gilaswan

I watched half of episode 1. It's the kind of story that I like - that time period - but it also seems like it's gonna be heart wrenching and I'm not sure I have the brain space for that now. I'm so tired from work I just want to not think at the end of the day...

What platform is this showing on? I’ve looked at Netflix, Disney+, Viu and Prime - not showing on all 4!

I’m definitely liking the mystery of the forsaken village. As for romance, what romance? Kdramas seem to be having a dearth of leads with chemistry. Not since Jang Uk + Yeong. 😝 Anyhoo… Slimy Minister Cho clearly orchestrated the history of the uprising. Question is why this village was targeted. As with the question the Fab Four is asking - what happened in the village all those years ago? Why does Min. Cho have such a hold on the Queen? And that body guard - good or bad? Also, anyone find CP’s head lady in waiting mysterious? She never says a word. And Head Eunuch looks like he knows something but so mysteriously quiet as well. And who is the Queen’s head lady in waiting exchanging messages with??

@ktcjdramaI've actually been following this drama. It did indeed get better from ep 3, and like everyone else - forget the romance. What romance?? No chemistry in that department whatsoever (what's with the dramas recently that purport romance? None of the couples post-AOS have chemistry at all. #jangukchoyeong4eva. Hahaha). Let's just get on with the fantastic four and their crime busting antics! From the poster, is the CP's bodyguard part of the team or not? Now I'm a bit sus with him too... As for the Queen, I'm not sure she's bad per se. She could well be on TeamCP. I'm quite curious to know what she's all about, really. The palace maids also all seem very strange too. I don't trust any of them.

Finally done with the series and enjoyed reading everyone's wrap up comments. I think we all kinda agree on the same points. Just my quick take: • Yes, I didn't like how they ended the case with Mr Ji. Suicide seemed "too easy". From a writing perspective, it felt lazy. From a social commentary angle, it just seemed incorrect. As many of you pointed out, surely you can't be endorsing suicide as the answer to end-it-all. And my, the trauma to CCY - can he even recover from it?!? At least they did show him having a hard time through that episode. • The kids - Haeyi and her posse - I liked how it ended for all of them. Yay! • Uncle and Best Friend relationship - yeah sure, why not? I thought she was sincere enough and Uncle on his own decided he did like her after all. No pressure. • I like that Sunjae's lawyer mum eventually set up her own law firm and restored her relationship with her family. I thought it was good. • Su-A's mum becoming an education consultant... well... not so sure about her choice of career, but I liked the message that it's possible to live life without a man who has blamed you for his infidelity. Sure, she was obsessed about her daughter, but that doesn't make his infidelity justified. What absolute nonsense. Korea's education system is still crazy competitive (as evidenced by Su-A's mum's job), but care needs to be taken to not be overly caught up with it. Ultimately, nothing is more important than relationships with the people you love and care for. What's the next drama to move on to? Hahaha...

I've been enjoying the crime storyline more than the romance, really. I've said it before, but really, while I think the acting is great, there really isn't much chemistry that I feel that's going on between the 2 leads. It is somewhat sad that the criminal has turned out to be Mr Ji, but then again, it seems quite perfectly creepy and sinister that it's him! I guess everyone is just wondering what the motivations are, but it would seem that they are suggesting an extreme response to his sister's last words that he should protect the adults who are worth protecting. At that age, without proper guidance (sister died early, mum died when he was still in middle school, doesn't seem like there was a father present), it's no wonder he took the interpretation of that to an unhealthy extreme. CCY's apparent "cure" such that he no longer had nightmares of his sister is probably thought of as an absolute act of betrayal. Can't wait for Haeyi to wake up and tell all about what happened with Mr Ji, but of course, I am nervous as to whether he will attempt to sneak into her hospital room to snuff her out! Also keen to see how the kids sort themselves out vis-à-vis their crazy mums. I understand competition and being competitive, but these mums are just outright crazy. Crazy to the point where they have lost their absolute sense of integrity. That's why you've just got to say, some kids are they way they are in spite of their parents. But while parents are being crazy, the education system and narrow definitions of success are also at fault here. I find this to be an exceedingly Asian thing. We don't seem to know any other way of valuing people, and our societies generally also don't value anything else monetarily as well (in terms of career).

What controversy? Watched half of episode 1 and fell asleep. Oops. Female lead is a bit unimpressive. Rest of cast seems to be riding on PHS’s coat tails. Maybe my bias. Still… maybe I should try again…

Finally caught up! Had held off watching this for so long cos of work that I thought it had completed its run and I could binge the end while on leave (just for 2 days), but here I am at the end of episode 10! And interestingly, I’m at a cafe now and seated near me is a table of Korean mums who were out for a talk and ahem… I guess Korean mums really gather in cafes in the middle of the day to talk about family, children and… HAGWONS! - I’m not eaves dropping. They’re just so loud you can’t help but hear! This is really a middle-age ahjumma-life drama. I don’t find the chemistry between the couple particularly strong, but the story is very interesting - there’s the “real” (competitive mothers doing anything for their children’s future) and the “intrigue” (murder). It’s like some bit of SKY Castle again (which I didn’t finish watching cos that kind of drama is too draining for me) but a little more realistic in the world of the average middle and upper middle class parents. I’m in international education and have encountered my fair share of korean mums and goodness, thank goodness for my orientation to parent culture through dramas! It’s helped me avert some dramas here myself! I wonder how much of this social commentary impacts Korean society at a more macro level - such competition is so unhealthy for the children. Yet if it is within your means, would you really not want to give your child that edge? Makes me wonder too why national exams seem to be testing out of what is taught in schools, or can schools really not hire teachers that teach as well? I battle with this frequently even as I tutor my own children in subjects they need help in (and that’s only cos I can - for selected subjects). Right now, I still believe Seonjae’s older brother could very well be the actual killer and this is a tale of how far south things can go when parents take things to the extreme. But that they are hiding the actual murderer’s face still presents a possibility of whodunnit. If it’s meant to be someone we have already seen - who?? I did note that the detective did a double take when Mr Ji walked past them, but like the rest of you, I am also inclined to believe he’s the boy that was acquitted of murdering his mother and that’s that. Nothing more to his identity. But if Ji is our suspect now, what would the incidents all suggest? Him protecting Choi Chiyeol? The stalker student (no one discovered her?), the incident at the shop itself, that kid who was rude to CCY, and Choichiyeolsucks? Then… did he kill his mother after all? Question - was that student who killed herself Choi Chiyeol’s student when he was still teaching in a public school? The other thing that I hear is very real in Korean culture that we see is how they do not have compassion for the less fortunate. How and why would being an orphan be something that would result in a child being ostracised by friends?! But you know, a Korean friend of mine whose parents are disabled, shared that it’s very true. She was unable to give as lavish gifts to her teachers and it was tangibly felt in how she was simply passed over in class for classmates whose parents could do “more”. I find that quite deplorable, really.

@ktcjdramaAlas - I can’t seem to find it, even on YT - not available where I am. bad habit of mine - I never commit to memory the titles of the fics, but they’re on Archive Of My Own. A number of different peeps have been updating there every couple of days.

@ktcjdramaWhich platform is it showing on? Am reading some Alchemy of Souls fanfics that are pretty good...

@Lynne@mademoiselle@ktcjdramaWho's still thinking about this couple? Hahaha... I have nothing to watch... or at least nothing looks remotely interesting at the moment... Hmmm...

Wouldn’t be surprised actually if the infatuation between young actors is real if just for that moment of filming.

I’m rewatching bits from Pt 1 episode 1 again and there are many things in this world that remain puzzling. I wish these were more adequately addressed. How and why Buyeon/Seolran - despite her strong divine powers - went missing for so many years remains a mystery. And how and why she “chose” Cho Yeong’s soul to reside in hers too is unclear. Any theories? And it seems Seolran is still in Buyeon’s body. So she lives her life as Buyeon? @Lynne@ktcjdrama@Tofu

I miss them already!

I did for a moment wonder how the spirit of Naksu/Yeong would be with Uk at the final showdown… wish they had made something more fantastical of that. Many of us are still trying to fill in the gaps of logic and magic on our own. Agree that the last episode was slow and underwhelming. I felt it was not utilised well - for the first time I found myself wanting to fast forward through the scenes. Nevertheless, am also glad for the happy ending. Never doubted it would come. Just wished there were more OTP scenes.

So this thing about Jin Buyeon/Jin Seolran/Naksu… my logic is that Jin Seolran kept her soul in the ice stone - so she was kept alive through it afterall. When Jin Hokyeong’s baby died she went to Jang Gang to use the ice stone to revive her baby, possibly cos he’s a powerful mage and could do it. However, it must not have been used in the same way it was used to revive Jang Uk cos for Uk, the stone was literally placed in his body. It sounded like Seolran merely sensed that the baby was dead and her soul moved to occupy the body. This was what happened to Master Lee. That’s why they were not considered “rogue soul shifters” since they did not oust the original owner thereby causing a death through their act. So while Jin Buyeon might not actually have been blind, her body being occupied by a blind soul made her blind. And that’s why Jin Buyeon was blind. Maybe Jin Buyeon originally took on Seolran’s physical features entirely too, like how the body eventually took on Naksu’s features. I think when Naksu ejected her soul, she ended up in Buyeon’s body because Jin Seolran recognised a powerful energy in her. If I remember right, it was Jin Seolran who “pulled” Naksu’s soul into Buyeon’s body. This gave the body sight. But this was also what allowed Naksu in many ways to originally not go rogue - she also did not oust the resident soul of the body she was occupying. That body’s original soul was actually already dead. It was Jin Seolran’s immense power that kept both souls in one body. So what happened when Naksu went rogue cos of Jin Mu’s bell spell? Because she killed (caused death), her body petrified. Again, with Seolran’s soul being able to occupy an inanimate or dead object, she technically wasn’t dead too even though the body became like rock. We saw earlier that it was possible to reverse the petrification process though not necessarily the tendency to go rogue. Somehow Master Lee knew how to do that but he has not yet figured out how dormant Jin Seolran’s soul would be in the process. He did know that for the revival of petrified bodies, the shifted soul (ie Naksu’s) would be what is awakened. But he also knew there were 2 souls in that body. I reckon they explained the “new face” as being the now active soul being first awakened. It was a matter of time before the “dormant soul” (ie Jin Seolran’s) would also awaken. My question is this - when Seolran expelled Naksu’s soul so that she could fully perform the rites necessary to contain the fire bird, where did she place Naksu’s soul? Cos clearly she eventually brought Naksu back into the body and exited from the human realm, ya?

I’m not so sure I understood the cause of the catastrophe… this fire bird thing was very confusing

Jin Mu is an absolute cockroach. That’s what he is. A cockroach.

This is it! It’s the weekend! I wish this series wasn’t ending already. I feel like we’ve only just got started with Uk and Buyeon… Just wanted also to add - I think the costuming team did a great job reinventing the clothes of this fictional world. Period, yet not. Love it

Yeah, so she can’t, but she is manipulative enough to make Jang Uk do that if she knew of the potential. I’m sure she’s scheming up something still for the sake of continued power held in the management of magical artefacts. Has anyone also come across this theory that Naksu might be the fire bird? Or perhaps more accurately, she will be the one to wield the power of the fire bird, given she is able to give Jang Uk the warmth to counter the cold that the ice stone brings him. Just that this ability, I wonder if, comes only because of Buyeon. I still don’t like the real Buyeon, i.e. her soul. But I wonder if there will come a realisation that the power they wield (Naksu and Buyeon) can only be of that level if it is held by both.

So this thing about JCY being asked to wait for her sister… while things were getting wild in Jeongjingak… and then she emerges with Jang Uk… nowhere near where her sister was waiting..? 😂😂😂

I loved this weekend's episodes, which makes me think that coming to the end next week is way too soon. Again, as everyone else has noted, Lee Jae Wook and Go Yoon Jung's chemistry is off the charts! I hope they will do another drama together. And yes, early on in LJW's career, I already noted - this boy can kiss... Hahahaha... But more importantly, I have questions. I've asked this before but it's still confusing to me. So, the 4 noble families are that of Seo, Jin, Jang and Park, yes? - Songrim - that is the house of Park, like Montagut and Capulet? - Sejukwon - that's like a hospital and the Heo family are the ones gifted in the art of healing? - Cheonbukwon - is that the organisation of mages that come under the royal family's charge? - Jinyowon - the house of mysterious magical artefacts that is under the care of the Jin family (for now) - And then what's the name of the building that Jang Uk keeps returning to to stay in instead of home? So ya, my take on this is that Master Lee lied to Lady Jin cos if she knew she could somehow expel Naksu's soul she might just bring about more evil than good. That's what I'm thinking. But I'm not really sure what's going on with Buyeon either. I don't quite like her (her soul, more specifically) at the moment. I didn't like how she interacted with Naksu; she reeks of her mother's arrogance. Expel her instead, I say. And for the Crown Prince, yes, I too want to believe he's stringing Jin Mu along for some other purpose. He's like the Royal family's only hope now. Not as cowardly as his father, not as vain as his mother.

WHY DID THEY STOP? TURN THAT LIGHT OFF! found it funny that as the elders were talking about how there was no physical intimacy between them, things were actually getting hot and heavy. Hahahaha..

Now I'm wondering what would happen once Buyeon regains all her powers. It must mean then she will be strong enough to reject Naksu's soul. But who then is interacting with everyone now? Buyeon, Naksu, or both? Who's actually in love with Jang Uk? Buyeon, Naksu, or both? Buyeon can't see without Naksu though. Naksu gave her sight. What if Buyeon chooses to amalgamate with Naksu? Goodness. What a mess. I like how Jang Uk knew that he was kissing Buyeon and not Mudeok-Naksu. And I love how she is confusing him. He never thought his heart could waver, but it is, even as he is unsure of why or how. It just means he is finally healing. But oh, how cruel it will be when he finds out that she is Naksu afterall, and a second possibility of losing her again would be more than devastating because the love would not just be of a love one revived - it would be of a loved one twice over. About her memories regained at the tower of stones - yes, she saw flashes of memory as she neared the space. It was when she approached that the stones fell (after she saw scenes of memories flash in her mind) that the blue stone was revealed and she picked it up. Right? At least that's how I remembered it. I haven't had the time to re-watch that bit. And gee... Mama Jin is quite the nasty mother, isn't she. She's power obsessed. She ought not to be custodian of all those magical artefacts - she abuses them! @TofuAgree with you about the last 2 episodes not moving anything much forward except for the revelation from Master Lee that it's the recovery of Buyeon's powers that would bring the memories (and therefore a realisation of Naksu's soul wrongfully residing in her body). I do wonder why it is that Buyeon's powers will return over time - what's triggering that? And when Naksu's soul is expelled, does Buyeon die? Whose face is kept? I was hoping that by midpoint, Jang Uk would become clearer about his relationship with Buyeon, but yeah, nothing much happened there...

I’ve been meaning to post this since last weekend but somehow everything else got the better of me. As always, it was a good 2 episodes again, and that ending scene! My only question to that would be - who did he actually see? Naksu or Buyeon? Am wondering if the start of episode 5 is going to jerk us backwards into Jang Uk’s sudden realisation that it was Buyeon he was interacting with. I’d like for him to actually soften towards Buyeon despite keeping the memory of Naksu though. Question - is it really so that no one knows what adult Naksu looks like? Surely Park Jin and the posse of mages who dealt her the final death blow would be able to recognise her when they see her, right? None of them were in the Unanimous Assembly?