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Return of Iljimae: Episode 17

After such a beautiful, refined depiction of Iljimae’s maturation, it’s interesting to see him — and the series — take a darker turn. While I wouldn’t say that the series itself is “realistic” — in that it’s based on a hero comic — the characterizations are absolutely realistic, and that’s quite compelling. I love that this is almost a reversal of what I’ve seen in other heroic tales, where you have a nondescript young man changed into a righteous defender of innocents. That change is usually mono-directional, traveling in a straight path from “ordinary” to “hero.”

What’s different here is that Iljimae grows up a very decent young man, and has a pure sort of early upbringing. Even after he makes the transition into a noble thief and crusader against corrupt noblemen, he struggles and makes errors in judgment, and comes up against some complex moral dilemmas. It’s not a straight line to becoming a hero, and I appreciate that this drama shows us his ups and downs — not just in terms of external antagonists, but within Iljimae himself. It’s almost like becoming a hero has introduced darkness into his life of sweet and light, rather than helping clear it away. That’s kinda profound, isn’t it?

SONG OF THE DAY

Park Sae-byul – “우린 날 수 있어요” (We Can Fly) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 17: “Sword of Heartbreak”

Iljimae sneaks onto the property of our latest corrupt nobleman, Lord Kwon, and overhears him making plans. Kwon had been responsible for the beheading of the man found by the police, and the proof resides in the box that Kwon’s dim-witted son, Jang-ho, had accidentally seen. Jang-ho is easily distracted, but Kwon worries that he may prove to be a problem, and decides that he must be sent away.

Jang-ho stumbles along, drunk, and sees a young lady arriving home. Jang-ho is instantly captivated by her beauty, and like the overgrown child that he is, wants her right away. Now now now.

He demands the girl, and bursts past the gate using his brute strength, shoving people aside in his attempt to take her away. Although he is eventually stopped, this causes a problem for Lord Kwon, since the lady (named Sook-young) belongs to a noble family as well.

Jang-ho’s kind of like Lennie from Of Mice and Men — he doesn’t have control over his own strength and does things more forcefully than perhaps intended — only much more bratty and selfish. It’s easier to try to appease or deflect him than to reason with him, because he’s all id, no superego.

Jang-ho whines that he wants to marry Sook-young, but unfortunately, this is not easily managed because she is already engaged. Lord Kwon knows it won’t be easy appeasing his oaf of a son, but he tells him to go off to China for a while. While Jang-ho is gone, Kwon will prepare his son’s marriage to Sook-young. This promise keeps Jang-ho happy enough as he as he prepares for departure.

Therefore, Lord Kwon attempts to buy off Sook-young’s fiancé Gil-young by sending a messenger to offer bribes. However, Gil-young and his father are honest men, and are affronted at the offer. They refuse.

Iljimae stops the messenger on his way out and gives him a letter, saying that this is from Gil-young to Lord Kwon. Having anticipated that Lord Kwon would not stop with a simple refusal, Iljimae’s letter warns him not to interfere with Gil-young and Sook-young’s engagement. If he does, he will turn him in about the severed head.

This has the intended effect of scaring Lord Kwon, but perhaps is overkill, because now Lord Kwon decides that Gil-young is a loose end that needs to be tied. He’ll have to dispose of both Gil-young and Sook-young.

A bit of an interlude takes us to Wang Hweng-bo’s current exploits as he tries to gain membership into the gang headed by the illegal gambling den owner. As their first assignment, he and Sung-kae are instructed to collect money owed the gamblers. However, this turns problematic because there is no money to be gotten — and the man has already handed over his house deed.

Unable to complete their assignment, the two settle for satisfying their hunger by killing the man’s chickens and eating them (while Wang Hweng-bo blames Iljimae for everything). Unfortunately, when they report the incident to the boss, they are told that the man’s two chickens are worth more than the money owed anyway — they’re excellent fighters that can be used for the cockfighting ring. The boss orders them to go fetch the chickens. Whoops!

Worrying what to do, Wang Hweng-bo and Sung-kae decide they’ve got to run away.

That night, Iljimae sneaks into Lord Kwon’s home. Using a straw, he blows sleeping powder through a hole in the rice paper door, then enters after the men inside the room fall unconscious.

Iljimae rifles through their belongings, inside which he finds a secret letter. He reads the scroll, and his darkening expression shows us that this is bad news.

One of the servants spies Iljimae from outside the room, and raises the alarm, crying, “Thief!” Iljimae slips away, followed by Yang-po, who has been tracking his moves silently.

In the forest, Iljimae reads the scroll again, and Yang-po finds him extremely disturbed at its contents. The letter explains a secret plot to collude with China and essentially sell Korea to them.

Iljimae tosses the scroll into the fire, and Yang-po makes a move to grab it out, but stops himself. He asks Iljimae what he intends to do; Iljimae’s response is that he’s thinking of “taking care of” Lord Kwon. As in, kill him.

Yang-po warn Iljimae that he’s traveling down a dangerous path that may get him killed, but Iljimae scoffs, “Die? I don’t care about that.” He pushes past Yang-po, leaving the other man to wonder if Iljimae is doing this because of Wol-hee.

Speaking of whom, we find — as we suspected, I’m sure — that she’s still alive, although Iljimae doesn’t know this. After being rescued by Yang-po, she is now tended by Keol-chi, who worries over her weakened health.

She surprises him by saying she wants to return home to Hanyang — she’s giving up her search for Iljimae. Despite her ill health, she wants to leave right away, and suggests they depart the next morning.

This is a fabulous scene for Jung Il-woo, who has shown so much improvement in his acting. When Iljimae returns to Lord Kwon’s household, he finds another box containing another head — and he breaks down in anger and sorrow. We don’t see the face, but inside is Gil-young’s head.

Shedding angry tears, Iljimae despairs that his plan went wrong — he thought they would stop if he gave them a warning, but instead things escalated.

Recalling Gil-young’s fiancée, he worries that she may also be in danger and rushes off to find her.

His instincts are right, because Lord Kwon’s assassin next goes after Sook-young. He intercepts her traveling party (she’s being sent away for her safety, ironically) and kills her companions.

Iljimae arrives too late to save the others but in time to save the girl. Still in a fury over the needless death of Gil-young, he’s particularly vicious as he kills the assassin, and it’s almost uncomfortable to see how angrily he guts the man with his sword.

He turns to Sook-young and orders her to turn back and go straight home, but the girl begs Iljimae to come with her, because she’s scared. He slaps her and repeats his order harshly, leaving her alone in the woods to head home alone.

Next, Iljimae heads to Gu Ja-myung and waits for him at Gu’s home.

At the implication that Iljimae is going to go after Lord Kwon, Officer Gu warns him insistently, almost angrily in a paternal sort of way. Kwon isn’t someone to be messed with, and Iljimae must consider his mother. Gu had hoped that Iljimae had straightened out after helping the police last time, but now he’s worried again.

Iljimae doesn’t want lectures, and has come merely to let Gu know that they will find the missing head they are looking for at Lord Kwon’s house, as well as an additional head.

Having tipped off Gu, Iljimae heads again to Lord Kwon’s home. When the wife awakens, he pushes a pressure point to knock her unconscious, then poises his sword over the sleeping husband.

He raises the sword slowly, preparing himself — and we wonder what or who will stop him — and he thrusts the blade down swiftly. (Omo! I can’t believe he actually did it. That was not expected.)

Her intuition kicking in, Baek-mae senses an inexplicable, turbulent feeling and worries over what it means. Her thoughts are addressed to Gu Ja-myung: “I believe your words that you will bring Iljimae to me, no matter what. But you must also remain innocent.”

Acting on Iljimae’s tip (but slower to get there), Gu arrives at Lord Kwon’s home and finds that Iljimae’s tip was right about the two heads. However, he grows angered that the gold plum blossom was left behind, marking Kwon’s death — it’s the first time Iljimae has done so at a murder site — and mutters angrily, “Stupid fool.”

This turns Iljimae into a fugitive, and a sign is posted in the marketplace, calling for citizens to turn him in. To sweeten the pot, the reward for a commoner finding Iljimae is to be elevated into the noble class.

Yeol-gong, like Officer Gu, is dismayed that Iljimae gave into his anger and crossed the line into murder. (He has killed before, but this is the first time he’s premeditated an assassination — the others have all occurred in the heat of battle.)

This brings Kim Ja-jeom endless worry. First he’s anxious that Iljimae saw the secret conspiracy letter, and wonders if Lord Kwon confessed anything before dying. He’s also afraid that he’ll be next, and has nightmares of being killed by Iljimae in his sleep.

He’s not the only one, as the other noblemen in Minister Kim’s inner circle may also find themselves to be targets. The warrior Park Bi-su suggests that they send a man named Park Su-dong to hunt him: Park belongs to a group of former soldiers who were part of an artillery unit. No matter how good Iljimae is, he’s no match against a gun. Kim asks the others to pitch in enough money to hire Park Su-dong.

Wol-hee returns to the city, where she and Keol-chi are spotted by Bae Sun-dal and Cha-dol, and are filled in on Iljimae’s latest exploits. However, while Cha-dol and Bae figure that Iljimae must have had a reason for his actions, Keol-chi and Wol-hee have been recently hurt by Iljimae and are less wiling to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Cha-dol and Bae (and many villagers who support Iljimae) think that Kwon must have done something really wicked, because Iljimae’s not the type to kill for no reason. On the other hand, Keol-chi says bitterly how Iljimae didn’t even bat an eyelash when Wol-hee “died,” and he didn’t even bother looking for her.

Bae has a different take on the situation: “Iljimae thinks that Wol-hee died because of him and can’t forgive himself.” He doesn’t believe that Iljimae didn’t care whether Wol-hee died, and in the end, Keol-chi concedes that Iljimae doesn’t seem like that kind of person. They can find him and ask him what really happened.

Wol-hee speaks up for the first time to say that they won’t find him at their former home — if he was going to return, he wouldn’t have left in the first place. (She might believe that, but Iljimae does in fact return to the mountain home while wrestling with his guilt.)

All the while, Baek-mae remains ignorant of this latest development, and feels pride in her son. (She had heard that there was a fake Iljimae who was responsible for freeing the prisoners from jail, while the real Iljimae helped round them up again.) She proudly tells her kitten, “They say that the one who helps those in need is my Iljimae.”

At the mountain hut, Iljimae gets lost in memories of first arriving here, and how Wol-hee was so excited to move in. He doesn’t notice that he’s being watched by hired gunmen, who watch from a short distance away.

There’s a really great buildup of suspense, when you’re not sure if they’ll actually fire or how Iljimae will escape injury: They sneak up on Iljimae — fix their rifle sights on him — wait for a clear shot — and shoot him. (I just about had a heart attack; like with the killing of Lord Kwon, you’re so sure something will prevent the act that when it actually happens, it’s a shocker.)

Iljimae is shot in the arm, and collapses to the ground. The two hunters approach to make sure he’s dead, keeping their guns trained on him. Just as one leans closer, Iljimae kicks the rifle away, and the hunter shoots his partner instead.

Iljimae grabs the remaining hunter and demands to know who they are, and who sent them. The hunter shoves free of his grasp and runs away.

Because Wol-hee had left Hanyang because she was broken out of jail by Iljimae, it’s a risky prospect for her to return, as she finds when she is stopped by police. They have been ordered to bring in all women for questioning who bear a resemblance to Iljimae’s girlfriend, and they think she looks like her.

Then again, they’re not the brightest bulbs because they also recall that Iljimae is reported to be as pretty as a woman, and then speculate that maybe Wol-hee is Iljimae in disguise. They won’t let her pass until she proves that she’s not Iljimae.

Keol-chi handles this by asking if “proving” Wol-hee’s gender will let them off the hook, and the stupid policemen say yes. The implication is that she’ll have to undress, so they eagerly obey when Keol-chi asks them to turn around for a moment (oh, stupid men) — and then he grabs them in a headlock.

The hunter reports back to his boss (Park Su-dong) that his partner was killed after they tracked and shot Iljimae. Park Su-dong figures that although Iljimae got away, he cannot have gotten far, and orders his men to find him immediately.

Kim Ja-jeom calls in a female shaman (played by transgender singer Harisu) for additional help, thinking, “I’ll borrow strength from Park Su-dong and wisdom from her.” As Iljimae’s continued survival endangers Kim’s conspiracy plot and own safety, Kim is impatient to end his troubles and asks about Iljimae’s whereabouts.

The shaman’s answers are pretty accurate: she reports that one of the hunters has died, while the boss is howling in anger. However, the one they chase is also bleeding…

True to her words, an injured Iljimae crawls along the mountainside, needing to get to safety before he’s chased again.

 
COMMENTS

I find an interesting dichotomy in Iljimae’s personality in that he is a rather cool, removed character, but can also be fierce and wrathful. He is described as cold and level-headed, and we can see some of that in his interactions with people, even those he cares about. He can leave Wol-hee and Keol-chi (the latter more than once), compartmentalizing his personal life away from his hero’s life, all making for a pretty lonely existence that keeps him at a distance from people.

On the other hand, he truly cares about what he’s doing, and whether it’s from the writing or acting, we can honestly feel that this Iljimae acts out of noble intentions and a genuine feeling of empathy for the wronged and poor people. More so than Hong Gil Dong, or Chil Woo, or even the other Iljimae, who all sorta turned into the Righteous Hero with a cheeky grin and a swagger. Not so this Iljimae, whose actions are driven by emotion. (Hong Gil Dong may have been the closest in terms of noble ideals, but he acted for the principle of justice, while Iljimae’s actions are more about individual injustices. Gil Dong cared about society on a philosophical level, whereas Iljimae never aspired to be more than one person doing what he can to right specific wrongs.)

In fact, if we were to assign one of the deadly sins to him, it would probably be wrath — which is kind of the complete opposite of his cool exterior. He’s passionate, but also capable of cold calculation.

I don’t think Jung Il-woo is the most natural actor out there, but he’s done well in this series, and shown a marked improvement from his earlier projects. I mean “natural” in the sense that I think he has to work very hard at his acting; in contrast, there are other actors who have natural instincts even if their skills are rough. But on the upside, Jung’s preparation and hard work does come through. I thought he was particularly good in this episode, not for a specific scene but for his overall intensity and expression. It’s good to see that he keeps getting better.

 
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Thank you for the recap!
I was wondering when you would post another one :)
I am in love with Jung II-Woo! In my opinion he is such a great actor~
And pleaase continue the recaps for return of the Iljimae!

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Wow I love this series. I am up to episode 11 right now. and I am sure i will be caught up in like 12 hours. Then starts my unbearable wait for new episodes. Its that way for me with all the shows I watch, I start a series and get hooked and watch every episode very fast then i get caught up and get forced to wait for new eps. Me being Disabled vet I really dont have much else to do each day So I am able to watch alot of these dramas. Right now I am waiting on new episodes of a bunch of shows. anyway Just wanted to say this show rocks but it can get so damn sad at times which I guess just makes it so much better. Thanks again for the recapps and everyone have a great day. Also if anyway has any other good drama recomendations please post them. If anyone wants some of my reccomendations just ask.

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WOOOHOO Return of Iljimae recap! Happy happy joy joy! Thank You Javabeans!

Since I could not wait, had read a summaries on soompi (good and all) - but really nothing beats a JB recap!

Looking forward to the rest of the series :)

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Great recap, Sarah! Thanks for keeping the ROI lurve alive. :D

Jung Il Woo has done a wonderful job of bringing the complexity of Iljimae's character to light. His hard work is definitely paying off. Kudos to him, as well as the writier and PD.

And thanks for the clarification on the shaman. Some of us couldn't figure out if she was really a man or a woman. ;)

Plus, another beautiful song! Thank you!

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This might be a stupid question , but would I need to see Iljimae to enjoy/understand this series ? Was Iljimae any good ?

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Sweet!
Iljimae's back!
Thank you so much Javabeans!

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Thanks so much for another recap and keeping this fresh in everyone's mind...as we wait for our subs!!! ;) Oh, *eyes rolling*, how did I not catch that that was Harisu???!!! That explains why we were pondering about him/her...

@Djimontoko

It's been said before but just to let you know: there is absolutely no relationship between "Iljimae" and "The Return of Iljimae." You can appreciate the great qualities of ROI and no need to bother with the other! :)

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Haha. I was having the same issues with Harisu's character. That's really interesting.

Thanks for the recaps!

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I've been loving Jung Il Woo since the very first time i saw him on KBS Entertainment Relay..Jung Il Woo did a great job as Iljimae..He proves that he's a great actor..I'm proud of him..I'm on episode 12..I'm still waiting for the complete DVD to be released in my country..When will it be?

Anyway, thx for the recap ^-^

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Didn't get a chance to watch it, but I enjoyed the recaps ^^

"I just about had a heart attack"

Dramabeans, it must have been a refreshing almost-heart attack ^^ So many times the dramas are predictable, but when it actually goes the other way, it's more exciting ^^

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amazing. this is probably one of the best dramas i've ever watched.

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Actually I think Iljimae's rash action of killing the Lord is due to his frustration of losing Wolhee. He didn't realize it but he needed her to keep him balance. He was about to kill someone before and she was the one to stop him, without him realizing that immediately (I remember he told her smth like "I didn't know why I did it..."). He took Wolhee's presense next to him more or less for granted and now he's feeling its absence...

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Sorry, but I hguess this is a spam post... but I just gotta say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVELOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE The Return of Iljimae!!!

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Geez... is it me, or does that female shaman look murderous???

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Hey I really hope i get a responce to this comment, I am really starting to rack my brain out thinking how is this going to end out. Like I watched "Iljimae" and absolutly loved it, then I noticed "T.R.O.I." So I was thinking it would be a true sequel with having the word RETURN in the title but I know in alot of asian dramas that it can just be a diff version. But getting to my main point with this comment, This series started off in what seems like present day korea and then spoke of How there have been iljimae's all throughout history and then went back to the past and the story is progressing, but my concern is since there is 24 episodes will they go upto like 24 with the current story or will they jump back to the present time like how it started. I know I am rambling on, I am just trying to make sure I am somewhat understandable, lol. Anyway This show is awesome but Im about to watch ep. 15 and then I need to try to find some new site to watch the 16-24. I get most of my dramas through mysoju.com so if anyone knows another site to catch this series on please post. also I prefer English subs since I am american but Im am trying to learn a couple languages right now on my zune. I am learning Japanese but since im watching more and more Korean dramas I think i might switch to korean for now. anyway I hope everyone has a great day.

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@Kurosagi

If you really want to know the rest without waiting for jbeans, and/ or watching the subsequent episodes then all you the info you need is in the Soompi thread. Just make sure you hitch onto the right thread, not the SBS one (and again Soompi is your friend in tracking down the remaining eps)

If all you're wondering is whether this is going to morph into Iljimae Down the Ages, culminating in how he got involved with rescuing that whistle-blowing accountant and hanging her boss out to dry with a post-downturn low-cost paper version of the plum blossom sprig stuffed down his sock: no it's not. We stay solidly in Joseun until the last couple of minutes of runtime, at which point we see Seoul re-grow on the green slopes of Hanyang, reversing the transformation scene of in ep 1, and we are back in the study of that modern writer called Wol Hee, no less, whose voice we have been hearing as narrator throughout, and who has this (to her) unaccountable but plainly all-consuming fascination with recovering the traces of Illjimae.

As for learning Korean, Kdramas are a great help, but I wouldn't advise you to start with this or any other Saeguk, whether fusion, semi-fusion (like this) or pure. They all use more or less stylized varieties of Olde Worlde Speache. Shakespeare is the greatest English author, but it wouldn't be sensible to take his plays as a self-study resource for modern English.

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You're right java, Il Woo had taken a lot of pressure for taking this role, clearly he's really serious with his Iljimae, very unique, even though when we only see his eyes cause of the mask, we still feel his emotion XD that's why I admire him more :) I've heard that Il Woo intended to take the role in Triple but then Triple is canceled so he accepted ROI cause he didn't want to wait anymore :) he's quite brave, isn't he ? I know him since high kick and my love but now I admit he 's a talented, serious actor.

Besides, I hope to read this manhwa, ROI is a excellent one but sometimes I feel there are some empty spaces during the drama, may be cause it was made from book :) like Harry Potter or Goong if you've never read the book before, you never understand the story completely :) however the writer of ROI has desribed Iljimae - a elusive, silent hero entirely, it's great. Iljimae of Jun Ki is not bad, but the plot 's quite a mixture of so many stories from many books I've read before :) the way they made a romantic love affair between Iljimae and Eun Chae, Iljimae and Bong Soon uhm I'm not interested in it :)) Jun Ki I think he has done his best but the

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Jun Ki, I think he has done his best but the writer hasn't built his character full, and also the plot, I feel it quite absurd. So that drama hasn't starred him at all. Btw, Chi Woo is the worst, the way he dressed like Zoro that does not fit with korean drama, and the story's very boring, too.

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Iljimae loves Wol-Hee. Though he realizes the extent of his feelings for her after she commits suicide, and he himself gets a gunshot in the shoulder and almost dies. In those moments, his affection for her clearly shines thru. (Alas, Wol-Hee wins over Dal-yi!)
Like all great heroes in troublesome time, Iljimae needs someone to keep him levelheaded. Since he is unable to locate his mother, Wol-Hee becomes his sanctuary. She is well educated, has a sense of law and order (contribute to the fact that she works at a bookstore and likes to read). Therefore, she is fully aware of the consequences of what a drastic action would bring, and she cautious Iljimae to think twice before slaughtering someone.
In episode 13, Iljimae plans to kill a nobleman. Down to the last second, he stops himself, and sets the guy’s house on fire instead as a punishment. He claims that he does not know why he did that, but I assume it is because of Wol-Hee. Her constant worry over his safety changes the way he acts. He thinks more vigilantly when she is around. Compares to later, as Iljimae grieves over her death, he embarks on a totally different demeanor, vicious almost. He kills without pause or mercy.
It is also interesting to see how he reacts to other woman prior and after Wol-Hee’s presumed death.
In episode 11 & 12, Iljimae rescues a nobleman’s daughter, and at her request, he stays with her in a cave overnight. And when she suggests later on marrying him, Iljimae does not refuse. He brushes her off by stating that she should leave with her father before she gets herself in trouble (polite and gentle).
In episode17, however, his reaction to another nobleman’s daughter that he had rescued is almost daunting. As she clutches his arm and begs him to stay with her, he slaps her and leaves without showing a slight pity.
One grows thru love and tragedy, in this case, we see Iljimae slowly maturing in front of our eyes. It’s rather a delight to witness this change. We come to realize that he is not perfect, then again, none of us are. It’s true that flaws make us human. I love this drama, and everyone in it.

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haven't finished the first series of iljimae yet. but this guy seems pretty wow. although im still in love with lee junki!

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