THE SWORD
OF
ARAMOON
EPISODE 2
LEE JOON
GI’S
GROUNDBREAKING
TOUR DE FORCE
ACTING AND
ACTION
PERFORMANCE
IN
THE SWORD
OF
ARAMOON
THE
GROUNDBREAKING
2023
TELEVISION SERIES
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 Episode 2 of The Sword of Aramoon
is a study of war; it is redolent with lavish detail of the perilous war
between the Ago army and the Arthdal army, a clash between the identical
twins, Eun Seom and Saya, a god and his brother, and involving a divine horse
and mortals. This episode, which gives the audience a second look at the
exciting and magnificent battle with blow-by-blow images, is brought to life by
Lee Joon Gi in his dual roles of Eun Seom and Saya; Director Kim Kwang Sik;
Choi Chan Ming, Director of Photography; the action and martial arts
choreographers and other members of the cast and crew. The wardrobe
department must be praised for the beautiful and intricate details of their
work, particularly Eun Seom’s war attire. The depth and complexity of the
narrative must be credited to Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon, the
screenwriters, but ultimately Lee Joon Gi should be lauded not only for his
exceptional ability to seamlessly slip into the roles of the twins with polar
opposite personalities and characters, but also his awesome martial skills,
athleticism and physicality. Episode 2 is as spectacular as Episode 1. Without Lee, there would not be such a fantastic
television series, The Sword of Aramoon. The clash of the twins in Episode 2
clearly exemplifies his tour de force performance.
THE HERO
AND THE VILLIAN GOD AND
MAN EUN SEOM
IS JUXTAPOSED WITH SAYA  This episode on war adventures
emphasizes the exceptional courage of Eun Seom and how the Ago army under him
cleverly acquired more horses. The battle scene is a picture of infinite
savagery. But, the victory of the poorly equipped Ago army against the
sophisticated Arthdal army would have been impossible without the magical
horse, Kanmoreu.
The Ago army led by Inaishingi
stood confidently in the Hanchao plains despite being poorly equipped. Their
calvary, though small, was effective. Inaishingi was in the frontlines; he
was flanked by Ipsaeng on his right and Dalsae, on his left. Despite their setbacks, the Ago
army was not cowed by the presence of their formidable enemy. War is not for
the faint-hearted. Moreover, they had their god, Inaishingi leading them.  But Saya, the Arthdal general was not with his men in the frontlines. He had not drummed up enough courage to be in the midst of the battle; his role was only to bark out orders. His front row seat was a horse parked on higher ground away from the upcoming butchery. From the look of things, he was confident of winning. Smirking in his arrogance and contempt which he did not even try to hide, he uttered, ‘We might not even need Mubeck.’ He was already counting his eggs. Victory was already in the hands of the first-time general. The calvary headed by Mubeck, the
strongest commander of Arthdal, lay quietly in wait for the crucial moment to
strike.
When the war horn was blown, the Arthdal
army galloped forwards.
The two opposing army, one a
cavalry, the other, basically an infantry, were separated by the vast plain.
Their shouts, roars rose as they rushed headlong into each other. It is no joke to say that the Arthdal
army, which stood in front of the verdant forest, looked for a moment like a
moving forest. Riding their horses and wearing
suits of armour and helmets, they looked intimidating. THE GOD INAISHINGI
The athletic Inaishigi, sped furiously
ahead of his army could not wait to
punish the enemy. It seemed as if a wave of irresistible fury had arisen in
him. He was like a beast gone mad, one who was running amok and snarling like
ferocious panther.  DIVINE
INTERVENTION
One can never belittle divine intervention. The presence of the Douri or Helper was a divine blessing. The Arthdal horses behaved strangely and started falling to the ground, bringing their riders along with them. Chaos ensued. It was as if a
great hurricane had swept the Arthdal army onto the ground in the grasslands. There were groans of death
everywhere. Stunned, Saya, frowned. He had spoken
his arrogant words too soon. Wars are unneccesary except to
bring down tyrants. The gods in the heavens must be angry. INAISHINGI A PRETERNATURAL SIGHT
Inaishingi flew past a horseman,
struck him with his sword, fought another and then swoop up a horse with its
rider, caught hold of him, wheeled around and sliced his neck. And as the
horse galloped off, they were pulled away and they were flying in the air. The
audience must have gasped at the preternatural sight.
And while mid-air, Inaishingi
raised his sword and thrust it into the rider’s heart to finish him off for
good. The vicious blade was savage and brutal. Both fell into a heap.
Inaishingi lost no time to withdraw his sword which was lodged in the
soldier’s trembling and twitching body. The scene is awesome.
Snarling, the savage warrior
struck others down. The action was fast and furious.
INAISHINGI A SURREALISTIC IMAGE
The next thing the audience
knew, Inaishingi had already hoisted himself up another horse. No, to be
correct, he actually flew into the air as a horse rider galloped past. Catching
hold of him, he sliced the poor victim.
It seemed Inaishingi had flown
sideways towards another rider. And while in mid-air, he lifted his muscular
legs and his sword ready to slash the rider. If you’d blink, you wouldn’t have
seen the swift descent of the blade. The rider fell off his horse and Inaishingi
also tumbled onto the ground. Chaos reigned supreme as enemy
horses collapsed everywhere.
Inaishingi, amidst the chaos of the
carnage, seemed to be focussed on something. He rushed towards his target. THE AGO
CALVARY CIRCLED THE
ARTHDAL CAVALRY
As if by magic, the Ago calvary galloped
into the scene and circled the battle area targeting only a group of enemy calvary at the outer edges of the
battle area.
By now, Saya, who was perched on
higher ground and waiting in the sidelines, had panicked. Growing anxiety and
worry was plastered on his face. He realised he needed Mubeck’s help after
all. Pride goes before a fall.  THE
COUNTERATTACK SMOKE
ARROWS
The forbidding special masked
calvary attired in black led by Mubeck loomed large. Their specialty was
shooting smoke arrows.
The cloud of white smoke,
produced by the fire arrows, rose from the ground, concealing the approach of enemy
riders. Shocked by this unexpected
development, Inaishingi called Tachukan and Tae Maja to attention. A
AMAZING PICTURE IN BLACK
AND WHITE
As the wall of fog cleared,
Mubeck on his galloping horse ominously appeared; he was clearly in focus. The other
galloping soldiers, with their swords ready and drawn, blurred into an
undulating sea of obscurity.
Many fell before the swords of the powerful elite army of
Arthdal. The malicious Saya gleefully gloated, ‘How pitiful!’
RETREAT  Inaishingi was urgently advised
to retreat but he was adamant at first as he was obsessed about killing the
Arthdal general. He was hardwired to win his wars. But, he was too valuable
to the Ago Union to be a victim of his own obsession. If he died, Ipsaeng argued, unity would evaporate and the Ago Union would disintegrate. They
would go back to square one.
When they retreated, the enemies
gave chase. But Inaishingi, the war-seasoned warrior, was not unprepared; he was not one to be trifled with. Acting as a decoy to distract
the enemy, he made a sudden about-turn, with his horse racing towards Saya.
Mubeck and his calvary took the bait, and turned back to chase after him.
Unbeknownst to them,
Inaishingi’s heavenly stallion exercised his magical power. When the Arthdal horses
slowed to a crawl, Mubeck remembered a similar previous experience when
chasing Kanmoreu, the divine horse of Aramun Haesulla. He then realised that the
rider of the black stallion was The Chosen One, Eun Seom and the horse was
really Kanmoreu.
As Inaishingi raced towards Saya,
the latter became anxious and badly shaken. His personal troops were ordered
to intercept his brother.
Inaishingi shot relentlessly at the approaching horse soldiers but soon he was left with no arrows from his quiver. But, the ever-resourceful Igutu bent down with great ease to pick one from the ground.
Standing on his horse, he leapt mightily into the air. He pointed
his arrow at Saya.  Had he succeeded, Saya would
have been just a sitting duck. When a spear was thrown at him,
he instinctively swerved to avoid it as it whizzed past him. When he leapt, the camera
records his raised arm and the rich and brilliant textures and matching colours of his war
attire, his quilted tunic of strips with leather sleeves which had
accordion-like folds. A beautiful image.  Falling to the ground, his
flimsy mask rolled off. He was encircled. Before he could grab his mask, Mubeck
had already caught sight of his face. The familiarity of Inaishingi’s face made
Mubeck realise the identity of the hero.
Saya thought they had Inaishingi
trapped. He was deliriously happy but it was unwise for him to rejoice too
early.
INAISHINGI THE
HORSE WHISPERER
The quick-thinking Inaishingi mounted
his horse and bending forward, he whispered to Douri or Helper to do his
part.
After the horse had reared in
the air, the horse whisperer instructed the stallion to repeat his amazing
feat. It was an impressive sight as the horse reared with front legs high in
the air.
It was then that one realises
that Eun Seom, The Reincarnation of the god, Inaishingi, was also the Reincarnation
of the god, Aramun Haesulla.
Eun Seom fitted the image of the
statue of Aramun Haesulla on his magical horse, Kanmoreu, like a glove.
Inaishingi’s horse had a magical
effect and influence on all the other horses on the battlefield. When all the
enemy soldiers were thrown to the ground, the horses as if drawn to a magnet,
followed Inaishingi and Kanmoreu. It was no fable after all. In the past, Mubeck
had been told of the magic horse by Sanung, father of Tagon, the founder of the Artdal Union. 
The Arthdal army had taken a
massive hit.
A
WHISTLE ARROW
A whistle arrow, fitted with a
whistling head, was shot into the air. It whistled, signalling for
reinforcements.
The Ago calvary miraculously reappeared.
The horsemen could shoot accurately even riding on their swift horses. Their
amour-piercing arrows sent their enemies reeling to their deaths. Despite the
slaughter, Mubeck survived. Inaishingi closed in on his
target, the panic-shaken Saya, who barked his orders to the soldiers to intercept
him.
Finally, the renowned Igutu warrior,
Inaishingi, with his mount in full gallop, aimed a warning shot at Saya. It
can be seen that all his war techniques have made Inaishingi a deadly warrior
and horseman. Saya, heavy of heart, and
probably shaking in his boots, was humiliated. His mouth wobbled as the arrow missed him
narrowly and he fell to the ground. Saya, a defeated general, had failed
Arthdal miserably. The cocky first-timer lacked knowledge in the art of war.
TRIUMPH
AND DEFEAT THE
AFTERMATH OF THE
BATTLE
When they regroup at their camp, the triumphant Ago warriors
were welcomed back with great rejoicing. It was a momentous win for them. They could now boast of a stronger calvary. Inaishingi seemed disturbed; the image of Saya was stamped into
his memory. The war had wreaked havoc on the Arthdal army. Many men were
slaughtered and butchered in the bloodbath. And there were many casualties. Those
who were injured but alive, were suffering and in pain.
Saya, smarting from his defeat, felt lost and alone. Ashamed of
his humiliating defeat, the demoralised general refused to send the bleak
news back to the Arthdal palace. Not one to wallowing in his misery, he
plotted vengeance against his brother. THE CENTRAL MYSTERY IN THE SWORD OF ARAMUN
The magical horse that was ridden by Inaishingi was a total
mystery to the elite Arthdal soldiers. They were grappling with their
understanging of the tale of Kanmoreu. Having been told that Kanmoreu was
Aramun Haesulla’s horse, they were shocked that the heavenly horse had helped
Inaishingi, the god of Ago. Inaishingi was the enemy of Aramun Haesulla, the
god of Arthdal. Wasn’t Tagon, the reincarnation of Aramun Haesulla in
Arthdal? Furious with himself, as Saya studied his reflection in a
mirror, he roundly condemned himself as ‘a stupid fool’. Defeat was too much
for him to bear. He smashed the mirror with his fists.   Arriving on the scene, Chaeeun admonished him for his folly in hurting himself as his purple-bloodied fingers indicated he was an igutu, hated and persecuted by the Arthdal people.
Saya confided in her that Eun Seom was Inashingi who had become the strongest warrior in the east of the continent. It was unbelievable that he had destroyed Arthdal’s most elite troops. Jealousy, rage and loathing were painted on his face as he spat out the words. The conceited twin couldn’t forgive his brother for the blow to his massive ego.
When Mubeck raised the issue of his promise to Tanya concerning their divine The Sword, The Mirror and The Bell mission of ridding Arthdal of the tyrannical Tagon, Saya scoffed at him. That was before he knew his brother was Inaishingi. Jealousy and a sense of entitlement had rendered him illogical and irrational.
THE NEANTHALS  Two Neanthals, Nosunaho and Issruv were walking through the
pine forests. They had not come with their friend, Rottip. Five Neanthals, a
race with blue eyes and blue blood, had survived The Great Hunt headed by
Tagon years ago. Only one female was left. They Neanthals saved Chaeeun from falling into a ravine. Having
heard that Inaishingi was an Igutu, they wanted to find out Inaishingi’s heredity
and if he was the son of Ragaz. They saw 2 Children of Shahati, White
Mountain Tribe’s secret assassin group.
THE EMERGENCE OF THE IRON AGE
The Iron Age had come to Arthdal. Yeolsan had obtained
knowledge of iron. This had caused strife between the king, the queen and Tanya,
the daughter of Yeolson. Yeolson was tortured by the queen to reveal how he
melted the iron ore. Later after some investigations, they learnt that he might
have used limestone.
Yeolsan expounded to Tagon the mass production of cheap iron
products like swords. Bronze would be a thing of the past. Yeolsan, who was
to be appointed the Minister of the Bronze Industry, was blinded by ambition
and greed for power. He not only forgot his roots but also his moral values. Despite
of the fact that Eun Seom was coming to Arthdal to save the Wahan tribe,
Yeolsan had defied him and killed the 2 emissaries that he had sent.  A REUNION IS PLANNED PLAYING WITH FIRE  A devious Saya called Mubeck to tell him he had a change of
mind and he wanted a secret meeting to be arranged with Eun Seom, his
brother. He was full of pretense, when he stressed, ‘Inaishingi isn’t my
enemy but Tagon’s. And he is my brother. We should work together.’
Mubeck confirmed Eun Seom’s suspicions that the Arthdal general
he saw from afar was Saya, his identical twin brother. A meeting was agreed
upon.  PARALLELISM
Saya in his amy tent was preparing for the meeting so was his
twin, Eun Seom.
Saya placed his sword aside since no weapons were allowed. Eun Seom, driven by a sense of divine mission, also placed his sword
aside and took off his war attire. It was their destiny to destroy Tagon’s
power and change the course of history of the continent of Arth.  Saya took off his war armour and helmet. He was devious and
evil festered in his mind like a sore. Descending into darkness, the
expression he wore told of guile and treachery; he planned to have his twin brother
killed.
Eun Seom was apprehensive about meeting his twin. It was a
strange situation for them since they had been separated at birth. Meanwhile, the Children of Shahati, White Mountain Tribe’s
secret assassin group, was sent by Queen Taealha to kill Saya.
When Eun Seom and Saya met face to face, they sized each other
up, while walking in a circle. They were a spitting image of each other. Trying
to feel each other out, they stared intently at the different version of
themselves. The reunion was a moving scene. Despite the fact that their birth was auspicious and destiny
entwined, one is struck instantly by their differences. Eun Seom had come to resolve their differences in order to work out a collaboration with his twin brother but Saya has descended into his dark side. Jealous. Resentful. Embittered. Enraged. Imagine, he was going for the jugular. Saya’s gaze was dark and antagonistic but his brother’s was
curious. Saya’s mane of hair, which was straight and long, was allowed
to fall alluringly past his shoulders whilst Eun seom’s hair was tiled up in
a captivating ponytail, similar to the tail of his divine horse, Kanmoreu. Their DNA bound them together but separated at birth, their
environment tore them apart. Their character and personalities differed. A
discussion of Nature versus Nurture would be interesting.
Distant memories were surfacing; they talked about past dreams
of each other and their childhood years. They seem to read each other’s
thoughts.
Saya had been trapped like a bird in a cage in a small room,
probably with tiny windows, in the Fortress of Fire. Only access to the
library, where he broadened his knowledge, freed him from the bitter constraints
of his walled existence. He wept silent tears.
The audience might even blink in sympathy, or even empathy.
Shackled by his entrenched prejudice and naïve beliefs, he
assumed Eun Seom had lived happily. He was overwhelmed by the thought of his
brother’s wild and carefree life communing with nature every day. Contrary to his
beliefs, his brother’s life was not all rainbows and unicorns.
Eun Seom encouraged Saya to join the Ago Union to fight against
Tagon but the latter refused. He touched on the sensitive issue of Saya’s defeat in the war. Despite
bristling at the insult, Saya laughed uproariously.  THE LINE BETWEEN HEROISM
AND VILLAINY IS BLURRED  Then, amid the discord, Eun Seom broke the tension by mentioning
that their mother cried copious tears for him and had given him a name. The
realization that he was loved, made the cold, detached and hard-hearted Saya
vulnerable. He was missed by his mother. Tears welled up in his eyes. Although
Eun Seom did not manage to tell him his name, the audience knows that it is
‘Geumha’. Eun Seom and Geumha. It was perhaps this moment that Saya’s inner real
self comes to the fore. It is more important than the outer self, a shell
that masked the unconscious, the real self.
A member of The Children of Shahati was trying to blow a
poisoned needle at them. Another appeared, mumbling, ‘Kill Saya!’ Saya’s
bodyguard had been knifed to death.
Saya, filled with dread, knew that the mind-controlled and
zombie-like secret assassins were extremely dangerous. As the killer charged
at them, a crescent knife was whipped out. Saya, who didn’t want Eun Seom to be harmed, urged him to flee.
‘Eun Seom, run!’ The older brother was not hollow of heart and soul
after all. The lines of heroism and villainy were blurred at that moment.
Saya, the villainous sibling, had turned hero. Eun Seom also urged his twin to escape.
Lee Joon Gi has deftly crafted a villian-turned-hero character, a flawed character with a heart and soul that has stolen the viewers’ hearta.
Saya has won the sympathy of the audience.
Although the assassin was stabbed by a curved horn, he managed
to set the shack on fire. The fire spread. The locked doors prevented the
siblings from escaping from the clouds of toxic fumes. Mubeck saw the fire in
the nick of time. Despite being badly injured by the assassins, he managed to
save the twins. The shack was razed to the ground.
The production director and cinematographer seem to have a predilection for filming close-ups of parts of the body for emphasis, including feet, hands etc. In this sequence, the focus is on the fingers reaching out for Eun Seom.  The Arthdal elite soldiers arrived but it was already too late. The
heroics of their courageous chief had cost him his life; he died at their
feet after saving Eun Seom. Their loud groans and howls of pain couldn’t
bring their chief back to life.  It cannot be denied Episode 2 is spectacular. In fact, it is even more spectacular than Episode 1. |
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