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.
RELATED POSTS
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- A glimpse of the full cast of characters in new Alchemy of Souls 2 teaser
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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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26 asukabehime
January 2, 2023 at 8:31 PM
Another wonderful recap, Alathe! Reading your recap now is as essential as rewatching the episodes.
There is another ice stone, also embedded in someone's body (well...skeletons)! The turtle led Naksu there. Will she come to possess this ice stone and will the possession be the answer to everything?
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27 kdramacurious
January 2, 2023 at 10:04 PM
I have so many questions!
1) Naksu asked Uk how he came to find the door to her prison/chamber when they first met. He says it just happened to be open. But was it? Or was it opened for him by someone else?
2) Naksu was surprised when Uk showed up to fight off the wraith in our Episode 8 cliffhanger. She wouldn't have been surprised If she had activated the blue jade pendant. So if it wasn't her, who did?
3) How could someone who had (what seems to be) the ice stone in their chest die in the wilderness? Wouldn't they be immortal/invincible as Uk seems to be? Does this mean Uk can still die after all?
4) Why do they keep making a big deal out of Jin Ho-gyeong's failing health? Also, if Ho-gyeong is going to die anyway, can we have Buyeon's soul move to her mother's body instead so that Naksu can remain in her current body?
5) Ugh — why did we get that icky scene between the Cho-yeon and the queen? And what will that lead to?
6) Am I the only one who thought the prison-wilderness place might be at the North Fortress? Or did Uk really not leave after all?
Also, just echoing the sentiments of many who want to see Naksu being a badass assassin again. Yes, please.
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Elinor
January 2, 2023 at 10:33 PM
1) Although Wook didn't see it happen, the door opened after he used his/Naksu's sword to impale the body of the soul-shifter on the wall next to it. The door may have recognized BY's Jin energy in the sword and opened in response, or BY may have unconsciously sensed the sword from inside and opened the door to call it to her.
2) She activated the stone - possibly without realizing it - by frantically wishing for Wook to come and save her. (I'm with @hacja, @asianromance, @jerrykuvira, and lots of others in being impatient with this - she has her own wraith-fighting powers, let her exercise them!)
3) 🤷🏼♀️ I'm sure Master Lee will make something up to explain this.
4) Sexism and ageism.
5) The queen will make one last play for someone's body and it will give Arin one more scene - probably with BY coming to her sister's rescue in a very sisterly way.
6) No, the prison seems to be somewhere, not nowhere; yes, my bet is Wook and the CP conspired to pretend he left when he didn't and/or the CP showed Wook the way to the prison.
*Badass but not an assassin, please, except of those who really, really need assassinating, with Jin Mu at the top of the list.
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kdramacurious
January 2, 2023 at 10:49 PM
For (2), I did wonder if Naksu finally realizing that she IS Naksu meant that she stopped thinking of herself as Buyeon — if so, it would be understandable that she forgot she had access to Buyeon's divine priestess powers during a moment of panic.
And lol, yes, I had Jin Mu in mind when I said "badass assassin" — someone with the right blend of skill and ruthlessness to eliminate people who are a threat (especially since Jin Mu gloated about how Park Jin and Jang Uk didn't move against him because they were too focused on protecting people).
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bbstl 🧹
January 3, 2023 at 7:55 AM
Your #3. Right? 🙄🙄🙄
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 11:42 PM
For 4, its very annoying. Was it even a question about her failing health or the notion that a strand of gray hair implies that her strength is reducing.
If hair color is meant to be the judge of vitality, Jin Mu's scalp is filled with gray hair yet he gets to keep his position as Cheonbugwan's Gwanju yet she's older than him and still has a 99.99 percentage of black youthful hair on her head. Yet they forced her to surrender Jinyowon's gold plaque and question her efficacy because she grew some gray hair...at the rear ends of her ear. Even Heo Yeom who has is older than Ho-gyeong I suppose and has lost every stand of black hair stilll keeps his position as Sejukwon's head doctor and no one is talking about his succession or efficacy.
It's borderline toxic. They give us this matriarchal lead family that also has an amazonian security detail for the sake of what when you're going to treat them without honor and make them weak and appear weak at the end of the day. It's like Daeho's political what-have-you's are forgetting that without Master Seo(Songrim) and Jin Seol-ran(Jinyowon), Daeho would have ceased to exist 200 years ago.
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 4:11 AM
Wow, #3 is a good question. That's right. Is it just a decoy? Some imaginary ice stone? But don't wraiths want to get it for themselves so why hasnt it been taken? And yes, why would that person not survive?
#4 - agree
#5 this prison/wilderness is not some real place, should it? something like being trapped inside the mirror or longing. But people with powers an enter through some other portals other than the main door at Cheungbogwan? But i feel that this prison/wilderness is meant to mimic the Ice stone trapped barrier in S1.
i do wish Naksu becomes Naksu again, full assassin powers and all. Even with her full faculty as Naksu intact (when she was MuDeok), she already questioned whether she could wield her sword again to kill people. Since she already knew she was only manipulated by JinMu to think her family was slaughtered by the 4 Families and even then, she was only killing souI shifters. If she remembers all that, and without any freaking sorcery bells, there is no way she will kill innocent people even with her full shadow assassin powers restored. So i do hope she gets it back if only for us to see her be powerful again - this time to use against Jin Mu.
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kdramacurious
January 3, 2023 at 6:39 AM
Oh, the possibility that the 'prison' is a pocket of magical space much like the interior of the MIrror of Longing didn't even occur to me. That actually makes a lot of sense.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:27 AM
Responding to (1) and (2):
I thought (1) is a breadcrumb that may give us some payoff later to escape a tense crisis, but a fellow AoS mate said something that would color my interpretation after that major bummer revelation (that BY will evict Naksu soon after sucking up all her energy).
(1) & (2) are probably Bu-Yeon controlling things from the backseat (as per S1).
We all thought of her as a benevolent force in S1, but after that seriously disturbing reveal that she will suck up all of Naksu's energy and spit her out like a dry raisin...nope.
(3) Good question, I mulled over that too. I have a dark theory of the ending based on the Gwuido Prison story beat in a post below, but back to this one. Actually I don't think the ice stone makes you immortal.
The exposition in S1 said the ice stone can (1) shift souls (2) body snatch and forcibly evict a soul (3) suck the energy of another soul (4) cause the dead to come back alive by recalling its soul back. Jang Uk is (4).
I think Jin Seol-ran was revived and then died again (hers is the skeleton with the ice stone); and the wraith with the red stone is Master Seo who is punished for using sorcery to save her. Their stones also echo the red/blue yin-yang jade of our current age OTP, thereby foreshadowing their future fate should they tread this same path.
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kdramacurious
January 3, 2023 at 6:26 AM
Whoa! at the possibility that Jin Seol-ran and Master Seo Gyeong are somehow the skeleton and the wraith. 🤯 My mind is blown.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 6:55 AM
I posited 3 possible endings to S2, with the 3rd being the dark alternative ending. You can read the posts at the end.
I think all 3 are possible, but my heart wants what it wants -- a happy ending for our OTP!
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LaurenSophie
January 3, 2023 at 8:08 AM
I wanted to mention something about #4. As Elinor rightly notes below in her excellent post, the explanation for this is just standard sexism with an ageism chaser. But it's hard for me to tell that in concluding it, the writing is condoning or criticizing it. That is, Daeho is clearly a patriarchal society, as was/is Joseon/Korea, and this is one of many examples where that society appears to give women power only to undercut it when it threatens the power of the men. But again, Jin Mu and his cohorts are villains, so when villains say blatantly rude and sexist things like this, I wonder if we're supposed to understand that the writing is critiquing that position, showing that it's wrong, and therefore, is also eventually going to disprove the logic behind it by showing us that it's a woman or women who save the day and triumph in the end. We'll see, I guess.
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28 Linarrick
January 2, 2023 at 10:35 PM
Okay so I’ve watched quite a few Hong Sisters dramas and they usually start of super fun and then get unbearably angsty at the end (every angsty trope you can think they’ve used, especially Noble Idiocy).
But oh my lord did they just get better at writing angst??? The scene where Naksu got back her memories and Noble Idiocy-ing Jang Uk was iconic on so many levels.
My favourite being they’ve got their S1 dynamic back, Naksu boss bitching him around and Uk throwing tantrums lol (you just know he got turned on when she told him to man up)
Anyway the whole dialogue was a delight to watch! Uk getting his comeuppance for being an ass to S2 Naksu. Him not understanding and getting offended how she can’t get over a guy she loved three years ago had me chuckling at the irony 😂
Also this is what I wanted! Their OG dynamic, repeating old phrases and such didn’t gel with me.
Before Naksu got all her memories I wanted scenes where Naksu would randomly say Uk’s stance was bad and he’s being slack, him having the ice stone not being a good enough excuse. Both of them looking at each other with WTF look on their faces would’ve of been so funny (yeah I know I’m too invested to the point where I’m rewriting some of the story in my head)
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:40 AM
NOW, I finally get why Seo Yul and Naksu are "dumb friends".
This episode flabbergasted me with their mastery of noble idiocy. When you thought they had just hit rock bottom, the floor cracked.
Seo Yul: I "regret" writing a long defense treatise to fend for his sanity last week. I totally "take responsibility" and recant my position.
After recovering his sobriety from the Blood Worm, Yul still insists on his position of committing a double suicide -- with NO repentance. In my books, he has just earned a spot of permanent residency in Bedlam.
Verdict: 1:0 (scored own goal)
Character Punishment: consigned to a bitter life as bachelor, and NO pine pollen tea snack. EVER.
Naksu: Her emotional reticence in S1 caused her to stumble here again in S2 at her greatest crisis of the heart. But her sin is more forgivable than Seo Yul's.
Jang Uk's greatest virtue is how shamelessly honest and emotionally courageous he is in matters of love and oh how glad I am that, true to form, he held on to her like Teflon.
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LaurenSophie
January 3, 2023 at 7:59 AM
"My favourite being they’ve got their S1 dynamic back, Naksu boss bitching him around and Uk throwing tantrums lol (you just know he got turned on when she told him to man up)"
LOL. I thought this same type of thing during an earlier scene, right before they kiss, when she says she better not see him ever again or she'd rip the ice stone out of him. That's what took his attraction from simmering to exploding, imo. In the past, Bu-yeon has mostly pouted or expressed her hurt feelings when he has frustrated and rejected her. But this time, she just let him have it as Mu-Deok would have, and it was clearly the thing that burned away any indecision left in Uk.
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 8:43 AM
That's hot. They do have this love/hate/love again S&M dynamics between them since S1. Naksu is the dominatrix who cracks the whip and whips him into King's Star material.
Amongst many assorted acts of violence, she has beaten him, thrown a knife at his head, regularly humiliated him and called him worthless, pushed him to the brink of death on nth occasions, poisoned him and caused his arm to rot.
Then he went: But it's so bizarre, you're the person I miss the most. Aaaaaaaw
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29 Bunny Sonaki
January 2, 2023 at 10:53 PM
Part 2 is more about the romance between our leads than the magic and the schemes. Case in point: They solved Yul's deadly bloodworm pretty quickly in a way that was full of comedy instead of tension. I still like the drama but I keep getting worried. Will they keep the light-hearted tone to the end or will we get a sudden shift of tone along with lots of tension and heartbreak next week? The trick here is how to give us either a happy ending without being cliche or (which I hope they don't do) take us back by a shocking ending without feeling forced or rushed.
I hate Yun-ok, Jin-mu, the queen, and lady Jin. Just like fellow beanies said they are getting caricatured instead of being interesting. When done right, villains can even steal the show but what we have got is a set of infuriating characters who I wish would disappear into the prison where Bu-yeon is currently in.
I can't help but feel for both of our leads. Bu-yeon can't bring herself to utter the words she is Jang Wook's former master who is the reason why he almost died if not for the ice stone and Wook will fall into a dilemma when he finds out he can save his lover if he performs forbidden sorcery and kill the real Bu-yeon's soul. I even hate the real Bu-yeon now Why captivate Naksu's soul inside her body in the first place? Did she get greedy for Naksu's energy and wanted to have it for herself?
Too many questions too many arcs too many theories and only one week left. I hope for a satisfying ending that doesn't feel rushed or forced. Let's wrap up on the same strong note we kicked off on, show.
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brian
January 2, 2023 at 11:32 PM
Lady Jin has been pretty heartless in the second season, though she was pretty similar in the first season as well. At least in this season we do see the reason why she's gotten desperate for power, although I would think an alliance with Jang Uk would have been the perfect protection for Jinyowon if the powers of her blood were weakening. Oh well, maybe the journey will prove itself to be satisfying enough compared to the ending.
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kdramacurious
January 3, 2023 at 1:34 AM
Buyeon's words suggest that there will be a situation where Naksu would want to leave the body she now occupies, so I am hoping that she had a kinder end in mind: "I see you have finally realized who you really are. What a shame. If you found out after I retrieved all of my divine powers, you would have been able to leave with no sadness."
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30 Kurama
January 2, 2023 at 11:12 PM
This second part is worse than I thought... What is its purpose? To save Naksu? To stop the villain? To stop a future drought that didn't exist in the first part? To take the ice stone from Uk without killing him?
Master Lee changed the rules everytime, it's really exhausting.
I don't like the love story between the main characters... Why Uk woulf fall in love with her when he never was interested by heiress before. She's not Naksu, they gave her amnesia and a chage of personallity. The fact she could keep him warm is not enough. You can give all the kiss scenes but if the couple doesn't mean something for me, it won't work.
I'm happy that Yul is alive :)
One gold bar weighs 12kg, they worked hard to move them :p
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 11:25 PM
I don't like the love story between the main characters...You can give all the kiss scenes but if the couple doesn't mean something for me, it won't work.
Seconded.
On the other hand, it's Naksu that is currently in control of the body so technically she's Naksu. Bu-yeon is still recuperating in hiding.
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Kurama
January 2, 2023 at 11:32 PM
It's not. She has nothing commun with Mu-Deok or Naksu from the first season. She's a 4th character.
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jerrykuvira
January 2, 2023 at 11:44 PM
Yeah. Kind of. Naksu without the memories.
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wapz
January 3, 2023 at 3:26 AM
Yeah what is it's purpose anyway? Do they just want to two to fall in love and Naksu get back her body?
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FiyaShady
January 3, 2023 at 10:34 AM
Nahhh...he only get 37.5kg of gold per killing. The gold bar must be lesser than 12kg based on the amount stacked 😆🤭
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31 brian
January 2, 2023 at 11:27 PM
Wonderful recap! I am hoping against hope that season 2 will give us a happy ending, since season 1 was so brutal. But I'm not sure what to expect, as the chances of a happy ending with Jang Uk and Naksu living happily ever after practicing tansu all day seems rather slim. I'm curious as to how he managed to get to her prison, but since she has the blue jade piece with her I suspect that's how he did it. Anyway, excited to see the last 2 episodes.
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32 Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 12:49 AM
First of all, thank you, Alathe, for all your wonderful posts which have accompanied us in this one-of-a-kind journey through dramaland and in particular, the almost-classic AOS. Thank you also to all the posters here who have made life so much fun and interesting in the past many months. While I never thought I'd truly even take the time to comment on blogs, here I am, forced by S2 and my painful dissatisfaction with it (borne out of my painful love of S1).
I have so many thoughts that its quite overwhelming to even write them down. LOL. more than anything, I think, i feel insulted by how the plot progressed in S2. indeed - for what reason would Uk fall for this JBY except she's pretty (and dumb in her own words)? which is a great insult to what Uk represented in S1 - someone who was never impressed with superficial beauty (main example: Yun Ok. who was presented as a character of great beauty approximating Uk's mom), point 1. I'm holding on to the premise that JBY's presence elicits an unnamed tug in Uk's heart due to her being Naksu in reality. Still - him falling for this person who really does nothing but is just pretty and falling all over him and demanding he reciprocates (as she was presented in the first 7/8 episodes) destroys Uk as this person with steadfast loyalty in S1, point 2. Point 3, all the dropped hints and similar dialogue also falling on deaf thought-mode in Uk makes him stupid and unthinking. So that's 3 points ruining the character he had in S1. He was as quick to deduce and put two and two together in S1. And now - he's not even thinking deeply about what would have been obvious triggers to do so. Worse, he did not even bother to ask Master Lee about JBY when he was practically invited to do so. He placed his trust in this person who said she lost her memory even when there were so many instances which would have made him curious. As we've said over and over, had it been a completely new person, who wasnt parroting MD/Naksu dialogue to confuse, I would take this JBY persona wholeheartedly and allow Uk to move on and experience love a 2nd time.
But - given what we have built as a "love for all time" from S1, and since they revived the Naksu character in S2, they should have followed this storyline with more care and logic so as not to ruin not just characters but the story.
It greatly disappoints me that the much awaited kiss i expected for their reunion happened when they didnt know each other. Had this S2 been about a new FL altogether, it would be fine. But now - it makes no sense for the old Naksu. No episode left for them to elaborate but when she regains her memory completely, wont she also feel betrayed?
As to JBY/Naksu herself, ep8 would have been high time for her to exhibit just a little more of old Naksu. As she had the courage to go look for the plaque thrown into a prison no one can get out of supposedly, I thought she'd have more thoughts about it as well as some...
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 1:17 AM
...physical strength or divine prowess. Instead she goes in clueless as before (relying on a turtle for guidance), who cant walk without tripping on her own feet in flatland (God knows I'm not expecting her to fly on treetops and all). She continues to be weak and powerless, needing Uk to rescue here, when it was her guile and defiance that rescued Uk all throughout S1. Honestly, I watched the show because of this strong, powerful female staring down Songrim's army and even while MD/Naksu was weak for the rest of S1, it was just her physical strength that was missing. That in S2 the Hong Sisters saw it fit to make all female characters weak and the male characters judgment suspect - is what is making this S2 unforgivable.
How is it that Mama Jin is suddenly scared and weak? She could have gone home to think of what Jin relic she can use against Jin Mu instead of giving up the plaque and effective control over Jinyowon. Also, if the plaque represents immunity from Royal command, how could it not protect from Unanimous Assembly as well? Why throw it in a prison that no one can get out of? Makes no sense.
Yun Ok was annoying in S1 and has devolved into some bitch now when it is all unnecessary. I do not dislike her actions in S2 as it pushes the JBY narrative forward but she does not need to turn into what she is now.
The many senseless things going on has ruined many things for me including my great attraction to Naksu as a character (I dont know who she is anymore, which is probably a good thing so I wont pine for her when this show ends). Same with Uk - he was the personification of the ideal fantasy man - handsome, determined, unfazed by superficial beauty/wealth, protective of loved ones, loyal and faithful. But now he's just ended up loving a person for a reason I cannot fathom. And if that person ends up being JBY in the end - will he continue loving her? It's a bit gross.
Anyway, two more episodes. There might yet be redemption for the show. I will not lose hope til the end. Goodluck with us all!
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kdramacurious
January 3, 2023 at 1:26 AM
The only consolation here is that they have not consummated the relationship while Naksu had her memory loss. That would have been an added insult on top of everything else.
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 1:31 AM
True. Haha. Maybe that's the gift for us in the end - consummation. Kisses now too paltry :) If it were a happy ending of course given that the chance of it being a tragic ending is higher.
Now that the storyline has lost its rhyme and reason for me, I wouldn't mind all of Daeho burning to the ground in the meantime. Maybe to be revived when a much better story akin to S1 is written in the future.
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wapz
January 3, 2023 at 3:22 AM
I wholeheartedly agree with all of this except that I have any hope in redemption. What I do expect is a scenario similar to what happened in S1's ending where we were thrown a bait of dramatics and grandeur while the rest of the show had been rather slow moving for a while. I honestly don't know what they want to wrap up except for catching Jin Mu and solving JBY/Naksu body soul dilemma. That seems rather shallow because that wasn't the show's purpose initially.
I too am not onboard with JU falling in love with JBY and like you I would've been totally fine with him moving on with someone that wasn't Naksu. The jade eggs have created unnecessary misunderstanding as to who's memory she was getting that all the characters just seem dumb. But I also feel she hasn't at least said something substantial neither does she act in a way that can be associated with Naksu.
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Mirana
January 3, 2023 at 3:41 AM
sadly true. if your expected scenario is to be realized and if they were to persist in these inverted parallels, then the only logical ending is for Uk to kill JBY this time. But the twist perhaps is that he ends up killing JBY soul and freeing Naksu soul....which then ends up in another body...but which body is another question.
They've made it so convoluted that I'm not sure there will be any kind of satisfactory ending. What I felt wasted was the goodwill and traction it had on viewers who hung on to it for months only to lose their/our attention and love by trying to be too clever with their techniques but also treating their viewers like 10yr olds with some empty, teenagey treatment of "love". the slow burn in S1 was so compelling and they threw it in our faces by repeating lines and forcing us to believe it is this easy to love another person primarily because she's beautiful and throws out the same dialogue as a former flame.
Also, S1 had so many other things going for it other than the love story between Uk and Naksu, which was a by-product of their "adventure" together. There was some political, game of thrones-esq flavour in S1. There was so much wit and fun. There were the many kinds of love - from Kim Do Joo as a surrogate mother and Ju Wol as a friend.
I am also offended that they are rubbing it in that Kim Do Joo loves and is totally supportive of JBY for Uk whereas she was disproving of his relationship with MuDeok. Is it because MuDeok was a servant whereas JBY is a Jin?
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ar_arguably romantic
January 3, 2023 at 2:58 PM
There is definitely a class element (everyone who knows magic seems to be noblemen in this world...what a coincidence!). But I think it is because she wants Wook to be happy again. Before part 2, I was resistant to Wook being with non-JSM-Naksu-2.0. But when I saw how sad he was, I wanted him to be happy again, and that made me accept Naksu 2.0 Widows do get remarried and sometimes to second husbands who are completely different from the first husband. I do believe he can vibe with 2.0 but the drama could also be doing more with her. I think GYJ has done a much better than expected job stepping in, but the drama is wasting their good fortune. She's got action experience from the opening of Part 1. Let her use it!
wapz
January 4, 2023 at 9:25 AM
@ar I have no problem with him liking another person, everyone should technically move on after their loved one passes away because life stops for none. The problem here is that it's the same person and JU does not seem to recognize her at all. Pair it up with the unnecessarily prolonged amnesia and the arc has become even more frustrating. Making JU fall in love with someone else while she is still Naksu makes him look shallow. But as you said, they are wasting GYJ's potential to be badass which is what everyone liked about her in the first episode of S1.
33 Britney
January 3, 2023 at 12:54 AM
Once again I was reminded of another project: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho! Haha
The lantern going on & off, the guy "losing [my] mind", the energy bead being passed via mouth. I might even include a meddling doctor who thinks they know what's best for the person they're interested in (in Gumiho, it was a vet)
It's kinda sad that seems to just be leading to tragedy; either Jang Uk dies or Naksu dies (yet again). I was so looking forward to Jin Mu's downfall & demise and now it's just feels like it will be Jang Uk or Naksu's last action.
Jin Mu has such a punchable face whenever he makes those scheming, mischievious, or calculating expressions. It made me want to watch programs where Jin Mu's actor gets beaten up or threatened.
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:12 AM
How did they use the "lantern" motif in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho?
I thought the lantern was brilliantly set-up in AoS. Brilliant.
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34 Toodlepip
January 3, 2023 at 12:55 AM
Thanks for the weecap @alathe! As most of what I want to say has already been said, the only other thought I had is that So-i's demise gives us a spare body to put Naksu's soul into. I'm still focused on the 'saving both' motif that has come up in the past two episodes.
I really need this to end well so I can rewatch without regret....
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kdramacurious
January 3, 2023 at 1:28 AM
OMG, what a thought re: So-i's body. I had not thought of that potential plot twist and now I cannot un-think it.
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 2:45 AM
Would be nicer if Uk sends Bu-Yeon into So-Yi's body (after all, she did have some OJT as fake Bu-Yeon before lol); AND leave the body with Naksu's face for the real Naksu.
Though that would not sit well with Lady Jin, cos (according to the byzantine logic of Master Lee) the divine powers of Bu-Yeon actually resides in the physical body of Bu-Yeon (*roll eyes*).
In her books, that would be like committing grand larceny of their family heirloom if Uk heists her body.
So, back to the game plan of scouring Daeho's mortuaries for a very fresh and very pretty corpse.
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welh
January 4, 2023 at 2:35 PM
Cue the "Young Frankenstein" music . . .
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35 oosiee
January 3, 2023 at 2:42 AM
I don't know if anyone else has said it already but my hunch is Won and Wook are scheming something and Won is the one who let Wook know of Naksu's situation.
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36 empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 3:41 AM
I am just going to cut to the chase and short-fuse this post since we only have one week left to our finale showdown.
Seeing how things have transpired (I was furious and almost devastated by that MAJOR bummer of yet another plot twist in the Naksu/BY body-soul-will Byzantine mess) this is what I think may eventually happen:
(Caveat: I HOPE to be proven wrong because as an avowed fan of AoS S1, I dearly love for my OTP to have a happy ending. DEARLY. and my pledge to defend the Hong sisters if they pull through for us still stands.)
Sequence of things that will happen to our OTP:
1) Naksu and Uk will enjoy their last remnant of bliss together as who they have been in S1 (by this time, they have already mutually recognized each other, and Naksu has fully recovered her memories);
2) They will finally be healed and reconciled to the past and each other, especially the horror and trauma of their last dying moments (the fatal stab wound; the petrifying). They would finally make peace and have the emotional closure that eluded them for 3 years;
3) With this last fast-closing window of time (where Naksu not only possesses all her memories, but also almost all of BY's recovered divine powers, BUT before the real soul of BY awakens and evicts Naksu) -- our OTP becomes THE prophesied Mage & the Divine Priestess power pair.
4) They will kick ass in an epic grand scale not seen since the last Drought, thus fulfilling their given destiny function and eternal archetypes required in this age of Chaos;
5) After the dust has settled and the battle is won, the real BY awakens and Naksu dies. A devastated Uk grieves the loss of his true love, once again;
6) Bu-Yeon now assumes the face of the real Bu-Yeon (JSM makes a cameo appearance!);
7) She gazes lovingly at Uk. She decides to grant him the one wish he has dearly longed for, as only a truly powerful divine priestess can. She extracts his Ice Stone and lets him die with his true love, Naksu
8) He cradles his dead lover under the tall tree in Danghyangok. We hear the haunting v/o of JSM cooing in a soft lullaby voice to Uk about a bird egg perched on a tall tall tree, in a village far far away...
THE END
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 3:51 AM
ALTERNATIVE ENDING (option B):
I really still want my happy ending, so...using my Machiavellian & pragmatic brain here:
They sent Songrim mages to furtively scour through every single mortuary in Daeho Fortress.
They just need a very fresh and pretty corpse at hand (and park it at Songrim secret chamber on the bed with fridgeing properties on STANDBY (yes, the same one they last parked Naksu's corpse).
Uk uses his Hwansu to shift Naksu's soul out of Bu-Yeon's body to the dead corpse (This move is NOT illegal at all).
We solve the damn conundrum of always being one body too short, since S1.
There, there. Everybody will be happy.
P.S. Uk and Naksu retires to a hut at Danghyangok, and raise 3 kids. He will chop wood while she cooks pheasant broth. In the evening, they will make their kids climb trees. Of course, they continue to bicker in their childishly ridiculous way.
THE END
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empressgirl
January 3, 2023 at 4:06 AM
DARK ALTERNATIVE ENDING:
This one I don't relish but just throwing it out there (pls feel free to dispute or share your theories):
I thought the last story beat in the Gwuido Prison is absolutely intriguing with some subtle breadcrumbs:
1) Naksu reaches for a glowing blue stone in the heart cavity of a skeleton, suddenly a fearsome wraith swoops down on her ferociously to chase her off the corpse. The wraith has a corresponding glowing red stone in its heart cavity
2) The parallel to the blue/red yin-yang jade is so striking.
3) Blue = Naksu // the dead corpse (presumably Jin Seol-ran);
4) Red = Uk // the fearsome wraith that is protecting the dead lover fiercely (presumably Master Seo)
5) If No 3 is true, then this means one thing: Master Seo actually did perform sorcery and tried to save his lover. (because they preface the prison by saying it was meant as punishment for those who performed sorcery)
6) Knowing how Uk adores Naksu and would readily destroy the whole world to save her, I wouldn't put it past him. At all.
This would be their future fate if they do trot down this same path from 200 years ago.
And he will turn into a wraith forever following his beloved, to the grave and beyond. Drawn to the Ice stone in her dead heart, like a moth to the light of a lantern a long long time ago.
To quote Seo Yul here: "Tear my heart out, and break it to pieces."
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Ga
January 3, 2023 at 5:44 AM
The dark one is ambsolutelymazing!
And, yeay for JSM cameo!
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:09 AM
With just 2 episodes to go, the Fire Bird now looks like a MacGuffin and will at most be used perfunctorily as a last resort.
Theory 4: (ok this is a rehash / variation of an earlier theory I had)
We get another Ice Stone (which looks possible IF the blue glowing one in the skeleton is an Ice Stone)
THEN we can Hwan-su Naksu to a fresh lovely corpse and separate from that sinister/suspect Bu-Yeon (which will again be a happy ending).
---------------------------------
My current (very dwindled) Finale wish-list:
1) I just want a HAPPY ending for my OTP (Hong Sisters, are you listening?)
2) Jin Mu to die in a fitting manner (read: POETIC JUSTICE writ large)
3) Please climb that tall tree together
4) BONUS: some on-screen weddings & "witness"- making
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LaurenSophie
January 3, 2023 at 7:52 AM
For me personally, some version of this (where they are reunited in death) wouldn't count as an unhappy ending. I know for many others it would be, and I respect that, but as long as the story ends with the two of them together in some sense, I think I'll be fine with it. Yes, I'd rather they were both alive, married, and blissfully happy, but I'm not sure that that is possible in this storytelling world where so much has been predicated on yin and yang, loss and gain, happiness and devastation. This is also why I don't see either Uk or Naksu dying at the end, leaving the other one alive and mourning him/her--that's too far in the tragedy/loss direction and therefore, unbalanced. The show has also existed in the perfect middle ground between serious moralistic fantasy and lighthearted romantic yarn. The ending will therefore fit somewhere in the middle, too, imo.
I'm not great at predicting the actual plot twists, so I'm not sure how we'll get there. But I can see a scenario of some kind where these two have to give up their dream of living a conventional married life forever and forever. In turn, they'll be granted another kind of eternity together. I would prefer that we're shown that eternity rather than it being implied (a la "Korean Odyssey," whose ending I found acceptable, just not particularly exciting or satisfying) but as long as one doesn't leave the other behind, I think I'll be good.
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 12:05 AM
Agree with you.
In S1, Jang Uk really would have been fine IF they had BOTH died, or they had BOTH lived. HELL for him is if, one has died and the other lived on, bereft of their soul-mate.
We already see this parallel & inversion between Jang Uk & Seo Yul here in S2. They BOTH have survivor guilt but:
(a) Jang Uk actively seeks death, by trying to get the Ice Stone OUT OF his body;
(b) Seo Yul passively seeks death, by stubbornly keeping the blood worm INSIDE his body.
I don't want anymore of that in the S2 ending, please.
Just be together OTP -- no matter what.
With fingers interlaced together, unto the end.
To the bittersweet end.
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37 parkchuna 🍉
January 3, 2023 at 4:07 AM
I’ll miss your AoS recaps when this is over @alathe!
“Bu-yeon glows. Wook glowers. Miraculously, they then remember they’re here to perform a ritual.” An odd choice for a comedic moment while saving Yul but it somehow worked 😄
I find it extremely hard to believe that our very smart Wook still has no clue that it’s possibly a Buyeon-Naksu combo that he’s seeing in person. And the Villain-line just gets more maddening this week, i hope they perish by ep 9 and we get a double or triple wedding in ep 10. On second thought, Danggu could be better off w/out Cho Yeon.
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LaurenSophie
January 3, 2023 at 7:35 AM
I struggled with the idea that Wook, who has shown great intelligence in the past, doesn't recognize that it's Naksu in front of him. But when I thought about it more deeply, I saw the following progression of his thoughts unfold this season as he grew closer to Bu-yeon/Naksu and let himself feel again: first, he truly can't fathom that such a thing would be possible; then, he has some glimmering suspicions, but is afraid to let his mind even go there because the devastation of having hope and then losing it all over again; and finally, he genuinely falls in love with the woman in front of him for the unique individual she is (and without the weight of Naksu's memories, that woman is unique) and letting himself second-guess who she really is feels like a betrayal of her and his feelings.
Additionally, from a storytelling perspective, I think the Hong sisters wanted to show Wook truly falling in love with the same soul twice. And to do that, they had to have him believe Naksu and Bu-yeon are two different people, at least for a while.
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38 Ga
January 3, 2023 at 5:37 AM
For season 1, I was the one introducing it to my cousins. For season 2, they tried to make me watch it. Not successful tho because of the whole reasoning of Naksu's face in BY's body (yepp, I read that somewhere), *until* yesterday, when one of them said, 'Ep 8 is more exciting'.
So, I went straight watching the episode and whoaaa, the grey hair things, CP's character, Yun Ok's sudden evil vibe, and THE TURTLE NINJA POWER! Wondering what plots/rules will be presented for ep. 9.
I told my cousins, "Imagine if Mudeok shows up after their souls are separated, and she'll be the one protecting Daeho together with Naksu, that'll be awesome!"
That's what I hope, JSM's cameo.
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39 Bethy80
January 3, 2023 at 8:49 AM
I was really quite encouraged by many of the developments this week. Painful yes, but moving us in the direction of ultimate showdown and repetition/hopefully conclusion of the past.
Many of my thoughts have already been mentioned here but here are a few I'll add:
- I am just so glad that the flashback scene of Park Jin and Jang Uk last week made it clear that both of them understand that Naksu was used. They don't know all the details of how she was manipulated but Uk understands it was done "in the most brutal way possible" and he has had to hold back from attacking the guilty parties for 3 years.
- I absolutely cheered when Park Jin said he would back whatever Uk chooses to do now. He knows that Uk is carefully thinking through his actions and not just attacking out of understandable rage. (Dang-gu thought Uk might explode after repressing his rage and grief for 3 years. But Uk is actually calmly going through rational steps. He goes to Lady Jin first and then when she refuses to help Yul (which I really can't forgive her for) he positions Mu and the other power players exactly where he wants them. Park Jin knows that Uk is correctly pointing himself at the right target now and seeks not to destabilise the kingdom but to protect people. Uk has really turned into a worthy holder of such immeasurable power and Jin is going to back up him. I cheered!
- I do think that Master Lee is really a healer at heart. Trying to do no harm, trying to keep both Bu-Yeon and Naksu alive with few options, bring Won and Uk back together by forcing Won to visit him and perhaps have some compassion for his situation rather than see him as an enemy. Yes, he doesn't share information that perhaps he should but he makes clear the only reason he didn't tell Uk earlier that Naksu was alive was because Lady Jin forbid it. He needed to keep Bu-Yeon and Naksu in balance and needed Lady Jin to keep them safe. I really do think he is working for the health and life of as many as he can save. The revelations or plotting of his moves is dissatisfying sometimes and I don't have to agree with him. But I can acknowledge he believe he is doing the best possible.
-I really wish we would get some clear indication from Bu-Yeon as to why she grabbed Naksu's soul in the first place. What was her goal? My theory is that she was trying to get to the Ice Stone and bring down Jin Mu but knew that in her blind state she could not accomplish that and would be noticed right away. I don't think everything has turned out the way she wanted. Even with all her power, she doesn't get to decide how things turn out. While she and Naksu seemed in balance before, I believe the mind-control of Jin Mu pushing Naksu into petrification upset that balance (and apparently Bu-Yeon could not block that shaman power? ). And now it is not possible for them both to survive in the same body... I can understand Bu-Yeon wanting to stay alive and also she didn't want...
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Bethy80
January 3, 2023 at 8:50 AM
also she didn't want Naksu to be sad. To fade away without remembering would probably have been the kindest thing??
- Yul said he has woken from a terrible dream and I am happy to see him come back to himself. He's not wrong, Uk and Naksu are going to be a source of pain for each other. Once he learns that Naksu is fading and not a danger he is full of compassion for her. I think he honestly would rather have faded away himself than watch her do so. But he will give her time because she asked. He knows what it is like to just want time with the person you love, even if it is bound to end. I just love Yul.
- Won is definitely working out how to get rid of Jin Mu for good. We got a glimpse of how Uk is entirely capable of moving events by seeming to have one target when it is really someone else (faking going for Mu when he really wants to drag Lady Jin in for help) and I think we'll see a repeat of that between Won and Uk. That conversation about the gold seal and choosing your fight was too layered with meaning. Won meant it when he said that he has seen and trusts that Uk does not fight for his own power.
- And I really that is the biggest theme of this show. When you have power, what do you do with it? Naksu begins to gain power when her family is killed but it was all manipulated and she was used. Then we see what she chooses to do when she has lost the power she had before. That moment when she could have laid hands on the Ice Stone herself was her "moment" of self-revelation.
Uk spent his whole life having no access to his power, surrounded by friends who could use theirs and get an education he was not allowed. Now that he has endless power he uses it so carefully and we have seen him become very thoughtful in how he uses power. I have found that really amazing. What an amazing person...
Lady Jin is very used to having power and what does she do when threatened? I really do think that she heavily feels her duty to protect Jinyowon (even more than her children at times) but I think she also struggles to not have power over situations and then scrabbles to control others.
And then we have people like Shaman Choi or Jin Mu or even the weasly little Cousin Seo... in search for power they do awful things and justify all of it. The people of their "secret organisation" want the biggest power - to not be subject to death. And in turn they become enslaved to sorcery.
And at the end, I think we will see again how the holder of the Ice Stone (Uk this time, Master Seo last time) will not have or not choose to have power over death while watching their loved one fade away (Naksu or Jin Seolran).
(Random question though- if the problem is two souls in one body and Uk can now use Hwansu... why can't he just move Naksu's soul into the body of someone who recently died of natural causes like Master Lee accidentally did? Is it just to hard to find the right circumstances? Are Bu-Yeon and Naksu too...
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Tazzo
January 3, 2023 at 5:16 PM
I hope they keep both souls alive, either in different bodies with hwansu or in the same with the new ice stone buyeon found with the skeleton. Either way, the drama did it’s ground work to justify and make sense of each. Just choose one and keep them both alive, jhebal!
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aishh
January 3, 2023 at 11:39 PM
thank you so much finally one comment that sympathizes yul's pov regarding this whole mess lol
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empressgirl
January 5, 2023 at 1:28 AM
@bethy80:
Thank you for your thoughtful and kind musings. It's so compassionate and generous. I feel my heart lift and expand after reading it.
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40 Tazzo
January 3, 2023 at 1:23 PM
That was a soul crushing, body melting kiss! Ah my heart, be still!
I ain’t a big proponent of the seasons format in kdramas but for this one (and hospital playlist), I loved that there was a part 2. Aaaand I wish they had more episodes and they spent a bit of time showing jang uk transitioning from grief to opening up to new naksu. Coz right now the way it was done to wrap up everything, it felt a bit rush that jang uk moved on so quickly after the arrival of buyeon lol which seemed impossible before given his devotion to old naksu. Anywho, loving every bit of the drama and will be very sad once it’s over. I know I’ll immediately rewatched both season though lol
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41 welh
January 3, 2023 at 2:30 PM
It will be a roll of the dice on how the show will end. I presume that LIght and Shadow reflects life and death. Who will live and who will die?
UK: he should live since he is the powerful ML but he could die if writers will mirror the very, very short story of the Drought 203 years past.
NAKSU: she probably will die (she has technically died twice already) but she could live if another unknown magic rule surfaces out of the blue lake water.
BU-YEON: she probably will live since she is the powerful priestess but she could die from boredom since she was the most underused/incomplete character in the series.
JIN MU: he should die because he is the cause of all the chaos but he could live with the weak KIng's pardon.
THE QUEEN: she is already half-dead in the body she loathes, but she could live if she gets her greedy hands on an ice stone.
CROWN PRINCE: he has to live to clean up any mess left by UK, Naksu, Jin Mu, the Queen or the other spineless mage clans.
PARK JIN: he could die since he pledged his life that Uk will not act up and go wild, but he will live because of Wol Kim. (I assume she comes from an unknown but powerful mage fortress clan, but she has not shown any mage powers.)
LADY JIN: I presume the male mages would like Jinyowon to be run by a male mage to conform with their sexist society, but she is smart and brutal enough to survive on her own terms.
THE FOUR SEASONS: Uk's friends have no reason to perish if Uk maintains his (unknown) plan to save the woman he loves, so they probably will live happily ever after as a weekend doo-wop group.
I would guess only the Queen and Jin Mu will perish for their crimes and conspiracies, but that would lead the King to abdicate, giving the CP the throne as the Turtle King.
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42 Maya86
January 3, 2023 at 2:32 PM
What a waste of time and episodes really.
The only way this can be redeemeed is if JU ends up killing Naksu in the end, setting Buyeon free.
And yeah, what about Buyeon??? For gods sake it's become embarrassing at this point how they've discarded that person and character and only use her for her powers. Seriously??
I couldn't believe they kept the two together in the same body despite the actress switch and I still can't believe they expect us to just ignore that character even though she is apparently more important for the story and that world than Naksu.
And now what, we are supposed to be rooting for her death?? So that Naksu can be saved?
I also don't even know who Naksu is anymore, she's definitely not Mudeok from season 1 even after she got her memories back.
Ugh, so much wasted potential all around...
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Tazzo
January 3, 2023 at 5:10 PM
I think the second I’ve stone would be the key. Remember in part 1 how they mentioned ice stone can keep the soul shifter from going wild? Buyeon did see an ice stone in the prison with the skeleton, think that could be the saving grace *fingers crossed*
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Tazzo
January 4, 2023 at 2:13 PM
I think the second *ice stone would be
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43 Quiet Thought
January 3, 2023 at 7:55 PM
The turtle is the most important metaphor of this series, as it represents the slow, crawling plotline. Hopefully the pace can pick up in the last two episodes. Until then, we've got some fun characters to hang out with.
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kadota
January 4, 2023 at 11:39 AM
Love this 😂
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44 AtypicalDramaWatcher
January 3, 2023 at 9:59 PM
Naksu "hwan-hon-ed" becaue she wanted revenge and avenge her father but it turned into love and now she must protect her love.
So I hope she will end Jinmu where he can't even "hwanhon" out of any realm!
I wish Naksu's sword will fly to her hand, unbeknownst to her!
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AtypicalDramaWatcher
January 3, 2023 at 10:04 PM
How I wished it was Mudeok/Buyeon who talked to this Naksu at that tree when she regained her memories!
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 2:50 AM
Yes the two girls really need to talk man. And whilst they are at it, please rope Uk into the magic portal therapy session too. And sort out the body-soul time share thingy once and for all.
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empressgirl
January 4, 2023 at 2:51 AM
Just desserts will be Jin Mu locked up forever in Gwuido Prison, turning into a wraith as the punishment for practicing sorcery (amongst a multitude of other crimes)
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45 yim
January 4, 2023 at 11:44 AM
alathe, I love your writing!
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46 poojean35
January 4, 2023 at 12:37 PM
is anyone else a bit confused over their ages? mudeok as jin bu yun body looks to be the same age as the four seasons and as cho yon's unnie she can't be more than a couple years older right? (especially as cho yun has stated memories of her unnie treating her kindly) so are you telling me that as close as the others are as friends, she never ran into any of them at like 8 or 9years old? i feel like theres going to be a reveal of childhood crushing from bu yun on a kiddie jang uk. the childhood connection is such a common trope in these dramas. the episode in season 1 where uk almost gets soul swapped by gil ju, it was a very close embrace of bu yun in the soul-verse that saved him from being swapped.
she clearly cares for him too. i can't get the timelines straight, so jang uk was born how long after jang gang didn't return the ice stone? feels like there could be some overlap of them running in the same elementary grades together.
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Elinor
January 4, 2023 at 8:04 PM
There was a discussion of characters' relative ages in one of the Part 1 threads - try starting here: https://www.dramabeans.com/2022/08/alchemy-souls-episodes-15-16/#comment-4000573
There isn't much background on the Four Seasons as kids except for them saying they're childhood friends. The one or two times we see Wook, Yul, and Dang-gu as little boys, they seem to already be in some kind of all-boys mage boarding school at Songrim so maybe they wouldn't have encountered the girls very often.
I really, really hope there's no childhood connection to be revealed in the last two episodes because there are enough other plotlines that probably won't get resolved adequately without that trope, too.
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47 DancingEmma
January 5, 2023 at 3:22 AM
I am really late to this ‘dance’ but I have been thinking about why I enjoyed Mudeok as a character so much. Her resolve, determination, humour, fragility hidden by bravado and resilience made her a wonderfully refreshing character in that paternalistic, sexist and classist society. She survived by her wits and fate made her cross paths with Jung Ook who became her student, her ally and her beloved. I loved the first two of these dimensions and didn’t mind the presence or absence of the third. Mudeok was seen by most as only a servant so the way she was filmed lacked the supposedly aesthetically pleasing filters which were used in S2 for Go Yoonjung. To me, Jung Somin was luminous because of the character she played and not because of her visuals. While I understood, the narrative choice made by the writer to use a different actor and character, I found the loss of agency, humour and steadfastness of Mudeok really regrettable. Ook became the hero who saved Buyeon time and time again in eps 1-8 of Season 2 and I found that tiresome even if I found the deepening of their connection poignant and affecting.
It has also really bugged me from the start that the only matrilineal mage family was depicted as headed by a shrill, vindictive, cruel and mercurial woman who has progressively lost more and more of her remaining agency. I want to give the writer the benefit of the doubt for the inclusion of that absurd and extremely sexist Jinmu line about ageing and ‘gray hair’ as Ho-gyeong has been rendered more and more pitiful even if her brutality has ratcheted up. But on the other hand, maybe, the writer channelled their unconscious bias about how male-dominated societies continually value women’s age, beauty and fertility over their talents, capabilities and capacities. That line will not be out of place in any society on our planet.
Regardless of how this part ends, I wish the arc of the story had not created a prat falling damsel in constant distress who is rescued time and again by Ook.
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Mirana
January 5, 2023 at 6:08 AM
Amen to all.
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darwi
January 5, 2023 at 12:23 PM
I agree. To have Uk swoop in to save her from the wraith was both satisfactory ('cause it's him and how can we not fell for this hero ?) and a deep deception (as she is still unable to fend for herself... what kind of god power does she have ?)
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48 Elinor
January 5, 2023 at 12:16 PM
So I have a question: what good does magic do in this world? Seriously. The only positive uses we've seen are magical medical treatment/healing and enabling the good guys to fight back against bad-guy magic - and half the injuries wouldn’t be sustained and all of the fighting-back wouldn't be needed if there were no magic. I can think of only one exception, and that's when the first rain rite was performed 200 years ago to end an apparently natural drought - but that has also had as many negative as positive consequences, with it leading to soul-shifting and civil war and malevolent shamanism and dangerous relics and Jin Mu's Order of Evil for its Own Sake. Daeho wastes an enormous amount of human and natural resources on training mages and mustering magical armies. It won’t happen, but it would have been intriguing if Wook's and BY/CY/Naksu's real mission were not just to get rid of the ice stone, but to get rid of magic altogether and force humans to figure out how to get along on their own.
I might wait until Sunday and allow myself to be spoiled before watching the last two episodes just to reduce my anxiety and (probable) letdown after whatever ending this show comes up with. This is supposed to be fun, not stressful, right?
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DancingEmma
January 5, 2023 at 12:32 PM
@elinor: That is such a great question to ask and ponder over. I wonder if what you raised can’t be regarded as an allegory for certain preoccupations of human societies. I don’t want to offend anyone so won’t be specific but you really made me think about the allegorical parallels.
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DancingEmma
January 5, 2023 at 1:51 PM
@elinor: I have been also thinking of how interesting and disruptive of the status quo it would have been if at least a few of the servants of these rich mages and the royal family were also able to wield magic? The idea of magic as the only means to liberate yourself from a life of servitude could be both an indictment of the Daeho society and life on earth for so many but also could have opened up much needed narrative possibilities.
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welh
January 5, 2023 at 2:13 PM
Another flaw in the world building. I assume magic powers are inherited by blood (akin to Potter). If a full mage marries another full mage all their children would be full mages. However, if a full mage marries a commoner, only 50 percent change of any mage power in their children. If two mage/commoner marry, there is a 25 percent change a child will have no magic powers. I thought of this when Maidservant KIm was disclosed as from the Wol fortress clan, which I presume is a powerful mage family. She has no magic powers at all (and her friendship with Uk's mother was another story line which should have told.)
I also think the current King has no magic power; that why he married a Seo (CP has mage powers).
There appears to be a long standing class system: the royal class; the mage class (merchant and military), the commoners, and subclass of the servants. The only way for a commoner to rise in society would be to marry a mage.
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DancingEmma
January 5, 2023 at 2:24 PM
Good points. The English translation of what I think is 김더저 - I could be wrong in my spelling of the second part - is maidservant Kim which has never made much sense to me given the way she has been regarded and treated. As you said, she is not a mage but that reveal of her being from being from the Wol fortress clan finally joined the dots for me.
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Linarrick
January 8, 2023 at 12:31 AM
It’d also be nice if they got rid of the monarchy too, the previous king wasn’t a pleasant person either…to put it nicely
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49 Gremlich
January 5, 2023 at 12:34 PM
The reputation of the Hong sisters rests on the last two episodes.
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50 Nomorelisa
January 7, 2023 at 12:03 AM
There seems to be many negative comments comparing S1 and S2 and others that wanted the Naksu of S1 as in S2 she appears to be less emancipated and lacking. In S1 Naksu was different in that she is out for revenge against the 4 families she thought was responsible for her father's death. Whereas in S2, she has amnesia and very weak as BY has taken all her inner energy. After regaining her memories, she cried realising she had been manipulated by JM and that she killed Jang Wook. We then see flashes of her old self appearing despite being controlled by BY. Still weak from having no inner energy, I hope in episode 9 and 10 we will see a return of Naksu once her soul has left BY's body.
As for the chemistry and her kissing scene, she is 25/26 years old as compared to JSM who is 32/33 years old and a very experienced actress with several awards and nominations. Give her some leeway as she has lots of potential since this is her first main role.
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