The thread is now open. Let the theories begin!
gifs from liveasbutterflies’ tumblr
When I watched this scene, my first reaction was to applaud the perfect casting.
I don’t mind the “noona romance” angle.
Look: What I dislike about noona romances in kdramas is that the female lead is invariably portrayed as a depressed, down-on-her-luck, helpless old maid/divorcee/cat lady, thirsting for a young guy’s attention to make her feel like a woman again. Her lack of self-esteem bugs me but the writers concentrate on their age difference as the primary source of conflict — and her eventual salvation — in the story.
In this drama, Naksu’s obviously older than Uk but MuDeok’s age is unknown. It doesn’t matter though because Uk and Naksu have more things to worry about than Naksu/MuDeok’s age. The age difference is a non-issue…at least for now.
Let’s enjoy the show.
For me I don’t care about the age difference because this kdrama is reminiscent of my favorite HK classic TV series, Jin Yong’s Condor Heroes specifically the 1995 version.
The master pupil dynamic is very much the same. There is age difference and the female protagonist little dragon maiden or xiaolongnu is not only highly skilled but also very cold and indifferent.
And there is also the presence of a very old master, Master Lee who reminds me of Hong Qhigong, who is dressed like a beggar.
And somehow Uncle Jin reminds me of the male protagonist Yang Guo’s uncle Guo Jing who is a revered leader and is actually kindhearted and concerned about his nephew.
And to add to that, Naksu’s wit and smarts reminds me of Yang Guo’s aunt Huang Rong who could get out of any problematic situations by being flexible and perceptive.
I am just glad Jung So Min was cast she is perfect for the role.
Though I did feel bad about the younger actress being replaced like that. But I think I could already guess exactly why. Because I feel it’s not just about her acting. Maybe she didn’t fit the role. Just like I could not imagine anyone else as
Aragorn. But Viggo Mortensen wasn’t even the first choice for the role.
The only thing added to the story is this alchemy of souls, which is a very magical concept. Something like how Voldemort manages to impart some manifestation of himself in a diary until he gets his chance to get his body and regains his full powers.
Anyway never imagined how much I would enjoy watching this since it wasn’t even in my to watch list at all. Shows how much I craved for something magical and somewhat reminiscent of the old classics.
Sorry for the long post. And thanks very much for this thread. From a long time lurker here.
@M,
When the younger actress was cast, there was a sentiment of relief that Lee Jae Wook was finally getting a co-star who’s his peer. I think this was in reaction to his last drama, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, where that @#$&&#ing writer turned him into an 18-year-old runaway in love with a pathetic ditz of a pianist seven years his senior.
Just hellllllll naw.
The trajectory of that romance just crashed down to earth with the gravity of that mid-series revelation. 😱
So when Jung So Min came on board as a last-minute replacement, shady remarks were made about her age. In real life, she’s 33 years old. Lee Jae Wook is 24. There’s almost a 10 year difference.
In the story, there must be a 5 to 10 year difference between their characters (depending on the age of the little girl). When Uk whines, and she gives in to him, I don’t see her like noona babying her much-younger lover — which typically happens in these noona romances. I just see her as a put-upon girl with a spoiled companion.
Wait, I’ve to finish my “Specter” thread now so I can remove the password.
@packmule3
Yes I remember how positive the reaction was with the initial casting actually. So imagine my surprise when there was a sudden major casting change announced.
I also watched said drama and was actually liking it but was put off when it was know that his character is so young.
Aigoo, Episode 7 was intense!
Kalispera…
I want to watch Episode 7…😭
@snowflower,
Episode 7 is good!! But I had so many questions even though more information is given to us. Like how Seorim was founded. I really think MuDeok is the older sister of Jin family. Else why whould she be able to open the door and even the relics recognize her. Naksu’s dad is a soul shifter probably because Jin was trying to keep him quiet about what he discovered.
I watched the show without knowledge about their real ages. The thing is Lee JaeWook slides into roles older than him as well as those younger than his age. it didn’t look like he is so young even though he is 20yo in the drama…plus his expressions are so well done, whether it is comical or deep pain, he shows it all.
And I didn’t realize JungSoMin is in her early thirties. I find many actresses early thirties (Kim TaeRi, SeoYeJi, ParkBoYoung, Park EunBin) do so well in their craft.
@Grace, there is no doubt by now that Mu Deok is Jin Bu Yeon. We still don’t know what happened to her. Was she blind at birth and abandoned? Was she kidnapped? I assumed that evil Jin Mu had something to do with the disappearance of the Jin heiress, but he appeared to be clueless when he talked with his half sister, Lady Jin. It is possible that he indeed kidnapped Bu Yeon, but he does not seem to recognize her as Mu Deok (at least in appearance). Sooner or later Lady Jin will figure it out though.
Jinyowon’s secret vault gave me strong Harry Potter vibes. I thought of the creepy antique store (Borgin and Burke’s) and also Bellatrix Lestrange vault. The mirror was also straight out of HP, but I don’t mind. All fairy tales share similar tropes, and AoS is no exception. The story feels fresh and unique.
The big question is: What will happen after the Episode 7 cliffhanger?
What an episode.
When you don’t want to say that you are in love with someone, you say that you did it by yourself.
I am glad that Hemp Teacher Lee is there, because he will help Jang Uk…
I was wondering last week of Park Jin really knows that Jang Kang did AOS. Because all he told was that JU was the King’s son. Seems like he really didn’t. In fact, he didn’t know that JK was performing AOS at that time anyway. Really the show’s villain is JK. Of all the people, he told Jin Mu. I hope he never comes back and if he does, pays for his crimes. Though, knowing that he was plaing by JSW there’s a chance that was only a cameo.
@wapz, you have a point about Park Jin not being aware about Jang Kang practicing AoS. We assumed that JK told the whole truth to PJ, but now it is not clear. Is it possible that PJ put two and two together because he knew that the king was too sick to beget an heir.
@Grace, I do not see this drama as noona romance, even though both the FL and the actress are older than the ML/actor. I think Jung So Min is doing a fabulous job as Mu Deok/Naksu. I was very pleasantly surprised, because I was rather neutral toward her before.
As for Lee Jae Wook, he is good in all roles I have watched him in.
The dynamic between Naksu and Jang Uk is the highlight of the show. I wonder how the latest cliffhanger will change that.
The blind lady at the start of the episode..is that Mu-deok reincarnate? The body used to keep the ice stone? If so Mu-deok is some sort of a deity just like @packmule3’s theory.
At least that’s what the pots/vessels inside the Jinyowon said about Mu-deok’s body when she’s about to escape from the mirror. They said she’s the blind girl – the ice stone!
Btw the Mirror of Longing is really a nod to HP Erised (desire spelled backwards) which also shows a person’s desire.
It has been emphasised many times by Master Lee that any relics made with sorcery are very dangerous and could hurt many people. It begets the question then why does Jinwoyon have so many of them to begin with? Sure, Jin family have guarded them but there’s always a possibility it can get to the wrong hands. If things could cause havoc why not destroy them? What Master Lee mentioned about the relics waiting for the opportunity to come out into the world again seems to be a foreshadowing and surely will be the basis for future plot twists.
Our ML has some similarities with Harry Potter in that he’s also street smart, bold and brave. Many times Uk has shown his ability to solve problems at face value. Just like in saving Mu-deok against Gwinju and in outwitting the mirror. Naksu tells Uk how he’s truly one lucky man many times too.. it’s the same with Harry..his teachers always rub it in his face how he’s just lucky to get out of a sticky situation. They both have the support of their friends as well – the rest of Four Seasons vs Hermione, Ron et al.
I hope the Jin leader (I forgot her name!) won’t believe Jin Mu’s plans..why would Jin Mu act in the best interests of the Jin family after being disowned! I’m sure there’s more to that plan that meets the eye.. that could be his bargaining power to control them if he’s successful with his plans. I cant help but think that Jin Mu knows Bu Yeon’s whereabouts. He seems so confident that he would be able to find her. Oh, Choyeon’s dad is still alive?! He wasnt mentioned/shown in any of the previous episodes right? or I just didnt take notice.
Cho-yeon not the smartest of the bunch, hey? You’d expect she’ll be suspicious and investigate why Mu-deok was able to open Jinyowon.. she clearly knows she didnt open it herself. Mu-deok who didn’t have any powers just touched it and it opened! Is it really because she’s the long lost daughter or it’s because her body is the ice stone keeper, and Jinyowon acknowledges that?
I also find it weird that the husband of the Jin leader can’t open Jinwoyon, but if Uk marries into the Jin family he’ll own the relics too? How can you possibly own something (even just by extension through marriage) if you don’t even earn the rights to access the vault? We now know the husband of Jin leader didn’t get that right too. Was it just a plot hole?
More soul ejectors delivered by the Eunuch to Jin Mu. It must be from the queen (although Jin Mu said ‘tell THEM we have safely received the gifts’). Given the queen is from the Seo family..she may have managed to get hold of the black powder and Jin Mu taught her to make them? She could also possibly be using the contents of the chest from Jin Mu to convert them into a soul ejector.
This episode gave us so many crumbs to unpack!
@Pingpongpang, your last set of questions is what I wonder about the most from this episode – who is the ‘them’ Jin Mu refers to? If I were that eunuch, I would be so tempted to take one of the soul-shifter orbs and transfer myself into another fresh body… He must know that his time is coming.
Now the assistant has gone rogue from Jin Mu and attempted to put himself into Uk. I wonder if he succeeded?
We also heard from Teacher Lee’s voice-over in the beginning, that the black powder from the ice-stone can be used to shift souls in more ways than originally thought. The stone turned into fire, stone water and back into ice. A black powder that was a by-product of this transformation became the essence of the soul-shifting called the Soul Ejector.
“The power of the Soul Ejector was truly astonishing. One could bring the dead back to life by summoning back their souls. One could shift souls from one body to another. One could even expel the soul of the living and steal their energy. In order to possess the unmelting ice that produced the Soul Ejector, the battle of mages turned into bloodshed and Daeho became a living hell. The man who ended the long lasting battle was Master Seo Gyeong the founder of Songrim. I was his pupil.”
I knew about the last two powers, but not the power to bring someone back to life. If that were the case, Naksu or the King could have been brought back to life if it had been desired. That may have been considered, but I don’t remember.
I wonder, is Mu Deok/Naksu so trusting in the Danju’s change of heart that she would really believe his assistant’s words or was she just playing along? Will the rain somehow allow Uk to stay safe of Gil-ju’s soul shifting? What does Mu Deok/Naksu think about the strange sensations/powers she has been feeling?
Another fast-paced, gripping episode with a lot to unpack. I am now less sure that muDeok is the endest Jin daughter. To me, there’s a possibility that she’s the holder of the ice stone. And the marks in her eyes are actually the marks of the ice stone, which is why she (and her ancestors) wear the eye bandage.
The fact that they blindfolded her again in this episode seemed like a Chekhov’s gun (Packmule, I learned this from your blog!) to emphasize the connection between eye bandage woman at start and MuDeok now.
It could explain why she could actually see (she was never blind, the bandage was to prevent others from seeing the mark), and why she could absorb Naksu’s soul and be okay, why we say two MuDeok’s in the soul switching dream—perhaps the original MuDeok’s body was taken over for this and she too was inside the body, maybe?
Going down this rabbit hole further (and I could be totally off base), if the blue mark in MD’s eyes is of the ice stone and its magic, then it is the stone that leaves the mark on usage — to show its usage on the person? Meh I’m shaky on this one.
I wonder if MD was able to break out the mirror because it was true emotion and longing reflected back at each other? With both their hands out, the longing was mutual and equal and more importantly real (ie not an illusion). I’m not sure if it was her alone discovering some powers though I understand why she would think that, being so used having power in the past.
Finally I’m surprised Park didn’t know about JK’s AOS. How did he think the soul switch happened when JK was telling him?
Can someone enlighten me on the icestone
Anyway did anyone notice, at the beginning of the episode 7 when the story of Daeho was told.
“The mages of Daeho performed a grand rite to fill the lake back up with energy.”
The lady doing the rites is in white and flowy clothes. Her eyes was in blindfold like MuDeok. Who is SHE?
The deck she was on is octogonal, like the pond at the temple where the soul shifting of Uk & Giljoo happend
And so the story is told here I continue the quote for easy reference later:
“Then enormous hailstones started falling from the sky. But among the many hailstones there was one that did not melt.
This unmelting hailstone first turned into fire, then stone and then water. Then it turned back into its original form, ice.
In that process, it produced black powder. This powder was called the Soul Ejector, which was used in the alchemy of souls.
The power of the Soul Ejector was truly astonishing.
One could bring the dead back to life by summoning back their souls.
One could shift souls from one body to another.
One could even expel the soul of the living and steal their energy.
Eventually that boundless power ended up causing chaos.
In order to possess the unmelting ice that produced the Soul Ejector, the battle of the mage turned into bloodshed, and Daeho became a living hell.
The man who ended the long-lasting battle was Master Seo Gyeong, the founder of Songrim.”
Lastly at the end of this storytelling, there were two figures: Master Seo Gyeong and the flowy cloth person which I assume must be the blindfold person doing the ritual at the beginning of the story. I am also making an assumption that it is Master Seo Gyeong’s wife or Mudeok??? They have the common blindfold feature.
I was trying to find the icestone story…but I found it somehow. So….how is the icestone supposed to help a soul shifter?
JangUk said “And with that (ice stone), Gil-Ju said a soul shifter may not run wild.”
I wonder how that will work. Shift it back to its original form like how JangGang did when he managed to shift it back to himself after switching souls with the king so one is no longer a soul shifter.
Then how did GilJu self shift his soul. I mean he is back in his body, and he didn’t swap with Uk (gosh that is another story), that means he didn’t shift his soul or he died doing that and he is running on ‘soul mercy’.
The more I write the more questions I have 😛
Also, now is who has it?
Jinmu or the Dangu which is Seo Ha-Sun, the queen??
Do you think the queen is related to Master Seo Gyeong? like a sibling or something. But she calls herself the Choi Family
HI Everyone!!!
Great 2 episodes. I have no guesses to make as to the identity of Mudeok. I thought she may have been the long lost daughter but now i’m unsure about it. I agree with others that MD may be the lady from the story at the beginning of ep 7. That would make the blind girl older than Master Lee.
The new girl that was introduced she’s from Master Seo’s lineage? Was it a different name? I cant remember now.
@grace, I’m wondering if the queen is fake too. She called herself the Choi family but the Queen should be from the Seo family. Plus, if she has the ice stone, there’s a probability she saved herself from going wild. So chances are the Queen is a soul shifter too.
Regarding the ice stone, Seo Heom named the leader of Jinoyowon (or was it elder) and Songrim’s founder as those who dealt with it. Mu Deok maybe a reincarnation of that leader which is why she may be the ice stone.
Is anyone else kind of annoyed at the duel lol. I thought it would be a good long duel but it barely lasted a few minutes with no grand moves or spells. I was hoping it would happen near the end of the show but yes we have a lot more to cover.
Does anyone else think that Master Lee knows the real Mu-Deok (I will call her Mu Deok1:sleep-walker, reason that he couldn’t kill Mu-Deok2)? He was sure that ‘she’ would save Uk from the soul shifter and he would be correct. I wonder why Lee called attention to Mu Deok2 after the duel? I wonder if the translation was correct? He seemed to say initially that he was Uk’s master, but then said that he observed him practicing with his maid at his side – in the end it was judged that he vouched for Uk’s words.
How could Jin Mu’s men break the crocks of water without everyone noticing? Some would have become drenched or dripped upon.
At about 54.25 Uk and Mu Deok are speaking. They had visited the lake into which soul shifters are dropped upon death and Mu Deok wonders if Jang Uk will put her there. Mu Deok seems to have lost her raison d’etre and confidence. She said, “Jang Uk, your master is neither strong enough to pull you up nor support you from the bottom.” It seems to me that the revelations from Gil Ju about her father have meant that the revenge she lived for is meaningless. I liked the leaves falling around them and the autumn shades as she thinks about her own fate.
@MrsRJH1, I agree with your theory that the Mu Deok1 may not have been blind. We saw that Mu Deok’s eyes became very sensitive after seeing the blast of light when the mirror broke open. So the bandages may be either to prevent her blue tinted eyes from being seen or may have been to protect her eyes which were very sensitive, or both? Maidservant Kim mentioned a sensitivity from looking too long at the sun. @Grace’s mage in flowing robes at the beginning of the episode was looking upwards as she moved.
I think the ice stone is neither in Songrim, nor kept at Jinyowon but is somehow within the original Mu Deok1 and the spirits in Jinyowon recognised her presence. She is the one who pulled Uk away underwater. Why did she regard him so tenderly? If Uk told Mu Deok2 that he saw her under the water but that her eyes were bandaged, Mu Deok2 would have recognised the woman from her dream.
Finally, @Grace you mentioned octagonal features and now I can’t stop seeing them. Some of the houses seem to have octagonal features (window patterns, wall decor, window shapes, etc,), some hexagonal, Chwisunru the pleasure house has 4 sided motifs. Same with all of the flags set out before the duel. There is an octagonal pond at 10.45. Jang Uk’s house has hexagonal designs and his spirit key to enter Songrim was octagonal, Songrim’s buildings have octagonal motifs. I don’t know if it’s important or simply a choice by the set and prop designers.
I’m back only to add that in numerology 8 is a lucky number. 11 too but I’ll only post 8 for now.
Here’s info in case it helps anyone put the pieces together or just confirm something you thought
The Octagon- the symbol of a leader
“Intermediate figure between the square and the circle, the Octagon refers to the squaring the circle : in many religions as in alchemy, it consists in making a square (the universe, the matter, …) evolve into a circle (the spirit, the ether, the sky, …) by a spiritual approach.”
The number 8
“In the Sumerian-Semitic tradition, there is a statement that this is the magic number of Heaven. For Buddhists, the figure eight symbolizes all the possibilities of a person, is a sign that something good will happen in the near future. The Chinese believe that the figure eight represents integrity, good luck.
In Christianity, there are 8 beatitudes, and this number is often associated with rebirth and restoration. For example, did you know that a baptismal is often octagonal? This suggests that this place symbolizes rebirth.”
Just a shallow observation: the introduction of a new female character will probably cause a shipping frenzy…
I looked up the meaning of red and blue jade:
Red jade – a warrior’s gemstone, associated with energy and power
Blue jade – healing and peace, but also wisdom.
Kalimera Everyone,
I will write my thoughts on the latest two episodes later on.
Here is another FanMade Edit Ella did for AoS and it is brilliant!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0C24mk79po
Enjoy!
I would like to write something quick something about the foundation of Songrim.
So far we know that Hemp Teacher Lee’s Teacher found it and he was a man.
We know that the story with the ice stone goes back 200 years. Songrim was born because some Mages did awful things that led to chaos. So yes, the battle between “Gryffindor vs Slytherin” happened once 200 years ago in Daeho.
Also, as it seem the Queen seems to be from Seo family that is represented by the Healers in Sejug-won/Sejukwon. At the same time, the soul that occupies the Queen must be from the Choi family / Slytherin and that means she is a wolf in a sheep skin.
But who is the Choi family?
I believe the man who had the ice stone in his hands, in the flashback scene, and spread havoc was the “bad” family that was annihilated, let’s say from the opposite team, the good guys including the Songrim’s founder.
Also, the Lady that Jang Uk saved from the soul shifter we saw in Episode 8 is indeed the granddaughter of the Mage Heo, who is the pupil of Hemp Teacher Lee.
As it seems, since MuDeok has two other suitors, the Crown Prince and Yul, Heo Yoon-ok would possibly become a suitor for Jang Uk, but it would be unrequited.
So, we will have a double triangle? MuDeok in one side and Jang Uk from the other?
Please don’t…
If you want a guide check this from a user from MDL, she is pretty good!
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/can-this-person-be-translated/73883-aos-character-descriptions-and-relationships-venue-descriptions-spoilers
*to be continued!
@Cleopatra, thank you for the video and the character descriptions guide. It is helpful and includes some characters who haven’t been seen or developed yet.
Kalimera @Fern,
You are welcome! I found it helpful myself that’s why I posted it here!
I am glad you liked Ella’s video. She is getting better for some time now!
Let’s talk about the issue at hand.
MuDeok 1 – the original – was the one who saved Jang Uk from the Alchemy of Souls.
She was the one who helped him restored the energy in his whole body. She caught his hand when she magically showed up.
In my book, MuDeok comes from a powerful Mage’s bloodline. She could be the reincarnation of the Mage lady that did that rain ritual. She could also be from Jin family. She could be a deity as @Packmule3 said.
First of all, at one point Mudeok -the original- will battle with Naksu for who is the primary soul of the body. Since, it is the second time she is appearing, that will happen in the future.
Second, I tend to believe that Jang Uk and MuDeok/Naksu are part of a legend and/ or prophecy.
There is a reason Hemp Teacher Lee helps them. He is not there by accident either. I believe he knows more that he reveals and he awaits for the right time to act.
The reason Teacher Lee went uninvited to the battle was because he is looking for the real Danju and the ice rock himself. Since he is that powerful, Lee can “feel” the energies and my guess is that he discovered that something is wrong with the Queen as well.
So, to sum up: Now the fun starts and the quest of the Holy Grail! *winks*
@wapz
I wasn’t annoyed but oddly disappointed by the duel. I thought it would have been better if the action was held outside with more space.
And even weirder because I felt myself agreeing to Jinmu when he objected and shouted about cheating. I probably wouldn’t be feeling this way if they were outside and it suddenly rained by pure luck. Or the pot of water just happened to be there by chance.
But since the rain part was already done with during the fight with Gilju. I guess the only thing they could come up with is blood. It felt like I had seen it somewhere but can’t remember what movie or drama in particular.
Now even Master Lee’s identity is out in the open. I guess his presence couldn’t remain a secret any longer. And one character I am sad to go is Gilju. I was hoping he would be an ally but I guess it’s time to introduce new characters into the story. Though not too keen about the new girl though.
And despite the way I feel about the long awaited duel, I’m still enjoying watching this. And I’ve even resorted to live watching without subs. It’s been years since the last drama I have watched live because I couldn’t wait for the subs.
@Cleopatra, I agree with your idea that either Mu Deok1 or Naksu will have to vacate the Mudeok2 body. Why then, did Mu Deok1 get in the way of Naksu’s soul shifting spell? It seems to be done deliberately now. Do you think it part of a plan to use Naksu for something and then discard her (again)? If so, Naksu has no luck! Mu Deok potentially has her former body, but Naksu doesn’t as hers was burned.
@M, I agree that the water bit seemed to be rather a cheat. But how could the urns be broken un-noticed by the crowd? There wasn’t a drop of water to be found, either.
@Fern,
My guess is that with the ice rock they will recreate Naksu’s body. If the artifact is that powerful, then they can bring back her body.
As for MuDeok the original, if she is really a deity or even the holder of the ice rock, then she deliberately went to the AoS ritual Naksu did, because in her eyes she recognize the soul who will fullfil her calling.
Since we are focusing in MuDeok’s eyes all the time, then her eyes are special indeed, regardless if her body is weak.
So, for me MuDeok the original, recognized Naksu as the soul who will bring her closer to the ice rock. If that is the case, MuDeok the original made it possible to interwine her destiny with Naksu’s fate.
We shall see…
The drop of blood was amazing by the way.
@Fern, @M I guess they performed a magical spell to break the urns and the water to evaporate.
@Cleopatra
Nice observation on the evil(?) man shown in the flashbacks. There is a high chance he may be the head of the Choi family. His face was all bloody while dealing with the ice stone.
@M
I didn’t feel it was cheating because technically the match is unfair. The CP is so powerful and JU just had his gate of energy opened. Everyone attending knew he wouldn’t survive plus none of the masters were allowed to train him. This is what pissed off Jin Mu, he thought JU could never master Tansu in this short time by his own. So he clearly thought someone else helped him, he did not seem to have an issue with the blood drop. In this kind of unfair survival game, JM was very petty to say that this is cheating. The match is cheating on its own, how JM is disguising it as a duel but wanting JU dead instead.
Plus of the presence of the water or the blood drop as an external source isn’t fair then so is the fact that the CP has a lot more energy that he can transfer to his sword and kill JU right then and there. So in that context i don’t think it was cheating on JU’s part.
@wapz,
I think we are given sufficient clues along the way from the whole picture. So, we are trying to theorize based on that.
Hemp Teacher Lee knows that the ice stone is stolen (?) and he is on a quest to find it. At the same time, since everything happened 200 years ago, and he is over 100 years old that means he remembers things or he has learned about them from those who were actually there.
That’s why I said there has to be a legend or something that like that.
I believed since the beginning that Lee will help Jang Uk and MuDeok/Naksu and he is doing exactly that and we haven’t seen anything yet.
So, my hunch that Hemp Teacher Lee knows more than he shares and he will play a pivotal role to what will happen next was right.
At the same time, I am glad that the show is giving us explanation to what is happening in every episode. Since we are sharing thoughts about it, we get validation early on and we are moving in the next phase of the story every single time!
The fact is that the story is very interesting and we are enjoying it!
Eeeeek! Just saw on Twitter that all the actors apart from Jung SoMin will return for s2 of AOS. The actress playing Naksu will be the female lead in part 2. (Source: https://twitter.com/kdramatreats/status/1546656096886337536?s=21&t=LDL_dtJ5dM7yn0-4UB7yhw)
Does that mean MuDeok dies? Will JAng Uk end up broken hearted or will he and Naksu be end game? Argh. I sense lots of upcoming sadness. I really like JSM as an actress, will be a shame if she weren’t in S2.
What do you all think this means?
@mrsrjh1 thanks for info since I get attached to actors/actresses. I really like JSM. I’m setting myself for low expectations for the plot and I guess now not attaching myself to any actor/actress.
I’m enjoying the show so far and it helps reading everyone’s theory on it.
@carolina Same, I get attached to actors too, and I even started watching AOS because I saw that JSM was in it. She’s fantastic. And her and Lee Jae-Wook (and the CP and Yul) have amazing chemistry together. No shade to the other actress but I don’t think she’s as good of an actress as JSM.
Since all 20 eps of S1 have been filmed already there’s no room to change the writing. Love this show and the storyline so far, but at this point I’m not sure if I can stomach watching S2.
This is kinda reminiscent of the HP2 let down too. Oh well. Hoping things turn out well- the story is amazing so far.
Kalimera Ladies,
I just read the news.
As it seems our theories that MuDeok is inactive in her body while Naksu is the primary soul is true. MuDeok is keep appearing on the show. Like “sleepwalking” scene, how Naksu was out of the mirror and when she stopped the Alchemy of Souls for Jang Uk.
If Naksu appears in the second season, that only means that she takes her body back. It is the only logical explanation.
I will write some more later on…
Reposting @M’s comment here. — pm3
*****
Right now there are really more questions than answers about who Mudeok is.
But I just saw an article in a site which said that AOS is part 1 with 20 episodes and that they are done with the first part. And that there is going to be a part two consisting of 10 episodes. The confusing thing about the news is that part two is supposedly going to be with the real Naksu actress. So far I just read this news and not sure if it’s for real. Could part two some kind of a prequel? Has anyone heard about this.
Also there is one drama that I’m following right now and curious if anyone had watched it. It’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Agree, @Cleopatra.
Jang Uk is falling for Naksu’s soul, not MuDeok’s soul — whatever/whoever/wherever that is.
Naksu should continue to be in Season 2, not MuDeok.
However… Naksu’s body was already burned and has turned to ashes. So how’s that body going to return? By the Lake’s special power? By the Shaman dancing? By some reverse/reincarnation spell? By an identical twin sister of Naksu coming down from the sky? By that same black powder?
I’ll give this drama till Episode 12. Episode 16, tops. The Hong sisters would have their regular meltdown by then.
Meanwhile, let’s enjoy it episode by episode. There are other fun dramas to watch anyway.
@Packmule,
Kalimera! I hope you are okay! I totally understand what you are saying. I hope the Hong sisters won’t drag this, as they have done in their previous works. It will ruin the whole show for me.
What I am thinking is that the “Ice Rock” can bring back Naksu’s body.
Since it has the power to do both good and evil, you wrote specifically about what it does in your latest post, why not bring back Naksu’s body? I don’t know if they have to perform a spell or a Shaman dancing to accompany the deed, but I am going with the logical explanation here.
I have also read that on Soompi that So Min’s management cannot confirm or deny if she will be on Season 2, because they don’t want to spoiler the public. If that is correct, that means Season 1 will end on a cliffhanger? We shall see!
About the other fun dramas out there, I agree with you! These days “Cafe Minamdang” makes the trick for me! I laugh every single time, by their silliness!
BTW, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is on my radar and I will start watching it at some point! They say it is an amazing story so far!
Park Jin tells of dancing at Hemp Master Lee’s 100th birthday, and the impression I got was he performed as a child. Park Jin now looks to be in late middle age, so we can guess that Master Lee’ age is around 150 years, give or take a few years. He was the pupil of Master Seo Gyeong, the mage who ended the ice-stone war in Daeho and became the founder of Songrim. It is likely Master Lee heard first- and second-hand accounts of historic events during Daeho’s drought and war. He would be a more reliable source of information about those times than most.
I note that the Queen’s name is Seo Ha Sun. Is she a descendant of Seo Gyeong?
When the ritual was being done by the mages to end the drought, they were trying to harness “the energy of the sky [which] rules the wind, clouds, and rain. (Episode 1, 12:17). This energy reached the ground and created a huge form of energy. A country was built around Lake Gyeongcheondaeho, a lake that embodied that energy…Humans who had the power to control this great energy were called mages.”
Daeho’s drought was more than a lack of rain, it was a dearth of energy. The complete drying of Lake Gyeongcheondaeho was depletion of the stored energy of the sky. Because the country of Daeho lacked both water and magical energy, one can assume the majority of the mages had become ineffective. “The mages of Daeho performed a grand rite to fill the lake back up with energy.” We see a lone mage, a blindfolded woman, dancing on an octagonal platform, when “…enormous hailstones started falling from the sky.” Was she the only mage able to draw on the power of the sky to end the drought? Mention is made of hailstones, but we see her feet splashing in water as she dances. This leaves me questions: Did rain accompany the hailstones? Did only hailstones fall; if so, what does that say about the magic used to call for water? Did the hailstones melt the instant they hit the ground? Was anything or anyone in Daeho harmed by the enormous hailstones, or did they magically only come down over the dry lakebed to replenish the water of Lake Gyeongcheondaeho?
During the ritual to end the drought, one peculiar hailstone fell that didn’t melt. When found, it was discovered that it went from ice, to fire, then stone, then water, then back to ice. The process through three states then return to the original state produces black powder, and that powder is the Soul Shifter. I’d originally thought the ice stone itself was the Soul Shifter. This explains why there seems to be an unending supply of the black powder, as it isn’t contained within the unmelting hailstone, but a byproduct of its cycle of transformation.
The Soul Shifter balls in the possession of Jin Mu and Gil Ju must have been made with Soul Shifter powder from the unmelting hailstone. Seo Gyeong had hidden away the unmelting hailstone after he ended the war, but someone must now have possession of it and is manufacturing balls that give less-skilled mages the ability to instigate soul shifting. When Gil Ju went to the palace after his attempt to soul shift with Jang Uk failed, he may have been going to the source of the powder that had been in the ball he’d used.
I’ve not yet located what I think is relevant information on Korean mythology of ice, fire, stone, and water as they relate to each other, but the Korean zodiac (and Chinese) has five elements that influence the twelve signs. The Five Elements are metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. There’s parallel in the fire, earth (stone), and water of the hailstone phases to three of the Five Elements, but I’m confused by the unmelting hailstone’s distinction between water and ice phases.
It is interesting that of the Four Seasons, it is “…Jang Uk, the successor of the Jang family who is as dazzling as the winter snow.”
As outlined in a previous thread, the training of a mage includes three stages, all having to do with water: 1) Jipsu, the ability to gather the energy of water; 2) Ryusu, the ability to gain energy from the flow of water; 3) Chisu, the ability to control the energy in the atmosphere. Naksu had master all three stages. She could walk on water like she was flying, and the wind blew as she passed by. If she struck a source of water, she could make it rain. She also could make it snow. In the battle she had with Park Jin at the beginning of Episode 1, both utilized their abilities in relation to ice: Park Jin to create arrows, one which eventually struck Naksu with a lethal blow, and Naksu to throw up defensive fortifications. I assume that mages that have mastered
Per Heo Yeom, leading mage of Sejukwon Infirmary in Songrim, and former student of Hemp Master Lee, “The alchemy of souls was not a type of sorcery from the start. You can only perform this once you have mastered Jipsu, Ryusu, Chiso, and ultimately, Hwansu.” Hwansu is the god-like power of changing water to fire and vice versa. Master Seo Gyeong, the founder of Songrim, could perform Hwansu. One other also could perform Hwansu. The next scene shows us a powerful mage we come to know as Hemp Master Lee, who was the pupil of Seo Gyeong. Later, Uk and MuDeok see Master Lee use his energy to increase his cooking fire, and MuDeok says, “He is using his energy to control fire. He is far above the Ryusu level” (the stage of emitting energy from the body). Master Lee next demonstrates he’s mastered Chisu by using it to dry his rain-soaked clothes hanging on the drying rack. Another thing I noted about Master Lee is that when he was going to kill the sleeping MuDeok because she was a soul shifter, the weapon he formed in his upraised hand looked like a lightning bolt made of ice.
When Uk and Master Lee are walking in town and encounter a crowd around a body, assumed to be a dead soul shifter, Master Lee clarifies that it is a human that died after a soul shifter that had run wild fed off its energy. Uk asks if all soul shifters run wild. Master Lee answers, “Not if they master Hwansu.” Uk then asks, “Is that level even possible for a human being to master?” ML’s response is, “Of course. Would you like to be my pupil and reach that level? You are not only well-built and smart, but you also have what it takes.”
As Master Lee tells his tale in Episode 7 to the children on the river boat, an image accompanies his words about the end of the war between the mages of Deaho. There are two people standing backlit by the sun, so we don’t see detail; however, the shorter of the two has ribbons of fabric, blown by the breeze, flapping near the head. Is this the blindfolded woman mage who called down the hailstones?
@Welmaris,
Well done! I wrote my thoughts on the latest thread @Packmule3 wrote!
I wanted to say that Jang’s family crest / isignia and stamp represents a snowflake.
We saw his family stamp in Episode 8 when he signed before his battle with the Crown Prince. That’s why Jang Uk is “…dazzling as the winter snow.”
I really like that they took care of such details that represent every family!
Hmm…the response by production about the change of FLs…
https://www.soompi.com/article/1535355wpp/alchemy-of-souls-responds-to-reports-of-the-female-lead-changing-in-part-2
@Packmule3, you are watching a show about an attorney?! OAL said that she is watching it and I started episode 1 before getting too busy with RL last week. I wanted to ask OAL how well it portrays someone with Aspergers (I am guessing that is the type of autism) and how realistic it is for someone with her characteristics to work for a large law firm. I’ve worked with attorneys who had high functioning autism, but not to that extent. (They can be very hard to support!)
I left a sentence, and thought, unfinished above. The mages that master Hwansu can avoid the bad aspects of soul shifting. We are told that Seo Gyeong mastered Hwansu. His student, Master Lee, seems to have mastered Hwansu. We assume he wouldn’t be able to teach it to Uk if he hadn’t, but we don’t have 100% confirmation that Master Lee is the other one who’d mastered Hwansu beside Swo Gyeong.
Jang Gang experimented with soul shifting, mostly unsuccessfully. The ailing king commands Jang Gang to shift souls with him for seven days so he can father an heir, the one foretold on his coronation day. To do this, Jang Gang uses one of the soul shifting balls. To return each to their own bodies, Jang Gang–now in the king’s body–asks Jin Mu go bring him the Soul Ejector from the Cheonbugwan Secret Room. He taught Jin Mu how to do the alchemy of souls using the Soul Ejector. Jin Mu remembers, “He could not retrieve his energy due to the weak body he was in, which was why I was given a chance. I was lucky.”
Jin Mu taught the assassin he mentored, Naksu, how to use a Soul Ejector ball. She used one to shift into MuDeok’s body, although a different woman was her intended target. Jin Mu also taught his right-hand man, Gil Ju, how to use the Soul Ejector ball. Gil Ju’s attempt to use it to switch into Uk failed. Rather than returning to what he was before, as Jang Gang and the king appear to have done long ago, and as Uk seems to have just done, Gil Ju’s body was marked by the blue bruise over his heart, and shortly after he regained consciousness a second time (after Uk had knocked him out in battle) Gil Ju’s soul clashed with his own body and he became and evil spirit, a soul shifter running wild.
Heo Yeom said, “The alchemy of souls was not a type of sorcery [black magic] from the start. You can only perform this once you have mastered Jipsu, Ryusu, Chiso, and ultimately, Hwansu.” Had Jang Gang mastered Hwansu before his switch with the king? I don’t think so, since he needed to use the Soul Ejector during both body swaps with the king. Has Jin Mu mastered Hwansu? I doubt it. Despite reluctance to be Master Lee’s pupil due to the chaste tea issue, I suspect Uk will master Hwansu. He’s learned more in the months since his energy gate was opened that some mages learn in twenty years. MuDeok said that Jang Gang learned in six months what took her five years to master, and Uk is progressing even faster through the levels of mage learning.
MuDeok attributes much of Uk’s quick accomplishments to luck. Circumstances that bring Uk close to death speed his learning curve. But we know Uk is unlike anyone else who is alive, or has ever lived, in Daeho. He’s the son of two men at once: the soul of a king (protected by the skies) who used the body of a powerful mage (the best in the land) to impregnate a woman revered–and desired–by many. (And I wonder if Jang Gang had never consummated his marriage because he used chaste tea in order to focus on his magical studies.)
It’s interesting that Blossom (JSM’s agency) revised their quote. Their original quote in the first Naver article was “I didn’t get off. I originally signed a contract only to appear in part 1.”
Then they revised it 3 hours later to say “ It’s not a drop-off. Initially, we were contracted to appear in Part 1 only, but we are discussing the appearance of Part 2.”
And now in Soompi they are being all vague and saying they can’t comment. I smell major damage control by the production team’s PR.
It does seem like MuDeok will be done, and Naksu will get to return to her original body. I guess the stone will bring back her body?
I’m getting less excited about the 2nd half of this drama.
I don’t see part 2 as a prequel because
@MrsRJH1,
I just abhor these threesome plots. I keep on saying that there’s no way the romance will end happily for the viewers because one of the two (or three, four, or five) souls will have to be eliminated in order for the soul to have a one-to-one correspondence with the host body.
🙂 The only time threesomes would work is in the Christian doxology. Three persons, one God. But in real life, in romantic love, in a monogamy, in marriages, the third person/soul/spirit in the union is one too many.
If viewers have fallen in love with Jung Somin’s portrayal of Naksu/MuDeok, the writers will have a losing battle trying to convince them to accept the unknown/newbie actress as the reincarnated Naksu. It’s like bribing a child with a new toy to get her to love her new stepmother/stepfather as a replacement for their deceased parent. It’s a disaster in the making.
Oh well.
I can’t be a Cassandra. 😂
@Welmaris description of Park Jin & Naksu’s battle somehow reminded me of Elsa in Frozen. Even though Else didn’t have another that matched her skills of creating ice…and melting them, she did have to master how she controlled the ice else the entire kingdom froze. There is a similar idea of being able to control that power. Now I wonder if anyone needs to let it go…:P
I like that the hong sisters seem to have a grasp on 2 souls inhabiting one body and that they are separate entities. Jang Uk is drawn to the soul/personality of Naksu. Do we think it was Mudeok or Naksu that Jang saw as the blue in the eyes. Maybe he’s the only one that can see the original Mudeok. Or is she Mudeok 2 (ice holder mage) and Naksu is Mudeok 3???
A potential way out of the triangle would be for Yul to end up with Naksu since they met as kids and Jang Uk to end up with Mudeok1/2 and except her body seems to be mainly Naksu for now.
I almost feel like JSM agency must have connections with the Marvel PR company because they seem equally inept at providing vague statements and then doing a poor job trying to put out fires. I really have no idea what to expect from part two although I am relieved to hear it’s not more than 10 episodes. 30 hours in this universe is something I can enjoy…I think.
@m, @OAL, @fern etc…Attorney Woo is such a surprising hit for me. I haven’t seen PEB in anything and had low expectations for her but she’s handling this well. I can’t speak for its accuracy- I don’t think anyone can since the spectrum is so vast- but it seems like they’ve done a lot of research and are taking care with what they’re putting out. I’m not sure how @pm3 would feel about watching this legal drama since the legalities are more integral to the show than Legally Romance, but I would love to hear her thoughts on PEB and how she’s playing Young Woo. There’s a comment on the MDL page that I came across and found super interesting. I’ll go see if I can find it. Posting this now in case of technical difficulties
“we don’t have 100% confirmation that Master Lee is the other one who’d mastered Hwansu beside Swo Gyeong.” Doesn’t stuffing Sapsali’s ‘soul’ into a dog count? He didn’t seem to use a Soul Ejector ball.
I had also wondered if Jang Kang was using the chaste tea – he and his wife had no prior children. It would make sense if the king learned of it somehow, since the king was so absolutely sure that a child conceived by Jang’s wife would be his and not Jang’s. No DNA tests back then…
@packmule3, as to the change in FL in the 2nd part — yes, the current press releases all reek of damage control because people have become very fond of JSM in that role. I’m guessing that it’s because the screenplay has Mu Deok’s body die at the end. Whoever leaked it is probably unemployed now.
Regarding the ethics, surely Uk is fond of Naksu’s soul and personality, regardless of which body? So if Naksu regains her body or is ejected from Mu Deok’s, it doesn’t stand to reason that he will automatically like Mu Deok1, despite how infatuated she looked with him at the time of the soul shift with Gil Ju. However, he probably wouldn’t want to offend Mu Deok1 if she’s all we think she might be. Hell hath no fury, etc. etc. Or Yul can be with Naksu and Uk can be with Mu Deok1. Or visa-versa. But I’m getting silly now.
Did anyone else have the feeling, during the conversation between Jin Mu and Park Jin, that Jin Mu was probing with statements he wasn’t absolutely sure of, but Jin Mu didn’t see the bluff and confirmed all that Jin Mu needed to know and more?
@packmule you are so right re: these problematic threesomes. And that the writers are in a tough spot. Some viewers just won’t be happy, but the person Ju is in love with is Naksu. So MuDeok must die/disappear.
Regardless, that’s a big spoiler to leak out even though people were speculating it as a possibility.
@Fern I had the same thought that Jin Mu was fishing for info and Park Jin just went ahead and gave it to him.
I saw Extraordinary Attorney Woo and it is nice. It makes you cry and it for some reason reminds me of Nurse files.
The talk of a second season with 10 episodes was in the air for sometime but three different outlets have a press release as of today: https://tapcomics.com/tv/alchemy-of-souls-go-yoon-jung-reportedly-cast-as-the-lead-for-season-2/
I just wish that they do justice to this season and give us some more bickering and fun with the lead pair.
I am enjoying all your theories here and there!
Jang Uk was so desperate to be a mage and learn to make spell that despite having various masters nobody dares to open his gate of energy. He was so smart that as soon as he met the soul of Naksu, he exerted his 100% energy to convince her to be his master.
Jang Uk’s first love is his goal to be a mage and learn the spells. His feelings to Naksu’s soul came in second and just grew overtime.
Park Jin has finally accepted Jang Uk to be a mage in their clan after winning the duel with the Crown Prince. There’s a sudden shift from his previous stance. Is it because Park Jin was thinking that he can still protect JU?
Mudeok with Naksu’s soul told Jang Uk to join Park in Songrim and JU quickly obeyed? What about their end goal? To be in Cheonbugwan? Since both of them have discovered from Gilju’s statement that the ice stones are hidden in the royal palace as well as the real Danju.
It was obvious that Yul knows about Naksu’s soul inside Mudeok’s body. He was asked several times by Park Jin what he knows about Naksu but he never mentioned his hunch about Naksu’s soul.
@birdie007 @NoOne
Extraordinary Attorney Woo episode 3 Pengsoo song scene. After watching it I couldn’t get the song out of my head. LOL
Regarding AOS, part two female lead casting news feels too early to announce. In fact maybe it would have been better to just remain a surprise.
Somehow I am not upset because I am more into the pupil master relationship. Otherwise it would have been a repeat of how I felt about Oh My Ghostess also of TVN.
I am just not sure how they could let Naksu return in original form unless her body was taken and hidden away. Which was impossible since it was burned in public. I hope there’s no identical twin magically appearing.
Now even more curious how the Hong writers are going to do part two.
Regarding indiscretion –
@MrsRJH1, you wrote, “@Fern I had the same thought that Jin Mu was fishing for info and Park Jin just went ahead and gave it to him.” –Gave it to him on a platter, right? For being in his position, Park Jin is remarkably loose-lipped and/or just not very smart. I would say the same about the Head Gisaeng, who hands out information easily – just the opposite of what a person in her position (in charge of sometimes confidential situations) should do. The other blabber is Dr Yeo, but he has already been scolded for that by Mr Lee.
A non-verbal indiscretion that seems very unlikely to me is the way that Uk looks at Mu Deok almost every time someone says something about a soul shifter or Naksu. During the scene when Cho-yeon calls forth the dog spirit in the large gathering, he kept glancing at her and moving to protect her with no subtlety whatsoever.
Finally, after Uk’s fight with the CP, why did Mr Lee deliberately mention Uk’s maidservant being constantly present whilst he trained in Tansu? It was as though he was trying to stir things up rather than keep them calm.
Kalo mesimeri my dear @Fern,
Regarding you last question. Teacher Lee wanted just to say that they were only the three of them there.
He did that for two reasons.
One he underlined the fact, that they were by themselves with no Master in the house.
Second, he wanted to see who else knows about MuDeok / Naksu. He was looking for reactions from the gathered ones.
If you checked the scene and believe me I have watched it at least 5 fimes already, the Evil Jin was waiting for a MAN to be Uk’s master.
Not a woman and seriouly not, filthy mouth MuDeok. Evil Jin still believes that Naksu is dead. He knows that she was the only one who has mastered the movement of Tansu-bam.
They have missed the point here. Hemp Teacher Lee came out to protect them, while telling them the obvious, “the one you are looking for is in front of you”.
I find his sarcasm / trolling epic!
@Eureka, I almost think that Park Jin has given up on protecting Uk and is letting fate take its course. He seemed to have that attitude shortly before the swordfight with the CP. I think he would like Uk under his jurisdiction rather than under anyone else’s but whether he will choose to protect him or choose to disable him somehow to prevent trouble is unknown. He did stop the combat so the CP wouldn’t get hurt further when my understanding was that it could be a fight to the death. I’m not completely sure he would have stopped the fight if it had been Uk on the floor judging by his words before the fight. It seems like the situation is too complicated for him to do anything rather than react. He doesn’t seem to have a long-term strategy. His intent to be a protector may have shifted to damage control.
I loved Uk’s face when Jin Mu put on the huge fake smile and asked him to join Cheonbugwan. Do you think that Uk might join it later once he has been trained by Park Jin’s group?
@Cleopatra, you are certainly correct about Teacher Lee’s trolling. But Jin Mu is very clever. It seemed to me that he already had his eye on Mu Deok, but not as much as his henchman Gil Ju did. It won’t be long before Jin Mu figures it out.
Then after each of the Big 4 families has invited Uk to join them, Uk goes immediately, very obviously and publicly to ask his MAIDSERVANT to help him choose; to make it clear that he values her opinion over all others. –Like she is his Master. To me that seemed another example of unsubtle and potentially dangerous behaviour. (I really expected him to demur, thank everyone and say he needed a bit of time to think it over. Then discuss it with her in private.) What did you think about Uk’s actions there?
My dear @Fern,
UK’s actions are not unreasonable. Mostly because MuDeok has been with him in all the major incidents that are happening in his life at the moment and we are watching in AoS.
Remember that everyone has abandoned him like Mage Park. His previous masters were thinking, UK is lazy or a pain in the a$$.
His own confidant is his maid MuDeok. The only person who is always with him. She has shown her loyalty to the eyes of the others in several occasions.
She was beaten savagely when UK was poisoned. She was hurt from the soul shifter that was after UK.
So, I am glad this gesture had a dual meaning. For the rest of the world and for them both.
Although, Lee knows Naksu is UK’s master and Yul suspects…
That means he respects her, hence their relationship is deep.
@Fern,
I think in books and movies, the hero has little choice but to enter the Inferno, Mordor, the Dark Side, Arkham Asylum, Slytherin dungeon, and so on.
So, Uk most likely has to join forces with Jin Mu and the Cheonbugwan to gain access to the ice stone in the possession of the Queen.
@Fern, since Mudeok told Jang Uk to join Songrim for now and as @PM3 wrote that they have to get the ice stone, if they can beat the enemy then they might as well join Cheonbugwan later.
I am also wondering if Mudeok has the power to sense Jang Uk’s bloodline? and the King Star? She’s only aware of the energy given to him by old Heo Yeom. She also would usually say that Uk is really lucky to have learned the spells quickly. But nothing more than that.
As for Master Lee, he has been doing some favor for Jang Uk, by his immense power he might be aware of Uk’s bloodline but we don’t know if he will stay by his side in the future.
The show has still a lot to uncover.
Yes @pm3, it would be tricky if they change the lead actress for me. I will wait and see if the plot can convince me otherwise.
For me, the appeal of Uk and MD’s romance is MD’s weak body. It was very touching to see her reaction when she first thought Uk’s soul was swapped. Despite she was so weak she still tried so hard to protect Uk. Another appeal is to see what her determined mind can achieve even when she was trapped in a weak body.
UK also didn’t fell in love over Naksu’s look and abilities, but the determined, loyal soul of hers.
Once the soul is back to Naksu’s strong body, it’s no longer a journey for determined minds to become stronger. By then, they could be both be very strong. If Naksu gains her body back, it is more an ending rather than part 2 for me. What’s there to watch? Let’s wait and see…time travel?
Yes MD1 could be the descendent of the blinded folded mage? In case I missed the previous discussions, I noted that she wasn’t chosen by Naksu but she chose to host Naksu’s soul. She also protected Uk from soul swapping. That can’t be random.