Protected: Painter Of The Night: Tears and characters – part 2 – second version

July 4, 2021June 20, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Tears 😥 and characters – part 1 (Version with only 10 pictures)

July 3, 2021September 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/

I mostly used the following website as a source of inspiration: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/tears

What caught my attention in chapter 76 was Min’s tear combined with the laugh (chapter 76) which was totally new in the manhwa. We never saw such a combination: a single tear with a laugh. Moreover, for the first time, The Joker had shed a tear. The manhwalovers will certainly recall that so far, we had tears of happiness (chapter 21) and sadness , (chapter 59) but never tears out of laughing.😂🤣 Therefore I came to recognize the significance of this scene. First, it divulged a lot about Black Heart’s personality, and announced a turning point in his life. At the same time, this observation gave me a new idea, which I will elaborate in the second part. Striking is that until now, I had examined the painter and Jihwa’s tears, yet I had never focused on this topic itself. Hence in this analysis, I would like to study not only the weeping of the characters, but also the absence of their tears.

But before beginning with the real topic, it is necessary to define tears and their origins. There exist three types of tears:

Basal tears: This is a normal and vital function in order to keep our eye moist.
Reflex tears: They are triggered, when you get something in the eye, or when you cut an onion.
Emotional tears: These are the tears, when one is overcome with emotions (sadness, joy, eg.) Striking is that these tears are richer than the two others. They contain proteins and hormones like endorphin. The latter serves to relieve stress. The fact that these tears are richer is important, because like I had mentioned in my analysis about Jihwa (Water and fire -part 1), the red-haired aristocrat’s tears are a signal of the revival of his eyes. From that moment on, he is less blind. That’s why I associated tears to life, especially if you combine it to water. Without water, there’s no life.

1. Tears and pride

The connection between tears and life is relevant, because it explains why Jung In-Hun is never seen crying. He has a heart of stone. Consequently, Byeonduck drew the learned sir next to a rock in two occasions: (chapter 6) and (chapter 22). The rock is a metaphor of his heart: he will remain cold-hearted. Striking is that even after the humiliation during the hunt, he never shed a tear. He was only frustrated and angry at his opponent and sponsor. His huge ego had been hurt by the main lead’s mockery, but despite his wound, he chose to look up to the sky, apparently waiting that fate/karma would punish the wealthy noble for his wrongdoing. This outlines that the learned sir still believed in his superiority. In other words, Yoon Seungho had not reduced the scholar to tears with his words, which stands in opposition to the second lead’s reactions.

“To reduce someone to tears”: to cause a person to cry through insults, frustration and belittling” quoted from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/reduce+(one)+to+tears

In chapter 18, the main lead had reduced Lee Jihwa to cry through his reproaches and belittling. (chapter 18)

This huge difference between the two figures (Lee Jihwa and Jung In-Hun) shows that the childhood friend is still a human despite his egoistic and prideful attitude. He was overcome with negative emotions (pain, sadness, frustration and anger), while the other only feels resent and anger. Hence through this expression (“reduce to tears”), the manhwalovers can recognize the connection between pride and tears. And if you compare both situations, you’ll notice that during their argument, the main lead lowered himself and faced his childhood friend.

This reveals that the true intention of Yoon Seungho was not to humiliate his ex-lover per se. He didn’t desire to show his superiority to him. He had acted in the moment after witnessing Jihwa’s outburst. The former felt betrayed, as the second lead had acted behind his acts on different occasions (the spy, the slapping of Baek Na-Kyum, the ruined painting). Yoon Seungho still showed a certain respect towards his ex-partner by sending him away accompanied with a servant. Note that in the woods, he left the low noble on his knees without looking back. In other words, he showed no remorse towards Jung In-Hun, while it was not the case with Jihwa. There’s no doubt that the noble was indeed moved by Jihwa’s tears. However, it wasn’t obvious, because he didn’t touch his face and wipe his tears. The readers can only grasp it, when they compare both scenes (18-22). Through this comparison, I recognized that Jihwa’s tears were connected to his wounded pride. It becomes even more evident in chapter 21. It was, as if the red-haired second lead had an outburst. We have to envision that he literary burst into tears.

“Burst into tears: to begin suddenly to cry” quoted from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/burst+into+tears

This explosion of emotions is visible, as the lord ruined his room. He broke out to tears. And note that in that moment he was standing with a sword in his hand, another evidence that his tears were triggered by his frustration and bruised ego mixed with sadness and anger. And now, you comprehend why he represent a negative reflection of Baek Na-Kyum, the latter embodying humbleness and modesty. However, unlike the scholar, Jihwa was slowly learning his lesson and as such changing. Since the low noble’s heart is made of stone, he will never change in my opinion.

Jihwa reached the bottom, when he got confronted by Yoon Seungho at the tavern in chapter 57. He was not only pushed to the ground, but the latter was never able to stand up in front of his friend again, contrary to chapter 18. At the end, the second lead gathered his courage and confessed his love on his knees in front of commoners. And this truly outlines that Jihwa had finally realized that his bond with his childhood friend mattered more than his pride. He had to make a choice and selected affection over his ego. (chapter 57)

In addition, by comparing it with the episode 18, the manhwaworms can notice a divergence in the main lead’s attitude. Contrary to before, he no longer showed any respect towards his friend. He never lowered himself, but he was forced to sit down by valet Kim. For me, this is no coincidence, the sickness was a good excuse for the butler. If his master sat down, then the public humiliation would be lessened and as such, this would cause less ruckus. Important is that after his answer, Yoon Seungho left Lee Jihwa behind without paying attention to him. He never asked Kim to take care of his former lover. This displays that the gap between them had so much increased that their relationship would never be like before. This was even reinforced by the lord’s words: “Do not harbor any longing for me. There is not the slightest chance of my ever returning such sentiments.” (chapter 59)

Striking is that in the second season, Yoon Seungho was taught the same lesson by the painter. The former had to give up on his title and devalue himself in order to remain by Baek Na-Kyum’s side. That’s why in chapter 71, he called his lover Lord Na-Kyum and treated him as a master after that. But pay attention that the main lead never shed a tears due to his wounded ego. Yet this doesn’t mean that he is similar to the learned sir. In fact, the main character felt more like crying, when he was reminded of his past. (chapter 56). This signifies that his tears are not related to pride, but to his traumas. The lord can no longer weep due to the constant exposure to physical, mental and emotional pain. However, since he has been taught not cry in the presence of the butler, in chapter 56 it was, as if he was blinking back tears.

“to blink back tears: to try to stop oneself from crying” quoted from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/blink+back+tears

How do I come to this conclusion? It’s because the butler avoided his master’s gaze, when the latter threw the letter (chapter 56) He acted, as if nothing was happening. Furthermore, it was the butler who asked the painter to stop crying after the rape: “Would you stop crying? Your eyes will be sore later”.(chapter 26) And since the painter’s fate is to go through the same suffering than the rich noble, it signifies that the butler must have said the same thing to his master in the past. There’s no ambiguity that father Yoon must have a similar mind-set too.

2. Tears, pain and emotions

As you can see, Yoon Seungho isn’t still capable to cry, as he has long internalized that he is not allowed to show such emotions. In his past, he was coerced to repress his tears. He was forbidden to show any emotion and pain, though he was repeatedly confronted with terrible events (rape, physical and mental abuse, gangrape, drugs, brainwashing, betrayal). This explicates why the lord chose to live as a ghost. If he was a spirit, he could no longer feel emotions and as such pain. I would like to point out the strong connection between emotion and hurt, though the latter is no emotion. It is an emotional experience. However, the chapter 56 indicates a slow transformation, as the lord feels the need to hide his gaze behind his hand and even turn away his head from Kim, like you can observe at the top of the composition. In my perspective, the lord must have sensed something in his eyes, but out of fear and habit, he preferred masking his wound.

2. 1. Baek Na-Kyum the role model

There’s a reason for Yoon Seungho’s gradual metamorphosis. Baek Na-Kyum cried, when he was physically (chapter 11, 25) and emotionally wounded (chapter 11, 41, 42)

Besides, right from the start the noble was moved by the painter’s tears, hence he felt the need to touch his face and wipe his tears. (chapter 2) And now, you can imagine which idiom I am about to bring up:

“Moved to tears”: to elicit such a strong reaction or overwhelming reaction in one that it causes one to cry. Quoted from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/moved+to+tears

2. 2. The painter as the trigger of emotions

Since the noble was forced to repress his emotions and as such tears, it is normal that in chapter 1, he wasn’t moved to tears. Furthermore, living without any emotion, it signifies that he couldn’t detect and recognize them in chapter 1. He never realized that he was actually showing happiness first and later a certain sadness, when he killed the servant. However, the tears from the painter (episode 1) triggered something in his heart.

He sensed a slight pain, that’s why he asked him to stop crying. Let’s not forget that right before the artist started shedding tears, the noble reminded him of the death of the servant. He put the whole blame on the low-born, as the latter had lied to him. According to the main lead, the painter was responsible for the domestic’s death. After hearing this, Baek Na-Kyum was moved to tears. This incident is important for two reasons:

The tears are connected to empathy. He feels pity and sorry for the deceased man.
At the same time, they also express the artist’s guilt. Note that in the shed, the low-born never denied the lord’s statement.

And now, if the manhwaphiles look at the panel again, they will notice that the noble’s behavior displays remorse and compassion. Hence he asks him to stop crying, while wiping his tears. Consequently, during the night of the rape, we have a repetition of this scene: the lord feels uncomfortable in the presence of the tears (remorse), but also a certain compassion towards the painter. However, when his hand is rejected, the main lead tries to blame the artist for the situation. But this time, Baek Na-Kyum doesn’t accept the criticism and defends his position. Furthermore, he expresses a death wish: “I hate you so much I could die, sir”. (chapter 26) Only now, I truly realize the significance of this scenes. These words pained Yoon Seungho so much that it triggered emotions, which had been buried for a long time. That’s why we witnessed an outburst: “But if I am to be hated, I might as well be hated properly. Don’t you agree?” (chapter 26) But since he had forgotten how to cry, he could only show strong emotions like pain, rage and jealousy through violence.

However, we shouldn’t overlook that the painter had mentioned his death. In my eyes, it truly exposed the lord’s fear. He couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from the painter. If the lord had been able to cry, he would have. But he could only explode and in my opinion, in that scene he hadn’t just murderous, but also suicidal thoughts. This was the first version of this panel, though the lord never expressed it: “If I killed them all, and myself, would it be easier…” (chapter 55).

By killing the learned sir, he would push the painter to kill himself and the noble would have definitely followed him in his death. And now, you comprehend why in the hallway, the lord wondered about his own reaction. This was totally new to him, he had never felt anything like that before. Simultaneously, the manhwalovers can grasp why we haven’t witnessed the lord’s weeping yet. He needed to feel pain and emotions first. As a conclusion, during that night, the lord felt guilty, empathy, envy, rage and jealousy. Therefore I interpret that by witnessing the painter’s tears, the lord was taught to feel pain and emotions. Hence he stands in opposition to the scholar who chose to vent his anger and jealousy onto the painter, each time he felt humiliated. (chapter 75) This truly exposes the teacher’s cruelty and ruthlessness. We could say that the painter reinforced his admired sir’s cold-heartedness. Therefore I come to the following conclusion: Jung In-Hun will never feel remorse or empathy. He is destined to become a monster, as his wounded pride will just arouse brutality, resent and thirst for revenge.

3. Tears and indifference

Because of the strong connection between tears and emotions, I realized that the absence of tears isn’t just a sign of heartlessness, but also of indifference. There’s another person who never sheds a tear. It is the butler Kim. When in the pavilion he saw the painter lying on the ground, he was not moved to tears. The only comment he made was: “And here I was wondering why he lent me a horse…” (chapter 25) This means that he felt no empathy for the painter. However, he is different from the teacher. How? While Jung In-Hun senses no sympathy, the other tries to feel nothing. That’s why he gave his master the following advice: “Perhaps it would be best, if you did not take it to heart…” (chapter 50) In other words, Yoon Seungho should act, as if he had no heart. This explicates why he is annoyed, when he is facing someone in tears. He feels uncomfortable, especially if he is responsible for the incident. From my point of view, after Yoon Seungho got raped, the domestic made sure that the young lord would stop crying by making feel guilty and dirty. “Please!! No… It’s not…!” (chapter 65) Besides, I have the impression that he was turning his back on Yoon Seungho, when the teenager grabbed his shirt. Like I had pointed out above, tears are linked to a guilty conscience. And now, you comprehend, why Kim never cries. He is indifferent, because he doesn’t want to feel any pain and remorse. What is funny is that there exists a slang expression which connects tears to insensitivity:

“Two tears in a bucket” (rude slang): doesn’t matter, who cares. Said to express acceptance of or unconcern for the consequences of something. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/two+tears+in+a+bucket+fuck+it

And look at this: we always see the butler carrying a bucket around. (chapter 56) I couldn’t help myself laughing, when I discovered it. I have no idea, if there’s such an expression in Korean. This slang expression comes from “to cry buckets”, which signifies that the person is like a cry baby. This new discovery made me realize that Yoon Seungho played a similar role to his admired valet than Baek Na-Kyum to his learned sir. Since the main lead was constantly facing terrible experiences, due to his cowardice and powerlessness the domestic chose not to take to heart. The more he witnessed, the more unconcerned he became. Therefore I deduce that Kim will never change his mind-set. He will prefer detachment, cowardice and blindness, because that way he is not suffering: neither regret nor heartache.

While Baek Na-Kyum contrasts so much to the valet, it means that Lee Jihwa stands between them. He is a mixture of indifference and empathy. This is particularly palpable in chapter 36. At the tavern, he cries out of frustration and anger, thereby he calls Yoon Seungho an “asshole” due to his wounded pride. Yet at the same time he feels a certain empathy for his childhood friend: “But I… know him best of all… I can… I can understand it all. Everything…” (Jihwa, chapter 36) He knows that he suffered a lot in the past. However, his compassion is quite superficial, because his bruised ego and pain are more important than his ex-lover’s traumatic past. As you can imagine, I am predicting that Jihwa will change in that aspect again. As time passes on, he will show more caring and respect towards others. However, as the readers can anticipate it, Nameless will serve him as role model. Besides, he has already triggered in him the right emotions:

regret: “I have ruined it all myself” (Jihwa, chapter 61)
empathy: “…I do. I pity you.” (Nameless, chapter 61)

On the other hand, the noble brings the goodness which was buried in the criminal’s heart to the surface. That’s why I come to the following deduction. Nameless might have not shed a tear until now, but he wasn’t indifferent. Contrary to the butler, he had a job, where he was forced to bury his compassion. In my opinion, he was confronted in a similar situation than Yoon Seungho. The only difference is that Nameless had to witness many wrongdoings committed on people close to him that at some point he chose to stop crying. In other words, Jihwa will teach the commoner to feel emotions (pity, caring, admiration, eg.) again so that at some point, we should expect Nameless to have tears in his eyes. Though he is not crying like the low noble and the domestic, he is not truly devoid of emotions. So far, he used his mask to protect his heart.

4. Tears and diligence

I am quite sure that you are surprised with such a heading. Nonetheless, there’s a reason for this selection. You all know the saying

“blood, sweat and tears”: a huge amount of effort, dedication and hard work. quoted from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Blood+Sweat+and+Tears

What caught my attention is that neither Jung In-Hun nor Kim are seen hard-working. I had already demonstrated in the essay entitled “Jung In-Hun’s worries and problems” that the scholar was more and more stressed, when he realized that he needed to pass the exam in order to get the high position as official. Before he envisioned that the powerful noble would give him a high position without putting any effort. As for the butler, he is only forced to work hard (chapter 12, 25, 33, 56), when he has to take care of the painter. However, if you pay attention to his action, you will notice that he doesn’t work like a real intendant. That’s why I am stating that he is not diligent. He shows no real authority around the staff. He lets them eat the painter’s dishes (chapter 17) or leave the mansion without any permission (chapter 12, chapter 51). Furthermore, Deok-Jae attempted to sell the stolen red dresser. That’s why the worker in episode 29 described the household as hush-hush. There was no real control over the domestics. In my opinion, Kim is not a true hard worker, as he is not taking any responsibility in the mansion. He prefers simple tasks, like sweeping (chapter 65), bringing lunches or announcing the arrival of a guest. And this observation made me realize that the lord started working hard, the moment he desired to woo Baek Na-Kyum. He dressed up, ordered some medicine for excessive drinking, organized two hunts, started strolling through downtown. Yet, this is no real work. And note that Jihwa behaved in a similar way, when he sensed danger from the painter. He also dressed up, had to plant a spy and trespass the mansion on different occasions. From my perspective, Yoon Seungho will start working the moment he behaves like a master. He needs more than just give orders to his staff. He has to control them and pay attention to finances. From my point of view, it is also his duty to take care of them as well, as the head of the mansion. To sum up, he has to learn how to manage the mansion. That’s why I believe that the lord’s tears will only return, the moment all the conditions are met:

hard working
deep emotions which he can not control and repress
emotional pain linked to his traumas
he drops the habit to hide his face, when he is wounded. Like I mentioned above, he still hides his pain and emotions in front of his so-called loyal servant Kim.

That’s why after comparing these 5 characters concerning their “tears”, I realized Jihwa’s true position and Nameless’ role. The second lead is not truly the painter’s negative reflection. Therefore I created a table to summarize my interpretations.

	–	-/+	+
Pride	Jung In-Hun	Lee Jihwa / Yoon Seungho	Baek Na-Kyum/ Nameless
Empathy	Valet Kim	Lee Jihwa / Yoon Seungho	Baek Na-Kyum / Nameless
Diligence / hard work	Jung In-Hun / Valet Kim	Lee Jihwa / Yoon Seungho	Baek Na-Kyum / Nameless

As you can imagine, the persons in the middle were in the beginning of Painter Of The Night selfish, lazy and quite superficial. But as time passed on, they were affected by the painter. The latter with his tears moved the lord’s heart which created a riff between the protagonist and his lover. The latter was forced to cry and as such to change.

And now, you are wondering when I will talk about Min and his tear! As you can anticipate, I can only examine him in the second part. This essay already has more than 3700 words! Furthermore, I haven’t mentioned Heena noona and Yoon Seung-Won yet. As a conclusion, there’s so much to say about the tears, which is no surprise, because many manhwaphiles call this work “PAIN”ter of the night. Many readers are crying buckets while reading this story.

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 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.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: Tears 😥 and characters – part 1

July 3, 2021September 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Sex or Love? ❤️ Version with only 10 pictures

July 2, 2021June 12, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 2 Comments

In this essay, we will try to answer what the characters have been seeking during their intimacies. Did they want sex or love?

If we look at the first sex session, it becomes clear that Seungho was looking for sex, or more precisely speaking, for excitement and arousal. He wanted to see a new erotic painting so that he would get aroused from it again. That’s the reason why in the chapter 1 he asked to the painter while taking care of the noble:

This truly reveals that sex as such didn’t create much pleasure in his sexual life. The paintings Baek Na-Kyum created were the only tools that could arouse him. On the other hand, Jihwa has always been longing for Seungho’s love, but used sex as an excuse to get closer to him. He even hoped that at some point his childhood friend would come to fall in love with him. In other words, for Seungho the sex session was more for sex, more precisely for sexual stimulus, while it was love that motivated Jihwa hence he made love to Seungho.

Yet at the pavilion, this situation somehow changed. Seungho showed arousal without any external (chapter 3) stimulus, his phallus was still erected after Jihwa’s first climax. It looks like Seungho was attracted by Jihwa… so much that his appetite couldn’t be satiated. This gave Jihwa the impression that something had been triggered in Seungho. He was finally appealed to him, this gave him the illusion that his dream had come true. He mistook the excitement as a sign of “love” making him believe that he had now more privileges than the other sex partners. In his mind, the sex at the pavilion was love and even love for him, while in reality for Seungho it was just the discovery of real pleasure in sex. He had finally come to love sex with men. Since he kept seeing the painting in his mind, it was as if he was making love to himself. Hence I interpret that for the powerful noble the sex at the pavilion is a mixture of sex and love. He finally comes to love sex with men and to love himself as a seme. He feels his own attraction.

That’s why he says: “I can’t think of anything else”

These words truly expose that he isn’t paying attention to Jihwa’s needs and doesn’t focus on giving him pleasure. It was all about his own ecstasy and sexual enjoyment. But since Jihwa is used to Seungho’s selfishness, he didn’t pay too much attention. He was just happy that Seungho had now become a real homosexual and even felt enticed by him. That’s why he acts as if he was a lover after the sex session at the pavilion. Now, imagine his disappointment. In chapter 5, Jihwa comes back only to discover that the attraction and excitement was so short-lived. He can’t focus on him because of the painter, hence he sends the noble away:

“In any case, I am not in the mood today. You may leave”. (chapter 5)

Then later, the young noble is reminded by Seungho that he was just looking for sex and nothing more, while we know for a fact that Jihwa has been longing for his love all this time.

Here, it becomes clear that Jihwa never really understood Seungho’s true motivations behind the sex parties. He really thought that the rich noble was just looking for sex as a diversion and entertainment, while there was another motivation behind all this: the revenge against the father. He never imagined that Seungho was not a homosexual for the start. He must have explained the issues with the arousal that Seungho had no deep feelings for the sex partners. However, deep down, the powerful master was longing for something else: genuine love.

Then we have the “wedding night” in the painter’s chamber (chapter 20-21). During that night, Baek Na-Kyum confessed his “love” for the learned sir. He was longing for his love because he had been rejected by the low noble before (chapter 19). The drunkenness allowed him to express his love based on an illusion and manipulation. That’s why we see him kissing Seungho so tenderly and even embracing him while caressing his back: (chapter 20)

On the other side, the lord was rather looking for sex. He had been wanting to taste the young man and Jihwa’s words

“Yoon Seungho has fallen into sodomy that he is now reaching for a low-born” (chapter 18)

gave him another justification for this move. Since people kept saying that he was interested in the young man, why shouldn’t he do it for real? That’s why after the long kisses, when he noticed the sexual desires and ecstasy on the low-born’s face due to his blushing and moaning,

the lord suddenly pulled up this butt and removed the artist’s pants quite violently.

These simple gestures reveal his strong desire to have sex with the young man. He is so impatient, he is only focused on his own needs. He has finally the opportunity and is even able to create some arousal in the low-born. He is definitely looking for a good sexual experience with him. However, the long kisses mixed a certain tenderness before are demonstrating that Yoon Seungho was definitely feeling more than sexual desires. The foreplay did last quite some time which was unusual for him. He didn’t even realize the lack of inexperience in the commoner, although he should have sensed it with the innocent confession and kiss. But he is stopped by the commoner who finally concedes to be a virgin. Striking is that Baek Na-Kyum puts his hand on Yoon Seungho’s shoulder while crying,

he is even sitting on his lap. Both are facing each other, their bodies are so close touching each other. Strangely, the noble is not angry at all. He is a little annoyed that his “appetite” has not been fulfilled, yet he doesn’t get angry or violent.

This closeness and the hands on his chest have a calming effect in my opinion that’s why despite his comment showing a certain annoyance, he accepts the tears and the break. Furthermore, this marks the pivotal moment during their “wedding night”. For the first time, Seungho is forced to pay attention to his partner’s needs leading him to create pleasure. Because Baek Na-Kyum spoke about his fear and about being a virgin, Seungho has no other choice to be more careful. And from that moment, if you pay attention to their conversation, you’ll notice that Seungho keeps asking about the well-being of the low-born:

“Why are you so quiet?” / “If you do not tell me… I cannot help you“

He makes sure that the other feels comfortable and even comforts him, when he feels pain after the first penetration. And notice that he is hugging the young man, while kissing him. His gaze has totally changed. While in the first part, you could sense pure lust in his eyes, now his gaze is much softer and oozing warmth. He makes sure that his partner takes pleasure and feels good during their encounter. This contrasts so much to the sex scene at the pavilion with Jihwa, where he ignored Jihwa totally and was only focused on himself and his urges. He even apologizes for taking the low-born’s virginity which was preserved for someone else. (chapter 21)

Here, he is smiling and his gaze is full of warmth. For the first time, he has experienced how to make love. He came for sex but found love. By giving ecstasy in his partner, it made him feel good. But this is not the end. Baek Na-Kyum hugs him, which Seungho likes very much. He is feeling warmth and tenderness. Yet, he has to hear the name of the loved one which bothers me. However, he decides to return the huge despite the “misunderstanding”, he wants to give the embrace Baek Na-Kyum is longing for. Therefore he puts him on his lap.

Simultaneously, he asks to be called differently, to let him know that he is not sir Jung In-Hun. He definitely hopes that Baek Na-Kyum will remember calling him “my lord”.

And he kisses the young man with such a gentleness. He is no longer looking for sex but love. That’s why when the low-born confesses that making love to him made him so happy, he can’t help himself to kiss the eye and the tears again.

This gesture shows tenderness and love. He has never heard before that he could make someone happy. He, who has felt so miserable for so long and only saw himself as someone repulsive and terrible, is finally able to evoke genuine happiness. The sincerity moves the lord so much. The tears, the hug, the words have reached his heart. And the climax of their wedding night is when Baek Na-Kyum admits that he likes him by whispering it into his ear, a very sensitive place.

This gesture and the simple words have an impact on him. So far, he has never been confessed before. All his sex partners were just interested in his body and wealth, even Jihwa, who loves him, was too scared to confess his love for him out of fear that Seungho might reject him for good. For the first time, he felt loved and made someone happy. While he was looking for sex in the beginning, he found love in the end. All this time, he could never connect sex with love. But since he could pleasure the young man so well, he believes that once the man is sober and remembers, he will remember the ecstasy he felt thanks to him. That’s why Seungho believed that the commoner wouldn’t reject him, besides he is used to be sought out. He is well known for his good performance in bed. He thinks that the pleasure felt can move the young man’s heart so that he can switch his place with the teacher. His gestures contrast so much to the first part where he was brutal and rough… in the second part, he is gentle and sensitive. He listens to the low-born’s whispering and sees the tears. His behavior stands in opposition to his attitude at the pavilion with Jihwa where he was blind and deaf. He could only think of his own image from the painting.

Now, if we analyze the sex scene at the pavilion in the chapter 25, we come to realize that here Seungho was expecting to find love. He had imagined that the painter had remembered their night together as Baek Na-Kyum had mentioned that he was keeping something embarrassing in his belongings. Imagine his surprise, when he discovers that the painting was about the masturbation. For Seungho, their first night together was unforgettable hence he is annoyed that the artist has not remembered it. That’s why he tries to repeat the same gestures from that night. He kisses him (chapter 25

and explains his actions hoping that this would trigger his memories and their love making would be renewed. But none of this happens because he is rejected by the uke. He never expected a violent rejection. He never imagined that pleasure and love are not the same thing. That’s why he decides to force himself onto the poor artist. He really thinks that his performance will convince the young man to accept him as his partner. So he went to the pavilion in order to find love but it ended up in a violent sex session. Notice that unlike in the chapter 3, he pays attention to the low-born’s reaction. He wants to witness the sexual enjoyment but he only hears and sees pain. He hugs him trying to mimic the same gestures from that night . But he fails and for many reasons. First, he didn’t face the uke but took him from behind, just like he did with Jihwa. So this position doesn’t create intimacy, furthermore he believed that sexual performance was the reason why Baek Na-Kyum cried out of joy during their wedding night. He never thought that feelings play a much bigger part. Actually he has been in love with the low-born right from the start (a growing attraction was there) but since he has never felt anything before, he can’t technically recognize these feelings as love. The low-born went to the pavilion with no expectation and experienced raw sex with such a violence that he couldn’t love the noble. However, like I described it before, the wet dream from the chapter 2 reveals that Baek Na-Kyum desired Seungho so much. He wished that he had become Jihwa and even replaced him. As a conclusion, it started with love and became raw sex for the master, while it was just violent sex for the painter.

In the chapter 31 and 32, it is quite clear that this was all about sex. Seungho wanted him to accept his true sexual orientation, to witness his own sexual enjoyment by seeing his own facial expressions. At the same time, Seungho was still longing for love. That’s why he kisses the man right in the beginning. Sure, he wants to be the cause of his arousal, hence he ensures that he provokes an ejaculation.

Therefore he uses his hand and says this: “This time I will see you get hard for me.“

This is again brutal sex but unlike in the chapter 25, his goal is to give sexual enjoyment to the young man. He has to because if not, the artist would never been able to admit his homosexuality. Hence we can say that the master has learnt his lesson from the rape. He can’t force himself like that, yet he is still quite rough.

On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum has to accept everything from the master. He can’t reject him as he had promised to do everything he wanted. So the sex with the lord is like a task, an order but at some point, he experiences pleasure in the sex. Furthermore, the noble hasn’t given up on his own sexual needs hence he is not satisfied with one session. This sex marathon is a mixture of love and sex… deep down, the noble is looking for love but he has no idea how to get it. If he is able to evoke ecstasy in the commoner through sex, then he thinks that he will be accepted by the young man. So his sexual performance which made him quite famous becomes his “hindrance” which he doesn’t realize. Besides, he is still quite selfish… it is only, when Baek Na-Kyum has collapsed that he realizes his mistake. And here, it ends with a gentle kiss announcing the change in Yoon Seungho. He can no longer be proud, act like a master. He has to lower himself therefore the kiss marks a pivotal moment in the noble’s life. (Chapter 32) He has realized that his behavior has not been normal. He is confused hence he doesn’t get angry, when he is criticized by the doctor later. He knows that his emotions made him blind so that he somehow endangered the painter’s life. He must definitely feel guilty but he sees it as his duty to make sure that Baek Na-Kyum can recover.

During that time, he starts sleeping elsewhere. He visits his sex friends and even participates in sex orgies. Here, it is quite clear what the protagonist’s real intention was. He was looking for sex in order to understand what led him to act like a crazy person in the presence of the painter. What was he looking for? During the separation, he makes a huge discovery: sex is not his true motivation, he gets aware that he has been longing for the painter’s attention and affection. Besides, due to Min’s words, he gets aware that he wants Baek Na-Kyum for himself. He is “his”. He knows that now but he has no idea how the artist will react after his recovery. He could definitely blame him for his illness and the sex marathon. Little by little, the main lead is learning to differentiate sex and love. What I mean is that he has learnt that sex is a way to express love, making the partner feel sexual enjoyment and pleasure is making love. It is about to give and not just to take. That’s why from that moment, the seme is focusing on pleasuring the artist. He feels that he needs to wait so that Baek Na-Kyum will come to fall in love with him and will express the need to have sex with him. So he is definitely waiting for Baek Na-Kyum’s move.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen like he expected it. Instead of being a love confession like during the first night, the artist is crying. He is so sad and upset that at the end he asks to be hold.

Striking is that Baek Na-Kyum is asking for comfort and love because “being hold” indicates that he wants to be embraced. This is the proof that he is longing for love, yet his mind is very confused. What does he want? Sex or love? The gestures stand in opposition to the words.

On the other hand, the lord is well aware that Baek Na-Kyum can not have fallen in love with him just like that. He knows how deep his love for the low noble was. That’s why he is still hesitating. He doesn’t want to be a replacement, a surrogate like during their “wedding night”. He wants to make the things quite clear.

He will be his sex partner, his lover, the one who embraces him. He feels the huge difference from the love confession in the chapter 20, besides he sees the drawing with Jung In-Hun and he is so turned off. First, he feels the lack of passion and love in the kiss which can no longer be explained by the lack of experience. Besides he realizes that this is related to Jung In-Hun. That’s why he gets jealous and grabs him by the hair.

He is just like during the “wedding night” as his rough side emerges again but this time for a different reason. He is not looking for sex, he wants love but feel that Baek Na-Kyum isn’t giving what he wants. He acts more like a prostitute, someone who is forced to do something. He grabs the Seungho’s phallus without passion, he is just about to be penetrated without any preparation. This contrasts so much to their first night, where Seungho had to be patient and was listening to the uke’s words and moans. So in the noble’s eyes, the young man is looking for sex. Yet the words are reflecting something else which the lord doesn’t realize. All this leads him to think that Jung In-Hun asked him to sleep with him for a favor.

While the lord longed to hear that he was admired and pinned by the young man, he has to listen to a different confession:

“That night I spent with you, my lord, that too… My lord, you… you scare me so much, my heart starts pounding…“

He finally admits that he remembers their first night together and did it willingly but at the same time, he confesses how scared he is in front of Yoon Seungho. As you can observe, the parallels with their first night are so obvious. He holds the lord again begging him to embrace him, while in the chapter 20 he pleaded the lord to be more gentle. Back then he explained that he was scared because he was a virgin. The hug, the tears, the plead are repeated in the chapter 42 but they are triggered by something else: the huge pain caused by the teacher. The teacher is no longer admired, Baek Na-Kyum wants to be hold in order to overcome the rejection and abandonment. Notice the opposition, in their first night he was so pure, a virgin, and now he has become a prostitute. He has been so hurt that he can’t even say the word “prostitute”. He is accepting his homosexuality and is even accepting the lord as his partner because he has no one to turn to.

Striking is that the noble has a similar reaction than in the chapter 21. He is annoyed but no longer angry. At least, he has been able to obtain something. He is no longer rejected but you can feel his dissatisfaction. He would like to be loved and admired like Jung In-Hun, but this will do now for him.

And notice that now they are facing each other, Seungho is no longer taking him from behind. This underlines Baek Na-Kyum’s acceptance and willingness. Furthermore, it outlines their closeness and intimacy. While having sex, Baek Na-Kyum can’t help himself taking the hand of the master and puts it on his stomach. “So it’s all the way in…”

Here again, there is a huge difference between the words and the gestures. He speaks like a “prostitute” or someone looking for sex, while with the hand, he shows gentleness and warmth. This time, Baek Na-Kyum is calling Seungho “my lord”. The noble has finally been able to take the teacher’s place for real. And what caught my attention here is that during the wet dream, Baek Na-Kyum wanted to switch places with Jihwa, while in reality the opposite happened. Seungho wanted to switch places with the teacher and become Baek Na-Kyum’s lover. Despite the raw sex which bothers the protagonist, Seungho can’t help longing for love that’s why at the end, he hugs him and kisses him. (Chapter 42) Here, there is a mixture of tenderness and passion. He is attempting to evoke other feelings in the uke. He actually shows his love for the commoner. While during their first night, the artist cried out of happiness, here the tears are expressing immense sadness and pain. This is the reality: he had never been truly accepted by the low noble. He always saw his social background, a low-born raised at the brothel. He is admitting his sexual orientation which he is now connecting to prostitution. The painter doesn’t see the love in Seungho’s gestures, too immersed in his own suffering. In other words, the lord wanted love here but only got the opportunity to have sex, while deep down Baek Na-Kyum was longing for love but just asked for sex. However, Seungho attempted to shower him with love at the end but the painter didn’t see it, just like during their first night.

As a conclusion, in his mind the lord was seeking for sex and ended up finding love, while Baek Na-Kyum was longing for love and ended up having sex, unaware that his dream of being loved had come true, but he never expected that Seungho would be the one who would come to love 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-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.

The Pawn’s Revenge: Janggi and life 🔞

June 30, 2021August 7, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/pawn But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Besides, this manhwa is categorized as HARDCORE: 🔞 Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about this manhwa and others https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

In chapter 6, Jeon Hee-Seong compared Janggi (Korean chess) to real life. For her, humans resemble to the pieces of the chess board, where the weakest are doomed to disappear. Striking is that many chess players have a similar approach than her. They all see many similarities between real life and chess.

Benjamin Franklin: “Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead; vigilance, by having to keep watch over the whole chess board; caution, by having to restrain ourselves from making hasty moves; and finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life – that even when everything seems to be going badly for us we should not lose heart, but always hoping for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.“ or from the same author: “Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill events.”

Charles Buxton: “In life, as in chess, forethought wins.” quoted from https://www.ichess.net/blog/chess-quotes/

Allan Rufus: “Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with IN-SIGHT and knowledge, and by learning the lessons that are accumulated along the way. We become each and every piece within the game called life!”

1. Jeon Hee-Seong’s perception about Janggi and life

What caught my attention is these men have a different mindset than the character from The Pawn’s Revenge. They have a rather optimistic attitude, whereas the former prostitute seems only to see death. It is a dog-eat-dog world, and if you want to survive, then you need to become ruthless as well. This negative attitude is really palpable, if you contrast it to Allan Rufus’ quote. The latter views the game and life as a place, where people gain knowledge through experiences. Thanks to the practice and increasing maturity, the person is capable to change or anticipate the next moves. In other words, with the training, people can make a different decision. Furthermore Benjamin Franklin, who has a similar approach, adds that even bad events should be considered as lessons and as such a source of motivation to improve the situation. Both authors promote hope, whereas the femme fatale advocates disillusion and defeatism. Hence, for the Korean figure, life is perceived as an endless battle and nothing more. This signifies that in her eyes, life contains no happy moment and has nothing to offer. Since she compares it to a constant war, this signifies that only power matters, as it guarantees survival. I would like to point out that EVY confirmed in a tweet that the femme fatale plans to become a king. This truly reveals that for the former prostitute, dominance is her ultimate goal in life. In her mind, strength symbolizes life. Thereby for her, love has no meaning. Moreover, I also think, she doesn’t believe in values like affection, friendship or respect. The evidence for this the following. Note how many times she utilizes the idiom “kill”, while the male authors outline the importance of insight (“insight”, “foresight”, “forethought” “vigilance”) and wisdom (“knowledge”, “knowing”, “insight”). In other words, while Jeon Hee-Seong is focusing more on action (killing), the other players (Franklin, Buxton, Rufus) privilege pondering and reflection. She is already aiming directly at her final goal: removing the former king and replacing him.

Her pessimistic mindset is particularly perceptible, when she describes the role played by the pawn. (chapter 6) In her eyes, it has no value at all (“the most useless”), whereas the protagonist and student Seong-Rok views the soldier differently: (chapter 13). The latter can be influential, but it depends on its position and the way the general uses it. Sense the contrast between these two descriptions outlining her narrow-mindedness in the end.

In my opinion, her words about the soldier truly expose that the femme fatale is acting under the influence of emotions (fear, resentment, greed). She is not just trying to arouse pity in her lover, her description about real world and Janggi reflect her true thoughts: dark, brutal and painful. That’s why the title of this manhwa is also referring to her, and not just to the two protagonists. She is a pawn and desires to get revenge by becoming powerful. Striking is that many famous intellectuals associate revenge to weak people.

Juvenal: “Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind” (Roman poet from 2nd Century AD)

Albert Einstein: “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people forget.”

Since I described Jeong Hee-Seong as disenchanted and pessimistic, I can’t help myself judging the femme fatale as a weak person in the end. She is definitely short-sighted, as she can no longer be moved by genuineness and affection. Besides, in her eyes, love can not procure protection and power. I have the impression, she views affection as a vulnerability. Let’s not forget that she was backstabbed, hence I deduce that she has become immune to loyalty. All this would explain why she manipulates the red-haired innocent man and why she plans to betray him too.

Her desire to become powerful and as such to get rid of her former “colleagues” is stronger than anything else, therefore Lee Seon-Cheol (chapter 1), her husband, Ma Jong-Seok (chapter 18) are removed within a short time. This explicates why the detective Kang Hyeon-Woo suspects her right away. (chapter 8) But why is the femme fatale neglecting reflection, knowledge and foresight in Janggi?

2. The causes for her negative attitude about Janggi and life

From my point of view, the former prostitute has the impression that she knows everything about life. Through her bad experiences, she believes that she has already understood how life works. I would like to point out that Do Seong-Rok got mesmerized by her due to her insight. She could recognize his personality (chapter 16) and his occupation within a few minutes, when they met for the first time. In his eyes, she appeared as an intelligent woman full of wisdom and experiences. This explicates why he listened to her explanations so carefully, when she was about to manipulate him to kill for her. (chapter 16) And that’s how she definitely views herself too.

3. The consequences

But her attitude is the reason why she will fail. First, she has never heard about the concept of “lifelong learning”. Life is always teaching lessons to people till their death. Secondly, she is overestimating her abilities. Because she understands humans due to her observation skills, she believes that her manipulations will always be effective. However, she is misjudging the importance of love and loyalty, as she is just a disillusioned woman. And pieces from Janggi are different from humans, for the latter have emotions and can think on their own. The pieces in the game board will never switch sides and as such betray their general and king. In real life, it is different. People can change. From my perspective, she is diminishing the significance of change. Do Seong-Rok was an obedient puppy, for he imagined that she loved him. However, once she lost her temper (chapter 12) and showed no loyalty towards him (chapter 12), the young man could only recognize that she was lying to him. (chapter 12) She has no idea about Do Seong-Rok’s past experience (the fake promise and abandonment).

To sum up, because she thinks, she knows everything about men and life, in her mind, she no longer needs to gain more insight, and as such be more prudent. For she has internalized that weak people are just pawns that can be easily discarded, she is already viewing her lover Do Seong-Rok as such. For her, he is just a tool, and once he has fulfilled its functions, she can sacrifice him. That’s why she describes him in a very rational way to her second lover officer Ahn. (chapter 11) The red-haired man is perfect for her plan, as his eyes and hands are focused on the game. But what the female character failed to realize is that in Janggi, there exists different pieces: the elephant, the horse, the general/king, the pawns, the chariot and the cannon. Do Seong-Rok is not a pawn in reality.

3. The pieces of Janggi

Striking is that the black-haired woman describes herself as a pawn to her lover Do Seong-Rok. (chapter 6) This means, she portrays herself as vulnerable, implying she needs the protection of a more powerful piece. However, since she gives Do Seong-Rok instructions(chapter 13), this signifies that her true role in Janggi is different. She is the player. Consequently, she is sitting on the one side and takes the pieces. (chapter 6) That’s why I come to the conclusion that in the game itself, she represents the general/king and Do Seong-Rok’s part is to protect her and help her to defeat her opponent. In her eyes, he is her pawn and she is the player. But like I mentioned above, in Korean chess, we have more than just the pawn: the horse, the elephant, the counselor/the guard, the chariot and the cannon (chapter 13). That’s why I tried to identify the killer’s true role in the game board.

3. 1. Do Seong-Rok in the game board

In my opinion, he is the cannon, while his girlfriend is the player. First, since the cannon represents a weapon, it fits Seong-Rok’s role perfectly: he is a killer. Secondly, the cannon in Janggi is the only piece that can jump over other pieces. That’s the reason why it becomes useless, if there are no other pieces to skip over. And this function (jumping over) reminds me of the kidnapping. The killer abducted Lee Je-Oh and Ma Jong-Seok, though the latter was his real target. This kidnapping resembles a lot to jumping over, especially after Lee Je-Oh got spared. And note that the black-haired man is now considered as an ally to the killer. In addition, Do Seong-Rok plans a second abduction: Koo Jeong-Mo. (chapter 13) The moment the protagonist has eliminated all her targets, he will become useless. Consequently, I deduce that when Jeon Hee-Seong plays chess, she is the “king” and Do Seong-Rok is the cannon.

3. 2. Jeon Hee-Seong’s team

As for officer Ahn, I believe, he is her chariot, because he is the one who will procure her connections and power, the moment he becomes a politician. Compare it to the description about the chariot. (chapter 13) Because officer Park is working under officer Ahn, this signifies that he is definitely one of her pieces too: I am inclined to judge him as the horse, though there’s no real guarantee that this is correct. Why? It is, because Park is covering up for Jeon Hee-Seong by giving information to officer Ahn. Besides, the latter mentioned this: (chapter 11). “Some of my guys” is a reference to the lieutenant Park. And remember that the role of the horse is to create a bridge for the cannon. Let’s not forget that Park Gwang-Soo is not really trying to investigate the whole matter, as the victims are all involved in the red-light-district. A real investigation would lead to unveil the corruption among Mijeong police.

I have to admit that I am not very familiar with Janggi, hence my comparison could be lacking. EVY😉😘 might even correct my interpretations, since she has always read my essays and given me information. But one thing is sure. Though the former prostitute calls herself a pawn, she is definitely not acting like one. That’s why she abandons her boyfriend Do Seong-Rok. He is now on his own, since he didn’t follow her instructions correctly, though later she tries to diminish her words by renewing her previous promise: she would ensure to save him. (chapter 12) The beginning of the alienation between the red-haired man and his girlfriend is important, because this announces the creation of a third party. While the head manager of Hongok-Dong Red Light District jumps to the false conclusion that Jeon Hee-Seong represents the third party, he is not realizing that she is just trying to replace the first team. Jeon Hee-Seong plans to maintain the collaboration between Mijeong police and the red light district, yet the involved parties will be changed.

3. 3. The first team

As the victims represent different pieces of the Janggi, this means that they are embodying a team. Koo is the horse, Ma is the elephant, Choi the guard and Lee Soon-Cheol the pawn. However, two pieces are missing in this team: the chariot and the cannon. Since the the head manager of Hongok-Dong Red Light District meets officer Ahn in order to beg for his support(chapter 11), this signifies that Ahn has been working for this team too. In my opinion, he plays the same role than in the other team: he is the chariot. As for the cannon, I will unveil his identity below. But since we have a whole team, this signifies that there’s a general. Consequently, there exists someone behind the victims, the king and player of the game board. To sum up, Jeon Hee-Seong is playing against a person, whose identity has not been revealed yet. How ironic is that when I was writing this essay, the special episode confirmed my theory: The “not yet” is the player using Koo Jeong-Mo and the others as his pieces. Jeon Hee-Seong entered the game and started a war against the first team. She could win over officer Ahn by appealing to his feelings. She revealed the injustice she was exposed too. That’s why Ahn asks Koo Jeong-Moo about the reason for targeting him. (chapter 11) Ahn could understand her motivation. However, she disguises from him that she is stimulated by her greed and ambition too.

3. 4. Do Seong-Rok’s future team

The irony is that the moment Do Seong-Rok took an initiative, his role in the board game got affected. Though Jeon Hee-Seong gave him instructions, she never gave him any concrete indication how to remove her enemies. In other words, the protagonist was more than just a cannon. Striking is that in the beginning, the male prostitute associated him to a god (chapter 2) and a grim reaper, and this connection is no coincidence. This exposes that Do Seong-Rok became himself a player, when he started acting on his girlfriend’s behalf. He had to ponder how to approach and attack his victims. Hence in my eyes, the main lead represents a king/general too.

That’s why we see him facing Jeon Hee-Seong in chapter 6. Note that she asked him to kill in her name and if he did, he would be able to remain by her side. (chapter 6) It was, as if with the killing, he would go to her side, as in that scene he was facing her.

From my point of view, this scene in chapter 6 is important, as it somehow announces that they will become rivals and fight against each other. One might argue, the fact that the killer was sitting in front of his girlfriend is just random and has no real signification. Nevertheless, I would like to point out that right in the beginning, the murderer placed people like on a board game. For me, this is another clue that Do Seong-Rok is not just a cannon, but a player himself. (chapter 1). It was, as if he was observing a game and predicting moves. Furthermore, he observed Lee Je-Oh for a long time and questioned his role in this team. This truly shows that the main lead was pondering a lot. I would like the readers to keep in mind the advices given from the chess players: foresight, forethought, prudence and vigilance. Moreover, there exists a interrogation point in the image of the male prostitute, which shows that the main character was thinking about Lee Je-Oh’s role in that game. Furthermore, the former could impose himself through his strength in front of Lee Je-Oh. (chapter 12) The latter made the mistake to overestimate his situation and his skills. He imagined with his observation skills and schemes he could prove his superiority and loyalty, but the red-haired protagonist punished him for his “betrayal” and “arrogance”. The red-haired man embodies physical power and is the final authority. Finally, if you observe the way Do seong-Rok taught his new ally Lee Je-Oh about the game, you’ll sense that their position reflects the actual situation: they are sitting on the same side in front of the game. (chapter 13) which contrasts so much to the scene with the former prostitute in episode 6. Since Lee Je-Oh is giving advice to the young criminal (like not leaving any evidence (chapter 13) or not answering Jeon’s calls, I view him as a guard and counsellor. At the same time, he is offering his help to capture the pimp Koo. Hence I consider him as Do Seong-Rok’s horse too. As you can observe, the red-haired man and his lover will play different roles in Janggi. However, right now the two main characters are still working for the femme fatale, but it is only a matter of time, until they build their own team and work for their own survival and ultimate goal.

Besides, let’s not forget that I have already predicted a revolution (chapter 1) from the male prostitute, for the latter has still a strong sense of justice. He has never forgotten the victims of Ma Jong-Seok. (chapter 18) And strangely, Benjamin Franklin was also involved in American Revolution:

“War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is. Revolution is when you decide that for yourself”. (Benjamin Franklin)

With this quote, it becomes obvious that at some point, Do Seong-Rok will realize that his girlfriend is no angel either and the so-called bad guys (Koo, Ma, Lee and Choi) aren’t the only ones responsible for the existence of the Red Light District. (chapter 8)

3. 5 The special role played by the lieutenant Kang Hyeon-Woo

This is the only character I haven’t mentioned so far. However, I believe, he will play a major key role in the story. Why do I think so? My reasoning is that the young police officer doesn’t belong to any team. He represents a source of danger for officer Ahn, hence the latter got worried, when he heard about his presence. (chapter 11) According to his reaction, the manhwaphiles can deduce that the detective has lived himself in the city before moving out to Seoul. In other words, he is coming back to Mijeong and is determined to remove corruption in the city and police. Since Player 1 (Not Yet) will be aware that officer Ahn has already sided with Jeon Hee-Seong, there’s no doubt that he will try to use Kang Hyeon-Woo to target Jeon Hee-Seong and her helpers. An investigation about the murders in the city is definitely necessary for the player 1. However, since the lieutenant chose to leave the city in the past, this signifies that he suffered himself some injustice in the past and as such was a victim of the king from team 1. Therefore Kang Hyeon-Woo has to ensure that he needs to unveil the whole truth.

Simultaneously, I have the impression that Do Seong-Rok and Lee Je-Oh might use the detective for their own advantage too. Let’s not forget that Ahn judges the lieutenant as a threat. (chapter 11) It is even possible that the femme fatale decides to use the detective for her benefit too, when she believes that it’s time to get rid of Do Seong-Rok. That’s why I believe, the detective will be the lose cannon in the board game. From my perspective, each time they will try to take advantage of his desire for truth and justice in order to divert the attention from their own crimes and wrongdoings.

And now, it is time to summarize the discoveries/interpretations I made about the different teams:

Player/General	Not Yet	Jeon Hee-Seong	Do Seong-Rok
Horse	Koo Jeong-Mo	Park Gwang-Soo	Lee Je-Oh
Elephant	Ma Jong-Seok	?
Guard/counselor	Choi Yeong-Gil	?	Lee Je-Oh
Chariot	? (Officer Ahn)	Officer Ahn
Cannon	(Kang Hyeon-Woo)	Do Seong-Rok (Kang Hyeon-Woo)	Do Seong-Rok (Kang Hyeon-Woo)
Pawn	Lee Seon-Chool	Lee Je-Oh (lure Koo)

As you can notice, the team members can definitely switch sides and the characters can play different roles in the board game. From my perspective, the readers will witness the rise of Lee Je-Oh, his influence over Do Seong-Rok will keep increasing.

I am predicting this due to the character’s personality: he is observant, intelligent and can react quickly to new situations. Therefore he can anticipate moves from the others. As a conclusion, both original pawns, Do Seong-Rok and Lee Je-Oh, will take revenge on the persons responsible for their suffering. That’s why EVY chose this picture as an illustration for her story: And at the end, they will “destroy” this world, just like in the picture. Their reason is simple. They are not aiming at gaining power and wealth. For them, freedom and love matter more.

PS: Dear @EVY, if there are some errors, you can notify me. I tried to fill the blanks.

Painter Of The Night: “Happiness” (second version)

June 29, 2021July 15, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 2 Comments

This is where you can read the manhwas. Doctor Frost: https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371 Painter of The Night: https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/painter But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents: https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/04/table-of-contents-painter-of-the-night/

It would be great if you could make some donations/sponsoring: Ko-fi.com/bebebisous33 That way, you can support me with “coffee” so that I have the energy to keep examining manhwas. Besides, I need to cover up the expenses for this blog.

Unlike the other essays, this won’t be very long, because I would like to focus on Byeonduck’s words about the protagonists. When she was asked if Seungho and Na-Kyum could ever be happy, she replied this:

“In their own way, why not?”

Many readers were bothered by her words, as they had the impression that the author was implying that they would get separated ways due to the expression “their own way”. Moreover, her idiom implied that the main lead wouldn’t be able to procure happiness to the other and the reverse. With her answer, the Painter Of The Night’s stans had the feeling that this story could have a rather tragic ending… especially if they are not together. There’s no doubt that the majority desperately wants to have a happy ending.

One of the reasons why her reply was so open and mysterious is understandable. If she had revealed the ending, the tension and anticipation would have been lost. However, while reading Doctor Frost, I realized one important aspect, which would explain why Byeonduck would say such a thing. When the teenager Yeonshik, who suffered the Seowol catastrophe, was about to leave the mental institution, Doctor Frost gave him the following advices: (chapter 149). This means, this terrible incident with these painful memories will always be a part of his life and he will always have to fight to find the right balance. That’s why he describes the patient’s life as a long journey , where the figure has to find a way to overcome his trauma. (chapter 149) As you can see, a patient suffering from flashbacks and PTSD is on his own in the end, the psychologist can only give him support, advice and comfort, but in the end Yeonshik is the one who has to work on himself and find the right balance.

And since both main leads from Painter Of The Night have been exposed to coercive persuasion and traumatic incidents, both are suffering from PTSD. Besides, I had already portrayed Yoon Seungho as someone suffering from Dependent Personality Disorder too. In other words, both main leads have mental and emotional scars and issues. And this leads me to the following conclusion: we have to imagine that at the end of the story, Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum will never be people without any issues. Both will never forget their past, however they will find a way to overcome the trauma. In other words, this won’t end with: They lived happily ever after. No, since this story is quite realistic, when it comes to mental issues, I have the impression, Yoon Seungho’s mental issues won’t entirely vanish. However, there’s no ambiguity that he will find a way to keep the right balance. The lord will shine in the future as a Phoenix, but he is a human after all, hence he will always be vulnerable. The lord will find his happiness, when he sees Baek Na-Kyum smile because of him. (chapter 63) But note that it took the lord a long time to recognize and externalize this thought. And so far, the painter has still no idea what truly makes him happy.

That’s why the two characters will have to figure out what can them make happy. I am sure that Yoon Seungho will have other wishes in order to enjoy life. Each of them have to overcome their issues and past differently.

But I have another explanation for Byeonduck’s words and it is related to Mahatma Gandhi:

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.”

Striking is that until the end of the second season, the painter’s words and thoughts are still not in harmony. He is still hiding his true emotions (chapter 74) and thoughts (chapter 74) from his lover. (chapter 75) He might have asked for his help in chapter 76, yet it was a spontaneous and natural gesture. But once he starts thinking with his mind, the closeness won’t remain. There’s no doubt that the painter is still afraid to admit his attraction and affection to Yoon Seungho. The negative image of sex, influenced by Jung In-Hun and Heena noona, has not been entirely removed. Furthermore, Yoon Seungho never revealed to the artist that he knows now about the kidnapping. He detained information from his lord Na-Kyum. That’s why I deduce that the painter and the aristocrat will have to discover on their own that for happiness, they must be open and truthful to themselves and to their partner. A white lie, lie by omission or a silence can have devastating consequences.

As a conclusion, I am expecting that the manhwaphiles shouldn’t expect a happy ending like in fairy tales, even if the author drew such images. Yoon Seungho will always have mental issues, but at the end he won’t let his traumas take control of his life anymore. Yet this doesn’t mean either that this story will have a tragic ending due the expression “in their own way”. Both protagonists have to recognize that first, they need to liberate themselves from their past and traumas. Yoon Seungho is still suffering from partial memory loss due to his huge traumas. However, thanks to the painter who creates good memories for the noble, the latter is slowly recovering from his amnesia. This is important, for it signifies that Yoon Seungho is regaining his identity and as such returning to his old self. But by slowly remembering his past, he is getting the chance to discover the truth about the causes for his misery. Little by little, Yoon Seungho is realizing the butler’s betrayal and abandonment, (chapter 77) just like he is now remembering that lord Song is responsible for his martyrdom. (Chapter 59) Compare the lord’s attitude in season 1. (chapter 37) So far, he only blamed the father. Sure, in season 3, he still reproaches the father‘s responsibility, but observe that his blame is more related to the Yoon Chang-Hyeon‘s bad choices. (Chapter 86) He trusted the wrong people, in other words, he sensed that his father had been misguided. This explicates why he blames the father for the absence of his critical thinking. (Chapter 86) He never pondered on the question how the tragedy could occur. He was simply satisfied with the easiest solution: Yoon Seungho was responsible for this. This conversation is important, as it actually outlines how different the lord is from his own father. At the end of season 3, Baek Na-Kyum asked his lover this: (chapter 102) How come that he left his side? For the main lead, it sounded like a blame, while in reality, it was a question. By asking Yoon Seungho this, he is pushing the lord to investigate the matter. Discovering the truth is relevant, for it will reveal that Yoon Seungho’s crime had been planned all along!! He was incited to kill people, thus he had the sword in the hand. And since the situation mirrors the past, the main lead will slowly unveil the truth about his own past. Now, you are probably wondering how this is related to happiness. The answer is simple. As long as the protagonist is trapped in the past, he could never become happy. He couldn’t simply move on. But by leaving everything behind, he makes a clean start, and he is forced to rely on himself and as such to trust himself, if he wants to take care of the painter properly. (Chapter 102) That’s the reason why the author said that they will find happiness on their own.

On the other hand, Baek Na-Kyum needs to realize that only honesty can lead him to happiness. He allows others to rule his life. (chapter 74) At the end of the second season, Heena noona’s influence is still palpable. In that aspect, Yoon Seungho is much further than the artist, as the lord is no longer in denial about his love for Baek Na-Kyum. Yet, at the end of season 3, Baek Na-Kyum makes a similar experience. He recognizes that his sister has been manipulating him in order to achieve her goal. (Chapter 97) Furthermore, because he listened to the ghost Jung In-Hun and the comments from the staff, he fell into the trap set by Min. Once facing Black Heart, he got aware of the deception right away. (Chapter 99) In other words, due to the last tragic incident, he experienced that he should mistrust people’s words. He shouldn’t take their statement as face-value. This is important, for the artist is learning to become more and more independent. His critical thinking is developing. As you can observe, both main leads have to find their own way to become happy. But they can only become happy, if they discover the truth and as such their past. Thus I am deducing that Yoon Chang-Hyeon will never find happiness, for he never tried to discover who was behind the bad reputation of the Yoons. This explicates why he is repeating the same mistakes from the past in season 3. He still trusts valet Kim.

I hope, this essay gives a satisfying answer to the manhwaphiles worried about the future evolution and ending of this terrific and unique manhwa.

The Pawn’s revenge: “Femme fatale”🔞

June 23, 2021June 24, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

As you can imagine, in this essay, I’ll focus on Jeon Hee-Seong corresponding perfectly to the portrait of “femme fatale”. But what does it mean? The idiom comes from French and means “lethal/deadly woman”. In addition, if the manhwaphiles look up, this is what they will find:

Femme fatale: a woman who is very attractive in a mysterious way, usually leading men into danger or causing their destruction quoted from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/femme-fatale

To sum up, a femme fatale is a sexually attractive woman who uses her female body as a weapon to defeat her male opponents exposing them to danger and their own destruction. However, the characters are not realizing their own situation, and when they become aware of her true nature, it is already too late for them.

Their fate is already sealed: death. Striking is that a synonym for femme fatale is siren. Why? It is related to the famous Greek story “Odysseus” from Homer, where the sirens tried to lure the protagonist Ulysses and his sailors to their death with their beautiful singing. With their voice, they would incite the sailors to jump into the sea so that the latter would drown.

Jeon Hee-Seong: a new version of the siren from Odysseus

And this leads me to the following observation. A femme fatale is not just seducing men with her sex appeal, but also with her voice and words. In “The Pawn’s revenge” Jeon Hee-Seong is even presented as a siren, when she asks her lover to kill for her sake. (chapter 6) Note how she manipulates him. First, she diminishes her own position. (chapter 6) She is just a pawn, mistreated by men. Besides, they are living in a dog-eat-dog world, hence it is necessary to become ruthless, if they want to survive. (chapter 6) As she is powerless, she needs his help. Alone, she won’t be able to change her position. And with her description, she achieves to move the protagonist’s heart. He is willing to dirty his hands, if it signifies that he will be able to remain by her side. With her request, she is implying that he will find happiness by her side. Nonetheless, the innocent man is still hesitating, thereby he would like a confirmation from her. They will be together, if he follows her suggestion. Yet, she doesn’t answer to his question directly. As the manhwaphiles can detect, a femme fatale is strongly connected to the fake vow of pleasure and enjoyment.

“The femme fatale entices, promises and eludes. […] [She] fascinates with her beauty and the inherent promise of happiness […]. At the same time, however, she is perceived as threatening. The danger emanates from the sexuality embodied in her and the involvement in a story full of intrigue.” quoted from Carola Hilmes, Die Femme fatale. Ein Weiblichkeitstypus in der nachromantischen Literatur. Stuttgart 1990“. (translated by me)

In my eyes, the former prostitute’s argumentation resembles to the beautiful singing of the sirens. And when the femme fatale grabs his hand (chapter 6), it was, as if a siren was grabbing the innocent man’s hand in order to drag him into the sea and as such into the darkness. (chapter 6) Moreover, observe the position of her legs, it definitely reminds us of a siren, as her legs resemble to a fishtail. Moreover, if I include the following panel, this perception gets reinforced. Her hair on the bed makes me think of hair under water. Sure, in this panel, she appears in Do Seong-Rok’s nightmare. However, we have to imagine that this situation truly happened. The main lead is realizing in his sleep that he has been tempted and is now in danger. This scene represents a turning point in Do Seong-Rok’s life, as he is slowly recognizing that his lover won’t keep her vow: she would save him, if he needed assistance. He wanted her to become his safety net and comfort. (chapter 16) And now, if you connect this promise with the siren’s temptation, you’ll realize what the abandonment signifies in truth: he will drown and die. He will lose his life and soul.

2. A siren without eyes

But let’s return our attention to the picture from chapter 6. Her mysterious appearance is reinforced with the absence of her eyes. In this picture, the protagonist got scared, as he was sensing that the beautiful woman was not like she appeared to be. For me, the black background and the absence of her eyes makes her look like a seductive monster. Simultaneously, it also reveals her fakeness, for the gaze is perceived as the mirror of the soul. Therefore, the panel illustrates that the character without eyes has in reality her own agenda. On the other hand, her words represent a warning, because they are actually reflecting reality. Notice the contrast between the expression “look at the state” and the absence of Jeon Hee-Seong’s eyes. Since there exists no gaze, it means that the main lead can’t see his own reflection in her eyes. With her words, he is reminded that he should use his own eyes in order to recognize his true state and feelings. He shouldn’t rely on the reflection of her gaze. And now, you understand why the killer got scared. For the first time, he was seeing his true self: he was a murderer due to her manipulations. Yet, in chapter 6, he is still in denial after the nightmare. That’s the reason why he rejects Lee Je-Oh’s offer to be his ally. (chapter 6)

This shows that the former prostitute could seduce the young and naïve man with her deceptive gaze, like the readers could witness it in this picture. She gave him the impression that she was admiring him, she would love him. Hence EVY drew such an image: while making love to her, the main lead could see a very positive image about himself. He imagined that he was seeing affection in her gaze and facial expressions (blushing), while in truth it was just a sexual reaction. Consequently, I deduce that a femme fatale is using her eyes to manipulate her preys and victims. The men are projecting their own emotions and desires onto the femme fatale. Moreover, this projection is often linked to fear. The male characters fear that they might lose control of the situation. That’s why officer Ahn gets nervous and doubts her relationship with Do Seong-Rok. (chapter 11) They are puppets of the femme fatale. This angst is truly palpable in chapter 6. Do Seong-Rok got scared, because before he had met detectives looking for Lee Je-Oh, Ma Jong-Seok and Choi Yeong-Gil and couldn’t get in touch with his lover. He felt totally vulnerable. He needed her presence in order to stay calm and find a solution to his problem: the existence of a witness.

3. Victim or perpetrator?

After reading the first two parts of this analysis, the readers have the impression that this is just a rhetorical question, because the answer seems evident. A femme fatale is a perpetrator. However, in truth this is far more complex. Let me give you an example. The first famous femme fatale is Eva. Why? It is, because after listening to the snake, Eva encouraged Adam to eat the apple from the Tree of knowledge. In other words, she “seduced” him to commit a sin. Since the original sin is perceived as a metaphor for sexuality, the woman will lure men thanks to her beautiful body. This explicates why during the Middle-Age, Church looked down on women, as they were judged as the descendant of Eva. In the clergy’s eyes, they were responsible for the eviction of paradise. That’s the reason why from 1450 to 1750, many women were condemned as witches. All the different Churches (Protestant, Catholic, eg.) saw in the female body a source of witchcraft. Let’s not forget that women can give birth and procreation was very mysterious to people back then. That’s why this is no coincidence that the former prostitute calls herself a witch. (chapter 16) Yet, if you pay attention to Eva’s role, she was herself a victim, for she listened to the snake and got tempted to eat the fruit.

3. 1. Jeon Hee-Seong: the snake or Eva?

In the manhwa, this character is compared to a snake, a symbol for evil and sin. This comparison seems to be correct due to her behavior in chapter 6 and 16. Striking is that in this image, the femme fatale seems to be associated to the Tree of knowledge, for she is hidden by the plant. It gives the feeling, both have somehow connected, as if she came from the plant. Here, she is explaining him about the game, a metaphor for the real world. They are living in a ruthless world, where the weak ones will get killed (social Darwinism). Since she is teaching him her knowledge, she appears to be the snake. On the other hand, if the manhwaphiles remember the detective’s words, they will realize that Jeon Hee-Seong became a prostitute, because she was forced. (chapter 9) Imagine, she had to sell her body, yet she would never be able to escape from this “chicken farm”, for the debts would always keep increasing. Koo Jeong-Mo calls her a snake, but he is a hypocrite. He might have not killed her, nevertheless he did something terrible to her. (chapter 11) He justifies his crime by saying that he just attempted to run his business. Just like his foe, he is diminishing his sin. On the other hand, his words truly outline his immorality and wrongdoing. If it was not murder, then what did he do to her? He calls her a snake, because she betrayed him. However, he was the one who backstabbed her first. There’s no doubt that she was forced to marry Choi Yeong-Gil, a violent man. (chapter 9) The former pimp suspects her for being the mastermind behind the murders. Nevertheless, the manhwalovers should keep in mind that she is his competitor too. She is now running her own business. If she was caught and accused, he would get rid of his rival. Since he backstabbed her in the past, it truly exposes that his comparison is only partially correct. As the former prostitute is not just a perpetrator, but also a victim, I come to the conclusion that the female character resembles more to Eva than to the snake.

4. A comparison of femmes fatales

I came to this aspect after looking for other “femmes fatales”. So far, I compared the figure from The Pawn’s revenge with persons from the bible and Odysseus. Both stories are very old. This is the list of “femmes fatales” I selected, though I could mention more:

Carmen from Prosper Mérimée (19th Century)
Nana from Emile Zola (End of 19th Century)
Madame de Merteuil from “Dangerous liaisons” written by Choderlos de Laclos (18th Century)
Lulu from Frank Wedekind (the theater plays are called: Earth Spirit and Pandora’s box) – End of 19th/Begin of 20th Century
Brigid O’Shaughnessy from The Maltese Falcone written by Dashiell Hammett (20th Century)

4. 1. Vulnerability and Dependency

What do have these women in common? They are all weak and powerless. Vulnerability doesn’t necessarily mean that they are all poor. Madame de Merteuil belongs to old aristocracy and is as such wealthy. Brigid O’ Shaughnessy isn’t truly poor either. However, they are all living in a world ruled by hypocrite and violent men. I would even say that these female figures are all trapped. They have either no rights or are still caught in the past. Madame de Merteuil asks Vicomte de Valmont, her confident, to get revenge on her behalf. She wants to humiliate an ex-lover who has decided to marry someone who stands in opposition to Madame de Merteuil’s personality: chaste and innocent. The Marquise is well aware that her former lover is actually following social norms. Women shouldn’t feel sexual pleasure and should be submissive to their spouse. As you can see, the female noble hates her condition. As a woman, she is not able to live freely, as she has to rely on men. Furthermore, she has to hide her true self from others in order to maintain her good reputation. A woman’s reputation was vital back then. That’s why she seduces men in the end. With her sex appeal, she feels powerful and independent. At the same time, through her unusual behavior, she is able to fascinate men. However, none of her ex-lovers desire to break taboo, except her friend Vicomte de Valmont, for her sex partners will always choose social norms (faithful wife etc.)

And if you compare her to Jeon Hee-Seong, you’ll notice the similarities. The latter wants to break free too. She would like to become truly independent, that’s why she is just using Do Seong-Rok, though she is well aware of his innocent and genuine side. She behaves exactly like Brigid. Both are women trying to make her way through a world run by ruthless, vicious men. So maybe manipulating is the only trick up their sleeve that they can use to survive this masculine, aggressive society. The only huge difference is that the Korean woman is using truth to manipulate her lover. (chapter 16) Note that she announces to the future criminal that she will be ruthless, selfish and she might even betray him in order to achieve her goal. To sum up, she is more paltering than lying by commission.

Then by comparing these femmes fatales, I recognized another pattern. Carmen, Nana and Lulu are powerless, as they belong to the lowest social class. Nana and Lulu are even prostitutes. Nana was somehow neglected and abandoned by her parents. She even ended up becoming a teenager mother. The famous French novelist wanted to outline through his main character that heredity and social circumstances would predestine her to become a femme fatale. She learnt through harsh experiences that sex is the power of the poor and weak. Once she discovered that she could use sensuality and erotic in order to get admiration and money, she internalized this rule. Nana was not truly calculative, as she kept making debts, while driving men to their death or ruin. She could no longer change her way of life. And Lulu had also a similar fate. The only huge difference is that she got married thanks to her backer. Lulu was married off to two men in turn by Dr. Schön, her mentor and lover. Both husbands tried to mold her in their image, and due to Lulu’s affairs, they both died. Lulu shot Dr. Schön and lived in Paris and London with his son Alwa, a writer. She began to sell her body again and ended up falling victim to the serial killer Jack the ripper. Note that the marriage doesn’t offer any liberty and protection to Lulu. Her husbands tried to form her. They projected their own desires and expectations onto her. This was the same case for Madame de Merteuil and Carmen. All the men in these stories expect from the femme fatale to be faithful, caring, genuine and loyal, while at the same time, they try to maintain their reputation intact. Schön was Lulu’s lover, yet he tried to marry a honorable daughter. As you can see, he felt that Lulu was not proper enough to become his wife.

This projection of sexual desires is quite recurrent. Therefore it is not surprising that officer Ahn questions her relationship to the killer. (chapter 11) He would like her to be faithful. There’s no ambiguity that he considers himself as her real partner. Yet, I don’t think that she is with him, because she is in love with him. She is treating him as her ally and support, as long as he helps her to get powerful and rich. Let’s not forget that he is trying to become a politician. I had already perceived the Korean prostitute as someone who was trying to climb the social ladder. For her, freedom means being powerful and wealthy. But she wants to be independent. And this interpretation was confirmed by the author herself. She told me that Jeon Hee-Seong desired to become a king!

Furthermore, there exists another parallel with Lulu. Jeon Hee-Seong was also imprisoned in her marriage. Not only she was forced to marry her violent husband, but also she couldn’t escape from this abusive relationship. Lulu kills herself her second husband Schön, while the latter tried to pressure her to commit suicide. Brigid also got rid of her “enemies”. Only death can liberate them. And this leads me to the following statement: their body might be used as a weapon, but not all of these femmes fatales are willing and capable to dirty their own hands. The Eva from “The Pawn’s revenge” prefers to delegate this to her lover. There’s a reason for that: it is more difficult to prove her culpability. Furthermore, she won’t feel remorse, as she was not directly involved.

4.2. The reason behind the existence of femmes fatales

The femme fatale is often connected to emancipation of women. The works from the 18th and 19th Century expose the conflict between sex drive and social constraints. At the same time, all the stories outline the hypocrisy of society and its patriarchalism. Men are allowed to have affairs, but for women it is out of question. I doubt that officer Ahn is single and intents to marry the former prostitute. They meet at a hotel, which represents a clue that they have more a sexual relationship than just a partnership. However, the problem is that all these women have learned that they need to act like men in order to survive: ruthless, selfish and immoral. None of them are able to recognize true love due to their sexual experiences. Consequently, I think that even if they are manipulative, these women shouldn’t be judged as entirely calculative. They are still led by their impulses. Therefore Nana keeps making debts, Lulu can’t stop having affairs and Madame de Merteuil ruins her only ally and accomplice due to her jealousy.

And now you comprehend why the Korean femme fatale used Do Seong-Rok. His innocence, his selflessness and empathy made him the perfect tool for her goal. At the same time, she is overlooking the male prostitute Lee Je-Oh. Since none of her targets has ever resisted her, she can’t imagine that Do Seong-Rok will distance himself from her.

4. 3. Their fate

And now, it is time to conclude this essay. The final common point of these femmes fatales is that they are all doomed to fail. This is particularly perceptible in the theater plays from Wedekind, the spectators can witness the rise and downfall of the protagonist. And if you compare their fate, you’ll notice that they all end in tragedy:

Carmen and Lulua get killed
Nana and Madame Merteuil become ill and lose their beauty. Nana even dies at the end. Madame de Merteuil is forced to go into exile.
Brigid O’Shaughnessy is delivered to the police.

Since Ma Jong-Seok told Lee Je-Oh, he would eventually get some STD, it is possible that the femme fatale could face such an adversity. Moreover, the detective Kang Hyeon-Woo is already suspecting her and the latter is not corrupt, it is possible that she gets arrested, for officer Ahn was not able to protect her or even abandoned her. The final possibility is that she gets murdered, as she represents a witness and accomplice of Do Seong-Rok’s crimes. While examining her, I recognized another pattern: her scenes contrasts to Lee Je-Oh’s. In chapter 6, the manhwaphiles discover how she persuaded the red-haired man to dirty his hand, and in the same episode the male prostitute has a similar behavior. He is attempting to seduce Do Seong-Rok with his words and body. He even suggests to become his ally. And this observation truly reinforces my former statement: Jeon Hee-Seong and Lee Je-Oh will become rivals. One thing is sure: because the former prostitute is a femme fatale, she won’t get what she truly wants.

“Who are you?” The significance of Masks in manhwas 👺 (second version)

June 21, 2021March 20, 2024 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

Be aware that most of the manhwas I am using as illustrations are mature Yaois, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwas.

BJ Alex / Dine with A Vampire / The Beast Must Die / Legs That Won’t Walk / My Suha / Painter Of The Night / Legs That Won’t Walk / The Blood Of Madam Giselle / The pawn’s Revenge / Unintentional Love Story are on https://www.lezhinus.com/
ENNEAD https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/ennead-mature
Under The Green Light: https://tapas.io/series/under-the-green-light
True Beauty: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/truebeauty/list?title_no=1436
Doctor Frost: https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371

Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about these manhwas: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

In this essay, I won’t examine a certain manhwa very closely, but I will focus on the mask, its different forms and functions in manhwas. Yet, the highlight of this analysis will be BJ Alex. Now, you are probably wondering why I picked such a topic. While reading these stories, I often noticed the presence of a mask, though it was only palpable through the mind’s eye and not to the eye. The reason for their presence is quite simple. The use of mask is strongly intertwined with the protagonists and identity quest. Therefore there is this question in the title: “Who are you?” Many characters are using a mask to hide their true personality or thoughts from their counterpart. Before starting to study the different types of masks and their utilization in the different manhwas, it is important to look at the definition of mask.

“Mask: a form of disguise or concealment usually worn over or in front of the face to hide the identity of a person and by its own features to establish another being. quoted from https://www.britannica.com/art/mask-face-covering

1. Mask and acting

As you can note, the mask is related to acting, but also to protection. That’s why in certain cultures, during religious ceremonies the priest will wear a mask, for he will represent the deity or the spirit the participants are asking for help or protection. This is no coincidence that in the theater of ancient Greece, the actors were wearing masks too. They had two reasons for this. First, women were not allowed to play a role, so a man had to take over their part. Secondly, by covering their faces, they would hide and protect their true identity. In other words, the mask in a religious ceremony and in a theater play ensures that the spectators are not confusing the identities. They have to distinguish between the seem and real, and as such between the person behind the disguise and the character represented. In other words, the viewers are asked to accept that the people covered with a mask are not representing themselves, but a different person: a god or a character.

2. Mask as protection

As for the protection, I could use as an illustration the mask put on the mummy in the sarcophagus. It was to protect the deceased in the afterlife. And these two functions (hiding the identity and protection) have not changed at all nowadays. That’s why we have in BJ Alex, the main lead Ahn Jiwon hiding his face with a mask, while he is following his ex-lover. (chapter 55) He doesn’t want to be recognized, but more importantly he is determined to hide his true feelings from Nam Dong-Gyun, for he believes that he has no chance to be his lover again. Moreover, during the Corona pandemic, people are requested to wear a mask in order to stop the contamination.

3. The use of a real mask

3. 1 A necessity or a desire?

To sum up, the person behind the mask would like to cover his/her identity or his/her true personality, implying that this person will play a role, while the mask will serve as a shield too. This explicates why in The Beast Must Die, the protagonist hides his ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) from others. If people knew that he was a psychopath, he would get isolated. His parents are already very distant with him, for they view him as a monster. Due this experience (he killed a dog and his mother caught him), he got aware that he was not allowed to act on his urges. For him, the mask is a necessity, as he is living in society. He doesn’t want to end up in jail. But is it the same for Nameless from Painter Of The Night?

The criminal puts on his mask, when he decides to kill the vicious servant. (chapter 54) He is switching his identity to become a killer. In this panel, the manhwaphiles see the transformation of the figure, as his face is already half-covered. He is no longer a joker, but not the ruthless murderer yet. However, when he kills the servant, he has the cover on. (chapter 54) By putting a mask, he is protecting himself too, for he is acting as someone else, therefore his heart can’t be wounded. In this case, it is more a desire, though in truth it is a combination of both. The “butcher” has to hide his true identity. So when he wears his mask in chapter 44, he is doing his job. He won’t be recognized, but also he won’t feel remorse. He has been paid for that and the mask is helping him not to get emotionally invested. On the other hand when Jihwa met him in chapter 51, the manhwalovers could perceive the low-born’s true personality which coincides with the absence of the mask. In that episode, he was literally naked in front of the noble, which explicates why he showed concern and care for his client. He let the noble express his worries. Let’s not forget that the jester is a person with a pure heart, when he is true to himself. Hence I come to the conclusion that the mask serves as a protection for the criminal’s mind and heart. And now, you comprehend why Nameless didn’t feel remorse for hurting the painter. According to me, in this scene, it was Kim who was scaring the painter. (chapter 66) This is important, because the mask had two purposes here: to hide the identity of the perpetrator, but also to slip into a role, No-Name’s, the assassin. The main lead’s face was covered and turned around. At no moment, the “butcher” could see the victim’s gaze and facial expressions. The mask helped him to be ruthless, while he threatened Baek Na-Kuym. He might feel pity, but that was it. (chapter 66) In that scene, the manhwaphiles thought that they were seeing Mumyeong, hence they imagined that Jihwa’s safety meant more than the artist’s life and possible scars. But if you take my theory seriously, this was Kim, then the words from the butler had a different meaning. He was hiding his action behind the nobles. Only after paying attention to the mask, I realized the existence of two masks. (Chapter 61) (chapter 61) Smiling mask versus threatening mask. The presence of two masks explicates why No-Name had the impression that after the painter’s return nothing bad had really happened. He was not aware of the butler‘s wrongdoings. Simultaneously, since the artist had not been killed, No-Name imagined that he had done nothing wrong. (Chapter 61) Hence the existence of the Joker’s mask outlines the criminal’s duality. He can be a ruthless killer, yet he can be gentle and caring too. At the same time, it implies the presence of a biased view.

But let’s return our attention to the scene, when Nameless stands up in order to eliminate the vicious servant. Putting the mask had another purpose in that scene as well. It was to scare Deok-Jae. And note that in that moment the domestic got paralyzed, when he saw No-Name putting his mask and approaching him. Observe the divergence between the two panels from chapter 54. When Deok-Jae recognizes the seriousness of his situation, the mask is covering the low-born’s chin. Scaring an enemy was another function of the mask in real History. Greek, Roman or Japanese soldiers would wear one in order to instigate fear in their opponents. The mask gave their enemy the impression that they were not fighting men, but demons. As you can see, it was to disguise their true nature.

3. 2. The mask: a source of power and magic

And this leads me to the following observation: the mask in different cultures is often associated to supernatural powers. When a shaman wears one, he can chase evil spirits, cure illness, predict events etc… it was, as if the cover contained divine powers. Hence this is not surprising that in ENNEAD, the god Seth loses his mask (chapter 73), the moment he is deprived of his powers. It was, as if he became a human. This is particularly perceptible, when he accepts the judgement of Maat and says this. Striking is that in this panel, the mask doesn’t appear as a source of advantage, rather as a hindrance. He couldn’t see and hear the consequences of his crimes due to the mask. He was blind and deaf. By removing his mask, he becomes human and can face reality: he is facing his sins and the suffering of his victims, their wounded soul.

This leads me to the following conclusion, Seth chose to hide his pain under his mask. He acted as a terrible god, for he had lost his own identity. When Seth discovered that everything in his “life” was fake (his family [chapter 35], his son, his title [chapter 35], his power over the desert [chapter 35]), he lost his identity. Osiris made sure to imprison his brother, because the former was lusting after him and had the impression that the latter would always escape his control. (chapter 35). At the end, he raped him in order to claim him. The latter got literally destroyed, hence he hid his pain behind the mask and chose to hurt others. (chapter 37) In other words, the loss of identity was the reason why Seth decided to hide himself under the mask. Who was he in reality? The god was so tormented by his tragic past, Osiris had hurt him with his actions and words. He made sure that his brother would doubt himself. Hence the mask became the only reason to keep living. This item helped him to hide his wounds, but also not to lose himself completely. Hence I conclude that the “evil god” wasn’t just blinded by his heartache, but also by his mask, for the latter hindered him to see the real impact of his terrible actions. (chapter 37)

As you can see, we have the functions I mentioned in the introduction: disguise, protection and identity quest. Therefore we could say that in ENNEAD, the mask is a source of power, yet represents a hindrance. While Seth becomes human (chapter 73), his son makes the opposite experience. He transforms himself into a god, Anubis, hence he gets a mask. (chapter 73) However, this signifies that he won’t see his wrongdoings too, he will be oblivious to the pain he is causing to others. This time, his blindness will be caused by his resent. While in the past, Anubis was a sensitive and gentle person, but no real god due to Seth’s curse, in chapter 73 he becomes Osiris’ true son, an evil god. Why do I judge him like that? It’s related to Osiris’ words. The latter is encouraging his son to feel hatred for the one responsible for his curse, Seth. Moreover, he asked his son to forget his past signifying that he should cut ties with his previous family. Therefore I believe that in the future, Anubis will fight against Seth and even Horus. Nevertheless, the wounded Anubis doesn’t realize that he has been manipulated by Osiris. The latter used his vulnerability and fear to approach him and appear as his savior. (chapter 73) Besides, Osiris was in fact accountable for his injury (chapter 37) and curse (though indirectly). The latter took possession of Anubis’ body in order to approach Seth. (chapter 37) In other words, the god of the afterlife used a disguise, though his brother had the impression that Osiris was real. Yet, one might argue that in that scene, Osiris was not wearing a mask. However, since he took possession of Anubis’ body, we can clearly see the presence of a cover. Let’s not forget that this terrible god is not allowed to leave the Underworld, hence he needs a subterfuge to enter the world of the living. That’s why I perceive it as a disguise. While the Egyptian god used Anubis as his vessel, Kwon Sungha from Dine With A Vampire took a new identity: he became Sooin’s bodyguard. As you can see, in both cases magic provided the villains a new occasion to deceive their target. And this shows that a mask can eventually cover a whole body, when it is to create a new “identity”.

4. The visage and make-up as masks

However, I would like to remind my readers that a mask in literature and especially in manhwas can also have many different forms… We shouldn’t reduce it to the use of a real mask. And this is also visible in ENNEAD. On the surface, the goddess Isis is wearing no mask, just like Ra or Hathor. Yet, note that they are all women. Secondly, if you pay attention to their appearances, you’ll detect the presence of a hair dress and make up, especially around the eyes. This is no coincidence in my opinion. These accessories should be perceived as a “mask”. The make-up and hair dress are a form of disguise. This becomes really obvious in the manhwa “True beauty” from Yaongyi, where the heroine Jugyeong Lim hides her insecurities and true self behind a make-up. This is the real and natural protagonist (chapter 7), while we have here the disguised heroine (chapter 0). This goes to the point that her boyfriend Sujeon Han has no idea how she really looks like. As a conclusion, the make-up and hair dress should be judged as a mask too. That’s why in traditional Chinese theater, the actors have painted faces. It was, as if they were wearing a mask.

5. The importance of the eyes in connection with a mask

Besides, let’s not forget the saying: the eyes are the mirror of the soul. Therefore the gaze reveals the true thoughts and emotions of the person to his beholder. While a person can control his facial expressions, it is impossible to control the gaze. (Doctor Frost, chapter 2) That’s the reason why the author Black Apricot didn’t drew a mouth, when she presented Song Ji-Sung here. (chapter 9). She wanted her readers and the main lead to realize the character’s true personality. The latter was upset, because Kwon Soo-Young was keeping his distance from him and it looked like, he had found a new protector/boyfriend. When the protagonist Kwon Soo-Young had met Song Ji-Sung for the first time, he had only paid attention to his smile. Therefore he had misjudged his personality. And now, if you contrast the previous panel with the following one (chapter 16), you’ll notice an important detail: The eyes are closed, when the character is smiling. In this situation, the figure was actually hiding his true thoughts, this explains why the main lead couldn’t correct his false impression about his future lover. He had no idea about his true nature, as the latter keeping concealing his true intentions, he was faking his emotions with his facial expressions. This confirms my interpretation: the face can also be a mask. For me, this character is like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this picture, Kwon Soo-Young got scared, when he saw this gaze and refused his lover’s advances. He is brutal, selfish and very manipulative. And now, you understand why in ENNEAD we had two different kind of masks: Seth and Horus are wearing real masks, while Osiris and Isis use their own face and make-up to conceal their true personality.

But closed eyes is not the only strategy to create a mask and as such create a certain deception. The nature of the gaze can be changed due to the make-up. As you can see, the hair dress and the make-up can be viewed as disguise… and remember that a mask is judged as a disguise. That’s why in ENNEAD, Isis is a real hypocrite and deceiver. She is similar to Seth, as she has been terribly wounded by Nephthys and Osiris’ betrayal, yet she chose to blame Seth. She decided to protect her husband’s reputation in the end. She prefers blaming the real victim of this tragedy. And this observation leads me to the next conclusion. It is no coincidence that Osiris is painted in green. (chapter 7) Sure, the color refers to his death, a decayed body, nonetheless the readers should judge the painting as a cover. Since he is using a whole body to disguise himself, this signifies that he is hiding his true personality and thoughts more than Isis or Ra. That’s why it is not surprising that this god is particularly scheming and deceptive.

5. 1. The absence of eyes

And note that in this image (chapter 73), the god’s face is not even visible, a sign of his deceptive nature and lies. He is not revealing his true plan to Anubis. What caught my attention is the importance of the eyes, since the latter are a reflection of the person’s true character. In other words, the absence of eyes in a manhwa can have a different meaning that just an indication of “blindness”. The absence of eyes is a clue for deception and manipulation. That’s why in the Pawn’s revenge, Jeon Hee-Seong is seen without eyes in chapter 6: The hair fringe and the shadow serve as a mask. In this scene, she used her body to divert her lover’s attention and hide her true intentions. She was inciting Do Seong-Rok to kill on her behalf. However, this temptation left such a deep impression that the main lead was tormented in his sleep later. His unconscious was telling him that he had been manipulated. As you can see, the absence of eyes in the manhwa can be viewed as the presence of a mask and as such a sign of deception. We have another example in BJ Alex: (chapter 10) The mask is a combination of shadow and absence of eyes. Here, Ahn Jiwon was remembering his first love and boyfriend, who faked affection and care for him. As a conclusion, the eyes symbolize honesty and naturality and its absence the presence of a mask.

Therefore the readers should pay attention to the characters’ gaze and eyes. This observation brings us to my next point.

5. 2. The presence of glasses

I came to this topic “masks” due to Painter Of The Night and Dine With A Vampire. In both stories, we have two characters wearing glasses, the scholar Jung In-Hun and the internist Kwon Sungha. While examining their characters, I made a connection between the glasses and their personality. I defined the function of the glasses as a mask, because both almost act the same, as vicious hypocrites. They hide behind their glasses and their fake smiles so that people misjudge them. And remember doctor Frost’s advice: Observe that each time the villains from the two manhwas smile, their eyes are closed. It was, as if they didn’t want their eyes to betray them and the glasses were a tool to redirect people’s gaze to their smile not paying attention to the eyes. This item serves as a guarantee that people would rather look at their smiles in order to mislead them. This explicates why people close to them are not aware of their manipulations. Not only Sungha’s girlfriend has no idea that he is two-timing, but also he chose her because of her social background. Baek Na-Kyum also fell for his teacher’s lies, as he could never see the scholar’s real gaze. However, the teacher reveals slowly his gaze and as such his true personality, that’s why in the chapter 29, the low-born detects his first betrayal, but he doesn’t realize his vicious and double-faced nature.Observe that the smile is less pronounced, giving the impression that it is vanishing. Simultaneously, the eyes are shown oozing a rather cold and heartless side. In the scene at the library (chapter 40), he’s finally able to perceive his own reflection in the scholar’s gaze, since the smile has totally disappeared. The gaze exudes coldness, despise and filth. Combined with the harsh words “you were born to be a prostitute”, the painter’s identity and personality are literally destroyed. The scholar has reduced Baek Na-Kyum to a prostitute, the lowest rank among the commoner. They have no rights and no real identity as they are forced to do what their clients want. (chapter 41) Hence it is not surprising that the protagonist remembers the cold gaze. His eyes were the other reason why Baek Na-Kyum’s heart was so wounded. He could sense despise and rejection. In other words, the scholar had used two weapons to hurt the main character: the gaze and the words. This connection between the smile and the eyes is visible in Dine With A Vampire too. As soon as the smile vanishes, the eyes become visible unveiling their true personality. That’s why it is not surprising that Kwon Sungha has the same behavior towards the main lead Joo Sooin. The former has also destroyed the protagonist and reduced him to a puppet. The villains keeps calling him a pervert. He was even worse than Jung In-Hun in the sense that he kept abusing him mentally and physically after the coercive persuasion. Both are hypocrites hiding behind their glasses and their gaze. Therefore they are portrayed as cruel and mean hypocrites. The other common denominator is their hatred and rejection for homosexuality. Kwon Sungha seems to be even worse than the scholar, as he is in reality a repressed homosexual. He has sex with Joo Sooin, but resents him because he sees in him the reason for his “perverted” sexuality. He rejects sodomy because of the Church and his mother. Both reject this sexual orientation. I could mention Carter Nathan from The Blood of Madam Giselle (the fake and the real (chapter 13) or Jung from Unintentional Love Story as well as selfish and ruthless hypocrites. In other words, the next time you read a manhwa, be careful with characters wearing glasses, they might be dangerous and their smile might be fake.

However, the manhwaphiles shouldn’t generalize, Mathew Rayner from Under The Green Light represents an exception. (chapter 16) The main lead explains that he chose to wear glasses, because he desired to avoid rejection and fear. He had noticed that the absence of facial expressions (smile) and his cold gaze would be misjudged by people. Here, Matthew used the glasses as protection. And this illustration reinforces my interpretation: glasses in manhwas have a huge importance in the end, they should be considered as masks too.

6. The mask wearers

But the example with the glasses illustrates that there exist two types of characters utilizing masks. The first ones are the villains and antagonists who are hiding their true personality in order to achieve their goal. They need people and good connections so that they can gain power or more money. As for the second category, they are the main leads trying to hide their own issues and wounds (Nameless, Mathew Rayner, Ahn Jiwon, Yoon Seungho, etc). For them, the mask is a shield, they are trying to protect themselves from torment and rejection. Their acting is not mainly to hurt others. And note that the moment Kang Moo from “The Beast Must Die” removed his mask, he unveiled his inner thoughts and emotions to his lover Lee Ki-Rin. The latter is the only one who can control him.

7. BJ Alex: Mask and identity quest

This manhwa is very interesting for two reasons. First, in BJ Alex, the author used so many different types of masks. I have already mentioned two of them: (the absence of eyes and the shadow in chapter 10, the normal mask in chapter 55) . Why are there so many? The reason is simple. The central topic of this manhwa is the protagonist’s journey to find his true self! Remember what I wrote in the introduction: a mask concerning a protagonist is always connected to identity quest.

So it is time to focus on the main character Ahn Jiwon. He is introduced wearing a mask, for he is broadcasting. (chapter 1) This is his second identity: BJ Alex. On the one hand, he desires to remain anonymous so that no one can recognize him in real life, on the other hand this signifies that he is living a double life. He would like to protect his privacy, but also his secret life as homosexual. That’s why he said this, when his relationship with Nam Dong-Gyun was revealed: As you can observe, a name and as such notoriety can also serve as a mask. The president of the council was admired by his peers, he was so perfect that some students even wondered, if he was human.

Here, I could also mention two other manhwas, where reputation was used as shield and mask: Yoon Seungho in Painter Of The Night and Park Do-Hyeok in My Suha. The latter utilized his grand-mother’s favoritism, for President Lee considers Park Jiwon’s father as a black sheep. Since Park Do-Hyeok’s father was obedient, she assumes that the red-haired grand-son is the same. Due to this privilege, the villain was able to create the perfect illusion, he is the perfect grand-son. That’s why he is also faking his smile and the president is not recognizing it. But why is reputation a mask? It is, because people often judge others on hearsay and first impressions. The social medias are the perfect example for superficial and quick judgement. But we have to question ourselves about Ahn Jiwon’s initial motivations to hide behind a good notoriety.

But let’s return our attention to the manhwa BJ Alex. Ahn Jiwon had the reputation of the prefect student , for he was always friendly and kept helping people. In the beginning of the story, he doesn’t even know the other protagonist very well, yet he is willing to take care of him, when the latter is drunk. The president is seen constantly smiling and has never externalized negative emotions (anger, violence…). This explicates why the uke was so shocked and confused, when he saw a brutal BJ Alex. The latter had discovered his secret, hence the former felt vulnerable. On the other hand, Nam Dong-Gyun wondered about Ahn Jiwon’s true personality. But the uke was not the only one who had no idea about Ahn Jiwon’s true character. The latter was also confused.

What caught my attention is that Ahn Jiwon is not only hiding his identity, he is also hiding his true self from his fans. Note that during the streaming, he told old or possibly fake stories, until he met Nam Dong-Gyun. His interaction with the other main character affected his broadcast so much, for his stories felt more real, genuine and exciting. Besides, observe that in the picture above, Mingwa didn’t drew his eyes. This is relevant, because it truly exposes Jiwon’s life. He is soulless, signifying that he isn’t true to himself in reality. Why? It is related to his childhood. Due to his neglecting parents who always favored the eldest son, the main lead was forced to live in his brother’s shadow. But the worst is that his parents never looked at him. This explicates why the parents in all the panels are represented without eyes. This signifies that the protagonist was never confronted with his own reflection. (Doctor Frost, chapter 11). That’s why he became an empty man in the end. He has no idea about his true self (his likes and dislikes). He was forced to follow his parents’ requests and his brother’s shadow. This emptiness is palpable in chapter 49, when the main lead confesses this:

All these observations lead me to conclude that Ahn Jiwon had not only be wearing one mask in fact, but minimum 3!! We have

the mask BJ Alex (chapter 1)
Then he became a second version of his eldest brother: (chapter 49) Since the adults kept criticizing him, he imagined that if he copied his brother, he would get recognition and acceptance. In other words, he forced himself to become a second version of his brother. But even copying his hair dress and tastes, he was doomed to failure, for the parents had already categorized him: he would always be inferior to their eldest son. He realized gradually that this wasn’t right, for his parents still didn’t perceive his true identity. That’s why he feels drowning, when he loses his mask. He doesn’t have the impression to exist.
Furthermore he had imagined, if he was popular at school, his parents would change their mind about him through the comments from people (other parents, teachers, students). (chapter 49) That’s why he chose a third mask: he tried to be admired at school. He was caring and considerate towards his fellows. However, since he had made this rational decision, in his mind he was acting. Hence he didn’t truly enjoy this situation. (chapter 49) He felt that he was forced to smile. Besides, I believe as he was fake, this admiration was quite superficial in his mind. Therefore he didn’t feel truly loved. That’s why at some point, he wondered if he would ever be loved… However, the readers should interpret this question differently: he was asking indirectly, when his true self would be recognized by someone. And the one who made him discover his true sexual orientation was unfortunately a player. That’s why the main lead was so devastated and hurt, when he discovered that his relationship was based on deception and fakeness. So after being sent to the army, Ahn Jiwon chose to act like in the past. He became a role model as a student, yet he could no longer hide his homosexuality. Hence he led a double life.

Through his interactions with the other protagonist, Ahn Jiwon was forced to recognize that he needed to drop the mask BJ Alex. In the presence of Nam Dong-Gyun, the dark-haired man came gradually back to life. The break-up and their last sexual encounter, where the uke refused to look at him, made him realize that he was in reality Ahn Jiwon and not BJ Alex. The latter was just a role and not his true self.

Because of the uke’s frankness and sincerity, the main lead was forced to feel emotions. And this leads me to the following observation. The author even used panels to illustrate a mask. (chapter 08) In this scene, the charater is disguising his true thoughts. The black and red are representing his emotions: he is irritated, because he needs to have sex with Nam Dong-Gyun. Note how Ahn Jiwon is avoiding his counterpart’s gaze. The figure is acting, his mask is his face and the presence of the colors symbolizes the repressed and hidden thoughts and emotions. Mingwa colored one picture in chapter 51 marking a turning point in the protagonist’s life. For the first time, he was acknowledging his feelings and as such his own desires. This picture represents the removal of one mask. He is slowly living for real, but in this chapter he still hadn’t found his true personality. The other mask (his reputation as good student) was still existent. Besides, he still believed that his smiling and caring attitude were just an act, while in truth he was genuine and caring. But due to his past, he had already internalized that this was just an act. And now, you comprehend why the latest episodes from BJ Alex are in color. The main lead had finally found his own identity and place.

As a conclusion, the masks in manhwas can be represented in many ways: real masks, absence of eyes, glasses, make-up, facial expressions (Painter Of The Night, chapter 54), colors, reputation, etc. The protagonists are often hiding their true thoughts and emotions due to their past, while the villains are using masks to deceive people.

Pearl Boy: Choi Pilwon’s true face

June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/pearlboy But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about this manhwa and others https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

Striking is that the last chapters from the first season of Pearl Boy confirmed many observations I had made about the CEO Choi Pilwon in the analysis “Curse or blessing?”. There I had already pointed out that he would view Jooha as his possession, hence he treated him as his gem, pet and doll. This statement was reinforced in the following scenes. First, the rich man asked his former lover to dress with the clothes he had bought for him. (chapter 28) Here, he didn’t ask for the protagonist’s consent and choice. The brown-haired man was the one who selected the pullover and the pants. Later, he even ordered dishes Jooha was supposed to like, nonetheless he never asked him directly. (chapter 28) Furthermore, the readers can detect the symbolism in this scene. (chapter 29) The rare fish in the huge aquarium symbolizes Jooha, hence both are in a similar situation. They are not only isolated, but also imprisoned against their own will. Their common fate is particularly perceptible in this image: (chapter 29) Remember how the CEO bought the restaurant and the main lead was supposed to repay the debts. So he definitely spent a fortune for Jooha in order to obtain him. On the other hand, the manhwaphiles discover that Pilwon and Jooha were quite close in the past. (chapter 27) They were friends before becoming lovers. For Jooha, Choi Pilwon must have appeared as the Prince Charming, until the latter revealed his true face… The blessing became a curse. But how did their relationship deteriorate so much and so rapidly?

First, it is related to the discovery of Jooha’s special condition. Even if Choi Pilwon laughed about this, he could only see the “mermaid” as a rarity. It was, as if he had found a real treasure. This explicates why he confesses to his purple-haired pet, he is only interested in the special ones. (chapter 29) Jooha’s ability to create pearls pushed the villain to claim Jooha as his own. (chapter 28) However, I don’t believe that the discovery of Jooha’s condition was the only trigger for their alienation. First, the real cause is Choi Pilwon’s personality. Furthermore, the restaurant and Jooha’s mother played a huge role in the deterioration of their relationship. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that the main lead chose to remain by his mother’s side, while all his friends left the town in order to study. (chapter 27) In other words, the main lead refused to leave his mother’s side and chose to sacrifice his youth for her. This is normal, as the mother meant everything for the protagonist. While struggling financially, his relative could provide comfort and love for him. On the other hand, the mother was well aware of her son’s sacrifice, therefore the mother promised to her son that she would ensure that they would move to Seoul, when they had gained enough money. (chapter 27) As you can observe, Jooha and his mother had a very good relationship, and the presence of the promise to move to Seoul could only reinforce the main lead to remain by his mother’s side. From my point of view, Pilwon must have asked the young man to follow him to Seoul and his mansion. There exists another clue for this theory. Kang Dooshik proposed his lover to leave the place (chapter 26), but the young boy refused explaining what the restaurant meant to him. But after hearing the young man’s story, Kang Dooshik chose to respect his lover’s decision. That’s why I believe that the CEO must have requested from his lover to follow him too. Note that before they became intimate, the rich man kept coming from Seoul in order to meet Jooha. (chapter 27) But contrary to Dooshik, Choi Pilwon couldn’t bear the rejection and took it too personally, hence he decided to play a trick. The latter had to take away the restaurant and remove Jooha’s mother from his side. With no one by his side, Jooha would be forced to rely on him and as such follow him to his mansion. Therefore, from my point of view, Choi Pilwon used the father’s debts to corner the main lead and his family. This explains why the purple-haired man blamed his former lover for the loss of his mother later. In my opinion, Choi Pilwon didn’t intervene directly, he used the loan shark by tipping him off about the whereabouts of the family. Let’s not forget that he investigated Kang Dooshik’s past and even used his friend Lee Choonbae to separate the couple. But why would Choi Pilwon cause so much pain to his lover and manipulate people in order to achieve his goal? Like I mentioned it above, it is connected to his character.

From my point of view, the CEO is a person suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder. How did I come to this diagnosis? First, if you pay attention to the last chapters, his manipulative nature gets more and more pronounced. Hence I decided to make some research about manipulative people. This is what I found:

“If at least 14 criteria out of 30 are met, the person in question is a manipulator.” (quoted from https://psychologiemieuxetre.ca/en/couple-s-space/58-30-characteristics-of-manipulators)

Below, I am posting the list of 30 criteria, but also adding pictures of Choi Pilwon, each time a criterium is met. I am sometimes adding explanations.

“They make other people feel guilty (chapter 28) (chapter 29), in the name of professional conscience, family ties, friendship, love, etc.
They unload their responsibilities onto others (chapter 28) or dismiss their own responsibilities. (chapter 29)
They do not clearly communicate their requests, needs, feelings or opinions. (chapter 28: Here, he is not clearly expressing his true desire: he would like the protagonist to remain by his side. Instead, he proposes a deal in order to corner Jooha.)
They often respond vaguely.
They change their opinions, behaviours, or feelings depending on the person or situation. (chapter 28: Here within a few minutes, he transformed into a fury the moment he was criticized and rejected)
They cite all kinds of logical reasons to disguise their requests.
They make others believe that they must be perfect, never change their minds, always know everything (chapter 28) (chapter 29), and immediately respond to requests and questions.
They cast into doubt the qualities, skills and personalities of other people—they criticize without appearing to do so, devalue and judge. (chapter 28: here, he is looking down on both protagonists)
They have their messages communicated by other people (He used Lee Choonbae in chapter 18) or via intermediaries (telephone instead of face-to-face: /chapter 29, written notes).
They create suspicion and stir up ill feeling; they divide to conquer, driving a wedge between people, which can lead to relationship break-ups. (In chapter 28, he threw away the pearls making Jooha believe that Dooshik ran away with the pearls. Then in chapter 29, he shows him this video and lets him only hear a conversation over the phone (chapter 29) Note that he cut the conversation, an indication that he left out an important information)
They know how to make themselves into victims to gain sympathy (e.g. exaggerated illness, « difficult » surroundings, overloaded at work).
They ignore requests (even if they claim to be taking care of them). (chapter 28: he never answers Jooha’s questions, in fact he replies with a question and makes himself a request: (chapter 28)
They use the moral principles of others (e.g. notions of humanity, charity, racism, « good » or « bad » mother) to satisfy their needs.
They make veiled threats or openly resort to blackmail. (chapter 28)
They abruptly change topic in mid-conversation. (chapter 28)
They avoid or get out of discussions and meetings.
They rely on the ignorance of others while vaunting their own superiority. (chapter 17)
They lie. (chapter 29: note that here he doesn’t explain the reason for the debts and describe his past as dark as possible, while in reality the main lead had a good reputation)
They make false statements to discover the truth, twist and interpret facts to suit themselves. (chapter 28 and 29 reveal how he manipulates truth)
They are self-centered. (chapter 29: He hurt the “mermaid”, yet he blamed the victim for this, as he was furious.)
They can be jealous, even if they are parents or spouses. (Remember my explanation about the mother, he removed her from Jooha’s side, as she represented a hindrance; chapter 17)
They cannot take criticism, and deny facts. (chapter 28)
They do not take into account the rights, needs and desires of others. (chapter 28: )
They often wait until the last minute to ask, order or have others do something.
Their words appear logical and consistent, while their attitudes, actions or lifestyle are totally opposite.
They use flattery to seduce us, give gifts or suddenly start waiting on us hand and foot. (chapter 28)
They generate a state of discomfort or of not being free (trap). (the whole chapter 29 exposes how Choi Pilwon is destroying Jooha’s personality in order to trap him)
They are excellent at meeting their own goals, but at the expense of others. (Chapter 29: Jooha is now trapped in the huge mansion, while Dooshik is held captive. Choi Pilwon succeeded not only to keep Jooha by his side, but also to bring him to his home)
They make us do things that we would probably not have done of our own free will. (the prostitution for example, chapter 3)
They are constantly the focus of conversation among people who know them, even if they are not present.

As you could detect, Choi Pilwon’s personality met more than 14 criteria, hence he has to be diagnosed as a manipulative person. From this statement, I made some research about the origins of such a condition. One of the causes is family history. Either the person was influenced by a manipulative relative or it is related to the family dynamic where competition for power or affection or recognition exist. So far, we know that he has siblings, hence there’s no doubt that his family played a huge role in his transformation into a manipulative personality. Another origin is the professional and social environment. Let’s not forget that Choi Pilwon is a CEO, hence he has to face hard competition. (If you want to read more, then https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201912/3-reasons-people-become-manipulative). But there’s more to it. Experts say that people with a manipulative personality are either suffering from Borderline Personality disorder or from Narcissistic Personality disorder. https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/manipulation And remember my initial statement. The CEO is in my opinion suffering from NPD.

And now, it is time to list the symptoms of this disorder in order to corroborate my diagnosis:

Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
Exaggerate achievements and talents
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate (chapter 29)
Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people
Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior (episode 17)
Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations
Take advantage of others to get what they want
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
Be envious of others and believe others envy them
Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office
quoted from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662

After reading all the symptoms, the manhwaphiles can see that many criteria are met. His arrogance is perceptible, when he states this to Jooha: (chapter 29). This also explicates why he asked people from a host bar to have sex. He wanted to feel powerful and be in the center of their attention. Observe how many men were starring at the brown-haired CEO, though he is not visible in this picture. He is definitely envious of Dooshik, as the latter has been able to get close to Jooha, while he failed to achieve his goal in the past. Besides, he is well aware that the drunkards in chapter 1 envy him for Jooha. This is no coincidence that Choi Pilwon is associated to green, the symbol of envy and jealousy. Therefore you comprehend why I came to this diagnosis. Sure, the way he grew up played a huge role in his disorder. The latter is strongly connected to abandonment issues. These patients are in truth hypersensitive and vulnerable, but they mask this by boosting their ego.

And now, if we return our attention to Choi Pilwon, we’ll detect the character’s loneliness and emptiness. His house is huge, yet he is on his own. Moreover, there exists no picture of his family. It was, as if he was an orphan. The only presence of life in his propriety is the rare fish. Loneliness and emptiness explicate why he felt bored, until he met Jooha. He had already sensed that Jooha was precious, even before sleeping with him. Yet the problem is that the moment the CEO discovered his condition, he made the decision to bring him to his home… while he was not realizing that he could have found happiness by helping the “mermaid’s mother”. He ruined his relationship with Jooha in order to achieve his goal. Due to his disorder, he couldn’t accept the rejection, but simultaneously he couldn’t comprehend why Jooha chose to follow his mother over him. He had no idea what a real family is, and what true love is. Hence he imagined that by betraying the “mermaid”, he would obtain what he desires.

The antagonist has the impression, he has finally achieved his goal. The gem won’t escape him any longer, unaware that by hurting the purple-haired man emotionally and mentally with his manipulations, he is driving the young man over the edge. Note that the fish is now eating his own tail, a sign that it is suicidal. It can’t bear the loneliness any longer, it is too painful. Even the protagonist could feel its solitude. (chapter 29) In the past, Jooha survived hell, as first he thought to rely on Choi Pilwon. However, even when he realized his betrayal, he still had the restaurant, the place where he shared happy memories with his mother. However, this is no longer possible due to Dooshik. The latter worked there and seems to have abandoned him too. Furthermore, he is now living with his past lover. That’s why I think, the purple-haired man will start hurting himself in the next season,

Choi Pilwon is thinking that he is powerful due to his social status and wealth, nevertheless he is powerless in front of death. How will he react, when he witnesses how the mermaid hurts himself. The episode 29 was terrible to read, for we could see how the pure and gentle man was literally destroyed by Choi’s manipulations. The young man has no longer any hope… so why should he keep living? The CEO is not recognizing that due to his past behavior, the mermaid will never rely on him ever again. He couldn’t trust him any longer. This explicates why we never saw Choi Pilwon having sex with the main lead. Due to this observation in my first analysis, I was wondering if the antagonist was suffering from a erectile dysfunction. But now, I have found the real signification. He was in reality faithful to Jooha, because he only got fellatios. But since the main lead had perceived his true personality, he was no longer willing to accept him as his partner. From my point of view, Choi Pilwon forced the main lead to sell his body in the neighborhood for one simple reason. He wanted him to develop resent towards people from that town. His purpose was to isolate him from the community so that at some point he would ask for Choi Pilwon’s comfort and help: a new version of this panel. (chapter 28) Remember what I wrote above… he saw the restaurant as a hindrance. Hence I come to the following theory. After Jooha had called him for his assistance, the CEO imagined that he had succeeded. The mother was already dead. Hence he proposed a deal. But the main lead rejected the offer so that the brown-haired man wounded his lover. There’s no doubt that the former beat him during that night. So he made a new decision, he would buy the restaurant but Jooha would have to repay him. Yet, his true goal was to make Jooha go through hell so that the latter would give up on the inn and ask for Pilwon’s comfort and help. The terrible man thought that after getting treated as trash by people, he would feel the need to leave the town. But Dooshik’s appearance ruined his initial plan.

But let’s return our attention to the episode 29. Choi is ruining Jooha with his lies and tricks that the main lead is in agony. His destruction is palpable with the end of that scene. Note that after his panel , we never see his face again. It gives the impression that we are witnessing his slow vanishing. In addition, the scene in the mansion ends with the picture of the rare fish. It was, as if Jooha was turning into the fish… and the latter chose to hurt himself out of agony. Therefore, I am predicting that Choi Pilwon will get a real shock in the end. He is not anticipating that such a treatment could lead to suicide.

And this leads me to the following conclusion: Choi Pilwon is the negative version of Kang Dooshik. While the latter embodies honesty, love, nature, simplicity, maturity and selflessness, the former lover represents the opposite values: fakeness, obsession, civilization as a source of corruption, manipulations, irresponsibility and selfishness. One might wonder why I associate Dooshik to nature and the other to civilization. What caught my attention is that Choi Pilwon was the one who introduced smoking to Jooha. Why do I think so? It is, because the latter had to hide the cigarettes from his mother after “speaking to his friend”. (chapter 27) One might argue that Dooshik is smoking too, hence this interpretation is wrong. However, note that the latter was willing to work in the sea (chapter 3). He had no problem to wear weird clothes and look for shells. He enjoyed his stay in this town, he only proposed to move away, as he felt that Jooha was hurt due to his bad reputation. In other words, Dooshik was no longer missing the city, but was choosing Jooha’s side. When the latter revealed his decision to remain in the city, the latter understood this. In other words, Dooshik is no longer attached to Seoul and the city.

So now, Kang Dooshik is held captive, therefore he needs the help from his friend Lee Choonbae to escape the claws from his captor. There’s no doubt that his former colleague will assist him, as he has already done in the first season. However, the last panel exposes Dooshik’s determination. The latter is no longer a puppet, and has found a true goal in his life. He will make sure to find his lover and free him. So far, Dooshik was living day by day, hence he never paid attention to the CEO’s moves. He never imagined that the brown-haired man would play such dirty tricks. For me, the last panel represents Dooshik’s final loss of innocence. He let his former partner betray him so many times and it happened again with Choi Pilwon. Hence I deduce that Dooshik will be reformed in the second season, which means that I am expecting a change for Choi Pilwon as well. The latter will learn that his so-called reality is in fact an illusion. I also foresee that Dooshik’s ex-boyfriend will play a role in the future as well, as the latter’s face was not revealed so far. On the other hand, his colors are similar to Choi Pilwon’s: dark green and black. Therefore I am anticipating that Choi Pilwon will face adversity in the second season.

The Pawn’s Revenge: The goldfish and the lamb – part 2 🔞 (second version)

June 12, 2021July 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 2 Comments

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In the second part Do Seong-Rok’s personality will be in the center of the analysis. Therefore it is necessary to study his relationship with the other characters, especially with Jeon Hee-Seong and Lee Je-Oh. Furthermore, I will compare the red-haired man’s behavior to Lee Je-Oh’s, because through the contrast the manhwaphiles can get more details about the murderer’s character. Moreover, I will give a possible explanation why the man with dyed hair saved Lee Je-Oh in the end. Let’s not forget the synopsis: “Why he rescued Je-oh is unclear, but a slick-talking manwhore was definitely not part of anyone’s plan.” Like it is mentioned, by letting the prostitute survive, Do Seong-Rok affected the game of Janggi, which neither Officer Ahn nor Jeon Hee Seong anticipated. The young man could only view the killer as his savior and feel indebted. Consequently, both protagonists got closer to the point that they became first allies and finally real sex partners.

1. The introduction of Do Seong-Rok

What caught my attention is the way Evy introduced Do Seong-Rok. Note that he is slowly inserted. First, we only see his foot, then his leg and hand. This is relevant, because it already outlines his mysterious nature. This is not just a question of anonymity. Notice that during the whole introduction, he barely talks so that the readers can’t perceive his thoughts. Moreover, he only speaks on two occasions. First, he calls Ms. Jeon and later he describes the actual situation: he has removed the first target: (chapter 1) Therefore this is no coincidence that the reason why the murderer didn’t eliminate the prostitute is obscure. In other words, the main figure is an enigma per se, and the readers are asked to discern his personality, whereas Lee Je-Oh’s character is so easily exposed.

Since the former has no face and no identity in the beginning, the manhwaphiles are wondering not only about the situation, but also about the person with gloves and his motivation. And observe that the author showed first his back (chapter 1), even before unveiling his face. It was, as if he was a ghost and he only materializes the moment (chapter 1), he uses the cellphone to call his lover, the mastermind of this murder. This explains why his face is only revealed, when he uses the pronoun “I”. (chapter 1) That’s the moment he starts existing. He only lives, when he is in contact with Ms. Jeon. Yet through his words, the readers can detect the nature of their relationship. Ms. Jeon is his superior and mentor (he calls her “teacher”/Seonsangnim/ in the Korean version), whereas in the killer’s mind she is his lover.

2. The true nature of Jeon Hee-Seong’s relationship with the killer

But this is only unveiled much later, when the manhwaphiles see a letter which ends with a love confession (chapter 8) But if you pay attention, you’ll detect the emptiness of this declaration of affection. First, there’s no name attached to the “I love you”. It is so anonymous. Furthermore, the love confession is at the bottom of the letter, totally separated from the content of the letter. The first scene in chapter 1 already illustrated the gap between these two characters, for Do Seong-Rok was speaking to her formally. The absence of the informal speech is a clue that they are not intimate and close in truth. And now, if you combine this with the “love letter”, you can only come to the conclusion that Ms. Jeon is the one keeping the protagonist at a certain distance. All this truly exposes Jeon Hee-Seong’s true thoughts. She’s using Do Seong-Rok’s naivety and innocence. With a few words and a letter, she could manipulate the protagonist to commit assassinations. What caught my attention is that the main lead was incapable to see through her lies. In chapter 6, she stated that she was willing to dirty her hands in order to survive, yet the next minute she asked her lover if he would kill for her sake. (chapter 6) This displays her hypocrisy. She is not willing to kill in reality and prefers someone else to take the fall. And this contradiction truly exposes her talent in manipulation, but also Do Seong-Rok’s lack of discernment. Because she is his superior, it explicates why the red-haired man is always the one calling her first (chapter 1 and 6). She only contacted him, when she realized the kidnapping of the male prostitute, exposing that she has the upper hand in their relationship, whereas the killer would like to get her support.

And now you comprehend why she compared him to a lamb, when they first met. (chapter 16) Right from the start, she could notice his inexperience with women and in life as well. She portrayed him as naïve and maladroit. (chapter 16) In that scene, she acted as a righteous and kind person which gave a false first impression to the future assassin. She made sure that he wouldn’t be caught with a prostitute, for he was still a soldier. In other words, she behaved like his savior. She was full of integrity despite her job. Consequently, the readers can grasp why the main lead got attached to her. Since she had showed respect towards him and had helped him, he felt gratitude. At the same time, she was able to impress the young soldier due to her social competences and discernment. She could judge him correctly: he had been living in a bubble so far, therefore he was lacking experiences (“too much discipline”). Besides, he got so mesmerized by her. (chapter 16) This panel exposes the man’s genuineness and purity, as he revealed his true thoughts so easily. I would say that he was easy to read like an open book. So he was seduced by her intelligence and her beautiful body. From my point of view, she wooed him by taking his side in this incident despite her criticisms. Let’s not forget that his colleagues not only were looking down on him, when he refused to follow them, (chapter 16), but they also left him behind. Then, when Jeon Hee-Jeong put the card in his hand, she gave him the impression that he had the freedom to come back to her. He had a place to return, when he had finished his mandatory service. (chapter 16) In other words, she didn’t abandon him, though she left him behind too. And this is important in my opinion, for it explains why the main lead chose to seek her company. She was the first person who accepted him with his flaws, but she didn’t truly leave his side. And this leads me to the following conclusion: Do Seong-Rok has abandonment issues.

3. Do Seong-Rok’s past

Exactly like Lee Je-Oh, he has been abandoned by his parents. (chapter 12) However, the father left a letter behind announcing that he would come back at some point, but it never happened. What caught my attention in this picture is the person reading the letter left by the relative. The house looks well-maintained and the woman is wearing an apron. Yet, she seems so cold and unfriendly due to the absence of a smile and the eyes. In the first version, I thought that he had not been abandoned in an orphanage, but he was confided to a particular person. However, it turned out to be wrong. The reality is that he grew up in an orphanage (chapter 27), yet the persons working there could never give what he truly wished: a family. This signifies that I had perceived the person’s attitude correctly. The personal could never give the affection and warmth he had been longing. On the other hand, From my perspective, Do Seong-Rok grew up in a family from the middle-class. This signifies that he never had to face financial struggles, on the other hand the absence of eyes in the woman exposes her displeasure. So though he received a proper education, he must have felt as a burden as well. This would explain why Do Seong-Rok lived in a bubble for a long time. Abandoned by his biological parent, he didn’t desire to annoy more people, especially the family who took him in. That’s why he felt the need to abide by laws and to be very strict. He didn’t want to stand out. For him, assimilation was a mean to get acceptance. Therefore you understand why Do Seong-Rok is a lamb, for “conformity” was like a safety net. Consequently, Lee Je-Oh and the murderer have both something in common despite the social gap: isolation, lack of warmth and acceptance. On the other hand, the huge difference in their social status explains why Do Seong-Rok is so inexperienced and naïve. He never had to struggle to survive. Thus this explicates why Lee Je-Oh is so street-smart, while the other is so clumsy. By abiding to laws, he didn’t have to use his brain properly. Furthermore, I believe that due to the abandonment he kept his distance with people… out of fear that he might appear as a burden. That’s the reason why he had no girlfriend, until he met the prostitute. Besides, it is also possible that in his childhood he could only meddle with people with a similar background, hence he never had to encounter people with terrible fates. But by entering the army, it changed, as he was forced to interact with people from other social classes and with a different mindset. This explains why Do Seong-Rok entered the red-district for the first time, when he was 22 years old.

But let’s return our attention to the conversation between the former prostitute and the future assassin. Jeon Hee-Seong created so many positive reactions in the main lead that he could only be fascinated by her. She acted the opposite to the woman in the picture with the letter (chapter 12) versus (chapter 16): smiling, willing to help and to talk to him. She was like a surrogate mother in my opinion. Their first meeting played a huge role and exposes the dynamic between these two characters. Since their initial meeting, the young man had the impression that she was a decent person whose intelligence and sensibility couldn’t shine due to her poor circumstances. That’s why he viewed her as a mentor. She knew much more about life than him. Striking is that she compared him to a lost lamb. This animal is the symbol for innocence, sociability, but also conformity (due to Panurge’s sheep) and sacrifice (the lamb embodies Jesus Christ). And if you pay attention to chapter 16, you’ll notice that Do Seong-Rok only entered the red-light district, because he was following his fellows. This truly outlines a certain compliance and obedience. On the other hand, once arrived there, he realized the purpose of their visit. Hence he refused to do the same, revealing his integrity. Thus it is no surprise that he values monogamy so much. Since he had his first sexual experience with Jeon Hee-Seong, he could only judge her as his companion and lover. Besides, when they met for the second time, she made him feel special. She was dedicating her free time to him. (chapter 16) Therefore it is not astonishing that Lee Je-Oh considers Do Seong-Rok as a dog. The animal symbolizes loyalty, unconditional love and protection. When I read the prostitute’s comment in this panel (chapter 9), I couldn’t restrain myself connecting it to Hachiko, the dog who continued to wait at the train station for over nine years for its master, though the latter had already died. And now, I would like to combine this thought with my interpretation from the first chapter. The man appeared as a ghost and only started existing, the moment he was talking to the former prostitute. Waiting is often perceived as the contrary to life. Why? While you are waiting, you are not able to make any new experience. And this reinforces my perception: the killer was not truly living while waiting for his lover. The vengeful ghost gets a voice, the moment the first task in Jeon Hee-Seong’s revenge is completed. Thus I come to the first conclusion that Do Seong-Rok’s personality is strongly attached to the ex-prostitute. In the beginning, he only speaks and acts according to her wishes. In other words, he is her pawn and puppet, which is even underlined by his words. In the crime scene, he barely talks, he doesn’t express his thoughts and emotions. Everything is revolving about her instructions.

Secondly, the manhwalovers can observe the parallels between the two introductions of the two protagonists. Both are facing a corpse (Lee Soon Cheol and a goldfish) and both characters have a similar reaction. They are neither shocked nor scared. They remain calm and indifferent. Yet what is more surprising is that in the two situations, the author let us see the corpse through their eyes. This is what Do Seong-Rok is seeing, when he looks at his victim, while the second panel represents the perception from the prostitute, when he discovers the dead goldfish. Striking is that Lee Je-Oh can’t help himself making a comment in his head, while watching the floating corpse. This is important, as it reveals his talkativeness. This explicates why we get so much information about Lee Je-Oh in the first chapter. This exposes his need of communication. The whole first episode unveils his inner thoughts and emotions. And this stands in contradiction to the serial killer. The latter doesn’t express any own thought and emotion at all. I would even say that he is not even thinking at all. Once he has put the pawn in Lee Soon Cheol’s hand, he calls his mistress in order to announce the success of the killing. It was, as if he was acting like a robot, since he only talks, if it is necessary. Moreover, his lack of empathy and coldness is particularly palpable, when he uses the pronoun “it” for the victim Lee Soon Cheol. With “it”, the murderer externalizes his view about the sufferer. He is no human, rather an object or an animal, especially if the manhwaphiles recalls Lee Je-Oh’s remark: “It’s dead”. The latter was referring to the goldfish. This pronoun “it” exposes the killer’s mentality. He doesn’t consider his action as a wrongdoing, the victim was definitely no human due to his past actions. But don’t get me wrong, the assassin is not a psychopath or a man without a conscience and heart. That’s why he didn’t kill Je-Oh, though he had planned to remove him at some point. So now, it is time to elaborate my theory about his reason for sparing the male prostitute. First, the snake was not aware of the real connection between Ma Jong-Seok and Lee Je-Oh. She only thought, the latter was just a worker (chapter 16), while in reality the usurer had some feelings for him. He needed to ensure that Je-Oh would remain by his side. That’s why the young man was constantly brought to the clients and his minions were asked to keep an eye on him. Because of this mistake, she never gave any instruction about the male prostitute. Consequently Do Seong-Rok had no idea how to deal with him. Simultaneously, when he kept an eye on him, he was reminded of Jeon Hee-Seong’s fate. He could only pity the male whore, hence he was reluctant to kill him. (chapter 1) That’s the reason why there’s an interrogation point in the picture. This explicates too why he murdered the minions in the prostitute’s absence. However, remember how the protagonist had yelled at Do Seong-Rok, imagining that the person in the car was working for Chief. This meant that the male prostitute had noticed his presence. That’s how the red-haired man noticed that the male prostitute represented a source of threat. Hence he chose to remove him. So he entered his flat and waited for his arrival, but what he didn’t expect is Ma Jong-Seok’s sudden visit. Furthermore, when he approached them, he saw that Lee Je-Oh was smiling and waiting for his entrance.(chapter 2) In other words, Lee Je-Oh could have decided to call the cops and report an intruder before entering his home, but he never did. In my eyes, all this contributed to confuse the killer. Somehow he realized that the prostitute had been helping him. Therefore he didn’t kill them in the flat. Since they were together, he had to kidnap them together. But as you can see, Do Seong-Rok had a weak spot for the main lead, but he was definitely less important than his lover Jeon Hee Seong. That’s why the main lead is not allowed to touch her belongings.

The killer with a heart felt the murder of the guard justified and this is also confirmed in chapter 2, when the male prostitute considers his death as retribution for his bad behavior. According to the belief of the red-haired man, he is removing the persons responsible for Jeon Hee-Seong’s misery. Since police didn’t protect her, while she was abused (chapter 9) and no one listened to her side of the story, he feels entitled to get rid of them. That’s why in chapter 3, Do Seong-Rok got so upset with Ma Jong-Seok’s abnegation. In my eyes, his words must have triggered Do Seong-Rok’s memories concerning his girlfriend. The former prostitute made sure to portray her husband, the chief and the pimp as dark as possible, while she made herself appear as pure and innocent as possible. She was forced to marry Choi Yeong-Gil, yet the naive lamb couldn’t detect her lies. Let’s not forget that during their first meeting, she acted as the prostitute’s superior and chased away her minion. So she was no longer a simple victim, she was reinforcing the system of exploitation. She was already higher in the hierarchy. Secondly, like I explained in the previous essay, she was already possessing a parlor, when he husband got killed. She ensured to trigger negative emotions in the young man so that the latter would feel the need to kill her so-called oppressors. (chapter 16) That’s why I believe that Koo Jeong Mo is correct about his assessment of the former prostitute. (chapter 11) She is like the snake in the Bible, hence she is wearing a black dress with a red bra (chapter 16) or a red dress with a black bra (chapter 6). These colors are not random: they are linked to evil, blood and death. She seduced the innocent and pure Do Seong-Rok to sin, a new version of the original sin. My avid readers are already aware of the signification of the Fall of Man [read the essay A new version of Fall of man https://bebebisous33analyses.wordpress.com/2020/07/19/painter-of-the-night-a-new-adaptation-of-fall-of-man/]. Eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge is a metaphor for the discovery for sex and sexuality. Hence the main lead loses his virginity with the prostitute. (chapter 16) Through her, the red-haired man discovers real life and as such pain. The manhwaworms should remember that after the expulsion from Eden, Eva and Adam discovered pain and death. And that’s exactly what is happening in the manhwa, though in my opinion Do Seong-Rok is a combination of Adam and Cain. Let’s not forget that Eva’s son killed his brother out of jealousy and resent. But since the snake views the young man as a lamb, this signifies that she has already planned to sacrifice him for her own interests. That’s why she tells officer Ahn that she has no real relationship to the murderer. (chapter 11) He is just her tool to achieve her goals: getting revenge but also getting powerful and wealthy. That’s why she didn’t give him a proper instruction how to get rid of the targets. Due to Do Seong-Rok’s lack of experience, Lee Je-Oh could notice the killer’s presence in the end. The latter has never been a schemer and a real strategist. (chapter 2) The reason for his mistakes is simple: he was an idealist lulled in an illusion, hypnotized by Ms. Jeon’s words. That’s why he had a nightmare (chapter 6), where he was slowly recognizing the true nature of her words. The nightmare was slowly bringing him back to reality making him recognize the true nature of his terrible actions. My explication is the following. He lived in an illusion, until he interacted with Lee Je-Oh. The latter represents reality and its real ugliness, while the former prostitute is viewed more like a goddess… she is an illusion. Hence the man with dyed hair treasured her belongings like sacred prizes. Furthermore, the connection between reality and the male prostitute is particularly perceptible in this image: (chapter 8) Besides, let’s not forget that after the nightmare, the protagonist gave a honest portrait of Do Seong-Rok. He is a sensitive murderer . (chapter 6). The black-haired man’s role is important, as he forces his ally to question the nature of his relationship with his girlfriend. (chapter 10) In chapter 18, he made him realize that he was now cheating on her and as such was no longer faithful. The longer Lee Je-Oh remained by his side, the more disillusioned Do Seong-Rok got about Ms. Jeon’s true nature. This is not surprising that at some point the assassin is no longer blindly trusting his goddess.

But this doesn’t mean that Do Seong-Rok has no redeeming qualities at all. He is also teaching the prostitute to value loyalty, trust and respect. Because of his blind trust and his weak heart, the black-haired man imagined that he was definitely superior to the killer due to his scheming nature. However, by playing a trick, the main lead got punished and was faced with reality too: he could get killed in the end. In other words, the murderer taught his ally to respect him too. Despite their quarrel, their trust didn’t get ruined. From my point, Lee Je-Oh will become faithful despite his past and job. Why? It is because of these words: (chapter 9) If he has a lover, then he will change his behavior. Therefore I believe that Do Seong-Rok will make the male prostitute discover that real love and selflessness still exist and are no chimera.

Since the male prostitute man embodies reality, this signifies that he forces the main lead to judge sexuality differently. He had a very romantic perception of sex and sexuality: heterosexuality and monogamy were the norms. Remember what I wrote above. He had internalized social norms in order to blend in the crowd and get acceptance. That’s why he had sex with a woman very late. But in the flat, he observes two men copulating, and slowly he gets attracted to Lee Je-Oh. This is not surprising that at some point he confuses both persons. In my opinion, this panel is important, because it explains the killer’s issues. On the one hand, he is reminded of his infidelity. Secondly, it made Do Seong-Rok slowly realize that the blush was not a sign for love, but simply for sexual arousal. He had imagined that she was in love with him with her reactions and words. But Lee Je-Oh as a mirror let him see the truth. He just had a sexual relationship with her in reality. So far, he had never questioned his own sexuality and had just followed the flow. There’s no ambiguity that Jeon Hee-Seong doesn’t envision that her pawn will prefer the male prostitute over her. She has no clue that he has already distanced himself from her. The beginning of their alienation was visible with the text containing a lie (chapter 8) and she is not even imagining that he has found an ally and is disobeying her words. She is so confident about her seductive skills and her beauty. This explains why Do Seong-Rok’s sexuality is gradually changing, though he tried to deny pleasure in the beginning. On the other side, since the prostitute has associated sex with power and violence, this is no coincidence that the killer feels aroused while strangling Ma Jong-Seok. Slowly, he is under the influence of Lee Je-Oh.

Striking is that in the manhwa, the killer is viewed either as a lamb, or as a dog, or as a god and finally as a grim reaper. What is he really? He is no god, for he makes mistakes and didn’t truly save the prostitute. (chapter For the snake, Do Seong-Rok was a lamb and her cannon. As for the dog, I find it very fascinating that Lee Je-Oh viewed himself as a dog. This shows their affinities in the end. They have something in common: both were abandoned and had no real home. Hence they lived somehow in seclusion. While the one became an outlaw (prostitution as a minor, stole a toy, stabbed Ma Jong-Seok), the other was living as a perfect citizen, following laws so that he wouldn’t get noticed and rejected. Finally, both have a conscience in the sense that they have a certain sense of justice. Both were and are seeking for a companion, both desire to feel needed and important. That’s why Do Seong-Rok got convinced to commit crimes. He thought, he could remain by her side.. he wanted to be her pillar, just like he asked her to be her savior. But she abandoned him too, when she told him this: (chapter 12), and the main lead could already sense it. In fact, she had planned a long time ago to betray him, the moment he had become useless. Remember that to her, people are like pieces of Janggi. In her eyes, Do Seong-Rok had always been the sacrificial lamb. (chapter 16)

From my point of view, Do Seong-Rok acts like a grim reaper who gives the death sentence for people who committed crimes. That’s why he is introduced as a vengeful ghost in the first chapter. This is no coincidence that he is wearing black during that night, as this figure is always painted with black clothes too.

quoted from https://www.britannica.com/story/where-does-the-concept-of-a-grim-reaper-come-from

The most intriguing part is that the Grim reaper appeared, when the Black pest took place in Europe. Many people were dying and people thought that this was divine retribution for their sins. Temporal and religious authorities (King, Church) were questioned, especially the pope and its clergy. They were judged as corrupted which led to the creation of a new religious current: the floggers. They would flog themselves in order to beg for God’s mercy, but they would also commit murders and flog people, if they were judged as immoral and impious. And note the parallels between the real historical situation and the manhwa: In The pawn’s Revenge, authorities and society are portrayed in a very negative way: selfishness, greed, corruption and indifference are omnipresent. Therefore I am more convinced than ever that Lee Je-Oh will change Do Seong-Rok’s ultimate goal. This won’t be just liberation for the ex-prostitute, they will try to change the whole system in my opinion.

The fact that Do Seong-Rok is compared to different animals or figures truly displays the complexity of the character. From my point of point, the man with dyed hair has also been suffering like Lee Je-Oh, but he could never express it. This explicates why he conceal his thoughts and emotions. But due to his encounter with Lee Je-Oh, the former is slowly opening up. Hence he cries in front of the male prostitute or he confesses that he is aroused. (chapter 18) Thus I come to the conclusion that the killer was living in a similar situation than Je-Oh’s in his past: he was invisible to people and didn’t truly feel alive.

The Pawn’s Revenge: The goldfish and the lamb 🔞 – part 1 (second version)

June 8, 2021July 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

As you can imagine, the title is referring to the two protagonists, Lee Je-Oh and Do Seong-Rok, for the young man viewed himself as a goldfish in chapter 1 and the other was called a lamb by his future lover Jeon Hee-Seong (chapter 16). In this essay, I am going to examine the two protagonists’ personality, though in the first part Lee Je-Oh will be in the center of the study, for there’s so much to say about him. However, this doesn’t mean that I won’t mention Do Seong-Rok at all, because I will examine how Je-Oh views the killer.

1. The aquarium and its signification

The first chapter begins with an introduction of the young prostitute. What caught my attention is this episode is the main lead had a fish as pet. (chapter 1). In this panel, the young man has the impression that he bought an aquarium, because he found the fish pretty, but notice that although they keep dying (this is the third one), he is still determined to keep a fish by his side. This is important for two reasons. It shows his loneliness and as such his need for company. Let’s not forget that Je-Oh has to reimburse the debt left by his father, so this signifies that his budget is limited. Yet each time a goldfish died, he still bought a new one revealing that he considered it at some point as a necessity to have a goldfish by his side. He is well aware that he doesn’t take care of it very well, he can’t help himself buying a new one. This incident exposes too that Je-Oh has no idea how to treat a companion properly, for he has been alone for a long time. As a conclusion, right from the start, the reader can sense the escort’s solitude and selfishness. He feels the need to detect the presence of someone by his side, yet he is not willing to invest too much time and emotions in it. A fish is the perfect solution, for the aquarium serves as boundary and a fish can’t be touched like a cat or a dog.

2 . The family picture

And now, it is necessary to look into the reasons for his behavior. He has always been on his own, since his mother disappeared from his life. We still don’t know if the mother is dead or she run away, though I am more inclined to believe in the first option. (chapter 16) Thanks to the image, we can detect that Je-Oh is missing his mother. This is perceptible, for the main lead still has a framed picture of his mother. Since he is smiling, this indicates that he was happy, as long as his mother was around him. However, the moment he was left alone with his father, the latter only viewed him as trash and burden. This explicates why he removed the father’s portrait from the picture. He really hated his father. He had many reasons for his disdain.

3. The relationship between Lee Je-Oh and his father

First, the parent showed no care and concern for his young son, hence he didn’t buy the toy the son desired. In my eyes, the father prioritized his own needs, even if in this scene he just wanted to buy a bug spray. As a good parent, he should have explained why he couldn’t buy the toy. Instead, he displayed no understanding and just made the son guilty. Besides, the relative kept insulting him, calling him filthy and dirty. (chapter 9) This incident at the convenience store explains why the young boy resented so much his father.

The latter was himself no role model for the son: selfish, brutal and indifferent. Furthermore, since the boy chose to steal the toy in order to have his wish fulfilled, it explicates why the main lead will become a criminal in the end. (chapter 9) Note that the young boy was smiling after the theft, he didn’t see it as a real wrongdoing… let’s not forget that the father bought things from the supermarket and always put it on tab, but never paid back the debt immediately. (chapter 9) The young boy could only learn that it is no big crime, if he doesn’t pay the figurine. The irony is that during that incident, the father couldn’t put the bug spray on tab, as the shop owner refused to due to the huge amount of unpaid bills. This incident reveals that the father was already deeply indebted. Simultaneously, due to the harsh scolding and insult, the main character learned that he needed to act behind his father’s back in order to achieve his goal. He knew that his father would never do anything for him, since he represented a source of annoyance. For the father, Je-Oh was a burden.

Their estrangement could only increase, as time passed on. Therefore this is no surprise that the father decided to kill himself and leave the mountain of debts to his son. (chapter 1) When the main character discovered his father’s suicide, he only showed calmness and indifference. (chapter 1) The suicide was the peak of the father’s abandonment and neglect. That’s the reason why the student wasn’t shocked or upset and kept smoking in front of his father’s corpse. And now, you understand why the young boy hated his father.

He was the reason for his misery. Striking is that in the convenience store, the father predicted the boy’s future personality: he would be a jerk. Yet, these words reveal that the relative didn’t feel responsible for his education at all. With his statement, he was putting the whole blame on his own son, while in reality the man was refusing to educate the boy properly. In other words, Lee Je-Oh should be considered as a orphan who had no good role model in his youth. The manhwaphiles can grasp why he stole the toy or why he started smoking, though he was still a minor. There was no one around him who showed concern and care for him.

4. Lee Je-Oh’s fate as prostitute

But despite his harsh childhood, he was still somehow integer. When he was confronted with the debt, he begged the moneylender that he would repay the loan by taking regular jobs. (chapter 17) He was willing to be responsible for his father’s mistake, though he despised him. The reality is that he was forced by Ma Jong-Seok to sell his body. Because of this terrible experience and the indifference of people, the teenager learned that he would never receive any help. He was on his own, that’s why he tried to rebel and escape on his own from the claws of the pimp Koo Jeong Mo and the moneylender Ma many times. However, each time he failed. This exposes the main lead’s resilience and strength, but also his disillusion about society. Hence in my opinion, he bought a fish to make up for his loneliness. Besides, the goldfish was also in a similar position than the main lead’s. It also had no companion and had no one to rely on. This explicates why at the end the goldfish died, as Je-Oh was not helping it, like for example he never renewed the water from the aquarium. Consequently the water was full of dust. The fish had to learn to survive in that hostile environment, just like the main lead had to survive on his own. And now you comprehend why the prostitute viewed himself as the dead goldfish. He could never seek comfort from people, as the latter would always treat him as trash. The presence of the goldfish already implied Je-Oh’s longing for a companion. That’s why it is not surprising that he is trying to woo the serial killer. He is longing for real warmth, therefore he sought Seong-Rok’s embrace in chapter 15. Then this observation made me realize why the protagonist’s life was similar to the goldfish’s.

Unlike the prostitutes working in the red-light district, the main lead was living in a flat on his own. He would get picked up by Lee Soon Cheol or Choi Yeong-Gil or even Ma Jong-Seok and brought to his clients 3 times a day. This clearly displays that the young man had a different clientele. In my opinion, he was more working for people with money. And this explains why Jeon Hee-Seong didn’t know Lee Je-Oh’s true place in the end. In her eyes, he had the same position, as he was selling his body for money. She was surprised to hear that the loan shark would pick up himself a prostitute and wondered this situation. (chapter 16) This outlines that though the protagonist was treated like trash by his employers, he had a particular position. My explication is that Lee Je-Oh started working as a whore, when he was a minor, hence this couldn’t be exposed so openly. Secondly, his clients are mostly men(chapter 1), and since they are married, I believe that they hide their homosexuality. Furthermore, if you consider that he only had maximum three clients a day, this meant that the young man was a special escort. That’s why I believe, the main lead was sent to serve a different clientele than Jeon Hee-Seong in the end. This would elucidate why her husband asked the main character not to get caught and create a scandal. (chapter 1) Consequently, I conclude that he was definitely having sex with rich people. And if you take into consideration Chief’s behavior, you’ll notice the parallels between the “bunch of horny men” who felt guilty by having sex with the young man: Ma Jong-Seok only confessed he had some feelings for the main lead the moment he was facing death. He hid his “emotions” behind his behavior. That’s why he raped him 3 years ago and tasted him in the second episode and used a pill to achieve his goal. In my opinion, the Chief was not willing to admit his attraction to Je-Oh and used his position to sleep with him, whenever he wanted.

5. Death, sex and violence

But what caught my attention in the scene with the fish is Je-Oh’s attitude towards his pet. First, he showed not only a certain indifference, but also fascination towards the dying pet. He was neither desperate nor afraid of death, but he was not repelled by the scent of the dead fish. Furthermore, he even touched the corpse. And these gestures made me think that the main lead was very fascinated by death (chapter 1). And this led me to suspect that Je-Oh could be suffering from necrophilia. In the first chapter, he showed this tendency. Then he witnessed how Seong-Rok was strangling the usurer in episode 18, he got fascinated and aroused as well. This scene is important, for it shows that he is not a real necrophile.

“Pseudo-necrophilia was defined as “a transient attraction to a corpse, but corpses are not the object of his sexual fantasies. He prefers sexual contact with living partners. This group includes sadistic, opportunistic, and transitory cases” (p. 155). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/paraphilia

Yet, the scene in chapter 18 confirmed my impression that Je-Oh enjoys corpse and violence, for it is a synonym for power. After living as a whore for three years, the main character has already internalized the association of sex with violence. Let’s not forget that he was raped by the moneylender, when he begged Ma Jong-Seok in the past. Then we see the latter giving Je-Oh some drug in order to make him obedient. (chapter 2) Therefore you comprehend why the main lead claimed to his kidnapper that he had been raped. (chapter 3). He wasn’t just trying to manipulate the red-haired man to get rid of his abuser, he was also telling the truth. The protagonist didn’t have sex with the usurer willingly. Thus the manhwalovers can understand why the main lead is now reacting sexually, when he sees someone getting strangled or punched. For him, violence can no longer be dissociated from sex. The only difference is that, now he is no longer the victim, hence he can enjoy this. The manhwaphiles could detect this in two occasions. First, in chapter 3 he enjoyed so much how the serial killer was punching the usurer that he got an erection. (chapter 3) Then, in episode 17 he felt excited, when the moneylender was begging for his life. His words expose the connection between pleasure and power again. The violence is present here, as Ma Jong-Seok is getting threatened and humiliated: let’s not forget that he is on the verge of losing his life. As you can observe, the main lead’s sexuality is already linked to violence and corpse. And now, you can comprehend why he is so fascinated by the serial killer Seong-Rok. He embodies everything that he likes: strength, power, violence, but also a certain sense of innocence, sensitivity and justice. (chapter 3) This explicates why the prostitute didn’t stop the moneylender from strangling him during their duel. He counted on Seong-Rok’s good heart and pity to protect him in the end.

6. Lee Je-Oh and Do Seong-Rok

We have another scene, where the young man expresses his admiration for the red-haired man. In his eyes, he was a god (chapter 2) (chapter 6), until Seong-Rok rejected this idea. I do think that the young man was honest, when he admired his “savior” for his sensitive and loyal side (chapter 6). For the first time, the young man was witnessing a person’s vulnerability, indicating that the killer needed comfort and reassurance from someone. And remember that until now, Je-Oh has only experienced selfishness and abuse from his guardians (his father, Choi Yeong-Gil, Ma Jong-Seok). No one next to him has ever showed a weakness or asked for assistance from him. Even his father, who was struggling financially, chose to act as a strong person. The latter only displayed coldness and harshness towards his son. Hence if the murderer is a sensitive person, it means for the “hostage” that Seong-Rok could need help. And observe how the prostitute tried to show his future ally how much he needed his aid. That’s why he played this trick in chapter 10 too. This was not just a question of revenge or survival, for the first time Je-Oh had the impression to have found a purpose in life. There was someone who was strong, but also vulnerable at the same time implying that the latter would have to rely on someone. Besides, Je-Oh felt indebted towards his savior. Thanks to him, he had become released from his prison. With these words, you can observe, “help” plays a huge role in Je-Oh’s mentality. That is the reason why he desires to be by Seong-Rok’s side in the end.

The killer is the only one who seems to ask for his support unconsciously. Striking is that the young man mentions “home” for the first time in front of the red-haired man. (chapter 12) From my perspective, he was not talking about his own apartment, but about the farm, where he was held captive. He wanted to leave the room, where he had been tied up. The mansion had somehow become his home, for he had the murderer by his side. And this clearly shows that the prostitute was slowly viewing Seong-Rok more and more as a relative and companion.

The manhwaphiles could witness that so far, the prostitute was just trying to survive. But after meeting Seong-Rok, his life changed. The latter saved him by killing his abusers , though the red-haired protagonist kept rejecting this role. And now, you comprehend why Je-Oh is eyeing at Seong-Rok. The latter has already shown a weak spot towards the young man. He didn’t let him die by Ma Jong-Seok’s hand (chapter 3), then he showed him a special treatment by letting him sleep in the same room. The latter could take a shower and got clothes. No one had ever paid attention to his needs before. He might say that he dislikes love, yet in front of Seong-Rok in tears, he feels himself moved. (chapter 16) Furthermore, in chapter 11 he already expressed a certain desire to have him. And this panel is interesting, as it reminds us of the scene at the convenience store. It was, as if Seong-Rok was a toy and the protagonist felt the need to steal him. Let’s not forget that he was already looking for a partner unconsciously before meeting his savior. The evidence was the goldfish. By connecting the scene with the toy and this picture, the readers can detect what the prostitute will do in the future. He will use any mean to obtain Seong-Rok as his lover. The knight on the red horse should be perceived as a metaphor for the killer. Notice the parallels: A riding knight is often linked to heroism and rescue. The main lead still views him as his savior despite their argument.

This explicates why Je-Oh is so fascinated by the killer. The latter was the only one showing pity and concern for him, while the so-called normal people were using him as a sex toy or a confessor. (chapter 9) All of them were treating him, as if he was inexistent. His clients never paid attention to his feelings, when they confessed their sins. Moreover his masters treated him like trash. And this signification makes the readers realize that the killer’s lover Ms. Jeon will become Je-Oh’s true enemy and rival, for the former will claim Seong-Rok as his own. That’s why in chapter 18, he makes the red-haired protagonist feel guilty. He knows how much Seong-Rok values loyalty and faithfulness. In my opinion, he would like him to question his feelings for Ms. Jeon. He had already attempted to undermine her loyalty and outline her selfishness, when he said this: his lover was never by his side and had somehow abandoned him. With the word “almighty”, he displayed her true nature to the red-haired man: she is no god, just a woman. These words had an effect on Seong-Rok. Thanks to the prostitute, the serial killer recognized that he had been manipulated. He could already detect her lies, when she claimed that she would rescue him at some point, for he realized the similarities between his parents’ promise and hers. And in order to get closer to the murderer, Je-Oh asked him for his name while calling “oppa”. This is important, as this conversation exposed the increasing trust between the perpetrator and the “hostage”. Seong-Rok was viewed as human with a name, and the young man introduced himself. He was definitely seeking his closeness.

7. Honesty and hypocrisy

What caught my attention is that unlike the femme fatale, the protagonist never hides his thoughts, unless he plans a trick. He is brutally honest which contrasts so much to the people surrounding him. All of them were or are hypocrites. Choi Yeong-Gil criticized the prostitute for showing no concern and sadness over the death of Lee Soon-Cheol(chapter 1), while in reality the former had showed no respect to the deceased himself too. Ma Jong-Seok claimed to have feelings for the main character (chapter 17)(chapter 17), yet until now he had mistreated Je-Oh, as if the latter was a pet. Thanks to Seong-Rok, the prostitute could feel free for the first time, though he was a hostage. Imagine the irony of the situation. This is not surprising that the prostitute rejected the usurer’s offer. The main lead was truly aware of Ma Jong-Seok’s hypocrisy. He knew that this was an empty promise, visible through the points of suspension and the question. The main lead was not naive: the loan shark would always prioritize money over Je-Oh, once he had escaped from the jail. Let’s not forget that the usurer was living a good life according to the main lead’s words.

8. Lee Je-Oh’s mistake

Due to his harsh childhood, the main lead was able to discern people’s nature: selfishness, indifference and coldness. That’s why Je-Oh became cold-hearted as well, which reminds us of the goldfish. The latter is a cold-blooded animal, it is not driven by passion which definitely fits the main lead’s personality. Even when he was hurt by Seong-Rok’s words, he didn’t retaliate under an impulse. He planned carefully the scheme making sure to manipulate the usurer properly. But here he made a huge mistake: he underestimated Seong-Rok’s determination and resent. He never imagined that the latter would punish him and could even kill him. The killer taught the young man a harsh lesson. For the first time, he truly feared for his life. (chapter 12) He realized that Seong-Rok’s words had been true. He might have felt pity for him, yet he never truly intended to save him. Simultaneously, the young man learned to respect his “ally”. He shouldn’t be looked down. He learned to show respect to his ally and partner, something totally new to him.

9. Lee Je-Oh’s true personality

Another rather positive aspect about the main lead is his intelligence and good sense of observation. Striking is that he was aware of Seong-Rok’s presence, even before Ma Jong-Seok and his assistant noticed it. (chapter 2) Both were totally blind. The usurer didn’t even recognize that the door of Je-Oh’s flat was opened. Due to his sharp senses, the main lead knew that someone was in his house, but he remained silent, as he was hoping that the murderer would help him by eliminating the loan shark. This truly shows that Je-Oh is an opportunist, he can see which situation benefits him more. Simultaneously, it also shows that the protagonist is a gambler, willing to risk his life, though he had a reason to envisage that the killer was not targeting him. Do Seong-Rok had never approached him before, while Lee Soon Cheol was already dead, yet the murderer had been observing him for a while and Je-Oh was aware of that.

As a conclusion, I deduce that the main lead is reckless, but quite street-smart. He understands humans quite well, he is patient and a good listener and planner. He knows how to manipulate people, but due to his social position, he was never able to show his qualities. And this leads me to the following deduction, the main lead is indeed similar to a goldfish. Although this type of animal is famous for having a bad memory (3 seconds), the reality is that they have a much better memory and are considered as quite intelligent. Besides, let’s not forget that a fish symbolizes freedom, as they are usually living in the ocean. But I have to admit that when I read the first chapter for the first time, I couldn’t help myself thinking if Je-Oh could be in fact a different fish. Since he had a firelight in his hand and imagined burning the world, I started associating Fire and fish, hence this came to my mind: Firefish

This is a devil firefish or called common lionfish. These creatures are actually wonderful, yet at the same time dangerous, as their sting contains a violent poison which can kill a human. But there’s another reason why I am thinking that Je-Oh resembles more a lionfish than a goldfish. First, it looks like many people in The Pawn’s revenge are fascinated by him despite treating him like trash. A lionfish will attract more people’s admiration than a simple goldfish. Notice that Ma Jong-Seok couldn’t keep his hands off from him. Even Seong-Rok is somehow mesmerized. Furthermore, the loan shark got stabbed by the prostitute, reminding us of the sting of the lionfish. The fish is not aggressive per se, yet if it feels in danger and bothered, it will retaliate. And now imagine this. If he was in truth a “lionfish”, then he would be perfect to lure the victims. Remember that he is supposed to lure Koo Jeong Mo. He would be acting like a siren. Because this type of fish is quite uncommon in an aquarium, contrary to a goldfish, it would explain why people would be seeking his services. By meeting the “lamb”, the disillusioned and realist prostitute found someone who had a heart, though he was a killer.

As a conclusion, Lee Je-Oh is more than a goldfish. He is quick-witted, patient and is sensitive enough to understand people’s attitude. Though he has never met Ms. Jeon personally, he could judge her perfectly. She was just using Seong-Rok’s emotions and naivety. He doesn’t dislike violence, as long as he is not the one suffering from it. He can manipulate people, yet he is often quite honest. Despite resenting society for its indifference and selfishness, the protagonist definitely wished deep down to find a companion. And he found one in Do Seong-Rok, who seems to be so different from him. That’s why in the second part, I’ll examine the other main lead.

Protected: Painter Of The Night/Doctor Frost: Season 3, the breaking of the shackles

June 5, 2021July 2, 2021 ~ Bébébisous33

The Pawn’s Revenge: Revolution or revenge? 🔞 (second version)

June 4, 2021July 9, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 2 Comments

This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/pawn But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Besides, this manhwa is categorized as HARDCORE: 🔞 Here is the link, if you are interested in more analyses about this manhwa and others https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/

One might wonder how I came up with such a question, when the title of this manhwa is clearly stating that it is about the revenge of the protagonist Je-Oh and indirectly of Seong-Rok. Moreover, the main lead makes the following statement: reminding us of the famous quote: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” a symbol for revenge. Besides, in chapter 17 the author created two panels containing so many similarities reinforcing this idea that Lee Je-Oh was getting revenge by siding with the serial killer Do Seong-Rok. (chapter 17) (chapter 17) As you can observe, the positions between the main lead Je-Oh and Ma Jong-Seok had been switched. The latter, the blond-haired man, was the protagonist’s owner due to the debt left by Je-Oh’s father. The latter had preferred killing himself than reimbursing the credit with a huge interest. The vengeance becomes more visible, when the readers discover that the chief has been brought to the location, where Je-Oh’s father committed suicide. (chapter 1) (chapter 17) This means, in chapter 17 Ma Jong-Seok is going through the same experience than the main lead. He fears for his life and begs for Je-Oh’s mercy, exactly like the main character did three years ago. The only difference is that back then, the teenager’s death was to be taken figuratively, for he was forced to prostitution in order to pay his father’s credit. By becoming a whore, the young man lost his rights as a human. From that moment he was considered as trash indicating that he was standing at the lowest social rank. I would even say, he became in truth an outcast, which the manhwaphiles can observe in the following metaphor: (chapter 1) Lee Je-Oh viewed himself as a goldfish living alone in an aquarium full of dust. Instead of living among people, he was isolated and trapped in an aquarium underlining his exclusion. Due to the debt and his job as prostitute, he was weak and vulnerable, but he never lost his fighting spirit, as he wanted to live. He was trying to survive in a hostile environment, full of pain and loneliness.

So when the chief realizes that he is on the verge of losing his life for real, he hopes to escape this terrible fate by first appealing to his executioner’s conscience and heart. If he commits a crime, then he will lose his “humanity”. This is no coincidence that the chief talks about righteousness and as such humanity. Let’s not forget that the latter is a synonym for benevolence and kindness. Facing death, the hypocrite starts treating Je-Oh as a human and no longer as his pet. This doesn’t escape the main lead’s attention who points out his hypocrisy. He has behaved like a man without any conscience and heart until now. And this explains why at some point Ma Jong-Seok confesses to like Je-Oh. The moment the loan shark views him as a human being and no longer as whore, he can admit to have some feelings for him. The irony is that even in captivity, the chief kept insulting the young boy and never treated him like a human being. (chapter 3) (chapter 5) He kept treating him as his tool. The main lead had to listen to his order and show loyalty and obedience. Sure, he was definitely stressed and desired to survive, well aware that Do Seong-Rok could kill him at any moment. But he acted like that even before the abduction and sequestration. (chapter 2)

However, what caught my attention in chapter 17 is that the prostitute starts mentioning all the people suffering from the loan sharks. He criticizes Ma Jong-Seok for being responsible for the death of so many people. With his ruthless job, he sentenced people to their death. In other words, the violent moneylender is a murderer, though he never pulled the trigger himself. (chapter 17) And his words truly exposes that Je-Oh is not just killing the loan shark for a personal vendetta, in truth he is resenting him and society for its injustice and corruption. No one felt pity for these persons committing suicide, though they had been cornered by moneylenders. The chapter 17 gives us a clue that Je-Oh is thinking more than just about himself and pure revenge. Moreover, he mentioned to his partner that he hoped with their alliance to obtain his freedom. (chapter 11) And this aspect is very relevant, as liberty is one of the national mottos from French revolution (freedom, equity and fraternity).

But I have to admit that the idea of revolution came up very early on for two reasons. First, in the initial episode, we see the main lead dreaming of burning the world: (chapter 1) This truly exposed the deep resent the main character had for the society he was living in. We have to imagine that he was just a teenager, when he became an orphan, yet no authority worried about his fate. He had been indeed abandoned and betrayed by society and authorities. And here, it is necessary to bring up the definition of revolution.

Revolution: 1. an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed. 2. Sociology. a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/revolution#:~:text=noun,Compare%20social%20evolution.

As you can see, when I saw the image of this immense fire, I thought of the second meaning of the definition. Je-Oh is creating a fire in order to change society, that’s why people are burning. They are the ones who profited from this system. This idea got reinforced, when another important detail caught my attention. While reading the manhwa, I couldn’t help myself thinking about the story entitled “Animal Farm” written by George Orwell and published in 1945. Why? In the first place, the characters in the manhwa are constantly compared to animals. It was, as if they were no human in reality:

First, we have Je-Oh considering himself as a goldfish, but later he compared himself to a dog:
The loan shark called the main lead a mutt (chapter 2), while Je-Oh used the same expression for Do Seong-Rok. (chapter 6) Mutt is a synonym for dog. In the prostitute’s eyes, the murderer is in truth a dog waiting for his master. (chapter 8)
Later Chief Ma Jong-Seok compared the main lead to a rat, as he saw him as a betrayer (chapter 10), while he associated his minions to chickens. (chapter 2)
Then the boss Koo Jeong Mo ruling over the red-light district described the mastermind Jeon Hee-Seong as a snake:
The moneylender Ma Jong-Seok was insulted as a pig by Do Seong-Rok, (chapter 3) when the former complained that the main lead had lied, when he stated that he had been raped.
The snake Jeon Hee-Seong seduced an innocent lamb, the future killer Do Seong-Rok (chapter 16) and called her former employer a fox (chapter 11)
Then even in the game janggi, we have animals: the horse (chapter 13) and the elephant. (chapter 13). The loan shark is supposed to be the elephant in the game, while the horse is Choi Yeong -Gil. (chapter 13) Imagine, this city is not inhabited by humans, but by animals: chickens, a goldfish, a pig, a fox, an elephant, a horse, a dog, a mutt, a rat etc.

Secondly, with the allegory “Animal Farm”, the author portrayed the Russian revolution. In this story, the animals in the farm were suffering under the owner Jones, hence the animals led by the pigs rebelled and took over the farm. This revolution had been triggered by the old Major’s hope. He dreamed of a world where animals would be equal and free from the tyranny of humans. After the revolution, the pigs got more and more power so that at the end, the pig Napoleon, representing the dictator Stalin, imposed his ruling over the other animals. Who opposed him or was of no use to him was eliminated. The irony is that the story ends, when the exploited animals from the farm could no longer distinguish between the pigs and men. Their living conditions were even worse than before.

But, there are other similarities between these two works than the presence of animals. Certain panels made me think of the famous allegory. (chapter 2) Here, Hongok-Dong is presented as a paradise, while in reality there’s only poverty and misery. This poster reminded me of the last commandment in the farm. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This served as propaganda in order to legitimate Napoleon’s dictatorship. In other words, the banner from that Korean city made me think of propaganda. By showing such pictures, the inhabitants are lulled into in the illusion that everything is alright, whereas in reality there exists only selfishness and indifference due to corruption and injustice. Secondly, the pictures about the red-light district (chapter 2) (chapter 16) make me think of a farm, and more precisely of chicken batteries:

And let’s not forget that Ma Jong Seong compared Choi Yeong-Gil and Lee Seon-Chol to chickens. 😉 (chapter 2) Secondly, the fact that Do Seong-Rok views the usurer as a pig (chapter 3) reminds me of the dictatorship of the pigs from Animal Farm. Let’s not forget that the man could enjoy life, while his borrowers were forced either to kill themselves out of despair or to work like slaves for him. Je-Oh criticized him for taking all the money he was earning through prostitution. (chapter 2) This situation is quite similar to the life of the pigs at the farm.

Usually, people compare the world to the jungle, where the only strong ones can survive. But we have to remember that in this story, life is presented as a game (chapter 6), as Janggi. That’s why I believe that the city is like the animal farm, as Janggi is limiting the world. The animals are represented by a piece of chess. The only difference is that we also have wild animals, unlike the English novel. The killer is a player of Janggi, he is the one who uses the different pieces (chariot, cannon, pawn etc). This Korean chess game was introduced to the serial killer Do Seong-Rok by his lover Ms. Jeon Hee-Seong. She manipulated her partner by letting him think that she was a poor prostitute, abused by her husband. (chapter 16) Striking is that she told her partner that she was just a pawn in Janggi, though she views herself as King. There’s no doubt that she faked her situation in front of the main lead. She might have sold her body in the past, yet when she met again the criminal, her life had improved. She was already owning a parlor (chapter 11), when the naive lover killed her husband. But why did she ask Seong-Rok to eliminate so many people (Ma Jong-Seok; Choi Yeong-Gil, Koo Jeong Mo and Lee Seon-Chol)? (chapter 1) Even if it is implied that she resents her husband and Koo Jeong Mo (chapter 11), she has another motive. It is, because she is planning a revolution in my opinion, but not the same type than Je-Oh’s. She wants to overthrow the established system and take it over quietly, which corresponds to the first meaning. Let’s not forget that when Hitler became chancellor, he called this event “national revolution”. In my eyes, she wants to become the head of the red-light district, but hide her connections. She desires to climb up the social ladders by using the actual system. She is not fighting for freedom, but for wealth and power. Since she has deeply internalized that in this world only the strong ones can survive, she is making sure to belong to the winners. That’s why she has the officer Ahn as partner. The latter is trying to enter politics and has connection to politicians.. (chapter 11). The femme fatale purchased land in Hongok-Dong so that she will get rich, when the redevelopment starts. (chapter 9) But in order to achieve her goal, she has to erase her past as a prostitute. She needs to eliminate people who know her from her origins. And this leads me to the following observation: since this world is described as a game of war (chapter 6) , it means that people are judged as enemies and potential threats, which need to be removed. But more importantly, when the femme fatale compares the weak to a prey, the readers can perceive that she is a believer of social Darwinism. (chapter 6)

“Social Darwinism, the theory that human groups and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin perceived in plants and animals in nature. According to the theory, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the weak were diminished and their cultures delimited while the strong grew in power and cultural influence over the weak. Social Darwinists held that the life of humans in society was a struggle for existence ruled by “survival of the fittest,” a phrase proposed by the British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer.” quoted from https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-Darwinism

This truly exposes Jeon Hee-Seong’s mentality. She doesn’t advocate changes or reforms, quite the opposite. This theory is used to justify political conservatism, imperialism, and racism and to discourage intervention. This explicates why Nazism was advocating social Darwinism. Enemies (Jews, Sinti, Homosexuals, handicapped people, democrats eg.) were considered as parasites and cockroaches, which needed to be eliminated. And now, you understand why the perpetrator used before a game where the hostages had to kill each other, only the winner would be able to live. (chapter 3) He was applying this theory, yet deep down he desired that the main lead would seize this opportunity to get revenge on the usurer. (chapter 3) As you can detect, the red-haired man was pushing the hostage to get revenge on his abuser.

On the other hand, we can also sense the presence of social Darwinism in Je-Oh’s speech: Ma Jong-Seok is portrayed as a bloodsucking parasite (“leech off of”): (chapter 17) He is slowly adopting this theory, while in chapter 3, he counted on the criminal’s pity and heart for saving his life.

The presence of this theory explicates why people in this manhwa are portrayed as animals. It is much easier to kill “animals or insects” or even remove “pieces of a game” than humans. If they are no human, then the perpetrator can not be considered as a murderer, thereby he doesn’t feel remorse. Though Je-Oh has now a similar perception than the femme fatale and the killer, this doesn’t mean that they have the same goal. That’s why I believe that the real third party will appear soon: Do Seong-Rok and Je-Oh will truly team up, because their goals will be the same. Right now, they are just allies. Why do I think that they will have the same purpose? It is, because the red-haired protagonist became a killer in order to liberate Jeon Hee-Seong. This explains why the murderer felt pity for the male prostitute. He saw in him another victim of the system, hence he didn’t kill him. He kept wondering what to do with him, consequently his picture contained an interrogation point. (chapter 1) Moreover, the killer punched Ma Jong-Seok out of resent, (chapter 3) after hearing how the usurer looked down on the main lead. Since he was just a whore, he had no right to survive. The red-haired man hated so much that Je-Oh was insulted for his “profession”.

But the serial killer is slowly realizing that he has been played by his lover, the snake Ms. Jeon. He dirtied his hands in order to free her, not realizing that she was using him as his cannon. Besides, now the protagonist knows the name of the mastermind and her relationship to the serial killer. Like I had mentioned it before, Ms. Jeon desires to erase any trace about her origins and plans. So the male prostitute already represents a threat to her plan. On the other hand, the woman has no idea about this, because in her eyes, he is just a pawn. But like the red-haired main lead pointed out, (chapter 13), a pawn can be powerful, once used well. Since Je-Oh is accepting to use violence for his freedom, this signifies that he will fight for a change. That’s why I believe that he will create a revolution, shaking up the whole system, where until now only rich and powerful people had rights, while weak ones were left unprotected, for the police were corrupted and congressmen are only working for their own interests. As a conclusion, you can now comprehend why for me The pawn’s revenge is more than just revenge, it’s about “slavery”, inequity and injustice. Humans are neither pieces of Janggi nor animals, no matter what they are: poor or rich, healthy or sick. The problem is that both types of Revolution bring chaos and death too.

Since the novel Animal Farm from Georg Orwell is referring to Russian revolution and the instauration of Stalinism in USSR, I couldn’t help myself thinking about Anarchism and Nihilism, two strong movements existing in Russia. First, the nihilistic tendency is perceptible with the fire in chapter 1. Then Anarchism is centered on the belief that government is harmful and unnecessary, as it contributes to injustice and inequity due to capitalism. That’s why the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876) desired to abolish property, but unlike in Communism where property was in the hand of the Proletarian government, he proposed this:

“the means of production should be owned collectively, though he still held that each worker should be remunerated only according to the amount of work he actually performed” quoted from https://www.britannica.com/topic/anarchism

Furthermore, Bakunin was an advocate of a violent Revolution, contrary to the French anarchist Proudhon who believed that the existing society could be changed through reforms. The Russian thinker was definitely more radical, which explains why at the end of the 19th Century, Russian anarchists targeted Alexander II. and other representatives from Russian Monarchy. For them, these people were the symbol of inequity, slavery and injustice. By killing people, the terrorists wanted to show their desire to change their society radically. And now, you comprehend why we had this picture in the first episode. For me, it announces huge changes brought by violence. An individual is trying to get rid of a system responsible for his misery. Let’s not forget that Anarchism is advocating individuality and absolute equity (not just equality in rights, but socially). In other words, this movement was against the existence of social classes. And these observations lead me to the following deduction: Je-Oh will change Do Seong-Rok’s ultimate goal, though the method will be the same. They will target people, but the prostitute will go after the persons responsible for the misery in Hongok-Dong: corrupted politicians and officers and as such Jeon Hee-Seong, who wants now to use this system to become powerful and rich.

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Pearl Boy: Curse or blessing? 🦪

May 15, 2021June 2, 2023 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ Leave a comment

While reading Pearl Boy, I couldn’t help myself connecting this manhwa to the novel written by John Steinbeck, The Pearl. In this story, the Mexican diver Kino found a huge pearl which led him to imagine that thanks to the pearl, he would be able to have a better life. In other words, he considered the pearl as a blessing. Yet, the problem is that the pearl awoke greed and other negative feelings in Kino and other people so that at the end, Kino ended up losing everything. Hence he decided to threw the gem into the ocean. This means that the protagonist finally considered the gem as a curse, the gem only brought him misery. While in the beginning Kino was poor, he had a loving family. However, with the appearance of the pearl, the readers can observe the disintegration of that harmonious family and the transformation of Kino’s personality. The diver even lost his son Coyotito which was the trigger for the main lead to give up on the pearl. As you can observe, it looks like the Pearl was more a curse to Kino and his family, because it brought evil and destruction in his life. More importantly is that the protagonist, who sought to gain fortune and status through the precious item, transformed from a happy and contented father into a brutal criminal, demonstrating the way ambition and greed could destroy innocence. Hence we could conclude that in the novel the pearl symbolizes evil and greed. On the other hand, the pearl is just an object, thus it has no thoughts and feelings. That’s why I don’t think the gem truly embodies these values. From my perspective, since the pearl is round and shining (chapter 12), it could be viewed as a mirror, which reflects human greed. As soon as humans discover such a precious object, their deeply buried desires like ambition and greed are awakened. Then I would like to point out that John Steinbeck’s novel was inspired by a Mexican folktale. Striking is that this story contains many parallels to the Chinese’s entitled The story of the Dragon’s pearl. [For more information: https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2001/01-28/0089_tell_me_a_story__the_dragon_s_pea.html]

The similarities are the families owning the pearl were poor, and once people heard about its existence, they started becoming envious and desired to take it. Moreover, both protagonists changed due to the gem, both turned in a “monster”, although the dragon has a positive connotation. The only difference between the two folktales is that in the Chinese version, the boy decided to eat the pearl in order to put an end to misery and fight among people. By eating the pearl, he became a dragon. Through this ending, the lesson of this fairy tale is that by sacrificing himself, he showed generosity and selflessness. At the same time, he was rewarded for his sacrifice. With his transformation, the boy was now able to protect his family and people, yet he could no longer live with his mother. Note that there was no drought any longer. As you can sense, the existence of the pearl always seems to bring fortune and happiness first, yet this blessing is turned into a curse, as it brings calamity and destroys families.

And now, it is time to focus on the manhwa Pearl Boy. In this story, the protagonist Jin Jooha is actually the pearl, as he can create pearls by ejaculating. (chapter 1) That’s why this manhwa is entitled Pearl Boy. What does it mean for the main lead? In his eyes, his special condition is more a curse than a blessing. Because of his ability, he is not treated like a human, but as an object. He is called either as a vending machine (chapter 22) or as a clam (chapter 23). In chapter 22, the poor man is even viewed as a living sex toy, hence he is enchained . But why don’t people consider him as a human? In my opinion, it is related to Choi Pilwon’s words and attitude. The latter definitely views him as his pet or a doll. (chapter 4). Since Jooha is his possession, he states this to the poor pearl boy (chapter 22). He might enjoy now some privileges, (chapter 14), but he is not free. That’s why I believe that for Jooha, the pearl is more a curse. In the beginning of the story, he is forced to have sex with people so that he can ejaculate many pearls. He is bounded to Choi Pilwon, as the former needs to repay his debt . On the other hand, I think, for Choi Pilwon, Jooha represents a blessing and a curse simultaneously. Why? A blessing… because he is well aware that Jooha is definitely special. With such a treasure, people seek his attention and favors. Thanks to his wealth, he was able to obtain Jooha. Striking is that Jooha even trusted him in the past. It is palpable, when the main lead threw himself into his arms after running away. (chapter 22) However, it becomes clear that the antagonist created such a situation, so that the main lead would rely on him, this explicates why he smiled while getting hugged. This smile exposes his manipulation. He wanted the pearl boy to depend on him entirely. By joining Choi Pilwon, the main character lost his freedom, the CEO used the immense debt to tie Jooha to him. What caught my attention is that we never see him having sex with men. He only gets fellatios. (chapter 14). He even pays other people to have sex (chapter 17), while he watches them. And this observation made me think that Choi Pilwon could have some sexual issues, like erectile dysfunction. Let’s not forget that in Painter Of The Night, Yoon Seungho needed to get a fellatio before a penetration before viewing his first erotic portray. And if this theory is correct, this signifies that Choi Pilwon can’t have sex with Jooha, which is frustrating him. Therefore I get the impression, he is desiring love from Jooha. He might possess the pearl boy, yet he is incapable to obtain his heart and love. And that’s his curse. There are other evidences for this interpretation. Even before selling him to low-lives, he just watched him having sex with other men, as if he couldn’t have sex with him. What the “mermaid” considered as sexual perversion could be definitely judged differently. He wished to taste the pearl boy, but he can’t any more, hence he needed others. The pearls are the cause for this toxic relationship. Secondly, when he sees Kang Dooshik close to his pet, he looks at his rival very carefully. He pays attention to his appearances: (chapter 9) and dismisses him due to his sweats. Since Kang Dooshik is not wearing any expensive cloth, he doesn’t judge him as a source of threat. However, when he hears that Dooshik has become Jooha’s partner, he is bothered. Hence the main lead is no longer forced to have sex with men whom Choi Pilwon sent him. The CEO is determined to get rid of the former host. Look how he is upset, (chapter 14), when he discovers that the protagonist has found the perfect partner. Nonetheless, he can’t forced the pearl boy to follow his order any longer, as Jooha procured him a huge amount of pearls. In other words, thanks to Dooshik, the main character has been able to gain more freedom. That’s why I doubt that watching other men having sex with Jooha was Pilwon’s true desire. Let’s not forget that in the beginning of the story, the CEO is standing in the street, while the protagonist is selling his body in the back room. This exposes that Choi Pilwon was not even watching this, a sign that he didn’t like it at all. And like Jooha has truly recognized, the debt can not be the real explanation for his harsh attitude towards the protagonist. When the latter offered him new pearls as a compensation, because he had not produced so many, the CEO got furious and put them in Jooha’s mouth. The latter had masturbated in order to get pearls. This truly shows that the pearls and the debt are just an excuse. Consequently, Choi Pilwon is not happy with the pearl boy. First, he thought, he had been blessed. Yet since the young man rejected him, he had to find a trick to bind him. And remember what I wrote above. For me, the pearl is like a mirror… since the CEO has been raised in a rich but cold environment, he has already internalized that money buys everything. In my opinion, he was not able to give what the protagonist was longing for: love and acceptance. Moreover, there is no doubt that Choi Pilwon is selfish and pays a lot attention to appearances, thus he couldn’t treat Jooha properly. Since both folktales contain reference to transformation, I believe that Choi Pilwon changed in contact with Jooha and the CEO’s terrible flaws came to the surface and were reinforced: greed, obsession and possessiveness. The pearl boy reflected Pilwon’s mentality: everything was revolving around money. Another detail caught my attention: the CEO is often associated to the shadow and darkness in the pictures. Look at the panels above and these ones: (chapter 4) (chapter 14) In the last image, it becomes more obvious, as Kang Dooshik stands in opposition to the CEO. He enters the inn rushing to the purple haired man’s side in order to comfort him. As you can imagine, the protagonist Kang Dooshik brings light and warmth to Jooha (purple and pink are warm colors), while Choi Pilwon embodies darkness and coldness due to the dark green and the black. This interpretation gets confirmed, when Dooshik is seen in the street during the night. The manhwaphiles can even observe a starry night in Dooshik’s presence. (chapter 8).

And now it is time to turn our attention to the other main character: Kang Dooshik. When the story starts, the former bar server has already reached the bottom. He lost everything, because his ex-lover Eunwoo stole the money from Dooshik’s employer, Madam Hyung, and the main character was responsible for that money. In other words, the young man is on the run, yet despite his terrible situation, the man is not suicidal or heartbroken. On the one side, he is poor, exactly like Kino and the boy from the folktale. On the other side contrary to the stories, Dooshik had no harmonious relationship before, hence he knows the importance of true values (love, friendship, loyalty etc). In my eyes, he has learned through this terrible experience that love can’t be taken for granted. Another difference is that after meeting Jooha, the main lead’s personality doesn’t change: he remains generous, caring and honorable. (chapter 8) Surprising is that it was Jooha who helped Dooshik first. This signifies that for the purple haired man, Dooshik looked more like a curse. The former bar server tried to eat without paying his meal. Then he acted as a “prostitute”, when he proposed his body to reimburse the dish. Hence the pearl boy had the impression that Dooshik was like all the other men he had sex before: ruthless, superficial, selfish and perverted. Then in chapter 4, Jooha even chose to save his life, although the hero acted like an idiot. So for the main lead, it looked like Dooshik was a source of trouble. Yet, it turned out to be the opposite. Right after rescuing the confident and smiling man, the latter returned the favor. He rescued him from the sexually harassing men. (chapter 8) He even taught him how to protect himself. That’s why I believe that we have two pearl boys in this manhwa. Jooha might have this special ability, yet the former host is also a pearl due to his big heart. And observe that Jooha dived to get the “pearl” which reminds me of Kino. After that incident, the purple haired boy started treating Dooshik differently. And here, I could bring another fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, from Andersen. The mermaid rescued the prince and fell in love with him. However, the prince never returned his affection to the mermaid. But there’s a reason for that: the mermaid disguised herself. She was turned into a human, therefore she could never be true to herself. Moreover, due to her transformation, she became mute. In other words, her meeting with the “prince”, the pearl, was a curse hidden as a blessing. If we compare both stories, the manhwalovers can detect the huge contrast. In Pearl Boy, the evolution is totally different. The mermaid revealed his secret, and was even asked to voice his opinion and feelings. The prince could sense the gentleness and selflessness in his partner. That’s why there exists no one-sided crush.

What caught my attention is that the former host discovers two pearls: (chapter 3) and then in chapter 12. These incidents announced a change in the protagonist’s life. Although the main lead gets happy with this discovery each time, as he envisions that he could repay his former employee, Dooshik never loses his humanity. He still prioritizes love and humans over greed and selfishness. That’s why when he discovers Jooha’s ability, he asks him if he is ill. This truly exposes that Dooshik is the first one treating Jooha as a human. At no moment, he tries to take advantage of the purple-haired man. (chapter 14) Therefore it is not surprising that the ex-host often encourages his lover to express himself. Another important detail is that he is the only one kissing Jooha before going any further. In other words, he is showering him with love and warmth. He keeps hugging him in order to comfort him. (chapter 14) (chapter 24) Hence the manhwaphiles are not astonished that at the end, Jooha doesn’t desire to be separated from Kang Dooshik. He can’t even bear the thought of his lover’s departure from the hotel room. He fears that his partner might never return. He has already realized that he found a treasure, a pearl boy, while in the beginning he judged him as a source of trouble. As for Kang Dooshik, it is the same. While in his past, he was admired and could earn money and trust so easily, he was so unhappy in his relationship with Eunwoo (chapter 14). The latter betrayed him on multiple occasions, yet the weirdest is that after this terrible relationship, Kang Dooshik is not scared of love. Thanks to Jooha, his life became more stable, and indirectly he could get in touch with his best friend Lee Choonbae.

That’s why my conclusion is that the pearl is in reality a mirror. Since Jooha helped him without any expectation, the gentle and affectionate Dooshik couldn’t restrain himself giving some affection towards the purple-haired man. The latter could only reciprocate the feelings, as the main character was the only one treating him like a treasure. Consequently, Dooshik is often linked to purple and pink, the color of love and royalty, a prince (chapter 8) (chapter 24). That’s the reason why their love sessions are full of the following colors: white (innocence), purple and pink. Both protagonists became a blessing for each other, they gave each other exactly what the other needed. Hence for me, there are two pearl boys in this manhwa. And the pearl is not a curse or a blessing, it just reflects human desires: positive and negative. That’s why it is important for Choi Pilwon to recognize that he is actually cursed by maintaining such a relationship with Jooha. Thus I conclude that Dooshik’s best friend, Lee Choonbae, will play an important role in the future, as his intervention will affect Choi Pilwon’s relationship with Jooha. He could become Choi Pilwon’s blessing disguised as a curse.

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.

Protected: Painter Of The Night: The kisaeng and the scholar 👨‍🎓 (second version)

May 13, 2021October 13, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33

Painter Of The Night: Love and Sex 👨‍❤️‍👨 (second version)

May 10, 2021September 21, 2022 ~ Bébébisous33 ~ 18 Comments

When I examined the sex scenes from the first season (see the analysis “Sex or Love?), I realized that each character had different expectations from the sexual encounters. They were either looking for sex or for love, but each time they were not able to express their desire and even to recognize the distinction. Why couldn’t they sense the difference? It is related to the way the characters were raised.

1. Sex and philosophy

On the one hand, Baek Na-Kyum was taught by the learned sir and Heena noona that sex and as such homosexuality was dirty (chapter 34), only spiritual love was allowed (chapter 19) (chapter 68). This signified that in his education, not only sex was prohibited, but also sexual desires were denied. Although love was expressed through hugs (chapter 66) (chapter 68) and caresses (chapter 10) (chapter 68), they were devoid of sexuality. The painter experienced love, but was not allowed to experience sexuality. He was only authorized to paint it for the scholar’s sake. On the other side, Yoon Seungho was raised the opposite: love was not allowed, as it was a sign of submission and weakness. Sex was permitted, because it was considered as a fight in order to defeat his opponent. These were the butler’s doctrines. That way, he could still have a connection to the main lead. If he came to love someone (the pedophile), the lord could definitely abandon the valet and reveal his betrayals. In other words, he used pity as a way to tame the lord. At the same time, sex also served to gain some benefit, as it was an exchange of favors (giving versus receiving), (Chapter 71). I connect this philosophy to the king and indirectly to the butler. With sex, the nobles could exchange some favors. These huge divergences in the mindset explicate why there were so many misunderstandings between Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum, as their education diverged so much.

2. Sex and prostitution

Yet, despite the contrast, both educations had something in common: prostitution. Heena noona hates sex, because it is related to her work. The scholar rejects it, for it is beneath him. He expects the low-borns (Baek Na-Kyum and Heena noona) to become his prostitutes, if it’s necessary, while he can maintain his image of a proper scholar. Father Yoon used his son as a prostitute, and the main lead realized it after his father’s betrayal and abandonment. This explicates why “prostitution” stands in the center of the second season. For Baek Na-Kyum was brought to the mansion against his will, but he received certain privileges, his status was never clearly defined. Although Yoon Seungho thought, he had won the battle (chapt45), as the painter had accepted him as his sexual partner, he had to realize slowly that he was wrong. He imagined that since the artist had remained by his side and was accepting to have sex with him, he had achieved what he wanted: in his unconscious it was to be loved. Yet, it was just an illusion. The painter saw himself as a whore and the master as a man consumed by lust. As you can see, the noble was forced to judge the nature of the sexual encounters differently. He had associated sex to love due to their Wedding night, therefore he imagined that the moment the painter was accepting him, the problem was solved. He would be able to relive this wonderful moment, but however nothing like that happened. He felt never satisfied, as there were no feelings at all. Hence he even had sex during the day, believing that the artist’s lack of experience was the problem. (Chapter 45) While the lord became Baek Na-Kyum’s sexual emancipator, the painter became the lord’s teacher for love. This explicates why the low-born forced the lord to question his own identity and feelings.

But let’s return our focus on the common denominator: prostitution. As long as the painter chose to stay, because he had a roof over his head and could eat properly, we could definitely say that till 49 his stay at the mansion was indeed closer to prostitution than a master- servant relationship, because the commoner was never treated like a domestic. He only had sex with the lord and had some privileges. (chapter 46) He was never asked to do other work, although the artist tried to change his situation. Since he was behaving like a whore, he felt that he had no right to express any thought and emotion. He couldn’t show any pleasure. That’s why there were no feelings in their sex encounters, and the lord could sense the difference. Consequently, when the lord realized that he was still perceived as a man consumed by sex (chapter 48), he changed his behavior. He acted like a real client at the brothel (chapter 48), but at the same time he cornered the painter to have multiple climaxes in order to let him experience that he liked having sex with him. (chapter 49) As you can observe, the lord linked sensuality to love. If he could provoke ejaculations, then it meant that the artist was definitely feeling something for him. However, the moment the lord liberated the painter from his pejorative perception about himself (he is a prostitute), the painter reacted the exact opposite. Now, he was the one using Yoon Seungho, the latter was his plaything. (Chapter 49), his prostitute, for he was the one procuring pleasure to Yoon Seungho. As you can see, the roles had been switched. This means that now the painter had the upper-hand in their relationship. We could even say that the noble was willing to accept his fate. (Chapter 49) Yet there was a difference from the past. Yoon Seungho would feel pleasure as well. This is not surprising that Kim chose to intervene and separate the couple right after. Without sex, the painter had no power over the master. That’s the reason why the butler revealed his knowledge the morning after. The protagonist had to hear from his butler the real cause for Baek Na-Kyum’s passivity and torpor: (chapter 50). Through this revelation, the lord was indirectly confronted by his own reflection: he was indeed asking from Baek Na-Kyum sexual favors in exchange for his stay at the mansion. That’s the reason why the lord had a “relapse“ and kept his distance from the painter.

3. Abstinence and love

However, because Yoon Seungho was now associating sexual pleasure with the painter, the noble was no longer able to have sex at all. Don’t forget that Baek Na-Kyum symbolizes love. Seungho-Ya 😉 couldn’t even get an erection with a fellatio given by someone else. (chapter 52). This was important, because for the noble, it meant that he could no longer have sex with other partners. Without sex, the lord was forced to question himself and ponder on the true nature of his relationship with Baek Na-Kyum. He felt jealousy during that night, he was very protective as well. (Chapter 52) His sexuality had already become an expression of his love, although the main lead was still unaware of his own feelings. That’s why I come to the conclusion, chapter 52 was actually revealing Yoon Seungho’s monogamy, although it looked the opposite. And this becomes truly visible, when the gangrape was about to occur. He felt no urge, when he was with the guests, yet the moment he brought the artist to the bedchamber, he couldn’t stop himself from kissing his loved one. (chapter 54) He was definitely longing for his warmth. This explicates why the noble got so infuriated, when he was confronted with the consequence of his bad decision: (chapter 54) the artist was on the verge to be no longer monogamous, as he would be tasted by other aristocrats. In this scene, the lord would have indeed become a client and pimp, if he hadn’t chased away his guests. Although the painter was indeed upset afterwards about this incident (chapter 55), deep down he sensed that his master had protected him. This night was important for the main lead: he was forced to admit his own feelings for the painter. Therefore, we could say that the issue with the prostitution was solved after chapter 54. Yoon Seungho thought that the moment he confessed, the painter would get scared and run away, but it didn’t happen. Why? Love among men and especially between a brutal noble and a commoner, was a taboo, like Min had underlined. Secondly, if the lord had indeed feelings for him, he had behaved like a beast during that night. He had mistreated Baek Na-Kyum. In his mind, the artist would never accept him.Besides, the painter had clearly denied the affection from the main lead. In his eyes, the painter’s words were indicating a rejection. (chapter 54) Thus I conclude that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum had come to an implicit agreement: they had a master-servant relationship (chapter 56), although Baek Na-Kyum started perceiving himself as a domestic from chapter 51 on again. He kept following the head-maid and Kim (chapter 51) in order to help them. Therefore the readers could witness the return of the white headband in chapter 52: his task was to paint for his master. (Chapter 52)

However, this new situation didn’t last long due to the artist’s abduction. The lord thought that since he had properly confessed to his servant (chapter 62) here, he whispered to Baek Na-Kyum that he adored him), he would bind the artist to himself.

4. The real relapse: sex, the symbol of submission

Nevertheless the commoner disappeared making Yoon Seungho think that the moment he revealed his vulnerability, he got betrayed and abandoned. This explicates why the noble punished the artist, when he was found. Since they had a master-servant relationship and the artist had run away, this meant that Baek Na-Kyum was rejecting the lord’s love. Hence he could only treat him like his sex toy (chapter 63), exactly like he had wished in chapter 49. The only difference is that this time, the painter was here for the lord’s pleasure. The roles had been switched again. As the manhwaphiles can perceive, the noble and painter had a similar reaction: they both tried to deny the existence of love in their relationship. That’s the reason why the noble stopped the artist from confessing: (chapter 63) They just had a sexual relationship which could provoke pleasure, but that was it. But in order to ensure that the artist wouldn’t run away again, he used sex to “tame“ Baek Na-Kyum. If the main lead could procure multiple climaxes to the artist, then the latter was forced to admit that only Yoon Seungho could be his “partner“. This explicates why the noble kept pointing out how the artist would react to his lover’s body. (Chapter 63) (chapter 64) He was moaning and would ejaculate constantly thanks to the main lead. Yet, during this second marathon, the noble was actually deceiving himself. (Chapter 62)

5. Love and servitude

Although he treated the painter like a servant, as the latter was asked to paint, Yoon Seungho couldn’t help himself cleaning Baek Na-Kyum and bringing him to his bedchamber. (Chapter 65) This shows that the painter had gained a new position: he was indeed a favored servant. He was allowed to spend the night in his lover’s bed and he could see the lord getting dressed. (Chapter 65) The slight change was that now the main lead was aware of this. This truly exposes the lord’s affection for the artist. He might have treated him like a plaything in the shed, in reality he had attempted to show “his skills“ as a lover. He had licked him, bit him and the painter had felt pleasure, though he kept saying no! This is not surprising that Yoon Seungho had denied the kiss in the study. (Chapter 64) Because that’s how he had been deceived that night in the study. (Chapter 49) Baek Na-Kyum had silenced him with the kiss, as the main lead was about to protest. (Chapter 49) When he mentioned the kiss, the symbol for love, in his confession, it was connected to sensuality and not affection. Hence he didn‘t kiss him at the end of the second marathon. As a conclusion, by bringing the artist to his bedchamber, the lord never realized that his action was betraying his words from the night before. They were definitely more than 2 naked bodies. The lord trusted the painter so that he could lie down next to him in the bed. (Chapter 65) Striking is that Heena noona’s intervention destroyed their terrible but short-lived master-servant relationship, because the noble was faced with the truth: he had brought back the artist to the mansion against his will. (chapter 65) What caught my attention is that the painter’s disappearance mirrored the lord’s wrongdoing. Lee Jihwa and the main lead had both kidnapped the artist. That’s why I believe that when he heard Heena’s words in the study (chapter 68), the noble could only come to the following conclusion: he could only let the painter choose his destiny. But the moment the artist decided to remain by his side, he needed to change Baek Na-Kyum’s position in the mansion. He was no longer a servant, but a noble guest. Hence the lord tied the scarf like aristocrats did. (chapter 69) Consequently, we could say that the painter had a similar status than Jung In-Hun. Yet, there was a huge difference: the owner of the mansion was now acting like the painter’s servant. Hence Deok-Jae’s words came true: (chapter 46).

6. Nobility and love

From chapter 69 on, there were two masters in the mansion: (chapter 71). Why? It is because the lord made the decision that the painter chose him, then this means that he became his wife, though at the end of season 2, he was not thinking about marriage yet. He was not aware of this perception. By becoming his official partner, the spouse obtains the status of his husband: nobility. This explicates why the lord ate with his lover (chapter 74) and allowed him to smoke. Then in season 3, he gave him ladies-in-waiting in order to give him some company. (Chapter 78) He even gave him the music box, which was mistaken as a dowry. However, the problem is that the painter was still fighting his own feelings for the protagonist due to Heena noona’s words and past experience with the scholar. He feared that this new situation was too beautiful to be true, hence he thought that the lord’s feelings would fade away. But there was another reason for doubting the lord’s affection: there was no sex. (chapter 74) The painter had come to associate sex with love too. Yet, the moment he relived his trauma, he only found comfort and safety in the lord’s embrace. (Chapter 76) The main lead didn’t reject the painter’s urge for a hug in front of commoners. At no moment, Yoon Seungho felt embarrassment. He treated him like a special treasure. That’s how the painter came to realize that Yoon Seungho‘s love for him was true and genuine. Consequently, he decided to rely on him and to trust him. That’s why in this panel, the painter closed his eyes: (chapter 76) We could say that he was reminded of his own past. When he was a child, he sensed love through hugs and caresses. Since the painter could feel the lord’s genuine affection and warmth, he recognized that even when there was no sex, love was present. All his senses made him perceive the lord’s love: (chapter 76) His words showed his care and concern, then he bought him an expensive music box. (Chapter 76)

7. The symbols for the couple‘s love

But by accepting the noble’s affection, the painter was also incited to question his affection for Yoon Seungho. On the other hand till chapter 94, he hadn’t voiced it yet. As you can see, the abstinence at the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3 had a important function. It helped the painter to admit the existence of love and more precisely the lord’s affection for him, a reflection of the lord’s situation in season 2 (50-54). Simultaneously, it meant that the painter could no longer deny his attachment to Yoon Seungho too. Therefore it is not surprising that in the bedchamber, when the artist tried to initiate a kiss, it could be perceived as the start of a love confession. (Chapter 80) And now, you comprehend why the painter didn‘t confess during that night. He got interrupted. The kiss was the symbol for their love. Thus it is no coincidence that just after his confession,. (Chapter 94) the painter initiated a long and sensual kiss with his “husband“. (Chapter 95) Since the painter had received caresses and embraces in his childhood, he came to view the kiss as the symbol for true love. And note that the kisses exchanged in the gibang were full of passion and love. This was the perfect combination of love and sex. (Chapter 95)

On the other hand, the lord had developed a different preference: the locked gaze, the warm embrace and the joined hands. Thus when he confessed his affection for the painter in the kisaeng house, observe what he did: (Chapter 96) This shows that Yoon Seungho has always longed for a pure and spiritual love in the first place. His sexual preferences were already palpable in the last love session (season 2): (chapter 72) We could say that he discovered all his sexual preferences thanks to the painter.

Thus my prediction in the first version that the painter would express his love through sex later came true. He tried to initiate it with a kiss. He was moved by the lord’s loving gaze and smile. (Chapter 80) But he failed due to the intervention of the butler and other schemers. Besides, the whispering of „Kyumah“ could only make his heart race. Let’s not forget that his painting in the sand (chapter 1) externalized his own philosophy: love and sex can’t be separated. Note that the couple is is hugging and kissing at the same time! 😍 This picture will represent the peak of their love! Striking is that when the couple confirmed their mutual affection, they did in the kisaeng house, the symbol for prostitution. This truly exposed that Yoon Seungho had been treated like a male night servant in the past. .

As you can imagine, I am expecting a new version of this love session. (chapter 72) in the next season, for the painter is still calling his lover “lord Seungho“ (chapter 99) (chapter 102) This means that he is still viewing himself as a low-born. But note that contrary to the past, Baek Na-Kum is now wearing a hanbok and he has no other clothes. Thus I am deducing that the painter’s next lesson is to drop his notion that he is a commoner. He will be taught to view himself as an equal to Yoon Seungho. Only when he has internalized that there is no gap between him and his lover, then he will be able to address him as “Seungho-YA!“ At the same time, both protagonists will come to realize that they can express their love differently. Poetry, painting and more importantly through their desire to protect their loved one. The lord will start protecting Baek Na-Kyum more actively, just like the painter will decide to show more interests in his lover’s skills and past life. Baek Na-Kyum will feel responsible for the bloodshed in the shaman’s house. In my opinion, the lord will confide to him what happened to Min and the other nobles. I am assuming this, for the lord remained silent, when the messenger of his father came to the mansion. He didn’t want to scare his lover because of his brutal outburst. (chapter 84)

8. Sex, passion and confession

What caught my attention is that unlike in the first season, where characters came to find love and had sex or the reverse, the second season presented each sexual encounter as a sex session, but at some point love came to the surface.

chapter 45: The trigger for the change is the noble’s words. The latter keeps talking to the painter asking for an reply. Hence in my eyes, there are glimpses of love the moment Baek Na-Kyum said this: It sounded like a confession, hence the seme became more passionate:
chapter 48/49: Here the lord acted like a client. Yet, notice that the lord is speaking again forcing to express himself. And the moment the painter cried and started voicing his own opinion, the sexual encounter was affected. (Chapter 49) The lord comforted the artist and hugged him: (chapter 49) An expression of love and affection, but the painter rejected it, as he mistrusted his own judgement. He couldn’t help thinking of the learned sir’s fake embrace. Striking is that despite the rejection, the painter kissed and hugged back his lover (chapter 49), which made the lord believe that he could only get embraced by the painter, if they had sex.
This explicates why in chapter 63, the lord forced the painter to hug him: . Although the second sex marathon starts like a pure sex session, the moment the painter calls Yoon Seungho differently, the lord’s attitude changes. The painter is turned around and faces his lover, a sign that they are getting closer. Striking is that again through their conversation, the painter is pressured to think about his own emotions. However, due to his own insecurities and fear, the noble still can’t trust the artist’s words, therefore there’s no confession. As you can see, love was not absent, it is just that both main leads were in denial.

Naturally, the night in chapter 58 and 70, 71, 72 and 73, are different. Although in chapter 58, the noble confessed and made love to the painter, he was also cornering his lover. The latter was not really able to move. He was trapped under his body, the lord was blaming him for turning him into a wreck. (Chapter 58) Thus he should become responsible for him. Yoon Seungho was unconsciously trying to push the painter to reciprocate his feelings, an imitation of Lee Jihwa‘s confession. Nevertheless, the painter remained silent, therefore it meant that his love was still denied. That’s why it stands more under the sign of dream and illusion. Consequently, the night in chapter 70, 71, 72 and 73 contrasts so much to the one from chapter 58. This time, it symbolizes the lord’s pure love. As such, the sex is already a real expression of love. That’s why the lord asked to be called intimately: Seungho-Ya (chapter 72) On the other hand, this love session was strongly intertwined with the notion of forgiveness and punishment as well. This is important, it reveals that Yoon Seungho had internalized that sex was the expression to redeem himself. He had been tasked in the past that if he desired to obtain “forgiveness“, then he should have sex. And by comparing all these sexual encounters, I came to the following conclusion: the lord’s words definitely contributed to change the nature of the sex session, just like the hug.

And observe that the lord started hugging the painter more often outside sex, but the painter could never sense his affection. In chapter 49, he judged the warmth as fake. In chapter 66, he had a flashback, hence he couldn’t witness his lord’s attention and care. But the lord discovered this kind of embrace, when he helped the painter in chapter 53: That’s how the noble experienced the embrace as a source of comfort and affection. Therefore you can comprehend, why I wrote above that the painter was teaching the lord how to love properly, but also why the embrace became the symbol for love in the lord‘s eyes. He had never been embraced before by a man. And Lee Jihwa had recognized the true signification of this gesture, when he spied on the couple (chapter 43). That‘s how he knew the friend‘s biggest desire: and was deeply hurt after this discovery (Chapter 57) However, this shows that Yoon Seungho is a quick learner, because he knew what to do, when the painter was in pain and destress. At the same time, it explains why he could fake the embrace in chapter 62: This hug stands in opposition to the one at the end of season 3: (chapter 102) The artist was forgiving his lover! Love represents selflessness, tolerance, forgiveness, warmth, affection and assistance which is transmitted by the embrace. Now, you understand why Yoon Seungho was still not satisfied after the sex session in the study, he was longing for the hug. (Chapter 84) In his unconscious, he knew that if the artist hugged him, he would have forgiven him. But he had no idea about it, thus he couldn’t suggest this. So far, he had experienced the embrace from the artist while having sex. Deep down, he had already internalized the embrace to forgiveness. So we could say that the absence of the embrace in this scene was the lord‘s punishment for the fake hug in the shed. And the painter let him discover the true nature of a warm embrace: (chapter 88) This is not surprising that this hug was not connected to sex at all. Yet it moved the lord so deeply. As the manhwalovers could sense it, season 3 was focused on love and sensuality. During that season, the couple was able to voice about their sexual desires and their preferences. (chapter 91)

As for the lord’s addiction to grab the artist’s hand, we have to envision that it is related to the lord‘s huge trauma. (Chapter 86) No one close to him had grabbed his hand in order to show their support. This gesture in the picture embodies abandonment. On the other hand, the painter had been the first one to take his hand and to swear “loyalty“. (Chapter 30) The joined hands were repeated in season 3 , the only difference is that this time, Baek Na-Kyum was doing it willingly. (Chapter 88) The symbol for support, company and responsibility.

As a conclusion, the dichotomy between love and sex in the relationship between the protagonists is no longer existing at the end of the third season. Both have come accept their love for each other. But it already started vanishing at the end of season 2. Although the painter had not confessed properly yet, the return of the embrace and his request for help are strong indications that Baek Na-Kyum was now accepting his affection. He was now trusting the noble, hence he revealed an important clue about the abduction.

Consequently, I am predicting that in season 4, we will see a new erotic painting of the couple, the symbol of their affection which will stand in opposition to the ones from season 1. It won’t be about conquests and as a tool to procure an erection for the nightly activities. That’s the reason why I am now expecting only one erotic picture: the document of their official union. (chapter 1) versus chapter 41 (chapter 41) Under this perspective, it becomes understandable why the couple neglected these pictures. They were all devoid of affection, it was more about prostitution and battle! And here is now the question? Where are these drawings?

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