THE SWORD
OF
ARAMUN
EPISODE 10
LEE JOON
GI’S
GROUNDBREAKING
TOUR DE FORCE
ACTING AND
ACTION
PERFORMANCE
IN
THE SWORD
OF
ARAMUN
THE
GROUNDBREAKING
2023
TELEVISION SERIES
|
|
 The
Sword of Aramun, a beautiful magical tale, is entrenched in the rich culture
and mythology of Korea. Like all other episodes, Episode 10 one could have
been a book itself but the writers, Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon, have
distilled the essence of the story into something meaningful. Viewers, who
are swept up in the tale which is filled with so much emotion, great
characters, action and excitement, are hypnotized. They can’t wait to savour
the next episode.
It would be a sin of omission if one didn't mention that the globally popular Lee Joon Gi has flexed his acting and action muscles yet again as he demonstrates many layers of emotions and action skills in his stellar performance. Viewers rhapsodize over Lee Joon Gi’s inspiring performance in his dual roles as Inaishingi Eun Seom and Saya, the very heart and soul of this fantasy television series. His acting performance is stunning and electrifying; his action scenes are a combination of breathtaking poise, physicality and flexibility and set the heart beating with their potent sensual appeal. Lee, the finest and most talented actor in Asia, shows his extraordinary sensitivity in his performance. A commanding force, he dominates the screen in Episode 10.
 The
audience, who find themselves squealing, crying and sitting at the edge of
their seats, cheer the gorgeous actor on as Inaishingi races against time to
find a viable and effective tactic to counter Tagon’s evil fire attack plan. The
audience are completely smitten by the allure of Inaishingi, who is secure in
his masculinity; their hearts beat like a sledgehammer at all the twists and
turns in the tale. The media’s accolades and praises have also ratcheted the globally popular Lee
Joon Gi’s acting career a notch higher. The Sword of Aramun is another of
Lee’s gifts to the Kdrama world, particularly his passionate local and global fans.
LEE JOON GI'S RECENT TRIP TO HONG KONG    ONE OF
THE MANY SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR THE
SWORD OF ARAMUN  https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy9W_EKp4A-/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/reel/229915489896096 The other actors like Shin Sae Kyeong, Senior Actor Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ok Vin, and those who play the Ago tribe leaders have contributed to the unfolding
of the narrative, and their acting performance carry the viewers along on a
wave of enthusiasm and excitement. In this episode, one gets to like the Ago warriors even better, particularly Tae Maja played by Lee Woon San.  Episode
9 is heart pounding. It paints a picture of death by fire. The image of the
raging forest fire is undeniably spectacular, revealing the powerful titantic
tornado-like fire, the whirlwind fire. The genius director Kim Kwang Sik, the
filming maestro, Choi Chan Ming and also CGI wizards have successfully enhanced
the sense of wonderment of the viewers and provide entertainment and
excitement for them. We are not privy to film and computer secrets, camera
magic and illusions, and the complex CGI technology, which makes the unreal
seem real. But, everyone is impressed with the work done by the crew. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy-3lWFOgze/?hl=en THE AMAZING OSTS The OSTS, The
Chosen One and Knock Down The Giants, are superb.
The more
one listens to The Chosen One, the more amazing and intoxicating it
becomes. It fits the epic character, the majesty and the grandeur of the
television series and the magnificence of the fantasy. The passion in the voice
is obvious and the music is hauntingly beautiful and unforgetable.
 It’s
undeniable that Knock Down The Giants is also a wonderful OST. The music
and song is beautiful, exhilarating, exciting and catchy especially the opening
part which is stirring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5whtH990j1Q&ab_channel=twlv-Topic AWESOME MUSIC THAT EVERYONE LOVES  But the one
thing we know is that they, the cast and the crew, have captured the
imagination of the audience. Telling the horrific forest fire story, bringing
it to life and making it realistic is a crucial yardstick of success of this
fantasy television series.  It must
be pointed out again that the viewers have been having heated discussions on
The Sword of Aramun, that had never seen before during the screening of Season One.
The episodes of The Sword of Aramun must have provided vivid points of view, great
performances, exciting storylines and demonstrated the ability to stimulate
reactions and responses. The Sword of Aramun and the actors have made a great impressions on viewers. You
will notice the vested viewers watch every episode intensely and enjoy
expressing their varying points of views. This brings the truth into vivid
focus and perspective; only the best actors and best television series can stimulate such lively, animated and
intense discussions on the Internet. A mediocre or a bad one rarely does. CLASH OF GODS THE REAL
ARAMUN  Finally, the Real Aramun has officially come face to face with the Fake Aramun in a war. It was a Clash of Gods between the Eun Seom, the Reincarantion of the god, Aramun Haesulla, and Tagon, the false Aramun god.  Inaishingi’s
face and cheeky smirk hypnotized Tagon; he was reminded of Saya’s final
words, ‘I might die here like this. But you will die at my hands. Remember
My Face.’
Stupefied
by the vision before him, Tagon could only stare at him. The Arthdal soldiers,
like Tagon, also thought they were in the presence of Saya’s ghost.  Amidst the chaos, Mirasol shouted instructions to kill the king. Only when Inaishingi attacked him with his sword did Tagon come out of his stupor. Tagon, in his pretty military attire, tried to strike him.
But Inaishingi’s physical flexibility and agility enabled him to leap and somersault, to avoid the blow.
Inaishingi, while rolling over, struck his sword into the ground. In one lightning move, the lithe and nimble Ago leader dexterously grabbed the sword, swiftly rose and flew or glided towards Tagon. It is poetry in motion.
In one lightning move, he grabbed the sword and rushed over to where Tagon was standing and struck a blow but Tagon blocked it with his sword. The reality was, although both were very strong Igutus, the brutal Tagon had the advantage. He had a sword that was wider and stronger. Pulling Inaishingi’s left sleeve up,
he saw the slash scar on his arm. That mark differentiated the twin brothers.
Inaishingi received the scar while trying to save Arok at Ttesarichon. Tagon knew that he was not Saya.
Smirking
and bemused, Inaishingi naughtily arched his head without even speaking,
seemingly asked, ‘Now you know who I am?’ His eyes smiled at the king.
Realization
dawned on Tagon who he was dealing with. The fear of the fake Aramun rose as
he faced the real Aramun Haesulla. It was a fear that he had yet to defeat.
Suhana’s
words returned to haunt him, ‘The name of the stranger who became
Inaishingi is Eun Seom.’ He also remembered the warning that the day when
The Sword, The Bell and The Mirror appeared together, his world would
collapse. Tagon, who experienced cold fear, was not going to allow the prediction to be realised. It was surprising that suddenly Tagon, an Igutu, was imbued with superstrength. Grabbing Inaishingi, another Igutu, he smashed him to the ground.  The kinesthetically-intelligent Inashingi leapt high up in the air. As he descended, he thrust his sword powerfully at Tagon but Tagon avoided the blow. If he hadn’t, the outcome would have been devastating. It must be mentioned that Lee Joon Gi's action scenes catch everyone's attention; his amazing agility and sensual physicality are a delight to watch.
   Inaishingi’s
power stare worked on him psychologically. The final moments of Saya and his stinging
prediction played on Tagon’s mind. ‘You are a fake. No. we are all fake.
You must have heard of Inaishingi riding Kanmoreu.’ Mentally tortured, he
swung his sword crazily at Inaishingi.
On spying
the divine horse, Kanmoreu, Tagon’s ambition gripped him. Inaishingi followed
his line of sight.
Tagon
rushed towards his target, the horse of the heavens. Inaishingi wasn’t going
to be robbed of his special horse but he had fallen on the ground.  Leaping
clumsily up the horse, the king attempted to ride off with it. But, Kanmoreu would
have none of it; it was no ordinary horse. None but his master could ride it.
Tagon found himself back to where he started. When Kanmoreu reared, it unseated
him. Tagon fell heavily to the ground and to reality. He was not destined to
be the real Aramun Haesulla.
When he looked up, Inaishingi had regally mounted the divine horse and straddled it. What
emerged was a striking picture of Inaishingi against the rising sun. His
mounting of the stallion was such a masculine yet sensual move that it showed
who the real reincarnation of Aramun Haesulla was. Inaishingi had given the
women in the audience heart palpitations.
‘It’s not a legend. The real one is coming. The real Aramun’.
Inaishing turned back confidently and majestically as Tagon addressed him, ‘Eun Seom of the Wahan tribe, Saya’s benetbot and Inaishingi. Were all of them you?’
 Inaishingi responded with a triumphant smile, I’ll
become the reincarnation of Aramun Haesulla with Kanmoreu.’
Making a
mental note of the bloody slaughter, he ordered the Ago warriors to retreat.
Tachukan
ordered Mirusol to retreat with the rest while he held fort. ‘I’m not
trying to save you. Are you trying to get the others killed?’ The
madman lurked beneath King Tagon; he was obsessed about chasing Inaishingi. Yeonbal
restrained him; he realized that it was fruitless to pursue the enemies who
were withdrawing to the forest. Although the forest was their foothold of the
Ago warriors, he thought that the armoured infantry in the forest would
finish them off.
Yeonbal
had to hold the frustrated Tagon down telling him ‘It’s Inaishingi who
rides Kanmoreu. We cannot catch him. I don’t really know why but that really
is Kanmoreu.’ Tagon
was in denial. He screamed at the top of his lungs, ‘He’s not Aramun. I
am. I am Aramun.’
Yeonbal
made a stunning statement that he, Gitoha and everyone else in the Third Corps
were not following him because he was Aramun; they were his loyal soldiers
because he was Tagon. The king woke up from from his delusions.
The war ended
in a stalemate. An impasse. Tagon’s war strategy had gone awry because of
Inaishingi’s intelligence and heroism. CHAEEUN AND THE NEANTHALS
Walking
with Chaeeun, her adoptee sister, in a misty place, Nunbyeol discussed Eun Seom’s
war against Tagon. Chaeeun emphasized that her Neanthal sister was more important to
her than revenge. ‘I hate
myself for acting so foolishly.’ The spirited girl hated herself for having hesitated and she
promised herself that she would never hesitate again. She would kill all of
them. Chaeeun, fearful of her sister’s killer instincts, urged the younger girl to leave with the Neanthals. Issruv and Nusanaho, the Neanthal men, appeared.
She told
their male friends that they needed their help. They talked about Rottip, the
Neanthal with an independent mind. The lone ranger had left them in search of
someone who knew their background.
Issruv
revealed that the person who saved his life and raised him was from Arthdal
so he knew the language.
They narrated the story of two brothers who were separated a hundred winters ago. It seemed that the descendants of one brother was back.
Rottip was in search
of the mysterious woman who knew who they were.  FALSE
NEWS A
merchant of false news was circulating the good tidings that Arthdal had won
the war and the Ago tribe had escaped to Achi Hill. But, someone pointed out to
the bearer of false news that since the warriors were still in the Arth
forest, it meant that the war had not ended. There was no shortage of people
trying to spread false news in Arthdal and this one was exposed.
ROTTIP THE LONE
RANGER
Rottip,
one of the surviving Neanthals, visited a woman. He had a picture of a
pendant with finger patterns. The descendants of a strange and mysterious
tribe had already arrived in Arthdal. SAHATI IS UNVEILED A couple and their children spied the drawings that spoke of Aramun Haesulla.   It was shocking that the mysterious woman whom Rottip was searching for was Sahati, the most vengeful gosal or ghost in the world.
She had helped young children to rid themselves of their
emotions. Having the feelings like fear, joy and sadness removed from them,
the Zombie-like young people, the Children of Sahati, become fearless assassins.
Those who survived their harsh and punitive training become adults with black
tongues like Yangcha.
Chaeeun and
her sister listened as the Neanthals narrated the story of the Sahati whose identity
the Sarams were ignorant of. Sahati shared a very ill-fated history with the Neanthals.
When the Asa clan came to Arth, the Neanthals were already there but the Sarams,
fearful of them, wanted to drive the Neanthals out. Sahati created beings, who
knew no fear, to become assassins.
Sahati
might know about the strange descendants of the mysterious Neanthal brother
who left that part of Arth a long time ago. He left saying that he would take
revenge on Sahati one day. It was uncertain that the descendants were
Neanthals or Igutus.
THE
MYSTERIOUS WORD IKOMAHIS Overcome
by curiosity, Chaeeun inquired about the word Ikomahis. The
explanation was given. Ikomu meant promise. Ahis meant brother. Ikomahis meant Brother of Promise.
Eknad, a Neanthdal, talked to his companion about someone having the pendant with the finger patterns.   SAYA AND
YEOBI  Fate must have smiled on Saya who had been saved by Yeobi in the Gambal mountains.
He was given a drink to get rid of the after effects of the Mahasin poison.
Having slept for a long time, he was unaware of the happenings in
Arthdal. He was told that he had drunk the Mahasin and not the fatal Bichwisan
poison. Mahasin made a victim look dead for some time but he would
soon recover from it.
He was
briefed on Taealha‘s plan to escape to White Peak Mountain, Tanya’s confinement
in the Great Shrine, Tagon’s war against the Ago warriors and Gilseon present
dominant position in Arthdal.  TANYA DISSEMINATION
OF INFORMATION ON THE
IGUTU TWINS
Tanya had been cloistered from the outside world. She was informed that Inaishingi had not been captured but it seemed to the people in Arthdal believed the war had ended. But it was not the case. Inaishingi and the Ago warriors were trapped on Achi Hill. The background of one of the images seemed to be the image of a web.
She relied on Moa and Doti’s secret
reports on the war and the successful dissemination of information on the
birth story of Aramun Haesulla, his twin brother, and their Igutu heritage
through the graffiti drawings by the Whisper Organization.  Yeolson, Dunji and Mungtae had also seen the drawings on the walls but Yeolson told them to ignore them.
Mungtae, who had captured Bakryangpung, conveyed what he
had seen to him. Condemning Tagon as the fake Aramun, the latter angrily
described how Mubeck, Saya and Tanya had tried to dethrone Tagon. The
question was, ‘Would Mungtae be able to accept Inaishingi as Aramun?’
STALEMATE Th war
reached a stalemate.
Tachukan
and Dachi had been captured and as usual, the voluble Tachukan was not going
to be brought down that easily; he was relentlessly yelping and barking at
his captors, especially Gitoha. TAGON
DIVESTS HIMSELF OF THE NAME ARAMUN
HAESULLA
Tagon was
uneasy; he knew that his soldiers had also seen Inaishingi’s face which was
identical to that of Saya’s. Yeonbal claimed that they were twins and had
plotted together to dethrone him. Arthdal had been fooled by the identical
twins. Obsessed
with the title of Aramun Haesulla, the king needed confirmation if the horse
was really Kanmoreu. The great name of the god was tied to the divine horse,
Kanmoreu but failing to gain control of the horse, Tagon was in distress. Yeonbal posed
the question as to the reason why Tagon had named his iron sword, The Sword
of Seed, in the first place. The sword symbolised the beginning of
destruction, slaughter as well as prosperity. Tagon, a twisted, demented
character, was bent on the total annihilation of his enemies in the age of
prosperity.
‘Seed’ has many meanings. It may mean ‘sperm’ implying (violent) heirs or descendants. It also brings to mind the religious belief, Seed Faith (Prosperity Theology or Wealth Gospel) which propogates the idea that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God and that faith, i.e. donations of money, will increase one’s wealth. The destruction of true or long-established beliefs or teachings has been opposed as heretical by mainstream evangelists. The reality television series, Preachers of L.A., which is about pastors of the prosperity theology, associates them with, ‘hair extensions, luxury cars, pontificating, preening and epic delusions of gradeur.’ Though
Yeonbal was loyal, he was evil because he sided with an evil and brutal leader.
He encouraged the king to establish a new reign stamped with the name Tagon
rather than foolishly tying his name to the long-held belief of the ancient legend of the second coming of Aramun Haesulla. SURROUNDED Tagon
had surrounded the Achi Hill but the path into the hill was too narrow, a
bottleneck, for their huge army to enter and make an impact. Since they
couldn’t attack all at once, the damage on their side would be considerable
unless they found a way to win the war.
The Ago
warriors knew that they were completely surrounded. Prolonged warfare could
be disastrous for them. The master stategist, Sun Tzu wrote 2,500 years in The
Art of War, ‘Victory is the main object in war …….. History has shown
there has never been a country benefiting from prolonged warfare.’ But, similar
to in the moral law expounded in The Art of War, the warriors would follow
Inaishingi ‘in life and unto death without fear for their lives and
undaunted by any peril.’ Looking
at the map they had, Daisae pointed out the path back to Molabeol Castle had
the most soldiers stationed there. Ago only had 60% of the able-bodied
soldiers left to fight. Mirasol was not sure whether Takuchan and Dachi were
captured or dead. Ipsaeng gave a frightening picture; Arthdal had 3 more times
their troops. Badoru had depressing news - their supplies were low. THE MESSENGER At this time, Chomo told them that a messenger from Arthdal had arrived. Yeonbal,
the Arthdal commander, was the messenger. Inaishingi had met him before.
Inaishingi asked, ‘Do I look exactly like your general?’ The other
told him both brothers were enemies of Arthdal.
Inaishingi
stressed that everyone in the Arth continent was Arthdal’s enemy. Yeonbal’s message was Tagon had cut off all waterways to Achi Hill. Ago might not have noticed it now but this vital piece of information was a diplomatic gesture. Ago were the masters of the forests but could they live without water?
When Inaishingi threatened to behead him and
send his head back to Tagon, Yeonbal informed him that Tagon wished to meet
him the next day at sunset. Each leader was to be accompanied by only two
escorts.
THE
NEGOTIATIONS PSYCHOLOGICAL
WARFARE
The
sunset was beautiful. Inaishingi was accompanied by his fiercest warriors,
Tae Maja and Mirusol.
Inaishingi
noticed the fresh cuts on the trunks of the trees as he moved in the forests.
What was the Arthdal army up to?
Tagon was accompanied by Yeonbal and Dupa.
A
negotiation table had been set up under an open tent.
It was
obvious Tagon’s seat was set up to be slightly higher so that he could look
down and dominate Inaishingi in the negotiations. It was also aimed to put
him at a disadvantage. Tagon was using paychology to demoralise Inaishingi
and to wear him down. Intent
on toying with Inaishingi’s emotions, Tagon’s first words were, ‘There is
no doubt that you look so alike.’ Inaishingi wrongly thought Tagon was
comparing him with Saya. Instead, the king was comparing him with Ragaz, his
father.
What Tagon
was about to say would be crushing to Inaishingi. He refered to Ragaz, the
Neanthal, who had died at his hands during The Great Hunt. Ragaz, a great
hunter, fought and terrorized the Daekan soldiers until the day he died.
Countless soldiers under Tagon’s command died at his hands.
The crunch came at the right moment. Tagon revealed that the Neanthal was his father. It was a great tactic to weaken the Ago leader psychologically. Psychological warfare at close quarters had been launched against him.
The
confident Inaishingi can be seen faltering; he was emotionally affected. The
piece of personal information had impacted him; his mouth trembled and his
eyes teared up. Tagon
intensified the blow. To make him feel small, he stressed that Ragaz, a great
warrior, was way much better than him, Inaishingi. Ignoring
his barbed insult, Inaishingi wanted to know what had happened to his father.
Tagon couldn’t suppress his mirth and mockery. The other man looked confused.
He dramatically drew a graphic picture of Ragaz’s last moments. Then, he added the ultimate pulverizing
revelation in full measure. The
slick and overconfident Tagon triumphantly boasted, ‘I shot his neck with
an arrow. Dozens of Daekan warriors rushed to him immediately and hacked at
him with all their might. Clear blue blood spewed out like waterfall. It’s
vivid although it happened a long time ago.’
Tagon
held the ace card in his hand. He was exploiting a weakness in human nature
with his gruesome details. Emotions and feelings were vulnerable to
suggestions. It
seemed for a moment Inaishingi’s confidence was swayed and his emotions had
gripped him so tight that he almost suffocated. He was devastated and
motified at the horror of his father’s last moments. The graphic details of
his father’s death made him sick. He sobbed quietly as the full impact of the
slaughter of his father sunk in. One heroic and super strong Neanthal warrior
against so many of Arthdal’s elite Daekan soldiers. Smiling maliciously, the cruel Tagon sighed with a tinge of cruelty, ‘It was unspeakably miserable.’ What
would the great Sun Tzu say? He would admonished him for being boastful.
Humility was important. True cleverness or bravery should be concealed lest
his enemy get to know of his capability. When Inaishingi
lifted his head, the viewers knew that his momentary mourning was over. He
could have been sucked into an abyss of despair but he had a grip on his
emotions showing how emotionally intelligent he was. From Tagon’s words, Inaishingi
could ascertain the king’s own vulnerability. The IQ of
the Ago chief was intact. The knowledgeable Ago leader had his wits about him. His
defiant and nasty rejoinder stung Tagon like a swarm of angry bees, ‘I’m
sure it wasn’t as miserable a death as your father, Sanung, who was killed by
his own son. Since you witnessed both, think about it. Whose death was
more miserable?’
Shaken by the bitter truth, Tagon’s facial expression changed. Inaishingi’s words have trumped his strong ego. Tagon realised that Inaishingi had the upperhand. Inaishingi continued stabbing at Tagon's conscience, ‘At the moment of their deaths, who do you think felt more terrible? Ragaz’s death was heroic while Sanung’s death was savage and unnatural; he must have writhed in agony at his son’s inhuman betrayal. The truth hit Tagon like a ton of bricks. The IQ
of the Ago chief was intact. The knowledgeable Ago leader had his wits about
him. His defiant and nasty rejoinder stung Tagon like a swarm of angry bees, ‘I’m
sure it wasn’t as miserable a death as your father, Sanung, who was killed by
his own son. Since you witnessed both, think about it. Whose death
was more miserable?’ Tagon was guilty of not only regicide but also patricide. His story was a story about royal patricide, the killing of his father, a ruler, and its consequences.  Showing a defiant face, Inaishingi lifted his eyebrows triumphantly to show that he had won this round of talks.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFS-4QZC54w&ab_channel=Leejoongi_globalfans DIFFERENT DESTINIES Tagon asked Inaishingi whether he was trying to be Aramun Haesulla. The latter told him that he was not, but he will become the great god. Their philosophical talk changed direction to reveal character and ambition.
‘You want to become something but I want to do something. You do something to become Aramun but I want to be Aramun to do something.’ It was a huge revelation. It was illuminating to all when Inaishingi stressed that he wanted to create ‘a world where being weak isn’t a sin, a world where being powerless isn’t a sin.’ Tagon
laughed at his unattainable ambition. It was a ridiculous idea; that kind of
world wouldn’t become a reality even after 10,000 years. It was just a dream
and Inaishingi was being delusional.
Unperturbed, Inaishingi, with a face full of determination, he insisted that what was important was the step towards that direction. Tagon’s goal would surely end with his death. He just wanted fame and glory. But the path Inaishingi was taking would be his legacy for posterity. He would create a legacy that would be immortalised in the history of the Arth continent. His legacy would outlive him and continue for generations to come after his death. He wish was that his life would make a difference to the world they were living in.
Inaishingi’s eloquence left Tagon speechless for a moment. He viewed it as grand rhetoric but he finally conceded that, ‘fighting with you even after your death sounds horrible.’ He offered a truce – he would open a path for him and the Ago warriors to survive. He would clear the troops ahead of him in the Pine Tree forest at the North of Achi Hill so that they could pass through safely. They were to emerge from the forest to Molabeol Castle. But knowing the treacherous Tagon too well, Inaishingi smirked. His incredulous expression spoke volumes of his inner thoughts.  TWINS SEPARATED AT BIRTH THE NATURE AND NURTURE QUESTION Tagon hoped Inaishingi would be different from Saya. Since he raised Saya differently, he presumed that he would be different from Inaishingi and Ragaz, their father. He has offered saya a lifeline if he would kill Tanya, the High Priest but he declined. It was no choice at all; it was between the devil and the deep blue sea. Saya chose the lesser evil and drank the poison without any hesitation. But in the end, it showed that even when they were separated at birth, they were still the same in certain ways which were important. Blood was thicker than water. It was Nature that bound them together. The twins may be different at surface level but deep down they were made of the same iron will. The difference in environment made no difference to their real character. They were not breeds apart.  WAR DEMANDS
|
|
