Thoughts on ‘Daebak (The Royal Gambler)’ Episode 23

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Credit: Eme Ruiz M. (Eme Zikzin) from Venezuela and ECI
Photo credits: SBS

DaeGil and InJwa again face to face …

DaeGil tries to stop the passage of his archenemy, InJwa knows that is facing his best opponent and they both know that the other will not budge. See these two great actors together is a pleasure, the energy they transmit and respect for each other is really palpable.
Full of conviction, DaeGil does his best to avoid the bloodshed that the rebel and his brother the King have sworn to the people, however InJwa leaves very clear that despite the swipe to his army has just received from the hands of the team of our hero, resign it is not among his plans and the prince Mil Poong Goon arrives to support him.

“So, you are, Baek Dae Gil” says with some admiration the prince Mil Poong Goon.

Daegil anyway warns them that the King is also willing to do anything and infuriates watching InJwa is completely willing to sacrifice all the lives that are necessary to carry out his plan, aishhhhhh InJwa is unbearable! Daegil finally warns them to stop them at all costs and walks away on his horse … Beautiful Prince on his steed!

InJwa puts his sinister plan into action overnight and Daegil reach the camp where you find his family, worried about the people, all working together to help the people who had joined the rebels to overcome the stomach discomfort that suffered from poisoning and also they delivered to them food to take home. Daegil smiles watching Seol Im working with passion for them.

DeaGil encouraged by Seol Im comes out talking to the people and assured them that receive forgiveness because laid down their arms and so the King has promised … Seol Im asks if it is true that the King promised that but receives only silence from Daegil as the answer. The older brother continues to try to protect his younger brother.

King Yeoning receives the report from advancing rebel troops and is concerned, could be next the collapse of Hanyang. “We can’t waste any more time,” he tells his military leaders and prepares to go himself to face in battle, knowing that Daegil reduced the InJwa army at half, which InJwa continues his path, confirms that although less men, accompanies them the determination and this would give them victory over Anseong if his army is not present.

The army of King comes out galloping quickly and is spreading the news in the streets, Hong Mae wants to alert Daegil but the daughter of GolSa tells her not to worry, Daegil will go ahead no matter what happens and, well, we know all that in effect if anything characterizes Daegil is the determination, this actually called my attention, the plot of the drama revolves around a struggle of convictions, three men deeply determined to achieve their goals, I find very interesting the outcome of this struggle ideals and see that values weighed on the victory.

Indeed our Daegil continues his plan and he already knows that the army of InJwa is weakened by lack of food and the long walk, in this scene I like the visual code is handled through color, everyone at the table dressed in beige or ecru, which was one of the permitted colors, for the people, Daegil could be dressed in a different tone for their social status, but also wears beige as the reassurance that he is the genuine representation of the feelings of the people and their actions are directed with that conviction.

InJwa decides to stop at the nearest town and Daegil continues its three-step plan as well explains GolSa daughter, Mae Hong. The first step has already been successfully achieved: weaken the army InJwa, taking their horses and food and use the lack of camaraderie between them as they come from different places and are not known to weaken them morally, at this point the action of the warrior Hwan Jin Ki is very important, he perhaps intuitively hastens to support the rebels along the march and infuse them encouragement.

The second step also has related to the moral and psychological part, spread the rumor that InJwa was defeated it reduces the momentum of the rebels who expect orders in Cheongju and they decide to give back the rebels for caution, of course they do not desist easily to take what has been promised.

“The revolt of In Jwa, has failed,” Let’s spread that rumor.

Daegil comes out urgently on Anseong upon receiving news that the army has left the palace, cough* is “gratifying” to see Daegil go up the horse and give it the order to advance…

The army InJwa is diminished by hunger and exhaustion, he tries to instill encouragement by reminding them the Grand Plan, but the warrior Hwan Jin Ki warns that in these conditions will not survive even half a day, a snake is captured by a rebel and all hungry they pounce on the man full of despair over the astonished gaze of the leader of the revolt that understands that he must do something to alleviate the situation. His answer: to steal food from the village and kill the most vile way, the people who say they want to protect. Jin Ki is torn between his convictions.

Dae Gil goes fast and alone at Anseong, meanwhile the King has come to Jukju and there receives the progress report Daegil plan, which he same confessed to him in the palace.

“What is scarier than a sword? a rumor“ Baek Dae Gil

This next scene is for me very significant, InJwa is questioned by Prince Mil Poong Goon reproaching his actions in the village, the rebels despite being dying of hunger have not touched the food that was stolen from the people and that also cost the lives of innocent, InJwa as a being unscrupulous it looks disengaged with this situation, he did not take into account the intrinsic values of the revolt that he was developing, had not noticed that people joined because of loyalty by example and not by ambition, for love of country and not to the throne. In his desperation, it acts as he can only do, from contempt and deep anger that accompanying him from childhood and takes the life of one of the rebels against the astonished gaze of the Prince. These actions begin to weaken the conviction of those who support him and begin to define unbeknownst to him, the way his defeat.

Daegil reaches Angseon and meets with the King, both brothers in seemingly opposite sides, one only thinks about the throne, the other thinking people, Daegil tries to persuade the monarch to find other ways to prevent the loss of life, he tells him how managed to change the will of 15,000 people without using a sun once the sword, really are remarkable Daegil’s words: “it was my faith, faith in people.” Yeoning feeling despised by his own people only think of paying with the same coin.

“You know what I did to reduce troops in half? It was my faith, faith in people” Baek Dae Gil

The brothers face again while InJwa wait outside the city wall, the King is determined to kill all the rebels and Daegil is not willing to allow it, warns that break the promise he made to King Sukjong to protect him and he draws his sword against him, it finally discovers the intentions of the military leaders who accompany them in the room that feeling supported by Daegil point their swords against the king, they are ala carte under the sleeve InJwa and white flag waving in the rampart to tell the rebel that the plan has worked and that can come victorious, to go to Hanyang.

The prince Mil Poong Goon comes forward to enter with a group of men full of joy, suddenly after that the gate is closed and InJwa and his army are confused, the King Yeoning triumphant appears in the tower with his brother, InJwa can’t believe, it reaches only mention the name of the hero who could never defeat: Baek Dae Gil. The rebels begin withdrawal.

The third plan Daegil gives results and many lives are saved, but the fight is not over the King remains determined to end the revolt in a violent way, at night both enemy leaders are preparing to attack and Daegil can not help it, a bloody battle breaks out and he’s going to stop it even if I have to put your life at stake, launching himself as a shield between the two sides your body is hurt in the middle of the gunfire and falls giving a break to the tragedy.

Daegil, the one who really loves the people so as to offer his life and endure any hardship, rises badly hurt to ask for the cessation of war and Seol Im, grandfather, along with other allies come to support Daegil and ask for clemency.

Daegil goes on to prove to the King what kind of person are truly the rebels. Our hero does not abandon his faith and a new bet is carried out to defend the nation, Daegil is winning and Lee in Jwa decides to break his word, but do not know that Daegil has beaten him long ago and that the army he wait no longer exists, the rebels surrender and the warrior Jin Ki Hwan, brandishes his sword against it once was his master. Lee In Jwa has been defeated.

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My thoughts:
I must confess that I am a fan of roses dramas and really expected to see a lot of passion or at least romance in Daebak and that never happened, not going to lie, that was a little disappointed, however I must admit that this is one of the best roles and dramas that Jang Keun-suk has been taken. Daegil is a character that fills me with deep pride, not only for the acting challenge it has meant for Suk and that we all well know, but also for what depth of his message.

In this story we have seen mainly three men full of determination to achieve their goals, goals had in common the people, the nation, but they were motivated by different reasons. Lee InJwa is guided by the pain he suffered as a child and could never overcome using the excuse of wanting to help the people when what you really wanted was to avenge the damage which were given him. Yeoning who wanted the throne also on the pretext of support the people but motivated in the deep (in my opinion) for the pain that caused him to feel despised by being the son of the laundress, so maybe for him his arrival to the throne represented to claim of the plebeians. Last but equally important Daegil, a man that was bred by two caring men and that into adulthood, did not know the evil. Here I feel necessary to recognize the work of gambler Baek Man Geum in the construction of the hero, simply Daegil not met during his upbringing nothing more than unconditional love of his father, laughter and lightheartedness. This gambler among his “folly” bred up a happy child, so Daegil motivation is very different from the other two protagonists of the story. Our hero is motivated by love for the people, for the love of life of all beings, so great a love which is worth offering life even it. Definitely is completely understandable the despair of Daegil for loss his father and then his struggle to recover him, this gambler is a key piece in his life and in the history of drama.

It seems that Daegil at first glance is a male history, that it is men the key pieces of drama, I agree but only on the surface, there is an interesting detail and is that women, as well as in real life, have been supportive, base and even detonator of all the actions that have been carried out in Daebak. Beginning with the Queen Choi Bin who falls in love to the King and gives her son to her ex-husband gambler knowing that he would do a good job in bringing up him and what definitely not wrong. Later Hong Mae and the woman Shaman, handling the subtle threads that generated the revolt of InJwa to continue with Dam Seo who awakens in Daegil the desire to be “somebody” to having a name so necessary for their future actions and continuing with Seol Im who motivated the first cause of Daegil and who then acts as an extension of his actions, even giving affection and warmth in the midst of the struggle.

As I write this I realize that Daebak that is not a romantic drama but it is a love story, a drama that highlights the unconditional love at a people, to the life, to the sons, to the brothers, to a cause.

I have no more to thank to all the staff who made possible this production for their hard work and especially to Jang Keun Suk for a job full of love for the public, the acting and especially his eels, thanks JKS for so much love. Your performance is simply Daebak and Daebak is how proud I am you.

Thanks to jangkeunsuforever.com and ECI for the opportunity. [END]