#heo yeom

[halfassaultedbrain]

I cannot help but see this as an extremely wealthy and prestigious noble family portrait and the family drama that is going to unfold.

Jang uk and Mu deok caught in the middle of an elaborate succession game.

[galahadwilder]

Park “she’s just a friend” Jin

Master Heo is just eating this up like “haha this is my Lovesquare”

[swiftletinthecloud]

Wow So Yi actually died protecting Yul. Hopefully, Uk and Songrim will manage to save Yul in the next episode!

And it looks like Jin Bu Yeon will also realize she’s Naksu in the next episode with some push from Heo Yun Ok (whether well meaning or not) because apparently Yul left a letter telling her Jin Bu Yeon is Naksu??? Like what? Why her? I do not get the role of Yun Ok in this series at all.  She has been spending the entire part 2 so far pining after Uk and being jealous (or at least her servant does that for her) even after Uk and Kim Do Ju (once she’s aware of Uk’s relationship with Jin Bu Yeon) made it clear that Uk is not interested and Yun Ok should back off.  And her servant is so freaking annoying too.  Like I know Yun Ok is supposed to be there to help Heo Yeom and to look after the Queen which is mentioned in passing, but she has offered nothing of plot substance to this drama.  Any and all screen time for Heo Yun Ok could really just be taken to develop Jin Cho Yeon and actually give her a storyline because poor Spring Girl is still getting the short end of the stick with nothing to do as well.

In other news, I’m glad Go Won has finally decided to stop avoiding and actually talk to Uk so that maybe they can go back to being frienemies who will save the world from Jin Mu and the evil Queen (even if this one is actually his mom this time).

[akinatrix]

Why do the adults go from smart to stupid so quickly?

1. Park Jin - realized that jin mu and the queen have the ice stone and are making soul shifters but couldnt figure out that Mudeok/Naksu and Jang Uk are more than servant and master?

2. Heo Yeom - notices all the romance around him but couldnt figure out Jang Uk likes his maid instead of Yun Ok

3. Jin Ho-gyeong - spent 10 years searching for her daughter but doesnt give any mind to the maid who supposedly open jinyowon doors?

4. Jin Mu - raised an assassin to hide the fact that he's creating soul shifters but couldnt figure out whose the person who suddenly arrive and changed Jang Uk?

5. Maidservant Kim - raised the lazy trouble making Jang Uk but couldnt figure out why he cared for much a maid he barely knew?

[pohaislovesoismaggi]

AOS 2

I have some gripes about AOS 2. For the sake of clarity, Naksu in part 1 will be Naksu 1 and Naksu in part 2 will be Naksu 2.

Naksu 1 & 2 felt so different - Naksu 1 was clever, scheming and put herself first. Sure as the story progressed, she found people who she loved and liked but was always cunning. Naksu 2, on the other hand, seemed more of a strong willed yet innocent first love kind of female protagonist you'd see in kdramas.

Naksu 2 was pouting and getting her feelings hurt most of the time - I can try and justify it by saying that maybe that's how Cho Yeong would have grown up to be had she not been taken in by Jinmu. But even when she gets her memories back, we get to see a tame version of her. Sure, she would feel guilty about her hand in Jang UK's condition but as a viewer when I know that the drama is coming to an end, I don't have time for noble idiocy of not telling him that she has recovered.

Where's her anger and hatred for Jimmu? How's the conclusion for their tale just her giving him an ice stone to rot?

Naksu 2 was so underutilised in part 2. She's the protagonist, yet we only get to see her in action twice - one of them when she's not aware of her actions. All viewers wanted to see her and UK together in action but no. We get to see her sappy, die and come back to life.

Why are we seeing child Bu Yeon? We have already seen grown up Bu yeon's soup several times in AOS 1. It did not make sense for child Bu Yeon soul to appear now to scheme with Jang Uk.

I still don't get what is Master Lee's basis of deciding which info he wants to disclose to whom and when he wants to take action. He seems to do whatever is convenient for the plot. Same goes for Park Jin - he is a bit stupid when it comes to emotions, sure,fine. But how can the same person who gives veiled threats and understand veiled insults from Jinmu + Unanimous Assembly not be able to understand word plays when talking to Heo Yeom and Maid servant Kim? Also I still can't get over the fact that he forgot Naksu's face. Another character that seems to be socially inadept whenever the script needs him to be.

[swiftletinthecloud]

Alchemy of Souls: Episodes 13-14

Picking up where we left off last week with Uk x Naksu/Mu Deok hug 🥺😍 The way that it’s a hug with Uk just completely wrapping himself around Naksu/Mu Deok to comfort her when she needed it ❤️

The way that Uk uses what he found out about the yin-yang jade to call on Go Won to be his savior 😆

Uk stepping in front of Naksu/Mu Deok to block her from Jin Mu’s view 😍

Jin Mu and the fake Queen not underestimating Uk but still underestimating him. Lol. although we’re going down a tricky path here with them trying to figure out why Uk changed and for whom so they can potentially use that person against him

Crown Prince Go Won not being an idiot and starting to suspect Jin Mu bc he noticed that “intruder” Uk had no sword but “innocent” Jin Mu did!

Uk taking Naksu/Mu Deok’s statement that she can not bear it if he dies as a reply to his love confession and more meaningful than her “I missed you”! Side note tho - him realizing this but then starts to have doubts AGAIN when he sees her smiling with Yul is annoying. Like seriously did we not have this insecurity last week as well? How can you be so confident and then so insecure at the same time! Uk better not have doubts again next week too after ending the ep 14 confident after realizing Naksu/Mu Deok had tried to keep him with her instead of going to his room/ Heo Yun Ok and got back her half of the yin yang jade

The way Naksu/Mu Deok got them out of Jin Mu’s place by begging them not to let Songrim take Uk bc they will severely punish him had me in stitches 🤣🤣🤣

Pls I’m so over Yul’s romantic scenes and him as a love rival. Go Won’s scenes are just better and he’s at least a more entertaining love rival even if he knows he has no chance against Uk for Mu Deok’s affections. Yul had like a summer of friendship and longing but since she’s been back, he said himself: the only person in Naksu/Mu Deok’s mind is Uk so get over yourself, Yul. The more ppl try to separate them, the more Uk and Naksu/Mu Deok will fight to be by each other’s side (unless Naksu/Mu Deok tried to be a Noble Idiot and leaves Uk to protect him. Don’t think she will do that. It’s not in her character but the way she was thinking that if she’s found out it would put Uk in danger have me a little worry)

I’m here for all the Master Lee - Uk scenes and Uk actually getting advices and cared for by a father-ish figure. Pls hopefully this won’t change or Master Lee turning out to be bad or something with his reveal of being a soul shifter at the end of episode 14

The Master Lee - Kim Do Ju - Park Jin love triangle! And Uk’s delivery of it to Master Lee and Park Jin is hilarious 😆 I’m really rooting for Master Lee here if he doesn’t turn out to be some evil manipulative mastermind. 🤞

In all seriousness I was not expecting Uk to lose his last duel even if it was against Yul. Especially with the emphasis on Uk finally being able to master Chisu before the duel. I mean I get why Uk didn’t since it might have been a bit cliché and the audience expecting it for him to defy expectations and win like he did in his duel with Go Won and the writers might have wanted to go against expectations but I still wanted Uk to win 😩

The fact that Naksu/Mu Deok searched night and day in the muddy water for her jade pendant 🥺🥺 Girl might not have said “I love you” verbally to him but she’s so in love with Uk. And then her running to him to show Uk she has her pendant again 🥺❤️ and her actually showing him the pendant after initially hiding it when she saw him laughing with Heo Yun Ok as a reply to his kiss 🥺 Also side note here that’s similar to the side note about Uk above. Like Naksu/Mu Deok, how can you doubt Uk’s romantic interest in you and said he doesn’t see you as a woman when he literally have just confessed a few days ago? I hope that after the kiss and pendant scene they’re now on the same page romantically and stop doubting each other’s interests.

Everyone wondering how Jin Mu plan on tricking the Jin Gate with the fake Jin Bu Yeon, I guess now we know how. I really just want a deserving amount of time spent to explore or a spin off of Jin Cho Yeon and Park Dang Gu being happy and exploring their characters. Like we can go so much deeper with Cho Yeon that we only see glimpses of sometimes of how she’s dealing with an absent father (who is now home but just using her and not really caring for her well-being ), a neglectful critical mother who only cares for her other daughter, and the shadow of her missing big sister. Same with Dang Gu who is so caring to those close to him (Cho Yeon, Yul, Uk, Mu Deok) but have only been used so far for comedic effect for the most part. And he’s heir to Songrim yet no one has been shown to take him seriously and he seems to also be in Yul’s shadow even with his uncle. Park Jin had involved Yul in the whole soul shifter business first over Dang Gu.

Ju Wol and the ferry guy both warn Naksu/Mu Deok that So Yi is dangerous and we know her presence can’t mean anything good for Naksu/Mu Deok, but I hope they defy expectations and team up at some point to go against Jin Mu, a man that used/is using them both.

I hate that Uk and now Naksu/Mu Deok have been forced into promising to do something for another party (Heo Yeom and Seo Yul) without them actually knowing what they promised to do.

Based on these two episodes I don’t think Naksu/Mu Deok will ever run wild bc if Master Lee is really also a soul shifter, we have a precedent of soul shifters being normal and not running wild or petrifying. Also if the ice stone is what keeps soul shifters from running wild then she’s also safe being in Mu Deok/ Bu Yeon’s body. Based on last week’s episode, it was implied that the ice stone was used to bring baby Bu Yeon back to life and maybe that causing her to sense energy and control the sky’s energy. And from what we see with Eunuch Kim, if the ice stone is removed, then the being goes back to being dead so that means the ice stone used to bring Bu Yeon back still has to be in her and that’s what’s keeping Naksu/Mu Deok from running wild since she already has the ice stone. And also there can be multiple ice stones maybe?

I get why Heo Yun Ok is introduced now as a way to get Master Lee and in turn Uk to the palace and led up to that reveal by Master Lee but that’s like so paper thin and she still so unnecessary/ wasted.

Looking forward to next week where Uk and Naksu/Mu Deok can tell everyone to shove it and fight to be by each other’s side.

[swiftletinthecloud]

OMG Now that we know OG Mu Deok is the missing Jin Bu Yeon and I’m rewatching the whole drama while waiting for the new episodes, the clue of OG Mu Deok being someone familiar was there since episode 3!  Heo Yeom’s like this ear seems familiar; have I treated you before? !!😮😮

[swiftletinthecloud]

The new character, the thieving con artist, is set up for me to not like right away, but I can see her relevance to the plot and the need for her introduction.  However, Heo Yun Ok’s introduction, unless somehow she becomes plot relevance, is so unnecessary if her only purpose is to add conflict to the romance subplot, because we already have more than enough going on for that. I also am not vibing with Master Heo asking Uk to promise to do something for him no matter what in the future (but confirming that Uk didn’t drink the chaste tea first). Don’t need even the implication that Uk could be forced into another marriage arrangement that he has no interest in.