Tag: Father Yoon

Painter Of The Night: Time ⏳ and crime (second version)

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 3 Comments

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/

This won‘t be a long analysis like “The end of the vicious circle”, for my main purpose here is to try to reconstruct Yoon Seungho’s terrible past, and as such its chronology.

1. The incident in the study

We know now for sure that the starting point of Yoon Seungho‘s downward spiral was the incident with Jihwa.

Chapter 77: The young boy was caught doing something immoral, though like I elaborated it in my previous analysis, there‘s no doubt, the main lead was drugged, and Jihwa had been somehow manipulated. While some might see two teenagers fooling around, I have a different perspective. Then I came to realize why the perception from the manhwaphiles diverges so much. It is, because the readers are actually projecting their own thoughts and expectations. Hence this is normal that certain readers are still expecting something innocent and pure. Yet, since I believe, Yoon Seungho was never a sodomite from the start, but was turned into one, for me the smile and gaze from Yoon Seungho in that scene seemed so fake and artificial, especially if you compare it to this one: (chapter 57) versus (chapter 77) In the first one he oozes innocence and affection, in the other he’s in ecstasy, roofied. However, we have to envision that this smile could have just been a projection of the butler, which means that this represents a distorted memory. Like I explained in my previous essay, the noble has the same gaze than the painter under the influence of opium and alcohol.

“Date rape drugs make a sexual assault, including rape easier  in one or more ways, such as:

  • making a victim more compliant and less able to say no
  • weakening a victim so they are unable to resist or fight back
  • making a victim fully or partially unconscious
  • weakening a victim’s inhibitions, so they consent to sexual activity they may otherwise decline” quoted from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320409#types

And if you pay attention to Yoon Seungho, he was not active at all. He was behaving like the painter in chapter 54.

2. Kim’s past actions

Observe the butler‘s actions. He opens the door without announcing himself. But remember the butler’s MO, it is to delay to deliver the information. We could observe this on different occasions like chapter 44 or 50. He never told the painter about the scholar’s departure(chapter 44), just like he only reported the conversation between Jung In-Hun and Baek Na-Kyum many weeks later. (chapter 50) That’s why I come to the conclusion that he never ran immediately to father Yoon in order to report the incident. The butler just needed to inform him later. While in the past, I used to think that he had used rumors again as an excuse, I have now a different perception. For me, it was someone else badmouthing the main lead, well aware that father Yoon feared gossips the most, (chapter 50) an older version of this image. This explicates why Yoon Seungho had regained consciousness and could fight back against the servants, when he got dragged to the shed. (chapter 77) Besides, observe that the main lead was sequestrated in the storage room on two occasions at least.

3. The shed and study

Hence Yoon Chang-Hyeon ordered to drag the young boy to the barn. (chapter 77) However, since it happened twice, I am deducing that this was not the case for the second time. But if you pay attention to Yoon Seungho‘s bedroom, you will notice that he was living in the actual painter‘s study. (chapter 77) And this means that the intelligent noble was in a privileged situation. Remember Jihwa’s words: (chapter 05) With this remark, the noble expressed a certain annoyance, for he would live next to Yoon Seungho. This truly shows that the painter’s room was a sign of Yoon Seungho‘s favoritism towards the low-born. So if the main lead had such a good reputation and was even favored by the eldest master, this signifies that he could only attract people‘s gaze. Thus some persons definitely envied or resented him, like Yoon Seung-Won and father Lee. And it occurred to me that the younger master had every reason to feel jealous of his elder brother. He might have had the impression that his father had no eyes for him. In other words, he could only benefit from such an incident. If his brother lost his father‘s favor, then he imagined that he would get noticed by his father. As you can imagine, I believe that someone must have poisoned Yoon Seung-Won‘s mind. From my point of view, only a grown-up could have access to the drug. I can‘t shake the butler‘s philosophy from my mind: „Ignorance is a blessing“! The person behind the plot knew about the children‘s weaknesses (innocence, longing for love and recognition, desire) and decided to use them to his advantage.

4. He is not in his right mind

But then suddenly it occurred to me that chapter 77 is a reflection of episode 5. Note the resemblance. Jihwa talked here about virginity by opening the commoner’s shirt. The manhwaphiles will certainly remember that during that night, the noble got rejected, for the lord’s mind was elsewhere! And here we have a proof that Yoon Seungho acted differently in the past. His mind was elsewhere due to the drug, but he didn’t stop his friend. Observe the similarity between the gestures: (chapter 5) (chapter 77) The young boy’s head stood above his childhood friend, exactly like with the painter. Jihwa also removed the shirt, but since the low-born stopped him, this signifies that Yoon Seungho had the opposite reaction. He was allowing his friend to kiss and touch him. However, the young noble couldn’t enjoy this moment, as the butler arrived so that the red-haired aristocrat ran away and abandoned him. Very early on, I had elaborated that Jihwa must have done something to his friend and ran away in order not to get caught. I had come to this deduction due to the incident with the door and the painter’s worries. He feared to have been seen.

5. The reflections in the kaleidoscope

That’s how I recognized a certain pattern in this story, the final proof that the story is built like a kaleidoscope:

  • chapter 05:
  • Chapter 16: Here, the artist was imitating the red-haired aristocrat’s actions in the past. The only difference is that he was the passive one!! Striking is that both chapters have something in common: one is always seducing the other, and the latter isn’t accepting the advances. In addition, the masturbation was not disclosed to anyone, yet someone notified Jihwa about the painter’s late return.
  • Chapter 17: I judge this episode as a reflection from chapter 5, for the gestures are similar: the hand on the painter’s shoulder. Furthermore, the readers will note the presence of the sweets, the butler carrying food, but he’s avoiding the lord’s chamber. At no moment, he reports Jihwa’s trespassing, his master only discovers the assault, for he hears the commotion. The artist wouldn’t have been slapped, if the staff had immediately announced Jihwa’s visit. Striking is the aristocrat’s confession: (chapter 17) Other common points with chapter 77: “seduction”, the violence of the noble, his rage because he feels that the painter is lying and had lost his virginity with Yoon Seungho. Besides, I would like to point out that the lord only discovered Jihwa’s assault through the gossip. He came too late, hence he couldn’t stop Jihwa from insulting and slapping the low-born.
  • chapter 50: Jihwa was living in anxieties that he needed alcohol, an indication that in the past he must have struggled as well. We have to imagine that back then, he feared that his father Lee would hear about this incident, but father Yoon never let transpire the incident to the outside world. From my point of view, father Lee must have denied his son’s actions, but the aristocrat with dragon’s eyes was no fool. And remember that I used the same chapter to outline that Kim communicated the information to his master in delay. Note that in this episode, time was essential. Both figures were struggling. While the one hoped, the murder would be done soon to put an end to his suffering, the other had the impression that he was running out of time. He couldn’t change the artist’s heart and mind, too wounded.
  • Chapter 57: The visit to the physician showed us the lord’s past. Back then he got hurt by his father, but he was still looking fine. More importantly, he still trusted his butler. Father Yoon requested some medicine, for he believed that his son was not right in his mind. The physician presented the box full of drug which Kim has been giving to his master since his youth.
  • Chapter 66: Here, Min arrived unannounced at the mansion and could observe in the lord’s chamber what Yoon Seungho had done. Here, he revealed the so-called culprit for the painter’s disappearance. The common denominators are: the delayed disclosure about the crime, the servants not doing their job and gossiping, the passivity of the butler.
  • Chapter 67: After the main lead had discovered the crime disclosed by Min, he rushed to father Lee’s mansion and caused a commotion. What caught my attention is that we had again an incident with a door. In addition, Jihwa couldn’t run away. He was trapped in the room, yet he refused to face his friend. The other similarities are another rejection and the delayed arrival of father Lee putting the blame on Yoon Seungho.

And now pay attention to the number of the episodes: 05 – 16 (1+6 = 7) – 17 (1/ 1+6) – 50 – 57 (50+ 1+6) – 66 ( 5+1/ 5+1) – 67 (6 / 6 + 1) – 77 (1+6 /6+1) Here we have the kaleidoscope. For me this is no coincidence. But more importantly, all these chapters contain seduction, but also rejection, resistance and the presence of drug.

6. Jihwa’s dream

And by putting these chapters together, we get finally the evidence that Jihwa was the boy in the protagonist’s room. Then it came to my mind why the red-haired master was still unhappy in his relationship with Yoon Seungho. When he was wooing his friend in his youth, he saw the friend’s smile and gaze and imagined that he had been accepted. (chapter 77) I also believed that he had to envision this smile from Yoon Seungho to justify his action. An older version from this chapter: (chapter 19) That’s why Jihwa was blushing the whole time. His dream seemed to have come true!! But unfortunately, they got interrupted. But he didn’t realize that this “dream” was just an illusion, and he had been played. Because he had opened the friend’s shirt, he noticed his virginity. That’s why he had an eye for that. (chapter 5) He had gained this experience with his friend. Since I see some parallels between chapter 77 and the first Wedding Night, which stands for illusion and dream, it becomes even more evident that Yoon Seungho had been drugged and both young boys got played. During all these years of separation, the second lead kept his virginity intact for his friend. Once the main lead got betrayed and abandoned, Jihwa saw finally that his dream could come true. Since Yoon Seungho’s gaze had haunted him for so long, he hoped to obtain the same gaze, as in his mind it was the symbol of love and affection. Besides, he had another reason for approaching his friend. Since he had caused his downfall, deep down he imagined that if they became a real couple, then he could do as if the time of their separation had never happened. They would live, as if nothing had happened.

And now, you comprehend why Jihwa was so sure that his friend would never purse and seduce another man! (chapter 17) Yoon Seungho had never done it to him. Remember my observation: the main lead had been totally passive in the study due to the drug. In fact, he had never rejected anyone, (chapter 52) because he had been trained as a kisaeng. And these observations made me recognize another important aspect: Jihwa, exactly like Baek Na-Kyum, has never discovered that sex could be a form of violence. From my point of view, the chapter 77 shows us that sexual assaults can take many different forms. Using a KO-drug is definitely a crime, but due to Jihwa’s lack of experience, he couldn’t recognize the true nature of the situation.

That’s why I believe that Jihwa will still help Min, because he feels bound to him by secrecy. He is acting like the butler, he wants to survive and not get caught, that’s his driven motivation. However, he will be cornered and forced to make a decision: save his own skin or help someone. In my first version, I had written that the moment he discovered Min’s actions, he would be able to judge the situation correctly this time. And this expectation became a reality. (chapter 100) Black Heart taught Lee Jihwa an important lesson, the importance of consent. Someone can be forced to sex, which the second lead never truly grasped. He had to pay a huge price for the stolen kiss and his betrayal 10 years later. Interesting is that Lee Jihwa ran away, because he rejected to be responsible for the painter’s death, a synonym for Yoon Seungho’s curtains. (chapter 100) This is what I had also written in the first version.

However, as you can imagine, I am expecting a growth from the second lead. He will make the opposite choice than Kim, save the painter, while I am more than ever convinced that the butler won’t change his bad habit.

7. The chronology

But let’ s return our attention to chapter 77. When the butler opened the door, the second lead ran away leaving his friend behind. But Kim didn’t report the incident right away, he started spreading some rumor. Why? It is because we have the presence of rumors in chapter 17, 50, 57, 66 and 67. And notice that 17, 57, 66 and 67, he never stopped people from gossiping, while in chapter 50 he revealed the intel as rumor.

Since all the episodes involve the unannounced visit of a noble (17, 50: here Seungho barged in the scholar’s room, 57, 66, 67), I could only come to the conclusion that father Lee was the one who paid a visit to father Yoon, and revealed the incident by naturally putting the whole blame onto Yoon Seungho. But unlike in chapter 67, father Lee visited discreetly the mansion, as he feared gossips. That’s why the physician mentions that Jihwa was supposed to have the illness (chapter 57), but he could never identify the issue. And now, you comprehend why father Lee was red, totally embarrassed (chapter 67), for he was well aware of the truth. We have many possibilities here. Either someone leaked the info to the father secretly, or the son must have confided to him about the incident. Remember that in chapter 68, the painter confided to her his deepest fears and struggles. Let’s not forget that the son had hired an amateur spy in order to be updated about the events occurring in Yoon Seungho’s mansion. Consequently, I am inclined that the incident must have reached father Lee’s ears, and in order to maintain his respectability, he preferred covering up the commotion by blaming the elder son Yoon.

Since father Lee had intervened and Kim chose to reveal the “truth”, father Yoon could only perceive the incident as a truth. Consequently, father Yoon ordered his servants to drag Yoon Seungho and to confront his son. From my point of view, father Lee was questioned as well, but as you can imagine, he covered up his own son’s action. Since everyone was pointing the finger at the main lead, no one sided with the young boy. In other words, he got not only blamed, but also framed.

Right after he asked his staff to drag him to the shed as a punishment. But as you can imagine, Yoon Seungho couldn’t have any idea why his father reacted like that, for he had been drugged. He had no recollection, hence he denied the existence of the incident. However, the father chose to believe Kim, as he had the crowd. Imagine his reactions: the main lead had to hear from him what he had supposedly done. I would like to point out that victims of rape due to KO-drug suffer from immense guilt, as they showed no resistance or even seemed to “enjoy” the incident.

The valet gaslighted the poor boy by making him feel guilty (chapter 77), but despite his harsh and cruel words, the young protagonist chose to continue trusting him and his words. Let’s not forget that Kim claimed that his father would fix his “problems”. (chapter 77) From my point of view, the young master was determined to show good will and to listen to Kim’s advice.

Because he was sent to the shed and we see the straw mat beating right after, we have the impression that this was the punishment he received for this incident. But this was an illusion created by the author. Why? First, when the father visited the doctor, the young boy was still looking fine. He had such a rosy complexion, and still admired and trusted the butler. However, the main lead’s gaze changed after the straw mat beating. He recognized that he had been betrayed and abandoned by Kim. Observe the slight movement of the iris. First, the iris is directed at Kim, then it moves in the opposite direction. By looking away, he clearly unveils his inner thoughts and emotions: he has been betrayed and abandoned by his butler. He resents him, yet until that moment he was still willing to trust despite the multiple betrayals. He is disillusioned.

But there’s another indication that the straw mat beating didn’t occur right away. It is, because of the following panel: (chapter 55) First, there’s no rain. Secondly, Yoon Seungho was feverish and his eyes were so bruised after the harsh punishment that I doubt he could still see clearly the boy’s gesture so from faraway. So for me, that’s the moment when he is dragged into the courtyard and not during the straw mat beating. In the past, I used to think, it was Yoon Seung-Won, but then after the latest episode I started doubting it. However, like one of my followers reminded me that Byeonduck had confirmed about Yoon Seung-Won’s identity. Yet, observe that the lord and the boy have no face. Why? It is because the two persons embody not only Yoon Chang-Hyeon and Yoon Seung-Won, but also father Lee and Lee Jihwa. The scholar Lee was the one who had asked for the flogging! That’s the reason why he said this to the lord years later: (chapter 82) This statement proves that he had done it before! Furthermore, the red-haired master is connected to the straw mat beating. (chapter 12) This explicates why Lee Jihwa resented the brother and the father, for in his eyes they were responsible for his childhood friend’s suffering. And since the father had done it once, then he had no problem to order a second flogging or straw mat beating, just like the king Yeonjo who punished the Crown Prince Sado so brutally. So because the eldest master next to Seung-Won is dressed differently in chapter 77: (chapter 77) I could only come to the conclusion that these two panels are not referring to the same incident.

From my point of view, Yoon Seungho received the second straw mat beating after the rape!! And this means that Kim had been present, but he had not intervened. (chapter 65) Here, he had been brought back to the past. Remember the past mirrors the present. In my eyes, the rape of the main lead occurred at the same time than the painter’s. It took place in fall. So when did Baek Na-Kyum get sick?

It was after the first sex marathon! He was dragged to the bedchamber and due to the long sex session, he got sick. Notice the parallels:

  • he is so wounded, but the father refuses to call for a doctor (chapter 33)
  • it is raining, and the painter got sick due to the wet clothes (chapter 27/29)
  • Father Yoon abandons his son and leaves him behind. He doesn’t even carry his son himself. (chapter 33) Note that Yoon Seungho called for a doctor, he even carried himself to the study and waited there, until the doctor had given his prescription.

And now, the manhwaphiles comprehend why I came to this interpretation.

What happened is the following. Once he had been abandoned by the father, the rapist could approach him and have sex with him. Kim heard the boy’s resistance, but he chose to remain outside, until the man was finished. (chapter 65) I am quite sure that the butler’s passivity was justified that it was done for the main lead’s sake. However, once it was over, the butler was forced to see the consequences of his bad choice. But the valet refused to become responsible and gaslighted the young master again. If he had not kissed Lee Jihwa, if he had put his prick in the hole etc… The main character had still acted like a dog and a cat, and this time he reported it to his master directly so that the latter came to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho was still useful for him. Or the eldest master knew about it anyway. But the main lead never got to discover that Kim had heard him outside the room, but had remained silent and passive.

And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho was so hurt and disappointed by Kim. Kim never protected him or even defended him at all. He made sure that the young boy would be blamed and should feel guilty or he remained paralyzed and speechless. He never rushed to his care. And since father Yoon speaks “chambers”, this means that the protagonist had already become the lord Song’s “favored servant.” But he had not reached the bottom, he needed to become a kisaeng. In my eyes, the young boy got punished, as he was still refusing his role as „favored servant“. And now, you comprehend why Kim threatened the doctor in chapter 33. The latter had reminded the butler of his own wrongdoings: (chapter 33) Back then, he not only followed his master’s requests, but also he did nothing at all. He stayed immobile and shocked. (chapter 77) I believe that when the valet looked at the young boy’s gaze and perceived his own true reflection (a disgusting and fake domestic), the man was surprised. He never imagined that he would be judged differently: (chapter 67) The main lead must have thought similarly. But due to the long exposure to abuse and to the drug, Yoon Seungho repressed these thoughts and emotions.

8. The beneficiaries

So if my theory is correct (Yoon Seungho was drugged), we have to question ourselves. Who benefitted the most from the protagonist’s downfall?

  • Yoon Seung-Won: he could finally obtain the study next to his father’s bedchamber. He would finally get some “recognition”. And note that the brother got dressed exactly like the main lead. He had finally reached his goal: he was the better son.
  • the pedophile
  • Father Yoon: I am convinced that the father made a deal with the rapist. Now, the author has revealed that it was Yoon Seungho in the kisaeng house (chapter 68). Father Yoon imagined that if he had sex with a kisaeng house, he would be cured. However, something happened in the gibang. The young boy refused which forced the nobles to intervene. Yoon Seungho got dragged and tied up by the black guards. Naturally, father Yoon could only jump to the conclusion that with such a rejection, Yoon Seungho was admitting his homosexuality. This could only reinforce the prejudices the father had about his son. The irony is that with such an attempt, father Yoon exposed that he was a man obsessed with sex. He never understood that sex is strongly intertwined with love and warmth. Thus I deduce that father Yoon never associated sex to affection. For him, it was either a synonym for power, submission or duty as the noble has to make sure that he has sons to continue the legacy. With this new insight, I come to the conclusion that the man was totally fooled by his surroundings and most importantly by the rapist. Everyone lied out of selfishness and cowardice, and let the young boy take the whole burden. Hence the father truly believed in his son’s homosexuality and out of resent and contempt, when he saw an opportunity to use his son for his own career, he was trained as a kisaeng. In my eyes, this idea was definitely suggested by the pedophile, though I doubt that he was directly involved in the incident in the kisaeng house. And the man dreamed of bringing greatness to the Yoons with his “connections”. However, this was just a pyrrhic victory, as both Yoons lost more than they gained, for the rapist hadn’t kept his promise.

That’s why I believe that the younger brother was indeed involved in the first incident misguided by the rapist, instilling his jealousy, an older version of Min and Jihwa. But the young son never imagined that his father would treat his brother like that. The panel from chapter 55 exposes Yoon Seung-Won’s guilt and silence. But as time passed on, he could still benefit from this. He finally got recognition from his father. (chapter 86) But it was in detriment of the Yoons’ power! The father lost everything, yet the younger master didn’t suffer much from it first, until he reached adulthood. Now, the father was putting his whole hope on him, and that’s how Yoon Seung-Won realized the existence of such a burden. That’s the reason why he contacted his brother again. He hoped to get an office through his brother’s connections and power. Remember that Baek Na-Kyum’s real torment started with the arrival of the learned sir to the mansion. Hence the moment “lord Song” came to the propriety, he started scheming to achieve his goal: he was bewitched by the young protagonist, he needed to taste him. However, from my point of view, the pedophile had sent the butler for this exact purpose. He must have definitely known how Kim would behave in there. I have already exposed that for me, the butler represents the poisoned gift from chapter 19. (chapter 19)

But since the whole tragedy was caused by delayed information, I deduce that timing is essential, especially when it comes to “justice”. Since the “accomplices” and “perpetratrors” never got punished, they imagined that they had escaped human justice. However, karma was waiting for them. Jihwa was never happy, though he had become the main lead’s lover. Why? It is because he had to live with his guilt. Moreover, he had wished to obtain Yoon Seungho’s love. In other words, he was living an illusion. The brother didn’t gain anything in the end, as his comfortable life and good reputation were based on Yoon Seungho’s suffering. Secondly, father Yoon almost lost everything. However, I doubt that all of them learned their lesson, just like the pedophile. This explicates why Yoon Chang-Hyeon schemed again in season 3. (chapter 94) He hoped to appear as a good lord, while his son had mistreated his own messenger.

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

Painter Of The Night: Twitter and Yoon Seung-Won

~ 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/

Yesterday, the author generated a poll on Twitter. She was asking if people would like if Yoon Seung-Won got abducted and wounded, implying that he would suffer the same fate than his elder brother’s.

In order to make sure that I didn’t misunderstand the content, I even used the app papago and it didn’t diverge at all. As you can observe, most participants agreed to this idea. This means that the author is planning an abduction and sequestration for Yoon Seung-Won. However, when the poll was still active, some users were saying that the author was asking if the readers wanted to have a happy ending or not. As you can see, the twitter generated rumors about the evolution of the story. Striking is that only 20% refused the idea of a kidnapping, because Yoon Seung-Won is handsome and he looks so innocent. They didn’t want another character to suffer again.

1. The reason behind the brother’s kidnapping

But what people failed to see is that none of the figures in Painter Of The Night is free from flaws and sins, not even Baek Na-Kyum! The latter was a liar in the beginning and is still one. This explicates why I still consider him as a hypocrite to a certain extent. (chapter 74) In this panel, he is showing a certain admiration for his lover, while he reproaches the “change” in the next panel. (chapter 75). As you can observe, change is linked to improvement in the first case, and to instability in the second. The manhwaphiles can still sense that the painter is not honest to his partner and to himself. Besides, let’s not forget that he is still not admitting his feelings for Yoon Seungho. Furthermore, he prefers the lord becoming responsible for him so that their love sessions would be legitimated by the master’s requests. This coincides with Heena’s intervention and influence, which shows how big her influence on Baek Na-Kyum was. The latter was raised to have prejudices and follow social norms. In other words, the painter’s flaws and sins are caused by his education. And for each sin (even white lies), he will suffer. Contrary to Christian philosophy, the characters in Painter Of The Night will not pay for their wrongdoings in their afterlife, but in their actual life. All the figures will meet their karma. That’s why Byeonduck already warned the readers that they should brace themselves for heartache in the beginning of season 3. And observe that “handsomeness” and “looking innocence” can not be an excuse for the absence of suffering, since the painter didn’t escape his karma. Therefore, Yoon Seung-Won can’t be spared just because of his beautiful face and his naivety.

And this leads me to the following conclusion. It is perfectly logical to plan an abduction for Yoon Seung-Won, and even to let him go a similar path than the main lead, though it will be much shorter. Why? It is, because the younger master resembles the painter in certain areas. He is also a hypocrite and a liar. And he became like that because of his father, just like Baek Na-Kyum’s flaws (ignorance, prejudices, hypocrisy and lies) are the result of Heena’s raising. Nevertheless, there exists a huge difference between them. The kisaeng acted like that out of selflessness. She always imagined, she was acting in her brother’s best interests, while in reality she was not recognizing that her actions actually were all selfish. On the other hand, the younger master learned from his own father that his own interest mattered the most. He witnessed how his father used and even abused his brother, therefore he started copying father Yoon’s MO and adopted his mentality. Yoon Seung-Won used his father’s authority to scare his brother and to impose his will onto him. (chapter 35) First, he “faked” a letter saying that it was from the former official (chapter 35) , then he mentioned their relative in front of Yoon Seungho. (chapter 37) He definitely knew that his brother got hurt and scared by the mere mention of father Yoon. In the chapter 37, we could sense the young master’s lies and dishonesty. His goal was to obtain his brother’s help and sponsor. I believe that he desired to stay at his brother’s mansion in the capital too. But with his visitation, he failed, therefore he retaliated and gave the ruined painting on purpose to their father. He feigned ignorance, while in truth he hoped that his father would intervene. (chapter 44) But his scheme failed for two reasons. First, he forgot that his lie had consequences. Valet Kim took his words as face-value: “The letter was from the eldest master”. So the butler envisioned that father Yoon was indeed requesting his eldest son’s help. That’s why he played the trick by giving the ruined painting. He anticipated that the former official would perceive the gesture as insubordination and retaliate. However, Kim didn’t realize that when father Yoon created the scandal and cut off Yoon Seungho’s topknot, he was indeed abandoning his son for real. There’s no doubt that such a man who pays so much attention to his own image and reputation, would like to be associated to the infamous sodomite. That’s why the lord remained passive in chapter 44 and could only clench his fist out of rage. As you can see, the rumors have become Yoon Seungho’s protection. Now, he is out of reach for father Yoon and I believe, it is the same for the king. But so far, Yoon Seung-Won didn’t truly suffer due to his lies. As a conclusion, he will have to meet his karma in the future. How? The abduction would be the answer.

2. Predictions

Then shortly after, the author released this picture on Twitter, asking the users to ponder the cause for Yoon Seung-Won’s embarrassment. The young master seems to feel uncomfortable, as there’s a drop of sweat on his face. Moreover, he is thinking the following: “There are so many twisted-minded people in the world…”. So what happened?

We have two possibilities. Either he lied or he just used his brother’s name to get some recognition, just like he used his father’s authority in the first season. Remember how he utilized Yoon Seungho’s name to explicate why father Yoon didn’t bid farewell properly, we have to expect a new version of this. But if he lied, we would have two possibilities again. Either he said that he was sponsored by his brother or he acted, as if his family hadn’t cut ties with Yoon Seungho officially. He acted, as if the incident with the topknot had not occurred or as if their alienation had been finally removed. The manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget that in chapter 37, Yoon Seung-Won was seen visiting his brother’s mansion and he was accepted. He even got a letter from his brother delivered by Kim. Yoon Seung-Won could use this scene as a deception. One thing is sure: Seung-Won’s desire to get a high office through his brother is definitely the cause for this incident, as the young master has learned from his father that Yoon Seungho was just a tool for their family. And his dishonesty will lead to the abduction. But the new panel released by the author represents Yoon Seung-Won’s karma. He is now paying the price for his sins (selfishness, vanity and superficiality)

3. Explanations

Let’s not forget that until he left for the capital, he lived secluded in the countryside. Therefore he was never confronted with the gossips about the topknot incident and his brother as hell-raiser directly. He might be well aware of the “prostitution” and exclusion, but he was too young to realize the real consequences of such an action. Since his father has always paid attention to their good image, the young master never envisioned the real significance of the gesture: betrayal and abandonment. The latter just judged it as banishment. That’s why he suggested to his brother to pay a visit to their father. (chapter 37) He thought that the topknot incident could be erased with a simple visitation. This truly exposes that Yoon Seung-Won has not honestly grasped the signification of the terrible event and its impact on his brother. I am even now wondering if he really knows about the extent of his bad reputation. This would explain why he couldn’t understand the presence of the fellow. In his mind, the elder brother was still following their father’s rules, and as such was still acting on behalf of the Yoons: Having sex in exchange for favors. (chapter 37) But he would lie a low profile just like in the past, when father Yoon hid his crime (prostitution) behind closed doors. Let’s not forget that Kim tried to stop him from entering the room, giving the impression that Yoon Seungho was somehow paying attention to his notoriety: sodomy would only occur behind closed doors.

So once arrived in the capital, he lets people know that he is Yoon Seungho’s brother. I can’t help myself thinking about the scholar who wanted to use the protagonist’s notoriety in order to attract attention. (chapter 44) I believe Yoon Seung-Won could have a similar idea. Yet, the moment he acts like that, he detects how people start looking at him strangely, just like (chapter 01) Baek Na-Kyum reacted, when he recalled the protagonist’s identity. The young master will witness people’s disdain and shock, or they will approach him believing that he is like his brother. For me, “There are so many twisted-minded people in the world…” is referring to the gossips. Yoon Seung-Won will become guilty by association. That’s why he will feel uncomfortable, as he will realize what it means to be associated to such a brother. They believe that he is like Yoon Seungho, a sodomite, who is looking for favors. But Yoon Seung-Won has already internalized that sex with men is done behind closed doors.

While the father only thought about himself, when he used his eldest son as scapegoat in order to divert from his loss of power and banishment, he never realized that he ruined Yoon Seungwon’s chances for a career, especially after he served as a role model for his second son. Because the young master has learned from his own father that he can gain power and attention by utilizing Yoon Seungho, he copied his method. He learned from him the easy way how to become an important official, he never saw his father working hard. Father Yoon didn’t anticipate that his younger son would copy him and end up being stigmatized due to Yoon Seungho. Slowly, the young master will realize the father’s hypocrisy and flaws. Only through karma, Yoon Seung-Won can recognize his wrongdoings so that he can ask for his brother’s forgiveness.

Since I detect some parallels between this image and the one from chapter 1, I believe that the author will use certain elements from episode 1. That’s why I came to the idea that Yoon Seung-Won could have been lying too. (chapter 1). It’s possible that Yoon Seung-Won lies about his brother’s support (he says “YES”) in the hope of getting connections and help. Or he acts, as if he had rekindled his relationship with his brother. But what happens is that people push him away or start looking down on him. Then the manhwaphiles will certainly recall how the artist got abducted in that scene. (chapter 1)

But if he attracts attention from people by using his brother’s name, this signifies that he will get the attention from Joseon’s ruler. It is definitely possible that the king is behind the brother’s abduction. One thing is sure: the person orchestrating the kidnapping values family and traditions, imagining that if the brother gets abducted, Yoon Seungho will intervene and rescue his brother. Therefore the mastermind has no idea of the impact of the topknot on Yoon Seungho’s mentality. Naturally, Min, the scholar, Heena and father Lee could be involved, as they all pay attention to social norms and notoriety too.

So when the young master arrives in Hanyang, he announces the Yoons’ return which can not escape the king’s notice. That’s how he gets abducted by the king. Since I have already portrayed the monarch as obsessive and abusive, there’s no doubt that he could never forget Yoon Seungho. By abducting the brother, the king is hoping that the brother will intervene and rescue his brother, just like he sacrificed himself in the past for his family. However, what happens is that Yoon Seungho will ignore the kidnapping, for he no longer views Yoon Seung-Won as his brother. Simultaneously, such an abduction and sequestration would help Yoon Seung-Won to recognize his father’s selfishness, greed and ruthlessness. The latter could make a similar deal with the ruler so that father Yoon can make a comeback.

In the monarch’s mind, Yoon Seungho didn’t desire to take the exam in order to keep his distance from him. But the return of the Yoons coincides with the scholar’s sponsoring, and the king could view these two elements that Yoon Seungho has regained his sanity, and is determined to use the learned sir and the family Yoon to get power over the officials and protect himself from the ruler. It is also possible that the scholar doesn’t get noticed by the ruler, for the rumors circulating about him only appeared in the countryside. (chapter 52) That’s why it is likely that the king only pays attention to the brother’s arrival and overlooks the learned sir. Let’s not forget that he passed the first exam in the town and not in the capital. The difference between the grapevines in the countryside and the capital explicates why the monarch has not heard of Yoon Seungho’s metamorphosis yet. As a conclusion, Yoon Seung-Won’s exam will be seen as a signal that Yoon Seungho is now sane in his mind, especially if the former acts, as if he was close to his brother.

There’s no doubt that the king hasn’t forgotten him at all, but since the noble was definitely suicidal and crazy, (chapter 57)

the ruler didn’t desire to face the consequences of his wrongdoings, and entrusted his lover to the so-called loyal butler Kim. This would explicate why Yoon Seungho became the owner of the Yoons’ proprieties in the countryside and in the capital. The king felt sorry and thought that by acting generous, he would make his crimes go away. Remember that Yoon Seungho chose to turn Baek Na-Kyum into a noble for his wrongdoings. (chapter 71) The monarch could have done the same, making Yoon Seungho the true lord of the Yoons. That’s why father Yoon chose to ruin his son’s reputation out of resent and hatred. The latter had “won”, while father Yoon was sent into exile!!

At the same time, this signifies that the valet was a double agent, he was supposed to take care of the young master, until he had recovered. (older version of chapter 33) And under this new light, it would explain Kim’s philosophy: lie low and feign ignorance. He had to incite Yoon Seungho to fall into debauchery (chapter 55), that way the lord wouldn’t get the king’s attention. The latter would think, the young man was still traumatized. On the other hand, father Yoon thought that Kim was following his order: create a scandal and live in debauchery in order to divert attention from the purge of noble families close to the Yoons and father Yoon’s loss of power. Nevertheless the king was still hoping that with time, the young man would recover. So if he abducts Yoon Seung-Won, it is his way to approach his ex-lover. Since the young master is supported by his brother, the Joseon king has the impression that Yoon Seungho is avoiding him. He wants the protagonist to rekindle their relationship. And if this theory is correct, then this means that we would have a new version of the painter’s abduction in the second season. Remember that Lee Jihwa desired to get closer to Yoon Seungho by taking away the artist.

As a conclusion, the brother’s abduction definitely fits the story. In my opinion, it would even speed up the progression of the story. Simultaneously, this terrible situation would be an eye-opener for Yoon Seung-Won. Put in the same place than Yoon Seungho, he would be forced to recognize his sins and his father’s. He would recognize that lying and dishonesty are sins and as such can have terrible consequences. Remember that in the first episode, the painter’s lie caused the death of a servant, and in case of a new repetition, Yoon Seung-Won would pay his sin by getting tormented. Besides, he would be reminded of his past and recognize that back then he also betrayed and abandoned his brother. (chapter 55) He might have been stopped by the father here. Yet if he had lied before, he didn’t assume his responsibility by not revealing the truth. There’s no ambiguity that the young master was jealous of his brother in his youth, and must have lied about his brother. We already have a clue thanks to the episode from Alternative Universe: (special episode 2)

Sure, he never anticipated such a reaction from his father, yet the moment he remained silent, he became guilty. And since the sinners are always confronted with a similar situation, this means that Yoon Seung-Won will lie for the third time. This time, he will be caught and suffer the consequences of his dishonesty. He might look handsome, but he is far from being perfect. He is just a human, while father Yoon is a monster. Consequently, the young brother has the chance to redeem himself contrary to father Yoon. Why am I am so hopeful? It is because of the shoes!! The younger master removed his shoes before approaching the door of the host’s bedchamber. With this gesture, he showed a certain respect towards his brother. He imitated his brother in this aspect 😉, though he was not aware of this. (chapter 37) (chapter 53) Notice that Deok-Jae didn’t even remove his shoes, when he ransacked the painter’s study. Imagine, this detail only caught my attention today! That’s why I am predicting that we should see the kidnapping in a good way. Through pain, only the good persons will acknowledge their mistakes and express regrets.

That’s why this manhwa is called “PAIN”ter Of The Night, the suffering will bring enlightenment to the victims.

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

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

~ 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.

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.