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gifs from baek1nho’s tumblr
He’s totally friend-zoned …errr… master-zoned her.
gifs from yesdramas’ tumblr
lol. At this point, Yul is probably thinking that MuDeok is an enabler.
Let’s enjoy the show.
66 Comments On “Alchemy of Souls: Eps 5 & 6 Open Thread”
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Thank you, @packmule3. I’m looking forward to the training sessions in Naksu’s hometown.
Do we know who that mysterious mage who called out that Gwiju, the dog spirit, from the Jin family vault?
Can he be the other person that Heo Yeom remembers as having achieved the “alchemy of souls”? In Episode 4, he explains how soul-shifting came to be.
Yul: (talking about the soul shifter) He is no different from an evil spirit. I can see why you forbid this sorcery.
HY: The alchemy of souls was not a type of sorcery from the start. You can only perform this once you have mastered Jipsu, Ryusu, Chisu, and ultimately, Hwansu.
DangGu: Hwansu is the godlike power of changing water to fire and vice versa. Is it not? Humans cannot reach that level.
HY: Right. But Master Seo Gyeong, the founder of Songrim, did. There was also someone else.
DangGu: Who?
HY: As if you would know his name.
Then, in the next scene the mysterious mage appears at Jinyowon. His skills must be at god-level then. But I don’t think he wouldn’t be out to get Naksu/MuDeok should they encounter each other. He’d probably be empathetic of her situation. I see him as being her ally and Uk’s.
As for that Royal Astrologer in Episode 4, @Fern, the jury is still out on that one. I don’t know what his role is/will be on the drama.
@packmule3, it seemed that he was potentially their ally in the previews for this weekend’s episodes and I hope you are correct with that prediction. He recognised that a great soul was in Mu Deok’s body, therefore he knows the danger she is in. If we can use his hat to identify him, he was the one who offered her power when her parents were killed. I had thought it to be Jin Mu when I first watched it.
If humans, except for Master Seo Gyong and one other, can’t master Hwansu, I wonder how Jang Kang and Jin Mu managed it to shift souls? I know that JK sent JM away when he was asking him to change him back out of the King’s body. He said go to the Cheonbugwan secret room and bring me the Soul Ejector. I wonder if that’s a device that performs a sort of short-cut? Naksu seemed to have a small orb when she shifted souls. Just speculation from me.
I agree, @Fern.
Master Seo Gyong, founder of Songrim, and that anonymous person achieved soul-shifting without the use of a device. My sense is they achieved it through a natural process or a natural progression in their magical skills.
However, Jang Gang acquired the soul-shifting ability through experimentation. Remember that mom in the opening scene? She said it was Jang Gang who did it on her son. He probably approached them and asked if the son would volunteer for the experiment.
My guess is he was using people like lab rats to perfect his “Soul Ejector” device. He already had 8 failed experiments.
Then, he passed on his information to Jin Mu and Jin Mu passed it on to Naksu.
Kalispera Ladies!
@Packmule3 and @Fern,
I am going to rewatch Episode 1 and Episode 4 to search a picture for the Royal AStrologer. I will also check if the man was Naksu’s father as she remembers that night her whole clan was annihilated. Just give me some time!
I am anxious about that Teacher Lee as well.
Hi! How do we get the password for the protected posts about this drama? I’m obsessed with it and would love to read your insights on it.
Okay…I have got the screenshots. Since I am not familiar with this actor I cannot say that he is indeed the same person. The director deliberately used different shots of his face in those two scenes and he is not yet credited on the cast!
From Episode 2 Naksu’s father:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZKjpnaqK4a33tRiAsVaRfItrD1mDe9H3/view?usp=sharing
From Episode 4 The Royal Astrologer:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qtFkKX059sDfeRiM-YGZ-Rm4K7djj3Sz/view?usp=sharing
The Royal Astrologer is indeed Naksu’s father.
@SnowFlower,
I saw the latest episode too and they confirmed it.
Did something happen to the Royal Astrologer such that he seemed to be on a killing rampage? Songrim’s people had to be there to kill him to stop him. Did he discover the truth of Uk’s origin? Or that he got soul shifted?
After watching Episode 5, here are the highlights:
1. Naksu is indeed the daughter of that Royal Astrologer.
(see my post with the photos)
2. From the flashback, taking into account what the Maid told to little Naksu and then hid her (since we don’t know her real name), her father went to a killing spree for some reason killing everyone in their house? He was the one who killed that maid. So, Mage Park had to fight him in order to stop him?
Question: What made Naksu’s father to go into a killing spree?
If the girl doesn’t remember correctly, yes the evil man Jin could have manipulate her memories and feelings, in order to train her and become NAKSU the shadow killer. From what we have seen Mage Park didn’t go there to punish Naksu’s father on the King’s orders. He reacted, after the killing of that maid.
3. We learned from the encounter with Master Lee that Mudeok / Naksu is a special case of soul shifter and she hasn’t gone wild and petrified at this point for a reason as well. That reason is not revealed yet!
That means that MuDeok is special, even though she was blind or a weak person as Naksu says. So, MuDeok’s body is the secret weapon and she “hides” something as well. We shall see what that is.
Last but not least, in the dream sequence, we saw again both Naksu and MuDeok that means that MuDeok’s soul is still in her body, but she is not in charge, Naksu is.
That means their souls are interwined for some reason? Could they have been born the same day, for instance? Making it possible to for Naksu to habitate MuDeok’s body and not going wild?
There is a parameter that is not shown to us deliberately and endless possibilities…
P.S. That marriage won’t happen…
@Grace,
They didn’t say what happened exactly. I think it will be fully showed to us, when Naksu finds the truth about her father. She was fooled by the evil Jin to believe that they have deliberately killed him. Something happened to him that made him “temporary mad”. The Four Families went there to stop him.
@Cleopatra, I think Royal Astrologer saw the real star chart of the day Uk was born. He showed it to his daughter and that sealed his fate. That means Uk and Naksu share the same birthday (maybe she is a couple of years older).
My question is: The leaders of the 4 houses were involved in the destruction of Naksu’s family. We already know that Jang Kang and Park Jin know the secret of UK’s birth. Does that mean that Master Heo and Lady Jin are also aware of it? If not, I am curious how did PJ and JK persuade them to participate in the massacre?
@Cleopatra That marriage certainly won’t happen, considering how JW is already hinting at marriage with MD lol.
Besides that, kudos to everyone pointing to the Royal Astronomer. Though he surely wasn’t killed, in fact he went on a killing spree. I guess that is also related to the soul shifting.
This is the first entirely fantasy drama that I’m seeing of the Hong sisters. I guess the only other is Hotel del Luna. The rest that I’ve seen had a fantasy element in a normal human story. At least, I can see they’ve done a good job with world building. Everything that we are curious of is usually taken care of in the next episode.
Oops, forget what I said earlier. The father of Naksu (or a soul shifter in his body) was the one who killed the maid. But why did the mages not look for the daughter?
I also want to know more about the real My Deok.
@SnowFlower,
I don’t think the rest know about Uk’s true lineage. The only one who know is his true paternal figure Mage Park.
It is okay. We will get to see what happened. They may have looked about her. Don’t forget that at that time the first daughter of the Jin family was lost as well. Maybe they were looking up until a point, then thought she is dead.
If MuDeok is a special case, that means she comes from a powerful background? Could she really be the long lost daughter of the Jin family? But what have they done to her in order to become blind?
@waps
I agree that the marriage won’t happen. Jang Uk is fated to be with MuDeok / Naksu.
I will agree that this drama is totally different than all the others that Hong Sisters penned. I haven’t seen Hotel de la Luna. I have seen half of the Korean Odyssey and at one point I didn’t want to continue it, because I felt that they have made the main female character kinda stubborn and naive… and I stopped it.
I do hope Alchemy of Souls will continue to be in the same pace, with world building and explanation of the major events, with character development and not plotholes.
We shall see…
P.S. How old is really Hemp Teacher Lee?
Since we know that Mage Seo Yeom was his pupil…?
P.S.2.That chaste tea…LOL
@Cleopatra, yes, the chaste tea. — And the way his assistant looked when Jin Mu suggested that he soul shift with a eunuch. None of these men, except for perhaps Hemp Teacher Lee, is ready to give up their libido. We don’t actually know if HTL actually did it or if it’s a bluff. Maybe this will be the reason that Jang Uk gives to not get married? Lol.
So something happened with Naksu’s father and he started to kill his household members. Naksu was hidden by the maid and warned to flee from her own father. She must not have remembered that bit, only that he was killed by the mage families?
I’m a bit worried that Mu Deok was made drunk by the crown prince for a purpose – to get information from her or find Uk?
I wonder why cinnamon was so unpleasant a smell for her – most people like it? Is the dislike of cinnamon the signal of something?
This is what I’ve found about cinnamon on the internet (I am amazed):
What does cinnamon symbolize in magic?
Cinnamon: Abundance, Protection and Passion The aromatic essence of cinnamon warms our soul and ignites our passions. Infused with the Sun’s energy, cinnamon’s magic lends itself to spells and magical workings that enhance protection, prosperity and passion.
From Wikipedia:
Cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations that it was regarded as a gift fit for monarchs[9] and even for a deity; a fine inscription records the gift of cinnamon and cassia to the temple of Apollo at Miletus.[10] Its source was kept a trade secret in the Mediterranean world for centuries by those in the spice trade, in order to protect their monopoly as suppliers.
The first Greek reference to κασία : kasía is found in a poem by Sappho in the 7th century BC. According to Herodotus, both cinnamon and cassia grew in Arabia, together with incense, myrrh and labdanum, and were guarded by winged serpents.
On Wikipedia there is no mention of what a dislike of cinnamon might mean and no mention of allergies.
My first impression of the dream of former Mu Deok and current Mu Deok was that they were brought close together by the spell being performed by Hemp Teacher Lee, and if he had succeeded in killing her at that time, they would have merged and Naksu’s soul would leave as Mu Deok’s had when Naksu’s body died of her wounds.
But I also like @Cleopatra’s interpretation that both souls are still available somehow and that it is due to the original Mu Deok. Mage Lee can’t feel any energy from around Mu Deok, but he could see something radiating when she was “sleep-walking” during the fight. It was interesting to me that Sapsali didn’t growl or bark at her when she appeared in the morning after her dream.
@Cleopatra, I like the theory of the real Mu Deok being the long lost Jin heiress. Maybe the aversion to cinnamon is a clue?
@Fern, good point about the dog no longer growling at MD after HTL put a spell on her.
Hello! 👋 This drama got me hooked! I binged watched all episodes last night as the discussions here got me so curious! Now I’m paying for binge watching! *yawn* 😅
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jin Mu had a hand in getting all four leaders involved the night Naksu’s family died! It seems convenient that he was there at the massacre scene right after it ended!
I wonder what happened with Mu-Deok when Master Lee and Uk was fighting outside the hut? She didn’t remember anything that transpired there.. not sure if it was explained and I just missed it, but I’m thinking if it was the real Mu-deok who was in the body at that time, which is why the Naksu/Mu-deok can’t remember anything?!
Oh yeah, I can’t stop laughing at the chaste tea scenes! I enjoyed watching LJW’s expressions! 🤣
Will the older maidlady and Park Jin end up being together – brought about by their unrequited love?
For the cinammon scene..the whole time I was thinking whether soul shifters didn’t like cinnamon just like how vampires are depicted in most stories to be afraid of garlic?! The crown prince liked cinnamon, even his satchel reeks of cinnamon. It seems crown prince has piqued his interest / curiosity of Mu-deok.. whether it was to get information on Uk or as love interest..it just won’t work, as foreshadowed by Mu-deok’s repulsion of the cinnamons smell…😅
But @snowflower interesting theory about how that could potentially be a link to the long lost daughter of Jin family. I guess we’ll see in the next episodes!
@pingpongpang, good point. In this drama, an aversion to cinnamon could be either the sign of a soul shifter or, as @Snow Flower says, something unique to being the elder daughter. The prince seemed very interested. He would have known the elder daughter, right?
I was laughing at the bromance between Uk and Hemp Teacher Lee, who made a point of showing off his levels of expertise to lure them both. Mu Deok isn’t amused by the lessons in survival that Uk is getting and scolds him. Later, when she has left, HT Lee says virtually the same thing to Uk, offering to be his teacher. He also offers to cut off his powers so he can live a normal, average life. This is something that the group of mage families also suggests. Neither Uk nor Park Jin seem quite ready for that.
Jin Mu mentions serving ‘Her Highness’. Not the king, nor the crown prince. Is it the queen who receives the little chest from him? What sort of thing is in the chest?
Finally, I was struck by how Mu Deok/Naksu is compared to a wild bird here. Not easy to catch, needs to be ’embraced’, as Uk says to HT Lee. Does he mean handled carefully or brooded safely in order to hatch? I wonder about that translation. Years before, Naksu was drawn to Yul because of the whistle he used to call a bird. In the current time, the moment that Yul places the whistle on the rock where he met Naksu, Mu Deok appears and fall into his arms, caught twice by him. Mu Deok wants to get back to the top of the tree where the bird’s nest is and at the end of the episode, Uk is ready to help her.
After the celibate tea scenes, it occurred to me that Jang Kang may have been practicing celibacy. He had no children and was striving to improve his skills at that point. I may be far off, but the king seemed to be sure that any child JK’s wife would beget would be from his liaison with her and not from Jang Kang’s.
As ever, I am lusting after the Prince’s celadon tea set. About 43.50. I like the interiors at Uk’s house as well.
@SnowFlower It is an interesting theory. So far we haven’t heard anything specific about the first daughter of the Jin’s. That means someone kidnapped her and abandoned her?
OR
MuDeok is really the illegimate child of a powerful Mage that was abandoned because she couldn’t see? Afterall there are 11 Mage Clans. I am curious if Naksu’s father and his clan were represented in the Unanimous Vote.
@Fern
something interesting happens during those “dream sequences”. It is the second time we have seen that one. The first time was when they exchanged bodies with the Alchemy of Souls. The second one with the “sleepwalking” incident. The lights in the sequences were different though.
I really liked what @pingpongpang suggested and had me thinking:
Since Naksu is a powerful mage, she became the primary soul taking over all functions in Mudeok’s body, while MuDeok who is special, but not powerful can be in charge, in some special moments like the “sleepwalking” incident.
Hence the loss of memory of Naksu. She was not aware, MuDeok is, but MuDeok is blind, so she is “sleepwalking”, while dreaming with open and eyes who now can see!
As for “cinammon” we should keep it around. If it has an effect of not. Maybe both don’t like it. Since Naksu is the primary soul, she doesn’t, but it could be that MuDeok’s body doesn’t either.
It would be interesting if Naksu and MuDeok’s as children knew each other and Mage Heo treated them both…
@Cleopatra, Kalimera. Your second theory is interesting. If Naksu’s father interpreted in a constellation a prediction that someone in his household would cause chaos and tragedy. (Similar to the bible stories of Herod killing all first born boy babies 2 years old and younger because a star symbolising a king was seen.) That someone would be Naksu, of course, the one he didn’t kill.
I lost part of my theory above: Naksu’s father might deludedly think that he had to kill everyone in his household to keep the world safe.
I had been wondering if Mu Deok was really blind because why wouldn’t that come along with the body Naksu shifted into? The reason a blind person might wear an eye covering might normally be to hide a disfigurement or symbolise to on-lookers that they can’t see. They don’t need it for themselves if they can’t see anyway. The fabric over her eyes is full of holes, so if she were sighted, she could see through it, although in a sense it would act as a screen or filter if her eyes were very sensitive.
Mu Deok just bristles every time Uk tells her she is just Mu Deok, even if he says it kindly or in an attempt to console her. But maybe being Mu Deok isn’t a bad thing, if others’ theory that Mu Deok is special is correct, and Mu Deok and Naksu can blend their respective strengths.
You mentioned the 11 clans of mages. It is an unusual number. Something like 12 would seem more ‘normal’ and balanced. It can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 6. If there were 12 mages and Naksu’s father killed his family, there would now be 11 which is a prime number and therefore without division or balance in a sense.
In Western symbolism the number 11 is mainly negative, but that might not be the case in Asian symbolism. I can’t find any examples in the internet and don’t know much about that stuff in any case.
@Fern, I want that celadon tea set too. I also like the interiors. Even the rustic cabin of Master Lee has its charm.
I am suspicious of the Queen. According to the character chart, she is from the Seo clan and Yul is her nephew. Could she be a Sith lady? Or a secret fighter against the soul-shifters?
@Snow Flower, to me the Queen and the Prince exchanged glances when the eunuch brought the chest to her. She praised Jin Mu who allegedly fills it with medicinal herbs for her; the Prince agreed. I think they are conniving together with that eunuch and Jin Mu. Jin Mu earlier said something about a eunuch was needed for his service to Her Majesty and that was why he was going to get rid of his rogue eunuch and soul shift his lieutenant Gil Ju into a eunuch’s body. It seems a waste of a good fighter/bodyguard and instructor to the Prince, doesn’t it? Gil Ju wasn’t thrilled but said he would obey. Perhaps only a eunuch is permitted to be alone in the presence of the queen?
I wonder if the current King will start to sicken as the previous one had?
Dear @Fern and @SnowFlower,
Regarding the Queen, she seems to be shady.
As for the Eunuch, @Fern. From the sageuks I have watched for almost a year now and from what I have discussed with a friend of mine, here is what I have learned so far:
Eunuchs are found only in the King’s and Crown Prince’s Palace, along with Court Ladies. In the Queen’s, Daebi Mama’s / Queen Dowager and the Royal Concubines only Court Ladies can be there.
So, the Eunuch would be present only if the Queen goes to the King or in her Son’s, the Crown Prince’s Palace. Most of the times, the King and the Crown Prince are visiting the Queen’s Palace. It is customary.
Dunno, how they will handle it here though. It is a fantasy world so they make some liberties.
The Eunuch who has gone wild is with the Crown Prince. He is staying to his Palace. Hope that helped!
Episode 6
Things got perplexed. Hemp Teacher Lee realized that Naksu is in MuDeok’s body. The right hand of Evil Jin realized as well and Yul is going to find out in the next episode.
Jin Cho Yeon is stupid and reckless. She broke the artifact herself and wanted to blame another, Mudeok in our case, since is jealous of her. *facepalm*
One thing stood out to me in the convo Jang Uk and Hemp Teacher Lee we’re having. JU asked if a shifted soul could ever permanently live in a new body, and HTL said something like in rare cases it could be possible. Wonder if it was foreshadowing that there is a possibility that Naksu can remain in MD’s body? Though I wonder what will happen to MD then. Wonder if she will sacrifice herself somehow to protect JU.
Overall, so in love with this drama! The wait between episodes is torture.
I’ll try not to fall for Yul. 🥰
– FL and 2nd ML moments in ep 6. Mu-deok teaching Yul how to cook. Hilarious to see a jealous Uk!
– Show is setting the build up for main leads to start liking each other. Uk hinting he has feelings with someone else he described ‘single bird egg on top of a tree’ that’s why he can’t get married. Ha! What a comparison!
Mu-deok choosing Uk twice – over Yul when asked if she wants to go up the tree with Yul and second, when Crown Prince asked if she wants to be a maid in his household if Uk abandons her after getting married. In both scenes, she made reference to not just going with or serving ‘just anyone’.
– Evil Jin Mu advising Crown Prince to kill Uk in the duel, on the premise that he’s the son of Jang Gang who gave the prophecy. The prophecy that a person with the King’s star will rise up in the throne. Jin Mu knows this person is Uk and what a good cover if ever Uk dies in the duel. While CP can easily be manipulated, I think he is a good guy and if given the chance he would have been good friends with the four seasons group. He even warned Mu-deok to convince her young master not to show up in the duel so he won’t get killed.
– Mu-deok disappeared and blamed for stealing yin&yang jade. We can see she’s inside Jinwoyon
where all the relics including the gwiju were kept.
– Inside Jinwoyon, Mu-deok got sucked up inside the mirror (another reference to HP with erised mirror?). Mu-deoks reflection seems to recognise her and greeted her ‘It’s been a long time’… now the question which Mu-deok did the mirror recognised? The real Mu-deok or Naksu/Mu-deok?? I’d expect the mirror could see through one’s physical being..
– In the preview, Mu-deok seems to be under a spell..or possessed by the sorcery in Jinwoyon..which could be the only explanation for her out of character actions.. she’s about to kiss Yul??!
What’s with that magic mirror in the Jin residence?
@agdr03, not falling for Yul is hard indeed. If the ML were not Lee Jae Work, I would have suffered a major SLS because of Yul.
@Cleopatra and @Fern you mentioned 11 clans.. I thought Jang’s clan is the 12th? There were 11 people sitting in the table during the assembly in ep5.
However in ep 6 Uk made reference to his 12 previous masters?! It was the scene when he was sending off Yul and Dang gu.
@Pingpongpang,
Kalimera. Yes, I saw that they were eleven in that assembly. I also noticed the reference on the 12 previous masters. That means that they are total 13, minus Mage Jang – Uk’s father or could be more?
12 is a very interesting number. Christ and his 12 disciples. If we look into King Arthur’s myth, his knights were more.
We shall see if they use elements from the myths here.
Ah, I noticed that but it didn’t occur to me that no one was representing the Jang clan. I thought that Maidservant Kim at least would be there as she is representing the Jangs in absence of anyone else for other things like the wedding. So hit delete in your minds about that eleven post. Lol. 🤦♀️
Is anyone else finding the Crown Prince more approachable in his meeting with Mu Deok? He actually went against his father and Jin Mu’s wishes by telling Mu Deok to prevent Uk from coming to the fight and let her know that his intention was to fight to kill. I rather like his voice and his smile at that interview. Slight swallow before he offers Mu Deok a position in his household. I think he is intrigued by Mu Deok. The actor seems good.
The problem now is that Jin Mu’s assistant Gil Ju has seen her leave a secret meeting with the prince and has overheard her speech with Yul about the spirit plaque. Gil Ju can confirmed that she is Naksu and can return all of that information to Jin Gu.
The prince can see that his father is openly searching for new consorts to make the prophesy of an heir with a star in their chart come true. It if worked, it would delete the Crown Prince from the line of succession. I wonder if it’s chaste tea in the medicine chest sent by Jin Gu? Lol. I imagine it’s something stronger.
At the end of the episode, Mu Deok goes through the looking glass like Alice, but not of her own will. Yes, perhaps a HP influence. I don’t think anything good can come of it. @Pingpongpang I think you are right that she is acting strangely in the previews but whether it’s from the mirror or not? Good point about her reflection possibly being Mu Deok I rather than Mu Deok II or Naksu. The previews seem more representative than in some other dramas, where the words are deliberately mismatched with the video.
I wonder why Heo Yeom and Park Jin didn’t tell Yul that the reason the 4 mage families killed the astrologer was that he had gone crazy and was killing his own household and family members and that the little girl was the only one who escaped? If it’s true, it would put things into perspective.
Also, Mu Deok doesn’t explain to Yul that the 1st time she was drunk it was because the Prince made her drink and she didn’t feel she could refuse and the clothes were from him as well from a misunderstanding by his maid servant. Both occasions she was defending Uk from the prince, but she makes herself seem like a thief. She prefers to make it look as though she wants shallow fun and nice things like the hanbok she is wearing.
I like the view of Jinyowon from the Jin palace as 1.12.54 with the layers of bridges and rooftops. It must be a real place? Also kudos to the costume department – the hanboks and the men’s garments are absolutely gorgeous and the rougher garments – Mu Deok’s outfit and Teacher Lee’s more ragged clothes are completely appropriate. I’m looking to Dang Gu for earring inspiration – they are actually distracting. He must be on a contract to a jewellery company. They got it right whereas the hair department, well…
I read the times wrong. The bridge view is at 47.38.
At 59.49 Yul’s outfit and Mu Deok’s hanbok are matched, as are the lanterns on the wall. The silk or fake silk of Yul’s outfit, where the warp and weft of the fabric are different colours makes me salivate. The King had a similar fabric in his outfit when he fought Uk, but it was a deeper blue/green. Jin Cho Yeon’s hanboks are beautiful as well in very girly shades. I don’t like her but feel bad that her sister, even missing for 10 years, is the mother’s favourite.
@Snow flower, LJW is doing a great job here. I think I’m just happy that the group fits together nicely. I’ll just have a soft spot for Yul either way. ☺️
@Fern, I agree regarding the CP. initially I thought he might be one of the bad guys but like you said, he didn’t need to tell MD about the fight and he’s got the funny side too. 😁
I finally figured why Park Jin reminds me of someone and it turns out he’s the other guy from The Uncanny Counter. ☺️
@agdr03, ref the CP – maybe I’m just a bit of a fool for dimples. He appreciates loyalty and duty – that was what I took away from his offer to MD. She didn’t correct the CP that she was the one who refused to stay with Uk if he marries. She refuses him as well, but he seemed less cross about her comment than some would have been.
I can’t blame you about dimples @Fern ☺️
But I think CP is not a bad guy like his mentor.
I’m annoyed at Jin Cho-yeon for the marriage offer. It’s true what Dangu said, Jangwook didn’t even agree to any of it but she’s gone ahead with the offer. She likes him alright.
Anneyong Ladies!
Some quick notes after watching Episode 6.
Teacher Lee knows the truth about MuDeok / Naksu and he didn’t reveal it to the rest Mages. I think that Teacher Lee will play a pivotal role to what will happen next. He knows that Jin is making souls shifters who have gone wild and he suspects that someone in the Palace is involved as well.
The Crown Prince is not corrupted by his teacher the evil Jin, but his mother seems to be influenced by him.
I think that the Four Families and the Crown Prince will fight all together along with MuDeok / Naksu to what will be revealed later on as the important task at hand.
MuDeok / Naksu will find out the truth of her father’s passing and will have to accept some hard truths like the evil Jin manipulated her.
I don’t think the battle between Uk and the CP will actually happen. Something else will be of more importance but that is just my hunch…
That’s all for now. BTW, I am Team UK from the very beginning… *winks*
@Fern..I wonder how Jin Mu’s assistant will deliver the news that Mu-deok is indeed Naksu. He did lie that Ae-yong was Naksu and that he saw the blue mark on her chest. He would have to play his cards right.. or face Jin Mu’s wrath. Besides, he’s already gonna be demoted when Jin Mu makes him soul-shift with the eunuch.The assistant hasn’t shown any ounce of kindness so far..but here’s me hoping he will have a change of heart and be quiet about that.
The queen looks like a meanie, I agree @cleopatra. She also seems uncomfortable when the chest of herbs was brought to her in front of the king? If Jin Mu is serving the queen..it can only mean that more chaos is about to come, that’s for sure!
With Mu-deok lying to Yul. I see that as her way to get Yul off her back. Yul is already asking too much questions. Mu-deok is such a good liar with her poker face though.
I hope the duel won’t happen too. Would be a shame for the plot if the CP dies early in the drama!
Team Uk here too! 😉 Yul has such a baby face and can see how many will fall for the the 2nd ML! 😁
@Pingpongpang,
I don’t know why all your posts are going to my “Needs Moderation” inbox. I’ll check where the glitch is later when I’ve time.
In the meantime, just keep posting as usual and I’ll approve your posts individually.
Sorry about that.
Thanks @packmule3! I thought I had some forbidden words in my post originally. Figured might be some glitch after the first time..😅
@pingpongpang
Going by the preview of next episode, JM’s assistant will tell Naksu to bring Jang Uk as a sacrifice for the soul shifting with the eunuch. If anything, I guess we’ll get rid of that assistant soon.
Is there any other team than Team Uk? LJW is so good in this role. I’ve been replaying his scenes whenever he is teasing Mu deok about marriage or kids or when he talked about cheating lol. Several expressions go across his face in one instant and all delivered correctly.
Oh, you’re right, @Agdr03!! I wonder why Park Jin looked familiar. 😂 He’s one of the four good guys in The Uncanny Counter.
Lee Jae Wook is awesome here. His face is unusual — I don’t think he resembles another Korean actor — but I just love to watch the many different expressions on his face.
As for Jung Somin, her eyes are fascinating to watch, too. Naksu has so many different types of looks but her baleful glance — almost always directed at Uk — is my favorite.
But I’m curious to know how bad the original leading actress was to be fired from the job and replaced by Jung Somin.
@wapz, there can only be one team in this drama and that’s Team Uk! Poor Yul does get a small soft spot in my heart though.
I rewatched Episode 1 today. Who is the narrator at the beginning?
I’m finally caught up with this drama, having had a late start. Your commentary and predictions amaze me, being on target!
I am encountering a very strange problem. I can get, and watch, Alchemy of Souls on my TV through Roku, but not on my phone or computer. I think the problem is with Netflix, at least in my area, because the same thing is happening with Cafe Minamdang. Other things that show up on My List on my TV have disappeared from My List as it appears on my phone and my computer. Weird.
Found the problem, thanks to requesting help from Netflix. My phone and computer security includes my accessing the internet through a proxy. Netflix doesn’t like that. As soon as I stopped the proxy app, my missing shows reappeared.
My theory on the magic mirror is that it reflects back your shadow self – or the dark side aka opposite side of one’s personality. We saw when the Jin girl was walking with the jade and tripped, her “evil” self was reflected the whole time.
My guess is that MuDeok’s evil “twin” conned her into going into the mirror and traded places. She’s now out free and cozying up to Yul and CP. But Uk knows her so well he knows something is wrong and that’s not who she really is. What do you feel?
Such amazing acting from LJW and JSM, everything I’ve watched of So Min’s so far I’ve found excellent. She always stands out in them and is very memorable.
I was so happy when I figured it out too 😁
Yes, LJW carries his Jang character very well indeed. I was laughing a lot at the chaste tea scene. That look of realising your libido was cut off and everyone looking down 😂
I don’t know the actress that was replaced but I’m glad JSM stepped in. This is actually my first time watching her.
@Welmaris Welcome on board!
It is wonderful to have you around!
@Pingpongpang,
The Queen comes from the Seo family. That means she is Yul’s aunt. Since her family is into herbs and healing, yes the contents of that crest are not that innocent!
About MuDeok and the lying part. I think that UK will take MuDeok’s part in the missing stone and he will call off the marriage after he will retrieve her.
He will not let anyone badmouth her, regardless of what she says to others…
Now, as it seems the mirror is bringing out your darkness, the one you are not showing to the world. @MrsRJH1 I agree with you about the “shadow” self.
After all Jin’s shadow was on the mirror when she broke that yin yan stone. It was her jealous self that was mirrored back then.
@pm3 I doubt bad acting was the only reason why they let go PHE as the FL. Yes she is less experienced but usually so much goes behind the scenes and conflicts with agency and production could come in play. Since she is a rookie, it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t have taken a screen test before casting. Moreover, honestly Minhyun and Arin are fine but they are also quite one tone. Give them a different expression to act and they become a little awkward. So yeah it could be that the FL wasn’t matching up to the ML’s acting because Lee Jae Wook is a really good actor. JSM is equally good. But I highly doubt that her leaving had only to do with the acting plus the productions statement on the matter didn’t help either.
I wouldn’t like a secret room like the one in the Jin house. So many spirits lurking under lids, in mirrors and in statues. I think that the Yin Yang jade being broken symbolises that a marriage won’t take place.
@MrsRJH1, @Pingpongpang, you both mentioned that the mirror seems to reflect the bad side of a personality. Do you think it’s Mudeok I or Naksu who is within the mirror?
I laughed at the scene where Jin Cho Yeon gives the letter to Dang Ju. He falls so easily under the scented spell. “Hold your nostrils shut!” Famous last words: “Make sure there are no women around him when he opens it.” Finally, their outfits matched in shades of soft green. Me thinks Dang Ju protests too much about this planned marriage. When Cho Yeon asked if he really thought she was going too fast and that Uk would refuse her again, he looked sideways rather than at her and said he would help her. “Just make sure it pans out.” I think he pities her but also wants her to be happy. I pity Dang Ju…
@Pingpongpang,
“@Fern..I wonder how Jin Mu’s assistant will deliver the news that Mu-deok is indeed Naksu. He did lie that Ae-yong was Naksu and that he saw the blue mark on her chest. He would have to play his cards right.. or face Jin Mu’s wrath.”
This is such a good point. I think Gil Ju wants to kill Mu Deok/Naksu first without Jin Mu knowing, but I think that Jin Mu already suspects she is Naksu. Therefore he may distrust Gil Ju and it may be another reason why he wants to demote his otherwise very capable assistant. I was hoping that Gil Ju would come away from the dark side, but looking at his face as he observed Mu Deok, it doesn’t look likely. At best, he may bring about Jin Mu’s downfall.
Both Gil Ju and Jin Mu spent years with Naksu after all, so they may know some habits of hers that can’t be hidden, even with another body. I wonder what Gil Ju’s thoughts were about Naksu in her prime? She was more powerful than he is. I think Gil Ju is looking out for himself at this point even as he works for Jin Mu.
@Fern, if I were to base it from the preview, I think the evil reflection is that of Naksu’s.
Mu-deok voice over:
‘You’ve been thinking of me Your Highness. So I came to see you.’
‘You were longing for the one you met at Danhyanggyok.’
Yul: ‘I am longing for you?’
The CP wouldn’t have known the real Mu-deok. And it was Naksu from Yul’s past.
I know preview can be misleading sometimes and always disjointed…we’ll have to see the next few scenes to be able to make a better view. 😊
What baffles me is when the mirror reflection first greeted Mu-deok with ‘It has been a long time’ as if they have been acquainted before.
Either Mu-deok or Naksu has some connections to the Jin family, which could be the explanation why Mu-deok got into the secret cave to begin with. We just don’t know which one of them yet! We haven’t seen Mu-deok’s past yet and Naksu’s full story other than his dad and their entire family got killed. One of them might be the long lost daughter of Jin clan.
Jung Somin, @Agdr03?
She was the lead in Playful Kiss, Because This is My First Life, and Monthly Magazine Home. She delivers what she needs to.
The libido scene was funny. Teacher Lee was talking about cutting an energy source an intangible and incorporeal matter. Uk was thinking however of castration. Ouch.
Ok, I’m going to watch Alchemy now.
Do you know that English title has little to do with the Korean title?
Alchemy of souls = in context of the story, means the spell for soul-switching
Hwan Hon = according to soompi, return of someone’s soul after death
Lol. The Hong sisters always do this with their title. 😂😂
Oh I meant the actress that got fired. 😬 I forgot that JSM was in Playful Kiss. That’s a long time ago.
What the heck with the title? 😂 It’s supposed to match? I didn’t even bother with finding out the Korean title meaning but thanks. Maybe the titles can never be perfectly matched in English?
Anyway, I’m off to bed now. Have a nice day! 🙇🏻♀️
@Pingpongpang,
Master Heo recognized Mu Deok’s ear. I am liking the theory that Mu Deok is the long lost Jin heiress. We shall see!