Before I start writing on Episode 2, here’s an addendum for Episode 1.
link: Lovers of the Red Sky: Ep 1 First Impressions
4. The 2nd Prince
During the water ritual, the two younger princes (or the “spares”) went off to investigate the painting of the old King. Mawang succeeded in tempting the 2nd Prince to release it from the painting. It tempted him with a promise. “Come to me…the one who will become the king. The one who will become the king, I shall be with you.”
Once it was released, it asked the 2nd Prince if he was the one who’d awakened it. When the 2nd Prince nodded yes, it entered the 2nd Prince but didn’t stay long. It came out again, asking, “Where is it?” Then, with its magic eyesight, it surveilled the land and found Ha Ram performing the water ritual. It saw the butterfly tattoo on Ram’s name and zoomed towards it.
Six comments:
a. At first glance, the 2nd Prince was the one who summoned Mawang. However, it could also be said that Ha Ram also awakened it – unwittingly — while he was performing the water ritual for the Shaman. Ha Ram was undoing the curse that Mawang had imposed on the land so just like his father had done at the exorcism, he awoke the sleeping Mawang.
b. In the 2nd Prince’s mind, Mawang bypassed him because of the talisman he was wearing. It was supposed to ward off evil spirits. He was ready to accept Mawang so when it merely went through him, he was outraged. He believed that throne was rightfully his “as appointed by the heavens” but the talisman he wore counteracted — or expulsed — Mawang. It was a missed opportunity for him because of the talisman.
He crushed his talisman in his fist.
c. Mawang was looking for the butterfly because that was Samshin’s earthly manifestation. Most likely, it was seeking revenge for being captured inside the portrait.
When it found Ha Ram and entered his body, it belatedly realized that Samshin tricked it.
Samshin: Ha Ram. You have sacrificed yourself for the good of countless people.
Mawang: Have you used the child as bait to lure me?
Samshin: Mawang, remain in this child’s body. I will take your eyes, the source of your power. You will be powerless until the day you reclaim your eyes.
Mawang didn’t choose to go inside Ha Ram’s body because Ram was going to be the “future king.” It went to him because it fell for Samshin’s ruse.
d. If my hunch is correct, the 2nd Prince was patterned after King Gwanghaegun, the middle son who grabbed power from his older brother, and the favorite 3rd son. But I think this drama will steer clear of any controversy with historical facts.
The original writer and the screenwriter learned from the errors of “Joseon Exorcist.” lol. Even the way they framed the old King’s collusion with evil (i.e., Mawang) was different from “Joseon Exorcist.” The old King wanted the exorcism done to him in order to give his successor a clean slate. Additionally, King Seongjo was depicted as opposed to the human sacrifice and guilt-stricken when Ha Ram was injured. The Shaman acted on her own.
e. It was the 3rd Prince who brought his older brother to the site of the painting. The 2nd Prince wouldn’t have thought of going there had it not been for the 2nd Prince. It waits to be seen whether the 3rd Prince’s action is a foreshadowing of his propensity to accidentally/unintentionally create mayhem.
f. Sight is important. Mawang’s source of power is its eyes (like the eyes of Medusa in Greek mythology). So it’s interesting to note that while Mawang became powerless because its eyes were taken away from it, Ha Ram only grew in power despite his eyesight being taken away from him.
🙂
You are explaining everything so well! The world-building makes sense.
The music in the opening credits has a cheery vibe (despite the rather dark elements of the story), so I am cautiously optimistic for a happy ending.
I am surprised that it wasn’t considered a treasonous act by the 2nd prince to destroy the talismans, unlock the access to the painting, and set it on fire to release Ma Wang.
Annyeong,
question… if prince 2 is the baddy and Prince 3 is the younger one, who is prince 1? guess i feel lost. sorry.
i agree with @welmaris. but maybe that’s why Prince#2 is not as impt as Prince#3 now? he’s sick? and was not even part of the search for HRam.
Prince 1 = Crown Prince.
In Ep 2 we were told that there was an assassination attempt and he was injured. Prince 2 was masterminded it. Hence, he dropped by Il WolSeong’s establishment to pose question about the thief stealing the jade. Ha Ram/Il WolSeong knew it was a trick question about treason. Prince 2 was seeking validation for his treasonous act.
We haven’t seen Prince 1 yet.
@nrllee posted a character chart in one of the threads. Please check if Crown Prince/Prince 1 is in the line up. 🙂
Not sure if Prince 2 is sick or just scarred. He must be physically fine, but mentally unstable with envy, delusion of grandeur, megalomania, and hatred.
I’m finding the world building in LotRS lacking clarity, leading to confusion. For instance, the green eyes appearing on the man in the room with the painter (CK’s father) of the king’s portrait, then his ability to vanish from the room. We later see Green Eyes display supernatural powers when he comes to collect from CK the painting he’d commissioned. We have no clue who/what he is: is he human possessed by a spirit, like Ram, or a spirit masquerading in human form, like Samshim? What is his role in relation with the other supernatural beings?
I’m also confused why Ram turned into a Water Demon on the winter solstice when Ma Wang took control of his body, instead of Ma Wang making a direct appearance. Perhaps that was because Ma Wang was still trapped inside Ram but became powerful enough to overwhelm Ram’s human nature and body for a time. I’m not clear why the butterfly mark on the nape of Ram’s neck disappeared, then came back. It seemed to be instigated by Ram’s contact with CK, Ma Wang recognizing his eyes in CK. But why doesn’t that reaction happen other times Ram and CK are in each other’s presence and have physical contact? Are they protected by the butterfly on Ram’s neck all days except winter solstice?
The Mountain God seemed a match for the Ma Wang powered Water Demon, but would the Mountain God be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation with Ma Wang? The Mountain God said her area of influence included the palace, so why didn’t she confront the Ma Wang controlled king all the years he caused deaths in the palace and beyond?
As for the palace intrigue and battle for succession, I see plot holes there. First, the two kings choosing to abdicate seems to be an admission by them that they do not reign by divine appointment. If they thought themselves the embodiment of the nation, the royal we, they could not so easily separate themselves from the role of monarch.
The Crown Prince was seen on the day of the water ritual, speaking to his two younger brothers. Princes 3 & 2 left the ritual to sneak into the royal portrait hall. When Prince 2 burned the king’s portrait and released Ma Wang, he had a talisman on his person, which means Ma Wang went through him instead of possessing him. The unhealing wounds on Prince 2’s abdomen are from Ma Wang passing in and out of him on that day.
There is mention of the Crown Prince having brittle health: it may be because he is actually ill, or because he hasn’t recovered from the assassination attempt orchestrated by Prince 2. Remember, since Prince 2 obeyed Ma Wang’s voice and released him, Prince 2 has believed he’s the rightful king even though the talisman kept Ma Wang from possessing him. With Prince 2 having that mindset, the current king and all others in the line of succession are in danger.
@Welmaris,
I just read what you wrote and here are some of my thoughts!
For you first question check on the other threads. As it seems a poster explained that that painter is possessed by a Goblin. On Viki they didn’t translated what really happened, but I have to now recheck.
About Ma Wang and Winter Solstice. My answer is:
Ha Ram is protected because of his Nabi talisman gifted by SamShin.
As for why it didn’t happen before, the answer is the Mountain Spirit Ho Ryeong.
She protects the mountain and the palace as she confessed / told to Samshin and you mentioned as well.
In Winter Solstice the yin power is in the rise, so MaWang as a male deity was able to make an appearance. HaRam went outside the palace, so he was out of protection, twice.
Both from the Mountain Deity who is a SHE, but also from Samshin’s.
The nabi talisman disappeared for that reason.
That means that both Samshin and Ho Ryeong as feminine goddesses represent the yan.
The next day that the energy shifted back to normal it came back on its place. That means that nabi talisman keeps dormant MaWang.
From the intro in Episode 1, we know that MaWang will be out of HaRam’s body at some point. So, maybe that was a testing orchestrated by SamShin.
As for the question you have about the Kings. We need to know if that western concept applies to eastern civilizations. Do they believe that they reign by divide appointment? I don’t know so I cannot answer to that.
The only thing I have gathered is that Prince 2 wants the throne so badly that he doesn’t care if the Crown Prince dies. I believe that he would also kill Prince 3, if he doesn’t take his side.
ahhh, the Crown prince. of course. haha. and his adult version hasn’t shown up yet. OK got it. Thank you @PM3 🙂