Exactly. When someone’s been mentally unstable from the start, fear only really kicks in when their manipulation no longer works. Cheul Min is the perfect example of that. From the beginning, he carried this overwhelming sense of superiority—like he was untouchable, above everyone else. Even when he was on the rooftop, literally begging for his life, that fear wasn’t about guilt or remorse—it was the fear of losing control. And once he was safe, once he was in the hospital, that superiority came back. He immediately started thinking about revenge again, because in his mind, he was still powerful enough to win.
But then came the realization: he’d lost the ability to use his legs forever. And that’s when everything shattered. That physical consequence didn’t just mean he couldn’t move the way he used to—it symbolized the collapse of the identity he’d built around dominance. His sense of superiority, his pride, his entire ego—gone. That’s when the fear truly hit. Not because he became “disabled,” but because he could no longer see himself as the one in control. His value, in his own eyes, was directly tied to his power over others, and once that was stripped away, so was his sense of self-worth.
I do think the author did a good job showing that downfall mentally, not just physically—like how he went from untouchable to completely desperate. But at the same time, using disability as the final and ultimate punishment, again and again, starts to feel like a pattern. Especially with how Cheul Min’s arc ends—it’s not just sad, it’s concerning. Because it implies that once someone is no longer physically capable, their life has no value. And that’s a dangerous message. It unintentionally sends the idea that physical ability equals worth, which is... pretty ableist.
This was good season 2 was alright, I prefer season 1. I like the fact that it went from Dong Ho to Yong Ju then Yong Jin and we follow them through their struggles but season two with Jin hyun’s dad who put himself in jail was boring I know it’s to teach a life lesson and show how the cycle continues and it’s everywhere but i would’ve rather seen a full detail breakdown of how Yong Ju deals with the shadows of Cheul min and his trauma. Also the ending seemed out of nowhere, Yong Ju is all of a sudden better and Cheul min wakes up and receives karma just like that
One thing I genuinely hated is that everyone ends up really injured and disabled like that’s the highest punishment of all?? How about disowned, paranoid and full of fear?? Medical debt?? DEATH!?!? Like the repetition of that didn’t sit right with me and Cheul min ending his life at the end because he couldn’t use his leg anymore?? Crazy!!! Is being disabled their worst nightmare?? Gives ableist which I’m not surprised they are but the story itself gives ableist by the way it continues to mention and use slurs not just the characters.