My Demon (2023)

Do Kyung and his messed up family

Let me preface by saying, I am not trying to justify any of Do Kyung's actions. This is simply an analysis on his character. Yes, he's done bad things and should face the consequences. With that being said, I hate how his mental health is being handled in the drama. Not the way it's written per se but how a few characters handle it.

His Dad
Literally all of what Do Kyung is facing right now stemmed from how he was brought up. Having to be perfect at everything and putting on a facade for the cameras. His dad showed NO interest in him beyond his "offerings." An example being: "is he good enough to be my heir?,"is he good enough to commit such a crime?" He has also had to prove himself in his own family and that can cause a person's psyche to become altered and disrupted. His dad to me is also a victim and I'll expound later in Chairwoman Jo's paragraph. Him calling Do Kyung a monster is quite ironic as well. Who could've created such a monster, I wonder? Let me guys know if you ever come up with an answer.

His Mom
She's a victim as well. She's very submissive and lacks agency. Her helplessness and naivety is actually quite scary as this makes her a tool that the father can use at anytime. Her scene in the prison where she visited Do Kyung actually had me tearing up. That was what led me to even start writing this. Just her one statement, "You disobeyed your dad." That just showed how she herself can't do anything without approval from the dad. I don't even think she realizes the damage she's done to the poor child. Her also just moving on with her life after seeing her son breaking down infront of her just goes again to show how disconnected she really is. And even at the funeral, she looked like she had so much to say but she just wasn't able to. Her entire marriage all she's known is serving her husband and being a "good wife" of course nothing else will come before that. Not even her son.

Do Kyung
Do Kyung making such a choice is understandable to say the least. As someone who has struggled with mental health. Such a method has always been seen as the way out. Notice I didn't say easy. Because such a choice is NEVER easy. Poor guy wasn't even being treated while he was locked up in prison. Everyone putting the blame on him for EVERYTHING was so unnecessary and unfair as well. He was a jerk, evil and downright nasty but no one with mental health issues should be placed in such an environment. Especially without proper medication and care.

This is dedicated to the worst character of the show in MY OPINION.
His Doctor
Ohhhhh I was fuming when he called him a psycho. I was so annoyed. Do Kyung was a patient. He was actively seeking help in an environment that ostracized mental health issues. Yes, he may not have been the nicest, or taken his medication all the time but he was still trying. He was doing the best he could in an environment that wouldn't allow for much growth. And for someone who he was supposed to trust and tell his entire life to to say something like that was just downright nasty. No matter if he was a psycho or not. If the doctor had felt that he was a threat, then he should've reported him to the necessary authorities. Disrespecting a patient is never the right thing to do. I was so elated when Do Kyung beat his a** up. Leaped from my chair in joy.

Final Character
Chairwoman Jo
This is kinda hmmm. Like I think everything that we're seeing and all the characters in the Noh family all have their respective issues due to her. In a flashback we could see that she treated Suk Min similarly to how he treated Do Kyung. Talk about generational trauma. Of course Suk Min would've replicated what he was taught. In this specific scene she was talking about sending Suk Min to prison for a crime he had committed because he had gotten away with "too much." This literally shows that she had been sweeping all of his wrongs under the rug as she wanted someone picture perfect to take over her beloved company. Suk Min was never enough for her, similarly to how Do Kyung wasn't enough for him. She didn't care much for them.
I think that she saw an opportunity to right ALL her wrongs through Do Hee. Do Hee to her was a new slate. All the things she did with Suk Min and Su Ahn could've been "erased" by raising Do Hee in a less restrictive way. As she was able to do all this she decided to give Do Hee the company. I think that was very wrong. Of course Suk Min didn't create the company and it isn't "his" looking from it at a more Western perspective. As Chairwoman Jo built it from the ground up however, she had Suk Min training ALL his life with only one thought in mind. Him owning the company and carrying on her legacy. And for her to throw such a curve ball of course he'd be upset and pissed off. This is not me justifying all the rubbish he's done though. I'm just saying I would be very upset if I were in his position. As such, I think Chairwoman Jo is kinda the biggest villain in a sense. Because all these "monsters" were created through her training and teachings. Plus episode 12 ending kinda proved me right in a sense.


So that is that. My little two cents on a few characters and why I think Do Kyung isn't the biggest of villains. Poor kid needed love and that wasn't given to him. Still he was disgusting jerk but he needed love. If he was given that care and Affection maybe he would've been different. If Suk Min, his dad was given more love and care and approval maybe he would've been different as well.

Lees verder