#ok eul tae

BULGASAL

This is more a rant than a review.

This started out fantastic, it had mystery, suspense, horror elements, blood, gore, establishing relationships, regret, revenge, good looking male lead, beautiful female lead, you know… not a bad start at all. Not necessarily the greatest thing but great enough to get me hooked. I like the strong, stoic types, so that was a plus.

The great thing I find about kdrama in general be it sci-fi, fantasy, drama, romance, supernatural, horror, what have you, is the way relationships are shown / developed, the emotions, the interactions of the characters, and the portrayal and emphasis on human condition. BUT!!! when it just goes on, and on, and on, aaaannnnddd ooooonnnn…. it just becomes tedious! I get it! So come on, get on with it already!

This could have been shortened down to 10 or 12-13 episodes. It was just drawn out, the storyline was lagging just as Hwal’s hair got uglier and uglier as the series went on. Seriously, a short, (not too) straight bob, parted in the middle with the ends curled in slightly does not look good for men, any man really.  I was plodding through this series and honestly I was starting to hate it.

The reaction times was just annoying. I get it, people might/could freeze during dangerous situations. Once or twice, understandable, and it happened to everyone (I think) but if it keeps happening again, and again, and again, and again…. especially when you insist on tagging along knowing that you will be in life threatening situations is just ridiculous. Oh.. by all means, why don’t we have a chat… a long arse chat… yes now, why don’t we… when we are in absolute mortal danger! FFS!!! Uuurrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!

There were also unanswered parts

• It didn’t explain how Bulgasals and monsters came about and why did the monsters reincarnate as people. There are only 2 Bulgasals, were they human and became Bulgasals or did they just came into being? Fine, fine, it doesn’t necessarily need to be answered.
  
• Why did she make him Bulgasal? If she was tired of living on and wanted to die and take revenge at the same time, why not tell him why she did it? Isn’t the point of revenge wanting them to feel how it felt like for you? She could have also said, I did not kill your family, they were my family too 400 years ago! But instead, before dying, I will defo tell you that I will be reincarnated and I will have a scar and you can fecken hunt me down!!!
• And when she made him Bulgasal and took his soul, why did he not get a festering wound like Ok Eul-Tae?
• How did Ok Eul-Tae know that she will make him Bulgasal?
  
• Why the f*ck did he bring his family to hunt down Bulgasals? I know, I know, this is just for dramatic script writing reasons but still, WTF!!!
  

And what is it with the interiors not corresponding to the exterior of houses/sets?!!! This is the second kdrama that I have noticed, I’m sure I will discover others as well. The thing is, once I notice it, it just bothers me so much… what can I say, it just gets to me OK! Sorry… but it just does! Do the set designers not have basic concept of layouts, floorplans, facades, etc… If not, how did they qualify to be set designers? Seriously, how? Asking for a friend XD

Episode 16 kinda made up for the slow pace of previous episodes. They all looked amazing a thousand years ago! This episode also showed Hwal in his primal state, an impressive apex predator!  And better hair… LOL!

This long drawn hullabaloo lasting a 1000 years was started by Ok Eul-Tae killing his brother and blaming it on Min Sang-un. Hwal over reacting and killing everyone including the people his beloved loved and cared about. But then again, would you really blame him? He arrives to basically a witch trial with his dearest being skewered with a freakin sword through her body!

All in all, it wasn’t bad. Cinematography great, costumes great. I did cry on some parts (I’m really becoming a SAP! HUH! What’s happening to me!). I did like the ending, more than like the ending.