One of many thins that's been bothering me about the show is the constant comparison between Rang's truamatic childhood and other characters'. It's been like that since Season 1, done by both the writers! and the fans and guess what? it is still being a thing even now in the second season!! And honestly that's so upsetting and unfair in all the ways considering the fact that the circumstances were never the same and Rang's tragic life, sufferings and his traumatic experinces were totally different from other characters'.
1- Comparing Rang's trauma to Jia's, saying Rang wasn't as strong as jia even tho they both grew up alone!
True that they both grow up lonely with no parents to take care of them but unlike Lee Rang, Jia was never an unwanted/ unloved child. She had this loving parents that she never gave up on even after 20years since they went missing and their love and memory was enough for her to be strong and keep fighting for them. She wasn't abused by people, beaten to death and abandoned to die while growing up. She was never a despised creature and never felt like she didn't matter or that she didn't belong. She sure never felt betrayed by people she loved and trusted. See? totally different from what Rang went through since before he was even born.
2. And now even comparing Rang's childhood to Yeon's too? Again true that Yeon's childhood weren't all love and rainbows and had this abusive father who would treat him sh*t for his fun but the thing is... even such an irresponsible asshole of a father who didn't care about his own kid never really wanted Yeon dead; didn't call him a monster and didn't treat him like a monster he should get rid of. And he left Yeon's care to Taluipa before disappearing so unlike Rang, Yeon was never really left alone on his own, helpless and defenseless to face the world's cruelty. He had Taluipa and also besties to count on. He was literally raised by powerful gods and as a kid he never felt what it was like to lose his home-like Rang did when villagers burned his home- to kill his friend-like when little Rang had to put blacky out of its misery and it damaged him so bad- and lose his only loved one in the world- Rang losing Yeon as a kid and later nearly dying by his sword- Yeon was not betrayed and abandoned by his loved ones and the most important he's a powerful full gumiho. Rang had a vulnurable human side so ofc he would feel things more intensely than a full gumiho. And the thing is what made Rang finally lash out and go wild on humans was not his shitty mother being cruel to him but the humans who just couldn't let him be. Long after Rang left the village with Yeon he was still this caring innocent child until humans burned his home and wanted to kill them all. So saying that Yeon didn't use his childhood as an excuse to go dark is unfair to Rang's character coz Rang wouldn't either if... only if... humans just let him live his life in peace and not try to kill him any chance they got. Just saying🤷♀️ and mind me remind you of the fact that 1938 Yeon isn't living the best life either. You know?
Now their childhood have many similarities. both unwanted children, unloved by their parents, treated like monsters by people and left to die by their family.
I would've really liked it if the show had explored the tragic side of imoogi too coz what he went through was horrible and sure it would make fans interested in his story on why he turned out the way he was! but here's what differs his story from Rang's: unlike Rang, Imoogi never knew love. He grew up cold and bitter with no heart. Unlike Rang he never craved love or family. All he ever wanted was power and only power. There was no one who he really cared about. He even betrayed his only friend, the only person who cared about him coz he didn't like to see him happy-compare him to Lee Rang who sacrificed himself for his brother's happiness- Nothing could really hurt imoogi, he had no feelings, no emotion, no weakspot. He had no one to care about and didn't need them either. But Rang was different. He was shown love too. He knew love and so the loss, heartbreak and the feeling of betrayal too. He had a heart. A very soft one. We saw adult Rang couldn't even kick his hungry ghost mother away coz seeing her hurt him, coz probably he still cared. He was a very emotional boy with a lot of wounds but still had his heart no matter what and he gave love so much more than what he got. That's why he'd never end up being an evil like Imoogi. Not bc he had people to save him from his inner monsters. No. Imoogi had one too and he betrayed him. It's bc Rang cared. He always cared. he loved his people and they loved him back. He'd earned their love with his good heart and unlike imoogi he'd rather die than losing them and that's what makes his story different. Bc he loved even so much more than he was loved and that's his strength. If anything he's been so strong, struggling for hundreds of years alone and surviving the unkind world that had nothing for him but endless pain, loneliness and nothingness. All of it while he was just a broken lonely boy ignored by his loved ones and hated by the world who he really never felt like belong to and yet he still kept his heart and love and at the end he was the one who suffered to give everyone a happy ending at the expense of his own life and happiness! Lee Rang, The one who suffered the most... and deserved happiness more than anyone but never got it! Words can not explain how unjust, unfair and cruel that ending was! He deserved so much better.
