AGAIN MY LIFE
EPISODE 10
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Episode 10 of Again My Life reveals the intelligence and cunning of Kim Hee Woo, portrayed by Lee Joon Gi. The audience sees a different picture of the previously upright and honest prosecutor, who gradually transforms before their very eyes. Those who watch the drama must salute the prosecutor for his genius and enormous ability to manipulate situations to his prosecutorial advantage. This episode also juxtaposes Kim Hee Woo's prosecutorial shrewdness with Cho Tae Sub's political skills. The real political stature of Cho Tae Sub is exposed. Cho Tae Sub, himself, is the chief architect of his carefully crafted public image. He, a man driven to gain power, creates the illusion of a creditable leader and he would manipulate anyone and anything that stood in his way.
The National Assembly sat to decide on the appointment of the Minister of Justice. Before the event, Kim Hee Woo had handed Hwang Jin Yong a list of corrupt leaders of the venerable institution. Cho Tae Sub advised Hwang Jin Yong not to oppose the appointment of the minister just for the sake of opposing it. Hwang Jin Yong reassured him that there would be no problem as long as the candidate was sufficiently qualified. But unbeknownst to Cho Tae Sub, a political storm was brewing.
One is taken by Kim Hee Woo's powerful narrative voice and the complacent smirk that flickered at the corner of his mouth. He is quite a storyteller. His magical voice warns, 'Pandora’s Box is about to open.'
  At the
hearing, Hwang Jin Yong firmly asserted
his stance; he forcefully and tenaciously opposed the nomination of the candidate
put forward for the Justice Minister post. Citing case after case, ranging from military evasion to sexual bribery,   Hwang Jin Yong was posed the question on whether he would
take responsibility for his words and actions, to which he responded positively. It was
a golden opportunity for the prosecutors to investigate all those on the
list. Aggravating the situation, Hwang Jin Yong added that some people
on this list were also drug offenders.    The worst was yet to come. One would have thought that a nominee who was slated to become a Justice Minister would have a spotless background. Hwang Jin Yong was about to explode this myth; he questioned the candidate about how he felt about sexual favours. When the latter denied having ever gotten them, Hwang Jin Yong shockingly disclosed that the candidate’s name was on the sexual bribery list.
He also pointed out tartly that the discredited assemblymen who were in the list were totally unqualified to select the candidate for the crucial position of Minister of Justice; their names were tagged to some tawdry sex incidents. There was no need to belabour the point. What message is being conveyed by the fighter for justice? Those who jockey for power and public office
should rein in their excesses, including promiscuous tendencies, extreme greed for
money and overwhelming sense of entitlement. There
was an uproar when the calm and detached Hwang
Jin Yong continued to read out all the names from the roster of offenders and lawbreakers. Scuffles between rival politicians ensued. Things were thrown in the commotion. The highly detailed expose of the sad state of
affairs of the country controlled by Cho
Tae Sub created havoc among the political pillars of society. The
torrent of scandals and juicy tales, which immediately become fodder for the press,
local and international, and the global internet residents, was enough to
sink the country. The enemies of the public were the corrupt, greedy and privileged elites
who were the destroyers of the country.
Hwang Jin Yong had hoped that when he opened Pandora’s Box, things would get
better. But what followed was to the contrary. He and the other justice seekers had hoped to weaken Cho Tae Sub’s foothold on politics and the prosecution but the wily
senator had capitalised on the expose to strengthen his own power. It was not
what the honest prosecutors had imagined. All, except hope, was lost. Without
hope, life would be intolerable. In Greek mythology, Pandora opened a box filled with evils. People are conflicted about whether Hope, the last to fly out of the box, is also an evil. Kim Hee Woo and his allies were convinced that with the expose on evil, things would get better but to their disappointment, they did not. Hope, could be an evil, if people did not try harder to fix the issue at stake. Does Kim Hee Woo personify Hope? If so, would he turn evil? The fact
was, Hwang Jin Yong had opened a
can of worms. The crisis, however, did not spell the end of Cho Tae Sub’s ‘reign’ but enhanced and
strengthened it. The can was quickly and effectively closed by Cho Tae Sub himself. The crisis, to the dismay of the justice seekers, uncovered more problems and made
things worse for the upright prosecutors.
Kim Gyu Ri and her earnest sidekick, Gu Seung Hyuk in the Eastern Prosecutors’ Office got to
work immediately. The warrant to search the SHC Entertainment would soon be issued and
the witnesses for the sexual bribery case would be scrutinized.  At the Central Prosecutors’ Office, Choi Kang Jin was shocked that a search warrant had been issued to search SHC Entertainment, his father's company.
The polished Kim Hee Woo blatantly offered to help the ruffled Choi Kang Jin. He had assumed a mask of hypocrisy. His veneer of politeness and civility concealed a ruthless determination. The villainous prosecutors would be destroyed one by one. Choi Kang Jin. Jang Il Hyun. Kim Seok Hoon.
   It is at
this time that one is awakened to the changes in Kim
Hee Woo’s personality and the way he dealt with criminals. He had changed
when he was first instructed to arrest Jang Il Hyun but the change was now
more obvious. Was the monster in
him slowly evolving? His smirks seemed malicious. Driven into a corner Choi Kang Jin was compelled to strike a deal with Cho Yoon A, his former girlfriend, whom he had compelled to provide sexual services to important clients.  While leafing through the comprehensive lists of offenders and lawbreakers, Cho Tae Sub, received the news about SHC Entertainment. He ordered the company to be shut down.   The lists he had in hand contained names of 37 people on draft evasion, 50 people with a history of narcotics abuse, and 16 important leaders who were accused of sexual bribery or shenanigans. Kim Jin Woo, his personal aide, emphasized that out of the 100 or so names on the list, 20 of them were connected with SHC Entertainment. They could only save 10 leaders, not more. The country, rocked by so many scandals, was sinking under sin and corruption. There was a lack of moral integrity and moral compass in the national leaders. Cho Tae Sub was not amused.
In fact, he was furious with the licentious politicians, whom he called, ‘idiots’. Calling them idiots was an
understatement. The idiots, who left a distaste in the mouth, had undermined
the security and peace of the country.  .png)  The cold and expressionless Han Ji Hyun, Cho Tae Sub’s secretary, calmly conveyed that the news was already viral all over the internet. Surprisingly, Cho Tae Sub instructed her not to put a rein on the media nor silence them. Those embroiled and implicated in the huge scandals, and whom he did not favour, would not be able to stand their ground; they were to be left for the media to devour them.
The optimistic Cho Tae Sub viewed the crisis as more of a victory than a setback. The irony was unmistakable. A disadvantage had turned into his advantage. Cho Tae Sub was shrewd enough to leverage the scandalous muck into his advantage and accumulate even more power. Those lawbreakers would be at the mercy of the press who would bombarded them with probing and embarrassing questions. They, in the end, would be compelled to turn to Cho Tae Sub for help and in turn, the senator would use them to champion his own personal agenda. He knew
that Hwang Jin Yong had only
disclosed half of the list. The other guilty parties would be worried sick
about whether their names were on the list or not. He instructed Kim Jin Woo to contact everyone on the
list to come to his residence if they wished to be bailed out or spared. Kim Seok Hoon was instructed to take over the
investigation of Hwang Jin Yong’s list from the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office, who
would be relegated to investigating the less important case, SHC Entertainment. Kim Hee Woo was tasked with investigating the source of Hwang Jin Yong’s list. The young prosecutor divulged to Hwang Jin Yong that the Central District Prosecutor’s Office had been delegated the task of handling the case.
Hwang Jin Yong, when informed of the news, was puzzled that Cho Tae Sub, instead of curbing the spread of the bad news, was in fact, encouraging it. He wasn't surprised that the names of the top leaders had been removed from the list.
In despair and desperation, Choi Kang Jin visited Jang
Il Hyun who was in detention. The older prosecutor had realised Kim
Hee Woo's shrewdness of using Kim Gyu Ri, his former course mate in the Eastern Prosecutors’
Office, as a distraction. Jang Il
Hyun laughed at Choi Kang Jin’s personal
mess with Cho Yoon A, which would be his ticket, not to promotion but to prison. Choi Kang Jin begged the inmate to help him. There was only one person who could make his problems
disappear – the powerful Cho Tae Sub. It was unsurprising that the law-breaking politicians from all sides of the political divide were waiting for most powerful man to help them. They
had gathered at his residence as if they were in ‘audience with a king’. The 'king', also a kingmaker, who seemed to rule the country with an iron fist, was seizing more power for himself.  Hwang Jin Yong's plan had failed miserably. It did not reduce his rival’s power but ironically, enormously increased it. Cho Tae Sub boasted to his aides that Hwang Jin Yong’s failed plan would help him achieve true bipartisan cooperation, the centrepiece in his personal campaign. Bipartisanship could be a disaster. It can cloak corruption. Parties become a closed club. Democracy depends on partisanship which focusses on public debate and forces parties to explain their ideas.
Cho Tae Sub resembled a tyrannical king in audience with his officials whom he ordered to kneel before him. He held the future of the guilty parties in the palms of his hands. Those present were properly rebuked for their shameful deeds. Two leaders of the opposition party who had rejected his bills were humiliated. They were ordered to cease and desist whatever they were doing. When they pledged their loyalty to him and accepted bipartisan cooperation, he promised to help them. But since logically, he couldn’t save all their heads, some heads would roll. Those who were saved were not made accountable for their crimes but they had to become running dogs for their evil but powerful master. Evil had triumphed over good. Kim Hee Woo, Lee Min Soo, Kim Gyu Ri and Gu
Seung Hyuk were having a dinner meeting. It was learnt that the
doctor involved in the draft evasion scandal was incommunicado. Was he on
vacation or attending a seminar? That was the question. It was not possible
to track him down. They had committed a mistake of failing to keep a close watch on their witnesses. Lee Min Soo warned Kim Gyu Ri that it was not easy to
catch Choi Kang Jin.
Choi Kang Jin had finally arrived at Cho Tae Sub’s residence. Cho Tae Sub did not mince his words when he rebuked Choi Kang Jin for not following protocol. A small fry like him could not see an important man like the senator without a proper appointment. He could see that Choi Kang Jin was at his wit's end. When the prosecutor placed a file and a flash drive on his desk, he begged the powerful man for help. But 'nothing comes from nothing'. The king wanted
the head of Choi Kang Jin’s father
on a platter. He had, in fact, outrageously demanded that the prosecutor betray his own father, Choi Soo Hyuk.   On his
way out, the panic-stricken prosecutor came face to face with his superior, Kim Seok Hoon, who reprimanded him for
contacting Cho Tae Sub directly. It was a breach of protocol. While
inside, Cho Tae Sub handed over to Kim Seok Hoon a file with 4 names to
be investigated. Cho Tae Sub
briefly mentioned Choi Kang Jin’s
visit. The senator gave him the authority to spare the younger prosecutor
and replace Jang Il Hyun with him.
Handing the list to Kim Hee Woo, Kim Seok Hoon instructed him to proceed with his investigations. On discovering some missing key names, Kim Hee Woo, questioned his superior. The reasoning was Hwang Jin Yong only raised suspicions about their guilt, which were not conclusive. He explained that there must be a reason why some were left off the hook.
Doubt, suspicion, disappointment and anger clouded Kim Hee Woo's mind but he cleverly restrained his emotions.   Shocked by the speed and haste that the warrant was served on him by Kim Gyu Ri from the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office as soon as Hwang Jin Yong disclosed the list, Choi Kang Jin suspected that they had investigated him beforehand. The shrewd Kim Hee Woo, who was a bit of a fox, pretended that he was in the dark about the warrant served on Choi Kang Jin. The younger prosecutor dutifully promised to report his findings to the senior prosecutor.    Meanwhile, Cho Tae Sub and Han Ji Hyun discussed Choi Soo Hyuk’s indictment. Choi Kang Jin had saved his own skin by betraying his own father. It was his ultimate betrayal. Kim Jin Woo reported to Cho Tae Sub that they were tracking down the actors and actresses
involved in sexual bribery but the assemblyman advised his aide to be lenient with them.
  Damage control. Cho Tae Sub presided over a meeting with all the lawmakers from both sides of the assembly to arrest further damage to the the reputation of the National Assembly.
Cho Tae Sub had concocted a strategy to pull wool over the eyes of the public and divert their attention from the scandals that had besieged the members of the National Assembly. His plan was to leak information that there would be an increase in tax rates for certain items like cigarettes and soju. It was just a deceitful ploy to agitate the population with the circulation of the rumours. On the contrary, the truth was they would not raise but lower taxes. It was time to create a new government.    While Kim Gyu Ri was questioning Choi Kang Jin, an upset Gu Seung Hyuk indicated that they had to free the smug and arrogant prosecutor.
The Eastern District Prosecutor's Office is a work of art. When viewed at an angle, one imagines one sees 2 pyramids at the side of the building. A pyramid represents riches and power. In this segment of the story, the pyramids demonstrate the collusion of those
in power and those with wealth. Choi Kang Jin, from a rich family
colludes with a powerful politician Cho Tae Sub, and is able to get
away with his crimes.
Kim Hee Woo exclaimed to Lee Min Soo that every righteous prosecutor had taken a
big hit.
The
felon, Choi Kang Jin, had escaped
scot-free. The medical
doctor, who had endorsed the evasion of military enlistment, had abruptly gone
abroad. Cho Yoon
A, who had without warning left SHC Entertainment, was nowhere to be found. On the orders of Cho Tae Sub, the names of important leaders to be investigated had disappeared from the list provided by Hwang Jin Yong. They all knew that someone powerful was behind all these.
Although disappointed that their carefully laid plans had not come to fruition, Kim Hee Woo was not discouraged. Hwang Jin Yong had expected it. The distressing part of the failed secret campaign of the group was that they did not return to square one; they were worse off than before. Kim Hee Woo was determined to chop off all tails.  Media manipulation. Hwang
Jin Yong argued
that the sly Cho Tae Sub, who was an expert in media manipulation, had
control over the press and the people.
He lamented, 'Cho Tae Sub already controls the press and knows how to use it. He also knows how to cover the people's eyes and close their ears.'  He also pointed out that no matter how hard one went after him, it will all be in vain. 'Not until the prosecution, which is rotten to its core, gets changed completely'. What he meant was nothing would change unless the whole prosecution system was reformed. Kim Hee Woo promised to catch the ones that got away, ‘We’ll create a small crack to destroy the massive dam.’ He had probably expected that the small cracks would become bigger cracks under strain. But, Hwang Jin Yong was skeptical.
 Kim Hee Woo stressed that he only made promises that he could keep. He would not stop until Cho Tae Sub’s true colours were revealed. The senator had to pay for his evil crimes.  Hwang Jin Yong and Kim Hee Woo expressed their respect for each other. Both considered the other to be trustworthy.
 The grim-faced Kim Gyu Ri was furious that she couldn’t pin Choi Kang Jin down. It was hilarious that the news reported that Choi Kang Jin was a righteous prosecutor who had even pressed charges against his own father. There was also the fabricated news that he was the one who gave Hwang Jin Yong the list of corrupt people. The indignant Kim Hee Woo promised to catch the
criminal for Kim Gyu Ri.
Jeon Seok Kyu and Ji Sung Ho dropped in Kim Hee Woo's hiding place where he practised his martial arts skills. They were awed by his mixed martial arts skills in his sparring session with his young student or tu-di, Lee Yeon Suk, who had also improved in his fighting skills. Kim Hee Woo had now graduated to being a sifu or master in martial arts.
The prosecutors wanted to have privacy in their discussions with Kim Hee Woo, which they did not have in the office. Kim Hee Woo confirmed that he was the one who gave the list as well as information on SHC Entertainment to Hwang Jin Yong. Jeon Seok Kyu warned Kim Hee Woo to ease up on his investigations if he wanted to catch a bigger villain. He had to be cautious around Kim Seok Hoon. Kim Hee Woo realised that though his immediate superior seemed indifferent, he was, in fact, aware and had very sharp instincts. Jeon Seok Kyu, in turn, was intrigued by his polite subordinate's inscrutability.       Choi Kang Jin, after getting off the hook, promised to get Jang Il Hyun out on probation even if that meant that he had to beg Kim Hee Woo. He tried to persuade his junior not be that harsh as to debar
Jang Il Hyun but Kim Hee Woo asked him pointedly if he wanted him to tamper with the evidence. Seeing that
his junior would not relent nor submit to his request, Choi Kang Jin left.     THE
EVOLUTION OF A MONSTER  Kim Hee Woo vowed to nail Jang ll Hyun and severely punish him. The question is, ‘Would he be successful if he did not use dirty, underhand tactics?’ The first thing that Kim Hee Woo did the next morning was to visit Sung Jin Mi, Jang ll Hyun's fiancee, in prison.
Casting
Doubt. The young prosecutor informed her that Jang Il Hyun had betrayed her. He cast doubt on Jang Il Hyun’s loyalty to her. The
clever older prosecutor had deceived the press by accusing Sung Jin Mi of using him in her corrupt lifestyle; he had insisted that his involvement in the corruption case had
been fabricated. The prosecutor had an inability to tell the unvarnished truth. In other
words, Jang Il Hyun was a lying, scheming crook.
Revenge.
Sung Jin Mi had to be cajoled to
take revenge on her prosecutor lover who had betrayed her. An eye for an eye,
A tooth for a tooth. Witness Coaching. Kim Hee Woo coached her to shift all the blame onto Jang Il Hyun. When he called her to the Prosecution office supposedly for further questioning, she spilled the beans on her ex-lover in front of the press and accused him of evil crimes. She even cried crocodile tears, as coached by Kim Hee Woo.
Witness
coaching, which is different from witness preparation, is a dark and dirty
secret of the adversarial system. Although the viewers know that Jang Il Hyun, an evil man, should be thrown into prison, they might question Kim
Hee Woo’s tactics and ethics in conducting the controversial coaching which might
promote false or misleading testimony.    The prosecutor and the accused, who were now joined at the hip in a symbiotic relationship, had made a pact to destroy a common enemy. Was Kim Hee Woo engaged in willful deception? Was he betraying his prosecutor's oath and personal principles and slowly turning into a monster? A younger, naïve Kim Hee Woo would not.   
Kim Hee Woo's tactics remind the viewers of his Prosecutor’s Oath, his conversations with The Grim Reaper as well as Woo Yong Soo, his real estate mentor. When The Grim Reaper resurrected him, she had emphasized, ‘You can’t catch the devil unless you become an even worse monster.’ When one watches the tactics used by Kim Hee Woo to bring Jang Il Hyun down, one is shocked by Kim Hee Woo’s ethics or lack of them. The prosecutor was slowly but surely turning into a monster himself. Kim Hee Woo reputation for honesty and devotion to the law is now questionable. His dearly prized values and oath were being compromised.
The chief prosecutor instructed Kim Hee Woo to wrap up Jang Il Hyun’s trial swiftly before it wrecked the the reputation of the whole Prosecution. Jang Il Hyun was sentenced to 7 years in prison. The self-satisfied, complacent Kim Hee Woo smirked wickedly.
    .png) .png)  
The so-called Bribed Prosecutor, Jang Il Hyun, instructed Choi Kang Jin to get back at their junior but the latter was only too happy to get his former superior right out of the picture. Kim Hee Woo did him a personal favour by removing Jang Il Hyun, the biggest obstacle to his promotion. THE SPIN MASTERS (THE CYBER TASK FORCE)
Cho Tae Sub had formulated a way to take over the Chunha conglomerate. Upon learning that Kim Yong Jun, Kim Hee Ah’s older brother, was unreceptive to his ideas, he decided to launch an attack to jab at his reputation through the press and social media. He was making use of the information and handy drive containing a short video that Choi Kang Jin had secretly surrendered to him.
  An
operation to discredit, intimidate and embarrass Chungha conglomerate’s scion, Kim
Yong Jun, by the Cyber Task Force set up by Cho Tae Sub, was set into motion. The Fourth Estate was also used to
manipulate the truth.
The
cyber troopers and keyboard warriors had been spinning information,
misinformation and disinformation across the internet. This time it wouldn’t
be any different except that they were compelled by their supervisor to work
overtime to spin salacious stories and tales about Kim Yong Jun’s affair with a top actress for a week.  A lascivious video probably of their bed scene was uploaded on the internet. This is one of the ways the powerful politician manipulates the media and colour the news. The cybertroopers pummelled Kim Yong Jun's reputation and wrote tales of his naughty sexual adventures for public consumption. He was powerless to defend himself. It is intriguing that the army of cybertroopers had been set up specially to spin news as directed by the senator. But then, every politician has his own army of cybertroopers and even, keyboard warriors, to manipulate and mislead the public. The Fourth Estate or journalists buy into these efforts; they often put their own spin on the news. Those who were victims had to take
whatever abuse or adverse comments hurled at them. The drama takes us into the sick world of the rumour-mongering of cybertroopers and cyberwarriors. This how powerful politicians package and shape the news by misleading, manipulating the public and in certain cases, intimidating the press. Anybody who cares deeply about the future of their country must be trembling with fear and anger.
Kim Hee Ah was at the hospital when she learnt about her older brother’s shameful misconduct. She wanted to keep the salacious news away from her father’s ears but it was too late. There was fire in her eyes when she realised what had happened. Her younger brother, Kim Sung Jun, who was ahead of her, had already reported it to their father. Deeply disappointed in his sons, Chairman Kim Gun Young, Kim Hee Ah’s father, insisted that she joined the Management and Planning Team but again, Kim Hee Ah refused. After the lamentation of her father over the sexual excesses of her eldest brother and the greedy opportunism of her younger brother, Kim Hee Ah finally accepted his decision. She would inherit his position as Chairman of the Chunha conglomerate.
Kim Hee Ah, having invited Kim Hee Woo for drinks, unloaded all her burdens about her situation. She shameless declared that she was compelled to give up her worldly desires, including the handsome prosecutor. The young lady confessed that although he was not physically present in her life, she always felt his spiritual presence. He was her inspiration; she often wondered what he would do if he was in her position.  Divulging that it was impossible for her to lead a normal life now, she had wanted to meet him to say her goodbyes as friends. It was obvious that she was emotional. Although he was cold and detached towards her, one could judge from Kim Hee Woo's eyes that he was slightly moved by her confession. In her frustration, she indicated to him that she yearned for a guy to buy her a doll. When she got up to leave, Kim Hee Woo was suddenly inspired to hold her hand and buy her a doll.
    He bought her a teddy bear. Was he giving her false hopes or was it a momento for her lost dreams? Kim Hee Woo would not allow himself the luxury of a romance with probably one of the richest women in South Korea. She was not his priority. His country was.
  Upon arriving home, Kim Hee Ah found her brothers in a conflict. Kim Yong Jun was furious at his younger brother, Sung Jun for informing their father of his scandal.
They had learnt from their father that she would be the new Director of Management and Planning; they saw it as a threat and a sign of betrayal on her part.
 But Cho Tae Sub tried to convince him to stop the restructuring process in the Chunha conglomerate. He indicated that he would collaborate with those who would work for national interest, not personal gains. Kim Yong Jun shook hands with him.  Cho Tae Sub informed his aides that he would grant Kim Yong Jun his wish. Saying that, he
foretold of the fall of 'a great star'.  There is no denying that SBS’ Again My Life is a stunning masterpiece. Directors Han Chul
Soo / Again My Life, the Best Drama of 2022, seems to encourage visual thinking. The viewer is expected to think and to construct arguments in his mind.
The episode has captured perfectly the corruption, the greed and the excesses of the high and mighty in the political-prosecution-business world. Think of: Ambitions. Passions. Power. Greed. Betrayals. Sexual Excesses. Drugs. Sense of Entitlement. The Manipulation of The Media.
LIGHT AND SHADOW Cinematograhy. Light and shadow is cleverly used to paint Kim Hee Woo's mood particularly his disappointment at their failure to bring down Cho Tae Sub and his lackeys.
ACTING
PERFORMANCE
SBS’ Again My Life Episode 10 is decidedly a compelling episode with exceptionally stunning performances. As expected, it has cemented yet again Lee Joon Gi’s status as one of the best global actors as well as world superstars. Lee, who brings Kim Hee Woo and the drama to life, eclipses everyone with his electric, magical and powerful performance. He has hypnotised the global viewers week after week with his spectacular acting and action scenes. Lee Joon Gi takes us into the dark recesses of the human psyche in Episode 10 of the SBS’ drama adaptation, Again My Life. It is the drama’s insight into the mindset of the prosecutor whose dark side is slowly emerging. His vitrolic stares, radiant eye energy, wicked smiles, triumphant smirks, supercillious looks, lingering gaze, contagious laughter either tug at the hearts of the audience or send chills down their spines. The sound of his narrative voice enlivens the drama. In
Episode 10, the viewer’s sense of right and wrong, idea of justice, ethics
and honesty are being questioned. Although the common man is influenced by
the simplistic idea of what is right and wrong, and black-and-white justice, many may be guilty of being swayed by Kim Hee Woo’s
shrewd and sly tactics and ethics to achieve justice in the Jang Il
Hyun-Sun Jin Mi case. In Kim Hee Woo’s case, it just seemed
impossible to stick to the law because the law can be manipulated by those in
power to twist the arms of the powerless. Is Justice black and white? Kim Hee Woo persuades Sun Jin Mi to betray her fiance, Jang Il Hyun. It is a scene that unnerves the spectator who experiences the ambiguity when observing an upright and admirable prosecutor who is enmeshed in an enterprising but questionable tactic in order to ensure the success of his prosecution case. Fascinating yet quite horrible.       What is most disturbing is that the serious, unethical witness coaching seems all so funny. This sequence has the power to stir and shock when one realises that Kim Hee Woo is beginning to turn ruthless. But Kim Hee Woo cannot be faulted since he is painted as the hero of the drama. His engaging presence makes him sympathetic while the evil ones are not to be pitied. Is the viewer's perception of Kim Hee Woo changed after he successfully prosecuted Jang Il Hyun? Or perhaps one should ask', 'Has Kim Hee Woo realised that he has changed?
In the judicial court, Lee's stare, smirk and smile send shivers down one's back. An icy stare that freezes. The cold and aloof turn of the head. The indifferent and dispassionate look as he stares at his documents. A smirk that transforms into a complacent and diabolical smile which spreads across his face. Yet, the audience is one with Kim Hee Woo in his triumphant moment in pinning down Jang Il Hyun in court. Has the change in his personality escaped their notice?
When Pandora’s Box is about to be opened by Hwang Jin Yong in the National Assembly, a complacent smile is plastered all over Kim Hee Woo’s face. The viewers love his smirks and nasty looks.
  Kim Hee Woo puts on a mask after trapping Choi Kang Jin in a messy sex scandal and then, offers to help. He again smiles and smirks at the latter’s unease. Lee Joon Gi commands top billing for his acting - Kim Hee Woo's princely disdain for the trash that populate the Central District Prosecution Service is impressive.   However, Kim Hee Woo is dismayed when Kim Seok Hoon tells him not to fuss over the tampered list of criminals. Feeling tensed with the thought of injustice, he tries to suppress the tumultuous emotions that are about to erupt. One marvels at Lee's subtle performance.
Lee's youthful exuberance and amazing performance prove to be an outstanding success. No summary can really do justice to Lee Joon Gi's top-notch acting in those extraordinary scenes. ACTION AND MARTIAL ARTS
An analysis of Again My Life doesn’t seem complete without a mention of Lee Joon Gi’s thrilling action scenes. His sparring session with Lee Yeon Suk played by Choi Min is, as usual, exciting. His martial arts skills - high leaps, swift kicks and powerful punches, give colour to the story. Lee again stakes his claim as The Top Action Star not only in this drama but also in the drama world.
 
FASHIONABLE AND STYLISH WARDROBE
Lee Joon Gi looks gorgeous and stylish in all his suits, and long coats, particularly the eye-catching grey one that he wears at the opening of Episode 10, which highlights his good looks and height. He outshines everyone who wears long coats in the drama and in other dramas. Lee dazzles as Kim Hee Woo, the most dashing and stylish prosecutor. KIM HEE
WOO AND KIM HEE AH Kim Hee Woo and Kim Hee Ah's lovey-dovey segment, which lasts only a few minutes, is filled with melancholy as the latter's love, which is on open display, is unrequited. Kim Hee Woo has made Kim Hee Ah fall in love with him – with his intelligence, wit, humour, good manners, kindness and warm personality.
But, the gorgeous hunk, however, has kept an emotional distance from her. Distraught over the possibility that they would have no future together, the wealthy heiress, bares her soul one last time hoping to touch his heart. Kim Hee Ah, portrayed by Kim Ji Eun, indicates that her worldly desires include him. Though the man from the future could not offer her his love, he knows he has to do something to make her happy. He buys her a doll on a whim. It seems he is ready to cater and indulge her desire. Clearly, she is happy with just the teddy bear. Poor girl. The heart-breaking and amazingly poignant scene resonate with the audience who fall under their spell. Their moving performance has reduced many viewers to tears.
 The physical appearance of veteran actor, Yoo Dong Geun, is quite a pleasant surprise. One has anticipated the actor to play the epitome of the opposition - a clean-shaven fiery, fist-thumping assemblyman Hwang Jin Yong.
But, instead, Yoo Dong Geun has chosen to interprete Hwang Jin Yong, his Again My Life character, differently. He gives the jaded, worn-out, unshaven veteran politician a mustache and a short, prickly beard. The Hwang Jin Yong that the viewers see is slow, exhausted, and plods around due to his years of relentless, unsuccessful struggles against the powerful, corrupt, greedy and deceitful politicians led by the evil Cho Tae Sub.    However, the
audience approve: the moustache and tiny beard suit the persona of the honest, right-thinking politician who fights for the citizens and gives them
hope.  Lee Kyoung Young’s Cho Tae Sub seems quite benign at the beginning. Even when he approves of a murder to be carried out, he doesn’t seem that evil. It is because it is Kim Jin Woo, his ruthless and evil aide, played by Kim Young Hoon, who suggests it. It is only when Hwang Jin Yong sets off the bombshell - a list of leaders and people involved in draft evasion, drugs and sexual bribery, that the audience see Cho Tae Sub's true colours.
One shudders when Cho Tae Sub assumes the persona of a tyrannical 'king' expecting his asinine partners in crime to be present in an audience with him and prostrate in subservience before him. It is then that villainous Cho Tae Sub begins to look menacing and intimidating. Moreover, his tapping on the table with his fingers creeps out the viewers. It is unsurprising that the audience would not put up with any of his authoritarian nonsense; they hope that their beloved hero, Kim Hee Woo, like Speedy Gonzales, would speedily make mincemeat of him.
It is undeniable that Episode 10 of SBS’ Again My Life is a splendid masterpiece. |
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