buffy20041

Unpopular opinion: I know his character was an ass for most of the series but i fell in love with Li Jae Wook’s acting especially after he gained his ego. I wish they showed what happened to stage Baek Gyung and stage Dan-oh.

p.s. my true fave character all through out was Do Hwa, he was funny, romantic, tragic, and a true friend to everyone. I especially loved his connection with Dan-oh.

Funny how every male character in this series is a better actor than the male lead lmao and thank god kyung and do hwa got more screen time than him.

Mimi is sooooo super cute.....

Finished the drama. I LOVED IT.

We love with our soul, and the heart recognises that which the mind is sometimes incapable or simply too slow to comprehend. Naksu/MaDeok/Cho Young/BoYeon & Jang Wook have certainly shown us that their love was meant to create and protect. I loved what Master Lee said about the two of them:

“He’s the light protecting the world, and she’s the shadow who protects him from the darkness around him.”

I know some people find the soul changes within BuYeon’s body quite confusing, but I understood them perfectly clear. The whole idea of Naksu being chosen by the priestess (both in her reincarnation form as BuYeon and initial one as the first Jin priestess) to be absolutely brilliant.

I was initially sceptical about it, but the use of the new actress helped show how Cho Young (Naksu) would’ve been like without all the heartbreak & tragedy of her life up to her entering BuYeon’s body. The actress did a great job showcasing an innocence of mind and heart, but also remarkable depth.

With her getting her memories back as Naksu, she became truly wise and any idea of the selfishness she had once possessed was entirely thrown away. The fact that she hadn’t killed Jin Mu in cold blood when she had the chance speaks volumes about her character growth.

Jang Wook was even more awesome in this season than I could’ve imagined him. The actor really knows how to portray a man whose heart is in agony but also one that continues to hope. His character growth is perhaps my most favourite one, from the previous drama to this one, he’s only grown to become more powerful, and even more mindful of the responsibility that comes with such power. His wisdom and ability to sacrifice is truly amazing.

This couple has shown an immense amount of perseverance to be true to each other but also true to their duties and the world around them.

Potential spoilers, but not really. Just my ramblings…

I keep seeing people say that Jang Wook and Naksu/BoYeon’s feelings suddenly changed in ep 8 and it was like he didn’t love her anymore, or it was colder etc. I say that’s not true at all.

I think what we must remember is that JW loved Naksu’s soul.Not her face, not her fighting/powers, not her knowledge etc. He loved her spirit, and his heart recognised her much faster than his mind.

Strip away the pain and blood from OG Naksu’s life, and you get an innocent little girl Cho Young who should have grown into a lovely young lady exactly like BoYeon is portrayed before she regained Naksu’s memories.

Most likely Cho Young would’ve been married to Jang Wook because their fathers were best friends and of quite similar social standing. But their destiny took a different turn, it was wrought with tragedy, and the OG BoYeon/OG priestess chose them to carry the weight of the world’s fate.

He had to fall in love with MaDeok/ as he was getting stronger, be able to understand the heart of the OG Seo Master (when he read the letter and then sacrificed his powers), to be able to die for her, and get reborn. Naksu, who had already chosen JW’s life over her own power, ended up killing him anyway via manipulation. She then kept her promise by jumping off that cliff: If she dies, he dies. If he dies, she dies.

As crazy as that sounds, OG BoYeon’s plan was followed to the T with JW’s resurrection and Naksu reverting to her Cho Yeong self.

JW fell in love with the same soul once more. It had a different packaging, but the same flavour. That’s why he kept asking himself why he was getting the same feelings with BoYeon as with MaDeok. Her coldness once made him stronger and he fell in love with her like that. Now her warmth thawed his ice-cold heart, regaining his will to live and care for the world, as he fell in love with a different facet of the same soul.

In ep 8, when she realises who she is, her coldness towards him wasn’t because she loved him less, if anything she loved him more. Since Naksu knew she would disappear, she couldn’t compromise the body of OG BoYeon (to whom she knew she’d have to give up the body) and she also couldn’t see JW tortured choosing between saving her soul or letting her go once more. Just like Master Lee told Seo Yul, that would be pure agony for JW.

Once JW realises the truth, it’s not that he loves her less, but he understands that his duty to the world was heavily compromised by Naksu being a soul shifter and one way or another, he would have to betray his heart.

Her telling him to come take her life away was the reason and excuse they had to be together once more even if for a bit of time. In those few moments of happiness they had, their love for each other was as true as it gets, because he didn’t have to be split between loving MaDeok and BoYeon, and she was glad to be with him until her soul dispersed. If their love felt heavier, it was only because it was now entirely connected to the fate of the world, which we knew was doomed, instead of it being just about the two of them.

Her sacrifice in giving up BY’s body and JW’s personal choice to let her go to help save Daeho is what ultimately convinced OG BoYeon/OG priestess to let Cho Yeong‘s soul with all her memories as Naksu, MaDeok, and BoYeon be able to take over BoYeon’s body once more.

Their relationship afterwards is a mix of all of their prior relationships + their new responsibilities. Neither loved each other less, they simply loved and accepted all aspects of each other, be it when teasing, being affectionate, or protecting each other etc. There simply was no need for lovey-dovey scenes at that point. We also certainly know they were trying to have a daughter hehe

P.S. I’ve been married for 4 years now, and can add that while we are lovey dovey quite often, more often than not we show our love through teasing each other and our support for each other at all times. The main CP seems to resemble us.

10 episodes feels too long and too short at the same time. Some parts made me wish that the story progressed faster, but more parts made me wish that they give us more actions and backstory.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the whole production. Though I wouldn't mind a third part dedicated to more of their adventure in hunting the rest of Jinyowon relics. And some more of Seo Yul and his swordsmanship in action, also man really is just so handsome I can't get enough of him. I would pay to watch him leading Jeongjingak, recruiting more students and putting them under a strict training regime.

I had hoped that the famed and often mentioned General Seo, Seo Yul's father who is a direct descendant of the legendary Master Seo Gyeong, would make an appearance when his son was in critical condition. Given his ancestry, I'm just so curious of his power and influence over the other mage families.

The grand finale when they released the fire bird and Jang Uk slaying the fire bird in less than five minutes feels rather underwhelming, but since Jang Uk has mastered his power and advanced even more in the three years time skip, I guess it made sense. Also, Seol Ran/Bu Yeon said they needed seven people to safely send the fire bird to Lake Gyeongcheondaeho but it didn't look like they did or helped her with any of that part beside standing there and watching her do it.

Kudos to the writers and both JSM and GYJ that even with the obvious difference in appearance, behavior and mannerism and as audience we have the benefit of knowledge, but their portrayal still gives the feeling of the same character. In Part 1, we saw her adopting the behavior and mannerism of a village girl then that of a servant to blend with the body and situation she has found to be in, she's so different to her true self that were shown when she was alone or as a master to her pupil Jang Uk. Now, in Part 2, we saw her again, finally showing her true personality but without the need to adopt a persona to hide and without the desire for revenge, but with a longing for freedom. This is the young girl who met and befriended Yul in Danhyanggok, before she found out his name and was reminded of her revenge agenda.

I want to also extend my appreciation to the hairstylist team for getting rid of Jang Uk curls and LJW himself for his amazing performance and expressions. As character, in three years, Jang Uk grew from a reckless and childish young master who easily sulk and choose the easier path because that's what his life has always been like, to a mature man, carrying the burden and responsibility of having the ice stone power. The fact that he'd also come to the same decision as Seo Yul did in Part 1 that if he acknowledge who she was, he had to take responsibility showed just how far he's come.

In that regards, I get that some are surprised and upset at Seo Yul for planning to kill Naksu and himself in Danhyanggok, but that's been foreshadowed since Part 1 and he had been internally conflicted since then. He didn't even take the medicine for the blood parasite because he's felt more pain at being unable to stop Naksu when he could and prevent her from running wild. To add that as long as his knowledge went, this Naksu could still run wild and hurt innocent people, until Master Lee assured him that her soul will soon leave the body and he learned of Jin Mu's divination that controlled her violent actions.

That’s not true. Every time Jin Buyeon acted like Naksu, he kept either saying that she was driving him crazy or confusing him (because he kept seeing his dead lover in the actions of his very alive wife). His eyes would get large, he’d stop whatever he was doing just to check Buyeon was still Buyeon, because of the crazy similarities. It’s called subtlety and not feeding everything on a platter to the viewer. It’s an art which is unfortunately on the brink of disappearing from dramas and films altogether

Maybe because you can love more than 1 person at a time
Maybe you don't have to love someone to kiss them
Maybe you want to see what's it like to kiss someone again
Maybe he sees through her care and kissed her to prove he can move on
Maybe deep down he finds her attractive and secretly likes her (boy took a good look at her during the boat scene, 2nd meeting)
Maybe he just wanted to kiss her
Maybe his souls has recognize her (after all, he has shown he cares for her )
Maybe he just sick of drowning in sorrow for the past years
Maybe he finally had a good night sleep and realized he can have a good life w/ her (since she took the chill away from him)

"I just like you so much to the point that I can’t keep my head straight, you held my hand which I thought would never be held again, you helped me sleep when I couldn't and this time I will be the one waiting" -JangUK

*** It's clear he finds her attractive, cares for her, and allows her to be close to him. He lets her hold him a little longer and kiss him w/out pushing her off (let's just say if the Nurse girl kiss him, he would more than likely push her way). His mean words are just a defense mechanism anyway. All these happened way before he kissed her. The signs are there.

All the folks complaining that we didn’t get “badass Naksu” back really are showing that the only way they think a female character can be strong is if she kicks ass. Was Naksu awesome? Of course. But she was also the version of Cho Yeong that was abused, neglected, forced into becoming magically and physically powerful as a tool for Jin Mu.
In the end, Cho Yeong made her own choice to reclaim her birth name, stick with the divine powers she received from Bu Yeon, and be happy and free alongside the person she loves.
Also, would you want to go back to using the magic and the sword that you were forced to kill your lover with?! Yeong and Uk both spend the whole story chasing freedom, and they both got it in the end.
They are both powerful, both free of others’ control, both happy with each other. I don’t see how that isn’t an ideal ending.

To me I saw similarities between Buyeon and Mudeok. But yes she was changed,not completely the same. As people do, they change, even if you meet a person after 5 years in real life you will find them changed.
Plus she’s lost her memories, for 3 years she was trapped in Jinyuwon, her ‘so called mother’ was obviously abusive, a life, a different memories she couldn’t be the exact Same. But in my view the essence was the same, I could see that they were the same person.

And I believe even if Uk doesn’t know they’re the same, and he thinks she’s a different woman, it’s okay for him to fall in love again.

No one deserves to be that sad, and lonely. Mudeok was dead, three years have passed in the begining of part2. He’s so hurt to the point that he wants to die. Is someone supposed to stay single forever if their partner dies? It’s obvious how sad, and hurt he is after loosing Mudeok and he deserves to find love again and be happy again….I would not blame him even if Buyeon wasn’t Mudeok. But the beauty is just that….that they are the same.

In my mind no one chooses who they Love. It just happens. Love is destiny. If someone could choose who they loved, they would only make practical, sane choices, yet people fall for people that are wrong for them. People fall in love despite knowing it would be difficult to stay togeter, despite knowing their life would be harder together. So love is not a choice. So love is destined in a way.

I watched both seasons in one binge so I saw it as a 30 eps long series instead of split into 2.

I don’t agree that Jang Uk should receive the criticism of forgetting Naksu and moving on to JBY. He mourned Naksu’s “death” for 3 years and wanted to die.

Edit: “I would recognise you in total darkness, were you mute and I deaf. I would recognise you in another lifetime entirely, in different bodies, different times. - Song of Achilles.

JBY’s sudden appearance to his life shook him because she had very similar traits with Naksu even though he never thought it would be a possibility, therefore, he was naturally drawn to her. That’s why he said “perhaps we recognized each other from the beginning.” Their souls found each other even if they could not recognize each other right away.

On the other hand, even if JU fell in love with JBY, it meant no disrespect to his love with Naksu. He mourned for 3 years and why should he continue to be suicidal or live in misery if such a wonderful person like JBY appeared to show JU that he deserved to live? JBY also came into his life when he was most vulnerable so of course he was confused.

I enjoyed S1 for the plot and how it laid the foundation for S2. S2 had bad ass JU and a beautiful romance to wrap it all up.

Does anyone have suggestions for other dramas with this bad boy anti hero vibe? I love me a bad boy like Jang Uk.

Park Jin took away all of Jang Kang's things after Jang Kang confessed to his wrongdoings. Remember the scene with Park Jin and the Royal family? They took his sword back as well. As for Jang Uk, they took away his rights to be Gwangu since he knew that Mu Deok was Naksu. He
is also probably using her sword to avenge those who wronged Naksu and to remember and honor her.

Okay. I am a fan of both cdramas and kdramas. So i can give my neutral opinion here coz I love them both equally.

About kdramas, lets admit it. They indeed reached global success until today. Not only Squid Game, but many kdramas are reaching the highest peak of international appreciation. We can see many international platforms like Netflix, Disney, VIU, Viki, Kocowa, and even CHINESE platforms like iQiyi and WeTV also bought so many kdramas licenses. Plus, Korean also has Kpop and Webtoon who also successfully invaded the global market. Its all fact, right "nosnoop"? So "Empress Weiyoung" is indeed a troll who mocked nothing. She just wanna spread hate here. Not all cdramas fans are like her. Many users in MDL are both cdramas n kdramas watcher. Including me.

For Chinese dramas, "nosnoop", let me give you some facts. Cdramas got huge significant progress in their industry since around 2015 until now. Yes, their biggest market is still China and Asia. But they are invading the global market slowly now. The most popular cdramas who hit international success in the beginning was Journey of Flower (2015), Nirvana in Fire (2015), Eternal Love (2017), Ashes of Love (2018) and The Untamed (2019). They were a hit in international market. Even Korean n Japan national TV also bought the license to air them. Because the big success of cdramas I mentioned above, especially The Untamed, it opened more access for other cdramas to enter international market.

Chinese platforms like iQiyi and Tencent/WeTV made international app so people outside China can access cdramas easier and they get decent multiple subtitles from many languages. Netflix also bought some popular cdrama licenses, like The Untamed, Ashes of Love, Goodbye My Princess, Word of Honor, The Kings Avatar, Love O2O, The Rise of The Phoenixes, etc.

Netflix also bought recent cdramas who got international success like Who Rules The World and Love Between Fairy and Devil. Many successful cdramas are from Historical drama, Period Costume drama, Wuxia, Fantasy, and Xianxia genre. Because cdramas are still the best in period costume and martial arts field.

For modern dramas, Korean is still number one in this field. But some modern chinese dramas also got international success like Love O2O, You Are My Glory, Oath of Love, Falling into Your Smile, My Girlfriend is Alien, Crush, etc.

Many international viewers in MDL watched chinese dramas and it already proved us that cdramas also got a place in international market. Plus more platforms also aired cdramas besides IQiyi n WeTV, like Netflix, Disney, Viki and VIU.

So, my conclusion, i dont see the reason why Empress Weiyoung was mocking kdramas when she absolutely knew all the facts I said above. Both kdramas and cdramas are both competing in international market in healthy way. So lets just support our faves without degrading each other. I love both of kdramas n cdramas, and I will continue to support them.

Go YounJung also has done a great job portraying her character. Once if you watch season 2 you will definitely come to like her too ...both Jung Somin and Go YounJung are great actresses, they both are extraordinary in their own ways. At one point I felt that they are same person, because of way they talk and also the expressions..Just watch and you will know it too❣️