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 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/
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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.
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In order to fully grasp the boxer’s mentality, it is relevant to know the true signification of this word:
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.
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.
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.
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
(chapter 1) It is because they had all heard about the boxer’s violent behavior and his stubbornness:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 
(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.
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?
(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. 
(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.
[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)
(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) 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”.
, 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.
(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.
(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.
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.
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 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.
(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.
The latter is the only one who can control him. 
(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.
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.
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.
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:
(chapter 1)
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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.