Platinum Fox

I think I get it now. Kang Woo-yeong was the UFC fighter. Someone was watching to see if he would make a good addition to a sports club. So we can infer that Kang lost his place in the alliance. Is the alliance a good thing or a bad thing? I really didn't get that scene.

At the end of this season, there was a scene of someone saying he had been watching Si Eun and wanted to make him a member of the Alliance. Is this same as the Union? Otherwise, what does that mean? Did I miss something?

I have to disagree with you. While growing up Yeo Ri had no friends and everyone blamed her for when things went wrong. Yun Gap was the only one who stood up for her. So if she could achieve something spectacular with her talents, then she could be recognized by the king and make a name for herself. Yes, she had already made a name for herself as an eye-ware maker, but now she could do it with her shaman skills.

You could argue that Yun Gap was being selfish in that he didn't tell her exactly why she was going to the palace with him, but could he have not told her the truth because she would have refused to go with him? He knows how much she hates being labeled a shaman. He wanted to spare her feelings. Plus, we know that Yeo Ri has a soft spot for spirits (except Kang Cheol's), so Yun Gap thought once she got to the palace maybe she would just naturally help the spirits when she learned their stories.

It felt like we really didn't get to meet him long enough to know what he was really like. jmo

Thank you for the explanation about the snake and the dragon. On Viki they say that Kang Cheol was a dragon, but I understand now what happened to him.

Kim Young Kwang played the physical manifestation of Kang Cheol's spirit. Remember Kang Cheol lost his dragon body when the child saw him while trying to ascend the first time.

When Kang Cheol's spirit goes into Yun Gap's body, Kang Cheol accomplishes what wanted to do (get the stone away from Yeo Ri). Kang Cheol tries to pop out of Yun Gap, but can't which means something else needs to occur for Kang Cheol to ascend to the heavens. Presently the spirit of Kang Cheol is stuck in Yun Gap's body. This may be temporary or permanent. We don't know.

Yes, I was just wondering what other people thought the central message of this drama was. I got a totally different reaction from the whole drama. I like your explanation.

I love your explanation and I also noticed the sparklers as well that they had gone out for the living and the side of the "dead" were still going. I think it is to represent the stars as it was snowing and the fireworks were going off. Fireworks burn out quickly, but stars remain forever.

You're right. Baek Seok (BS) felt that the girl was replacing him because the three Si Eun, Su Ho, and the girl got along so well. However, I never really felt that BS had any romantic feelings toward Su Ho. For me, BS loved the power that Su Ho had and that he didn't have. Remember at the bar when he is with other party, he is flirting and trying to make out with all the girls. You could say he was putting on a front, but it didn't seem like it. He just wanted to have a friendship with how he had with Si Eun and Su Ho.

If anyone had romantic feelings for Su Ho, in my opinion, it would be Si Eun.

Yes, Mu Dan deserves happiness and so does JCY. However, I think they did it to test JCY. Will he be like his father? I can't remember in what episode they give JCY's back story. So I hope I haven't ruined anything for you.

Baek Seok didn't have feelings like that for Su Ho in my opinion. He wanted to be popular and powerful just like Su Ho. Everyone knows money buys power and that is what Baek Seok wanted power. Baek Seok was jealous of the three Si Eun, the girl, and Su Ho and their relationship. No one had ever treated him with respect and dignity like Su Ho and Si Eun. When the girl joined the group, he felt ignored and unwanted again. That's why he went over to the dark side. In the end, he could only "beat up" Su Ho through another person and kicked Su Ho when he was down because he didn't have enough power to take him down himself. Just like he didn't have any power over his dad. In the end, he regretted everything he did as he realized Su Ho and Si Eun were the only ones who actually treated him like a person.

You're right. Su Ho lost because the other side didn't play fair which is the way of the world and the rich and powerful.

I think that is the point of the whole drama. Where are the parents in all of this? Where are the teachers? Parents are working so hard to make a better life for their children, but don't stop to think that making them work for something would be better for them rather than just handing everything to them. People need to feel their lives have meaning and purpose when they don't, they will find some way to make it. Bullying is one way.

Also, Si Eun's dad says it all, "I thought kids raised themselves." No, kids need guidance, structure, and love. They also need time to play and have fun. That was why that statistic of 48.7% of students felt tired and stressed out was mentioned. Look at Si Eun's life. All he did was study! The rich kids didn't have to study because their parents could buy their kid's way into a school. They had time on their hands and filled it with bullying other kids. Baek Seom felt that money would buy popularity and power. It did until he went too far with Su Ho. But there were other matters with Baek Seom and his adopted father always beating the crap out of him.

For me, this first season was a social commentary not just on bullying, but on society itself. Why are parents not giving their children love, guidance, etc. Why do these boys (and girls in other dramas) feel so empty inside. Notice the ones who have jobs (Suho and Si Eun) are regular normal people, it is the rich kids who feel like they are too good to work or study. jmo

Wasn't that the point of what Si Eun said at the end of season 1. "You are all so predictable." Si Eun gets kicked out the school and goes to another school and the cycle begins again. Same sh*t different school. Where will it end?

Maybe that is the point of the whole drama. The violence was pointless. What were they really fighting about? Were these boys so bored with their lives that they had to pick on the very person who wanted to make something of himself? Baek Seom did he need to pick on someone, so he could feel powerful because of the way his adopted father treated him? Also, the main character is kicked out of the school and goes to another school and the whole process begins again. Where will it end? Who must take responsibility?

Isn't that how life works. At the end, Si Ein is the one kicked out of the school and not the boys who actually perpetrated it all. All because their parents had money and power. Also, I think Baek Seok needed to find a way to release his rage against his adopted father. He couldn't beat up his father, so he took it out on the person who he thought treated him like his dad.

When I watch some of these dramas I always wonder where are the parents and the teachers when students are bullying other students so badly.

Yes and it is why the palace is so full of vengeful ghosts. It is also why Kang Cheol laughs at the king's proposal to free the state slaves in hopes that the nobles will free their slaves as well. He very much understands human nature.

Maybe that is intentional. We don't know why he is king. All we know is that something happened on Mount B. (can't remember the name). Because of this the blind guy and the queen dowager planned to take over the throne through summoning the 8ft. creature to possess the crown prince and the king. Now that this plan has failed and the queen dowager no longer wants to use the creature, the blind guy has summoned it to be in Yeong In to get back at the queen dowager. So everything seems to be tied to whatever happened on the mountain and with the previous king. Who really is the king?

Remember Yeo Ri's words. If you do bad things after you die, you are doomed to walk the earth for eternity as an vengeful spirit. Also, remember the lesson of the crown prince, a family who breeds ill content is bound to be in turmoil. The family who breeds virtuous deeds is bound to have a good life. The royal family must have done a lot of bad things to have all these ghosts in their palace.

People think there are only two options: she ends up with Yun Gap with his original body or Kang Cheol in Yun Gap's body. They are mortals living in the mortal world. What about a third option? The vision only shows Yun Gap, a child, and Yeo Ri eating a meal. It does not show where it is (earth or heaven), Could it not be that both Kang Cheol and Yeo Ri are immortals and experiencing their mortal trials?

From the beginning we only know the earthly back story of Kang Cheol. He has been in that pool for a 1000 years, but we don't know why. The fact that Kang Cheol can't just pop in and out of people's bodies says that something or someone is interfering with his ascension. Something else has to happen before he can ascend. Why is it so important that she be his vessel for ascension? What is their connection? Kang Cheol could have found any shaman to help him ascend. Why her? jmo

From my understanding he is the second male lead.

No he has a happy ending in The Long Ballad.

I see where you're coming from. We, and the people in court, wouldn't laugh at something like this because it is something that brings hope that life will be better. Remember the court people are young compared to a 1000-year-old dragon who has seen everything that humans have to offer at the time. For him with everything that he has seen on earth, the very idea of people treating each other with respect and dignity and everyone having what they need is laughable as there will always be people who want power and fortune. There will always be corrupt people. That's why to you Kang Cheol's laugh felt weird and that's okay.

You need his goofiness to combat that very uncomfortable feeling that you got and lighten the heaviness of what Kang Cheol is actually saying.

Thank you for the discussion and happy drama watching.

Kang Cheol protects her as she is his only way to ascend.