Translator: Resnut

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Author's Blogpost: The Inspirations behind Buk Hyang-hwa (March 3th 2024)

Link to original post: https://blog.naver.com/chungnanum/223371697044

Resnut's Notes: This blogpost was made before the end of the 19th regression, making it far overdue, but I thought it would be interesting to read in light of Buk Hyang-hwa's recent passing. Enjoy!

Hello, dear readers.

Today, I’d like to talk a bit about the inspirations behind one of my favorite characters, Buk Hyang-hwa.

As I mentioned before, Buk Hyang-hwa was originally split off from a character named 'Baek Ran.' (TL/N: Baek Ran means White Orchid)

But today, instead of discussing her personality and character arc, I’d like to focus on the inspirations behind Buk Hyang-hwa’s abilities.

Baek Ran - let’s just call her Buk Hyang-hwa for convenience.

The initial concept for Buk Hyang-hwa was that of a pyromaniac bomber.

Originally, Buk Hyang-hwa wasn’t a puppeteer or magic artifact user, but an expert craftsman specializing in explosives.

Seo Eun-hyun’s Cheon-saek City was almost the first sacrifice to Buk Hyang-hwa’s 'Art.'

Ah...

By now, you’ve probably guessed the inspiration behind Buk Hyang-hwa’s character, haven’t you?

Yes, that’s correct.

It’s this artist friend.
[TV: Image can't be posted but it's a certain blonde ninja with pony tail and bangs. Check original blog post.]

1. Someone who first appears in the desert.

2. Carries out bombings.

3. A stubborn craftsman that insists their acts are works of art.

It’s none other than Deidara from Naruto.

Buk Hyang-hwa blew up her own Buk Hyang Fleet in her first meeting with Kim Yeon, and detonated her puppets when escaping Jin Ma-yeol, despite saying she cherishes her creations. This fondness for self-explosions stems from this inspiration...

However, as Buk Hyang-hwa was changed from a crazed terrorist to Seo Eun-hyun’s partner, and split into Seo Ran and herself, it became clear that showing off such traits would cause serious problems.

Wait, she’s the main heroine, but also a crazy terrorist?

Yeah, that wouldn’t work.

So, I aimed to take inspiration from a character that's independent of Deidara, while still retaining some of his character traits.

And that’s when a certain quote came to me:

"God is on the side that has the best artillery."

As soon as I saw it, I knew.

“This is it. This quote perfectly suits Buk Hyang-hwa and will shape her identity going forward.”

And so, I traced the origins of the quote.

It was by none other than Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France and the next inspiration for Conquerer King Buk Hyang-hwa.

After learning about Napoleon’s obsession with firepower, I decided Buk Hyang-hwa would also follow the path of a firepower enthusiast.

That decision eventually led to the creation of the Buk Hyang Fleet.

However, upon further research, I discovered that Napoleon wasn’t particularly skilled in naval warfare. In hindsight, perhaps it would’ve been better to take inspiration from Horatio Nelson for Buk Hyang-hwa as the leader of Buk Hyang Fleet.

Regardless, whenever I write Buk Hyang-hwa’s character, I chant to myself:

“Buk Hyang-hwa is Bonaparte, Buk Hyang-hwa is Bonaparte, Buk is Bonaparte, Buknaparte, Buknaparte…”

So, Buk Hyang-hwa’s character so far has evolved from Bomber Deidara, to Napoleon Bonaparte, and to Conquerer King Buk Hyang-hwa.

And one more thing...

I think this also answers why Buk Hyang-hwa has been so close to Kim Yeon recently.

Why would a female character inspired by Deidara, hang out with a light-pink themed puppeteer character like Kim Yeon?

It’s because Kim Yeon’s inspiration is none other than...
[TV: Image can't be posted. It's a certain red-haired puppet ninja from the desert]

This friend right here.

The reason I personally think Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa make such a great duo, is because I have this background in mind. However, since readers don’t know about these inspirations, I think this pair might have come across as a bit unentertaining.

I’ll continue to work on the dynamic between Buk Hyang-hwa and Kim Yeon and try to make them even more engaging, even though I’m not the best at writing female characters.

It seems the day their story fully unfolds isn’t too far away.

That concludes today’s TMI.

I’m sorry for the hiatus on March 3rd, but starting tomorrow, March 4th, I’ll resume regular updates. I hope you’ll enjoy what’s to come.

Thank you, everyone.