The Popular TvN Korean drama Bulgasal: The Immortal Souls created huge sensations for fans worldwide. The drama has received a high rating from fans even though the drama may be confusing for some viewers.
The Netflix drama Bulgasal showed the life of Dan Hwal, who lost his soul and family because of Bulgasal’s curse. This begs the question: what is Bulgasal’s Curse? How did the curse originate? Who is responsible for the curse? The biggest question that may keep you haunted; why was Dan Hwal cursed in the first place?
Not only Dan Hwal, Min Sang Un, Nam Do Yoon, Min Si Ho, Ok Eul Tae, Kwon Ho Yeol, and Lee Hye Seok suffer for almost 1000 years.
It seemed like the curse of Bulgasal originated 600 years ago in the Goryeo period, but surprisingly, it’s far from the truth. Bulgasal’s revelation shocked everyone will the ill-fated ties going back almost 1000 years back.
What happened 1000 Years Ago?
It was shocking and quite unexpected, because Dan Hwal’s previous ancestor/reincarnated life, before 600 years ago, was the original Bulgasal. To simplify it, Min Sang Un and Dan Hwal were the two original Bulgasals 1000 years ago. They were the only two left, who stayed away from the humans in seclusion.
Everything changed when the female Bulgasal (Min Sang Un) intervened and saved two kids and helped them reach safety.
The Female Bulgasal, let's just call her Min Sang Un (for avoiding confusion) left the male Bulgasal (Dan Hwal) because she longed for the kids and wanted to live with them.
She didn’t mean to betray him or leave him forever, but that’s how things turned out. Min Sang Un stayed with the children even after 10 years when they grew up. Bulgasal, Dan Hwal kept waiting for her, but she never returned back.
Dan Hwal was patient, although he felt betrayed. It can even look like an obsession, although it was a mere miscommunication, or plainly enough selfishness on her part. The children were none other than Min Si Ho and Nam Do Yoon 1000 years ago.
Min Si Ho later reincarnated as Dan Sol. Nam Do Yoon was Ah Chan, Dan Hwal, and Dan Sol’s child. The shaman (Lee Hye Seok) was aware that Bulgasal was not human, but accepted her in the family.
She was aware that one day, Bulgasal needed to return to her original place. Possibly, this was a foreshadowing of the impending doom in the future.
Where does Ok Eul Tae Fit in 1000 years ago?
It was surprising because despite Ok Eul Tae having a killing urge, he repeatedly spared detective Kwon Ho Yeol. It was revealed that detective Kwon Ho Yeol was a warlord in the 1000 years timeline and Ok Eul Tae was his first son.
He was suffering from illness and his father rejected him after his mother died. He decided to pass the reigns to his second son. Unfortunately for everyone, Ok Eul Tae was aware of his father’s intentions.
Ok Eul Tae killed his brother in the woods rumoured to be the killings grounds of the monster (Bulgasal). Whether it was fated or a bad coincidence, the children (Nam Do Yoon and Min Si Ho) witnessed Ok Euk Tae killing his brother. Ok Eul Tae was startled and tried to hide the evidence of his crime.
Before Ok Eul Tae could harm the siblings, Min Sang Un, the Bulgasal came and saved him. In a way, this event started the brutal events coming in the future.
What role did Kwon Ho Yeol (Dan Keuk) Play in the curse?
Ok Eul Tae was probably one step ahead of everyone else. Distraught by the news of his son’s death, the warlord ( Kwon Ho Yeol/Dan Keuk) was raging with anger to avenge the untimely demise of his successor.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Ok Eul Tae made his father believe the true culprit of the event and pinned the blame on Bulgasal. His disclosure of lies led to the onslaught on the village and the furious warlord charging for pursuing the culprit.
The warlord found Bulgasal and exposed her identity. He was convinced she killed his son. Despite the pleading from Min Si Ho (the witness of the crime) begging the innocence of Bulgasal, the warlord has no intention to listen.
He brutally inflicted pain on Bulgasal, as was bleeding and suffering grave injuries. Although Bulgsals are immortal, they can still feel pain.
Arrival of Bulgasal
An angry Bulgasal (Dan Hwal) charged at the scene, and the scene of destruction and chaos followed. He killed almost everyone and his anger was evident.
Bulgasal was angry at her partner because she didn’t listen; she abandoned him and her actions led to the destruction.
Unfortunately, Min Sang Un was somehow responsible for the Bulgasal’s curse and the ill-fated relationship. She was angry at him for the chaos, but he wanted to protect her and return back together.
It’s weird because the person complaining in this situation should be Dan Hwal who tried to protect her (Min Sang Un). Yet the person angry in this situation is Min Sang Un because Bulgasal came to save her.
In a fury, the warlord and the children (Min Si Ho and Nam Do Yoon) all attacked Bulgasal at once and wounded him severely. Unbeknownst to them, they didn’t know that Bulgasal wouldn’t die.
In a fit of anger, the Bulgasal cursed everyone who partook in spilling his blood. Firstly, he cursed the warlord. The warlord’s arm spilt his blood, and hence it would be chopped off in the future.
The Bulgasal cursed the child, Nam Do Yoon, hence the curse of loss of sight. In every timeline, he would be born blind. This explains the curse faced by Ah Chan and Nam Do Yoon as they were born blind, experiencing visual impairment.
Lastly, Min Si Ho was cursed and therefore, she could never have childbirth. This explained how her first child died 600 years later, and her child in the present was also in danger. Her children never survive due to the curse.
That wasn’t the end of the Bulgasal’s curse. He vowed to find them and kill them if they reincarnate again, and they would face the same fate again. Hence, the Bulgasal’s curse makes these three people suffer for eternity because the curse will be functional as long as Bulgasal was alive.
In a last-ditch attempt, Min Sang Un stabbed her heart, so that both of them can cease to exist, and nullify the curse.
Prashakhi
Ok Eul Tae and The Bulgasal’s Curse
When things were almost over, Ok Eul Tae’s greed for power made things complicated. He begged Bulgasal to share his power. Ok Eul Tae saved Bulgasal, but well, Bulgasal cared only about revenge.
Bulgasal had to exist and in order to do so, he took Ok Eul Tae’s soul. He asked Ok Eul Tae to find him in his next reincarnation and make him the Bulgasal again. If he failed to do so, he would suffer eternal torment.
The lack of soul caused Ok Eul Tae the dark hole and thus made him the new Bulgasal. The original Bulgasal died as a human and was able to reincarnate in the next cycle of birth as Dan Hwal.
In a sense, Ok Eul Tae is truly pitiful, he lost his soul, had to suffer for eternity to the black hole and had to follow Bulgasal’s orders for the curse to become effective.
In reality, Dan Hwal never lost his soul, it was Ok Eul Tae’s soul from the beginning. As the Bulgasal died as a human, the female Bulgasal was unable to die, therefore, activating the curse.
Ok Eul Tae killed Dan Hwal’s family as part of the Bulgasal’s curse and remade him the Bulgasal following his wishes. This is how the Bulgasal’s curse originated and followed everyone who had ill-fated ties with Dan Hwal.
Prashakhi
Thanks for reading!!!
