LEE JOON
GI
COMMANDS
ATTENTION
AS
KIM HEE
WOO
A PROSECUTOR
WITH
A RARE
AND
POWERFUL
COMBINATION
OF
DIVERSE
INTELLIGENCES
WHO FIGHTS
AGAINST
A LEGAL
SYSTEM
THAT IS
FULL OF
CRACKS
IN
THE 2022
MASTERPIECE
AGAIN MY
LIFE
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  If you have not seen the 2022 celebral Fantasy-Legal-Action
television masterpiece, Again My Life, then buckle up and watch Lee Joon Gi, as Kim Hee Woo, a
multi-intelligent but sly and scheming prosecutor at work. The talented actor
stuns with his commanding presence, intensity, emotional depth and razor-sharp
delivery and owns every show-stopping scene. Every place where Kim Hee Woo, and
the evil politician, Cho Tae Sub, meet becomes a battlefield. Justice doesn’t
wait. Neither does the sharp and savvy Kim Hee Woo. He strikes while the iron
is hot. The multi-talented prosecutor fights not just for personal conviction but for the soul of justice in a system full of cracks. The legal tale about
wars in suits is written by talented duo J and Kim Yul and helmed by maverick
director Han Chul Soo, and Kim Yong Min.
 
Lee Joon Gi masterfully portrays two contrasting personalities of
Kim Hee Woo, one that is upright but idealistic, rigid and rash, and another -
an iconic legal eagle who is cool-headed, smart, gritty and possessing multiple
intelligences. The bull-headed prosecutor was murdered by Cho Tae Sub but
resurrected by the Grim Reaper and given a new lease on life. Having tampered
with fate, the Grim Reaper offers Kim Hee Woo a rare bargain: a second chance
to rewrite history.
 In his resurrected life, the fictional Time Traveller Kim Hee
Woo, embodies all the multiple intelligences as expounded by Howard Gardner
except for Music Intelligence. That’s why Kim Hee Woo, compared to other time travellers in fantasy stories, stands out; there has never been a
personality in television history with a such a combination of diverse multiple
intelligences. The prosecutor takes advantage of his various intelligences to
outmanoeuvre the nefarious politician who is publicly adored but secretly
demonic, and to bring him to true justice. The Grim Reaper warns the justice
seeker that he might have to be worse than the devil himself to dismantle evil.
Would it mean bending the laws he once served?
 
The heroic and relentless Prosecutor returns with a vengeance –
with a personality that defies all odds. His mission is to trap and punish Cho
Tae Sub. How does he ensure that he succeeds in punishing the devious politician? There is
no room for failure and there is also, no place for romance. Kim Hee Woo hesitates at times when being pursued by Kim Hee Ah,
a rich Chaebol heiress, portrayed by Kim Ji Eun. The audience’s excitement is stirred as Lee Joon Gi layers
brief flashes of vulnerability as Kim Hee Woo weighs his romantic options. There
are moments of indecision and doubt beneath his confident exterior. Kim Hee
Woo’s steely resolve keeps the audience both engaged and inspired.        Kim Hee Woo, who possesses Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, studies exceptionally hard to be the top student in high school. It is an amazing fact that the student from a poor family, whose parents are factory workers, is the top Mathematics scholar in the public examinations.    He eventually tops his law
class and catches the attention of his seniors, the corrupt leaders of the prosecution and
political world.     Blessed also with Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence, the
silver-tongued prosecutor could easily sway both
courtrooms and crowds and win many courtroom wars. Combined with his brilliant
legal reasoning, Kim Hee Woo even confounds his Number One enemy, Cho Tae Sub
with his cogent and compelling arguments in personal confrontations and his eloquent speech in a national debate on television.          Kim Hee Woo’s life is not without any problems. He is acutely
aware of the deeper questions surrounding life, death and purpose. His
resurrection by the Grim Reaper burdens him with a heightened consciousness of
mortality and destiny. The untimely accidental death of his parents in his previous life
shapes his philosophical outlook. Now, in his new life, he grapples with the
possibility of altering their destiny. His Existential Intelligence is not in question; it is
reflected in his questioning of whether life has meaning and purpose.    No man can win wars alone. Kim Hee Woo, who has exceptional Interpersonal Intelligence, cultivates many friendships and forms many alliances with mentors and mentees, such as Woo Yong Soo, the real estate investor; Kang Sung Jae, the MMA instructor; Kim Han Mi, the future political journalist; Oh Min Guk, an investigator; and Park San Man, his financial assistant. They all rally around his vision to bring down the evil Cho Tae Sub and his cronies.          Not only did he win friends easily, but he also has the rare
ability to charm even his enemies. Through keen observation and persuasive
communication, he is able to uncover their secret activities without them
realising.   
With Naturalistic Intelligence, Kim Hee Woo understands
nature, danger in the environment, and is able to analyse problems in the
environment. This he did when working with the lawyer brother of his teacher in
high school. As a clerical assistant for Kang Min Seok at the KMS law firm, he has
to prepare for meetings, organize documents and deliver documents to the court. After overhearing that KMS has taken on a case to represent some
environmentalists who are against the Cheonha conglomerate’s plan to
raze Mt. Cheongpung to build a resort, Kim Hee Woo, on his
own initiative, decides to help Kang. Demonstrating strong Naturalist Intelligence, he conducts
research on how the construction of the hotel could damage the mountain
ecosystem – impacting wildlife and vegetation. Kim Hee Woo presents his
research to the lawyer and helps him in his legal case.
  Kim Hee Woo’s Spatial Intelligence plays a role in the
solving of a murder case. Driven by his strong sense of justice, he personally
investigates the murder case involving Lee Ju Suk, a medical student who is
wrongfully accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend. The diligent prosecutor
personally goes to survey the murder site, analyses the crime scene and reviews the CCTV footage. Using spatial reasoning, he mentally reconstructs the sequence of
events, visualising the confrontation between Lee Ju Suk and his girlfriend. By
integrating these mental images with the actual evidence from the scene and the surveillance cameras, Kim Hee Woo is able to identify the real perpetrator. His ability
to manipulate and analyse visual-spatial information leads him to capture the
psychopathic murderer and secure Ju Suk’s acquittal.    Battles aren’t just courtroom wars, legal ambushes, public trials, they can be physical. Having been murdered by Cho Tae Sub’s trained killer in his previous life, Kim Hee Woo is determined not to be killed again by Dr K.     A natural fighter with Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, Kim Hee Woo is agile, athletic and moves with inhuman grace in combat. But, to thoroughly defeat Dr K, the highly-skilled killer, Kim Hee Woo needs the assistance of Kang Sung Jae, his martial arts mentor and Lee Yeon Seok, his physically strong mentee. Kim Hee Woo uses his physicality with sharp, precise movements. In the final moments of confrontation, he is both poised and ready to react - like a predator assessing his opponent’s every move.
  One particular humorous scene which shows the many intelligences of Kim Hee Woo is when he brings down the Yuchae Gang and exposes their illegal gambling activities in Gimsan. A vivid and dramatic image is created when the passionate prosecutor steps far outside the bounds of legal conduct to confront and apprehend the criminal gang. He risks legal and ethical violations. The local authorities did not have the expertise nor the
courage to confront the gang. An issue in Gimsan is there is complicity between
local leaders and criminal elements. Politicians, police and community figures
turn a blind eye to criminal activities and create an environment where crime
flourishes unchecked. In fact, they interfere with law enforcement activities.     Catching everyone in the illegal casino in Gimsan by surprise and red-handed,
the prosecutor puts everyone in the gambling den under arrest. When the criminal leader threatens to throw him into the ocean,
he informs the prosecutor of the reason why the prawns in Gimsan are plump and tasty. It is implied that they feed
on human corpses. Things takes an unexpected turn. Kim Hee Woo smirks and
playfully leans his head forward to listen to the criminal’s threat. His eyes
twinkle with laughter. He is smug and confident. The way Lee Joon Gi plays this dramatic scene is hilarious.
       
One cannot stifle one’s laughter. The criminal is too dim-witted and cocky. He does not understand the stuff Kim Hee Woo is made of. You could almost hear the roars of laughter rippling through the television audience. One cannot help but be impressed by Lee Joon Gi’s comedic timing and performance in this attention-grabbing scene. He totally steals the scene as the
confident prosecutor; his delivery and exaggerated hilarious flair make the
moment unforgettable. His over-the-top charisma makes it totally impossible to
look away. This segment of the show also shows the prosecutor’s amazing
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. The fighting scenes are a remarkable
demonstration of Lee Joon Gi’s physical prowess where athleticism, flexibility
and martial arts skills are seamlessly integrated.
  
Kim Hee Woo, having been resurrected, possesses a deep
self-awareness; he has emotional control over himself, thus making him resistant to mind-control or
manipulation by others, including Cho Tae Sub. Possessing Intrapersonal Intelligence, he is introspective
and is guided by his own moral compass even in darkness. In his previous life,
he was rigid and idealistic, but now he acknowledges the complexity of fighting
corruption. Though he returns with a burning desire to bring corrupt people
to justice, vengeance whispers loudly in his ears. The question becomes: does
Kim Hee Woo want justice, or retribution? When he deals with Jang Il Hyun, an ambitious and greedy prosecutor, he uses his great shrewdness. When Kim Hee Woo bends a rule or manipulates him for ‘the greater good’, he steps closer to becoming like the demonic men or monsters he once fought. Have his methods become more ruthless over time? The audience, too, must wonder: Is Kim Hee Woo becoming what he
hates? Is he seeking justice or revenge?
   When faced with moral dilemmas, Lee, as Kim Hee Woo, shows
hesitations and tension in his body language as he struggles with his inner
conflict and moral complexity - tight jaw, a flicker in the eyes - before
steeling himself. He never forgets what his mission is.   The segment when Kim Hee Woo nails Jang ll Hyun, his
ambitious and greedy senior is an attention-grabbing scene. It would not be
a difficult task with Kim Hee Woo’s Logical Mathematical, Verbal-Linguistic and
Intrapersonal Intelligences.
The articulate prosecutor, with his brilliant legal
reasoning, sways both the courtroom and the audience.
 The Grim Reaper had warned him that ‘You
can’t catch the devil unless you become an even worse monster.’ The
question is, ‘Would Kim Hee Woo be successful if he did not use dirty,
underhand tactics?’ The first thing that Kim Hee Woo did to defeat Jang ll Hyun is to visit Sung Jin Mi, Jang’s fiancée, in prison.
 The logically intelligent prosecutor is a tactical genius; he
takes advantage of his knowledge of the past
to strategize in his battle of wits with Jang, Cho Tae Sub’s crony, and
outsmart him using logic, intelligence and humour. Casting Doubt. The young prosecutor informs Sung Jin Mi that Jang
Il Hyun has betrayed her. He casts doubt on Jang Il
Hyun’s loyalty to her. Jang, the clever older prosecutor has deceived the
press by accusing Sung Jin Mi of using him in her corrupt lifestyle;
he insists that his involvement in the corruption case has been
fabricated. The corrupt prosecutor is unable to tell the
unvarnished truth. In other words, Jang Il Hyun is a lying, scheming
crook.  
Revenge. Sung Jin Mi has to be cajoled to take revenge
on her prosecutor lover who has betrayed her. An eye for an eye, A tooth for a
tooth.
Witness Coaching. Kim Hee Woo coaches her to shift all
the blame onto Jang Il Hyun.
When Kim Hee Woo calls her to the Prosecution office supposedly for further questioning, she spills the beans on her ex-lover in front of the press and accuses him of evil crimes. She even cries 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.
       Kim Hee Woo, the intelligent prosecutor and Sung Jin Mi, the
accused, who are now joined at the hip in a symbiotic relationship, have made a
pact to destroy a common enemy. Has Kim Hee Woo engaged
in willful deception? Is he betraying his prosecutor’s oath and personal
principles and slowly turning into a monster? A younger, naïve Kim
Hee Woo would not.
 The ambitious and unprincipled Chief Prosecutor, Kim Seok Hoon,
anxiously commands Kim Hee Woo to wrap up Jang Il
Hyun’s trial swiftly before it wrecks the reputation of the whole
Prosecution Service.
When one watches the tactics used by Kim Hee Woo to
bring Jang Il Hyun down, one is shocked by his ethics or lack of
them. It seems like the upright prosecutor is slowly but surely turning into a
monster himself.
Kim Hee Woo’s reputation for honesty and devotion to the
law is now questionable. Are his dearly prized values and oath being
compromised? Does the blurring of ethical lines show justice or a personal
victory?
The self-satisfied, complacent Kim Hee Woo smirks wickedly. Morally questionable. 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, spreads
across his face.
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. 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? The law is only as just as those who enforce it.
  
Lee Joon Gi leaves no doubt
that he is at the pinnacle of his craft. With vitriolic stares, radiant eyes brimming
with energy, wicked smiles, triumphant smirks and supercilious glances, his
expressions either tug at the audience’s heartstrings or send chills down their
spines. His contagious laughter adds further depth, drawing viewers irresistibly
into the character’s world. Lee’s nuanced and layered portrayal of the fantasy
hero endowed with Multiple Intelligences brings remarkable complexity to life
on the screen. The multi-talented charismatic actor infuses his role with
emotional richness and intricate depth, making his performance not only
compelling but unforgettable. His transformative presence makes him not only the ideal
choice but the only choice for the role of Kim Hee Woo, the multitalented prosecutor. |
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