You know what? I think I've finally figured out what bothered me so much about this ending... All of the main characters end up in the same spot where they started.
Beomjin still has his powers: The whole reason he is working with the tiger is so that the tiger can take away his powers once they gather all the souls. At the climax, it is hinted that Beomjin is grateful for his powers because he can protect Yoonjae, but it was not conclusive enough to wrap up this storyline, in my opinion, which has been one of the main drivers of the story. It would have been more impactful if the earth king had offered to take away Beomjins powers and he had refused. That would have provided us with a more definite conclusion to his arc.
Yoonjae: Yoonjae is still clueless as ever. He never regains his past memories. As far as we (the readers) know, Yoonjae never asked his brother why he saved him or if they are even related. He doesn't know anything about his brother's intentions or what his brother went through to save him.
Yoonjae's brother (Yeom-ah if I'm remembering correctly): The poor dude is still stuck in the underworld after all this time. He can't seem to catch a break.
The tiger: still powerless and drunk
The bell: The bell was converted into a bracelet for him to take off, but he decides to keep it on anyway. We never see him take it off.
You know what? I think I've finally figured out what bothered me so much about this ending... All of the main characters end up in the same spot where they started.
Beomjin still has his powers: The whole reason he is working with the tiger is so that the tiger can take away his powers once they gather all the souls. At the climax, it is hinted that Beomjin is grateful for his powers because he can protect Yoonjae, but it was not conclusive enough to wrap up this storyline, in my opinion, which has been one of the main drivers of the story. It would have been more impactful if the earth king had offered to take away Beomjins powers and he had refused. That would have provided us with a more definite conclusion to his arc.
Yoonjae: Yoonjae is still clueless as ever. He never regains his past memories. As far as we (the readers) know, Yoonjae never asked his brother why he saved him or if they are even related. He doesn't know anything about his brother's intentions or what his brother went through to save him.
Yoonjae's brother (Yeom-ah if I'm remembering correctly): The poor dude is still stuck in the underworld after all this time. He can't seem to catch a break.
The tiger: still powerless and drunk
The bell: The bell was converted into a bracelet for him to take off, but he decides to keep it on anyway. We never see him take it off.