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Navigating the Dark Path: Choices and Consequences
The starting point of this essay is an image from episode 26 where Kim Changmin and Kwak Junbeom (chapter 26) are talking about Joo Jaekyung’s past. In this episode, Jinxphiles discover through the testimonies from Oh Daehyun (chapter 26) and Kim Changmin that Joo Jaekyung could have become a thug. However, the confession from the fighter with the beige t-shirt grabbed my interest, in particular the sentence “didn’t go down a darker path”. Notice that the innocent sportsman is employing the adjective dark in the comparative form. The usual expression is to go down on a dark path. So why did he say “darker”? Interesting is that by using the comparative, the sportsman insinuates that the protagonist didn’t make a good choice either. Why? It is because dark implies danger, corruption and chaos. It was, as if the man had still veered off course. It seems to hint that Jaekyung is still involved in some morally ambiguous or risky associations. This subtle implication not only complicates Jaekyung’s character but also suggests a tension between his ambition and possible hidden affiliations. This observation raises the following question: why would the sportsman state this?
Why a darker path?
It becomes clear through the conversation with Kwak Junbeom (chapter 26) that both fighters don’t know the star very well. During the sparring, the former judo champion is surprised the way the celebrity is treating Kim Dan. He is judging his actions based on his observation and feelings (it feels like…). He sees him in a rather positive light, a man amusing himself with a kid. This sparring is associated with fun due to the words “toying” and “kid”. This shows that the sportsman is only now noticing the protagonist’s childish nature.
As for his listener, it becomes clear that this young man is simply repeating Park Namwook’s words. The clues for this interpretation are two expressions: “we should be grateful” and “especially with that personality of his”. Only the manager and coach has been underlining the bad personality from the main lead. He has no manners (chapter 7), he is a maniac, (chapter 9) he is a stubborn workaholic (chapter 27) (chapter 27) (chapter 52) Then in front of Kim Dan, the latter would always voice his gratitude (chapter 9) (chapter 43) The moment this expression “darker path” grabbed my interest, I wondered why the manager and coach would employ such an expression. It implies that he still saw the athlete’s career as a dark path.
On the one hand, it could be related to MMA fighting which the hyung doesn’t view in a good light. It was, as though the athlete should have selected a different career like doctor or teacher. Nevertheless, my avid readers should keep in their mind that on the morning of the protagonist’s birthday the man sent a video with his kids. (chapter 43) The latter seem to be cheering on the star. The video exposes that Park Namwook has been portraying the main lead as a champion and as such as a hero. He doesn’t see his job as MMA in a negative light. If so, he would have never allowed his children to know about his relationship with Joo Jaekyung. In fact, the message and video are exposing the father’s pride. He is the coach and manager from the famous and invincible MMA fighter. Consequently, I don’t think that the man is truly condemning him for becoming a MMA fighter.
This conclusion leads us right back to the start. Why would he say “darker path”? One might reply that the purpose is to outline his role as Joo Jaekyung’s savior and luck. Nevertheless, I doubt that this man realized that with this little addition he was exposing his true thoughts. From my point of view, the comparative is exposing that the manager from Team Black is not totally oblivious of the connection between MFC and the criminal world. Since Baek Junmin’s path crossed the athlete’s in the past (chapter 49), it signifies that Joo Jaekyung could have become involved in this type of games: (chapter 47) And from my perspective, Park Namwook is aware of this. As you know, for me, Joo Jaekyung became the official face of MFC, the one covering up the dark side. He stands in the light to mask the true nature of that organization. For me, “darker” is the indication that the manager is aware of the connections.
Joo Jaekyung, a winner or a target?
And the other evidence for this hypothesis are his words in chapter 46: (chapter 46) In this picture, I detected a contradiction from the hyung. If the star is bringing a lot of money, why would he become a target? In fact, people would rather bet on the man, as his victory seems more probable than his defeat. No one has an interest to bet against him, unless the schemers are malicious and malevolent. The word “target” is not random, it implies the existence of a scheme. Hence the manager should have been even more prudent concerning his star’s safety. Yet, he allowed him to return home alone during the night and he had no guard by his side. (chapter 48) This remark outlines the manager’s neglect. His boy has no protection, though he had already become the target of a “malicious fan” according to the “fake investigation”. Moreover, in the office, Park Namwook is finally admitting the existence of illegal gambling, a topic which was never brought up before. (chapter 46) He is explaining this, as if that was something new. However, even the members from TEAM Black already knew about them. (chapter 47) Imagine that Joo Jaekyung has been fighting for a while, and only after so many years, the topic “illegal gambling and schemes” is brought up. In my eyes, everything seems to point out that the manager was aware of the corruption of MFC and even crimes, but he chose to close an eye to the truth. But please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that he knew about the existence of the first scheme. From my perspective, the man is a silent accomplice. Moreover, he doesn’t need to know everything, he just needs to know a few facts, but by hiding them from the champion, he becomes an accomplice. Moreover, with this explanation, Jinx-philes can grasp why the coach and manager is portraying himself as the owner of the gym. That way, he can keep his pupil in the dark, a similar attitude than the physical therapist with his grandmother. He never brought up the truth to Shin Okja concerning the physical assault from the loan sharks..
Moreover, why would he avoid meeting director Choi Gilseok the week before the fight? (chapter 49) The drop of his face is not only indicating his discomfort, but also his lie. It is because if he had met the director from King Of MMA, he could have been suspected of being a traitor or a spy. Thus I come to the following theory: Park Namwook knew about the meeting between the director of Choi Gilseok and Kim Dan. Let’s not forget that the physical therapist encountered the villain right in front of the gym and Kwak Junbeom was a witness of their meeting. (chapter 48) This raises the following question: did he know about the anonymous message? (chapter 48) It is difficult to say, but this incident is revealing the manager’s complicity. How so? It is his job as a manager to protect his boy from the public. No personal information should be so easily accessible. He has to make sure that his cellphone number is not given to any random guy. Yes, his cellphone number was leaked not only to journalists, but also to rival gyms. I am suspecting that the leaking could be linked to „favors“ and free PR. One might say that the Entertainment agency could be behind the leak. However, my avid readers shouldn’t forget that the person who pushed Joo Jaekyung to sign a contract with the agency was Park Namwook. (chapter 30) He explained this choice by saying that many athletes would sign such contracts. His justification outlines his herd mentality. That way, he would delegate his responsibility to the agency. Hence Park Namwook is accountable for the signature of this contract. Thus it dawned on me that the manager has played the same role than the halmoni’s in the end. Both put a leash to their “relative’s neck”, though it had never been their intention. There is no ambiguity that these two characters were definitely motivated by their selfishness, greed and dream. Finally, we should question ourselves why the manager and coach is so obsessed with money and is treating his “boy” like a doll. His mentality was definitely influenced by his surroundings. However, at the gym, most of the fighters were portrayed as little kids who got corrupted over time. Since I detected similarities between the two main leads, I can only come to the deduction that Kim Dan is the champion’s emancipator. While the doctor needed money to get liberated from debts, the other needs to find a true family in order to be free from fighting restlessly. But there is more to it.
Park Namwook’s glasses
If you already read my analysis Who are you?”, the significance of masks in Manhwas, you are aware of the symbolism of glasses in Manhwas. The latter should be considered as masks too, where people hide their true thoughts and emotions. Thus the spectacles often embody hypocrisy, deceitfulness but also blindness. (Painter Of The Night, chapter 7) Jung In-Hun from Painter Of The Night is the perfect illustration. The latter had the impression to be superior to others due to his knowledge. He imagined to have fooled Yoon Seungho. Thus he envisioned that he had been able to manipulate the main lead, whereas the opposite had happened. Finally, the scholar had the tendency to dream big, which led him to his doom. On the other hand, since Matthew Rayner from Under The Green Light decided to wear spectacles in order to avoid rejection and fear, I deduce that Park Namwook represents a combination of both metaphors. On the one hand, he is hiding his true thoughts behind the spectacles. He also has high ambitions and he is not entirely honest to his “boss”, like I exposed it in the last composition. On the other hand, there is no doubt that the man is also motivated by fears. (chapter 53) They serve him as shield literally and figuratively. No one would punch or slap a man wearing glasses. Furthermore, he is protecting his own heart and mind that way. It was, as if he was closing his eyes to reality. That’s the other reason why I believe that the coach is not entirely ignorant about the existence of corruption in MFC. Yet, I couldn’t help myself noticing the absence of Park Namwook’s eyes, especially at the end of the season 1. Jinx-philes could only see them, when he voiced his anger towards his “champion”: (chapter 52) After that outburst, they vanished behind the glasses. (chapter 53) Is the author lazy to draw eyes? Or if not, why is this man portrayed eyeless even with glasses?
In literature and visual media, eyeless characters often represent themes of emotional detachment, moral ambiguity, or hidden motives, amplifying the eerie nature of a character who appears soulless or devoid of empathy. When eyes are covered, concealed, or even omitted entirely, it can imply an emotional blindness, a lack of self-awareness, or even a refusal to face reality. The saying “The eyes are the mirror of the soul” underscores that eyes reveal inner truth and vulnerability, allowing us to connect with others. So, when a character lacks eyes, it suggests a separation from these very qualities, making them appear either emotionally empty, sinister, or untrustworthy. Such portrayals can also indicate a person who hides behind a “mask,” unwilling to reveal their true self, as their concealed eyes prevent others from truly understanding or trusting them. In other words, by portraying the manager with eyes, Mingwa is indicating that this man symbolizes mistrust, lack of self-awareness and detachment.
In addition, in a darker interpretation, being “eyeless” can also imply a loss of control or identity, as if the person is a mere shell, lacking an inner life that grounds their actions or connects them with the world around them. And now pay attention to Joo Jaekyung’s portrait in episode 26: (chapter 26) The shadow is eyeless, mirroring his mentor’s mentality. In other words, the man with glasses symbolizes emptiness and lack of compassion and even morality.
To conclude, for Park Namwook in Jinx, this eyeless portrayal, combined with his glasses, intensifies his mysterious and unsettling nature. His glasses serve as a “mask,” hiding his thoughts and emotions, much like how characters in manhwas often use spectacles to obscure their true intentions. This concealment implies that Park is not fully honest or transparent, particularly with those he interacts with in his role as coach. (Chapter 52) By putting them back, he is displaying that he is acting again. His hidden eyes may also hint at an emotional or moral blindness, as though he either cannot or chooses not to see the deeper consequences of his actions or the corruption around him. And now, you comprehend why he stands for fake gratitude and fake compassion. His mouth is not reflecting his mind.
When his eyes are briefly shown during this moment of anger (chapter 52), they reveal a flash of his true feelings, but they quickly disappear behind the glasses again. This momentary exposure suggests that his mask slips only under intense emotion, reinforcing his general detachment and guarded nature. Through Park Namwook’s eyeless depiction, he is portrayed as a character who is both morally ambiguous and emotionally shielded, distancing him from both the audience and the characters around him. This shows that the coach and manager is not Joo Jaekyung’s savior. In reality I am more than ever convinced that the opposite happened. Thanks to him, the coach was able to make a living. Under this new light, you comprehend why the hyung utilized the comparative darker in that context. In reality, he is the one who brought him to the dark path, but he is in denial.
Before closing this essay, I would like my avid readers to remember this scene: (chapter 52) (chapter 52) Park Namwook removed his spectacles, when he cried. However, notice that he still protected his eyes by using his arm. A sign for his dishonesty in my opinion. Moreover, it indicates how guarded and mistrustful this man is. At the same time, it becomes clear why he had to remove them. It is because the glasses are a mask. The tears would not have been visible. I would even add that this man was mimicking a crying person, as his weeping stopped very quickly. He needed to awake compassion or sympathy, for he had acted like a ruffian at the hospital. He had used violence on a patient.
One thing is sure: Park Namwook is neither a savior nor a hero. He is the reason why Joo Jaekyung has not been living at all. Now, Joo Jaekyung is on his way to find the light of his life: Kim Dan, his true companion and soulmate. He chose love and Enlightenment over blindness, greed and ambition.
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1. Laziness or not?
When the final episode of the main story was released, many Manhwa-philes were laughing about Yoon Seungho’s work attitude as governor. The latter had left his seat in order to return to his lover’s side. (chapter 131) Hence the police officers found the governor’s seat deserted. (chapter 131) By contrasting the statement from the governor and the panel, the readers could easily catch his lie. He was a lazy governor, preferring to keep his lover company rather than attend to his official duties. On the one hand, it exposes the main lead’s true mind-set. He is not longing for power or glory. To conclude, he has no ambition. This implies that he is not determined to gain attention either. One might add that he selected this region on purpose. No one would willingly go to that place. The norm was that officials would go there, because they were demoted. (episode 129) Thus I deduce that Yoon Seungho made the opposite choice to his father. The latter longed for a high position at the government so that the family’s reputation would become famous and powerful again. (chapter 86) It is because Yoon Chang-Hyeon was thinking of getting the attention or support from noble families. What he truly wanted was to get recognition from people among his own social class. But with such a decision (join the painter’s side), Yoon Seungho seems to have turned the former patriarch’s nightmare into a reality. Yoon Seungho is about to ruin the family. The name “Yoon” is destined to become forgotten, right? However, I believe that this interpretation is not correct. How so? Let me ask you this.
Why is this region regarded as “backwater”? It is because there are no powerful families like in the town, where the Yoons used to live. There are no huge store or doctor either. The new governor is surrounded by “peasants”, commoners. In other words, it is not a place you can earn a lot of money or gain power, especially for an official. This signifies that buying the governor, like Yoon Chang-Hyeon did, won’t happen. (chapter 127) No one has such a wealth! That’s the reason why no official would select such a place. Yes, Jung In-Hun’s words from chapter 6 (chapter 6) (chapter 131) are reflected in the final episode. Peasants are poor und uneducated, and this will not change overnight. Hence they represent ignorance and naivety. This raises the following question. Why did the officers bring these two men? What was their crime? One might reply that it is impossible to figure it out. Nevertheless, I think, Byeonduck left clues in her story. Painter Of The Night is composed of reflections. In each season, certain scenes or elements resurface with slight changes.. Thus I developed the following theory concerning these two commoners.
My hypothesis is that these two men were innocent. In season 1, we have a similar scene: (chapter 37). It is about a crime, treason. In season 4, we know that the plot was true and there was an evidence, the paper with the signatures from lord Yoon and lord Song. Since in season 1 the wrongdoing was true and heavy, I deduce that it is not the case in the final chapter. Because there is an evidence of the crime in the past, I can’t help myself thinking that in the final chapter, there was no evidence. Additionally, I feel the need to expose my other interpretation about this man: (chapter 37) I have always stated that this man couldn’t be a servant, for he was smoking a pipe and we saw a glimpse of his memory. No commoner would be allowed to enter the courtyard, when three noblemen are tortured and interrogated. Moreover, notice that in both scenes (37 and 131), the magistrate is absent. That’s how it dawned on me that this nameless man could have been a former “governor” who lost his position.
But if the two commoners are rather innocent, why did the officers bring them to Yoon Seungho then? My idea is that they imagined that the new governor wanted to make a statement so that he wouldn’t be looked down by the locals. Or even worse. The guards desired to get protection money from them!! Yes, because this region is not well perceived, the guards thought that the governor would act like his predecessor. Since it is a poor region, it signifies that the officials are not well recognized and well paid. (chapter 131) First evidence that the last image is not symbolizing justice, but corruption, is the behavior from the guards. They are caught by surprise, when they arrive in front of the empty stool. Yet, they are not gesticulating or panicked. If a real crime had taken place, they would be looking for their superior. And this observation leads me to this image. (chapter 131) In this picture, we can detect the governor’s office in the background. It is the yellow building with the multicolor decorations. That’s where the empty stool is!! In other words, if they truly needed him, they just had to go to the other side of the wall. Third evidence for this hypothesis was left in season 3: (chapter 94) Here, the officers went to the mansion before visiting him at the gibang. (chapter 97) Back then, it was about the death of a commoner, a servant. If there’s an urgency, they would look for him. The comparison exposes that the “wrongdoing” from the peasants in the final chapter was no huge deal. Yet, many readers already condemned them due to the guards and the protagonist’s behavior. Funny is that the lord was portrayed as a huge liar, but not “the officers”. (chapter 131) But it could have been the reverse. Officers could have abused their authority. Furthermore, let’s not forget that Min indicated that guards could be bribed easily. (chapter 101) His statement displays another aspect: the governor and the guards are not working together. Jihwa would have been sent to jail without being able to talk to the superior, similar to this scene: (chapter 126) The guards’ own interests are not necessarily aligned with the governor’s. And now, take a closer look at this scene: (chapter 127) The official received the patriarch in his office alone. The reason is simple. That way, he wouldn’t have to share the money with others.
But since the guards never went to the lord’s mansion, they must have realized that this man was not like his predecessor. He was not frustrated or demoted. He was indeed not after power or money. They couldn’t rely on his protection either. In fact, they could get blamed for disturbing his privacy. I would even add that since Yoon Seungho comes from a wealthy family, he doesn’t need to rely on bribe at all. In other words, the guards can only come to the conclusion that treating him well can only benefit them. His wealth was already implied with his arrival: (chapter 129). He was not sitting on a horse with a few musicians contrary to Jung In-Hun. He was carried by four men, and other people were announcing his arrival with flags and music. (chapter 111) Moreover, Yoon Seungho had a inauguration banquet organized, where the local inhabitants could join. (chapter 129) There was no social exclusion at all. This stands in such opposition to the lord’s statement in season 1, where he distinguished between nobles and commoners.
But let’s return our attention to the two suspects. What happened to them then? (chapter 131) In my opinion, they were released. Why? For the simple reason that in this place, Yoon Seungho expected no huge duty! Yes, his words were not just exposing a lie, but also the truth. Nothing was supposed to happen. People are peaceful and helpful to each other. (chapter 129) This signifies that the arrest could lead to trouble to the guards too. So was the lord lazy in the end? (chapter 131) Yes and no… By acting that way, he put an end to the abuse of authority in that place!! Thus I deduce that the governor is destined to gain recognition and admiration from the local inhabitants. He is generous (inauguration banquet where anyone could join), humble, loyal (he is not forgetting his lover) (chapter 131), but also well organized! He had planned to join this place a long time ago. The peach trees were planted about 3 years ago. He is no longer making any distinction between nobles and commoners, and that’s how he will get the respect from the peasants. As a conclusion, we should envision that the lord will become famous. Therefore the son didn’t turn the father’s nightmare into a reality. He didn’t contribute to the family’s ruin at all. Yet, there exists a huge divergence. Yoon Seungho is about to make a name on his own. It is not about the Yoons. On the one hand, the father’s dream was illusory and superficial, especially due to the treason (chapter 86). Since Lord Song had been forced to resign, there’s no doubt that the man would resent the Yoons to become successful again. This explicates why lord Song saw Yoon Seungwon as a problem (chapter 107) and tried to tarnish the younger son’s reputation. But let’s return our attention to the patriarch. His vision was based on Confucianism. However, he had a very narrow-minded perception of it.
He expected not only blind obedience from his son, but also absolute devotion for the family. The individual steps aside for the community, and as such for the Yoons. This explicates why the main lead’s relative has no name in episode 6, he is simply reduced to a grandfather. (chapter 7) This shows that the tradition was to “vanish behind the family name, the Yoons”. Under this new light, my avid readers can grasp why the main lead was destined to suffer immensely (chapter 57). His reputation was already outshining his father’s. Secondly, by being stigmatized as a homosexual, he was endangering this principle. His role was to continue the lineage and as such produce a heir.
As you can see, Yoon Seungho is breaking the tradition and even dropping Confucianism, as the latter rejects homosexuality. The main lead embodies other values: Modernity, Individualism, true Love and Humbleness. Yoon Seungho is no longer judging people based on their social status and relationship. This signifies that at the end of the story, the new governor symbolizes true justice. He put an end to corruption and malpractice. He is not influenced by people’s opinions and prejudices either. He is only listening to his heart and conscious. He makes sure to keep all his promises and not to say any empty words. He is a reformed man through and through.
However, we shouldn’t forget that the protagonist did kill many people before. Hence my other interpretation is that Yoon Seungho as a sinner is not “allowed” to become a judge himself. (chapter 131) How could he condemn others, when his hands had been soiled with blood? Thus I deduce that through her work, Byeonduck exposed the corruption of human justice in Joseon. It was impossible to get true and fair justice from anyone, let alone from the authorities. The latter were ruled by greedy and arrogant nobles who used law enforcements for their own needs. That’s why the patriarch (chapter 116) or even Min could commit crimes in the open. They felt safe, for they knew that the authorities belonged to the same social class than them. However, this could only work, as long as the nobles would cover for each other. Should a yanbang denunciate a noble family, it was a different story. Therefore I assume that lord Lee was the one who reported the treason to the authorities (the painting in the bedroom was the evidence). But such a painting couldn’t represent a proof. However, since human justice was corrupted, the gods decided to give justice to the protagonists. That’s how Yoon Seungho became the hand of justice. Everyone involved in the protagonists’ suffering had to pay for their crimes. (chapter 102) That’s the reason why Baek Na-Kyum’s martyrdom was strongly intertwined with the young master’s. Yoon Seungho only received this power through Baek Na-Kyum, the character embodying fairness, sincerity, hard work, home and equity. This was particularly perceptible in this scene: (chapter 27) The lord couldn’t kill anyone randomly.
Yet, considering the scene in the shrine as a trial from the “gods”, can appear weird, for the main lead attacked Min and his friend under the influence of his unconscious past. (chapter 102) However, I consider it as a first step to the lord’s emancipation and life lesson. The latter is indirectly learning not to pay attention to status and power. That’s why the author portrayed him as blind and deaf to their plea and special status. While his behavior in the shrine was rather impulsive and influenced by deeply rooted fears, we should consider lord Song’s execution as a true act of justice. (chapter 123) (chapter 123) The latter had confessed all his crimes: the ones from the past (the lies in order to fool the father) (chapter 123) and the painter’s murder. Funny is that lord Song didn’t feel threatened by the young master at all despite the sword. (chapter 123) Why? It is because he feels, he is the one with the upper hand. First, he has the petition, hence he is already projecting himself in the future (he can get a high position again). Secondly, he thinks, Yoon Seungho is outnumbered. He is surrounded by 4 guards. But more importantly, he views himself superior to the main character due to his age. He is an elder. That’s the reason why he calls “my dear boy”. This implies that he is underestimating the main figure. The latter would never dare to raise his hand against a senior!! However, true justice is also blind to age. (chapter 123) His smile at the end of the episode should be perceived as a reflection from Min’s vanishing. (chapter 103) One might even add that the lord’s action could have been seen as self-defense. However, don’t forget that we are here in Joseon, where a commoner’s life means nothing. Because of this new association, I came to the following deduction: lord Song was the one behind lord Shin’s death. (chapter 103) The latter couldn’t imagine that an elderly yanbang, an official, would raise the sword against another noble. After this new realization, it dawned on me why Yoon Seungho had to get separated from his loved one. (chapter 126) This humiliation made Yoon Seungho realize that he needed to have his power on his own. He learned through the hard way that he was not just a Yoon, but Seungho. Yes, this helped him to differentiate himself from his father and to become stronger mentally. His religion was now his lover, Baek Na-Kyum, whom he needed to protect. But he could only do it, if he had himself a powerful position. But he needed to witness the corruption of the authorities to realize that in Joseon, there exists no justice. (chapter 127) That’s the reason why I deduce that Yoon Seungho is not destined to become a lazy or unfair governor. He learned through the hard way how important it is to give proper justice. (chapter 131) Should these two men know the artist, the latter could encourage his lover to listen to their testimonies and not judge them based on their status.
Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why I don’t perceive the main lead as a lazy governor. Just because he appears as one in this scene (chapter 131), we shouldn’t generalize such a behavior. By paying no attention to power and fame, the protagonist learned what true justice is. Moreover, he realized the true source of happiness: love and simplicity. He made sure to keep all his promises to his loved one. Moreover, the artist is there to remind Yoon Seungho of his duties: (chapter 131) Hence I can’t help myself imagining the couple strolling through the village and listening to the people. Thanks to the artist, Yoon Seungho can only get recognition and acceptance from the autochtones. Besides, Baek Na-Kyum is even giving painting lessons to children, so I doubt that he will drop everything for his lover’s sake. We should envision the opposite behavior from the scholar: (chapter 6): neglect and indifference towards the commoners. And this new observation brings me to my other topic, Jung In-Hun.
2. The real sinners: the hidden hustlers and workhorses
In the first part of this essay, I compared the arrival of the lord in his new jurisdiction with the scholar’s Jung In-Hun.
YoOn Seungho
Jung In-Hun
Through this comparison. I had a huge revelation. Manhwaphiles can notice not only the absence of flags and the palaquin, but also the absence of uniforms. The two men in black leading the horse were simply wearing black hanboks and not blue and white costumes. Then it dawned on me that after this cortege on the street, there was no banquet after his success. Hence I deduce that he had not really succeeded at the civil service examination. First, he had not finished top place (chapter 129), therefore he couldn’t select one position contrary to the main lead. This means that when he celebrated his “victory” in episode 111, it was not official. He had no post. I would even add, his name had not been announced on the official board, like we could witness it in this scene. (chapter 121) Here, he is informed that he didn’t pass the exam, for his name was not written there. We can detect this, because people are congratulating each other. His name was left out due to the intervention from lord Song. This means that when Yoon Seungho made him this offer (chapter 7), these were not empty words. He did help the learned sir to pass the civil service exam. But the scholar didn’t succeed like anticipated. The absence of his success explicates why Jung In-Hun received such an offer from lord Song later. (chapter 117) He had no post, he couldn’t choose it, for he was not the best. Thus I deduce that the scholar had just proven his mediocrity. He was just an average man. That’s how it dawned on me that the ceremony in the street was more a simulacre! (chapter 111) Yes, it was fake, for there was no banquet, no sedan chair, no flag and just civilians were surrounding the former teacher. The painting from Baek Na-Kyum can even serve as another evidence that a palanquin and flags are attributes to a ceremony of inauguration. (chapter 44) Only one thing was real: Jung In-Hun was wearing an official uniform, that way no one would doubt his “victory”. Moreover, observe that lord Song only approached the learned sir after the parade. So he was not behind the parade. Besides, keep in mind that the main couple was informed about the parade through the tailor (chapter 111) and not from the official board. His reaction shows not only his displeasure, but also his ignorance. If he had known about the cortege, he would have avoided the place in the first place. Thus I suspect that the tailor had been encouraged to leak this information in front of the couple. Let’s not forget, as a tailor, he was definitely involved in the cortege. It is no coincidence that he informed Yoon Seungho about this “sudden parade”. At the same time, I come to the following deduction: someone must have paid for this spectacle, and it was not Yoon Seungho, for he had been kept in the dark until the last moment. I doubt that the learned sir had the connections and money for this. This new perception corroborates my previous interpretation: the show was sponsored by someone, and it was definitely inspired by the drawing (the hat and the green uniform). (chapter 111). Yet this was just a cheap trick, for the person didn’t send a sedan chair with carriers. Under this new light, I realized why Jung In-Hun ended up stigmatized as a criminal. (chapter 127) It was his karma, for he had deceived the painter with his lies. His success was not his own. (chapter 111) He realized that even after passing the exam, he needed the assistance of people, a sponsor for the spectacle, a noble with connections. Besides, when in season 1, the painter was accused of a crime (ruining the picture), the learned sir did nothing at all. He didn’t protect his student, for he desired to keep his sponsor. When the latter was sick, he neglected him as well. He wouldn’t have sent a doctor for him. Hence in season 4, the sponsor Na-Kyum decides to end his “sponsorship” for the learned sir. We could say that the former teacher is confronted with a similar situation. He ends up being abandoned and framed for a crime, which he didn’t commit. Yet, contrary to his pupil, he is not entirely blameless, for he played a huge role in the death of the nobles lord Song, lord Shin, lord Min and others. Because Baek Na-Kyum embodies hard work, justice, equity, love and honesty, I deduce that his surrogate father embodies the negative notions: laziness, corruption, partiality, hierarchy, ambition and hypocrisy. That’s why his face ended up on the official board, while the painter’s accusation just remained rumors. : (chapter 125) versus (chapter 127) His fate reflects Joseon’ society and authorities, especially when the latter are closer to the capitale.
At the same time, the poster of the scholar exposes that the scholar’s dream had always been to see his name on the official board. (chapter 121) However, the notice was not associated with glory and honor, but with the opposite value. He was an immoral and brutal man. (chapter 127) which was actually reflecting his true personality. We should see the parade in episode 111 as an illusion due to the absence of an official document. And who had paid for this charade? One might think lord Song. However, don’t forget that he approached the man much later. I feel like someone else was involved as well. For me, it was Heena. She was seen with the tailor in season 2, and she had seen the painting from her brother. Finally, she had tried in season 2 and 3 to separate the couple. So she should have repeated the same action, because her resent towards nobles runs deeply, just like her admiration for Jung In-Hun is strong. She knew that her donsaeng was no longer listening to her and his new lover. He was determined to remain by his lover’s side. Thus she didn’t intervene here. (chapter 105) IMO, she had to use another mean in order to achieve her goal: the scholar. Let’s not forget that the artist had confided to her this: (chapter 68) He was simply waiting for the learned sir’s return. And she was present during the cortege. (chapter 111)
Naturally, Jung In-Hun ended up being accused of murder, because not only he had lied, but also he had contributed to the death of lord Min and the others. By giving the spectacles, he was also responsible for their death. Finally, by hurting Baek Na-Kyum and giving him to lord Song (chapter 121), he put the painter in a position which led him to take for the fall for his loved one. It was like framing an innocent. Exactly like in season 3 (chapter 99), Yoon Seungho had been forced to take the sword because of the scholar. And the trigger for the massacre (chapter 124) was always Jung In-Hun. And now, you comprehend why Jung In-Hun became the scapegoat for the last incident. But there’s more to it.
The sexual and physical assault, playing a trick on multiple occasions and the lies are the reasons why the learned sir ended being labelled as a dangerous bandit. (chapter 127) The paper reflects the transformation of the former teacher. He is no longer a honest man. He lost everything: his home, his name and even his life, killed by lord Song’s minions. (chapter 121) His final lesson was to learn that he was exactly like the others: he is just a human despite his education. All humans are equal in front of death. In fact, during his confrontation with lord Song, he came to give up on his integrity. His true face came to the surface: he was just an opportunist, a lazy scholar who relied on fate and his arrogance. (chapter 6) This brings me to my next interpretation. Jung In-Hun learned through the hard way that there is nothing like fate (“right time”), but life is the result of decisions. However, because the scholar always regretted all his past choices, he decided to blame others for his wrong choices. That’s the reason why he ends up to take the whole crime. We should see this paper (chapter 127) as a reflection from the poem in episode 4: The author from this sijo was the poet and official Wang Bang-Yeon who is said to have lived in the time of Joseon’s sixth king Danjong (1441-1457) and his successor king Sejo (1417-1468). As the official of the state tribunal, he followed the young king Danjong into his exile and gave him poison to drink by royal command. Yes, both are symbols of power, corruption, partiality and injustice. Yet, there exists one divergence. While Wang Bang-Yeon left a poem revealing his yearning for the king, the learned sir had no deep attachment towards the artist. Hence it is no wonder why the paper “Wanted” is not connected to affection. It really reflects the emotions and thoughts of Baek Na-Kyum. Due to the last incident, the latter no longer cares for this man.
Jung In-Hun should have realized much sooner that happiness is not a synonym for power and admiration. In reality, he was living quite well in the small village. (chapter 6) He had a roof over his head, and he was surrounded by children, who liked him. (chapter 121) But the problem is that he was consumed by entitlement and greed. How so? It is because of his education. He saw himself superior to others morally and mentally. Hence he didn’t feel the genuine admiration from the children. (chapter 6) He couldn’t enjoy it at all. It is no coincidence that the synonyms for ambitious person are “busy person” and “workhorse”. Yes, this mirrors the expression “laziness”. A true ambitious person is actually proactive and not really relying on sponsors and bribes. So when we see the learned sir on the horse (chapter 111), he is acting like a workhorse. The reality is that he is lazy, as he saw himself destined to achieve greatness. He had the impression that no one had recognized his true value. On the horse, he is just waving his hand and smiling. Later, he confesses this to the artist: (chapter 111) As you can see, his success is not the result of his hard work, but rather of his connections!! Though he didn’t kill lord Song himself, Jung In-Hun had to receive his due punishment for all his lies and sins.
3. The brother’s punishment
This brings me to the next interpretation: Yoon Seungwon and his success. (chapter 107) Though he passed the civil service exam too, he is not able to fulfil his father’s wish either. (chapter 86) They lack support now because of the treason. The families close to the Yoons got executed. But there’s more to it. The youngest son had first betrayed his father by giving the petition to Yoon Seungho, (chapter 118) His intention was to protect not only his brother, but also their family. It was to ensure that lord Song would get blackmailed. That’s how this investigation (chapter 37) got stopped in the end, and the Yoons escaped any punishment. However, by doing so, Yoon Seungwon turned his brother into a blackmailer. Thanks to him, Yoon Seungwon could keep his reputation intact. In fact he never lost his father’s trust. However, in season 4, we can witness a change of heart in the brother. (chapter 118) It is because he knows that with the petition in his brother’s hands, lord Song represents a hindrance to his own career. The latter can only see the Yoons as a threat. Besides, he can only resent the family, if they are able to gain reputation and power, while he can not return to Hanyang and occupy a high position. As you can see, the young master’s success can only irritate lord Song. You can sense a rivalry between Seungwon and lord Song Haseon (chapter 116) in this scene: (chapter 116) The latter has already sensed that the traitor is sitting next to them, thus he raised this question. That’s why I come to the following conclusion that the young master must have realized that he also needed his brother’s assistance. First, if Yoon Seungho returns the petition to the father, the investigation about the traitor in the mansion would be no longer necessary. Secondly, Yoon Seungwon needs to create new connections in Hanyang, but he can only achieve it with his elder brother. Under this new light, you comprehend why Seungwon asked his relative to move on from the past and as such “forgive their father”. (chapter 118) In other words, the young man embodies the notion of “fake forgiveness, fake promise, fake understanding”. He is an opportunist, exactly like the scholar. Yet, there exists a huge divergence between them. His affection for Yoon Seungho was not fake. He is feeling sympathy for his brother. But that’s it. This explains why he didn’t help his brother before. In my eyes, Seungwon represents a different notion of family: bloodline. In my eyes, he embodies traditions and Confucianism. His goal is to turn his father’s dream and life motto into a reality: glory and power for the Yoons. Besides, he must have experienced himself the downfall for the family. And this observation leads to my next interpretation. This means that Yoon Seungwon must have lied to his father by omission as well. (chapter 86) In my opinion, he must have promised to fulfil the patriarch’s wish, but reality made him realize that this was not possible. He couldn’t do it alone. However, I doubt that he confronted the elder with reality.
Let’s not forget that he is only the second son. So he can not inherit the family’s properties. Remember that once the main lead succeeded the civil service exam, he received many marriage proposals. (chapter 128) What about Yoon Seungwon then? Though he succeeded too, there is no mention about engagement or marriage proposals. However, it is clear that this achievement is connected with adulthood and marriage, therefore the elder Song Haseon brought up the topic sex! (chapter 107) It is because Yoon Seungho is the first son who will inherit the title and properties. Yoon Seungwon’s success can only work with his brother’s presence. This means that thanks to the last episode, I could finally find the answer from Byeonduck’s question: What was the reason for Yoon Seungwon’s embarrassment? First, it is because his brother selected the backward place, though he had passed the exam with flying colors. Yoon Seungwon imagined that once his brother had passed the exam, he would get married and establish new connections. That way, Seungwon would be able to get married with a properous and famous family. In other words, Yoon Seungho would turn the father’s dream into a reality: the return of the Yoons’ glory and power. And Seungwon would benefit a lot from this. So in the gibang, his advices might have sounded well meant, (chapter 118), in verity he was also motivated by his own desires. He wanted to get the help from his older brother. This means that the moment the main lead lost his father, Seungwon’s words became true. Yoon Seungho followed his advice: he cut off ties with his past and as such with his family. He was no longer obliged to fulfil the family traditions and the father’s dream. This means that Yoon Seungwon is now on his own. I find it funny that he blamed his brother for his debauchery, but what did he do during this time? Nothing… he waited, until he received pressure from his own father. Moreover, since Yoon Seungwon didn’t help the artist and allowed him to take the fall for the massacre (chapter 126), his karma is not only to end up alone, but also not to receive any support from his brother.
To conclude, Yoon Seungwon tried to convince his brother to change his behavior (chapter 117), because his career was still insecure due to lord Song’s influence. He needed his brother’s help in the end. At the same time, Seungwon had already long internalized the values from his father: Yoons’ honor and reputation were top priorities. In other words, the younger brother stands for social norms and fake righteousness. He desires to maintain his perfect image (loyalty, filial piety),
(chapter 118), hence he left the document at the mansion. He wanted his brother to return the papers on his own so that his past action would remain undetected. Returning the paper was like an admission that he had stolen it in the first place. Yet he still barged in his brother’s house twice. (chapter 117) Here, he exposed the existence of the “petition” to Baek Na-Kyum for one reason. The latter should be used as a way to pressure the main lead to give up on the paper. Notice that this topic was brought up in the gibang: (chapter 119) However, the reality is that Seungwon is not just trying to fulfil his father’s dream, but also he has his own ambition. He wants to make a name on his own. That’s why he confessed this to his brother: (chapter 119) He doesn’t associate himself with the father and his sins. In his eyes, he is blameless. The reality is that he is guilty like his father, for he failed to care for Yoon Seungho. He failed to listen to him and his suffering. He didn’t try to understand him. Like mentioned above, he only sympathized with him and that’s it. Thus he condemned him for his debauchery in the gibang, but this was no longer the case.
When the father confronted his own son with reality (he had no power without him), Yoon Seungwon was once again absent!! The latter is the evidence of his “neglect”. It is important, because when the main lead bowed in front of the patriarch, (chapter 127) (chapter 127) the former only made a promise to his father and not to the brother. With his death, Yoon Seungho is no longer bound by a promise. Since the main lead had been living properly for 3 years and even passed the civil service exam, it is clear that for the brother, Yoon Seungho must have forgotten his past lover. He must have judged his brother based on appearances, just like he was behaving himself. However, this was just a subterfuge. He was waiting for the right time too. He had no change of heart, he had just been copying his brother’s behavior.
To conclude, the main lead abandoned Yoon Seungwon in the end for his loved one. It happened, when he not only rejected the marriage proposals, but also moved to that “poor region”. The sibling received his punishment for his lack of loyalty and his dishonesty. Funny is that the main lead actually followed his brother’s advices: 8chapter 118) He cut off ties with the past and the family!! This means that his words in the lord’s bedchamber came true: (chapter 78) Let’s not forget that at the gibang, Yoon Seungwon never revealed his true intentions towards his brother. The latter always said that his advices were for his best interests. He should become involved in the government. But everything was for the Yoons, or better said, for Yoon Seungwon’s sake. And there exists another reason why the sibling must have been embarrassed: This marriage! To conclude, Yoon Seungwon embodies the opposite values of Baek Na-Kyum and Yoon Seungho: ambition, corruption, forgetfulness, hierarchy/social norms, traditions and reality versus understanding, forgiveness, simplicity, closeness, modern family and happiness. Selfishness versus Selflessness. This explicates why the main lead gave up his success for the artist. However, though it looks like an exile, the reality is that he will gain popularity and admiration among the inhabitants. Why? It is because he is no longer making distinctions between nobles and commoners, he doesn’t see this place as a punishment, but as a heaven and as such he has a better perception of humans in general. In my eyes, he is bringing progress and change in the region. Baek Na-Kyum is already teaching the kids how to draw… so it is only a matter of time, until his lover takes care of the education for these children. This means that these words will become a reality: (chapter 6) He will think of the futures of those children because of his lover.
PS: Tell me, if you are interested in another essay. The question would be: how did lord Yoon die? Was he poisoned or not?
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Because the manhwaphiles are witnessing the downfall of the protagonist, people get the impression that history is repeating itself. It was, as though nothing has ever changed. Besides, in my previous essay, I had already outlined the similarities between the past and present and explained the reasons behind this resemblance. However, as you can imagine, we are not back to square one. Thus in this composition, I will elaborate the changes. And this can only be possible by contrasting the present with the past.
1. Monsters in Joseon society
1. 1. Yoon Seungho and his peers
The Painter Of The Night-philes can certainly recall how in the beginning of the story Yoon Seungho was perceived. He was introduced as a brutal and bloodthirsty monster, for he killed a servant in the open. (chapter 1) He was even called a psychopath, for he resorted to kidnapping (chapter 1) sequestration, threats (chapter 2) and blackmail and he initially showed no remorse. (chapter 7). On the other hand, he never got into trouble for his wrongdoings. Why? It is because he wasn’t violating social norms. (chapter 10) It was his right to punish servants, for they are not considered as humans but as propriety. As a lord, he could treat commoners, like it pleased him. Though murder is prohibited, even against a lowborn, (chapter 43), the reality is that nobles would never get into trouble!! As you can see, there exists a discrepancy between laws on the paper and the reality which was exposed by the rumors in episode 106. (chapter 107) The fathers would use their position and influence in order to cover up their children’s wrongdoings. And we have the perfect illustration, when the elder master bribes the governor. (chapter 127) That’s the reason why the younger generation could do everything! Though the lord appeared as a monster first, he became a “normality”, the more we got to read this story. Under this explication, it becomes comprehensible why lord Min was so sure not to get bothered by the authorities. (Chapter 101) He had bought the officers (“the guards”). This explains why Black Heart could threaten No-Name. (chapter 76) He didn’t need to dirty his own hands, he could simply frame him. Consequently, I deduce that he had learned this misconduct through the elders’ behavior.
1. 2. The old bearded men and their roles
Interesting is that in season 4, Yoon Seungho gets protected from prosecution by his father’s power, however the latter did not do it for his sake, rather to protect the Yoons’ reputation and influence. (chapter 116) This shows that neither Black Heart’s father nor Yoon Chang-Hyeon truly love their children, as according to Erich Fromm, love is knowledge, respect, care and responsibility. However, the elder master Yoon is totally ignorant about his son’s talents and good nature. Thereby, I see lord Seungho from season 1 as the perfect illustration of the corrupted world of the nobility. The monster “Yoon Seungho” was just a reflection from this ruthless and immoral society. Since he committed wrongdoings, his karma was to pay for his sins. It starts with a murder, and the main lead ended up killing people. He might have not broken “traditions” like the disregard of the yangbans against lowborns, but it is considered immoral. He had sinned and now, he is paying for his sins. Therefore his words in the prison resonate differently. (chapter 126) He expresses regret. He confesses his crimes, he killed people! This means that he is now siding with the lowborns. Their life is as precious as the ones from the nobility. Yet, note that in this image, the author didn’t drew his eyes. Why? It is because in the moment he executed people, (chapter 102) he was either not himself or he did it out of reflex to protect himself. He was influenced by his past experiences and as such traumas. In the shrine, it becomes more obvious, for he has a lost gaze. He is not even looking at his target. Finally, when he met lord Song, he did it to “protect” himself. (chapter 123) For me, in episode 1, the execution was triggered by his desire to protect himself and his traumas. And what is the common denominator between these three scenes? The father Yoon Chang-Hyeon! Don’t forget that the petition was the reason for their meeting. And now look at the actions from the patriarch. (chapter 116) He had given the order to eliminate all the servants, for they could represent a threat to his “treason”. This explains why the butler describes himself as the only survivor and witness. (chapter 86) And we see him giving the order to kill the surviving guard (chapter 125) Besides, he had no problem to order the assassination of his own son which was stopped by the intervention of a helping hand. The father had never asked to spare the main lead’s life. (chapter 124). He was his bad role model. But he is not the only one. There is another one…
And if crimes were to take place, then the nobles would find scapegoats in order to avoid punishment. Hence No-Name got so many tattoos in the end. (chapter 51) Once a criminal, always a criminal… therefore it is not surprising that the joker chose assassination as second work. By working for the nobles, he would be able to escape punishment, because if he got arrested, he could denunciate them. To conclude, justice is inexistent in Joseon. Yes, we are witnessing the downfall of Joseon, or precisely the king’s bad ruling. The latter is not capable of providing justice to anyone. And this coincides with the purge! (chapter 37) What is a purge?
to get rid of people from an organization because you do not agree with them
The purge is the symbol for injustice, because it is connected to violence and intolerance. As you can see, the “fake servant” was exposing his true nature through his words. He should have said “sentenced” or “punished” or “executed” but not purged for treason! I am more than ever convinced that the old bearded man in episode 37 is the king. Those two words (“purged”; “treason”) are contradicting each other. In the first case, the authority is committing a crime by abusing its power, while in the second case, a group is plotting against the authority and as such is breaking laws. Finally, I would like to outline that Yoon Chang-Hyeon and lord Song got evicted from the government which coincides with the second signification of “purge” (chapter 107) “Stepping down” was actually an euphemism for removal. The officials were chased out, (chapter 80) but their evictions were turned into stepping down. (chapter 122) No wonder why lord Song came to resent the protagonist. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the purge was not noticed by commoners. There was no fire and the staff was sparred. (chapter 37) And if they knew, people didn’t feel concerned… for they were violent, filthy nobles. Remember how the woman came to curse the gentry: (chapter 106) Moreover, we could see how an official came to murder lord Shin. (chapter 103) The boots were the indication that this person was working for the government. And it was an elder, for he was wearing this particular headgear. (chapter 103) (chapter 67) The murder of lord Shin is the evidence of the anarchy in Joseon. But actually, the monsters are actually everywhere, and not just among the nobility. The Chungin with the scholar and the physicians who have no problem to lie, participate in a kidnapping and drugging people… the kisaengs, the maids, the servants. They are all accomplices, for they feigned ignorance or chose to remain passive, for they preferred avoiding trouble. What people failed to realize is that no one is safe from this tyranny. Hence people could get killed and thrown into a well so easily (chapter 97) (chapter 101) and their perpetrators got scot-free. Why? It is because the mastermind and the helping hands are protecting each other, like we could see in the Joker’s case. However, the latter in season 3 had no idea that they would face divine retribution and pay with their life. (chapter 102) In front of gods, humans are all equal. There is no distinction between gentry, Chungin and commoners. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho is the divine hand of justice, he is bringing the “divine retribution”. This explicates this vision: (chapter 83) Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why he is called “the bird of misfortune”. People around him got to suffer, for they received their karma. Funny is that lord Song mocked him by calling him a grim reaper. (chapter 123) He underestimated his opponent, not imagining that the latter would use his sword against him. So he became a grim reaper. Lord Song Haseon must have thought that his minions, just like his age and status, would protect him. But no, someone had planned his death and counted on the main lead’s decision.
2. Karma and Baek Na-Kyum
What caught my attention is that Min even expressed the disinterest of the authorities towards peasants. (chapter 99) Thus Min’s karma was to die in the total indifference of others. No one is missing him, for he was turned into a brigand himself. (chapter 113) But wait… Why did Black Heart get killed in the end? One might say that it was his karma, for he had planned the murder of Baek Na-Kyum in the past. In my opinion, the uke serves as a representative of the divine retribution. The artist is the “judge” and his lover is executing the sentence: death. And we can detect this gods’ intervention through the learned sir’s case as well. Jung In-Hun had looked down on the artist for his origins and education. When the generous main lead chose to accept his apology (attempted rape), (chapter 120), the latter reminded him that contrary to Yoon Seungho, he was admired. He had such a good notoriety! Since he betrayed the artist and had almost him killed, the scholar ended up losing everything. (chapter 127) He became the scapegoat for this incident, for he played a huge role in the painter’s suffering (kidnapping, assault, murder and brainwashing). His success at the civil service examination was erased within a few weeks and now he is viewed as a brigand. How could such a person get selected as an official? His fate gives a bad impression of the civil service examination. And what is the common denominator between these two villains? They both belong to different social classes. Their cases is exposing the king’s negligence and arbitrariness. The latter is the perfect personification of this corruption. Not even Confucianism is respected, for fathers are abusing their own children or even killing them. Season 4 is exposing the chaos in Joseon. Therefore it is not surprising that the sacred tree and the shrine got burned. (chapter 106) The gods were using the humans to voice their anger. At the same time, when the woman made this comment, the Manhwa lovers can detect the huge gate in the background, the symbol for royalty. And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho was pushed to go to Hanyang. It is his fate to face the king! His task is to clean the palace of these old bearded men. (chapter 44) I had already portrayed him as a black shaman in the essay “Spirits and the lustful shaman“. And since he became a believer in episode 126, this means that he can fulfil his task, giving the king’s divine retribution. (chapter 65) Don’t forget that the monarch is the only one who stands above the laws, though he is controlled by social norms and his officials. In my opinion, this can only take place, when a new scheme takes place. How so? Note that in the scholar’s case, Jung In-Hun received his karma, but not real human justice. For me, he is not dead. Besides, don’t forget that someone took the petition from lord Song, before Yoon Chang-Hyeon came to the bloody place. There is no ambiguity that the accomplices and schemers didn’t get happy with the last outcome. The couple might be separated physically, but they are attached to each other by their strong love. And since the main lead kept wearing hanboks with the phoenix (chapter 34) (chapter 45), it indicates that someone saw him as his bird of fortune. And this can not be Yoon Seungho, for the latter was full of self-hatred. Finally, his own father, Kim and Heena called him as a bird of misfortune. As you can see, the king could no longer see the main lead due to the artist’s presence. He is his bird of fortune, for he could live out all his dreams thanks to him, and at no moment he got into trouble. No one is suspecting his intervention.
3. Though fate parts us once more
As soon as I read this whisper from the main lead (chapter 127) I recognized why the painter and Yoon Seungho had to go separated ways. It is because the schemers wanted him to return to Hanyang. Remember the learned sir’s suggestion before his departure. (chapter 44) Why? It is because now the main lead is an adult. Since my theory is that the pedophile is the ruler, he can no longer approach the protagonist like that. The latter is no longer visiting the gibang. He wants their path to cross again so that they can rekindle. Hence he had to create an opportunity proving that their meeting is not a coincidence. Under this new approach, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungwon encouraged his brother to reconcile with their father. (chapter 37) That way, he would be “following” the tradition and become an official. But since Yoon Seungho developed a fear of “old bearded men”, he had no reason to go there. (chapter 44) This exposes that in his unconscious, the young man was aware that his suffering was related to the officials. But in season 1, their attempts (Jung In-Hun and the brother) failed because of Baek Na-Kyum. The latter had to leave the lord’s side. And this brings me to the following observation. Since the beginning of the story, people were used to make the commoner leave the protagonist’s side:
Lee Jihwa with the ruined painting and the murder
Min: the party at the kisaeng house, the orgy in episode 33, the kidnapping and murder
Heena: (chapter 46) (chapter 68) (chapter 97)
Jung In-Hun (chapter 111) (chapter 120)
I could mention Ýoon Seungwon, the staff, butler Kim, Deok-Jae and the kisaengs. And now, it is time to examine the circumstances of their farewell. (chapter 127) As you can see, the painter was feverish. Why? From my perspective, he was drugged. He was not allowed to see his loved one, because they don’t want him to remember their departure. The schemers desire him to feel abandoned like in the gibang (chapter 105). The reason why I am suspecting a drug is that this panel (chapter 127) is similar to the first Wedding Night: (chapter 21) At the same time, this scene is also a reflection from the night after the massacre in the shrine. (chapter 103) Back then, he was also under the influence of an aphrodisiac. They don’t want him to remember his last words. And since he didn’t take care of him during that night, though he was unwell, they hope to create the illusion that Yoon Seungho neglected him. He broke his promise. But their trick can no longer work because of the lord’s visitation in the prison and his words. (chapter 126) (chapter 127) The separation arc is there to prove these plotters wrong. Their affection is not trivial and momentary. He is not a plaything, but his “partner”. In fact, they have absolute trust in each other, and their source of strength will be their short happy moments together. Besides, I am quite certain that the artist will remember the lord’s whisper from that night, since he had problems to recall the First wedding Night and the incident in the shrine. Both are related to his bad conscience. Besides, I have another reason for that, the power of the unconscious knowledge.
The underused power of unconscious knowledge
Fromm considered that the unconscious not only contains irrational passions – which would occupy only a small part – but also all knowledge of reality. He believed that our unconscious mind has infinitely greater power than consciousness – which is fundamentally a social construction – so it can warn us that one person is dangerous and another is trustworthy, tell us which is the best path to follow, help us detect the lies or pointing out when we are being manipulated or making mistakes. Fromm was convinced that through the unconscious we can know everything we need to know to orient ourselves in life. However, we often repress these contents and do not pay attention to our intuition – which is one of the main means of expression of the unconscious – because socially this information is considered too “dangerous”. Quoted from https://psychology-spot.com/unconscious-knowledge-erich-fromm/
Thus I am suspecting that neither the painter nor the lord will be in touch through a correspondence. They have to create the illusion that the main lead is forgetting him. This explicates why Byeonduck created 3 episodes where the silence and miscommunication between the two protagonists played a huge role. (Chapter 108) Though both were close physically, they still allowed others to manipulate them, for their trust was not complete. In other words, the schemers are thinking that time is working for them!! On the other hand, since Kim is by his side, the painter can only consider his presence as the evidence of the lord’s care. (Chapter 127) This coincides with the beginning of the Manhwa, when the lord was seen without his butler. (Chapter 1) The latter only appeared in episode 7, and back then Yoon Seungho had to dress himself. (Chapter 7) Finally, I am expecting schemes again.
4. Yoon Seungho a servant again
I have to admit my surprise, when I saw Yoon Seungho’s bow in front of his father. I really didn’t expect this, yet his decision makes sense. He swears to become his father’s servant. (chapter 127) This means that he is giving up on his status and freedom for Baek Na-Kyum’s sake. (chapter 127) And naturally, this reminded me of this scene with the straw mat beating. (chapter 127) Here Yoon Seungho had been treated like a servant, because he had been submitted to the straw mat beating. Exactly like in the past, there was a promise. Notice how similar the words are: “No matter”. (chapter 77) However, there exists a huge difference. Back then, the vow was made between the butler Kim and Yoon Chang-Hyeon. As you can see, Yoon Seungho is now copying his surrogate father’s behavior. (chapter 127) This shows that the young master is following Kim’s path. On the other hand, the domestic employed the future tense in his pledge (“I will do as he commands”), whereas the “spiritual son” is using the present (“I swear to live as you command”). Moreover, the main lead is talking about his way of life and not “order”. And what does the father desire? (Chapter 86) Making connections so that the Yoons can become influential again!! But how can he do that? By showing his talent? I have my doubts about it. Why? It is because in season 1, the lord was having sex with his peers, and back then they were like battles… for an exchange of favors. I hope, I might be wrong, but I fear that he is about to become a male kisaeng again. Or if not, then this is what the king is expecting from him. And we have the best example in this scene: (chapter 80) Sex against favors. Yoon Seungho has become the symbol of nepotism, though in reality he is the biggest victim of this. According my investigations, Yoon Chang-Hyeon was left in the dark about the pedophile. But now by asking his eldest son to “become his servant”, he is now responsible for his fate. This means that he can no longer “feign ignorance”. What is more important to him, his hatred for sodomy or his dream of power? By using his elder son, Yoon Chang-Hyeon can maintain his reputation and have a clear conscience. However, this makes him a hypocrite. Besides, why would Yoon Seungwon keep pestering his brother to change his life and go to Hanyang, when he “succeeded” with the exam? (chapter 118) Why does he need the protagonist? It is because he needs “connections”. And how can he get these connections? Through his brother. But with the last incident, it looks like Yoon Seungwon jeopardized the remains of his influence, for the noble ignored him. (chapter 127)
But let’s return our attention to the contrast between Kim and his adoptive son. (chapter 127) Another common point between Seungho and Kim is the bow. (Chapter 56) Yet, the domestic is only bowing with his head and not his body. The protagonist is dressed exactly like his father. This comparison exposes that my past interpretation was correct: the butler had awakened his master during the night by lighting the candles. And after receiving this letter, Yoon Seungho dressed himself in order to meet his childhood friend, which reinforces my theory that the valet won’t follow the protagonist.
Interesting is that the butler and his “adoptive son” are acting for someone else’s sake. Yet, the second divergence is that the protagonist’s vow is not affecting the painter’s life (chapter 127), while the butler’s oath was describing Kim as the helping hand to “fix” Yoon Seungho! In other words, at no moment, the valet was risking his life, whereas the main lead is now “sacrificing” his own life (“as a willing servant”) for the painter. And this brings me to the following observation. Why did Yoon Chang-Hyeon order the straw mat beating for his own son in episode 77? It is because the latter had failed the father’s expectations. He had not been able to have sex with a woman. (chapter 86) However, back then, he was considered as the eldest son. One of his duties was to continue the lineage (chapter 82) and because of the stolen kiss, the patriarch became obsessed with sexuality. Observe how lord Song Haseon described the father’s attitude. He knew about the atrocities that the young master was exposed to (chapter 123), but he chose to turn a blind eye, for he believed that the end justifies the means. This explicates why he left the room so quickly and abandoned his son. Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s resent for the eldest son came from his high expectations. This can only reinforce my past interpretation that Yoon Seungho is a new version of Prince Sado. Thus the elder master Yoon’s personality is based on king Yeongjo. Moreover, lord Song alluded to the execution of a prince ordered by the monarch. (chapter 107)
Most of what we know about Prince Sado comes from a memoir that his wife, Lady Hyegyeong, wrote in 1805. It paints a picture of a tragic young man, who thanks to a youth of constant abuse and tragedy, was driven insane. King Yeongjo was a hard man with a fiery temper. His son was a constant disappointment to him. Yeongjo saw Sado as weak from an early age and would often lash out at him. The young prince grew increasingly timid around his father, which in turn caused his father to lash out more. From a young age Sado, who adored his father and only wanted his approval, was left a wreck. In 1745, at the age of 9, Sado had his first brush with ill health during which he often lost consciousness. His disapproving father was disappointed at this seeming weakness and grew even harder on the young prince. Sado was made regent when he came of age at 15. His father hoped that giving him the ability to make decisions on administrative matters would teach him to be a good king. Sadly, in his father’s eyes, every decision Sado made was the wrong one and he constantly second-guessed his son’s decisions. Quoted from https://www.historicmysteries.com/prince-sado/
Yoon Seungho has a similar disposition. He also hoped to be recognized and loved, thus he was constantly looking at his father’s eyes. (chapter 55) But what did he see in his father’s gaze? Anger and disappointment, for he was never able to satisfy Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s expectations. (chapter 55) With the release of episode 127, I had this sudden revelation concerning this memory. In the past, I used to think that he had been submitted to the straw mat beating. But now, I think that in this scene, Yoon Seungho was forced to bow to his father by the servants or guards!! Yes, the former version of this scene. (chapter 126) This idea came to my mind, the moment Yoon Seungho emphasized his bowing! (chapter 127) The protagonist’s words imply that he had never done it before!! And now, you know why Yoon Chang-Hyeon agreed to make a deal with his eldest son. (chapter 127) Yoon Seungho’s bow and oath stand for blind obedience and loyalty. This explicates why the author drew him without eyes. (chapter 127) He believes that he has finally been able to tame Yoon Seungho. He has become the perfect “puppet or tool” in order to make his dream come true: POWER! Actually, he is hoping to restore the Yoons’ reputation and glory. (chapter 87) That way, he can act, as if the purge and the humiliation had never happened. So by submitting himself to his father’s will, it looks like Yoon Seungho is put in the same position than in the past. He is “exposed” to the harsh judgement from the patriarch. However, it is just an illusion. How so? First, what caught my attention is the absence of the protagonist’s eye. (chapter 127) The blue color and the absence of the eye are displaying the coldness from Yoon Seungho. He is not looking for recognition and love from his father. He is now totally indifferent towards him. Moreover, if you read my previous essays, you already know that the absence of “eyes” is indicating a lie, like here for example: (chapter 11) (chapter 35) Does it signify that the protagonist has the intention of betraying his own father? I don’t think so, but the manhwaphiles shouldn’t forget the lord’s wish in the kitchen: “I shall remember this moment for as long as I live”. (chapter 118) This shows that when the lord bowed to his father, he was thinking of Baek Na-Kyum in the kitchen. His body might be by his father, but his mind and heart were elsewhere. Thus I couldn’t help myself thinking that Yoon Chang-Hyeon will get betrayed and abandoned by his own son. During the same night, he made 2 vows. It was, as though he had two “lords”! His goal is to meet his loved one again. (Chapter 127) Finally, don’t forget that the main lead is following Kim’s path. He will have to choose between his father and the painter. Yoon Seungho is actually applying the father’s principle: the end justifies the means. So if necessary, he can break his vow to his father.
And now, you are wondering why. It is related to the deal between the father and son. (Chapter 127) It is because Baek Na-Kyum represents a leverage for the father to control his son. He is now replacing the petition. This coincides with Yoon Seungwon’s words: (chapter 116) I still believe that the painter has the original petition. And who is by Baek Na-Kyum’s side? Kim!! (Chapter 127) He is now in charge of the painter so that his pledge to the lord becomes a reality. (Chapter 108) By living by his side, he can lead a quiet life far away from Hanyang. However, this signifies that the artist has become a “prisoner”. As long as he lives in Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s claws, his loved one can not return to his side. Interesting is that a carriage was used to carry away the protagonist. (Chapter 127) Such a transportation was utilized for noblewomen. This can only reinforce the rumor that the protagonist has a fiancee! (Chapter 78) But where is the painter going? To the mansion? Or to another secluded place? In my eyes, the location is important. His existence is still a source of problems for the schemers. I see a future conflict in the lord’s life, for one oath stands in opposition to the other. Moreover, should the patriarch lose Baek Na-Kyum, he can no longer control his son. He can not suddenly blame the painter for the death of lord Song, for Jung In-Hun has been now convicted for the crime. (Chapter 127) The latter is now stigmatized as an arsonist and murderer.
Another reason why I believe that the actual situation diverges from the past is that the patriarch becomes “responsible” for his decisions. (chapter 127) He can no longer blame Yoon Seungho, for he is now just a “servant”. The expectations are also much lower. He just needs to follow his orders. Yoon Seungho is exempted from continuing the lineage. Moreover, Yoon Chang-Hyeon is now as the lord responsible for his son’s protection. Since he is his servant, he has to ensure his safety as well. That’s why he can no longer abuse like in the past. He is his tool to become powerful. This means that he is now dependent on him. Moreover, note that the father and son have a deal. (chapter 127) In other words, there is a certain equity. The painter serves as a leverage which reminds us of the deal between Baek Na-Kyum and his fated companion. (Chapter 7) In exchange for sponsoring the learned sir, Baek Na-Kyum had to go to his bedchamber and paint there. (Chapter 7) Now, the positions are switched. He is the one getting coerced! And this brings me to the following observation. Why did the elder master agree to this deal in the end? First, he refused to assist his son. (chapter 127) He believes that he has the petition, therefore he can no longer be blackmailed by his eldest son. The latter has no longer any leverage over him! However, he changed his mind. (chapter 127) For me, it is related to the bow. I noticed that the patriarch pays a lot of attention to “manners” and etiquette. Therefore the guards apologized on different occasions, yet the elder master always accepted their excuses (chapter 125) (chapter 126) Yet, in reality they were fake excuses. I have already pointed out that the servants would act on their own. But more importantly, their fake apology hid their failure as guards. How could they let the young master barge into the lord’s bedchamber? With a simple apology, this wrongdoing was overlooked. And now, observe what happened during the same night: (chapter 127) Yoon Seungho was followed by the guards! It looked like they were serving him. This scene reminded me of the officers’ appearance in front of the mansion. (chapter 94) This can only reinforce my theory that the main lead will turn against his father in the end. Keep in mind that there is a deal, so should the situation change (the painter’s desertion or the discovery of the second petition for example), the lord is no longer forced to keep his vow towards his father. Moreover, since Baek Na-Kyum got lied, “brainwashed” (chapter 125), “drugged” and slapped by Yoon Chang-Hyeon, he is destined to receive his karma through his son. And what was his dream? (chapter 86) He imagined that his second son would bring him fame and power. But now, the main lead is on his way to become “influential” turning the father’s words into a lie. Yes, the father and son needed to be together again so that the patriarch’s life lie would get exposed and ruined. Since he took the bloody paper (chapter 125) and paid the governor (chapter 127), he could get into trouble for it was, as if he was admitting his responsibility.
In addition, I would like to point out that the protagonist’s mentality is different from Kim’s! The latter advocates immobility and resignation., (chapter 87), whereas Yoon Seungho stands for change and hope. (Chapter 127) The latter is neither nihilist nor defeatist, for the painter has become his “god”, his religion. The hope to meet Baek Na-Kyum again will be his source of strength. He believes that the gods will help him again to have his wish come true. It is their destiny to meet again! (Chapter 127) Like announced in the last analysis, the lord is a changed man due to his new found religion. But this is not visible to the eyes. And the schemers are thinking that they are pulling the strings, while in reality they are themselves utilized as pawns by the spirits. Finally, the painter called himself a “plaything”, hence the schemers can jump to the false conclusion that they have still a chance to achieve their dream, like to punish the Yoons or to win the main lead’s heart. Finally, for me, this story is encouraging people to distinguish between fake heroes and from real saviors. (chapter 127) Where was Heena noona, when her brother was in prison? This rumor can only create the illusion that the painter is still devoted to the learned sir. Yet, after the last incident, the painter came to regret to have trust the learned sir. Both characters are now healed from their traumas (abandonment issues) and they are in full possession of their mind. This makes them less weak to manipulations.
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I have to admit that when I read chapter 126 for the first time, I was disappointed. Why? It is because Yoon Seungho appeared so stupid and weak. He kept running from one place (chapter 126) to another (chapter 126). He allowed his father to humiliate and abuse him (Chapter 126) once again. It was, as if the story was back to square one and the protagonist had learned nothing at all. Under this perception, my avid readers can comprehend why I selected such a title. However, instead of thinking that the author was a bad writer, I decided to ponder on the following question. Why did the author choose such an evolution?
1. The fools in love
First, since it is Baek Na-Kyum’s destiny to go through the same experiences than his loved one, I deduce that the main lead is now following Baek Na-Kyum’s path. In other words, they are switching their fate. This explicates why the lord is naïve, blinded by his love for the painter. Yes, Yoon Seungho is a fool in love too. (chapter 7) Like Baek Na-Kyum, he rushed to his loved one’s side. However, he was first stopped (chapter 126), because it was not the right time. How so? Notice that his brother had fetched him at the port (chapter 125), but he never followed him to the bureau of investigation. And the same happened later. Why didn’t he go to his shed, when he was trapped there? Where was he, when the eldest son visited the father? (chapter 126) His absence exposed his passivity and betrayal. However, at no moment, Yoon Seungho noticed this. To conclude, Yoon Seungho was so worried for the painter that he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings, just like the painter didn’t see the learned sir’s disdain expressed through the cold gaze. (chapter 07) Therefore Yoon Seungho didn’t notice the presence of a civilian next to the governor. (chapter 126). Striking is that the governor knew about Yoon Seungho’s whereabouts before his arrival: the coast. As you can see, I am detecting a link between the governor and the younger master Seungwon. Yet, it was disguised as a rumor behind the expression “I had heard”. My assumption is that Seungwon came from the bureau of investigation in order to inform his brother. Therefore it is not surprising that Seungho was invited by his brother to visit the prison during the night. (chapter 126) And the moment I perceived the protagonist as a fool in love, I realized that chapter 126 is a reflection of episode 7, 29 (chapter 29) and 40 (chapter 40). Here, the painter was trying his best to protect Jung In-Hun’s interests (life, high position). Moreover, in episode 40, the painter had a dream, when he saw the announcement for the civil service examination. He smiled, for he was looking forward for the future. (chapter 40) And what have these episodes more in common? A betrayal, abandonment from a loved one and a paper (painting, poem). Hence I am more than ever convinced that the petition will resurface very soon and play a huge role in the downfall of the schemers and haters. Besides, chapter 40 represents the negative reflection of the conversation in the prison. (chapter 126) Though they are in a tough situation, Yoon Seungho is not leaving his side contrary to episode 40. (chapter 40) There is neither disdain nor mockery. The mentioned scenes are similar, for the present resembles the past. And this brings me to the second reason for the Webtoonist’s decision.
2. Past, present and future
It is because Byeonduck is now mixing the past with the present indicating that the future will be different. Let me elaborate my thoughts more precisely through the relationship between the protagonist and his father. First, when the incident with the stolen kiss was reported, (chapter 123), Yoon Chang-Hyeon considered Yoon Seungho as a human, for he employed the personal pronoun “he”. He was still his son. Then in episode 77, he judged him as a slave (chapter 77), hence he was submitted to the straw mat beating and was held captive. He even refused to send for a physician. (chapter 83) Here, the father is denying his humanity, he is just an animal. In their next confrontation, he describes him as a monster, hence he wished that he had never been born. (chapter 86) However, his words exposed that he was still viewing him as a living being. Therefore it is not surprising that he accepted lord Song’s request to order the murder of his son! In the gibang, he decided to no longer acknowledge Yoon Seungho as his son. (chapter 107) The tragedy is that the protagonist still viewed the Yoons as his family because of Yoon Seungwon, who keeps calling him “brother”. This explicates why Yoon Seungho sponsored his brother to have an official position. (chapter 115) Therefore it is not surprising that he followed Yoon Seungwon’s advice again. (chapter 120). He would bring the petition to his own father. This means that he is acting like the painter who listened to his noona Heena so well. (chapter 46) But now, Yoon Chang-Hyeon believes to have the petition. (chapter 125) This explicates why the patriarch is now calling the main lead “nothing”. (chapter 126) He is not even a thing. This means that he is actually discarding him. This explicates why he sent him to the shed. (chapter 126) It was, as if he had become a merchandise. Or we could say that the elder master had been using him as a tool, which he can now abandon. (chapter 126) Interesting is that the idiom “plaything” has for antonyms tool, implement, instrument and utensil. And this brings me to the following remark. The father’s words are reflecting the last scheme. Yoon Seungho was used as the sword to get rid of an enemy, lord Song. It was, as if someone had decided to get rid of lord Song, for he represented a danger or threat. It also mirrors the trick in the shrine. Min and the others got killed, because Lee Jihwa went to his childhood friend. And who had seen the main lead using this sword, when he was enraged? Father Lee! (chapter 67) But let’s return our attention to the patriarch and his son. Yoon Seungho is no longer recognized as a Yoon member. Therefore I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungho will make the following decision: to become an orphan. And this is symbolized by the loss of hair. I am expecting him to cut off his hair, something the painter has been doing for a long time. That’s why Byeonduck showed us the lord without a topknot. (chapter 126) This would coincide with my previous statement. The lord is going through the same experience than his loved one. However, people will come to the conclusion that this was done by the father. How so? Remember how each rumor became a reality. (chapter 1) I had already demonstrated that Yoon Seungho was not a fiend for sodomy with no regard for time and place, until he met Baek Na-Kyum. But once a deed is done, it can never be repeated. (chapter 101) So should Father Lee claim that he has long disowned Jihwa by cutting off his topknot, no one will believe him, for the young master was still seen with a topknot after confessing his feelings in public. (chapter 57) In other words, the topknot incident at the kisaeng would be brought up. It is impossible for 2 fathers to act the same way. Besides, the loss of the topknot has another signification: Yoon Seungho would cut off ties with valet Kim, for the latter was the one who gave him the topknot. And episode 126 reflected one more time his position: (chapter 126) He is the one dressing him. It was, as if he was the pope.
3. Abandoned plaything
Because of my initial disappointment, I examined the chapter more closely. This sentence from the patriarch caught my attention (chapter 126) Why would he call Baek Na-Kyum a “plaything”, when before he viewed him as a servant? (chapter 116) It is because someone had reported to him the conversation between lord Song and the painter. (chapter 122) There was a spy listening to their conversation. Since all the guards died (chapter 124) (chapter 125: I am assuming that the survivor got executed), I am suspecting the scholar. Moreover, why would Yoon Chang-Hyeon accuse his son to have abandoned Baek Na-Kyum? It is related to this departure of the staff and Yoon Seungho. (chapter 120) And who was present there? Jung In-Hun! But there is more to it. Since leaving Baek Na-Kyum behind is considered as an abandonment, it means that the patriarch abandoned his son too. (chapter 27) By speaking to Yoon Seungho, the elder master Yoon didn’t realize that he was admitting his own wrongdoings. Actually, he had abandoned him many times… like here for example (chapter 87) Therefore his words will come back to bite him. But these words are also exposing the valet’s betrayal and abandonment towards Yoon Seungho!! How so?
Where was he, when the protagonist was looking for Baek Na-Kyum? (chapter 125) Where was he, when the latter visited the patriarch’s home? Why did he only appear during the night? One might argue that he needed to wait the night in order not to be detected. But since Kim was supposed to be with Yoon Seungwon and the staff (chapter 122), then he should have been at the patriarch’s house. The absence of the valet is the evidence of his treason. For me, he is now working for Jung In-Hun which explains why he never mentioned his presence in the mansion, only lord Song. Besides, keep in mind that once deed done can not be repeated. In episode 27, the lord was too angry and busy to notice the learned sir’s spying activities. (Chapter 27) Moreover, Kim didn’t report the interrogation to his master. This means that the butler covered up for the teacher’s wrongdoing. But here is the deal: (chapter 120) The library was ransacked, hence this crime is bound to be discovered. Finally, his intervention in the shed is exposing his deception. (chapter 126) He could do something in the past! He entered the shed, and even brought him clothes. This stands in opposition to this scene: (chapter 83) That’s why I am convinced that these words (chapter 126) are reflecting the butler’s actions. He treated Yoon Seungho like a tool which he could use. In verity, he could have helped his master in the past by telling the truth!
Because my theory is that the lord was the king’s male kisaeng, the noble could utilize this principle against the monarch. Since he always left him behind, he just treated him like a plaything and not like a loved one and allowed others to use him.
4. The return of Yoon Seungho’s strength
Finally, I believe that Byeonduck had another reason to turn the table so that Yoon Seungho would appear as powerless. It is to outline his desire to live. (chapter 126) He is no longer suicidal, in fact he is full of hope! Though he was sent back to hell for a short moment, he came out of this as a winner. My evidence is that the lord has now become a believer. (chapter 126) Yes, episode 126 exposes the return of his faith! And where could we see the atheism of Yoon Seungho in the story? In chapter 92! (chapter 92) He didn’t believe in the spring poetry to ward off bad luck! That’s why he was sent back to the past. He needed to lose everything in order to find hope! In his darkest moment, he expressed a wish: to meet his loved one! And where did he pray to the gods? In the shed! (chapter 126) Observe how he is kneeling in direction of the bars. He is hoping to meet Baek Na-Kyum again. As you can see, though this scene (chapter 126) seems to be a repetition from the past, (chapter 83) it is not! The reality is that in episode 83, Yoon Seungho had lost all hope. This explains why he showed only resignation in front of his father. (chapter 83) However, the Painter Of The Night-philes certainly could observe how he had reacted, when he was put down by the guards. (chapter 126) He was showing resistance and anger towards his father. Moreover, he was no longer shaking in front of the patriarch or the guards. (chapter 86) Thus I deduce that though he was mistreated and insulted like in the past, he was no longer suffering from his traumas. He is healed. His will is now really strong, supported by his new found faith.
Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Yoon Seungho sent the painter to the shed after the so-called desertion! (chapter 62) Even if they were hugging, they were not close emotionally and mentally. This stands in opposition to the scene in the jail. They might be separated by the bars, but they are touching each other tenderly. (chapter 126) They are able to see each other.
What to Do When You Feel You Are Losing Your Faith
Acknowledge and Accept What You Feel (…) (chapter 126) Try Meditation (chapter 126) or Prayer (chapter 126)
As you can detect, Yoon Seungho did everything to revive his faith. He didn’t listen to his father’s words in the end. He chose love over hatred. He might be a sinner, but he is no longer self-destructive. But more importantly, he went to jail while carrying the light. (chapter 126) It is relevant, because light represents knowledge and truth. He is now the bearer of the truth. And he got his blessing from Baek Na-Kyum, when he touched his hands. (chapter 126) Because he came with the candle, Kim had no reason to follow him. In other words, Yoon Seungho no longer needs the butler by his side. But why didn’t the domestic follow him to the prison cell? It is because he feared that if the painter were to see him, his memory could get triggered. The artist could ask him where he was, when the scholar came to the mansion? (chapter 120) Yes, chapter 126 mirrors 92! This somehow confirms my theory that the butler was the one hiding under the purple hanbok. (chapter 92) Moreover, we have another reference to this episode, the pouring of alcohol! (chapter 92) (chapter 126) It was, as if someone wanted the lord to pay for Min’s insult! That’s the reason why I come to the following conclusion: Yoon Seungho is now opening up to Baek Na-Kyum. He is confessing to the painter about his wishes. (chapter 126) Therefore I am suspecting that the lord will reveal his past to his loved one, something he never did before. (chapter 85) The manhwaphiles should keep in mind that the request from the artist in the study was strongly connected to forgiveness. And Baek Na-Kyum could also confess what happened in the past: his guilt and regret asking for the lord’s forgiveness. Right now, both are blaming themselves for the incidents, although they got fooled by many schemers. Because the lord proved his loyalty and blinded trust in the painter, I see the scene in the jail as a new version of this confession: (chapter 75) Thus I consider the prison cell as a sacred place, where both characters are about to be freed from their guilt! (chapter 126) That’s the reason why now I view the lord’s short torment as a necessity. His faith was and is tested through the trials which coincides with the upcoming trial. Through his love for the painter, he found support and strength. He is not resigned, though their situation looks terrible. He is now true to himself. This means that he chose to drop his life lie for good.
Life Lie : 1.the false conviction held by some individuals that their life plan is bound to fail due to other people or to circumstances beyond their control. This was postulated as a method of freeing oneself from personal responsibility. [defined by Alfred Adler]
And what was his life lie? To be powerful… (chapter 11) thus he could escape justice! (Chapter 11) Simultaneously, the first definition of life lie corresponds to Yoon Chang-Hyeon. The latter blames his eldest son for the downfall of the Yoons. ! (Chapter 86) Secondly, he still thinks that he is powerful. But it is just an illusion. (Chapter 126) How so? The guards are able to manipulate him. He has become their puppet, for he follows their suggestions. Hence they make decisions on their own (chapter 125). They fail their duty, for they allowed the main lead to barge in the room. (Chapter 126) Finally, observe how they keep apologizing without giving any explication. (Chapter 125) Their apology is fake. As you can see, the patriarch is living in an allusion. He is powerless, and the best evidence is that he doesn’t have the petition. (Chapter 125) He took the paper full of blood, the evidence of his involvement. This means that in this scene, (chapter 126) the elder master Yoon chose to maintain his life lie. This explains why he blames Yoon Seungho one more time. And this coincides with his speech about hatred. (Chapter 126) He is actually encouraging his son to hate himself and indirectly his own father! However, the son made the exact opposite decision: love!! Hence I am more than certain that the elder master is about to experience a harsh awakening.
On the other hand, the Manhwa lovers can grasp why I selected the title “dropped amusement”. Faith is something serious which stands in opposition to the gangrape in the shrine. Here, the lords had made fun of the spirits and gods. (chapter 101) Thus they got punished. And now, the two main leads are about to face human justice. (chapter 65) But strangely, the painter is showing no fear at all. (chapter 126) He is ready to sacrifice himself. So why was Yoon Seungho dressed up in the end? One might say that with the topknot and the hanbok, the abuse from the patriarch got covered up. That way, Baek Na-Kyum wouldn’t detect Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s lies and abandonment! (chapter 125) The latter brainwashed him to take the fall for everything, implying that way, his loved one would be protected! However, I am suspecting that if the lord were to leave the prison, he could meet someone in the office. That way, this person is not confronted with the reality: the main lead was “abused”. According to the butler, he was supposed to meet his brother at the office. (chapter 126) If the noble encounters his brother there, then Seungwon would appear as hypocrite, for he would feign “ignorance”. He was not there, when he got insulted by their father. However, he could meet someone else. (Chapter 92) In episode 92, we have a mysterious man in the background dressed in black, but he is not wearing his gat. Besides, I would like my avid readers to remember this image from the trailer: which reminds us of the office: (chapter 98) This place symbolizes power and strength. And because episode 126 is a reflection of chapter 7, 11, 29 and 40, I think, Yoon Seungho is about to receive a deal, for these episodes are focusing on the deal between the painter and the protagonist: protection from the father and punishment in exchange for entertainment. He would appear as a fake savior in the end. Remember what in episode 11 the artist said in front of his fated partner: (chapter 11) He would do anything except painting!! He was not willing to give up on this principle, which reminds us of faith. So when Yoon Seungho faced his father, he experienced powerlessness for one reason. (Chapter 126) They wanted to corner him, to make him desperate so that he would look for a way to become powerful! Moreover, they desired him to resent his father more than before. To conclude, he was pressured on purpose. And this brings me to the following remark. Why did the father describe the painter as “Plaything”? It is to minimize Baek Na-Kyum’s value in the lord’s life. However, if this theory about a new deal comes true (pedophile rekindling with him), then I believe that exactly like in episode 11, the lord will choose to follow his conscience and integrity over power and torment. He will make the same decision than his partner which corresponds to a rejection. However, I don’t think that he would make it obvious. He could fake submission.
5. Quit smoking
In fact, I have the impression that his memory could get triggered. What caught my attention is the absence of the pipe! According to me, the pedophile is a smoker, that’s how the main lead started smoking. But so far, the lord was not seen in connection with the pipe in season 4. This tool appeared on this drawing making fun of officials and the king (Chapter 105) Then in episode 122, we discover that lord Song employed the pipe to beat the painter. Moreover, I detected a progression. In season 2, Yoon Seungho was still smoking. (Chapter 74) But once the painter showed that he didn’t like smoking, Yoon Seungho stopped taking the drug. This explicates why in season 3, he was no longer seen with the item in his hand. Even under stress, he chose to hunt instead of smoking in front of the window. We have two scenes where the pipe is present. One is when the lord is throwing it out of anger,: (chapter 86) which reminded me of the incident with the music box. (Chapter 85) This shows that this item had no value to the protagonist. Then the pipe appeared in the gibang on the table. (Chapter 96) However, here the lord had only eyes for the painter or Heena. Hence I have the impression that the pipe could resurface and serve as an tool to identify the perpetrator, just like the glasses were used to recognize the scholar. (Chapter 102) Finally, since the pipe appeared in the gibang twice, it indicates that this hobby is linked to the kisaeng house!! And this brings me to my final observation: the pipe is connected to paper (chapter 121), just like in the erotic book of sodomy! (Chapter 1) (chapter 1) However, there exists two books!! And one has no PIPE! This coincides with the decision of the painter to stop drawing erotic pictures! Yes… dropped amusement! At the same time, Yoon Seungho has long lost his interest for erotic publications. He also dropped this hobby. On the other hand, the books were dropped in front of the painter. (Chapter 1) Finally, the petition was dropped in front of lord Song (chapter 123) which announced his death sentence. To conclude, the papers have a strong connection to punishment and death.
As you could see, Byeonduck had many reasons to create such a chapter in the end. We are definitely getting closer to the end. And before closing this essay, I would like to point out that the Yoons’ mansion had been left empty, yet neither his father nor his brother moved in!! (Chapter 126) Yoon Seungho went to the father’s mansion, and it didn’t take him that long! As you can see, I consider this trip with Yoon Seungwon as a diversion. (Chapter 121) So why didn’t the elder master return to his old home? It is to drive the Yoons out of their propriety. In other words, the lies from the past are becoming a reality exposing the liars in the end. Their life lies will be ruined.
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1. Heaven and life
When many readers heard Yoon Seungho‘s statement (chapter 119), they got worried and nervous, as they considered the expression „as long as I live“ as a clue for a sad ending. Why? It is because the lord was referring to his own death. Under this light, it becomes comprehensible why I selected „heavenly“ in the title. I was naturally alluding to the afterlife. However, I perceived his words in a positive light. He expressed his desire to live. He is no longer suicidal, he wishes to live a long life next to the painter and treasure his moments with him. That’s the reason why the author included the refraction in the scene. A dream had come true, the lord was finally able to escape the darkness. (Chapter 119) He is now truly alive. This explicates either why he smiled and laughed at the end. But why was he so happy? It is because Baek Na-Kyum had just confessed that he loved him not for his wealth or power, but for himself. (Chapter 119) He even described him as a treasure. Yoon Seungho had finally achieved his goal: to win the painter’s heart. His presence and love bring happiness to Baek Na-Kyum which stands in opposition to his reputation as bird of misfortune. Moreover, this description contrasts so much to Jung In-Hun (Chapter 119) and Yoon Seungwon’s. (Chapter 118) where both portrayed the main lead as a man consumed by lust and revenge. In other words, he was presented as a huge sinner. This implies that he stands so far away from heaven. But all these words were erased the moment the painter confessed his love for Yoon Seungho once again. What Baek Na-Kyum didn’t realize is that his love confession is pushing the protagonist to fight for the painter. (Chapter 119) If something were to happen to him, the low-born would be heartbroken and miserable. Baek Na-Kyum is his reason to live. Thus I consider this scene as the positive reflection from that terrible night: (chapter 102) In episode 102, he was renouncing on everything (life, mansion, wealth and connection), because he imagined that the artist had died. Consequently, I deduce that in episode 119, the painter’s life is attached to the lord’s for good. If the artist got into trouble, Yoon Seungho would side with him and the reverse. Thereby, I come to the conclusion that this moment in the kitchen represents their union, as they are no longer tied to the mansion. They are now a family no matter where they are. Let’s not forget that the painter expressed his wish to run away with his lover. (Chapter 119) It is important, because such a departure symbolizes that the bird “Yoon Seungho” is leaving the nest. He is now starting a family on his own.
2. Food, offerings and faith
Striking is that heavenly can be employed in a different context food. Let’s not forget that food is often served as offering to gods and spirits. Interesting is that in Asian societies, it is a tradition to offer the favorite dishes on the anniversary of the relatives’ death. As you can imagine, this custom was already practiced in Joseon. And now, take a closer look at this scene.
Chapter 85
Yoon Chang-Hyeon was honoring his ancestors by bowing in front of the shrine. But what caught my attention is that in such an occasion, he should have brought food and his sons to such a ceremony. However, he just had lit incense (chapter 85) and put a glass and that was it. This exposes the father’s hypocrisy, ignorance and greed. By acting on his own, he was exposing his true mindset. He views himself as the family. The sons are just the extension of himself, for they are his reflections.
As a narcissist, the father projects all his flaws onto Yoon Seungho, hence he is his scapegoat. (Chapter 45) On the other hand, Yoon Seungwon is his golden child, for he represents his positive reflection.
A “golden child” is one who is considered “special” by their family and chosen as a proxy for a parent’s own achievements and magnificence. Unfortunately, the child must live up to perhaps unattainable levels of accomplishment and perfection. Being the golden child does not necessarily represent a positive familial position, and narcissistic parents frequently place this identity on one of their children. Quoted from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/golden-child-syndrome/
This explicates why in the bedchamber, the patriarch called his son a monster (chapter 86), whereas he put the other on a pedestal (chapter 86). Thus I created this illustration. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the father could only reject the offer from lord Song in the gibang. Doubting Yoon Seungwon’s sexuality meant to question about the father’s sexual orientation. At the same time, it is not surprising why the elder master would blame Yoon Seungho for everything, for he couldn’t admit his responsibility for the purge. Consequently, the Manhwaphiles can grasp why Yoon Chang-Hyeon came alone to the shrine. If he had brought Yoon Seungwon, the father would have been reminded of the elder son, as both can not be separated. This explicates why the younger master asked his elder brother to submit to his father. (Chapter 119) I couldn’t help myself smirking when the brother attempted to make him believe that. (Chapter 119) the protagonist could ever gain the father’s favor. Yoon Seungwon was definitely playing with his brother’s feelings, as if he could hope that their father would change.
At the same time, his position as golden child explicates why the younger brother resents the father and betrayed him: (Chapter 118) It is because as a golden child, he is also suffering, but it is naturally nothing compared to Yoon Seungho’s position who could have died. (Chapter 77)
Parents with NPD often shape one of their children into the golden child role. The golden child becomes an extension of that parent, and the child’s role is to please that parent. Narcissistic parents are unable to appreciate the golden child’s unique identity, and attempt to control their child’s interests and activities in ways that would reflect positively on them. They live vicariously through their golden child and they feed on their child’s successes, which serve as the parents’ narcissistic supply. Quoted from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/golden-child-syndrome/
Interesting is that psychologists said that it was easier for a scapegoat child to escape from this nightmare, as they can cut off ties more easily than the golden child who got used to special treatment. Moreover, the flaws from the patriarch rubbed off on Yoon Seungwon which often happens in such a toxic family. This signifies that for Yoon Seungwon, it is difficult to maintain good and healthy relationships in the end too. And now, you comprehend why the younger master made such a request to his brother. He needs him for two reasons. (Chapter 119) First, by returning the petition to the father, Yoon Seungho would become the culprit. He was not only a traitor, but also a blackmailer of the Yoons and lord Song. (Chapter 107), for he had stolen the petition. Yoon Seungwon would hide his wrongdoing, he betrayed their father. (Chapter 118) There is no doubt that Kim played a role in this as well. In other words, the brother and the valet would bury the truth by diverting the attention of the patriarch towards the main lead, if Yoon Seungho followed this suggestion. (Chapter 116) The elder master would no longer seek the truth, similar to the kidnapping in season 2 which was turned into a desertion and later Lee Jihwa’s abduction occulting the instigator and the helping hands. Simultaneously, Yoon Seungwon needs his brother as scapegoat, because the pressure coming from the patriarch and lord Song must have definitely increased. (Chapter 119) How ironic that Yoon Seungwon employed the expression “care to live”. Back then, the protagonist was just surviving, he had already developed suicidal tendencies, when this incident took place. (Chapter 83) This shows that the young master wants to sacrifice his brother once again. Out of selfishness and cowardice, he is trying to convince Yoon Seungho that this is the right thing to do! (Chapter 119) This is a new version of this scene! (Chapter 37) He is even implying that he needs to sacrifice himself in order to protect Baek Na-Kyum!! Moreover, he is distorting the reality, because he implies that his father is still powerful. (Chapter 119) However, the purge took definitely place, (chapter 37) like the memories from episode 37 are exposing it. It becomes clear that if Yoon Seungho returned the petition, he would die. (Chapter 116) Thus I come to the conclusion that the meeting between the brothers in the gibang represents an offering. For the Yoons’ sake, Yoon Seungho should admit his wrongdoings (Chapter 119) and beg for forgiveness. Thus I interpret the scene in the kitchen hearth as true hope (chapter 119) while the table with many dishes in the gibang stands for fake hope and offering. (Chapter 118) It was, as though Yoon Seungwon was giving his brother his last meal before his sacrifice. This situation exposes that in the past, the main lead had been put in a similar situation, covering up for the brother’s mistake. (Chapter 55) People had played with his hopes and longing for acceptance and recognition. Interesting is that offerings is a synonym for atonement and sacrifice. But why is Yoon Seungwon so sure that he can repeat the same action from the past? It is because Kim and Yoon Seungwon have known for a long time that Yoon Seungho was longing for acceptance and love from his family, just like the scholar knew about the painter’s love for him. (Chapter 119) But everything changed, when the painter met the lord. So who is worse here? Jung In-Hun who tried to rape the painter or Yoon Seungwon who is sentencing his elder brother to death? Let’s say that the valet convinced the younger master to suggest this solution, this doesn’t diminish Seungwon’s responsibility at all. He knows that his father abused his elder brother. In my opinion, he is copying his father, like the former tried to diminish the responsibility of the patriarch. (Chapter 119) Yoon Seungho got hurt because of lord Song and not because of Yoon Chang-Hyeon. This means that the younger master was denying the existence of the patriarch’s choice and the helping hands. And if the brother listened to his advise and the father hurt or killed the main lead afterwards, the younger master could put the blame on the elder master, for the decision and responsibility belonged to the patriarch. Moreover, he heard from lord Song that killing Yoon Seungho was just a matter of time. (Chapter 116) Fact is that the younger master is betraying his brother once again.
Yet, the former is making two huge mistakes. He is considering the painter as a servant (chapter 119), therefore he believes that the artist is tied to the mansion. Secondly, I am quite certain that his perception about the artist is influenced by Kim. This signifies that the latter is also projecting his own thoughts onto the painter, for he is himself a narcissist. The latter is interested in wealth and comfort. If he came to lose everything, he would abandon Yoon Seungho, that’s what Kim is envisaging. Thus if Yoon Seungho were to submit himself to the father, Baek Na-Kyum would lose everything. Besides, I am even thinking that Jung In-Hun’s approach in the gibang is also related to the brother and the butler. All of them had an interest to separate the couple! And note that when the lord went to the noonas’ room, it looked like the painter had deserted him. (Chapter 119) So technically, this situation could have triggered the protagonist’s insecurities like in season 1 (chapter 28), 2 (chapter 60) and 3 (chapter 98). However, through these constant exposures, Yoon Seungho came to learn not to jump to conclusions and to have faith in Baek Na-Kyum. He knew that he would return to the mansion. Hence he ran to the bedchamber first. (Chapter 119) Another important detail is that we don’t see any staff in the courtyard or in the kitchen. It was, as if the propriety had been deserted. (Chapter 119) This implies that at no moment, he relied on the domestics’ testimonies which contrasts to the following scenes: (chapter 98) (chapter 104) (chapter 107) and (chapter 116) However, observe that in episode 116, Yoon Seungho had witnessed how his lover had taken care of him, while he was unconscious. Furthermore, the petition had been handed over to the painter and not Kim, a sign that the artist had become the protagonist‘s confident. As you can see, as time passed on, the main protagonist learned the following lessons: he should stop relying on servants, he should only trust his partner. I would even add that he was taught the following principle: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”. In my eyes, (chapter 119) the scene in the kitchen is exposing the betrayal from the staff, that’s the reason why we see no one! They were either expecting their lord’s return and imagined that he would be upset or even violent! At the same time, by not meeting the artist, the servants could feign ignorance about the lover’s whereabouts and claim their innocence. The proof is that this scene (chapter 119) is the positive reflection from that night: (Chapter 103) Here, they never expected the return of Yoon Seungho and the painter. The staff ‘s absence in episode 119 is the evidence of their desertion! Moreover, I consider Yoon Seungho’s search for his lover as a new version from episode 28/29/30: (chapter 28) Back then, they feigned ignorance, but they never anticipated a punishment from Yoon Seungho.
And this leads me to the following observation: Baek Na-Kyum’s action in the kitchen reminded me of an offering! (Chapter 119) Why? It is because he burned a paper. The evidence for this is the presence of the painter’s belongings. This is the place where he used to hide the scholar’s poem (chapter 4). Moreover, the painter is standing in front of the hearth which certainly triggered the manhwaphiles’s memory. Jung In-Hun was seen in front of the hearth burning the letter from Min in order to hide his involvement in the painter’s sexual abuse. (chapter 115) And now you are wondering how the painter’s gesture can be considered as an offering. It is because the kitchen hearth is considered as sacred due to the fire. First, in shamanism, there exists the god of fire named Jowangshin.
The origin of Jowangshin is the fire of the home. But their realm also extends to the area that uses fire and water harmoniously. It is good etiquette to brig a set of matches when you move to a new house. One can enshrine the house god with an onggi of water placed on/above the stove or utilizing sacred mulberry paper put up on the wall in the kitchen. (…) Jowangshin is the emissary of heaven and will ascend to report the wrongdoings of the home’s inhabitants to Hwanin, God of Heaven. https://www.firelightlotus.com/post/jowangshin-god-of-the-kitchen
In China, people had a similar belief.
Zao Shen, Wade-Giles romanization Tsao Shen, in Chinese religion, the Kitchen God (literally, “god of the hearth”), who is believed to report to the celestial gods on family conduct and to have it within his power to bestow poverty or riches on individual families. Because he is also a protector of the home from evil spirits, his periodic absences are thought to make the house especially vulnerable to becoming haunted at such times. Zao Shen’s identity in life and in the history of his cult are uncertain. The god of the kitchen has also been confused with Huo Shen (god of fire) and with Zao Jun (“Furnace Prince”). Quoted from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zao-Shen
As you can see, the kitchen is a sacred place. This explicates why next to the hearth, people had to follow the following rules:
Do not curse while in the hearth. (Chapter 115)
2. Do not sit on the hearth. (Chapter 59)
3. Do not place your feet on the hearth. (Chapter 98) (Chapter 115)
4. Maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen. (Chapter 47)
That’s how I realized why Byeonduck mentioned that lord Min would help Yoon Seungho. Note that Jung In-Hun cursed lord Min (chapter 115), when he burned the letter! Moreover, let’s not forget Black Heart’s claim during that night: Lee Jihwa (chapter 102) who was a traitor, for he had tattled on Black Heart and his friends to Yoon Seungho. And now, you comprehend why I connected the shrine to the kitchen hearth. Both places are considered as sacred, for they are connected to gods and spirits.
3. Confessions and truth
And now it is time to return our attention to Yoon Chang-Hyeon. (Chapter 85) The absence of his sons and of food as offerings reveals that he was not showing true respect to his ancestors. He used religion and social norms to hide his true intentions. He wanted to take over the mansion. Hence the black guards were standing at the entrance of the sacred house. Their presence symbolizes violence. Therefore it is not surprising that the gods chose to punish the elder master through Yoon Seungho. The former was not received properly (chapter 86): no bow, no food and no seat. (Chapter 86) Let’s not forget that the elder master had entered the lord’s chambers without the permission of his owner. No wonder why he was left speechless. And now, you are wondering if I am not drifting away from the topic, as these chapters from season 3 don’t seem to be connected to episode 119. However, it is important to realize that these chapters have many common denominators
Chapter 85-86-87
Chapter 119
Death
Here, we could detect the suicidal tendencies of the protagonist. He wouldn’t fight back.
Here, he wants to live and as such to fight back in order to protect his lover.
Coup d’Etat
The seat looks like a throne.
Yoon Seungwon advises his brother to admit submission. It is like a surrendering.
The fire
Note the contrast. In the furnace, the fire was not properly lit. This explicates why the bedchamber didn’t get destroyed by the fire during that night.
The absence of the staff
The courtyard is empty! No one is defending their master.
No one is working in the kitchen.
A quarrel with a slap
Someone is out of breath
Treason
Threat
Sexual assault in the gibang
A sudden kiss
the importance of family
The indirect reference to religion (curse, heaven versus hell, faith/trust)
Wishes (ambition, dream)
Yoon Seungho portrayed as a depraved monster
An important paper/ document
Jung In-Hun
Baek Na-Kyum not only wounded the learned sir, but also humiliated a person who passed the civil service examination. He is now a military official.
The painter’s escape
He was supposed to remain in the study. Kim allowed him to leave the room.
Baek Na-Kyum freed himself.
As you can see, the night from episode 85 to 87 corresponds to the day in chapter 119. And now, it is time to examine the meaning behind this connection. First, the contrast between these two scenes reinforces my interpretation about the butler. At the beginning of the noble‘s suffering, the valet was ignorant, just like the painter is still unaware of the nobles’ death. But it is no longer the case. In episode 85, (chapter 85) he had faked his breathlessness. First, he didn’t need to run from the kisaeng house like Yoon Seungho. The kitchen, the gate or the servants’ quarters are not far from the study. Besides, why did Kim run in the end, when he joined the study? Contrary to his master in episode 119, he knew about his master’s whereabouts, for they had taken their lunch there. (Chapter 85) The study is even close to the gate. (Chapter 51) He could have reached the study before the father entered the shrine. Finally, observe that the patriarch even arrived to the bedchamber before Yoon Seungho, (chapter 86) though the study is close to the host’s chamber. As you can see, paying attention to the location of the different rooms exposes the betrayal from the staff and especially from the butler. He had been listening to their conversation, hence he knew about their quarrel. Interesting is that in the kitchen, the lord’s wish got fulfilled. (Chapter 117) The painter wants to leave everything behind too. (Chapter 119) Thus I am deducing that the authorities will be involved very soon. (Chapter 86) Why? It is because someone desires to take over the mansion. (chapter 119) They are not expecting the lord‘s resistance, for he remained passive all this time (season 2 and 3). The scholar has now the means to do so, and the necessary motivation. Imagine that he got wounded and humiliated by the couple! Besides, we have this broken promise due to Yoon Seungwon (Chapter 115) exposing the younger master’s lies and Yoon Chang-Hyeon’s delusions. Without the protagonist’s help, the younger brother would not be „successful“. Furthermore, the absence of food and fire in episode 86 indicates that this house was neglected and even not protected. (Chapter 86) It explains why the argument between father and son oozed hatred, coldness and looked like war! The hearth symbolizes home, family, warmth, love and protection.
Under this light, it is no coincidence that this new confession took place in the kitchen. At the same time, the kitchen hearth symbolizes humbleness and honesty, which stands in opposition to the love confession in the kisaeng house. (Chapter 94) The gibang is connected to money, power, pleasure, artificiality, sensuality and lack of privacy. (Chapter 96) I am sure that you can detect all the contrasts (night, door close, spies, confession outside and inside, no fire, only light). Thus I am deducing that the painter’s words in the kitchen were not heard by others. As you can see, this scene in the kitchen is full of symbolism. In my previous essay “The true face of family”, I had already pointed out that sharing meals represented a criteria to define a real family. Therefore I had demonstrated that Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum were excluded from the mansion, for they wouldn’t eat their meals in the kitchen like the staff. (Chapter 17) Moreover, the hearth doesn’t just provide warmth, but also light! The latter embodies knowledge and as such Enlightenment. (Chapter 119) Hence they were clueless about the wrongdoings from the staff. Only in the kitchen, the lord could finally grasp the depth of Baek Na-Kyum’s love for him. It is an unconditional love contrary to Yoon Seungwon’s. The latter would only recognize him, if he listened to him. And he only seeks his assistance, when he needs him. It shows that Yoon Seungho is only approached, when he has power. (Chapter 118) (chapter 119) Moreover, because they are embracing each other in clothes, it exposes that their love is pure and not driven by lust. This scene contrasts so much to his meeting with his brother, for the latter never hugged him. He kept his distance from his brother. (Chapter 119) I would like to outline that during their conversation, Yoon Seungwon remained calm and indifferent, when he talked about the assassination attempt from Yoon Chang-Hyeon. (Chapter 116) But the biggest difference is the absence of fire in the kisaeng house. (Chapter 118) This reflects the lack of empathy from Yoon Seungwon.
Striking is that the couple stood at the entrance of the kitchen, when the painter declared his unconditional love to the noble. (chapter 119) It was, as if two worlds were meeting. Simultaneously, the door step symbolizes the gateway to new opportunities. In other words, it announces changes. Moreover, the embrace and the lord’s words expose that Yoon Seungho is focusing on the present moment and the future. This means that he is now moving on and as such cutting ties with the past! How ironic that Yoon Seungwon’s recommendations came true! (Chapter 118) Nonetheless, I doubt that he is including his brother and father in his future plans. For me, the noble’s words spoken in the bedchamber will become a reality: (chapter 78) Furthermore, he tried to leave before (Chapter 104) (chapter 105) Finally, we saw him in the courtyard standing next to a horse and a servant indicating that he had given him a task, and the latter needed to leave. (Chapter 108) Hence you comprehend why I am full of optimism in the end. Yoon Seungho has already made some preparations in my opinion. On the other hand, I am quite certain that their love will be tested. Can they face together trouble? Yes, because through their pain, they learned their lessons and changed.
4. The love confession in the kitchen
But why didn’t Yoon Seungho expect that he would be blessed next to the kitchen hearth? (Chapter 119) It is because in the past, he was never allowed to join the kitchen hearth. This place was either beneath him or he was not worthy of entering the place. Thus he employed the expression scullery boy to Yoon Seungho. (Chapter 47) Here, I would like to outline that when the protagonist was held in the shed, someone brought him food . (Chapter 83) That‘s how I realized that the shed is connected to the kitchen!
chapter 32: The maid had just brought water to the couple.
Chapter 51:
Chapter 61: During that night, Baek Na-Kyum had been held captive in a shed.
Chapter 77:
Chapter 108:
And what is the common denominator between these scenes? Kim was responsible for the kitchen and the shed. This observation brings me to the following conclusion. Then, you know why Yoon Seungho could never imagine that in the kitchen hearth, he would experience unconditional love. It is because the valet never allowed Yoon Seungho to enter the kitchen! And now take a closer look at this scene: (chapter 38) Yoon Seungho remained outside on the door step. Consequently, I started comparing scenes where the kitchen hearth appeared and that’s how I discovered a pattern:
A wrongdoing and an argument (Chapter 46) (chapter 47) (Chapter 98) (Chapter 110)
A fire or its absence: (chapter 47) (chapter 38) (chapter 110)
To sum up, the kitchen is connected to a wrongdoing, an apology, a confession, a fire and a quarrel. Where was Baek Na-Kyum during the abduction? In a shed, while Lee Jihwa was arguing with No-Name!! That’s how I realized that the gods wanted to teach Kim a lesson. In the past, the butler should have invited Yoon Seungho to the kitchen hearth so that he would have found a family among the staff. Remember how the servant scolded the valet, it is because Kim must have taken pride to be the elder master’s servant. (Chapter 77) For me, Kim must have looked down on the other domestics. I consider this scene as the best example what Kim should have done in the past. (Chapter 119) He should have brought him to the hearth and hugged him. That’s why Lee Jihwa got embraced during that night. Kim should have comforted him and made him smile! The father wouldn’t have noticed it, for there is a second entrance. The evidence is here:
(Chapter 119) (Chapter 98) One door leads to the backyard and the other to the smaller courtyard. And this scene confirms my previous assumption
The kitchen is detectable thanks to the big wooden door in the smaller courtyard. However, I am quite certain that there’s a second access to the kitchen. They need to have an easy access to the jars situated in the backyard close to the walls. (…) This means that from the kitchen, if you follow the wall, you can pass by the lord’s bedchamber. And if you follow this path, you will discover the pond with the pavilion. Quoted from https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2022/03/31/painter-of-the-night-a-guided-tour-of-yoon-seunghos-domain🏡/
This means that Kim could have done something in the past. (Chapter 87) Baek Na-Kyum is there to prove him wrong. He had other opportunities, like giving him a good meal. (Chapter 63) He should have sided with his master and even remained by his side. This signifies that this scene (chapter 83) exposes the butler’s betrayal and wrongdoing. Thus I conclude that the painter will show to the valet his cowardice and his treacherous nature.
(Chapter 119) So by burning the poem (chapter 7) the artist is not only cleansing the kitchen, but also cutting off ties with the scholar. The latter is no longer protected. The spirits will intervene through chance. As a conclusion, the hearth has a spiritual and healing power, for it is connected to „Heaven“. Yoon Seungho‘s paradise is to have a family.
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.
Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites.This is where you can read the manhwas: Jinx and POTN But be aware that these Manhwas are mature Yaois, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes.If you want to read more essays about Painter Of The Night, here is thelink to the table of contents. Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed manhwas. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, and the previous essay about Jinx“Magic hours”
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1. A Poem A Day and Family
The trigger for this essay was the K-drama A Poem a Day which I was recently rewatching. You might not know this, but I created this blog because of my analyses about K-dramas. Funny is that through them, I discovered Manhwas. That’s how I ended up reading BL-Manhwas which became my new passion. However, during my summer vacation, I was feeling nostalgic and melancholic, thus I decided to watch this terrific story “A Poem A Day” again. Like the title is implying, the story is revolving around poetry. In each episode, they included poems which were reflecting the situation, emotions and thoughts of characters in the series. And that’s how I came across this beautiful and touching poetry
Family
by Choi Bum Young
If you can’t say you’re hurt when you feel hurt you’re not family. If you can’t say you’re happy when you’re happy you’re not family.
A sweet and soft ice cream cone isn’t enough to become a family. Pain, happiness, and love must be shared And you must endure all hardships in prayer until you can feel it together. That’s how we become a family.
You must be able to express your sadness and be able to cry together to be a family. You must be able to express your happiness And be able to be happy for one another to be a family. You must feel like you’re under the same blanket No matter where you are To be a family.
The woman on the right is Woo Bo-Young. She is the protagonist of A Poem A Day. She loves poetry, but she couldn’t study Korean literature because of her family situation.
The poem gives a very good definition of family. A real family is when people share their pain, attachment and happiness. This signifies that their members have no secret, they are allowed to cry in front of others. Interesting is that the blanket, a pars pro toto for the bed, is a metaphor for the embrace. This explicates why in this image, the characters are presented as a family, as they are hugging each other. The blanket represents warmth and protection. Interesting is that this vision is rejecting the notion that men shouldn’t cry (“Cry together”). It doesn’t matter who is weeping. And now, it is time to examine more closely how this poem was illustrated in A Poem A Day.
In episode 6, Woo Bo-Young was spending the evening with her mother and her half-brother, for she needed comfort from her mother. When she was very young, her father died and left not only a huge amount of debts, but also an illegitimate son. That’s how Bo-Young and her mother discovered the existence of an affair. Despite everything, the mother decided to adopt him as her son. Because he didn’t share blood with Bo-Young’s mother, the woman made sure that he wouldn’t feel burdened or excluded. Thus she showered him with love and understanding which sometimes made Bo-Young question who was the real relative in this family. Though this jealousy is totally normal, this scene exposes their mutual affection. Simultaneously, this scene also displays the slowly drifting apart between Bo-Young and her half-brother and mother as well. At the restaurant, she didn’t share all her worries and emotions to her family. She didn’t get the comfort she had hoped. In other words, this poetry exposes her growing maturity and as such her quest to find a loved one! Yes, by finding a partner, Bo-Young will start her own family. On the other hand, this poem reflects how these 3 became a family as well.
And this drifting away is also symbolized by the birthday’s party Bo-Young organized for Lee Min-Ho. His own family had totally forgotten about his birthday. So when Bo-Young saw Min-Ho alone, she brought him to a buffet and offered him a cake. At the same time, the poem exposes the abandonment and betrayal from Lee Min-Ho’s family. He might live in comfort (“a sweet and soft ice-cream”), but he never felt part of his own family, for the parents only had eyes for the elder son. Thus they were never present for important events in his life. In other words, he could never voice his pain or share his joy and pride with them. He only caught their attention, when he caused trouble.
What caught my attention is that Choi Bum Young made a difference between “we become a family” and “be a family”. For him, family is not symbolized by sharing the same blood. The verb “become” insinuates not only change, but also something alive. Living under the same roof is not a synonym for family either (“No matter where you are”). As you can see, the house is not the symbol of a family. This means that the poem was exposing the existence of fake and true family. Under this new perspective, you comprehend why I selected such a title: The true face of family. Besides, the lyricist outlines that family is associated with hard work and trust. A family is created, when people feel safe and loved, but for that to happen, the members must open up their heart and their mind. That’s the reason why trust and respect are so vital. At the same time, the Manhwaphiles can grasp why the poet included the notion of effort. The person has to overcome the barrier, the fears. Hence it is not surprising that Choi Bum Young included the notion of struggles. Once the trust is there, the “you” is able to help the other. A real family is, when people face problems together. Therefore it is not surprising that the poetry emphasized the notion of “sharing”. The members should divulge their emotions and thoughts! Striking is the recurrence of the personal pronoun “You” which outlines the responsibility of a member. One has to share his agony or happiness to others first, if he wants to have a family. As long as the person doesn’t open up, there is no family. One has to take the first step and the others will follow. This explicates why the personal pronoun “you” turns into a WE! Thus this poem implies that Lee Min-Ho was partially responsible for his own suffering as well. He never shared his resent to his brother and parents. He should have argued with them much sooner, yet he let things happen. To conclude, family is not just made of sunshine and rainbows, but of clashes and troubles. Hence discussion is not excluded at all. To conclude, family symbolizes responsibility, faith, affection, communication, support and cover! The family is represented by the personal pronoun “we”.
As you can imagine, the moment I read this poem, I couldn’t help myself connecting it to Painter Of The Night and Jinx. Thus I decided to utilize the poetry as foundation in order to define the families in the Manhwas. Moreover, we can detect the evolution of families or we could say the loss and birth of a family. And the criteria in order to define a real family would be the embrace, the weeping and its acceptance, sharing the same cover, meals, secrets and emotions.
2. Family in Painter Of The Night
2. 1. Baek Na-Kyum’s “families”
When Na-Kyum had this dream, he was remembering his own family. (chapter 87) Not only the painter and the 3 noonas were sharing the same bed, but also they were taking their meals together. (chapter 87) They would even caress each other and laugh together. This scene oozes happiness. Consequently, it is no coincidence that during that night, they shared their honest thoughts to Baek Na-Kyum giving him good advices. But more importantly, the painter was there, when his noonas were struggling. (chapter 94) He cried in front of them. His tears symbolized his compassion and love for his noonas. He regarded them as his family. And it was the same for the artist. He had the noonas by his side, when he was in trouble or agony. (chapter 94) (chapter 107) However, at some point, it changed! (chapter 94) Jung In-Hun entered his life and consoled him. Thus I deduce that this image (chapter 68) represents a turning point in Baek Na-Kyum’s life. During that night, the scholar took away the young painter from Heena, hence he couldn’t help her. And now, observe the learned sir’s reaction. He didn’t allow the painter to cry. He shouldn’t share his pain. (chapter 70) In fact, he diverted Baek Na-Kyum’s attention from the incident to the moon. The learned sir was smiling the whole time. (chapter 70) He was acting, as if nothing had happened. The fact that he didn’t bear the tears from the painter exposes that the learned sir never considered him as a family. Therefore it is not surprising that he got abandoned, when the learned sir struggled: (chapter 75) But we have other scenes where Jung In-Hun didn’t behave like in the poem. When he discovered the truth, he had not been approached by Yoon Seungho due to his talent (chapter 19), he pushed away the painter. (chapter 19) He was mad, because Baek Na-Kyum was the cause for his sponsoring. (chapter 19) However, the family serves as pillar and protection. When the scholar’s pride got hurt, he rejected Baek Na-Kyum. He only approached the painter, when he needed him (chapter 10) (chapter 24) (chapter 35). (chapter 111) For me, in episode 10, he was definitely aware of the existence of a plot, thus he led the painter to the pavilion. Then in episode 24 and 35, he wanted the artist to spy on his benefactor. Finally, in episode 111, he knew that by taking away his former pupil, he would hurt Yoon Seungho, for he was aware of his affection for Baek Na-Kyum. Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why Jung In-Hun didn’t bid farewell to the main lead in episode 44. Baek Na-Kyum’s presence was not necessary for the preparation for the civil service examination. And this brings me to the last scene between the learned sir and the painter. (chapter 118) He is now crying in front of him, as if he was considering him as a part of his family. He is trying to create the illusion that he shares his suffering, just like he shared his happiness during the parade. (chapter 111) But in the gibang, the learned sir changed his attitude towards his former pupil, for he kissed the painter. (chapter 117) It was, as if the former was starting his family. Baek Na-Kyum is now his “bride”. But naturally, everything is just an illusion. Why? It is because the Manhwaphiles never saw Jung In-Hun share his bed or room with the artist! (chapter 27) (chapter 38) He was also never seen taking his meals with him. This explicates why he never visited him, when the painter was sick. In fact, the learned sir is connected to the air and the courtyard. That’s the reason why he is always seen roaming around with Baek Na-Kyum (10: pavilion, 18-19-27-35-44: courtyard, countryside/city: 29-37-70 and ) But more importantly, he is not sharing his true thoughts and emotions to the young man. (chapter 118) He never explained how his face got bruised! This shows that he approached Na-Kyum for one reason. He was in trouble and he needed him. But he acted, as if he was becoming responsible for him. (chapter 118) (chapter 118) He didn’t expect a rejection. Why? It is because now, he was treating the main lead as family member. Nonetheless, don‘t get me wrong. In Joseon, servants were considered as a part of the household and as such of the „family“. I don‘t believe that the teacher views Baek Na-Kyum as an equal. Yet, the latter is in reality a free man. (chapter 118) Thus out of fear, he made a false love confession which resembles a lot to obsession and possessiveness. His words display his worries and despair. Another important aspect is the absence of the personal pronoun “we” in their conversation. We only have “you” and “me”. (chapter 118) (chapter 118) There is no union. Because he didn’t take the protagonist’s feelings into consideration, this “seduction” was doomed to fail. Thus I deduce that when the learned sir trampled on Baek Na-Kyum’s heart and loyalty in the library, (chapter 40), the latter learned the following lesson: Jung In-Hun had never been his new family. That’s the reason why he was so wounded. Therefore it is no coincidence that his karma is to be abandoned the moment he needs Baek Na-Kyum the most. But why did he not consider the painter as a family member? It is because he came from the gibang. Moreover, he was blinded by his desire to succeed on his own, not realizing the true role of a family.
And this brings me back to Heena and the noonas. The moment Jung In-Hun meddled in the painter’s life, the relationship between the noonas and Baek Na-Kyum deteriorated! And this coincides to these nights: (chapter 86) (chapter 107) The sexual abuse is something they hid from Baek Na-Kyum! They could never share such a burden with the protagonist. But there is more to it. In fact, Byeonduck illustrated the slow deterioration of Na-Kyum’s s family in season 2, 3 and 4. First, the painter couldn’t talk to his noonas like in the past: (chapter 46) He was forbidden to announce his departure which indicates that Heena was hiding something from the other kisaengs. Moreover, notice that he never talked back to Heena. He listened to her, though he was in pain. (chapter 46) He could only express his sadness with his tears. Then when Heena reentered his life, she was seen next to his bed while hugging. by his side (chapter 66) This means that she would no longer share his cover. This is no coincidence that in the gibang, the noona could no longer enter her brother’s room. (chapter 96) Little by little, Heena got excluded from the painter’s life. She could no longer share her meals with him. (chapter 93) This explicates why in season 4, Baek Na-Kyum can not penetrate Heena’s room. (chapter 105) She is hiding more and more things from her brother: her “illness”, her involvement in the murder of nobles and her lies. On the other hand, the painter still considered her as a part of his family because of her intervention in episode 68/69: (chapter 68) Their argument was reflecting their trust, though here the kisaeng was questioning her brother’s maturity. Due to her concerns, Baek Na-Kyum felt that they were still a family. However, I sense a rupture, when they argued in the kisaeng house. The artist was no longer trusting Heena’s words: (chapter 97) Interesting is that from that moment on, Baek Na-Kyum and Heena never faced each other! She didn’t join his side during the parade. This means that their argument in the kisaeng house represents their last reunion. And what did Heena do in this scene? She cried (chapter 97), while the painter didn’t, though he looked disturbed. (chapter 97) He lost all his colors. However, such a scene could be perceived as a sign of indifference, especially for the kisaeng. And this observation made me realize why the kisaeng asked Yoon Seungho not to reveal his suspicions about Jung In-Hun’s involvement to her brother. (chapter 105) Here, she implied that Baek Na-Kyum would cry out of pain and shock. But she had seen that he had shared no tears, when he heard about his murder: And it happened again in the shrine. (chapter 99) Simultaneously, the request from Heena exposes that they are no longer sharing agony and as such struggles. Moreover, this made me realize why the artist left the mansion after the nightmare. It was out of fear and obligation. For me, he had sensed that Heena liked the learned sir and as she was still part of his family, he had to make sure that this was not true. Yet, even after witnessing the faked crime scene, he still trusted Yoon Seungho. Hence I am deducing that the absence of tears is the trigger for their separation which stands in opposition to their embrace in the mansion: (chapter 66) . (chapter 68) And what was her reaction, when she saw her brother in tears and yelling at his lover?: (chapter 105) She remained silent, passive and rather indifferent. This impression gets reinforced, when she is lying next to her colleagues. She is not sharing her thoughts and emotions, rather pensive contrary to these kisaengs: (chapter 105) She is even turning her back to them. This displays the dissolution of this family. The kisaeng is no longer sharing her fears, her tears and emotions to others. Therefore she can not sense “happiness or relief” like the others.
But the gradual alienation between the protagonist and his noonas becomes more perceptible in season 3. In episode 93, they could share their happiness (chapter 93), but the moment the lord joined his side, the honesty started vanishing. Notice that the painter couldn’t talk about his past (how he met Yoon Seungho and how he got abandoned by Jung In-Hun). It was reduced to “I was caught up with something”. He had so many secrets that he couldn’t share to his noonas. And it was the same for the kisaengs. (chapter 93) They also had secrets, hence they were seen whispering. Baek Na-Kyum could confide less to Heena. Why? He sensed that the kisaengs might show no understanding. And note how the painter reacted, when he met his noonas in episode 105. (chapter 105) He lied to his noona, he didn’t voice his worries. He didn’t enjoy his time spent by the kisaengs’ side. He didn’t eat with them either. This is the sign that he was moving on, he was on the verge of starting his new family. In other words, this scene (chapter 105) corresponds to the bird flying from the nest which was witnessed by Heena and the kisaengs. Because the painter was not sincere to his noonas, it is not surprising that they acted the same way. Here, (chapter 105), the kisaeng’s words are a reference to loss of virginity. Yet the painter didn’t grasp the true meaning. Only in his dream and nightmare, he realized the significance of her words: (chapter 109) Hence I come to the conclusion that we are witnessing to the birth of Baek Na-Kyum’s new family: Yoon Seungho. (chapter 118) That’s the reason why the painter decided to run away with his lover. (chapter 118) However, in order to become a real family, the painter needs to call his husband like this: (chapter 72) Under this new light, it becomes comprehensible why the noonas were no longer entirely honest with Baek Na-Kyum in the gibang. They couldn’t share their thoughts and secrets to the artist, as they had played a role in the separation of the couple (chapter 99) and the nobles’ execution. Besides, they also had secrets which they had to hide from their donsaeng.
2. 2. Yoon Seungho’s family
He never had a family to begin with. Why? First, the mother was neglecting him because of her hatred for her husband. This is what Byeonduck revealed. From my point of view, her detachment towards Yoon Seungho was linked to the first sexual experience and that her first son would resemble her husband. As for Yoon Chang-Hyeon, the father had definitely troubles with him. (chapter 57) I believe that it is related to the protagonist’s sensibility and intelligence. My assumption is that Yoon Seungho is a Highly Sensitive Person.
Therefore due to his particular personality, he could not share his thoughts and emotions to Yoon Chang-Hyeon and his brother, hence he expressed his emotions through painting. Moreover, due to his ambitious father, pranks were not well perceived. Therefore it is not surprising that he was forced to face adversity on his own, for he had no protection. Interesting is that Yoon Chang-Hyeon views the ancestors (chapter 85), his second son and even lord Song as his family (chapter 116) Hence they are sharing a drink, their secrets and emotions together, though it is obvious that the man in purple is deceiving the patriarch. However, the elder master still trusts and listens to his words. (chapter 107)
And what about Kim, the so-called faiithful butler? Was he not his surrogate father? It is the same. The latter never considered him as his family. Don’t forget what the butler said to the painter. (chapter 26) The latter was not allowed to cry! Therefore the artist heard the same reproach from the main lead. (chapter 26) The valet disliked the tears, because he refused to share the suffering. The reason is simple. If he did, this would have increased his guilt. Furthermore, Kim never shared the cover or his meals with Yoon Seungho in the past (chapter 83) and in the present. Here, (chapter 17) he even refused to bring him his breakfast. But one might argue that Kim cried in front of the protagonist in the shed, he even expressed regrets: (chapter 108) So we could assume that he was starting to view the main lead as a family member. But no… for me, it is just an illusion. First, note that he never let the lord see his gaze while weeping. Besides, the noble’s heart was not moved either. They were not crying together, a sign that the two were drifting apart. Moreover, in the shed, the valet never shared the information about the fire at the shrine. (chapter 108) The noble had to use threat and force in order to push the butler to voice his thoughts. Finally, at the end, the valet never vowed his loyalty to Yoon Seungho, but to Baek Na-Kyum. (chapter 108) Moreover, like exposed above, family in the poem symbolizes trust, love, responsibility, comfort and protection, but the valet failed to fulfil his duties which he admitted in the shed. As a conclusion, the butler didn’t keep such a promise. Moreover, what did the butler do after the painter’s abduction? (chapter 64) (chapter 64) He ran away. He never saved the painter, just like he didn’t argue with his master in that moment. But he could have, since the latter had no sword by his side. Imagine that he had a heated discussion with Yoon Seungho the very next day, and in the courtyard, the protagonist had the sword in the hand. (chapter 68) A sign that he knew that the noble would never slay him! And in the past, the valet had not come to his rescue, shared his suffering or defended his honor. And now, you comprehend why I am more than ever convinced that the valet was never Yoon Seungho’s family: no tear, no joy or no secret shared! His expression “bird of misfortune” embodies the gap between the two characters.
And that’s how I realized why the staff never cared for the couple in the end. It is because the staff would eat together, while Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum got excluded. In season 4, Yoon Seungho was even forced to give up on his own room for the painter and the maids (chapter 109) The latter would even get the opportunity to eat sweets and sit in the patio (chapter 109), while the lord was relegated to the courtyard. (chapter 109) And the poem mirrors perfectly the birth of Yoon Seungho’s first family. Baek Na-Kyum is his very first family. Thus he could share his pain, his fears, his resent, (chapter 62) and his hope to be happy for one moment: (chapter 63) I selected the terrible scene in the shed for two reasons. It symbolizes the verse “how to become a family”. This explicates why in season 3, the artist was slowly using the personal pronoun “we”. (chapter 78) This means that the two protagonists were learning how to become a true family. And one of this important step was “crying together” which occurred after the sexual abuse in the shrine, (chapter 102) However, Yoon Seungho had to learn the importance of “secrecy”! He kept his crime from his loved one hidden, not understanding that a real family is to “endure all hardships” together. Consequently, I judge this night as the finalization of their “Wedding”, though it is still not official. During this night, we have all the criteria. They share their worries (chapter 110), their happiness (chapter 110), they sit together while eating (chapter 110), they embrace each other, they share the same bed. And the lord makes the following promise: there won’t be any secret between them. He will share everything with his lover. (chapter 110) So when the brother gave the petition to the artist (chapter 116), he even reinforced their bond. It was, as if they had no longer any secret between them. Thus they talked about the document in the pavilion making sure that no one would listen to their discussion. (chapter 117) Therefore, it is not surprising that during that same night, the couple slept under the same blanket while hugging each other. (chapter 117) The symbol for the new family! But a family is not made just of two members! Is Yoon Seungwon a part of Yoon Seungho’s family? Let’s not forget that he considered the artist as his brother’s wife. (chapter 116) What caught my attention is that Yoon Seungho was not followed by his lover, when he met his brother in the gibang. (chapter 118) And this reminded me of this scene: (chapter 37) He wished to send away the artist, but the host refused. Then if you pay attention to his behavior, you will notice that none of them were seen eating together! (chapter 118) Neither in the mansion nor in the kisaeng house. The table between them symbolizes the gap between them. Another important detail is that his brother didn’t serve him a drink which is actually a custom in Joseon. (chapter 118) Compare it to Black Heart’s behavior: (chapter 43) In fact, the two guests were drinking on their own! Yoon Seungwon had even started drinking before the protagonist’s arrival. (chapter 118) Moreover, exactly like the scholar, Yoon Seungwon is just employing the pronouns “you”, “I” and “father”. There is no WE at all. (chapter 118) Moreover, he doesn’t want to share the pain and suffering with his father. And while he shared a secret with Yoon Seungho in the past, (chapter 118), I believe that he is hiding something from his brother again. Thus we see constantly him with a drop of sweat. (chapter 118) (chapter 118) Striking is that he is at no moment mentioning the painter, which actually represents the lord’s source of comfort and joy! He is more talking about the past than the present. He is hoping for a change of heart. That’s the reason why I come to the conclusion that Yoon Seungwon called the main lead as brother (chapter 118), but it is only a name! In reality, he desires to use the main lead. He needs him more than ever! Let’s not forget that the patriarch could discover Yoon Seungwon’s betrayal at any moment. Finally, I would like to outline that family stands for effort and understanding, nevertheless the younger master never showed compassion or worries for his brother, who had just recovered from a stabbing. His speech was full of blame. (chapter 118) Thus I conclude that Yoon Seungwon is not a part of Yoon Seungho’s new family and his smile in the library was fake. His words were just a lip service. (chapter 116) Don’t forget that during the same night, Yoon Seungho got stabbed and the younger master knew it.
And now it is time to examine the families in Jinx.
3. Family in Jinx
3.1. Kim Dan’s family
It is clear that though the grandma moved to the hospital (chapter 22), the physical therapist still views her as his family. This corresponds to the verse “no matter where you are”. This explains why he listened to her and started treating the champion differently. From my point of view, they became a family, because they slept under the same cover (chapter 21), shared their agony, fears (chapter 5) and their happiness together, though this needs to be relativized. (chapter 11). I will give more details later. Another evidence that they are family is that the grandmother would often sing him songs. Then we could say that the grandmother shares her meals with the doctor, for she is often saving yoghurts for her grandson. (chapter 05) She is happy, when she hears good news from her grandson. (chapter 07) When she feels lonely or miserable, she asks for his presence. (chapter 21)
Furthermore, she often caresses her grandson, a different form of embrace. (chapter 5) Nevertheless, there exist two negative aspects. First, I noticed that she didn’t question Kim Dan about his career, only when it was necessary. (chapter 07) She is not that involved in his current life. (chapter 05) Secondly, what caught my attention is that the halmoni is not letting her grandson weep. With her attitude, she implied that he had overreacted (“Now, now none of that”). (chapter 21) Moreover, the poem outlined the necessity of crying together (“be able to cry together”), yet the halmoni was not upset, when she found the little Dan in tears. She didn’t understand his abandonment issues. Thus I deduce that the shared agony was only in one way! If the grandmother was scared or suffering, her grandson should feel the same. (chapter 5) This explicates why Kim Dan was willing to sacrifice himself for his halmoni. (chapter 16) It is because he knew that her grandmother disliked tears. Besides, in a previous essay, I had already outlined that such an attitude was considered as abusive, for such a young child should have been shielded from harm. However, he was exposed to violence very early on. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why Kim Dan started having secrets from her. Finally, the family portrayed in the poem implied the notion of effort and work. But the moment the grandmother refused to share his agony, she stopped putting energy in her relationship with Kim Dan. This means that as time passed on, she became more and more passive and relied more and more on the main lead. Another interesting aspect is that Kim Dan came to enjoy K-dramas because of his grandmother. (chapter 30) This shows that Kim Dan’s preferences are all influenced by the halmoni. We could say that he didn’t truly develop his own identity. It was, as if he had become the second version of “grandma”. And now, you comprehend why he rejected sex: (chapter 20)
Therefore it is not surprising that as time passes on, they are slowly drifting apart. Notice that he barely visited his grandmother. (chapter 30) Because the grandmother didn’t allow her grandson to share his struggles (no tears), Kim Dan has been hiding many things from his grandmother (chapter 07): the beatings from Heo Manwook, his firing from the hospital, the sexual assault from the perverted hospital director and the moneylender, his deal with Joo Jaekyung and the fact that he moved to the penthouse. This means that little by little, the physical therapist is sharing less and less his happiness with her. I doubt that he told her about his trip to Busan, his first MMA fight as spectator (chapter 15) and his first sparring with Joo Jaekyung (chapter 26). But this is a sign that Kim Dan is maturing. Therefore it is no coincidence that after their first day off spent together, Kim Dan is already under the champion’s spell. (chapter 30) And at some point, the grandma will notice her little boy’s transformation and the growing distance. And Choi Heesung could be the trigger for a first quarrel (chapter 30), because the doctor feels more attracted towards the champion than the actor. I have already outlined that so far, the physical therapist’s life had been determined by the grandmother. But a discussion is not necessarily a bad thing, quite the opposite, for to be a family means to share thoughts and emotions.
3.2. Joo Jaekyung’s “families”
So far, we don’t know if the celebrity has a family. However, what caught my attention is that Team Black is a company that Joo Jaekyung created for his personal needs. Though it is an enterprise (incorporation, where he is the shareholder), I noticed that Park Namwook treats the members like a family. They share their meals together (chapter 22) (chapter 26), they get support from each other (chapter 14) (chapter 23) or they argue (chapter 07). Moreover, they call the older members “hyung” (chapter 5) (chapter 23) which is another evidence that Team Black functions more like a family than like a company. What caught my attention is that the doctor is not addressed as hyung (chapter 30) but as Doc Dan or doc. (chapter 23), though the manager Park Namwook had introduced him as hyung. (chapter 07) The reason behind this different title is the champion. The latter addressed him like that: (chapter 22) It exposes that the physical therapist occupies a particular position at the gym. On the one hand, it could be interpreted that he has not been entirely adopted as a family member. On the other hand, the physical therapist didn’t exclude that he could have other clients. (chapter 25) This means that his “adoption” is not definitive and official. Nevertheless, I would like to outline that though Team Black’s structure resembles a lot to a family, we can not say that it is a true family. Why? It is because Joo Jaekyung is hiding many things from his hyungs and members. He is not sharing his problems to his coach (his insomnia, his jinx, his sexual orientation, his insecurities eg). Imagine that he preferred deceiving his admirer (chapter 15) than admitting that his shoulder had been plaguing him. And it is the same for Potato. He didn’t talk about the incident with the office room and the sofa. (chapter 25) According to me, Jeong Yosep knows about the true relationship between the physical therapist and the alpha black wolf. But he kept this information to himself as well. However, like pointed out before, family stands for communication and not secrecy! Moreover, so far, we only saw the fighters share their happiness. And what about their struggles or defeat? To conclude, Jinx is actually showing us the transformation of Team Black as company into a family. How they “become” a WE! Park Namwook does consider Team Black as his gym, but he has his own family. However, this is not the case for Jeong Yosep or Joo Jaekyung, who lives as a loner wolf! In my opinion, Team Black will turn into a real family, the moment Kim Dan loses his halmoni. Remember the quote from the poem: “If you can’t say you’re hurt when you feel hurt you’re not family“. Kim Dan won’t be able to hide his sadness and broken heart. In the beginning of the story, he lied to the coach and Kwak Junbeom about the reason for his injuries: (chapter 11), because he considered them as superior and colleagues. In other words, the fighters will share their pain with doc Dan helping him to overcome the loss. But this change can only happen, when the owner of Team Black has a change of heart himself as well. Remember how he pushed Oh Daehung and the other members away. (chapter 22) He didn’t want them to come to his house. (chapter 22) So far, he didn’t want people to cross the line, but thanks to the physical therapist, this will change. That’s how both protagonists will come to view more and more Team Black as a family. They will share their struggles and happy moments together. I have one evidence that Kim Dan is the key to turn Team Black into a real family. It is because Joo Jaekyung came to the gathering (chapter 9), though he had been avoiding such events in the past.
But in chapter 30, the Manhwalovers could discover that the champion belongs to an Entertainment agency as well. (chapter 30) But he is there an employee. Thus I am suspecting that the talent agency is working differently from Team Black. If there is a scandal, I doubt that the company would side with the star in trouble or they would try to find ways to get rid of the issue, like finding a scapegoat in order to bury the truth. As a conclusion, I am expecting to see companies run differently so that the readers can perceive Team Black as a family company, although it is an incorporation.
Naturally, there is no doubt that Kim Dan will become the champion’s real family. The author let us see such a scene. Right after their First Night together, the champion shared his bed with Kim Dan. (chapter 4) This was a reference to the blanket in the poem, though here Kim Dan slept in a cocoon. This was a sign that he didn’t feel safe. However, as time passed on, I detected a change in Kim Dan’s sleeping position. He is lying on his back and even in the middle of the bed. (chapter 29) It is because Joo Jaekyung always put him there! This exposes that the champion is still thinking that he represents a disturbance to the Sleeping beauty. One thing is sure: Joo Jaekyung will become the blanket taking over the grandmother’s past role: (chapter 21) At the same time, this signifies that Kim Dan will have a similar function in the champion’s life either. Thanks to his presence and embrace, the boxer will be able to relax and to fall asleep.
Another important detail is the doctor’s tears. When Kim Dan met the celebrity for the first time, the former started crying, when he thought hat he would get punished. (chapter 1) This was the reaction from the champion: (chapter 1) He questioned the cause for the tears. He was naturally annoyed (“the hell”), but he didn’t make fun of the doctor. And now, pay attention to the memory Joo Jaekyung had from their first night. He remembered his tears which had moved him deeply: (chapter 6) This shows that the celebrity is not judging the physical therapist as weak due to his tears. In episode 28, he even showed concerns, when he heard the doctor crying. (chapter 28) (chapter 28) He questioned the doctor once again, why he was in tears. However, he didn’t ask the doctor to stop weeping or to wipe his tears. He wanted to understand him. This exposes the fighter’s tolerance and interest in Kim Dan. For me, it reveals that Joo Jaekyung is willing to share the pain or fears with Kim Dan. Therefore it is not surprising that Kim Dan is remembering this moment! (chapter 30) He was allowed to express his emotions. Interesting is that this image is now connected to red, not to grey/black. (chapter 20) or orange/pink (chapter 30) The switch of color indicates the doctor’s increasing feelings and sensuality for Joo Jaekyung. That’s the reason why I am expecting that one day, the two protagonists will cry together, something that the grandma hasn’t done until now.
But let’s return our attention to the poem and its illustration in Jinx. A sweet and soft ice cream cone isn’t enough to become a family. Just because they shared one meal together (chapter 13), it doesn’t signify that they are a family now. And it is the same for the penthouse. (chapter 18) They might share the same flat, but the penthouse is so huge that they can technically live apart. Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan are slowly spending more and more time together, either because the champion feels like it (chapter 19) or it is necessary . (chapter 27) During the day off, they shared their thoughts,, their emotions (chapter 27) (chapter 27), their happiness (chapter 28) and their fears (chapter 27) (chapter 29) Because Joo JAekyung confessed his fears and health issues to Kim Dan, it shows that he was trusting him. For me, this night represents another step how to become a true family. “If you can’t say you’re hurt when you feel hurt you’re not family.” This day and night were so magical that it affected the protagonists’ life forever. From that moment on, Kim Dan is feeling more attracted to the champion, hence he is peeping at him. (chapter 30) And it is the same for the champion. Now, he is slowly regretting that they live in two different rooms and they have their own bathroom. Therefore he came to the doctor’s bathroom under the fake excuse that he had run out of toothpaste. (chapter 30) What was so funny is that he had opened the door like a huge bear. Why? It is because he was so annoyed how to explain his intrusion. (chapter 30) This shows that little by little, the champion is regretting his words to Kim Dan in the master’s room. (chapter 29) For me, he will be forced to recognize that work is not bringing him closer to Kim Dan, especially after Choi Heesung met the main lead. (chapter 30) For me, this scene is the bathroom represents another step how to become a true family. (chapter 30) However, like Mingwa voiced it, they have a long way to go, for Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan are hiding their true thoughts and emotions from each other. (chapter 30) Kim Dan had to hide his blushing, while the champion had to lie for his appearance. Moreover, the fact that he tried to hide his underwear (chapter 30) indicates that their intimacy has not reached its peak. He doesn’t feel comfortable around the athlete to be seen in underwear. Moreover, the champion is also hiding his jealousy and possessiveness towards the main character. (chapter 30) But like I said, they need to open up their hearts and mind in order to become a true family. From my point of view, the halmoni could play a huge role in their union. How so? It is because she entrusted her grandson to Joo Jaekyung. The latter also conversed with her (chapter 21) and even paid her hospital bills. She even took his hand (chapter 22) and gave him a yoghurt. (chapter 21) So the moment the grandma vanishes, it could also wound the champion’s heart, especially when his sex partner is so heartbroken. It would be interesting if the champion came to voice his feelings about her. If you can’t say you’re hurt when you feel hurt you’re not family.“
And because the champion saved Kim Dan, paid off the debts and gave him a house and a place to feel safe, he embodies responsibility, trust, support and protection which is the true face of family. That’s the reason why the physical therapist is slowly transforming, developing his own interests and as such his own identity. But the closer the doctor gets to the champion, the bigger gap becomes between him and his grandma which can represent a source of conflict. And now, Choi Heesung met Kim Dan, thus he could disrupt the fragile harmony between Kim Dan, the grandma and Joo Jaekyung. Don’t forget that the grandmother is a huge fan of the actor and she is actually suffering from Peter Pan Syndrome. To conclude, Jinx is exactly like Painter Of The Night. We are witnessing the start of a new family breaking boundaries and taboos. Yet, both “families” are real and true, for they embody selflessness, honesty and trust.
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When I wrote the essay the shadow behind the shrine, Lezhin had only released a few panels from season 4. From these few panels, I had come to develop the following theory: Lord Shin had been killed by an elder, an old bearded man. And the latter had disguised himself, though his shoes were betraying him. (chapter 103) The shoes were revealing that he was an official! However, the moment Jung In-Hun resurfaced, I suspected him for a moment, because he had been wearing the boots. (chapter 111) Nonetheless, episode 115 exposed his true role in the conspiracy. He was just an accomplice, for he had entrusted his glasses to the author of the letter. (chapter 115)
2. The new discovery
So who was the shadow in the woods? Then I had a revelation. Thanks to my follower @Chikatta_11, I could distinguish the form of the shadow much better. (chapter 103) The ghost is wearing the hat of an elder, a patriarch. (chapter 67)
This signifies that the person behind the crime must have rushed, for he didn’t remove his jeongjagwan, when he chased lord Shin to the mountain. But this would contradict my idea that the person had disguised himself, for he was wearing the pants of a “low-born” due to his color: grey. (chapter 103) This reinforces my theory that the assassin was not working alone. He needed to have at least one accomplice, for he had to drive him into the woods. (chapter 103) This had been truly a manhunt! Because both people are wearing items belonging to the upper class, I come to the deduction that the perpetrators were elders, both officials.
3. The hat and its owner
And who was wearing a jeongjagwan? So far, we only saw Father Yoon (chapter 82) and Father Lee wearing one. But I am excluding the patriarch Yoon, as the testimony from the masked guard represents the elder’s innocence. (chapter 107) Besides, he doesn’t have any high position and the form of his hat is a little different (3 peaks on the side) (chapter 103) . Thus it could be father Lee or it could have been another yangban, like for example lord Shin’s father himself who was forced to kill his son.😨 And this would explain why lord Shin got so shocked, the moment he recognized the identity of the shadow (chapter 88) Remember what I had written in the essay “The shadow behind the shrine”. This picture exposes betrayal, something lord Shin was not expecting at all. And what is the worst betrayal? The son backstabbed by his own father! And we would have two elders involved! Naturally, this signifies that they were working together during that night.
Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why lord Song mentioned this crime as a normality: (chapter 107) If the king executed his own son, the patriarch Yoon Chang-Hyeon could do the same. It was actually justifying the violation of Confucianism. For me, this topic was brought up, because a father had been put in the very same situation! He had to sacrifice his own son. And note what the gossiping woman criticized on the street: (chapter 106) The young nobles would always be protected by their fathers. Therefore it is not surprising why the schemers desired Yoon Chang-Hyeon to experience the same, the abandonment and the loss of a heir! Hence the second young master got targeted first. Thus lord Song only proposed the main lead’s assassination after making this first suggestion: (chapter 107) He was initially trying to repeat the same action from the past, but he failed. Therefore he targeted Yoon Seungho, and this time, the elder master gave in: (chapter 107) However, the cause for this assassination was blackmail. (chapter 107) It is because he needed a justification for the meddling in the Yoons’ affair. The document in question is the petition Yoon Seungwon stole from his father: (chapter 118) This explicates why the assassination failed, as Yoon Seungho was not the real owner of the paper. (chapter 116) In other words, both brothers were protecting each other in a certain sense. But by entrusting the petition to Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungwon turned the painter into a target! (chapter 116)
So when lord Shin recognized the face in front of him, he got shocked. (chapter 103) He thought that his father as an official would protect him, like he has always done in the past. And this observation brings me to the following panel: (chapter 88) In the bedchamber next to Baek Na-Kyum, Yoon Seungho was recalling a memory, but he couldn’t just identify the face, for his memory had been long repressed. The latter had refused to listen to him exactly like with lord Shin in the woods: (chapter 103) Striking is that the mysterious man refused to help the injured aristocrat too. In fact, he killed him, for he represented a threat for him. Because the main lead imagined to see his father’s shadow who refused to listen to his words (chapter 88), I come to the conclusion that this shadow was Kim’s. (chapter 88) Why? It is because the latter has always refused to side with Yoon Seungho and embodies passivity and silence. Note that the shadow remained silent. But let’s not forget that the murderer was wearing special boots, a clue that he has a position in the administration. Because lord Song in episode 107 (chapter 107) stated that he was no longer an official, we could exclude him as a suspect, unless he is lying. For me, he is not telling the truth. Honestly, he is wearing a purple hanbok which is actually reserved to people close to the royal family. Moreover, the hanbok has a design indicating that he is not poor, living in seclusion. Besides, let’s not forget the comment from the kisaeng welcoming him. He hadn’t come to the gibang for a while. (chapter 107) Why? There exist 2 possibilities. Either he lived in exile or he was living in Hanyang and working as an official. I am more tending more towards the second possibility. Why? It is because he spent a lot of money for that night in episode 107: (chapter 107) Hence the kisaengs were asked to welcome the important guest at the gate. He was definitely a rich influential nobleman.
Furthermore, I would like the manwhaphiles to recall Min’s statements. He was powerful, thus he could have people killed easily (chapter 76) or he could save Yoon Seungho, even when the latter had assassinated lord Jang (chapter 102) Why was he so sure? It is because his father had a high position. He was definitely relying on his father’s influence! And now, observe the evolution of the story. Black Heart is now framed for everything, he has become the scapegoat! (chapter 113) This explicates why Min was accused of lord Shin’s murder. (Chapter 107) The purpose was to hide the intervention of a third party! Note that Yoon Seungho suspected his father immediately after visiting the burned shrine. He is not envisioning the involvement of other elders. Anyway, the blame on Black Heart signifies that the reputation of Min’s family has been tarnished, unless this gossip was created for the learned sir’s ears. If this gossip is circulating around, not only Min’s father lost his heir, but also he failed in his duty to keep the lineage (chapter 82) Another interesting aspect is that Byeonduck revealed the names of the perpetrators in the shrine: “Lee Jihwa”, lord Jang, lord Shin, lord Park and Min. Finally, according to my theory, the Webtoonist created different people who looked like “lord Song” from episode 83 (chapter 83), for the latter had been seen wearing a purple hanbok with a design. However, the hair color, the shape of the beard and the design of the hanbok indicate that we are dealing with different people.
chapter 107:
Chapter 115:
Chapter 116:
Thus I am suspecting that these men could be related to the perpetrators in the shrine. They would have a motive to target the protagonist and the Yoons in general! It is because they lost their sons, but they can not denunciate Yoon Seungho for his crime, because their involvement would be exposed. In my opinion, their crimes and lies from the past are now coming to the surface! That’s the reason why they are not seeking for justice, rather for revenge and a new purge would be the perfect.tool to bury the truth. Under this premise, it explains why Jung In-Hun was approached and was tasked to rekindle with Baek Na-Kyum. (chapter 118) They needed him to betray Yoon Seungho.
But I have another reason to suspect an official, an elder involved in the murder of lord Shin. It is related to the Jeongjagwan and its symbolism:
Jeongjagwan is traditional Korean indoor headwear. It was designed exclusively for high-class, neo-Confucian scholars—philosophers, politicians, and public officials of the Korean Joseon state, which existed from the 14th century up until 1897. This headwear style was also used during the short period of time before Korea lost its independence—until that point the country was known as Daehan Jeguk. Similar to other horsehair hats, jeongjagwan were manufactured using a special block to shape the woven structure which was then lacquered. Its specific shape, with eight or twelve peaks, led to the jeongjagwan’s common association with mountains. The headdress was most likely shaped this way intentionally: mountains were seen as symbols of honor and wisdom and the jeongjagwan was worn to emphasize the noble origins of its owner. Just as neo-Confucianism came to Korea from China and was further developed by local philosophers, the jeongjagwan was an upgraded version of a Chinese model. Quoted from https://easteast.world/en/posts/5
Is this a coincidence that the perpetrator was wearing such a hat in the mountain? (chapter 103) I doubt it! Actually, it exposes the elders’ hypocrisy! They embodies the opposite notions: cowardice, immaturity and stupidity! As you can imagine, I am more than ever convinced that father Lee is involved in the new plot. My reasoning is the following. Who saw “lord Song” with the purple hanbok? (chapter 83) Yoon Chang-Hyeon and Yoon Seungho… thus he purchased the ghost in town (chapter 106). But the Lees were present either, yet they never talked to the guests directly. (chapter 83) How did Lee Jihwa know his name? (chapter 83) And observe what the learned sir said after burning the letter: (chapter 115) Min has also been investigating Yoon Seungho’s past in order to find his weaknesses. However, he couldn’t find the person lord Song! As you can see, this name oozes mystery and danger. And this reinforces my theory that people have been impersonating “lord Song” and the latter’s name has become a taboo! And that would fit to No-Name’s situation. (chapter 76) He doesn’t possess a name, and as such he has no identity. Moreover, he is wearing a mask indicating that he is playing different roles. Moreover, he often vanishes. He is like a ghost! Exactly like lord Song… Yoon Seungho only knows his name, but he has not been able to identify his face! (chapter 86)
4. The position of his corpse
At the end, the manhwalovers could see his corpse lying on his stomach. It was, as if the culprits didn’t wish to see lord Shin’s gaze. He had been stabbed from behind. (chapter 103) Another important detail was the absence of footprints in the snow. The imprint would have revealed the identity of the perpetrators: the boots, the evidence of the involvement of officials. To conclude, the elders are responsible for the young lords’ death: Min, lord Jang, lord Park and lord Shin! By tricking Yoon Seungho and Min, the result was that they were forced to dirty their own hands.
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.
Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites.This is where you can read the manhwa Painter Of The Night. 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 of 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.
This is my second podcast. I am quite in a hurry, because I would like to share my observations and thoughts concerning chapter 115. However, due to a students exchange, I am still running out of time, as the release of episode 116 is right around the corner. It is still lacking, for I had not the time to write the text. I just took notes, hence I had to speak freely. Nonetheless, contrary to my first podcast, I am now including the pictures. Sorry for the hesitations and my French accent.
Play the video while listening to my podcast.
Like mentioned in the video, one common denominator between episode 83 and 115 is deception. While the guest Lee Jihwa got deceived by his friend with a prank, the learned sir is about to get deceived by lord Song. In my opinion, the latter has already decided to get rid of Jung In-Hun, the moment the learned sir is no longer useful. Why? He needs to eliminate the witness of his intervention. In fact, he just needs to reveal some information in delay. The scholar hated the protagonist Yoon Seungho and he tried to seek revenge on him. He betrayed him on many occasions, thus he looked into his past in order to discover any weakness. In other words, once the Yoons are removed, the schemers plan to frame the learned sir for „Yoon Seungho‘s death“. Hence he abused his position and framed the Yoons in order to cover up his crime!! For me, father Lee and lord Song are following the principle: one hand washes the other. That way, they can keep their hands clean!! And who would expose the learned sir‘s „crime“ to the monarch in delay? Kim… who could appear as a loyal servant to Yoon Seungho, though he couldn‘t stop the tragedy!! Thus the lord had this vision in episode 83. (chapter 83) Besides, don‘t forget that Black Heart got fooled himself and ended up dead. But like I outlined it before, their plan won‘t work because of the butterfly „Baek Na-Kyum“.
So while in episode 111, the learned sir thought, he was getting closer to his dream, he experienced a huge awakening within a few hours. He lost everything and this was done on purpose. The schemers desired him to lose everything so that he would do something reckless out of hatred and envy. The higher he climbs, the harder he falls! The reality is that he is just a greedy, arrogant and selfish man. He was never satisfied with his own life. He thought, he was destined to greatness! Yoon Seungho as the mirror of truth was exposing him to reality which the learned sir rejected in the end. (Chapter 115) The reality was too painful, hence he chose the illusion, thinking that with his new position, he would be able to do anything, especially if he is getting the support from lord Song. In my opinion, he is falling into a trap. He would realize it, if he pondered and didn‘t let his emotions cloud his judgement. Lord Song waited for his suffering and humiliation. By rejecting reality, the learned sir chose the nightmare, a very unpleasant and frightening experience.
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.
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.
I have to admit that chapter 109 left me wanting more, for the story barely moved on. Technically, only a few minutes elapse between the end of episode 108 and 109. The former begins with the painter’s arrival in the library and the latter ends with Yoon Seungho’s shocked expression: (chapter 109) He discovers that Baek Na-Kyum has already prepared himself, as he is longing for him. (chapter 109) He never expected such a reaction. The reason why the evolution of Painter Of The Night is flowing at a snail’s pace is that season 4 is now focusing more on the past. First, Byeonduck needs to divulge the lord’s suffering and its causes. And this can only happen, if memories are brought up. Hence in episode 109, the painter’s memories stood in the center. Why? It is because he is trying to understand why his loved one is now avoiding him. Thus he is remembering what happened just before. The readers are actually put in the same situation than the artist. On the one hand, the focus on recollection is a method to unveil how the young master was turned into a “sodomite and pariah”, for the painter is going through the same experience than his partner. In episode 109, he is isolated from his “lover” and as such from his family, for he has now maids by his side. The latter are supposed to be his new “family”. On the other hand it helps the manhwaphiles to anticipate the future main events,. as the progression is in slow motion. This means, the Webtoonist left all the elements in the previous seasons in order to decode the past, the present and the future. That way, the manhwalovers are capable to unveil the mystery. Besides, the author has to answer all the questions the beholders had while reading the previous seasons, like this one: (chapter 27) What book was the scholar looking for? Up to now, we have no clue, though I had developed the following theory: Jung In-Hun was a Christian and had a bible.
1. The mystery behind the book
What caught my attention in chapter 109 is the falling book! (chapter 109) How did this happen? One might reply that the book fell from the shelf, when the painter kissed his lover. (chapter 109) This interpretation can be easily refuted, for the noble stood next to the shelf and not in front of it. Besides, the counter stands on the noble’s left, while the ledger was on his right. However, one detail caught my notice, the beholder can not see Yoon Seungho’s hands!! That’s how I realized that the book came from the protagonist! He had carried it hidden in his right sleeve. This explicates why the book stands on the right side. (chapter 109) Besides, contrary to the previous panel, now the lord’s hand is visible! This is no coincidence. But if he was hiding the copy from Baek Na-Kyum, I deduce that it is related to the painter. But there is another person associated to manuscripts in this story, Jung In-Hun!! But what have the low-born and the scholar in common then? The erotic publications! (chapter 34) Note that in the background, there’s a book open on the desk, and it has the exact opposite position than in episode 109! And now, you comprehend why Yoon Seungho rejected the painter’s company next to his table. He didn’t want him to see the publication, for he feared that the painter would be reminded of Jung In-Hun. In the lord’s mind, the young artist still treasures his former teacher. He heard his confession on the bridge next to the pavilion. (chapter 94) However, Yoon Seungho is suspecting that the learned sir was behind the trick in the shaman’s house due to the glasses Min had in his hand before dying. (chapter 102) Hence he doesn’t want to break the main lead’s heart and mind. In other words, the main lead is determined to hide the past from Baek Na-Kyum so that the latter’s memory and agony won’t be triggered. The book could definitely remind the low-born of all the events which led to the massacre in the shaman’s shrine. Besides, I feel that the noble must feel guilty as well. If only he hadn’t admired the erotic publications which led to Baek Na-Kyum’s stay in his mansion. Consequently, I think that the noble is also in agony because of the work.
2. The identification of the volume
So far, I didn’t prove that the copy was an erotic publication. This is just a speculation from my part. But like mentioned in the introduction, the clues are all left in the previous seasons, for the story is constructed like a kaleidoscope. That’s why I included it in the illustration. However, there exist two reasons why I came to this deduction. I detected similarities with the first encounter between Yoon Seungho and his nemesis in the scholar’s home and the painter’s kisses.
2. 1. The scholar’s book in episode 6
First, let’s start with a comparison with episode 6. Here, the lord was holding a book while interrogating the learned sir. (chapter 6) Both were standing in front of the cupboard, while the learned sir suddenly took away the copy and closed it to put it back on the cupboard. This made the protagonist smirk. Due to the characters’ reaction, (chapter 6), I had assumed that the protagonist was making fun of Jung In-Hun. He had played a prank on the host, especially after asking about his occupation. I have always wondered about the content of the volume. Therefore I had developed the idea that this could be the bible. However, it was clear that the book was not for children which is visible due to the writing. (chapter 6) In fact, the learned sir should have the manual Thousand Character Classic (Chinese: 千字文; pinyin: Qiānzì Wén), also known as the Thousand Character Text.
“The Thousand Character Classic has been used as a primer for learning Chinese characters for many centuries. It is uncertain when the Thousand Character Classic was introduced to Korea.” Quoted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Character_Classic [I usually avoid wikipedia, but here I was not able to find another source mentioning Joseon and classic book]
The main lead was holding the evidence for Jung In-Hun’s hypocrisy. That’s the reason why the learned sir was forced to admit that he wasn’t dedicated to his job. (chapter 6) In reality, he wasn’t teaching them reading and writing at all. But Yoon Seungho had feigned ignorance with this discovery. With his indifference and praises, the false teacher had the impression that he was supporting his attitude. This scene is relevant, because the learned sir had lied to the protagonist about the painter’s education. (chapter 6) This means that the book represents the evidence of learned sir’s betrayal and abandonment. He is responsible for his illiteracy. To conclude, this scene contains the following elements: a prank, a lie, a confession which was triggered by a book that Yoon Seungho had picked up by chance. But wait… it could be the book from the scholar’s home! (chapter 06) But this image can be used to refute this theory. How so? It is because this book has a title, hence there is a white rectangle!! However, take a closer look at the copy on the floor. (chapter 109) There is no white rectangle and as such no title! Why? It is because the publication is illegal, for sodomy was condemned by Joseon society and traditions. According to me, the tailor was involved in the erotic publications. Besides, compare it to the manuscripts in the learned sir’s bedroom! (chapter 50) Finally, I would like the readers to keep in mind that they could only see the content of the books (chapter 1), but they never got the chance to see the cover.
Now it is time to return to our contrast between chapter 6 and 109. Since the scene in the library from episode 109 represents the positive reflection from chapter 6, this signifies that the characters must have behaved the opposite way. And what did the noble do in the library? He made sure that the painter wouldn’t come close to the table, while in episode 6, the host did the exact opposite. (chapter 6) He proposed him to sit and have a cup of tea to divert his attention from the books on the cupboard. Besides, I would like to outline the huge contrast between these two scenes. The scholar needed the assistance of the prestigious family Yoon, while the protagonist replied this to his loved one: (chapter 109) Needed versus not necessary!
Finally, in the same chapter, the scholar admitted that he had scolded Baek Na-Kyum, but he never revealed what he had truly done and why. (chapter 6) He was here very vague (“bizarre and vulgar”), he spoke of a scolding, but never of rejection and abandonment!! This is important, because Yoon Seungho also experienced something similar in the shed: (chapter 77) Back then, the butler’s words must have wounded him terribly, he must have felt dirty either. Under this new perspective, it becomes comprehensible why I came to this conclusion that the book is related to the learned sir and to the erotic publication. But this doesn’t end here. In my eyes, episode 109 clearly outlined the importance of the library in the protagonists’ life. This is the place where both main leads got betrayed and abandoned. (chapter 40) When the scholar wounded the artist with his words, he implied that the artist was responsible for his lack of education. With the idiom “I thought, you could be educated”, he gave the impression that he had put some effort, but due to the artist’s disposition, he had failed. We had another scene where the learned sir was blaming Baek Na-Kyum. (chapter 70) He would fall asleep instead of studying. And who knows about the learned sir’s hypocrisy? Yoon Seungho!! That’s the reason why the goddess Byeonduck let them meet in the library. It is to heal their wounds. In this room, Yoon Seungho’s suffering started and later, the painter got betrayed by his former teacher, someone whom he viewed as his “family and mentor”.
2. 2. The painting and the kisses
But like mentioned above, I identified the publication thanks to the painter’s kisses as well. That’s the reason why these kisses are in the center of the illustration, where I chose a kaleidoscope in the background. When Yoon Seungho got kissed by the painter (chapter 109), he got surprised, and he had the same gaze and facial expression than the one during the First wedding night , in the gibang and in the study (chapter 42), though here the artist kissed his companion twice! (chapter 49) And what had these scenes in common? Paintings and the artist’s confession. And now, you comprehend how I made the connection between the book and painting.
In episode 19, the artist had been asked to show his latest creation to the guests, and Min was present. (chapter 19) This scene could only break the artist’s heart, because he was reminded of the learned sir’s reaction: his rejection. The latter got angry and jealous that the low-born would be treated as someone special. Furthermore, Jung In-Hun had only got the noble’s sponsorship thanks to Baek Na-Kyum and not thanks to his own talent! In verity, the learned sir had been the tool to submit Baek Na-Kyum. Shortly after the exposition, the protagonist went to the study. There he got confused for Jung In-Hun, hence he received a wonderful confession (chapter 19) before getting kissed and embraced!
In episode 42, the lord noticed the artist’s agony, but he blamed the learned sir. (chapter 42) Yet, the artist was unable to explain the situation, for he had internalized Jung In-Hun’s criticism. (chapter 42) So we could say that the yangban tried to get a confession from the painter, but he failed. Hence they had just sex. The artist’s heartbreak was the reason why he never got to confess the truth! And what had happened in the study after the painter kissed the main lead? The lord saw the inauguration illustration and got jealous of Jung In-Hun (chapter 42)
Then in season 2, the painter had voiced his perception of his sex partner (chapter 48), and the painting had exposed the main lead’s uneasiness and pain. The drawing was not refined, barely finished. (chapter 47) The behavior from the painter and the new painting had not only wounded the main lead, but also pushed the lord to discover why the artist was behaving this way. After the rough sex session, the artist had made a confession: he was dropping the rules he had been raised. (chapter 49) He was admitting his sexual orientation and his own pleasure, but he still kept his distance from Yoon Seungho. Why? It is because he was reminded of the learned sir’s fake embrace and betrayal. (chapter 49)
Finally, in the kisaeng house, the noonas had shown the artist’s paintings (chapter 94) which incited the artist to recall his childhood. That’s how he came to unveil his past and confess his love to the noble! (chapter 94) And what do have all these kissing scenes in common?
A painting triggering souvenirs and as such emotions (sadness, jealousy, pain, nostalgia)
A confession
SEX
The direct or indirect meddling of Min: the wine (chapter 19), the parties after the separation (chapter 51), his visit in the gibang and his tricks (chapter 96). In episode 109, the painter confused Yoon Seungho’s shadow with Black Heart’s. In his nightmare, he was brought back to the shaman’s house and the lord’s smile was similar to Min’s. (chapter 109) (chapter 99) Besides, let’s not forget that during that terrible night, Black Heart never touched the artist himself, as if he didn’t want to touch a trinket sullied by another man”. On Twitter, the author revealed that Min would help Yoon Seungho. Through this comparison, the beholder can confirm this. Thanks to Black Heart, the couple got closer in the end.
The meddling of the maids, as the latter are responsible for the kitchen! The stolen wine (chapter 19), the spying on the painter – though here it appears like a good thing – (chapter 41), the stones in the rice (chapter 47) and the words from the maid who repeated the noona’s principle (chapter 109). Here, the maid was triggering the painter’s memory and as such fears. That’s the reason why the readers can see the laugh of someone outside the building (chapter 109). She was acting, as if Baek Na-Kyum was not present, but in reality she knew that he could listen to her. How do I know this? The evidence are the sweets on the windowsill. (chapter 109) They never encouraged the tormented boy to eat the sweets!! Besides, this episode confirmed my interpretation about the complicity of the maids. As their role is to comfort Baek Na-Kyum, the readers should question themselves about their absence. (chapter 108) Why is the room dark? Where are the maids during that night, as they are supposed to sleep next to the painter? (chapter 109) The absence of the light is truly noticeable, an indicator that they are not in the bedchamber. Moreover, I had detected that the brown bed cover symbolizes the meddling of Kim. [For more read the essay “The riddle with the bed cover”] Finally, this scene contrasts to the painter’s dream with the noonas: (chapter 87) Sincerity versus fake concern; own choice versus manipulation, happiness versus sadness. Under this perspective, you comprehend why I view the maids as traitors. But since season 1, the women were never punished. Hence they felt free to badmouth Yoon Seungho or Baek Na-Kyum. So while he was preparing himself, where were the ladies-in-waiting? I doubt, the painter would give them orders. The painter was left alone on purpose. Finally, the manhwalovers should question why there is a bottle of oil in the bedchamber. So far, Yoon Seungho utilized it once (chapter 20) and it was during the first Wedding Night. And oil comes from the kitchen, the lord had fetched it from that room!! Naturally, there is an exception, and it is the kiss in the gibang. Yet, here the kisaengs had just replaced the maids. In other words, they had played a role in the confession. And this explains why the noona’s words are superposed with the maids. (chapter 109) This exposes that the couple has enemies not only in the mansion, but also in the kisaeng house, though I don’t think that the noonas have truly ill intentions.
3. The scholar and sodomy
But I have left the most important common denominator, Jung In-Hun!! He was always present, before, during and after the kiss and the sex session! However, the last episode represents the exception. At no moment, the artist thought about the teacher for one moment! All his thoughts were revolving about Yoon Seungho (chapter 109) That’s the reason why I am convinced that the book is strongly connected to the learned sir. In my eyes, it can only be the erotic publication of sodomy!! Why? It is because it represents the painter’s biggest wound. It explains his low self-esteem. Consequently, I am expecting the appearance of this panel: (tweet) The teacher told him “It’s dirty”, and wounded him the most with his gaze full of hatred, the symbol of rejection! Note that in episode 109, the painter always focused on the mouth and not the gaze, (chapter 109) (chapter 109) (chapter 109), because he fears to meet such a resentful gaze. This observation leads me to the following conclusion. In season 1, the painter’s memory got triggered due to the lord’s behavior, as the latter wanted to see a painting of their Wedding Night, but he got something else. (chapter 25) Moreover, during that night, we have the same elements: a painting, a confession, sex, a book that the scholar was looking for. From my point of view, in chapter 34, Baek Na-Kyum only recalled the beating from Jung In-Hun. (chapter 34) Moreover, observe that the artist was covering his eyes, a sign that he was trying to deny the existence of the hateful and cold gaze from the learned sir. As if he wanted to forget it. However, in chapter 34, the artist never realized that this incident had triggered his abandonment issues. And now, in the library, the painter is about to get confronted with his biggest fear: he is not lovable, for he is dirty. Moreover, he is not educated, because he is just a low-born. And this can only be triggered by an image, an erotic painting of sodomy, like in the artist’s nightmare from episode 34: (chapter 34) But like I wrote above, this place is also where Yoon Seungho got betrayed and in my opinion, the schemers are planning to use this place to ruin the protagonist!!
4. Sex or not?
So what is the trick? Naturally, this can only be a conjecture… yet my prediction is based on observations and deductions. My method is to compare the scenes containing parallels. And what have all the scenes mentioned above in common? SEX!! That’s the reason why I am now expecting that the couple won’t have sex, but they will have a painful and long discussion. Yes… this is the true night of revelation. Thus I believe that Yoon Seungho will talk about his own past to Baek Na-Kyum…. as the former also feels guilty and dirty. Remember that he views himself as the bird of misfortune. The couple has been separated for one week on purpose… it is to push the painter to have sex with Yoon Seungho. Why? The purpose is to prove that Yoon Seungho is guilty of sodomy. Yes, it is because in Joseon, it is a crime. Homosexuality had to happen behind closed doors. The father had never reported it to the authorities in order to protect his reputation. In the street, the gossiping women were complaining about the depravity of noblemen who would have sex with women and men. (chapter 106) (chapter 106) And if Yoon Seungho gets caught having sex with the painter and he has an erotic publication of sodomy, he can be framed for the murder of lord Shin and the other nobles. He will be guilty by association. Thus I deduce that the schemers needed the father to report him to the authorities. (chapter 107) That way, he can prove that his son is a depraved lunatic and regain the control of the mansion. (chapter 86) And if they are not caught having sex, the schemers are hoping for an argument between the two main leads because of the separation. This was planned to incite Baek Na-Kyum to resent his lover, to accuse him of „abandonment and betrayal“, a new version of this scene. (Chapter 105) As you can see, the staff had encouraged the lord to keep his distance from his companion on purpose, to create a misunderstanding… they used the painter’s anxieties. Why? That way, the artist would be more inclined to betray his lover, if the latter was in difficulty. He could put the blame on him. In my opinion, the book was planted there on purpose. Remember how the artist denied that he was the author of the erotic publications. (Chapter 1) Besides, there is no doubt that the father refuses to take any responsibility in his son’s suffering. And now, you comprehend why this copy was put on the lord’s desk. He was supposed to be the owner of the erotic book and even the author! I am suspecting that he was accused of the „same crime“ in the past. Then this observation raises the following question. Which erotic publication is it? The original (chapter 1) or the copy (chapter 1)? For me, it can only be the original. I have two reasons to think so. First, the painter had only painted such pictures, because he had no other choice, or better said he was asked by someone close. (chapter 1) This would stand in opposition to the scholar’s rejection (dirty), as the artist was just the helping hand. Besides, there is no ambiguity that Yoon Seungho blames himself due to the erotic book. If he had not brought the painter to his mansion, none of this would have happened. But the painter’s confession would make him realize that his misery started long before he met Yoon Seungho. And how did the puppetmaster come up with such an idea? From my point of view, this plan was inspired by the learned sir. (chapter 27) Notice that he has a drop of sweat on his face, a sign that the book is really important and could be even dangerous. He was diminishing the value. In the past, I had already pointed out that the learned sir had planned to backstab the main lead and denunciate him to the authorities (my first theory was the bible or the the absence of jesa in the mansion). But the erotic publications of sodomy would fit the profile.
Secondly, the schemers believe that with the original, they can ensure Yoon Seungho’s culpability. If they are caught having sex and there is this publication, then both can only be sentenced. They would even kill two birds with one stone, as the painter is in reality the real target of the scheme. That’s the reason why the painter was left alone in the bedchamber. The maids needed to give him space so that he would make a move and seduce his lover. Thus I deduce that during that night, Kim won’t spy on the couple. He has no need to, for he “knows” what is going to happen. He definitely views them as people consumed by lust. However, the gods are on the couple’s side. Hence the book fell on the ground.
And who could have the right to barge in the mansion followed by officers? A family member… and this can only be Yoon Seungwon… who had been a witness of his brother’s sodomy. (chapter 37) Back then, he imagined that the man hidden under the green hanbok was the learned sir, but he was mistaken. Both father and son believes to have seen the relative’s sodomy. Besides, the brother mentioned letters and these usually are written on a desk and as such in the library. Yes, this night should trigger the lord’s memory… his brother’s betrayal and abandonment. I am still waiting for this picture. Yoon Seungwon had definitely tattled on his brother out of jealousy in the past. Don’t forget this flashbulb. (chapter 55) Finally, Heena could serve as a witness, for she did hear their conversation in the annex and saw their intercourse: (chapter 96) She would tell the truth… yet it wouldn’t serve her, because she reported it too late. She could be perceived as pathological liar. Besides, she was not supposed to be in the kisaeng house. Moreover, note that all the erotic paintings the painter created vanished. There is no evidence that the artist is the author of the erotic publications of sodomy, as his notebook contains images of nature. (chapter 84) Finally, the childhood paintings could be used as an evidence. But what about the book in the library? Both could decide to burn it…
Chapter 35: the burned letter
Chapter 103: the shrine
And now it is time to conclude this essay. I would like to remind the role of the painter’s kiss in this story. It is to emulate his lover, to trigger emotions and thoughts in him, to open up. Hence he is caught by surprise all the time. While in chapter 49, the artist kissed his partner to silence him (chapter 49) so that he wouldn’t argue with him (being his sex toy), I view the kiss in the library as the opposite, it is liberating Yoon Seungho. (chapter 109) Note that there is no rejection from the lord, just surprise and shock. Besides, in the kisaeng house, the artist’s confession had led the main lead to confess as well. (chapter 96) Striking is that he had hidden his gaze from the artist first. As if love was a sin…Hence I am expecting a confession from Yoon Seungho in that very room too, something he has never done before! Why? It is because he was not the owner of his own past. Kim acted, as if he possessed his memories. Finally, the moment the painter divulges this incident to his companion, (tweet), the latter can only come to the conclusion that the scholar would have no problem to hurt Baek Na-Kyum and even get revenge on the artist, for he received the favors from the protagonist. Yoon Seungho would no longer feel obliged to respect Heena’s wish, for her words wouldn’t reflect reality. (chapter 105) And it was Yoon Seungho’s luck, when the book fell from his sleeve! (chapter 27) contrary to the night of the rape. (chapter 27) The goddess Byeonduck is on their side. But the problem is that the readers have the impression that both are followed by misfortune due to their misery. The reality is that they are both victims of manipulations and tricks. That’s their tragedy. But by repeating that the two figures are “birds of misfortune”, the accomplices are trying to deny their own involvement and as such responsibility. The maids are the perfect example. They blame Baek Na-Kyum for his own illness. He eats like a bird and he would hide his illness. (chapter 108) To sum up, he was responsible for his own suffering, for he was in denial and the maids could do nothing to help. But the lord can see the truth, when he touches his lover’s butt. (chapter 109) He lost weight in such a short time. And their presence by Baek Na-Kyum’s side was supposed to help him. They were responsible for his well-being, but the women never realized it.
I have to admit that I am always anticipating the story due to the slow progression of the story. We are all waiting for the time, when Yoon Seungho and Baek Na-Kyum can have a date properly. One thing is sure. The storm is coming during this night… and it will affect the life of many people, the schemers and accomplices! The question is now how long this night will last (how many episodes).
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.
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/
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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.
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During the first season of the manhwa Painter Of The Night, we have many scenes where illusion and reality are mixed or where reality differs from the appearances.
In the first case, I could mention the daydream in the chapter 2 (chapter 2) or the wet dream in the chapter 6 where the painter’s repressed natural desires resurface. The readers are a little confused because initially they have no idea how to judge these drawings. Are they reality or fiction? This is in particular visible in the following picture: On the surface, it looks so real, while in reality this image was a vision in Baek Na-Kyum’s dream which marked the start of his unleashed unconscious. In the wet dream, we had a similar question. The beholder wondered if these images were true memories or fantasies. (Chapter 2) These were a mixture of both, although the more pictures we got, the more it became an illusion, a phantasm. As you can observe, the boundaries between seem and real were sometimes not clearly defined. The beholder had to distinguish this.
In the second case, I could refer to the chapter 42 and 43. While the reader witnesses Seungho embracing wholeheartedly the painter and detects the longing for affection and warmth from the noble as much as he is expressing his love for the low-born, Jihwa imagines to see something else. Baek Na-Kyum is the one who seduces the powerful lord hence he believes to detect a cunning smile on the artist’s face. (Chapter 43) The red-haired man is too biased towards the young low-born because he has so many prejudices against commoners. He believes that each low-born has no principle and virtue and will do anything in exchange for power, money in order to improve his life. However, the reality is different from the illusion Jihwa experienced.
Baek Na-Kyum is so pure and innocent, he has strong principles. When he made the vow to never paint any erotic pictures, he was willing to suffer which underlines his determination and strength. He might have shed some tears but he never regretted any decision. What Jihwa failed to see is that he was projecting his own mentality into the painter’s mind. In fact, the one who is somehow corrupted and influenced by power and money is our red-haired man. Let’s not forget that Jihwa claims in the chapter 18 that he has been using his friend all this time.
chapter 18
Sure, he did it in order to maintain a certain dignity and out of pride, yet I suspect that there was some truth in his words. He might have loved Yoon Seungho but not to the point to have his reputation ruined as sodomite. His intimate interactions with Yoon Seungho occurred behind the curtain under the excuse that they were childhood friends.
Let’s not forget that Jihwa did cover his body so that the servant wouldn’t see the hickeys left by the seme. (chapter 3) Furthermore, it seems that each time Yoon Seungho had a sex session with Jihwa, he had no other sex partners. (chapter 13). Notice that Jihwa wasn’t present at the sex orgy in the chapter 33 hence he trusted Min’s words when the latter told him that the seme was hopping from one bedchamber to the other. From my point of view, Jihwa never participated in that kind of events that’s why he was able to have a clean reputation.
And in that instant you know why, for the other nobles like Min, it was visible that Jihwa was pinning for Yoon Seungho. My suspicion is that he only had our alpha seme as sex partner. Now, you can imagine why Jihwa must have resented the low-born so much after the chapter 18. The nature of his relationship with the protagonist was revealed, when he was dragged by the topknot in front of the servants. Here through their yelling, Jihwa tried to force his childhood friend to give up on the commoner. (Chapter 18) With these words, the red-haired noble implied that his friend had to choose between him or Baek Na-Kyum as Jihwa had no intention to share him with the artist.
This reinforces my impression that Jihwa had always perceived himself as Seungho’s lover who was willing to share him with other nobles. He had been expecting all along that at some point, the protagonist would realize that Jihwa loved him. Striking is that after that topknot incident, Jihwa could no longer keep this honorable image and started acting like a spoiled child and paid no attention to his reputation as a noble. His servants have to clean his mess here. He became himself a drunk. (chapter 36)
chapter 41
Imagine that in the picture above the depressed noble slept on the street and his servant had to wake him up so that we can assume that the servants must have gossiped about his drunkenness and lack of dignity. The aristocrat doesn’t pay attention to his own image as a honorable noble any longer. He is too affected by the riff between him and Yoon Seungho.
But the illusion in the chapter 43 is just the result of his misinterpretation of the scene in the chapter 12 and the sex session in the chapters 14 and 15. We know that he has no info about Baek Na-Kyum hence he is unaware of his past and the vow. Yet I have to object that the friend never tried to get any info about the painter. He just saw him as a commoner hence as someone below his social status. That’s the reason why he became the victim of an illusion so easily, although in reality he might have already perceived some truth behind the appearances.
Now, let’s examine the scene in the chapter 12 where the boundaries between seem and real were mixed, just like in the first case. (Chapter 12) Nevertheless, it contrasts to the first case as in this scene every action is real, it just depends on the interpretation of the participants. Here, the red-haired uke is observing from far away how Yoon Seungho is treating the low-born. We have to remember that his perception of the reality is limited because the lord is turning his back to him and is in front of the painter. Secondly he stands too far away to be able to hear their conversation. In other words, he can’t see Yoon Seungho’s facial expression nor the painter’s face as the master’s shoulder is covering his face. Based on these parameters, I selected all the pictures Jihwa could witness due to the movement of Seungho’s arm and hand:
All the lord’s gestures displays care and gentleness. It was as if the lord was caressing the artist’s face and the hair. We have to remember that while Jihwa observed these gestures, he had already caught that Yoon Seungho would show more respect towards the low-born than himself. (Chapter 12)
While the noble hadn’t left his room to receive his guest, he made the effort to come towards the artist the moment he appeared. Besides, we shouldn’t forget that he had been warned by his aristocratic friend that Seungho was somehow fascinated by the painter’s gaze. (Chapter 14) All this led the jealous man to the conclusion that there was something going on between the commoner and his childhood friend. However, we have to remind to the readers what Jihwa couldn’t see in the pictures above. The uke was avoiding the master’s gaze. Either he closed his eyes or looked down. If he had witnessed it, Jihwa would have realized that the fascination was coming more from his childhood friend than the reverse and as such, Baek Na-Kyum didn’t seduce the lord in this chapter. For him, the reality was that the low-born was using his position and influenced the lord in a bad way. He was already showing some favoritism. This perception of the reality was definitely influenced by his biased view about commoners.
What he couldn’t view or hear is the following:
– a smiling master making a ironical remark
– The content of the whispering (Chapter 12) Here, the master is actually threatening the commoner. So his words stands in opposition to his gentle demeanor.
– What looked like a caress from far away was actually a scratch. (Chapter 12)
For Baek Na-Kyum, there was nothing like a caress and a nice comment. Behind the appearances, he was hurt and threatened. For him, this was the reality. The gentle smile with the ironical remark was just a mockery and a simulacrum. He was hiding his true personality behind his caring manners. Now, you can understand why Baek Na-Kyum can not perceive the affection from the protagonist’s due to his past actions. From his perspective, the master was disguising his true nature. He had already witnessed his ruthlessness and violence therefore he took the menaces very seriously. In other words, Yoon Seungho appeared to be fake, his gentle manners were just an act. The gentleness was just an illusion. That’s why Seungho will suffer so much later, as he has to pay for the consequences of this behavior. Baek Na-Kyum could no longer distinguish reality and illusion. Even if the master asked for a doctor, in the low-born’s mind, it was possible that this care was linked to a new thread.
Now, if we look this scene from Yoon Seungho’s perspective, we have a different reality. His threads are real, just like his tenderness and smile are genuine as well, so this huge contradiction mirrors the noble’s personality. He hurts the boy by using his finger nails but not to injure him for real. In my opinion, the scratching has a different signification. He is already targeting the painter as his next prey. Deep down, he has already fallen for the artist but he is under the illusion that he has everything under control, he just needs to use his position as lord, his sexy body and charisma so that the uke will fall for him as well. The lord makes the mistake not to realize the true meaning behind his own actions what Jihwa could observe from a distance. He has already fallen under the spell from the painter. He behaves under the illusion that this is just a matter of time until he can taste the commoner. While he perceives himself as the one with the upper hand, he is not aware of Baek Na-Kyum’s strong will and strength. As you observe, being and appearances are much more difficult to discern. I believe that here, the lord’s unconscious was visible. Besides, we have to remember that these values are highly affected by the perception and interpretation of the participants or observers. In Seungho’s case, we could say that his unconscious was somehow triggered by the painter’s gaze which brought to light a new side of the lord and the latter was not aware of it… only Jihwa and his loyal valet could detect the true meaning behind his unusual behavior.
That’s the reason why it is important to pay attention to details and not judge too quickly. Like I wrote above, the boundary between seem and real is not clearly distinguished. Now, I will take an example from another manhwa in order to sensibilise the readers to question being and seem to be. The manhwa in question, called “Legs that won’t walk”, is written by Black apricot which has just been released on Lezhin.
Striking is that this manhwa is in black and white, as if there was only darkness in the protagonist’s life. The choice of colors underlines the depressing and violent atmosphere oozing from his manhwa reminding me of a Roman noir, “a subgenre of crime fiction where right and wrong are not clearly defined, while the protagonists are seriously and often tragically flawed” (Definition from wikipedia). In other words, there is no superhero here, only dangerous and flawed characters indicating that this story will be quite heavy.
The main character is Kwon Soo-Young, a former boxer who became handicapped after a match. On the surface, he looks pitiful and weak hence the passerby often excuse themselves, when they shove him by accident or see him walking.
This infuriates him but he doesn’t express his anger and fury in front of them. Yet his personality stands so much in contrast to his physical condition: he is resilient, brave and quite strong-willed. Even at the lowest point of his life, he has been beaten up by the boss from a gang,
chapter 3
the loan shark Park Tae-Seung, he fights back
chapter 3
and is able to punch the gang leader.
This resistance and perseverance catch the boss by surprise. He never expected this reaction from someone like him, with so many bruises and a handicap. He thought that the man would beg for leniency and ask for time to repay the debt. Kwon Soo-Young has to reimburse the debt from his abusive father. The former has already cut ties with him and the reason for his rage and fighting spirit is definitely linked to his tragic and terrible childhood. Therefore we learn through Soo-Young that reality and appearance can be really deceiving. The exterior doesn’t really reflect what we truly are. Impressions can mislead to false conclusions and interpretations. But this is not the only case where appearance and being can differ so much. The other character is the ex-boyfriend Song Si-Jung. Here, the exterior doesn’t contrast to the interior, rather it was as if he had two personalities, as if he was Mr. Hyde
and Doctor Jekyll.
He is very difficult to discern and only after rereading the chapters, I could discern the darkness in this character which Soo-Young has already sensed but not really understood. Behind his smiles and gentle demeanor, he is a very violent and manipulative person. In the following scene, you’ll observe again his double personality. When another boxer enters his father’s club, Ji Sung is smiling and polite.
However, the moment the friend reveals that someone with a crutch was standing in front of the club, his facial expression changes so abruptly.
He looks really scary and you can sense his possessiveness and obsession about Soo-Young. So first impressions can have tragic consequences, for Soo-Young it was the case. He saw a smiling and nice Si-Jung showing some concern and inviting to join his boxing club. However, his relationship with him was the reason why he lost his leg.
Just like in the manhwa Painter Of The Night, there is a scene where the boundary between illusion and reality is unclear, so confusing that the reader has some difficulty to judge the situation.
chapter 2: Here, he is calling Si-Jung hyung
Is it a rape or not? This is quite difficult to judge at first and this mirrors the reality. A verdict in a rape case is not easy to sentence, especially if the involved parties were or are in a relationship.
Despite the endearing name, he asks the man to stop which means he is not willing to have sex. In that moment, the boyfriend looks at Soo-Young with a scary expression. Here, the uke can perceive the violent side of his “boyfriend”, he won’t accept a refusal.
The frightening gaze deeply affects Soo-Young, he gets scared, thus he doesn’t really fight against Si-Jung.
From my perspective, Soo-Young is actually raped, but the latter doesn’t seem to realize the true nature of this sex session. Si-Jung is using his “charisma” and “Mr. Hyde”‘s personality to submit the uke. Fact is that after this sex session, Soo-Young never pressed charges against the boyfriend. Strangely, the uke appears defenseless and vulnerable, which is actually reflecting the real nature of his relationship with Si-Jung. The latter is physically and mentally abusing the uke, yet the man with the crutch has not realized it yet. The climax of this sex session is the following situation:
It looks like the top wants to help Soo-Young. He is willing to pay for the surgery bills so that Soo-Young can walk normally again. At first, the reader has some difficulty to understand the main character. Why would he refuse help? Is he emotionally unstable or does he do it out of pride? Fact is that Si-Jung wants to bind him forever so that Soo-Young can never escape from his claws.
Soo-Young has already sensed the terrible truth behind these words, besides the threatening tone in the voice made it clear that Si-Jung wouldn’t accept a rejection. Notice that Si-Jung used sex to coerce the protagonist. That’s why the latter only fights back soon after and pushes the boyfriend away.
The moment he is able to run away, the gentle side of Si-Jung resurfaces. It was, as if the protagonist would awake the beastly instincts living inside the boyfriend. However, this rape doesn’t change the fact that Soo-Young has some love and affection for Si-Jung. He confesses to himself that he would like the boyfriend to find him and support him.
chapter 3
That’s why he stood in front of the boxing club, but didn’t dare to enter. Unconsciously, he has already detected the double personality of his hyung and still loves him, because he is the only one who showed concern and affection so far in his life. Yet, he doesn’t want to live in another abusive household like in his childhood. Now, you can understand why this manhwa is quite interesting. The relationship between Soo-Young and Si-Jung is quite complex, just like the characters. Impressions are quite deceiving and the bad boy can be the next-door neighbor with a huge smile.
chapter 3
Soo-Young fell for the illusion, but has already detected a part of the reality. Furthermore, the uke is quite strong… at the end of the sex session, he was able to free himself from a manipulative and brutal man despite his handicap.
As a conclusion, appearance and reality are two important aspects, because they serve to question the true nature of actions and gestures. What we saw or felt can in reality totally different. Consequently, it becomes clear why we shouldn’t judge people too quickly. People need to question people’s actions and words.
Feel free to comment. If you have any suggestion for a topic and a manhwa worth an analysis, feel free to ask. If you enjoyed reading it, retweet it or push the button like. Thanks for reading.
Now, you are wondering how this manhwa can be connected to these English novels written by Jane Austen in the 19th Century. The reason is simple: the titles contain aspects that play a huge part in the manhwa and therefore persuasion, pride and prejudice will be in the center of this analysis. I am using the titles just like Jane Austen did.
Actually, my focus will be on Jung In-Hun and his special relationship with Baek Na-Kyum, where persuasion, pride and prejudice affect their relationship. However, if the title had been too obvious, I am not sure if people would have been inclined to read another analysis about this rather quiet character. Yet, when in the past I used to compare him to animals, my judgement was still too nice. Here, you’ll discover his true personality. Instead of explaining right away about the new discovery and knowledge, I will show you how I came to these terrible conclusions.
After writing my analysis about the mirror and its functions, one reader commented that in the chapter 31 you could sense that the mirror combined with the eyes was somehow used as a tool for hypnosis. [That’s why it is very important that people leave comments, through exchange I can even get new insights too.]
chapter 31
Hypnosis is a trance-like mental state in which people experience increased attention, concentration and suggestibility. This method can be used to treat people suffering from traumas so that the unconscious can reveal itself and free the repressed natural feelings and thoughts so that through suggestions, the patient can be influenced to overcome his fears and trauma.
Now, let me contextualize the sequence of the drawings again. Seungho is forcing the painter to look into the mirror and see his own reactions while having sex with the lord. He wants him to acknowledge his own sexual orientation and his attraction for the master hence he holds Baek Na-Kyum’s face in front of the mirror. And then the author focused on the eyes. The first image above shows the reflection of Baek Na-Kyum’s eyes in the mirror, since the thumb is on the right just like in the 4th picture. So here the beholder observes through the mirror the painter’s gaze and here we feel something has been triggered in his mind therefore the image from his daydream resurfaces (second image, it appeared in the episode 2). In this case, the unconscious is starting to emerge from this repression. The third drawing is focused on the lord’s gaze but here we have to imagine that this is viewed from the painter’s perspective. The lord’s gaze has caught his attention and as such, the artist seems to be put into a second state, into hypnosis. Thanks to the reader’s observation with the hypnosis, something really important caught my eyes: the gaze. Yoon Seungho’s gaze is so captivating for the uke that his eyes can’t leave his gaze…. that’s how the hypnosis started so that after that sex marathon, Baek Na-Kyum was so affected and started feeling butterflies in his belly. Then I was suddenly reminded that in the chapter 2, Baek Na-Kyum is remembering his vow and now pay attention to this image:
chapter 2
Striking is that the eyes are missing. There is no gaze, only the mouth moving has been engraved in the painter’s mind which means that the teacher’s voice and words must have played a huge importance. Yet, why couldn’t the artist remember Jung In-Hun’s face? I came to realize that it must have been related to the physical abuse as we see him getting beaten with his head down. So from his position, he could never catch the teacher’s eyes but he could only hear his voice. So this single scene contains so much info in reality. While it looks like a normal punishment, the spectator is actually witnessing the brainwashing called by psychologists “coercive persuasion”. And now, you understand why I chose “persuasion” as part of the title. Since I am no expert in psychology, I had to do some research about this topic. There are 4 different methods to use coercive persuasion: Environmental, emotional and cognitive techniques. The last one (4th) induces dissociative states but it is not relevant for our case as it is far too modern.
From this list, we can see a lot of common points with Baek Na-Kyum’s situation. Although he was raised in a gisaeng house and seems to have been treated quite well, he is introduced as a drunk and lonely person.
episode 1
In the second season, we discover why he cut ties with his family (the head gisaeng). The latter abandoned him and entrusted him to the scholar. She thought, she was doing him a favor and imagined that with the teacher’s support, his career could progress. Because of her abandonment, the painter relied even more on the teacher. Exposed to isolation, the teacher could start influencing him about his views: sex and sodomy are filthy and vulgar. As time passed on, he relied more and more on the teacher so that the moment the vow was made, Jung In-Hun somehow abandoned him. Therefore the painter started drinking alcohol in order to survive his existential dependence on the teacher. Then we witness in the chapter 22 how Baek Na-Kyum has some issues to follow the hunters. He is out of breath and he also falls easily. His weak constitution is no coincidence as we have to remember that he is actually a young man.
This also explains why he got sick after that sex marathon. The psycho-physical weakness of the low-born is the consequence of the coercive persuasion. But here is the next question: did the teacher just use environmental techniques to get his way?
Now, it is time to focus on the second method of coercive persuasion, the emotional techniques. Like before, I am listing its features: Emotional activation of pleasure, then emotional activation of fear, guilt and anxiety. It means that the person uses rewards and punishments so that emotional responses of fear are established. Due to guilt and anxiety, the person becomes dependent and submissive.
As you can observe, Jung In-Hun did use emotional techniques too. The poem and the smiles were his rewards, while the beating was his punishment. While abusing him, he kept explaining that these pictures were abnormal and filthy. In other words, Jung In-Hun has been manipulating Baek Na-Kyum’s emotions by making him feel guilty and dirty. And I believe that it is no coincidence that Baek Na-Kyum was always paralyzed, when he was hugged by Yoon Seungho from behindand why Jung In-Hun always touched the commoner in the front (chapter 24 or chapter 29). If you pay attention to the artist’s behavior, he never showed his back to the teacher, only walked behind or by his side because deep down, his body remembered that he was beaten on his calves, hence unconsciously he protected his back.
chapter 10
Finally, we come to the last techniques of brainwashing, the cognitive methods. Interesting is that this type of coercive persuasion techniques are mediated by previous techniques. A subject who is physically weakened and feeling guilty is perfect for cognitive persuasion: Critical thinking denigration, Lies and deception, identification with the group or with the authority (this means that the person loses his own personality and habit), control of attention and control over language.
Now, you can sense that in reality, Jung In-Hun’s brainwashing consisted of the last techniques: the cognitive techniques, since he first applied environmental and emotional techniques too. We have one scene, where it is clear that Baek Na-Kyum is not allowed to have his own opinion and must think like his “mentor” (critical thinking denigration).
chapter 10
That’s why he is not able to perceive the lies and deception in the teacher. He has been so manipulated by him that he falls for his lies every time and the teacher knows that. The chapter 10 reveals the coercive persuasion at his best. We have the critical thinking denigration, then the teacher makes him feel guilty by reminding what his paintings and sodomy are (vulgar and dirty)
Pay attention to Baek Na-Kyum’s reaction. He is put under pressure, totally stressed hence he is sweating. Finally, Baek Na-Kyum is coerced to abandon painting (identification to the group or authority). If he wants to be acknowledged and accepted by Jung In-Hun, he needs to stop working as a painter.
We can also observe the control of attention in this scene, when he touches the artist’s chin, he makes sure that his words are heard. Simultaneously, the spectator witnesses the control of language. The result is visible in another scene. The expression “consumed by lust” is something that Jung In-Hun uses as well. Here, the young man is just speaking like a parrot in reality.
And we still have people thinking that Yoon Seungho is far worse than the teacher. Since we have exposed his methods how he manipulated and brainwashed the young man, we need to go back to this picture: So Jung In-Hun’s gaze is not remembered. And this is not the only time, when we see the face of the man without eyes.
chapter 20-21
If you pay attention to the images from the chapter 20 and 21, you’ll notice the similarities. The eyes are not visible, only the chin and the mouth are clear. Nonetheless, in his drunkenness, Baek Na-Kyum acted as if he was seeing the man, but he was not. So why did he act like that? Alcohol can not be the only explication because he couldn’t remember the teacher’s eyes as well, when he was awake and normal (chapter 2). In my opinion, it is related to the coercive persuasion, it is a side effect. This shows how despicable this man is.
Sure, during that fateful night, Baek Na-Kyum wished that the man would be Jung In-Hun that’s why he was calling for his name. Now, we have to question if his intoxication liberated his unconscious, his repressed sexual desires. From my point of view, it is a mixture of both. Yes, he is longing for the warmth of a man but due to the brainwashing, In-Hun became the loved one. The teacher was even able to establish a relationship, where he could maintain his clean image without any physical touch. That’s why his love remains so pure. In-Hun made sure that Baek Na-Kyum would never get close to him but at the same time would long for him. Since the latter had indoctrinated him that homosexuality is vulgar and dirty, the poor man’s unconscious fused his repressed sexual desires with the image of In-Hun, but only his voice and mouth were visible. In other words, what we see is the Stockholm Syndrome. The painter has adopted the point of view of his abuser.
“Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response. It occurs when hostages or abuse victims bond with their captors or abusers. […] Over the course of time, some victims do come to develop positive feelings toward their captors. They may even begin to feel as if they share common goals and causes.” https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/stockholm-syndrome#definition
His so pure love for the scholar is a mechanism to cope with the huge trauma inflicted on him. That’s why his love declaration is so focused on the spiritual aspect: However, the coercive persuasion could never be effective on the artist’s unconscious. This explicates why the painter’s deeply repressed desires keep wishing to have sex with Yoon Seungho. Even awake, he imagines the lord getting closer to him, illustrating his desire that he would like the lord to feel attracted by him. (chapter 15)
This is the reason why Baek Na-Kyum worshiped the poem so much. He could remember the low noble’s voice which reinforced his dependency on the man. And now imagine the reaction of Baek Na-Kyum when he heard the critic from Yoon Seungho. Since he had been brainwashed, he could only react with such an insolence. I wouldn’t say that he was behaving like a freak but I am quite sure that the coercive persuasion explains his rather violent behavior. He yelled and tried to take the poem away from the lord.
At the same time, let us not forget that Yoon criticized the teacher for his poor skills in the chapter 22. You can understand now why Jung In-Hun was so infuriated. He had been able to trick the painter, to have such an admirer and felt that his methods were working well, until someone reminded him what he had actually done in reality: plagiarized a poem.
Now, we have to wonder why the teacher was so adamant to brainwash the young man, since he was just a commoner. My opinion is quite simple: he was terribly jealous of Baek Na-Kyum who, as a low-born, was able to publish many erotic books under a pseudonym. Jung In-Hun’s pride couldn’t take it that someone he considered far below from him was able to raise his financial situation and even get some recognition from the nobles who bought his books. His prejudice and pride were the cause for this coercive manipulation. But this is far from being finished. Why would he spend so much energy on such a single person?
From my perspective, Jung In-Hun is mentally sick. He is suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder. Here I have just listed all the characteristics for this mental illness:
A grandiose sense of self-importance
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Belief that one is special and can only be understood by or associate with special people or institutions
A need for excessive admiration
A sense of entitlement (to special treatment)
Exploitation of others
A lack of empathy
Envy of others or the belief that one is the object of envy
Arrogant, haughty behavior or attitudes
Resent in case of a critic (this was taken from psychology today website and another French website)
Now, if you compare the list with Jung In-Hun’s behavior and words, you’ll notice that they have so much in common. He feels so superior to others that he failed to realize Yoon Seungho’s mockery in the chapter 6. He is definitely overestimating his own capabilities. In the chapter 18, we see him envying the powerful noble while strolling through the property (point 1, 2, 8). For the second point, he is already dreaming how he can betray Yoon Seungho, once he succeeds with the service civil examination. In the chapter 44, he wants Yoon Seungho to follow him to the capital as he wants to be seen with him which I relate to the point 3 above. He was so bothered and jealous that the master helped Baek Na-Kyum in the chapter 22.
He couldn’t bear the thought that Baek Na-Kyum was favored by Yoon Seungho (chapter 10, 22, 40). He wanted to use the painter as spy and had no problem to send him back, although he knew that the man had been raped (see point 5, 6, 7 above). He feels that his status and knowledge are the reasons why he should get a high position. He truly feels entitled, hence he said to Yoon that he was waiting for the right time. The problem with this type of person is their strong reactions, when it comes to jealousy and critics. Since they seek admiration, they hate it, when someone else is getting attention. Their jealousy can even lead them to destroy the person who got admiration. And this is what happened to Baek Na-Kyum. His true goal was to destroy him without dirtying his fingers but he failed, because Baek Na-Kyum caught the attention of the powerful noble. At the same side, he attempted to keep this admiration from the painter as he loves being in the center of attention, this explains why he isolated the painter in the first place. Such people react strongly to critics, they will do anything to get revenge on the person who dared to criticize them. And we have Yoon Seungho who humiliated him many times. The other problem with people suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder is to bring them to get aware of their own mental issues. Sure, back then this “diagnosis” didn’t exist, however this doesn’t change the consequences. People around them suffer very much because they can become abusive and that to anyone. Imagine that such a person gets a high position. First, it will reinforce his entitlement and secondly he will expect to be admired without doing anything. He will exploit the subordinates.
And now, let’s go back to the start of this analysis. The hypnosis was the moment when Baek Na-Kyum was actually liberated from his brainwashing. That’s why his body started reacting after, when he was close to Yoon Seungho and why he started listening to him. However, I doubt that the noble had an idea about the coercive persuasion. This also explicates why the lord was rejected all the time. Baek Na-Kyum was still under the teacher’s influence. I hope that at the end of this analysis, you’ll come to the same conclusion: Jung In-Hun is the real villain in this story and he can become very dangerous.
At the end of the season, he still thinks that he has some connection with the young man, as despite the rejection and the abandonment in the past, Baek Na-Kyum still admired him that’s why he still believes that his harsh words spoken in the chapter 40 out of resent and jealousy didn’t affect his relationship with the low-born. He has the impression that he can still use him as a pawn. Nevertheless, I can imagine that the moment Baek Na-Kyum starts getting more admiration and recognition by society, Jung In-Hun will wish to have him killed.
Persuasion, pride and prejudice towards low-born and nobility are the aspects that define Jung In-Hun so well. His delusion was the cause of Baek Na-Kyum’s unhappiness and tears in reality. Strangely, although the sex session with the mirror seemed to reflect a rather abusive relationship, in reality it freed the painter. That’s why it is important to distinguish between seem and reality. The reality was the coercive persuasion that is so well hidden that you truly need to pay attention to details. I had always said that the man had been brainwashed, yet by discovering the employed techniques, the atrocity of Jung In-Hun’s actions becomes more palpable. Furthermor, it makes me realize that his love for the scholar was fake in reality, just the result of captivity: Stockholm Syndrome.
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After reading the title, you are probably thinking that this analysis will be about his tragic past. But no… not really, as my focus will be what makes the lord happy and unhappy. As you know, weakness can be negative or positive, like for example chocolate is my weakness and as such many weaknesses are connected to the low-born. Thus I chose different scenes as illustration for my affirmations concerning this topic.
Right from the start, we can observe how Baek Na-Kyum’s face become Seungho’s first and important weakness. He is literally glued to the painter’s face, in particular his hair and his eyes. That’s why in chapter 1, the noble is willing to lower himself and touch his face the moment he sees the painter crying.
Chapter 1
Look how gentle and caring he is in this situation, although they have just met. He acts in a similar manner in chapter 26 after the forced sex. He doesn’t like it, when the painter is crying so much.
Chapter 26
Here he does show some concern again with the same tenderness. Moreover, the image of the painter’s face full of tears (from the chapter 1) left a deep impression on the main lead so that while having sex with Jihwa at the pavilion, he remembers the artist’s visage. (chapter 3). Fact is that he is so drawn to his face that he can’t help himself to caress the lips or cheek (e. g. chapter 12)
or the hair (chapter 16)
(chapter 35). As you can observe, the master is so attracted by the painter’s beautiful head and face that he always looks at him and even feels the need to touch him. Furthermore, the seme made sure that the commoner would keep his pretty visage without a scar that’s why the former asked Kim to put the ointment directly on his lips after the straw mat beating. This signifies that he even ordered medicine for a simple commoner outlining that Seungho was willing to do anything as he was attracted to his face. And let us not forget that this happened before the seme and the uke made love. The obsession for his face is also confirmed directly by the noble, when in the chapter 31, the protagonist declares that he knows that Baek Na-Kyum has been attracted to him.
Chapter 31
This is a proof that his eyes were literally fixed on the artist all the time, even when he was having sex with others. I sense that the eyes are the biggest attraction for the main lead which I will explain further later.
I believe that beauty is not just the only explanation for his fascination. Baek Na-Kyum is so transparent which the noble feels refreshing. Despite the lies and the insolence, Yoon Seungho is capable to perceive the young man’s innocence. Everything in him is exuding sincerity. However, even if the low-born is so easy to read, as time passed on, he becomes the biggest puzzle to solve. Even at some point, Seungho has reached the point that he has to admit that he can’t win this guy over. Imagine, the powerful and fearless lord was almost defeated by such a pure commoner. Why does he find his transparency so interesting? It is related to the world and society he grew up with. All the nobles we saw are or were scheming and manipulative. His so called friends like Min made the “suggestion” to Jihwa to kill the “lover” and the red-haired noble Jihwa played a trick on Baek Na-Kyum by damaging a painting. Then the teacher Jung In-Hun is so fake that he copied more or less a poem from a famous poet and finally his own father betrayed him too. He experienced treachery from his closest relative hence he mistrusts nobility generally. That’s why he doesn’t care about standard morals and etiquette as they are fake. Yoon Seungho is very cautious with people from the same social status, since he has got used to their fakings and schemes. The lord had already felt the naturality and genuineness in those paintings, then he experienced it again with the painter. The latter stands in opposition to the nobles Seungho mingles.
But the lord is not just weak in front of the artist’s face, eyes and his purity, he has a softness for his reddening and tears. Unlike Jihwa who hides his feelings and thoughts behind his closed eyes, his smiles and his rude remarks, Seungho is able to see honest and natural emotions on someone’s face for the first time. As you can observe, the facial expressions are another reason why Seungho fell for the genuine artist. He is able to see that Baek Na-Kyum can’t control his emotions and thoughts. For the first time, our seme is confronted with real emotions through the facial expressions and the gaze. And it definitely helps him to reconnect to his own feelings which had been repressed for so long. Therefore as the story evolves, the more expressions the lord is able to make: he smiles more (chapter 12)/ (chapter 35), his eyes are shining or if he is so angry, his gaze gets so dark.
chapter 28
It was as if his eyes became weapons so that he would kill someone with them. (chapter 30). The beholder is witnessing more and more expressions coming from the lord, while he was so detached in the beginning, when he was sitting in his room looking out of the window. Through Baek Na-Kyum, our seme learns to discover his inner emotions, that’s why we can say that the uke serves as a mirror unconsciously. The eyes were definitely working as a mirror. Baek Na-Kyum showed his sadness, true desires, anger, happiness and thankfulness… a full range of different emotions. But our seme needed to learn how to control them as he had not been used to feel anything for a long time.
But let’s return to the observation mentioned above. Seungho falls for Baek Na-Kyum’s blushing. Each time, he sees the man reddening because of him, he is happy or feels better, just like in the chapter 35.
Chapter 35
Although he was terribly fatigued, he couldn’t restrain himself from smiling, when he saw (chapter 35) the painter’s reaction. I could use the scene in chapter 39 as another example. In that scene below, he hears from the low-born that he is blushing because of him.
chapter 39
That’s why he starts teasing him. So this blushing is first connected to his face and secondly to his honesty, which reinforces the idea that the face as such plays a huge part in his falling in love.
The other weakness is that simple words coming from Baek Na-Kyum have a great impact on the protagonist. He is so affected by his comments that he behaves differently. First, he is truly bothered by Baek Na-Kyum’s critic, when the latter reminded him that he was just a man consumed by lust. (chapter 5) Hence he can’t even have sex with Jihwa the same day. Let us not forget that these words were told the day before and the noble had not taken these too seriously. However, this time the critic is not said because the uke is upset but because he is serious. During their exchange, the low-born is trying to say the opposite: he is not a man consumed by lust. So he is lying, yet as I mentioned before, the lies are so transparent that they are no real lies. In other words, the uke didn’t realize that he was in reality reproaching the man to be obsessed with sex. The innocent reminder did the trick. Seungho has now something to think deeply.
chapter 5
Then we have this terrible scene in the bathroom (chapter 26), where Baek Na-Kyum is brutally honest with the lord. While the latter tried to put the blame on the artist that everything happened, because he had accepted the proposal and mistaken him for the teacher, then the low-born replies with such a honesty that Seungho can no longer hide from the truth:
Chapter 26
He dares to tell the tyrannical master that he is the one responsible and deep down, the lord knows that he is right. Remember that he didn’t respond to the kiss immediately in chapter 20. Look now how shocked the noble is. His honesty makes it impossible to reply. He is left speechless. No one has ever dared to be so frank and he knows that deep down he can not deny it. Then Baek Na-Kyum yells at him how much he hates him.
Chapter 26
This triggers the lord to grab his sword and announce him that he is about to kill someone.
Chapter 26
He doesn’t even need to give the identity of the future victim. As you can observe, Baek Na-Kyum’s words have such a power over the lord. He can’t help but react to these reproaches or critics. If we compare this confrontation to the one with Jihwa, we can perceive a huge difference. Seungho is always able to reply and even have the final words, whereas it is not the case with Baek Na-Kyum. And in each time, the painter’s gaze played a huge part in it. Here, he could see the hatred reflecting in these eyes and he couldn’t bear looking at them any longer. He had no response to this harsh reply. Then the most important scene where the beholder can witness the power of Baek Na-Kyum’ s words is in chapter 41. While crying, he begs the lord to leave him alone. He uses the imperative twice so he acts as if he has the upper hand. He gets so upset that he ends up yelling at him.
Chapter 41
Furthermore, with his words he is rejecting the lord’s presence. However, Seungho kept holding his hand and forced the young man to show his face because he wanted to see his eyes and facial expressions. Pay attention to the first facial expression when he observes the painter crying.
Chapter 41
He is honestly worried and must feel the urge to console him. That’s why he wants to look at the painter’s face because he knows that his facial expressions will reveal the cause of his distress that’s why he refused to listen to him. Here, he acts like a lover full of concern for the painter. However, the way he is rejected upsets the master. I believe the slap was triggered for two reasons. Until chapter 41, we always saw the protagonist being very lenient towards the uke’s boldness. By reminding him of his status, Baek Na-Kyum can’t push the man away. As you see, he used the slap as a way to stay by the painter’s side. Furthermore the reproach Baek Na-Kyum expressed that he did everything he wanted. He was following his order: he painted as requested. However, Seungho was no longer interested in the paintings. He is longing for the commoner’s love. So here again, the noble is reminded of their actual situation. The painter is just an employee hired by him. The words Baek Na-Kyum screamed provoked a certain reaction: he used his status in order to be able not to follow the painter’s wish, besides the uke’s words did reflect the truth. They had a master-servant relationship. On the other hand, the lord wanted to comfort him in the beginning, until he saw the picture of In-Hun and comes to a different conclusion. He believes initially that it is related to the departure of the teacher, then that the painter has been asked to sleep with the lord on In-Hun’s request.
The other weakness is Baek Na-Kyum’s erection. The rich man is desperate to be the cause of his erection. Hence he tries to stimulate him in chapter 31.
Chapter 31
The expression “for me” at the end of the sentence emphasizes the expectation of the noble. He wants to be the cause of his sexual desires. Now, you can understand why the lord was so happy to see that the commoner had an erection because of him in the chapter 36. We all know that the real trigger for his erection is the aphrodisiac but if he hadn’t been sexually aroused by the lord before, I doubt that this would have ever happened.
Chapter 36
That’s why he is smiling with this erection. He is still careful in this chapter because he knows about the weak constitution of painter but he is very insecure about Baek Na-Kyum. He has no idea how he could improve their relationship. So the erection helps him to provoke pleasure in his sex partner. He knows that it is important for the uke to feel ecstasy so that he will be accepted as his partner.
In other words, Baek Na-Kyum seems to be his weakness: his face, his eyes, his facial expressions, his words and his genuineness are the causes why he fell hard for the painter. But this is not the end. The protagonist has other weaknesses which were revealed in the first season: the shaking hand, the nightmare and the insomnia. They are all mostly related to his family and past. Striking is that only Baek Na-Kyum is able to witness all these reactions. He saw the exhausted face in the chapter 35, (chapter 35) indicating a certain lack of sleep, then the shaking hand with the fist,
chapter 37
while the lord was talking in a confident manner in front of his brother Seung-Won. He is definitely hurt by the request from his brother because he is reminded of his own past. Yet he can’t reveal anything: his own suffering and what really happened back then. He has to suppress everything and the shaking hand with the fist outlines the resent and frustration. Finally, he asks the young man to sleep with him. He hugs him in his sleep, however he seems to suffer from a nightmare.
Chapter 38
Yet he has to hide all of this in front of his servants and other nobles because this could be used against him. He is not allowed to reveal his vulnerability. I come to the conclusion that his hidden vulnerability represents another weakness.
Yet, though the painter has become the biggest weakness for Yoon Seungho who fell in love with him, I believe that he will become his biggest strength. Yoon Seungho will be forced to leave his lethargy behind and even to meddle with politics and officials, since Baek Na-Kyum has been able to evoke true protective instincts. Therefore the weaknesses I listed above are actually positive aspects. All of this proves the deepness of the master’s affection. This is not just a physical relationship.
On the other hand, it seems that the lord’s vulnerability will be one of the reasons for Baek Ny-Kyum to fall in love with the lord. First, he was already attracted to him right from the start. Secondly, he noticed the straightforwardness of the lord. He never deceived him (even with the warnings and the blackmail) so that at some point he even started listening to his words. Because of him, he starts questioning the teacher’s true intentions. He has finally accepted to be by Yoon Seungho’s side. I also think that in the second season, Baek Na-Kyum will discover new sides from the lord: his intelligence and education. I am even expecting that Yoon Seungho teachs the uke himself how to read and write so that he can be called “learned sir” and replaces the teacher totally.