women?
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:45 AM
OMG you're right -- the innocuous turtle is actually the Konami Cheat Code! lol
No, Uk did say before there is no place on earth that he cannot go into. He has been summoned to her by the jade egg, just like Eun-Tak summons her Goblin ;)
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19 parkchuna 🍉
January 2, 2023 at 5:54 PM
Despite all the great and annoying stuff happening, for about 8 episodes now i’ve been wondering -
Does anyone else get distracted by Buyeon’s One-scene-it’s-there, another-scene-it’s-gone Eyebrows??
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 6:23 PM
Haha me! I wondered if it had anything to do with lighting. Also her sometimes flawless makeup, sometimes cakey or too glossy lips. Could it be due to switching between make up teams?
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parkchuna 🍉
January 2, 2023 at 8:40 PM
Ahhh the switch could be the answer.. it’s not noticeable on others as we dont get their close up too much.. but the cakey makeup on BY is such a crime against her beauty 😅
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 7:10 PM
the eyebrows yes haha. I find her overly white as well. Like i know the actress is pale but the make up combined with the excessive filtering they do for her - i guess to prop up her "beauty" - is actually quite jarring.
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parkchuna 🍉
January 2, 2023 at 9:56 PM
It’s terrible right! Pity it’s only Bu Yeon that suffers this fate.
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bbstl 🧹
January 2, 2023 at 7:23 PM
And also, why the sudden bun?
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 10:51 PM
And the pale clothes that wash out her complexion. And the fit! Now the dress shapes are better, but at first they made her look so flat. It's a good thing she's so naturally beautiful.
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kadota
January 3, 2023 at 4:29 AM
Given the off-putting ghostly filters, I'm inclined to think they chose styles that would wash her out on purpose. The actress looked much better in Law School where her natural beauty was allowed to shine.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:54 AM
The actress looked much better in Law School where her natural beauty was allowed to shine.-- agreed.
I thought she is gorgeous in Law School. She looks frankly disconcerting to me in S2 and I have to fault makeup, and art direction for this (unless she had some botched plastic surgery done in the interim). But what a pity, cos I have seen how pretty she can be.
ophelia7
January 5, 2023 at 7:54 PM
I too thought the costumes on her were not very flattering, they could have gone for muted tones to give off that "pure and innocent" look. But more than this, the patchy makeup was even more distracting and highlighted little bumps and crevices around her nose even more. She's so naturally beautiful..they should have spent more time with the plot progression than the too many too close close-ups.
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parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 3:19 AM
Usually a hairstyle change indicates a shift in the story but i’m not so sure about hers.
@aicaramba i thought her dresses look quite comfy 😄
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aicaramba
January 3, 2023 at 4:21 AM
They do look comfy, albeit shapeless 😆
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bbstl 🧹
January 3, 2023 at 7:42 AM
Right, back when they were trying to sell that they were married, I wondered why her hair was still down. I thought bun-ning happened when a woman got married 😁
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parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 7:58 AM
Oh yeah, i remember this from 100days My Prince. But AoS have never really followed the Sageuk dress-code 😆
empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:59 AM
I was thrown off by the bun too.
But then I realized if they are going for the "Most Passionate Kiss of 2022" it makes sense to keep her neckline clear. It is more aesthetically pleasing too, with all that arching.
I LURVE the kiss -- and all that impassioned shove and jostle against Jeongjingak furniture.
And of course, the hilarious cross-cutting to the 3 elders doing their sagely confident running commentary on how "pure and innocent" the marriage is, and how "NO physical intimacy" has taken place. LOLOL
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bbstl 🧹
January 3, 2023 at 7:44 AM
Love it, she needed “kiss neck” 💋
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 11:49 PM
Love bites FTW! Unforch, that won't happen in a period drama LOL
Also, practically speaking (given LJW's towering 1.87m height) they would need to shoot this lying down to compensate for the height difference.
Fantasy sequence: Uk will have to sweep all the Songrim spell manuals off the table in one grand gesture, and *cough* cough* get down on her.....neck.
Comedy moment: Cho-Yeon walks in on them cos her sister was taking tooo long retrieving that Spirit Plaque. LOL
aicaramba
January 3, 2023 at 8:07 AM
Ooh this makes a lot of sense!
Aside: They were so cute in the kiss scene bts
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ophelia7
January 5, 2023 at 8:04 PM
Now every time I watch a sageuk show and see a random bun appearing I'm going to be expecting a hot kiss scene.
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bbstl 🧹
January 6, 2023 at 9:04 AM
LOL if only it worked that way! 🤞🏼
20 pliplipli
January 2, 2023 at 5:56 PM
the turtle being a magical being was the cherry on top of th whole nonsense with this world building.
this part 2 is basically a huge fanservice in a way and while I'm not against this idea in theory, it has become a bit boring. however, I think lee jaewook and go yoonjung have insane chemistry, more than him with JSM. I think their romance is way more real, with desire, while in part 1 the whole master - pupil dynamic didn't translate to romantic for me at all. I also think the directing and GYJ did a really good job with the way she deliver her lines bcs it reminds a lot of the cadence and tone that JSM had for mudeok, especially when she was naksu and not acting like mudeok. you can see the flow of the characters to the point of me almost screaming at frustration with wook NOT NOTICING LMAO I would love to see these two actors doing another project together.
I know hong sister will find a way, but this whole thing about naksu soul leaving the body made me think: if her soul leaves this body, does the face of this body also change? bcs iirc the reason why buyeon looks like naksu is bcs naksu soul is momentarily "in control"?! anyway.... nothing makes sense anymore so why am I even bothered lol
last but not least, poor son-i. girl loved yul until the bitter end. just a human girl that had to die to make a man suffers even more.
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maria0215
January 2, 2023 at 7:05 PM
The face looks like Naksu because they used her energy to heal the body. Naksu was in control in season 1 too, but Jin Buyeon/Mudeok still had her own face.
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pliplipli
January 3, 2023 at 6:24 AM
ahh ok, I kind of missed this detail. but if naksu soul eventually leaves that body once for all.... which face would be LOL I know this probably wont happen but I keep thinking about it
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 7:16 AM
JSM will make a cameo for this, cos her real face will return.
That is my first prediction/theory for the ending theory. (post at the end)
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 7:15 PM
They seem to have more chemistry this season cos it's all written to be focused on the romance. If we had this last season with JSM - it would have been a pretty swoony dynamic, probably even better as I know that JSM can bring it with any ML. Also, the age-ist fans keep focusing on the age gap between LJW and JSM and using that to say there's "no chemistry" when in actual fact she looks younger than him. The writing for S1 was focused more on the student/pupil dynamic which is why ppl think there's "no chemistry". There was, just a different kind and a completely different slow burn type of romance that made sense. In S2, despite all the kissing thrown in, I feel nothing, dont feel the chemistry either. It's a combo of the acting (still dont think GYJ is a good actress and LJW overcompensates in the chemistry dept), writing, the lack of explanation of why he even fell for her (cos she's pretty? how superficial) and because tbh, there's nothing really compelling to sell this season. Thus the over-focus on the romance/chemistry angle in every single episode, bts and promo material.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 8:46 PM
I feel like each actress had equally great chemistry with LJW on screen. I tend to prefer slow-burn simmering romances and romances where I feel like the couple can be partners, so that may influence how i perceive chemistry. I see the part 1 pairing as "old married couple" where things can alternate between mundane and intense and part 2 pairing as "getting to know you couple" where everything is romantic.
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 11:11 PM
I prefer the slow burn ones as well and romances that are built on a solid foundation of something. S1 had that. S2's romance just came out of nowhere and served as fanservice mostly to me. When ppl say S1 had no romantic chemistry im like yeah duh, the romance wasn't even the focus. If it was, the comments would be so different. Alas it is what it is
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:40 AM
Agree.
I love their "old married couple" vibes in S1 so so so much. This type of romance is like the deep geysers and spring waters under subterranean rocks.
Much better than fanciful showy fireworks or fireflies (pretty as they are). Not dissin' it, ok.
One of the most mundanely moving lines in S1 for me is when Uk is fishing with Master Lee after he has lost all his powers. He complains that Master Lee keeps releasing the fishes back to the sea after catching them.
(looks at his basket) "If I go back without any fishes, Mudeok will be so sad. She told me to come back with a basket full of fishes." His devotion to her is so single-minded and simple.
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Evelyn
January 3, 2023 at 6:47 AM
Yup I love the deep deep sort of love borne out of common goals, friendship, care, mutual respect and that is grown over time. Cause it's so representative of healthy romance in reality and because we don't see much of these types of realistic romances written in much of drama-land or movies. Such connections - even in real life - don't come round often and are very very precious when they do. So to see it depicted on tv - in a kdrama no less - made me really happy!
Yes! I loved that scene too and even before they started being open abt their growing care and attraction to each other, it was very clear they cared alot about each other. The looks of worry, the dialogues that were centred ard the well-being of the other. Heck, even if they didnt fall in love, I could buy them being loyal steadfast bffs.
empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 8:28 AM
I love thee, let me count the (practical) ways:
a.k.a. the best love language ever (acts of service)
1) Uk changing her clothes, dressing her wounds with ointment, and giving her massages whenever she fainted (this was after her torture for poisoning UK to open his gate)
2) carrying her on his back whenever she is injured or drunk
3) drying her soaked shoes
4) telling her to slack off & eat his welfare package of delicacies from Maid Kim
5) MD buying rice taffy, pumpkin taffy and honey biscuits for him, cos "he is like a child and gets cranky w/o snacks
6) burying all the pheasant meat under his rice stealthily (LOL) love this one, so Asian
7) going through the entire grueling and humbling Songrim servant recruitment contest for him
Evelyn
January 3, 2023 at 10:34 PM
@joanna Le Sigh... Just reading 1) makes me miss their entire love story. I'd have S1 Uk anyday over what he has become. When you put it on a list like that...I want a love like that lol. That's true love to me. Passion and lust doesn't always last (and is what S2's "romance" is about to me) and is built on shaky foundation. Give me deep care, self-sacrificial acts of service anyday man.
empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 2:26 AM
@redmists: Your top love language is definitely "Acts of Service" :)
Their love is seared onto the hearts of so many avowed S1 fans really because it spans that breathtaking spectrum from the sublime to the mundane, from the intensely epic to the quiet ordinary moments of life.
It's also their willingness to go to hell and back for each other - many many times over - that sealed the deal for us. It's for keeps, you know. 💕
Evelyn
January 5, 2023 at 12:02 AM
@joanna it certainly is, together with quality time!! :D
You've described it perfectly in the second para! There's humour, annoyance, bickering, yet mutual support, love, care and going to the ends of the earth for each other. The conversations here have actually made me rewatch S1 this week and I'm picking up on so many new details! <3
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 1:18 AM
Humor/Annoyance/Bickering:
(a) Did you remember the classic episode at Danghyangok when Master Lee first met them at the hut?
They were bickering so much, Master Lee observed them for a while curiously and then asked:
"Are you guys married?"
They turned unanimously: "NO!"
(return to bickering)
Master Lee continued to watch them bickering. Muttered to himself: "They must be married."
"NO!" (in unison) 🤣🤣🤣
Evelyn
January 5, 2023 at 9:58 PM
@joanna I loved that scene! It still stays rent-free in my mind. There are alot of really cool comedic moments that I just loved -
1) uk teasing MD about staring at Yul
2) Uk teasing her about bringing him to the secret hideout
3) the various banters abt the tea, lol
4) MD pulling about Uk's clothing to feel him up LOL
And im sure plenty more that I'm forgetting. I don't usually find kdrama's brand of slapstick humour funny, but I laughed alot in S1. It was that good. But alas... 😅
empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 11:19 PM
I love AoS' mercurial speed and fluidity in switching mood & tone -- from tense conflict to situational comedy, to physical comedy to battle of verbal wits -- all at the drop of a hat.
List Continues: (some favs)
1) JU teasing MD about Yul at the library (the way he grabs her hair bun at arm's length while she flails futilely to claw at him is hilarious. It's kindergarten hair-pulling all over again)
2) Deffo the chamber-pot water jostle to "drink" it up: when Uk valiantly says "I will drink half, hold it up for me oh oh my right arm is hurt!" MD shoots him this utterly disdainful death-stare, and mutters: "Who wants to go half? You can drink it all yourself." (JSM's expression is priceless)
3) "Master, don't cheat on me!" (His outraged feelings coupled with her snark made me LOL)
4) Best one-upmanship: the two of them poking each other's eyes and finger-flicking nose in a deadly childish match of "fastest finger wins" (it's SO good)
5) This isn't a comic beat but a fav because it shows their easy affectionate familiarity with each other. (I mean, these 2 people have really touched each other everywhere. Literally). She brings him a tree raisin pill, and the first thing he does is to break it in half and feeds her first.
Mirana
January 5, 2023 at 11:58 PM
@joanna @redmists I think my favorite scenes are the ones in Danghyanggok:
1) when MD was washing dishes and Uk told her he sensed cheating and betrayal (there was so much honesty here I couldnt take it. what's nice is MD took it with so much disbelief so it became funny and comedic instead of cringey)
2) when Uk was wondering whether he brought him there to kidnap him as the place was good enough for two kids and all (i loved this indirect conveyance that he wouldnt have minded that scenario)
3) When Uk was proud and telling Danngu that MD was not the kind to be servile to anyone. Then felt jealous when Danggu refered to Yul as her student
4) The tree scene, of course. When he asked her if she wanted to climb and he said he has no motivation for anything but that he was motivated to bring her there (best declaration of love i could ever think of).
Other fave scenes:
3) Uk and CP jade moment at the bridge is pure comedy. i laugh so much no matter how many times i watch. the music starting and stopping was also very effective.
4) Uk escaping from Songrim to see MD and he hung out at her room just waiting for her. Then the bridge scene where MD threw the letter.
5) After killing soul shifter in the secret room - when Uk strode towards her telling her that he knew she was avoiding him. (I felt weak here. Uk displayed so much strength and purpose because here he had to face a decision by MD whether to sheathe her sword or not and she'll have to kill her or die)
6) the KISS inside the secret room. epic.
7) All CP scenes with MD.
Everything was poignant in S1 even where they were made to be funny.
Indeed - that dingle-minded and simple devotion killed me. I will have the entire AOS S1 as a template and standard for such.
empressgirl
January 6, 2023 at 5:16 AM
The "bromance" yin-yang jade scene is hysterical; I never tire of it 🤣
Side note: I admire the Hong Sisters' genius knack for love declarations w/o ever having to use the word "love" once.
(i) "I will bring you up that tree. I promise you." (and suddenly, climbing trees feels so romantic lol)
(ii) A job recruitment flyer (Absolute masterpiece. Who would have thought a crumpled ad will be her most heartfelt love letter?)
(iii) Jade eggs: "Just to remind us of loyalty and duty to each other" (so says Uk. yah riiight. #deepdenial)
(iv) "Make me another promise; like you said you would." (it was so tension-fraught with so much stakes riding on it. and this line broke the dam)
so good
parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 3:38 AM
I agree it’s all down to the writing. S2 is practically a romance fest while S1 was all about building up Wook as a mage and his relationship with Mudeok. So it’s a bit unfair to say which actress has better chemistry as they’re both doing/did a good job with their characters. But props to GYJ for being able to mimic JSM’s delivery of the lines.
@jsourgod the turtle detail was so over the top! I was glad when BY picked it up otherwise it would take forever to reach his destination, which i assumed was the Crown Prince as Turtle is supposed to set someone’s path straight and i think CP needs that.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:29 AM
On the mimicry of lines:
A gf who is a voiceover artist actually made the observation that the sound production team very likely used the voice of JSM for some of GYJ's lines (esp the scene where she has regained her memories and want to break up with Uk).
In some places, she said the voices have been blended together. She thought it was a really clever editing move.
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pliplipli
January 3, 2023 at 6:31 AM
I had this impression too! good to know it was not me being over the top thinking like that lol
parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 7:52 AM
Haha this is genius evil! I had no idea it was possible but i think it was a great move by them if true.
ar_arguably romantic
January 3, 2023 at 10:12 AM
That's so cool! Props to whoever thought of that for the production to smooth over the JSM to GYJ production.
pliplipli
January 3, 2023 at 6:34 AM
when master lee started talking with the turtle I was so over it lol I know the turtle has been used way before in the drama, but it could stay in the crown prince - uk and even BY dynamic, as a symbol/metaphor of their relationship, a nice detail. kdramas love to have an object to be a symbol of something for the lead and thats it. but to actually have a role in the whole action??????????????? a turtle??????? really?????
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pliplipli
January 3, 2023 at 6:29 AM
as I said, the master-pupil dynamic never works for me as a romance setup so that's why I never got into the romance for part 1. I love JSM and have seen her have great chemistry with other male leads for sure, but I just felt nothing for this one pair. I liked the banter and when he was head over heels for her, but I would love a one-sided love more than what we got (but then we wouldnt have a romance drama after all). yeah, it could be how the romance is written but it's what I felt at the end of the day.
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21 faithwithme
January 2, 2023 at 6:29 PM
Kiss (and almost sexy time aside) i love Naksu and Jang Uk marching up to confront Jin Mu the moment he cause trouble. it highlight how powerful they can be it the plot allows it. SWOON!
hopefully we go out with a bang. Jin Mu downfall is near. everyone need to stand behind Jang Uk this time. they allow him to roam free far too long. Seja need to cut him off once and for all. He dump your turtle, Seja. K*ll him!! you need to explain about this to your turtle shaman too. you see how she looks at you?!! scawwy!!
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22 Hannah
January 2, 2023 at 6:31 PM
Site won't let me register. BUT--Phd in literature husband had the idea that this is where the evil queen comes back in and SHE will be the one to separate BuYeon and Naksu in the process of trying to steal her body. And I think that's a pretty perfect prediction.
Also, I think there is a lot of hints in the fashion of this show. The end of this last episode, BY actually dressed more like Naksu for the first time. Either she's coming to the surface, or she's becoming more like her baddie self since her memories are returning...
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bbstl 🧹
January 2, 2023 at 7:27 PM
Oh, I like your husband’s theory. I was thinking that the whole Queen thing has been pretty dumb if nothing else happens with her.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:50 AM
The Queen is apparently controlled by the most reviled relic in this entire AOS series (yes you guessed it) -- the horrid shaman bells. Explains her nasty.
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bbstl 🧹
January 3, 2023 at 7:47 AM
Which will be rung by the Turtle!
😂 this show is so nutty.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
January 2, 2023 at 8:41 PM
Please email DB tech support via [email protected] We need you on here sharing your theories, loving that you are putting in team comments!
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LaurenSophie
January 2, 2023 at 9:25 PM
Oh, I love your husband's theory, too! That would be a great twist.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:48 AM
1) But but but...while the Evil Queen gives us a body we can deploy, who would want it? I can't envisage sending either Bu-Yeon or Naksu's soul into that decrepit wreck.
2) On Blue Color Palette & the return of Giseya: did anyone else notice that shot in trailer where they close up on the hemline of Uk's robes as he walks away to carry out the King's order to go to guard the North Fortress?
His hemline of his inner robe is peeking out: it is BLUE! That signifies that his fighting spirit is back, and this is war (and also a stealth op, hence hidden in inner robe under his black somber clothes).
Ditto to Naksu -- first, her tie-dye bluish-pink splashes on her gown, then her light turquoise outer sheath, then her blue ribbon. Then finally her full light blue priestess gown as she storms into Jinyowon.
I am waiting for her to go DEEP BLUE with no return (giseya!!!)
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23 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
January 2, 2023 at 7:00 PM
So this week show gave us Noble Idiocy as done by actual nobles. Still not my favorite thing ever but at least they got over it relatively quickly. All those commoners in other shows who stretch it out for a couple weeks are Doing It Wrong.
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 7:14 PM
I don't know if we can call Uk "returning" Bu Yeon (glad that Maidservant Kim and BY pointed out that he was being disrespectful treating her as a thing) noble, but he was being an idiot for sure. Haha
And yeah, true to Uk's character, he'd rather express his feelings, even if it's embarassing, than be too proud and regret it later on. Commoners could definitely learn a thing or two.
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Elinor
January 2, 2023 at 7:37 PM
I thought BY was being the main idiot with all that "I hurt him (actually you) too much to stay with you (actually him)" babble; Wook still has plenty to learn from his master. Yul was nobly displaying his deep well of idiocy, too.
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 10:41 PM
Yeah Naksu's (with her fully recovered memories) the one who needs to learn to be honest with her feelings so she won't regret not doing so later. Uk already taught her that in S1, didn't learn, apparently.
As BY, she was doing so well keeping her spirits up despite Uk's rejection, telling Uk she liked him first and wanting the lantern off. Sigh.
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 2:34 AM
Oh you made a very good observation!
So there is a difference between the old Naksu and the amnesiac Cho Yeong, albeit in a way we did not expect (or really think about).
We wish fervently for her all memories to return and yes, so they did. Lock, stock, and barrel. Including her emotional Achilles heel - reticence.
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
hacja
January 2, 2023 at 7:44 PM
Well, as a commoner, I wish I could learn Uks good looks. But otherwise, I don't think he provides much of a model. Noble idiocy is still idiocy.
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24 ixion
January 2, 2023 at 7:20 PM
If BuYeon purposefully trapped Naksu's soul back in Season 1, then BY is more like her mother (Jin HoGyeong) than we ever knew. In the conversation between BY's teenaged self and Naksu, BY said that she's almost done recovering her divine power that she lost as a child, presumably using Naksu's soul power. The only thing BY thought was regretful was that Naksu was now aware of the fate awaiting her. Very similar to how her mother utilized Naksu's soul solely to preserve her daughter's body, BY shows little concern for Naksu's fate.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 2, 2023 at 9:02 PM
to be fair, Naksu was really meant to die in ep 1. ALso she tried to swap with a maid and have the maid die in her body. And when she ended up swapping with Mudeok, she didn't care much for the blind, disabled girl dying in her body. So I guess they could call it even?
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Nomorelisa
January 6, 2023 at 11:40 PM
No, it was MD who took Naksu's soul and trapped her. MD/BY herself has a soul which could by SR's a powerful mage that lived 200 years ago. We won't know whose soul but most viewers think it is SR's soul that was taken in her resurrection as she was a dead baby in her mother's womb.
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ar_arguably romantic
January 7, 2023 at 7:45 AM
MD trapped her, but from Naksu's perspective, she just thought something went awry with the soulshifting and didn't feel sorry for the taking the body.
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aicaramba
January 2, 2023 at 11:08 PM
Hmm.. I just accepted Naksu/BY in 1 body as fate... but thinking about it now, I can't see why BY needed to trap Naksu in her body, if that's really what she did. If she was able to do that, it means she had her powers even then (if not her full power, she was at least powerful enough to trap a high-level mage). What she didn't have were her memories. Did she see Naksu as a way to find out who she was to get back home?
Or is she sort of all-knowing like Master Lee and manipulated the situations and characters into bringing about the same events as 200 years ago?
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25 panshel
January 2, 2023 at 7:39 PM
Part 2 and Go Youn-jung do not work for me.
The more I watched this week, the more rage I felt. Why was everyone in the palace and Unanimous Assembly protecting Jin Mu? I hate Jin Ho-gyeong, but the king forced this woman to save her villainous half-brother by sacrificing herself.
Wook, Bu-yeon, and Crown Prince Won dilly-dallying at the fire bird as the hourglass ticked down drove me crazy. Yul's life is at stake; have some damn urgency. I was offended by the comedy soundtrack.
Because Bu-yeon stole Yun-ok's role as the Nice Girl, the show has turned Yun-ok into the Vindictive Villain all because she was rejected. It's such a 180 from her character, and her servant Soon-yi is grating.
What I loved about Part 1 was the Three Seasons + Mu-deok + Crown Prince Won's friendship and bickering. But now Wook, Yul, and Dang-gu are never together, and Crown Prince Won still believes Jin Mu for some inexplicable reason.
What I loved about Mu-deok was her sarcasm and snarkiness, but Bu-yeon is too naive and weak. Her sole purpose is to love Wook, and she's a literal damsel in distress waiting for her husband to save her at every turn.
Jung So-min and Lee Jae-wook had no chemistry, so I don't know how they won Best Romance in the Editors' Picks, but she did have chemistry with Hwang Min-hyun and Shin Seung-ho. But now Go Youn-jung has no chemistry with Yul and Crown Prince Won. Obviously, I can't expect them to have chemistry with a married woman, but Yul's unrequited love and Crown Prince Won's crush were my favorite arcs of Part 1.
Honestly, Alchemy of Souls should've kept one actress (whether Jung So-min, Go Youn-jung, or Park Hye-eun) throughout the drama playing both roles Naksu and Mu-deok, and just have us suspend disbelief that the characters don't recognize her. Especially since they don't recognize her anyway even though Park Jin, Yul, and Heo Yeom all saw Naksu's body. Instead, they have to Voldemort Jung So-min, even as far as getting a child to play OG Bu-yeon.
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Evelyn
January 2, 2023 at 11:19 PM
Lol love your comment!
The fact that jin mu is STILL ard drives me crazy. The characters have all done 180 degree changes and been butchered in many ways.
The friendships were why I love S1 as well. They were the heart of the show. Now the three are barely together as it is and everything is so angsty and dark. I too miss Mudeok's quick snappy dialogues and her sarcasm. JBY (and gyj's portrayal of her) is annoying.
If they had kept one actress, I far prefer JSM. She made S1 fun for me and many others and really anchored the show. And I'd have loved to see her carry on the romantic arcs here in S2. Whenever I see gyj on screen, I'm just like sigh... if only jsm were here instead. I felt that jsm/ljw had a different type of chemistry in s1 and that season wasnt written with much romance but u still could feel it between them, it was pretty awesome. here, the chemistry and romance are clearly the focus but i cant feel anything between the leads cos their rlshp has no basis so everything feels forced.
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Mirana
January 4, 2023 at 2:04 AM
I had such high hopes for GYJ and was one of those initially accepting of the change in FL. I thought she would be coming back as the S1 Naksu we had a glimpse of. Past ep1 of S2 however, I started to get more and more annoyed with her. All doe-eyed and pouty. And as you said, when she did the snappy/sarcastic parts, it failed miserably. She did not convey a deep strength of mind and being like MuDeok did in S1.
I think i loved that S1 focus was never on the love angle, which is why where it came up, it became surprising. Fun but also heartfelt. Her arc with CP was wrenching to me. For someone who had the power to keep someone by his side by royal edict, he refused to use this power because he wanted reciprocity. There was such deep longing and frustration conveyed that I was also truly pained for CP. Again - how his character turned out in S2 is a desecration.
This whole S2 has made me appreciate JSM more. How she was able to convincingly portray the scenes ranging from comedy to determination to angst was impressive. Even that part where she was telling Uk to throw his fishing rod to the lake, following Master Lee's example, was amazing. Look at her facial expression there. There was no part in S1 where she did not do well.
Yes, I miss the friendship, the banter, Ju Wol of S1. This turtle thing is a sad replacement. Every single parallelism in S2 is a sad, enraging replacement of S1.
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Evelyn
January 5, 2023 at 12:10 AM
Same - I assumed she would be coming back as Naksu, which was one of the main points of me wanting to tune into S2, but instead we get this bland JBY whom nobody asked for. The snappy parts came off childish instead of witty/sarcastic like Mudeok.
Yes I loved S1 cos romance was never really the main focus (Im past the lifestage where kdrama romances make me "swoon") but when it did come up it was wholesome and built off sth great. CP (and Yul) have really suffered some of the worst butcherings of their characters in S2. The way CP looks really pathetic in S2 is just... sigh. I miss his love/hate frenemy thing with Uk in S1 and you barely see it now too. The turtle replacement is just.. pathetic.
Yes!! If anything S2 has really made me appreciate JSM (and really miss her). There are so many times in S2 where I was like, if only JSM were here... I'm not even a HUGE fan of hers by any means, but like you said in S1 - there could be tons of scenes, if handled by another actress, would have not had a great impact. But because it's her, she just made it seem believable and so engaging. The what-ifs...
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Mirana
January 5, 2023 at 7:05 AM
Same. As you've said somewhere else, the kind of love Uk and MD/Naksu had in S1 is an ideal that is difficult to create/articulate/portray even in novels and much less in kdramas and that AOS was able to do so in S1 is staggering. hence, unforgettable. capped by "that kiss" which as you've said was very intimate in the making and truly is etched in my mind. it kinda reached to my very core. haha.
also, i thought the relationship they had would be the perfect one in real life where power struggles and resentment abound. MD served and worked hard (even household chores and all) because she wanted Uk to succeed. secure in the knowledge that his success is hers as well (redounds to her benefit). she is not servile nor oppressed because in other areas/aspects of their lives, her word is law as she is the master. when two people can respect one another in specific tasks/parts of their lives and agree and wholeheartedly listen or obey or serve with full trust that what they do or decide is good for the other - i think is the best kind of relationship.
so i grieve for it's utter dissolution in S2. i dont think there is anything that can be done in the next two episodes that can return my faith in the ideal because the characters are no longer who they were supposed to be. I have completely lost my belief that this "Naksu" even if her memories are restored is the "Naksu" I thought she was in S1. So with Uk. I feel utterly betrayed at how he has strayed even granting it's supposed to be with the same person. Because this new person he has supposedly fallen in love with is the complete opposite of how she was in S1 even if she had the same soul. @dncingemma had a very accurate depiction of what MD/Naksu was like in S1 and how different it is from S2's JBY/Naksu.
Anyhow, thanks for all the interaction. Two last episodes for us. If nothing else, all these discussions have been so much fun. Maybe I can throw out S2 and never watch again but revisit S1 and dream of a different ending for Uk and Naksu.
Evelyn
January 5, 2023 at 10:11 PM
@mirana Yess it’s so rarely portrayed that I was mindblown it was done in a Korean drama no less. Exactly, there’s a lot of very palpable mutual respect and support (and trust really) that Uk and Mudeok had in each other. And they didn’t just tell you that and expect you to buy it, they showed it through various scenes. It made the relationship feel very grounded, solid and realistic – and healthy!
I don’t hold out any hopes of any of this coming back in S2. I think when I watched ep3 and seeing the trajectory of Hong Sis previous dramas, I just didn’t have any optimism anymore. Same – my main pain point is how I feel S2 Naksu isn’t OG Naksu and him falling for this S2 version makes me feel like it’s an utter betrayal. It’s like he fell for a completely different woman and they are expecting us to just buy it. Like, okay well, we know none of this makes sense but look at how pretty gyj/jby is!!! And Uk is also like a different version in S2, S1 version wasn’t this superficial and rude.
Thanks for the amazing insightful conversations too! I will never return to watch S2, but am starting to rewatch S1 here and there – and it just makes me feel even more hurt lol. We shall all dream of an alternate ending for Uk/Naksu… in an alternate reality 😅
wapz
January 3, 2023 at 2:40 AM
I agree with everything you said. I wasn't really a huge fan of season 1 either, after ep 6, the problems in it started to come out clearly and the show lagged terribly wasting time on unimportant things. However, I thought they had a chance at redemption in the form of these 10 episodes.
Making Naksu naive was a big mistake imo. What endeared the audience to Naksu was her selfish spunky character that only wanted her gain and how she changed (albeit dramatically). I felt that maybe the arc of how Naksu would've been without the bad things happening to her had some potential. But we were introduced to an entirely different character who wasn't endearing at all. It seems like Naksu lost her purpose and it took 8 episodes to keep her that lost.
I'm also displeased with how they have gone about with Jang Uk. The audience knows that it's Naksu's soul, so not many seem to have the problem with Uk falling in love with Jin Bu Yeon. But JU does not and that does seem like betrayal to some extent.
Let's not start about Heo Yun Ok who was all fine by the end of S1 but is turned into a mindless b**** here. That's completely unnecessary. And three big villain Jin Mu gosh is incredibly cartoonish. All he does is brainwash people and voila noone says a word to him, everyone belives him.
Also them wasting so much time on the amnesia and jade egg arc is kind of ridiculous. I thought 10 episodes meant tighter pace but it seems like Hong sisters are again relying on the last two episodes and I won't be surpirsed if we get a lukewarm ending.
This show had an interesting premise and initial episodes. The potential was there but the amount of time it has wasted has made it useless now. It could've been a tighter 14 to 16 episode show. But that is what we get.
I'm also in the minority who thinks that the leads don't have chemistry and yes GYJ is still slightly green but I better not delve on that here lol.
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 3:58 AM
I am in the minority with you and agree with your thoughts about GYJ and LJW not having that much chemistry contrary to what many believe. I looked closely at the kissing scene and it seems like GYJ was just suffering through it. Her body posture seemed to be distancing herself away unlike JSM whose body seemed to melt and reach out towards LJW when she closed her eyes. In the interview - GJW also said that the most difficult scene for her to shoot were the kissing scenes. Also watched the BTS of the JSM kiss so have some thoughts but would rather not add this to our analysis here.
I just realized that this Gwido is the equivalent of being trapped in the ice stone barrier in S1. So there could also be the equivalent of a Master Jang antagonist here...and a decision to make similar to Uk's decision in S1 to give up all his energy to destroy the barrier and save Yul/everyone. Inadvertently gaining the ice stone in the process. I suppose here he would choose a soul to remove, or whatever. Or give up the ice stone aka his life. But gain something in return. Ughhhh. This is why I thought it's just lazy writing. If they just told us to invert everything in S1, we did not need to go through 10 more episodes and spend many hours of our lives.
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Evelyn
January 3, 2023 at 6:37 AM
alot of ppl (and especially the majority of the audience this show is targetted at) just see two relatively attractive ppl + kiss scenes and immediately conclude that there is chemistry. I felt the same way about WWWSK which co-incidentally is helmed by the same director lol.
I'm intrigued by your comment abt body language cos i had the same sentiment watching the bts! gyj looked incredibly uncomfortable bts and even on-screen, like she was in pain or sth. whereas with jsm, I actually felt the bts of the kisses in s1 were pretty natural and quite intimate - just that the final cut always ended up quite different (one or both of them were blocked etc). I also think jsm as a person just vibed more naturally with the cast although they were much younger than her. I felt that was a stronger connection than with gyj in promos - altho to be fair the latter only had 2-3 mths to bond with the cast vs jsm's 1 year. would love to hear your thoughts/analysis abt the bts of the jsm kiss!
there has been a crap-ton of lazy writing throughout this series. I could ignore some of it in S1 but Im just so tired of it in S2. the various character butcherings for one. it's like the writers were like - this is too much trouble, thinking of each character trajectory, let's make it easier by making them all evil! yawn.
I loved your longer analysis at the end of the page and will be reading it again when I have time later! <3
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Mirana
January 4, 2023 at 1:37 AM
Indeed. As to the kiss, if you notice the JSM BTS, during the first cuts, LJW stops, wide-eyed, alert and attentive to the director. During that cut though where he was made to put his one hand behind JSM's waist, he looked up with hooded eyes and looked quite drunk. Which showed his immersion in the scene. In the final scene on screen too, there was a part where JSM seemed to wait/ask for more with her body moving up and leaning towards LJW. Which made the whole scene truly riveting and believable. This is when I believed she/Naksu did feel something for him/Uk. And that kiss stayed on my mind for months. Whereas with GYJ, she seemed stiff and even her hand on top of LJW's shoulders was so light meaning she was standing rigid and not leaning her weight towards him, which should be so given she's much smaller. The difference between these two kiss scenes is similar to breathing from the chest and from the nose. JSM/LJW seemed to come from somewhere deep while GYJ/LWJ seemed to stop at the neck. There was something so uncomfortable with GYJ that it seemed like she just wanted it to end it while LJW had to overcompensate.
If you see the BTS of ep20 (bridge walk) too, where they had to re-do a scene, you can see JSM holding on to LJW's arm like someone comfortable touching him. Which is why I thought -for all that I doubt they would think about liking each other in real life, there was a connection which showed up in the last scenes which mattered. In the GYJ BTS, it seems like LJW is naturally comfortable with her. He seems to be drawing her out as she in fact seems a bit withdrawn. I would understand LJW liking her in real life as she's beautiful and they're much closer in age. In any case, all of these dynamics also show on screen and so what is already being presented as "difficult" transition between the characters becomes even more so. It's GJY's character who is supposed to have fallen in love at first sight with Uk but I don't feel it all, compounded by the fact that nothing truly happened to support that except for some "soul recognition" built into the story. GYJ also seems quiet and very withdrawn in their promotional events.
In any case, I think S2 has done a disservice to GYJ (in the minority here) as her character of being pouty and weak and unbelievable did not make her as attractive as the original Naksu in S1. Coupled with the bad makeup - i can see tons of foundation bunching up on her nose and all. Hoping to see her in another show where her acting is better highlighted.
Evelyn
January 5, 2023 at 12:53 AM
@mirana Oof! I know which one you are describing! I actually felt a little embarrassed watching that bts though I was alone! Haha, it felt really intimate. What I notice about JSM/LJW from their other work/more relaxed settings (i.e. promos, interactions with others) is that they both individually seem like ppl very comfy with touch/affection. Like it comes very naturally to them, so when they bring that quality into their work - together, it makes their romantic stuff really come alive, it's so believable.
Yes with GYJ, her stiffness (even in the poster shots) are pretty obvious to me. Maybe cos I'm just sensitive to things like that, but I felt her body language was always very tensed up and LJW always has to overcompensate. Great point about the not leaning her weight on him - I notice that for these scenes, she very lightly rests her hand on him, barely touching sometimes. And it just doesn't make the scenes look believable, unfortunately. And makes the “epic romance” angle difficult to buy.
GYJ is yes, reserved. She doesn't seem as connected to the rest and it's pretty obvious in the promos (to me). Like the netflix ones, you see Shin Seung Ho/CP kinda overcompensating and trying to lift the mood whereas the guys (esp LJW/HMH) do look abit out of it/very tired. It wasn’t really the same with JSM (the mood was much more upbeat and more connected) tho age-ist fans like to bring up her age gap with the guys. The reservedness doesn't help as well for GYJ’s character cos in alot of scenes I can "see" her acting, but can't connect with her character. She does way better as assassin Naksu probably for this reason. Actually, I don't find her particularly good looking, I think styling/makeup goes a long way for her. But yes, the uneven foundation/kabuki white makeup they put on her + disappearing eyebrows + uneven lips + over-filtering was distracting in..well, all the scenes, but Ig it helps to add the "beauty" factor to the character lol.
I don't tend to read too much into whether actors' are into one another or not when they are at work, as alot of acting and atmosphere on set etc can make it look like people are into each other when they actually aren't at all. Plus they tend to play up their interactions (especially leads who are part of romances, particularly in China/Korean dramas) as well for various reasons, a big part of it being promos. That said, I did prefer the cast' camaraderie in S1, it looked like they really had alot of fun despite the long filming months and bonded really well. I don't see the same spirit in S2 and I think it's quite telling of what goes on behind the scenes. I bet this production also has alot of juicy stuff behind the scenes with the multiple actress changes (plus bad writing).
Evelyn
January 3, 2023 at 6:26 AM
did you read my mind or sth lol. in complete agreement. I was one of those who was super stoked abt S1 and ended up dropping it ard the same time as u as well because of how draggy it got. but still watched random clips whenever it popped up. I thought s2 would be a better build up but it has been an utterly annoying watch since the getgo.
making naksu naive and making Uk unaware that naksu soul is inside jby are two of the gravest mistakes in this season. i didnt sign up for damsel in distress naksu, most of us were rooting for her fight scenes and we have only gotten jade eggs and amnesia and an annoying af one note character.
I laugh everytime i see jin mu now, cos how is this guy not dead? Yun Ok did a 180 degree turn it was so bizzare. i notice how in this show, the writers make the female characters either (i) damsel in distress types who exist for the males' to fall in love with/to grow Uk's arc (ii) complete evil biatches. theres literally no in between, im disappointed this came from 2 female writers. i dont think i will be watching any of their works from now on, their stuff after master's sun have been complete letdowns/snooze-fests.
yup in the same boat with u feeling the leads have 0 chemistry and i wished they had cast someone else and not gyj, shes incredibly lacking in a lead role.
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FormAnOrderlyQueue
January 3, 2023 at 4:37 PM
"I'm also displeased with how they have gone about with Jang Uk. The audience knows that it's Naksu's soul, so not many seem to have the problem with Uk falling in love with Jin Bu Yeon. But JU does not and that does seem like betrayal to some extent." Exactly. When it happened, it dragged me straight out of the story. He fell for BY, and that suggests his relationship with Naksu was not as deep/fated as we had been led to believe.
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Mirana
January 4, 2023 at 2:15 AM
This is what I've hated in S2. Exactly what you've said. To me it is a betrayal. And because S1 did so well in building and showing us this deepest of love, I have now lost my belief in as they've completely ruined it in S2.
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Maya86
January 3, 2023 at 2:19 PM
You're not alone, I also don't see any chemistry between them. I see them desperately trying to make chemistry but I'm not buying it. They're just relying on cliches and rehashing some things from season 1, I mean really?
I gave it a lot of chances, and I will watch until the end, but this whole second season is a miss for me. It's boring and pointless.
And JSM may have not had the kinda sizzling romantic chemistry with LJW like the leads in Crash Landing on You, but they had chemistry, as actors. They were fun to watch on screen, their interactions demanded your attention.
GYJ and LJW look like two people forced to be together by drama writers who are just saying lines they've been fed. Like they could have had ANY actress in season 2 really, it would have felt the same. Or rather there would be no feeling at all.
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Mirana
January 4, 2023 at 1:41 AM
Completely agree here.
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