The Devil Punisher – Season 1 Episode 19 Recap &Review

Chapter 19

The Devil Punisher episode 19 opens with Chung believing Hsin-Yu in danger and trying to break into Lu Chi’s fortress. Lu Chi expresses his anger that Hsin-Yu has never called his name only his title, Prime Minister. He locks her in for good measure.

Cheng Huang stops Chung from breaking down the door, knowing it will backfire and make things worse. He convinces Chung to entreat the Heavens for help.

Ouyang Kai gets ready for work, texting pictures of his new life to En-Hsi. He wishes her a happy day. Meanwhile, at Lu Chi’s house, breakfast is a bit less celebratory. When Hsin-Yu tries to excuse herself, Lu stretches out a seriously gross arm to keep her in place. She’s terrified but En-Hsi doesn’t seem to react.

At the closed café, Lu Chi’s followers are preparing for the Eternal Night as he promises to protect them. Yun-Han is among the believers.

En-Hsi looks again at Ouyang Kai’s message. She receives a second text where he brags about learning to make double-sided copies and she can’t help but smile…and cry.

While Hsin-Yu is awaiting doom, En-Hsi heads out and leaves her behind. Hsin-Yu finds she’s not able to even touch the door, locked down until the Alignment.

At the café, Lu praises Yun-Han but then locks him in the storage room to continue working. He tells him he cannot leave, pointing out the security cameras.

Yun-Han hides among the boxes and bundles, but the camera manages to find him. Realizing he’s not himself, he thinks of Yu-Han, wanting to apologize. Thinking through a hack for the cameras, he sends Yu-Han a message to meet.

Yun-Han shows up but Yun-Han isn’t able to escape. Lu paralyses him with pain, putting him back in storage. He threatens him to stay put.

In the Heavenly realm, Chung and Cheng Huang visit the Director of Destinies, asking for assistance to save Lady Meng. The Director notes that as she’s not a god anymore and her soul can dissipate. He suggests Chung focus on his own trial – the coming Alignment.

The Director discloses information on En-Hsi, as she’s mortal. He explains her role as the guide and the purpose of malicious spirits. The last remaining element to make her into the guide is fear. The Director gives Chung a magical device borrowed from the *Four Heavenly Kings, telling him only to use it in the critical moment.

In the human realm, Chung confirms his priority is Hsin-Yu and he’ll figure out a way to sort the Alignment. Cheng Huang tries to dissuade him.

En-Hsi visits Ouyang Kai’s favourite spot, remembering his words. When he finds her there, he believes she’s finally come to find him, but soon realizes. He tries to convince her that Chung and Hsin-Yu are on her side too but he believes she’s lost herself because of Lu.

With the house empty, Hsin-Yu smashes all the jars of souls, releasing them. As they appear in the air, the souls thank her.

At home, Ouyang Kai thinks he should be doing something to get En-Hsi back to herself. But it looks like he’s already had an effect as she continues to think about their conversation. She also recalls her dream of her brother, Chung.

Hsin-Yu cowers in her room having broken the jars. En-Hsi helps her escape, telling her to take care of her brother.

Lu realises that something happened and rushes home. En-Hsi claims she acted out of jealousy. He tells her that no one is more important than Hsin-Yu and explains their history.

Back then, he tricked Hsiao-Ping, telling her Chung was dead so she’d have to marry him. When Hsiao-Ping killed herself, Lu helped Chung die too. En-Hsi tries to comfort Lu but he won’t accept kindness and reminds her she’s just the guide. He says Hsin-Yu can have fun for a few days but she’ll forever be his.

Hearing that Hsin-Yu escaped, Chung brings her home and they agree to focus on the present and work together.

Cheng Huang removes the malicious spirit from Hsiao-Chi, telling her to rest as they’ll need her in future. It tickles her that he used his heavenly aura to heal her.

Hsin-Yu confirms that the last element En-Hsi needs to become demonized is fear. They ponder who that fearful soul could be, while Chung recalls that Hsin-Yu is human now.

Zipping there, Chung asks if he can use Ouyang Kai’s house to protect Hsin-Yu. He calls Fu to use the god’s gadget to protect her as necessary. Hsin-Yu is unhappy to be left behind.

With a swirling sky, Chung and Hsiao-Chi fight Lu’s army of demons, slashing through them.

In the storage room, Yun-Han remembers wanting to speak to Yu-Han but his mind is overrun by fear. He fights the demons guarding the café door and runs. Lu finds the remnants and laughs.

Surrounded by demons, Yun-Han rescues Yu-Han, shoving her over a gate to safety. But he doesn’t make it over. As he’s attacked she says she forgave him long ago.

En-Hsi visits Ouyang Kai to say goodbye (wearing the cutest top). Fu prevents Hsin-Yu from going outside. En-Hsi asks Ouyang Kai to pass a message to her brother – to not show mercy and destroy the guide if he must.

Chung Kuei: Greed and desires are enough to destroy the world. Only by harboring kindness will we be able to overcome them.

The Episode Review

And with that, we reach a whole new level of creepy. Between Lu Chi’s stretchy arm and the 100+ zombies he’s created – technically I suppose they’re demons – it’s not looking great for a Chung win. But I believe he can pull it out of the bag. No doubt, Hsin-Yu will find a way to help.

Hsin-Yu managed to release all the souls in the icky room. How surprised were you that En-Hsi helped her escape? And to think it’s all down to Ouyang Kai, who’s not exactly the Boy Wonder but is certainly kind and generous. There we go, fellow viewers – you never know what a little kindness can do.

The exchange between Cheng Huang and Hsiao-Chi is cute. He seems to have some affection for her but not sure whether it’s parental (as he calls her a child) or something else. Think he really has a wife (that we’ve just never seen)? Or is it a convenient excuse he makes to remain single? He certainly spends a lot of time at Chung’s house. Maybe I’m seeing things here…

Kingone Wang makes another stop as the Director of Destinies, last seen in Episode 17. Even he must see the peril if he’s willing to help with both information and heavenly gadgets. However, it doesn’t look like Chung is using the tool in the way it was intended.

Well, we’ll find out shortly as next week’s instalment is the finale for The Devil Punisher. Have you enjoyed watching it? Anything you’re specifically hoping to see resolved in the conclusion? Any other Chinese dramas you’re keen to try as a result? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

*If you’re curious, The Four Heavenly Kings are Buddhist protectors. Each represents a direction (of the compass), season, colour, virtue and element. Their legend originates in India but was adopted by Buddhists in Japan and China around the 5^th or 6^th century.