Bulgasal: Immortal Souls (2021)

An OK Drama

Bulgasal literally means 'impossible to kill'. This drama is based on a Korean folklore. Bulgasal is mythical immortal creature or monster that feeds on human blood. This folklore dates back to the late Goryeo period.

Bulgasal: Immortal souls is directer by Jang Young Woo and screenwritten by a husband-wife team Kwon So Ra and Seo Jae Won.

Dan Hwal played by Lee Jin Wook was a human who was born with Bulgasal's curse. He bacame a Bulgasal himself after a series of incidents 600 years ago which led to him losing his family. He is now in search of a woman, who he believes to have killed his family and turned him into a Bulgasal in her past life. She has now reincarnated as Min Sang Un played by Kwon Na Ra. Hwal needs her soul to break free of his curse of immorality and leave the world.

The first episode is set in the late Goreyeo period, when monsters were alive. It shows the original story of Dan Hwal from birth to how he became a Bulgasal. Honestly, though a lot happened in the first episode, I didn't really feel anything. It felt really uninteresting and slow. There was a war inside my mind whether I should continue this show or put it back in my PTW list (I don't drop dramas) after I finished the first episode. Then, I decided to give the second episode a try. Most of this episode was set in the modern times and in this, unexpectedly the whole look and pace of the drama changed. It became more and more interesting and intriguing in the next episodes. It's really unpredictable what will happen next and arouse our curiosity. Each and every episode arises new new questions which keeps the story compelling.

After starting this drama during the airing time, I realised that it was not a good decision because we will be at our wit's end wating for the next episode. The whole drama was fairly fast paced with no lagging.

Both Lee Jin Wook and Kwon Na Ra are veteran actors. As I usually watch C-dramas and only recently ventured into the lands of K-drama world, I have never seen them in any drama except Lee Jin Wook in Sweet Home (which I never completed). I liked his acting in Sweet Home and I think I know why he is cast for this role. Dan Hwal's character needs a commanding as well as terrorising (sometimes calm and caring too) look which Lee Jin Wook had.

I'm not really a fan of Kwon Na Ra but I canno't deny that her acting was nice in this drama. Eventhough the she was a bit annoying at first, she fairly pulled off her emotional scenes. But she dosen't make up to the list of my favourite actresses.

The actor that I liked the most in this drama is the villian's. I won't say who it is (probably you know whom I'm refering to) but, his acting is just superb. He nailed his character and this is what I really want from an villian character. His look, gestures and everything is really apt for his character.

Also the supporting character play a major role in the story of this drama, especially Min Shi Ho (Min Sang Un's current life sister) played by Gong Seung Yeon, Detective Kwon played by Jung Jin Young, Nam Do Yoon (an orphan who is often abused) played by Kim Woo Seok and Lee Hye Suk. Without them, the drama would feel incomplete. I really liked their bond between eachother. I won't elobrate their relations to eachother in their past lives as I don't want to spoil the fun for the future watchers.

The cinemaorgyaphy is awsomely done. It correctly captures the feelings of a scene. Also the background music is really eerie which well fit the atmosphere of the drama and makes our hair stand on end.

Some other OSTs from this drama:
"Leave" ( 하루) by 4Men
"Tunnel (with Kardi)" (터널 ) by Kim Ye Ji
"Can't Forget You" (잊을 수 없다면) by Min Seo
"Beyond The Time" by Jannet Suhh
All the OSTs are nice. But, Leave and Beyond the Time are among my personal favourites.

The main story arc sometimes feel difficult to understand and is confusing. It is like pieces of puzzles which we, audience, have to join and understand. Although there are only a few main and supporting characters, I was confused of their relations with eachother in their current and past lives at first.

Another problem lies in the romance part. There was absolutely no need of romance. Sometimes it works but sometimes not. If we understand the underlying logic in the romace part, it can sometimes be heart fluttering. But, this is not a drama for romance lovers. There are not kiss or intimate scenes. Just some piggy back rides and hugs.

However, I have to give a warning to everyone who is thinking of watching this drama. This is really bloody. This drama gives you pain and shocks. There are many scenes of self-inflicted wounds, deaths, monsters and many more scenes which give you goosebumps.

This drama is an ok drama for me. It had really great potential which is ruined by substandard direction and writing. It could have been a lot better. However, this is a recommended drama for mystry and supernatural genre lovers.

Read More

Love-Hate/Hate-Love Relationships; a Really Cunning Villain; Reincarnation; and Found Family Tropes

Summary:
- ANGST AND PAIN ㅠ_ㅠ
- Resentments and desire for revenge spanning a VERY LONG time.
- Hateful grievances and many misunderstandings
- Really amazing cinematography and backgrounds
- Phenomenal acting
- Really good chemistry. Also, NO KISS SCENES but there exist an overwhelming TENSION between them ♡
- Music filled with deep desire, yearning, and sad feels
- A truly beautiful found family trope story
- Highly recommended for supernatural and mystery lovers
………………………………………………………………………………………………

OVERALL: A must watch.
Bulgasal pull on your heart strings, its heart-wrenching from start to finish yet also beautiful and heartwarming at the same time. If you’re still contemplating to watch because of the mix reviews, you’ll miss a chance to watch this compelling and unique storyline. This may inevitably become one of my most favorite Kdrama, this really kept me on my toes every week. The Mystery propels the storyline onwards and it’s done well- atleast for me. Racked my brains for theories but 'the truth' still surpassed my expectations very well. If you can withstand crying and if you also don’t mind being a mad theorist while watching this drama, you’re in the right place. ♡

………………………………………………………………………………………………
The drama FOR REAL gives more questions than answers in its episodes yet strangely, I find myself enjoying every minute of this. It was slow-paced but all in all, I was never bothered by how the story moved forward towards the climax. Maybe you’ll also see romance in the scenes if you’ll expect it like me. This drama is also certainly not for the weak heart. There are a lot of painful moments, blood, murders, triggers and trauma too so be warned. Yet, many also have loved and investigated every details within each scenes in the drama- find them in discussions and on twitter and maybe you’ll be pulled in too. I love you all my fellow Bulgasal theorists! :**. The drama also centres around cherishing Bonds, a strong feeling of shared beliefs and experiences that unites the characters instead of pure romance only. Base on the interactions between the leads, there is definitely GREAT chemistry and romance blooming each episode. It is to my great relief that I found this drama on Netflix. I was searching for something to watch next after “The Silent Sea” due to the emptiness I felt and I never thought I would be pulled in for another lot of sadness.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
STORY: ♡
With the "Legend of Bulgasari" background alone, It is clear this drama might have a chance to be either definitely unique, thought-provoking and interesting or just end up being tagged as a wasted potential. And for me, this drama ends up within the former choice. First, the cinematography is astounding and second, the story- irresistible (yes irresistible, like the coffee you crave every morning).
There are misunderstandings, there’s a genius manipulator and also, hard to break grudges from the past. Be prepared for the 'racking your brain for answers part' while watching though lol. A lot have said this is only a romance with an enemies to lovers trope. But. It’s much more than that. There is familial love, friendship, and a valuable bond that connects each and every characters. I love every part of this drama. But the most memorable was that one scene where Hwal and Bulgalady met again as adults on EP1 on a hilltop and that other scene on EP11 where everyone started to feel like they lost a valuable treasure as they leave the house when in fact they only stayed there for less than a month.
As for the main lead’s relationship in the present lifetime, “… two deeply wounded people finding solace and warmth in each other”. I definitely agree with this beautiful comment of “Swan Song1” that Hwal and Sang Un’s relationship is NOT forced. Their relationship may have started with full of hate for each other but that didn't stop them from realizing the truth that their hate was only a misunderstanding- a result of the lies and manipulation fed to them by someone evil. After their reconciliation, they didn’t even notice that they became closer immediately. There’s already care and love for each other even from the start. So in my eyes, there’s sizzling chemistry between the leads. It all starts from a past-life revenge type and is slowly leading towards the healthy shared purpose type of relationship. All the relationships and characters in the drama were built upon solid storylines and past. Even the revelations are revealed to us slowly, PLAIN AS DAY and everything will MAKE SENSE in the end.

Soon, as you continue to watch, you’ll also realise that their future fate may inevitably have a painful end. Despite that, you may still end up loving everything.
I LOVE:: ♡ ♡ ♡
* EVERYTHING most especially EPISODE 11&12&14
* How Aunt Hye Sook went from an annoying shaman to a caring mother figure for the four orphans and how she’s always smiling and stays bright faced infront of Hwal because she thinks of him as a son. ㅠ_ㅠ
* How Hwal struggles with himself while being with Sang Woon-someone completely different from his expectations. Most importantly, I love how his heart greatly softened due to Sang Woon’s honest & compassionate personality, and love for him. :))
*How Sang Woon and Si Ho cares deeply about each other and how they act as a mother figure for each other.
*How Do Yoon loves his brothers in the orphanage and can do anything for them ;and also how he slowly but effectively warmed up and cared for the others in their Home.
* And how Sang Woon definitely isn’t perfect and doesn’t let her fear stop her from finding answers. She is dauntless but also jittery, she is constantly kind to those who help her even when she doesn’t have much. But it is her imperfections that make her amazing as a person. Kwon Nara (Uri Sang Woon) will make you cry a lot in here but you’d also see her smile a lot especially when she’s with her sister, Si Ho. Oh and she's GORGEOUS when she smiles.
* I also love how Dark Hole is always suffering -from his own inflicted actions. The writer did his character with much thought. The actor too, is for real prefect for a villain.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
ACTING/CAST: ♡
First, I want to compliment all the child actors/actress’. They deserve a lot of hugs and awards! They were really astounding in their acting!
*Actor Lee Jin Wook’s portrayal of Hwal - The mix of hate and doubt is visible in his actions, words and eyes. And when he’s with Sang Un, he will make you speechless. It’s not new to find a cold character in a drama but he is undoubtedly amazing as Hwal. I can’t imagine another Hwal other than him.
*Actress Kwon Nara(Sang Woon) is amazing. I only saw her on “Suspicious partner” but She portrayed Bulgasal and bubbly Sang Woon so well! I can clearly see the difference in the two characters she portrayed. Her eyes and facial expressions as BulgasaLady full of hate & hurt, as Hwa Yeon filled with anxiety and the bubbly Sang Yeon were spectacular for me. Most importantly, she looks REALLY stunning!
*Actor Lee Joon(Ok Eul Tae/Dark Hole). Just Wow. I didn’t even notice he was the Lieutenant in “The Silent Sea”! His acting will give you goosebumps. For real.
*Actor Kim Woo Seok (Do Yoon/A’Chan) He did REALLY well. I did not even know that this was his first role despite being an idol! You’ll really love and care for Do Yoon a lot with his amazing portrayal of the character. <3
*And our Gong Seung Yeon(Si Ho)! I was shocked to see her as a mother! She portrayed it very well, I rooted for her happiness, I cried when she cried and I even started shipping her with Hwal too. *ahem*
When all of them gather in their house ( except Dark Hole HAHA) , I promise that you won’t be able to avoid the feeling of warmth and comfort in you heart.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

If I were to describe the main character's lives in one quote, I'd choose Gena Showalker's: “They gave each other what no one else had ever been able to give. A past to cherish. A present to enjoy. A future to anticipate.”

I will really miss this drama and everyone who discussed with me here AND ON TWITTER. I love you all and I hope we’ll meet again in another drama.


EDIT (6/29/2023):
I remember I was very emotional when I made this review while watching the drama. It was a fun ride discussing about the theories with fellow MDLers and the people on Twitter. I now reread my review after almost two years, and I realized giving this that kind of rating was indeed too subjective of me. However, I did ponder a lot for days before I did this review and I still think this deserves a 10. I really enjoyed the drama a lot (especially the phenomenal acting from Ok Eul Tae) first time. It's fine if you do not agree with me and my bad if this was not a satisfying review for you. But if you made it to the end of this review, thank you and have a great day. ♡

Read More

Could have used a change in direction

Newtonian physics may not bind the Laws of Drama Writing, but it is a helpful starting point for examining “Bulgasal: Immortal Souls”. Newton’s first law states that a body that is at rest or is in motion at a constant speed in a straight line will remain at rest or continue at the constant speed in a straight line unless it is acted upon by a force. In other words, for something to change, we need some sort of object or mechanism to trigger a chance in action.

With the drama in question, we begin with events that occurred 600 years ago which is where we find our object moving forward. To summarize, Goryeo era monster hunting ace Dan Hwal became a bulgasal (an immortal monster which feeds on human blood) and he loses his family. He sets out to wreak revenge against those who put him in his predicament. We flash forward to present with Hwal seeking Sang Un, once a bulgasal, now a human, reincarnated. Every other character of any note is a reincarnation of someone or something other creature from hundreds of years ago. As the storyline progresses, Hwal and Sang Un encounter Ok Eul Tae, an antagonist from the origins of the story.

Let’s set the storyline aside for other matters…

The production is outstanding. Whether it was set design, photography, soundtrack or the physical monsters themselves, this crew was tops. The monsters are exceptional. Whether the settings are the Goryeo era forests or present day mountains, the settings are gorgeous. The special effects are above average. There is not a copious amount of OST but the few entries are solid. And there’s more than one underwater sequence that are some of the highlight scenes.

There’s some fine acting too. Park Myung Shin is the standout as a Goryeo era shaman and present day aunt/butcher for Hwal. Lee Joon creates a compelling and vibrant character for the twisted and scheming Eul Tae. Han Seo Jin plays a young Sang Un and continues to create one of the most impressive filmographies of any young actor anywhere.

It’s a mixed bag for the leads. Lee Jin Wook as Dan Hwal has the imposing stature and gravelly voice to pull off a character that is part dark monster and part former human bent on retaining some of his humanity. But the character has shortcomings that no actor could really work around. He’s smart enough to clandestinely coordinate a complex manhunt and amass a significant collection of assets but has lived hundreds of years learning almost nothing. He follows a predictable cycle where he is introduced to a new side to his backstory, he refuses to believe it then just decides that it must be true. And despite the fact that he wants to end his troubles, he’s got the worst sense of self-awareness on the planet. He’s supposed to be the hero, albeit a non-traditional type of one, but he’s so determined to derail any effort to make progress that he’s nearly impossible to sympathize with.

As for Kwon Na Ra’s Sang Un, she’s got enough sense to diagnose Hwal’s issues, can formulate a basic plan and know that she needs to invest in and maintain relationships. That’s all good but the direction for the character was to overwhelm everything else about the character with a damsel-in-distress aesthetic. Even when her actions should signal strength and determination, the visuals instead emphasize her weakness and impending panic. That’s the present day visuals. Have to recognize that her appearance in the historical eras is simply stunning.

Without spoiling too much, there’s no end to this saga unless there’s an end to Eul Tae or Hwal or Sang Un. But two aren’t easy to kill and the other one will just reincarnate so something out of the ordinary has to happen to end this.

Here’s where Newton comes in. We have this trio that has been on the same path for six hundred years with this seemingly unsolvable problem. What would have made for an outstanding drama is that at some point of the storyline, the viewers are given some somewhat comprehensive understanding of how our object in motion at a constant rate of speed in a straight line was put in said motion at said constant rate of speed in said straight line. Then the production could have adequately built up over multiple episodes to a climax where new big force is brought forward to bring about the cataclysmic change in motion and to put an end (or new beginning) to our heroes and villains story.

Instead, a full reveal of the real origin story only happens far, far, FAR! too late leaving little time to build any appropriate amount of tension for the climactic showdown. Pending the full reveal, Eul Tae is left as a likely evildoer but possibly ambiguous character which fatally hamstrings his actions. Instead of going full dark and crazy, there’s only glimpses of his true nature. To keep a semblance of mystery about him going, he winds up a disappointing antagonist who spends too much time politicking with Hwal and plotting in the background than being, y’know, a bloodthirsty and invincible monster. And instead of Hwal and Sang Un spending far too much time wondering how they ended up this way, they could have been doing something much more interesting like, y’know, fighting monsters.

It’s a tremendous shame because the scenario was promising. There’s lots of interesting monsters and the show was terrifically entertaining when there was action. But it is invested so heavily in a painfully slow reveal of backstory and keeping the main characters and viewers in the dark that the characters are unable to develop. And, y’know, move forward in a new direction.

Read More

Misunderstanding that amount to nothingness

Intro of this series was amazing, plot line seemed like something fantastic, i mean who does not want to be sucked into the world of immortals and their crazy power tussle and upside down romances but this drama is a whole bunch of that, that ended to nothingness. Don't get me wrong the storyline was making sense and each episode would keep you waiting for how it all began a 1000 years ago but the moment you arrive a 1,000 years ago the entire misunderstanding the show was built on amounts to nothing!!!
You now begin to wonder why you stuck to the drama till the end!!!
With characters that could not be tied exactly to the main characters and it makes you wonder what the writer was trying to achieve.
My honest advice,skip this drama it is not worth your time!!!

Read More

‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’; Intriguing Premise, But Relentlessly Dragging…

Korean folklore and mythology paired together with elements of horror and fantasy are certainly not new to the world of K-dramas. From director Jang Young-woo(‘Mr. Sunshine’, ‘Sweet Home’, ) alongside screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won ( ‘The Guest’), ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ offered viewers with a seemingly woeful revenge fantasy epic. However whilst the intriguing premise and impressive cast lineup will certainly hook and entice viewers, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ ‘ lacklustre plot , pacing and character-writing became more prominent as the storyline progressed.

In the early exposition of the narrative , Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won attempted to foreground the events from six hundred years ago surrounding the inauspicious birth of main lead Dan Hwal ( Lee Jin-wook). Deemed cursed, Dan Hwal is transformed into a bulgasal ( a vampire-like immortal creature that feasts on human blood), while heroically fighting monsters as a solider. Hwal is determined not to throw away his humanity and seeks out revenge against the former-bulgasal who cursed him. No longer a prisoner of mortality and time, Hwal desperately seeks out the creature’s reincarnations throughout the centuries.

A present day time-skip reveals to the audience that Hwal believes that he’s found the former-bulgasal’s current incarnation Min Sang-Woon (Kwon Na Ra) . However there’s a catch; Sang-Woon is a mortal human. Together with her sister Min Shi Ho ( Gong Seung Yeon), the siblings have spent most of their childhood running away from monsters that most would only believe existed in fairytales. Sang-Woon soon finds her life ineffably intertwined with the monster who she’d be told to fear the most; the bulgasal. Hwal and Sang-Woon find that fate has had a mysterious way of bringing them together as past incarnations of people from the past soon enter their lives. However, the mysterious appearance of sadistic bulgasal Ok Eul Tae ( Lee Joon) soon threatens their fates. With his personal vendetta and morbid fascination with Hwal, Eul Tae is determined to stop at nothing to enact his own revenge.

While screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won do give comical moments throughout the drama it is important to establish that these are sparse and spread out. ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ isn’t a series for the lighthearted . The storyline focused upon elements of grim suspense ( particularly through the appearance of the monsters)as well as gratuitous gore . Nevertheless despite some stunning aesthetics surrounding fight scenes, the abundance of explicit violence in director Jang Young-woo’s fantasy series has been received with mixed reception also.

Naturally it isn’t out of the question for a series that primarily focuses upon blood-drinking entities and malicious monsters to delve into bloodthirsty scenes. In fact it is even arguable that the absence of violence from the series would not have allowed director Jang Young Woo to have a wider scope towards exploring and captivating the tainted and savage world of the characters.

On the other hand for a series which attempted to present itself as an narrative immersed with complex and psychologically conflicted characters, it felt odd that ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’’ heavy reliance upon gore and violence for shock-value thrills would rarely allow opportunities in order to flesh-out weaker characters, plot holes or quintessentially deliver an impactful coup de grâce by the ending of the series.

The acting of the series could admittedly have several slip ups with line deliverances but the main cast were fairly dynamic onscreen. Actor Lee Jin-Wook has long been typecast in rom-coms . However, since his venture into different genres through ‘ Voice’ and having previously worked alongside director Jang Young-woo in ‘ Sweet Home’, it should come as no surprise to viewers that Jin-Wook carries himself well onscreen as main lead Hal. The actor added a surprising touch of heartache and mystery to his onscreen persona which, whilst slightly limited by the scope of script, did give Hal an intriguing streak for audiences .

Mysterious, reserved and powerful, Hal is an intriguing main character with many notable flaws and strengths. Despite his curse Hal is able to retain his humanity due many personal drives throughout the series. Nevertheless whilst Hal’s motives were admirable, there was always a slight sense of dull focus upon Hal truly struggling or being presented with more conflict ( due to initial foreshadowing) with his primal instincts . Of course whilst there is the argument that Hal may have used six-hundred years to practice self-restraint, but, it did seem odd that this wasn’t a conflicting trait for a character to struggle more ( even in flashbacks) with an obstacle against his seeming crusade to regain humanity throughout the storyline .

This could’ve easily been presented even in his seeming complicated antagonistic counterpart Eul Tae; a bond which whilst necessary for plot-drive rarely delivered an impactful blow. In addition to this even as someone who was ‘detached’ from human history, it seemed an odd plot fall that Hal rarely gave insight into meeting past incarnations, figures or people throughout this period of time.( Aside from the initial exposition and some brief “ historic” photos shown between the past and present .)

Then of course Jin Wook’s costar Kwon Na Ra as the main female lead of the series. A former idol, Na Ra’s acting portfolio from ‘ My Suspicious Partner’ and ‘ My Mister’ to ‘ Doctor Prisoner’ and ‘ Itaewon Class’ , has certainly given an opportunity for Na Ra to express her eclectic range of acting abilities onscreen. The actress added a surprising level of angst and mystery onscreen helping to convey a natural and mysterious charm to her onscreen role as Min Sang-Woon. Nevertheless, whilst Na Ra is a dynamic actress , her character was arguably very limited by the writing .

It isn’t necessarily bad per say how the drama’s narrative introduced us to Sang-Woon and her sister through initial flashbacks. It allowed us as viewers to comprehend the world that Sang-Woon and Shi Ho have been forced into as a consequence of impending fate, as well as foreshadowing her initial meeting with the main lead . On the other hand, here’s where we do hit a pitfall with Sang-Woon as a character; she’ never really feels as though she has a personal-drive, definitive flaws or goals. It is arguable that perhaps Sang-Woon’s main goal has been to protect her sister and her naivety has proven to be one of her downfalls. On the other hand for a character brought up under unusual circumstances, it seemed odd that the drama rarely pointed out Sang Woon truly being shaped or affected by her environment. Even if her gullible nature is viewed as an arguable weakness of her character, it seem bizarre that other characters ( especially her sister) didn’t point this out or at least draw expectations towards her personality being different from her seemingly “abnormal” upbringing.

Sang Woon and Hal’s unusual bond is presented as seemingly one of the major driving forces of the series. Whilst there is arguably a slight romantic tension between Jin-Wook and Na Ra’s onscreen personas, their relationship is platonic for the most part. Nevertheless whilst it was intriguing to watch Hal and Sang Woon’s bond develop from animosity to sincere trust, both main leads’ relationship could often feel somewhat
stagnant at times. This seemed to come as a result of both main leads’ interactions often feeling enforced and shoehorned into plot setups. As a consequence , this allowed limited opportunities in order to flesh-out characters outside of the “ main events” of the narrative.

Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding Ok Eul Tae. A-lister Lee Joon is no stranger towards taking on different roles throughout his acting career, and his part in the series as Hal’s fellow bulgasal and opponent, Ok Eul Tae, was no exception. Joon added a somewhat twisted charisma to his onscreen persona; likely to shock and intrigue viewers of equal measure.

As an antagonist, Eul Tae is supposed to serve as Hal’s opposing counterpart; he’s sardonic, remorseless and unpredictable. In order to reiterate the opposing natures of Eul Tae and Hal beyond spoken words, director Jang Young-woo would often cleverly place heavy focus through camera angles upon the characters’ clothing. Eul Tae’s bright, expensive and somewhat gaudy suits presenting his illusive personality, whilst Hal’s somewhat drab and dull attire highlighted the main lead’s honest nature.Nevertheless whilst Eul Tae acted as the necessary “ driving force” of the events of the series, the main antagonist rarely left an everlasting impression upon audiences due to often being present as shoehorned “ for the sake of evil”. His rivalry, origins and intrigue surrounding another bulgasal could’ve easily been the most intriguing element in the series. However, lacking opportunities to truly delve into character parallelisms and differences between the main lead, the antagonist and other side character presented few opportunities to make Eul Tae a truly terrifying or well-defined opposing threat. As a consequence Eul Tae could often feel akin to a plot device “ dilemma”; easy to thrown into the equation to present conflict but rarely possessing a definitive edge.

Actress Gong Seung Yeon ( ‘ Are You Human?’, ‘ Circle’ and ‘Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency’) takes on the role as Sang-Woon’s level-headed sister Shi-Ho.Shi Ho was notably intriguing due to her contrasting personality-type to Sang-Woo; she’s less naive, reserved and observant also. On the other hand whilst Shi Ho did serve her necessary purpose for “ plot drive” and revelations in the series, the second female lead could rarely feel entirely sentient due to her lacking opportunities to truly grow or be defined by her own personality traits. ( In particular a massive plot revelation surrounding Shi Ho was left greatly abandoned after its initial use in the series.)

Additionally there’s Nam Do Yoon ( Kim Woo Seok). Whilst Nam Do Yoon was necessary for adding “ shocking twists” in an attempt to keep the plot afloat a, it often felt as though these revelations were predictable outcomes . Screenwriters Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won seemed to create Do Yoon purely on the basis of plot-motivation; attempting to shock and surprise viewers with Do Hoon’s revealed reasons and motives for being in the storyline, but lacking the element of shock or an emotive punch due to lacking foundations surrounding Do Yoon as a character from the outset. Kwon Ho Yeol ( Jung Jin Young) and Hye Suk ( Park Myung Shin) also presided in the supporting cast ; potentially playing intriguing characters, but rarely having personal character-drive.

The pacing of the narrative was admittedly not one of the drama’s fortes. Whilst a pacy opening gave leeway towards downplaying later elements of the storyline in order to build suspense, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ notably fell into the trap of repetitive storyline events. Potentially intriguing opportunities in order to build up characters’ personalities, backstories or even relationships were cast aside in order to make way for a gradually dwindling “ threat” in each passing episode. However rather than attempting to at least create a fearsome presence for the antagonistic force onscreen, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ notably became hooked on tiresomely dragging out events beyond their expiration date.

Under the directing reigns of Jang Young-Woo, ‘ Bulgasal:Immortal Souls’ was notably stunning in parts. The figures and supernatural entities from Korean mythology found throughout the storyline had notable aesthetic and visual influences from Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘ Pan’s Labyrinth’ and Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won’s previous supernatural-horror project The Guest’ onscreen. In addition to creature visuals, the cinematography was a notable highlight with beautifully filmed shots of snow-filled landscapes and scenery often predominating scenes. However despite some gorgeous filming techniques, ‘ Bulgasal:Immortal Souls’ was slightly degraded by its somewhat shoddy CGI and choppy editing; often taking away from potentially stunning and emotive moments of the series.

The OST is notably synchronic with a lot of fight or tense scenes. It does not particularly distract the audience with vocal tracks but rather instrumentals; quintessential for helping to build up tension or reflecting the inner- turmoil of the onscreen characters, but rarely giving an impactful deliverance also.

‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls ’ attempted to give viewers a terrifying and thrilling fantasy horror epic. Interweaving the classic cliche in recent fantasy shows of mostly modern settings against Korean mythology, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls ’ ‘s potentially intriguing screenplay by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won was greatly let down by the direction of plot. Instead of allowing golden opportunities in order to explore multilayered characters, world-building and a tense storyline, the drama’s layout instead delivered a somewhat niche and shallow array of characters who lacked creative flare, as well as a narrative filled with plot holes also. The ending of the series was notably anticlimactic; rushed in an attempt to wrap up several key plot points, but failing to tie up a satisfying outcome for the plot and characters. Overall, ‘ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls’ was an generic and somewhat niche supernatural series; watchable for those willing to disengage during a binge-watch session , but filled with wasted potential also.

Read More

I doubt there was any potential to begin with.

Bulgasal literally means "impossible to kill", or simply "immortal". It comes from the Korean folklore legend of Bulgasari, which illustrates the story of a frightening monster during the late Goryeo period (918-1392) that keeps growing as it eats all the metal. However, the drama named after the monster incorporates an immortal monster living for 600 years and drinks blood to survive.

Created by Studio Dragon & Show Runners and broadcasted on tvN, "Bulgasal: The Immortals" is the reunion for director Jang Young Woo and the husband-wife writer duo Seo Jae Won & Kwon So Ra with composition from Nam Hye Seung. It is also distributed on Netflix and TVING. It's basically a fantasy thriller with more than 3 timelines, 2 of the major ones taking place in far past and one occuring currently.

Dan Hwal (Lee Jin Wook) was cursed by Bulgasal 1000 years ago and was born as a cursed child, again 600 years ago, just to turn into a Bulgasal himself, after losing his entire family. He vows to avenge his family by killing the woman, the one who turned him into a bulgasal, as soon as she reincarnates as a human being. For that he desperately chases her down through the 600 long years till the present time and does all kinds of thing to survive. Will he be able to accomplish whatever he's been dreaming for all these years?

Kwon Na Ra plays the Bulgasal of 600 years ago, who has reincarnated 10 times since then and presently lives as Min Sang Woon who moves frequently along with his sister Min Shi Ho (Gong Seung Yeon) just to hide from the Bulgasal after a tragic incident to her family. Lee Hye Suk (Park Myung Shin) is a butcher who cares for Dan Hwal to a great deal. Kwon Ho Yeol (Jung Jin Young) is an ex-detective and currently a private investigator. Nam Do Yoon (Kim Woo Suk) is a highschool student living with all the above people as a family, due to some situations. All these people live at one place as the Bulgasal family and somehow interconnected with each other in different reincarnations.

Apart from them, we also have Lee Joon as Ok Eul Tae who plays the ultimate antagonist of the story.

Plot development is very monotonous. The introductory episodes might look intriguing to you bcs of the folktales as welll the Goryeo monster annihilation scenes but those weren't anything impressive to look forward to further. I had a hard time connecting to the essence of the story for 6 episodes but it became a lil interesting there so I was honestly expecting some good progress, just to be disappointed even further. It had several peak moments throughout the rest of the 10 episodes, nevertheless, I forced myself into finishing it since I am bad at dropping. So losing all my interest, I started fast forwarding since the 8th episode at 1.5x and somehow finished it.

The revenge storyline got lost somewhere in the middle and when they brought it up again after few episodes, towards the ending, it was again another set of confusing questions with infinity loops. In other words, it was predictable and nothing sort of suspenseful or confusing to make theories about. The 2nd half became very repetitive and overstretched, they were just revealing new details in every 15 minutes to keep it interesting, and the efforts were visible. The finale week was not satisfactory though entertaining with lots of things happening but that again became rushed. The ultimate back story was lame and very very funnh lmao. The final fight between the antagonist and protagonists itself was repetitive 2-3 times in the same premise.

The screenplay writing is moderately average which shouldn't be the case given there are 2 writers who have even worked together before. The plot development is entirely uninteresting, I must mention; the beginning itself has too many loopholes, which might create the impression of a suspense to be answered later, but trust me they just keep getting dull and dreary. I feel the writers have done a fair amount of research to create a good concept but making it into a good script is where they failed at, that too quite miserably.

The twists didn't help to be awestruck; like I'm not saying everything has to be wow, but they were underwhelming. Some revelations were amusing, I gotta admit, but the following excitement dies down soon enough with repetitive elements. The incorporation of various monsters from Korean folktales was in fact a nice idea, but the way they were trying to turn them into connecting plots, didn't work. The major turn off about the story was distorted narrative. The plot elements don't provide scopes to connect to the story or the character, thereby failing to gain any point.

The seemingly rookie director have been able to produce shows which were popular and seem to have been recalled now as well despite being critically average. But he seems to have not improved from experience and that has resulted in poor direction and execution of this drama. The screenplay is a messy one; not only it stupefy the audiences' interest, it also was unable to create any proper suspense throughout to keep the viewers going. The biggest turn off about this drama is the screen-editing, which could have actually saved a shoddy story, but alas!

Cinematography was pretty okay in my opinion and their investment for creating the Goryeo premise was justifying though there wasn't much to do. Camera angles weren't at all impressive per se the sound effects were tedious to begin with. The dark aura and the shady vibes in fact blended perfectly with the shadowy premise, as intended by the makers.

Composed by one of the best Nam Hye Seung, the 4 OSTs are somewhat good, I have to admit but they couldn't save the drama for a fact. The only track I could like is "Leave" by 4MEN, which suits the mood and the story's essence as well. The rest 3 were written to be romance-centric, both gloomy and joyful, which is definitely not what the story is about, thereby being proved useless. I would actually like them if they were not the parts of this drama. The other 3 tracks are "Tunnel" by Kim Ye Ji ft. KARDI, "Can't Forget You" by Minseo and "Beyond The Time" by Janet Suhh.

There was absolutely no need of romance and the writers visibly forced a love story plotline into the story expecting it'd pick the overall interest of the audience, which irl worked as many people fell for it. I am no objector of romance, in fact, I am sucker for it and got no problem with witnessing one in such fantasy thrillers but I can say it with confidence whenever romance is forcefully incorporated into a story where it wasn't required at all. What I liked to an extent was the bromance, which was in fact very subtle between the protagonist & the antagonist, but it did create an influence.

There were tooooo many flashbacks, enough to make you give up on understanding. The twists created weren't intriguing at all, rather the back & forth in time line, that too inclusion of more thanb2 timelines, was a major limitation for the writers themselves in framing a decent storyline with good plot elements. It's like they got confused in their own story. There were many filler scenes and unnecessary guest appearances (small roles). In fact, the 4 major supporting characters were used like fillers, just to be a part of the family and interact while projecting some comic dialogues to make the scene funny.

Another major drawback I would like to mention is the underutilization of the cast. First of all the proportion of major characters to that of the total number of people involved was very low. Secondly, it's waste of the tremendous skills of actors like Lee Jin Wook, Kwon Na Ra, Lee Joon, Jung Jin Young and Park Myung Suk. Given the potential they hold, the director failed to properly incorporate them into the story. The ultimate problem was with the dynamics of the characters drawn by the writer. The characters were unable to creare any significant impact on the viewers and their archs were poorly painted with repetitive dialogues and unnecessary reminisces that they were forced onto, to think about.

What's wrong with fantasy?
# Poor plot outline created with the concept.
# The origin was unclear, even after the finale where they showed the entire story that took place 1000 years ago, they were unable to explain where exactly bulgasal-s come from. The expectation that that timeline beholds the answers to all the questions, got destroyed in 15 mins.
# Different monsters were rather funny than scary.
# The characters curse each other as if they're some heavenly beings, that too pretty often. Ik it's fantasy but there should be a line of logic in fiction too.
#The connection between 3 bulgasal characters wasn't frustrating, rather stupid, irrational and awfully drawn to make it look intricate, whereas it isn't really potentially influential.

I must clarify before signing off, that I wasn't confused. I am not sorry for not being polite here bcs some people irresponsibly conclude their disagreement by stating that the person with negative comments was unable to understand the story and got confused. I was sane and tried to understand and like this thing but it didn't work out bcs it is what it is.

Final Remarks... Bulgasal overally is pretty average. Not jumping into a rash conclusion that it was bad, It felt like a good concept with scopes of beautiful script & nice improvement yet failed opportunity due to poor writing and direction, despite up to par performance. It could have been a lot better and a decent drama, if not something wow. I have to respectfully decline the argument that it was a good fantasy drama and the ratings should fall near to that of the other examples given.

Read More

status : upset and disatisfied.

I was prepared for this to be one of my fav fantasy dramas but unfortunately it didn't come through. I was very excited at the beginning because it seemed like it could be a complex plot with complex characters. However, most of the characters are for-lack-of-better-word one dimensional. Ok Eul-Tae, although the villain, was set out to be my fav character/antagonist but the last episode gave him the simplest backstory. Throughout the drama we can even feel sympathy for him but at the end it was all for nothing. There was a lot that was underdeveloped or just not explained.
* The ending makes no sense if Bulgasals are unable to reincarnate. This drama didn't need an open ending, it deserved a proper conclusion.
* Siho's powers meant almost nothing. There was no explanation as to why she even has them & when she used it, it didn't give any big revelations.
* I don't understand why Eul-Tae would get hurt when he tried to harm Sang-Un when logically speaking if him and Hwal are Bulgasals, it should be them who are connected.
* No explanation was provided as to who Bulgasals really are and where they come from?? Ms. Lee had had mentioned they were originally protectors but who even appointed them as that + it didn't even look like they were really doing that.
* Hwal had no personality trait besides being a Bulgasal obsessed with revenge.
* I love family especially found family tropes but this was so messy lol
* I'm a bit confused on when Hwal stopped having feelings for Siho and started liking Sang-Un
But nevertheless this wasn't a terrible drama. I actually enjoyed watching it and reading the theories people came up with. I'll be honest if the viewers had written the drama, it could've been much better because some of the theories made the story much more complex than what it really was. There's quite a few things I would change lol but I did enjoy it. If you're able to overlook underdeveloped elements then you too will enjoy this drama and should give it a try !

(I'm still a bit conflicted on how I should rate this lol my critical side is fighting against the part of me that just wants to rate based off enjoyment.)

EDIT] Sang-Un was supposed to have been on her last life so she also should not have been able to reincarnate. Unless I missed something, neither Sang-Un nor Hwal should’ve reincarnated and crossed paths again. Honestly I think the writer threw that in last minute to appease viewers but I think the show would’ve been just fine without a romance plot line.

Read More

Revenge + Obsession + Buckets of Blood + Found Family

Completed - 4/15/2022 - 8.75

It's been a while since I last saw a drama with so much gore and blood. The last one was probably "Arthdal Chronicles". If you get squirmy with blood and violence, this might not be the right drama for you. However, if you can get past that, this is an exciting fantasy drama about reincarnation, revenge and freeing from a curse. Along the way, characters from different backgrounds and personalties came together to become a family.

This is a beautifully produced drama with great cinematography, action scenes, and incredible makeup. Not a small budget production. I don't think I have commented much on a drama's makeup before, but I got to give props to the makeup artists here. There's so much super-realistic blood all over the place, wounds of all shapes and sizes, protruding bone and slashes, and of course, facial makeup of our Bulgasals. Aesthetically, it just puts me in the right mindset to watch this drama. The OST is beautiful as well. Whenever the theme song is played, I feel all the emotions in the scenes, and the background music complements and sets the mood well.

I am quite familiar with the acting of the two female leads, having watch quite a few of their dramas, esp. Gong Seung Yeong ("Are You Human Too?", "Circle" & "Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency"). Kwong Na Ra ("Secret Royal Inspector" & "Suspicious Partner") and Gong Seung Yeon really look like sisters. Both have beautiful eyes that can convey emotions very well. On the other hand, this is my first drama of the two male leads, Lee Jin Wook and Lee Joon, and I am quite impressed with their acting. I think I am most impressed with Lee Joon, because his character just gives him so much more to work with. I love how his crazy personality matches all of his over-the-top outfits. Kim Wook Seok is adorable as the high schooler and his acting has improved tremendously since I last saw him in "Twenty-Twenty". The supporting cast is great as well with both veteran and child actors.

But the main attraction to this drama is its plot. Viewers need to be patient and pay attention in order to not get confused. Not everything is explained in the first few episodes. The history and entanglement between the characters are slowly revealed throughout the drama. You don't get the full story until the finale. I personally quite enjoy the storytelling as I try to piece together what's been revealed and guess what really happened many years ago. The pacing of the drama is pretty good (maybe just slowed down slightly in the middle) but I was focused and engaged throughout the drama. I would like to see more of the story told in historical times. And I would have liked for Dan Hwal to find out the reason for his family's death a little sooner. Because then, the found family and small romance can truly develop, and have more heartwarming scenes (that's just the romance-junkie in me talking). Dramas oftentimes do not finish strong, but I think "Bulgasal" has a strong and satisfactory finish. I was quite emotional in the last couple episodes. Ahh... I love the found family and wish them all have happily-ever endings.

This is by no means a perfect drama. I am still a little confused about Ok Eul Tae's obsession with Dan Hwal. Why was he so obsessed for so many years ago? It also seems like a very roundabout way to device a complicated plan to achieve his ultimate goal. When we finally get to the finale to find out what started all this mess, it was a little bit anti-climatic. I thought the origin of the curse and the entanglement would be a much bigger deal. The modern times monsters could be more terrifying and could be used more. And what happened to the fire inside the room with the well?

Objectively speaking, this might not be highly rated. But if I don't think too much and enjoy the ride, I quite like this drama, thus, a very generous 8.75 from me.

Read More

Immortality

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls was an interesting viewing experience for me. After the initial strong start, the fantasy drama evolved into a slow-burn and sappy tale of supernatural beings engaged in push-pull romantic angst filled with melodrama within a surreal dream-like ambience. Yes, I found myself inexorably drawn to its immersively hypnotic storytelling against the backdrop of two settings - briefly in ancient Goryeo / Joseon but mostly in modern day Seoul - and the rhythmic drum beats of its enthralling sageuk-inspired score.

The closest resemblance that I can think of to compare this drama with would be The Twilight Saga. The Bulgasal, a fearsome immortal well-documented in Korean folklore and not unlike the ancient vampires and werewolves of the West, takes centre stage in a narrative that spans 600 years… no, make that over 1,000 years. This is a complex story of tragic loss, eternal love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption. All of these elements intertwine inseparably with one man’s curse of immortality, the titular Bulgasal, amidst the endless cycle of reincarnated lives around him.

Based on the original screenplay by the husband and wife team of Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won, who also co-wrote one of my all-time favourite supernatural dramas, The Guest. This was, in fact, another reason for my anticipation of this drama’s release. This TVN production is directed by Jang Young Woo, with the legendary Nam Hye Sung serving as music director. An interesting bit of trivia - despite the numerous outdoor visuals provided in this drama, in actual fact it was completely filmed at CJ ENM Studio Center. Commencing operations recently on 25 January 2021, this facility comes complete with a traditional village setting, modern drama set, virtual reality and augmented reality as well as VFX and SFX studios. It had previously hosted the production process for shows like Voice 4, Yumi's Cells, and Happiness.

What I Liked

As mentioned earlier, this drama had a very strong start with the sageuk setting of late Goryeo / early Joseon that features ancient warriors in suits of armour battling countless mythical monsters. Absolutely gritty, visceral and violent with no lack of blood and gore. The emotive aspects are provided by the portrayal of childhood abandonment and abuse, as well as traumatic loss and tragedy suffered by an entire family.

Once the plot time skipped 600 years into the future, the overall tone of the drama altered significantly. In place of ancient mythical charms, we are now presented with the unfamiliar (and appearing somewhat dystopian, though it actually isn’t) sights of present day South Korea. The deeply convoluted dynamics among the various interrelated characters begin at this point. This is not the type of melodramatic storytelling that I typically relish but there is something oddly comforting and timeless about seeing the fates of immortal beings and mere mortals intersecting emphatically before my very eyes. That said, appreciating the storytelling of this nature requires a particular mindset and I guess I happened to be in the mood for it.

As far as the production quality is concerned, I have to mention 2 aspects - the visuals and original score. Despite being nearly a complete VFX rendering, the “outdoor scenic visuals” are to die for. The many gorgeous panoramic vistas are seamlessly integrated onto the “green screen” in one of the better quality effects editing I’ve seen in recent memory. Granted it’s not flawless by any means, but does come quite close and presents an absolute feast for the eyes. Also worthy of mention would be the makeup effects created for the monsters - for once they do not appear laughably fake or cringeworthy. The original score, personally for me, is truly outstanding. I love gugak music where we have here a fusion of traditional instruments and contemporary elements producing a rhythm so captivating that I find myself completely absorbed into the storytelling.

I enjoyed the performance of the cast more so than the actual characterization, if truth be told. I think the charisma of the main lead carried the drama and, to some extent, enhanced the narrative. Lee Jin Wook as the titular Bulgasal fit the bill in all aspects. Grim, brooding yet not quite cold-hearted or cruel, as told in the folktales. Some might say his expressions are stoic and one-dimensional, but I think there is a profound grief that this man embodies through the nuanced display of his mannerisms and especially the tone of his voice. I think his character makes up for what it lacks in dynamism with emotional tenderness. Interestingly, it had been reported that Won Bin was initially offered the lead role here as his comeback drama after more than 10 years out of the industry. However he eventually declined the offer, which then went to Lee Jin Wook instead.

The second performance that I enjoyed would be Lee Joon’s portrayal of the somewhat unbalanced but rather entertaining Ok Eul Tae. The most colourful character in the show and, unsurprisingly, the fan favourite of many viewers. It certainly helps when he possesses the most outrageous taste in fashion compared to every other character. My second time seeing him in immediate succession after his equally strong performance in The Silent Sea, this man is immensely talented and utterly versatile. I have a feeling he’s one who can effortlessly take on many diverse roles and impress us each time.

The other main cast comprises Kwon Na Ra and Gong Seung Yeon. I think in terms of appearance, Kwon Na Ra is perfect as the enigmatic female figure within the historical setting. Likewise Gong Seung Yeon’s depiction of Dan Sol in the first couple of episodes comes across as dramatically evocative. Once they reappear as their modern selves, however, the aura of mystery dissipates, revealing only the characterization of the typical girl-next-door. That said, I appreciated the efforts by both in conveying their interpretation of the respective dual roles. If anything, they are both equally adept at shedding much tears.

What I Liked Less

To be honest, I would have preferred this drama to be set entirely in Goryeo or Joseon. That would have enabled the story to retain a certain level of charm and enigma, as well as to induce a more compelling approach to the storytelling. I thought the modern-day setting was rather bland and, ironically, soulless.

While I enjoyed the action sequences in the historical setting, the fight scenes in the present felt somewhat lacking. There is too much posturing for my liking and even when the monsters, in their reincarnated forms as well as the immortal ones, finally get on with the action, the choreography isn’t anything to write home about..

The characterization leaves much to be desired, particularly pertaining to the female leads as well as certain side characters. They lacked the sufficient depth that would have elevated the production but instead merely served to move the plot along towards its inevitable conclusion. I think this lack of dimension and growth perhaps hampered the development of any meaningful organic chemistry in the romance department.

Final Thoughts

Well, for all the positive aspects I would recommend the production but as mentioned earlier, the key to watching, let alone enjoying, this drama is a particular mindset for fantasy-themed melodrama. It has its moments but there is much room for improvement. In acknowledgment of the intrigue and relative entertainment value served, I’ll be generous with my rating.

Read More

Love & Redemption

Bulgasal end its story after a hella ride of rollercoaster full of emotions after 16 episodes. I doubt that there will be a second season for this drama; I have read one of the article mentioned about it. I hope there will be no second season, as this one season is already enough.

First thing first, Bulgasal is certainly a good drama to watch. It didn’t disappoint me from the first episodes up to the finale. There’s a background story to all the characters, why they did what they did. Bit by bit, it unraveled the secrets that haunts all of them. That’s the uniqueness of this story. For me, it was all written beautifully — the storylines. However, some might argued that the script was written poorly. I beg to differ on this. I did enjoyed the drama and always looking forward for the next eps and for the thrilled this drama gonna serve me. Compared to other drama (that has worse script), this drama is 10x better and worth watching.

The cinematography of this drama is one of the finest I have ever seen. Omg, not gonna lie this is one of the reasons why I attracted to watch the drama. The background setting between modern days and Goryeo times beautifully and amazingly portrayed. The prop used, the costumes during the ancient times and all the tiny details were presented almost flawless (at least in my pov).
Since Bulgasal focusing on a creature that lives on a mountain, therefore a lot of filming process happened in nature setting I guess, which really captivates me every time.

The acting of all the cast members are on top notch. There’s no doubt in this, unless if you have different opinions than me. Lee Jinuk & Kwon Nara’s chemistry is no joke. I really love their compassion for the acting. All the emotions delivered pretty convincing and I’m drenched with tears every time Sang Un cried. Lee Joon is a gem that carry the whole show on his shoulder. Without a character of darkhole, this story would be pointless. He nailed his character and successfully makes us hated and pity for him. Please director, I wanna see him become a ML in his future drama. He has a great potential.

Imo, this drama have all the perfect ingredients to be a great drama with a perfect score. The only thing that I disliked about it is that the timing for the background story to be unraveled taking a bit too long. It took 16 episodes for all the secrets to be unraveled, all the questions to be answered and it resulted for the ending to end abruptly and kinda rushed. That’s the reason why I could only give this drama 9/10. Still, the ending is still good considering we got a proper closure that we need. Therefore, I can just turn away from this minor flaws. In addition, the OSTs for this drama is worth to listen to. 4Men-Leave, Minseo - Can’t Forget You, and Tunnel are my favourites.

My final thoughts, this definitely a good drama to binge. Please don’t give up yet for those who think to drop this drama. Trust me, after watching eps 16 you will think that the journey is really worth it. It gives you thousands of emotion and you will learn why Sang Un & Dan Hwal were tied with an ill fated relationship. And you will learn what they gonna do to amend and redeem their cursed fate. The ride gonna worth it! <3

Read More

“It goes from heartless in the beginning to heart-wrenching in the end.”

Bulgasal is very much in the mold of the great epic poems. It is a story on a grand scale (albeit, within the production limitations of the COVID era) revolving around our hero (or anti-hero, depending on where you are in the story) and all the characters around him. It is an epic journey, both physical and emotional, that takes place across centuries. And involves some very real and sincere human emotions mixed with both frightening and magical fantasy.
Perhaps the best aspect of Bulgasal is the series being sure of what it is and wants to be. It ensures that the proper tone to make that happen is maintained throughout. Often times with high concept, action-heavy Korean dramas, there is the urge for those shows to forcibly insert contrived side stories and bouts of levity in places where none of those things sensibly belong. Fluffy romance or slapstick comedy is inexplicably inserted into psychological thrillers or apocalyptic adventures.
And while those things can certainly be included in a way that makes sense, more often than not, those moments merely work to derail what can already be very tenuous and fragile stories.

Not here on Bulgasal. The dark, melancholic aura is both fascinating and refreshing. The series even begins with a unique Gothic vibe as the stage is being set for our main characters with the backdrop of a mysterious and monster-filled world. (And “monsters” in the loosest sense as well.) The contrast of the darker story and the sometimes warm visuals and cinematography adds to the series’ dynamic energy.

There are no unnecessary side trips or fan-service moments to break the story’s momentum. No contrived situations to pierce the consistent flow. And because of that, there is not a wasted minute across the 16 episodes. Every scene and interaction is used to create and develop the necessary depth to help make every surprising twist and turn and every emotional climax resonate.
Because of this, it is advisable to take it slow when watching the series. When bingeing Korean dramas is the norm these days, Bulgasal is best consumed slowly and carefully. That will allow the viewer to better absorb all that is happening on screen. It’s not that the story can get complicated (which it does). But being able to truly take in every emotional beat of the story will help raise the level of emotional satisfaction for the series’ many climactic moments.

And of which there are many. The balance of character-driven story and plot-driven intricacies is another of the series’ major accomplishments. Hopping along for the ride will lead you through an exciting narrative. Taking in the sights along the way points you toward the wonderful cast of characters and their diverse relationships.
What makes Bulgasal even more appealing is how it can focus on very real human emotions in the midst of a fantastical and dark world. Touching upon relationships in all its forms. From friendships to family and from rivals to comrades; the bonds that are formed between people (and non-humans as well) can transcend time and space. Those meaningful connections that can shape a person’s life can always make for engaging stories. And that is very much the case here.
The central plot is revenge with a twist. But each character, including Dan Hwal, are more than just out for blood. Being able to overcome difficulties and finding that connection that can help you not only move forward, but help you stand today is presented in such captivating fashion in this series. It is through these relationships, good and bad, that propel the series forward. And the relationships provide the depth necessary to hold the story and mythology together.

Helping to make that happen in addition to the tight writing and cinematic visuals is an excellent cast. And with the idea of past lives and reincarnation integral to the development of the story, many of the cast end up doing double duty (and then some).
Kwon Nara has had many memorable performances already in her career. And as Min Sang Un, she delivers another one. As Sang Un is a very complicated character, especially with a past that is unknown to her at first, Kwon Nara must navigate the ever-changing circumstances her character finds herself in. Kwon Nara is able to roll with the punches (literally too!) and keep up with her character’s and the story’s many surprises.
Gong Seung Yeon also delivers a great performance as Min Si Ho (among other characters) and similarly must juggle different emotions and situations without skipping a beat. The same can be said for veteran actors Jung Jin Young and Park Myung Shin who both also effortlessly bring to life multi-faceted characters. Both of their characters are parental figures at times, but also have their own well-developed stories. Kim Woo Seok, meanwhile, makes his network drama debut in a role that sees his character experience perhaps the most growth over the course of the series. And he too has no problem delivering a performance that is endearing and strong.

An ensemble cast of young child actors also deserve praise as many of the series’ most emotionally affecting moments are delivered and made possibly by the performances they deliver.

But the series’ two standout performances come from Lee Joon and the always powerful Lee Jin Wook.
Lee Joon plays the mysterious and ominous Ok Eul Tae. Without giving too much away, he is very much the series’ biggest antagonist. But Eul Tae as a character has a very detailed and integral part to play in the grander narrative. And because of that, Lee Joon must bring Eul Tae to life in a way that matches the character’s relevance to the story and to our title character. He absolutely accomplishes that. You can tell how much Lee Joon relishes this role in which he has the opportunity to both play up the danger and evil while allowing just enough vulnerability and quiet insight to keep the character grounded and relatable. That is important especially in terms of how his character has a major part to play in the story. And his performance absolutely helps to elevate an already strong story.

And of course, Lee Jin Wook needs no introduction. With every role, he is able to prove time and again that he is one of the best and most charismatic leading men in the industry. Bulgasal is just another opportunity to show that and he more than does so.

As Dan Hwal, he must deliver a nuanced performance that carries with it the weight of the entire series. Being able to immediately connect with the character from the start is important. And then having to navigate the character through the many twists and turns is of high priority in order to keep the series from falling apart. But Lee Jin Wook is just that kind of actor. It is a commanding performance that has him effortlessly cycling through a range of emotions from scene to scene.
Lee Jin Wook grabs you from the very first time you see him on screen and he never breaks that connection with the viewer up until the final moments of the series. Other than the story itself, if there was a glue that holds the series together, it is Lee Jin Wook’s performance and the chemistry that he fosters with the rest of the cast.

Bulgasal puts all this together in a way that results in a truly epic and grand presentation. It carries a bit of heft and even gravitas, especially in the way the series is able to take itself seriously without giving off an air of pretentiousness. (Also another problem for many drama series in recent years.)

Overall, Bulgasal: Immortal Souls is a unique series that manages to mix the familiar with the fantastical. Its excellent cast, tightly written and intricate story and cinematic production make for a thoroughly exciting and emotionally satisfying series.

Read More

Had great potential but inevitably dragged under the weight of stretching out an already thin plot.

This show is not worse by any means but it ain't much good either, one of those shows I'd recommend watching only when you feel like "I have nothing but,TIME TO SPARE"
For most of it's runtime Bulgasal continusly kept giving me the impression as if its an example of:- diffrence in visons of a writter vs difference in vison of director/producers [maybe showrunners wanted to make it a more commercial successful drama by adding those family moments, few comical relief dialogues and the fated-lovers angle whereas the writters wanted to make a thriller show which relys heavily on dark fantasy horror and timeline complexity with a hint of 'karma and retribution' added to it] Since, maybe the writers and directors/producers had conflicting views, by the end all they could think of was come up with an idea of making the both parties negotiate with each other landing on an agreement(something that incorporates views of both departments) which then goes on to become the actual script of the drama thus giving us what we now have is an average existing show called BULGASAL

Read More