THE SWORD
OF
ARAMOON
ANATOMY
OF
SAYA
THE CONFLICTED
IDENTICAL
TWIN
OF
EUN SEOM
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  Studio Dragon, the production company of The Sword of Aramoon,
has just released the Character Teaser for Saya, the identical twin of Eun
Seom. The video, which is just as intriguing as the one for the Eun Seom Character, has unleashed a storm of excitement. With a detailed portrayal of Saya and
his emotions, the video shows that Saya is a conflicted man - a man of
contradictions. Lee Joon Gi, the lead actor of The Sword of Aramoon, plays the
lead characters, the identical twins, Eun Seom and Saya, who are at the centre of the high
fantasy-saguek-action tale. As one watches Saya, one is astonished at Lee Joon Gi’s immersive acting performance. One’s adrenalin spikes. One’s heart also breaks. None can deny that Lee Joon Gi is perfect for the role of Saya (and Eun Seom). The actor is setting benchmarks and has raised the bar for actors in the competitive showbusiness industry. Lee is the perfect incarnation of Eun Seom and Saya, the magnificent heroes conjured up by the imagination of two super Saguek writers, Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon.
THE BLUE COLOUR PALETTE
One startling observation is the Saya Character Teaser is in blue tones. The director of the television series uses colour symbolism to evoke mood. The army, the throne room, the clothes, the suits of armour, and the helmets have tints or shades of blue. Even Saya’s hair has a shade of blue. It leaves one with the impression that is different for Eun Seom. The mood is sombre. Blue symbolises sadness, coldness, isolation and loneliness; it reveals
the melancholy and loneliness in Saya’s inner heart.  Saya strides across the great hall filled with the elders and
top advisers of King Tagon. The scene
seems mysterious and foreboding. It alludes to the tension that is going to
arise between the king, who has an unquenchable lust for power, and Saya, his
adopted son and heir.
A HALO AROUND THE HEAD OF SAYA As Saya moves, his head seems to be wreathed by the royal emblem
of the throne. It is like a halo and fits his head like a crown. It foreshadows
Saya’s future in the political system of Arthdal. The warrior’s stately figure is silhouetted against the blue
monochromatic throne room. His clothes sway as he advances towards the
king. His long hair cascades down his shoulders.
  Saya salutes the king and acknowledges his command, ‘I have returned to obey the king’s call.’ One has to assume Saya
has been away from the capital on military missions to put down uprisings and
insurrections across the kingdom. He has been trained for war and combat during
the eight-year interval after Tagon ascended the throne. Saya has been recalled to the
capital by Tagon for a nefarious mission. Evil has reared its head. Saya, who
knows the king's darkest secrets, is a threat to the Arthdal throne. Eun Seom, Saya’s
twin brother, is another threat to Tagon’s power. So, perhaps, he intends to
kill two birds with one stone, once and for all.
 Appointing Saya to be the General Commander of the Arthdal army, he wishes to watch the twin brothers fight a useless war and fight each other to death. Saya, the Prince of Arthdal, who had stayed mainly within the walls of the city when he was younger, dreams to be the most powerful person in Arthdal. His ultimate goal is to take over the kingdom from Tagon, and gain the trust and faith of the people. Learned and educated, Saya understands the ways of the ancient world. He has read many manuscripts and books on wars, warefare, miltary strategies and tactics in the great library in the Fortress of Fire, where he had been confined for 20 years of his life. Cold, composed, detached and dispassionate, he is the brains and
the cunning strategist for the Arthdal army. The superfit and handsome Lee Joon Gi shows his magical on-screen charm that
steals the audience’ hearts as soon as he appears. Imagine Eun Seom, the sexy man-beast, and Saya, the mysterious and cold Arthdal military commander.
THE EYES OF SAYA THRILLS AND CHILLS
The Character Teaser for Saya depicts the absurdly handsome
Saya as a brooding, beautiful hero. Everyone is drawn to his mysterious, enigmatic
charm. Saya appeals to the senses; Saya’s eyes give the thrills and the chills. Saya tops Eun Seom in terms of that certain look in his sexy eyes. He has those mysterious eyes that you can lose yourself in. Drop dead gorgeous, he smoulders with various unexpressed emotions. He, like his twin brother, sets the television screens alight. But, Saya has a different vibe – a bad boy charm.
 
Looking at the intense stare
of Saya, an icy chill washes up one’s spine. Lee’s stunning looks, especially the aura that emanates from his
beautiful piercing eyes, are so powerful that they might also cause
hyperventilation and breathlessness. One cannot deny that he has
that sexy, sensual appeal. His penetrating eyes are fixed on the person in
front of him. He looks mysterious and cold and yet, hot and sexy.   THE GODS ARE WATCHING  Lee is able to convincingly flesh out the character of the cold and calculating prince. His sexy and
magnetic appeal is incredibly
powerful. Is his beautiful
countenance partly due to the skillful hands of the Make-up Department? The focus on Eun Seom’s eyes reveals their importance. Eyes are a symbol of gods – eyes are all seeing and all knowing. Note the pair of eyes on the huge doors. The gods are watching. No evil deed goes unseen or unpunished.
A COMPARISON TWO DIFFERENT ARMIES
 The teaser compares the two
armies. One is the well-trained ‘terror’ army of Arthdal - a killing machine. Believe it or not, the powerful army on
horseback has raised the villainous Targon into a god.
 As the iron age has arrived
in Arthdal, the disciplined army has been amply supplied with iron helmets, iron suits of armour
and horses. But, it is puzzling that it seems that they are not equipped with
iron swords but wooden spears.  Saya heads the army since
Tagon has gotten old, slow and fat. The formidable army looks like a moving forest
from afar.
 On the other end, it seems Eun Seom’s army is made up a collection of disparate clans whose soldiers are blessed with more courage than remarkable tactical war skills and sophisticated weapons. Reality sets in. It seems they have only flimsy masks and spears. Will there be divine intervention? Eun Seom has his magical horse, Kanmoreu. When will his magical Sword appear?
SAYA A COMMANDING PRESENCE
Saya looks stunning and formidable; he is resplendent in his military attire. He wears a winged iron helmet, a helmet decorated with wings on both sides as part of his military outfit. The winged helmet symbolises speed. A thought comes unbidden into one's mind. The wings of the helmet resemble the wings of an angel. On the helmet is the sun symbol. Together, the wings and the sun supposedly symbolize his military prowess or divine nature. Saya looks regal – grand and commanding. The Arthdal general, clothed in his suit of armour with 5 shoulder flaps on each side, looks formidable and majestic, thanks partly to the wardrobe department and partly to Lee Joon Gi himself. 
His stare, which is icy-cold,
chilling, calculating, dispassionate, would turn lesser human beings to stone. His
expression never wavers. One is intrigued by what one sees. A calm military
commander, who is known to be a brilliant military strategist.
  
Adrenalin races through the
veins of the audience. He’s looking at you and past you.
  Saya’s eyes seem expectant; he
seems to relish seeing his twin brother on the battlefield. Sibling rivalry. His
competitive spirit has come to the fore. But, has he planned, with cold
calculation, a cruel defeat for his twin brother?   
Reality sets in as soon as he
thunders his command. ‘Go get Inaishigi!’ The horrible feeling rushes
up. The heart hammers against the ribs. So, it is finally twin brother fighting
against twin brother.      Saya believes that a war
against the Ago union could be prolonged if no harsh measures are taken. Prolonged
warfare would just exhaust everyone. Ten years of war would also take a toll on the soldiers. He is determined to end the hostilities between the two warring parties, once and for all.
 SAYA
Did Saya look at the mirror
before the war? The mirror never lies. It reflects his true feelings. It is as if a mask has slipped. He sees a
face ridden with guilt and unease. Dilemma. An unhappy face. A war rages within his being.
   He cannot reconcile himself
to the fact that he has been forced to fight a warrior who is joined to him at
the head, heart and hip – his twin brother. He balls his fist and smashes
the mirror. He fears what his reflection has revealed.  
He grimaces. Are his nerves
screaming at him? He is visibly disturbed and ill at ease. It seems he is in an
agitated state but need to come to a decision on the important military matter.  
Lee Joon Gi’s transformation
is awe-inspiring. He gets to grip with the complex character of Saya, The scene
highlights the psychology of Saya who is going to war against his twin brother. He is warring with himself. The formerly confident and self-assured
Saya is compelled to go after his twin brother’s blood. His adoptive father has
commanded him to go to war with his twin brother, Eun Seom. Intelligent and
smart, Saya has a keen insight into Tagon’s motives and intentions. Tagon’s war
policies are at variance with Saya's own convictions. Conflicted, he is reluctant
to go to war against his twin brother, Eun Seom. Saya’s face is taut with
anxiety. The immensely troubled prince is in a quandry. His embattled emotions
has made him a tortured soul. He is faced with his decision to go for the
jugular.
 In this heart-rending moment,
the proud warrior, Saya, realises the evil consequences of the impending war.
How would he face the world if his well-armed army should mow down, steamroll and trample all
over Eun Seom’s weak army. 
The audience has a glimpse of
the anguished prince. He is in the depths of despair. Is this his moment of
weakness or strength? Lee Joon Gi’s expression of
his tumultuous inner state gets the audience’s full attention and they are stunned
by the actor’s ability to totally immerse himself into the emotional state of
Saya.
    Tanya, the High Priest and Spiritual Leader of Arthdal, is Saya’s
inspiration. She, a great influence in his life, will be a powerful force that
will dictate his life and military policies.
  ILLUSIONS
In one scene, Saya’s outburst of great anger is telling. Saya raises his sword and plunges it into the table. Rage and fury seem to engulf Saya. In the dark light, it’s as if a man is lying on the table. A horrible cut-up mess. Upon closer investigation, it turns out that there is a spread of food on the table.
    AN ACCUSING FINGER
 An accusing finger is
pointed at someone. Who is that masked person in black robes?
 SEARED BY GUILT
  Will Saya eventually turn
against his brother? The audience think not. It is prophesized that The One Who
Killed His Father (Tagon) will be challenged by The Star-shaped Bell (Tanya),
The Sword (Eun Seom) and The Mirror (Saya).
THE TWIN BROTHERS ARMED AND UNARMED COMBAT
It would be thrilling to
watch the twin brothers fight each other on horseback and have a hand-to-hand
combat on the ground. Eun Seom would have the
advantage of riding on his magical fleet-footed horse, Kanmoreu, and wielding
the magical Sword of Aramoon.   IDENTICAL TWINS SEPARATED AT BIRTH
Kdrama viewers are curious
about the similarities and differences between the twins who were separated at
birth. The Nature and Nurture issue comes into question. In what ways are Eun Seom and
Saya alike or different?
None can deny that Lee Joon Gi is perfect for the role of Eun
Seom and Saya – a perfect incarnation of Eun Seom and Saya, the twin heroes conjured
up by the imagination of two talented writers, Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon. Lee Joon Gi is the actor that
all Kdrama viewers wants to watch. The promotional videos, character teasers,
posters involving Lee Joon Gi and the response of the public reveal that The
Sword of Aramoon is the most highly awaited television series of 2023.
 The Sword of Aramoon, which
is produced by Studio Dragon, is directed by award-winning director Kim Kwang
Sik and written by award-winning writers, Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon. The
television studio also has other award-winning crew in its employ: Photography
Director / Cinematographer Choi Chan Ming, Lighting Director You Seok Moon, Music
Composer Kim Tae Seong, Costume Director Cho Sang Kyung and Art Director Cho
Hwa Sung.
The Saturday-Sunday
television series will premiere on tvN TVING, Disney Plus, Hulu and Star Plus
on 9 September 2023 at 9:20 p.m. KST.   THE MEDIA             |
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