The fragrant Agarwood already turned into Crumbs. Sacrifices were all for naught.

"In a lonely and empty courtyard, there’s a burning agarwood like crumbs. A blind man stood there, raising his head slightly so that the sweet smell gently brushed his cheeks. Immediately, the corners of his lips lifted into a smile. —

: The man casually asked, “What did you light up?"
: “It’s … just normal agarwood.”
: “What kind of agarwood?”, he added.
: “It wilts as it provides Fragrance and New agarwood will sprout as it dies.” The woman replied, and now, without a single bit of hesitancy.


The serialization of Immortal Samsara initially called “Agarwood Like Crumbs”, not only pulled in Novel readers and Xian Xia genre fans alike. It also attracted loyal fans of Director Guo Hu whose recognized for directing some of the legendary dramas we all know, “One and Only (2021)”, “Love and Destiny (2019)” and “TMOPB(2017). Intense discussions skyrocketed even more after, Cheng Yi & the Yang Zi were paired in one drama. And In no time, the news raised the spirits and expectations of each and every fans.

However, the ride was all but smooth sailing. Some rumors appeared, heated debates circulated and, even fan wars on social media sites spread like wildfire. Many fans, including me thought that this may also turn the tables for the worse for the drama.

Yet, Immortal Samsara astoundingly flourished like a lotus in mud. Despite the setbacks, there still remained fans who patiently followed its arduous journey from the promotions, filming, trailers, wrapping up, and even till the licensing. And at last after great efforts, fans finally witnessed the long awaited surprise— the release of the first episode at the peak of July 2022. It was a really vigorous almost 20 Months of a roller coaster waiting ride.


Story:

The story itself is independent if we compare it on the main leads and ending of its Parent Novel "Agarwood Like Crumbs" (沉香如屑) Authored by Su Mo (苏寞) . The main focus of Immortal Samsara, which translates to "Cycles of Death & Rebirth" is the agonising love story between the burden-ridden Ying Yuan, a Supreme Lord of the Nine Heavens and, an eloquent and witty Four-Leaf Ancient Lotus, Yan Dan. Sandwiched by a Realm that forbids the birth of feelings, the two will experience the struggles of avoiding the distraction of Love. But side by side, they’ll embark on the journey not just to discover secrets but also to fix the broken, and finally mend the scars. It do sound cliche but, this couple is truly worthy of the attention it is getting.

With Yan Dan always writing stories on her book, the viewers are hinted to ponder, “Will the main couple also have their very own page of a happy ending written in that book?” .


Main Characters:

Yan Dan, an independent writer and a loyal companion, was perfectly portrayed by Yang Zi. Yan Dan is a faulty-selfless person but she is definitely someone that stands out from the crowd. All throughout, Yan Dan stayed true to her own beliefs, never feared to love confidently, and embraced responsibilities like its her own life. And like Yang Zi, Yan Dan will always surprise you with her great acting and humor. Yang Zi did really well in portraying Yan Dan’s character development especially when she gradually prioritized self-care at the course of the drama. With Ying Yuan's (handsomeness joke) thoughtfulness, she fell first and loved him with all her heart. But Yan Dan isnt entirely just a simp for the guy. You will also see her having this innate talent in speaking and intelligence (which I love), since it is what makes her really cool. Her talent, also made her ascend from being a witty attendant into a famous playwright slash company of the bully and vile, Ying Yuan. I found no single flaw or plot hole seeing how the character develops and I appreciated this fact so you’ll really have fun watching Yan Dan through Yang Zi.

Then there's Ying Yuan, someone with a very high position whose obsession in life is Wei Qi or "the Go/encircling game" apart from his goal of ultimately maintaining peace to his jurisdiction, the Nine Heavens. While carrying this role, he was then burdened by an overthinking personality, scheming tendencies, and a boring slash busy schedule. I think I can compare Ying Yuan more with Emperor Qi Yan from “Stand By Me (2021)” who is always harsh towards himself. Ying Yuan is literally like a robot who does things with no flaw all because he thinks it is his obligation to be different from his parents. But his miserable life with only Wei Qi as a hobby only lasted until, he found Yan Dan who switched all of his perceptions in life and made him happier. With Ying Yuan being represented by Cheng Yi, he also got cursed with blood spitting moments. What made his character so interesting, was that he is not entirely harsh and cold hearted. He cares not only for his beloved but also for every single one of his people, his soldiers, and his best friends. His flaw stems in the fact that he always remained firm in being responsible (especially in his job) so he totally refused distractions (like love). But despite his imperfections & jerk-like-boyfriend choices, his love remained unchanged.

Next, Ray Chang as Yu Mo, was the love interest of Yan Dan in the novel. Here, he’s now the second male lead whose main conflict is his one-sided love for Yan Dan & his obsession to her egg scrambles…lol. Yu Mo, was introduced as an heir to the Nine-Fins Clan, The Four Seas, and Yelan Mountain and as someone who only longs for a peaceful and carefree life. However, as you can see, he also holds big responsibilities but sadly, he couldn’t compare to the person holding Yan Dan’s heart. He then only ended as the best friend that stayed in life but never in the heart. Yu Mo is honestly a refreshing take to the stereotypes of overly crazy and ruthless second male leads of Xian Xia. And although not entirely a scene-stealer, Yu Mo successfully captured the hearts of fans through his loyalty and pure love.

The trio throughout their journey, will be susceptible to face never-ending sacrifices, challenges, and heavy secrets independently. But during this chaos, there are also parts that will be your comfort place. Like the cute pairing of Zi Lin, a silly Celestial Turtle and the shy Lin Lang, a Three-tailed Snow Fox. And together with the bickering couple, Taoist Tang Zhou and Beautiful Bai, you’ll also be fed with what seems to be never-ending servings of candies and laughter. They’ll eventually become you’re source of therapy session amidst the angsts. ♡


Music:

I was ecstatic when I heard both Cheng Yi and Yang Zi covered and blessed us fans with their voices here. And as always, I am in love with their songs and played them in loop daily. I hold on very high regard the soundtracks from Xian Xia Dramas ‘cause they always have those touching and beautiful expressions in their lyrics which in turn, helps watchers like me connect easily to the characters of the drama even more. Immortal Samsara OSTs are one of those I sincerely am thankful for. Luckily, we can listen to these OSTs on Youtube!

Although I love all soundtracks, I am more bias towards “Never Forget” Wú Wàng 无忘 by 张磊 “Zhang Lei” . It’s the only OST I downloaded on my phone haha. Here’s my favourite quote from this song:

“ I wasted thousands of years, how can I solve my thousand thoughts about love? ”
“ Forget the time limit, and only then, can love be fulfilled. ”


Overall: ♡

I can see how dramas in which the main characters suffer and make sacrifices for love may really be seen as repetitive. Especially since angsts, misunderstandings, villainous side characters and the betrayal tropes are still present BUT, these are literally part of Xian Xia slash Romance genre that creates the foundation for beautiful love stories like this to be adapted. Immortal Samsara stand out so much for me because of the mature relationship that the main couple have. Other than the interesting fact that Yan Dan and Ying Yuan almost have the same hobbies and personality, both also have fully integrated personalities and separate life dreams & goals. Yet, they still continued to grow and be prosperous when engaging or communicating with each other, even while bickering. And nomatter where they both are, they're literally still both awe-inspiring in their careers and are still ‘The Best’ companions of each other. I am also truly glad that it was mainly thanks to their already compatible personalities and like-mindedness, and not just fate, that made them always successfully attracted to one another. I’m truly a sucker for this kind of relationship and so I just had to see for myself how their relationship will conclude . ♡

Oh yes, before I forget, let me also give a thousand praises to the production team. The camera works, the film sights, creation of the venues, the costumes ( especially Cheng Yi’s wardrobe and wigs…!), and CGI were SO BREATHTAKING! The production team for this drama were really meticulous in designing every corridor , every pathways, the rooftops, the rocks, the courtyards, and the big and beautiful trees!! Even the petals falling were apple to my eyes, lmao. I especially love the Night Forgetting River and The Land of the Horizon venues. Literally, even the screen wall where Ying Yuan and Yan Dan placed their lips on one scene, were sewed with a Lotus design! It indirectly told us viewers that Ying Yuan hypothetically, ‘physically kissed’ Yan Dan ‘cause in literal, Yan Dan is a lotus! I sometimes even ignore Chang Yi and Yan Dan’s visuals just to appreciate these beautiful details! Everything about Immortal Samsara is so phenomenal. For me, its really a drama worth checking out. ♡

I hope that you all had fun reading! I’m so sorry that I’m bad at english and that this was too long. Thank you so much for visiting this review!
Like what a wise Yan Dan said, “The censer has finished burning but there’s still lingering warmth. So once the fire burns again, we shall meet!” See you all on Part 2, my fellow Gou Dan babies! ♡

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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
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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. ♡

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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.
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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.

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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.

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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. ♡

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An unmatched reunion love story.

AoS: Light & Shadow had everything I ever wanted in a K-drama fantasy series. I have always been a fan of the Hong Sisters'(Writers') signature of poetic dialogues, and them always dancing between tragedy & dark comedy in their romance dramas. All of which, are the primary reason I dived into AoS in the first place. So be warned that I might be biased in rating this series but I'll still try to present an objective review.


Story:

The narrative started with a time skip 3 years later, with the primary storyline involving a grieving & suicidal all-powerful mage Jang Uk (Lee Jae Wook) and a mysterious amnesiac isolated Jin Bu Yeon (Go Youn Jung). Both of whom, are still coming to terms with their new reality as “someone who shouldn’t exist” when they met. And so, due to this somewhat similar present, their fates became intertwined (again) and they become entangled in a series of dangerous events. As the story unfolds, we see how these two soulmates that understand each other's circumstances bravely traverse around a society that hates their very existence.

The plot were really risky to dive into especially when a lot of cliches were present. Yet surprisingly, the writers managed to hook me and made me highly captivated by this kind of settings. Glad I took the risk cause I was able to meet different sides for my favorite characters. The things that I loved in Part 1 i.e. the poetic dialogues, the eye-catching foreshadows/ parallelism, and breathtaking CGI were still present too. Part 2 were definitely as clever and pleasant to watch as Part 1.


Main Characters:

Part 1 :
It was a very astounding choice to use Go Youn Jung's voice for Mu Deok's 'monologues' throughout Part 1 (She was credited for it from EP1-20) even without her presence. I particularly loved the moment she admitted her love for Jang Uk where she monologued: ❝ This is a clear and dangerous sign, that I am in love with this man, Jang Uk. ❞ (Part 1:Ep10). This particular scene in itself demonstrates the idea that the poisonous love confession for Jang Uk really originated from "Naksu's soul" and not the body. In fact, this phenomenal detail in the drama has actually defended many Naksu debates, including that one concerning who Jang Uk truly loved: the body or the soul.

Part 2 :

❝ I buried everything behind but you took out my past and helped me face them. You held my hand and helped me sleep when I never thought I could. ❞ - Jang Uk to Naksu

Naksu is indeed now weaker than her own lover, an amnesiac, an easily frightened girl, and she's also undeniably a damsel in distress. But exactly Naksu in Part 2 bravely loved Jang Uk despite him in love with someone else and even amidst the oppositions from others, she never left him. She always confronted the doubt and mockery she faced from others, while also defending and protecting Jang Uk in her own ways. That's still feminine and its definitely not being weak. Naksu finally doing all the things she failed to do after her death in Part 1 like the way many of her dialogues we're the things she didn't get to say to Jang Uk was so tragically beautiful.

❝ It's shameless to desire something without the will to endure the pain. A pain that does not kill me will eventually set me free. ❞ - Naksu

In part 2, Naksu is not anymore the 'fierce and physically strong' woman of the past. Despite this, she still remained a 'brave and mentally strong' soul till the end. Her Part 2 life represents Naksu's hopes for freedom and just without the pain & vengeance she harbored of the past. The plot of Jang Uk falling deeply in love with her 'soul' again without recognizing her first solidified that Naksu in P2 is still the same Naksu that Jang Uk loved in P1 .

Go Youn Jung definitely 'nailed and slayed' her first lead role.


“No one can stop me from going anywhere. And I am used to feeling unwelcomed.” – Jang Uk

Lee Jae Wook gave us an incredible performance in AoS. But I will exclude a review for his performance as Jang Uk in P2, as other reviews have already done it. But he really did extremely well and deserve all the awards he achieved due to this drama. His coldness as a mage who has lost his vigour and as a grieving lover we're heartbreaking. But then he transitioned into someone alive and better after meeting Jin Bu Yeon/Cho Yeong, showing she's indeed his only 'cure' and that was romantic!


Honestly, I had doubts that I would come to love most of the characters again in Part 2. Yet the character portrayals in this series surprisingly the side characters too, managed to prove my doubts wrong. I still found myself very infatuated with the still hilariously cute JinJoo couple; I still yearned for the little but adorable ChoDang interactions; still rooted for the hopeless romantic Yul's happiness; I even cried for So-i; and not forget to mention, the best Father-Son duo, Seja Go Won and Turtle!

All of the actors really shined and excelled in their respective roles in this drama. Cheers to many more projects for all of them after AoS!


Overall:

The OTP created by Yeong/Shadow (Go Youn Jung) & Uk/Light (Lee Jae Wook) was really on fire. It's unforgettable. I giggled hard even from their small interactions, blushed from all their kisses and hugs, and bawled my eyes out at the angst they displayed. In essence, I enjoyed the chemistry between Go Youn Jung and Lee Jae Wook, and the slow burn/second chance romance which made me love their story again.

So to conclude, for me, Part 2 is very much an intensely engaging reunion love story. I admit it indeed lacked much of the thrilling mage action and the strong feminism in Part 1. But I do not agree with Naksu being called only weak cause she is MORE than that. There is no doubt that AoS Part 2 is equally impressive as Part 1 for me especially with its still amazing fantasy realm and the unmatched reunion love story between the three couples (UkYeong, JinJoo, and ChoDang).

The Hong Sisters(Writers) gave us bittersweet endings in most of their dramas but then we actually got a beautiful happy ending for the main couple and for everyone 'here' in AoS. No unnecessary deaths, just a tear-jerker and lovely future. That's why I will never forget nor regret spending 6 months for this drama, it was a very fun and memorable journey to be able to watch, read theories, and overthink together with AoS fans. The Hong Sisters and Studio Dragon have stolen my heart again with another good drama!


Thanks for reading!

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Insanely beautiful, a masterpiece in itself; this saga is one hell of a ride.

Everything has been said and done in almost all of the reviews so I'll keep this short.

The main protagonist, Himura Kenshin’s journey remained unexpectedly strong in all five movies. As the protagonist, him alone has been a unique and enjoyable character to follow, both for his dangerous "jinchuu" messages (Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning) and his iconic "Oro" expressions.

I was definitely immersed all the way while following Kenshin and Kaoru's journey of protecting their "truth" in all five movies. I'm afraid I'd have a hard time forgetting the other characters as well. I pretty much got attached to Sonusuke, Megumi and Yahiko and It will surely take a while before I could move on from this family. Not to mention the smooth transitions and epic action scenes, I'm already feeling the urge to rewatch. I truly commend the Directors for their amazing work.

Now for the negatives. IMHO, Tomoe and Battosai's tragic but beautiful mess of a past almost overshadowed the main OTP. Maybe if they added more scenes between Kenshin and Kaoru-dono, their OTP would’ve really made a stronger impact than the former. Although Ken-Kao made me swoon a lot, they felt more platonic than romantic at first. Also, it really felt like Kaoru was just there to be a damsel in distress in the movies.

However, while Kenshin and Kaoru rarely interacted, the way their relationship played out was unexpectedly heartwarming. In the end, I found the main OTP to be a lot more meaningful and fruitful especially after watching "Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning". It was so beautiful how Kaoru turned out to be Kenshin's salvation and hope for a peaceful future.

I'd still say I rated "Rurouni Kenshin: The Last Saga" higher but overall, it is undeniable that this has become one of my top favourites. Satoh Takeru's acting really made me love this series more than I should have. Now, I heard Kaoru's a girl boss in the anime and manga, so now I'm off to check them out.

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