Tag: Psychology

Jinx /Doctor Frost: Joo Jaekyung‘s shadow 👤

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 6 Comments

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwas. Doctor Frost – Jinx But be aware that the last 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 links, if you are interested in the first work from Mingwa, BJ Alex,  and the previous essay about Jinx “Tragicomic loss of innocence“ (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.

1. The origins of this essay

Since the beginning, people have been wondering about Joo Jaekyung’s past and family and this interest keeps increasing, the more the champion interacts with Kim Dan. Why? It is because Jinx lovers are sensing the tyrant’s transformation. (chapter 1) Slowly, he is getting tamed and as such he is becoming a social being! Right now, he has become much more considerate towards the physical therapist. (chapter 25) Note that he is standing in the ring, but he is smiling. And this change can only push the manhwaphiles to question about Joo Jaekyung’s raising and past. His metamorphosis is referring to the famous debate “nature versus nurture” in psychology.

“The expression “nature vs. nurture” describes the question of how much a person’s characteristics are formed by either “nature” or “nurture.” “Nature” means innate biological factors (namely genetics), while “nurture” can refer to upbringing or life experience more generally. […]

A person’s biological nature can affect a person’s experience of the environment. For example, a person with a genetic disposition toward a particular trait, such as aggressiveness, may be more likely to have particular life experiences (including, perhaps, receiving negative reactions from parents or others). Or, a person who grows up with an inclination toward warmth and sociability may seek out and elicit more positive social responses from peers. These life experiences could, in turn, reinforce an individual’s initial tendencies. Nurture or life experience more generally may also modify the effects of nature—for example, by expanding or limiting the extent to which a naturally bright child receives encouragement, access to quality education, and opportunities for achievement.” Quoted from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nature-vs-nurture#:~:text=The%20expression%20%E2%80%9Cnature%20vs.,or%20life%20experience%20more%20generally.

This shows that Joo Jaekyung’s environment played a huge role in his mental and emotional development. Because of Kim Dan, it becomes obvious that the boxer has a big heart. In addition, he had no loved one by his side. He has definitely trust and abandonment issues. In other words, he had not opened up his heart to anyone else before. But does it mean that he has always been on his own till his fateful meeting with the doctor? No, I don’t think so. Why? First, he trusts the coaches Park Namwook and Jeong Yosep (chapter 5) and the doctor Cheolmin. (chapter 14) He listens to them, hence he calls them all “hyung”. But here is the question. How did he come to meet them and even trust them? Imagine that he is still keeping his distance from other fighters, yet he is the unofficial owner of Black Team. He can determine the salary and the transferring. This displays that his mistrust is not just a matter of time. Consequently, my hypothesis is that someone introduced the hyungs to him. Here, I feel the need to remind my inquisitive readers that I had found many clues in the name Joo Jaekyung [For more read “The bright calamity“] which had triggered many new ideas. One of them was that the protagonist could be in verity the real heir of that chaebol family, because Joo can have the following significations: master/owner/host and helmet/descendants!! I had also voiced the possibility that he might have lost his parents due to a terrible incident (crime). With this, we would have the explanation of the abandonment issues and the absence of motherly affection. If this theory is true, then it means that he would be an orphan. Therefore he needed to have a guardian. Yes… exactly like Kim Dan. He was raised by someone else. And don’t forget that Kim Dan is his fated partner, thereby they share some common denominators. Therefore in my eyes, the only difference would be that the doctor was abandoned by his parents on purpose which would not be the case for the famous MMA-fighter. And now, it is time to reveal my theory concerning Joo Jaekyung’s past. Actually, I had made this discovery much sooner, and even planned to present it in the essay “The bright calamity”. Yet, as the latter had become so long, I decided to postpone it! I was waiting for the right time, until I couldn’t help myself announcing on Twitter the discovery of a clue in episode 5, when @jaekyungxdan wondered about the athlete’s childhood. Thus people got intrigued about my new finding and theory.

2. “I just tried a little something new”

Do you recognize this quote? Joo Jaekyung mentioned it in the car after his match in chapter 5. And now, if you take a closer look at the illustration, you will identify that two images are from episode 5. (chapter 5) For me, it is a very important episode. So what do these panels have in common? The main lead’s cellphone. In fact, the latter exposes a lot about the athlete’s private life.😮 We have the best example from Kim Dan. (chapter 16)(chapter 16) (chapter 16) The minions saw the amount and came to the conclusion that Kim Dan was selling his body.

And now, it is time to study the emperor’s recent calls more closely. (chapter 05) According to me, the mysterious doctor from episode 13 is Cheolmin hyung. Consequently, I had only one name left: Seo Gichan. Who is this man? Because I had made a connection between the names and personality, I immediately started reading the information about his name. Yes, the website giving significations to Korean names has become my little something. Moreover, observe that Seo Gichan appeared first! For me, the order is exposing the importance of a person in Joo Jaekyung’s life. This explains why Kim Dan was only called 8 times after talking to the faceless man. I have the impression that this man had reassured the young fighter. Since Cheolmin hyung is connected to the club, it is comprehensible why the main lead called Kim Dan 23 times after his conversation. He had dropped the idea of finding a lover through the club!! And now, I would like to outline another relevant detail. When did we see the champion using his cellphone? (chapter 1) (chapter 2) (chapter 19) They are all related to sex and as such prostitution. So when he called the MFC match manager, it is related to his jinx. Hence the champion got upset. I could even include this scene as well. (chapter 17) The champion paid off the doctor’s debts, thinking that he was freeing him from “prostitution”. (chapter 18) And guess what? The name “Gi” can signify “prostitute” or “flesh, muscle”. (chapter 5) A coincidence? I don’t think so. Hence I came to the conclusion that this man is responsible for the athlete’s negative perception of sex. The latter is connected to prostitution. How so? Gi can also mean “man of sixty or seventy“. This means, he is an older man! That’s how I deduced that Seo Gichan has been the champion’s guardian! The negative version of Kim Dan’s halmoni! (chapter 22) He is the reason why the champion became a fighter, just like Kim Dan became a physical therapist for his grandmother. This explicates why the athlete knew how to talk prettily to an elderly and how to assist the sick grandmother (chapter 21). Joo Jaekyung is used to this. But there’s more to his name. However, before exposing more about his name and his personality, I would like to examine this panel again. (chapter 5) When the protagonist is starring at his cellphone, there’s a fighter standing behind him. For me, this image represents a metaphor. There exists a shadow in the athlete’s life. Yet the champion is not detecting the colleague’s presence, too blinded by his frustration and anger. He had never been ignored and as such rejected before!! Nevertheless, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that the main lead had called Seo Gichan and Cheolmin hyung before! This exposes the increasing obsession of the athlete for the main lead. Kim Dan is Joo Jaekyung’s shadow, but when I selected this title, I was naturally thinking of Seo Gichan! He is the one who had been influencing the athlete’s life so far. However, for me, the last image represents the transition. Kim Dan is little by little taking over the old man’s place. Yes, we are actually assisting to the champion’s spiritual and mental emancipation. He’s maturing into a real adult by rediscovering his inner child. Thus on one hand, he is taking care of the doctor and the halmoni, on the other hand, he plays more and more pranks. (chapter 24)

3. Seo Gichan: the ghost in Joo Jaekyung’s life

How can I be so sure that he’s been acting as the athlete’s guardian? First, Seo can signify “son-in-law” or “husband“, an indication that he is like family to the main lead. Furthermore, his name is related to food: potato, yam (sweet potato) and millet/broomcorn millet. It was, as though the man had been making sure that Joo Jaekyung would eat properly. This would explain why Joo Jaekyung is eating on a regular basis. (chapter 13) (chapter 18) As a child, he was encouraged to drink his glass of milk and not to drink these sweet yoghurts. (chapter 21) They were definitely judged as unhealthy, for they contain a lot of sugar. It is no coincidence that Seo can mean “order, discipline and age”. This man was definitely strict. Hence the main lead never experienced a caress and a warm hug from his guardian.

However, since the elderly man is not wearing the same name than the fighter, this means that they are not directly related. Hence Joo Jaekyung had never tasted a family meal!! (chapter 22) (chapter 22) Seo Gichan must have never cooked for the athlete, he simply hired a nutritionist! (chapter 22) However, I doubt that Seo Gichan is living like the athlete. I am suspecting that he enjoys good meals. Why? It’s because Chan can mean “meal, eat, food, delicacies“!! Moreover, Seo can refer to hungry. Hence I don’t think that he is as slim and fragile as the halmoni, quite the opposite! Why? First, his name Gi can signify “rhinoceros” or “piebald horse“, an indication that he must be robust. Additionally, this ghost is linked to “west”, “dawn” and willow, which reminded me of Park Namwook. The latter is represented by “morning sun, rising, mountain cherry and camphor tree“!! How does the coach look like? (chapter 7) Quite chubby! Thus we can assume that he resembles to the coach and the emperor is taking after his mentor to a certain extent.

Moreover, we know the halmoni’s face, but we don’t know her name… and it is the opposite for Seo Gichan! This is not random for me. We all read his name, yet we haven’t seen him in person. He has a similar role than the halmoni in the champion’s life. (chapter 22) Is he actually real?

I have to admit that after reading all the different meanings of Seo Gichan, I came to the following conclusion: he is one of the villains of Jinx! First, Seo means “daybreak, dawn“, while Joo Jaekyung fears the night and is suffering from somniphobia. This contrast could only raise my suspicion. On the other hand, this would explain why he would trust this man and rely on him. At the same time, the faceless man could feign ignorance about the main lead’s suffering.

What caught my attention is that his name always embodies opposite notions. Seo stands for loyalty (oath, vow, swear), for forgiveness and generosity (to forgive, to give, have mercy, to assist, to give, to live), while Seo is also connected to scheme, stratagem, to weed, to dig, to hoe, to die. In addition, Gi can embody plot, to deceive, to cheat, to abandon, relinquish, discard, exile, banish and scuttle! Then Seo can allude to weird, odd, strange, divergent or WISE. This is another contradiction. How is it possible? For me, this mysterious man is a hypocrite, but Joo Jaekyung has not detected it yet. While Seo can signify “perch”, “rest of birds”, “to dwell“, “relax“, Gi can represent “bridle, halter and restrain“! I perceive that the elderly gave Joo Jaekyung a fake home, where the latter was restrained and manipulated. Seo was the willow where the dragon could rest , the reality was to divert his attention. Under this new aspect, you can grasp my illustration. In addition, Seo can also signify “to narrate, chat, express and relieve”, a sign that he has been manipulating the athlete filling his head with prejudices. Hence Gi can also mean “to ridicule“.

This ghost is definitely selfish and greedy, for his name is connected to the following notions: “wish, want, hope, hungry, oneself, self, her/his/its, sixth in order, numerous, to hoe” (in Australian, it means eat eagerly) and “to store, to compile, to gather”. Due to the words “craft, skill, wise, chess, chess piece, stratagem, plot”, I deduce that he must be very intelligent and even cunning. Nonetheless, I can not be sure 100%, but since Seo can represent villa, office and bureau, I have the impression that he is running the chaebol company in Joo Jaekyung’s name. By becoming a fighter, Joo Jaekyung has not the time to deal with business. Further, the name Chan can represent “to carry on, to inherit“, while it can also mean “to exile, banish and scuttle“. In other words, he took over the young man’s place. Hence Joo Jaekyung lives in a recent and modern penthouse and not in the family villa.

But how did I come to this hypothesis? Look once again at the illustration on the left side on the bottom. What do these little images (plow, winnow basket, millet, yam) have in common? They are all related to agriculture and farming. Besides, Gi can also signify woodworking chisel, hoe, tool/utensil and finally “headland“. In agriculture, headland is the area at each end of a planted field. Hence I came to the following deduction: Seo Gichan comes from the countryside, from the peasantry. As soon as I made this connection, I couldn’t help myself thinking of Potato (chapter 23) For me, their path will cross, especially since Potato is a reflection of Kim Dan. The former could view the physical therapist as a source of danger for his idol. But let’s return our attention to my interpretation. Seo Gichan comes from a humble background, but he could raise socially, the exact opposite of the grandmother’s destiny. This is not surprising that Gi can signify “rise, raise and get up“. Hence he was not rich and powerful from the start. So how could he come close to a chaebol heir? It is because he was his guardian. He must have gained the chaebol family’s trust. Thus he could indoctrinate his pupil telling him that poor people are to blame for their misery. In other words, Seo Gichan must have sold himself as a self-made man which would explain why Joo Jaekyung is such a hardworking athlete and he is not living on his wealth. I have the feeling that in reality, he is more like Heo Manwook, the loan shark. He took advantage of the situation. (“Gi”: machine, opportunity”)

Because he is not related to the champion directly, it becomes comprehensible why the penthouse contains no direct reference to Seo Gichan. However, I believe that he did leave a trace there, though it is not obvious. It is the painting: (chapter 18) In the analysis “The bright calamity”, I had elaborated that this painting was reflecting the protagonist’s name and as such his personality. But we know that Joo Jaekyung has no knowledge about culture: (chapter 19) For me, the painting reflects not only the champion, but also the mysterious man. Why? His name can also signify “book, divination, lucky, auspicious, oath and libation cup“, hence I included the bowl from episode 9 in the illustration. All these idioms belong to the semantic field of religion and faith, thus we have the church in the picture. And that’s how it dawned on me why Joo Jaekyung came to choose abstinence and is refusing to drink alcohol with his fellows. It is because he is drinking with his “master Seo”, his priest!! Besides, Gi can refer to “base, basic, foundation“. He is the owner of the champion’s past (Gi= to record, note and remember“). Thus he could distort the champion’s past memories and childhood. Under this new light, it occurred to me that Seo Gichan is the cause for the champion’s false belief: (chapter 18) How so? It is because Seo Gichan must have presented himself as his lucky charm (“Seo: lucky, auspicious, propitious; Chan: libation cup, praise, compliment, brilliant, glorious“). And this leads me to the following observation, Gi 麒 can also mean mythical male unicorn. As soon as I found this, I looked into it and discovered Qilin.

“qilin, Wade-Giles ch’i-lin, in Chinese mythology, the unicorn whose rare appearance often coincides with the imminent birth or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. (The name is a combination of the two characters qi “male,” and lin, “female.”) A qilin has a single horn on its forehead, a yellow belly, a multicoloured back, the body of a deer, and the tail of an ox. Gentle of disposition, it never walks on verdant grass or eats living vegetation.” Quoted from https://www.britannica.com/topic/qilin

This discovery could only reinforce my hypothesis that the protagonist is the real heir, the true ruler, but he has been fooled by this old man. The latter presented himself as a qilin, thus the dragon felt a connection with his spiritual guide. He had the impression, they were similar and as such close. Both are creatures of water (Gi: Yi River), and to fire and as such light (bright, brilliant, summer heat, hot weather). No wonder why the protagonist would trust Seo Gichan so much. However, the reality is that the elderly man stopped Joo Jaekyung from turning into a dragon by keeping him by the coast. Headland has another signification: it is also a narrow piece of land that projects from a coastline into the sea. Under this aspect, my avid readers can grasp why I selected the yellow and blue picture in the illustration. It is an allusion to the coast and ocean, to fire and to water, but also to border, as Gi can mean “flag, border, breakwater, jetty and boundary“. In my eyes, Seo Gichan is the red flag. But the fake qiling used “cotton wadding, the perch and willow” to stop Joo Jaekyng from flying over the ocean and find his yeouiju! He wanted him to remain an imoogi! [For more, read the essay “Tattooed identity”]

So while Seo Gichan poses as qilin, in reality he is just a rat, mouse and rhinoceros. As you all know, the rat symbolizes betrayal, greed, but intelligence. The mouse inspires no danger, and it is known for its gentle and nurturing nature. No reason to mistrust him. As for the rhinoceros, it is also connected to the positive features:

  • strong,
  • reliable,
  • private,
  • protective,
  • wisdom,
  • loyal

However, in the theater play “Rhinoceros” written by Ionesco, this animal embodies different notions: brutality, intolerance, blindness, indoctrination and dictatorship! Interesting is that Seo Gichan is connected to “gas, vapor and steam” which was used in Doctor Frost as a metaphor for hatred, indoctrination and manipulation as well! (Doctor Frost, 175) And that’s how I realized another divergence between the halmoni and Seo Gichan. Kim Dan’s grandmother might have played a role in Kim Dan’s suffering, but it was not done on purpose. She had trouble herself, the main culprits were the parents. Moreover, though both (Seo Gichan and the grandmother) wanted the main leads to remain “boys” and “children”, the grandmother was more focused on the past because of her imminent death, while I am quite certain that Seo Gichan is more thinking of the future! He wishes to take over the inheritance, though he must be quite old. In other words, he is not realizing his own immortality. That’s the reason why I believe that he will be the biggest enemy of our beloved couple, for Kim Dan represents a threat to his power. Gi means “afraid, careful, abnormal, unbalanced, lopsided“, hence I am suspecting that he will use tricks to get rid of the physical therapist.

While Seo Gichan is connected to “valuable stone, fine jade, virtuous/refined thoroughbred horse, irregular pearl, delicacies, addicted of/fond of“, I deduce that he is living in luxury and comfort and this thanks to the protagonist. He is living happily, whereas his pupil is still suffering from a trauma. The reason is that he can feign ignorance, for Joo Jaekyung can have everything. Gichan might have suggested “fighting” in order to help the protagonist to overcome his issues, his “violence”, well aware that in reality, he needed a therapy. This “fragile peace” could be maintained, until Kim Dan entered his life. To conclude, the “guardian” had a reason to ignore the champion’s suffering. Hence his life was trapped in the winter: his true nature was dormant like in the painting. The tree is not blooming. (Chapter 18), for the sun Seo is ruling elsewhere, probably in the villa and the company. If you recall the description of the fighter’s name, the latter can symbolize gem and pearl. So the two characters are both jade and pearls, though Gi is referring to “irregular pearl“. This exposes that this ghost has less value than the true gem.

And because Seo Gichan can symbolize “deceive, cheat, discard, exile, banish“, I could only come to the conclusion that he will use tricks to separate the couple: Randy Booker, Heo Manwook, the green haired uke, probably Hwang Yoon-Gu (though it can be only temporary), the perverted hospital director (if he is not Seo Gichan), and Kim Miseon, like for example an arranged marriage. But the dragon is not alone!! How so? After discovering the Qilin, I searched for mythical Chinese creatures. And this is what I found:

“In ancient Chinese astronomy, the sky ecliptic was divided into four sections. Each of these sections contained seven mansions, and together they formed the 28 Mansions. The 28 Mansions may be considered to be equivalent to the zodiacal constellations in Western astronomy, although they reflect the movement of the Moon through a sidereal month rather than the Sun in a tropical year. This enabled the ancient Chinese to mark the travelling positions of the Sun and the Moon, as well as to determine the time and seasons. Each section of the sky is assigned to a mythological creature, collectively known as the Four Symbols. These creatures are the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the Vermillion Bird of the South. Apart from their astronomical significance, each of the Four Symbols is surrounded by various mythological associations.

The Azure Dragon is the mythological creature in the East, as it is said that when the seven mansions in that area (Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket) are joined up, they form the shape of a dragon. The Azure Dragon corresponds to the season of spring. […]

The mythological creature in the West is the White Tiger, and its seven mansions are the Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Turtle Beak and Three Stars. The White Tiger corresponds to the season of autumn. The White Tiger’s element is metal, and it was held to be the God of War. […]

In the North, the mythological creature in the Black Tortoise, and its seven mansions are the Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment and Wall. The Black Tortoise corresponds to the season of winter. The element of the Black Tortoise is water, and this mythological creature is commonly associated with longevity and wisdom (just as these virtues are traditionally attributed to ordinary tortoises in Chinese mythology).    

The mythological creature in the South is the Vermillion Bird, and its seven mansions are the Well, Ghosts, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings and Chariot. The Vermillion Bird corresponds to the season of summer. Interestingly, the Vermillion Bird has been considered to be identical to the phoenix. The phoenix is traditionally associated with fire, and this is also the case with the Vermillion Bird. As a mythological creature, the phoenix is considered as a symbol of good luck. Quoted from https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/four-mythological-symbols-china-001792

Thus I came to associate the following characters to these mythical creatures:

  • Azure dragon: Joo Jaekyung
  • Vermilion bird: Kim Dan. By living with Joo Jaekyung, the duck is taking over the vermilion red (life) from his lover. This means that for the transformation to be complete, the athlete has to bring his partner to the ocean, to the beach.
  • Black Tortoise: Hwang Yoon-Gu (his name can refer to tortoise).

White Tiger: Park Namwook

And now, you are wondering why I didn’t pick up Jeong Yosep as the tiger. It is because the Black tortoise is always accompanied with a snake on its back and I am expecting that Potato and Yosep represent the second couple in Jinx. The coach is rather a discreet person, quite the opposite of Namwook. Besides, the latter considers Team Black as his gym. (chapter 22) Moreover, the White tiger is the king of terrestrial beings which coincides with the manager’s function. Namwook is the representative of Team Black. (chapter 7) Thus I believe that together, they will be able to free Joo Jaekyung from his suffering and his mental prison changing his destiny. In reality, the main lead was destined to greatness.

Okay, all this was based on an analysis of the name Seo Gichan, so there is no guarantee that it is the truth. But so far, many of my assumptions were confirmed later. Now, it would be great, if you could give your thoughts after reading this.

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-Twitter-Tumblr account is: @bebebisous33. Thanks for reading and for the support, particularly, I would like to thank all the new followers and people recommending my blog.

Painter Of The Night: The reality of nightmare (podcast/video)

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 2 Comments

Please support the authors by reading the manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the manhwa Painter Of The Night. But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. If you want to read more essays, here is the link to the table of contents of Painter Of The Night.

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

This is my second podcast. I am quite in a hurry, because I would like to share my observations and thoughts concerning chapter 115. However, due to a students exchange, I am still running out of time, as the release of episode 116 is right around the corner. It is still lacking, for I had not the time to write the text. I just took notes, hence I had to speak freely. Nonetheless, contrary to my first podcast, I am now including the pictures. Sorry for the hesitations and my French accent.

Play the video while listening to my podcast.

Like mentioned in the video, one common denominator between episode 83 and 115 is deception. While the guest Lee Jihwa got deceived by his friend with a prank, the learned sir is about to get deceived by lord Song. In my opinion, the latter has already decided to get rid of Jung In-Hun, the moment the learned sir is no longer useful. Why? He needs to eliminate the witness of his intervention. In fact, he just needs to reveal some information in delay. The scholar hated the protagonist Yoon Seungho and he tried to seek revenge on him. He betrayed him on many occasions, thus he looked into his past in order to discover any weakness. In other words, once the Yoons are removed, the schemers plan to frame the learned sir for „Yoon Seungho‘s death“. Hence he abused his position and framed the Yoons in order to cover up his crime!! For me, father Lee and lord Song are following the principle: one hand washes the other. That way, they can keep their hands clean!! And who would expose the learned sir‘s „crime“ to the monarch in delay? Kim… who could appear as a loyal servant to Yoon Seungho, though he couldn‘t stop the tragedy!! Thus the lord had this vision in episode 83. (chapter 83) Besides, don‘t forget that Black Heart got fooled himself and ended up dead. But like I outlined it before, their plan won‘t work because of the butterfly „Baek Na-Kyum“.

So while in episode 111, the learned sir thought, he was getting closer to his dream, he experienced a huge awakening within a few hours. He lost everything and this was done on purpose. The schemers desired him to lose everything so that he would do something reckless out of hatred and envy. The higher he climbs, the harder he falls! The reality is that he is just a greedy, arrogant and selfish man. He was never satisfied with his own life. He thought, he was destined to greatness! Yoon Seungho as the mirror of truth was exposing him to reality which the learned sir rejected in the end. (Chapter 115) The reality was too painful, hence he chose the illusion, thinking that with his new position, he would be able to do anything, especially if he is getting the support from lord Song. In my opinion, he is falling into a trap. He would realize it, if he pondered and didn‘t let his emotions cloud his judgement. Lord Song waited for his suffering and humiliation. By rejecting reality, the learned sir chose the nightmare, a very unpleasant and frightening experience.

https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=song

The painter‘s dreams always come true!

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

The Ghost’s 🥀 Nocturne: 🤔 Choose your fate! ⚰️ 👼

~ Bébébisous33 ~ 4 Comments

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/ghost_nocturne  https://www.lezhin.com/ko/comic/night_song But be aware that this manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link, if you are interested in other manhwas: https://bebebisous33analyses.com/2021/06/06/table-of-contents-of-analyzed-mentioned-manhwas/ And these are the links to the other analyses about The Ghost’s Nocturne: 1. The Mysterious Jae Shin 2. The fragile but powerful prince 3. Devoted curses

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.

Because the Ghost’s Nocturne’s first season has just ended, I felt the need to examine this terrific manhwa again. In addition, it was necessary, as I had developed certain theories like for example Jae Shin and Queen Han Chae-Hee were both the children of a god and a human. Though the side stories in English have not been released it yet, one chapter confirmed my theory. But actually, this thesis was already proven correct much earlier. You’re probably going to ask when exactly, right?

1. Fate, water and nails

The author left all the clues in chapter 31. 😯 The most conclusive evidence is that Jae Shin has a fate (chapter 31) which stands in opposition to the gods and Jae Shin’s brothers. Yeomra and his sons have no fate, for they all have one task: to lead the deceased to the afterlife and judge them so that they can be reincarnated. (chapter 31) But since the main lead has a fate, I deduce that his “life” is connected to death and as such it is not eternal. Under this new perspective, you comprehend why I added the coffin ⚰️ as emoji in the title. Fate insinuates mortality. Observe that he changed from a little boy to a grown-up. (chapter 15) However, his transformation took centuries and this can be explained with his father’s immortality. The proof for his long life are his nails. (chapter 31) It must have taken him centuries to have them long. Besides, I can imagine that there exists no time in the afterlife, because immortality is a synonym for eternity. For the brothers are immortals, they have no real notion of time. Hence they employed the idiom “it feels like it was only yesterday”. Nonetheless, Jae Shin definitely chose to keep his nails long in order to distinguish himself from humans. That’s the reason why he was introduced with long nails. (chapter 5) This is no coincidence that his hand is connected to magic and supernatural powers. But imagine he chose to lose his long nails after being kissed from Lee Nok. (chapter 22) It happened, when the puppy got adopted. The Crown Prince started considering the cute dog as his family, the moment he decided to give him a name. We could say that this was like an adoption. (chapter 22) Though Jae Shin disliked the name, his heart melted, as soon as he got embraced by his lover. (chapter 22) Therefore it is not surprising that he returned the kiss to The Crown prince. (chapter 22) This is important, because through this scene, the manhwaphiles could observe two important changes. Jae Shin discovered that he could make the Crown Prince happy, he could be his source of comfort and joy. Under this new light, it becomes understandable why Jae Shin had a different perception of the mortal world after that scene. His heart had started beating for Lee Nok. (chapter 22) Thus he chose to renounce his long nails on one hand. (chapter 22) What took him years or probably centuries to grow vanished within a few seconds. The loss of his long nails is the sign that Jae Shin is slowly turning into a human.

But there is more to it. Striking is that when the protagonist confided to his puppy his thoughts about the main lead (chapter 31), Jae Shin desired to know more what his lover thought about him. .(chapter 31) He was left unsatisfied. He desired to know how much he meant to him. This reflects Jae Shin’s gradual interest and growing affection towards the main lead. As you can see, Lee Nok is slowly opening up his heart and mind to the puppy Jae Shin, and it is the same for the Ghost prince. The gentle and caring Crown prince’s words can only affect the protagonist.

Then I suddenly realized that this was the place where both had met for the first time. (chapter 1) The pavilion has a huge significance not only in this story, but in manhwas in general. First, the pond with the pavilion is the symbol for the humble and dedicated scholar. Why? It is related to the lotus, which is strongly intertwined with Confucianism and Buddhism.

“In both Confucianism and Buddhism, the lotus flower is seen as a symbol of honest poverty and virtue associated with an aloofness. Poverty and virtue come from the fact that lotus flowers grow in muddy and dirty waters, yet it still has such beauty.” Quoted from https://www.korea.net/TalkTalkKorea/Spanish/community/community/CMN0000004263#:~:text=In%20both%20Confucianism%20and%20Buddhism,it%20still%20has%20such%20beauty.

Consequently, the plant came to represent the upright and faithful scholar. This new meaning was based on Chinese wordplay—lotus (lian) and uprightness (lian) which are homonyms. This explicates why during Joseon period, Korean neo-Confucian scholars loved having quadrangular ponds with lotus flowers in their propriety. This is not surprising that the Crown Prince has a huge pond, as he serves as the role model of all the scholars. Hence he was tasked by his own father to preside the next civil service examination. (chapter 32) And what do these two scenes have (chapter 22) (chapter 31) in common? Water!! Look at the colors the artist C.-R. Jade utilized for Jae Shin’s fall from the building. Blue and green… an allusion to water. Besides, I had already pointed out that water served as a connection between the two worlds. This means that Yeomra’s beloved son was following his destiny. Exactly like the father had predicted. (chapter 3) This is no coincidence that Yeomra met the other deities at a pavilion in the end. The ruler of the Underworld is aware that nothing can be changed. Not even the meddling of ghosts or evil spirits or a god can affect Jae Shin’s destiny which is to become a human. In the past, he gave up on his humanity, for he had to witness the loss of his mother. The latter wouldn’t remember him after her death and reincarnation. This must have pained Jae Shin, since it was, as if he had never existed. Only his immortal brothers and father knew about his existence. The irony is that the protagonist has no idea that his decisions are all predetermined. He has the impression that he is making his own decisions. This panel reflects the contradiction perfectly. (chapter 22) He thinks, he made the decision on his own (meet the prince), yet he chooses his fate, to follow the flow of “water” and as such destiny.

But since he is becoming more and more human thanks to Lee Nok, it is not astonishing that he decided to remain in the human world during Chilseok. The reason is simple. What distinguishes humans from gods is pain! Thus Yeomra and the other gods from the afterlife are connected to punishment. (chapter 1) This helps them to be impartial and as such just, for they can’t suffer. This means that the protagonist was accepting torment and pain for the Crown Prince’s sake. (chapter 31) Naturally, he denied his growing attachment in front of his brothers, yet he couldn’t fool them. Interesting is that the ghost prince justified his choice by imagining that during that night his sex partner would be harassed by many ghosts. (chapter 31) However, the reality was the exact opposite. (chapter 31) The ghosts wouldn’t approach him. Thus I deduce that Chilseok is only affecting Jae Shin and not the other spirits. But why?

2. Chilseok and Jae Shin

In order to get an answer, it was necessary to investigate the signification of Chilseok. And guess what I discovered, these festivities are connected to a forbidden love story. 😮

“On opposite sides of the universe lived Jiknyeo, a young woman who was very good at weaving clothes and Gyeonwu, a young handsome herder of cattle. Jiknyeo was the daughter of the heavenly King and she was so beautiful that she was loved by all of the angels in heaven. One day as Jiknyeo was weaving, she looked out of the window and caught a glimpse of Gyeonwu who was living across the Milky Way. The two soon fell in love and with the blessing of the King they were united to marry and live together. The young couple were so in love that Jiknyeo stopped weaving clothes and no longer would Gyeonwu herd the sheep and cows. This upset the King very much and he decided that they should live apart from each other, separated by the Milky Way.

Only once a year were the couple permitted to meet each other, on the seventh day of the seventh month. On July 7th each year, although Jiknyeo and Gyeonwu were excited to meet each other, they couldn’t cross the Milky Way. The crows and magpies of the universe saw the despair of the young couple and would come together to make a bridge so that they could meet and hug. After spending a short time together, the couple would realize that it would be another year before they could meet again and they would both cry. It is these tears which symbolizes the start of the monsoon season.” Quoted from https://asiasociety.org/korea/chilseok-traditional-korean-valentine%E2%80%99s-day

As the manhwalovers can imagine, as soon as I read this, I couldn’t help myself suspecting that Ananas had chosen this “impossible love story” as a source of inspiration for The Ghost’s Nocturne. Since we have a forced separation and two different kind of people, I think that in her manhwa, the legend about Chilseok is actually based on the love story between Yeomra and Jae Shin’s mother. I don’t think that the god of the Afterworld could leave his palace so easily and for a long time. And now you comprehend why Jae Shin was suffering so much during that night. (chapter 32) (chapter 32) It is related to his origins and as such birth. However, he is not the only one suffering from Chilseok. Queen Han Chae-Hee is going through the same painful experience. (chapter 34) However, contrary to the Crown Prince, she can not choose, for she is now attached to the palace. This can only reinforce my thesis that she is exactly like Jae-Shin, the child of a god and a human. Because the authors created similar panels (chapter 32) (chapter 34), it becomes really obvious that these two figures are completing each other. Why? It is related to Taoism philosophy: the harmony of yin (red-black-female) and yang (blue-white-male). Consequently, I deduce that the Queen and the ghost prince were actually destined to be together, but someone intervened. This means, he didn’t believe in fate.

3. The blind man and his words

If you have already read my essay “Devoted curses”, you are already aware that for me, the blind man is a god from the afterlife. (chapter 30) And now, I can prove this theory. First of all, I detected the presence of Yeomra’s palace in this picture. (chapter 1) The shape of the building is the same. This means that the speaker had already been there. Only agents and other people connected to the afterworld can appear there. In addition, no human can remember the palace once reincarnated. Then, the pupil of his eyes reflected (chapter 30) the red spider lily, the flower from the afterlife. That’s the reason why Jae Shin has red spider lilies as earrings in the cover. This eye we are here seeing is the man’s third eye which looks like a wart. (chapter 30) I had already speculated that the vicious Queen had received her eyes from her father. (chapter 8) Hence he is blind now. Moreover, I couldn’t restrain myself from associating this red eye (chapter 30) to Sauron’s in Lord of The Rings From Tolkien.

This monarch was not originally evil, but due to his greed and ambitions, he got corrupted and became the symbol for tyranny and evil. He became a monster, and later even an evil spirit. However despite everything Sauron got defeated and this twice. Each time when he believed to have won, he was caught by surprise and as such by misfortune. He always lost his power due to the loss of a ring. It was, as if the spirit was trying to fight against his destiny, overlooking that his power was not natural, but based on a small item, a ring. And I feel that the blind man is acting the same way, trying to defy destiny. I would like to point out that his question (chapter 30) implied a certain surprise, he was left in the dark how the Crown Prince was able to meet the ghost prince. Let’s not forget that the protagonist lives in seclusion in the palace, and all his moves are monitored. Besides, when he leaves the palace, he is always followed by guards and his childhood friend. In other words, the man was wondering how it was possible that these two men could meet. He has no idea that Jae Shin was turned into a little white dog. (chapter 1) The word creature is really ambiguous, it can refer to an animal or to a human.

Finally, his meddling can be perceived, when he used prejudices to sow the seeds of doubt in Lee Nok. He described Jae Shin, as if he was like any other ghost. He compared him to a terrible beast. (chapter 34) His warning was to push the Crown Prince to reject Jae Shin and put his distance from him. The irony is that his words were actually describing himself. He appeared the most human, as he was weak and blind, yet his intention is not well-meant. Bringing the couple apart signifies that Lee Nok is left unprotected. He can become the target of humans and ghosts. Striking is that the artist Jade employed black and red as colors, when the main lead remembered his words. This is no coincidence, as the old man (chapter 30) is also connected to red and black. I would even add to fire which contrasts to water. (chapter 22) As you can perceive, he is fighting against the flow of life and as such against fate. He stands for the opposite principle of Yeomra’s (chapter 31)

4. Fate or choice?

But why are they thinking so differently? From my perspective, their different vision originates from their own perception about humans. Don’t forget that Yeomra’s role is to judge the deceased, and if my theory is correct about the blind man (4th god), then he also judges and sentences them. While the other chose to see the positive side in humans, the other came to view them as weak, greedy and bad, hence they are punished. Besides, if the man is truly a god sentencing people, it is quite easy to envision how his power turned him into an arrogant and greedy god. As a deity he could only feel superior to the mortals. This would explain why he would start meddling in mortal affairs.

But there is more to it. My title for this analysis contains an oxymoron. Fate is an antonym for choice, for the former denies the existence of free will.

In philosophy, determinism denies the existence of real freedom, as their point is that humans will make decisions based on their surrounding and their past experiences. They are influenced by their subconscious as well. Besides, by denying the existence of free will, some could come to deny their responsibility for their choices and actions. Like for example they only did it because they had been manipulated or had no other choice (like for example obeying an order). However, since people don’t reflect deeply about the reasons for their choices, they have the impression that they are free to make such a decision. And this declaration leads me to the following observation. Jae Shin is in this exact situation. He has no idea about his fate, only his brothers and Yeomra are aware of it. Thus the god and his sons spoke about his destiny in his absence. (chapter 31) Jae Shin believes that it was his own choice to lose his long nails or to stay with Lee Nok during Chilseok.

But let’s return our attention to this picture. (chapter 30) By letting us see his inner thoughts, the manhwalovers could see the real blindness of the white-haired man. How so? It is because his eyes are only focusing on death and Yeomra’s kingdom. To conclude, his battle is totally futile. Why? It is because he doesn’t know that the main lead is slowly winning Lee Nok’s heart by being a puppy. (chapter 22) In his mind, Jae Shin is still living as a prince among the mortal world. Naturally, his words did affect the Crown Prince, as he could see with his own eyes the change in Jae Shin’s behavior and gaze. (chapter 34) Thus he was reminded of the old man’s advice. (chapter 34) In other words, he was trying to manipulate Lee Nok. He wanted to ensure that the Crown Prince wouldn’t fall in love with the Ghost prince. But in my eyes, the blind man is not recognizing that his intervention was in the end planned. Why? It is because Jae Shin’s transformation into a human is not complete. He is still selfish. (chapter 32) and in denial about his own attachment. By creating a riff between the couple, he pushes the Crown Prince to come even closer to the cute puppy Jae Shin and reveal the intervention from the blind man and confess more about his emotions. Thus the main lead’s wish would come true. (chapter 31)

5. The spirits and ghosts

Because the blind man tried to instigate fear in the main lead, it becomes obvious that in this story, humans are getting manipulated and as such deceived. Right from the start, the manhwalovers could witness the importance of tricks and lies in The Ghost’s Nocturne. Yet, this doesn’t end here. The existence of ghosts is the evidence of the intervention from supernatural beings. It is the way ghosts are created. Deceased who have given up on their name become ghosts and are forced to linger in the mortal world, until they vanish. (chapter 31) In fact, even if they don’t vanish, they can get eaten by evil spirits. (chapter 15) But how are ghosts born? It is because an evil spirit appears shortly after their death, and offer a tempting deal: (chapter 31) But this means that the evil spirit has to be informed of the death of a mortal, because it needs to arrive before the appearance of the agents from the afterworld. This explicates why the deceased didn’t respond to the 3 summons from the messenger and guard of the afterworld. (chapter 31) As you can see, someone is leaking information to these spirits. Because Jae Shin had an access to it before, I am assuming that Queen Han Chae-Hee is somehow linked to this. In my eyes, it must be her father. Moreover, the brothers divulge that this could only happen, when these mortals were about to experience something important in their life: like marriage or probably emancipation of a slave. (chapter 31) Thus I come to the following deduction. Someone is aware of their passage to the other world, hence the puppet master can create a situation where the future deceased is about to have his wish almost fulfilled. Yet their dream gets ruined, for they die. Hence the evil spirit appears and can tempt them with a cheap trick. That’s how they got tricked. As you can detect, everything is pointing out that someone is manipulating the book of names. (chapter 1) Nonetheless, no one detected the fraud so far, for the ghost’s brother mentions that this has rarely happened. (chapter 31) Even Jae Shin had never heard of this trick. The irony is that the statement from the immortal brother implied that this was just a coincidence. Chance stands in opposition to fate. However, the presence of the 3 ghosts next to Lee Nok divulges the existence of a trick!! (chapter 31) 3 is never a hazard. Furthermore I would like to outline that their faces are actually exposing the passage of time. The bride was turned recently into a ghost, and the one appearing as a skeleton should be the first one vanishing. Remember that their time in the mortal world is limited. This explicates why the bride tried to send Jae Shin to Yeom. She initially hoped that her rival would get eaten by this vengeful spirit.

What caught my attention is that the ghost lost all his memories, as soon as she accepted the offer from the evil spirit and gave up on her name. (chapter 31) Anyone reading my essays about Painter Of The Night (especially the one entitled Truth and memories) is aware of the strong connection between name and memories. Without memories, a person loses his or her own identity. Thus people suffering from amnesia or dementia have problems to identify people or even recognize themselves. They feel lost. However, names are important in this story, as humans’ life are determined in the book of names.

All this new information made me realize how different Yeom is!! (chapter 08) She never lost her name and her memories which makes her very similar to a human. In addition, she almost kept a human appearance. But there is more to it. (chapter 13) When she chose her destiny, to be buried alive out of desire for revenge, she wasn’t entirely sure what she would become. The modal verb “might” implies the existence of a doubt about her true nature. In my eyes, she is no real malevolent spirit, for she is telling the truth to Jae Shin. She is giving him good advices. But there is another reason why she is no evil spirit in the end. It is because she is the positive reflection of this evil spirit!! (chapter 34)

Observe that this shadow has no name, no form and shows no empathy. In fact, this shadow appears ruthless and selfish and highly manipulative. (chapter 31) Thus he is able to create ghosts, whereas Yeom’s role is to eat them. (chapter 08) In my eyes, she was created to create a balance in the human world, yet the shaman has the impression that it was her own choice. But it is true? How come that it took her 10 years before she met the monk? (chapter 13) Was it a coincidence? I don’t think so. My reasoning is that this evil spirit (chapter 34) is connected to Yeom’s fate and as such to Han Chae-Hee. Finally, I would like to outline that when the poor shaman was buried alive, her eyes were not covered. (chapter 13) However, as a spirit, her gaze is covered, the exact opposite way! (chapter 13) From my perspective, the intention behind this was that she could use her mind’s eye. In other words, she should be able to recognize the truth. This explicates why she didn’t eat Jae Shin. (chapter 8) I would even say that this former shaman is not blinded by revenge. She is even clear-minded and very intelligent. (chapter 13) She is already aware that someone has been altering the book of names for quite some time. Thus for me, Yeom is the nemesis of this dark shadow and the blind man. And this observation brings me to my final part: Queen Han Chae-Hee.

5. The queen and the evil spirit

Since I consider her as the negative pendant of Jae Shin, I could only come to the deduction that her path is leading her in the opposite direction. Instead of becoming more human, she is gradually losing her humanity. I would even say that she is getting closer and closer to become a ghost, and as such an evil spirit. This explicates why she had no problem to have the shaman’s family killed. (chapter 13) She refused to listen to the shaman’s advice, for she saw her disposition to see ghosts as a positive aspect. (chapter 8) I detected that she is only relying on her eyes and not on her heart. Her behavior diverges so much from the Crown Prince’s statement: (chapter 31) he would listen to his heart to judge the mysterious Jae Shin who seems different from the other ghosts.

While the queen had the impression that her decisions were self-made, I have my doubt here. Why? IT is because I believe that she received her eyes from her father. (chapter 8) Hence she acts like a judge all the time. She sentenced the shaman to lose her family, then she abused a maid for a mistake (chapter 21), and the moment she got reprimanded, she made sure that Queen Yoon got sentenced to die by poison. (chapter 21) For me, her behavior reminds me of the eyes of a god used to punish humans. And what was the consequence of her action? She created the spirit Yeom indirectly. However, the moment the vengeful spirit Yeom was born, there is no ambiguity that she needed help from the afterworld or better said from the huge evil spirit!! But who is it exactly?

I have to admit that I am not sure about his true identity. Striking is that the queen never dared to look at the spirit directly. She used a mirror! It was, as if she was protecting her gaze from the evil spirit. (chapter 34) Her attitude contrasts so much to Lee Nok’s who still looked at Jae Shin. (chapter 34) It was, as if the dark shadow could swallow the “witch”, the queen, if she were to gaze at him directly. One thing is sure. This evil spirit is eyeing at Lee Nok. The Crown Prince stands in the center of this story. On the one side, we have Yeom, Jae Shin and his brothers working together helping Lee Nok, on the other side, Queen Han Chae-Hee is working together with this evil spirit and the blind man. (chapter 34) I don’t think that the white-haired man is the same character than the black shadow, for the latter has no face and no eye. But what does the black shadow want from Lee Nok? It could be that he wished to devour the Crown Prince. (chapter 34) In other words, he wants him to be his companion. It is also possible that this shadow would like to recover his name, as the brother outlined this possibility (chapter 31) But for that, his biggest wish has to be fulfilled.. (chapter 31). He was once a powerful person. Another possibility is that the evil shadow is there to ruin Jae Shin’s destiny. Why? It is because as long as Lee Nok is the prince’s destined partner, Queen Han Chae-Hee is still in danger. Remember that the rule is the balance between yin and yang, and as such harmony between death and life. However, by manipulating the book of names, the “schemers” disrupted the equilibrium in both worlds. While Jae Shin’s role is to bring back the balance between these two worlds, Han Chae-Hee has the opposite function: creating havoc. But her father is in denial about this. He feels legitimated to protect his child. But the more the villain and her supporters fight against the flow of water and as such destiny, the more they are doomed to fail. This means that they will suffer the most in the end.

And now, it is time to close this essay. I would like to outline that the moment the old man intervened and tried to manipulate the Crown prince, (chapter 30), Jae Shin’s brothers appeared. (chapter 30) This is not random, it follows the rule of the yin and yang! Once more confirming that the author applied the Taoism’s principle. Moreover, when the queen makes the following promise to the evil spiritat the end of the first season (chapter 34), she appears cold and ruthless. I would even add that she seems to be a coward, as she uses others. On the other hand, Jae Shin appeared to be brave, for he chose to stay in the human world. Secondly, he revealed his vulnerability and attachment to Lee Nok. He grabbed his hand (chapter 34) and begged his lover to stay by his side. (chapter 34) Red is the symbol not only for love and passion, but also for life, while black oozes coldness, power and control. (chapter 34) But more importantly, the black and white predominance in this panel makes me think of death! Note that in this scene, the queen seems to be cornered, as if she had no choice, for she is getting pressured. Under this new light, my avid readers can comprehend why I selected the title “Choose your fate!” None of the characters is in reality free. Why? They are simply following their destiny, though in their life, they are all making choices.

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.