You forgot to mention where you copied the first half from.Also, laughable how you said that japanese world written…
> You forgot to mention where you copied the first half from.
Copied? I typed it myself based on how I understood it. So what are you insinuating?
> A japanese can call wuxia, xianxia or xuanhuan a "fantaji" in the same way an American can call it fantasy, cause there are swords and magic. it's not a term reserved for xianxia alone
Thank you very much for proving my point. Much appreciated.
1. wǔxiá (武俠) - literally translated as "martial heroes" (martial as in 'martial arts' or 'kung fu').
It is a type of fiction where ordinary humans can achieve supernatural fighting abilities. It is usually about chivalry, romance, revenge,
If compared to Western genre, this qualifies as "low fantasy".
2. xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) - lit. "immortal heroes"
These are fictional stories where immortals, demi-gods, gods, are the main characters, plot, and settings. They are either seeking immortality or trying to pay their karma to get back to their rightful place in the heavens.
This genre usually compose of Taoist and Buddhist elements.
But as a genre it is broad. It is a genre where authors can run wild with their imagination. It has magic and science existing side-by-side or in contrast; there may be demons, ghosts, and other out of this world creatures. The setting is usually in a place hidden from the 'normal'/'outside' world, or at a time period before the present time.
A xuánhuàn (玄幻) can incorporate elements from xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) and/or wǔxiá (武俠). It doesn't matter; or even foreign elements.
Alchemy of Souls falls under xuánhuàn (玄幻) genre of fantasy fiction. There are no gods in it, the mages are not immortals (a requirement to be considered xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠). They are also not ordinary humans who gained amazing feats of martial art moves as in wǔxiá (武俠).
In fact, the way they incorporated magic can be traced back to Western fantasy, like Dungeons & Dragons and other table-top RPGs. They are humans. Some of them have pathways to magic, so they can be trained to cast spells. They are not gods or immortals nor are they demi-gods. They are not seeking immortality or godhood. Their country is not heaven or in any supernatural place.
If compared to Western, this would fall as "high fantasy".
---
xuánhuàn (玄幻) is also known as fantajī (ファンタジー) in Japanese; hwansang (환상) in Korean; and pantasya (ᜉᜈ᜔ᜆᜐ᜔ᜌ) in Filipino. They all share the same definition of this genre as compared to the Western genre of "fantasy".
xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) is known as sian-sia (시안 시아) in Korean; and sentien hsien (仙侠) in Japanese. Same definition.
wǔxiá (武俠) is known as muhyeop (무협) in Korean; and bukyō (武侠) in Japanese. Again, same definition as a genre.
All these three categories of fantasy is together known as "East Asian Fantasy" or "Asia-Pacific Fantasy"; or as publishers like to call it "Asian Fantasy".
No one culture owns any of these genres.
If anyone will claim it belongs to their culture, then tell Publishers to also stop calling it "Asian Fantasy" because "Fantasy" is a genre owned by the Westerners. This just proves that people whining about "cultural appropriation" have a faulty logic.
It is a genre. It is not a culture. It is a classification. It is defining different types of "fantasy FICTION".
* Hair tie style = seriously? People are whining about this?
* Building designs = seriously? Korea was largely influenced by Chinese culture, do you expect them to demonstrate Western style in a time period so far back in time?
* Clothing = again, seriously? Korea was influenced by the Chinese, and many of their ancient kings, royal families, and kingdoms, intermarried with Chinese royal families. Don't you agree it would be very stupid for them to show Western clothing in a time period of Korea where they were largely under Chinese rule and influence?
Stop this non-sense "cultural appropriation". It's moot. You should be thankful they are taking inspiration from elsewhere and at the same time, trying to stay true with their own history.
As for Season 2 … I'm torn. The ending was perfect. The story has ended. It is "Bloody Heart" for a reason: Councilor Park, Lady Jung, and the king. It is about the unresolved issues, the revenge, the fear of tyranny, because these three people have a bloody heart. They were hurt deeply. Them three know the dangers of their political moves, and the sacrifices they have to make.
- Councilor Park sacrificed his love for the Queen Mother when she asked her to be the QM.
- Lady Jung sacrificed the trust she and the king built, to keep him in check.
- The king sacrificed his love for Lady Jung because she has openly shown that she will oppose him when she does not agree with his decisions.
So, Season 2 when the "Bloody Heart" story of these three is over? It will no longer be "Bloody Heart".
If anything, the sequel should have a different title. It has been done in other countries, especially in the West. If a sequel deviates or is no longer about the original, the title is changed. Some call it spin-off.
That spin-off, in this case, will be about Lady Cho's revenge. She finally learned she needs to be play politics and establish her power. I wouldn't be surprised if she starts to create issues ensure the king and Lady Jung are at odds with each other.
That is no longer "Bloody Heart", it's a totally new story. Totally new political game. And frankly, that is already your typical Korean Royal Politics we've seen in many other period dramas.
The moment that monologue of the king started, it was clear he's doing it for political reasons. Then the scene when he started showing his sinister smile I was like, "damn you a$$, it's a political move!"
Well, as they say, "keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
And as Councilor Park said, they do recognize his skills, he just can not tell if he will fall to the pit of tyranny or keep himself away, that's why he can not trust him.
Such a waste that the king was so blinded by his revenge. However, it was why Councilor Park was ready to die … he did find a worthy ruler to keep the king in check, Lady Jung.
Another thing, it's good that the king finally realized there is danger in what he just did, that he might fall into the pit of tyranny. While the marriage was a political move, first and foremost, he finally acknowledged--at least to himself--that he does need someone to keep him sane.
1. Soo Jae and Yoo Na- Soo Jae's mother seems to be totally against Yoo Na now.- It is also starting to look like…
> I'm curious, do you really feel the marriage race will be a factor to the other 2 couples?
Yep. But probably not as lengthy as it appears going to be with Soo Jae and Yoo Na.
Also for Hyun Jae and Mi Rae, it's probably going to be blown out of proportion by her mother … and then there's that adoption issue (which is twofold too: (1) she hates her father left her; and (2) her mother-in-law is too proud about bloodlines).
The other reason is, at least as far as TV drama in any country (I'm not so sure if it happens in real life the way it is depicted in dramas), the assumption of the women will be "Do you love me or you're pretending because of the marriage race and the apartment?"
The other question would be, "Did you like me back when I was making the move because you have no better choice and Soo Jae is going to get the apartment?"
If Yoon Jae and Hyun Jae doesn't handle it well, it's going to be a problem for them. For these two, it seems they haven't seen it going to be a problem if their partners learn of the marriage race.
For Hae Jun, it probably won't be much of an issue, especially since she's close with Hyun Jae. But as a woman, she will still wonder if Yoon Jae is serious about her. She will probably even go for the wedding and have 70% share of the apartment as "payment" LOLs, lawyer as she is.
But yeah, this Soo Jae - Yoo Na problem is going to be a huge issue. It is already showing cracks even between the boys' parents. I was surprised their father blamed their mother why Soo Jae is like that, he was built up as a supportive husband and trusts his wife as the best person to handle the kids.
It's going to be a domino effect. This SJ-YN issue is going to affect more relationships, it will test them all.
Honestly, I was kind of thinking the same thing. Presumably if Gye Hoon is still alive, then Eunjung being the…
Yeah, their possessiveness is scary. I wonder what kind of family they had.
In that area, I'm suspecting they grew up in an adoption institution. Jin Geun was probably bullied, and when Eun Jung arrived, she protective him.
Ahh, that reminded me, Gye Young was a fighter, when Da Hyun was cornered, Gye Young protected her and was brave enough to start a fight with the bullies.
If Eun Jung is Gye Young without her memories … and the adoption center did not care much about bullying … they grew up possessive, with her brother more on the psychotic side.
I dunno, that'd be too soapy. Her relationship with her brother is kinda weird, but they're both possessive weirdos.…
True, the police officer is also a candidate. So far, they haven't revealed anything about her other than her relationship with the bully guy / junior police officer. And they all act like she was not in the town during disappearance case, which means Gye Young got into an accident, forgotten about it, adopted, then somehow returned to the town and became a police.
It's a good twist. There are indeed people who made choices based on their past traumatic experiences and then go back to their origin towns without knowing the reasons why. They just "feel" it is the right thing to do.
i thought only the male lead could feel the feelings his sister was feeling, not the sister for the ML's feelings.…
That's true. If there is a Link, it's one way.
But since the Link was severed, and it is possible to Link with someone not related by blood, maybe his twin sister also Linked on her own with another person.
Eun Jung reacting that way with Jin Geun the way Gye Hoon did with his sister Gye Young, is suspicious. So far, at least in the story, only the two of them reacts that way.
In any case, it still is not clear what governs the "link". If they will reveal that, or at least drop clues,…
Good point. They kept the Link stagnant for something that is central to the story. If it was time traveling or parallel world portals, they would've had added more information at this point already.
What if Lee Eun Jung is actually Eun Gye Young?1. It appears that she can feel her younger brother. When Lee Jin…
---
SPOILER from episode 5-6 (I can't remember which):
6. Another reason is, the piano teacher admitted Eun Gye Young wanted to ride her piano teacher's car but did not take her. He also said he was "supposed" to take her.
I am thinking here that Eun Gye Young probably chased her piano teacher and got into an accident. Her piano teacher ran away and kept quiet about it because he felt guilty.
As for what he said that he was "supposed" to take her, that is a mystery. It appears that he and Eun Gye Young made an agreement that they'll have a joyride. At least from the scene that was revealed, Eun Gye Young was waiting for him.
1. It appears that she can feel her younger brother. When Lee Jin Geun got into an accident, she stopped feeling him so she's devastated the way Eun Gye Hoon was devastated.
2. This means that Eun Gye Hoon's connection to her little sister was severed because she got into an accident.
3. It is also typical for kids who got into an accident to not remember a very traumatic experience. And if they were found by someone else, they are usually adopted (legally or illegally).
4. Just like Eun Gye Hoon who linked to Noh Da Hyun, it's possible that Eun Gye Young … as Lee Eun Jung, linked to Lee Jin Geun.
5. It is also notable that Lee Eun Jung is soo close with Lee Jin Geun, or at least currently she appears to care so much and love him. Just like how Eun Gye Young was with his older brother Eun Gye Hoon.
I am thinking, at least based on the above, Lee Eun Jung was Eun Gye Young. She got into an accident, her brain sealed it off because of the trauma, got adopted, given a new name.
Is there a connection between Nam Sang and the Queen Dowager?
I'm thinking his mother and the Queen Mother were either best friends, half-sisters, cousins, or full sisters. When Councillor Park asked her to be the Queen Mother, Nam Sang's mother took the opportunity to have Councillor Park for herself. So there is a love-hate relationship between her and the Queen Mother.
Which in turn spills over to Nam Sang--which he himself probably knew or is suspecting, otherwise he wouldn't visit the Queen Mother every 1st of the month.
1 
Copied? I typed it myself based on how I understood it. So what are you insinuating?
> A japanese can call wuxia, xianxia or xuanhuan a "fantaji" in the same way an American can call it fantasy, cause there are swords and magic. it's not a term reserved for xianxia alone
Thank you very much for proving my point. Much appreciated.
1. wǔxiá (武俠) - literally translated as "martial heroes" (martial as in 'martial arts' or 'kung fu').
It is a type of fiction where ordinary humans can achieve supernatural fighting abilities. It is usually about chivalry, romance, revenge,
If compared to Western genre, this qualifies as "low fantasy".
2. xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) - lit. "immortal heroes"
These are fictional stories where immortals, demi-gods, gods, are the main characters, plot, and settings. They are either seeking immortality or trying to pay their karma to get back to their rightful place in the heavens.
This genre usually compose of Taoist and Buddhist elements.
3. xuánhuàn (玄幻) - lit. "mysterious fantasy". Strictly speaking, xuánhuàn (玄幻) simply means "fantasy".
But as a genre it is broad. It is a genre where authors can run wild with their imagination. It has magic and science existing side-by-side or in contrast; there may be demons, ghosts, and other out of this world creatures. The setting is usually in a place hidden from the 'normal'/'outside' world, or at a time period before the present time.
A xuánhuàn (玄幻) can incorporate elements from xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) and/or wǔxiá (武俠). It doesn't matter; or even foreign elements.
Alchemy of Souls falls under xuánhuàn (玄幻) genre of fantasy fiction. There are no gods in it, the mages are not immortals (a requirement to be considered xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠). They are also not ordinary humans who gained amazing feats of martial art moves as in wǔxiá (武俠).
In fact, the way they incorporated magic can be traced back to Western fantasy, like Dungeons & Dragons and other table-top RPGs. They are humans. Some of them have pathways to magic, so they can be trained to cast spells. They are not gods or immortals nor are they demi-gods. They are not seeking immortality or godhood. Their country is not heaven or in any supernatural place.
If compared to Western, this would fall as "high fantasy".
---
xuánhuàn (玄幻) is also known as fantajī (ファンタジー) in Japanese; hwansang (환상) in Korean; and pantasya (ᜉᜈ᜔ᜆᜐ᜔ᜌ) in Filipino. They all share the same definition of this genre as compared to the Western genre of "fantasy".
xiānxiá (仙俠 | 仙侠) is known as sian-sia (시안 시아) in Korean; and sentien hsien (仙侠) in Japanese. Same definition.
wǔxiá (武俠) is known as muhyeop (무협) in Korean; and bukyō (武侠) in Japanese. Again, same definition as a genre.
All these three categories of fantasy is together known as "East Asian Fantasy" or "Asia-Pacific Fantasy"; or as publishers like to call it "Asian Fantasy".
No one culture owns any of these genres.
If anyone will claim it belongs to their culture, then tell Publishers to also stop calling it "Asian Fantasy" because "Fantasy" is a genre owned by the Westerners. This just proves that people whining about "cultural appropriation" have a faulty logic.
It is a genre. It is not a culture. It is a classification. It is defining different types of "fantasy FICTION".
* Hair tie style = seriously? People are whining about this?
* Building designs = seriously? Korea was largely influenced by Chinese culture, do you expect them to demonstrate Western style in a time period so far back in time?
* Clothing = again, seriously? Korea was influenced by the Chinese, and many of their ancient kings, royal families, and kingdoms, intermarried with Chinese royal families. Don't you agree it would be very stupid for them to show Western clothing in a time period of Korea where they were largely under Chinese rule and influence?
Stop this non-sense "cultural appropriation". It's moot. You should be thankful they are taking inspiration from elsewhere and at the same time, trying to stay true with their own history.
- Councilor Park sacrificed his love for the Queen Mother when she asked her to be the QM.
- Lady Jung sacrificed the trust she and the king built, to keep him in check.
- The king sacrificed his love for Lady Jung because she has openly shown that she will oppose him when she does not agree with his decisions.
So, Season 2 when the "Bloody Heart" story of these three is over? It will no longer be "Bloody Heart".
If anything, the sequel should have a different title. It has been done in other countries, especially in the West. If a sequel deviates or is no longer about the original, the title is changed. Some call it spin-off.
That spin-off, in this case, will be about Lady Cho's revenge. She finally learned she needs to be play politics and establish her power. I wouldn't be surprised if she starts to create issues ensure the king and Lady Jung are at odds with each other.
That is no longer "Bloody Heart", it's a totally new story. Totally new political game. And frankly, that is already your typical Korean Royal Politics we've seen in many other period dramas.
Well, as they say, "keep your friends close but your enemies closer."
And as Councilor Park said, they do recognize his skills, he just can not tell if he will fall to the pit of tyranny or keep himself away, that's why he can not trust him.
Such a waste that the king was so blinded by his revenge. However, it was why Councilor Park was ready to die … he did find a worthy ruler to keep the king in check, Lady Jung.
Another thing, it's good that the king finally realized there is danger in what he just did, that he might fall into the pit of tyranny. While the marriage was a political move, first and foremost, he finally acknowledged--at least to himself--that he does need someone to keep him sane.
Yep. But probably not as lengthy as it appears going to be with Soo Jae and Yoo Na.
Also for Hyun Jae and Mi Rae, it's probably going to be blown out of proportion by her mother … and then there's that adoption issue (which is twofold too: (1) she hates her father left her; and (2) her mother-in-law is too proud about bloodlines).
The other reason is, at least as far as TV drama in any country (I'm not so sure if it happens in real life the way it is depicted in dramas), the assumption of the women will be "Do you love me or you're pretending because of the marriage race and the apartment?"
The other question would be, "Did you like me back when I was making the move because you have no better choice and Soo Jae is going to get the apartment?"
If Yoon Jae and Hyun Jae doesn't handle it well, it's going to be a problem for them. For these two, it seems they haven't seen it going to be a problem if their partners learn of the marriage race.
For Hae Jun, it probably won't be much of an issue, especially since she's close with Hyun Jae. But as a woman, she will still wonder if Yoon Jae is serious about her. She will probably even go for the wedding and have 70% share of the apartment as "payment" LOLs, lawyer as she is.
But yeah, this Soo Jae - Yoo Na problem is going to be a huge issue. It is already showing cracks even between the boys' parents. I was surprised their father blamed their mother why Soo Jae is like that, he was built up as a supportive husband and trusts his wife as the best person to handle the kids.
It's going to be a domino effect. This SJ-YN issue is going to affect more relationships, it will test them all.
In that area, I'm suspecting they grew up in an adoption institution. Jin Geun was probably bullied, and when Eun Jung arrived, she protective him.
Ahh, that reminded me, Gye Young was a fighter, when Da Hyun was cornered, Gye Young protected her and was brave enough to start a fight with the bullies.
If Eun Jung is Gye Young without her memories … and the adoption center did not care much about bullying … they grew up possessive, with her brother more on the psychotic side.
Hmm…
It's a good twist. There are indeed people who made choices based on their past traumatic experiences and then go back to their origin towns without knowing the reasons why. They just "feel" it is the right thing to do.
But since the Link was severed, and it is possible to Link with someone not related by blood, maybe his twin sister also Linked on her own with another person.
Eun Jung reacting that way with Jin Geun the way Gye Hoon did with his sister Gye Young, is suspicious. So far, at least in the story, only the two of them reacts that way.
Maybe accidents can severe the Link.
But I guess the writer knew it as well so they're keeping that info mysterious for now.
SPOILER from episode 5-6 (I can't remember which):
6. Another reason is, the piano teacher admitted Eun Gye Young wanted to ride her piano teacher's car but did not take her. He also said he was "supposed" to take her.
I am thinking here that Eun Gye Young probably chased her piano teacher and got into an accident. Her piano teacher ran away and kept quiet about it because he felt guilty.
As for what he said that he was "supposed" to take her, that is a mystery. It appears that he and Eun Gye Young made an agreement that they'll have a joyride. At least from the scene that was revealed, Eun Gye Young was waiting for him.
1. It appears that she can feel her younger brother. When Lee Jin Geun got into an accident, she stopped feeling him so she's devastated the way Eun Gye Hoon was devastated.
2. This means that Eun Gye Hoon's connection to her little sister was severed because she got into an accident.
3. It is also typical for kids who got into an accident to not remember a very traumatic experience. And if they were found by someone else, they are usually adopted (legally or illegally).
4. Just like Eun Gye Hoon who linked to Noh Da Hyun, it's possible that Eun Gye Young … as Lee Eun Jung, linked to Lee Jin Geun.
5. It is also notable that Lee Eun Jung is soo close with Lee Jin Geun, or at least currently she appears to care so much and love him. Just like how Eun Gye Young was with his older brother Eun Gye Hoon.
I am thinking, at least based on the above, Lee Eun Jung was Eun Gye Young. She got into an accident, her brain sealed it off because of the trauma, got adopted, given a new name.
There is a #6 but it's a spoiler … see below.
A. They lived happily ever after
B. For broken heart ending
Which in turn spills over to Nam Sang--which he himself probably knew or is suspecting, otherwise he wouldn't visit the Queen Mother every 1st of the month.