[Drama 2021/2022] Immortality/ Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, 불가살

[Kathia]

8 hours ago, Haeun said:

The only thing that makes me doubt is how General Dan/Hoyeol is so fond of Hwal, 1000 years ago he favoured his second son and 600 years ago he neglected his own daughter being closer with Hwal, he also said in the preview something like how he can't help but not hate Hwal while it's different with Eultae.

Yes, that's kinda weird, unless Hwal became his son-in-law 1000 years ago too. The general had two sons, but he didn't say if he had any daughters. Eul Tae wasn't suprised when he saw Si Hoo and how she kept connecting the people around her (?). Maybe she was his sister.

[Haeun]

34 minutes ago, Kathia said:

Yes, that's kinda weird, unless Hwal became his son-in-law 1000 years ago too. The general had two sons, but he didn't say if he had any daughters. Eul Tae wasn't suprised when he saw Si Hoo and how she kept connecting the people around her (?). Maybe she was his sister.

Eultae did a make notion about her relationship with Hwal and Sangun being tenacious, which if we take it as him insinuating not just the present but past lifes too, makes it sound like she is rather connected to those two than himself which makes me wonder if her tie has even anything to do with the soul itself if we go with the theory that it's indeed originally Eultae's. I've also read somewhere that Lee Joon said he only shares like 3 scenes with Seungyeon so idk.

Her being his sister would make sense as in he had no problem killing her 600 years ago like he did with his brother lol.

[Redpinkboxes]

On 1/19/2022 at 2:22 AM, thistle said:

@Redpinkboxes Please don't go back into lurkdom!

 

Your theory seems really interesting so I really wanted to understand because I'm sure it's all well-thought-out but I got so completely lost and confused reading because of switching back and forth between cast names and real names that I can't really comment.  Truthfully, I always get K names mixed up anyway so the problem is mine. 

We meet again! I was like omg thistle! And was trying to figure out which drama was it... Unfamiliar family!

 

My bad on that - hahaha it was so confusing for me using their character names as it isn't actually them a 1000/600 years ago.

On 1/19/2022 at 3:34 AM, Haeun said:

@Redpinkboxes The soul originally being Eultae's seems so far the most plausible theory considering he shares the pain and how general dan had ties to the soul each time, him wanting to become a Bulgasal due to him being sickly makes sense too, question is how did the switch happen between Bulgasal Hwal and human Eultae. There are theories were both of them made a deal and maybe that angered female bulgasal but at the same time I feel like they are trying to make her this good being who wasn't evil at all.

There is a chance the female Bulgasal didn't take Hwal's soul on purpose, she seemed a little surprised when it went over to her, she also said how she resented him and how he caused even more bad karma, now I thought there might a possibility that she didn't mean Hwal when she said those things and maybe Bulgasal Eultae was like standing behind or something lol but she also looked at him with resentment so I do think the words were meant for Hwal. I'm really curious as what she mean with "you planned this" though.

I agree with you, she did look shocked and might not have taken it on purpose.

 

Another thing I've been thinking about but then one thing threw me off and I don't think it's plausible.

 

I feel like Eultae woulda known Sol and Doyoon from when he was human a 1000 years ago. And he might have loved them. At least loved Doyoon.

 

Also cause we know Sol definitely was from years before 600 ago so that's why she had an ability?

 

Did anyone else feel like it was almost like a grand encounter when they met in 2022? When she hung the laundry and eultae rocked up? The cinematography at that moment almost woulda felt like romance if the music didnt snap us to reality.

 

There after when he touched her hair inside to get the red string out. Not sure if the red string meant anything like the red string of fate.

 

But yeah to the point of that, because sang euns soul is Eultaes original soul, that explains why Doyoon, Siho and Detective Kwon, and even the Hwals mother, came back to Sang Euns life. 

 

These were the same people that were in Hwals life... As Hwals mum, Hwals step dad, Sol and Achan. And then Eultae's life with Eultae's dad and his step mum.

 

If you hear the words the shaman said about them being intertwined for future reincarnation, she didn't say it'll be intertwined with him, but just intertwined.

 

Then this all make sense, because technically, hwal hasn't seen any of them for the past 7-8 lives Sang Eun has lived. He only encountered them again now, because he finally found Sangeun (with his soul)

 

However what we don't know is that Sangeun might have kept encountering them - case in point, as you guys pointed out, Sangeuns brother was Dankeuk before she died at the age of 4 (reincarnation after Kim Hwa Yeon).

 

So meaning, these characters are intertwined with the soul (Eultae's original soul), not Hwal.

 

Anyway I feel bad for eultae. I feel like he has deep humanity in him, he is just trying to suppress it. Hence you can tell his love for Doyoon and his dad (he didn't want to kill them). Even when he talked to Hwal for the first time, he said "humans are like monsters - humans kill and steal fellow humans as well. 

 

But then he goes on to say "once you make a mistake you can't go back"

 

I think this is touting how he killed his own brother - he might have had regrets of course because he was human too - and you can see the sadness in his eyes. 

 

Another thought: When Sangyeons stabbed Hwal and made him Bulgasal, did anyone realise she didn't talk at all? But he could hear everything she said?

 

Also rewatching that scene, there might be a possibility someone else was there. There were camera angles of them from a far, in a different tone, and Sangyeons eyes did look like she might not have been talking to him. In any case, if this was just in my head, then assume she was talking to Hwal.

 

And her words were: This all happened because of you (exact words were "Made up" by you). 

 

Meaning the turn of events were caused by him.

 

And then she goes on and tell him that he caused bad blood and now the retribution will continue.

 

At the point, it sounded like she was blaming him, that she will be reborn with the scar, that may not have been the case if Hwal didn't kill her. But what would have not been the case? The part she gets reborned? Or the part she gets the scar everytime she gets reincarnated.

 

At the point, she sounded like she thought all this would end, but because she was killed by Hwal, she would be born again... with the scar. But it could be just part there off. What I think is that she put on curse/spell, to be born again with the scar(with the memories) but it will only last for the reincarnations till now - that's why Sangyeon said she's over, because this was the last time she would be reincarnated. 

 

Lastly, Sangeun told him about the scar - that she would be reborn with the scar, because she knows Hwal would find her for revenge, and she wanted Hwal to find her because she wanted him to be find her to be her sword against Eultae. 

 

Anyway, seems like Eultae destroyed her soul 7 times before (and note, he was still hurting even when he destroyed/killed Kim Hwa yeons soul). However this last time he can't seem to do it. Not just cause he hurts, but he can't break her soul.  Hurting probably was all through the 7 times, but the difference is the 8th time can't be done cause Sangyeon did something. Which is probably splitting their souls. 

 

But what is interesting is Eultae probably thinks she will be reincarnated again, because he thought it would be the case until he breaks her soul 8 times. But Sangyeon said she will no longer be reincarnated again, this was her last chance to fix things. Will Sangeun though, be reincarnated again? I think she would, without the memory, cause the spell her sister did to have the scar and the memory is the last time she would if they were split into Sang Eun and Sangyeon. The weird part is the soul that monsters want are in Sangeun, not Sangyeon. What soul did Sangyeon have before she passed? 

 

 

 

[aria26]

57 minutes ago, Redpinkboxes said:

There after when he touched her hair inside to get the red string out. Not sure if the red string meant anything like the red string of fate.

 

But yeah to the point of that, because sang euns soul is Eultaes original soul, that explains why Doyoon, Siho and Detective Kwon, and even the Hwals mother, came back to Sang Euns life. 

 

very interesting points. maybe siho/sol is really more connected to eul tae, maybe she helped him take his soul out and thus was also cursed

[andy78]

very interesting points of view i can't wait to know who guessed right...

5 hours ago, aria26 said:

because sang euns soul is Eultaes original soul

i think the same,the story key is more than 1000 years before

[rocher22]

I wonder if Eul Tae know whose soul he is chasing.

It seems impossible to me that he managed to deceive everyone during those 600 years.

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.tumbral.com/blog/netflixdramas

[Haeun]

11 hours ago, Redpinkboxes said:

Did anyone else feel like it was almost like a grand encounter when they met in 2022? When she hung the laundry and eultae rocked up? The cinematography at that moment almost woulda felt like romance if the music didnt snap us to reality

Definitely but it didn't give me a romantic vibe at all tbh (even though their chemistry is lit lol) it felt rather tense and it might've been due to him having killed her in a previous life, she was also holding Doyoon's shirt in that moment which idk if intentional but was a nice detail.

 

11 hours ago, Redpinkboxes said:

I feel like Eultae woulda known Sol and Doyoon from when he was human a 1000 years ago. And he might have loved them. At least loved Doyoon.

I don't think so, I do believe he only grew fond of Doyoon in this life, I think if he had known him in a previous one they would've revealed it already or hinted towards it, he als would've recognized him unless idk he only knew him during infancy lol. With Siho he didn't really seem that interested in her.

11 hours ago, Redpinkboxes said:

If you hear the words the shaman said about them being intertwined for future reincarnation, she didn't say it'll be intertwined with him, but just intertwined.

Didn't she actually directly refer to him? He even asked that what if he stayed away from then and she said they'll still meet again so I do think it has to do with him which of course still might have to do with the soul because he carried it but I do believe she was refering to him.

So far General Dan/Hoyeol is the one who has the most ties we know of.

 

I thought of the possibilty too that the Bulgasal might have not been refering to Hwal when she said it's his fault but she was directly looking at him so right now it seems more likely, I'm also expecting for Hwal to have done something bad in the past, it would be boring if they made Eultae the sole evil who is behind every bad thing.

 

My thought about Sangyeon saying that she won't be reborn is because she wasn't the one carrying the soul which idk how that whole thing is even supposed to work, the soul somehow split between the two of them but Sangun was the one whose soul the monsters recognized so idk what that means for Sangyeons soul tbh lol.

[Kathia]

The thing about souls. I think both Sang Yeon and Sang Woon had their own souls, since they are human after all. Hwal's soul (which I believe is Eul Tae's soul) is just an extra. Since it has a strong "smell" that even monsters recognize, his soul overlaps with Sang Woon's own soul.

 

And that same soul is the one that allows Sang Yeon to reborn, but since they were born as twins in the 8th life, the one with his soul is the one who'll reborn, hence the last time for Sang Yeon (the reincarnation cycle continues with Sang Woon).

[illay]

New still

Hwall goes to ET's house and see the painting

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mysticmango]

Ooooh I hope seeing that painting brings Hwal some past-life flashbacks! Now that I see more detail, if it really is him in the blue attire and with his back facing Sang Un and instead to those 3 men there... I'm really wondering if he really gave up his Bulgasal deity status after being enticed by earthly delights. Also I just noticed that that first picture is framed so well??? With Hwal's back to us and similarly like the painting. Yeah it's confirmed now lol.

 

I also wonder who those other humans are in that painting too and if they mean anything..

Edited January 21, 2022 by mysticmango

[philosophie]

I’m soo confused what’s going on. Maybe it’s the like, the concept of the show like how they spin the idea of souls and immortality, but I’m just really lost on the whole plot for that. what I gathered at the beginning was we have our main guy, he’s born from a mom that suicides and he survives. I don’t know if his father was bulgalasi so that’s what he is at hit his point, but then we have the standoff with him and our main females doppelgänger/twin/idk and something ‘changes’ I presume because I’m not sure if at this point what ever he was originally is changed into something else or just triggered. Now we have our twins, and then little sister aka his reincarnated wife(?). He knows he killed the twin with the scar aka one he wants revenge on. but why does he still think the other twin shares the same soul (maybe I misunderstood this part or something) even without a scar and is the other half of her twin? Then we see a past life(?)  memory in a field of dandelions or something. I put the ? Marks next to words or phrases I’m not sure of and just my current understanding of what’s going on. 

[rocher22]

Her eyes looked at him without fear and Eul Tae looked at her

with hatred.

He knows she is still stronger than him.

Nothing seems to have changed even after 1000 years.

 

Their first encounter was sparkly...

 

 

 

 

 

https://m.post.naver.com/my.naver?memberNo=10388754

[andy78]

4 hours ago, mysticmango said:

With Hwal's back to us and similarly like the painting. Yeah it's confirmed now lol.

i agree ...it seems he was Bulgasal deity!!!I wonder why he gave up ...did he wanted to be a human so much?was tired of his eternal life?was for the love of a woman?

1 hour ago, rocher22 said:

He knows she is still stronger than him.

yes he can't kill her this time

[angelbeast90]

Sorry to disrupt the discussions but I just felt compelled to share a thought.

 

I wonder If Doyoon is blind because he saw Eultae's brother being killed by Eultae 1000 years ago.

 

So Eultae cursed Doyoon to be born blind in every iteration of his soul!

 

There were two witness at that scene before the Bulgalady stopped Eultae from attacking them.

I was wondering if they were some random passerby's but I feel otherwise coz we just saw a tiny glimpse of them from behind

 

---

I also feel Doyoon's this reincarnation in this life has ended and he is just visiting Siho's dream world to get ready for his next reincarnation.

 

Hope tomorrow Hwal's subconscious awakens and he remembers all his past lives!!

[rocher22]

The scene when Hwal and Sangun were standing on the terrace made made me laugh

Sangun - '' So you believe me...''

Hwal - ''Yes,  you are like a fool with no memory...''   

it was almost flirting...    

 

 

I didnt expect that Eul Tae to be so indifferent to Siho. 

But ET had some friendly feelings for Doyoon even after he found out

DY was Hwal's son.   

 

 

 

https://www.tumbral.com/blog/netflixdramas

 

[Haeun]

2 hours ago, philosophie said:

I’m soo confused what’s going on. Maybe it’s the like, the concept of the show like how they spin the idea of souls and immortality, but I’m just really lost on the whole plot for that. what I gathered at the beginning was we have our main guy, he’s born from a mom that suicides and he survives. I don’t know if his father was bulgalasi so that’s what he is at hit his point, but then we have the standoff with him and our main females doppelgänger/twin/idk and something ‘changes’ I presume because I’m not sure if at this point what ever he was originally is changed into something else or just triggered. Now we have our twins, and then little sister aka his reincarnated wife(?). He knows he killed the twin with the scar aka one he wants revenge on. but why does he still think the other twin shares the same soul (maybe I misunderstood this part or something) even without a scar and is the other half of her twin? Then we see a past life(?)  memory in a field of dandelions or something. I put the ? Marks next to words or phrases I’m not sure of and just my current understanding of what’s going on. 

The male lead was born human but cursed which is said was done because he angered or crossed the bulgasal in a previous life, when the female bulgasal stabs him his soul goes over to her and she keeps on being reborn as human while he became the bulgasal.

The female bulgasal was born as twins in the current timeline, apparently the soul was split between the two where one got the scar and the memories of her past life and the other the "essence" where the monsters can smell her soul and where she can feel them too and she can also reincarnate while her sister couldn't anymore. It's a bit confusing but both twins were the female bulgasal in the past or at least that's how I understood it that's why it doesn't matter to the ml that the twin is dead because the one that's alive still holds the soul. We don't really know about the memory in the reed field yet.

[larus]

Lee Jin Wook And Kwon Nara Unearth More Of The Mysteries Shrouding Their Pasts In “Bulgasal”

Drama Preview

Jan 21, 2022

by S. Nam

 

tvN’s “Bulgasal” released new stills previewing the upcoming episode!

“Bulgasal” is a fantasy drama starring Lee Jin Wook as Dan Hwal, a bulgasal (a mythical creature that does not die or age) who was once human centuries ago. Kwon Nara stars as Min Sang Woon, a woman who is repeatedly reincarnated while fleeing the bulgasal but remembers all her past lives.

Spoilers

In the previous episodes, Nam Do Yoon (Kim Woo Seok) was revealed to be the reincarnation of Dan Hwal’s son from 600 years ago. In order to hide his past crime, Ok Eul Tae (Lee Joon) tried to kill Nam Do Yoon. Ok Eul Tae struck Nam Do Yoon down with his blade, and Dan Hwal cried sorrowfully while holding Nam Do Yoon in his arms.

The newly released stills reveal new clues to the heart-wrenching story of karma and revenge. With it still being uncertain whether or not Nam Do Yoon is alive, Dan Hwal has personally come looking for Ok Eul Tae. In the upcoming episode, a dangerous confrontation may occur as his desire for revenge explodes when Dan Hwal meets Ok Eul Tae, who killed his family 600 years ago and also tried to kill his reincarnated son.

In the new stills, Dan Hwal discovers the large Buddhist artwork that Ok Eul Tae is always looking at. In the artwork, an unidentifiable man and woman have their backs turned on each other. Surrounding them are demons and monsters that Dan Hwal and Min Sang Woon have faced until now, making viewers wonder if they represent the man and woman in the painting. Furthermore, Dan Hwal reaches a hand behind the painting, discovering something in the process.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Another still captures Min Sang Woon’s past life from 50 years ago as Kim Hwa Yeon (Kwon Nara). Sitting next to her younger sister who is preparing her medicine as usual, Kim Hwa Yeon wears a serious expression. With pursed lips, she stares directly at something while grabbing her cup so tightly that it looks as if it might break.

 

Furthermore, a young Hye Seok (Park Myung Shin), who lived in the same village at the time, looks surprised, creating strange tension in the air. Previously, when Min Si Ho (Gong Seung Yeon) read the memory of Hye Seok’s soul, the soul had peculiarly stated, “Please take the memory of my soul.” 50 years later, Hye Seok suddenly tossed out a new prediction about a person who lost their memories.

 

Spoiler

 

Hye Seok, who was a shaman in her past life, uses the memories of her soul to talk to people in the present, and it appears as if she has sent another warning. Viewers are curious to find out what significant message she delivered to Kim Hwa Yeon and if there are any other secrets within the past lives Min Sang Woon cannot recall.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1509375wpp/lee-jin-wook-and-kwon-nara-unearth-more-of-the-mysteries-shrouding-their-pasts-in-bulgasal

 

[Kathia]

23 hours ago, rocher22 said:

The scene when Hwal and Sangun were standing on the terrace made made me laugh

Sangun - '' So you believe me...''

Hwal - ''Yes,  you are like a fool with no memory...''   

it was almost flirting...    

 

 

I didnt expect that Eul Tae to be so indifferent to Siho. 

But ET had some friendly feelings for Doyoon even after he found out

DY was Hwal's son.   

 

https://www.tumbral.com/blog/netflixdramas

 

It's not that surprising to me that Eul Tae was fond of Doyoon even after knowing his past life, since Eul Tae actually seems to like Hwal. Is Eul Tae ever angry with him? I think the only times when Eul Tae is angry with Hwal is when Hwal cares about Sang Woon, which is the one Eul Tae hates the most. He was not even angry when Hwal caused that freak car accident.

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by gm4queen
Please don't quote GIFs! Thanks!

[philosophie]

8 hours ago, Haeun said:

The male lead was born human but cursed which is said was done because he angered or crossed the bulgasal in a previous life, when the female bulgasal stabs him his soul goes over to her and she keeps on being reborn as human while he became the bulgasal.

The female bulgasal was born as twins in the current timeline, apparently the soul was split between the two where one got the scar and the memories of her past life and the other the "essence" where the monsters can smell her soul and where she can feel them too and she can also reincarnate while her sister couldn't anymore. It's a bit confusing but both twins were the female bulgasal in the past or at least that's how I understood it that's why it doesn't matter to the ml that the twin is dead because the one that's alive still holds the soul. We don't really know about the memory in the reed field yet.

Ahh so our characters connected beyond the past life we see at the beginning of the show when he meets the general and marries his daughter and has the blind son?
 

Okay thank you that makes way more sense. I think it’s because my idea of souls is that it belongs to an individual. Not that it’s shared between many people. Then it confuses me who’s who, like who is their own self if that makes sense. one thing that frustrated me/also made me confused was how come Narayan character didn’t stud6 self defense or take any martial arts in the 15 yeArs she was in hiding after her sister and mom died. 

[Kathia]

51 minutes ago, philosophie said:

Ahh so our characters connected beyond the past life we see at the beginning of the show when he meets the general and marries his daughter and has the blind son?
 

Okay thank you that makes way more sense. I think it’s because my idea of souls is that it belongs to an individual. Not that it’s shared between many people. Then it confuses me who’s who, like who is their own self if that makes sense. one thing that frustrated me/also made me confused was how come Narayan character didn’t stud6 self defense or take any martial arts in the 15 yeArs she was in hiding after her sister and mom died. 

Yes, there's more it. What we know are the lives from 600 years ago. Yet, Eul Tae has lived for 1000 years and we've seen through flashbacks that he met Sang Woon 1000 years ago, which was when it all started. In other words, the scenes at the beginning of ep1 were not the "start" of the story, but the "middle" of the story.

 

A soul belongs to an individual, that's true, but most of us think that Eul Tae's soul is the one who is being "carried" by other people except him. He was human, but since he is a bulgasal now (a being with no soul whatsoever), means that his soul went to someone else, hence the confusion.

 

I think we'll get all answers this upcoming weekend.