#hwi is more calculating; seon ho more improvises

[convenientalias]

The biggest bait and switch My Country the New Age pulled on me is that the first episode completely convinced me that Seon-ho was going to be a Suave, Manipulative Noble while Hwi was going to be the Dumb and Honest But Determined Protagonist. Bc they have the right goals for that (Hwi wants to eat rice, Seon-ho wants to rule the world) and Seon-ho pulls rank on Chi-do at Ihwaru while Hwi just fought ppl off with a sword. The second episode kind of reinforces this impression bc Seon-ho does a little ruthless betraying (though, I mean, he’s kind of forced into it) and Hwi’s very tragic. But then basically every other episode, the dynamic is almost the opposite.

It’s like:

Hwi, trying to get a job with Bang-won, enacts a complicated scheme involving poaching, faking an assassination attempt, sarcastic flirting, and completely throwing Seon-ho under the bus with the arsenal situation. Seon-ho, trying to get a job from Yi Seung-gye, just marches into the palace and says “I know my dad’s on shaky ground with you right now but what if you made me your right hand man??”

(Somehow this works out for both of them.)

Hwi, recruiting his squad/making friends, slowly builds people’s trust in him by rebelling against his commander and generally being terrifyingly competent. Seon-ho, recruiting his only sidekick, stands in the middle of a fire and says “I know you tried to kill me but what if we were friends??”

(Somehow this works out for both of them.)

Hwi, trying to get revenge on Nam Jeon, tries a complicated scheme involving secrets bought from Ihwaru, faking Bang-won’s red arrows, playing Nam Jeon, Bang-won, and the king himself against each other, and like eight other steps I can’t fuckign remember (oh yeah, and faking his and Bang-won’s death, that was a thing). Seon-ho, trying to get revenge on Bang-won, storms off to gather some Jurchens and attacks both Bang-won and his brother head-on.

(Somehow this DOESN’T work out for either of them.)

Just consistently Hwi’s out here with his complicated social maneuvering and Seon-ho’s out here going, “What if I just told people exactly what I wanted? And attacked people with swords?” I mean obviously there are exceptions to this rule but it’s a trend and I love it.