BULGASAL: IMMORTAL SOULS
ALL LOCATIONS, CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INCIDENTS
DEPICTED IN THIS DRAMA ARE ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS
FILMING WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH COVID-19 GUIDELINES
AND CHILD ACTORS WERE FILMED IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT
On this land 600 years ago,
there lived beings that were not human.
They were Monsters.
There were countless human-eating Monsters.
But now,
all the Monsters have disappeared.
Except for me.
I am the last to survive of the Monsters.
I cannot be killed and cannot die as I am Bulgasal.
To put an end to this curse of immortality,
I have been searching for you for 600 years.
If I had not met you
on that day from 600 years ago…
EPISODE 1
LATE GORYEO
I think we should go back.
Where could we go when there is a famine?
The Japanese pirates raided our land and burnt it down. We cannot go back.
They already reached mountain villages. What is the army doing?
What we should really be worrying about is the Monsters.
Those Monsters are everywhere.
Japanese pirates and Monsters.
Goryeo is doomed. Utterly doomed.
Have you heard?
They say the corpse-eating Monster, Jomagu, is on this uphill path!
Enough. Are you trying to make me pee my pants?
Where is it?
What was that?
-What was that sound? -What…
-Come on. -Oh, dear.
-Hey! -What on earth is that?
-That is… -Oh, no.
-Where are you going? -What do we do?
-Go and do something! -Oh, no.
-Gosh. What is that? -Dear!
-My dear! -Be quiet.
You will get us all killed.
Jomagu.
Take this baby…
-What was that? -Dear!
Dear!
What are you doing?
He could have eaten you alive!
This baby is cursed.
It must not be born.
Bulgasal will come find our baby.
No. That's not true!
Please snap out of it!
-Bulgasal is coming after us. -My dear.
Bulgasal is coming.
-Bulgasal… -Oh, no.
-Come to your senses! -Bulgasal is coming.
Dear!
-Oh, no. -She hanged herself when she was pregnant?
-She hanged herself? -How could that happen?
-Goodness. -Why did she do it?
Are you all right?
The baby was born from the dead mother?
Yes. But it does not cry.
It does not cry.
It should never have been born.
It should have died with the mother.
Why would you say such a thing?
Bulgasal has cursed the baby.
-What? Bulgasal? -The baby is cursed?
It has no soul, so it cannot be killed.
-Bulgasal, an evil spirit. -What is she saying?
And Bulgasal has a grudge against your baby from a previous life.
Then what should we do now?
What in the world is Bulgasal?
Once it has a grudge against someone, it will chase their soul to the end.
-Goodness. -What is this?
Then what will happen to us?
This means we are doomed!
Damn it!
10 YEARS LATER
Wait up.
-Gosh. -Why did it snow so much?
Why did you want to hunt on a day like this?
-I had nothing to eat. -My goodness.
Damn it.
That cursed boy. Talk about having bad luck today.
Come on.
Wait up for me.
Hurry up.
Damn it.
We have been living here for ten years now.
But we are still in famine,
and my wife is pregnant again.
I thought you had no energy to even farm without food.
Hey, farming and lovemaking require a different kind of energy.
-Gosh. -Oh, my.
Forget it. How would a bachelor know anything?
Then help me find a nice lady I can settle down with!
Gu-bong.
No one wants to marry you because of your ugly face. What can I do?
You are so mean.
Oh, no. My stomach has been feeling a bit funny for a while now.
Stay here for a bit.
Pal-bong. Why so suddenly?
My goodness. I thought he did not eat anything.
Goodness.
Why are you taking so long, Pal-bong?
Pal-bong.
Pal-bong?
Pal-bong. Pal-bong?
Pal-bong, where are you?
Where on earth are you? Come on.
Pal-bong.
Pal-bong! Pal-bong…
-Pal-bong! -Father.
How could this happen?
Gu-bong, did you see it?
Did you see what did this to him?
Listen. Four people from our village either disappeared or died just this year.
Seeing how his intestines are intact,
a mountain animal did not do this.
Neither did Jomagu or Mokgwang.
All the blood in his body is gone.
Then are you saying that thing killed him? That thing was in the forest?
What else, if not Bulgasal?
-Bulgasal? -Bulgasal?
-Really? -Oh, no.
-Damn it. -Should we leave then?
What do we do?
That boy…
That cursed boy with no name.
You called it here, didn't you?
Hey, stop right there!
I told you to stop!
The villagers said that you were cursed by Bulgasal.
Even your own father ran away out of fear!
Did Bulgasal really come to this mountain to find you?
Is that a "no"? Or do you not know?
It is your fault!
My father is dead because of you!
The villagers said that you were cursed by Bulgasal.
Did Bulgasal really come to this mountain to find you?
What is it, Yeon-ji?
I think something is over there.
-Gil-deok… -What happened?
Lady!
-Goodness. -Yeon-ji…
Pal-bong's wife and kids
are all dead.
-Oh, no! -Yeon-ji is dead too?
-Goodness. -This is awful.
Oh, no. What do we do?
It is here.
It has come…
all the way to this village.
It even went inside their house!
It is looking for the boy that has crossed it in his previous life.
Are you sure Bulgasal did this to them?
Yes. Until Bulgasal finds the boy,
it will come knocking on your doors every night.
Now…
everyone in this village will die!
-Oh, no! -What do we do?
Hey, Gu-bong. Where are you going?
That is…
We must kill that boy.
Kill him?
-We will kill him! -Yes!
Damn it. Where is he hiding?
Where is that rat?
-We should have killed him ages ago! -Where is he?
There he is! He is running away!
-He is getting away! -Hey!
-Stop! -Get him!
Stop right there!
-I said stop! -Get him!
-Be careful. -Come here!
Hey! Come here!
-Get him! -You go after him!
He is getting away!
We have to kill him!
-What is that noise? -Go get him!
-Damn it. -The ice…
That cursed boy.
Hey.
Take this and leave. Stay away from the village for now.
Something terrible has happened!
I thought you were mute. Are you deaf too?
Did you see anything? Answer me!
Why are you helping that bastard?
He has been cursed by Bulgasal!
What choice do I have? His father left him with me for a bottle of liquor.
-Over there! -Hey.
-Get him! -Get him!
Move aside!
We must protect our families from Bulgasal.
-Yes! -You have to die in order for us to live!
No…
No!
What? This bastard can speak!
No!
No…
Come on. Let us end this.
-Right. -Kill him.
-We must kill him. -Come here!
Halt.
Mind your own business. Just go.
We are taking care of our own matters so just go!
You are speaking to General Dan Geuk of Goryeo.
Show him your respect.
A group of men is trying to slaughter a child.
Japanese pirates raid our lands,
and Monsters attack our people.
Those with power are interested in only filling their own stomachs.
But why are commoners like you committing such a vile act?
What is the reason for this?
It is because he has been cursed by Bulgasal.
As Bulgasal has a grudge against him, it has come down to our village
and harmed our villagers in search of him.
Even his own father abandoned him out of fear, but we took him in.
So this is our burden to carry.
Please turn a blind eye to it.
Killing a boy because of some Monster
is nonsense to me and I shall not believe it.
I want to behead all of you right now.
But I have seen
too much blood on the battlefield today.
What is your name?
I do not…
have a name.
Is that so?
Then from this moment on,
your name shall be Hwal.
Hwal.
It means rebirth.
I will take the boy with me.
You will regret this.
You will also get sucked into his bad karma.
Anyone who stays by his side will throw up blood
and dirt will get in their eyes.
Not even you
can avoid the curse of Bulgasal, General.
The curse of Bulgasal will not end until the boy dies.
Let's go.
But…
The curse of Bulgasal will not end until the boy dies.
17 YEARS LATER, EARLY JOSEON
Leave it. I can pour it myself.
You spent your entire life hunting Monsters for our kingdom
and even sacrificed your arm for the cause.
It is time to leave the battlefield and hold a position in an office now.
I am not cut out for a position like that.
The thought of working in an office gives me the chills.
I am sure you have many soldiers you can rely on and entrust this task to.
There is only one person that I can entrust this task with.
It is my adopted son.
I taught him everything he knows ever since he was a boy.
But his military arts and bravery have already surpassed mine.
I heard about him.
People said Bulgasal cursed him,
but now, he is considered to have been blessed by Bulgasal.
Teoreokson, the water Monster of Yongsan River,
and Gapsangoe, the Monster of Mount Gap that killed many people,
all died at the hands of my son.
Those Monsters must fear him as much as they fear Bulgasal.
And my soldiers call him
the evil spirit who kills Monsters.
I would like to end
this Monster hunt together with my son.
I do not see any activity in the forest, General.
Over there.
I can feel evil energy from there.
It will show itself soon.
It is the last Monster in the kingdom of Joseon.
This long battle will finally end today.
I support that, General.
Monsters have always revealed themselves in times of hardship.
Now that we are welcoming the new era of Joseon,
the Monsters must vanish with Goryeo as they are both remnants of the past.
Please fulfill your duty of hunting down the Monsters until there are none left.
Hey.
What is that?
What the…
What are you doing?
Over here! The Dueoksini is here!
Halt!
We are your fellow soldiers! Stop!
It is Dueoksini!
It can rule over your thoughts!
Do not let it deceive you!
The Dueoksini has revealed its true form!
You will pay for this.
I will remember your soul and I will get my revenge.
He killed Dueoksini!
The Commander has killed Dueoksini!
- Hwal! - Hwal!
They should be buried in their hometown. Must it be here?
It is the law to burn anyone who was murdered by the Monsters.
But the Monster did not kill them.
We did.
We wielded our swords against our comrades and killed them.
We are no different from the Monsters.
No.
He is the real Monster.
Look at him.
The deaths of these soldiers do not bother him at all.
He only cares about killing the Monsters.
He was born to kill.
But if it were not for him, we would have all died.
He is of lowly birth!
He has been cursed by an evil spirit.
How could people of high status like us be under him?
I cannot accept this.
What are you doing here alone?
It is nothing.
No, this wound is serious.
Blessed by Bulgasal? How ridiculous.
Your life is hanging by a thread. Be careful.
This is pathetic. Why are you doing this alone?
Your subordinates can help you.
I prefer to do it alone.
They are scared of me like they are of Monsters.
You must learn to get along with others.
You need people on your side to succeed.
I have never been interested in success.
There you go again.
That is not something I ought to hear from my only son.
I will be done once we get rid of all the Monsters.
What is on your mind?
I heard Monsters get their revenge once they hold a grudge against you.
Then are you worried that all the Monsters
you killed in this life will take revenge in your next life?
I wish…
not to be born again.
If that scares you
be born as my real son in your next life.
I will protect you, my son.
You saved this old man's life.
Had you not saved me then,
I would have been eaten by Teoreokson and come out as its feces.
Anyway, we ought to indulge ourselves with some smiles today.
The last Monster on this land is gone now.
Not yet.
There is one Monster left.
Are you talking about Bulgasal?
People say
Bulgasal sucks human blood and destroys souls.
But as it has no soul, it cannot be killed.
However…
it does not exist.
Their fear of Monsters created a Monster that is far scarier than the rest.
No one has seen it in person.
That is because…
anyone who sees Bulgasal
meets their fate.
The curse of Bulgasal
will not end until the boy dies.
Hwal.
Bulgasal does not exist.
We are done hunting Monsters as of today.
You must let go of your past with Bulgasal.
All right?
General, we have received an urgent message from your home.
My lady.
The baby came out prematurely.
She has been like this for half a month.
No. Give it back. That is my baby…
It is your fault.
My baby did not cry because of your curse.
-She is not to leave her room. -Yes, my lord.
Father.
Give back my baby. Father!
My baby.
Father!
-Father! -I apologize
for my daughter.
Let me…
My baby!
Let me take the baby.
Father.
The baby…
The baby is dead, right?
I did not hear the baby cry…
so I figured so.
Father.
Let me touch the baby before you bury her.
Let me say goodbye
to my sister.
Father.
It is your fault.
My baby did not cry because of your curse.
Anyone who stays by his side will throw up blood
and dirt will get in their eyes.
The curse of Bulgasal.
Father.
Father…
Father!
Once it has a grudge against someone, it will chase their soul to the end.
What are you doing?
You will only hurt yourself.
You are not well. This is dangerous.
I am saving my children from your curse.
My children are ill because of you
and you killed one at birth.
You killed her.
Had it not been for my father,
I would not have married a man who has been cursed by Bulgasal.
What are you doing?
"The curse of Bulgasal."
I heard that all my life.
It was the first thing I learned to say.
I heard it when I was abandoned…
and when the villagers showed hatred against me.
I wished I had never been born.
I always wanted to die.
Then you should have.
Why did you drag my children into your curse?
Why did you marry me?
You do not even have any feelings.
Was it because my father made you?
Because you and I are the same.
You are a monster just like me.
A monster…
Father!
You know it too.
Everyone in the Capital
and even the servants in our home consider you different and fear you.
Give me your hand.
You do not need that.
It is all right.
What are you doing?
You see things others cannot see and things you should not see.
All right. What do you see now?
I saw the woman who saved you.
The woman you keep remembering.
Let go of me.
We are both cursed.
However, I will break my own curse.
I will go after Bulgasal.
I will end this curse.
You will die before that happens.
Do as you please.
I will take A-chan with me.
Only then can I break the curse of Bulgasal.
Never.
Do you want our son to die too?
He will not die. I will protect him.
A-chan is carrying my curse.
I will free him from it no matter what.
The soldiers are here. Hey!
The soldiers are here.
Goodness. What is going on? Oh, no.
What do we do? Oh, no.
What brings you here?
Bulgasal came here for him.
He is going to get us all killed!
-We must kill him to save ourselves. -Kill him.
-Die!
Why is that boy tied up?
He is not from here.
He tried to steal our food. So we beat him and tied him up.
He seems to be a violent barbarian. You saw him, did you not?
-Yes. -Of course.
What did the boy say?
They captured him when he was passing by.
They were going to offer him to a Monster.
So you were going to make a human sacrifice to a Monster?
If we do not offer human sacrifices, Bulgasal will be enraged.
And Bulgasal will kill all of us!
So is it true that you kill people for Bulgasal
and worship that Monster?
No one helped us because we are slash-and-burn farmers, living in hiding!
We were trying to save ourselves!
Please just go on your way!
-Go! -Go!
-Leave!
It is him!
He is the one.
He will bring Bulgasal here.
Bulgasal will kill
everyone here.
Everyone's blood,
flesh, and organs will be spread all over the ground.
That man will bring Bulgasal here
and get all of us killed.
-No! -What?
-That man… -We are all going to die.
Oh, no.
I am here to kill Bulgasal.
Anyone who stands in my way
-No. -will be beheaded on the spot.
-We will hunt for it in the mountains. -No.
-No. He cannot.
-Who told you to do that? -You cannot do that!
No, you cannot!
-Stop them! -No! We will all die!
-No! -We must stop them.
You will get all of us killed!
Do you think Bulgasal will let us live?
He should have never been born.
He should have died then.
Commander.
Are you sure that monster is here?
Yes.
It is only a rumor that those peasants believe.
Bulgasal never existed--
I know because I used to be one of those peasants.
It is here.
Ambush!
If you anger Bulgasal, all of us will die!
Do not kill him. He is a mere villager.
They are armed and refused to follow orders.
Look over there. You cannot stop them now.
You did not die that day.
You did not age either.
You are…
You are Bulgasal.
-Halt! -That way!
Are you all right? You suddenly stood in the way.
Who was that?
We are descending the mountain immediately!
It is all right.
It is fine.
I am sorry about my eyes.
Stop saying that.
Mother.
Father does not like me because of my eyes, right?
He hates me, right?
He has never
let me stay by his side.
I have never held Father's hand.
And I have never touched his face.
I do not know
how he looks
when I can picture
your face so well.
It is because of my eyes.
No.
It is not your fault.
I will free our son from the curse.
You will free A-chan from the curse?
When you have never embraced him? Not even once in his life?
You hate him. You fear him.
He…
He reminded me of my curse.
You do not deserve to be his father.
The last thing I do
will be what a father ought to do.
The curse of Bulgasal.
I will settle Bulgasal's grudge.
Then the curse will be broken.
You will settle Bulgasal's grudge?
And it will kill me for sure.
If I can free A-chan from the curse,
I will accept my death time after time.
Where are you, Bulgasal?
Show yourself.
Why did you save me?
Bulgasal.
What is it that you really want from me?
What's wrong?
I feel dizzy.
What?
Come on.
How could you be so frail?
Bulgasal…
It is sucking human blood.
Listen up.
We will attack it together.
Mother, what is going on outside?
A beast…
I can hear a beast.
That way! The Monster is there!
Help me!
Mother. Where are we going?
I am scared!
Your father will come and save us. Wait just a little bit, my child.
Mother.
Turn around and run now.
Run and find your father.
Hurry!
Mother.
Father!
A-chan.
Father…
Yes, my son.
What about Mother?
She is all right.
I am glad to hear that.
Father.
I…
do not know
your face.
-Your face… -Stop talking.
Your face…
Father…
My son.
No.
No…
No.
No…
No.
No…
Father.
A-chan.
I should have held
my son's hand.
I should have embraced him.
GOKOK: SOUL
BULGASAL: IMMORTAL SOULS
Subtitle translation by: Won-hyang Son
I will be born again with this scar that you have given me.
Is it true that you have become Bulgasal?
Please kill me.
What has happened to that woman?
She will reincarnate as a human.
Hide in here. Hurry.
-No. -We have no time.
No matter how many times you are reincarnated,
I will make sure to find you and get my revenge.