Hwang JinYi

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Member Since: 20/11/2006
Band Website: www.kbs.co.kr/drama/hwangjiny
Band Members: *WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REPLY TO EVERY COMMENT, BUT WE REALLY DO READ THEM ALL AND ENJOY THEM. THANK YOU. =)*
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Cool SlideshowsHWANG JINYI (MYEONGWOL)

The main character of the story and perhaps the most famous gisaeng of the 16th century. With her wit and innate talent for music, dancing, and poetry, she captures the hearts of many men in Choson. She was born to Jin Hyungeum, a gisaeng who engaged in a love affair and had JinYi. Hwang JinYi first falls in love at age 16, and after being torn apart by others who opposed their relationship, she is traumatized and experiences a dramatic change in her personality and character. She becomes almost reckless, but this tends to be the thing that attract men the most. She lives on her word that she will revenge the high-class society teacher Baekmu who kept her from marrying Eunho.

KIM EUNHO

Hwang Jinyi's first lover. Born into a rich high-class family, he was well educated. He fell in love with Hwang JinYi at the age of 18. Many people interferred with their relationship, including his parents, Hwang JinYi's teacher Baekmu and another high-class girl who loved him. He fought to spend his life with Hwang JinYi, but he lost in the end and died soon after.

BUYEONG

Hwang JinYi's archrival. She had been dancing at a very young age, trained under Hwang JinYi's teacher's archrival, Maehyang. She had a lot of confident in her dancing and thought she could beat JinYi. She is later proven wrong, as she realizes her rival has an inborn talent for dancing. She also loves Kim Junghwan, who loves Hwang JinYi. She bitterly loses both the title of best dancer and her lover to Hwang JinYi. Perhaps she may have been the best dancer if it had not been for JinYi.

KIM JUNGHWAN

A very proper man of high class. He was assigned the position of minister of music by the king. Ohter countries like China persecuted Korean music, saying it was not good enough. However, the king and Kim Jung Hwan wanted to protect Korean arts and culture. Because of this, he associates with gisaeng to pursue their artistic talent and he falls in love with Hwang JinYi. He resembles Kim Eunho (JinYi's first love) in many ways, and she ends up loving him back.

BYUK GYESOO

A very wealthy, powerful man. In the drama, he is often referred to as the "most desirable man" in all of Chosun. Countless girls have thrown themselves at his feet, only to be rejected. There has never been anything he could not buy or get with his money or power. At first, he is attracted to Buyeong, then he is let down, because he is convinced that all she wants is power. He comes to like Hwang JinYi, but he finds that she is the only thing he could not get with his money or power alone.

BAEKMU

She is Hwang JinYi's teacher and widely known as the current best dancer. She discovers Hwang JinYi and introduces her to the world of gisaeng. She had planned to turn JinYi into the best dancer and artist and puts her under intense training. Her dreams are threatened when JinYi falls in love and considers quitting the life of gisaeng and marrying Eunho. She then plans schemes to tear them apart and ends up winning in the end. However, it can hardly called victory, because JinYi loses all respect for her and rebels by becoming determined to quit dancing permanently.

JIN HYUNGEUM

Hwang JinYi's mother. She was a gisaeng who was very talented at the kayakeum. She had an affair with an aristocratic man, who fathered Hwang JinYi. He left her mother before JinYi was even born. Hyungeum was miserable as a gisaeng and became blind after her lover left her. She tried to prevent JinYi by sharing the same fate by hiding her daughter away in a monastary at birth (the law at the time determined that daughters of gisaeng had to become gisaeng as well). However, JinYi's destiny leads her to the life of a gisaeng, just as her mother feared; he wanders away from her life in the Buddhist temple and is captivated by dancing. Throughout the drama, Hyungeum is among the very few who is always working for JinYi's happiness.

GAETTONG (DANSHIM)

She had been Hwang JinYi's friend since childhood, and among the very few people that she trusts. Gaettong was born to a servant class woman, so she had been looked down while growing up. She and her mother worked at a gisaeng house and Gaettong's dream was to become a gisaeng. Unfortunately, she did not have the looks and was rejected in the beginning, but with Hwang JinYi's help and a stroke of luck, she was able to achieve her lifelong dream. She had grown up with JinYi and watched as she suffered after Eunho's death. Later, she falls in love with Byuk Gye Soo, but is only hurt as she realizes his only interest is in getting Hwang JinYi through her.

HWANG JINYI'S BODYGUARD

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Influences: Hwang JinYi was an actual Chosun gisaeng of 16th century. Also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("shining moon"), she was among the most famous gisaeng, and a great female poet, dancer, musician in Korean history. In the 16th century (Exactly the same period as "The Great Jang-geum"), she lived a life of the most beautiful and educated women in the nation. She was the child of an aristocratic man. Accounts of her mother vary, but many indicate that she was a blind woman named Hyeon Hak-geum. Because her mother was of cheonmin birth she was unable to marry into a yangban family. Instead, she became a kisaeng herself. She quickly rose to fame thanks to her beauty, intellect, and preternatural talent in playing the geomungo and writing poetry. Thanks to her fame, Hwang is among the few gisaeng whose names have survived. Unfortunately, we know little else about her life. She is said to have received a typical aristocratic education in her childhood, studying the Chinese classics. When she was fifteen, a nearby bachelor is said to have died of love for her (Kim Eunho). After becoming a kisaeng, she carried on with various notables including Ji Jok-am, and also associated with the philosopher Seo Gyeong-deok. Her place and time of death are unknown. Some people may compare Korean "Gisaeng" of Japanese "Geisha" but "Gisaeng" has much longer tradition than its Japanese counterpart. Japanese Geisha (about 400 years) vs. Korean Gisaeng (more than 1000 years).

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Sounds Like: *EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS!!!*

EPISODE 17 **CRANE DANCE DEBUNKED!** After Hwang JinYi parted with Kim Junghwan, she returns to her training for the crane dance. She suddenly stops training, which infuriates Baekmu. She asks JinYi if it's all about losing another lover. We soon discover, however, that JinYi stops because she discovers that the dance is "fake". She went to observe cranes and claims that the dance is shallow, because it only captures the beautiful movements of the crane, but nothing of the crane's mind. It's missing the vital part that would make people actually want to become cranes after watching the dance. Baekmu goes hysterical, denying that the dance is as shallow as JinYi claims. But she comes to admit it and asks her to help make a true crane dance. JinYi refuses, since she still holds a grudge against Baekmu for the death of her first lover.

Cool SlideshowsEPISODE 18 **BAEKMU'S DEATH** Baekmu is still irritated about the crane dance and that it could suddenly become nothing overnight, after she had devoted her life to it for over 30 years. On top of that, Byukgyesoo was trying to make JinYi as his 2nd wife. Yet again, his will is defeated by Hwang JinYi through a poetry contest. He is infuriated and criticizes Baekmu's dance and gisaengs in general. She goes hysterical and turns Byukgyesoo's table and yells at him. He orders her to be locked up. He orders for her legs to be ruined, so that she may never dance again. No one could talk him out of it, and JinYi tells him that she would become his wife if he would let Baekmu go free. He agrees, but Baekmu refuses to let that happen and chooses suicide. While dancing the crane dance for the last time, Baekmu jumps off a cliff.

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(Baekmu's crane dance just before death)

(Hwang Jinyi's farewell dance @ Baekmu's funeral)

EPISODE 19 *HWANG JINYI LOSES HER MIND*
Hwang Jinyi crying at Baekmu's death was surprising enough. Now, Hwang Jinyi almost goes insane because of it. She seems to be convinced that she was the cause of Baekmu's death. She keeps thinking of Baekmu and the time they spent together.
Hwang Jinyi is to compete against Buyeong at a show they will put on a big show for the royal family and subjects. Bueyong is to perform a new drum dance and Hwang Jinyi the crane dance. This is a big event, especially since Hwang Jinyi will fulfill the dream Baekmu never accomplished (perform the crane dance in front of the king). Buyeong performed well, but just as Hwang Jinyi was beginning her crane dance, she overhears the royal subjects (including Byuk gye soo, who is still bitter that she is not his wife) talking about Jinyi being the cause of Baekmu's death. She is overwhelmed and passes out on the stage, while the king is displeased and walks out. From here on, she begins to act strange and becomes nearly insane.

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EPISODE 20 **HWANG JINYI AND KIM JUNGHWAN MISSING**
It's been three years since Baekmu's death. Hwang Jinyi and Kim Junghwan ran away together and Byuk Gye Soo's been sending out people to hunt them down. Jinyi and Junghwan had to relocate numerous times to avoid being caught. Kim Junghwan had abandoned his duties as the king's subject for a woman of lower class and would be punishable by death. Both have been running for their life for three years and no one has heard from then since. The two have been living the lives of commoners; Jinyi as a common housewife and Junghwan as a teacher teaching lowclass poor children to read and write. Kim Junghwan notices that Jinyi begins to miss her life as gisaeng more and more, as she keeps thinking about the gumeungo and hakchoom (crane dance). Meanwhile, Jinyi discovers that she is pregnant.

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EPISODE 21 **KIM JUNGHWAN CAPTURED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH**
Kim Junghwan is captured to protect Hwang Jinyi from the men who had come to take them away. Jinyi sees him get captured from afar, as Mumyeong (her bodyguard) appears and prevents her from running to him. She finds a place to hide and tries to find a way to save Junghwan from punishment. Meanwhile, Junghwan is undergoing cruel punishment, as the king and his subjects are interrogating him on the whereabouts of Jinyi. He refuses to answer and the king orders his death. Jinyi learns of this and prepares for her dance performance in the king's presence, which was obviously her plan to get captured and sentenced to death along with Junghwan.

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EPISODE 22 **ONCE AGAIN, HWANG JINYI SURVIVES**
Kim Junghwan is sent to death and Jinyi appears in the show put on for the king and his subjects. However, things turn out differently. Jinyi performs a very touching dance that moves the audience. The king does not carry out with Kim Junghwan's death sentence and offers to help Jinyi and Junghwan run away together for good. Jinyi refuses, and plans for her return to gyobang. Kim Junghwan returns to his place as Yehpan and Jinyi begins to perform her talents at the gyobang again. Junghwan is confused and upset that Jinyi would refuse the king's offer and abandon him to go back to gyobang. He watches as she puts on her smile for other men and wastes away drinking. He finds out that Jinyi is pregnant and goes to her. She tries to avoid him, but he stops her and tells her that he will be her gibu. She glares at him and tries to escape his grasp, but falls down the stairs. Will her baby be ok?...

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EPISODE 23 **FINAL COMPETITION WITH BUYEONG**
Hwang Jinyi ends up losing the baby and Kim Junghwan is devastated. He blames himself for the loss of the child, although others tell him not to. Jinyi and Junghwan clear things up, and decide to go separate ways. Danshim gives birth to a son. Byuk Gyesoo sees him for the first time when he is strolling on the street with Danshim. He takes them in and offers to take him under his care. Danshim is more than happy, although it would mean she would lose him. Hwangjinyi's mother is still ill and her health is in constant decline. Meanwhile, Hwang Jinyi becomes busier than ever. Men from all over Chosun are demanding Jinyi's company. She is constantly working, and appears to be getting more tired. Meanwhile, Buyeong is wasting away drinking and sulking, believing she has already been defeated by Hwang Jinyi. Maehyang haengsoo sees this and decides to take action. She tells Hwang Jinyi and Buyeong that it is time for her to decide who will become the next Yuhak haengsoo, the highest title given to the best gisaeng. The competition will take place in six months, and will be judged by gyobang haengsoo from all around Chosun. The two will spend the time left preparing the best dance to perform in front of the panel of judges. Buyeong considers combining hakchoom and myunggomu, the two most respected dances in all of Chosun. Hwangjinyi, on the other hand, sets out to find the best dance of all time.

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EPISODE 24 **LAST EPISODE**
Hwang Jinyi has been dancing on the streets to find the answer; to come up with the best dance, unlike anything anyone's seen before. She wanders away from the gyobang and lives with peasants, with the promise to return in time for the competition. With the help of one teacher she encounters, she finds the perfect dance. Buyeong had been travelling around all of Chosun, from gyobang to gyobang, learning all the different dances, in the effort to combine the best of the different dances into one. She performs impressively. Hwang Jinyi stumbles in in peasant clothes, without a blueprint of the dance she has come up with, and seemingly unprepared. Without a blueprint, musicians could not give the beat and music to the dance, which would be hard to move the judges in her favor. She also refuses to change into the proper clothes. Maehyang haengsoo tells her that if she is unable to impressive the judges, then she must be expelled from the gyobang and forbidden to ever practice her talents ever again. She accepts and performs the dance. As she is performing, the musicians start to feel the beat and performs the music that matches her dance. The judges are impressed, and Jinyi performs a dance that Buyeong admits had beaten her own. After a meeting with the judges, Maehyang tells who will become the Yuhak haengsoo. She chooses Buyeong, although she admits Hwang Jinyi's dance had been better. Jinyi is free to dance away all the rest of her life, out in the world. She will follow her passion and dance until the very moment she dies.

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(last scene of Hwang Jinyi, dancing on the street)

Record Label: Unsigned