Arang E19

If you think you are ready for this – you are in for a shocker. I broke all records for crying so much just in one episode -mostly in the first half. It was like nonstop. Holding onto a love shouldnt be this hard, but I am so glad they don’t ever stop trying.

Written before it aired:

Definition of beauty: When your heart is so full of love, you can look beyond your own pain and see the bigger picture in your sacrifice. No one needs to understand why Arang is about to take this next step. The only person who matters in this situation is Arang. As long as she feels this is right, we should respect her decision. Having said that – thank goodness Eun Oh goes over and stops her cuz I don’t think I could handle her dying this time around. I cried too much last week, but I fear that was just a preamble for the deluge that is about to come tonight and tomorrow. Hope my heart holds out so I can continue typing through my tears. Seriously – some days it’s just so hard to watch and recap at the same time. You find yourself gulping for air, wiping your tears on your arms, and muster on to keep typing through a film of haze where the words on the screen continue to blur. You blink it away only to have your vision become obstructed by another wave.  Then that emotional tidal wave affects your heart and you feel this heaviness that slows everything around you. Only way to recover from that is humor. That’s why I need to see some funny moments again between our two leads. Watching her dimples and the flash of his bright smile light up the screen restores order in all our moods.

I hate finale week. Never had a problem saying goodbye to some dramas –even looked forward to some, but not this one. As much as I complained about how scary it was, Arang had me glued to my spot from day one. From the first moment she made me cry till the last, she had me mesmerized by her fearlessness and the story’s undeniably rich potential speaks for itself. Some dramas scream for attention, others whisper and barely let their presence be known. That’s what this drama has been for me. One I never expected to pick up, but so grateful I did. I tend to choose dramas that speak to me in a quiet way – with their subtlety and grace. It’s what captures my attention more than any top star makjang epic series that boasts high ratings.  Arang may not be for the faint of heart or those who dislike sageuk, but it has the perfect blend of everything to make you never regret for even a moment in giving your heart to a show that gives back with each episode.

It hasn’t even begun, but my heart is already full just with the anticipation alone of what’s to come.

E19

Starts from E running down the street looking for arang. He runs over and calls out and a ghost asks are you looking for miss arang. E: did you see her? he tells E how he saw arang in the woods. he called out but she didnt answer so he followed her and on that road there is a cave. E: where? The ghost shows E the way. when they get there the ghost wont go anymore and runs off. E sees J running up.

Seo says you came as arang goes inside. M sees that from outside and gets the knife out

Arang goes in and seo welcomes her. did you make up your mind. I wont force anyone. Arang: if I give you my body promise you will return sato’s mom to him. Seo gets up and says ok. is that the only promise you want. Arang: I will ask one more thing. When you come into my body-will I not be able meet sato anymore. Seo: you cant meet him. will you not regret? Arang cries and says yes. Seo says the strength of love is impressive. seeing how you love a human. Give me your body now. Arang: ok. What do I have to do. Seo says close both eyes and empty your heart and just think of that one thing that you want. Arang closes her eys and seo touches her head. M walks over and sees that. J calls out to arang so the spell is broken. J says you cant trust that woman. he tries to take her away. Arang says don’t do this. J says no matter what you cant give your body. even if you give your body you cant rescue sato’s mother. Seo yells what are you doing. she pushes J away and tells arang don’t believe that guy’s lies.  he is lying cuz he wants you. Are you going to listen to that guy or trust your choice. if you are going to trust that guy’s words then I will wake him so follow him out.  but you wont have another chance to save sato’s mother then. Arang says I will follow your words. Seo starts again and they start to exchange bodies as M runs over. He is about to stab seo but E calls out arang and pushes M away. Arang faints. E carries her away.

J comes too. M tries to stab seo again but cant cuz of the invisible shield. Seo looks at him and shoves him away. She calls out for arang. But J blocks her and takes out a knife. M disappears. J says I will get rid of you and I will die too. Before he can stab, there is a change and E’s mom says look here. she falls down and calls out young master. She faints.

E carries arang through the woods and puts her down against a tree. He keeps calling out to her to come to. She looks at him and says sato. He hugs her. why are you driving a person crazy. You think doing this is really for my sake. I told you it wasn’t. it’s not. she cries and says this is all I can do for your sake. I will disappear anyway and cant see you anymore. And you need your mother. E says if I lose you and find my mother you think I will be happy. You don’t have to do anything. I said I will do it all. I will find my mother and I will send you to heaven. I will do it. Just trust me arang. He hugs her. she cries and says I didn’t want to go too. I didn’t want to send you away. I didn’t want to go and leave you behind. She hugs back and they both cry.

Jade watches that as M comes over. M: I am sorry. Jade says do you want to rescue Mu Yeon or get rid of her. M: of course I…but jade interrupts and says: trying to stab her with the knife today -it was cuz you wanted to save her.  wasnt your intent to rescue her. you wanted to end her misery. Not being able to stab her and stabbing her -all of it –  is your human heart that you cant cut ties with.  a heart you cant have as a reaper. M walks away. Hades comes over and says a person’s fate is hard. Jade: it’s that difficult so I am here.  but what are you going to do about Mu Young. hades doesnt answer

J is waiting outside as a maid changed seo’s clothes. J goes inside to see seo. She is lying in a room in his home. He remembers how she called him young master. He thinks this is E’s mother.  J remembers how E’s mom became seo.

He goes outside to his room. he remembers how he stabbed arang while she was sleeping. He says to himself: stupid guy. why didnt i know anything at all. stupid guy. he remembers how he asked for her heart and how she said I will act like I didn’t hear. And how he said I already told you the truth about the girl I was engaged to. J calls himself a stupid guy over and over.

Arang wakes up and E is sleeping next to her. she turns and faces him and stares at him. She reaches out to touch his face but just outlines his face with her fingers in the air and holds his hand. She closes her eyes and sleeps. E opens his eyes and looks at her. then he closes his fingers around her hand and holds on tight

E goes outside and looks back at the room. he stares up at the moon. He senses M there. M says how many times did I tell your objective and mine arent different. E says no it’s different. your interest is only to take out that demon. M says getting rid (taking her out) of Mu Yeon is the way to rescue your mother.  E says if that road means using arang -dont even dream about. M: Kim EO. E: ok let’s just say we do as you say, if I take out your sister from my mother’s body, can you protect my mother’s life. I am asking – if we take out that monster, can my mother live?  M: you cant save your mother. E: what? I cant save her? then no matter what I do I cant rescue my mother? M doesn’t reply and disappears. E calls out his name in tears

Next morning, Arang is looking at her reflection in the mirror. She says not many days are left till I have to go LSR.

Arang goes to visit her grave. look here thank you. You know too right?  that I went to meet the jade emperor and came back. For the sake of love, as you know, you gave up your life. now I know where that crazy courage came from. the days after coming back as a person was agonizing and hard, but since you were a kid like that thank goodness it was worth it. You were a strong and brave girl so thank you. finding you and finding all this truth I don’t regret. I love you LSR.

J walks over to the grave and sees arang there. he turns back but goes over to her. She asks are you feeling ok? He says there was this dumb guy and he proposed to a girl he didn’t see who loved him. that guy – that dumb guy was in the dark and didn’t know anything.  She died to save that guy. that guy who knew he shouldnt love.  to save a guy like that, she gave her body. she came back alive but that guy didn’t recognize her face. He kneels in front of her and cries. even after I sent you, like the first time I saw you,  my heart opened and fluttered. it was a heart that was shut off…J cries and says I am sorry. Don’t ever forgive me. She cries and touches his arm as he cries

J walks back alone and says you died to save me, but I didnt remember your face. that I stabbed you in the heart again -I really couldnt say it.  that terrible truth would torment you again. I am sorry. I dont have the right to say sorry, but i am sorry

When he goes back seo is sitting outside in the sunshine leaning against the beam. J helps her back inside. she seems weak. He puts her back in bed. She says young master – a day came when I could see you again. He asks what happened to you. She says that woman’s power leaked out. Right now she lost her strength for a short time and gave me my body back. if I didn’t give her my body over a useless revenge then all this wouldn’t have happened. If I only endured and accepted what happened (with choi) then even if my son lived as a slave, I would have been happy with my son. will you please tell my son that I never once forgot my son’s face.  When he was sick I didn’t hug him. I wasn’t a warm mother. Please tell him I am sorry. Please tell him

E asks why did you come here on your own feet without any fear. J: your mother came out of wife’s body. There is no time. hurry and go see your mother now. E: what lie did you just say. J: it is not a lie. for real she is your mother for certain. you have to go right now. E: how can I believe those words

J takes E to see his mom. J leaves them in the room alone together. She tries to sit up and calls out his name. E doesn’t seem to believe and keeps his distance. She says you don’t believe. what do I have to do to prove I am your mother. E: does it make sense – you are a mother a son cant recognize. She says It’s my sin for leaving you. I made you this sad. He says you aren’t my mother. Cuz my mother never once looked at me when I smiled. He turns to go, but she says: Sorry -for telling you not to look for me-for saying even if you die – die on your father’s yard.  even after I did that you came to this bad mother holding a present with your kind heart. E: present? she says If only I put that hairpin in my hair to show you. E: what hairpin. she says didnt you give it to me. “mother’s heart pin.”  he walks closer to her and gets on his knees. He says mother. Why did you make it so hard to call you that. she takes his hand, she says how she wanted him to live well with a good standing name and not as a slave.so the only way was to send you to your father. He says whether a slave or a noble – what is all that – why block my heart when all I wanted to do was live with you. She says how she left for his sake. sorry for leaving you. How lonely you must have been. How much you must have despised and resented me. He says I didn’t hate you or resent you – I just missed you like crazy. She says promise. when the chance comes –  send this girl out -even if I have to die – don’t hesitate in stabbing me.  He says mother. she says this isnt living or dying rescue me from this torture. E: mother I will save you from this. I will rescue you from this torture. she says sorry.  he holds her hand and cries as she pats his back.

E goes out and says to J: I imposed on you (cuz J is taking care of his mother for him). he bows and walks away, but J says don’t give up the girl. How did you get everything I wanted? E doesn’t reply and leaves

J sits outside and kim comes over. J asks what are you going to do from here on. kim says since the home ended up like this I will leave this village soon. What are you going to do from now on. are you going to stay next to wife’s side? I understand your heart. J: you said you had the same nickname as me (starving bones). back then I didnt like being hungry more than dying. I dont know why the truth of not having nobility/wealth was so awful.  seeing how things are now for me -it was a lot better when I was a kid eating out of my hands. kim says how could you think that. just think people live differently.  there must be some fate for you to meet the wife like us meeting. Since you are like this I don’t feel comfortable so until you leave I will stay here to the end. J thanks him.

E goes to his room and holds his head and cries. He says is there really no way to rescue my mother. He calls out to his master (jade) and says couldn’t you help me?

E wakes up in a plain room wearing normal clothes. He says what is this place. kids come in and hug him calling him father. E: what? father? Arang comes in with food. He asks why she is dressed like that. she says I came from cooking in the kitchen– don’t leave any food. arang: let’s eat. she feeds the girl. E wonders what is all this. he realizes he married arang and had these kids. she says his mother went to the magistrates office to meet B so go and bring her. E: my mother is alive? arang: on your way home buy some peaches. E says I cant believe this – it’s a dream. It cant be real

E walks over to the magistrates office and D comes over dressed as sato. He says what brings you here this early morning since you left behind being the sato saying it’s none of my business.  E asks where is my mother. D: B said she would bring her after work. she is coming now. B walks over with his mother. B: you came. his mom calls out his name. E:mother. Bangs come over with gifts for his wife’s birthday

As they walk down the street E calls out mother and cries. He hugs her on the street. She says follow your master’s words well. she disappears

Suddenly jade is there and E says who are you. jade: I am the jade emperor and I was your master too. right now I look really different but used to be your master.  E: master – no – jade emperor  is there really no way to save my mother. Jade:  remember my words to you and what I gave you to you in the past. with that you can’t save your mother but you can rescue her (soul). Think carefully what your mother really wants. Jade disappears. E: what mother really wants. he wakes up and remembers jade’s last words of advice

J watches as seo comes back to E’s mom’s body

Bangs talk about choi -who knew this would happen to choi. but why did he call arang a ghost. They think choi was crazy. Other bang says bang was choi’s man so you were almost in big trouble. he denies that. in the past i didnt know choosing a side was this important. they think D is not bad to side with cuz of his popularity. D is a little rough around the edges but he looks ok and has a good personality. his popularity is as much as sato.

E remembers what jade said “remember what I said to you in the past. if you want to get your mother’s heart give this hairpin to your mother. you can rescue her with this hairpin.” Arang says sato. E: in my dream I met my master. arang: jade emperor? E: master said there is no way to save my mother, but I can rescue her soul. arang: rescue her soul? E: my mother’s soul that is being tormented in there will go back to normal.  That’s the best I can do for her. arang: how can you do that? E:  you said there is a way to exorcise (separate) the body from the demon. arang: give what the body owner wants the most.  He shows the hairpin. She thinks with this hairpin that could happen. she reads “mother’s heart pin.” E: I will rescue my mother with that.

E goes out to meet M and says I will do as you planned. M asks are you determined. E: I will take your sister out of my mother’s body so you stab her then. Don’t make a mistake doing it

E walks over and J is standing there. J says that woman came back

Next morning arang goes in and E is dressed. she says he is doing things early. E: Before I take care of my mother I want to take care of choi

E goes out and bangs says everything is ready take choi to hanyang. E sees choi being taken over to his cart. E asks choi what is the difference between people and someone like choi.  choi: why do I have to know that. E: a person tries to live for today no matter what happened yesterday. they take responsibility. E lists all the terrible things choi did and says this is payment for the crime you committed against my mother’s family. E orders the criminal choi to be taken away for sentencing. Choi is put in a cart and taken down the street with G walking along side him. Villagers insult him. Choi calls G bad names. And blames G for ending up like this cuz G didn’t do his job well taking care of things. G says we are in the same situation now. Plus I only did as you said. Choi says I rescued you when you were a beggar. choi thinks G is going to blame everything on choi at hanyang and say choi ordered him to do everything. G is going to reveall the truth in front of the king.who knows the king might pardon my crimes and take pity on me cuz I had to serve someone like you. Choi points out if you are the king-whose words would you listen to – a slave like you are a noble like me. I will be released. I will find a way to get your neck cut off. Choi says to the villagers -you are the same – when I get to hanyang, I will make sure you feel this hell. choi yells he wont leave them alone cuz kids threw rocks at him. Villagers attack the carriage and pull choi out. G gets a sword from a guard and holds it against choi. He kills choi. J saw choi being killed

E is dressed in plain clothes and sitting in his room. he is holding the hairpin. He says mother. Arang calls out and comes in. she asks if will be ok. He says of course who am I. dont I look it? she says you have to come back just as you are like now (meaning without getting hurt) so he says I wont let anyone touch a hair on me and come back. She takes his hand and says you have to do that. you must. he hugs her and leaves

E walks over to choi’s home. M meets him. M: are you ready? E nods yes.

Seo is outside and senses them. She says these guys.

E and M go inside.

Arang is running down the street calling out sato

Seo meets M and E. E takes out his hairpin and M takes out the knife. Seo looks at the hairpin and asks what is that. E says “mother” and runs at her. seo pushes him back with her power. Arang helps him up. M rushes at seo.

So she pushes him away and E runs over to stab her with the pin. She says are you going to stab your mother now? He cries and says I will rescue you mother. He stabs her. Mu Yeon and his mother show up at the same time. they separate.  his mother falls to her knees. E bends over her calling out mother.

Mu Yeon shoves M aside and runs straight for arang. Arang screams: I don’t want to.

End

Preview

hades says to jade: arang wont be able to solve this problem/riddle (truth of her death) no matter what so prepare to switch bodies. (jade and hades bodies cuz that was their bet)

there was also a scene where J threw LSR’s body over a cliff

M tells E: there is a way to find out the truth of arang’s death

arang explains to E:  even if I go to hell I want to remember you. E: you dont want to forget me so you will go to hell. how could you have such a dumb thought? let’s go – let’s find the truth of your death and think about the rest then.

then B performs some kind of ritual and makes E and arang lay side by side. B tells them to shake the bell when the time comes. arang thanks him.  but then arang is gone when B wakes him. B shakes him saying: there is big trouble lord.

Jade’s bell didnt ring cuz arang didnt find the truth of her death yet. she still thinks it was E’s mother. she has yet to figure out the one who killed LSR was Mu Yeon inside his mother’s body. also Jade said the bell would ring with the death of the one who killed you. that’s Mu Yeon. as soon as she dies, as long as it’s before the full moon, the bell will ring.

judging from the preview, E’s mom will die in his arms. her soul will be free from Mu Yeon. that’s when arang will realize she still hasnt discovered the truth of her death.