It's an interesting theory and one I've heard before. We actually had people suspecting SY was BH's past incarnation…
Actually, been thinking about that a lot. Here's my theory on that issue as well. Why send BH back? I believe they did it because it wouldn’t make sense for him to live a life he essentially already lived as SY. Reincarnation is meant to be a means for a soul to grow and spiritually evolve, which it could not do by simply repeating what it had already done. Also, for some reason (I suspect so as not to offend Koreans by skipping over one of the most beloved and prominent historical figures in their culture - Queen Min), they still have CJ dying at age 32. This can be seen in the book BH is looking at when he’s seeing his portrait, and he dies without any heirs. His baby with the queen dies at just six months - again, IMO, to allow Gojong and Queen Min to step in as a constitutional monarchy would have had his children inheriting. If the BH decided to stay for love and then lost the baby and CJ, that would be just as heartbreaking for me as the ending I received. Maybe that's why they gave us the Bamboo Garden last segment with an unspoken promise of meeting again. Should have just made up a fictional king and let us have our happy ending though - to heck with spiritual evolution. Or gone with a swap like the novel or a "queen just dead and nothing more heard from her" like the drama with no going back. The end.
Am I bitter? Let's see...glass of wine, listening to How Can I Love the Heartbreak by AKMU on repeat...you be the judge. LOL Alas, like Colin Firth's Darcy famously declared: "I WILL conquer this."
I agree so much. Like, even if when they were kissing, BH was in the back, and SY is in charge, how can anybody…
I never put stock into SY being in charge...and then when I came up with my reincarnation theory, it definitely did not put SY in charge. Was SB influenced by her former life's love for CJ? Yes. However, that just proves to me that, in any body, they're soul mates, and Mr. Queen fell in love with him again as themselves through their shared journey and experiences.
I'm so on point with your comment ! SoBong like you said, is the true FL and for me she died at the end. I'm so…
I read the novel translation as well and it does explain what happened to the original empress' soul. In the novel, the playboy and empress' souls were originally mistakenly placed in each other's bodies by a bumbling celestial being (angel I guess you could call him) and were swapped back after the accident that almost killed the playboy as a way of making things right...and some sort of merit he earned, but I can't remember the details. Later, the playboy asks what happened to his body and he's shown through a vision the back of a naked man. He says "that's not my body" and his spirit guide is like "no, it's the one under him and tsks tsks that the empress' soul was always such a feminine one." LOL They alluded to it in Mr. Queen, which makes me wonder if the writers read the novel b/c that part wasn't in the Chinese drama version - which did NOT address where the empress' soul went.
I'm so on point with your comment ! SoBong like you said, is the true FL and for me she died at the end. I'm so…
I read the novel translation as well and it does explain what happened to the original empress' soul. In the novel, the playboy and empress' souls were originally mistakenly placed in each other's bodies by a bumbling celestial being (angel I guess you could call him) and were swapped back after the accident that almost killed the playboy as a way of making things right. Later, the playboy asks what happened to his body and he's shown through a vision the back of a naked man. He says "that's not my body" and his spirit guide is like "no, it's the one under him and tsks tsks that the empress' soul was such a feminine one." LOL They alluded to it in Mr. Queen, which makes me wonder if the writers read the novel b/c that part wasn't in the Chinese drama version - which did NOT address where the empress' soul went.
I enjoyed reading your take on things. Wanted to share my own.
Bong-Hwan and So Yong are both versions of the same soul. What got me thinking about this was that scene in episode 5 where SoBong talks about original and past lives but then mentions parallel timestreams. To illustrate, she draws two lines running side by side and explains how a past life can be in one and the original/current being in the other. This had me stumped a bit, and I thought it a bit random that they put that in there, but then I looked up “reincarnation and parallel lives” and there’s a surprising number of articles on it - though obviously not conclusive or scientific as it involves spirituality.
This would explain many of the elements of the story that I found hard to accept. For example:
If So Yong’s separate soul was in there with Bong Hwan’s soul then why did he never feel her? In fact, the show repeatedly makes reference to the idea that Bong Hwan does not feel another soul and attributes characteristics of SY to the body (telling her after the kiss that the soul is in control of the body so she ought to behave and in another scene he tries to get her soul to return by addressing the lake - where he believes she is hiding). What if the reason he couldn’t feel another presence was because there wasn’t another? He merely had his consciousness wake up in the body of his past life but didn’t realize it.
In the last segment of the spin-off, the king wishes to find the queen again, and they make it very clear that it’s Mr. Queen he’s thinking of. However, there’s also hints that he shares some sort of connection to So Yong. Very contradictory and confusing as heck to me why the writers would show a connection to both and wondering whom he would end up meeting if his wish came true. However, this conundrum isn’t an issue if it’s the same soul that he is drawn to.
It would explain the gradual integration of both personalities. For example, when CJ returns the book to Mr. Queen, she never thinks of herself as not being the girl from the well as she did when he first confesses his love for her. As she spends more time in her previous body, the lines become more blurred not just in memory but also in identity because she IS her. If they were two separate souls, I don’t think she would have that same reaction nor do I see anything to indicate that So Yong “took over” in that moment. Again though, I’ve never been fond of the idea of Mr. Queen being a puppet.
It would explain the issue of why time in the present is flowing at the same rate as the past, which we discovered when BH’s consciousness briefly reentered his body and explain why they chose to reveal that fact. Time isn’t linear here but more fluid with both versions existing simultaneously. Hence the two lines the queen drew to illustrate.
It would explain why he falls for CJ so hard, despite his initial protests. I never liked the idea of his feelings being manipulated like puppetry, but I can get on board with the idea that he accepts his feelings for CJ because this is a man that some part of him has always loved.
It would also explain the question of why Bong Hwan. What was the connection between this man and So Yong? They are reincarnations of each other. When So Yong was feeling hopeless and needed strength, she pulled upon her stronger (not because he’s a man necessarily but because of his confidence and different upbringing in a more independent era) version of herself to help her - made possible in that moment when she desperately wanted to give up on life and he desperately wanted to live.
It would also explain why, when Bong Hwan briefly went back to his body, So Yong did not reappear. She wasn’t being suppressed by another soul. She purposefully had her reincarnated self come to give her strength and was not ready at that time to assume her life again.
It would also solve the pesky issue of why BH is a better person. Someone mentioned the irrationality of CJ’s political accomplishments causing a ripple effect to change BH, and I agree. However, if we look at BH as SY’s reincarnation, then the positive attributes he now displays in the altered timeline can be accounted for because he prevented his previous incarnation from killing herself out of anger/disappointment/powerlessness and therefore in his next lifetime his soul didn’t carry that grudge.
Finally, it would explain why CJ doesn’t know that it’s a different woman at the end of the show. While her personality has changed, it’s intrinsically also the same.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it eliminates some of the alienation I felt towards So Yong as a character and makes the ending (a little) less bitter. However, SB and CJ (not BH or SY) were who they made the audience follow and fall in love with, so the ending is still unsatisfying for me.
It's an interesting theory and one I've heard before. We actually had people suspecting SY was BH's past incarnation…
Completely understand. This theory came after a week of utter devastation and is perhaps my way of coping. Honestly, I'm not sure why this show got to me the way it did, but I was literally crying when BH went back to present times and when So Yong reappeared...hated (with a passion) her. Nothing but love for the actress though - it's a credit to her that I detested SY with the same intensity that I loved SB. And while my theory makes sense to me from a point of logic...I would have been ecstatic had BH's consciousness stayed. I read that people were theorizing the sex scene which was implied in episode 19 but recently confirmed in the officially released script books was not filmed due to delays/weather/time/etc...and hope that was the case and not some sort of cowardice/intolerance. Because the way it's described in the script (from the translations I've read on twitter), SB is in no way being "controlled" and is very much aware of who she is making love to. They even refer to it as their first "real" night, which wouldn't be the case if SY was at the helm and for me implies that the other night wasn't either...just complicated by alcohol and mistaken identity.
I've thought about this for days now (this drama really touched me, so I've been ruminating on it for a while). I've changed my stance on the show...reflections below.
Bong-Hwan and So Yong are both versions of the same soul. What got me thinking about this was that scene in episode 5 where SoBong talks about original and past lives but then mentions parallel timestreams. To illustrate, she draws two lines running side by side and explains how a past life can be in one and the original/current being in the other. This had me stumped a bit, and I thought it a bit random that they put that in there, but then I looked up “reincarnation and parallel lives” and there’s a surprising number of articles on it - though obviously not conclusive or scientific as it involves spirituality.
This would explain many of the elements of the story that I found hard to accept. For example:
If So Yong’s separate soul was in there with Bong Hwan’s soul then why did he never feel her? In fact, the show repeatedly makes reference to the idea that Bong Hwan does not feel another soul and attributes characteristics of SY to the body (telling her after the kiss that the soul is in control of the body so she ought to behave and in another scene he tries to get her soul to return by addressing the lake - where he believes she is hiding). What if the reason he couldn’t feel another presence was because there wasn’t another? He merely had his consciousness wake up in the body of his past life but didn’t realize it.
In the last segment of the spin-off, the king wishes to find the queen again, and they make it very clear that it’s Mr. Queen he’s thinking of. However, there’s also hints that he shares some sort of connection to So Yong. Very contradictory and confusing as heck to me why the writers would show a connection to both and wondering whom he would end up meeting if his wish came true. However, this conundrum isn’t an issue if it’s the same soul that he is drawn to.
It could explain the gradual integration of both personalities. For example, when CJ returns the book to Mr. Queen, she never thinks of herself as not being the girl from the well as she did when he first confesses his love for her. As she spends more time in her previous body, the lines become more blurred not just in memory but also in identity because she IS her. If they were two separate souls, I don’t think she would have that same reaction nor do I see anything to indicate that So Yong “took over” in that moment. Again though, I’ve never been fond of the idea of Mr. Queen being a puppet.
It could explain the issue of why time in the present is flowing at the same rate as the past, which we discovered when BH’s consciousness briefly reentered his body and explain why they chose to reveal that fact. Time isn’t linear here but more fluid with both versions existing simultaneously.
It could explain why he falls for CJ so hard, despite his initial protests. I never liked the idea of his feelings being manipulated like puppetry, but I can get on board with the idea that he accepts his feelings for CJ because this is a man that some part of him has always loved.
It would explain the question of why Bong Hwan. What was the connection between this man and So Yong? They are reincarnations of each other. When So Yong was feeling hopeless and needed strength, she pulled upon her stronger (not because he’s a man necessarily but because of his confidence and different upbringing in a more independent era) version of herself to help her - made possible in that moment when she desperately wanted to give up on life and he desperately wanted to live.
It would explain why, when Bong Hwan briefly went back to his body, So Yong did not reappear. She wasn’t being suppressed by another soul. She purposefully had her reincarnated self come to give her strength and was not ready at that time to assume her life again.
Also, it would explain why BH’s personality changed in the future from utter selfish jerk to redeemable. It’s not because democracy came early or SY put a part of her soul in him (which would make no sense because those events don’t happen chronologically). It’s because he prevented SY (his past life) from killing herself in a moment of resentment/anger/futility and carrying that grudge with her into her next reincarnation.
Finally, it would explain why CJ doesn’t know that it’s a different woman at the end of the show. While her personality has changed, it’s intrinsically also the same. The actor that plays CJ stated that it wasn't that BH's personality is preferred over SY's personality but that he forced CJ to overcome his prejudice and see the queen. The way he said it makes me think that he also is hinting to the idea that they are two versions of the same soul. I hope the official script book has more details on the swapping. We're already gotten some juicy info regarding the night in the rebel camp...turns out they did make love calling it their first "real" night, which I took to be sans alcohol and fully aware of whom they were making love to so the idea that he is SY's puppet goes out that window, but I don't think it's BH either - furthering adding credence to what I see as a blending of their lives as both versions of themselves stay within their soul together.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I quite like the idea as it eliminates much of the alienation I felt towards So Yong as a character and makes the ending less bitter. Because I am still soul-crushingly sad that CJ didn’t get to stay with his Mr. Queen. They were the versions of themselves I fell in love with.
Hola again. :-) I actually addressed this in our previous discussion on another reviewer's post. To keep it short,…
I completely understand about having the vision of the characters. I'm the same with SB/CJ. It's wonderful that they created such a compelling drama, but I agree that they weren't clear enough - regardless if the end result was your dream or mine. That's one reason I think there's such debate about it (the other being that the characters are so beloved). I think they either got censored or got too entangled in having each episode be fun and forgot to look at the bigger picture and work to provide clear answers for fans. Still, what a ride it's been. Now I just need to heal my soul by watching KJH's gorgeous self in another drama - preferably one where he doesn't die an early death (on-screen or in a historical textbook).
P.S. A part of me does wish your answers were forthcoming about the relationship between SY and BH because I know I would have felt comforted by the idea that SY is a previous reincarnation (though that seems at odds of there being two souls...unless it was just BH's consciousness that was brought forth, which would explain why he didn't feel SY - because he was SY. Oooh, got my gears going with that idea. I think they hinted at something with the talk of parallel worlds, but as is the case with these writers, they never elaborated on it enough to make us understand.
The only things that bother me with this explanation is:During the first episodes, they show us that the soul…
Hola again. :-) I actually addressed this in our previous discussion on another reviewer's post. To keep it short, I said that it was a blend of science and spirituality that had me believing in it. Science says memories and feelings are stored in the brain and her brain functioning wouldn't have been interrupted long enough to delete what was there though, like an short-term amnesiac, they were suppressed because of the sudden influx of information from the new entity. I got caught up in that theory because the SY memories started to really come back once she was in a place familiar to her (her home) and also through her sense of smell...a well-documented phenomenon that has many medical articles to support it. Spiritually, the concept of a soul retaining memories is something that Kdramas have always alluded to (examples are in Goblin and Arang) where the characters declined drinking water from the river of forgetfulness so as to erase their previous life's memories. So, for me, it was possible for both memories to remain in the body. I'm an unrepentant nerd who overthinks things though.
I'm not entirely ok with your review. For me, we had some hints during the dramas :- In episode 2, before going…
The part about the personal feelings never led me to believe he cared about her. Call me crazy, but I thought about it more like "Don't let your personal feelings get in the way of having to kill an unarmed woman." Because YP is a bit more dark than our king and actually tried to stop CJ when he risked his life to save that baby during their night raid. He was worried CJ's soft heart would keep him from doing what was necessary.
As for the rest, I disagree but don't want to debate the point too much...just that one part where I wanted to share my perspective. I respect that others have different opinions and see it as a reflection of their love for the show that everyone is so passionate about their interpretations.
I absolutely agree with you on the idea that this show did not swallow the love-at-first-sight trope. Not only did CJ tell Hwa Jin Jo that he fell in love with her after getting to know her those two years ago, he didn't accept SY despite her efforts. It was only when Mr. Queen called him on his BS and prejudice that he began to open his heart and fell for So Bong's personality. I always thought that due to the show's premise of soul swapping, it made it obviously converse to the idea of falling for someone just by looking at them. I mean, come on...it's polar opposite logic.
My favorites were, of course, the So Bong/CJ segments. One seemed to address the question of whether or not SB's soul was attracted to CJ or not. The other seemed a bit hopeful at the thought that they would be reunited one day. Yes, Mr. Queen wished for her body back. It fits with the story as the segment takes place when she's trying to reclaim her sexual identity with those letters and all. I did like that the king's internal thoughts, dialogue, and wish all support that he loves Mr. Queen for who she is and wouldn't change a thing.
I have come to terms with the ending...no choice since there will never be a season 2. Consoled myself with the fact that in the book Bong reads, it still lists CJ dying at 32 (numbers can be clearly seen in the shot). Had BH been given a choice to stay and did, he would have been all alone in just 13 years. I just wish they had gone about it all differently and not simply negated what they spent hours building up.
At first, I didn't see the queer baiting/homophobic aspect of it because I didn't focus on the gender. I thought the show was leaning more towards a pansexual theme in eliminating gender altogether with how they went about it: soul is genderless and SB has both male and female memories. However, I came across a post just now on a discussion board where the poster said that had the transplanted soul been a woman, people would be universally upset that they went back and there wouldn't even be a question of whether or not SB falling in love with the king (and they did) was her own doing or not. It made me think of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I've read many, many reviews on that show and not a single post ever wondered about what happened to the real Hae Soo or if she was trapped in that body or influenced the transplanted character because we never heard from Hae Soo. Similarly, with Mr. Queen, there wasn't a peep from SY the entire time - even when BH temporarily returned to his own body - and plenty of reasons why audience members would feel (as I did) that the real SY was dead. The underwater scene where, the fact that she committed suicide and the logical assumption would be that her soul fled in order for another to enter, the fact that SB says in multiple part of the story that SY died/was killed, and that SB's confusion were attributed to the body, not the soul. He says multiple times that the soul is in control of the body (not my soul is stronger than yours), and it's not unusual to have storylines where a body or even parts of a body, such as in transplanted organ, carry residual feelings. Damn...it really was because Mr. Queen was a guy. That's just so freaking sad and disappointing. Furthermore, in the Chinese drama the queen stays (until one ending version where she and the king both die) and in the novel it's based on the queen and king live happily ever after. Who knew a communist country with strict censorship laws would be the more open-minded one. Sheesh.
At first, I didn't see the queer baiting/homophobic aspect of it because I didn't focus on the gender. I thought the show was leaning more towards a pansexual theme in eliminating gender altogether with how they went about it: soul is genderless and SB has both male and female memories. However, I came across a post just now on a discussion board where the poster said that had the transplanted soul been a woman, people would be universally upset that they went back and there wouldn't even be a question of whether or not SB falling in love with the king (and they did) was her own doing or not. It made me think of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I've read many, many reviews on that show and not a single post ever wondered about what happened to the real Hae Soo or if she was trapped in that body or influenced the transplanted character because we never heard from Hae Soo. Similarly, with Mr. Queen, there wasn't a peep from SY the entire time - even when BH temporarily returned to his own body - and plenty of reasons why audience members would feel (as I did) that the real SY was dead. The underwater scene where, the fact that she committed suicide and the logical assumption would be that her soul fled in order for another to enter, the fact that SB says in multiple part of the story that SY died/was killed, and that SB's confusion were attributed to the body, not the soul. He says multiple times that the soul is in control of the body (not my soul is stronger than yours), and it's not unusual to have storylines where a body or even parts of a body, such as in transplanted organ, carry residual feelings. Damn...it really was because Mr. Queen was a guy. That's just so freaking sad and disappointing. Furthermore, in the Chinese drama the queen stays (until one ending version where she and the king both die) and in the novel it's based on the queen and king live happily ever after. Who knew a communist country with strict censorship laws would be the more open-minded one. Sheesh.
A lot of people seem to focus on gay or straight, but I thought this show (had they had the courage to) could have introduced the more interesting concept of "it doesn't matter." The soul is genderless. As for memories, SB had both male and female versions of those. I would have been ecstatic to see them together because I felt it was a beautiful love story between SB/CJ and found myself a bit shocked that I wasn't at all thinking it was BL or a typical romance because, despite the questions of identity in the show, it really did promote the idea that you can be with whomever you want to so long as you love them and they love you. However, they blew that up in the last episode.
You captured my feelings so well in this review, thank you for that. I guess I'll just carry precious memories…
They seem to hint at that in Mr. Queen Bamboo Forest in the last episode. SB tells CJ that he should be reborn, and CJ voices his desire not to be but later wishes on a falling star that he hopes he is so he can meet the queen again.
That's exactly it, that was the main thing I hated about that ending. I overall liked the other aspects of it,…
For me, it's actually worse: the king did believe her. In episode 19, he asks her if he will win. Though he prefaces it with "if you really are from the future..." it's clear that he's starting to believe. He trusted her information enough to make it the basis of his government and create the bulletproof vests. That's why it's so heartbreaking for me. If he believes it's true then even more reason to notice the absence of such a unique soul. Yet all we get is "did I lose something"...like "did I forget to turn off the stove before I left the house." Ugh! And SY made out like a bandit. She hid inside her body to avoid the chaos of her life and woke up to a loving husband, a baby, all her evil relatives banished, and queen in name and power without lifting a finger. How could the writers think that fans would be okay with this?
Am I bitter? Let's see...glass of wine, listening to How Can I Love the Heartbreak by AKMU on repeat...you be the judge. LOL Alas, like Colin Firth's Darcy famously declared: "I WILL conquer this."
Bong-Hwan and So Yong are both versions of the same soul. What got me thinking about this was that scene in episode 5 where SoBong talks about original and past lives but then mentions parallel timestreams. To illustrate, she draws two lines running side by side and explains how a past life can be in one and the original/current being in the other. This had me stumped a bit, and I thought it a bit random that they put that in there, but then I looked up “reincarnation and parallel lives” and there’s a surprising number of articles on it - though obviously not conclusive or scientific as it involves spirituality.
This would explain many of the elements of the story that I found hard to accept. For example:
If So Yong’s separate soul was in there with Bong Hwan’s soul then why did he never feel her? In fact, the show repeatedly makes reference to the idea that Bong Hwan does not feel another soul and attributes characteristics of SY to the body (telling her after the kiss that the soul is in control of the body so she ought to behave and in another scene he tries to get her soul to return by addressing the lake - where he believes she is hiding). What if the reason he couldn’t feel another presence was because there wasn’t another? He merely had his consciousness wake up in the body of his past life but didn’t realize it.
In the last segment of the spin-off, the king wishes to find the queen again, and they make it very clear that it’s Mr. Queen he’s thinking of. However, there’s also hints that he shares some sort of connection to So Yong. Very contradictory and confusing as heck to me why the writers would show a connection to both and wondering whom he would end up meeting if his wish came true. However, this conundrum isn’t an issue if it’s the same soul that he is drawn to.
It would explain the gradual integration of both personalities. For example, when CJ returns the book to Mr. Queen, she never thinks of herself as not being the girl from the well as she did when he first confesses his love for her. As she spends more time in her previous body, the lines become more blurred not just in memory but also in identity because she IS her. If they were two separate souls, I don’t think she would have that same reaction nor do I see anything to indicate that So Yong “took over” in that moment. Again though, I’ve never been fond of the idea of Mr. Queen being a puppet.
It would explain the issue of why time in the present is flowing at the same rate as the past, which we discovered when BH’s consciousness briefly reentered his body and explain why they chose to reveal that fact. Time isn’t linear here but more fluid with both versions existing simultaneously. Hence the two lines the queen drew to illustrate.
It would explain why he falls for CJ so hard, despite his initial protests. I never liked the idea of his feelings being manipulated like puppetry, but I can get on board with the idea that he accepts his feelings for CJ because this is a man that some part of him has always loved.
It would also explain the question of why Bong Hwan. What was the connection between this man and So Yong? They are reincarnations of each other. When So Yong was feeling hopeless and needed strength, she pulled upon her stronger (not because he’s a man necessarily but because of his confidence and different upbringing in a more independent era) version of herself to help her - made possible in that moment when she desperately wanted to give up on life and he desperately wanted to live.
It would also explain why, when Bong Hwan briefly went back to his body, So Yong did not reappear. She wasn’t being suppressed by another soul. She purposefully had her reincarnated self come to give her strength and was not ready at that time to assume her life again.
It would also solve the pesky issue of why BH is a better person. Someone mentioned the irrationality of CJ’s political accomplishments causing a ripple effect to change BH, and I agree. However, if we look at BH as SY’s reincarnation, then the positive attributes he now displays in the altered timeline can be accounted for because he prevented his previous incarnation from killing herself out of anger/disappointment/powerlessness and therefore in his next lifetime his soul didn’t carry that grudge.
Finally, it would explain why CJ doesn’t know that it’s a different woman at the end of the show. While her personality has changed, it’s intrinsically also the same.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it eliminates some of the alienation I felt towards So Yong as a character and makes the ending (a little) less bitter. However, SB and CJ (not BH or SY) were who they made the audience follow and fall in love with, so the ending is still unsatisfying for me.
Bong-Hwan and So Yong are both versions of the same soul. What got me thinking about this was that scene in episode 5 where SoBong talks about original and past lives but then mentions parallel timestreams. To illustrate, she draws two lines running side by side and explains how a past life can be in one and the original/current being in the other. This had me stumped a bit, and I thought it a bit random that they put that in there, but then I looked up “reincarnation and parallel lives” and there’s a surprising number of articles on it - though obviously not conclusive or scientific as it involves spirituality.
This would explain many of the elements of the story that I found hard to accept. For example:
If So Yong’s separate soul was in there with Bong Hwan’s soul then why did he never feel her? In fact, the show repeatedly makes reference to the idea that Bong Hwan does not feel another soul and attributes characteristics of SY to the body (telling her after the kiss that the soul is in control of the body so she ought to behave and in another scene he tries to get her soul to return by addressing the lake - where he believes she is hiding). What if the reason he couldn’t feel another presence was because there wasn’t another? He merely had his consciousness wake up in the body of his past life but didn’t realize it.
In the last segment of the spin-off, the king wishes to find the queen again, and they make it very clear that it’s Mr. Queen he’s thinking of. However, there’s also hints that he shares some sort of connection to So Yong. Very contradictory and confusing as heck to me why the writers would show a connection to both and wondering whom he would end up meeting if his wish came true. However, this conundrum isn’t an issue if it’s the same soul that he is drawn to.
It could explain the gradual integration of both personalities. For example, when CJ returns the book to Mr. Queen, she never thinks of herself as not being the girl from the well as she did when he first confesses his love for her. As she spends more time in her previous body, the lines become more blurred not just in memory but also in identity because she IS her. If they were two separate souls, I don’t think she would have that same reaction nor do I see anything to indicate that So Yong “took over” in that moment. Again though, I’ve never been fond of the idea of Mr. Queen being a puppet.
It could explain the issue of why time in the present is flowing at the same rate as the past, which we discovered when BH’s consciousness briefly reentered his body and explain why they chose to reveal that fact. Time isn’t linear here but more fluid with both versions existing simultaneously.
It could explain why he falls for CJ so hard, despite his initial protests. I never liked the idea of his feelings being manipulated like puppetry, but I can get on board with the idea that he accepts his feelings for CJ because this is a man that some part of him has always loved.
It would explain the question of why Bong Hwan. What was the connection between this man and So Yong? They are reincarnations of each other. When So Yong was feeling hopeless and needed strength, she pulled upon her stronger (not because he’s a man necessarily but because of his confidence and different upbringing in a more independent era) version of herself to help her - made possible in that moment when she desperately wanted to give up on life and he desperately wanted to live.
It would explain why, when Bong Hwan briefly went back to his body, So Yong did not reappear. She wasn’t being suppressed by another soul. She purposefully had her reincarnated self come to give her strength and was not ready at that time to assume her life again.
Also, it would explain why BH’s personality changed in the future from utter selfish jerk to redeemable. It’s not because democracy came early or SY put a part of her soul in him (which would make no sense because those events don’t happen chronologically). It’s because he prevented SY (his past life) from killing herself in a moment of resentment/anger/futility and carrying that grudge with her into her next reincarnation.
Finally, it would explain why CJ doesn’t know that it’s a different woman at the end of the show. While her personality has changed, it’s intrinsically also the same. The actor that plays CJ stated that it wasn't that BH's personality is preferred over SY's personality but that he forced CJ to overcome his prejudice and see the queen. The way he said it makes me think that he also is hinting to the idea that they are two versions of the same soul. I hope the official script book has more details on the swapping. We're already gotten some juicy info regarding the night in the rebel camp...turns out they did make love calling it their first "real" night, which I took to be sans alcohol and fully aware of whom they were making love to so the idea that he is SY's puppet goes out that window, but I don't think it's BH either - furthering adding credence to what I see as a blending of their lives as both versions of themselves stay within their soul together.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I quite like the idea as it eliminates much of the alienation I felt towards So Yong as a character and makes the ending less bitter. Because I am still soul-crushingly sad that CJ didn’t get to stay with his Mr. Queen. They were the versions of themselves I fell in love with.
P.S. A part of me does wish your answers were forthcoming about the relationship between SY and BH because I know I would have felt comforted by the idea that SY is a previous reincarnation (though that seems at odds of there being two souls...unless it was just BH's consciousness that was brought forth, which would explain why he didn't feel SY - because he was SY. Oooh, got my gears going with that idea. I think they hinted at something with the talk of parallel worlds, but as is the case with these writers, they never elaborated on it enough to make us understand.
As for the rest, I disagree but don't want to debate the point too much...just that one part where I wanted to share my perspective. I respect that others have different opinions and see it as a reflection of their love for the show that everyone is so passionate about their interpretations.
My favorites were, of course, the So Bong/CJ segments. One seemed to address the question of whether or not SB's soul was attracted to CJ or not. The other seemed a bit hopeful at the thought that they would be reunited one day. Yes, Mr. Queen wished for her body back. It fits with the story as the segment takes place when she's trying to reclaim her sexual identity with those letters and all. I did like that the king's internal thoughts, dialogue, and wish all support that he loves Mr. Queen for who she is and wouldn't change a thing.
I have come to terms with the ending...no choice since there will never be a season 2. Consoled myself with the fact that in the book Bong reads, it still lists CJ dying at 32 (numbers can be clearly seen in the shot). Had BH been given a choice to stay and did, he would have been all alone in just 13 years. I just wish they had gone about it all differently and not simply negated what they spent hours building up.