MAWANG - EPISODE 02
More Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 1 of 5

1) Red yarn wrapped around the handles of the scissors used to cut out the printed syllables and words used in the letters sent to the recipients of the “Judgement” tarot cards.

Red yarn = fated relationships. So the scissors (and letters) are being used to cut the fated connections? Or are the scissors symbolically being used to cut short the lives of the recipients of the letters, a la the Greek Fates and Norse Norns?

2) The maker of the letters wears black leather gloves while doing so. Apparently s/he knows that touching them barehanded would leave traces detectable to a clairvoyant. [Tip of the hat to the Psi Corps telepaths in BABYLON 5 (1993-1998).]

3) Oh-soo's imperious father tells him that Lawyer Kwon is his savior.

4) GaLanTHus tarot cafe owner Gong Joo-Hee interrupts the meeting after Seung-ha arrives and prattles on about drinking the oolong tea she serves to reduce stress and anxiety. She states that she'd drawn a card that morning that indicated an important gathering would occur. She considers everyone's presence there that night to be fate, not coincidence, and the fulfillment of the prophecy. Off by herself, Hae-in finally sees Oh-soo's face in her psychometric vision as he turns away from the bright light.

GaLanTHus is probably spelled this way to facilitate syllabication of the foreign word. ;-)

5) Detective Lee teasingly calls Detective Shin “Madame Shin.” Near the end of the episode, Oh-soo does, too.

6) Back at GaLanTHus, in response to Oh-soo's query as to whether he was close with Lawyer Kwon, Seung-ha replies, “You could say that, because he's the teacher who taught me how misery can teach a lot of things.” This can be taken more than one way.

- continued -

- continued -
MAWANG - EPISODE 02
More Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 2 of 5

7) Oh-soo feels like he's met or seen Seung-ha previously, but the lawyer denies it. Earlier the detective had expressed surprise that he looked so young for a lawyer. He'd studied on his own, and presumably passed the bar before the rules changed. Prosecutor Jang Do-han in LOOKOUT sounds like Seung-ha's spiritual descendant in more ways than one.

8) Even after his boss, Detective Ban Chang-ho, tells Oh-soo how Hae-in's powers helped the police solve a case, he is unable to understand her clairvoyance, and wants to test her, but she refuses. Flashback to Detective Cha Gwang-doo interviewing the young Hae-in and believing her after another detective accused her of lying. Oh-soo strikes me as not very well educated, and pretty close-minded. He comes off like an ignorant know-it-all at times, but he does have the necessary instincts and awareness (street smarts) to be a police officer. – The next day, he goes to the library and apologizes to her.

9) Seung-ha's pro-bono appeal on behalf of inmate Kim Soon-ki is based on the fact that he was mercilessly bullied and harrassed all through middle school, and as a consequence, became overly-protective of himself. The victim's family sympathized with that assessment, and agreed to settle the case. (Did he commit manslaughter or cause an accidental death?) Na Suk-jin is having a meltdown in the courtroom as he hears the proceedings. He seems very worried at the prospect of Soon-ki's release from prison.

10) Na-hee's phone plays “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring” when her husband calls as Suk-jin drives her to what sounds like a medical exam. He apologizes for being unable to accompany her. Her passenger side window reflects the same kind of trees as in episode 1's opening scene with the kids riding their bikes.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (J.S. Bach), David Tolley - pianist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uiH4rXbPyA

11) When Detective Ban Chang-ho and his old colleague Cha Gwang-doo get together for a drink, the latter states that Lawyer Oh Seung-ha is very smart and passed the bar exam without attending college. To which Chang-ho replies, “Really? Then he's not human, he's a monster.” Yet another statement that can be taken more than one way.

12) In his conversations with his sons, politician, hotel magnate, and pater familias Kang Dong-hyun comes across as an obnoxious autocrat. Now we know where Oh-soo gets his attitude.

- continued -

- continued -
MAWANG - EPISODE 02
More Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 3 of 5

13) The scene during Mass in the white Catholic church is of the Agnus Dei, recited or sung when the host is broken after consecration. In the US, the English words are:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

The statues in the summer kitchen are of the Sacred Heart and St. Joseph with the Christ Child.

Hae-in goes over to fetch more rice for the lunch after Mass, and is surprised to encounter Seung-ha carrying out a large pan of it. After she takes it, Jo Dong-sub comes out of the shadows with a container of kimchi. He doesn't look well. I think he got injured in the altercation with Lawyer Kwon.

14) Hwang Soo-gun brings organic vegetables and a photo of two teenagers to Seung-ha, who calls him hyung. The picture is of Seung-ha and his elder brother. Soo-gun says it's already been 12 years. And this is the only photo of them.

15) Kim Young-chul gives a white teddy bear wearing a dress to a little girl who's scratching figures in the dirt by herself while other kids voices can be heard off camera. (Scratching figures in the dirt brings to mind the beginning of John's gospel, chapter 8. See #16, below.) He haltingly asks why she's alone and the others don't play with her. He tells her he's her friend from now on. He's dressed in black and smiles at her. At first I thought he was Seung-ha until I saw his face. The scene is kind of creepy to me.

-continued -

MAWANG - EPISODE 02
More Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 4 of 5

16) “The truth will not set your friends free. Article 11, Clause 1 of the Constitution.” Detective Lee recites the clause for Oh-soo: “Everyone is equal before the law.” To which he replies, “Except they're not.” Is he being a wiseguy, or dispassionately observing that the ideal is often ignored in practice?

The first sentence above refers to John 8:31-32, when the Pharisees and lawyers attempted to ensnare Jesus in the temple. The chapter begins with the account of the woman caught in adultery, to which Jesus famously replied, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” A later passage introduces the light-motif (pun intended) that applies to Hae-in.

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. …

44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ...”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+8&version=NIV

In the earlier scene at GaLanTHus when Seung-ha stated that he had phoned Lawyer Kwon when the latter was at dinner, and Oh-soo had questioned him about it, the lawyer had said he had no reason to lie. But can we trust anything he (or any other character) says? Verse 44 underscored that for me.

17) Oh-soo runs into old friend and loanshark Yoon Dae-shik outside the police station. He's threatening a woman who owes him money, and refers to her daughter, Sora. He has a cough, which worries Oh-soo. Dae-shik warns his friend that Sun-ki may be getting released soon, and that he'll be a headache to the detective.

-continued -

MAWANG - EPISODE 02
More Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 5 of 5

18) Cut to the daycare schoolyard where Sora's mother questions her over who gave her the teddy bear.

19) Detective Lee and Oh-soo stake out the GaLanTHus tarot cafe after someone (Jo Dong-sub?) sent a tarot card there. He says the only thing he's afraid of is himself.

20) Cha Gwang-doo works in Seung-ha's office. Just before 6PM, Jo Dong-sub comes in to speak with the lawyer, who enters shortly after him. He doesn't have an appointment, and needs to talk.

21) Another package is delivered to the precinct as Oh-soo meets with Hae-in at the library with the tarot card and murder weapon (switchblade hunting knife) delivered to Lawyer Kwon for her to read. She sees the murder unfold, and asks to go to the crime scene. She recognizes the picture on the wall. She identifies the victim from the family portrait on his desk, and the alleged killer from the mugshot on Oh-soo's phone. He gets a call from Detective Lee, and drives Hae-in somewhere before returning to the precinct.

22) The package contains the tarot card “Justice” and another letter: “All points form a whole. Each and every one of them move closely together.” In the preview, Hae-in identifies the letter as a quotation from “Faust.” I haven't been able to identify the passage.

23) At home, Hae-in draws the “Justice” card.

24) At home, with tears in his eyes Seung-ha ignites the photo of him and his brother. Is he destroying the only existing evidence of his past life and family?

25) Next morning, Jo Dong-sub turns himself in at the precinct, but refuses to answer Oh-soo's questions. Seung-ha arrives and identifies himself as the alleged assailant's lawyer.

26) Detective Shin's earlier investigation revealed that Jo Dong-sub had received a letter while he was in prison, but it could not be obtained. His former wife/girlfriend revealed that he had received letters after his release.

27) Hae-in wears white fabric gloves while shelving books at the library. I suspect it is to protect herself from being overwhelmed with psychometric impressions during the course of the day.

MAWANG - EPISODE 03
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 1

1) I had no clue what the quotation from Goethe was supposed to mean. The subtitles for the version in episode 2 sounded like a geometry treatise. The episode 3 subtitles made more sense. Rather than beat my brains out trying to understand German translated into Korean and then into English, I decided to go back to the original source. I searched for the passage in German, and think I found it.

Drama***l translation of the second letter delivered to Oh-soo with the “Justice” tarot card in Ep. 02:

“All points form a whole. Each and every one of them move closely together.”

Another translation of the same text in Ep. 03 subtitles, same source:

“All elements constitute a whole. Each constituent is intimately related and alive.”
This feels like a better translation to me. To cross-check it, I scanned a German edition looking for mention of parts and the Whole. I think I located the passage in Scene 1, lines 95-96 of “Faust” Part 1. The only way to know for sure is to check the script. Perhaps it has been discussed on other Kdrama sites. Faust speaks:

“Wie alles sich zum Ganzen webt,
Eins in dem andern wirkt und lebt!”

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2229/pg2229-images.html
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Posting Date: January 26, 2010 [EBook #2229] Release Date: June 2000 [This file last updated on August 4, 2010]

My literal, unpoetic, non-rhyming translation:

“As everything weaves together into the Whole,
One functions and lives in the other.”

English translation, in the original rhyming meter, by Bayard Taylor:

”How each the Whole its substance gives,
Each in the other works and lives!”

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14591/14591-8.txt
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Faust, by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Release Date: January 4, 2005 [EBook #14591]
Translated into English, in the original metres, by Bayard Taylor.

Here's another rendition into English, by Anna Swanwick:

“How all things live and work, and ever blending,
Weave one vast whole from Being’s ample range!”

http://www.bartleby.com/19/1/1.html
Goethe, J.W. von. Faust. Part I, translated by Anna Swanwick. Vol. XIX, Part 1. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. http://www.bartleby.com/19/1/. [20180105].
On-line Edition: Published March 29, 2001 by Bartleby.com; © 2001 Copyright Bartleby.com, Inc.

- continued -

- continued -
MAWANG - EPISODE 03
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 2

2) What is the significance of the quotation? It must somehow be germane to the story. I think is serves as an indictment of all of the parties who are involved in the death of the schoolboy, whom we now know to be Seung-ha's elder brother. We've already seen that Lawyer Kwon, whom Oh-soo's father declared to be his son's savior, has died a sudden, violent death, allegedly at the hands of former convict Jo Dong-sub. It's easy to see how a defense lawyer might be culpable of a miscarriage of justice – the subject of the accompanying tarot card.

But what is Dong-sub's involvement in the schoolboy's murder? That should be revealed as the story unfolds. Perhaps he is not involved in the first murder at all. He believes he has been wronged by Lawyer Kwon.

It seems to me that an as-yet anonymous Prosecutor is handing down indictments against co-conspirators in the original murder 12 years earlier. Based on Lawyer Kwon's fate, s/he will also be acting as Judge and Jury, if not directly as Executioner. It looks likely that some of the conspirators will serve as agents of retribution against their fellows, and meet their own destruction as a result.

@pakalanapikake: My narcissus is blooming.

Read the latest DB "What We Are Watching" and you'll see how good Just Between Lovers is.

Finally watched the last few minutes of ep 1. Did you notice when Young Chul opens his desk drawer to get another pen you can see the box of tarot cards? It was so brief, I'd missed that nugget before.
Also, when they're at the tarot shop and Seung ho walks in, his "devil's music" begins.

Ep 2: Re daffodils, narcissus? What were they? I thought it was rather humorous that 1st, the flowers were uprooted, the pot broken and one stem was bent or broken. 2) Oh soo left her flowers in a new white pot, but they were wilted. What was he thinking? (Ha)
Hae in on the balcony, bathing in the sunlight, with Aroma of Light playing. Very nice.
I still think there's something special going on with Seung ha's partner
lawyer. Suk Jin was not happy to see him in the courtroom.

@Tom @pakalanapikake: Ah, don't know where Tom is and he isn't a member, but I wanted him to know I have a sinking feeling I know what the intense yellow is in Just Lovers. It appears whenever there's death, doom. The first time it was surrounding them in all the building walls, concrete walls, etc. Then they discovered someone who had just died. It totally enveloped him and the granny at the playground. Later we find out granny has a brain tumor. It only goes to the side of the female lead as if she's involved or near someone who is doomed or will die. It surrounded him when he broke up with her. I'm hoping this isn't telling us he will die in the end. His body is pretty messed up from being the last survivor of the mall collapse (7 days) and he's always in physical pain. Though it's supposed to be a drama about healing, I hope it isn't like Remember because once I knew he was going to die I couldn't watch the rest. I wonder if he will start to heal and the yellow gradually disappears. But right now, I'm fearful. This show, you feel like you're living their lives and you're in the drama.

@pakalanapikake @Tom (ha): Got the Mawang CD from Korea today. The only place I have to listen is the CD player in my car so I drove around listening. I absolutely love the cd, even though I've only heard the 1st three so far. My friend knows several Koreans in the area so I'm going to ask if one of them can translate the 3rd song that has words. The CD cover and inside pamphlet is beautiful too.

@linda-palapala, @Tom,

Sorry to have fallen off the face of the earth. Here's hoping that you're both in good spirits and off to an auspicious new year.

I'm feeling much better after recuperating from whichever bug was getting me down. Mentally I was pretty tired and just needed to lighten up. Oddly enough, SOLOMON'S PERJURY caught my eye in the “In Defense Of” essays this month, and it got the juices flowing again. It was well done. I finished watching LOVE RAIN, another essay subject, yesterday afternoon. It was surprisingly therapeutic. Great music! And MONEY FLOWER continues to be a great watch.

Last night I checked KBS World TV on YouTube, and was tickled to see that I could watch MAWANG there. I quickly noticed that the subtitles (credited to Domino TV / translator Wha Young Jung) felt better than the ones I'd been reading before, so will rewatch the first 4 episodes to refresh my memory after my hiatus.

One detail I was pleased to learn from the KBS subtitles: A total of 3 sets of tarot cards had been stolen from GaLanTHus. I had figured that at least two sets were needed because there were two recipients of each card. The sender (or instigator) would need a set as well. My suspicion was confirmed.

Ep. 01 – during the preview for ep. 02, starting at about 1:06:00:

KBS's subtitle for letter #2:

“All the elements constitute one whole. Each of them lives and moves together, being closely connected.”

My amended loose translation from the German:

“As everything weaves together into the whole,
One functions [or works or exerts an effect] and lives in the other.”

Goethe's original German from Scene 1, lines 95-96 of “Faust” Part 1:

“Wie alles sich zum Ganzen webt,
Eins in dem andern wirkt und lebt!”

Yesterday I came across information on MAWANG's filming locations. It also contains plot and character information I found interesting as it specifically refers to revenge. I've been thinking about vengeance in relation to “Faust.” I suspect that revenge is the Korean “secret sauce” that is added to the themes of pride going before a fall, redemption, and facing the consequences of one's sins. It's just an inkling. Here's the link:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_24.jsp

*off to watch episode 2*

@ Tom January 6, 2018 at 6:03 AM

http://www.dramabeans.com/2007/04/devil-mawang-wave-of-japanese-support/comment-page-2/#comment-3162989

In belated reply to your response to my episode 02 comments in thread #55:

9) Re: Wangtta

I hadn't come across that term before, so did a little research and posted a couple of items on my fan wall in early January.

One of the phenomena I've been mystified by in Kdramas is the amount of violence in schools. But after reading that article by a foreign English teacher in Korea, it seems that the naming, blaming, and shaming of scapegoats truly is a national sport. And it goes far beyond shunning -- it's active pursuit and persecution. Just for being different. Egads. Now I see why the alcoholism and suicide rates are so high. I don't mean this in a judgemental way at all. It's just such a different way of being that I cannot grok it. It's like a non-stop fraternity hazing, and everyone is fair game. Forever. Like living in a shark feeding frenzy.

Violence in American schools has reached levels that would never have been tolerated when I was doing time there. Teachers get beaten up and worse. And then there are the sex scandals with students. It could be that this stuff has always gone on, but now we're just more aware of it. Somewhere along the line, a healthy sense of shame (aka “conscience”) was lost. What the hell happened to my country?!

I assumed that Suk-jin was part of the gang because of his relationship with Oh-soo's elder brother. The degree of his reaction to the news of Soon-ki's release caught my eye. Why is he the only one who's worried? It's not clear how long Soon-ki has been in jail. Maybe these questions will be answered in later episodes.

Several other items from Episode 02 were not on my original list of observations:

On 01/07/18 I watched the DramaGa**xy copy of ep. 03, and found the name of the book Seung-ha asked Hae-in about that was not on the shelf. The Human Character and Its Transition did not turn up any book titles when I searched, and I didn't see any by Jung that seems to fit when I took a cursory look. (More on this in a later post.)

After watching Ep. 02 (KBS World TV channel on YouTube) preview for Ep. 03 @1:04:32:

Yet another variation of the quote from Goethe's “Faust.” Subtitles translated by Ho Eunkyoung:

A whole stream of events consists as one whole.
Each closely connected lives and moves together.

The Agnus Dei (prayer following the Consecration during the Catholic Mass) was translated correctly into English.

Both Hae-in and Seung-ha went outdoors for sunlight and fresh air. She went out onto the balcony of the library, and he sat on a park bench in the golden afternoon light. I hadn't noticed during previous viewings that they were both basking like turtles. ;-)

MAWANG - EPISODE 03
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 3 of 4

3) Jo Dong-sub gets a message to go to Lawyer Kwon's office, but when he arrives, the lawyer is shocked to see him, and picks up the switchblade from his desk and opens it. He holds it awkwardly, and doesn't seem to know how to handle it. Dong-sub tells him to go ahead and stab him. He's been avoiding seeing him for a year. The two grapple. Dong-sub steps backwards onto a big pile of papers on the floor, loses his balance and falls backwards onto the floor, and Lawyer Kwon falls on top of him – and the point of the blade.

4) Shocked, Jo Dong-sub gets up and runs out of the office, stepping on Lawyer Kwon's glasses as he does so. This parallels the feet of someone trampling the peppermint candies on the ground at the wrecking yard after the stabbing of Jung Tae-hoon.

5) After Dong-sub leaves, Lawyer Kwon tries to reach for his cellphone which fell on the floor, but it's out of reach. He pulls the knife out, and proceeds to gush blood. He should have left it in place.

6) In interrogation at the precinct, Dong-sub says he only wanted an apology from Lawyer Kwon. “I never wanted to kill him.”

I expect that Seung-ha will plead “accidental death in self-defense” on his client's behalf.

Ep. 03: KBS subtitles by Domino TV / translated by Wha Young Jung

7) Title of book Seung-ha asks Hae-in for at the library: The Development of Personality. It can refer to either:

The Development of Personality (Collected Works of C. G. Jung Vol.17), with chapter 7 consisting of the title paper, or

The Development of the Personality: Seminars in Psychological Astrology ; V. 1 by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas (Samuel Weiser, Inc.: York Beach, Maine, USA; February 1, 1987). This book incorporates C. G. Jung's work on archetypes with a psychological approach to astrology.

Either way, I suspect that it is the works' focus on the influence of parents (whether human or archetypal) that interests Seung-ha. I have an inkling that it may have something to do with the “sins of the fathers” coming home to roost.

8) Seung-ha states to Hae-in that the repotted daffodil would do better if it gets sunlight and fresh air. When she is interested in his knowledge of them, he says his mother liked daffodils, and she flashes on the image of his mother that she picked up psychometrically. Hae-in likes them, too. He looks at her an uncomfortably long time after that, and she gets fidgety.

Part 3 of 4
- continued -

MAWANG - EPISODE 03
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 4 of 4

9) Hae-in knows that Tae-hoon's mother liked peppermint candy. But we don't yet know if Hae-in knows that his mother is Seung-ha's mother as well.

10) The closing statement on the letters sent to Jo Dong-sub while he was in jail:

“God predetermines a man's destiny, but man has the power to change his destiny.”

For the heck of it I searched for that quote in case it is from one of Seung-ha's books. No dice. But maybe it will crop up later.

11) I noticed a color cue: Yellowish walls and bright yellow shelves in the bookstore where Na Suk-jin meets Kim Young-chul, who stammers, cringes, and beats a hasty retreat from his high school classmate. Yellow seems to be symbolizing the color of fear. It's associated with cowardice, as in “yellow-bellied.”

12) After Hae-in inadvertently gets a reading from Oh-soo when he touches her back as she gets in the car, she has a nightmare that night of Tae-hoon being stabbed. But she doesn't see who did it, yet. (However, she saw his face earlier when taking a reading of one of the tarot cards during the first session at GaLanTHus.)

13) Seung-ha turns on the stereo and plays a jazz version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as he towel dries his hair in his living room in the bright light. (Recall from Goethe's color treatise that color arises from the interplay of light and darkness, and that there are two spectra, depending on whether light is seen against a backdrop of darkness, or darkness is seen against a backdrop of light.)

MAWANG - EPISODE 04
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 1

Ep. 04: KBS subtitles by Domino TV / translated by Wha Young Jung.

1) Letter that accompanies the tarot card “Justice.”

“Hear the trumpet sounds of judgement.
See the new world after the darkness has cleared away.
Believe in the dignity of truth.
Be prepared for the truth to... pierce your heart.”

2) Hae-in touches the letter that had been recently delivered to suspect Jo Dong-sub that his landlady gave the police while they were searching his apartment. Among the visions are what appear to be details of statues.

She also sees the muzzle of a pistol, which worries her enough to call Detective Kang Oh-soo the next day. She asks if there have been any shootings, but there are none that he knows of. He asks if she has identified the statue, but she doesn't know. She senses it has to do with judgment and justice. Oh-soo has gone from being the biggest skeptic to Hae-in's biggest fan. LOL! Now it's Detective Lee Min-jae who's questioning the wisdom of discussing evidence with a civilian who isn't a mudang. It's hilarious how he calls Detective “Scully” out for not believing.

3) The book Seung-ha asked Hae-in for, The Development of Personality, is returned by the borrower. It is indeed the volume by C. G. Jung. His facsimile signature is on the front of the dust jacket, along with a photo of him in his later years. She puts it aside for Seung-ha, and looks over to the daffodil in the window, which has made a miraculous recovery and is now in full bloom. [Actually, it is a completely different plant that is much shorter than the original. LOL!]

4) At the library, Hae-in happens across close-up photos of the sculptures she saw in her nightmare and discovers they are individual figures from Rodin's sculpture “The Gates of Hell.” The artist worked on it for more than 30 years; it was to be the main entrance to a museum that was never built. Just then, Seung-ha arrives after closing time to pick up the book by Jung. He asks her why she named her tarot cards “GaLanTHus.” The lights suddenly go out, and Seung-ha finds the light switch more quickly than she does. He says he is used to darkness. Leaving the library afterwards, she tells him the story of the angel who came to Adam and Eve after they were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Eve was shivering in the cold winter. The angel swirled the snowflakes and turned them into Galanthus (snowdrop) flowers with the promise that winter would be followed by the warmth of spring. She wants her tarot cards to bring the same kind of consolation as the angel did. “Bad things don't last long if you try hard.” Seung-ha reflects as he drives home.

MAWANG - EPISODE 04
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 2

5) As Hae-in arrives home, she sees Oh-soo waiting by her front gate. She startles him as she walks up behind him. He stammers, and finally tells her they did the site inspection and reenactment at Lawyer Kwon's office, and the case is being turned over to the prosecutors. She asks why he came, and he says he wanted to let her know, and to thank her for her help. She tells him she found out the name of the sculpture in her nightmare: “The Gates of Hell.” He asks what it's about, and when she says Rodin is the one who knows, he thinks she's making fun of him, which she immediately tries to dispel. She tells him about its thematic connection with the “Divine Comedy” and Dante and Virgil's journey through Hell and several souls they encountered there. Back at the precinct, Oh-soo sits in the dark, alone, thinking to himself.

6) At home, Hae-in researches the sculpture online, and learns that “The Thinker” is the main figure. He is a seated man awaiting judgement with his eyes closed. But as soon as he opens his eyes, he becomes the man who judges. I have a feeling that the eye motif will be important later in the story.

Oh-soo is likewise logged in at work researching the sculpture.

7) In a shopping mall, Seung-ha stands in front of a life-size(?) photo mural of “The Gates of Hell.”

What a strange piece of art to install in a shopping mall. Unless it's saying that materialism and conspicuous consumption are manifestations of Hell? And why do I get the feeling that Seung-ha had a hand in its installation?!

8) Ex-convict Kim Soon-ki drops by the hotel to see Kang Soo-hee, who is away on business. Secretary Na Suk-jin tries to shoo him out. He's trying to get himself a cushy job. Suk-jin quickly places his boss's portrait with his wife flat on the desk so Soon-ki cannot see her face, which he saw when he barged into his friend's apartment the day he was released from jail and had nowhere else to go. He seats himself at Soo-hee's desk, and refuses to leave. Then he complains to Suk-jin that he and the other two always gang up on him and treat him as the wangtta just like back in high school. Just then, behind him, Soo-hee enters. Later Soon-ki departs with an envelope full of cash, which pleases him.

9) An online article in Issue & Issue written by freelance Reporter Sung Joon Pyo who called on Seung-ha has been raising a ruckus. The reporter apparently received a delivery himself. And he hasn't been seen for a few days. Suk-jin asks his boss if he's seen the article. The publication is new, and launched its webzine prior to its print edition. Soo-hee discusses it with his father, who cavalierly dismisses Reporter Sung the same way he belittles his detective son.

MAWANG - EPISODE 04
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 3

10) Cut to Oh-soo eating lunch with Yoon Dae-shik and discussing Soo-hee. Dae-shik is still coughing. Turns out he has asthma, which is what killed his father. Once he recoups his outstanding loans, he's going to quit the usury business and open a bar.

11) Rookie Detective Shin learns that the woman who owned the house formerly on the site of the apartment building that was a fake return address for the letters received in jail by Jo Dong-sub is the former wife of Reporter Sung. She allegedly emigrated to Australia three years previously. The reporter's name backwards is Pyo Junseong. Oh-soo and his boss and colleagues think the reporter sent the letters to Jo Dong-sub, as well as the packages to Lawyer Kwon and Oh-soo, who needs to check something out regarding his family. Four years earlier, the reporter worked for New World and caused a scandal for Kang senior, who sued him for libel through Lawyer Kwon. Elder brother says Dad won the case, and that he'd heard the reporter emigrated. Oh-soo tells Chief Detective Ban he needs a search warrant for the reporter's home. Ban refuses for lack of evidence to support the motive of revenge for losing his job and his wife as a result of the lawsuit.

12) Cut to Seung-ha sitting on the park bench photosynthesizing while children play nearby.

13) Dae-shik tries to phone the ahjumma who owes him money, but her phone is no longer in service. He sends his two thugs to look for her. After they leave, he turns to a package on his desk. At that moment the woman is quitting her restaurant job. Her little girl, Sora, is outside on the sidewalk with the teddy bear doll the strange man gave her. When mom looks again, she's gone. We'd seen a man's legs wearing dark pants and black shoes – like the guy was wearing who gave her the doll. Mom runs around frantically in the middle of the intersection calling Sora's name.

14) Cut to Hae-in going downstairs at the library. She runs outdoors to meet Lawyer Cha (the former detective, who was told to drop the case that she had helped him with). He tells her he heard from Chief Ban that her tarot card was found at the scene of the death. She tells him it wasn't a fluke, and that the police received one as well. He drops the subject, and asks how her mother is doing. “Mom is an angel and a nag.” He still remembered what her mom had said back then: that she was afraid that Hae-in would live in a world without fairy tales because of what happened with the case back then. He says that's why he wasn't happy when he'd heard that Chief Detective Ban had asked for her help again. She says she's still a kid who lives in a fairy tale. She mentions she doesn't see the chief very often, but Detective Kang is very nice – and he does a double take when she mentions his full name. He looks troubled, and brushes off his reaction.

MAWANG - EPISODE 04
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 4

15) Cut to Hae-in's living room, with Mom. She tells Mom Lawyer Cha dropped by, and she asks how he is. Mom says he's the only one who believed her. She replies that she lives in a fairy tale because Mom always believes her. Fairy tales have already been mentioned in episode 1, when the jailer thanked Seung-ha for the book he gave his daughter.

16) Lawyer Cha drives up in a taxi to a police station and hears a small child crying. It's Sora and her bear. He goes over to her. His boss comes up behind him and they exchange greetings. He says he has to meet someone, while his boss says he needed to see Mr. Jo before he's sent to the prosecutors. Sora continues to cry for her Mommy. Seung-ha hunkers down and asks if she's lost and what her name is. She says “Jung Sora.” Cha tries to phone mom, whose number is out of date. Seung-ha asks if she knows where she lives, and she tells him. He sets out with her, and tells Cha that he'll report her as lost if he cannot find her mother.

17) Cut to Oh-soo and Rookie Shin in the car, which the boss suddenly stops. The rookie attempts to persuade him to just stake out the reporter instead of breaking down his door. Suddenly his phone rings. It's Dae-shik, who is opening the package. He tells Oh-soo that he's getting together with Soon-ki later, and that he should join them. Dae-shik removes a teddy bear wearing a dress that looks just like the doll the stuttering man (Young-chul) gave her. His cough resumes and gets worse as Oh-soo tells him to leave Soon-ki alone. Dae-shik says something about getting a weird picture card with an English word on it and a doll, and Oh-soo fairly hits the ceiling. He asks when it arrived, but his friend keeps blathering. Oh-soo asks if he's in his office and tells him to stay there, that he's on his way.

18) Cut to Seung-ha driving, and telling Sora the story of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, who was banished to a strange land by the Wicked Witch. But with the help of her friends and the Wizard of Oz, she's able to get back home to her mom. He says he's the Wizard of Oz, and he'll help her get home. He turns on the stereo and plays a female cover of IZ's Jawaiian version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” (Original version posted on my fan wall.)

Seung-ha admits that he's the one pulling the levers behind the curtain.

19) Cut to the detectives driving like mad to Dae-shik's office. Cut back to the Oz-mobile, with Sora asleep, and Seung-ha stroking her hair. Then cut to Hae-in, who touches the “Justice” card sent to Oh-soo. She flashes on Sora, the white teddy bear doll, the cartoon stickers on the upper story window of the house at the return address of Mr. Jo's letters, a man's legs in dark trousers. “Why did he send the doll?” she wonders.

MAWANG - EPISODE 04
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 5 of 5

20) Cut to the mall with the “Gates of Hell” photomural. Kim Young-chul is standing in front of it, peering at it closely.

He's an editor. He might very well recognize the sculpture. I wonder whether other pawns in the game will be led to this image – and recognize its significance.

21) Oh-soo finds the office door wide open, and Dae-shik gasping for air on the floor. Rookie Shin just stands there until Oh-soo hollers at him to call for help. He's pretty useless, although he's a good guy. He doesn't know the address, but sees the box and picks it up to get the address while Oh-soo keeps yelling at Dae-shik to wake up. The tarot card flutters to the floor, and no one sees it yet.

MAWANG - EPISODE 05
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 1 of 1

Ep. 05: KBS World TV subtitles by Domino TV / translated by Wha Young Jung.

1) Rookie Shin seems to smell something bad when he gets to the open door of Dae-shik's office. (Did someone powder the teddy bear doll with anthrax spores?)

2) Sora's mother is staggering around the street, and stops to toss what looks like a pistol (toy cowboy six shooter) near a darkened building.

3) Lawyer Cha is at the precinct with Detective Lee, waiting for Chief Ban, when Rookie Shin finally phones in about the latest tarot card case. He overhears Lee asking the rookie if Oh-soo has busted Reporter Sung, which raises Cha's eyebrow. Then Chief Ban arrives. Apparently the EMTs got to Dae-shik and did CPR on him; he's in the ER with Oh-soo.

4) Cut to Seung-ha walking up a dark alley with Sora. Later they sit in the car. Mom is not home.

5) Dae-shik flatlines at 8:30PM and is pronounced, and Oh-soo doesn't even realize he was a goner. The guy is not qualified to be a cop. All he did was holler at him to wake up. He did absolutely nothing to check his airways for obstructions, call for help, or do chest compressions. Nepotism strikes again. He is totally clueless. The attending physician has to tell him that his friend was DOA (Dead On Arrival). He doesn't believe it.

MAWANG - EPISODE 06
Observations, Symbolism, Free Association, etc.
Part 1 of 1

Ep. 06: KBS World TV subtitles by Domino TV / translated by Wha Young Jung.

1) Hae-in receives a letter and “The Empress” tarot card in a blue envelope.

Oh-soo's red envelope contains pictures of him in high school in 1996-1997 and a letter.

“People who are trying to go to the city of pain will have to pass me.
People who are seeking for eternal pain will have to pass me.
Those who are going towards those who have lost their souls will have to pass me.”

Whose voice narrated that?!

The text is the first three lines of Dante's Inferno, Canto III: The Gate of Hell.

2) “The Empress” is Demeter, the force that nurtures all of nature. Her card has a daffodil on it; it is a flower of the underworld and stands for the voice of the dead. It stands for the truth that the dead try to reveal even after they die.

Hae-in: “I think whoever sent me this card wants me to speak for the dead.”

Now that I'm watching MAWANG, I have a much better appreciation for LOOKOUT and its ending. Prosecutor Jang Do-han is definitely a spiritual descendant of Lawyer Oh Seung-ha. He's basically Oh Seung-ha v2.0, and his fate is very much in keeping with the pyrrhic nature of revenge. In neither case is there an actual Mephistopheles. Instead, they both decide within themselves to pursue revenge couched as justice for the victims of power-mongering predators, and focus their lives for many years on those goals. Instead of signing Mephisto's contract in blood, they sacrifice all their opportunities for happiness in life.

http://www.dramabeans.com/2018/01/in-defense-of-the-not-so-happy-ending/#comment-3180757

On a saguek note, the viciously vengeful Madam Park, wife of Nobleman Jo in REBEL: THIEF WHO STOLE THE PEOPLE, is a hybrid case of greed leading to all-consuming revenge. Her worship of Song Sabu's warped brand of Neoconfucianism leads to her son's destruction as well as her own. (Since when is the annihilation of one's own family a Confucian value?!) The main difference between Madam Park and her younger modern counterparts is that she is a member of the upper crust, like Congressman Kang. She benefits from her yangban husband's place in the social hierarchy, even as her own life is strictly limited by the very same conventions because she is female.

@linda-palapala, @ Tom,

I was able to find some of the music, which I posted on my fan wall, along with one piece from the Japanese remake.

Thanks to some of your discussions, I've been noticing the music cues as I watch. The more I see and hear, the more I like this show. I've gotten as far as ep. 9, and have finished rewatching through ep. 7. There's so much detail to notice that it needs more than one pass.

Tom, if you want to post your comments on ep. 6, please go right ahead. ;-)

*** Unclean! Unclean! Beware of Spoilers ***

I celebrated Groundhog Day 2018 by marathoning episodes 8-20 of MAWANG in a leisurely 20 hours. Hot-diggity-damn, what a great drama! I was truly impressed by the artistry this drama exhibited. The cast and crew did a great job. The story got off to a fast start, while the show found its sea legs by around episode 6. The music is terrific.

Mahalo nui loa to @linda-palapala and Tom for enticing me out of my perceived comfort zone. In all honesty, MAWANG is now among my favorite Kdramas. Period.

Having seen episode 18 out of context while watching for symbolism, I now have a better understanding of how the show unfolds. The scene on the swing by the river parallels an earlier one in a different playground. Now that I know Hae-in's path had crossed Tae-sung's when they were still in school, it's easier for me to take those scenes at face value. Maybe Koreans really do like funky little parks with quirky installations of Doric columns and blank slates hanging on tree trunks that look like something out of DIY Day at some fancy art gallery. Maybe there's less symbolism than initially met my eye. I'll mull that over later -- but I still think that wire sculpture looks like a cormorant!

Roughly midway through the show I noticed a sudden wardrobe change. Seung-ha, who previously always dressed in a somber dark suit and white shirt like a (sexy) undertaker, switched to a light gray suit with black shirt and dark tie. Meanwhile, Detective Kang wore dark colors instead of his light/medium earth tones and faded denims. I also noticed a subtle change in their hair styles that got the hair out of Seung-ha's eyes and made him look less like a precocious high school kid (from certain angles), and yielded slightly longer locks in lieu of the detective's buzz cut. Interestingly, the lawyer's bangs stayed down instead of being swept up to signal a turn to the Dark Side. Hmmm. Oh, that's right, he was already on the Dark Side.

I didn't see the twist coming as Seung-ha left his office. An excellent resolution to this epic tale in which revenge and hatred were transmuted into forgiveness and peace of mind and heart for the two antagonists. Alas, the clairvoyant librarian was left holding the bag. I felt really bad for her and her mom. On the other hand, they had faith and hope to see them through the finale and its aftermath.

I'll have more to say later on this cautionary tale of revenge. ;-)

@linda-palapala, @Tom,

I'm still feeling warm and fuzzy after the finale of MAWANG. It was so apropos that I cannot help but feel hopeful and satisfied with the resolution. This completely blows my mind. Although I'd seen a music video that I thought had spoiled it for me, it had not tipped me off to an earlier event which made all the difference. I have to note that I feel really bad for Hae-in. Here's hoping that Mom and their priest help her deal with it.

On a different note, I saw the finale of MONEY FLOWER, and it, too, was a surprisingly good ending. I watched it raw, and was a bit confused until I read the subtitles. Once I saw them (and read the discussion over at Soompi), I understood what was happening. It was an intense ride, with a great cast and a well-crafted plot. An excellent production.

MONEY FLOWER's OST is beautiful. In the wee hours I finished posting the 5 vocal tracks and 27 instrumental ones I was able to find. They're on my fan wall, along with a couple of videos of glass harmonica and glass harp (since it sounded to me as if one or both of those instruments were used in the MONEY FLOWER soundtrack).

I'm tempted to rewatch both shows from the beginning, but have a couple of new shows calling my name.

Laters!