2022
AGAIN MY LIFE
THIRD
ANNIVERSARY
THE
PAINTINGS
IN
LEE JOON
GI’S
AMAZING
MASTERPIECE
TELEVISION SERIES
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The third anniversary of Lee Joon Gi’s 2022 Legal-Political-Action-Fantasy masterpiece television series, Again My Life, has arrived. Lee, who has electrified global viewers with his iconic acting and high-octane action performance, has also amazed them with his stunning visual transformation. Portraying the lead character, Kim Hee Woo, Lee magically morphs from a visually older abrasive and reckless prosecutor in his late thirties to a young, vibrant and cool high school student and then, back again to an exceptionally intelligent and wiser young version of his former crime buster self. The images emanating from the television screen have seared important moments into our imagination. One of them is ‘The Dance Class’, a painting by Edgar Degas, which hints at female exploitation.   
Again My Life, based on a webtoon, is a perfect mix of romance, intrigue, politics, law, entertainment and business. Set in the murky underbelly of crime, injustice and corruption, the series speaks of Kim Hee Woo, a public prosecutor, who is brutally murdered by Cho Tae Sub, a powerful politician, but is given a new lease on life by a fantasy figure, The Grim Reaper. He walks back into his past to strategically plan and meticulously prepare for the destruction of the evil and rapacious politician.           Lee Joon Gi's acting and action performance in the television series has captured the imagination and won the
hearts of the audience. Again My Life has taken Japan by storm and has attained the Number
1 Asian Drama spot on Hulu. One can also watch it on VIU. Recently, it has also been
added to Netflix South Korea.
  The presence of ‘The Dance Class’, a painting by French artist, Edgar Degas, in Again My
Life, speaks of a society steeped in patriarchy and hints at the sordid and corrupt city’s movers and shakers. Degas’
painting ostensibly gives the viewers a glimpse into the world of ballet
training, portraying a captivating scene of dedication and grace. The real truth
is, behind the scene lies a shocking misogynistic world where young vulnerable females
are exploited. It is rumoured that the young ballerinas, no older than
14, who spent the most time backstage with much older patrons, were given
better roles in their on-stage performances.
  One has to point out that the director is a genius to have used The
Dance Class in Episode 11 to subtly compare Kim Hee Woo to
Edgar Degas (who initially studied law), while telling the story about Kim
Hee Woo and Kim Hee Ah in relation to the corrupt and
sometimes, sordid world. 
Curious about the ballet classes and the goings-on behind the curtains, Edgar Degas, a fervent painter of ballet dancers, had produced a variety of paintings about the dance classes. The happenings were of interest to Degas, who hovered ‘behind the wings, backstage, in class or at a rehearsal.’
Degas, knew of a luxurious room behind the stage where dancers could warm up before their performances. But the room also served as a men’s club where powerful and wealthy men could socialise and proposition the ballet dancers. These men had authority over who had the plum role and who was to be cast off. Sex work was part of a ballerina’s reality.
The painting is perfectly chosen. The scene is pregnant with meaning. It is difficult to grasp the nuances of meaning in the conversation unless one understands the background of the painting and the sordid truth about the ballet dancers. In that episode, as Kim Hee Ah stares at The
Dance Class in an art gallery, she tells Kim Hee Woo that the
painting reminds her of him. She is suspicious of him and his interest in
her conglomerate.
‘It feels like someone is peeping at something …. poking around
to take a peek.’
Like Edgar Degas, it cannot be denied that Kim Hee
Woo has parked his nose into the affairs of the Chunha conglomerate
but he has also been investigating all kinds of crimes that Cho Tae Sub and
his conspirators are involved in, including sex scandals.
Then, at one exact moment, Kim Hee Woo turns and
stands right in the exact position of Jules Perrot, the famous dance teacher,
who is also depicted in the picture.
The clever positioning of Kim Hee Woo in this scene
is astonishing. 
It is at this point in time that we are reminded that Kim
Hee Woo, like Jules Perott, is also a teacher; he is
a real estate mentor of Park Sang Man and a martial arts
teacher of Lee Yeon Suk.
  
The moment when Kim Hee Ah stares at the painting, while standing in the exact position as the ballet dancer in the foreground with her back facing the viewer, is perhaps a comparison of the vulnerable Chunha heiress (albeit not in the sexual sense) with the ballet dancer, a prey of powerful men. Kim Hee Ah’s bright future is threatened as Cho Tae Sub, the powerful, rich and greedy predator, is ready to pounce on her and swallow up her family's business.  
Like Degas, Kim Hee Woo, was a keen observer of
things. Degas knew of the sexual going-ons behind the stage and
likewise, Kim Hee Woo knew of most things including the sexual
excesses in the showbusiness organization of Choi Kang Jin’s
father. Choi Kang Jin, Kim Hee Woo’s colleague, is no
different from his father as he had compelled Cho Yoon A, an
actress, to provide sexual services to important clients.
 
The Dance Class, a piece of evidence of the history of female
exploitation, immortalizes the experiences of the ballet dancers on canvas for
future generations to remember. Many of the Parisian dancers, ‘who came from
low-income families, began training at six. From the age of ten, they worked
six days a week, learning to dance. The ballroom of the Paris Opera and Ballet
was not only a social and rehearsal space but also a brothel for the upper
classes.’
The director brings us from the beautiful painting by Degas to
the picturesque scene outside a huge glass window of presumably, the museum
building.
It is a remarkable scene of buildings, shrubs and trees. The
window of the building is so huge that the two young people seem to be staring
at a Big Picture or a big painting. 
Contrast. While the palette of pale, soft, mellow colours is
supposed to lend a bright yet surreal, calm, peaceful feel to the scene, the
topic of conversation between Kim Hee Woo and Kim Hee
Ah has a disturbing effect on them. The gloomy conversation of the
stark reality of life is enhanced by the dark clothes they are
wearing. The two black figures are silhouetted against the bright scene
outside. 
Kim Hee Ah is romantically interested in Kim Hee Woo but the
prosecutor has an important mission that he has to accomplish. Though he did not
want to be side-tracked, he is forced to shed his shell and confront some
issues. He is a picture of concern.
The scene implies that the prosecutor is giving Kim
Hee Ah the Big Picture of what is about to happen to
her business world. Kim Hee Woo’s words have given the young lady a
look at the Big Picture of her future and the future of
the Chunha conglomerate, and of how Cho Tae Sub would
destroy her family. She could not take on the menaces that were too big for a
vulnerable person like her to handle.     Other paintings are also used to denote certain concepts. In
Episode 2, Kim Hee Woo is involved in a big fight with the
school bullies who have tried to molest some girls, including Kim Han
Mi, in a private room of a nightclub.
  
One notices the three huge paintings on the walls. It is impossible not to notice them. The paintings seem to depict jungles. It is a jungle in there. The wayward boys are depicted as dangerous predators - dangerous
beasts or animals of the jungle. But, Tiger Kim Hee Woo, the King
of the Jungle, is the protector of the vulnerable girls. He made fast
work of the hoodlums. Though some may dispute it, the tiger is the king of the
jungle and the heart and soul of it.
  Again My Life touches on many
important issues. It seems certain people may not want you to watch it. You’ll be surprised to learn
that certain organizations in the industry and certain unreliable Korean drama
writers do not want you to watch the popular series. They may have titles like Highest Rated Korean Dramas of 2022 or Highest Rated Korean Dramas of All
Time but, Again My Life, whose highest rating is 12%, has seemingly been
removed from their lists by accident or by design while those television series with lower ratings get
mentioned. HIGHEST-RATED’ implies FACT (though we know ratings can be manipulated) while ‘BEST’ or ‘EXCITING’ are words that imply OPINION. It seems that only very few media organizations or writers are honest enough to have included Again My Life in their 2022 articles.
 
The cast and crew deserve many top awards. The Best Director award that should have been presented to Director Han Chul and Director Kim Yong Min. The Scriptwriters - J and Kim Yul should have received the Best Scriptwriter Award. The television series stars very amazing lead actors and superlative supporting actors who deserve awards. Lee Joon Gi deserves the Grand Prize or Daesang for his tour-de-force acting, action performance and amazing visual transformation.       https://www.instagram.com/ljg1_vered/p/DIKHodZO6Y4/?img_index=1   
TWO EXAMPLES OF
A VIETNAMESE ARTICLE   A CHINESE ARTICLE  |
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