Bulgasal: Immortal Soul, or 불가살/Bulgasal, is a fantasy-thriller Korean drama created by Jang Young-woo, Kwon So-ra, and Seo Jea-won and stars Lee Jin-uk, Kwon Na-ra, and Lee Joon, alongside other cast members. There are 16 episodes, and Bulgasal episode 5 has a runtime of 77 minutes.
Netflix describes the series as:
Cursed since birth and exempt from death, a revenge-driven immortal sets out on a quest to reclaim his soul and end a 600-year-old vendetta.
– Bulgasal episode 5 recap contains major spoilers –
Hwal seems to be coming to the conclusion that something more sinister is going on than he was made aware of, thanks to Ho-yeol. Plus, when he finds Sang-un, she is already passing out but what makes him think is when she tells him that he is the sword that can kill the Bulgasal. The person he thought was the bane of his existence turns out to be something else and he tries to figure out what.
I mean, of course Bulgasal episode 5 gives the indication that this will turn into a “main guy saves woman from antagonist”, which, I am calling it right now. But maybe it will shock us in the end. Either way, Sang-un remembers what happened that night all those years ago and the reality is heartbreaking but opens up a lot of doors for her.
She remembers that Hwal didn’t kill Sang-yeon and how her sister told her to find “that man who will help her”. She also remembers how the guy who actually killed Sang-yeon started to feel sick after she looked at her, or after Hwal came in. Will these revelations open up a door for her? I am hopeful they will, especially the “Sang-un’s gaze makes Eul-tae sick” or something.
Meanwhile, Hwal tries to find out what is actually happening, with the other Bulgasal and all. No one was really aware that there was more than one in the first place but now that he knows, he must understand who he is and what he’s after.
Also Read: Light the Night Part 2 Review: Ruby Lin Series Keeps Getting Better
Also, what the hell is going on with Do-yun? The series is simply padding the runtime with this nonsense with the kid who has nowhere to go. Is he going to remain the comic relief or is he going to add something to the runtime? I am guessing the former. Additionally, Ho-yeol loses his mind regarding the inactivity in the police station after his accident – I mean, he did she someone biting someone’s neck off.
Anyway, Sang-un tries to run away from Hwal but the conversation steers towards how much he hates her and how he can kill Eul-tae. Unfortunately, she doesn’t remember anything and Hwal finds that extremely suspicious. She tries to tell him that she is a human and isn’t like her sister but he goes on a tangent thinking that she is definitely plotting something and pins her against the wall. Fantasy aside, that’s quite toxic and abusive.
Later, Hwal goes to meet Eul-tae at this fancy restaurant and both are looking dapper. The conversation is a bit bland but Eul-tae is quite the eccentric, and we all like an eccentric antagonist. Either way, Eul-tae tries to convince Hwal that Sang-un is their collective enemy and that they shouldn’t go against each other.
What really drives the point home, though, is that Eul-tae tries to convince him that he knows the answers to all of his questions, namely – why she cursed him. But he will help only if he helps him. He also puts up quite the theatrics regarding the black hole in his heart which doesn’t convince him one bit. Hwal tells him that he cannot kill Sang-un and that he needs to reclaim his soul; whatever Eul-tae does after doesn’t concern him.
Anyway, after Hwal comes back home, he is faced with Ho-yeol, who has found Sang-un and is being absolutely annoying. It’s not enough that he has a freeloader at home, now there’s a PI who doesn’t remember anything. But whatever, Sang-un tells Ho-yeol that Hwal did not kidnap her and asks him to leave. On the car with Hwal, she tells him that she will trust him although he still thinks about what Eul-tae told him about her in Bulgasal episode 5.
Also Read: Stay Close (2021) Review: Harlan Coben’s Adaptation Is a Thrilling Binge-Worthy Tale!
Anyway, he takes her to the well where he tells her what her past self had allegedly done 600 years ago. Just before he is about to turn her into the Bulgasal, Hye-suk rushes in to tell him that Si-ho has vanished and someone probably took her. Sang-un calls her sister and turns out Hye-suk’s “harmless” assistant took her. Sang-un goes off to find Si-ho alone and Ho-yeol tries to stop him from going after her because… reasons. Just tell the man your fantastical story already, it’s annoying to watch him try to do the “right thing” and thus getting in everyone’s way. Plus, Hwal suffers from terrible daddy issues as well.
Anyway, Si-ho is with Eul-tae, of course, and not dead like what Sang-un is thinking. She wants to give herself to him to save Si-ho but he promises to kill the Bulgasal and let her live as a human. She needs to find a way to kill him though. Either way, they definitely won’t fall for each other in the process, right? Right?
Bulgasal episode 5: What’s happening next?
There’s going to be a fight between Eul-tae and Hwal next and it’s going to be intense. Sang-un will find a bloody but alive Si-ho. Ho-yeol will continue to be a pain in the butt. The fight should be interesting here, although Bulgasal episode 5 is quite the tame episode and is annoying on many fronts. There is a lot going on and the characters are interesting but this is a slower episode. As I said, the supporting characters have absolutely no purpose to exist yet other than to annoy so that’s something that will have to change in the future.
Bulgasal: Immortal Souls is streaming on Netflix.
Liked the Bulgasal episode 5 recap? Read the other Bulgasal recaps here.