Joo Won 주원 [Current Drama 2024 - The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kireeti2]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Actually, it crossed my mind randomly once that the 2050 parallel universe is ours - because clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic doesn't exist in the 2020 we see in the drama, so we're dealing with an alternate reality by default

It did cross my mind that there was no sign or at least news of pandemic or for that matter no K-drama seem to be showing about on going pandemic in their story. It's like, whenever I see a K-drama episode right now it sort of takes me to a different timeline where there is no COVID-19

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Which is why some fans (myself included) have cast aside logic for a second and decided to imagine the possibility that a 2050 version of Tae Yi also exists alongside Min Hyuk.

If this was possible writers would have shown it in the end. But after the reset there seem to be no sign of Alice or MH, so, I sort of presumed that Alice and MH are no more.

[Nella2019]

My theory is that after the reset, they all went on to other drama productions. 

[kittyna]

Some of you may remember the MBTI portraits that I did last winter for several characters from JW's dramas (mostly ones I write about, but not always). For those who don't, here's a quick refresher on who's been featured so far:

 

Kim Tae Hyun (Note: as this was the first post in the series, it also includes a brief explanation of how MBTI works in general)

Hwang Tae Hui

Park Si On

Cha Yoo Jin, Seol Nae Il, and Lee Yoon Hoo

Gyun Woo and Princess Hye Myung

 

And this time around, it's Alice's turn  

 

Whatever we may think about the story and writing, I think all of us as fans can agree that the drama gave us a solid cast of interesting three-dimensional lead characters to love. So I'll be splitting them up over two separate posts. This time, it'll be the guys.

 

(Why split it up like this instead of by first/second lead? You'll see. )

 

Park Jin Gyeom (Alice)

 

 

Type: ISTP ("The Mechanic")

Breakdown: Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving

 

(Note: This is about the good, pre-reset Jin Gyeom - i.e. the one we see for the vast majority of the show. You know, just in case anyone's wondering )

 

In terms of a dominant characteristic, I'd say that Jin Gyeom is dogged; he's quick to act and react, of course, given his high intelligence and his profession as a detective, but he stands out more due to his determination and perseverance. I mean, the guy literally tried four separate times to save his mother (in various forms), refusing to give up no matter how many times he failed along the way. And that's not even counting the numerous times he similarly puts himself out there for Yoon Tae Yi, Kim Do Yeon, etc.

 

Outside of a tight network of close friends and family, however, Jin Gyeom is something of a loner. Partially, this has to do with his disability: as someone with alexithymia, the odds are stacked against him when it comes to interacting and socializing with others in a meaningful way. And, unlike someone who develops the condition later in life, the fact that he was born with it means that he has no innate reference point to look back on. It's not so much that he doesn't feel emotion at all, but he has to put conscious effort into deciphering and understanding the emotions of both others and himself - so it's little wonder that he devotes that energy to just a small intimate group.

 

However, this is not to say that anything just goes in his interactions with others. Instead, much to the surprise of many who get to know him for the first time, Jin Gyeom is an extremely principled person: able to do right by others by adhering to the set of ethical standards taught to him by his mother, Do Yeon, and Captain Go's family over the years. In his job as a police detective, he'll go to hell and back to bring criminals to justice, simply because he believes that breaking the law is innately wrong. Similarly, In his interactions with women like Do Yeon, he's carefully conservative, unwilling to cross any physical or sexual boundaries that might compromise their honour.

 

Yet, despite these principles, Jin Gyeom is not someone who just sticks to the rulebook. Instead, he's got a strong stubborn/rebellious streak that, over the course of his life, has gotten him in trouble more than once. It's worth noting that even before any of the time travelers learn his true identity as Park Sun Young and Yoo Min Hyuk's son (or the child in the prophecy), they see the need to eliminate him simply as someone who has learned too much in his refusal to back down while pursuing time-traveling criminals.

 

He also, initially, has little patience for speculative theories or abstract philosophy. As far as he's concerned, Jin Gyeom would prefer for those around him to jump straight to the point, without any sentimentality or joking around. However, it's worth noting, then, who he does allow that sort of thing from: whether it's Do Yeon's cheerful banter and teasing, or Tae Yi's tendency to give the full version of whatever scientific principle she's bringing up in conversation.

 

And as with the son, so with the father....

 

Yoo Min Hyuk (Alice)

 

 

Type: ISTJ ("The Duty-Fulfiller")

Breakdown: Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging

 

For someone who spent most of his life having no idea who his father was, Jin Gyeom really does take strongly after him in terms of personality.  Yoo Min Hyuk has the same tendencies to throw himself into whatever tasks he's given, completing his missions as one of Alice's top agents with tight efficiency and just a bit of effortless flair. He's also one of the most principled out of all the characters in the drama; for example, even as he puts his all into safely escorting Yang Hong Seob (his murderous client) to Alice, he berates him for assaulting the police officer "who was just doing his job". Serving and protecting his clients for the sake of his mission is one thing; seeing innocent people harmed in the process is another.

 

It's also his strong principles that - it's implied - led Min Hyuk to join Alice in the first place. Unlike members like Yoon Tae Yi or Seok Oh Won (before his dark turn), there's little to suggest that Min Hyuk has a background in scientific research. Rather, his interest in time travel rests solely upon the potential benefits that it promises to his society: the ability for people to reunite (albeit temporarily) with deceased loved ones and to undo wrongs they have committed in the past. It's also his belief in this goal that fuels his unflinching loyalty to Alice - and also pushes him to turn against it when the dark reality becomes clear. Because for Min Hyuk , there are certain boundaries that must never be crossed.

 

This includes, unfortunately, the internal wall he has built up between his mind and his heart. Loyalty to their mission for Alice (finding the Book of Prophecy and bringing it back to their superiors) is the reason he outwardly gives for demanding that Tae Yi abort her pregnancy; but in his heart, it is actually a deep-seated fear that radiation exposure may have already caused irrevocable physical damage to the fetus, dooming his beloved child to a life of pain and suffering arguably worse than death.

 

The tragedy in all this is that Min Hyuk does love, and loves deeply; yet his own reluctance to open up about his true feelings to Tae Yi is what dooms his chances for a happy life. By the time he realizes the error of his reaction and he wants to make amends, she's already left him. 

 

So with his discovery about his son's survival beyond the odds, combined with his belief in Alice being shaken beyond repair, Min Hyuk's selfless sense of loyalty and devotion shifts: from protecting his clients to protecting his family. Where before, he would have done anything to protect Alice, now he will do anything to protect Jin Gyeom and those Jin Gyeom cares about. And with Min Hyuk, anything literally means anything. As I said before: as with the son, so with the father.

 

So that's it for these two guys - a father-son pair far more similar than they are different.  The girls will come up in a future post, so stay tuned!

 

Note: you may notice that my guesses on these characters' MBTI types are starting to overlap (Jin Gyeom's being the same as Hwang Tae Hui's ; and Min Hyuk's the same as Cha Yoo Jin's). However, as each of the four main metrics are spectrums rather than either-or binaries, I hope you can see how being on slightly different parts of each scale can still give us distinct characters and personalities  

[kireeti2]

10 hours ago, kittyna said:

women like Do Yeon and Tae Yi, he's carefully conservative, unwilling to cross any physical or sexual boundaries that might compromise their honour.

In Do Yeon's case I agree with your statement, but TY? He saw TY as his mother who died in his arms. So, I don't think he treats them in a way, like, in case of Do Yeon he treats her like an opposite sex or to put it plainly as a woman. In case of TY he treats her like mother, so he had no issue in hugging her or being himself around her, like I never saw him cry in presence of Do Yeon. And also, he had no issues in initiating physical contact with TY, but in case of Do Yeon, he is cautious and only gets physical when she was in danger. So, I wouldn't keep these two women in one section when it comes to PJG behavior towards them.

Spoiler

Compromising Honor? I hope you meant in the context of looking down on them or treating them dumb just because they are women, and not in the context of Medieval nature of making a physical contact with a women or staying with a women late night is compromising their honor

 

[kittyna]

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

In Do Yeon's case I agree with your statement, but TY? He saw TY as his mother who died in his arms. So, I don't think he treats them in a way, like, in case of Do Yeon he treats her like an opposite sex or to put it plainly as a woman. In case of TY he treats her like mother, so he had no issue in hugging her or being himself around her, like I never saw him cry in presence of Do Yeon. And also, he had no issues in initiating physical contact with TY, but in case of Do Yeon, he is cautious and only gets physical when she was in danger. So, I wouldn't keep these two women in one section when it comes to PJG behavior towards them.

 

I meant in the episodes when Jin Gyeom and Tae Yi were both living in the same house - during the time when he wasn't entirely sure whether she was or wasn't his mother and when many viewers started seeing romance. He does show affection towards her, but I do think he was more cautious about the signals or messages he was sending during those episodes compared to before (which was when, as you pointed out, that association between Tae Yi and his mother was really strong in his mind).

 

I'll still go back and change it, though; as the original version of the post just mentioned Do Yeon.  

 

6 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Compromising Honor? I hope you meant in the context of looking down on them or treating them dumb just because they are women, and not in the context of Medieval nature of making a physical contact with a women or staying with a women late night is compromising their honor

 

No need to hide this, especially since it's addressed directly in the drama itself. Jin Gyeom might not think this himself, but he is aware that others do: Do Yeon's parents, Tae Yi's family, etc. So we see in Episode 1 that he's reluctant to have Do Yeon stay at his place for too long because of what her parents would think, and if it weren't for his desire to protect Tae Yi, he wouldn't have suggested his childhood home as her safehouse.

 

By the way, guys - Soompi's just released a Halloween poll about favourite villain actors and actresses. And there are some familiar names here that most JW fans will definitely recognize

 

Spoiler

lol - I could only answer for the guys, because the female characters mentioned...generally, I haven't seen the dramas involved.  Looks like I'll be Googling tons of actresses to see what other roles they've played.

 

As for me, I'm still thinking about what interactive (if any) to do for Halloween this year. So stay tuned!

[kireeti2]

25 minutes ago, kittyna said:

if it weren't for his desire to protect Tae Yi, he wouldn't have suggested his childhood home as her safehouse.

Well, I think he choose his childhood house for different reason. Like , in prior episodes we know that Kim Do Yeon was hurt in his apartment and he found blood outside his apartment. So, these incidence might have prompted PJG to choose his childhood house, since only handful of people know about it.

 

[kittyna]

21 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Well, I think he choose his childhood house for different reason. Like , in prior episodes we know that Kim Do Yeon was hurt in his apartment and he found blood outside his apartment. So, these incidence might have prompted PJG to choose his childhood house, since only handful of people know about it.

 

And now we're talking about the same thing, just in different words.

 

[kittyna]

First things first: we now have Kim Hee Sun's interpretation of the relationship between Park Jin Gyeom and Yoon Tae Yi (2020) in Alice. So, in light of the "Word of God" principle in discussing creative works (i.e. that if the creator of that universe/character/etc. says something, that's the interpretation we go with), I hope this puts the confusion to rest  

 

But, actually, I'm here with the MBTI portraits for the main female characters in Alice. Just a quick reminder that my takes on the guys (as well as a master list of previous MBTI-based posts), can be found here.

 

Note: for the purposes of this post, I am treating Yoon Tae Yi (2020) and Park Sun Young/Yoon Tae Yi (2050) as two separate characters; because even though they are technically the same person, their individual life experiences have created two distinct and very different personalities, both of which I want to feature. Which means that this time, there are three portraits for you to enjoy  

 

So, let's begin with our main female lead...

 

Yoon Tae Yi (Alice)

 

 

Type: ENTP ("The Visionary")

Breakdown: Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving

 

As a renowned physicist - and one that focuses on quantum mechanics at that - Yoon Tae Yi lives in a world of endless possibilities. When we first meet her, she is naturally inquisitive and passionate about her research interests: chasing the drone through the streets just to get a closer look at it, spending entire days and nights trying to make sense of the time card and its software. This same inner drive for knowledge and understanding is also what initially prompted her interest in the time travel: a concept that she knew to be theoretically possible, but that hadn't actually reached fruition yet at the time of her research in 2010.

 

However, unlike a pure intellectual, Tae Yi's not just interested in theory for theory's sake. Rather, her pursuit of knowledge is firmly rooted on the ground: she wanted to develop time travel in hopes it would help her rediscover her hidden past, and later in the drama, she predominantly uses her scientific knowledge to help and protect Jin Gyeom during their investigation. Since she is just as quick-thinking and resourceful as he is, the two end up being perfect partners who are frequently on the same wavelength despite their vastly different backgrounds. One particularly notable example of this is when Tae Yi uses her knowledge of the Ideal Gas Law to locate the hidden lab in Seok Oh Won's facility.

 

In terms of her interactions with others, Tae Yi is - in my opinion - an ambivert, albeit one who leans slightly more on the extroverted side of things. She enjoys socializing with others and also seems to enjoy teasing Jin Gyeom every now and then in classic "noona" fashion. In addition, unlike Jin Gyeom, Tae Yi works well in group settings: bouncing ideas with her colleagues at the university, Jin Gyeom and his team, and (eventually) Do Yeon. However, she does have a bottom line in terms of whom she's willing to work or interact with; she despises the nepotism and chauvinism she witnesses on a regular basis as a female scientist, and often works out the most puzzling questions she's dealt with on her own.

 

But out of all the different aspects of her personality, I think the one that stands out the most to me is her resilience. Despite experiencing a traumatic childhood and having her life threatened numerous times, she always manages to bounce back. Not only that, but she always comes away from each experience a little wiser than before, eager to apply her newfound knowledge towards coming up with a solution. And it's that continuous growth that ends up allowing Tae Yi to step in where her 2050 counterpart left off as Jin Gyeom's "mother".

 

Speaking of mothers, let's go there next.

 

Park Sun Young/Yoon Tae Yi (Alice)

 

 

Type: ESFJ ("The Caregiver")

Breakdown: Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging

 

How did someone who started off with the same core evolve into two completely different people? For Park Sun Young, the biggest factor would be the fact that she has completely reinvented herself as Jin Gyeom's mother. Being a parent is tough enough; but being a single parent who is constantly on the lookout for potential threats from outside and inside the home is infinitely harder still.

 

When compared to her 2020 counterpart, Sun Young does appear to have a stronger nurturing instinct to begin with. Even before her own son is born, there is something really touching about her initial resolve to take in the young Tae Yi as her own - and it is her love for Tae Yi that ultimately causes her to put her up for adoption instead for the child's own safety.

 

She knows the prophecy, and she therefore knows the potential tragic consequences of raising little Tae Yi alongside Jin Gyeom. In terms of her own fate, however, Sun Young is more conflicted. On the one hand, she is determined to find a way out of the prophecy by pursuing a means to stop time travel and by raising Jin Gyeom to be as good a person as he could be under the circumstances so that he'd never seek to harm her or anyone else. Yet, on the other hand, when a solution does present itself - the reset - she is reluctant to actually follow through with it, knowing that it would lead to her son's death. While the ethics of her choice are debatable (by saving her son, she leaves him vulnerable to being turned to evil), it is, in her own mind, the only choice she could make as a mother.

 

All this means that Sun Young's life is an extremely lonely one. From her interactions with neighbours, it appears that she is a social and outgoing person at heart; however, there is no-one around her she could actually confide in. Her fellow neighbourhood ahjummas are out of the question, as only a handful are interested in befriending her (on account of Jin Gyeom's strange demeanour and her own public persona as an unwed mother), and even those who do (like the butcher) would never understand. Nor could she open up to the one person she wants to the most - her son - as her plan to circumvent the prophecy could only work if he remains ignorant about time travel.

 

However, for Park Sun Young, all the sacrifices she makes are worth it, as long as her son could one day grow up to be the "marvelous creation" who breaks the curse. And when her time does come and she sees that it is not the current Jin Gyeom standing in front of her, she is able to go in peace, finally reassured that this time around, her son has made it.

 

And now, for the girl who stepped up to be by Jin Gyeom's side in the years in between....

 

Kim Do Yeon (Alice)

 

 

Type: ENFP ("The Inspirer")

Breakdown: Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving

 

Clever, cheerful, and more than a bit sassy, Kim Do Yeon is Jin Gyeom's most loyal friend - and, more often than not, the only person who could keep him on his toes. Although she, like the rest of the students at their school, initially assumed the worst about him in the wake of her friend's suicide, once she discovers the truth, she pulls a complete 180: standing by his side and defending his goodness to everyone else, including to her own parents.

 

Because for Do Yeon, her biggest passion is to stand up for the underdog. In her job as a journalist, she is most interested in stories about social justice; and in Jin Gyeom, she finds a ready - albeit powerless - listener, who is content to let her vent to him whenever she needs to. 

 

After being friends with him for over ten years, Do Yeon is very much aware that her feelings for Jin Gyeom are one-sided: he sees her as his best friend, but sees no need to take their relationship any further. Not only that, but in Jin Gyeom's eyes, being his friend means that Do Yeon's one of the people he's most determined to protect, even if the best way to do so is to keep secrets from her or downplay their friendship in public (especially after she is attacked by Yang Hong Seob precisely because of her connection to him).

 

Yet, despite how frustrating his aloof behaviour gets at times, Do Yeon stays loyally by Jin Gyeom's side. She takes pride in being his main confidant, and steps in more often than not to offer the gestures of kindness towards Captain Go and his wife that Jin Gyeom wants to give but can't. And, as the drama's main case takes shape, Do Yeon is always ready to lend a helping hand - and the occasional coaching (or even scolding) when, in his blindness to the emotional needs of others, Jin Gyeom says or does the wrong thing. Again.  

[kittyna]

JW's Emoji Time!

 

 

I had a lot of fun guessing alongside him in the quiz in the first half, but without understanding Korean, I wound up really lost in the second half, though. 

 

By the way: am I the only one who can never get over how different JW's real voice sounds compared to his "acting" voice??? Like, his voice is noticeably deeper whenever he's in character.  

 

Also, in light of all the villains-related fun that's been going on in Soompi's official Halloween event, I've got some similar action prepared for this forum.

 

So, first of all, a quick round of Scattergories!

 

Spoiler

Scattergories: Villains/Antagonists Edition

 

You guys already know the rules: for each of the prompts, name which JW drama character comes first to mind. As always, you are allowed to repeat names, as this is just about going with your gut.

 

This time, though, we're gonna focus on the darker side of these characters. There is technically a difference between a villain (i.e. a character who's actually evil or immoral), an antagonist (i.e. a character who is opposed to the protagonist regardless of who's right or wrong), and an antihero (i.e. a lead character/protagonist who we're supposed to root for, but who's actually somewhat dark). All of these are featured here, so look carefully at the prompts!

 

1. The scariest JW drama villain/antagonist

2. The most laughably ineffective JW drama villain/antagonist

3. The worst/most evil JW drama parent

4. The most sympathetic JW drama villain/antagonist (i.e. they're definitely evil, but you still feel bad for them)

5. The best male JW drama antihero

6. The best female JW drama antihero

7. The scariest evil mastermind

8. The best femme fatale

9. The JW drama villain/antagonist/antihero most likely to be an actual psychopath

 

[kireeti2]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

By the way: am I the only one who can never get over how different JW's real voice sounds compared to his "acting" voice??? Like, his voice is noticeably deeper whenever he's in character.

Lol! Same here, when I hear his real voice it almost sounds like you are listening to someone who lives next door. His body language also changes with his voice.

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

had a lot of fun guessing alongside him in the quiz in the first half, but without understanding Korean, I wound up really lost in the second half, though. 

I was only able to guess "Bridal Mask" it was obvious

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

1. The scariest JW drama villain/antagonist

Most of the villains from JW's drama are benign in nature, except for ones in Bridal Mask and Yong Pal. I think I will go with "Kimura Taro"

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

2. The most laughably ineffective JW drama villain/antagonist

"Jung Ki Joon", I really find him ineffective, like, he was not able to beat Gyun Woo, even though he was able to lock him up, perhaps it was bad writing

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

3. The worst/most evil JW drama parent

Han Do-Joon

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

4. The most sympathetic JW drama villain/antagonist (i.e. they're definitely evil, but you still feel bad for them)

Seo In-Suk

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

5. The best male JW drama antihero

Ku Ma Joon

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

6. The best female JW drama antihero

Lee Cha- Young

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

7. The scariest evil mastermind

Han Seung Jae

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

8. The best femme fatale

Chae Hong-Joo

2 hours ago, kittyna said:

9. The JW drama villain/antagonist/antihero most likely to be an actual psychopath

Evil Park Jin Gyeom

20 hours ago, kittyna said:

So, let's begin with our main female lead...

By the way, I could help but notice that these three Female characters have lot of similarities apart from being extrovert and PJG. Like, all the three characters are good at what they do and are tenacious in nature, and never likes to be ordered around especially by PJG.

[kittyna]

39 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Lol! Same here, when I hear his real voice it almost sounds like you are listening to someone who lives next door. His body language also changes with his voice.

 

Basically, the only character he plays whose pitch matches his own is Park Si On - and that's saying something

 

40 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

I was only able to guess "Bridal Mask" it was obvious

 

I actually got most of them - although, like him, I would never have guessed Ojakgyo Brothers from those clues. Still, I'm surprised that, when he just started blurting out names, he mentioned Yong Pal - like, what??? How would that work?  

 

I also wound up stuck on the same one JW skipped...and since the answer was given to him in Korean (it's the one he ends up apologizing to his friend for missing), I still have no idea which show it's referring to. And for Altar Boyz, I actually wound up guessing Rocky Horror Picture Show  

 

By the way, I thought the clue for Rent was pretty clever: the seasonal icons hinting at the song "Seasons of Love" and the couples hinting that there are both straight and queer couples among the main characters.  

 

 

51 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Most of the villains from JW's drama are benign in nature, except for ones in Bridal Mask and Yong Pal.

 

And Alice.  But, yeah, generally, the villains in JW's dramas are pretty tame.

 

51 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Han Do-Joon

 

This is the only answer of yours that I'm confused about - like, I don't recall Han Do Joon ever being a parent.....

[kireeti2]

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

his is the only answer of yours that I'm confused about - like, I don't recall Han Do Joon ever being a parent.....

Lol! My bad, I did is the parent word. After reading the most worst/evil, I just assumed it was about villain.

4 hours ago, kittyna said:

3. The worst/most evil JW drama parent

Now that I have read the question properly, I have few doubts. In what context should I choose the character? Like, should I choose them on the  basis of being evil towards the leads or generally evil in nature?

Anyway, I will go with Nam Yeo-Kyung and Shim Kab-Nyeon. I am choosing them in the context of worst, like, these two are very controlling in nature and would never be considerate towards others opinion, especially if they are younger than them.

1 hour ago, kittyna said:

Basically, the only character he plays whose pitch matches his own is Park Si On

My thoughts exactly, his voice sometimes feels like I am listening to a kid just like Park Si-On

 

[kittyna]

5 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

Now that I have read the question properly, I have few doubts. In what context should I choose the character? Like, should I choose them on the  basis of being evil towards the leads or generally evil in nature?

 

Yeah - this one's a bit open-ended, depending on what you think counts as a bad parent.  

 

Anyway, here I am with my own answers:

 

1. The scariest JW drama villain/antagonist

 

Ooh...this one's tough, because with JW's dramas, the antagonists are either really tame or really dark. Probably because it's still fresh in my mind - and the implications of having an evil self running around and completely ruining your life is just terrifying - I'm gonna say the Evil version of Park Jin Gyeom here.

 

Anyone from the Kimura clan in Gaksital would be a close second - but I'm saving those for later  

 

2. The most laughably ineffective JW drama villain/antagonist

 

It's probably because of the drama's overall tone being way on the light/fluffy side, but I'm gonna go with the Chairwoman from Nae Il's Cantabile here. She's the closest thing to an actual antagonistic character in the show, but her tactics - and how easily they're either ignored or overcome by our main characters - are laughably cartoonish.

 

In all fairness, though, I think that the main characters' arcs in Nae Il's Cantabile are not protagonist vs. antagonist, but protagonist vs. self (i.e. Yoo Jin, Nae Il, and Yoon Hoo's biggest obstacles are all things within themselves).

 

3. The worst/most evil JW drama parent

 

Again, this comes down to what exactly counts as a bad or evil parent. It's true that a number of the parents (especially fathers) in JW's dramas are abusive pieces of you-know-what, I think it's even worse when a parent condones or actively encourages unethical behaviour in their own kids. So with that in mind, I think I'd go with a tie between Seo In Sook and Han Seung Jae here, as they both take this approach to raising Gu Ma Jun and it's just disturbing.

 

4. The most sympathetic JW drama villain/antagonist (i.e. they're definitely evil, but you still feel bad for them)

 

Kimura Shunji for me, hands down. I know he doesn't start off evil, but his path is such a slippery slope of one slight step to the dark side after another that it's just heartbreaking to watch his entire downfall.

 

5. The best male JW drama antihero

 

On a similar token, I'm going to go with Lee Kang To. He starts off so, so bad, and even his upward climb isn't perfect. Plus, I love how conflicted he was with being called a "hero" at all.

 

6. The best female JW drama antihero

 

For me, I'm going to say Han Yeo Jin. She does have heroic potential when she chooses to do what's right, but when she does go dark...you do NOT want to mess with her.

 

7. The scariest evil mastermind

 

And this is where I'm going to put Kimura Taro, for obvious reasons  

 

8. The best femme fatale

 

Actually, come to think of it, the whole "femme fatale" trope doesn't show up all that often in JW's dramas, does it? So I'm going to agree with @kireeti2 here in answering Chae Hong Joo/Ueno Rie as the best one.

 

9. The JW drama villain/antagonist/antihero most likely to be an actual psychopath

 

And coming back full circle to Alice, I'm going to go with Evil Seok Oh Won. Evil Jin Gyeom was scarier, but he lacked the glib charisma and narcissism of an actual psychopath, in my opinion. Evil Seok Oh Won, though...the way he taunts his victims before offing them (or, in the case of Jin Gyeom, trying to) is just cruel. Like, he literally takes pride in being able to trick people into thinking he's still the good one 

 

7 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

By the way, I could help but notice that these three Female characters have lot of similarities apart from being extrovert and PJG. Like, all the three characters are good at what they do and are tenacious in nature, and never likes to be ordered around especially by PJG.

 

I think that's what I liked about the female leads in Alice. And I also liked that as strong/tough they were in their distinct ways, there's no dichotomy between being strong and being feminine. 2020 Tae Yi and Do Yeon are both more tomboyish, but Sun Young is, for all intents and purposes, a pretty conventional mother and housewife...and she's definitely tough as nails! 

[kittyna]

And...I finally figured out which musical JW got stumped on in the Emoji Quiz: Aida. You know, just in case anyone was wondering  The emojis were meant to say it's a tragic love story set in Egypt.

[kittyna]

And, for the second - bigger - interactive I have for this Halloween weekend's villain-themed goodness: yet another Musical Theatre Challenge.

 

Spoiler

Musical Theatre Challenge: Villains/Antagonists Edition

 

You guys know the drill: for each of the songs listed below, share which villain/antagonist from JW's dramas comes to mind, and why.

 

To make things easier, the songs I've chosen are all sung by the antagonists (who may or may not be villains) in their respective shows. Remember that villains are actually evil/immoral, whereas antagonists are simply opposed to the protagonist (regardless of morals).

 

And once again, as always, there are no right or wrong answers here. Don't repeat JW drama characters, but otherwise, let your imagination go nuts  

 

1. "Stars" (from Les Miserables)

 

Musical character: Javert

 

Context: A police officer doggedly - almost obsessively - chases after an ex-convict (who's actually turned a new leaf and made a successful life for himself) in the mistaken belief that anyone who was bad once would always be bad.

 

 

2. "The Room Where It Happened" (from Hamilton)

 

Musical character: Burr

 

Context: After years of staying on the sidelines despite growing jealousy at Hamilton's meteoric rise in political influence, Burr finally decides that he's waited long enough and needs to act now. This song is a turning point in his character as he then starts actively seeking to take Hamilton down.

 

 

3. "Wonderful" (from Wicked)

 

Musical character: The Wizard of Oz

 

Context: As the main power/influence in the land of Oz, the Wizard - like any sly politician - justifies his position by painting himself as a hero.

 

 

4. "The Neva Flows" (from Anastasia)

 

Musical character: Gleb

 

Context: A Soviet officer recounts the night his father, a Bolshevik revolutionary, took part in the execution of the Russian royal family - and while his father was traumatized by his actions, Gleb himself believes that it was all for the greater good.

 

 

5. "I Will Prevail" (from Wonderland - Lyrics)

 

Musical character: The Mad Hatter

 

Context: The Mad Hatter - who, in this version of the classic Alice in Wonderland story, is actually a manifestation of Alice's darker side - revels in her position as the power behind the throne in Wonderland.

 

 

6. "Mother, Did You See?" (from Love Never Dies - Lyrics)

 

Musical character: Mme. Giry

 

Context: A mother reacts after receiving word that the first love of the Phantom - whom her daughter has a one-sided crush on - has come back into his life. Naturally, she worries that the ten years her daughter has spent faithfully by his side won't be enough.

 

 

7. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (from The Little Mermaid - Lyrics)

 

Musical character: Ursula

 

Context: A witch tricks the mermaid into trading her voice for a chance to experience life as a human. Bonus points here for some rather chauvinistic comments about women in general  

 

 

8. "The Madness of King Scar" (from The Lion King)

 

Musical character: Scar

 

Context: After usurping the throne by killing his brother, Scar becomes paranoid at the thought that his subjects will now rise up against him.

 

 

 

 

[kireeti2]

28 minutes ago, kittyna said:

And, for the second - bigger - interactive I have for this Halloween weekend's villain-themed goodness: yet another Musical Theatre Challenge.

Two challenges in one day? You are over- working yourself and group members

39 minutes ago, kittyna said:

1. "Stars" (from Les Miserables)

 

Shunji Kimura

46 minutes ago, kittyna said:

2. "The Room Where It Happened" (from Hamilton)

Jung ki-Joon

47 minutes ago, kittyna said:

3. "Wonderful" (from Wicked)

Lee Ho Joon

49 minutes ago, kittyna said:

4. "The Neva Flows" (from Anastasia)

Evil Pak Jin Gyeom

50 minutes ago, kittyna said:

5. "I Will Prevail" (from Wonderland - Lyrics)

Lee Chae Young

51 minutes ago, kittyna said:

6. "Mother, Did You See?"

Nurse Hwang

52 minutes ago, kittyna said:

7. "Poor Unfortunate Souls"

Actually the link is showing that video is not available. So, I am going with the lyrics. Gyen Soon

54 minutes ago, kittyna said:

8. "The Madness of King Scar" (from The Lion King)

Han Do Joon, I feel like he is in similar situation like scar,like, he declared that his sister is in coma , who was the real heir of the company. And he constantly making sure that the board members doesn't know about his secret that he put her in a sleep induced coma.

[kittyna]

24 minutes ago, kireeti2 said:

Two challenges in one day? You are over- working yourself and group members

 

Technically two different days - but I also have to account for time zone differences (i.e. that it's Saturday in Asia while still Friday for me here).

[kittyna]

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

Lee Ho Joon

 

1 hour ago, kireeti2 said:

Gyen Soon

 

You're gonna have to remind me who these two are, because the names don't ring a bell. Chances are, I'll know from a description, though  

 

And speaking of time zone differences, it's still October 30 for me, but already, the Halloween greetings and fan posts are starting to show up on Instagram (and will be winding down by the time I get up tomorrow morning ). And, well, totally guessed that someone would use this idea.

[kireeti2]

38 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Gyen Soon

She was the friend who betrayed Mok Dan, like, she was part of the circus as well and is informant for Japanese army

40 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Lee Ho Joon

He is the head of the VIP floor(I forgot the floor number) and in-charge of Han Yeo-Jin's health. Like, he was good in the beginning but turned evil due to circumstances.

I hope you asked about description because you forgot about these two characters and not because these two characters doesn't go with the musical character, if it is the latter case, do let me know I will change my choices.

49 minutes ago, kittyna said:

Lee Ho Joon

I was surprised that you forgot about this character. Like, I thought you knew Yong Pal back of your hand. I can understand about Gyen Soon character, she had little screen time in Bridal Mask and the drama is 8 year old.

[kittyna]

7 hours ago, kireeti2 said:

I hope you asked about description because you forgot about these two characters and not because these two characters doesn't go with the musical character, if it is the latter case, do let me know I will change my choices.

 

I did say I'd remember with a description - I just forgot the names  So don't worry; now that I know who you're referring to, I understand your choices.

 

As for my own responses, I had enough time yesterday to set up the challenge in time for Halloween for you guys, but I haven't even started working on that yet. So it might be a while  

 

Another Evil Jin Gyeom Halloween post