TSWWTN: EPISODE 16

THE SCHOLAR WHO WALKS THE NIGHT EPISODE 16

Lee: Promoting his V channel

Lee: Promoting his V-app

Kim Sung Yeol: The handsome vampire in his militia uniform

Masked vampire: Intense eyes

Lee Joon Gi: Charming smile

Lee: A different vampire

TIME BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF

https://instagram.com/p/67BVI0Aofi/?taken-by=actor_jg

TWO WEEKS

https://instagram.com/p/66VzJyAoeG/?taken-by=actor_jg

TWO WEEKS

https://instagram.com/p/66jdv8goQg/?taken-by=actor_jg

https://instagram.com/p/7AwgtIAoRq/?taken-by=actor_jg

https://instagram.com/p/7Aw4ZdAoSc/?taken-by=actor_jg

https://instagram.com/p/7AKpdfgoXo/?taken-by=actor_jg

CHANGE

MAN IN THE MIRROR KING LEE YOON    In the drama, ‘The King Who Walks The Night’, King Lee Yoon is playing is own ‘cat and mouse game’ with Gwi. Gwi expects everyone to bow to his commands and play by his rules. Interestingly, King Lee Yoon knows the rules of the game and pretends to send out an order to catch Kim Sung Yeol because the Prime Minister complains that someone in a black robe is preventing the virgin girls from being dragged to Gwi’s underground palace. What the Prime Minister does not know is that his king is wearing Kim Sung Yeol’s robe underneath his kingly robes. When the Prime Minister has left, the King gives the Deputy Prime Minister meaningful glances. In one scene where King Lee Yoon is being disrobed by the queen, he seems anxious about Kim Sung Yeol’s whereabouts. He is seen wearing Kim Sung Yeol’s black robe. He has made a decision to open his eyes to the reality of the situation and secretly rebel against Gwi. The queen asks him gently, ‘Are you not afraid of Qwi?’ Much to the viewers’ delight, Episode 16 reveals a dramatic turn in King Lee Yoon’s attitude and philosophy of life. Unlike his reserved self, he finally opens up emotionally to his queen. He responds that many people have sacrificed their lives for him and implies that he has always been a coward. Does it sound just like the response one would expect from King Lee Yoon? It is as if King Lee Yoon has been looking at the ‘man in the mirror’. He seems to regret that in his past obsession to rid Gwi from the Joseon kingdom, he has even tried to sacrifice his childhood friend, Jo Yang Sun to Gwi. He has been afraid and quite naturally, he has lost himself in his fears and has become a useless king who is unable to think clearly to help his subjects. He has been so committed to a narrow view of the events that he has also lost his former friend and aide, Noh Hak Yong to Gwi. Seeing that Noh Hak Yong has become a mindless vampire under the control of Gwi eventually forces him to snap out of his cowardice and folly. It quite obvious that King Lee Yoon has tortured himself over the classic question of whether to kill 1 person or let 100 people die. Is it the moral duty of King Lee Yoon to save as many lives as possible in any given situation? If he values human life, should he always prioritise saving as many people as possible? Therefore, one innocent person will be sacrificed so that many other people may live. Does King Lee Yoon ever think that the value of human life, even one, is immeasurable? Does that one person has a right to life? Is King Lee Yoon justified in disregarding Jo Yang Sun’s rights in favour of the greater good of the Joseon Kingdom? Is it morally permissible to kill one innocent person to save the lives of more people? There has been, of course, a struggle within himself but now that he has overcome his baser instincts, the memory of his deplorable actions shames him and makes him shudder. Even his hands shake upon remembering his past actions. At first, his vision is clouded and prevents him from choosing wisely and correctly. However, he has grown stronger, so, he wants to be more responsible in his decisions. He also tells his queen firmly that she should not endanger herself. He lovingly discloses that should she be sacrificed, he would not have the strength to fight anymore. Obviously, the queen is touched by his love because even her father has failed her miserably in this respect.  King Lee Yoon is convinced that if he has to sacrifice another human being, he will not do it. It is a 360° turn or shall we shall say it more correctly, a 180° change from his former self. It is a pleasant, though surprising turn of events. He has properly addressed his problems. So, the truth as he has previously seen it, is very subjective and twisted. King Lee Yoon has finally changed for the better. Change is a constant in human lives so viewers are not surprised. The king’s forlorn look and trembling hands make them sympathise with him. Changed: King Lee Yoon Throughout the episode, the king does not have to weigh the positive aspects of the issues against the negative ones anymore because he now fully understands what he needs to do.

THE JOSEON ROYAL ROBES THE WAY TO DISROBE THE KING King Jeongjo, Joseon Dynasty  Ming Dynasty Dragon robe In one sequence, King Lee Yoon is seen to be slowly and gently disrobed by Queen Choi Hye Ryung, First, in order for the queen to ease him out of his heavy crimson red and gold Dragon robe, the handsome King Lee Yoon, like an eagle, stretches out, with arms extended . The robe, called the gonryongp, is a circular collar robe. This royal everyday attire of the Joseon king has been influenced by the imperial culture of the Ming Dynasty of China. While the Chinese Dragon robe is yellow in colour, the Joseon Dragon robe is red. Red indicates ‘strong vitality’. The royal attire is worn with a black official crown called the ikseongwan with two wings, one on each side. Normally, a dragon emblem is embroidered on a large and round motif which is sewn on gonryongpos. The viewer notices that King Lee Yoon’s red Dragon robe has 4 golden embroidered circular motifs, each with a golden dragon emblem.  There is one on the chest and another at the back of his robe, and one on each side of the shoulders of his flared sleeves. For the king’s robe, the dragon has five claws whereas the attire of the crown prince has a four-clawed dragon emblem and the first son of the crown prince has a three-clawed dragon emblem. Five clawed dragon emblem Second, Queen Choi Hye Ryung unfastens the beautiful jade (gakdae) belt that hangs loosely around his waist. Third, she unties the long straps that hold the Dragon robes together at the waist. Fourth, she takes off a strip of cloth from the collar. Fifth, she uncovers the robe to reveal another robe within. Lo and behold, to the shock of the viewers, he is wearing vampire Kim Sung Yeol’s magic black robe which has made the vampire impervious to the sun’s rays and makes it possible for him to move around like any ordinary Joseon resident in broad daylight. Unlike the good vampire Kim Sung Yeol, Qwi, the evil vampire is forced to be a creature of the night.

QWI THE OLD JOSEON BULLY DESTABILISING THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Gwi does not like the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister, Noh Chang Sun, is so calm and collected so he seeks to destabilise him. Well, the arrogant vampire wants everyone to be in terror of him, to bring them to their knees and to control their thoughts. He summons the poor old man to pay him a visit at his underground palace with the purpose of having a meeting of ‘old’ men. Gwi is also old, being more than 120 years old. It is bullying time. Psychological bullying. Gwi is playing mind games. The viewers know at once who would win this game for the two ‘old’ folks. One is already old. The other, though very, very old, is still very energetic. He is good at playing games since he has been practising for more than 120 years. Gwi, the old devil, announces that he has a gift for the overwrought and tensed minister. He calls out playfully like a seductive lady, ‘Come, come closer!’ The jittery old man creeps forward. Suddenly, he commands,  ‘Now, look behind you!’ Upon turning, the old minister receives the shock of his life. He is facing his very own grandson, Noh Hak Yong. Gwi slashes Noh Hak Yong’s face with a dagger and blood trickles down his face. Gwi’s new trainee vampire licks his own blood. He is one of the undead - a mindless zombie-like vampire henchman who is under the spell of Gwi. The old man is overwrought with pain, and Gwi fully indulges himself in the old man’s suffering. The pitiful old minister is so distraught that he pleads with Gwi to kill his grandson to end his obvious suffering. In another cruel scene, Gwi knows that Noh Hak Yong’s grandfather is near the underground palace. He purposely sends him to kill his grandfather. Kim Sung Yeol appears and they fight. Kim Sung Yeol is comparatively weaker and cannot overcome the other vampire although he has just drunk the blood of the Prime Minister. He is not able to overcome his beastly instincts after seeing fresh blood trickling from the wound on the Prime Minister’s neck. After his blood feeding, Kim Sung Yeol changes back  into his black robes to continue his search for Jo Yang Sun. Kim Sung Yeol: Furious with the Prime Minister The Prime Minister is tied up Kim Sung Yeol and the Prime Minister King Lee Yoon, a sharpshooter, unexpectedly appears and fires an arrow at Noh Hak Yong when he sees Noh Hak Yong attacking his grandfather. Kim Sung Yeol: Fighting But that does not kill him. Kim Sung Yeol fights the vampire with a sansa dagger but is not able to overcome him, so he drops the dagger hoping that the king would be able to pick it up and thrust it into the heart of the tortured vampire. King Lee Yoon hesitates.  Noh Hak Yong: Sudden awareness Suddenly, Noh Hak Yong becomes aware of the presence of his former master, King Lee Yoon. The cloudiness of his mind has been lifted, and he begs King Lee Yoon to kill him.  King Lee Yoon: The Question - To kill or not to kill? The king seems to have cold feet, so he abruptly catches hold of King Lee Yoon’s hand and forcefully drives the dagger into his own heart. Vampire Noh Hak Yong: Dead

THE HEATED EXCHANGE BETWEEN  KING SUNG YEOL AND KING LEE YOON CHANGE Confrontation: Kim Sung Yeol and King Lee Yoon Kim Sung Yeol tries to save his beloved Jo Yang Sun upon learning that she has gone to sacrifice herself to Gwi but the palace militia and the advancing dawn impede his movements. Kim Sung Yeol meets King Lee Yoon Then, a man in black robes approaches him and he is brought to meet with the mysteriously veiled King Lee Yoon, also attired in black robes. A partition separates them. King Lee Yoon’s questions Kim Sung Yeol’s intention in the struggle against Gwi. He wants to find out his stand on the issue of helping the Joseon people. Downcast eyes:  Kim Sung Yeol talks to King Lee Yoon With his eyes cast downwards, Kim Sung Yeol launches a heated exchange with the king. He argues that he also wants to work for the good of the people. He does not mince his words when he says he has previously parted ways with the king. He looks furious and his voice trails away in disappointment. King Lee Yoon raises a few pertinent issues, one being, ‘Does he have any expectations of the puppet king who is now under the control of Gwi?’ With a voice heavy with sarcasm, Kim Sung Yeol asks, 'What hopes can someone like me, who is similar to vampire Gwi, have?' Kim Sung Yeol being threatened by King Lee Yoon's guards He then violently yanks the partition aside and finds himself confronting the king himself. Confrontation: Kim Sung Yeol and King Lee Yoon Kim Sung Yeol and King Lee Yoon The king’s voice hardens as he continues with the tensed exchange of words with the vampire. ‘Does Kim Sung Yeol expect the king to change his stand on this issue? ‘The king taunts him about his willingness of casting aside his 120-year old resolve to destroy Gwi for the love of one woman. With a voice quavering with emotion, Kim Sung Yeol asserts determinedly that despite having a vampire’s body and blood lust, he still has a human heart.  He exclaims in a rising voice that he is not a beast and he has not lost his humanity. He has not forgotten Crown Prince Jung Hyun’s purpose of getting rid of Gwi. The next moment, he drops his voice and with a voice which is thickened with emotion, he pronounces that for that long stretch of his vampire life, he loves only one woman. The two men has a contest of staring grimly at each other, with Kim Sung Yeol’s stony eyes penetrating fixedly into the king’s eyes. Kim Sung Yeol then makes his intentions crystal clear that he would give up neither. What he says seems to cut through the silence of the place. Surprisingly, at this point, the king requests that they fight together against Gwi. Kim Sung Yeol in a conversation with King Lee Yoon But, it is Kim Sung Yeol’s turn to bombard the king with probing questions. His eyes burn into the king's eyes when he launches his series of questions. The crucial questions hang in the air. ‘Would he allow people to be sacrificed to Gwi in order to destroy him?’ ‘If people are to be sacrificed, would it not mean that Gwi is in power?’ ‘Is his fight actually for his people or for vampire Gwi?’ ‘If it is for the people, is the king willing to abdicate or renounce the throne?’ The viewers wait with bated breath for the king’s answer. The king is not shocked by the challenging questions that have been posed with such vehemence by the vampire. He does not disappoint when he exclaims that he would be prepared to lose his life for the people. Kim Sung Yeol is happy that the response to his questions have indicated that the king has changed. The king’s positive response elicits a satisfactory amount of respect and approval from Kim Sung Yeol. GRAND LARCENY REUNITING THE STOLEN ROBE WITH ITS RIGHTFUL OWNER Unexpectedly, the king returns Kim Sung Yeol’s precious black robe, for which he is thankful. The king apologizes for the queen’s theft. In modern times, Queen Choi Hye Ryung could be charged with grand theft or larceny for stealing Kim Sung Yeol’s priceless black robe. She obviously has the intent to deprive him of his property but King Lee Yoon, on the other hand, has no intention of keeping it permanently. Kim Sung Yeol is more than happy at that moment to drop the charges since they are now on good terms. They are on the same side of the conflict. He tells the king the startling revelation that although Gwi has sucked the blood of the women from Jo Yang Sun’s mother’s lineage, nothing untoward has happened to him. ‘What this means is, even if Jo Yang Sun is sacrificed, her blood cannot kill Gwi!’ Jo Yang Sun is probably in Hwayang-Gak. The king begs him to save Jo Yang Sun. Kim Sun Yeol wears his special black robe, complete with a mask and a gat. The camera focuses on the intensity and the determination in his eyes as he leaves the place to find Jo Yang Sun.

THE WOMEN AND THE MEN THEY LOVE

SOO HYANG AND KIM SUNG YEOL THE MADAM Hwayang-Gak, a house of entertainment, is not conducting its usual business of welcoming its male clients into the arms of the courtesans. There is a beehive of activities there. It does seem very fishy that young virgin girls from the villagers are arriving in great numbers at the entertainment house. The royal mandate from King Lee Yoon under pressure from Gwi is that before every full moon, one virgin girl from each village must be sent to Gwi for his blood feast. This edict is passed with the purpose of luring Kim Sung Yeol out into the open to fight on an uneven playing field. Soo Hyang is playing the role of looking after the girls, as ordered by Gwi. Before that, as a gisaeng, she has been running a legal entertainment centre looking after the yangban or scholar officials and the traditional ruling class. Now, it is as if she is running a vice business of procuring girls to be feasted on by Gwi. How low has she become? The young girls are crying pitifully. She is not any different from the usual prostitute ‘madam’ who prepares prostitutes for their clients. She prepares the girls for the Prime Minister to choose for Gwi. Make-up is being applied on the faces of the young girls to improve their physical appeal. Has Soo Hyang changed? Does she feel for the young girls? Is she doing this for Kim Sung Yeol because he is too weak to fight Gwi? Gwi can easily defeat Kim Sung Yeol especially because he has lost his special magic black robe. Why is she helping to do all the dirty work to sacrifice these girls for Gwi’s blood feast? Why would she want to do this as it would lure a very much weakened Kim Sung Yeol out?  Why does she go against the wishes of Kim Sung Yeol for whom she has declared her love?  Previously, for his sake, she has quietly gone to request that Queen Choi Hye Ryung return the special black robe to its rightful owner but the queen has refused. She has declared to Queen Choi Hye Ryung that she loves Kim Sung Yeol. He has saved her life and she has served him since then. She will do much more for him. Love is complicated. Soo Hyang knows that Kim Sung Yeol loves Jo Yang Sun. Why would she want to send Jo Yang Sun to be sacrificed to Qwi? Part of Episode 16 relates to the suspicion, entertained at least for a while, that Soo Hyang might be jealous of Jo Yang Sun since she is willing to go against her moral or ethical values to help Jo Yang Sun sacrifice herself.  She is also going against Kim Sung Yeol’s wishes. Jo Yang Sun has said that it is her choice to sacrifice herself, so what? Does it give Soo Hyang the moral license to send Jo Yang Sun down the path of self-destruction? Even if she believes in the assumption that Jo Yang Sun is the crucial weapon against Gwi, Jo Yang Sun’s life is on the line. Jo Yang Sun will surely die, and Kim Sung Yeol will be heartbroken. Would she want the person whom she professes to love - to die of a broken heart? Does she really love Kim Sung Yeol? Is she misled by the fact that the life of one person can be sacrificed or exchanged for the lives of the multitude? The most interesting part in this Gwi-related business is when Soo Hyang meets Jo Yang Sun at the gisaeng house. The two women who love the same man look at each other. When the viewers watch the way Soo Hyang gazes deeply and intensely at Jo Yang Sun, are they wondering about her thoughts? Was she thinking of Jo Yang Sun’s sacrifice for Kim Sung Yeol, or was she thinking of her own unrequited love for the same man? Soo Hyang applies colour on Jo Yang Sun’s lips using vermillion paper, and also rouge on her face. She inserts eye-catching accessories in her hair. Jo Yang Sun wears a stunning hanbok.  The top part of the hanbok or jegori  which is indigo in colour has a red gorum or ribbon. The collar is blue and white. The jegori is well-matched with a peach-coloured chima or skirt. Purple (indigo – dark purple) and orange (peach – light orange) are complementary colours, so, the colours stand out clearly.    Jo Yang Sun: a stunning beauty Jo Yang Sun looks stunningly beautiful in the scene. When she tearfully calls the scholar softly to ‘stay strong’, the viewers’ hearts soften, and they cry with her. Are the viewers also crying for Soo Hyang? Soon Hyang brings Jo Yang Sun to Gwi's underground palace In the end, when Soo Hyang realises that Jo Yang Sun is not the key person who would bring about Gwi’s downfall, she tries to top Gwi from biting Jo Yang Sun. She even offers herself to Gwi but he rejects her. This act may have exonerated her from her previous grave mistake but the damage is already done. Viewers are interested to know Kim Sung Yeol’s reaction? In his eyes, what does she represent? Will he eventually forgive her for her blunder?

QUEEN CHOI HYE RYUNG AND KING LEE YOON THE ICE QUEEN The cold Queen Choi Hye Ryung loves King Lee Yoon dearly. She has stolen Kim Sung Yeol’s black magic robe for him. When he shares with her that he has changed his mind about sacrificing Jo Yang Sun and that he does not want any of his subjects to be sacrificed in the process of destroying Gwi, she agrees with him.  The queen has made it her policy to obey her man, and so, when Jo Yang Sun insists on being sacrificed to Gwi, she remembers the king's commands. She explains to Jo Yang Sun that the king wants to prevent his subjects, including her, from being sacrificed to the vampire. The queen tries to stop Jo Yang Sun from entering Gwi’s underground palace but to no avail. In this aspect, viewers can see that she respects the views of the king. Is it also her way of showing her love for the king?

JO YANG SUN AND KIM SUNG YEOL  IDEAL LOVE The love of Jo Yang Sun and Kim Sung Yeol is an enduring ideal love.  When one thinks of romantic love and chivalry, their love comes to mind.  Even when the chips are down, that is, when Kim Sung Yeol loses his protective back robe, he still tries to protect her with his life. They have gone through fire and water to preserve their love. Kim Sung Yeol searches for Jo Yang Sun Jo Yang Sun requests Soo Hyang to help her to return to Kim Sung Yeol the present he has given to her, that is, the sansa locket, and also to pass to him a letter. In another scene when the Deputy Prime Minister discovers that Jo Yang Sun or Seo Jin would be offering herself to Gwi, he shows her the way to the underground palace, believing that she would be able to kill Gwi. The Deputy Prime Minister recognises Jo Yang Sun It is shocking that everyone, except Kim Sung Yeol, believes that she is the ‘One’ who would be the salvation of the Joseon Kingdom. None, it seems, in the very first place, wants to save her except for the one who truly loves her, that is, Kim Sung Yeol. Kim Sung Yeol in his black robe and mask Kim Sung Yeol's stupendous flying kick The Prime Minister: obnoxious Kim Sung Yeol goes to Hwayang-Gak to find Jo Yang Sun. He manages to knock a military official out and then, borrows his clothes. Kim Sung Yeol looks amazing in the uniform for the high ranking military officials. The maroon red and black uniform with lavender sleeves fits him so well. His attire, with his black felt hat which is adorned with peacock feathers, makes him look incredibly handsome. Kim Sung Yeol looks splendid in his militia uniform  with a hat which is adorned with peacock feathers He rushes into a room full of girls who are to be sacrificed to Gwi, and questions them about Jo Yang Sun. When he spins and kicks a few officials, he looks so impressive. Kim Sung Yeol reading Jo Yang Sun's letter The tall and handsome Kim Sung Yeol rushes here and there to rescue his beloved. Doesn’t that seem so romantic? Then he finds her letter and the sansa locket that he has given to her in one of the rooms. Sansa locket Kim Sung Yeol: sad The letter that she has written, although containing a lot of poetic mumbo-jumbo, does sound so romantic. It seems like poetry and music rolled into one, and can only be easily understood by the two lovers. But the gist is that she is taking back all the lovey-dovey words that she has said to him before, and is bringing her memories with her to her death. Does it mean that she is not leaving anything for him to remember her by? Kim Sung Yeol remembers his happier days with Jo Yang Sun What are her words  that she is taking back? They are: ‘I will do everything you say.’ ‘When I die, remember me, just like how you remember your past love. Don’t forget me.’ But what she requests now is that he should forget her. She is thankful that he has saved her life and now she’s repaying him by offering herself to Gwi, to take revenge for the terrible things that he is responsible for – the death of his first love, Lee Myung Hee, and his transformation into a vampire. She will sacrifice her life so that Kim Sung Yeol can live. Soo Hyang goes into the underground palace together with her. When she appears before Gwi, he thinks that her blood smells good. He thinks her blood must have driven Kim Sung Yeol crazy. He is interested in their romantic relationship and whether they love each other. She confesses that they love each other and that she also knows that Kim Sung Yeol is a vampire. Gwi questions her as to whether she knows how long their love would last. According to Gwi, Kim Sung Yeol will maintain his good looks by feasting on human blood. He will live for tens of thousands of years. She, instead, will become old as time passes by, and then die. She responds by saying she does not care even if she dies because her heart will be at rest, and she taunts him that he, Gwi, will never know the meaning of love. Gwi is undaunted by the remark. He says he has made a mistake once by falling in love. It is his first and last love. His partner has secretly given birth, so he is forced to kill her because of the rumour that his descendants could kill him. He could not find his daughter. He has read the names of those biologically connected to him in Crown Prince Jung Hyun’s diary, and he has sucked their blood and killed all of them. He seems to sense that Jo Yang Sun has been bitten by a vampire before and so, he lifts her collar to look at her scar. She has not changed, but could she have vampire blood? Gwi is about to feed on her when she calls out Kim Sung Yeol’s name. The scholar makes an opportune appearance. Kim Sung Yeo glowered venomously at Gwi. Kim Sung Yeol fights Gwi

QWI Gwi has been wondering why humans would sacrifice themselves for love. Is there any suitable girl in the Joseon Kingdom for this pathetic vampire? Sorry, since he is such a wicked, bloodthirsty vampire who is beyond redemption, no match can be found for him. Unless …

EPISODES 15 AND 16 Viewers are extremely excited about the two episodes as the storytelling gets more and more thrilling. The exciting and well-paced story, produced by the cast production, has gripped the attention of the viewers. The panoply of unforgettable characters that the writers have created and developed make the drama a beautiful dream. Lee Joon Gi, as usual, astounds all viewers. He has fleshed out his character completely until he becomes the agonized vampire himself. His acting is so superior, especially in the romantic scenes with Lee Yu Bi when he uses his eyes to portray his emotions, and also his confrontational conversation with King Lee Yoon. His portrayal of Kim Sung Yeol has bought depth and believability in his interpretation of the character that isn’t totally black or white. His performance in these two episodes leaves the viewers thirsty for more, and has elevated his status as a very brilliant actor. It is really worth the wait every week to watch him perform. Lee Yu Bi's scenes as the romantic girl in love are very touching, especially in the piggy back ride scene. Max Shim Chang Min, Lee Soo Hyuk and Kim Soo Eun do not disappoint either. Max Shim Chang Min has to be commended for his performance as the regretful king who is ashamed of his spineless and weak past.  Lee Soo Hyuk looks splendid in his cocky appearance when barging into the palace and making an exhibition of himself in front of all the palace officials and humiliating King Lee Yoon. Kim Soo Eun earns our respect for her touching performance as a dutiful wife. Yeo Eui Joo’s acting seems credible especially in Noh Hak Yong’s moving death scene. Kim Myung Gan as the Deputy Prime Minister and Son Jong Hak as the Prime Minister seem to have given a more interesting performance in these two episodes. The drama, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’, is by turns, exciting, funny, frightening, emotionally stimulating, educational, inspirational, and devastating. The stories each week are so exciting and immensely entertaining and it is a real feast for the audience. The drama whets one’s appetite for more.