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Joseon Gunman: Episode 15

A hero is born! It’s an episode of turning points, as some people turn toward the light and others head for the darkness. Our hero faces a moment of truth and questions the path he’s been traveling, discovering that perhaps there’s another way to get things done. It’s a truth that’s been staring him in the face for a while; he just needed a loving nudge in the right direction, and maybe a rude awakening or two.

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

Yoon-kang tracks down Choi Won-shin and corners him on that clifftop, ready to mete out his vengeance. He shoots Choi three times, once in the leg (for his father), once in the arm (for his sister), and one final time in the chest (for himself). Choi goes flying off the cliff, falling into the water below.

Yoon-kang watches him fall, then erupts into angry tears.

He trudges back to the temple in low spirits, and Soo-in senses that something is amiss. She doesn’t pry as he turns to her for comfort, doubting whether he’s doing the right thing: “But I cannot think of any other way.” Soo-in holds him consolingly and replies that this is the nature of revenge—it’s futile.

Choi’s henchman survives being shot by Yoon-kang and makes it back home, where he reports to a stunned Hye-won that her father and Yoon-kang disappeared together. She orders a team of men out on a search party, fearing for the worst. When her father’s bloodstained shoe is discovered in the water, she refuses to believe that he died, lifting her chin higher and declaring fiercely that he would not die so easily.

Soo-in comes back to the city and finds Hye-won jittery with nerves, waiting outside the house for Yoon-kang. She presses to know where he is, growing increasingly heated as she blurts, “He killed my father.” In desperation, she demands to know so that she can find her father, “even if just his corpse.”

Soo-in says that she doesn’t know where he is, and Hye-won slaps her full in the face. “If you see him again, tell him this—I will kill him.”

Minister Kim informs Lord Kim of these developments, and is noticeably more upset that he ought to be, considering that his alliance with Choi is a secret. Lord Kim isn’t greatly perturbed, saying that one oughtn’t get too attached to one’s beasts, and Minister Kim has to cover for his chagrin by saying he’s just worried that losing Choi will cause problems for them.

Even with his misgivings, Yoon-kang prepares his gun and assures his father, “It will all be ending soon.” Back in his secluded safehouse, he outlines his plan with Sang-chu: He will strike Lord Kim down tonight. His initial plan was to lie in wait until Lord Kim ventured out of his heavily guarded home, but now he feels the pressure to end this. Sang-chu pleads with him to rethink this or take reinforcements, but Yoon-kang is determined to wrap this up as soon as possible.

The members of Suhogye have been dealt a few setbacks by the king’s recent strides toward modernizing his army and government, but it’s time to these noblemen to strike back. They note that with the king establishing his modern military, the older-style armies are being pushed to the side, giving rise to discontent. That’s something they can use.

Furthermore, they’ll have to reinforce the social class hierarchy before the commoners get it into their heads that they’re all equal or some nonsense like that. They’ll have to make an example of some people—and to kill two birds with one stone, they can use Yeon-ha as bait to draw in Yoon-kang.

Classism isn’t just for the old guard, either, as Ho-kyung finds out when a large number of his ranks refuse to attend training. Serving the government has long been the purview of the high-born, with the lower classes and those born out of wedlock barred from public service. Thus many of the soldiers find it insulting to be commanded by a bastard, leaving his remaining numbers woefully sparse.

For what it’s worth, it seems possible that Minister Kim’s rigidity toward Ho-kyung is softening. In the Suhogye meeting, he had shot a sharp look at a minister for denigrating bastards, and now he drops by the training grounds and regards his son’s plight with a pity, urging him to quit, telling him that he doesn’t belong here. He’s speaking out of concern more than shame this time, urging him to go back to his scholar’s life or even to Japan.

It’s enough for Ho-kyung to be suspicious—why is he suddenly worried? Minister Kim just tells him to heed his words before he comes to greater harm.

At the temple, Yeon-ha sees the arrival of soldiers and senses danger. She runs into the woods, gaining only a small head start before she is seen and chased. She huddles for cover while the search party spreads out, and it looks like it’ll only be a matter of minutes before she’s caught.

Soo-in drops by the temple for a visit and hears from the worried monk that Yeon-ha has disappeared. She attempts to look for her in the woods, but realizes she had better call in Yoon-kang and goes to Sang-chu to ask where to find him. Sang-chu is torn, but ultimately gives in and leads Soo-in to Yoon-kang, just before he embarks on his mission to eliminate Lord Kim. For his sake, I’m relieved at the interruption.

They return to the woods near the temple to resume the search, finally finding her slumped over in her hiding place. She must be reliving her recent horrors in her dreams, as she begs for mercy before being awakened by her brother. The reminder of her suffering cuts Yoon-kang deep, and he holds her close and apologizes for being so late.

Seeing this up close makes Yoon-kang realize that Yeon-ha has endured more than she let on, and he acknowledges that his revenge crusade has put his loved ones in pain. Soo-in urges him to quit, because losing him would be too much for her or Yeon-ha to live through again. “Killing someone with a gun will change nothing,” she says. All it does is leave him feeling futile and keeps him a fugitive forever. “If only for Yeon-ha’s sake, find another way,” she asks. She promises to help him find another way to become free, and perhaps he’s ready now to agree, because he thanks her with a smile.

But the mood suddenly darkens when they realize that someone has arrived—Hye-won, who regards the tender exchange with bitterness. Glaring hatefully, she asks Yoon-kang whether he shot and killed her father.

He says that “I’m sorry” is the only thing he can offer her, but her voice hardens as she tells him not to be sorry—after all, her father killed his father. And now he’s put her into the same position and ought to know the rage she feels. So he ought to know what she is prepared to do next, and warns him to be ready. It’s a death threat, an eye for an eye.

Today’s events weigh heavily on Yoon-kang’s mind as he considers the path he’s chosen and what it has cost. Hye-won, on the other hand, arms herself with a pistol and vows to kill Yoon-kang with her own hands. She orders Sung-gil to keep watch over Soo-in, who will lead them to Yoon-kang.

Yoon-kang decides on a course of action and requests a meeting with Officer Moon, who meets him up at his hideaway. He confirms that he can still clear his father’s name without killing Lord Kim, if instead they focus on rooting out and destroying Suhogye. Officer Moon gives him Gojong’s promise, but Yoon-kang makes clear that he still doesn’t mean to join in on the king’s plans. All he’s proposing is an alliance until Lord Kim can be taken down.

It’s good enough for Officer Moon, who thanks him for giving him a chance to observe his promise to his father to watch over his children—it had shamed him to be unable to see that through, he says. He promises to do everything in his power to help restore his father’s honor.

Interpreter Jung and Ho-kyung step in to deal with a troubling matter with the officers of the old guard, who have received sacks of tainted rice and are furious. Ho-kyung’s appearance only makes them angrier, since they’re already full of resentment over the new troops, and the sol-diers hurl the bad rice away and storm off in disgruntlement. Clearly somebody’s been busy sowing seeds of discontent.

In her new capacity as the queen’s conversation partner at court, Soo-in looks over the new camera that has been acquired and explains its properties, impressing the queen with her knowledge. Asked what prompted her interest in the device, Soo-in explains that there are memories she didn’t want to forget, memories that would fade in the mind that might be aided by a photograph. It certainly explains her fixation with finding a camera following Yoon-kang’s presumed death, and the queen guesses similarly, asking if those memories have to do with her sweetheart.

Soo-in crosses paths with Ho-kyung in the courtyard, and is within earshot when he is approached by several of his subordinate officers. Unlike the other day when they sneered at his bastardy, today they are full of contrition, saying that they would have been more respectful had they known he was the son of Minister Kim. Ho-kyung isn’t gratified at being treated better because of that one difference and orders his men to prove their words with actions. He isn’t too alarmed by their mention of his paternity—at least until he sees Soo-in there, who asks if it’s true.

Ho-kyung confirms the truth with great reluctance, and can have nothing to say to her reminder that his father tried to kill hers. Soo-in can’t wrap her head around it all, how he was a Kaehwa scholar and her teacher’s pupil, and the truth is such a shock that she excuses herself in tears.

After finding out that Sang-chu lied about being the gunman, Je-mi has been giving him the cold shoulder, to his chagrin. She huffs at him not to follow her around anymore, and he pouts at this treatment after enjoying her admiration for a while. But then she’s accosted by a gang of roughnecks, and he goes after them to save her.

Yoon-kang and Officer Moon decide to do a little more surveillance over the goings-on at Lord Kim’s residence, collecting information as they watch a steady stream of merchants arriving with gifts. Lord Kim must be planning something big, and they suppose everyone’s eager to follow the line of power.

Then an idea strikes when Kanemaru reports that Yamamoto will be arriving in Joseon soon. Yoon-kang asks Kanemaru for his help, telling him this can be his chance to repay the debt he owes him.

Just then, Sang-chu comes staggering in, badly beaten up from his encounter with Je-mi’s abductors. He’s overwrought at the idea of Je-mi being beaten to death, because she’s a runaway slave and her owners have finally caught up to her. He’s in no shape to go after her, though, and so it’s Yoon-kang who offers to go and save her.

The slave owner turns out to be a familiar face from our Suhogye gatherings, a high-ranking Sugu minister. Je-mi and several other captured slaves are beaten and ordered to be left tied and given no food or water as punishment. They are left like that all day and into the night, at which point their sadistic master smirks and retrieves a hot iron from burning coals, holding it to her face.

Yoon-kang makes his move then, and the minister’s private army is no match for his superior fighting skills. They rush him with swords drawn, but Yoon-kang ducks and whirls and gets resourceful with his attack strategy, taking a rag dipped in water and wielding it as makeshift whip.

The minister rushes to grab his gun with shaky hands and fires a shot at Yoon-kang, but it’s his henchman who takes the bullet. Yoon-kang fires his gun back at him, taking him down with a shot to the shoulder. He orders the minster to bring him every slave document in the house, and soon the positions are reversed as the slaves are released and the minister tied up. The minister thunders at him to let him go or face dire consequences… and Yoon-kang just looks him straight in the eye and drops one slave’s documents into the fire. Badass.

It has the minister sputtering and bargaining immediately, though, since to him it’s like burning up big piles of money. He says that the gunman surely won’t want to do all this for mere slaves, ungrateful beasts that they are, but that only angers Yoon-kang more. He growls, “The fact that you, who consider people as mere things and beasts, are an official of this nation is a shameful thing.” He drops the entire pile of papers into the fire.

The slaves watch in awe, and Yoon-kang proclaims them free to be the owners of their own lives. They leave with grateful bows in his direction while the minister fumes impotently, and then Yoon-kang escorts Je-mi away.

The story circulates quickly in the city, and children gather round as the bookseller recounts the story of the mysterious hero who freed the people. Soo-in is among the audience, and she listens with a full heart, having a good inkling as to who the hero might be.

Yoon-kang shares with her how he felt, since Yeon-ha could very well have suffered Je-mi’s fate. He couldn’t make sense of the idea of one person ordering another person around, of one person being so cruel to another. Soo-in tells him that that’s what her teacher Hyun Am advocated so hard for, to change the world, and she praises Yoon-kang: “This time, your gun saved people.”

It makes Yoon-kang think back to three years ago in Japan, and we see the moment when his benefactor, scholar Kim Ok-kyun, takes away his sword and places the gun in front of him. “Just promise me one thing,” Kim says. “Even if you take this gun, do not become like them. You must not kill recklessly. The reason I give this to you is not to kill people—it’s to save them. How you decide to use your power will alter your future.”

Ho-kyung packs up and moves out of Soo-in’s home, telling her that he’ll live in the training barracks instead, not wishing to be a source of burden to her. He apologizes for the pain she felt at his or his father’s hands, and promises to do his best to stop his father from doing anything that might hurt her father.

Yoon-kang kicks his plan into motion, starting off by sending a forged letter from Yamamoto to Lord Kim, which is one way for him to get close to his quarry. It works, because Lord Kim recognizes Yamamoto as a powerful figure and decides to take a meeting with him.

And so, our (pseudo-)Japanese trio arrives for their meeting, dressed like the hokiest fools out of a Marx Brothers routine. I’m sorry, but a bowler hat and a Chaplin mustache do not a disguise make! It’s unintentionally hilarious.

At least Yoon-kang acknowledges that the disguise is rather thin, but since they have all the documents supporting the ruse, he should be able to get some valuable information. He’ll size up Lord Kim in person, and also case the joint.

Meanwhile, inside the house lies a sleeping Choi Won-shin—not dead after all, thanks to the bulletproof vest he’d been wearing. And somehow, it was Lord Kim who found him first and now harbors him under his roof.

Lord Kim knows enough to be suspicious of the Yamamoto letter, since there were no incoming ships from Japan recently. But Yoon-kang arrives with papers documenting his entry via China (and an act full of hauteur, which takes offense at being treated like a common peddler).

The trio is allowed in to meet with Lord Kim, and Yoon-kang states his purpose in coming here: He has long wished to expand business to Joseon, but has been stymied by various regulations. Hearing of Lord Kim referred to as “the king outside the palace,” he wishes to work his way around those restrictions so he can proceed, and promises Lord Kim a cut of his immense profits. Yoon-kang flatters his vanity just so and greases some wheels, and by the end of the meeting the vibe is feeling rather in his favor.

As they stroll, Lord Kim asks about Hanjo being Park Yoon-kang, asking if it’s possible that Yamamoto could have been ignorant of that. Yoon-kang replies that he knew Hanjo was from Joseon, and felt that he would come in handy someday. He had no interest in his criminal history, saying that he’s concerned solely with whether something will profit him or not.

And as Lord Kim chuckles with “Yamamoto” outside, Choi Won-shin finally stirs from his sleep, hearing the voices and catching a glimpse of the visitors as they pass by. Even without him, though, it seems from Lord Kim’s reaction after the party leaves that he knows to be suspicious of them.

Yoon-kang returns to his safehouse, where Soo-in finds him… unaware of having been followed here by Sung-gil. He reports to Hye-won, who heads out straightaway. Oh, this isn’t going to go well, is it.

Hye-won arrives and confronts them, reminding them that she’d promised to kill Yoon-kang: “I think that’ll be now.”

At that, Sung-gil appears and lifts a gun to Yoon-kang’s temple. Hye-won calls this repayment for her father’s life, as well as her last goodbye to the man who moved her heart. She gives the signal to shoot just as Yoon-kang acts, knocking Sung-gil down and seizing his gun, turning it around on him.

Which is when Hye-won takes out her pistol and puts it to Soo-in’s head, ordering Yoon-kang to put his gun down. She cocks the hammer…

 
COMMENTS

Hye-won’s turn doesn’t come as a surprise, but appreciate how it’s been unfolding over the past several weeks, developing in an organic way that feels both sympathetic and natural to her character. If we’re pitting this as a Hye-won-versus-Yoon-kang face-off then there’s no question that I’m on Yoon-kang’s side, and I want to take Hye-won’s argument (that her revenge is a natural extension of Yoon-kang’s revenge) and try to get her to see the fallacy of that, particularly given how unsatisfying Yoon-kang has ultimately found his revenge. But her position is completely understandable, and it’s what makes her character such a textured and interesting one.

I like that Hye-won’s betrayal extends to Soo-in, if only because that makes Soo-in less of a pawn or object, which is what we’d have if Soo-in were only being threatened as a way to hurt Yoon-kang. I’d have liked for the two ladies’ friendship to be explored more, in fact, because the fracturing of their bond could have been quite interesting as well. Imagine, for instance, if Hye-won had ever been vulnerable with Soo-in—the fallout could have been even more cutting. But I suppose now I’m just being demanding since I’m happy with where we’ve come; it’s just that I always want this drama to be even better, just that tiny smidge more complex, because I really feel the world would support it. But I suppose I shouldn’t get too greedy now…

In fact, I almost wish they’d have Choi Won-shin die for good just to see where that would take Hye-won, because she’s the kind of villain (or at least antagonist) who wouldn’t devolve into one-note opposition. Her reaction to her father’s demise had a really nice complexity to it, shifting between denial and fear and rage, and I don’t want to have that resolved too soon before we get to explore it some more. Of course, there’s always the possibility of the show letting her think her father is dead for a long while before setting her straight, so that may happen yet. And I expect that with Choi in Lord Kim’s clutches, the father-daughter bond will fall into precarious straits as Kim manipulates either or both of them for his own gain.

I’ve been waiting for Yoon-kang to get his hero groove on, so I’m really pleased to finally move into this second stage of his development. I’m not sure if the two-episode extension is why they waited till this point, but they could have gotten here even earlier and still had plenty of narrative territory to mine, so I’m hoping that the future episodes will get enough of a chance to explore his transformation from personal revenge to national hero. When you’ve got all that power in your hands, it really is a shame to limit yourself to a personal wrong that won’t ever satisfy anybody, and I’m relieved to have Yoon-kang finally accept it. Why be a badass for the sake of one when you could be a badass for the sake of thousands or millions?

I do appreciate that the transition gave Yoon-kang the chance to realize the difference in both head and heart, because he had to see the futility of his mission first. Perhaps he could have opened his eyes to this other path sooner, but we know Yoon-kang is hotheaded and rash, so it makes sense that he would have to hit rock bottom, so to speak, before seeing that there’s a different way back up.

I’ll be perfectly honest and admit that I wanted the mechanism of his heroic turn to be a little cooler—this show knows how to hit its mark and get to its emotional beats competently, but as I’ve said before, it feels a little mechanical. It accomplishes things well enough that I still welled up with tears when he stood up for the slaves, but I do hope that the story to be told from here on out will show him more as just the hero who swoops in and is all goodness and light and solves everybody’s problems. ‘Cause I think we can all agree that Yoon-kang is more interesting and relatable with a streak of darkness still running through him.

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I just wish Soo In will do more than just nod her head! *sigh*

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I've been praising soo in from the beginning and now I'm jus deflated and defeated...I thought she would wise up to the situatuon goin on but she is still too naive..first she wanted soo in to stay at her house, then starts screaming for her name in the woods when soldiers were looking for her..This is about the 3rd time she has been follow and caught by the same guy..I thought when she enter the palace she would provide more support for yoon kang but I guess all she can do is provide emotional support or an outlet when he needs to vent because having her around seems to get everyone else caught

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*yeon ha

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I'm actually satisfied with Soo In's character as it is. It's not the typical damsel in distress and it's not a tomboy either. It's very different, she can be considered as an scholar (in times when a noble woman wasn't supposed to learn more than being a nice lady for her husband), she's smart enough to think ahead (which is actually the reason Yoon Kang is still alive) and she's the one who can put a balance on him as she's the only person he listens to. The one who woke up Yoon Kang from being a man without dreams was her and also she helps him understand revenge is futile. She's showing a woman can be strong without loosing her feminnity. Sometimes she makes mistakes as Yoon Kang does too... they're both human after all.

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I just wish to see that she is furious and angry with hye won.

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That's wat I keep waiting for..The girl lie and sold yeon ha off as a slave and u still call her unnie..I thought that would be the end of it then she lies in court again for her father then she gets slap and all she can do is say unnie..how come she was so temperamental in the first part of the series but now it seems like there is no development at all..I was excusing it cause she was distraught from yoon kang death..but enough already

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Yeah, I really want Soo-in to get angry as well. At least slap Hye-won back when she hits you!

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It felt so good seeing Yoon Kang stand up for those slaves! Jemi's tearful gaze. T.T
I'm happy that people are starting to hear stories about him and calling him a hero.
That transition from him focused on a solo revenge to a mission for the greater good will be exciting and fulfilling.

Yamamoto is supposedly coming to Joseon again! Argh. I wanna see what he looks like and if it's gonna have more than a minor part in the show~

I wish that we get to see Soo In dodge Hye Won's shot by herself in the next episode. A quick duck down & pushing Hye Won aside or forcing her hand up in the air.... Just something.

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Yes, I think Soo-in could deflect Hye-won - Hye-won isn't even looking at her! Just hit her elbow and tackle her to the ground. Soo-in has proven how strong she is when she was being tortured. She could be able/willing to defend her own life, especially when that will save Yoon-kang too.

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HY is smart character , i would like to see if she realize that
she is the victim of this slavery system as YK , so they should join
hand to change this system .

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No matter how smart u are or even if u figure it's futile how do u join hands with the man that kills your father..it's jus like today's gangs..even though u killed my brother I killed your sister u killed my sister I kill u then your cousin kills me..it's an endless cycle and unless someone is willing to forgo all the misery that the past has brought onto their lives for the future it would be hard press to think it could ever happen...dramas r a different story so let's see how that plays out

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You know watching the story of Yoon-kang and Hye-won, the way their characters are being developed and their actions shaped because of the inevitable adverse situations, I can't but wonder how awesome it's be it these two were the mail leads of a drama.I don't hate Soo In, but I've gotta admit that she's a bit boring as a character because of the lead-girl-typicality she posses.

How cool it'd be if we had leads whose choices are not easily justifiable, who have taken a darker road and acted upon questionable decisions even though they were compelled by events not in their control.It'd be so refreshing to watch them confront their conscience, repent their choices, live the consequences and finally finding the strength to carry on with life with the help ans support of each other.

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*main lead (Sorry for the typo)

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I knew Choi Won-Shin couldn't have really died. Somehow our complex villain would survive. A bulletproof vest? Wow, that's some serious planning on CWS's part. Totally in keeping with his character. Nice job there, writer-nim.

It's seems a bullet shot at point-blank range would penetrate those layers. Does anyone know if this is historically accurate? Did any type of bulletproof material exist at this point in Joseon history?

I keep thinking how all of these gunshot wounds are escaping infection and massive blood loss. Wasn't Yoon Kang shot in the arm earlier? And now CHS's been shot in the leg and arm and survives hiding under the floorboards?

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Lol..u think a dead body would float back the to the top but somehow choi got shot off a cliff into calm waters with no current..u can see from the scene the water never even moves after he splashes in..so u think yoon kang would of waited to see if he had actually survive but somehow he was able to float deep enough under water so lord kim men can find him..It's like when Yoon kang was miraculously save even thought the guy was no where near the shore where the army was..guess he was caught floating face up so he didn't drown during that time

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Glad Yoon Kang came to his senses. I've not had a problem with Soo In until this episode. How can she not lash back at Hye Won? Don't just stare at her with pity. Even when HW found them SI was ready to give an excuse about not really knowing where he was and this after HW clearly said she'd kill him. I consider this a worrying flaw in the character and I'm wondering if the writer just fell in love with HW because that character is all kinds of awesome right now.

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I keep enjoying the next episode more than the previous one. I really like the moment that YK drop the slave documents into the fire.

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First, i love joseon gunman. I think Nam sang mi is playing soo in's character as well as she can. she is just portraying the role the way it is written. she may not be as complex as Hye won but that is due to the writing. Also she is not being idle, she encourages Yoon kang to do the right thing without make him feel judged. She is also in the palace and wants to find a way to end Yoon kang's problem. About her attitude toward Hye won, maybe soo in respect her too much to hate her yet. First, Hye won was involved in yeon ha's sale but she felt guilty also Hye won has not directly hurt soo in. it has always been Yoon kang affected. After this episode she might show some animosity toward Hye won. she probably also views Hye won as different from her father. In contrast to Ho kyung, she knows his father is directly responsible for her and her father's torture and he didn't reveal his parentage for the many years she knew him. Even after that she didn't treat him badly though it was obviously she was hurt. Also, the soldiers were gone before soo in started shouting out Yeon ha's name. i don't think any harm was caused. Soo in to me is confident and useful in her own way, pretty good for a sheltered woman in the Joseon times

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I love this turn of events as we head into hero territory. Lee Jun-ki just blows me away every time. I do wish Soo-in had a little more backbone. When Hye-won slapped her, I wanted Soo-in to slap her back, since it's Hye-won's father who started all this and caused Soo-in to live 3 years thinking the love of her life was dead. Hye-won has no right to be angry with other people. Her reaction is understandable because she is human, but when you look at it from the just versus unjust angle, her side is in the wrong. She even lied at the court to protect her murderous father; she is a complex, interesting character, but her thinking is warped. How can you like someone and then be ready to kill them days later. Both father and daughter have serious issues.

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Like wise,I find that Soo In and her father shared the same character. They are mindful and respectful to people and they are rational enough to differentiate between right and wrong..Indeed ,there is a big difference between both father's upbringing of their daughters.That explains why we are seeing 2 total different type of ladies.
another point to add...when Yoon kang is "died"..Hye won took good care of Soo In ,Tats y Soo In is still giving Hye won chances.

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I hope ratings will rise after today's episode, this drama is so exciting. LJK is a great actor. Hope to see him in more projects in future. God bless you. blessings of the triple gems.:)

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about Soo-In: she is not ninja enough to be with our hero :-( But what can we do. I suppose Yoon Kang finds her attractive and who are we to argue?love is irrational.

I want Yoon Kang to stay alive by the end and open a martial arts school. for GIRLS.

I FEEL TERRIBLE REMORSE. I should have learned some martial arts :-((( I feel so un-awesome when I see Jun Ki being badass. I am so jealous! someone help me. it is eating meeee.....

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I have yet to watch the latest 3 episodes but you crack me up!

Amused that Soo In has yet to become more of a ninja. Haha.

I would love to see Yoon Kang with dirt and grime on his face. Just like in the posters. I do not know why this is important.

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so you want him to get dirty, just when he has decided to come clean. double innuendo intended.

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Haha yes! The really shallow part of me likes the sexiness of it all.

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Lol not being Ninja enough, that made me laugh out loud, I also want Soo In to be a little more badass but I think the writers are stopping her from being that, in first 2 or 3 episodes I totally admired her guts when she was carrying a small gun as protection and risking her life by doing this and that for the cause, but since YK died the first time her character died with it which is understandable I think when you lose your sweetheart you tend to change, but now that YK is back and is in need of a help from anyone he knows especially her she's not helping him anymore, she's helping him on the emotional aspect but I want her to be made strong enough to be a rival to HW, so that I can see my dream matchup, YK vs CWS and SI vs HW, it would have been awesome to see that because they're wasting a talented actress like Nam Sang Mi.

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Dang! When our hero burned those slave documents, I realized that was what i'b been --unknowingly-- waiting for. It's like...THIS shoul've been the primary focus of the plot ages ago. And i got so disappointed when i saw the previews. I was like..."REALLY? All I'm asing for is for folks who get shot and fall into rivers to actually die." Way too many saaves in this drama. Love vengeful Hye-won. And I guess I have to accept that conservative Evil Old guy is evil because he's old and conservative.

Thanks for the recap.

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Yay! I really enjoyed this episode especially for the serious conflict that happens to PYK over killing Choi (well at least he thinks so and so does everybody else).

I think the futility and vanity of his revenge is best highlighted with the conversations he has with Hye Won because ultimately he's created another (justified?) version of himself (3 years ago) and so the cycle continues.

Having said that, to let go of his revenge means to let go of the pain and bitterness of his father being wronged including all the pain he and Yeon Ha have gone through as well. It's hard being the bigger man when an eye for an eye feels so fair and right. In that sense, it's nice to see that he is slowly becoming a hero for the people and not just for his family in terms of justice.

Speaking of which, absolutely LOVED the Jemi rescue sub-plot. If anything, his actions and attitudes embody the enlightenment revolution more than HY's have done so far. I really wish HY would just have go at his dad or at least stick up for things more overtly.

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Tbh even though I loved HW's character, I started feeling disappointed with her as soon as that YH incident happened, I give her credit for feeling a little guilty about having to sell YH to that pervert as a mistress, but it was still not enough for me, I thought being a slave herself before and knowing firsthand what kind of treatments they suffer from their brutal owners, I was totally expecting HW to come up with some idea to avoid that tragedy, ok her father talked her out of it and her actions after that incident made me sure that the father and daughter team don't give a shit about anyone as long as they get to become the top, nothing wrong with that thinking and I understand why they crave that power, past experiences and all but yeah I started siding with YK's cause more after that incident, I feel so sorry for those slaves, this was not made up because it actually did used to happen during those times and still happens in some parts of the world, so when YK burnt those files and let them go free I felt so happy and proud for YK, he had a warm heart but didn't give a shit about any other things except taking revenge and saving his sister but since his sister's experience with slavery he seems to have a lot of compassion for them.

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I was disappointed that they brought back Choi Won-Shin. It feels like a sort of cop out in order for there to be a happy ending for Yoon-kang as a k-drama could never not punish a revenge killing.

On a plus, I love what the writers are doing with Lord Kim as a nefarious political sage. I'm just not sure which protagonist is his equal.

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I think later on when the time comes he'll get f**ked up by the man whom he considers his dog, Choi Won Shin, I think he's making a big mistake by saving CWS.

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Thanks for the recap Javabeans.

Yes indeed a hero is born! What a sight to behold watching Park Yoon-Kang rescue and help the slaves escape their bondage and ultimately freeing them by burning their papers.

The scenes with Im Je-mi and Park Yeon-Ha were quite emotional. This episode was such a moving reminder about slavery, the mistreatment and injustices suffered at the hands of slave masters, and the inequality persons under contract and/or indentured labor were subjected to.

Slavery is officially illegal in all countries. Unfortunately it has not been fully eradicated. Slavery still exists today sometimes hidden in plain sight. (i.e. Debt slaves, human trafficking, bonded labor, child slavery, forced labor, early and forced marriage, descent-based slavery, etc.)

http://www.antislavery.org/english/

http://slaveryfootprint.org/#where_do_you_live

https://www.freetheslaves.net/aboutslavery

On a different note: Joseon Gunman promos have flashed images of and teased us about the final showdown yet to come. Until now, Park Yoon-Kang and Choi Won-Shin were the most accomplished gunmen. The way episode 15 ended, I wouldn't be surprised if Choi Hye-Won masters the gun and becomes the most dangerous gunslinger. Just look at how steadied and poised she was as she pointed the gun at Jung Soo-In.

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Big thumbs up for your comments about slavery in today's day and age. Totally agree with all you said.

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Thanks Megumi. :)

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i was waiting for this moments few episodes back! the moment where yoon-kang now becomes the hero of the people - isn't that what the show promised us earlier on in its synopsis description? it's only happening after 15 episodes. well, better late than never. but this also makes me feel that his personal revenge-seeking plot have been dragged on for a liiittle bit too long.

i am delighted that hye won turned into an evil character because seeing her fighting with her own conscience while knowing that her father is on the wrong side is hurting both viewers (me) and her.

soo-in's character might appear boring besides hye-won's complex one but i think yoon-kang is thankful to have her by her side because although we see that all she did was lending him an ear to his problem, actually, that's what yoon-kang needs the most. yoon-kang never even tell soo-in about his plans so how can she advise him. all she can do is to console yoon-kang & help look after yeon-ha.

i hope soo-in get a bigger role in the next episode especially after seeing the preview.

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I just love Return of Return of Iljimae: The Dark Moon Gunman, don't you? :)

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I wonder if at this point all the sugu guys think Japanese men look exactly like Yoon Kang xD

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I wish they did, it is hard to find anyone remotely attractive. most look like rough cutouts of action manga, or on the contrary, like results of bad cross-dressing when nopt cross-dressing. there are maybe like 6 to 7 guys who actually look gorgeous.

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Dramabeans just kicked me out in the middle of a very intelligent commentary. The website has become increasingly less functional on my computer. Insert frownie face.

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