Blade of the Phantom Master

Blade of the Phantom Master
Genre	Adventure, Fantasy
Manga
Written by	Youn In-Whan 윤인환 Yang Kyung-Il 양경일(art)
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Monthly Sunday Gene-X
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	2001 – 2007
Volumes	17
Anime
Directed by	Jouji Shimura
Studio	Oriental Light and Magic
Released	2004 2006

Blade of the Phantom Master (新暗行御史, Shin Angyo Onshi, 신암행어사, Shin Amhaengeosa), also known as Shin Angyo Onshi, New Angyo Onshi, or Phantom Master: Dark Hero from Ruined Empire, is a cartoon and an animation series created by a Korean manhwa writer, Youn In-Wan and artist, Yang Kyung-Il and is first serialized as a Japanese manga in the Japanese monthly magazine, Sunday GX. An anime movie adaptation of the same name was made in 2004. Drawing from Korean folktales and historical fact, the story follows the adventures of a former government secret agent who travels through his destroyed country, seeking those responsible for its downfall. The series has ended in 2007. The last volume will be 17th.

The anime has been licensed for North American distribution by ADV Films.

Plot overview

Shin Angyo Onshi takes place in a fictional country named Jushin, which is modelled after feudal Korea. In Jushin, there once lived secret government agents called angyo onshi, who traveled the countryside in disguise. They were charged by the king to find and punish corrupt government officials, and bring justice to the country's citizens.

At the start of the series, Jushin has been destroyed, fractured into numerous fiefdoms and kingdoms, many of which are ruled by corrupt and tyrannical warlords. Shin Angyo Onshi follows the adventures of one of the remaining angyo onshi, Munsu, as he continues to wander the countryside and deals with the chaos caused by Jushin's fall.

Though initially episodic in nature, it becomes apparent that Munsu's travels are not random as the series progresses. In truth, Munsu is searching for the man responsible for assassinating his best friend, the king of Jushin, an act that led to the fall of the country.

But as Munsu grows closer to reaching his goal, he also encounters old friends and comrades from his past, some who have since switched their allegiance to his enemy. Through them, it is revealed that Munsu was not always an angyo onshi and is himself partly responsible for the king's death and subsequent fall of Jushin.

In addition to the overarching plotline, the series also uses the exploits of Munsu and his companions to retell various Korean folk stories.

Angyo Onshi

In Shin Angyo Onshi, angyo onshi bear bronze medallions called mahai, denoted by the number of horses cast into a bronze medallion given to them by the king. The greater the number of horses, the higher the rank of the angyo onshi.

• First mahai - Angyo onshi of this rank have only 1 horse emblazoned onto their medallions, which allows them to wield basic magic to fight ordinary soldiers.
• Second mahai - 2 horses, allowing the angyo onshi to summon demons to fight evil sorcery.
• Third mahai - 3 horses, allowing the angyo onshi to summon the ghosts of deceased Jushin warriors. Aside from their formidable skill and physical prowess, these phantom soldiers can also regenerate from any physical injury, making them effectively impossible to kill. However, third mahai phantoms are unable to fight demons or other magical creatures, and will simply freeze when ordered to do so.
• Fourth mahai - 2 second mahai medallions used in concert, effectively acting as a 4-horse medallion. Users can summon female phantom soldiers, who are indestructible like their male counterparts, but capable of attacking magical creatures. The phantoms are ghosts of an elite, all-female warrior troop that once existed in Jushin.

Despite being made only for angyo onshi, the mahai medallions will also work for normal people, so long as their convictions and willpower in executing justice are suffeciently strong. Hong Gildong, for example, successfully wielded a fourth mahai medallion. After the fall of Jushin, both first and second mahai medallions were rendered useless; only third and fourth mahai medallions still function.

Angyo onshi are also prohibited from having families, but they are allowed a single travel partner called a 'Sando', who doubles as a bodyguard. Sando tend to be individuals of great fighting prowess or intelligent beasts.

Characters

This section describes the characters as they appear in the manga version.

Shin Angyo Onshi bases many of its characters on Korean folklore heroes and historical figures. To reflect this, character names and proper terms are kept as close to the Korean as possible.

Main Characters

Munsu (文秀/문수)

The anti-heroic protagonist of the series and a third mahai angyo onshi from the fallen kingdom of Jushin. Despite the common perception held by Jushin's former citizens that angyo onshi are virtuous and bearers of justice, Munsu usually comes across as somewhat amoral and does not believe in helping people who refuse to help themselves. When he does help others, his methods almost always involve excessive bloodshed, lying, torture, and other questionable acts.

Munsu suffers from a curse that resembles asthma, which can only be alleviated by the inhaler-like charm he wears around his neck. This curse originates from during the Jushin period, where he convinced Aji Tae to switch the curse which was originally suffered by his lover Kye Wol Hyang unto him in hopes of relieving her pain. However, this was ineffective; not only did she die in the end while he retained the curse, Munsu actually fell directly into Aji Tae's scheme. In volume 11, Munsu confessed to Wonsul that despite claims that he was her killer, the truth was that Kye Wol Hyang killed herself by running into his sword while he was holding it right into her heart. He blames himself for her death and believes that he is her killer. When asked by Hong Gildong, he refused to deny that he was her sister's killer although his life was at stake. He went against the entire Hwalbindang after consuming a special drug that removed his asthma for a period of time, and managed to kill most of them. However, the drug had negative side effects when it wore off, and conveniently Aji Tae appeared while Munsu was at his most weak and wounded moment. Seeing his sworn enemy, his condition worsened and he started vomiting more blood, falling into a more critical state. Munsu swears that he will not die despite reality and that he find Aji Tae in the end.

Before passing out, he asks Bang Ja to use an acupuncture needle in his pocket in order to prevent his death, but as soon as Bang Ja did it, Munsu's heart stopped beating. Everyone lost hope and believed that he was dead; however, after a few days despite the humid weather, Munsu's body did not decay. Later it was discovered that the needle contained mandrake extract and Munsu was affected with the infamous hallucinogen, allowing him to escape death. But being effected by the mandrake's poison means he will forever live in a fake world of his most desired dreams. Volume 11 shows the most treasured moments in Munsu's life and more about his past.

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese)

Sando / Chun Hyang (山道/春香/산도/춘향)

A beautiful woman with prodigious fighting skill. She acts as Munsu's 'Sando', or bodyguard. When she was kidnapped by a corrupt lord who wanted to make her his personal bodyguard, her lover embarked on a futile quest to become an angyo onshi. He died in the process, but not before making Munsu aware of her plight. After Munsu frees her, she decides to become his bodyguard in memory of her dead lover, and takes the title "Sando" as her new name.

Despite her fearsome natural fighting ability, Sando is quiet and shy, with a high moral stance. As a result, she is often in conflict with the amoral Munsu over his questionable methods. She has made it clear that if he ever becomes truly evil, she will no longer protect him. She also has a great fear of heights, and will refuse to cross bridges set over deep mountain gorges or valleys. Munsu finds this extremely peculiar, seeing as to how she often leaps several stories into the air during combat.

Later in the series, she is defeated in combat and leaves Munsu in shame to pursue greater strength. She learns the power of using her 'ki' from a friend of Aji Tae, attaining the strength she desires. She is last seen on Aji Tae's side, having become his latest bodyguard. In the final volume of the manga, it is revealed that Sando is not a human.

Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese)

Bang Ja (房子/방자)

Munsu's unwanted but good-intentioned servant. Once the servant and apprentice of a first mahai onshi, his former master released him from service after Jushin's destruction. When his master and his sando were later killed in a rebel uprising against a corrupt lord, Bang Ja began roaming the country as a thief. He believes that angyo onshi should be virtuous and heroic, which is why Munsu's behavior often shocks him.

He is a third-rate Magician who summons animals to do his bidding, and he deeply takes his role as a Bang Ja seriously. This often leads to his being manipulated and bullied by Munsu, who often beats him or sends him on inane/impossible errands.

He was responsible for the main death of Won Hyo. After Sando left the group and Munsu almost died, Bang Ja used Yuui Tae's acupuncture needle on Munsu so that he lives. Bang Ja finds it difficult that Munsu is in a coma state situation that he is a lifeless body. After Yeongsil received the false information about the Mandrake cure, Bang Ja and Yeongsil traveled together to an icy mountain encountering Sando. Having joined Aji Tae, Sando attacked Bang Ja and Yeongsil.

Gye Wol Hyang (桂月香/계월향)

Is Munsu's deceased lover and sister of Hong Gildong. She is Munsu and Hae Mo Su's childhood friend. She has an illness that resembles asthma, which can only be alleviated by the inhaler-like charm he wears around his neck. Munsu couldn't stand and watch Kye Wol Hyang suffer so he asked Aji Tae to perform a ritual to pass Kye Wol Hyang's illness to Munsu. Later it is known that Kye Wol Hyang committed suicide but Munsu still blames himself for her death even when Hong Gildong asks for the truth.

Wonsul (元述/원술)

A master swordsman from Jushin, who was once a subordinate of Munsu. However, when Jushin fell he began serving Aji Tae, growing Yang Gwi Bi, a plant with narcotic properties, to ship to the west in exchange for weaponry. His weapon, Saruhyondo, is a sword with a blade forged from his killing 'ki', or killing intent. Aside from being impossibly sharp and hard, the blade is also extremely mallaeble, re-shaping itself into any killing form Wonsul can imagine. As it is made of pure killing ki, the blade is also invisible to the naked eye. Wonsul can manifest the blade so long as he has something to act as a hilt, such as a stick or his signature dragon's head sword hilt. While working for Aji Tae, Wonsul was defeated and killed by Sando, despite her being unable to see his sword. His death, however, proved temporary, as he was later resurrected by Aji Tae. Now effectively a zombie of sorts, Wonsul retained his mind and skill, but his body was like a living corpse, continuing to decay. Furthermore, his re-animated form proved extremely hard to kill, since it was already technically dead - even when decapitated, he still remained conscious and fully aware. He when on to serve as Munsu's sando in Chun Hyang's stead. When Munsu went against the Hwalbindang, Wonsul remained by his side. As their battle with the Hwalbindang comes, Aji Tae made his appearance, upon which Wonsul requested that the former end his state of living death. At first Aji Tae appears to oblige, disintegrating Wonsul's body. However, Aji Tae then states that so long as even part of his body remains intact, he wants Wonsul to remain alive, and "see everything through to the end". At this, Wonsul's head, the only remaining part of his body, begins to cry.

Later, when Munsu recovers from his mandrake-induced coma and prepares for a final battle with Aji Tae, Wonsul is dispatched to attack. Despite having been turned into an immense, grotesque mass of flesh (he is initially mistaken for one of Kaidaiten's demons), Munsu recognises his old friend and grants Wonsul his wish, exploding a nearby ammunition dump and engulfing the monstrosity in the blast. Back in his fortress, Aji Tae comments that Wonsul is finally dead.

Aji Tae (阿志泰/아지태)

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Aji Tae during the Jushin Era

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Aji Tae's current look resembles the last Jushin king

A former scholar from Jushin and the man Munsu holds responsible for the destruction of the country. Many of Munsu's former allies and comrades have since switched their loyalties to Aji Tae, having been coerced by his power or duped by his charisma. His motives and purpose, as of yet, remain unknown. He possesses a large range of magical abilities, among them the ability to resurrect the dead, explode people with a mere glance, shapeshifting, and teleportation.

During the Junshin period, Aji Tae was General Munsu's second-in-command. At that time, he was smaller in size and sported short black hair and glasses. Despite his innocent exterior, however, the Jushin Aji Tae was already convinced of the inferiority and unworthiness of mankind, and was already plotting his conquest of Jushin.

As of volume 15, he has succeeded in conquering most of the former Jushin territories, having gathered together a formidable force of supernatural allies. This includes the resurrected Kaidaiten and its demon brood, an army of undead, black magic practitioners from the West, and Munsu's former bodyguard Sando.

Supporting characters

Desert Bat - One of the first companions that Munsu gathers; it was saved when Mong Ryong tends to its wound. After Mong Ryong's death, the Desert Bat followed Munsu from then on.

When Bang Ja summons what he calls the 'Black Demon', it is actually Desert Bat tied to a small stone and acting as a projectile.

Miss Hwang (황) first appears in the series as a tavern owner. In reality, she is an angyo onshi bearing a fourth mahai medallions (actually 2 second mahia medallions), who was in disguise while investigating the local government.

Miss Hwang's Sando is not human but rather a beast that resembles an East Asian dragon. In Volume 15, Miss Hwang's Sando is shown as having the form of a young girl, wielding a crescent-bladed staff. In Volume 16, she fights and beheads Kaidaten.

Eul Paso (을파소) is a former soldier of Jushin who used to be in the White Tiger division, a group of soldiers specialising in polearms. He became Aji Tae's lackey after the fall of Jushin, having given up his spear in favour of Western guns. After facing Munsu and Miss Hwang, it was thought that he had been killed by her Sando. However, in reality he became Miss Hwang's Bang Ja and continued travelling with her. In Volume 15, he finally uses his spear once again against the zombie army.

Mito (미토) is a former sorcerer of Jushin, and a forger of mahai. He is now retired and stays in a cabin in the Chilgap mountains, working with Yeongsil as a blacksmith. It is later explained that he was a Grand Sorcerer of Jushin, but he retired after 40 years of service. He used his magic to allow Hae Mo Su to witness the battles of the Demon War from the safety of the Palace. He later trains Tae Yu in the basic summoning of magical beasts. Mito also tried to be the main decoy while fighting Sando and Mago for Munsu's escape, but was interrupted when Aji Tae arrived, countering his magic. Later he is found with his eyeballs gone from the backlash.

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Marlene was once Munsu's student

Marlene von Lucid is a famous western swordswoman who is involved in the invasion of Chilgap. She and Sando fight while Chilgap is under siege, but Marlene leaves before the fight can be decided, stating that there have been too many distractions and urging Sando to seek her out later on. It is heavily hinted that Munsu trained Marlene in swordplay and told her to go to Junshin for interesting swordsmen. In Volume 15, she manages to defeat both demons and the Zombie Army alone.

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Myong Ryong and the desert bat

Mong Ryong (몽룡) is an idealistic young man who left his village to become an angyo onshi in order to save his kidnapped lover, Chun Hyang (also known as Sando). His efforts met with failure no less than three times and after Jushin fell, he had no choice but to return to his village empty-handed. On the way there, he passes through the desert where he meets and saves the life of a dying man whose name is Munsu. He saved Munsu from dying of thirst but later dies when a tribe of man-eating monsters ambushed them. Munsu used Mong Ryong's dead body as shield when he was showered with spears and also threatened to destroy the body which was what they wanted unless they let him go. As the monsters were feasting on Mong Ryong's corpse, the dynamite Munsu planted in his body exploded killing the entire tribe. The hairband Munsu has originally belonged to Mong Ryong. It was a gift from Sando.

Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio (Japanese)

Yeongsil (영실) was the number one Taekwondo master of Jushin. He was the first to notice Aji Tae's abilities. He once worked for Aji Tae after the fall of Jushin, but defected like Eul Paso and now lives in Mt. Chilgap, working to become a blacksmith with Mito. He is very interested in technology and developed some unusually weapons such as his protective armour and the custom machine handgun that was originally Munsu's revolver gun. He did help design something useful such as Munsu's new coat that is resisted to heat and holds grenade ammo. He also helped restored part of Tae Yu's lost limbs with a metallic one. During Jushin, he invented a telescope and coincidentally used it to spy on Aji Tae, thus discovering his ability to sense people looking at him from far away.

Byun Haku Dou (변학도) is the corrupt lord of Mong Ryong's and Chun Hyang's home village. His paranoid nature led him to kidnap Chun Hyang in an effort to coerce her into becoming his personal bodyguard.

Voiced by: Ryusei Nakao (Japanese)

Hae Mo Su (해모수) was the last king of the Jushin empire. He has been friends with Munsu for more than 15 years. They met when he was exiled from the palace and as neighbours they soon became best friends. Munsu claims that he killed his best friend. The reasons are still unclear, however, the two of them did have a deep bond and both love the same woman. In volume 12, Hae Mo Su said that if Munsu keeps rejecting and do not return Kye Wol Hyang's feelings he would 'take her for himself' because she is of noble blood and by doing so will strengthen his position as king even more and silence political opposition. Hae Mo Su seems like a really cheerful person but is serious when it comes to matters like Kye Wol Hyang and the way his best friend is treating her. Hae Mo Su's true death occurred the first time he and Aji Tae met, where Aji Tae "ate" Hae Mo Su.

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Ondal and Pyeong Gang

Pyeong Gang (평강) is the daughter and later ruler of Mt. Chilgap, she has mental problems that she imagines her brother and Ondal due to her condition. She treats Mito as her grandfather, Mito first asked Munsu to help her achieve happiness but the conditional was that Ondal should never be together. Munsu not knowing that Ondal and her brother never existed goes on a quest by himself. After the westerners invade Mt. Chilgap she was forced to watch her servants die and was asked to resign her role as the next ruler. She imagines that Ondal and her brother to resign for her people but she says no forcing the imaginary people to disappear. The Colonel tried to kill Munsu but Pyeong Gang pushes him away, she was almost shot but Ondal appeared protecting her. She becomes the new ruler and declared that Mt. Chilgap country would be an independent country called Koguryeo. Later she gives Mito and Munsu shelter as both were badly injured from Aji Tae's attack. She helps Munsu by sending her soldiers to save Bang Ja, Yeong Sil, Tae Yu, and Su.

Tan (탄) is the leader of the Ghost Brigade during in the Junshin era, which was under Munsu's command during the Demon War. He was close friends with Munsu and usually spent together in war for scouting. He jokes around with Munsu about his relationship with Kye Wol Hwang. He was decapitated by a Thunder Beast Ong Hwa, but even in death he and the Ghost Brigade continue to serve Munsu as phantom soldiers. In Volume 15, Munsu uses his image as a decoy on a rescue mission.

Hwalbindang

The Hwalbindang are a group of martial arts specialists who began working as bandits, taking money from the rich so that they could provide for the poor. Most members of the group utilize a technique called Hap-ki, which allows them to focus their ki for offensive use.

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Hong Gildong

Hong Gildong (홍길동) is the leader of Hwalbindang, and Kye Wol Hyang's illegitimate half-sister. While her sister lived a life of luxury, Hong Gildong was never acknowledged as a member of the family, and had a much harder life. She never resented Kye Wol Hyang for this, however, and the two sisters had a very close friendship. When her sister died, supposedly at Munsu's hands, Hong Gildong began working to make the world a better place. Her dreams and plans for the future drew others to her, and eventually she formed the Hwalbindang. She held a grudge against Munsu for her sister's death, hoping to one day exact revenge. Hong Gildong founded the Hwalbindang with Tae Yu, and the pair recruited more members as they travelled. Despite her lack of fighting ability, the charismatic Gildong succeeded in winning the respect and loyalty of the rest of the Hwalbindang, becoming their leader and 'backbone' of sorts. She killed herself after failing to kill Munsu in order to avenge her sister. Just like her sister, she killed herself by stabbing her heart with a sword.

Baek Ryong (백룡) is one of the strongest members of Hwalbindang, and Hong Gildong's lover. He was recruited by Tae Yu - both of them were learning hapki from the same teacher, and they both left his tutelage to work for Hong Gildong. Unlike Tae Yu, Hong Gildong is also in love with him. He was shown as a character that shows mercy, however will kill when the enemy refuse to cooperate. In the chaos he was killed by the hostage king when the separated lovers reunite.

Tae Yu (태유) was the first person recruited to the Hwalbindang; he met Hong Gildong one day when she was working to bury a poor family who had all died. Impressed by her selflessness and her desire to create a better world, he used his considerable hapki skills to help her. He shares the same feelings as Bae Ryong towards Hong Gildong, however he did not express them. Later on his arm and leg were blasted off accidentally by his comrade Cho which Munsu setted his plan up. After the events of Kimhae gold incident, he and Su survived under the care of Mito. He decided not to kill Munsu but to seek revenge on Aji Tae for killing Dorso. Yeongsil created a prosthetic leg for Tae Yu while leaving the arm development later. While staying under the care of Mito, he observed Mito and notice he's not a simple Blacksmith. Mito teachers Tae Yu of basic summoning.

Dorso (돌쇠) is the first member of Hwalbindang to appear in the series. He possesses vast strength and fights mainly through hand-to-hand combat, but has the mentality of a child. He calls Hong Gildong "mama" and seems to have great respect for her. He was part of the Hwalbindang members who were dispatched to retrieve the gold ransom but returned empty handed. He was killed by after the death of "mama" he raged towards Aji Tae but was vaporized by Aji Tae's powers. His death was instantly felt by Tae Yu.

Joy is a man who claims to have no allegiance to the Hwalbindang beyond making lots of money. He resembles a stereotypical African-American with a large afro. He fights by focusing his ki through his twin daggers.

Insu (인수) is a short man who uses long garotte wires as his weapons. Like Joy, he is part of the Hwalbindang for more selfish reasons, notably wealth and the chance to fight more interesting opponents . He's also never shown with his eyes open. Insu was killed by Dorso for betraying the former's "mama"

Su (수) is probably the youngest member within the Hwalbindang group and is the 6th member to join. He is quite literally a 'catboy', with cat-like features, behaviour, and fighting style. He acts as the prison guard when Miss Hwang and her Sando was captured.

While Hong Gildong is escaping from the boat he grabs an unconscious Su while escaping to the shore. During in the battle of the Phantom Soldiers Su protects Hong Gildong from an attack but was injured badly. He later survived along with Tae Yu.

Cheol (철) is a large man who joins the group to save his village and has a greater devotion to justice compared to Insu and Joy. His Hapki ability is the projecting of his ki via his voice, such that his shout can obliterate entire ships. He later dies when he tries to use this ability on Munsu, who simply shoots him through the mouth.

Aji Tae's allies

Won Hyo (원효) was a high-ranking sorcerer from Jushin, and a former ally and friend of Munsu. Despite his demon heritage, he ultimately rejected his race's bestiality and mindless massacre of humans, choosing to side with Jushin during the war against the Kaidaiten. Over time, he came to depsise his hideous demon body, preferring to assume human form through his magic. Along with Won Sul, he switched allegiances to Aji Tae following jushin's fall, helping him grow the narcotic Yang Gwi Bi plants.

While in Aji Tae's service, Won Hyo eventually lost the morality he once held dear, becoming as malevolent as the kin he once fought against. This ultimately resulted in his being unable to maintain his human guise, and began taking human sacrifices, devouring their souls so that he could keep a human appearance. He is killed by Munsu and Bang Ja. Just before his death, he tells General Munsu that he hopes that Munsu would remember him as one who had fought side by side with him, instead of the monster that he is now.

Mago (마고) is Aji Tae's companion and bodyguard. At first appearance, she is a muscular warrior woman. In reality, however, Mago is an intelligent, man-eating panther. The only person who sees her as a human woman, for certain, is Aji Tae; Munsu and most others see her as the panther. It remains unclear whether or not Sando sees her as the human or the panther. To her, Mago is merely an "enemy".

Mujang (무장) is a warrior who has dedicated his life to martial arts. He is an expert of hapki, and has taught many people how to use it effectively, including some members of the Hwalbindang. Despite originally appearing to be a friend on Aji Tae, he now seems to be in conflict with him and his actions.

Baron Lou Ells was introduced as a devoted follower of Aji Tae. He saved Sando after her battle with Marlene, and brought her to Mujang for training. He claims that he is the messenger of Death.

It is later revealed that Lou Ells hails from the same Western nation as Marlene, having once benn a practitioner of black magic. He once kidnapped and murdered 321 people for one of his spells, leading to his being seemingly killed by Gallimard.

During Munsu's final attack on Aji Tae and his forces, Lou proves to be highly effective in holding off Munsu's army, slaughtering soldiers by the dozens. He is killed by one of Mito's summoned beasts.

Lou Ells' powers include the extension of numerous thorny, vine-like tentacles from his body, allowing him to rip apart entire armies by himself. He has also demonstrated the ability to fly, teleport, and summon an immense demon bird from his top hat.

Myo Wol (묘월) first appeared pretending as a doctor giving false information to Yeongsil regarding Munsu's mandrake-induced coma. She can grow fang-filled jaws and thick, fleshy tentacles from her body. She is killed in a suicide attack by Eul Paso, who detonates numerous sticks of dynamite strapped to his person.

Gallimard, like Lou, comes from the Western countries. In contrast to Lou, he was a pious man (apparently Christian, though never confirmed)who attempted to kill the sorcerer. When Munsu entered Lou's mansion for a cure for Kye Wol Hyang, he encountered Gallimard, who had been corrupted by Lou's magic and turned into a wing demon. Like Aji Tae, he could control the dead, but fled after being repulsed by Munsu's phantom soldiers. His mind warped by his transformation, Gallimard becomes delusional and begins killing people on the street, seeing them as demons. He is eventually arrested, but is freed by Aji Tae and Lou Ells. He is killed soon after Aji Tae's final demise, sattacked from behind by Marlene.

Jung Son (중손) is a hero from Jushin's past. He, along with Pyo and Na Han, commands Sambyeolcho, though he is considered the absolute leader among them. Aji Tae claims that they are important friends from 500 years ago. His war cry, loosely translated as "Absolute Jushin", remained in use by Jushin soldiers long after his demise. Before its fall, Jushin's capital city even sported an immense statue of him. Resurrected by Aji Tae, he serves as commander of a vast army of undead. It is later revealed that he chooses to serve Aji Tae in return for immortality, so that he may continue to seek out and battle worthy opponents for eternity.

Pyo (표) commander of left patrol of the Sambyeolcho. The largest among the three. He was responsible for transporting Bang Ja, Yeong Sil, Tae Yu and Su. He was tricked by Munsu's illusions and his prisoners escaped.

Na Han (나한) commander of Right patrol of the Sambyeolcho. He is mute due to an old battle injury.

Que Ta Chun (쾌타천) is the 'mother' of the demon race. Her true form is that of a young girl with feathered wings in place of hair, though she can assume a monstrous winged serpentine form in battle. She also wields the ability to generate vast amounts of (supposedly magical) electricity, calling down lightning storms powerful enough to wipe out armies. This is usually employed as a last resort - during the war with Jushin, her attack wiped out her own demon brood as well as the enemy.

Despite having been decapitated by Won Sul during the war, the Kaidaiten is resurrected by Aji Tae so he can gain access to her formidable demon army. Her demons make up the first line of defence against Munsu's forces during his final push. This time, her lightning storm is countered by Munsu's ingenuity, his army having devised the use of ightning rods to ground the electricity. The Kaidaiten is killed, again via decapitation, by Miss Hwang's Sando. Her demons spontaneously disintegrate soon after.

Manga

While In-Wan Youn and Kyung-Il Yang were publishing manhwa in their home country of Korea, the writer/artist team dreamt of having their work released in Japan where it could find a larger audience due to the market size. After showing their work to various Japanese publishers, Blade of the Phantom Mask debuted in the monthly manga magazine, Sunday GX, in 2001. As of December 2006, the series has been collected into 16 tankoubons published by Shogakukan.

Both In-Wan Youn and Kyung-Il Yang grew up reading and enjoying manga despite not knowing much about Japanese culture. In the same way, they believed that Japanese readers would enjoy reading a work drawn from a Korean cultural background as long as it was interesting. The creators work closely with a Japanese editor to ensure that the background details and story development were explained and easy for a Japanese audience to understand.

As of November 2005, the manga has sold over 2.2 million copies since its debut.

Anime

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Promotional poster for the Shin Angyo Onshi movie in Korea.

Due to its popularity, the comic was adapted into an anime movie in 2004. Directed by Jouji Shimura, the anime was produced by the Korean company, Character Plan, and the Japanese animation studio, Oriental Light and Magic, with the latter being credited as doing approximately 70% of the work. The project marked the first collaboration between Japan and Korea on an animated theatrical feature.

The anime made its North American premiere at the 2005 Fantasia Festival in Montreal under the title, Phantom Master: Dark Hero from Ruined Empire. While ADV Films announced in August 2006 that it had licensed the movie for North American distribution. As of November 12, 2007, the anime has been made available on DVD.

The anime is an adaptation of early manga chapters, covering the stories of Munsu's desert encounter with Mong Ryong, his subsequent quest to free Sando, and one of the pair's early adventures together.

Inspirations for the Series

Blade of the Phantom Mask draws the basis for its premise and main characters from The Legend of Chun Hyang, a classic Korean story. There are two versions: a popular folk story and a lesser known novel.

In the folk story, Chun Hyang, the daughter of a courtesan, falls in love with a nobleman's son, Mong Ryong. But because of the class difference, their relationship is prohibited. Since Mong Ryong is a nobleman's son, he is required to travel to the capital to take the government exams. Before he leaves, he promises Chun Hyang that he'll return for her.

While he is gone, a new lord named Bun Haku Dou arrives in their hometown and becomes infatuated with Chun Hyang. When she spurns his advances, Bun Haku Dou kidnaps her and tortures her to make her change her mind. When this fails, Bun Haku Dou decides to kill her. But on the day of Chun Hyang's execution, Mong Ryong returns, bearing the medallion of an angyo onshi. Bun Haku Dou is arrested, and Mong Ryong and Chun Hyang live happily ever after.

In the novel, the story remains mostly the same with a few notable exceptions. In this version, while Chun Hyang was imprisoned by Bun Haku Dou, Mong Ryong married another woman. Unlike the folk story version, there is no happy ending for the couple because Chun Hyang kills herself at the end of the novel.

The creators intended for Blade of the Phantom Mask to follow the tragic tone of the novel instead of the folk tale, which serves as the inspiration for other manga such as Clamp's The Legend of Chun Hyang.

External links

• Template:Ja icon Official movie website
• Shin Angyo Onshi ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Shin Angyo Onshi ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia