Jinx: The Third 🥉 Man ❓- first part

In my previous analysis, I announced to present my theory concerning the identity of this invisible man. How did I come to develop this hypothesis, when the author didn’t leave a lot of clues in this episode? Well, after examining the Manhwa so closely, I came to the following observations. Exactly like Byeonduck, the Webtoonist is using yin and yang philosophy and reflections for the progression of the story. Moreover, she is paying attention to colors and numbers. Thus through comparisons, we can get more insight.

1. The chow-chow versus the goblin

Let me give you an example. When Choi Heesung chose to invite Potato to his home, they were under an orange tent. (chapter 35) And this pigment corresponds to the mixture of yellow and pink which are the colors embodying Yoon-Gu and Heesung. Interesting is that the artist and the fighter were not alone. There was a third person, when Potato chose to accept the invitation from the celebrity, Kwak Junbeom. (chapter 35) Nevertheless, the witness didn’t notice the seduction from the artist, for he was sleeping due to the influence of the soju!! Thus Potato’s first sexual experience remained a secret. Yes, in this scene, Jinx-Philes can detect the similarities between 35 and 42. It is about sex, “attachment”, wrongdoing and secret. Potato employed the expression “There’s nothing wrong to…”. In addition, Yoon-Gu is still treated as a child by the fighters and Kim Dan, so such a suggestion could appear as scandalous. Interesting, is that no one noticed the sudden offer from Heesung, though they were in a public place. The owner of the food truck was not paying attention to them, as she was busy. Oh Daehyun had vanished, as he was not feeling well. (chapter 35) That’s why this remained a secret. But more importantly, there was a discussion between the maknae and the actor about love. (chapter 35) Funny is that when Potato expressed his admiration and reverence for the protagonists, (chapter 35), he yelled. Though he looked angry, he was not. (chapter 35) He was acting under the influence of his strong emotions and principles. As you can see, the discussion between Potato and Heesung was totally different from the one in episode 42. The gumiho and the chow chow came to the same agreement: accept not to be special for the protagonists, but to hold no grudge because of the rejection. (chapter 35) Consequently, the moment you contrast Yoon-Gu’s declaration of unconditional adoration (chapter 35) with the green-haired man’s, (chapter 42) Manhwaworms can only jump to the following conclusion. Chapter 42 represents the negative version of the seduction scene in chapter 35. While readers were overjoyed while reading episode 35, they only felt repulsion in front of chapter 42. In the introduction, I mentioned the importance of the numbers. 35 and 42 are similar structured, for one number is missing each time: 4 and 3. Hence chapter 42 share some parallels with episodes 33 and 34 which I will explain further below. At the threshold, the green-haired guy voiced the exact opposite for the main leads: his disdain, jealousy and hatred towards them. He was scaring off the doctor. We have persuasion, comfort, modesty and purity versus discouragement, regret, greed and corruption.

While the second characters are able to move on (chapter 35), the green-haired uke is not capable. (chapter 42) Hence I deduce that the invisible third X is similar to his “companion”. They share a similar mind-set! But there is more to it.

2. The first clues about the “invisible” third person

Observe that the dominant color in episode 42 was “green”, whereas the other was orange. Interesting is that these two pigments are secondary colors, pink and yellow versus blue and yellow!! Hence I deduce that the mysterious man is connected to white and yellow! 😮 Don’t forget that the bill from the mysterious X is mostly yellow! (chapter 35) Furthermore, the room seems to have similar shades. Because the green-haired man is wearing a blue shirt and the author portrayed him in black and green (chapter 42), I assume that this third person is associated with white and red!

Interesting is that the bill also contains orange and green, as the Korean authorities included the paintings “Grape” and “Grass and Insect” from the famous painter, scholar and poet Shin Saimdang next to her portrait. (chapter 42) That’s how it dawned on me that the hand holding the money (chapter 42) contrasts to this one: (chapter 41) civilization, anger, night versus nature, calmness and day. In order to create money, trees need to be sawn. The grape and insects on the bill are fake. Hence I come to the following deduction that this mysterious person is only interested in money too. For this faceless person, money is the symbol of power and life. And now, you comprehend why this person didn’t offer to pay the dinner on his own (chapter 42) contrary to the doctor:  (chapter 32). The third man embodies avidity, selfishness, but also calculations and frugality. The goblin and his companion didn’t order an expensive dish, as it only cost 40.000 KRW. 😉 50.000 KRW – 10.000 KRW (chapter 42) = 40.000. This is about 38 $. However, Kim Dan felt the need to invite Heesung to lunch, a sign that he had not looked at the price.  (chapter 32) Simultaneously, it exposes Kim Dan’s selflessness and thoughtlessness. He is bad at calculating and saving money. (chapter 42) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why I perceive this third man as the opposite of Kim Dan, notwithstanding sharing the same color. This signifies that the shadow is exactly like the green-haired uke: envious, greedy and stingy. Both appear as cheap. Because the goblin insulted him (“ass”, in Korean “Bastard/Asshole” and in Spanish “son of a bitch”), it becomes clear that these two are close, in the sense that they belong to the same social class. One might say that they are equal, but because the goblin badmouthed the other, their equity is just superficial. The green-haired uke looks down on the other. Since the goblin didn’t hide his bad mood in front of the other, I assume that they are both roommates. On the other hand, it is palpable that they are not affectionate towards each other. The goblin has no problem to voice his irritability in front of his “companion”. That’s how I deduce that both are united by the same desire: earn money on a quick and easy way. They are both using each other. I view them as “parasites” in the end. Since the goblin had no problem to expose his true thoughts at the door step (chapter 42), it seems that this man felt comfortable enough in front of this mysterious person. It gave the impression that he could share his secrets to him. Nevertheless, this could be an illusion, for it is clear that this envious man was speaking in the heat of the moment. He feels no danger from him or Kim Dan, for both are not rich and as such powerful. Consequently, I don’t think that these two men are truly intimate. It looked more like they needed both someone by their side. The meal is exposing that both are exploiting each other. (chapter 42) This means, their cohabitation represents the negative version of our beloved couple. (chapter 42) The latter are getting closer to each other, taking care of each other. The breakfasts have become an important moment for them, where they share their thoughts and can make jokes. Hence the late snack in the small flat embodies the opposite: frustration and disregard. Thus in my eyes, the goblin and his “partner” are not interested in each other, because both are in a similar situation. They are not rich. Thus my idea is that the green-haired man hadn’t exposed to his roommate that he had been the champion’s lover in the past and the latter had beaten him. In my eyes, this revelation was new to the third man. How so?

3. Three men, a room and a door

The moment I made the connection between chapter 35 and 42, I decided to look for similar scenes, where we have three men, a door and a room.

Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 24Chapter 25
Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35Chapter 42

I detected the following common denominators: beating, homosexuality, spying and a secret! There was no scandal!! In episode 1, the previous physical therapist vanished, because he had been beaten according to the manager. Yet, the words from the coach were quite ambiguous “ (chapter 1) This created a huge misunderstanding between the two protagonists. The latter started fearing the celebrity. In episode 2, Kim Dan kept the champion’s homosexuality and the violent gesture to himself. It is the same for the green-haired man. Cheolmin thought first that Joo Jaekyung had abused the physical therapist (chapter 13), until the athlete denied his responsibility. When the champion dragged the doctor to the break room, Potato envisioned that they would be fighting. Nevertheless, he discovered their secret (sex) afterwards, but he also kept this revelation to himself. (chapter 25) Striking is that Potato is living in a dormitory, a clue that cohabitation plays a huge role in this story. In episode 31, Joo Jaekyung was supposed to have committed a huge mistake and injured the actor! In episode 33, he discovered the lie from Heesung, but chose to remain silent. He didn’t confront the actor. However, observe that the artist chose to reveal the truth to his manager, for he didn’t want to create a scandal! He asked him to keep it a secret. In the penthouse, Heesung got scared, but he never exposed his presence to the main lead so that the latter wouldn’t feel embarrassed. Kim Dan might have detected a presence, but he has no idea about the identity of the third person and the threat! I added the conversation at the VIP club, because there was the barman who could listen to the conversation between the two figures. He also remained silent, because if he leaked anything, he would lose his job. Finally, in episode 35, the public had no idea about the content of the conversation. Neither Potato nor Heesung mentioned their names and no one paid attention to the sudden vanishing of the second couple. There was no scandal either! This scene mirrors the confession of Park Namwook at the gym. The other fighters were present, but no one paid attention to the manager’s words and the doctor’s presence, because the other fighter had been injured during the sparring. As you can see, these confessions were public, yet they were still secrets. That’s how I came to the following deduction: the mysterious person in the room discovered through his roommate’s confession another huge secret!! But which one? The champion’s homosexuality or his habit of having prostitutes or his habit to use violence against people or Kim Dan’s true identity, a prostitute? Besides, this raises the following question: will he jump to the conclusion that his roommate was telling the truth or a lie? (chapter 42) Moreover, the latter has no idea that Kim Dan is a physical therapist and even living with the main lead. And this brings me to the following observation. The goblin and his roommate imagined to see through Kim Dan and they are anticipating the delivery man’s next actions. How so?

As you can see, this description corresponds to the situation of chapter 42. The third man and his “companion” are seeing the world from their own perspective. Seeing the doctor poorly dressed, but defending the athlete, gives them a false impression about the identity and personality of Kim Dan, they can only misjudge the situation and make false predictions. Like announced before, the physical therapist is the champion’s lucky charm. Any plot is doomed to fail.

What fears the athlete the most is a scandal, especially this one: The athlete killed a man! (chapter 13) But homosexuality is also a taboo among MMA fighters. That’s the reason why I can not tell exactly the content for the next uproar. Yet, I noticed another common denominator between these chapters: the cell phone!! And one person was ignorant of the situation.

  • Chapter 1: Park Namwook was on the phone, when the physical therapist arrived.
  • Chapter 13: The champion had to call Cheolmin for his assistance, exactly like Park Namwook! (chapter 13)
  • Chapter 24: We have the famous prank about the coffee:
  • Chapter 33: Joo Jaekyung was trying to reach someone (chapter 33)(according to me, the mysterious doctor), when he caught the actor and his manager exposing the truth.
  • Chapter 34: The item was used for a nightly invitation, more precisely for a confrontation.

4. The name of the third man

Since I could outline crime, rumor, ignorance and the cellphone as common points, I came to the following deduction. The third man is the tabloid journalist Shim Yoon-Seok! (chapter 35) Yes, the color is also green. (chapter 35) And we could consider this scene as a reflection of episode 42 too. How so? The third person in this scene are the netizens reading the article. Why did the reporter contact him through the cell phone? It is because he can not face him out of fear to get punched! He is hiding his face behind the media and the public. This journalist is totally different from these reporters: (chapter 37) (chapter 40) The former is a hunter looking for blood, a huge scoop to destroy a champion. He is throwing over board social norms and morality. Since the bill of 50.000 KWR is embodying him, it reinforces my theory that the third man is a scholar, but a „fake“ one. And the moment you accept this idea, you will understand why I said that the green-haired man would receive his retribution. I have the feeling that he could get beaten. Imagine that the third man has the champion’s cellphone number. He could call Joo Jaekyung and inform him about the conversation in the hallway. He was insulted by his ex- sex partner. He could also try to blackmail the celebrity. If he doesn’t pay, then he will expose the “truth”. Naturally, he could hide behind the green-haired man. It is also possible that the goblin gets manipulated by the faceless man in the shadow. I am quite certain that the goblin will be caught in a scandal, and he will have to take the fall, betrayed by his roommate.

Here, I would like to present the signification of the name Yoon-Seok.

  • Yoon can signify: heir/offspring, spear, abyss, to permit, to oversee good appearance, disk/wheel, red marble (which stands in opposition to the yeouiju). The abyss and spear are showing not only his fighting nature, but also his dangerosity. Moreover, when I combine “wheel, permit and oversee” together, I interpret that this person is a planner. In other words, he can plot.
  • Seok: dusk/evening/night tides (this fits to the scene 35 and 42), red/angry, begrudge/pity which reinforces my previous interpretation about his color and personality (hatred, anger, greed), separate/divide (he is trying to split the couple and even to isolate the champion), mat (chapter 42), banquet/place/broad (a possible clue about his intervention at the charity event), he is using people to earn money (a fake sense of democracy). Here, I feel the need to mention the suicide of the famous Korean actor Lee Sun-Gyun who was driven to commit suicide because of a scandal generated by the media and bad police investigations. And if my theory is correct, this shows that Mingwa is criticizing modern Korean society and especially the role of medias and netizens. Rock/stone is indicating that he is not destined to shine, he has no high value. On the other hand, the stone was used in the past to sentence criminals to death. Behind the shine of morality and transparency („sunlight“, „gold“, „glaze“ and „white“, „fair“) this person is using the spotlight to ruin the champion’s reputation. To explain/release and former times/past, as a journalist, he is digging up the athlete’s past in order to find some dirt. Since Kim Dan was also living in the past before meeting the champion, I deduce that Yoon-Seok is the physical therapist’s real opponent.

As you can see, the name itself is also indicating the corrupted and ruthless nature of the tabloid journalist. Finally, my avid readers will certainly recall my observation about chapter 33. Joo Jaekyung’s car was followed by someone… (chapter 33) (chapter 33) Interesting is that the scenery from the first image reminded me of the district where Kim Dan was working as a courier. (chapter 35) But why? Here, I can only speculate. It is related to Heesung and the Entertainment agency. Don’t forget that Heesung had asked his manager to keep his trick a secret (chapter 33), but observe that the comedian had been waiting for the main lead at the sauna. This means that he must have asked his manager to find out about his schedule.  (chapter 34) In other words, I am suspecting the involvement of the champion’s agent. The latter could have let transpire to the tabloid journalist that there was some tension between these two. However, nothing happened between Heesung and Joo Jaekyung after the ride. (chapter 33) Is it a coincidence that the author employed green in this scene? I have already demonstrated that the agent from the Entertainment company was involved in the conspiracy. Under this new light, you comprehend why I am suspecting a scandal during the birthday charity event. Many people will be present and all the lights will be directed at the star. By causing a scandal, the journalist would get noticed and even “glorified” as the hero denunciating “corruption and perversion”, whereas in reality it is the opposite. Like mentioned above, I can not totally predict his moves.

  • If he decides to portray Joo Jaekyung as a violent man, he could use the green-haired man (chapter 42) and the physical therapist as victims. The man could even go so far to recreate the incident from episode 2. Let’s not forget that Park Namwook has the tendency to condemn Joo Jaekyung for any “wrongdoing” and he saw the main lead with bruises. (chapter 11) Moreover, the star felt the need to punch someone after hearing the words from netizens. (chapter 36) And if Heo Manwook was involved in the conspiracy for the last match, he could see this new discovery as the perfect revenge. The champion is in reality a trash, a criminal! That would be the perfect revenge… He can not present himself as a victim contrary to the others. And that’s how Cheolmin would be forced to resurface. (chapter 13)

I have to admit that when I was trying to figure out the identity of this third man, I was thinking of Cheolmin. How so? It is because he is also connected to green and he is working at the hospital. (chapter 13) So technically, he could have treated the green-haired man after that altercation. Finally, when Kim Dan went to the hospital in chapter 18 (chapter 18) , Joo Jaekyung had an appointment there. So this treatment could be brought up. Moreover, I would like to point out that in chapter 13, Kim Dan never detected the presence and intervention of a doctor. It was the same in chapter 34/35, Kim Dan never caught and identified the presence of the third person. (chapter 35) That’s how I recognized that none of the spies were “caught” or identified. Chapter 42 represents no exception, hence the third man feels safe.

Thus, there will be a scandal very soon and Joo Jaekyung will be portrayed as a ruthless and corrupted man. So the moment the fighter is portrayed as someone who would use his fists outside the ring, going after “innocent people”, he could lose not only his reputation, but also his title. Like mentioned in the previous analysis, I consider the uke’s victory as fake. Because he is living with the goblin, I assume that the negative features from the green-haired guy rubbed off on him and the reverse. In other words, they are influencing each other negatively, the exact opposite of the champion and the physical therapist. (chapter 41) Hence I conclude that the green-haired guy and his roommate don’t care for each other. So while the readers are about to witness the rising of the physical therapist, I am expecting the opposite for this dangerous couple. They could destroy each other.

In addition, I wanted to share another hypothesis: this man (chapter 37) could be Shim Yoon-Seok! How so? If the trick with the drug had worked, he would have been present to expose the scandal in South Korea. This scene is also quite similar to the one with 3 men, a room and a door, especially since Oh Daehyun and the others were in a different room. (Chapter 37), while Kim Dan faced the man in black. Besides, the interaction between the sportsman and the tabloid reporter (Chapter 35) resembles a lot to the one between Kim Dan and the unknown man  (Chapter 37). In chapter 37, we have the phone call, the door and discussion… but also the presence of DRUG! And that‘s how I discovered that the drug was also present in the episodes mentioned above.

  • Chapter 1: the energy drink
  • Chapter 13: the cream for the bruises
  • Chapter 24: COFFEE
  • Chapter 33: Martini, the cigarette
  • Chapter 35: SOJU
  • Chapter 37: Aphrodisiac

Hence it dawned on me why the previous physical therapist ran away, but chose to portray the celebrity as a brute. (Chapter 1) One reason could be the divergence of opinions between the main lead and the doctor. The former didn‘t accept the recommendations of the physical therapist. (Chapter 42) Since the athlete‘s shoulder was already in bad shape, the former physical therapist might have proposed pain killers, but the star refused. Because the doctor considered himself as superior, he came to look down on Joo Jaekyung and chose to ruin his reputation so that the latter ended up having a novice, someone with no experience!

And if my theory about Shim Yoon-Seok as the unknown man is correct, we would have an explanation why the third man remained silent and made no sound during the altercation between him and the goblin. Kim Dan could have recognized him by the voice and the hand. Thus he had to stay in the flat. At the same time, it would explain why the MFC security guys asked the star about Kim Dan: (Chapter 40) And his ambiguous reply (Chapter 40) could lead the third man to assume that Joo Jaekyung is a hypocrite. He hid the prostitute as a member of Team Black. Once back to South Korea, he had no longer use of him! And that‘s how he got forced to „work“ as courier. Team Black could be suspected of being a cover for prostitution… especially when Heesung‘s relationship with Yoon-Gu is discovered. But appearances can be deceiving, as neither the green-haired uke nor his roommate are aware that the main lead is a physical therapist living with the celebrity. And this brings me to my final thought: since the Webtoonist created such a mystery behind the reporter and the third man, it becomes clear why Kim Dan‘s status is ambiguous as well. His nemesis is a shadow and so is the doctor! Both are working behind the scenes, yet at some point both will be pushed to reveal their face and identity. Whereas one will shine, the other can only fall into the abyss, like his name is indicating it.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Sunny 🌝 Deception: Breakfast, Birthday 🎂and a side of laughs 😁

After reading the title, people might wonder why the illustration doesn’t contain any picture from episode 42, as the topics, birthday, party and breakfast, are present there. The answer is quite simple. I created the title and the illustration for this essay before the release of chapter 42. Nevertheless, the presence of these elements in episode 42 confirmed my interpretation that these topics are strongly connected together. Naturally, this means that I will include the scenes from the new chapter too.

1. Breakfast: work or friendship?

First, it is important to create a list of all the breakfast scenes.

Chapter 4Chapter 18Chapter 22Chapter 41Chapter 42

First, let’s focus on the characters and their respective position. What caught my attention is that till chapter 42, none of the protagonists have been eating breakfast together. In episode 4, only Joo Jaekyung went to the kitchen. Then in episode 18, though both were sitting at the same table, only the athlete had his glass of milk. He didn’t offer anything to his room mate. The latter was supposed to prepare himself his own breakfast. (chapter 18) Then in episode 22 and 41, the physical therapist stood by the side acting like a cook. (chapter 22) At no moment, he was invited to sit down. I consider the apron as the symbol of “drawing the line”. This explicates why the cloth is covered with lines. Kim Dan acts as the champion’s employee. Furthermore, though the dishes are influenced by traditional Korean cooking, the physical therapist was paying attention to the fighter’s nutrition. (chapter 22) Consequently, the physical therapist has been working as the champion’s nutritionist. We could say that in episode 42, it is the same, as he is once again wearing the apron. (chapter 42) The only difference is that he is no longer standing by the table which the champion noticed immediately. It is important, because it shows that now, Joo Jaekyung is missing Kim Dan’s presence and more precisely his conversation with him. Yes, the breakfast has become the moment where both protagonists exchange their thoughts. (chapter 41) And the champion came to enjoy this little moment during his long day. They became a part of his routine. This signifies that the association between breakfast and work was slowly vanishing. It was gradually turning into a moment of intimacy.

Thus chapter 42 represents a turning point. How so? It is because in episode 42, the champion was confronted with a tired doctor. (chapter 42) Thus he couldn’t talk to Kim Dan. On the other hand, the cook had done his job, for the dishes were cooked perfectly (chapter 42) Hence Joo Jaekyung couldn’t complain to the physical therapist. (chapter 42) This means, the “intimacy” vanished, while the notion of work got reinforced. Consequently, I deduce that this little change, a tired doctor, unable to converse with him, will definitely affect the fighter in the long run. The latter will be forced to meditate about the cause for his exhaustion, but more importantly about his emotions and his real expectations from Kim Dan. Why was he annoyed, though the breakfast was made? Does he view him as a employee or a friend? This is what he stated in episode 18: (chapter 18) His stay was justified with work. Kim Dan had a similar reaction. He considered the breakfast as a part of his “work”. (chapter 22) Therefore it is not surprising why Joo Jaekyung had no problem to admit that Kim Dan was cooking his breakfast (chapter 22). In his eyes, it was related to his profession. However, the moment Oh Daehyun and Kwak Junbeom expressed their surprise  (chapter 22) and their desires  (chapter 22), Joo Jaekyung set a limit very quickly. (chapter 22) Why? Was it because he didn’t want to share his penthouse to members from Team Black? For me, his main reason was Kim Dan! If they had come to his place, they could get close to the physical therapist. It would be more difficult for him to “control” doc Dan. He could even experience a similar situation than in episode 7, where he was totally left out. (chapter 7) Oh Daehyun, Kim Changmin and the others would even get the opportunity to eat his great dishes… Notice that the boxers were using “work” in order to be able to visit the place. This means that “the breakfast” would lose his special meaning for the fighter. Kim Dan would no longer be conversing with him only. Joo Jaekyung would become like the others not realizing that by allowing them to come to his house, the nature of his relationship with the members of Team Black would change too. They would become his “friends”. Too scared of losing the doctor, the boss put an end to the discussion. Thus Joo Jaekyung was forced to use his title and position to silence them. This means, he created a wall between himself and the others. To conclude, the line between work and private life is slowly vanishing through the breakfast. The latter is gradually embodying the notion of intimacy, confidentiality and friendship. And now, you comprehend why there was sex in episode 18, though there was no Korean breakfast on the table. (chapter 18) Intimacy without real warmth.

2. Breakfast, the symbol of happiness or deception?

If you contrast all the breakfast scenes together, you will notice the following common denominators: deception, mistakes, misunderstanding but also smiles. My avid readers might be surprised with the first description, deception. In episode 4, while the champion drank his glass of milk, the doctor chose to run away. He deceived the athlete in such a way that Joo Jaekyung thought that Kim Dan was still in bed. (chapter 4) His silent departure made the celebrity smile. (chapter 4) However, in his mind, Kim Dan had not run away, for he had spent the night in his bed. (chapter 4) The smile became the symbol of his miscalculation. He imagined that he was still in control of the situation. (chapter 4) He had misinterpreted doc Dan’s action. So we could say, this was his biggest mistake. After their separation, he could no longer get in touch with the physical therapist triggering his biggest fears. No wonder why he got so mad. (Chapter 5)

Then in episode 18, it was Joo Jaekyung’s turn to “deceive” the main lead. He was on his way to the gym (chapter 18) , when he changed his mind and asked for sex as “breakfast”. (chapter 18) The trigger for his change of attitude was the following announcement from Kim Dan. (chapter 18) The physical therapist expressed his wish to leave the penthouse as soon as possible. Why? It is because Joo Jaekyung had drawn a line which the physical therapist shouldn’t cross. (chapter 18) The sportsman was denying his benevolence towards the main lead. With such a statement, the famous athlete created the impression that Kim Dan’s presence in the flat was more or less “bothering” him. (chapter 18) He was just tolerating him because of his jinx. This explicates why Kim Dan wanted to leave the penthouse as soon as possible. He didn’t want to intrude in his life. Nevertheless, Manhwa lovers should keep in their mind that the athlete had offered to share his huge flat not only to help him, but also to „control“ him. By sharing the same apartment, he could know about his „whereabouts“. In other words, his decision was unconsciously motivated by his fear to lose him. But because Joo JAekyung denied the existence of his good heart and showed him the cold shoulder, the other thought that his stay should be temporary. As you can see, their conversation was full of misunderstandings. It was, as if both were rejecting each other too. Naturally, there was a reason for the champion’s harsh attitude: he feared to expose his heart, for he views “kindness” and “pity” as vulnerabilities. (chapter 18) I would even add, he hates pity… exactly like Kim Dan. (chapter 37) That’s why he reacted so strongly in the States. In my eyes, he imagines that someone could deceive him, if he was kind or if he loved someone. That’s the reason why he is acting so tough. What an irony! He is deceived, even if he is so brutal and strong. We have the perfect example with the MFC doctors and the MFC matchmaker. To conclude, in episode 18, Joo Jaekyung made sure to protect his heart from Kim Dan out of fear. And this could only backfire. The doctor chose that it was better to leave the champion’s side. But his declaration triggered the celebrity’s hidden anxieties. (chapter 18) Thus he asked for sex. Interesting is that by acting this way, he reinforced the impression that the athlete was a sex-maniac. (chapter 19) He would do it at any moment and at any place. Yet, we know for sure that the champion’s libido was different in the past. It was strongly intertwined with his matches. He considers sex as hard work and as such bothersome. (chapter 29) So we could say that by requesting sex as breakfast, he deceived his partner. He might be smiling and happy (chapter 18), but deep down, he was masking his abandonment and trust issues. For me, both characters made huge mistakes, for they were not honest to each other. Back then, Kim Dan was still rejecting sex, and as such denying the existence of his own pleasure. They could only misunderstand each other, because both were in denial about their own emotional and mental state. Hence they could only commit wrongdoings.

In chapter 22, Kim Dan chose to cook breakfast for the champion for the first time. (chapter 22) For Joo Jaekyung, it was a mistake. Kim Dan had crossed the line. But the moment he tasted the food, he liked it so much (chapter 22) that it put him in a good mood. Thus he smiled. (chapter 22) However, observe that the champion tried to “deceive” his partner after tasting the food. (chapter 22) First, he hid his happiness by looking so deadly serious. He was restraining himself to expose his true emotions. Secondly, in that same picture, he is voicing his doubts. He feared that the doctor tricked him in order to impress him. He couldn’t believe that he was such a cook. As you can see, the athlete considered the first breakfast from Kim Dan as a trick and wrongdoing, before he changed his mind. Here, I would like to point out that at no moment the athlete praised Kim Dan properly. (chapter 22) It was reduced to a basic skills so that for him, the breakfast is still viewed as a part of his work. However, by watching the athlete enjoying his dishes each morning, Kim Dan got accustomed to observe a content man. It is quite clear that the champion is enjoying his dishes so much. (chapter 41) His chewing is betraying his happiness. Through his happy chewing, the doctor started perceiving the athlete differently. He was acting more like a happy child.

And now, it is time to focus on chapter 41. Where was the deception here? One might say that it is related to the drug incident. (chapter 41) Like mentioned before, the celebrity got tricked by the MFC authorities. They want to sweep this scandal under the rug. As for the mistake, Kim Dan was the first one bringing it up: (chapter 41) His expression made Joo Jaekyung smile. (chapter 41) However, his words were quite ambiguous. What was he referring to? Many people thought, it was related to the doctor’s love confession, as Joo JAekyung wanted to know if he remembered anything. (chapter 41) For me, it is clear that Joo JAekyung had loved this night so much that he hoped that Kim Dan would also have a good memory from it. Remember how happy he was after taking his shower. He was in such a good mood that he had placed the doctor in the middle of his bed. (chapter 40) For me, Joo Jaekyung had enjoyed this night for many reasons. Kim Dan had been proactive. He had even accepted all the requests from the athlete (chapter 39). At no moment, he had rejected him. Moreover, he had voiced his pleasure (chapter 39) something that Joo JAekyung had been longing to hear from him. (chapter 12) He had liked the love confession from Kim Dan, as he had replied to it with a kiss. (Chapter 39) Finally, they had many rounds during that night. We could say, he had become the perfect lover during that night. However, the word “mistake” from Kim Dan triggered the champion’s memory. (chapter 41) He could only make fun of the doctor. But what was his one hell of a mistake? We have three possibilities:

  • The whole night would be considered as a mistake, for the doctor is usually shy and passive. (chapter 39) He had thrown all his rules over board.
  • Secondly, he had confessed his love to the athlete which Joo Jaekyung qualified as nonsense.
  • Finally, he had urinated while having sex and this twice. Moreover, the champion had been “blessed” with his urine. (chapter 39) Imagine the doctor’s embarrassment, if he got to hear that he had peed twice while having sex. (chapter 39) Moreover, he had challenged his sex partner by peeing on his face.

Since the champion had a huge smile while thinking of this incident (chapter 41), it signifies that for him, it was a funny memory. I am more opting for the last option, for he was smiling like in the moment he discovered his partner’s secret talent. (chapter 39) This would also explain why he kept the main lead in the dark. (chapter 41) The problem is that this silence can generate a misunderstanding, especially after hearing this “advice” from the former sex partner.  (chapter 42) He needs to demonstrate his talent to the champion in bed. And the fact that Joo JAekyung never replied to the doctor’s pleas (chapter 41) could also be judged as deception. He was “lying” by omission, because he didn’t praise his lover for that wonderful night. It was described as a huge mistake!! On the other hand, how could he say that he had such a great night, when the doctor was under the influence of a drug? In other words, the sportsman had also his reasons not to mention too much about this night. He preferred it, if the doctor could remember it on his own. At the same time, this conversation during breakfast exposes how close they have already become. They are now finally able to talk about intimacy (chapter 41) and real problems (drug incident). (chapter 41) Joo Jaekyung has no problem to expose his rough side to the physical therapist. Interesting is that he doesn’t get scolded by the doctor, though the latter is bothered by his reaction. (chapter 41) That’s how I realized how the champion would affect the physical therapist forever. Through him, he will come to accept the usage of the fists. He will stop accepting the emotional, mental and physical abuse from others.

From episode 1, where he was covering his head with his hand (chapter 1) to episode 7, where he punched the champion with his elbow. (chapter 7) Finally, he was encouraged to punch the fighter during a sparring. (chapter 26) Additionally, his growing resilience and fighting spirit became more obvious with his fist. He began clenching his fist, (chapter 10) (chapter 18) each time his pride got hurt. Here, he was restraining himself out of anger (chapter 42) after getting insulted by the ex-sex partner. (chapter 42) Yes, his hand gesture reminded me a lot of the fighter’s: (chapter 37) As you can see, the protagonists are influencing each other through their conversations and interactions. And this brings me now to the final breakfast scene, chapter 42.

  1. Deception: Kim Dan is hiding from Joo Jaekyung that he is working during the night. (chapter 42) I would even add that he is no longer following the athlete’s rule.  (chapter 18) There is no ambiguity that the champion noticed the doctor’s dark circles. (chapter 42) This picture reflects the celebrity’s perspective. So he must have noticed his lack of sleep. However, in my eyes, he must have thought that his exhaustion was related to his grandmother, as episode 42 mirrors episode 21. (chapter 21) However, since the physical therapist has been working each night behind the champion’s back, I assume that such a scene (chapter 42) won’t occur just once. It could become a new habit, but the champion got accustomed to his conversations with the physical therapist. He is longing for the doctor’s presence next to his table. Because in episode 4, 18 and 22, the main leads came to a new deal or agreement, I am expecting a new deal again. Why? It is because their relationship evolved. Each change forces them to make new arrangements. Furthermore, the moment the champion notices the physical therapist’s vanishing during the night, he can only get upset. What if his partner decides to run away. especially after Joo JAekyung acted like that? . (chapter 42) And this brings me back to the previous physical therapist. (chapter 1) The latter had also vanished suddenly!! According to Park Namwook, the champion had beaten him. (chapter 1) But I am not entirely sure about this, for the athlete was caught by surprise. So envision the athlete’s reaction, when the latter discovers an empty bedroom with the Wedding Cabinet. The latter could be seen as a reimbursement for the paid loan. Since the doctor’s abandonment issues resurfaced in the past episode (chapter 42), I have the feeling that his partner is about to go through the same experience. With his disappearance, Joo Jaekyung would not only lose his delicious dishes, but also his only companion who was able to make him smile and laugh.
  2. Mistake: He is now working during the night which affects his breakfast and as such his relationship with the athlete. Kim Dan is now giving the impression that he is keeping his distance from his loved one, while it is the opposite. (chapter 42) He is too tired, this can only make the champion suspicious. Why is he so exhausted? Is he now suffering from insomnia, as a side effect from the drug? (chapter 41) And if he discovers the empty bedroom, this can only generate fears and even misunderstandings. Thus the champion could make the following request: he has to sleep in the same bed, in order to keep an eye on him.
  3. The absence of conversation explains the absence of smiles.  (chapter 42) And this can only affect the champion’s mood. (chapter 42) His irritability and outburst get even worse. From this (chapter 41) to this (chapter 42) In the car, he yelled at doc Dan. He advised him not to cross the line. He was no fighter. He should stick to his job, overlooking that Kim Dan was acting as a good physical therapist. He was right to ask the celebrity to stop his training.

To conclude, the absence of communication around the breakfast made the champion unhappy, generating a new gap between these two characters. (chapter 42) And now, you comprehend why I associated breakfast to laughs.

3. Fanning Birthday and breakfast

Interesting is that the doctor had prepared a similar breakfast than the previous one: (chapter 42) (chapter 41) However, there exists one difference to the first breakfast the physical therapist put on the table. (chapter 22) The soup looks a lot like a seaweed soup, a typical dish offered in South Korea for a birthday. And now, you comprehend why in the illustration, the first breakfast is facing the birthday cake (chapter 41) The latter stands for anonymity, professionalism and admiration, while the seaweed soup embodies closeness, home and real affection. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the presents from the fans and companies are not making the celebrity happy. (chapter 41) It is because there is no direct conversation between him and others. They are congratulating through the gifts, and not through words and gestures (hugs). They don’t know what the athlete truly likes. Finally don’t forget that he starts receiving the gifts even before his real birthday. (chapter 41) We can observe that his birthday is creating such a buzz that it looks more like a marketing event. Hence at no moment, the athlete makes a joke or smile. (chapter 41) In fact, he is crossing his arms, as if he was putting a distance between himself and the gifts. In other words, his birthday is connected to business and artificiality which contrasts to the doctor‘s past birthday: . (Chapter 11) One person, only on one day, and the present was the sweet bread which the little boy liked so much. This shows that the grandmother knew her grandson very well. (Chapter 11) This simple party made the cute boy smile making him forget his worries and fears.

While the one celebrated it in a ruined but „warm“ home, the other will definitely take place outside the house. It is not intimate, but public. It is not surprising that the mysterious man prefers creating an charity event in the end. He is not sensing any true love and affection from all this. Jinx-philes can sense that he is somehow excluding himself from all this. It was, as if they were celebrating something else… Because Joo Jaekyung mentioned a charity event (chapter 41), I am assuming that a party will be organized outside his penthouse and this will take place in the evening. This stands in opposition to the breakfast. On the other hand, I deduce that such a birthday party is reflected in the following scenes:

  • chapter 9: the welcome party
  • Chapter 37: the late snack party

And the moment Manhwaphiles compare these two scenes, they can detect the following common denominators. Joo Jaekyung was not eating!! In the first party, he was not invited, because he would never show up. He dislikes alcohol. But even when he was present, he sat there refusing to eat with the others. (Chapter 9) His body language was displaying his distance and „rejection“. Yes, he was excluding himself. But why? It is because he never messes with his nutrition. (Chapter 36) Yes, he is not allowing himself to eat „unhealthy“ food or to enjoy a „drink“. Under this new approach, it becomes understandable why the athlete got so furios, when he caught the trio having a party. First, he got upset, because he got excluded. He got jealous, because Kim Dan was laughing with the others. (chapter 37) But more importantly, he cannot eat like the others, (chapter 37). I don’t think, it was just caused by his upcoming match. Even during the first party, he never took a bite. Striking is his choice of words: stuff. It was, as if eating snacks was a synonym for overeating. Like mentioned in the essay „sharing is caring“, Joo JAekyung needs to learn to become less perfect, to allow himself a „snack“ from time to time. That way, he can enjoy life. In his eyes, he can not celebrate like the others, for his job and title are a synonym for his life. (Chapter 9) That‘s why I believe that during the charity event, the champion won’t be eating and drinking like the others again, though I am expecting a „change“ there too. Moreover, while during the breakfasts the doctor is able to make the athlete happy and smile (chapter 41), it is not the same for Joo Jaekyung. So far, the doctor has barely smiled in front of the champion. (Chapter 22) And this is something the champion has been missing. When he paid off his debts, he wanted to make the doctor happy, hence he was looking at his facial expressions. (Chapter 18) In other words, as long as Kim Dan is not laughing and smiling, the other can not find real happiness either, and I would even say, real peace of mind. But in order to make his partner happy, the latter has to cross the line. He needs to stop living like a champion all the time, and as such to become human. This implies that he needs to make mistakes, for error is human. At the same time, humanity is a synonym for benevolence and vulnerability. This corresponds to the charity event. (Chapter 41) So if the money is donated to cancer treatment and especially to the halmoni’s, the latter will become the symbol for the champion’s sweetness and weakness. Finally, many Jinx-philes can realize that Joo JAekyung‘s birthday is the evidence that he is a human after all.

To conclude, I am predicting that at some point, the two main leads will come to eat breakfast together. I am already anticipating that Joo Jaekyung might prepare breakfast for Kim Dan, just like he cooked a dinner for him in episode 13. (chapter 13) But for that, the champion has to change his way of life… give up little by little all his past habits (waking up, showering, jogging, then breakfast, training till late in the evening). Everything was revolving around his own life and profession. However, by allowing Kim Dan to live with him, he is forced to find new habits: cooking for each other, jogging together, sleeping together… taking care of each other. This can only happen through arguments. I would even add, it is only possible, when both are honest to each other. Right now, Joo Jaekyung only knows how to share intimacy sexually with the protagonist. He needs to learn to listen to Kim Dan and trust him.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

The Ghost’s🥀 Nocturne: Jae-Shin’s Torment 💔

The title for this essay came to my mind while reading the special episode at the end of season 1. Though it was treated as a simple addition, the chapter contained so much information about Jae -Shin that it helped the Mahwaphiles to grasp how the young prince from the afterlife came to look down on humans. At the same time, through this episode, I came to develop a theory which seems to get validated in season 2. But let’s start with the examination of the special episode.

1. The forgetful mother

(special episode) The prince’s suffering is related to his mother, for the latter was not able to keep her promise. (special episode 1) When he met her on her way to the other side, she couldn’t recognize Jae-Shin, her son. (special episode) Because of her reincarnation, her soul couldn’t identify the protagonist correctly. That’s the reason why the latter was so heartbroken. But how did this incident take place? From my perspective, the woman must have looked at her son with a rather detached gaze. She was definitely intrigued, for she turned her head around. However, note that the main lead had a red spider lily in his hand, which he desired to offer her. Yet, he never came to give the flower to her, for he got stopped, the moment he saw her indifferent eyes. The authors left another clue for this interpretation and theory in the following image: (special episode) He was hiding his eyes while weeping. His position is indicating that he got wounded through the gaze. His initial reproach towards his relative implies unfaithfulness and deception, until he hears from his brothers that her oblivion is related to her human condition. He could only see this as a terrible flaw and weakness. This realization could only scare him, for he is partially a human. Just like his mother, he could forget his father and brothers at some point too. (special episode) By forgetting Yeom-Ra, Seon and Mi, he would lose his only family and as such his own identity.

His meeting with his mother’s soul generated not only some abandonment issues, but also self-hatred. He came to resent more his human nature. (special episode). (special episode) Here, he wished to be like his brothers, but since he was growing like a human, his difference among the other ghosts and gods could only be noticed. To conclude, the painful meeting with his mother’s reincarnated soul led him to deny and reject his human nature. (special episode) But by doing so, he renounced his heart.

2. Seon and Mi’s intervention

On the other hand, his brothers Seon and Mi also played a huge role in his torment, for they hid the truth from the main lead. (special episode) They chose secrecy and silence believing that ignorance was in Jae-Shin’s best interest. They never imagined that Jae-Shin would be still longing for his mother and try to meet her. (special episode) They didn’t anticipate his move, for they thought that being surrounded by his immortal family would be enough. On the other hand, neither Seon nor Mi were aware of the gossips circulating about Jae-Shin. He was called a half-bred. This shows that though they tried to protect their little brother, they were not able to shield him from “reality”. He was not like them.

What caught my attention is that his bad reputation was related to his uselessness. (special episode) This means that the spirits and gods in the afterlife have all a role to play, but Jae-Shin represented the exception. In order to soothe the young prince’s pain, they convinced their donsaeng to think that he could be like them. Thus they gave him an earing. However, if the Manhwaphiles pay attention to the reflection in the water, they will recognize the absence of Seon and Mi’s eyes. It is no coincidence, for the eyes are called “the mirror of the soul”. Since Seon and Mi are immortal, they have no soul like humans. They don’t go through reincarnation as well. As you can see, the image was exposing their distinction, but Jae-Shin didn’t notice it, for he was looking at the gift from the brothers: the earing! The latter, reflected in the river, was diverting the prince’s attention. Jae-Shin’s eyes are divulging the existence of his soul and as such his mortality. He might be very old, but he is not eternal. And now, you comprehend why Yeom-Ra turned him into a white puppy. (chapter 51) It indicates that Jae-Shin is on the verge of becoming an adult. In other words, the curse should be viewed as an initiation ritual marking the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Therefore it is no coincidence that the prince helped the ghost Un-Hye to remember her name. This reflects his growing maturity. With his action, he helped Seon and Mi to do their duties. Thus he got praised by his brothers. (chapter 53) Here, he appeared as responsible and mature contrary to the scene with the brothers at the brothel. In this scene, he reminded me more of a teenager. (special episode) His coldness towards Seon and Mi corresponds to his rejection of his humanity.

Because he was hugged and solaced by his caring brothers (special episode), the infamous prince voiced the wish to become like them. (special episode) This means that he wanted to receive the same task than his brothers, taking care of souls. However, since he was half-human, I believe that he was never tasked to become responsible for the book of names. (special episode) As time passed on, he could only feel useless. Thus he came to resent Seon and Mi. He had the impression that they had deceived him. Since he was badmouthed in the afterworld, it is not surprising that he preferred dwelling in the human world, for the humans couldn’t detect his difference. (special episode) It is important, because till his meeting with Lee Nok, he had not found the purpose of his long existence yet. But like Yeom-Ra stated to the other deities, Jae-Shin has a fate (chapter 3) This signifies that his life has a meaning and purpose.

3. Jae-Shin’s mysterious fate

And what would that be? First, he is bringing love to the afterworld. As a half-bred, he brought humanity there. This idiom has two different synonyms, society and benevolence/compassion. This is perceptible through different elements. He is badmouthed due to his different nature, a sign that the other realm is far from being tender and open-minded. (chapter 44) The gossips reflect the disdain and alienation from the other spirits. On the other hand, the prince was also appreciated by the other divine kings Jin-Gwang and Cho-Gang (chapter 3) It was, as if all the kings of the afterworld considered Jae-Shin as their own “son”. Moreover, the brothers love Jae-Shin very much (special episode). Thus they did everything to console their heartbroken brother (hugging him, talking to him, giving him a present). Even when Jae-Shin is showing them a cold shoulder, they still take care of him. (special episode) They are always concerned, when it comes to him, but they behave differently, when it comes to humans in general. This explicates why the brothers suggest Jae-Shin to find another human, since Lee-Nok is destined to die very soon. They are slowly realizing that their brother is already falling in love with Lee Nok. They could sense his growing affection, when the latter announced that he would bring his partner to the afterworld. (chapter 53) Interesting is that Seon and Mi are connecting feelings to humans (chapter 53) not recognizing that they have developed an attachment to their donsaeng, though they are immortals. Thus you comprehend why I view Jae-Shin as the symbol of love in the end.

So in the other realm, Jae-Shin had a family and home which stands in opposition to its task. The immortal realm is responsible for karma (chapter 3) and reincarnation of souls! It embodies “work” and “duties”. (chapter 53) Home, residence versus workplace! Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why there existed this bad grapevine about Jae-Shin. He represented an anomaly to their world. Besides, the afterworld stands for trials and justice. On the one hand, justice should be impartial (chapter 1), but when Yeom-Ra sentenced his own son to exile, he showed empathy towards him. He wanted to teach him a lesson. So in my opinion, Jae-Shin symbolizes restorative justice, for he stands for empathy and love.

And we have the best example, when he helped the ghost Un-Hye to remember her name and meet her destined husband. (chapter 53) He restored justice by repairing the harm done to these two “ghosts”, thus the queen suffered for her trick. Moreover, observe that he is defending the woman, when his brothers appear to fetch her. She is not responsible for the fiancée’s death. That’s the reason why I came to the deduction that Jae-Shin is destined to fight against the evil spirit hiding behind Queen Han Chae-Hee. (chapter 51) This image gives the impression that the queen is the vessel of this black shadow. The evil stepmother embodies revenge (chapter 21), selfishness, ruthlessness and greed, the opposite values of Jae-Shin. If Yeom-Ra’s son had been ambitious or ruthless, he would have confronted the spirits badmouthing him (special episode), he wouldn’t have longed for his mother. However, the prince has not recognized his true fate yet, for till episode 53, all his actions are motivated to lift his own curse. (chapter 53) These words expose his arrogance, selfishness and lack of empathy. (chapter 53) Like mentioned in the first analysis about Jae-Shin, his destiny is to rediscover the existence of his heart and to reconnect with his humanity, a synonym for compassion and empathy. And this brings me to the following observation concerning Lee Nok’s role: (chapter 54) His tears moved Jae-Shin’s heart, therefore he felt the need to wipe his tears. In that moment, he couldn’t help himself fulfilling the prince’s wish. Thanks to his intervention, Lee Nok could meet his former maid Eulsaeng. However, I would like to point out that this couldn’t have taken place, if the prince had not looked at his lover in the eyes!! (chapter 54) Yes, this scene confirmed my interpretation of the special episode, the importance of the gaze. Jae Shin’s fate is moved by the eye, and as such by the human soul. Thanks to Lee Nok’s gaze reflecting his pure soul, Jae-Shin is rediscovering courage, conscience and integrity! Therefore he is becoming more selfless and humble. However, such a transformation also implies suffering. As a conclusion, the locked gazes between Lee Nok and Jae-Shin are the triggers for the ghost’s metamorphosis. This explicates why the mysterious blind man warned the crown prince (chapter 31) about the protagonist trying to separate the couple. Moreover, the readers can grasp why the latter chose to distance himself from Jae-Shin, when he saw his hungry gaze reminding him of a monster: (chapter 34)

4. Jae-Shin’s second destiny

What caught my attention in this scene is that artist didn’t expose the mother’s face. (special episode) Why? Naturally, it was deliberate, because the authors desired to keep the identity of Jae-Shin’s mother a mystery. In my opinion, it is related to the promise between son and mother. (special episode) What the prince from the afterworld didn’t realize is that he was also bound by this vow. He should never forget her too, but once confronted with the reality of reincarnation, he gave up. In my eyes, he slowly repressed his memories about his mother and came to forget her. When Seon or Mi asked him about that human, (special episode), he was referring to the mother and her new life. Let’s not forget that she was not their mother, so she was not considered as part of their family. Finally, many centuries had passed. Thus I deduce that at some point, Jae-Shin made the resolution to move on from his mother, for she could never recognize him as her son. The pronoun “Them” was employed on purpose… it was to hide her gender. But there’s more to it.

Since Ananas is working with Taoism principles, I came to the following hypothesis. Jae-Shin’s mother is Yeom. Striking is that the shaman’s vow corresponds to the promise made to Jae-Shin. (chapter 13) She couldn’t forget her family. Her sacrifice is the expression of her love for her husband and son. (chapter 8) It was, as if she was punished for a past sin, the broken promise to her son.

Another important aspect is that as a spirit, her eyes are covered. (chapter 13) But how can Jae-Shin recognize a soul? It is because of the eyes. Notice that when she got buried alive, C. R.Jade let us see her gaze one more time. (chapter 13) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the prince can not recognize his own mother. (chapter 13) Besides, she was given a different name: YEOM! It resembles a lot to the king of the hell of ripping tongues, Yeom-Ra. And the connection between gaze and identity got confirmed with the ghost Jeong Un-Hye. (chapter 51) As long as the ghost (chapter 51) had not recovered her name, she had no real eye. The moment she recollected her name, she became human again, hence she had eyes again. And now, observe how Yeom is interacting with Jae-Shin. She acts like a mother, giving him some advice (chapter 37) Note that Yeom distinguishes herself from the other spirits, because she possesses not only her memories, but also her identity: Yeom. But was it her real name in the past? Because the ghost remembers her past life and name, Jae-Shin is jumping to the conclusion that it was her name, when she was a human. Since the brothers asked Jae-Shin about Lee Nok and that human (special episode), I assume that her death is related to (chapter 13) Lee Nok’s entrance in the afterworld. (special episode), for Lee Nok is 10 years younger than his stepmother. (chapter 2) The Manhwaphiles can detect the divergences between this coincidental encounter and his meeting with his mother. He is the one who paid no attention to the weeping kid: (special episode). He hasn’t even made the connection between this meeting and the present. He showed the same detachment and forgetfulness than his mother, but he was not reincarnated. In fact, this scene exposes the lack of empathy and detachment of the spirits towards humans. And this brings me to the following observation. His interaction with the Crown Prince is pushing him to remember his past and his mother. (chapter 44) It is important, because that’s how Jae-Shin could detect how Queen Han Chae-Hee acted like a god. His mother was supposed to remain a soul and go through reincarnation.

(special episode) Though Lee Nok returned to the human world, none of the spirits became responsible for this incident. The brothers and agents only care about the book of names (chapter 53), they never questioned why the names of the deceased appear. And it is the same for Jae-Shin. Since humans are fated to die, their destiny can not change. Yet, they are neglecting the timing and circumstances of their passing. Was it really the right time?

However, what distinguishes humans from gods and spirits is mistake and wrongdoing. (special episode) Anyone has already heard the quote “error is human”. So how could a new messenger make a “mistake”? (chapter 20) Moreover, the prince’s trick in episode 1 is exposing the opposite. (chapter 1) The names can be switched. Nevertheless, the main lead got caught, for he is a half human. But what about the intervention of a god and king? No one would detect the trick, for it appeared naturally in the book of names.

One thing is sure: someone is playing tricks with the book of names, this explicates why the queen is stealing identities. (chapter 51) And the moment you consider Yeom as the ghost’s mother, you comprehend why the main lead is destined to fight against the evil Queen and her evil spirit!! She is responsible for turning his mother into a spirit. (chapter 13) If he had been by his side, he could have protected her. And if Lee Nok’s appearance in the underworld is connected to his mother’s torment, he would have more reason to fight against her.

But since the gaze is reflecting the human soul, I deduce that Queen Han Chae-Hee’s eyes are showing the absence of her soul and heart!! (chapter 37) Let’s not forget that soul has for synonyms heart, conscience and courage. Thus she embodies the opposite values. I have the impression that contrary to the son of Yeom-Ra, she can not enter the afterworld. She is condemned to live in the human world. But for that, she needs the sacrifice of others. Because she is feeding her own son a potion containing her hair and nails(chapter 37), I come to the following deduction. She is using her son as a living talisman. It was, as if she was draining her son’s life energy in order to survive. What caught my attention is that she is connected to this particular tree (chapter 13) It has no leaves, only red flowers. It was, as if the flowers would bloom thanks to the blood of others. This interpretation got reinforced, when Lee Nok painted a branch of the same tree (chapter 51) The stain on the paper resembles a lot to a drop of blood. And notice that Lee Nok was smiling (chapter 51) while painting. (chapter 51) It looked like Yeom’s words had become a reality: That little thing smiled so happily like flowers in full bloom. This connection reinforced my theory that Lee Nok’s fate had been switched with Chae-Hee. Thus this observation seems to validate that the evil queen is cheating death by playing tricks with the book of names. This is not a coincidence that in that scene, the readers could detect the betrayal of the maid (chapter 51) Eulsaeng who had started working for the stepmother.

But let’s return our attention to the tree with red flowers. As you can imagine, I made some research and found the red cotton tree, though I can not be sure if this identification is correct. Then I found this legend about the tree:

This fits the Queen’s personality: arrogance. This wood is also strongly intertwined with ghosts. And this plant would stand in opposition to the willow in the courtyard: (chapter 49), for the plant embodies dream and harmony. This explicates why it can chase away spirits and ghosts.

And this leads me to my final thoughts. What is the common denominator between Yeom, Lee-Nok and the half-brother? They are all connected to sacrifice. Yeom sacrificed her life out of love for her family, for she considered the Queen as an “evil spirit”. (chapter 13) Queen Yoon protected her son by accepting this dubious advice and by refusing to remove the curses. (chapter 21) As for the evil stepmother, she is using her son as a living talisman and as such he represents her sacrifice. (chapter 37) He is not getting better by drinking such potions, his gaze and skin are showing his poor health. Thus my theory is that Jae-Shin will come to sacrifice himself out of love for Lee Nok… but since Jeong Un-Hye and her fiancée loved each other so much (chapter 53), the agents were not able to bring the man to the afterworld. (chapter 53) They were powerless in front of affection. To conclude, this chapter and the couple were indicating the strength of love… a sign that the human heart is not so weak!! So while Jae-Shin’s gaze in this image (chapter 30) is supposed to show his monstrosity, I believe that we should see it as a reflection of his humanity and fragility, for the red spider lily symbolizes death and rebirth. Striking is that on his way to win Lee Nok’s heart, he chose the red daisy (chapter 37) displaying his transformation, for this flower represents passion and romance. The red daisy reflects his gradual attachment to the Crown Prince. Consequently, it becomes comprehensible why I have been predicting Jae-Shin’s sacrifice out of love.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: A Poem – Dan and Jaekyung’s Celestial Serenade in Nature’s Embrace.

Since my blog is limited, I won’t upload the video with the poem. However, I can post the links to the video and write the poem here. It was inspired by all my interpretations about the characters.

In the garden of celestial delight,

Where the moon weaves tales in silver light,

There danced a hamster, small and sweet,

With fur as white as angel’s feat.

Jaekyung, playful, joined the scene,

Underneath the moonlit sheen,

A butterfly named Dan, so bright,

Flitted by with love’s whispers in the night.

The wind, a gentle, cooling embrace,

Caressed the flowers in that sacred space,

While Jaekyung, a wolf with eyes so bright,

Sang a melody in the soft moonlight.

Beneath a tree, its roots so strong,

A dragon soared with his star, for long,

As clouds in hues of blue and black,

Draped the sky in a celestial track.

The sun, a fiery ball of gold,

Fell in love with the butterfly bold,

In their tender dance, whispers of love,

A dazzling array, painted the break of day.

The water whispered tales of old,

Through the roots of a tree so bold,

As Jaekyung, the dragon with a heart so wise,

Flew with his star, a love that never dies.

Of adventures and mysteries untold,

They wove a story, precious and gold,

As the dragon’s wings touched the water’s embrace,

A dance of life, a symphony of grace.

Bright and cool, the day did pass,

As the sky wore the evening’s glass,

With a touch of magic, the scene took flight,

A symphony played in the soft moonlight.

It is also on my accounts on IG and Twitter.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Trapped Butterfly 🦋 in Deceit’s Web 🕸️ (part 2)

After publishing the first part, I had another huge revelation. Yet, instead of updating the last analysis, I decided to write a second part. And now, you are probably curious about my new discoveries. It is related to the methods I employed to examine chapter 40 which were to interpret the significance of the sun glasses and to contrast the interrogation scene with previous episodes.

1. The importance of glasses

I don’t think that my inquisitive readers have already forgotten the different meaning behind the spectacles: naivety, blindness, hypocrisy and deception. And now, let me ask you this. Who has been wearing glasses in Jinx? The first person coming to your mind would be Park Namwook. But he is not alone!! We have Cheolmin (chapter 13) who also jumped to the wrong conclusion, when he saw the doctor’s bruises. He imagined that the champion had been too rough in bed with Kim Dan. However, once he heard his testimony, he believed him. This shows that he trusted him. On the other hand, this scene reinforces my interpretation that the glasses are connected to prejudices and false perception. Moreover, observe that he was curious about the physical therapist, hence he interrogated the champion. (chapter 13) Then, observe that in the penthouse, the doctor acted too. (chapter 13) He faked to be frightened, while in reality he was having fun, which is displayed by the onomatopoeia “epp”. As you can see, the behavior of Cheolmin corroborates all my previous statement about the glasses. They are used as masks. Another important detail is that this scene contains all the same ingredients than in episode 40: a rescue, a doctor (chapter 40) and the blood test (chapter 13) and a new face!! (chapter 40) (chapter 13) And by contrasting these two scenes, I realized that it reinforced my theories. 1. There must have been a phone call!! In episode 13, the champion must have called his chingu. (chapter 13), for he couldn’t leave the main lead alone. Secondly, this phone call was to cover up a scandal. To conclude, because of a phone call, the MFC security guys had received a task. They had to cover up a scandal by framing the new face. (chapter 40) However, the moment the guard with the sun glasses got caught, he tried to act as a savior. As you can see, this comparison reinforces my theory. The MFC manager must have asked the MFC security guys to cover up the incident. If not, they would be blamed for the matter!! And now, you comprehend why they had to know everything about Kim Dan. (chapter 40) They needed to find any excuse to put the blame on the protagonist. Either he had a strong reaction because of his medication or because of a different meal… but since Kim Dan never replied to them, they had to frighten him, to coerce him to confess a crime. (chapter 13) That’s how desperate and ruthless they were in the end. While dressed like FBI agents, they were acting like thugs and criminals. No matter what… MFC should not be involved in a scandal! And this brings me to my second discovery. Who else is wearing glasses in Jinx?

2. The hidden reflections

The perverted hospital director!! (chapter 1) And he also got caught!! What did happen afterwards? (chapter 1) Kim Dan got fired, for he was a new face! (chapter 1) The wrongdoing from the higher-up had been covered up, and the staff had assisted him!! (chapter 1) The nurse had not testified in the physical therapist’s favor. She had remained silent. This door opening doesn’t symbolize true rescue… but abandonment. It stands for silence and betrayal. The reason is simple. The staff wanted to keep their job. This signifies that the hospital director used the organization to protect his reputation and cover up his crime. In a previous essay, I elaborated that the nurse had been sent to the office on purpose, for the director office had no light on. I doubt that she was allowed to enter her superior’s office like that. And this assumption got reinforced, for Park Namwook was the one mentioning the incident to Joo Jaekyung in the hallway. (chapter 40) The intrusion of Joo Jaekyung in the office was caused by Park Namwook’s revelation. And it was the same, when the champion caught Heo Manwook with his minions. (chapter 17) And what is the common denominator between the perverted hospital director (chapter 6) and the moneylender? (chapter 16) Sexual harassment and the usage of the number to achieve their goal!! These two characters could hide their crimes with the assistance of other people (thugs, staff). We could say that both used an organization. Consequently, I am assuming that the MFC manager is doing the same!! Therefore it is no coincidence that Mingwa employed the same colors: blue, white and black . (chapter 1) That’s the reason why I am suspecting that the MFC guys must have already been informed that Kim Dan might be the champion’s sex partner. (chapter 40) If the champion had admitted that Kim Dan was his boyfriend, then they could say that Kim Dan had drunk the nutrition shake by mistake, and Joo Jaekyung had actually planned to take the drug. Keep in mind that according to me, the green-haired guy, the loan shark and the MFC manager are working together. But they were assisted by the lawyer and the manager from. the Entertainment agency. Fortunately, the champion’s answer was ambiguous. (chapter 40) Is he his partner or a member of his gym? Not only he is the face of Team Black (chapter 1), but also he owns the club. This means, in chapter 40, as the team leader of Team Black, he protected Kim Dan!! It exposes that Joo Jaekyung used the organization to defend his lover and physical therapist. (chapter 40) Joo Jaekyung is behaving the opposite from the perverted hospital director, Heo Manwook and finally the MFC manager. Thus it dawned on me that the reporter from this article did the same. (chapter 35) He sought protection behind the hospital (chapter 35) and social medias (chapter 36). Thus I deduce that the agent from the Entertainment agency and that lawyer are acting the same. They believe that they are safe, for they are both working for a huge company or law firm. And guess what… the doctor Kim Miseon is also wearing glasses. (chapter 5) As you can see, thanks to the glasses, I discovered a new pattern. These schemers and helping hands are avoiding any responsibility by hiding their wrongdoings behind an institution or we could say behind a name. (chapter 7) In the last case, it would be MFC!! But the reproach from the champion (chapter 40) should have opened their eyes! Not MFC would have been involved a scandal… but only the MFC security team!! As you can see, the moment they had been informed about the incident, they should have reported the MFC manager to the highers-up! They should have never protected such a person in the end, because the latter is the reason why the organization would be involved in a scandal. That’s the reason why such people are framing others. They know how an institution works. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the plotters are trying to ruin the champion’s name!! (chapter 36) (chapter 36) It is because they are projecting their own thoughts onto the champion. He is just a person. However, what they don’t realize is that behind the athlete, there is also an organization: TEAM BLACK!! (chapter 40) Because their scheme failed, there is no doubt that they will target the physical therapist, for he is much weaker. He is “new” in the team and he comes from a low social background. He has a sick and old halmoni. However, Kim Dan has almost become their true mascot!! (chapter 36) Note that Oh Daehyun and Potato tried to investigate the matter with the doctor’s illness. (chapter 38) (chapter 38) Thus I deduce that because of Kim Dan, the members from Team Black will become more proactive. They need to show to these people that Joo Jaekyung is not alone, he is the alpha of a great gym… producing many champions!! In other words, the dragon with his yeouiju will be able to remove these Deceit’s webs and purify these institutions. As you can imagine, I am suspecting that Dr. Lee must have been blamed for the article (chapter 27), for someone had to take the fall. I hope, we will see him again.

Interesting is that the Manhwaphiles have no idea about the identity of the perverted hospital director. We don’t know the name of the hospital as well. It is no coincidence. It indicates that this person is hiding behind the reputation of the hospital. This contrasts so much to Joo Jaekyung, but there is definitely a link between them. Thus my suspicions got reinforced that this man could be Seo Gichan. And we know for sure that Joo Jaekyung has connections to a hospital. (chapter 13)

3. The hidden wearers of glasses

By focusing on the glasses, I had another revelation. Joo Jaekyung is also wearing glasses. (chapter 29) However, here the item has a different signification. How so? It is because Joo Jaekyung was totally honest and was opening up to the physical therapist. (chapter 29) It seems to contradict my previous interpretation about the glasses. But no… Observe that during that whole scene, the readers could see the champion’s eyes contrary to the MFC guys (chapter 40), Park Namwook (chapter 37), Kim Miseon (chapter 21), Cheolmin (chapter 13) and the perverted hospital director (chapter 1)!! The eyes are the mirror of the soul. In Park Namwook and Cheolmin’s case, I don’t judge them as manipulators and schemers. The glasses are there to expose their flaws. But let’s return our attention to this scene. (chapter 29) Because he was wearing blue light blocking glasses, he was protected from “Agent Blue”, the positive version of episode 36 and 40!! This explicates why I consider them as a shield. He was trying to hide his vulnerability while confiding to Kim Dan.

And this interpretation got reinforced with Choi Heesung. (chapter 35) The Jinx-Philes could see his eyes too. He had come to the café with them to hide his identity, but in reality his action had the opposite effect. People noticed the actor. (chapter 35) Striking is that as soon as the actor removed them, he got honest with the doctor. He revealed his intentions, but he got rejected. As you can see, the glasses can have a positive function. Consequently, I came to develop a theory which was triggered by the glasses. Kim Dan envisioned the athlete in a suit (chapter 32), then he imagined him with the sun glasses (chapter 35) Thus I come to the conclusion, Kim Dan will be the one turning the athlete into a star, a real celebrity! But he won’t be reduced to his body and face (chapter 30) People will notice his qualities and talents so that he doesn’t need to prove his strength and power in the ring. The celebrities often use sun glasses to protect their anonymity. And Mingwa already implied that the champion’s birthday is around the corner. (chapter 40) So he could offer the sun glasses to his savior. If this prediction comes true, then it means that Kim Dan will become the rival of the manager from the agency. Besides, it was the manager’s job to develop a strategy how to change the netizens’ opinion. But he chose to put the whole responsibility on his athlete. (chapter 36) He could have shown that Joo Jaekyung was the owner of Team Black and he was training other athletes. It is important, because it shows that certain people hide their laziness behind the organization or a name. That’s the reason why I am expecting that Choi Heesung will play a role in the demise of the bad manager at the agency. (chapter 33) Since he has sun glasses, he is already connected to spying. Don’t forget that he tried to determine the true nature of their relationship before giving up on his angel. (chapter 32) Finally, I have the feeling that Team Black will come to act like the security guys in episode 40, investigate the matter why the champion and the doctor became the targets of malicious rumors and bad articles.

Thus I came to the final conclusion, though Cheolmin and Park Namwook are wearing glasses, they are the positive reflections of the other doctors. They will change for the better contrary to Kim Miseon and the perverted hospital director! Meeting the physical therapist, the blue butterfly, will affect their life forever… you know all the butterfly effect…🦋 A simple gesture from him is like a magic touch (chapter 31) and they are under his spell.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Trapped Butterfly🦋 in Deceit’s Web 🕸️ – part 1

In episode 40, the Manhwaphiles assist to the return of the doctor’s faith and hope. (chapter 40) This signifies that in this moment, Kim Dan decides to cross the line, especially since he likes the emperor. He is accepting that he means much more to Joo Jaekyung than being his toy. Because the champion called him “his person”, he felt moved and indebted. Consequently he started considering himself not only as being a part of the champion’s life, but also as a part of Team Black. (chapter 40) Don’t forget that the athlete is the face of the gym. Thus the gym put a huge poster of the athlete outside. (chapter 1) The reference of belief in two panels from episode 40(chapter 40) led me to associate Kim Dan with a butterfly, for the latter symbolizes faith, hope, change and rebirth. And now, you comprehend why this illustration contains blue-black butterflies. They are alluding to the physical therapist. The latter is wearing his blue uniform with the black jacket from Team Black. (chapter 40) And the butterfly got unfortunately caught by a spider. (chapter 409. Yes, the hand from the MFC security guard reminded me of a spider. But there exists another reason why I came to connect the MFC security guys with the spider. It is because both are related to the web. There is no doubt that the MFC security guards wove a web of lies to Kim Dan. And how can we detect this? There exist different methods to expose the men in Black as manipulators and hunters. First, the MFC security guys are wearing glasses. Another method is to compare the interrogation scene with episodes from Jinx. Finally, it is important to examine their words and as such their speech bubbles. But let’s start with the glasses.

1. The sun glasses

If you read my essay about the significance of masks in Manhwas, you are already aware that spectacles in Manhwas are indicating deception, hypocrisy, ignorance and blindness. Why? It is because the Webtoonists used them as masks. Thus it is no coincidence that the coach Park Namwook is wearing them. (chapter 40) I have long outlined his flaws. Imagine that he only informed his star about the incident with the drugged beverage after the match, but he knew about it before. However, his words are implying that it was not his fault, for he had been informed too late (“I only found out this morning”). He was not responsible for the incident due to his ignorance.

(chapter 31) Moreover, he was unable to detect the truth, when the artist faked his injury. He chose to put the blame on his athlete, while the one asking for the sparring had been Choi Heesung. Joo Jaekyung could not be held responsible for any injury occurring during a sparring. It was the artist’s choice and responsibility. This scene is important, because outside the ring, the coach, the artist and the other manager not only accused the champion of a wrongdoing, but also sentenced him. They acted like cops, victims, lawyers, doctors and judges! (chapter 31) The coach’s attitude exposed his partiality. Funny is that while the goddess justice has her eyes covered, , she embodies impartiality, because she is able to detect the truth through the testimonies. She is not blinded by prejudices (origins, social background, gender…) contrary to the characters in Jinx.

And this is exactly what we are witnessing in the interrogation room. (chapter 40) The MFC guys are biased, they are acting like cops, prosecutors (chapter 40) and judges. And this without hearing any testimony from the doctor. This shows their blindness and their hypocrisy. But wait… the MFC guys are different from Park Namwook, for they are wearing sun glasses. Why would most of them do that? (chapter 40) Don’t forget that they are not outside, but in a close room. First, such glasses are connected to spying. People should not recognize them, they are hiding their identity. The eyes serve to identify people, this explicates why there is this saying, the eyes are the mirror of the soul. For me, the sun glasses have a symbolic meaning. Three MFC guys were wearing sun glasses (chapter 40), but two were acting as the main accusers. (chapter 40) It was, as if the latter had no soul. Thus this security ward (chapter 40) manipulated his colleague with his rhetorical question. As for the other, he bit his lip, the moment Joo Jaekyung entered the room (chapter 40), a sign of his anxiety, nervousness and anger. It was, as if he had been caught. This little detail displays his knowledge. He knew that Kim Dan was innocent in the end. These two men wearing sun glasses were extremely ruthless and calculating, as if they had sold their soul to the devil. They were determined to frame Kim Dan, for he was new. Moreover, I believe that the sun glasses have another symbolism. According to my interpretation, Joo Jaekyung is represented by the sun, so wearing sun glasses indicates that they are trying to protect themselves from the champion. I will elaborate about this further more. Finally, wearing sun glasses is a sign for coolness and confidence. It looked like this item gave them the assurance to act like the tough and hardworking security agents. In other words, the sun glasses are strongly connected to acting! Yes, we were witnessing a fake investigation and trial! This leads me to the second method, the comparison of panels and scenes.

2. Reflections

What caught my attention is the similarity between this image (chapter 40) and this one: (chapter 11) Yes, the MFC security guys are mirroring Heo Manwook and his minions. And not just once, but twice!! (chapter 16) Their position is not only very much alike, their behavior is the same. They use coercion and force in order to break the protagonist’s will. Both characters “kidnapped” the main lead. They are using an isolated place and the number of minions in order to pressure Kim Dan to admit his wrongdoings. Each time, the thugs threatened to go after the halmoni (chapter 11) and (chapter 16). In the interrogation room, the MFC security agents accuse him to have plotted against the celebrity. (chapter 40). As you can see, Joo Jaekyung is utilized the same way than the grandmother. Moreover, I would like to outline that in episode 16, the main lead got kidnapped in broad daylight, and no one stopped them. (chapter 16) And the same happened in the arena. (chapter 40) Though the stadium was plunged in the darkness, the Manhwa lovers shouldn’t forget that the match took place at 11.00 am. So it should have ended around lunchtime. To conclude, the kidnapping and sequestration from the security agents is a combination of episode 11 and 16, therefore we have the same elements: blue and black reminding us of the night and the time as an indicator for the day. But let’s return our attention to the physical therapist in the arena. He was approached from behind, for the mysterious man touched him by the shoulder. (chapter 40) Secondly, the moment doc Dan turned his head, he could see two people. (chapter 40) By the way, these two unknown men were not wearing sun glasses in order to avoid raising suspicions and mistrust. This explicates why the gentle doctor followed them without protest. He trusted them. The most surprising is that though the latter was approached by 2 men, Potato didn’t intervene. (chapter 40) Even, when Park Namwook is informed that the security took away the physical therapist, he showed no concern. For him, it was legal and normal due to the dubious nutrition shake. The Jinx-philes can sense the same passivity from people in Seoul and in the States. Why did no one from Team Black feel the need to follow the physical therapist? In my opinion, it is related not only to their blind trust, but also to a certain indifference. Kim Dan has a special status at the gym. Technically, he is just the private physical therapist from Joo Jaekyung.

Finally, both Heo Manwook and the MFC security agents believe to have the right to act that way. In the first case, the main lead had to pay off his debts. (chapter 11), hence he was not allowed to move away. He was even forced to expose his private life to them: his job, his home, his family. It was, as if they were entitled to know everything about him and give their consent about each action. This explains why the loan shark thought, he was allowed to abuse Kim Dan physically. (chapter 11) or even trespass his house and rape him. (chapter 16) Striking is that MFC has a similar attitude in the end. They control their stars’ life through their regulations: the weight categories and weight cutting . (chapter 37), they supervise their food (chapter 37), and finally they take blood samples or urine tests in order to ensure that the fighters didn’t use any drug. (chapter 29) This explicates why the man with black glasses asked him about his relationship with the physical therapist. (chapter 40) It was, as if they had a right to know about his entourage. Joo Jaekyung had no right to have a private life. It was, as if the champion had to justify Kim Dan’s presence and indirectly why he had hired him. The reality is that they were trying to spy on him, dig up more information. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the thugs questioned Kim Dan like the MFC security agents. The moneylender desired to know the origins of his income. (chapter 11) Funny is that Heo Manwook suspected the main lead to earn his money through illegal means, while in reality, the former is actually the one using illegal means. As you already know, for me, he is involved in the set up against the two protagonists. But it doesn’t end here. MFC guys are acting like legal authorities, thus they are wearing black suits and glasses (chapter 40) reminding us of FBI agents.

FBI agents typically wear professional attire that allows them to blend into various environments while maintaining a polished and authoritative appearance. The standard FBI attire includes dark-colored suits (navy, black or charcoal gray), dress shirts, conservative ties, and dress shoes, when it comes to special events like court appearances or important meetings. However, despite their appearances, the MFC security agents exposed their true nature. They are fake.😮 (chapter 40) How so? They are not wearing any badge and credentials!! 😉 Compare it to these scenes: (chapter 15) (chapter 40) This means what they did was illegal. Moreover, these guys are working for MFC which is a private organization. These agents are not working for the government or for the department of justice. They have no “legal authority” in the end. This explicates why they didn’t provide any translator to the physical therapist (chapter 40), why they pressured Kim Dan to confess a crime. (chapter 40) They acted like cops and judges which they are not. Since this image (chapter 40) resembles a lot to the one from the hospital, (chapter 5) I couldn’t help myself thinking of a death sentence. (chapter 40) However, contrary to the hospital, the doctor was not abandoned. His lover came to his rescue chasing away the darkness from the “spider”, the MFC security agents.

But why did they remove their badges? It is because the criminal had been wearing one of their badges and clothes!! (chapter 37) That’s how Kim Dan assumed that this additional nutrition shake came from MFC! We have here different possibilities. Either they saw the CCTV in the hotel showing the criminal dressed like their security agent (similar to the one in episode 15) after Park Namwook informed them or (chapter 40) the coach informed that someone from MFC had brought the drugged beverage and they imagined that they could get framed by the physical therapist. Or there exists another possibility: they got tipped off by someone else. With no badge, Kim Dan can not blame them later.

2. MFC agents and Park Namwook

And this brings me to the following observation. Though the MFC agents initially described Kim Dan as a witness (chapter 40), the man leading the interrogation changed quickly his tone and accused him of being a criminal targeting the champion. (chapter 40) This explicates why Mingwa changed the colors of the speech bubbles. First, they were light blue before turning into grey and black. (chapter 40) The pigment reflects the tone and as such their darkness. It becomes obvious that they were trying to frame him. But why? In my opinion, it is related to a law suit!! First, the Jinx-philes will certainly recall that in episode 11, the doctor got himself threatened with an indictment. (chapter 11) Secondly, Mingwa created scenes, where someone would take action against a person or organization: (chapter 36) (chapter 31) In the first case, the hospital got sued for leaking the information, though it was not properly investigated. The lawyer claimed that the journalist had not contacted the agency… but it was not verified. As for Choi Heesung’s fake injury, Park Namwook proposed to pay in order to cover up the incident, until the actor made the following request: Kim Dan should take care of him!! He became part of the compensation. That’s the reason why I believe that the coach Park Namwook played a huge role in the framing. He could have complained to the MFC manager about the incident saying that Kim Dan had got ill because of the drink. The investigators knew about his name, but not his function in the team. (chapter 40) The coach could have even threatened MFC with a lawsuit. Don’t forget that for the coach, Joo Jaekyung is his payroll and pays a lot attention to money. (chapter 30) Under this approach, it becomes comprehensible why they were wearing sun glasses, they served as a shield for a trial. No ID and no eyes means no identity.

But then, it occurred to me that episode 11, 16 and 37 have all another denominator: the phone call!! (chapter 11) (chapter 16) (chapter 37) Here, the coach Jeong Yosep was calling someone, maybe Team Black or the MMA manager. As you can see, I am suspecting that as soon as the coach Park Namwook was informed about the doc’s illness and vanishing, he must have made a call and complained! Park Namwook, as an experienced fighter, could have suspected the existence of a drug, especially since Potato and Oh Daehyun came quickly to the conclusion that his “illness” was related to the drink. And he had to frame “someone”, for he had also failed his duty. He should have verified the origins of this additional nutrition shake, but he didn’t. He remained passive. As a conclusion, my theory is that Park Namwook’s complain and menace of lawsuit set a new scheme in motion. For me, he must have called the MFC manager, as the latter appears in Joo Jaekyung’s cell phone. (chapter 5)

According to me, the MFC manager is involved, for he got informed about the shoulder injury in Busan. (chapter 14) And that’s how the schemers discovered that their trick had failed. But this could have consequences for MFC, for the reputation of the MFC security guys would have been tainted. That’s why I believe that the manager had to find a way out. He must have advised the MFC staff to find a scapegoat in order to avoid a scandal… Kim Dan had to be framed… because he is the one who said that the nutrition shake came from the MFC!! (chapter 37) That’s how the MFC guys got informed that the nutrition shake was drugged. (chapter 40) How could they know that the beverage contained prohibited substances, since they got informed about the incident just in the morning? It takes time to analyze a drink. Secondly, how did they come up with the idea of a conspiracy? (chapter 40) The word “set up” and “operation” seems to display their involvement. They know something, but they are hiding the truth, for MFC could get involved in a scandal. I doubt that they were involved from the start… but since the scheme failed, they had to find a solution. And that could only be Kim Dan… the victim of the poisoning, though Potato was a new face too. (chapter 40) It is because his name was brought up. However, I doubt that Park Namwook explained who Kim Dan was. He is not enlisted as a MMA fighter. Hence he knew nothing about his relationship between Joo JAekyung and the doctor.

Another detail caught my attention. (chapter 40) He wanted to know about his eating habits and his medication. The reason is simple. If the doctor had been under medication, they could have said that it was not related to the MFC drink!! This fake interrogation is reinforcing my theory that the MFC manager is an accomplice of the scheme. Honestly, the fact that they took a blood sample is worrying me. (chapter 40) MFC is a private organization, so they are not supervised. So they could do anything with this blood sample, like for example fake results.

The most infuriating is that they tried to act like “saviors”, when the champion entered the room. (chapter 40) Like Joo Jaekyung pointed out, this trick was exposing their lack of security. They had failed their duty. (chapter 40) (chapter 40) They backed off, but note that the “fake investigator” still asked the star about his special relationship with the target: (chapter 40) It exposes that someone desired to know more about the private life of the star. The man with sun glasses was tasked to dig up information in the end. In other words, the persons involved in the conspiracy is increasing. The MFC security agents are no longer innocent. But I doubt that they will investigate the matter any further. In my eyes, they will try to sweep the incident under the rug.

Finally, I would like my avid readers to keep in mind that this incident could have had terrible consequences for the athlete, if he had drunk the drugged beverage. He could never have proved that he had been the victim of a plot!! (chapter 40) He would have been forced to pay compensations. Even if they had noticed the drug quickly, (chapter 40), there is no ambiguity that MFC could have questioned the authenticity of the champion’s claim. He have never taken any drug on purpose.

And now, you comprehend why Park Namwook didn’t show any concern for Kim Dan in the end. It is because for me, he had called someone and delegated the matter to this person. And this can only be the MFC manager. While the coach embodies naivety and superficiality, the MFC guys with sun glasses are closer to Heo Manwook, for they are more corrupt and ruthless. This shows that MFC is not a proper and reliable organization, it is like a Deceit’s Web.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Jinx: Scripting the odds 🎡🎲

1. Plot and its signification

Like pointed in the essays “Agent Blue”, “Tough Life Lessons” and “Break Fake News”, there exists a conspiracy against Joo Jaekyung. The schemers are determined to make him lose the fight! But in order to succeed, they had to write a script. Therefore it is no coincidence that the idiom “plot” has for synonyms “scheme” and “story line”. The rogues had to create a story where the champion got challenged. And this reminded me of “wrestling”, where the fight is scripted which I have already elaborated in “Death Match or Mock Battle?

This means that in wrestling, the outcome of a fight is already fixed and as such rigged which stands in opposition to MMA! That’s the reason why Heo Manwook thought that the title of Joo Jaekyung was fake. (chapter 17) Thus I conclude that Heo Manwook chose to get revenge on the athlete by rigging his fight. His goal was to turn the real fight into a fake one, as if he wanted to mock the sportsman. Therefore the article and the suggestion from the agent (chapter 36) were part of the script. This explicates why during the meeting, the manager challenged his client, just like a wrestling fight starts with a challenge. But in order to guarantee his defeat 100%, they chose to utilize drugs. (chapter 37)

2. Luck and fights

The plotters didn’t desire to leave any room to chance. This reminded me of the comment from the journalist concerning about the athlete’s fight in episode 1: (chapter 1) He employed the expression “streak” which belongs to the semantic field “luck and as such gambling”. This observation leads me to the following conclusion: the schemers are gambling. Someone has been betting on his failing. And now, take a look at this:

And who would gamble on the champion? Naturally Heo Manwook who definitely needs to refill his cash box, for he must have spent a lot of money in order to organize this encounter with Dominic Hill. (chapter 36) Consequently, my theory is that he has become a bookmaker, though first he acts more like an invisible MMA fight promoter. [For more read Agent Blue – part 2] And what is a bookmaker?

This signifies that since Heo Manwook bet on the champion’s failing, he will have to pay the gamblers, if they bet on Joo Jaekyung. Moreover, it is important to recall the type of company he had, when the athlete paid off the loan. (chapter 16) (chapter 17) The loan shark had employed his private account contrary to the athlete. (chapter 16) It is important, because Heo Manwook becomes responsible personally for any debts. The moment the athlete wins the fight, Heo Manwook has to pay the gamblers. And this hypothesis is correct, he is doomed to end up like Kim Dan. That would be his karma! (chapter 1) Misled by his greed and his desire of revenge, he gets ruined by the dragon. But note that a bookmaker is strongly connected to the underworld. What did Kwak Junbeom say about Joo Jaekyung’s past? (chapter 26) He could have ended up as a criminal. However, such a conspiracy is actually proving the fighter’s words wrong. How so? It is because despite his rough manners, the athlete has a great sense of morality. (chapter 18) But this was not the case for Heo Manwook who would have raped the doctor, if the champion had not intervened. (chapter 17) Note the contrast between the two trespassings: (chapter 10) The violence from the champion was not the expression of immorality, but of distress. (chapter 26) Funny is that by putting the blame on the hospital (chapter 36), they imagined that the physical therapist Kim Dan would be blacklisted. However, chance wanted him to be hired directly by the athlete. Hence he is protected.

The Jinx-philes will certainly recall the existence of a bet between Kim Dan and the celebrity, just before the doctor started sparring. (chapter 26) First, the champion thought that the doctor would ask for money (chapter 26). As you can see, in this episode, we can find the following topics: sports betting – money and gambling (chapter 26) And who was the lucky winner? Potato (chapter 26) Just like he was the lucky winner of the prize draw. (chapter 36) Thanks to Kim Dan, he is getting closer to his idol. And this brings me to my final conclusion: Kim Dan’s bad luck is actually a blessing for Joo Jaekyung and Yoon-Gu. Remember how the main lead proposed the sparring to doc Dan: (chapter 25) It is because Yoon-Gu had wounded the doctor which caught the attention from the Team Black members and Joo Jaekyung. So here, we see him drinking the drugged nutrition beverage which actually ruins the plan of the scriptwriters. (chapter 37) That’s the reason why I am convinced that the doctor’s suffering (chapter 37) will have positive effects on the champion, like for example to be able to rest before the fight. So why is Kim Dan the lucky charm of Potato and Jaekyung? In the long run, he is bringing happiness to the champion, while he is bringing the young maknae closer to the champion (chapter 36) so that Potato can become a new champion in his category. The celebrity is not just a champion himself, but he is also the “champion’s maker”.

3. The script and its location

What caught my attention is this panel: (chapter 37) I am hoping that my avid readers recall the essay “Magic hours”, where I had outlined the importance of the time and sky. The poisoned beverage was delivered during the golden hour, which is a reference to the expression “between dog and wolf”. The clouds and the sunset were announcing the danger, just like in this scene: (chapter 17) It was, as though the loan shark had not forgotten this time and wanted to return the favor. He should get backstabbed at the same time. And now, you comprehend why I selected the title “scripting the odds”. Heo Manwook was the scriptwriter and is betting on the champion’s loss. He imagines that he can play god, but the angel Kim Dan symbolizes chance which can only ruin his script. This would teach Heo Manwook a tough life lesson. Don’t confuse real with fake… and the champion’s bad luck is actually the result of people’s words and actions.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Painter Of The Night: 🟦⬛Back to square one? ⬜🟥

Because the manhwaphiles are witnessing the downfall of the protagonist, people get the impression that history is repeating itself. It was, as though nothing has ever changed. Besides, in my previous essay, I had already outlined the similarities between the past and present and explained the reasons behind this resemblance. However, as you can imagine, we are not back to square one. Thus in this composition, I will elaborate the changes. And this can only be possible by contrasting the present with the past.

1. Monsters in Joseon society

1. 1. Yoon Seungho and his peers

The Painter Of The Night-philes can certainly recall how in the beginning of the story Yoon Seungho was perceived. He was introduced as a brutal and bloodthirsty monster, for he killed a servant in the open. (chapter 1) He was even called a psychopath, for he resorted to kidnapping (chapter 1) sequestration, threats (chapter 2) and blackmail and he initially showed no remorse. (chapter 7). On the other hand, he never got into trouble for his wrongdoings. Why? It is because he wasn’t violating social norms. (chapter 10) It was his right to punish servants, for they are not considered as humans but as propriety. As a lord, he could treat commoners, like it pleased him. Though murder is prohibited, even against a lowborn, (chapter 43), the reality is that nobles would never get into trouble!! As you can see, there exists a discrepancy between laws on the paper and the reality which was exposed by the rumors in episode 106. (chapter 107) The fathers would use their position and influence in order to cover up their children’s wrongdoings. And we have the perfect illustration, when the elder master bribes the governor. (chapter 127) That’s the reason why the younger generation could do everything! Though the lord appeared as a monster first, he became a “normality”, the more we got to read this story. Under this explication, it becomes comprehensible why lord Min was so sure not to get bothered by the authorities. (Chapter 101) He had bought the officers (“the guards”). This explains why Black Heart could threaten No-Name. (chapter 76) He didn’t need to dirty his own hands, he could simply frame him. Consequently, I deduce that he had learned this misconduct through the elders’ behavior.

1. 2. The old bearded men and their roles

Interesting is that in season 4, Yoon Seungho gets protected from prosecution by his father’s power, however the latter did not do it for his sake, rather to protect the Yoons’ reputation and influence. (chapter 116) This shows that neither Black Heart’s father nor Yoon Chang-Hyeon truly love their children, as according to Erich Fromm, love is knowledge, respect, care and responsibility. However, the elder master Yoon is totally ignorant about his son’s talents and good nature. Thereby, I see lord Seungho from season 1 as the perfect illustration of the corrupted world of the nobility. The monster “Yoon Seungho” was just a reflection from this ruthless and immoral society. Since he committed wrongdoings, his karma was to pay for his sins. It starts with a murder, and the main lead ended up killing people. He might have not broken “traditions” like the disregard of the yangbans against lowborns, but it is considered immoral. He had sinned and now, he is paying for his sins. Therefore his words in the prison resonate differently. (chapter 126) He expresses regret. He confesses his crimes, he killed people! This means that he is now siding with the lowborns. Their life is as precious as the ones from the nobility. Yet, note that in this image, the author didn’t drew his eyes. Why? It is because in the moment he executed people, (chapter 102) he was either not himself or he did it out of reflex to protect himself. He was influenced by his past experiences and as such traumas. In the shrine, it becomes more obvious, for he has a lost gaze. He is not even looking at his target. Finally, when he met lord Song, he did it to “protect” himself. (chapter 123) For me, in episode 1, the execution was triggered by his desire to protect himself and his traumas. And what is the common denominator between these three scenes? The father Yoon Chang-Hyeon! Don’t forget that the petition was the reason for their meeting. And now look at the actions from the patriarch. (chapter 116) He had given the order to eliminate all the servants, for they could represent a threat to his “treason”. This explains why the butler describes himself as the only survivor and witness. (chapter 86) And we see him giving the order to kill the surviving guard (chapter 125) Besides, he had no problem to order the assassination of his own son which was stopped by the intervention of a helping hand. The father had never asked to spare the main lead’s life. (chapter 124). He was his bad role model. But he is not the only one. There is another one…

And if crimes were to take place, then the nobles would find scapegoats in order to avoid punishment. Hence No-Name got so many tattoos in the end. (chapter 51) Once a criminal, always a criminal… therefore it is not surprising that the joker chose assassination as second work. By working for the nobles, he would be able to escape punishment, because if he got arrested, he could denunciate them. To conclude, justice is inexistent in Joseon. Yes, we are witnessing the downfall of Joseon, or precisely the king’s bad ruling. The latter is not capable of providing justice to anyone. And this coincides with the purge! (chapter 37) What is a purge?

The purge is the symbol for injustice, because it is connected to violence and intolerance. As you can see, the “fake servant” was exposing his true nature through his words. He should have said “sentenced” or “punished” or “executed” but not purged for treason! I am more than ever convinced that the old bearded man in episode 37 is the king. Those two words (“purged”; “treason”) are contradicting each other. In the first case, the authority is committing a crime by abusing its power, while in the second case, a group is plotting against the authority and as such is breaking laws. Finally, I would like to outline that Yoon Chang-Hyeon and lord Song got evicted from the government which coincides with the second signification of “purge” (chapter 107) “Stepping down” was actually an euphemism for removal. The officials were chased out, (chapter 80) but their evictions were turned into stepping down. (chapter 122) No wonder why lord Song came to resent the protagonist. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the purge was not noticed by commoners. There was no fire and the staff was sparred. (chapter 37) And if they knew, people didn’t feel concerned… for they were violent, filthy nobles. Remember how the woman came to curse the gentry: (chapter 106) Moreover, we could see how an official came to murder lord Shin. (chapter 103) The boots were the indication that this person was working for the government. And it was an elder, for he was wearing this particular headgear. (chapter 103) (chapter 67) The murder of lord Shin is the evidence of the anarchy in Joseon. But actually, the monsters are actually everywhere, and not just among the nobility. The Chungin with the scholar and the physicians who have no problem to lie, participate in a kidnapping and drugging people… the kisaengs, the maids, the servants. They are all accomplices, for they feigned ignorance or chose to remain passive, for they preferred avoiding trouble. What people failed to realize is that no one is safe from this tyranny. Hence people could get killed and thrown into a well so easily (chapter 97) (chapter 101) and their perpetrators got scot-free. Why? It is because the mastermind and the helping hands are protecting each other, like we could see in the Joker’s case. However, the latter in season 3 had no idea that they would face divine retribution and pay with their life. (chapter 102) In front of gods, humans are all equal. There is no distinction between gentry, Chungin and commoners. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho is the divine hand of justice, he is bringing the “divine retribution”. This explicates this vision: (chapter 83) Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why he is called “the bird of misfortune”. People around him got to suffer, for they received their karma. Funny is that lord Song mocked him by calling him a grim reaper. (chapter 123) He underestimated his opponent, not imagining that the latter would use his sword against him. So he became a grim reaper. Lord Song Haseon must have thought that his minions, just like his age and status, would protect him. But no, someone had planned his death and counted on the main lead’s decision.

2. Karma and Baek Na-Kyum

What caught my attention is that Min even expressed the disinterest of the authorities towards peasants. (chapter 99) Thus Min’s karma was to die in the total indifference of others. No one is missing him, for he was turned into a brigand himself. (chapter 113) But wait… Why did Black Heart get killed in the end? One might say that it was his karma, for he had planned the murder of Baek Na-Kyum in the past. In my opinion, the uke serves as a representative of the divine retribution. The artist is the “judge” and his lover is executing the sentence: death. And we can detect this gods’ intervention through the learned sir’s case as well. Jung In-Hun had looked down on the artist for his origins and education. When the generous main lead chose to accept his apology (attempted rape), (chapter 120), the latter reminded him that contrary to Yoon Seungho, he was admired. He had such a good notoriety! Since he betrayed the artist and had almost him killed, the scholar ended up losing everything. (chapter 127) He became the scapegoat for this incident, for he played a huge role in the painter’s suffering (kidnapping, assault, murder and brainwashing). His success at the civil service examination was erased within a few weeks and now he is viewed as a brigand. How could such a person get selected as an official? His fate gives a bad impression of the civil service examination. And what is the common denominator between these two villains? They both belong to different social classes. Their cases is exposing the king’s negligence and arbitrariness. The latter is the perfect personification of this corruption. Not even Confucianism is respected, for fathers are abusing their own children or even killing them. Season 4 is exposing the chaos in Joseon. Therefore it is not surprising that the sacred tree and the shrine got burned. (chapter 106) The gods were using the humans to voice their anger. At the same time, when the woman made this comment, the Manhwa lovers can detect the huge gate in the background, the symbol for royalty. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho was pushed to go to Hanyang. It is his fate to face the king! His task is to clean the palace of these old bearded men. (chapter 44) I had already portrayed him as a black shaman in the essay “Spirits and the lustful shaman“. And since he became a believer in episode 126, this means that he can fulfil his task, giving the king’s divine retribution. (chapter 65) Don’t forget that the monarch is the only one who stands above the laws, though he is controlled by social norms and his officials. In my opinion, this can only take place, when a new scheme takes place. How so? Note that in the scholar’s case, Jung In-Hun received his karma, but not real human justice. For me, he is not dead. Besides, don’t forget that someone took the petition from lord Song, before Yoon Chang-Hyeon came to the bloody place. There is no ambiguity that the accomplices and schemers didn’t get happy with the last outcome. The couple might be separated physically, but they are attached to each other by their strong love. And since the main lead kept wearing hanboks with the phoenix (chapter 34) (chapter 45), it indicates that someone saw him as his bird of fortune. And this can not be Yoon Seungho, for the latter was full of self-hatred. Finally, his own father, Kim and Heena called him as a bird of misfortune. As you can see, the king could no longer see the main lead due to the artist’s presence. He is his bird of fortune, for he could live out all his dreams thanks to him, and at no moment he got into trouble. No one is suspecting his intervention.

3. Though fate parts us once more

As soon as I read this whisper from the main lead (chapter 127) I recognized why the painter and Yoon Seungho had to go separated ways. It is because the schemers wanted him to return to Hanyang. Remember the learned sir’s suggestion before his departure. (chapter 44) Why? It is because now the main lead is an adult. Since my theory is that the pedophile is the ruler, he can no longer approach the protagonist like that. The latter is no longer visiting the gibang. He wants their path to cross again so that they can rekindle. Hence he had to create an opportunity proving that their meeting is not a coincidence. Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungwon encouraged his brother to reconcile with their father. (chapter 37) That way, he would be “following” the tradition and become an official. But since Yoon Seungho developed a fear of “old bearded men”, he had no reason to go there. (chapter 44) This exposes that in his unconscious, the young man was aware that his suffering was related to the officials. But in season 1, their attempts (Jung In-Hun and the brother) failed because of Baek Na-Kyum. The latter had to leave the lord’s side. And this brings me to the following observation. Since the beginning of the story, people were used to make the commoner leave the protagonist’s side:

  • Lee Jihwa with the ruined painting and the murder
  • Min: the party at the kisaeng house, the orgy in episode 33, the kidnapping and murder
  • Heena: (chapter 46) (chapter 68) (chapter 97)
  • Jung In-Hun (chapter 111) (chapter 120)

I could mention Ýoon Seungwon, the staff, butler Kim, Deok-Jae and the kisaengs. And now, it is time to examine the circumstances of their farewell. (chapter 127) As you can see, the painter was feverish. Why? From my perspective, he was drugged. He was not allowed to see his loved one, because they don’t want him to remember their departure. The schemers desire him to feel abandoned like in the gibang (chapter 105). The reason why I am suspecting a drug is that this panel (chapter 127) is similar to the first Wedding Night: (chapter 21) At the same time, this scene is also a reflection from the night after the massacre in the shrine. (chapter 103) Back then, he was also under the influence of an aphrodisiac. They don’t want him to remember his last words. And since he didn’t take care of him during that night, though he was unwell, they hope to create the illusion that Yoon Seungho neglected him. He broke his promise. But their trick can no longer work because of the lord’s visitation in the prison and his words. (chapter 126) (chapter 127) The separation arc is there to prove these plotters wrong. Their affection is not trivial and momentary. He is not a plaything, but his “partner”. In fact, they have absolute trust in each other, and their source of strength will be their short happy moments together. Besides, I am quite certain that the artist will remember the lord’s whisper from that night, since he had problems to recall the First wedding Night and the incident in the shrine. Both are related to his bad conscience. Besides, I have another reason for that, the power of the unconscious knowledge.

Thus I am suspecting that neither the painter nor the lord will be in touch through a correspondence. They have to create the illusion that the main lead is forgetting him. This explicates why Byeonduck created 3 episodes where the silence and miscommunication between the two protagonists played a huge role. (Chapter 108) Though both were close physically, they still allowed others to manipulate them, for their trust was not complete. In other words, the schemers are thinking that time is working for them!! On the other hand, since Kim is by his side, the painter can only consider his presence as the evidence of the lord’s care. (Chapter 127) This coincides with the beginning of the Manhwa, when the lord was seen without his butler. (Chapter 1) The latter only appeared in episode 7, and back then Yoon Seungho had to dress himself. (Chapter 7) Finally, I am expecting schemes again.

4. Yoon Seungho a servant again

I have to admit my surprise, when I saw Yoon Seungho’s bow in front of his father. I really didn’t expect this, yet his decision makes sense. He swears to become his father’s servant. (chapter 127) This means that he is giving up on his status and freedom for Baek Na-Kyum’s sake. (chapter 127) And naturally, this reminded me of this scene with the straw mat beating. (chapter 127) Here Yoon Seungho had been treated like a servant, because he had been submitted to the straw mat beating. Exactly like in the past, there was a promise. Notice how similar the words are: “No matter”. (chapter 77) However, there exists a huge difference. Back then, the vow was made between the butler Kim and Yoon Chang-Hyeon. As you can see, Yoon Seungho is now copying his surrogate father’s behavior. (chapter 127) This shows that the young master is following Kim’s path. On the other hand, the domestic employed the future tense in his pledge (“I will do as he commands”), whereas the “spiritual son” is using the present (“I swear to live as you command”). Moreover, the main lead is talking about his way of life and not “order”. And what does the father desire? (Chapter 86) Making connections so that the Yoons can become influential again!! But how can he do that? By showing his talent? I have my doubts about it. Why? It is because in season 1, the lord was having sex with his peers, and back then they were like battles… for an exchange of favors. I hope, I might be wrong, but I fear that he is about to become a male kisaeng again. Or if not, then this is what the king is expecting from him. And we have the best example in this scene: (chapter 80) Sex against favors. Yoon Seungho has become the symbol of nepotism, though in reality he is the biggest victim of this. According my investigations, Yoon Chang-Hyeon was left in the dark about the pedophile. But now by asking his eldest son to “become his servant”, he is now responsible for his fate. This means that he can no longer “feign ignorance”. What is more important to him, his hatred for sodomy or his dream of power? By using his elder son, Yoon Chang-Hyeon can maintain his reputation and have a clear conscience. However, this makes him a hypocrite. Besides, why would Yoon Seungwon keep pestering his brother to change his life and go to Hanyang, when he “succeeded” with the exam? (chapter 118) Why does he need the protagonist? It is because he needs “connections”. And how can he get these connections? Through his brother. But with the last incident, it looks like Yoon Seungwon jeopardized the remains of his influence, for the noble ignored him. (chapter 127)

But let’s return our attention to the contrast between Kim and his adoptive son. (chapter 127) Another common point between Seungho and Kim is the bow. (Chapter 56) Yet, the domestic is only bowing with his head and not his body. The protagonist is dressed exactly like his father. This comparison exposes that my past interpretation was correct: the butler had awakened his master during the night by lighting the candles. And after receiving this letter, Yoon Seungho dressed himself in order to meet his childhood friend, which reinforces my theory that the valet won’t follow the protagonist.

Interesting is that the butler and his “adoptive son” are acting for someone else’s sake. Yet, the second divergence is that the protagonist’s vow is not affecting the painter’s life (chapter 127), while the butler’s oath was describing Kim as the helping hand to “fix” Yoon Seungho! In other words, at no moment, the valet was risking his life, whereas the main lead is now “sacrificing” his own life (“as a willing servant”) for the painter. And this brings me to the following observation. Why did Yoon Chang-Hyeon order the straw mat beating for his own son in episode 77? It is because the latter had failed the father’s expectations. He had not been able to have sex with a woman. (chapter 86) However, back then, he was considered as the eldest son. One of his duties was to continue the lineage (chapter 82) and because of the stolen kiss, the patriarch became obsessed with sexuality. Observe how lord Song Haseon described the father’s attitude. He knew about the atrocities that the young master was exposed to (chapter 123), but he chose to turn a blind eye, for he believed that the end justifies the means. This explicates why he left the room so quickly and abandoned his son. Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s resent for the eldest son came from his high expectations. This can only reinforce my past interpretation that Yoon Seungho is a new version of Prince Sado. Thus the elder master Yoon’s personality is based on king Yeongjo. Moreover, lord Song alluded to the execution of a prince ordered by the monarch. (chapter 107)

Yoon Seungho has a similar disposition. He also hoped to be recognized and loved, thus he was constantly looking at his father’s eyes. (chapter 55) But what did he see in his father’s gaze? Anger and disappointment, for he was never able to satisfy Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s expectations. (chapter 55) With the release of episode 127, I had this sudden revelation concerning this memory. In the past, I used to think that he had been submitted to the straw mat beating. But now, I think that in this scene, Yoon Seungho was forced to bow to his father by the servants or guards!! Yes, the former version of this scene. (chapter 126) This idea came to my mind, the moment Yoon Seungho emphasized his bowing! (chapter 127) The protagonist’s words imply that he had never done it before!! And now, you know why Yoon Chang-Hyeon agreed to make a deal with his eldest son. (chapter 127) Yoon Seungho’s bow and oath stand for blind obedience and loyalty. This explicates why the author drew him without eyes. (chapter 127) He believes that he has finally been able to tame Yoon Seungho. He has become the perfect “puppet or tool” in order to make his dream come true: POWER! Actually, he is hoping to restore the Yoons’ reputation and glory. (chapter 87) That way, he can act, as if the purge and the humiliation had never happened. So by submitting himself to his father’s will, it looks like Yoon Seungho is put in the same position than in the past. He is “exposed” to the harsh judgement from the patriarch. However, it is just an illusion. How so? First, what caught my attention is the absence of the protagonist’s eye. (chapter 127) The blue color and the absence of the eye are displaying the coldness from Yoon Seungho. He is not looking for recognition and love from his father. He is now totally indifferent towards him. Moreover, if you read my previous essays, you already know that the absence of “eyes” is indicating a lie, like here for example: (chapter 11) (chapter 35) Does it signify that the protagonist has the intention of betraying his own father? I don’t think so, but the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget the lord’s wish in the kitchen: “I shall remember this moment for as long as I live”. (chapter 118) This shows that when the lord bowed to his father, he was thinking of Baek Na-Kyum in the kitchen. His body might be by his father, but his mind and heart were elsewhere. Thus I couldn’t help myself thinking that Yoon Chang-Hyeon will get betrayed and abandoned by his own son. During the same night, he made 2 vows. It was, as though he had two “lords”! His goal is to meet his loved one again. (Chapter 127) Finally, don’t forget that the main lead is following Kim’s path. He will have to choose between his father and the painter. Yoon Seungho is actually applying the father’s principle: the end justifies the means. So if necessary, he can break his vow to his father.

And now, you are wondering why. It is related to the deal between the father and son. (Chapter 127) It is because Baek Na-Kyum represents a leverage for the father to control his son. He is now replacing the petition. This coincides with Yoon Seungwon’s words: (chapter 116) I still believe that the painter has the original petition. And who is by Baek Na-Kyum’s side? Kim!! (Chapter 127) He is now in charge of the painter so that his pledge to the lord becomes a reality. (Chapter 108) By living by his side, he can lead a quiet life far away from Hanyang. However, this signifies that the artist has become a “prisoner”. As long as he lives in Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s claws, his loved one can not return to his side. Interesting is that a carriage was used to carry away the protagonist. (Chapter 127) Such a transportation was utilized for noblewomen. This can only reinforce the rumor that the protagonist has a fiancee! (Chapter 78) But where is the painter going? To the mansion? Or to another secluded place? In my eyes, the location is important. His existence is still a source of problems for the schemers. I see a future conflict in the lord’s life, for one oath stands in opposition to the other. Moreover, should the patriarch lose Baek Na-Kyum, he can no longer control his son. He can not suddenly blame the painter for the death of lord Song, for Jung In-Hun has been now convicted for the crime. (Chapter 127) The latter is now stigmatized as an arsonist and murderer.

Another reason why I believe that the actual situation diverges from the past is that the patriarch becomes “responsible” for his decisions. (chapter 127) He can no longer blame Yoon Seungho, for he is now just a “servant”. The expectations are also much lower. He just needs to follow his orders. Yoon Seungho is exempted from continuing the lineage. Moreover, Yoon Chang-Hyeon is now as the lord responsible for his son’s protection. Since he is his servant, he has to ensure his safety as well. That’s why he can no longer abuse like in the past. He is his tool to become powerful. This means that he is now dependent on him. Moreover, note that the father and son have a deal. (chapter 127) In other words, there is a certain equity. The painter serves as a leverage which reminds us of the deal between Baek Na-Kyum and his fated companion. (Chapter 7) In exchange for sponsoring the learned sir, Baek Na-Kyum had to go to his bedchamber and paint there. (Chapter 7) Now, the positions are switched. He is the one getting coerced! And this brings me to the following observation. Why did the elder master agree to this deal in the end? First, he refused to assist his son. (chapter 127) He believes that he has the petition, therefore he can no longer be blackmailed by his eldest son. The latter has no longer any leverage over him! However, he changed his mind. (chapter 127) For me, it is related to the bow. I noticed that the patriarch pays a lot of attention to “manners” and etiquette. Therefore the guards apologized on different occasions, yet the elder master always accepted their excuses (chapter 125) (chapter 126) Yet, in reality they were fake excuses. I have already pointed out that the servants would act on their own. But more importantly, their fake apology hid their failure as guards. How could they let the young master barge into the lord’s bedchamber? With a simple apology, this wrongdoing was overlooked. And now, observe what happened during the same night: (chapter 127) Yoon Seungho was followed by the guards! It looked like they were serving him. This scene reminded me of the officers’ appearance in front of the mansion. (chapter 94) This can only reinforce my theory that the main lead will turn against his father in the end. Keep in mind that there is a deal, so should the situation change (the painter’s desertion or the discovery of the second petition for example), the lord is no longer forced to keep his vow towards his father. Moreover, since Baek Na-Kyum got lied, “brainwashed” (chapter 125), “drugged” and slapped by Yoon Chang-Hyeon, he is destined to receive his karma through his son. And what was his dream? (chapter 86) He imagined that his second son would bring him fame and power. But now, the main lead is on his way to become “influential” turning the father’s words into a lie. Yes, the father and son needed to be together again so that the patriarch’s life lie would get exposed and ruined. Since he took the bloody paper (chapter 125) and paid the governor (chapter 127), he could get into trouble for it was, as if he was admitting his responsibility.

In addition, I would like to point out that the protagonist’s mentality is different from Kim’s! The latter advocates immobility and resignation., (chapter 87), whereas Yoon Seungho stands for change and hope. (Chapter 127) The latter is neither nihilist nor defeatist, for the painter has become his “god”, his religion. The hope to meet Baek Na-Kyum again will be his source of strength. He believes that the gods will help him again to have his wish come true. It is their destiny to meet again! (Chapter 127) Like announced in the last analysis, the lord is a changed man due to his new found religion. But this is not visible to the eyes. And the schemers are thinking that they are pulling the strings, while in reality they are themselves utilized as pawns by the spirits. Finally, the painter called himself a “plaything”, hence the schemers can jump to the false conclusion that they have still a chance to achieve their dream, like to punish the Yoons or to win the main lead’s heart. Finally, for me, this story is encouraging people to distinguish between fake heroes and from real saviors. (chapter 127) Where was Heena noona, when her brother was in prison? This rumor can only create the illusion that the painter is still devoted to the learned sir. Yet, after the last incident, the painter came to regret to have trust the learned sir. Both characters are now healed from their traumas (abandonment issues) and they are in full possession of their mind. This makes them less weak to manipulations.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Painter Of The Night: Dropped amusement 😞

I have to admit that when I read chapter 126 for the first time, I was disappointed. Why? It is because Yoon Seungho appeared so stupid and weak. He kept running from one place (chapter 126) to another (chapter 126). He allowed his father to humiliate and abuse him (Chapter 126) once again. It was, as if the story was back to square one and the protagonist had learned nothing at all. Under this perception, my avid readers can comprehend why I selected such a title. However, instead of thinking that the author was a bad writer, I decided to ponder on the following question. Why did the author choose such an evolution?

1. The fools in love

First, since it is Baek Na-Kyum’s destiny to go through the same experiences than his loved one, I deduce that the main lead is now following Baek Na-Kyum’s path. In other words, they are switching their fate. This explicates why the lord is naïve, blinded by his love for the painter. Yes, Yoon Seungho is a fool in love too. (chapter 7) Like Baek Na-Kyum, he rushed to his loved one’s side. However, he was first stopped (chapter 126), because it was not the right time. How so? Notice that his brother had fetched him at the port (chapter 125), but he never followed him to the bureau of investigation. And the same happened later. Why didn’t he go to his shed, when he was trapped there? Where was he, when the eldest son visited the father? (chapter 126) His absence exposed his passivity and betrayal. However, at no moment, Yoon Seungho noticed this. To conclude, Yoon Seungho was so worried for the painter that he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings, just like the painter didn’t see the learned sir’s disdain expressed through the cold gaze. (chapter 07) Therefore Yoon Seungho didn’t notice the presence of a civilian next to the governor. (chapter 126). Striking is that the governor knew about Yoon Seungho’s whereabouts before his arrival: the coast. As you can see, I am detecting a link between the governor and the younger master Seungwon. Yet, it was disguised as a rumor behind the expression “I had heard”. My assumption is that Seungwon came from the bureau of investigation in order to inform his brother. Therefore it is not surprising that Seungho was invited by his brother to visit the prison during the night. (chapter 126) And the moment I perceived the protagonist as a fool in love, I realized that chapter 126 is a reflection of episode 7, 29 (chapter 29) and 40 (chapter 40). Here, the painter was trying his best to protect Jung In-Hun’s interests (life, high position). Moreover, in episode 40, the painter had a dream, when he saw the announcement for the civil service examination. He smiled, for he was looking forward for the future. (chapter 40) And what have these episodes more in common? A betrayal, abandonment from a loved one and a paper (painting, poem). Hence I am more than ever convinced that the petition will resurface very soon and play a huge role in the downfall of the schemers and haters. Besides, chapter 40 represents the negative reflection of the conversation in the prison. (chapter 126) Though they are in a tough situation, Yoon Seungho is not leaving his side contrary to episode 40. (chapter 40) There is neither disdain nor mockery. The mentioned scenes are similar, for the present resembles the past. And this brings me to the second reason for the Webtoonist’s decision.

2. Past, present and future

It is because Byeonduck is now mixing the past with the present indicating that the future will be different. Let me elaborate my thoughts more precisely through the relationship between the protagonist and his father. First, when the incident with the stolen kiss was reported, (chapter 123), Yoon Chang-Hyeon considered Yoon Seungho as a human, for he employed the personal pronoun “he”. He was still his son. Then in episode 77, he judged him as a slave (chapter 77), hence he was submitted to the straw mat beating and was held captive. He even refused to send for a physician. (chapter 83) Here, the father is denying his humanity, he is just an animal. In their next confrontation, he describes him as a monster, hence he wished that he had never been born. (chapter 86) However, his words exposed that he was still viewing him as a living being. Therefore it is not surprising that he accepted lord Song’s request to order the murder of his son! In the gibang, he decided to no longer acknowledge Yoon Seungho as his son. (chapter 107) The tragedy is that the protagonist still viewed the Yoons as his family because of Yoon Seungwon, who keeps calling him “brother”. This explicates why Yoon Seungho sponsored his brother to have an official position. (chapter 115) Therefore it is not surprising that he followed Yoon Seungwon’s advice again. (chapter 120). He would bring the petition to his own father. This means that he is acting like the painter who listened to his noona Heena so well. (chapter 46) But now, Yoon Chang-Hyeon believes to have the petition. (chapter 125) This explicates why the patriarch is now calling the main lead “nothing”. (chapter 126) He is not even a thing. This means that he is actually discarding him. This explicates why he sent him to the shed. (chapter 126) It was, as if he had become a merchandise. Or we could say that the elder master had been using him as a tool, which he can now abandon. (chapter 126) Interesting is that the idiom “plaything” has for antonyms tool, implement, instrument and utensil. And this brings me to the following remark. The father’s words are reflecting the last scheme. Yoon Seungho was used as the sword to get rid of an enemy, lord Song. It was, as if someone had decided to get rid of lord Song, for he represented a danger or threat. It also mirrors the trick in the shrine. Min and the others got killed, because Lee Jihwa went to his childhood friend. And who had seen the main lead using this sword, when he was enraged? Father Lee! (chapter 67) But let’s return our attention to the patriarch and his son. Yoon Seungho is no longer recognized as a Yoon member. Therefore I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho will make the following decision: to become an orphan. And this is symbolized by the loss of hair. I am expecting him to cut off his hair, something the painter has been doing for a long time. That’s why Byeonduck showed us the lord without a topknot. (chapter 126) This would coincide with my previous statement. The lord is going through the same experience than his loved one. However, people will come to the conclusion that this was done by the father. How so? Remember how each rumor became a reality. (chapter 1) I had already demonstrated that Yoon Seungho was not a fiend for sodomy with no regard for time and place, until he met Baek Na-Kyum. But once a deed is done, it can never be repeated. (chapter 101) So should Father Lee claim that he has long disowned Jihwa by cutting off his topknot, no one will believe him, for the young master was still seen with a topknot after confessing his feelings in public. (chapter 57) In other words, the topknot incident at the kisaeng would be brought up. It is impossible for 2 fathers to act the same way. Besides, the loss of the topknot has another signification: Yoon Seungho would cut off ties with valet Kim, for the latter was the one who gave him the topknot. And episode 126 reflected one more time his position: (chapter 126) He is the one dressing him. It was, as if he was the pope.

3. Abandoned plaything

Because of my initial disappointment, I examined the chapter more closely. This sentence from the patriarch caught my attention (chapter 126) Why would he call Baek Na-Kyum a “plaything”, when before he viewed him as a servant? (chapter 116) It is because someone had reported to him the conversation between lord Song and the painter. (chapter 122) There was a spy listening to their conversation. Since all the guards died (chapter 124) (chapter 125: I am assuming that the survivor got executed), I am suspecting the scholar. Moreover, why would Yoon Chang-Hyeon accuse his son to have abandoned Baek Na-Kyum? It is related to this departure of the staff and Yoon Seungho. (chapter 120) And who was present there? Jung In-Hun! But there is more to it. Since leaving Baek Na-Kyum behind is considered as an abandonment, it means that the patriarch abandoned his son too. (chapter 27) By speaking to Yoon Seungho, the elder master Yoon didn’t realize that he was admitting his own wrongdoings. Actually, he had abandoned him many times… like here for example (chapter 87) Therefore his words will come back to bite him. But these words are also exposing the valet’s betrayal and abandonment towards Yoon Seungho!! How so?

Where was he, when the protagonist was looking for Baek Na-Kyum? (chapter 125) Where was he, when the latter visited the patriarch’s home? Why did he only appear during the night? One might argue that he needed to wait the night in order not to be detected. But since Kim was supposed to be with Yoon Seungwon and the staff (chapter 122), then he should have been at the patriarch’s house. The absence of the valet is the evidence of his treason. For me, he is now working for Jung In-Hun which explains why he never mentioned his presence in the mansion, only lord Song. Besides, keep in mind that once deed done can not be repeated. In episode 27, the lord was too angry and busy to notice the learned sir’s spying activities. (Chapter 27) Moreover, Kim didn’t report the interrogation to his master. This means that the butler covered up for the teacher’s wrongdoing. But here is the deal: (chapter 120) The library was ransacked, hence this crime is bound to be discovered. Finally, his intervention in the shed is exposing his deception. (chapter 126) He could do something in the past! He entered the shed, and even brought him clothes. This stands in opposition to this scene: (chapter 83) That’s why I am convinced that these words (chapter 126) are reflecting the butler’s actions. He treated Yoon Seungho like a tool which he could use. In verity, he could have helped his master in the past by telling the truth!

Because my theory is that the lord was the king’s male kisaeng, the noble could utilize this principle against the monarch. Since he always left him behind, he just treated him like a plaything and not like a loved one and allowed others to use him.

4. The return of Yoon Seungho’s strength

Finally, I believe that Byeonduck had another reason to turn the table so that Yoon Seungho would appear as powerless. It is to outline his desire to live. (chapter 126) He is no longer suicidal, in fact he is full of hope! Though he was sent back to hell for a short moment, he came out of this as a winner. My evidence is that the lord has now become a believer. (chapter 126) Yes, episode 126 exposes the return of his faith! And where could we see the atheism of Yoon Seungho in the story? In chapter 92! (chapter 92) He didn’t believe in the spring poetry to ward off bad luck! That’s why he was sent back to the past. He needed to lose everything in order to find hope! In his darkest moment, he expressed a wish: to meet his loved one! And where did he pray to the gods? In the shed! (chapter 126) Observe how he is kneeling in direction of the bars. He is hoping to meet Baek Na-Kyum again. As you can see, though this scene (chapter 126) seems to be a repetition from the past, (chapter 83) it is not! The reality is that in episode 83, Yoon Seungho had lost all hope. This explains why he showed only resignation in front of his father. (chapter 83) However, the Painter Of The Night-philes certainly could observe how he had reacted, when he was put down by the guards. (chapter 126) He was showing resistance and anger towards his father. Moreover, he was no longer shaking in front of the patriarch or the guards. (chapter 86) Thus I deduce that though he was mistreated and insulted like in the past, he was no longer suffering from his traumas. He is healed. His will is now really strong, supported by his new found faith.

Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungho sent the painter to the shed after the so-called desertion! (chapter 62) Even if they were hugging, they were not close emotionally and mentally. This stands in opposition to the scene in the jail. They might be separated by the bars, but they are touching each other tenderly. (chapter 126) They are able to see each other.

What to Do When You Feel You Are Losing Your Faith

Acknowledge and Accept What You Feel (…) (chapter 126) Try Meditation (chapter 126) or Prayer (chapter 126)

Count Your Blessings (chapter 126)

Talk It Out

Spend Time With Loved Ones (chapter 126)

Consider Counseling

Take a Break

Take The Time to Reflect (chapter 126) Quoted from https://www.verywellmind.com/losing-faith-definition-suggestions-and-take-away-5214137

As you can detect, Yoon Seungho did everything to revive his faith. He didn’t listen to his father’s words in the end. He chose love over hatred. He might be a sinner, but he is no longer self-destructive. But more importantly, he went to jail while carrying the light. (chapter 126) It is relevant, because light represents knowledge and truth. He is now the bearer of the truth. And he got his blessing from Baek Na-Kyum, when he touched his hands. (chapter 126) Because he came with the candle, Kim had no reason to follow him. In other words, Yoon Seungho no longer needs the butler by his side. But why didn’t the domestic follow him to the prison cell? It is because he feared that if the painter were to see him, his memory could get triggered. The artist could ask him where he was, when the scholar came to the mansion? (chapter 120) Yes, chapter 126 mirrors 92! This somehow confirms my theory that the butler was the one hiding under the purple hanbok. (chapter 92) Moreover, we have another reference to this episode, the pouring of alcohol! (chapter 92) (chapter 126) It was, as if someone wanted the lord to pay for Min’s insult! That’s the reason why I come to the following conclusion: Yoon Seungho is now opening up to Baek Na-Kyum. He is confessing to the painter about his wishes. (chapter 126) Therefore I am suspecting that the lord will reveal his past to his loved one, something he never did before. (chapter 85) The manhwaphiles should keep in mind that the request from the artist in the study was strongly connected to forgiveness. And Baek Na-Kyum could also confess what happened in the past: his guilt and regret asking for the lord’s forgiveness. Right now, both are blaming themselves for the incidents, although they got fooled by many schemers. Because the lord proved his loyalty and blinded trust in the painter, I see the scene in the jail as a new version of this confession: (chapter 75) Thus I consider the prison cell as a sacred place, where both characters are about to be freed from their guilt! (chapter 126) That’s the reason why now I view the lord’s short torment as a necessity. His faith was and is tested through the trials which coincides with the upcoming trial. Through his love for the painter, he found support and strength. He is not resigned, though their situation looks terrible. He is now true to himself. This means that he chose to drop his life lie for good.

And what was his life lie? To be powerful… (chapter 11) thus he could escape justice! (Chapter 11) Simultaneously, the first definition of life lie corresponds to Yoon Chang-Hyeon. The latter blames his eldest son for the downfall of the Yoons. ! (Chapter 86) Secondly, he still thinks that he is powerful. But it is just an illusion. (Chapter 126) How so? The guards are able to manipulate him. He has become their puppet, for he follows their suggestions. Hence they make decisions on their own (chapter 125). They fail their duty, for they allowed the main lead to barge in the room. (Chapter 126) Finally, observe how they keep apologizing without giving any explication. (Chapter 125) Their apology is fake. As you can see, the patriarch is living in an allusion. He is powerless, and the best evidence is that he doesn’t have the petition. (Chapter 125) He took the paper full of blood, the evidence of his involvement. This means that in this scene, (chapter 126) the elder master Yoon chose to maintain his life lie. This explains why he blames Yoon Seungho one more time. And this coincides with his speech about hatred. (Chapter 126) He is actually encouraging his son to hate himself and indirectly his own father! However, the son made the exact opposite decision: love!! Hence I am more than certain that the elder master is about to experience a harsh awakening.

On the other hand, the Manhwa lovers can grasp why I selected the title “dropped amusement”. Faith is something serious which stands in opposition to the gangrape in the shrine. Here, the lords had made fun of the spirits and gods. (chapter 101) Thus they got punished. And now, the two main leads are about to face human justice. (chapter 65) But strangely, the painter is showing no fear at all. (chapter 126) He is ready to sacrifice himself. So why was Yoon Seungho dressed up in the end? One might say that with the topknot and the hanbok, the abuse from the patriarch got covered up. That way, Baek Na-Kyum wouldn’t detect Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s lies and abandonment! (chapter 125) The latter brainwashed him to take the fall for everything, implying that way, his loved one would be protected! However, I am suspecting that if the lord were to leave the prison, he could meet someone in the office. That way, this person is not confronted with the reality: the main lead was “abused”. According to the butler, he was supposed to meet his brother at the office. (chapter 126) If the noble encounters his brother there, then Seungwon would appear as hypocrite, for he would feign “ignorance”. He was not there, when he got insulted by their father. However, he could meet someone else. (Chapter 92) In episode 92, we have a mysterious man in the background dressed in black, but he is not wearing his gat. Besides, I would like my avid readers to remember this image from the trailer: which reminds us of the office: (chapter 98) This place symbolizes power and strength. And because episode 126 is a reflection of chapter 7, 11, 29 and 40, I think, Yoon Seungho is about to receive a deal, for these episodes are focusing on the deal between the painter and the protagonist: protection from the father and punishment in exchange for entertainment. He would appear as a fake savior in the end. Remember what in episode 11 the artist said in front of his fated partner: (chapter 11) He would do anything except painting!! He was not willing to give up on this principle, which reminds us of faith. So when Yoon Seungho faced his father, he experienced powerlessness for one reason. (Chapter 126) They wanted to corner him, to make him desperate so that he would look for a way to become powerful! Moreover, they desired him to resent his father more than before. To conclude, he was pressured on purpose. And this brings me to the following remark. Why did the father describe the painter as “Plaything”? It is to minimize Baek Na-Kyum’s value in the lord’s life. However, if this theory about a new deal comes true (pedophile rekindling with him), then I believe that exactly like in episode 11, the lord will choose to follow his conscience and integrity over power and torment. He will make the same decision than his partner which corresponds to a rejection. However, I don’t think that he would make it obvious. He could fake submission.

5. Quit smoking

In fact, I have the impression that his memory could get triggered. What caught my attention is the absence of the pipe! According to me, the pedophile is a smoker, that’s how the main lead started smoking. But so far, the lord was not seen in connection with the pipe in season 4. This tool appeared on this drawing making fun of officials and the king (Chapter 105) Then in episode 122, we discover that lord Song employed the pipe to beat the painter. Moreover, I detected a progression. In season 2, Yoon Seungho was still smoking. (Chapter 74) But once the painter showed that he didn’t like smoking, Yoon Seungho stopped taking the drug. This explicates why in season 3, he was no longer seen with the item in his hand. Even under stress, he chose to hunt instead of smoking in front of the window. We have two scenes where the pipe is present. One is when the lord is throwing it out of anger,: (chapter 86) which reminded me of the incident with the music box. (Chapter 85) This shows that this item had no value to the protagonist. Then the pipe appeared in the gibang on the table. (Chapter 96) However, here the lord had only eyes for the painter or Heena. Hence I have the impression that the pipe could resurface and serve as an tool to identify the perpetrator, just like the glasses were used to recognize the scholar. (Chapter 102) Finally, since the pipe appeared in the gibang twice, it indicates that this hobby is linked to the kisaeng house!! And this brings me to my final observation: the pipe is connected to paper (chapter 121), just like in the erotic book of sodomy! (Chapter 1) (chapter 1) However, there exists two books!! And one has no PIPE! This coincides with the decision of the painter to stop drawing erotic pictures! Yes… dropped amusement! At the same time, Yoon Seungho has long lost his interest for erotic publications. He also dropped this hobby. On the other hand, the books were dropped in front of the painter. (Chapter 1) Finally, the petition was dropped in front of lord Song (chapter 123) which announced his death sentence. To conclude, the papers have a strong connection to punishment and death.

As you could see, Byeonduck had many reasons to create such a chapter in the end. We are definitely getting closer to the end. And before closing this essay, I would like to point out that the Yoons’ mansion had been left empty, yet neither his father nor his brother moved in!! (Chapter 126) Yoon Seungho went to the father’s mansion, and it didn’t take him that long! As you can see, I consider this trip with Yoon Seungwon as a diversion. (Chapter 121) So why didn’t the elder master return to his old home? It is to drive the Yoons out of their propriety. In other words, the lies from the past are becoming a reality exposing the liars in the end. Their life lies will be ruined.

Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for topics or manhwas, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. My Reddit-Instagram-Tumblr-Twitter account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.