#can't wait to introduce all four characters hehe

[bethfuller]

✤ old character designs for my upcoming comic project ✤

[meenawrites]

Jin Ho Gyeong – A Discussion

So I want to talk about one of the major players in Alchemy of Souls: Jin Hogyeong.

As matriarch of one of the four great families of Daeho, protector of relics, able to defy Royal orders, and mother of Naksu's body, Jin Buyeon, she is one of THE most important characters in the show.

I want to preface this post by saying I don't like her. As a person. As a character, I think she's interesting.

In Part 1 we're introduced to Hogyeong (or Mama Jin as I will likely call her) as a powerful woman who is still grieving the loss of her first daughter like a decade after she disappeared. It makes her sympathetic to the audience even though she might be a bit cold and harsh at the beginning, especially to her second daughter Jin Choyeon.

I have to say that I was waiting like all of season 1 for Mama Jin to realize that how she treats Jin Choyeon is super wrong. Like she's constantly ordering her around, doesn't care about her feelings, and overall doesn't really treat her like her daughter, more like an extension of herself and someone she can just order around.

Like I get that you're devastated over the loss of your daughter; no mom should ever have to go through that, but that doesn't give you leave to be a dick to your remaining kid. And it clearly isn't even because she's lost one daughter so she doesn't want to lose the other and is thus controlling of Choyeon. She just clearly disregards her as her own person entirely, constantly just reminiscing about Buyeon instead. And we see from her flashbacks that she's capable of being a good mom, but apparently the kindness that we see in these memories doesn't extend to anyone other than Buyeon, who is long gone in her perspective ( we know better of course).

So strike one against Mama Jin to be honest.

Still, because she has this one weakness of desperately searching for her first daughter, Jin Mu is able to take advantage of her and use her power as the guardian of Jinyowon by promising her to find her daughter (who he made disappear in the first place, like damn no morals at all this guy). Smart move and totally believable successful manipulation.

Strike 2 against Mama Jin is honestly how fine she is with knowingly going against the greater good, aiding and abetting crimes, if something's in it for her. Like as someone with such an important role of guarding the relics of Jinyowon from falling into the wrong hands AND having the plaque (I can't remember what it's called) that allows her to both call forth the Unanimous Assembly and exempts her from obeying royal orders, she is not being faithful to her duty at all. She takes great pride in her Jin family line and being protector of all these relics, but when it comes down to it, despite acting so high and might above everyone else she is totally fine with abusing her power for herself.

This is where her and Park Jin are actually contrasted. Park Jin too is in a big position of power within Daeho as the head of Songrim. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and we do see him struggle with how his responsibility and duty binds him to act and what his heart wants. Because Park Jin actually isn't a moral absolutist. He is more one that Jang Uk for sure, but we can see in his moral dilemma over how to treat Jang Uk and what he should do for him and what he WANTS to do for him, that his heart does sometimes stray from the path described by his duty. But as opposed to Jin Hogyeong, he never abuses his power to assist in a crime or something that will be bad in the larger scheme of things.

(I'm not being very eloquent rn but bear with me).

The most he'll use his power for are to protect Jang Uk as much as possible (the little troublemaker hehe). But what's important to note about Park Jin is that he's taken what I call a '100% decision' that if anyone around him does something against the greater good, even Jang Uk, he will cut him down.

Park Jin recognizes the weight of his own position and responsibilities, and does his best to rise to meet them. Not to say that he's perfect. He's only human after all. But he assumes his role and duty as a leader and someone with the power to change the trajectory of the nation if he actually wanted to.

This is marked even with the change in his attitude between season 1 and season 2. Like in season 2, Park Jin has become this retired farmer who's a terrible cook, and he's jarringly happy. Very laidback, very happy to just host people and have cute moments with his fiance. This is a huge change from season 1 where yes he had comedic moments, but he was way stricter and constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown (man holds his heart at least once every episode). This is because he is no longer in this position of power, his responsibilities are no longer weighing on him. Which also just goes to show how seriously he was taking it when he was leader of Songrim.

I hope I'm making sense.

So yes, Park Jin and Jin Hogyeong are also narrative foils to each other! (I'm starting to sense a pattern, Hong sisters, but I'm not complaining)

Let's circle back to Mama Jin and get into the meat of season 2, where she just continues to go down hill. No introspection this lady I swear.

Having gotten her daughter's body back, Mama Jin decides to lock up Jin Buyeon/Naksu basically forever. That's the plan anyway. Like I get it's probably hard to know that it's your daughter with an assassin's soul, don't get me wrong. But the way she's acting and with her plans for Buyeon, it's kind of clear that she is valuing the body's Jin blood more than the fact that it's her daughter.

Like Mama Jin literally imprisoned Jin Buyeon for three years, not allowing her to even actually step outside the BUILDING she's locked in, and then was like btw I found a submissive and breedable husband for you. You'll be able to leave just for the wedding ceremony but then you're going to come right back here and pop out babies for me.

Like. Absolutely insane. Crazy. How can you even call yourself a mother, let alone her mother?

I can't believe she was even surprised that Buyeon ran off and got married as soon as possible.

Not to mention the guy she picked was slimy as hell, like yuck, go away.

And then, instead of having some self-reflection on her controlling methods that got her to this point and taking a different approach if only for her bloodline's sake, she was like, 'actually I'm going to torture you until you're in so much pain you cave in and come back to me'. Because for real what she did was basically the equivalent of putting a shock collar on her daughter.

Basically, girl just got worse and worse throughout the season. Constantly blaming other people for her problems, still somehow bragging about her own family after being complicit with everything that happened last season. Just no no no no no.

Her plans for Buyeon/Naksu? Strike 3 man. And I haven't even gotten through another incident that angered me so much.

Strike 4: refusing to help Seo Yul when he was dying from the parasite.

Like.

EXCUSE ME! OUT OF SHEER HUMANITY YOU SHOULD BE HELPING HIM

Like she has known Seo Yul forever probably because it seems the four kids largely grew up together even if Jin Choyeon isn't as close to them as the four boys are. He's the only heir to the Seo family WHO COULD LITERALLY DECLARE WAR ON HER AND WIN.

If anything, it came from Jinyowon, which is HER responsibility, so ya know, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!

But she was like no, I won't save him. I don't care if he lives or dies. I was so ready to throw hands guys you don't understand. Like how can you say that? Not only about a person in general, but someone she knows is a good person, has known her kid his whole life, and has literally never wronged her in any way?

And she leveraged that to manipulate Jang Uk into giving Jin Buyeon back, as if her daughter is an object. Not respecting her daughter's agency and personhood is what had gotten her in this situation in the first place, but it seems like WE DON'T LEARNNNN

I cannot accurately describe how mad I was. Like I have no words. I wanted her to die so bad.

Jin Hogyeong is super self-centered, a terrible mother, a terrible leader, and just overall a terrible person. Not as bad as Jin Mu! But let's be honest his bar is in hell.

Even besides my own personal opinion and reactions though, I do truly thing that Mama Jin should have died at the end of the show.

She has this "awakening" moment where she realizes how much she's fucked up (not about everything she's done wrong but whatever), and she finally FINALLY does the right thing, and is prepared to lay down her life to try to stop as many relics from escaping as possible. It's satisfying as a viewer to see someone who had made so many mistakes through the story finally get some redemption by deciding to do the right thing, and this was one of those moments.

However, I really felt like the moment was cheapened by the fact that she was alive after all of that. I really think she should have died to bring her character arc to a close, to have a satisfying ending for her with the viewers, and also show what the consequences of abusing your power (and just generally being a terrible person) lead to. Narratively speaking, I think her dying would have been the best choice.

Or she should have at least returned maimed in some way, maybe drained of her divine powers. But it doesn't seem like she came out of it with any problems.

We do see her finally decide to let Jin Buyeon/Cho Yeong go (as she should, took her long enough) but it's just not satisfying. Because there's no apology, no actual recognition that she did anything wrong. Just a 'I'm at peace with my daughter's fate now so I guess I'll let her go". Like... what?

And Jin Choyeon STILL is cowed by her mom. Which is a post for a different time but likely clearly she hasn't made amends with her daughter either.

Anyway, that's what I wanted to say. Both personally and from a narrative standpoint, I think Jin Hogyeong should have died. Maybe the writers didn't do it because they didn't have enough episodes to deal with what the aftermath of that would mean, but who knows.

[write-read-write]

writing log day four

Did I accidentally miss two days? Yes.

Did I still write during those days? Yes.

Is this technically day six? Maybe, I'm a writer, not a math wiz.

ANYWHO it's been going super well!! I finally reached 80,000 words which is SUPER cool. It actually makes me think that I can hit 100k during this first round of editing.

I'm currently on Chapter 6 with a TBD chapter title, and all is well. I'm surprised at the pace I'm going and can only help I get as much done as possible before Baldurs Gate comes out on PS5 because I know I'll be busy hehe.

On a side note in the editing process, I've started to up the importance of one specific character (who was already important to begin with) because I plan on writing a "side" series for him!

This book world (that is dubbed the Sun Rising Universe for now) is introduced to us through this main trilogy, but I have some really interesting ideas of books that could be set in this same universe. Can't wait to continue writing this universe for the next two decades hahah.

See you tomorrow!

(if I don't forget again)

[szecretary]

thoughts on voltron: legendary defender, season one, first five episodes. this will be like witnessing your mom watch a show for the youngins and being confused the entire time. 

warning for spoilers, obviously, but idk what for because i’m later to this show than the alteans were to the war.

i almost closed netflix bc i saw that the first episode is one hour long wh-

this is how shiro is introduced? harsh. but i like that in the first few minutes, the galra are already established as a force to be reckoned with.

first scene with lance, hunk and pidge, already showing their dynamic and their current situation! also, lol, lance getting told "you're only here because the best pilot in your class had a discipline issue" way to create tension between characters, keith isn't even there and we already know lance kind of hates him.

i like hunk he reminds me of po from kung fu panda hehe

what's pidge's thing with the kerberos mission? he seems very very invested in it, even for a character that science oriented.

OH IT'S KEITH. man i'm actually really impressed with the character introductions in this first episode, they're so clever and very effective, they show the most important facts about the person without slowing down.

keith really lived alone in that desert cabin for however long huh

where's the cat going

oh the cat went home, neat.

i love how at this point it seems that only blue chose its paladin, for the rest of them allura did a personality assessment off first impressions and assigned the rest of the lions, she really said "the bond cannont be forced... by anyone except for me" ma'am these are 5 random people from earth.

apart from that, i'm loving how intuitive piloting is with the lions!

lol lance fully killed some people there

listen if pidge doesn't turn out to be related to the people in the kerberos mission... just :( the way he reacted to shiro quoting the commander? there's no way he doesn't know them.

"go. be great." SHUT UP 😭

blue woke up yesterday and she's already getting beat up give it a rest it's been 10.000 years.

FUCK OFF SENDAK. I know of you, you lame ass excuse for an antagonist.

shiro i love you that's all i have to say.

THE COMMANDER IS PIDGE'S FATHER I KNEW IT HHHHH

the mice are so cute i can't believe allura is a fairytale princess with animal sidekicks.

YEAH GIANT HERO ROBOT!

ok second episode let's go:

this druid lady has a very cool character design, not sure what's her point in the story tho

pidge when are you gonna tell us your secret?

third episode!

it's really not fair how cool shiro is, paladin of the black lion, and "the champion"

oh no, shiro was forced to fight for galra entertainment? mmmmm yeah why not i love pain and suffering.

the little people who live on arus are very cute.

i'm sure shiro only attacked pidge's brother to keep him from fighting the gladiator don't be mad pidge :(

oh so the thing was the same gladiator, makes sense.

OH PIDGE'S NAME IS KATIE she's matt's sister this makes so much sense, i'm very sad, i can't wait to know her story.

ok episode four, the iconic failed team cheer i used to see on twitter.

the way lance pronounced varadero beach made me want to cry but at least it's the first mention of anything related to cuba, so i'll take it.

why'd they already beat up lance gdi give the boy a break.

episode five, i'm stressed.

NOT THE FLASHBACKS I CAN'T KEEP IT TOGETHER :(

kerberos mission: takashi shirogane, and samuel and matthew holt :(

pidge you are such a badass you have my heart too, also it's so sweet how rover has like a little personality.

"hasta la later, keith" MAKE IT STOP

(but ok that does sound like something i would say to be annoying)

hunk and bolin from legend of korra would be such good bros you can't change my mind.

ok the galra are the bad guys but they have style, "nothing stops me but triumph, and death" that's cool.

THAT FLYING ROBOT BETTER COME BACK OR ELSE.

damn even the mice have a kill count everyone has a kill count.

love lance waking up only to shoot a bad guy and then dramatically faint again, maybe he has hispanic heritage after all, he has the flare.

"we are a good team" hell yeah you are buddy.

final thought on the first five episodes: honestly? i’m impressed, the pacing is great, the characters are well defined and they all get their little moments to shine. loved the pidge focus on episode five, and i’m very excited too see what happens next. that’ll have to wait because i haven’t slept and now my brain is repeating that voltron forming sequence they play EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

rest of season one liveblog.