It’s inevitable that viewers will compare Bulgasal with Goblin seeing as both are premised on immortals who live solely to settle a few scores AND find the woman who’s fated to restore their mortality. Perfect fodder for anyone interested in lore and ill-fated romance but while Goblin was a sensual feast of color, opulence, and an array of gorgeous men; Bulgasal was seeped in sepia, literally. A perfect analogy for the despair that permeated the lives of all the characters.

Were I to rate both dramas on the motivation of the lead characters -which is the major plot driver-, Bulgasal is the inferior because Dan Hwal, our lead male, had so many instances where he could have killed Sang Un, the FL, yet all were squandered in exchange for last minute talking and reflecting during which someone would always arrive just in the nick of time to save her. More nonsensical was when he actually saved her from being killed by others because and I quote “no one gets to kill you but me”. Okay, fine, he wanted his soul back. Whatever. But did he need to prevaricate for so long instead of just cutting her head off and being done with it?

My understanding from reading other reviews is that there’s much more that will eventually be unveiled as we progress. The thing is I’m only at episode 4 (of 16) and the thought of having to see Lee Jin Wook (ML) walk around in a hoodie with that expressionless face is a punishment no one should bear. Likewise, Kwon Na Ra (FL) put as much gusto into her character as a balloon without air.

That being said, I will persevere or maybe I’ll just skip to the last two episodes and be done with it.

Edit: Skipped from episode 4 to 15 which, coincidentally, was the number of times I rolled my eyes at the melodrama that was the last two episodes. The sheer idiocy of the catalyst for what transpired over the course of their thousand-year history makes a mockery of the audience and the actors alike.