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Mirror of the Witch: Episode 12

What I love most about this show is its ability to constantly surprise with plot twists and clever reveals, all the while remaining true to the characters and universe it’s created. We go deeper down the rabbit hole with our main characters this hour: Some get one step closer to what they’ve been chasing, and others make life-altering decisions in order to protect themselves and the ones they love. But throughout it all, our heroes and villains remain layered, complex, and relatable, making it that much easier — and enjoyable — to stay with them for the ride.

 

 
EPISODE 12 RECAP

Jun collapses after Hong-joo’s attack, and Yeon-hee’s curse activates. Yeon-hee screams and unleashes her powers, knocking everyone off their feet and grabbing Hong-joo by the neck, telling her to die. Gasping for breath, Hong-joo says killing her won’t break Yeon-hee’s curse. But it doesn’t matter to Yeon-hee — to her, Hong-joo is the curse that must be eliminated.

Taoist master Yo-gwang staggers to his feet and pleads with Yeon-hee to stop. If Hong-joo dies, their candles will blow out; they should focus on saving Heo Jun instead. At the mention of Jun’s name, Yeon-hee pauses to look at him, and after a brief beat, she throws her clear across the temple.

Yo-gwang collects Jun, and together with Yeon-hee, they leave. Hong-joo looks injured but gets up quickly, calling on her shamans to follow Yeon-hee. Sol-gae, dressed as the Red Cloak, helps Hong-joo up.

At the palace, the queen dowager tells Taoist master Hyun-seo that Hong-joo left the palace with her army the night before, and the princess might be in danger.

Their conversation is suddenly interrupted by the king, who asks, “What princess?”

The queen dowager hides her surprise and tells the king she was referring to his need for an heir. But what the king wants to know is why he’s still so ill, when theoretically both Hong-joo and Hyun-seo should be working to cure him. He wonders if Hong-joo’s efforts have failed because she herself is lacking — or is it because of another reason, like sabotage from others?

Hyun-seo blames the current state of affairs on Hong-joo and tells the king he shouldn’t be listening to her counsel. Hyun-seo will work to drive Hong-joo out of the palace; this is how he will serve the king.

With a wry smile, the king remarks on the similarities between Poong-yeon and Hyun-seo. He leaves Hyun-seo with a warning that he is committing treason if he isn’t loyal to the king; if Hyun-seo actively decides to go against him, the queen dowager will have to pay the price as well.

Yeon-hee tends to the still-unconscious Jun as they hide out in a cave. As she thinks back to Jun being stabbed, Yeon-hee replays Hong-joo’s words in her mind: Jun will die because of her.

Yo-gwang joins them, having successfully lost Hong-joo’s army. Yeon-hee’s worried that Jun’s still not awake, but Yo-gwang reassures her that Jun will be fine, as Hong-joo’s black magic was only used to break Jun’s talisman shield.

Yeon-hee tearfully tells Yo-gwang that Jun will die anyway because of her curse — she shouldn’t have given her heart to him. She then asks Yo-gwang to see Hyun-seo about finding another talisman shield. Though Yo-gwang is concerned about leaving her alone without protection, she tells him to go.

In Hong-joo’s lair, Sol-gae worries about Hong-joo’s injuries, while Hong-joo angrily asks why she didn’t go after the princess. Sol-gae apologizes and says she wanted to make sure Hong-joo was okay, but Hong-joo doesn’t seem to buy it.

Hong-joo stands, intending to go after the princess herself. But her injuries prove to be too much; she crumples to the ground and loses consciousness.

The queen dowager tells Hyun-seo that the king knows about the princess. She’s worried about what that means for her, and reiterates to Hyun-seo that Yeon-hee cannot be captured.

Yo-gwang arrives at the Taoist temple and gives Hyun-seo the rundown of what’s happened since Hong-joo’s surprise attack at Cheongbing Temple. He notes that the curse mark has appeared on Jun, and that Yeon-hee is currently without protection.

Hyun-seo tells Yo-gwang to go into hiding with Yeon-hee. The need for another talisman shield is urgent, so Hyun-seo will stay behind to focus on that task.

Hyun-seo pulls open a book from one of his shelves. Yo-gwang’s eyes widen when he sees the contents of the book, and protests that what Hyun-seo’s considering is too dangerous.

But Hyun-seo is determined, as it’s their last hope. He instructs Yo-gwang to hide Yeon-hee until he can begin the process, and tells him to seek Poong-yeon’s help.

Before Yo-gwang leaves, Hyun-seo has a last-minute request: He needs the Oblivion potion.

In the cave, Jun’s curse mark flashes, and he starts coughing up blood. Meanwhile, Poong-yeon and Yo-gwang speed towards Yeon-hee and Jun on horseback.

Yeon-hee holds Jun’s arms as he shivers uncontrollably. Jun looks up at Yeon-hee, and just like Poong-yeon during his affliction with the curse, Jun sees a ghost next to her, then starts hearing screeching spirits. Jun’s eyes go wide and he yelps in fear.

Yeon-hee watches Jun freak out, tears streaming down her face. After a moment, she can’t take it anymore and stands up to leave, but Jun immediately grabs her wrist. Still shaking, he gasps: “Don’t go.”

She looks down at him incredulously, but he just pleads with her to stay. Overcome with emotion, Yeon-hee kneels down and puts her arms around Jun.

The two are still holding each other when Poong-yeon stumbles onto the scene. Poong-yeon can’t look, and turns away.

Yo-gwang arrives soon after and tells Yeon-hee that they need to find a hiding place while Hyun-seo works on the talisman shield. Yo-gwang and Yeon-hee help Jun to his feet, but they can’t control him as he flails about. Poong-yeon watches the scene for a moment then steps in, grabbing Jun and hoisting him on his back so the group can get going.

Back at the temple, Hyun-seo reads through his book, which includes illustrations of hand gestures. He opens his box with the torn page from the Mauigeumseo and thinks back to his conversation with Yo-gwang.

He’d asked Yo-gwang if Jun and Yeon-hee were close, and Yo-gwang said Jun now had the curse mark. Hyun-seo looks down at torn page, probably wondering if Jun could be the one to light the last candle and break Yeon-hee’s curse.

Soon-deuk arrives at an inn, where the innkeeper informs her of some shady-looking visitors. She enters the room and recoils in shock when she sees sickly Jun huddled in the corner with a white-haired Yeon-hee.

Outside, Poong-yeon looks pained when Yo-gwang says that part of Yeon-hee’s curse is having to watch someone she loves die. Yo-gwang adds that the only reason Poong-yeon had returned to good health was because Yeon-hee was protected by the talismans at Cheongbing Temple. Unfortunately, they don’t know of any other safe places to hide.

Poong-yeon suggests that they leave Jun behind as they find their next hiding place. Yo-gwang is uncomfortable with the idea, but Poong-yeon says keeping Jun with them will only put Yeon-hee in more danger.

Yo-gwang’s eyes widen when he catches a glimpse of Yeon-hee, who emerges from around the corner. She looks at the two men with dagger eyes.

Soon-deuk sits at a safe distance from Jun in his room, reciting prayers nervously. She jumps when he reaches for her, but all Jun does is hand her a folded piece of paper, which contains a drawing of a symbol — the mark that Jun associates with the Red Cloak. He asks Soon-deuk to look into the symbol and find out what it might represent.

Back outside, Yeon-hee tells Poong-yeon she doesn’t need his help. He’s hurt and wants to know if Jun is that important to her — enough to push Poong-yeon away. What, then, was Poong-yeon to her, exactly?

Yeon-hee says the Poong-yeon she missed all these years was a loving older brother who knew before anyone else when she was upset. Poong-yeon grabs Yeon-hee’s wrist (pretty aggressively, might I add) and says that the girl he’s been searching for is the good girl who always believed in him and held his hand.

She jerks her wrist away, telling him that girl — a stupid child who didn’t know anything beyond her tiny house in the forest, who only believed in Poong-yeon’s words — doesn’t exist anymore.

Poong-yeon blames the curse for Yeon-hee’s change, and tells her that even if he has to kill all those who made her this way, he will turn her back into who she once was.

Sol-gae watches over Hong-joo as she struggles to sit up. All of a sudden, they hear the clashing of swords, and Poong-yeon storms in, taking out Hong-joo’s shamans one by one.

Sol-gae quickly disappears. Poong-yeon heads towards Hong-joo and immediately points his sword at her, threatening to kill her. He knows Hong-joo is the source of Yeon-hee’s curse, but he doesn’t care about the curse itself — all he wants is the old Yeon-hee back.

Hong-joo says she likes the hurt look in Poong-yeon’s eyes, but she asks him to consider if killing her will really get him what he wants.

Poong-yeon blames Hong-joo’s black magic for all that’s gone wrong with both Yeon-hee and the king. Hong-joo tells him he can thank his father for the black magic — after all, he was her teacher.

In a flashback, we see that Hyun-seo had taken care of an injured Hong-joo, then a simple court lady, when she came to the temple and collapsed. Hong-joo told Hyun-seo that the palace tried to force her to bear the king’s heir, and when things didn’t go as planned, they tried to kill her.

She vowed to make them pay, but in Hyun-seo’s typical fashion, he told her to forget her anger so that she could live in peace. He told her she was talented, and asked her to restart her studies with him.

As his student, Hong-joo listened while Hyun-seo talked about the difficult and sometimes life-threatening work of creating a talisman. Hong-joo didn’t understand why she needed to learn something so dangerous, but Hyun-seo replied that magic must be used for the greater good.

As Hyun-seo spoke, Hong-joo became distracted by the faint cries of spirits and looked over to the side, where she saw a locked box.

When scolded for not paying attention, Hong-joo told Hyun-seo that she was learning magic to protect herself, not others. Hyun-seo became angry, telling her that hate, rage, and jealousy are dangerous for those using magic. He said she shouldn’t learn from him if she was unable to let go of those feelings.

Hong-joo didn’t respond, but instead asked Hyun-seo if it’s possible to use magic to win over someone’s heart. Hyun-seo told her that winning over someone’s heart through magic is not the same as receiving their true affections.

Later, Hong-joo had knelt down at the the locked box she’d seen earlier. As she reached towards it, black smoke emerged and the locks broke apart on their own, revealing a small sword (which we’ve seen to be Hong-joo’s current weapon of choice). She took the sword, and her eyes flashed white.

Back in the present, Hong-joo tells Poong-yeon she may not have learned black magic directly from Hyun-seo, but he felt responsible and tried to stop her — that’s how they’ve gotten this far.

Hong-joo moves closer to Poong-yeon, telling him that his pain is due to his father’s errors. She says Poong-yeon should hate those who’ve caused him pain and sadness, then forget it — that’s the only way he’ll live.

She speaks soothingly, as though lulling him with her words, and for a second it looks like he may give in to their pull. But then Poong-yeon rebuffs Hong-joo and says if his father caused all of this trouble, he will make it right. As he turns to leave, Hong-joo calls out that one day, he will need her help.

Poong-yeon heads directly to Hyun-seo, and he asks him a question as the captain of the royal guard: Why did Hyun-seo save the princess? Hyun-seo doesn’t respond, so Poong-yeon asks another question, this time as his son: Why did he spare Hong-joo?

Hyun-seo says he’d hoped Hong-joo would change her ways, but Poong-yeon can’t believe Hyun-seo trusted her to do such a thing. How can Poong-yeon trust his father now?

Hyun-seo agrees — Poong-yeon shouldn’t trust him. Hyun-seo takes the blame for the curse; it’s his fault that Poong-yeon can’t accept Yeon-hee as she is now, since Hyun-seo hid the truth from his son. Hyun-seo says again: “Don’t trust me.”

Poong-yeon says he will break Yeon-hee’s curse, then storms out. He then tells the stunned king that he cannot obey his orders to bring in the princess.

The king angrily points a sword at Poong-yeon’s neck, but can’t bring himself to do much more. Instead, he fights back tears as he declares that Poong-yeon is no longer the captain of the royal guard, and no longer his friend; he’s also banished from the palace. Poong-yeon bows and wishes him good health.

Yo-gwang catches Soon-deuk sprinkling salt in front of Jun’s door to ward off bad spirits. She thinks the three of them are shady, but Yo-gwang says they’re on the run from scary people, and they need her help to get out safely.

Soon-deuk pauses, but then starts pelting Yo-gwang with salt, leading to tussling and exchanging of insults between the two. Soon-deuk runs off just as Hyun-seo strolls up he’s here to see Jun and asks Yo-gwang for the potion.

In Jun’s room, Hyun-seo unwraps the Oblivion potion. He tells Jun he should know what it is — if he drinks it, he’ll forget all about Yeon-hee and regain his health.

Jun asks if Hyun-seo is telling him to run away, like a coward. Hyun-seo replies that if Jun dies, it’s Yeon-hee who will suffer; the potion isn’t for Jun but for her.

Jun slowly uncorks the bottle, but then pours its contents out. He apologizes, but says he refuses to forget Yeon-hee — Jun’s memories of Yeon-hee are precious gifts from her. He says he’ll find a way to live, and he will protect Yeon-hee.

Hyun-seo thinks, “Those feelings must be strong enough for you to be able to sacrifice yourself for her in the end. You must be the one to light the 108th candle.”

Hyun-seo runs into Yeon-hee on his way out. He continues to speak to her formally, telling her to hide while he works on the talisman. Yeon-hee wonders about a hiding place, then asks Hyun-seo to deliver a letter to the queen dowager for her.

When the queen dowager reads the letter, she says she’ll help Yeon-hee, but the rest is up to Hyun-seo.

Yeon-hee sits with Jun and takes his hand in hers. Jun teases her just a bit and tells her to hurry up and break the curse so that he could get better. He adds that since she’s already taken his hand, she shouldn’t let go of it — he won’t, either.

Yeon-hee looks at him with sad eyes and tells him she’s leaving tomorrow. Jun asks if it’s because of him, but she says it’s not — it’s so she can live, and find out who she is and where she fits in.

Jun tells her that they’re on the same team, since they’re fighting common enemies — and he’ll consider her the captain of their team. He tells her not to worry about him, and to not get hurt. He promises to make his way back to her.

At the palace, the king summons the guard who was promoted when the fake Red Cloak was captured — that is, Jun’s brother, Heo Ok. Once Ok arrives, the king scares the daylights out of him by threatening to behead him — after all, Ok did lie about finding Red Cloak’s body.

The king says he’ll spare Ok’s life if he promises to do whatever the king asks. And his first command? For Ok to chase after Poong-yeon and bring his precious sister back to the king.

Walking through town with Sol-gae, Poong-yeon says he’s chosen Yeon-hee over the king, so he won’t hide from her any more. Not far behind, we see Ok with his servants, looking pretty conspicuous as they tail the duo.

In her lair, Hong-joo receives news that prompts her to grab her sword and leave.

Poong-yeon and Sol-gae arrive at the inn to find Yo-gwang tending to a palanquin. Sol-gae excuses herself to look around the premises.

Yeon-hee looks hesitant to leave and hovers outside of Jun’s door. On the other side, Jun leans against the door, looking wistful. Suddenly, he hears scuffling and Yeon-hee’s muffled cries. With difficulty, he gets up and opens the door, only to see Yeon-hee being carried off by Sol-gae disguised as the Red Cloak.

Jun is able to catch up to them and pushes Red Cloak down, releasing her grip on Yeon-hee. He’s too weak to fight properly, but he grabs Red Cloak’s right arm, where she’s already injured.

Red Cloak delivers a good hit to Jun, but he grabs at her injured arm again and again, until she finally draws her sword. Yeon-hee lets out a scream, and thankfully, Poong-yeon and Yo-gwang come running. Red Cloak flees.

Yeon-hee’s alarmed when she sees blood on Jun’s hand, but Jun says it’s not his. He thinks back to the last time he had seen Sol-gae, and how he had gotten blood on his hand the same way — by grabbing her arm.

Poong-yeon isn’t able to catch Red Cloak and suggests that Yeon-hee leave quickly, since their location has been compromised — he’ll stay back with Jun. Yo-gwang pulls a reluctant Yeon-hee away.

Having followed Poong-yeon to the inn, Ok watches Yeon-hee leave in the palanquin, then sees Poong-yeon leading Jun back into his room. He puts two and two together, realizing that the girl he’s chasing is the same girl who had convinced Jun not to kill Ok, back at the barn where Jun’s mother died.

Hong-joo and her shamans are on their way to find Yeon-hee when Hong-joo catches a glimpse of a palanquin. She knows Yeon-hee’s inside, so she orders her army to chase after them.

Hong-joo’s shamans catch up to the palanquin quickly and open its doors, but to their surprise, it’s empty. Just then, the royal palanquin escorting the queen dowager makes its way down the road, halting all traffic. Hong-joo looks over to a side road and sees yet another palanquin passing by — that must be Yeon-hee.

Though everyone else clears the way for the queen dowager, Hong-joo just stands in the middle of the road. The queen dowager allows Hong-joo to approach her, and Hong-joo asks if she’s hiding the princess. The queen dowager: “You mean the princess that you told me was dead?”

Hong-joo wonders if the queen dowager will continue to fight her, but the queen responds that she’s already surrendered to Hong-joo — that’s why she let her live, even when she lied about the princess being dead. At that, Hong-joo hurries to end the conversation.

As Yeon-hee’s palanquin nears the palace, she thinks back to her earlier conversation with Hyun-seo, which we hear fully now: She’d told him she planned to enter the palace, since she was tired of living on the run. Sometimes it’s safest where it’s most dangerous, she’d said.

Hyun-seo told her that he’s creating a new talisman shield for her for the same reason he became head of the Taoist temple — to protect the country. He asked her not to blame herself or to waver from her mission, even if he ends up dying.

Yeon-hee insisted that she didn’t need it that badly if it meant harm for Hyun-seo, but he merely said he wanted Yeon-hee to know that creating it is dangerous work. He instructed her to go straight to the queen dowager once she received her talisman shield.

Yeon-hee called him “father” one last time, and at that, Hyun-seo finally smiled, looking like his old self. He said he was glad to see how brave she’s become.

Back in the present, Yeon-hee enters the Taoist temple where Hyun-seo sits.

Still searching for Yeon-hee outside, Hong-joo suddenly stops and looks up at the sky, hearing a strange noise. The sounds continue, and she hurries towards the palace.

Hyun-seo and Yeon-hee sit across from one another in a space squared off with talismans and surrounded by lit candles. Hyun-seo nods at Yeon-hee, and they begin.

Hyun-seo’s hands start to move in gestures, producing a glowing white wisp of smoke, which he directs towards Yeon-hee. Hyun-seo works to create a stronger stream of white smoke, his efforts are clearly straining him. With his hands shaking wildly and his eyes shut tight, he produces a powerful force of smoke, sending it straight to Yeon-hee.

Yeon-hee watches Hyun-seo struggling with tears in her eyes, then closes her eyes to receive the white smoke. The smoke creates the tree mark of the Mauigeumseo on Yeon-hee’s forehead: it’s her talisman shield. The mark flickers before disappearing and Yeon-hee opens her eyes, which glow blue.

Meanwhile, Poong-yeon looks at Jun curiously, and we see Jun’s curse mark flash, then disappear.

Hong-joo storms into the Taoist temple to find Hyun-seo hunched over, weak and in pain. She demands to know where the princess is, then notices the talismans. She immediately realizes what he’s done and, horrified, asks Hyun-seo why he would risk his life for such a useless cause.

Hyun-seo says Hong-joo wouldn’t understand, since she’s never risked her life to save someone else. He starts coughing and falls to the floor. Hong-joo, looking genuinely upset, crouches down and offers to save him.

Breathing hard, Hyun-seo says to kill him instead, and tells her he regrets saving her life. He starts coughing up blood and faints, collapsing onto Hong-joo’s lap. She cradles his head and he closes his eyes, possibly for the last time.

Distraught, Hong-joo looks down at Hyun-seo for a moment before pulling out her sword. Telling him their fates will be bound by blood, she cuts Hyun-seo’s hand, then her own, then places his bloody hand against hers. Black smoke envelops their hands, then disappears.

Hyun-seo’s eyes opens slowly, then glow white. Hong-joo: “From now on, you and I will be one until we die.”

With Yeon-hee’s talisman shield created, Jun recovers, and he uses Yeon-hee’s materials at Cheongbing Temple to whip up some medicine.

Jun meets up with Soon-deuk, who was able to source Jun’s symbol to a group of homeless girls; they’re marked on the shoulder and forced to beg as children, then sold off to be gisaengs. With his suspicions confirmed, Jun says he’ll check for himself whether or not the Red Cloak is who he thinks she is.

Cut to Jun waiting for Sol-gae, medicine in hand. She refuses to acknowledge him at first, but he won’t let her move past him. Instead, he grabs her right shoulder, saying he wants to thank her.

He says the medicine he brought is a present, to help heal her injured arm. He quips that he meant to make the medicine earlier, but got held up by the attack at Cheongbing Temple, which happened to take place just after she stopped by.

Sol-gae refuses the medicine, but winces at the pain of Jun’s hand on her shoulder. With a knowing look, Jun tells her that she’s hurt — and he won’t allow the wound get infected.

Yo-gwang checks on Hyun-seo and finds him standing with his back towards him. All of a sudden, Hyun-seo pulls his sword out and whirls around to face Yo-gwang, and he’s almost unrecognizable — eyes glowing white and an evil smile playing on his lips.

Hyun-seo advances on Yo-gwang, and in a voice that doesn’t sound like his own, he demands to be taken to the princess.

In her lair, Hong-joo comes to an abrupt stop as she catches a glimpse of someone in her room.

The figure turns around — it’s Yeon-hee. Hong-joo smiles as the two face off, and Yeon-hee almost returns her smile.

COMMENTS

Okay, I may need a few moments to recover from black magic Hyun-seo. I seriously JUMPED when he first turned around to face Yo-gwang – kudos to Lee Sung-jae for portraying this new Hyun-seo to be so incredibly creepy, all in just a few short minutes of screen time. I mean, everything from his face to his voice seemed different — how crazy is that?

I’m still not entirely sure why Hong-joo wouldn’t have used her black magic to turn Hyun-seo into her puppet earlier when she first saved his life, but the show hints that it has something to do with her feelings for him. Despite Hong-joo insisting that she would only use magic to protect herself and not others, it’s possible that her heart for Hyun-seo led her to use her powers to merely keep him alive the first time — but we’d also have to ignore the fact that she’s the one who killed him to start.

It’s looking like Jun and Yeon-hee’s stories will once again unfold separately at least for a little bit, with Yeon-hee seeking out Hong-joo and Jun determined to catch the Red Cloak. Speaking of, how ridiculous is it that Poong-yeon hasn’t figured out already that Sol-gae is the Red Cloak? Thank goodness Jun started piecing things together, because I was getting frustrated at how Poong-yeon was just giving away Yeon-hee’s location by bringing Sol-gae along wherever he goes.

This episode really demonstrated that our male leads couldn’t be more different from one another. Jun’s heart is all in for Yeon-hee, past, present, and future, while Poong-yeon is stuck in the past, insistent on returning Yeon-hee to who she was before the curse took hold.

So far, the actions of both men are motivated by some version of love and concern for Yeon-hee, but Poong-yeon’s obsession with getting the “old” Yeon-hee back is starting to overtake everything else — I fear he’s not far away from tipping over to the dark side. If Hong-joo’s black magic can offer him what he wants, how long will it be before he breaks?

Hopefully, he can hold out a bit longer, as it looks like Yeon-hee’s finally ready to battle Hong-joo head on. I, for one, am excited about Yeon-hee’s development into an active participant in this fight for her future. With Jun by her side as a fellow team member and cheerleader, I’m betting she’ll be a formidable opponent for our resident black witch, her army, and whatever else life decides to throw her way.

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I guess, I'm here too early. haha

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At last! A really good fantasy sageuk!!! I'm in love with this show!

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so will Yeon-hee learn to use her powers?.. or can they not be controlled?? I mean her mother had a gift she could actually use, so I don't understand why she doesn't harness them to fight her enemies.

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You know what? I need to start paying more attention to Jtbc dramas, because this is amazing!
Also, the lead actress is... wow! For her age, she is doing a LOT BETTER than some adult actresses in the industry.
Yoon Shi Yoon Oppa, I LOVE YOUUUUU!! Your smiles are the reasons why heart beat ❤

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Oh god that smirk...if he dies in this show I may need a giant amount of drink.

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If it's true love that will break the curse, I'm hoping and thinking that it'd be the mother/queen's love for Yeon Hee and not Heo Jun's. I think after everything the queen has put her through, giving up her life for her daughter is just right. So in the end, Heo Jun and Yeon Hee may live happily ever after :)) Remember Elsa and Anna? lol I hope this show goes that route or else...

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A mother's sacrifice, yes, because in my opinion, she's the one who had a weak heart in the beginning by agreeing on Hong Joo's advice about how to get an heir. What a cruel thing to do that to Yeon Hee's original mother.

Hong Joo was once forced to bear and heir and she made others experience the same thing. Sigh. What a fate! But for me, she's once just a victim: of situation, of her own feeling.

Who's right and who's wrong then???

But, those who have committed bad things must pay the price, right?

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Thank you for the recaps!

Already watched the episodes but still love reading the recaps because it's just that good.

This episode is so so so good. I love that Jun didn't shy away from Yeon-hee even though he already saw the monstrous face Poong-yeon also saw when the curse took place. And how sad it is that now Hyun-seo becomes Hong-joo's puppet? I hope it won't be the end of him and the awesome team.

Oh right. Did everyone knows why the drama getting extended to 20 episodes? I believe when I saw it the first time in dramawiki, it was written 16 episodes there

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Are you sure?? I was sure it was only 16 eps... As long as they had originally planned for 20, it's OK. I don't want an extension to ruin the drama ?

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That's why I'm doubtful too. Or maybe dramawiki just got it wrong

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MOTW drama not getting extended into 20 episode but it planned actually airs for 20 episode from the beginning, you can check it in koreandrama.org or hancinema. But i wonder now, how about Sol Gae in the end, will she die to protect Poong Yeon or she will die protect her master of black magic Hong Joo...

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This happens with Beautiful Gong Shim too, so I thought it's just an error from dramawiki. If they already planned it for 20eps then all is good with me :D

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I realized Dramawiki has many times noted the wrong number of episodes of dramas...to be sure one should check various sites...as asianwiki as well,they are more accurate

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I really don't think the scary ghost is the same as Yeon-hee, he saw the ghost next to her not as her!

Am I the only one who thinks that the ghostly creature isn't Yeon-hee?!

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No, you are not the only one! :)
The ghost next to Yeon Hee is not Yeon Hee. It is another person's ghost. It was the same with Pong Yeon's curse. He also saw other ghosts hovering next to Yeon Hee and wanted her to go away actually meaning the ghosts, not Yeon Hee, as they were horrifying sites for him and he couldn't differentiate between Yeon Hee and the ghosts back then because he was terrified out of his wits.
Actually, yhe same could have happened to Jun, but because he has once drunk the ghost seeing potion and seen a lot of unfriendly, fear-inducing ghosts he has become used to seeing them.
Remember that time when he was holding onto Yeon Hee for support? Only his mother's and that murdered gisaeng's ghost were caring and friendly, they didn't scare him. After he saw his mother's ghost, the magic of ghost seeing potion was gone. So, he stopped seeing ghosts.
That's why I think that Jun is already accustomed to scary ghosts. Therefore, he can better differentiate between Yeon Hee and the ghosts. Hence, while telling the ghosts to go away, he holds onto Yeon Hee. :)

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*reads Dedicated's comment* I felt like this, as well. Also, on another note, it would be REALLY, really interesting if they tempted Pong Yeon continuously to go to the "dark side," but if he SOMEHOW found the strength to keep his purity of character that he (I feel) has had (from the first episodes and even up until now) and may still possess despite how some people are starting to read him. Hong Joo makes evil sound soooo good, so the constant fight against her makes for some super juicy writing. So far, she has succeeded in corrupting almost everyone around her in some way. I think that having MORE than just the predicatable male and female leads stay on "the good side" would be less Korean cookie cutter saeguk writing style and a breath of fresh air. It would be more heart-breaking (in a good way) to have him die (or whatever) for Yeon-hee with a pure heart in the end, than to become a douche...as most second male leads in saeguk's of this length tend to become... Here's to superior writing! You can do this, Show! *pleading*

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Yes, exactly. That's how I think of it too. thank you :)

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Good for Jun for being accustomed to the sight of the ghost. BUT I CANNOT DO THAT HAHA everytime they appear, I refuse to watch the whole episode and just read the recap hahaha my heart can't take the creepy

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And the witchly music is like an icing on the cake. So love this drama.

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I know lee sung jae can be creepily bad (Gu Family Book), but I still got a huge shock.. man..
This show is really interesting, the dynamics change like every episode or two. This is also the first show for me when our leads spend less than half the drama time together, they are working separately more often, lol.

Also wanted to give thanks to our great db recap team! :) Should have thanked last wk but i read that recap later, didnt realise Yeonhee asked Jun abt eating rice in banmal, no wonder he was grinning from ear to ear. Essence lost from dramafever subs..

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Yep, I thought about his role in Gu Family Book as well. Different sorts of evil though, which I'm now oddly looking forward to watching him portray the show continues.

Honestly though, maybe it's not so odd, since I was in the camp that thought he was Red via black magic, so although he wasn't, now I'm still getting to see him play more than one role.

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Yeah, I understand you. I love the show dynamics and how it keeps you on your toes all the time, there are always unexpected turns and some tension going on. It always leaves you wanting more and it's such an enjoyable ride... I know some people are complaining about the plot (too slow or too complex??) but I just cannot see it, for me it works to a T. :D

And how bad was to see Hyun Seo turned into an evil creature. I liked him, even if sometimes he was too upright and it seemed he would hurt people in his quest to protect the country (which makes him not so different from Hong Joo). But is the real him dead already? I hope not, I wonder if he will be able to kill Hong Joo in the end...

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wow this episode is the best one so far !! i hope ep 13 won't dissapoint me T-T the most awaited scene seo ri vs hong joo hurhurhur

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Noooooooooo Hong-joo! What did you do to our Black Pearl?????

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Omo! it took me a bit to find out, hahaha!! :D

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I forgot he was the black pearl... Lee Sung Jae is such a good actor, btw. :)

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Show, I adore you but you have no logic whatsoever. lol

So, why didn't Hyun-seo let Yeon-hee be her own talismanic shield from the beginning? Then she wouldn't have needed to be kept in the forest on her own etc etc. I know then we wouldn't have a 16 episodes drama but this and other things really make me scratch my head. Like others have said in the past we're really running around in circles storywise but thank goodness the acting, cinematography and directing makes up for it.
And seriously when will finally someone slit that b**** throat, she's had so many swords up her throat already, if we continue like this everyone will have had a go by the end of the drama lol.

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I think back then that would mean to give up alot of his powers, which also means he couldn't protect her. But now he knows he doesn't have long to live, so there's no harm giving up his powers, and she's grown strong enough, thus she can be her own talisman?

Just my two cents

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I was just going to say the same thing *lol*. Didnt YG say,"What are you doing? It's dangerous". It means that it was a risky move. If HS did it years ago, then there's a possibility that he may die. If he die, then who will be powerful enough to defeat Hong Joo? But in epi 12, HS was half-dead. He didnt know how long he would survive, there was no talisman left, and the one who could lit the last candle would be dead in 15 days. So, HS created the talisman..considering that YH has grown up and become a witches herself.

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Sorry..I typed a wrong name *lol*. Should be Lulla

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Hmm, I thought YG just said that because he knew HS body was generally in a very weak state... but never mind, thinking about it HS has had some questionable ideas in the past anyway (e.g. his experiment to see whether his son is the true love without a backup plan which resulted in YH being kidnapped). ;-)

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I have the same question and you answer it for me..thank you kooriyuki ?

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1. Everyone in the palace thought Yeon-hee was already dead, and the human shield method (a.k.a Jun) was unknown then, that's why Hyun-seo chose the safest way by keeping her in the forest, surrounded by talisman. And about making Yeon-hee a human talisman for herself, Yo-gwang already mentioned that it's dangerous. Hyun-seo only decided to make it when he knew his death was coming.

2. It's already mentioned that the curse can't be lifted if Hong Joo dies.

But yeah, i also feel like we're going in circles. i hope the next episodes will be better.

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I think there were a lot of factors for HS' decision for making a Rapunzel out of Yeon Hee. Remember that flashback to Evil Witches memories? HS was talking about giving up their spiritual powers to protect someone and he was reading from the same book with the handshape thingies. So i think to create/make Yeon Hee as a human talismanic shield would require a lot of spiritual energy from the caster that in the end would make them a regular human and would perhaps pose a risk to the caster's life. I think it was HS' plan in the very beginning to make YH face off with HJ, but he needed to teach her the magic stuff too so he needs his spiritual powers so human talismanic shield was the very last option for him at the time. But then he got half-killed by HJ so that plan went down the drain. Maybe he was thinking since he's half-dead already, it would be more useful to YH if she could protect herself, thus the sacrifice of HS of his chakra and life force.

I think the most important question for me now is: "who was the guy that rejuvinated YG and made Jun a human talismanic shield?" Was it HS too? But i thought during that time he was getting killed by HJ??

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Jun being a human tasliman was a total accident. I think it was back in Episode 2? Jun found a shattered piece of the bronze mirror which many years ago Yo-gwang was holding when the team of Taoist masters led by Hyun-seo was trying to repel the black magic Hong Joo was casting to make the palace maid or the Queen conceive? The mirror broke into pieces and 1 of them was half-buried somewhere on the palace ground and Jun saw it while sneaking around the palace to sell his bogus medicine.

Then in Episode 4 (or somewhere around there) Jun was shot in the chest with an arrow, but that piece of shattered mirror was right there protecting him, thus the pattern on the mirror was imprinted onto Jun and he became a human talisman.

And then Hong Joo's magical dagger had to destroy the pattern. Human talisman no more.

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oh yeah! I remember the scene when Jun found the mirror and when he got shot by the arrow.

But who revived YoGwang? I've been under the impression that there's another party that's involved especially when they showed that HS was with HJ... T.T

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Thank you Chocolatte for the recap.

I said this last time but I'm glad it got clarified here, Yeon-hee isn't that ghostly creature that appears in front of the people who are affected by her curse. It was clear that Jun saw both side by side, he was scared of the ghost but not Yeon-hee and that's why he asked her to stay by his side. I just love how even in his sick and weak state, he still wants to protect Yeon-hee the best he can, I'm just glad he started putting the pieces together to find out that Sol-gae is actually the red cloak, can't wait for him to reveal it to everyone else!

I actually teared up when Hyun-soo collapsed in Hong-joo's lap and she shed some tears then I FREAKED OUT because my heart broke for her!! Wow really, Yum Jung Ah is awesome she bring so much to her character, I'm amazed!

Great episode, can't wait for Friday!

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+1!
Now that I know that this is a 20-Episode drama, I hope they lengthened Hong Joo and Hyun Soo's backstory..

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Me too! It's turning out one of the most compelling plot lines. I guess it's because the good chemistry between them; you can perfectly believe that these two have a past together.

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I agree I also want to learn more about their past since they really seem to care about each other.
I don't like Poong-yeo that much. I am irritated by his actions, is all about him. Even wrote this from his point of view to see if I could understand him:

The old you

I will get you back
I want the old you back
That is who I want
Not this person
Not this new you

I miss that old you
The you who admired me
Who sought for me
To answer her questions
The one who wanted my protection

Not this new you
Who does not need me
Who has found someone else
Who says that she saw me only
As her brother

No, I will
Have the old you
The old you back .....

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I just adore this drama. Everything about it works - the acting, the directing and most importantly, the writing. So incredibly detailed and heart stopping without stopping to be so heart warming.

I find Hong-joo and Hyun-seo'a relationship the most interesting and detailed of them all. I love the part where she asks him if she can win someone's heart through Magic. He basically says it's not real love then which is why she probably never tried to do this to him until now. She 'loves' him for who he is, despite loving herself so much more as to basically kill him 5 years ago. It's such an intriguing dynamic where she wants to achieve what he'd risk himself to avoid - ruining Joseon's royal family. But it's obvious there's deep feelings running there and it's not entirely one sided either. I desperately want Hyun-seo back because he's my fav character in the drama. But I also realize he's already dead. Now I just want this new him to die as well and take Hong-joo with him.

And just as a short mention - I adooooore the leads together omg! They don't even had that much chemistry. It's similar to what LSG and Suzy had in GFB. I love their characters together though, and that makes me ship Jun and Yeon-hee hard. It also makes me want to stab Poong-yeon with a death sword. He went down hill real fast, that guy.

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In press conference, Lee Sung-jae and Yeom Jung-ah (Hyun-seo and Hong-joo) said when they act together, they act feeling affection toward each other.
Others: Yeom Jung-ah said she gets nightmare after she watches her drama.
On question: If you can, what potion you want to drink? Yoon Si-yoon said he wants potion to move others' mind to watch the show so that they get 100% ratings, beating all time high world cup ratings. Gwak Si-young and others said they want 'smart potion' so that they can memorize their lines. Yeom Jung-ah said she wants a potion which can make you lose weight- the more you eat, the more you lose your weight.

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OMG thanks for sharing that tidbit! It made me serious LOL hahahaha. Yoon Si-yoon and Yeom Jung Ah are too adorable! Can I have some of that weight losing potion too if she finds it?

Really loving this cast and this drama too much!

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Thanks for the racaps. I dont feel complete without it even i have watched the show...
Im so sphecless,, Great actors and great story line. Lee sung jae make a big transformation in this episode, it just so wow amazing.. haha. Big aprreciate for the make up team,, the ghost really creepy for me. I always skip every ghost in this drama.. haha Last, I really love our hero.. KSR and YSY.. <3

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I freaking love this show. We all had our doubts about the pairing of an older actor and a much younger actress, but they're pulling it off. I just love the supernatural stuff, the beautiful scenery and the world they have build.

Am I the only one who suddenly doesn't understand why its going to be 20 eps? I seriously remember seeing 16 eps mentioned not 20. I hope the pace of the story won't suffer for it...

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I kept holding my breath when I watched it. And again when I read the recap while replaying the scenes inside my head. Gosh, this drama is captivating. My heart fluttered when HJ said that he would find his way back to her one day, and never let go of her hand.

Thanks for the recap, chocolatte!

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I have one question, why Heo Joon saw the other ghost next to Yeon Hee, but Poong Yoon saw Yeon Hee in the form of the ghost in earlier episode? Did I missed something?

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Because PoongYeon needs specs.

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omg.. i literally ROFL at your reply..

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hahahahahaha. this reply made me laugh.

I think they both essentially see the same thing, i.e. a scary ghost who is lingering around her but Poong Yoon is unable to see beyond the ghost in his vision to register Yeon Hee's presence whereas Heo Joon registers YH first, the ghost second (doesn't help that he's scared of them).

This is my favourite drama at the moment. Everything is so tight and gripping and the cliffhangers are so on point. When she turned in the end to face Hong Joo. So proud.

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Mirror of the witch-the only drama where you ship characters whose actors have 14 year different+one is still in teens.
Still a great show, but does anyone else get impression that he already watched not 12 but 22 episodes?

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I only just finished ep2, and so far, I don't feel the chemistry between the two leads. The first episode was so good, that the 2nd episode was a let down. I thought I like the male lead, but after ep2, he's weak to me. The female lead, I heard a lot of good thing about her, however, I haven't been sold yet. She's not cute/charming in ep2, and the story at 2 is rather predictable, n cliche. I'll give it a few more episodes, but ATM, I just don't feel their chemistry is there yet.

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Actually I agree, in second episode it was such a brief encourter that it was understandeble why main lead just left. Protagonists in this story don't exactly have same path and reason why people ship them is more because of each others understanding/trust/respect and not long looks/Superduper chemistry

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Don't you dare to give up on the show!! lol no, really.. it's worth it so far and I think their chemistry is real good now. The way Shi Yoon expresses affection with his eyes is just so mesmerizing, you don't need kisses a la Me Too Flower to believe that Jun loves her already.

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I cried along with Yeonhui at the cave scene when HJ sees that ghost. It must have been upsetting for her since it happened with PY, but I love that HJ has a different reaction to it. He doesn't let her leave him, when in fact, PY who claimed to love her had asked her to leave him alone. It shows how different the two men are. PY seems a bit selfish when he demands Hong Joo to bring back the YH he used to know, where as HJ never asks YH to change whatsoever. He knows her true self, cursed or not, she's the same girl nonetheless.

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When I watched the episode when PY was full out cursed, I read it as he was randomly yelling at the visions he was having, and since she also had white hair, in his delirium she was just getting lumped into the bad things that his mind could not accept.

I do agree that the show is portraying his love as false once reality smacked him a solid reality wakeup because even if he doesn't understand it, he's not loving her as she is, he merely loves his ideal of her.

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You guys noticed how when Jun's talisman was broken and Jun's being afflicted by the curse/mark, PY's completely fine? Even in close proximity with YH in full blast curse mode? That... says something doesn't it... perhaps it was when he saw her curse in action in the forest before Solgae kidnapped her but at this point, I don't think there's any real love left between PY and YH. From YH's side, it died when PY walked away from her at the temple... from PY's end I think all that's left is an obsession for the past and hurt pride that Jun did what he could not do...

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Yeah. Poong Yeon doesn't love her anymore after he saw her with the curse. Hongjoo even asked him why he's completely fine, "Whose heart has changed?"

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When I was watching the episode I thought, "Obviously YH who has a change of heart". My cousin, who was watching with me, said, "No, it's the guy. He's fallen out of love after seeing her in her cursed-state".

BUT reading this recap and you guys' comments, I realized it's both. They simply don't love each other anymore.

Such a line, "Whose heart has changed?", just makes me appreciate the writing even more because it can mean so different depending on the viewer's point of view, It's just sooo awesome :) Happy watching, everyone <3 <3 <3

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So, I thought Hong Joo had a cause. Take control of the royal family so that she could implement changes via a puppet king to pass laws to prevent injustices from happening to low status/poor people like herself and her minions in red. But in this episode we are told multiple times that Hong Joo is self serving (is it selfish to want to protect yourself? especially after the abuse she suffered?). We are also told that she doesn't understand why she should use her powers for the greater good/risk herself which implies she doesn't have a greater cause other than messing with the royal family for revenge/ becoming the person stepping on people instead of being stepped on. I was kinda disappointed.

The black magic from the knife did this make Hong Joo evil? Or was she turning evil anyway and the black magic gave her the power to achieve her evil plans?

When Hong Joo suffered the abuse in the flashback, Hyun Seo told her for a peaceful life to just let it go, this really irked me, without justice how can she not have hate in her heart?

So after all the horrible things the royal family have done in their quest to maintain the royal line/ produce heirs (Did Hyun seo ever think that not being able to produce heirs is Heaven trying to kick them out of office??) I can't root for the royal family to win over Hong Joo, it would be like choosing the lesser evil. I want Jun and Yeon hee to rule the Kingdom happily ever after.

Yeon hee using her powers,kicking butt was really cool, for a second I thought she might go to the dark side. Kim Sae Ron was awesome reminded me of Carrie.

Would it have killed Hyun seo to say to PY, look son I'm held together by HJ's black magic its taking over my body...it won't be me so stab away.

So did Hyun seo die or just faint before HJ blood bonded them? Because if he didn't die and momentarily regains control of his body then he could stab/kill himself and take HJ with him.

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I think the fine line the show is walking is that Hong Joo doesn't care who is affected as long as she gets her desired end. I guessed a while back and still think that she knows about the transfer pregnancy process because they tried to do it to her in the past.

If she did something like reveal the history to the public, which could ultimately still be the death her if they caught her, or of the royal family and many others if she has good backers, it's supposed to be a better process than the more vengeance leaning path she chose.

I do have to say, though...if she had a more morale base, why would she put another shamen through what they tried to do with her? Again, speculating based on some things she's said--not sure if they did and she failed to get pregnant.

I think the sword and she have a symbiotic relationship. The sword needs someone with her talent (I only say that word because Hyun Seo calls her talented in the flashback) who will give it what it wants, and she needs the sword's power to get what she wants.

Her death may well wind up being at his hand in such a fashion. He did tell her already that he was sorry he let her live, and that'd she'd be sorry she let him live (the first time when she had him captive).

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Yep, Hong Joo doesn't care and she will treat anyone in her way as obstacles to dismiss. Still, she is such an interesting character: she was abused and wanted to protect herself, she also shows some love and loyalty to the one I guess she considers the only person who helped her...so she has a human side, and then she also manages to be so scary and ruthless. I love her complexity and enjoy so much hating/loving her character.

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I also think the black magic is out of Hong Joo's control (or maybe it's vice versa) in that it can only continue to foster the extent and depth of the curse, so it is unending misfortune. All she can do is bounce between whoever she can convince needs her to avoid further disaster or receive temporary favor from her at the moment. The ones who throw a wrench into that type of existence are those who aren't tangled up in the favors that come with the far-reaching black magic strings attached.

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Nissin, that's quite an interesting theory. I like the idea of it, because it makes everything a lot darker. Not that rape alone isn't suficient motivation, but I found it a bit strange that Hyun-Seo seemed to have brushed off the incident quite lightly, like she got beaten up rather than raped. And the scenes where she was learning from Hyun-Seo made her seem more like a curious, slightly recalcitrant student than a tortured, wounded soul... Perhaps the ritual was interrupted before it got to the really grim (e.g. rape, body possession) states, but was horrifying enough to scar her?

The only thing that's missing though, is that there hasn't been much mention of another black magic shaman, or someone else other than the royal family whom she's trying to get revenge on. Hyun-Seo didn't sound very perturbed at that point about black magic...

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Simply fantastic!!!

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This drama is so mesmerizing,just when you think this is going to happens it totally turns the table upside down
What I like is drama is keeping you on your toes so as to what will happen next
Keep it coming mirror of the witch
Absolutely love it

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Un gran espectáculo empezando por la fotografía, la música y claro que todas las actuaciones lástima que el rating sea tan bajo. Pero para nosotros que estamos del otro lado del mundo es un fascinante drama no se le compara en nada con la televisión de aquí. Gracias por el resúmen

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KSR and YSY both of you are so awesome portraying Yeon hee and Heo Jun...gosh,hw completely adorable to see both of them...I never get tired to see their scenes it just keep the story...to me,more interesting.I cried like hell to see that both our lead has to separate...ohh my heartache...compare to poong Yeon,Heo Jun is far more valiant than ever...he knew he would die if he's linger around Yeon hee but still he chose to stay...I was completely fall in love with his character...he is the kind of man that fit for Yeon hee...and finally got to hear Yeon hee confession!!!(squeal)She loves him gack! I hate heartbreaken scene...what the points of the confession if both of them had to separated...oh well I just have to roll with it,I need to remind myself if I keep want both of them together then maybe all the problem won't be resolve...hahaha it just...both of them have a chemistry...oh,my heart for father,Hong joo turn him into a demon with black eyes(reminds me of Dean demon in supernatural)...and all the character like I said had do a great job...thanks to all...I really enjoy watching this...thanks all for the effort...all of you had work hard...thanks for the recap too

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I started this drama without any expectations when it first aired and I'm still in awe of how much entertaining it is. I didn't even realize it's only 16 episodes!

I'm glad Yeonhee now sees how flawed Poongyeon is. (Gurl, the fauxcest when you were younger was creepy enough! But you were so young and innocent and totally unaware that your big brother was really pining for a romantic relationship. Ew.)

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Thanks for the recap, chocolatte!

I really love every ep as the plot thickens. Yeonhee and Jun's scenes are so touching and they just light up the screen. Love Jun's reaction to seeing Yeonhee with the monstrous ghost. That "don't go" must have meant the world to Yeonhee when everyone else had wanted to run away from her. She loves him! Omo! How refreshing to hear her confess that to Yoogwang. And for Jun to still tease Yeonhee when she took his hand. ❤️ So glad that he refused the oblivion potion and still protected Yeonhee the best he could against Red Cloak in his sickly state. I'm actually happy that he was the one who started putting the clues together who Red Cloak was. Can't wait for him to reveal this!

Poongyeon doesn't love Yeonhee anymore, or at least it is no longer enough for the curse to affect him. I really hope he doesn't venture to the dark side.

Hyunseo as Hongjoo's puppet is scary. What a contrast in voice, demeanour, and appearance. I'm curious how things will work now that Yeonhee is the human talismanic shield herself. Anticipating the next ep!!

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I know someone else has raised this concern in the previous episode's thread... but what's wrong with leaving Yeon-hee as she is without a talisman? I mean, since Jun is already cursed, they should focus on undoing her curse, than fretting about the shield, no? Although it might render her easier to hunt down, in her witch state, YH is in a better position to protect herself, it seems…

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Cursed Jun would get sicker and die after 2 weeks I think.

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Yep, but now that he's already cursed, the 15 days countdown has started. So whether or not she is shielded, it doesn't make a difference to him, right? I don't understand why she still needs the shield - other than as a plot device for Hyun-Seo's sacrifice and the eerie "binding" of blood with Hong Joo.

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With the shield Jun would get better, just like when cursed PY got better after Yeon Hee went to live in the temple protected by talismans.

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Plus they still don't have a plan to light the remaining candles?

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Oh yeah, true. Good point!

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First of all, WWWWOOOOWWWW!!!!! This drama keeps getting better. I like how the characters are a bit more realistic than the usual love at first sight stuff, you know the usual "I love" smooch smmooch! nonsense.

Their just as complicated as we normal non-fictitious people are, their times we never understand our own motives in life and just do whatever we can to protect everything and everyone around us, even our selves.

What i do love about the writers is how they've made the two main characters learn to gradually love one another, and accept each other.
Yeonhee previously never thought of Jun as a man, rather she found him 'annoying&strange', i mean i would have felt the same way if i were used to being around three men with similar mindsets for the past seventeen years and in comes this hurricane of a man called jun with his super twinkling eyes. But it's that endearing side of him, that strange eagerness to make other people feel better about them selves even though he was also deeply hurt, that eventually intrigued her about him and later love him.

Its rather thought provoking really, what is our understanding of true love? Is it the idea of love that people fall for or the actual person as a whole.
That's demonstrated in the differences between the two men, Poongyeon was in love with the damsel in distress version of YeonHee, and he wanted to be her knight in shinning armor.
Jun just loves her for her, all of it, he loves her despite her weaknesses and he recognizes her strengths, where no one else would. That's why he let her leave, he doesn't see her as a damsel, but a powerful woman who just needs a reason to stand up and cry out 'NAY!!', and most importantly his planning on being there either way to catch her when she falls (literally) or hold her hand through it all.

*Sigh*

And Poonyeon wants the old her back, *dramatically touch's forehead*my goodness, Boy you need to grow up, but what do expect when the guy has lived a sheltered,undramatic & predictable life? His in denial!!! am sure he'll be okay....soon...... Just don't go crazy okay???

LOVE? Who can understand it right?I just looooveeee it!!!!!! I ship them sooo hard people, no matter what!

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Hehe! I like the way you portray the relationship between Jun and Yeon Hee. :)
For me, it was supersweet when they were talking and he told her that they were on the same side and she should be the leader...such an strange thing to hear from a drama leading man, I loved him for that. They have the kind of relationship based in deep understanding and care for each other. It's so wonderful to see such a thing unfold in front of your eyes. I like a lot how the show is handling the relationship, it's so fresh compared to the usual approach, and hearthwarming. I want moarrrr!!! :D

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That part was so cute Jun said Yeon hee should be the leader because he feels a little bit intimidated by her so funny : )

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Indeed :) I think my love for Yoon Shi Yoon grew a bit more (if that is possible) while watching this scene, he was so sweet. ❤

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this drama is totally epic.cant wait for another episode

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Love this show!! Can't wait for ep 13!!

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Some of the story-line involving the curse is getting repetitive w/ the writer not exactly sticking to the "rules" and hence, making things conflicting at times.

As usual, great performances and beautiful cinematography.

Couldn't exactly buy Sol-gae carrying the princess and evading all 3 of the guys (Sol-gae is petite herself and even a guy carrying a girl would really be slowed down); and who does she think she is? Supergirl - how does she change so quickly and how does she carry that robe and mask around.

Also - don't exactly buy Poong-yeon's relative ease in fighting the shaman warriors as the Taoist warriors (supposedly great warriors in their own right) had a tough time against the shaman warriors.

Why is Hyun-seo, a Taoist master, practicing black magic (no good comes out of practicing the black art - correct?).

Even if one studies it, why would Hyun-seo use it and why on earth would he teach it to Hong-joo who clearly still had anger and emotional issues?

Talk about bad judgment.

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Wow! This is a five star rating film... Which I had such amazing acting skills like Lee-Seul Bi, I hope you publish the next episode 13 very quick.
I can't wait to see the end of this movie.

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this is so so so good! i love that jun is kinda acting like her husband by her side hehe

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Just finished ep 14, I love this drama soooo much. At the end of each ep, I'm so eager for next week <3 I kind of avoid historical period drama (tried watching cuz I was reaally bored + YSY!) this one makes me want to check em them out.

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I'm behind on this show (which is CRAZY GOOD!), so it is possible know one will see this, but did anyone else shout "Avatar State!" When the glowing blue talisman appeared on Yeon Hee's forehead and her eyes glowed blue?

So impressed with the acting, writing, directing and cinematography on this drama. I think, for me, it has now surpassed Arang and the Magistrate in the fantasy sageuk category.

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am i the only one that low-key hardcore ships the king and pong-yeon, like.........so much affection, honestly thought he was just gonna up and kiss him when he threw his sword away.

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