---

Dark and stormy weather...
Rmmbl... Thunder resounds in heavy clouds crushing a broken plain.
wWwoOoo... The roaring wind shakes wild grasses and scrawny bushes.
Sepulchral glow, sharp contrasts. A macabre gothic tale...

In the distance, ominous sounds:
Swoosh!! Like a giant whip, and instantly--
SkrAtch! ShraK!! Bones crushed, flesh shredded, and--
"ArrAaahh..." Howls of panicked men, dying in agony.
Several times until:
WBROSSH!! Like a giant spear skewering a body.
Then silence.....

---

On the ground: the bloody corpses of Joseon royal soldiers.
Mutilated, eviscerated, limbs cut off... broken bodies in impossible positions.
Swords without a trace of blood, some didn't even have time to draw.
What slaughtered them so horribly and so quickly is not from this world.

Only man standing, but in agony: WANG IL-DO (48), the royal police chief.
Eyes widened, jaw clenched, he spews a stream of blood.

He tilts his head down, tragic, to see the way he dies...
A giant shadow arm comes out of his chest, having pierced through his back.
Supernatural, blackish, outlined with shadow dust.

He looks farther along, terrified...
At the arm's tip, in a shadowy hand as large as five heads...
... his own heart! beating! wrenched from his chest!

The shadow hand crushes the heart!!
Wang Il-Do's eyes roll white!!!

CRACK! Lightning strikes the moor and illuminates--
A dark silhouette with bright smoking eyes, behind Wang Il-Do.
Feminine with endless hair, blurred by shadow dust.

At the speed of thought--
WOOSH! The shadow arm withdraws from the dead man's chest, leaving a gaping, bloody hole.

---

SUBTITLE: Joseon, year 1887.

---

WANG SHIN (30), handsome, lithe and muscular.
Dressed like a gentleman, minus the hat that would hint at nobility.
Beneath a veneer of civility, he is a reckless, rugged country warrior.

He dismounts and runs to the royal police station.
His face shows the uncertainty of hearing bad news soon.

The guards let him through and he rushes inside.

---

:

I'm sorry, Wang Shin, your father is dead, murdered.

:

...!!!

:

How? Who?

:

He was chasing the Dark Guild. Killed with his men, all of them horribly mutilated.

:

The Queen of Darkness!

:

(to himself) Father, why didn't you listen to me... Why didn't you wait for me...

An OFFICER rushes into the room.

:

Wang Shin, you are expected at His Majesty's intendant's office.

---

INTENDANT HAN (40s) is dull, his gaze adrift.

:

Intendant Han?

The intendant snaps out of his torpor, but his gaze is fixed and his voice monotonous.

:

Wang Shin, your father died, he was chief of police.

:

But as far as you are concerned, you have no status at court.

:

What trivialities are you talking about?

:

Henceforth, your presence at the palace is prohibited.

:

I ask you, by virtue of the law, to leave the palace.

:

The funeral has not yet been arranged.

:

I have barely begun to mourn my father.

:

And you ask me such nonsense?!

:

We have no time to waste.

:

Guards, escort this commoner out of the compound!

Two royal guards force Wang Shin to leave the room.

Before reaching the exit:

:

Intendant Han, I no longer recognize you. Why are you doing this?

:

(clears throat) Uh-oh! Go pack your bags!

---

Once alone, Intendant Han doesn't move an inch. Frozen. Empty stare.

A feminine silhouette slips into the shadows, behind Intendant Han.
Her graceful hand, nails lacquered black, grazes his cheek.
The mysterious woman, whose mouth we only see, whispers in his ear:

:

You will soon forget this character, intendant.

:

As if he had never been part of your world...

---

Wang Shin dresses in an adventurer's outfit, reinforced by a rigid leather bracer.

He stuffs a few ordinary belongings into a small backpack.
He stows a 6-shot revolver in his belt sheath.

He loads a stick of dynamite, fuse, herbs and compresses into a satchel.
He stores half a dozen daggers in sheaths all over his body.
He gears up with a saber, a bow and ammo belts.
He unwraps a breech rifle from a sheet, and slings it over his shoulder.

Finally, Wang Shin puts on the small backpack, his ordinary belongings.
The whole life of such an action hero fits in a pillow.

---

Wang Shin comes out and addresses the officer.

:

Let me at least greet Lady Cha.

:

All right, I'll walk you to the heavenly hall.

---

Next to a fountain stands a lady of the palace, dressed in a Shaman's outfit.

She cuts a flower with shears, held in her delicate hand with black nails.
This lady is so beautiful that no other woman could compete in all of Joseon.
Her only flaw is a contemptuous sneer.
She's Lady CHA YU-SUN (30), Head Shaman.

Wang Shin arrives at the fountain.

:

Cha Yu-Sun!

Cha Yu-Sun hears him, but doesn't look up.
Instead, she quietly lays the flower and the shears.
Then, they gaze at each other, motionless, their eyes filled with vibrant emotion.

:

Yu-Sun, my father is dead and I'm forced to leave the palace.

:

I don't know what's going on, but I'll stay close to protect you.

:

(her gaze turns dark, inflexible) Who authorized you to speak to me so familiarly!?

:

Yu-Sun, what's going on?

:

Have we been intimate?

Wang Shin's face tenses.
An icy shiver climbs from his spine to his ears.

:

Lady Cha... our love... our kisses...

:

As if it had any meaning.

:

(frozen stiff, staggers back one step) Did someone do something to you too?

:

Are you under some kind of duress?

:

You've just deluded yourself.

:

No, not you, it's not you...

:

That's enough now!

:

Have this nuisance thrown out!

Two guards rush in, though strangely, there was no one else in sight.
They seize Wang Shin, while Yu-Sun turns on her heel.
WOSSH! Wang Shin sweep-kicks a guard. Down on the ground, stunned.
SLAM! He palm-punches the other guard's chest. Thrown back, knocked out.
Perfect mastery of Taekkyeon, the traditional Korean martial art!

Wang Shin grabs Yu-Sun's forearm, forcing her to turn around.

:

I want to know for sure.

Their faces close, Wang Shin probes deep into Yu-Sun's eyes.

But she glares at him infuriated.

:

Never appear in front of me again.

The officer approaches with reinforcements...

---

Wang Shin stands bent over his saddle.
His horse moves along indolently, at a man's pace.

It's a blue night with full moon, and rain begins to fall.
Wang Shin cannot hold back his tears...

---

---

Wang Shin slips the silver signet ring onto his finger.

On another finger, he wears an engagement ring.
He looks at it sadly...

---

---

Wang Shin pulls off his engagement ring, grimacing with sorrow.
Immediately after--
His horse collapses softly, without neighing. Wang Shin doesn't even fall.

He examines his inanimate horse, breath, eye, chest. Dead! Inexplicable.
Wang Shin looks at his horse for a few seconds, sad and frightened.....
His eyes widen briefly. Instinct alert!
Quickly, he sneaks into the thicket by the side of the path.

Wang Shin scans the surroundings, frowning, with a sharp eye.
No waving branches. No wind. No animal sounds. Silence.
"A malevolent presence around the path?"
Wang Shin pushes deeper into the woods.

---

Two red eyes flare on a slope, spying on Wang Shin.
The eyes belong to a dark smoking mass, standing out from the blue of the night.
It's a wolf, too enormous to have been born of nature.

The evil beast pounces on Wang Shin.
(!!) In extremis, he sees the wolf, draws his saber.
Anarchic struggle! Wang Shin gains the upper hand.
SLASH! He slashes the wolf mortally.
TSLAH! He thrusts his saber into its belly.

Disregarding the mortal wounds, the giant beast fells Wang Shin.
GROARR! Its monstrous maw crunches his forearm.
Despite the reinforced leather bracer, the fangs sink into the flesh.

Panicked, Wang Shin pulls out his revolver.
POW! He fires point-blank into the wolf's skull.
A spray of dark blood splatters his horrified face.

Human silhouettes flit between surrounding trees.
Wang Shin detects them. No respite!
Shadow killers armed with sabers and bows, whom he often faced.
They wear black wrappings, like mummies, their faces always hidden by darkness.

Wang Shin runs to the top of the slope, then turns around.
He cocks his rifle, targets a killer, and BANG!, fires.

Impossible to know the outcome of the shooting in this shady undergrowth.
Wang Shin runs to get out of the forest.
Behind him, the shadow killers sneak in.
They hide behind trees, then reappear behind closer trees.

---

Breathless, Wang Shin bursts onto an open plateau and hides behind a rock.
One of the shadow killers comes out of the woods.

BANG! Wang Shin fires his rifle and hits the target.
Instead of dropping dead, the killer vanishes into a cloud of shadow.

The other shadow killers exit the forest.
There are too many. Wang Shin has to retreat further.

---

Wang Shin reaches the edge of a cliff. Utter shock! No way out!

BANG! He shoots a killer, who evaporates, as if swallowed by the wrappings of his uniform.
His next opponent is fifteen meters away, just long enough to reload the breech rifle.

BANG! He shoots, perfect aim. But supernaturally--
Swonpf! His enemy disappears in a dark implosion...
Spfwon! ... and reappears a meter away. Teleportation!

Forced into close combat, SKLANG! Wang Shin parries the killer's saber with his rifle.
This killer is much stronger than the others.
He wears a fearsome iron mask.

Facing such a formidable enemy leaves the other killers time to charge.

Last-ditch reflex! Wang Shin takes out his saber.
SLASH! He slashes one of them down.
And while this killer disintegrates, the others immobilize Wang Shin...

SMASH! The masked killer violently strikes his head, with the hilt of the saber.
Stunned, Wang Shin drops rifle and saber.
The shadow killers force him onto his knees, at the edge of the cliff.

---

Behind the curtain of blood dripping from his eyebrows...
... Wang Shin discerns a feminine silhouette approaching.
His lifelong enemy.

She is entirely dark, wreathed in shadow dust.
Dark particles swirl around her, constantly born and dying.
Her body crackles with blue sparks.
Her endlessly long hair waves.
Her eyes, two luminous slits, emit a whitish smoke.

She walks with sensual grace, beautiful as Death itself.

She stops on an overhang, a few meters above him.
Imperial, the QUEEN OF DARKNESS dominates him.

Her voice is sepulchral.

:

Choi Jang-Jun, Seo Yong-Gi, Lee Hwon, Park Yoon-Kang. I eliminated all these heroes.

:

You had your hour of glory, Wang Shin, a little longer than the others.

:

One would think I had a weakness for you for a while...

:

But it's over. You will fade from my memory.

Her abdomen radiates a supernatural red light.
Her eyes and sparks flare incandescent red.
Thick bursts of shadow explode at her feet.
Stroboscopic and swirling red rays pulse from her belly!

Wang Shin, !!!, knows how he's going to die.

She arches back, belly to the moon.
She shakes, disjointed, possessed...
Something monstrous grows in her entrails.
And like a frightful hallucination...
SPROOTCH! A giant shadow arm springs from her belly!!!

:

Die!

The supernatural limb rushes at an unimaginable speed to perforate Wang Shin.

---

Wang Shin dissolves from "Real" to "Image"...

Epic music during the presentation.
Comic book panels are displayed over an animated background.

~

Voilà, those were a few panels from the manhwa "Queen of Darkness".

~

Pictures from this week's episode.

Sophisticated, semi-realistic drawings. Great art.
Dark. Strong contrasts. Clever shadow effects.
Subtle, grayed colors, sometimes sickly and purplish.
Small touches of shocking colors, such as aggressive red.

---

The presenter ADRIEN LEE (30s) stands on the TV set.
Behind him, a large screen displays the show's title over the same animated background: "Culture-Hallyu".

:

You are watching "Culture-Hallyu", on MBC. I'm Adrien Lee.

:

Destination 9th art, the world of webtoons, called manhwas.

:

Today, I welcome the talented illustrator hidden in the shadow of the most famous manhwas.

PARK SOO-BONG (29) arrives on the TV set, dressed in a suit and without glasses.

:

Park Soo-Bong, it's an honor to welcome you.

:

The thanks are mine.

:

This is your first television interview, I presume.

:

Yes.

:

So I'm even more delighted!

:

(embarrassed laugh) Ah ah...

:

You were the main assistant of the famous Oh Sung-Moo, the author who revolutionized the world of Manhwas with "W".

:

(grief) The kindest man I have ever met in my life.

:

"Queen of Darkness" is the second Manhwa in which you have participated.

:

Can you tell us more about this turning point in your career?

:

Author Moon Mi-Ra has an unsurpassable graphic talent. I learned a lot from her.

:

In gratitude, I contributed to her work, creating Wang Shin.

:

Risky bet! This manhwa was known for its main character... The Queen of Darkness!

:

What pleased the readers was the surprising and dark side of the story, featuring a villain instead of a heroine.

:

Yes, and she consumed heroes at a great rate, killed in all kinds of Machiavellian ways.

They both snicker. The view recedes and...

---

... Soo-Bong is speaking on a giant home-theater screen.

~

However, a regular hero could stabilize the story, and hook new readers.

The giant screen is in a spacious luxury apartment, both modern and Gothic.
Thick smoke hangs over the room, in tones of black, white and gold.
It's messy, with cans and food wrappers lying on the floor.

On a coffee table, in an ashtray, a hand-rolled cigarette butt.

~

And that doesn't stop the Queen of Darkness from continuing her atrocities, which her traditional fans love so much.

MOON MI-RA (30), divine beauty, but with a disdainful face identical to Cha Yu-Sun's.
As if that rendered her impossible to seduce, even by the most handsome of kings.
Inaccessible to mortals, those vulgar inferiors petrified at the idea of a fatal and shameful rejection.
She wears sheer gothic lingerie and sexy fishnets, made up with black lips and black nails.
She would ooze class, if she weren't carelessly sprawled out, with a hint of vulgarity.

KIM YOON-HEE (28), fat, blonde, with a round, charming and smiling face.
This gluttonous and cheerful girl is a former assistant of Oh Sung-Moo. (seen in W, episode 1 and 2)
She eats a small cake, dressed in a comfortable brightly colored sweatsuit.

~

I'm glad readers kept enjoying Wang Shin, even a year after I left.

:

You'll see what I do with your hero, Soo-Bong!

Mi-Ra looks drunk, or on psychotropic drugs.

:

But Unnie, it's true that the manhwa sells better thanks to him... (Unnie = Older girl: sister or friend)

:

When I draw Wang Shin, all I see is Soo-Bong.

:

And I have only one desire, it's to dismember him!

:

After all, I would rather see you angry than depressed. It was about time.

:

Only you understand me a bit, Yoon-Hee.

:

You must be the only girl who is less lucky in love than I am.

---

:

"Butterfly Girl", it's a totally different style.

A drawing style with very bright colors, characters with unrealistic proportions.
Faces with big eyes drowned in light bubbles, and a small nose, romantic and comical.

:

By what incredible feat did you assume the role of lead illustrator?

:

Not so new to me, I had already worked for author Jang Soo-Bin before.

:

No one could have guessed that.

:

Once again, it's a success for you.

:

Where did the idea to join "Butterfly Girl" come from?

The view gradually recedes and...

---

... we see Soo-Bong on an ordinary television screen.

~

I really appreciate the rigor of Jang Soo-Bin's scripts, as well as her eccentric and candy-colored universe.

A decent mid-size home, without excessive luxury, tidy, spotless.

~

She didn't have time to draw this manhwa, in addition to her main work.

HONG DA-YE (44), classically elegant, wife of professor Park Min-Soo.

JANG SOO-BIN (44), large round glasses, dressed and styled in a whimsical way.
She is the extravagant author of cute and sentimental manhwas (seen in W Ep 06).

~

As we had kept in touch, I jumped at the opportunity to draw her story.

:

Your illustrator has style. I thought he dressed like a teenager.

:

That's because I forced him to wear a suit for his interview!

:

And to remove his fake stupid glasses...

:

I will miss this manhwa, you wrote such a moving story...

KLOM! Sound of front door closing, from nearby hallway.

:

Is that you, darling?

:

Hurry up, you just have time to see the end of the show.

Professor PARK MIN-SOO (44) enters.

:

They'll talk about "Queen of Darkness"?

:

That's already over.

:

Now they're talking about "Butterfly Girl"...

:

Rah, I missed the important part!

:

And now we'll have to endure this tear-jerking, sappy romance.

:

... (sad and vexed)

:

Oh, sorry, Soo-Bin, I wasn't saying that to upset you.

:

You certainly are very good at what you do, even if it's a snooze.

:

Never mind, there's something for every taste...

:

Wang Shin versus the Queen of Darkness. That, that's a story that rocks!

Professor Park discreetly slips his hand under the bottom of his shirt.
Then, his hand emerges between two shirt buttons on his stomach.
As if the shadowy arm of the Queen of Darkness is bursting out of his belly!

:

SPROOTCH !!

:

.... (jaded, used to his clowning)

:

Holy coronary bypass! "W" finally got a worthy successor.

:

And no grotesque intruders coming to ruin this masterpiece!

:

Well, I have to leave you.

:

I promised Soo-Bong I would pick him up at the TV studio.

Da-Ye nods with a smile.
She takes Soo-Bin's elbow to escort her out.
Soo-Bin looks sadly at Min-Soo, who ignores her.
He watches the television, intrigued.

:

Hey, that's the mad dog!

:

He is working for her? (SFX: TING!)

---

:

"Butterfly Girl", it ended this week.

:

What do you plan to do now?

:

Wait, I have an exclusive for the audience.

:

Surprise us.

:

We will publish a special episode for "Butterfly Girl".

:

A fan service epilogue!

:

Yes, the audience often likes to know the characters' futures at the end...

:

And enjoy some of the touching moments of their happy lives.

:

"Butterfly Girl" was too short, a one-year work. So, we wanted to please our readers.

:

We look forward to that.

:

But tell us about your future projects.

:

I think it's time for me to become an independent, full-fledged author.

:

My current assistant is gifted enough to create stories, in addition to her drawing skills.

:

Then we should team up...

---

A woman's voice, resonant, using a microphone:

~

1st principle, autonomy.

---

~

Let your characters live! Ask yourselves what they would do, they and not you.

On the podium, professor and scriptwriter SONG JAE-JUNG (50s), using a mic:

:

They should not become a substitute for your wishes...

:

2nd principle, consistency.

:

Who has a first aid certificate here?

Many students raise their hands.

:

A lot of people.

:

And what do you think when you see a cliché scene, in which a character does chest compressions on someone who is still breathing?

A MALE STUDENT raises his hand more. Jae-Jung signals him to speak.

:

Doing chest compressions, when heart is beating, causes cardiac arrest.

:

That's right, and it's really unbearable to see that.

:

Not only is it poorly written, but if ignorant people reproduce this gesture, they could put someone in danger.

:

(raises a finger) So, consistency in the details, and consistency of the scenario as a whole.

:

(breezy, bouncily) Take for example a story in which the hero fakes his death, after someone tried to murder him.

:

He returns to his city a few years later, determined to take revenge.

:

He makes a false identity for himself, although he is barely disguised.

:

(full tilt) The city is fuuuuuull of people or relatives who knew him.

:

In fact, he might be unmasked every 5 minutes!

:

(smugly) It's simple, my 5-year-old nephew is smarter than this hero...

:

(proud of her joke) ... Or than his writer!

General laughter in the lecture hall...
An unknown female student interrupts, covering the last laughs:

:

Seonsaengnim! (Seonsaengnim = Teacher)

:

Yes?

The student turns out to be OH YEON-JOO (32)!

:

I just read a manhwa with this scenario recently.

:

Share your feelings with us.

:

I loved it!

:

There was terrible suspense whenever he was on the verge of being unmasked by his enemies.

:

Heartbreaking when he had to ignore his former fiancée, whom he still loves.

:

And also, the hero was such a cute Oppa...

General laughter in the lecture hall. Much louder than the previous one!

:

(amused) Thank you for your candor and enthusiasm, Oh Yeon-Joo.

A surprised FEMALE STUDENT (20s) looks at Yeon-Joo.

:

...?!

:

It is undoubtedly because of such naive reactions that some scriptwriters take the easy way out.

:

But the audience has become more mature. We can no longer offer a scenario filled with unbelievable things out of context.

:

And precisely...

:

3rd principle, the context.

:

Investigate thoroughly the environment in which your story takes place.

:

Reality is often more extraordinary than what comes out of your imagination.

:

It will give you tons of unexpected ideas, all credible.

-

(dreamily) Ah, what if I wrote my manhwa script in the hospital environment?

-

I would have lots of fabulous and realistic stories...

-

Surgical operations would have instructive twists.

-

I could even put a character who looks like the Mad Dog in it.

---

---

Yeon-Joo walks off across the campus.

~

Unnie, wait for me!

(?!) Yeon-Joo turns around and waits.
The female student (seen in the lecture hall) catches up with her.

:

The teacher called you Oh Yeon-Joo...

:

Yes, it's me.

:

The real Oh Yeon-Joo?

:

Oh Sung-Moo's daughter, the one he drew in "W"?

:

(Aegyo) I look like her, don't I? (Aegyo = Infantile and cute expressions)

:

You are also pretty.

:

It's amazing! I never thought I'd meet you at this script class.

:

About the lesson, isn't that a bit rigid as a method?

:

Are you kidding? You don't know who the teacher is?

:

Song Jae-Jung...

:

Is it someone famous?

:

Of course, she writes TV scripts.

:

Wait. (searches on her smartphone)

:

Look. (hands the smartphone to Yeon-Joo)

:

Oh I see, I rarely watch television.

:

She's even handling the future adaptation of "W" into a drama.

:

Gosh... The world is a small place.

:

Would you like to have a drink?

:

I'm sorry, I have an appointment.

:

After maybe? Please, Unnie.

:

Then I have to pick up my baby from my mother.

:

I had so many questions to ask you.

:

We can do that next time, before the class?

:

Promised?

:

Yes, I promise.

---

:

(to the first in line) Taxi!

The TAXIMAN makes a sign of approval. Yeon-Joo enters the cab.

:

Where should I take you?

:

To the Han River Bridge.

---

Pouring rain. KANG CHUL (35) stands on the other side of the bridge railing.

:

I thought my destiny was in this world.

:

But I was wrong, my destiny has always been here, on this bridge.

---

It's no longer raining.
Yeon-Joo's taxi arrives near the bridge, but a crowd blocks its access.

:

Looks like something serious happened. I'm sorry, I have to drop you off here.

Yeon-Joo gets out of the taxi, and...

---

... she hurries to join the crowd of curious people, all of them looking at the bridge.
As Yeon-Joo makes her way, she hears the conversations.

:

Did he jump off the bridge?

:

Yes, I saw it all!

:

Omo!

---

---

Starring :

-

Lee Jun Ki is Wang Shin. Excerpts from the drama "Joseon Gunman".

-

Kim Tae Hee is Cha Yu-Sun. Excerpts from the drama "Jang Ok Jung, Living in Love".

-

Kim Tae Hee is Moon Mi-Ra. Excerpts from the drama "IRIS".

-

Yang Hye-Ji is Kim Yoon-Hee. Excerpts from her YouTube channel Mukbang.

-

Han Hyo-Joo is Oh Yeon-Joo. Excerpts from the drama "W: two worlds".

-

Lee Jong-Suk is Kang Chul. Excerpts from the drama "W: two worlds".

-

Lee Si-Un is Park Soo-Bong. Excerpts from all available sources.

-

Heo Jung-Do is Park Min-Soo. Excerpts from the drama "W: two worlds".

-

Adrien Lee is himself. Excerpts from the "Showbiz Korea" program. (!!!) DISCLAIMER: the character is fictional. It isn't the personality of the real person.

-

Song Jae-Jung is herself. Excerpts from the drama conference "Nine". (!!!) DISCLAIMER: the character is fictional. It isn't the personality of the real person. Same name and profession, as a tribute to the creators of W.

-

Lee Yo-Won is Park Da-Ye. Excerpts from the drama "Avengers social club".

-

Hwang Suk-Jung is Jang Soo-Bin. Excerpts from the drama "W: two worlds".

-

Baek Seo-E is a university student. Excerpts from the drama "Let's Fight Ghost".

-

Jung Jin-Young is Wang Il-Do. Excerpts from the drama "Dong-Yi".

-

Choi Cheol-Ho is an officer of Joseon. Excerpts from the drama "Joseon Gunman".

-

Choi Jae-Sung is an officer of Joseon. Excerpts from the drama "Joseon Gunman".

-

Jung Sun-Il is Intendant Han. Excerpts from the drama "Dong-Yi".