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

[larus]

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls: Episodes 13-14 Open Thread

by missvictrix

 

It’s a brutal batch of episodes this week. More pain, more loss, and still no firm understanding of the root of the evil fate that’s cursed all our characters for so many centuries. Each reveal creates only a deeper question, and in our penultimate week, our hero has to face the possibility that he’s only been chasing his tail this whole time.

 

EPISODES 13-14 WEECAP

 

Back into the cinematic bathroom we go, with Sang-eon reacting to the horrible memories of bulgasal Hwal with a cruel smile on his blood-smeared face. She stabs him with the bathroom scissors much to his shock (they’ve shared such intimate moments not minutes before this) — and we learn this action of hers is only an echo of what happened 1,000 years ago in that scene of bloodshed. Sang-eon (or whoever she was then) raises a blade against bulgasal Hwal, but he catches it with his hand, giving him the infamous scar on his right hand that’s been with him since. Oh snap!

You might think we can gather some meaningful intelligence from this flashback, but when they talk about it, Hwal and Sang-eon realize they both recall the same scene, but in each, the other is the bloodthirsty monster. So I don’t know what’s going on.

 

Thanks to her new fated shoulder scar, Hwal is sure that Sang-eon will continue to get her memories back, and that she’ll hate him when she does. I beg to differ, but we shall see.

But there’s something else that we learn through another 1,000-year-old memory, and it’s Hwal and Sang-eon in each other’s arms. They both seem like bulgasal lovers, and Sang-eon is smiling down at an adorable infant, with another child nearby. Wait, are they a happy little bulgasal family?! Alas, bulgasal Hwal worries that she’s obsessed with the children and will leave him… and that’s the end of that memory. Why oh why don’t they tell each other these memories more openly? It would make things so much easier.

 

Something (stupid) possesses Aunt Lee, Si-ho, and Do-yoon, and despite being safe at the mansion, they travel back to the dilapidated house they all prefer to call home. This decision leads to the brutal mayhem and death that everyone will have to face shortly.

They know Ok Eul-tae will make a move, and Hwal rightly takes his threat to harm the people around him seriously. But while Eul-tae might be in despair over Hwal’s rejection of him (seriously what is up with these two!), he hatches a pretty diabolical plan. And it works.

Ok Eul-tae’s control of the mayor means control of the police, which means control of DETECTIVE HAM (Choi Jae-woong), Hwal’s enemy of the past. They “arrest” Si-ho and Do-yoon and Aunt Lee follows to protect them. But of course they’re not going to the police station. There’s a monster-turned-human who lives in a forest, and as with all of the reincarnated monsters, Ok Eul-ae has a give-and-take with him. In the past this monster killed people and strung them in trees; in the present he doesn’t do much better.

 

MORE https://www.dramabeans.com/2022/01/bulgasal-immortal-souls-episodes-13-14-open-thread/

 

[Haeun]

3 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

also, Sang Woon seemed to have gained some incredulous strength when she got stabbed in the car.. was there a bulgasal trace within her that could be awakened?

Same thing happened back in episode 3 where she was attacked by that other monster, there was a flash of light and next thing we saw was the guy all bloodied up.

[sadthe1st]

i'm guessing that Hwal cannot remember the past after he took the soul from Eul Tae was because, Eul Tae gave up his soul willingly. Sang Woon could have all the past life memories was because Hwal stabbed her, before she could dissipate and reincarnate as human. that's why the karma continues.

 

and it seems like,

the dark hole on Eul Tae chest became smaller and less lethal to him when Hwal is in a state of fury and merciless.

either that, or when Sang Woon and Hwal grew closer the dark hole became bigger and bleed more

 

 

[rocher22]

8 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

i'm guessing that Hwal cannot remember the past after he took the soul from Eul Tae was because, Eul Tae gave up his soul willingly.

 

it didnt seem to me that ET agreed to that...or I missed something...

Eul Tae looked surprised when Hwal took his soul..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sadthe1st]

1 hour ago, rocher22 said:

it didnt seem to me that ET agreed to that...or I missed something...

Eul Tae looked surprised when Hwal took his soul..

i was just guessing there..

 

 

or, maybe he didn't expect the curse!

 

[lolly84]

I think ET didn't agree about his soul token from him... I think Hwal wished to reincarnate as human to experience human emotions but i think 1000yr ago there has been a misunderstanding between him and Bulgasal lady. Maybe ET set up a plan to separate them and Hwal made a bad decision back then.

[andy78]

1 hour ago, sadthe1st said:

maybe he didn't expect the curse!

i think the same...he just wanted to be strong....he had no idea about the price he had to pay...the eternal pain and loneliness ...

[spartania]

Hello everyone, I'm a silent lurker and I enjoy every one of your thoughts! So I thought of sharing mine too 

We really cannot trust a word of ET:

- In the earlier episodes, he kept telling Hwal that it's Sang Woon who cursed him with the Dark Hole when, as shown in the last episode, it's actually Hwal who did.

- Also, during the fight scene on the rails, he told Hwal that it's Hwal himself who asked him to turn him into Bulgasal. 
Well that's technically true, but he left the part where Hwal was already a Bulgasal in the first place, stole ET's soul and asked ET to come back later and give him back his "Bulgasal status", thus the Dark Hole curse.

- That makes me wonder if he told the truth to Detective Kwon.

 

On a side note, in the scene where Hwalsal is stealing ET's soul, I wonder why he's concerned about dying: I thought Bulgasals couldn't die. His exact words (well the subs lol) are : "I cannot die yet".
And also who stabbed him to the point that he was incapacited ? Could a human have that much strength ? 
Maybe Lady Bulgasal ? If so, that could explain why he was worried about dying, since Bulgasals can kill each other.
And by the way he was talking and by his face expressions, it sounded to me more like :

"That b*** stabbed me, I have to get back at her"

than :

"Oh no! If I die, she dies too and I can't let that happen!"

That brings me to Ms Lee profession. 

Spoiler

An evil spirit will come from the dark hole. The evil spirit opened the dark hole. An now, it is coming to close it.

Who's the evil spirit ? Is it Hwal since he's the one who created it !?

 

P.S.: I can't stop replaying the very last scene over and over again!!! 

[illay]

On 1/30/2022 at 11:37 PM, JustforBulgasal said:

(i think a counter argument that ET was killing Hwal before that to become true bulga is that a soul can only be destroyed 8 times before its gone forever. Since he destroyed the soul in SU 7 times so far, it means he never destroyed it in Hwal before, maybe only killed him but not destroy the soul)

 

22 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

the dark hole curse on Eul Tae is casted by Hwal when he took the soul from him (the soul, still looks like a tiny chicken heart to me lol).. Hwal dissipated in golden ashes on the spot and probably got reincarnated as a human freely in a cycle of 400 years before he finally started his final mission 600 years as the current one 

 

It could be his first reincarnation in the span of 400 years because after a being dies, a being will not always directly go the next life but there is this 'pause' state as soul  which is called limbo. The duration on limbo state for each individuals are different, it's up for universe to decide it (and  it's also affected by karma). 

 

23 hours ago, sadthe1st said:

also, Sang Woon seemed to have gained some incredulous strength when she got stabbed in the car.. was there a bulgasal trace within her that could be awakened?

On episode where Sang un was strangled by the monster of fire, If u look closely, the black vein started to appear on her jaw area. I actually wish She can somehow change to burgasal automatically so there's no need any headache to think about How to deceive ET to stab her for returning the soul. Furthermore, ET has killed/stabbed her 7 times on her previous life. How come the soul didn't return back to ET at that time?

[ninaanin]

Hello everybody.

 

I have some ideas that I would like to point out:

 

1. SOUL: at least in the case of the bulgasal specie, when they become humans – through stealing a human’s soul – they don’t carry/get the soul’s personality. In other words, a bulgasal basically remains the same when they are reborn as human, despite the soul they get, and which enable them to be born as human. If I’m not wrong, in principle, it is the soul who keeps the personality (and memories) of a certain human being when s/he is reborn. However, in the case of Hwal and SU, they don’t have the same personality as ET, and they have memories of a time before the time they have been possessing ET’s soul.

 

2. BODY: The above leads me to think that, at least in the case of bulgasal specie, the body is their real “soul”, their bodies don’t really extinguish (I don’t know how to explain in English). In the case of humans, the body is perishable, and the soul is unperishable (at least according to some believes, as that of reincarnation). Meanwhile, the bulgasal specie – who hasn’t soul – would have an unperishable body, even when they become human and are reborn, some unperishability quality could remain, and therefore, it would keep its original personality and, also some body qualities. I don’t remember who (and when or where) wrote that Hwal was so strong (when human) because he once was a bulgasal: I think she or he is right. In fact, Hwal was stronger than any other warrior and the only one who could really kill monsters. This could apply also to SU, and therefore could explain how she can become stronger – e.i., even changing the colour of her eyes (it happened in episode 12) [This point seems to add to the considerations of @illayand  @JustforBulgasal ]. 

 

3. In conclusion, we could say that SU and Hwal (when human) aren’t completely human: they keep in their bodies some bulgasal’s quality. Maybe it is why ET said he is half bulgasal because his body is originally a human body.

 

4. A distinctive characteristic of Hwal’s personality is that he has a hot and almost uncontrollable temper. What he said to SU that he couldn’t think straight when he knew she was in danger is the essence of his personality. And this characteristic, I think, is a major factor in the misunderstanding between bulgasal couple throughout the millennium.

 

5. ET: I do agree with @andy78 – He enjoys being a bulgasal, the only things that bother him is the dark hole and the possibility that they could return to be human. As many of us said already, ET is a liar and his liar technique is that of to build a lye from a small part of truth, messing with people’s memory and the fact that normally people don’t know the whole picture. I think that: A) He likes being bulgasal: it means to him power and eternity; B ) But, to fully enjoy being a bulgasal, he must close the dark hole, and that can only be done by breaking his own soul. Therefore, he needs Hwal to do this job. C) I don’t believe anymore that he wants or wanted Hwal's friendship or partnership: sure, he is an attention seeker, and he suffers when he is “abandoned”, but only to the point the person or monster would be useful to him. 

 

6. HWAL KILLS MONSTERS – I don’t think it is surprising that Hwal killed the detective’s father. The only reason to believe that the killer was ET, it was the fact that was said bulgasal killed the detective’s sister too. But I think that ET lied here, Hwal’s didn’t kill her. So, if we put aside her death, it makes sense it was Hwal who killed him, because the father was a monster: Hwal never denied that he kills monsters. What he always denies is that he have killed innocent people, therefore he didn’t kill the little girl. We have to wait to see how she died, but I don’t think it was Hwal’s fault. Btw, I think that the detective will pounder the fact that his father was a monster and won’t blame Hwal; until now he didn’t know his father was a monster and an assassin.

 

7. I think as @illay: the preview is misleading. It will not make sense that SU would tell Hwal that ET saved him without saying that he was originally a bulgasal and that they were a couple. It would be soooo bad writing not to tell Hwal everything that she remembered that I hope we won’t get there.

 

Bye!  

[spartania]

1 hour ago, illay said:

Furthermore, ET has killed/stabbed her 7 times on her previous life. How come the soul didn't return back to ET at that time?

I think it's by will that Bulgasal steals a soul. What with all the people ET's killed so far, he would have already turned back human since.

[backstreetboysfan]

I really hope Hwal and SW get there happy ending.

[lolly84]

As far as the drama showed ET is NOT REDEEMABLE. In all his life as Bulgasal he took so many lives without thinking about an alternative way of feeding, i mean he could have fed himself with animals blood as Hwal and Sangwoon 1000yr ago and Hwal after his new life. So even if in his life 1000 yr ago he was abandoned by his father who never considered him as a rightful son, ET is a MONSTER, PERIOD.

I want to see happy ending but i'm ready for an open ending.

 

[andy78]

2 hours ago, lolly84 said:

. So even if in his life 1000 yr ago he was abandoned by his father who never considered him as a rightful son, ET is a MONSTER, PERIOD.

i feel the same

 

2 hours ago, lolly84 said:

i'm ready for an open ending.

yes is better than i sad ending

[Fummagirl]

30 minutes ago, andy78 said:

i feel the same

 

yes is better than i sad ending

 I think they leave that soul heai was et  so I think. Bulgasal need to kill each other and I think do yan was et brother 

[illay]

 

23 hours ago, ninaanin said:

7. I think as @illay: the preview is misleading. It will not make sense that SU would tell Hwal that ET saved him without saying that he was originally a bulgasal and that they were a couple. It would be soooo bad writing not to tell Hwal everything that she remembered that I hope we won’t get there.

 

Bye!  

@ninaanin I can see that She would tell Hwal that He was originally a bulgasal to ease him from guilty  but She might exclude the point that They were a couple. . We are talking about sang Un, a caring woman who doesn't hesitate to sacrifice her life. When they were embracing each other on the last episode , She already told him that She would protect him so that He would be able to protect his family. That scene is beautiful for our OTP but at the same time it kind giving  a clue that She is ready to sacrifice her own life if that's what it needs to end Hwal's misery.

If She tells him that They were lovers, Hwal's attention will be divided and He will feel so guilty when She died. 

Well we can see from the preview that She point the knife on her own neck although of course Hwall will prevent it to happen.

Anyway ..I also hope She will not hide the fact but just in case the writers try to mess things haha 

 

Bye??! On hibernate mode again like a bear?

 

23 hours ago, spartania said:

I think it's by will that Bulgasal steals a soul. What with all the people ET's killed so far, he would have already turned back human since.

If will is needed then there's no way SU soul can be switched to ET . ET likes to live forever.  The way to steel the soul is indeed unclear. Maybe the writers will resolve it with something anomaly.

 

 

[RobinM]

Calling it now: Si Ho’s baby will be a girl, the reincarnation of Aunty finally giving Hwal a chance to be able to be able to be a loving father and raise a child well at last. 
 

I don’t think the sacrificial lamb SU Will make it unfortunately but be reborn for him to find eventually and be a loving gentle  not jealous or repressed partner this time. 

 

Or they could all die of angst and grief with no closure What do I know? 

[angelbeast90]

A stupid question maybe!

 

But am I mishearing something on Eultae's theme music; like why do I hear someone singing 'I love you!" in an ominous sing-song voice!

[vitik2011]

3 часа назад, РобинМ сказал:

Назовем это сейчас: ребенок Си Хо будет девочкой, реинкарнацией тети, наконец, дающей Хвалу шанс стать любящим отцом и, наконец, хорошо воспитать. 
 

Я не думаю, что жертвенный ягненок SU, к сожалению, выживет, но переродится, чтобы, в конце концов, найти и стать любящим нежным, а не ревнивым или подавленным партнером на этот раз. 

 

Или они все могут умереть от тоски и горя, так и не закончив Что я знаю? 

почему у Хвала есть дочь Си Хо? может ее отец появится в последней серии? У HW and SU должна быть своя история - грустная или счастливая в конце. Надеюсь на признание в любви от Hwal

[Kathia]

On 2/1/2022 at 4:24 PM, spartania said:

I think it's by will that Bulgasal steals a soul. What with all the people ET's killed so far, he would have already turned back human since.

Or maybe they need that special sword/dagger. But it wouldn't make sense, since he stabbed Doyoon with that right? But the one Sangasal Lady stabbed human Hwal was a sword and not a dagger right? So confusing.