Jinx: Why Kim Dan?🍭 (10 pictures)

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa.   https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en  But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/ 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 is the link to the third analysis of Jinx: My hero (only 10 pictures) and My hero (full version) – locked

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.

Announcement: I updated the essay “My hero 🤠”!!

The readers must have been wondering why the famous Joo Jaekyung would select him as his new partner (chapter 6), while he had called him before a wimp. (Chapter 1) It looked like the champion was looking down on the main lead. With such an insult, the sportsman was implying that the physical therapist was no real man. As you can see, the famous athlete was contradicting himself. Why would he choose a “wimp” as an ideal “lover”? One might say that it is related to his lack of resistance. As a wimp, Kim Dan would never dare to refuse or reject him. It would be easy to control him as well. Nevertheless, what caught my attention is the expression from Joo Jaekyung: “in many ways”. This idiom alludes that the “hero” had many reasons to choose Kim Dan as his new partner. But what are they exactly? In this essay, I will attempt to answer this question. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t overlook that there exist other causes for his selection which Joo Jaekyung is not aware of.

1. Joo Jaekyung’s choice: conscious or not conscious?

First, although we are dealing with fictive characters, this doesn’t mean that they are not thinking and feeling like humans. Hence it is important to remember that each choice is influenced by the subconscious, though a person will have the impression that it was a conscious decision. The way we were raised or our past experiences play a huge role in the choices we make. In other words, our surroundings determine our decisions to a certain extent. Hence philosophers from determinism current deny the existence of true free will. [For more read the essay “Fate or liberty?”] With this simple observation, you have the first answer why Joo Jaekyung would express a certain disdain for Kim Dan, yet he would still ask for his services. In truth, the champion felt attracted to Kim Dan right from the start. In reality, he has a favorite type. His previous partners resemble a lot to Kim Dan. (chapter 5) This explains why he didn’t reject the main lead as his doctor right away contrary to the past. (chapter 5) Hence we could say that he was already under Kim Dan’s spell at the gym. (chapter 1) Hence he looked at him intensely first.

2. The origins of his attractiveness

After this first elaboration, the manhwalovers can grasp why the champion didn’t feel the need to punch the physical therapist after being touched inappropriately. This image was actually representing the uke’s vision (chapter 1), he feared to have triggered the boxer’s fury. Yet, the man was actually pretty calm. (chapter 1) He was rather surprised by his reaction. Notice how relaxed his body is, as he is using his arms to sit up. Striking is that after hearing the main lead’s question, Kim Dan blushed out of embarrassment. (chapter 1) Not only he had made a stupid mistake, but he had also overreacted. He had been on the verge of crying, for he feared the fighter’s rage and brutality. Nevertheless, he never paid attention to his client’s behavior. The latter was observing him, for he had detected his tears right away. Then this was his reaction, when he witnessed the doctor’s reddening: (chapter 1) He was left speechless again!! The three points of suspension exposes not only his surprise, but also his curiosity. His attitude displays that he has never met such a behavior before. He would almost cry and even blush… And the author left an evidence for this interpretation. I would like the manhwalovers to take a closer look at the previous sex partners: (chapter 2) (chapter 5) They would all smile and even try to seduce him with their gestures and bodies. But Kim Dan was acting the exact opposite. He would even hide his body with his hands (chapter 1), he would tremble in front of him and at the end he would run away (chapter 1)!! Imagine that just before departing, he turned his back on the athlete while wishing him a good day. That’s not the way you are supposed to bid goodbye. 😂 He was running away. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung called him a wimp!! As the readers can detect, he was behaving the opposite to the previous lovers, while he would look similar to them. On the other hand, I would like the readers to analyze the boxer’s reaction, when he witnessed this scene. (chapter 1) Once again, we have the points of suspension. This indicates that the uke’s behavior made him pensive again. He got his attention. But there is more to it. One of his eye-brows is slightly raised, leaving a mark on the forehead. This gesture is relevant, as psychologists discovered that raising only one eye-brow is a sign of dominance. This exposes the fighter’s personality. Yet, I believed that this gesture also divulged his interest in Kim Dan. He was intrigued by such an attitude, this is something he had never experienced before too. So far, people would express their admiration, they would never turn their back on him, like we could witness in the flat with the lover. To conclude, the saying “opposite attracts” is present in their relationship which reminds me of Taoism. Yin and yang complete each other. Moreover, I would like that the celebrity didn’t just call Kim Dan a wimp, this is exactly what he said: “What a little wimp.” The adjective “little” softens the negative description. Besides, the author never revealed the fighter’s facial expression. Why? It is because the readers would have detected his interest in Kim Dan right away.

Since Kim Dan was added in the calendar from Lezhin as “rabbit”, I couldn’t help myself connecting the gentle physical therapist to a white rabbit! 🐰 And the latter would tremble in tears in front of the tiger and run away at the first opportunity! (chapter 1) In other words, the protagonist’s attitude had aroused the predator’s instincts. And this perception of a hunt was visible, when the young man left the champion’s flat silently. This is what Joo Jaekyung said, when he discovered his departure: (chapter 4) He considered his vanishing as an entertainment. At the same time, it also exposes that the previous sex partners would clinch onto him in the past. He had to make them leave. But keep in mind about his explanation for his constant switch of sex partners: (chapter 5) He had detected the difference between the physical therapist and the others, but not realized that all his partners were similar. As you can see, Joo Jaekyung was not truly aware of his own attraction. Finally, let’s not forget that just before leaving the room, Kim Dan showed his back to the fighter. (chapter 1), hence Joo Jaekyung’s gaze could only get triggered to look at the main lead’s figure. This explicates why in his penthouse, he starred at the doctor’s back once again. (chapter 2) He had done it before, but now, he could finally see the young man’s butt contrary to the past, as the bag was no longer hindering his view!! Under this new approach, the readers can comprehend why the champion had added the doctor’s number in his cellphone. He had already planned to have him as his sex partner at some point. (chapter 1) This smirk exposes that this call was not sudden. He was intrigued, lusting after something new. Nevertheless, in his eyes, everything was going according to his plan, thus he smirked. Money and his fame would do the trick. Yet, contrary to all the previous bed companions, the athlete is offering a different deal to Kim Dan. (chapter 6) The latter has to have sex with him, when the champion feels like it. It is no longer related his jinx and his ritual to have sex before a match. But why so? One might say that it is related to the uke’s request: 14.000 dollars in exchange for his services! If Joo Jaekyung had not added this condition, this means that the physical therapist would have the upper hand with the deal in the end. Kim Dan would have used him like his ATM-machine.

3. Dan’s particularities

However, there exists another huge reason why the seme became obsessed with the physical doctor. During their first encounter, he saw the main lead in tears: (chapter 4) This had definitely never happened before. This image caught him so much by surprise that he kept it as a memory (chapter 6) Besides, right after he expressed his satisfaction. (chapter 4) In my eyes, since he had never felt this good before, he jumped to the conclusion afterwards that Kim Dan must have felt the same way. Let’s not forget that Kim Dan never voiced his displeasure, he just explained that he had been startled. Though initially he was quite upset by his lover’s reaction (chapter 4), I believe that later he must have memorized this weeping as something positive. Why? It is because he had felt pleasure, and as a rather self-centered person, he must have projected his emotions and thoughts onto the uke. Furthermore, at no moment Kim Dan expressed his true emotions and thoughts. Thus I think that later he imagined that out of pleasure, Kim had tears. Naturally, this was out of convenience. Yet this is not true, for the poor man recalls it as a nightmare. Therefore you comprehend why Joo Jaekyung felt so revigorated after this long night, he thought that he must have impressed the main lead with his performance. (chapter 5) He proved his masculinity, and the latter seems to me to be as one of the reasons for Joo Jaekyung’s violence and roughness in bed. Thanks to his “skills” or “huge phallus”, he had brought him to tears out of rapture. No wonder why he became so pissed off, when the young man was avoiding him afterwards. (chapter 5) But why did Joo Jaekyung feel so good with the uke in the end? It is because it was the physical therapist’s first time! But the stupid champion didn’t realize it, for he had trusted the physical therapist’s words. On the other hand, I would like the manhwalovers to keep in their mind that one of the major flaws from Joo Jaekyung is his self-deception. He believes what he wants to see. Out of comfort, he prefers having a young lover with experiences. That way, he can call them whores! But this image proves to me that he had sensed the young man’s innocence. (chapter 3) However, his lust after the physical therapist was so strong that he would have even accepted to have sex with a virgin. (chapter 3) However, the main lead’s lie gave the boxer the opportunity to have expectations and to mistreat him. From my perspective, the athlete preferred in believing in Dan’s words, for it gave him an advantage. And because this was the first time for Kim Dan, the athlete detected the difference immediately (chapter 4), but he couldn’t explain it with the loss of virginity. Therefore he justified his immense pleasure with Kim’s talent! (chapter 4) This is no coincidence that at the end of the first round, he changed his usual position. (chapter 4) He suddenly hugged him from the back. It pushed him to be more creative, to try something else. That’s the reason why Joo Jaekyung wishes to keep him by his side. Sex felt different with him.

4. Power and Money

The problem is that Kim Dan returned to his side only because of the money. When he appeared in front of the penthouse (chapter 6), he was far from smiling, a sign that he was there out of reluctance. The rain even created the illusion that he was in tears. Yet, this didn’t matter to the champion, as the young man was now contacting him. For Joo Jaekyung, it looked like he had won, hence he smiled. (chapter 6) Striking is that he added this: “Now this, I was not expecting”. This shows that Joo Jaekyung was caught by surprise again. As the manhwaphiles can detect, the unpredictability from Kim Dan is another reason for the main lead’s selection. Kim Dan is like a puzzle, the athlete can never anticipate his decisions. Like the French writer Honoré Balzac once wrote: ““Marriage (or here a relationship) must fight constantly against a monster which devours everything: routine.” This means that the physical therapist represents an anomaly to Joo Jaekyung’s world. Kim Dan will always surprise him. If you read my previous analyses about Jinx, you are already aware that Dan means “Sweet” in Korean. Due to Kim Dan’s surprising behavior, the young athlete will be forced to pay more and more attention to his companion in the end so that he becomes less ego-centered. However, this unpredictability exposes the fighter’s vulnerability. He can not truly control the young physical therapist.

On the surface, with this deal (chapter 6), the boxer has the impression that everything is going according to his wishes. (chapter 6) That way, there was no string attached. He would have the upper hand in the relationship thanks to his wealth. However, this is just an illusion, because technically, Kim Dan could also offer his services to others, as long as the latter would pay him. According to him, Kim Dan had other men before. (chapter 4) He has a contract with him saying that he should serve him at any time and place… (chapter 6), but there is no exclusivity!! I am adding this, because one of the tags about this manhwa is “hotguys”. This implies that Kim Dan will also come close to other fighters. So far, we only saw one HOT boy! 😍😂 My point is that Joo Jaekyung needs to be confronted with the wrongness of his philosophy, he treats his partners as tools and whores. (chapter 2) So if Kim Dan is surrounded by hot boys who are also famous or rich, I doubt that the athlete will feel secure. Besides, there is the perverted director. (chapter 1) At some point, the truth about his behavior could come to the surface, he harassed the physical therapist. Joo Jaekyung could jump to the conclusion that he had been coerced to have sex with the director in the past, and the champion is doing the same. Little by little, the sportsman will be forced to face the truth: he is similar to him, as he has Kim Dan’s employer.

Moreover, I would like to point out that the manager seems to be very fond of Kim Dan. So imagine Joo Jaekyung’s reaction, when he sees that the physical therapist has become close to his hyung, while he is still putting a wall between himself and the “hero”. He will definitely get jealous. At no moment the doctor voiced his admiration for the athlete directly, he kept his fascination to himself. (chapter 1) Let’s not forget that the author Mingwa chose this drawing as an illustration for her story. Joo Jaekyung is trapping the uke in his arms, a sign for his possessiveness. To conclude, I am expecting that the doctor’s puzzling behavior will bring Joo Jaekyung’s insecurities to light, to incite him to question his beliefs and even his “jinx”. The more time they will spend together, the more Joo Jaekyung will become addicted to his “drug”, the sweet and gentle Kim Dan, forcing him to change his habits. The job offer to Kim Dan and later their deal already announced the transformation of the athlete. Little by little, the champion’s worldview will transform, discover the sweetness of life. 🍭

Finally, the real person controlling Kim Dan’s fate is not Joo Jaekyung, but the sick halmoni. (chapter 6) She might have no strength, but she represents the biggest opponent to the strong athlete. The latter has no idea about her existence and power over the main figure. And once the therapy is no longer needed, Kim Dan has no reason to keep the deal between him and the famous fighter. That’s how Joo Jaekyung will discover that money can not buy everything, love or happiness. It is the same for strength. The latter is not a guarantee to become the finale winner. Love is superior to power, money and fame. Actually, halmoni is Kim Dan’s reason to survive. She is his true hero.

5. Conclusions

Joo Jaekyung chose Kim Dan for the following reasons: physical attraction, intrigued by his unusual behavior, their first night together which he couldn’t forget, the therapist’s facial expressions (tears, blushing and his oozing innocence (chapter 6), his personality (a rabbit) which aroused his instincts as a fighter and predator. Besides, his choice was also influenced by his subconscious, his desire to prove his masculinity and sex appeal to Kim Dan who seems to be shy and distant towards him. That explains why he was so upset that Kim Dan didn’t respond to his phone calls at all. (chapter 5) He felt initially irritated, but when he heard that he could get blocked, he got offended, . (chapter 5) This represented a huge blow to his ego and manhood. Therefore he felt the urge to punch the punching bag. Besides, the manhwaphiles will certainly recollect that he had to use his hyung to approach the physical therapist. Kim Dan’s shyness and proper manners stand in opposition to Joo Jaekyung and his previous lovers’ crude behavior. (chapter 2) His vocabulary exposed his purity: (chapter 1) Finally, it was the goddess Mingwa who made Joo Jaekyung choose Kim Dan as his partner. This was his fate right from the start. He was destined to be tamed by the pure rabbit.

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Jinx: My hero 🤠 (only 10 pictures) -second version

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa. https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en  But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/ Here is the link of the table of contents about JinxHere is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed manhwas Here is the link to the second analysis of Jinx. The text was written before the release of new chaptershttps://bebebisous33analyses.com/2022/11/29/jinx-precious-punk-%f0%9f%98%89-and-wimp-%f0%9f%98%8d/

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.

After reading this title, anyone will think that my essay will focus essentially on Kim Dan.

1. Kim Dan a hero?

In my previous analysis „Precious punk and wimp“, I had explained that the physical therapist was far from being a wimp, for he would be able to take Joo Jaekyung‘s anaconda. 😉And this perception was confirmed, when the manhwalovers were able to see the boxer‘s phallus in his aroused state. (chapter 3) It was really huge to the point that Kim Dan got scared and was on the verge to break the deal. (chapter 3) However, real heroism occurs, when someone is risking his life for the sake of another person. I am now quoting the criteria for being considered as a true hero:

Heroism is characterized by:

Acting voluntarily for the service of others who are in need, whether it is for an individual, a group, or a community

Performing actions without any expectation of reward or external gain

Recognition and acceptance of the potential risk or sacrifice made by taking heroic actions  https://www.verywellmind.com/characteristics-of-heroism-2795943

So this was not entirely the case, when he accepted the first offer. Back then, it was more about his debts and his fear of the loan sharks. Yet, it is a different story, when he proposes the deal to Joo Jaekyung later: 14.000 dollars a month in exchange for his services. (chapter 6) Here, he does it to save his halmoni (grand-mother) (chapter 6), as her illness is requiring an expensive treatment. In order to assist her, he is willing to do something he loathes, for he had perceived his first sex session with the fighter as hell. (Chapter 5) It took him a whole week to recover from this encounter. (Chapter 5) He was physically and mentally wounded. His behavior fits all the criteria in chapter 6. He is totally selfless and is risking his life emotionally, physically and mentally. He definitely sees the champion as a „criminal“, since he keeps comparing him to the director from the hospital. (chapter 6) He has indeed become a true hero, hence he received the admiration and love from all the readers.

2. Joo Jaekyung’s “heroism”

On the other hand, by listing the characteristics of a true hero, people get aware that Joo Jaekyung is a fake hero, though he is celebrated as one in the story! (Chapter 5) At no moment, in the ring, he risked his life, for this fight is controlled by a ref and both boxers are required to follow certain rules. But the seme has not realized this yet. Like I had pointed out before, he takes everything too seriously. He views his games as a matter of life or death. One might think that he has never had a strong opponent so far, but we have two indications that his career wasn’t always smooth. . (chapter 1) The legend is implying that this was not like that in the past (“the streak continues”). Secondly, he has cauliflower ears (chapter 1), a typical consequence for fighting. [Here I would like to thank @delune_art for her observation]

Couture has cauliflower ear, a relatively common affliction among fighters, wrestlers and other contact-sport athletes. Years of being pulled, punched and torn can create blood clots in the ear and damage the tissue. Over time, blood and pus become trapped in the gnarled cartilage of a damaged ear, often causing the lobes to morph into hardened balloons. Like pimples that have crusted into permanent scars, Couture’s ears are blue-and-red deformities that hover on the sides of his head — creviced, bulging and so noticeable that they’ve helped inspire a movement. Whether they wanted to or not, Couture and other elite fighters have turned cauliflower ear into a coveted badge of honor in wrestling, boxing and MMA. What was once an unsightly injury has now become a living trophy that commands respect. Quoted from https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/9630617/ufc-fighter-randy-couture-famous-cauliflower-ears-espn-magazine

This means that he must have also received punches or other injuries on the ears in the past. As you can see, though the readers never saw any defeat so far, the reality is that he had to work hard for his success. This explicates why he is taking things very seriously. On the other hand, the presence of his cauliflowers could indicate as well that the sportsman is proud of his job and success, as they are not removed. That’s how I realized why the champion became superstitious. He explained his “defeats” from the past with jinx. As you can see, I am already sensing that something must have happened to him in the past which pushed him to have sex before a match. What caught my attention is that he underlined that it didn’t matter who his partner was: “No matter what happens, I need to have sex the night before a match, it doesn’t matter who my partner is…” (chapter 2) Therefore I come to the conclusion that it is definitely related to a betrayal from a loved one, someone close to him. The other evidence for this theory is that all the bottoms he selected resemble each other, though he claims the opposite: (chapter 5) The lover and Kim Dan have the same hair dress and the same height, they are both muscular, yet slender. (chapter 2) In other words, Joo Jaekyung favors a certain type, but he is not aware of it. Hence he claims that all his sex partners were different. And now, you have the explanation why he views people he has sex with as tools and even whores. He used money as a protection, a wall to keep his distance from people. This is not surprising why he was happy, when Kim Dan asked for financial support. That way, there was no string attached.: “So it was just the money, after all”. (chapter 6) But naturally, he is deluding himself, because observe that he is now changing his sexual habits! (chapter 6) It is no longer linked to his jinx, because he is asking Kim Dan to have sex no matter the time or place. This little detail makes a huge difference, the start of his new obsession.

On the other hand, we shouldn‘t overlook that his source of strength is founded on his belief that no sex before a match means no victory. (Chapter 2) What if he can’t have sex like he wished? What if his sex partner is not satisfying him enough? What if Kim Dan no longer needs his money, as the expensive treatment for his grandma is no longer necessary? These questions outline the precarity of his “faith”, everything is a matter of luck. And with the new condition, Joo Jaekyung is becoming even more dependent on the physical therapist. So imagine that he cuts ties with the fighter, for he no longer needs to play the hero for his halmoni. The fighter’s world would break down. The way the sportsman thinks represents a huge weakness, which the “lover” could already perceive with the “jinx”. His superstition actually exposes his own insecurities. He has not recognized yet that this bad luck is undermining his confidence in the long run. Hence I come to the conclusion that he is still driven by his past struggling and anxieties.

On the other hand, this scene exposes that Joo Jaekyung is definitely strong and shouldn‘t be underestimated, like the lover did: (chapter 2) The latter imagined that due to their past relationship, he was protected. Thus he thought, he could mock the main lead. What caught my attention is that he even imagined that he knew Joo Jaekyung very well. Hence he voiced his discontent first, then tried to woo him with his sex appeal: “You know I’ve got the technique, baby. I’ll suck you off so good, you won’t know what hit you… So just don’t say it’s over, hmm? Pretty please, sugar?”(Chapter 2) But the truth is quite the opposite, for he never anticipated that he would become the target of the man‘s violence. In my eyes, since he knew about the boxer‘s superstition, he came to perceive the fighter as weak. He even came to believe that he had the upper hand in the relationship. But he was totally wrong, for the boxer was not satisfied with him, but he had never let it transpire. We shouldn’t overlook the fact that the champion had sex with the former physical therapist before (chapter 1) and this quite recently. Yet, the athlete had maintained his relationship with the uke for quite some time (chapter 2) The lover’s words in this panel expose his arrogance and error of judgement. To conclude, he overestimated his position in their relationship due to Joo Jaekyung‘s „jinx“. As you can imagine, Joo Jaekyung is not a real hero, yet he is more than just a violent and selfish boxer either. He also had to struggle to achieve his “dream”. Naturally, Kim Dan can not see it from this perspective, which is comprehensible, for he is the one suffering the most from it right now.

Nevertheless, the reason why I entitled this analysis “my hero” is that there exists another “hero” in this story which I think many readers are neglecting.

3. Hyung

Striking is that the athlete called his manager “hyung” (chapter 5) [which means like older brother in Korean]. This name is revealing that the boxer is respecting the manager a lot. We could say that he considers him as a part of his family. At no moment, the champion uses his force against him. Compare his attitude towards the physical therapist (chapter 1) before and after the arrival of the manager. The tone changed immediately. (chapter 1) He simply listened to his huyng. This means that they have a long history together, Joo Jaekyung trusts him. We could say that the athlete views him as his “hero”, hence he is so courteous and calm in front of him. The latter also admires his athlete so much that he joined him on the ring to celebrate his victory (chapter 5) I doubt that his joy and smile were fake. Imagine that right after the victory, the hyung watched the match again. He was so impressed that he wondered how Joo Jaekyung could improve so much. (chapter 5) And this image exposes that the sportsman has kept something important from his hyung, his so-called “jinx”. The manager is left in the dark!! This indicates that his sex sessions were always done behind his back. The other evidence for this interpretation is the man’s request to his manager: “That new physical therapist I wanna hire him as my private physio” (chapter 5) He is not honest here. Hence I am now wondering if the pressure to remain victorious all this time is not linked to the manager. The champion doesn’t want to disappoint him. Furthermore, I am wondering if the start of the athlete’s “jinx” was not caused by words from the caring and honest manager. Remember what he said to the protagonist: “Good luck” (chapter 1) His expression exposes that the hyung believes in jinx and luck. And now, you comprehend why the main lead would act behind his “hyung’s back”. Thus I am imagining that the main lead’s mind, could have thought that the hyung would reject him, if he were to discover the existence of his “jinx”. Another possibility is that he fears the manager’s rejection because of his sexual orientation. Being a homosexual in such a world would cause a huge scandal. Nonetheless, I believe that the hyung is not the only cause for the high expectations Joo Jaekyung has for himself. Like in real life, many factors and people contributed for his overactive superego.

Since the manager is always smiling, gentle and shows a certain understanding, I am assuming that he will play a huge role in the couple’s relationship. In the beginning of the story, he acted as a mediator between the two protagonists. (chapter 1) Then when his athlete wondered why he had not heard from Kim Dan, the manager not only took Kim Dan’s side, but also criticized his athlete. First, when he said that the main lead had asked him like a million times, (chapter 5), he was implying that he had bothered him a lot. Then (chapter 5) the idiom “something” is a reference to the sportsman’s behavior. He reproached him in a calm manner that he would nag constantly. Yet, at no moment, the boxer felt insulted. That’s why I couldn’t help myself judging him as a “hero”. He could tame his sportsman and turn him into an obedient “puppy”. The latter is always well-mannered in front of him and never showing his frustration.

This scene made me particularly laugh. (Chapter 5) He got caught by surprise by this point. He never imagined that Kim Dan would reject or even block him, as he is considered as a “champion”, a hero!! But the moment he turned his back from the manager, he couldn’t control his frustration and anger. Thus he smashed the punching bag with such a force. (chapter 5) On the other hand, he couldn’t control his gaze, when he heard that he could get blocked. (chapter 5) This whole scene displayed the respect Joo Jaekyung had for the manager and his friend. At the door, he never exploded. But why is it so? Like mentioned above, he views the man as his family. And we have another proof for this: “block us” was turned into “block me”. As you can see, the personal pronoun “us” indicates that Joo Jaekyung considers the man with the red shirt as an unit, a home.

This explicates why Joo Jaekyung is relying a lot on his “hyung”. Therefore it is not surprising that when he saw that Kim Dan was not reacting to his calls, he went straight to the man in the red shirt. (chapter 5) Hence I judge the main character’s deceptions to the hyung as “white lies”. There is another proof that Joo Jaekyung is trying not to deceive his “brother” with bad intentions. He told him about the incident with the previous physical therapist. (chapter 1), yet he used an ambiguous expression. For the manager, it sounded like the champion had beaten him, while the sexual insinuation was present. His choice of expressions indicates that he desired to stay as close as possible to the truth. This shows that the main lead has no real intention to manipulate his “hyung”. He is not doing it out of malevolence, rather out of fear in my eyes. This is also perceptible in this scene. (chapter 5) Joo Jaekyung was frank enough to voice his dissatisfaction about the physical therapists. For me, this image exposes that the boxer is not just a violent and selfish man, he is still capable to have a normal relationship. He respects his peer and never vents his rage towards him. Under this new approach, you can grasp why I selected “my hero” as a title. I wished to outline the good influence the manager has on Joo Jaehyunk. The former will definitely take the physical therapist’s side, like we could sense in chapter 1 and 5!! I am looking forward for the interaction between Kim Dan and the manager, because it will definitely affect the relationship between the hyung and the champion!

In the beginning of this paragraph, I had outlined that the hyung could be considered as Joo Jaekyung’s hero. But I had not discovered the reason for his blinded trust in his coach and manager. But today, I had a huge revelation, Look at the hyung’s ears: (chapter 1) He also has cauliflower ears! Hence I can deduce that he was himself an athlete and probably a champion too. That’s how he got the protagonist’s admiration. Under this new light, I can grasp why the manager’s name was not introduced yet. It indicates that his fame vanished and he is no longer recognized as a hero! This indicates that glory is quite temporary.

4. The halmoni the neglected heroine 😍

While many manhwaphiles were focusing on Joo Jaekyung and Kim Dan’s interactions, I couldn’t help myself feeling so much admiration for the strong woman. She raised her grandson on her own which must have been difficult, for she came from a low social class. (chapter 5) This is perceptible due to her clothes and her basket. She was more or less a “peasant”, living in the countryside. And the young child could sense her struggle. She dedicated her life to raise Kim Dan properly so that he could get an education. She was so selfless and caring that she protected her grandchild from the loan sharks’ brutality. (chapter 5) With this scene, the manhwalovers could discover that Kim Dan’s debts existed, even before he became an adult. This means that this was the heritage from his parents. Hence I am suspecting that one of a parent deserted the family in order to escape from the loan sharks and left the debts to the halmoni and Kim Dan. And if you recall the criteria for heroism, you will recognize the halmoni is a true heroine. Hence you comprehend why the young protagonist is willing to do anything for his grandma. He is trying to repay his “debts”, since she had to suffer so much in the past. There is no ambiguity that the young man feels responsible for her. And if you observe the chapters I quoted the most so far, this was episode 5 where the manager and the halmoni were introduced properly for the first time!!

To conclude, the manager and the halmoni have become my “little heroes”. 🤠 Thus I desired to dedicate this essay to them!

If you want to read another essay about Jinx, then you need to leave a comment. If not, I will write about another manhwa next time.

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

Jinx / Doctor Frost : Precious punk 😉 and wimp 😍!

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa.   https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en  But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here are the links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex,  https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/  and the first essay about Jinx „Bewitched“ (10 pictures) I am once again using the manhwa Doctor Frost as illustration. https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371 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

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 am writing again about this story, though Lezhin didn’t release any new chapter yet. In fact, the author announced that Jinx’s new episodes would be published on December 3rd and not on Friday. On the other hand, the company revealed finally the synopsis of Jinx. This actually confirmed my previous observation: Joo Jaekyung is connected to superstition, he is „a superstitious man“.

He claims to have a “jinx” in need of a particular type of “treatment,” but it’s one that Dan isn’t quite prepared to offer…” Quoted from https://www.lezhinus.com/en/comic/jinx_en

After reading the first episode, I had suspected that the boxer had connected his sex sessions to jinx. This is what I wrote in the first text: “What if the boxer feels the need to have a sex marathon just before a match believing that this would bring him victory?”. And the introduction appears to validate my theory. The “special treatment” is naturally an allusion to sex… This looks like Joo Jaekyung will propose a deal to the pure Kim Dan in order to remain undefeated. On the other hand, the synopsis implies that Joo Jaekyung is not entirely honest („claims to have a jinx“). Naturally, the purpose of this analysis is not to say: See.. I was right with my observations. In truth, I would like to portray the boxer in a different light which is perceptible, if you pay close attention to his words: PUNK and WIMP!

1. Who is the punk?

The idiom “punk” appeared, when the protagonist insulted his opponent in the ring. In order to fully grasp the boxer’s mentality, it is relevant to know the true signification of this word:

A punk is a young person who behaves in a rude, aggressive, or violent way. Quoted from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/punk

This explains why punk is a synonym for thug and bully. But this is not what the young opponent was doing, for he got defeated so easily. This shows that in reality, this idiom was actually reflecting the main lead’s mentality. Joo Jyekyung acts like a hoodlum, a thug himself. But this doesn’t end here. According to Oxford languages, a punk is a worthless person (informal, North American). Under this new approach, the readers can grasp why the “kid” was called a punk! He has no value, for he got punched so easily. This exposes that Joo Jaekyung judges people depending on their strength. But by punching the young opponent, he actually divulged his true thoughts. He takes everything too seriously!! For him, sparring is a synonym for fighting, whereas sparring is connected to training, teaching and having fun!! It was, as if for Joo Jaekyung everything was revolving around life and death. This explicates his rage in the ring and why he is called tyrant and punches his challengers, till they bleed. If he can not defeat his opponent, he “will die”. This is no coincidence that his color is black, a pigment that symbolizes nowadays death. Being too serious has huge negative consequences. Such a person can never be happy. The reason is simple. He is focusing too much on career and work that he is overlooking to enjoy the moment. The person is not able to play and to take time to laugh along the way. In the end, he doesn’t know what truly matters in life.

“Where does it come from? If you take things too seriously then this probably just means that you’re the sort of person who worries a lot. Freud would describe this as having an ‘overactive superego’ – the superego being the part of the psyche that makes sure we stick to societal norms, follow rules and don’t just give in to all of our urges and desires. This kind of overactive conscience tends to come from our parents and what they said to us as children” Quoted from https://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15554/1/why-do-i-take-things-too-seriously.html

As you can see, such an attitude is connected to expectations from society. People have come to believe that success and wealth are a guarantee for happiness and a good life. This is wrong, for the person is always obsessed with the future or with the past. This signifies that Joo Jaekyung doesn’t know what fun and jokes are. That’s the reason why he was not able to train the hoobae. He was not teaching him to improve his skills, his goal was to demonstrate his power and talent. This exposes that his vocabulary is actually limited: punk, punching wimp. However, Joo Jaekyung is not realizing that by acting that way, he is pushing people away. The “kid” will certainly never ask the athlete again and this sparring could generate a rumor among the fighters going to this gym that he is far too dangerous. To conclude, the real “punk” was the protagonist. However, he is still precious, for he has a role to play in Kim Dan’s life. He will be his emancipator… From my point of view, the uke’s life could serve as a mirror to Joo Jaekyung that his life was never in danger in the end. This was never a matter of death or life contrary to the poor main lead. At the same time, imagine what a defeat could signify for the champion. He would judge himself as worthless, as in his eyes, only strength is important. To conclude, I think that this violence from the athlete is much more complex, just like its origins.

2. Who is the wimp?

Since “punk” means that someone is worthless and Joo Jaekyung judges people based on their force, I deduce that for the fighter, a gentle and caring person has in his eyes no worth. I would even say that he doesn’t view them as men! Therefore it is not surprising that he called Kim Dan a wimp. He would bow so easily and apologize without fighting. Nevertheless, the fighter is totally wrong in that aspect. It takes a lot of courage to admit a mistake and to ask for forgiveness (doctor Frost, chapter 211), because we don’t know if the offended person will accept the excuse. And this is exactly what happened with Kim Dan. He apologized, yet he still feared that he would be hit. He never protected himself, because he felt that it was the victim’s right to voice his discontentment. His passive attitude was a sign of acceptance for the punishment. The manhwalovers should put themselves in his shoes. Imagine that you are standing in front of the strongest man in the world, yet you don’t argue or stop him from using his hands. This demonstrates great courage. A coward would either run away or even fight back or remain paralyzed. Nonetheless, this was not the case with the uke. In the beginning, he became proactive: He bowed and apologized before before becoming silent and inactive. Hence I believe that this is what the uke will teach the strongest man in the world. He needs to learn to admit his mistakes. And this is no coincidence that in the ring, the brutal man never voiced regret towards the “green” man. With his expression “punk”, he had the perfect excuse to avoid the apology. That’s why he didn’t reply to the trainer immediately and in front of him . He was turning his back to the victim and the coach, when he explained his behavior. He was even blaming the victim for his violence… if he had not asked, then he wouldn’t have been injured. In other words, the real wimp is in reality Joo Jaekyung and not Kim Dan. But the boxer failed to recognize this. Why? Because he judged him based on his force and his passivity which he viewed as a sign of cowardice. However, we need to question ourselves this: Why would all the physical doctors avoid Joo Jaekyung? Remember that no one desired to take this job, not even his mentor. (chapter 1) It is because they had all heard about the boxer’s violent behavior and his stubbornness: (chapter 1) Since the manager’s words are ambiguous due to the expression “rub you the wrong way”, Kim Dan jumped to the false conclusion that the champion has the habit of punching people, yet the idiom could be understood as an allusion to sex and seduction. Striking is that Joo Jaekyung was surprised to discover the hiring of a new doctor.  (chapter 1) Why did he not recall their last encounter? It is because he had never punched him. On the other hand, something must have happened back then: a mistake from the physical therapist. But people shouldn’t overlook this crucial detail: The anaconda 😂 Yes, the length and and size of his phallus! While Kim Dan was massaging him, the man was relaxed, hence this signifies that it had not reached its maximum size!! And now, imagine what happened to the last doctor… The latter could have made an intentional move, but the champion has always separated his career from his private life. No one at the gym knew about the champion’s homosexuality. Since for the boxer, everything is a matter of life and death, he definitely views sex as a fight too. It is about his own climax, and not about feeling good or giving pleasure to his partner, even less about love! Therefore it is not surprising that the man is having sex in this position. (chapter 1) He doesn’t feel the need to see his partner’s face or to talk to him. And if you read my analyses about Painter Of The Night, you are all aware of the signification of such a position. It is about power struggle and victory. This observation leads me to the following conclusion: Joo Jaekyung’s rough sex is just the consequence of his “mentality”. In truth, he is masking his own anxieties, his manhood. This is just a speculation on my part, but I have the impression that his overactive superego is his way to deal his own sexual orientation. Homosexuality is often perceived as a lack of masculinity and strength, and note that so far, the boxer has been following social norms quite strictly. He embodies the prototype of the successful and wealthy boxer. We definitely need more information about his past, his family and surroundings. Another possibility is that the athlete is bothered by his huge phallus, which he could view as “jinx”…. For him, it is the reason why his former sex partners keep running away. The author will give us more elements in the future episodes.

But let’s return our attention to the previous physical therapists. Keep in mind that no one is any longer willing to work for him as a doctor. And if everyone is avoiding to have sex with him afterwards, this shows that he couldn’t “defeat” them in reality, for he was not able to impress them with his sexual activities or scared them with his huge anaconda. And this could also explain his frustration in the end. Therefore, I come to the conclusion that Kim Dan is no wimp at all, for he will accept to face this huge penis and contrary to the others, he will keep having sex with the protagonist. 😂 Under this aspect, the readers can grasp why the anonymous sex partner said nothing, when Joo Jaekyung called the main lead. I am suspecting that the man didn’t find this sex session very pleasant, as he was clinching onto the sheets. Besides, why would he call him in the middle of the encounter? And he could see Kim Dan as his savior… it was his luck that Joo Jaekyung had a new physical therapist.

And now, you comprehend why the uke has a name linked to sweet and red. [Dan means Sweet in Korean} ] His role is to change the protagonist, to bring sweetness and love in his life so that the other learns to enjoy the moment and not to question his masculinity. The fighter needs to relax and to open up. On the other hand, the punk Jaekyung will push Kim Dan to fight back against his “enemies”, the boss and the loan shark and not simply accept the beating and the accusations. That’s the reason why I described them as precious. One is bringing what the other is missing in his life. Kim Dan a pillar and shelter to rely on… and the other has to rediscover the inner child. He doesn’t need to prove his talent any longer, for he is already successful in his life.

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

Jinx: Bewitched 🧙‍♀️ (only 10 pictures)

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa.   But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. 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 link, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex, and other manhwas: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/21/who-are-you-the-significance-of-masks-in-manhwas/ Here is the link to the second analysis of Jinx. The text was written before the release of new chapters: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2022/11/29/jinx-precious-punk-%f0%9f%98%89-and-wimp-%f0%9f%98%8d/

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.

You might be surprised that I selected this story for an analysis, because so far, Lezhin only released one chapter. Furthermore, the company has not even published a small synopsis or tagged Mingwa’s new story yet. Hence with only one episode, it looks like there is not much to say. The story appears as a mystery. People on Twitter wondered, if the author had planned a love triangle or not for example. However, the author gave us a huge clue about the future relationship between the two main leads. You might ask where. My answer is simple. It is contained in the title. JINX!

1. Jinxed or bewitched?

But what does this idiom mean? The definition is the following:

bad luck, or a person or thing that is believed to bring bad luck. Quoted from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/jinx

To sum up, everything will evolve around superstition, luck and bad omen. Striking is that “jinx” has the following synonyms among others:

bedevil, bewitch, charm, damn, enchant and hex Quoted from https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/jinx

The irony is that nowadays bewitched, charmed or enchanted has a positive connotation. When the first chapter from Jinx was released, many manhwaphiles were bewitched 😉 by the new character created by Mingwa, Joo Jaekyung. Even the author Black Apricot from Legs That Won’t Walk couldn’t help herself to praise the main lead for his handsomeness on Twitter. Striking is that this picture represents the perspective from Kim Dan, the other protagonist. In other words, not only the readers were enchanted, but also Kim Dan. He couldn’t restrain himself from voicing his fascination by whispering “WOW”. The gentle and pure man was voicing what the readers felt. While massaging him, he kept starring at him, complimenting for his skin, his muscles and even his visage. He had the impression that he was really lucky, for he never had such a client before.

2. Joo Jaekyung, a lucky man

Joo Jaekyung is a famous boxer who seems to have luck on his side. Not only he possesses a beautiful and strong body, but also he has never lost a fight so far. In other words, he is very very lucky. He has everything to be happy: fame, wealth and even health which contrasts so much to Kim Dan’s situation. The latter has a sick grandmother who is getting treated at the hospital. The bottom is persecuted by loan sharks due to debts, only his job as physical therapist helped him not to drown, to survive. So it looks like Kim Dan was very UNLUCKY in his life. Since he has to pay the bills for his grandmother, the manhwalovers can deduce that he has already lost his parents. His sick grandmother is the only remaining relative. This must have forced him to mature quickly. He doesn’t have any friend either, because once he saw the loan sharks in front of his home, he expressed his despair:

“There’s nowhere left in this world where I can feel safe.”

This exposes his isolation. He has no one to rely on: no colleague, no friend and no family, as his grandmother is now depending on him. That’s why he must have felt very lucky, when he was proposed the job to treat the famous boxer Joo Jaekyung, especially if you take into consideration that he viewed his job as a source of “luck”: “No be positive. I’m lucky just to be working” . However, when he met the fighter for the first time, he discovered the other side from Joo Jaekyung. He was really brutal and hot-tempered. He couldn’t control his strength, thus the opponent got beaten so badly. And this scene leads me to the following observation. Joo Jaekyung might appear lucky, but in reality he is also jinxed! How so? We could detect this because the way Kim Dan was hired! No one wanted to do the job!! Even the mentor refused to do it. It is because among the physical therapists, it had become famous that the protagonist had a terrible habit. Secondly, the manhwa should question this. Why did Joo Jaekyung refuse to let any stranger enter the training room? It is because he has a secret. Nothing should be leaked to the outside world. Besides, if you think from the kid’s perspective who just wished to spar with the famous Joo Jyaekyung, he must have felt very unlucky. How could he get hurt so much? To conclude, Joo Jaekyung seems to be a bird of misfortune. He is the jinx to others, thus his manager wished good luck to Kim Dan. And this perception gets reinforced, when you consider what happened to Kim Dan afterwards. Shortly after, he was sexually harassed by the director, and both got caught by a nurse!! He was totally running on bad luck! So when he receives a phone call from Joo Jaekyung, he must have felt very lucky again. Imagine that the famous fighter offered him 5.000 dollars for a single service!! With such a sum of money, he could get rid of the loan sharks who had probably heard that he had lost his job. Furthermore, he would be able to pay for the future expenses at the hospital. Once again, Kim Dan could get the impression that luck was on his side for the first time.

3. Joo Jaekyung’s secrets

But we have to question ourselves this. Why would the strongest man in the world call him so late? What was the urgency? During that phone call, he was even having sex with a man. What caught my attention are the manager’s words. Actually his statement is quite ambiguous. Since Kim Dan and the manhwalovers had witnessed the violent punches from the main lead, they assumed exactly like the bottom that the man was referring to his ruthless disposition. He would hurt the physical therapists, if they had provoked him. However, “knock the guy flat on his ass” could be a reference to his sexual habits. He would sleep with all his doctors, hence they would all quit. The boxer would have a sex marathon (knock the guy flat on his ass) which would push people to leave him. I am wondering if this behavior is not linked to superstition. What if the boxer feels the need to have a sex marathon just before a match believing that this would bring him victory? As you can see, I have the feeling that the fighter believes in jinx and good luck. But if this theory is correct, it would actually demonstrate his insecurities. He feels the need to have sex in order to demonstrate his strength and power. Furthermore, I also noticed that Joo Jaekyung is bloodthirsty. Note that he couldn’t stop himself from hurting the other fighters, until blood flows. And this was already perceptible during the last fight transmitted. The ref couldn’t even stop him from punching the opponent. In other words, he can not control his fire (his blood for thirst and his libido!), and this until he encountered Kim Dan!! The latter was able to calm the man. And this is related to his massage. Though the young man had made a mistake, the boxer didn’t get upset, in fact he complimented the doctor. He definitely felt better afterwards. I believe that when Kim Dan touched his phallus, which he viewed as a very unlucky incident, the other felt the opposite afterwards. Hence I have the impression that while the physical therapist was running on bad luck during the week after treating the boxer, it was the opposite for Joo Jaekyung. He felt better, but now it looks like “his bloodthirst” or “strong libido” is coming back. Hence he had to call for Kim Dan. But there exists another reason for my interpretation, the uke’s name! Dan has two significations in Korean: red and sweet! This is no coincidence. “Eating 엿 (yeot) Brings Good Luck” This is a white sweet. From my point of view, Joo Jaekyung will consider Kim Dan as his “sweet”, “his yeot” putting an end to his bloodthirst. Therefore the author drew this image where the beholder had the impression that the fighter was holding Kim Dan in his arm. It was, as if he was claiming the main lead. He was his reward and trophy. And now, pay attention to the clothes the bottom was wearing, when he met his client. While Joo Jaekyung was wearing black, the other had blue clothes. Since Korean culture is influenced by Taoism (yin and yang), I think that the author had another reason for selecting “Dan”.

In addition to these colors, certain color combinations were very important to have at weddings because they helped balance Yin and Yang elements. That is why red and blue (which are also seen in the Korean flag) were considered an important pairing with red representing the male or Yang and blue symbolizing Yin or the female.” Quoted from https://www.color-meanings.com/korean-color-symbolism/

That way, he is connected to the two fundamental colors: blue and red, which is an indication about his role in the boxer’s life. He will bring harmony in his life. He might have been successful so far, but he was full of rage. Hence I am suspecting that he only has one person by his side: the manager whom he definitely trusts. Striking is that he had saved the number from Kim Dan, a sign that he must have recognized his value very quickly. From my point of view, Joo Jaekyung insults the others (wimp, brat) to mask his own flaws. This is not just a sign of arrogance. Naturally, if the physical therapist has a calming effect on the fighter, it is possible that Joo Jaekyung’s lucky streak could end. But here is the question. What is important for the protagonist? Fame or peace of the mind and heart? Despite his victories, he had issues with his temper and rage. Hence despite his popularity, he was also isolated. Moreover, due to this image where Joo Jaekyung is trapping Kim Dan, I am inclined to think that the boxer won’t view the physical therapist as a jinx. For him, he will be his lucky charm. And this is already detectable in chapter 1. His sex partner has the same hair dress and color than the main lead’s. However, for Kim Dan, his encounter with the star can’t be perceived as luck in the beginning, rather the opposite. First, he has already viewed the man’s violence, and he believes that the man beat all the previous physical therapists. He accepted the second offer, for he had been cornered. Yet, he was already skeptical. So imagine his reaction, when he sees the fighter knocking the man flat on his ass.😂 He will come to think that the man would do the same to him. Moreover, don’t forget that after his first treatment with Joo Jaekyung, he got harassed by the director and lost his job. Kim Dan can only judge the athlete in a negative light. Nevertheless, the latter also represents his future source of happiness. If he had a strong and rich man by his side, he could get rid of the loan sharks and he would have someone who takes his side. He would be finally protected and have someone who he can depend on.

4. Conclusion: Between jinx and luck

As a conclusion, I believe that Joo Jaekyung has already been bewitched by Kim Dan, just like the readers. Nevertheless, he won’t admit it right away, for he has always hidden his weaknesses. Therefore the description of Kim Dan about the boxer is not entirely correct: he is not the strongest man in the world. His language is masking his vulnerabilities. He is connected to jinx and superstition, while the other protagonist has not lost hope despite his loneliness and struggles. He is still fighting to survive, though he is constantly running out of luck. In my eyes, the gentle and sweet physical therapist has already defeated the beast Joo Jaekyung, for he is able to control his temper. So was it luck, when the client took off his shirt? Yes… because Kim Dan needed to be charmed by his “body”. Furthermore, the boxer removed the tee-shirt, for he had sweated before. He had already vent his anger onto the poor boxer during the sparring, hence I deduce that Kim Dan was indeed lucky during that day. Consequently, I come to the conclusion that the relationship between the two main leads will be a fight between jinx and luck… until both find the right balance. This signifies that Joo Jaekyung will develop a certain obsession and possessiveness towards the sweet Dan!

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.

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

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. 

  1. 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/
  2. ENNEAD https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/ennead-mature
  3. Under The Green Light: https://tapas.io/series/under-the-green-light
  4. True Beauty: https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/truebeauty/list?title_no=1436
  5. Doctor Frost: https://www.webtoons.com/en/mystery/dr-frost/list?title_no=371

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

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.

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

  1. the mask BJ Alex (chapter 1)
  2. 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.
  3. 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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