It’s a chaotic world where all sorts of strange creatures run rampant.
Monsters, malevolent spirits, other races, yokai, and all sorts of things.
Perhaps this very morning, the neighbor you casually greeted could have been something hiding its true nature.
This is the world we live in now.
If you’ve lived in this city and have yet to encounter any strange beings, then you’re truly a lucky individual.
But don’t let your guard down. Stay vigilant.
You never know—someone might be eyeing something of yours right now, whether it’s your money, your life, or something else entirely.
Here, in this place where nothing can be trusted and nothing is certain, the Free City of Liberti is the only place in the world that grants residency even to the strange and monstrous.
Anything can happen here, things you could never imagine.
—Because a guy like me can stroll around freely without any restrictions. This is Liberti.
In the dreary streets, beneath flickering streetlights, a man with long bangs covering half his face tightly clutches a smartphone.
He glances around as if examining something.
After confirming multiple times that the area is completely deserted, the man quietly picks up the phone.
-Hm, ah… Ah…
The man’s low voice begins to distort strangely.
Gradually, his voice changes entirely into something unrecognizable.
Satisfied with the sound, the man smirks and dials a number with his fingers.
-Hey, it’s me. This phone? Yeah, I borrowed it in a rush. As I mentioned before, things are urgent. I’m heading your way. Right, it’s only natural. I’ll leave it in your hands. Alright, I’ll call back later.
-Pfft, that’s settled. People these days really lack vigilance. Though, that’s what allows a guy like me to survive. This phone has served its purpose now. Getting hold of burner phones is tough, but what can you do?
With his goal achieved, the man whistles a tune as he steps back into the dim alleyway.
It’s a place where the average person wouldn’t care to step into lightly.
If only someone could fix that cursed streetlight, things would be a bit better.
But since this neighborhood is practically abandoned, no matter how many complaints are filed, there’s never a response.
-Frick, that damn sister of mine. If she’s so high and mighty as a police officer, why does she keep nagging me? It pisses me off.
Thinking about his sister—his well-to-do sibling who looks down on him—makes him boil with anger again.
And on her side, she’s equally annoyed by him. If she ever found out what he’s been up to again, she’d blow a fuse.
-Who the hell wants to live like this anyway? Goddammit…
The problem isn’t him—it’s this city that’s gone mad.
Reaffirming this to himself, he tightens his coat collar. He feels he needs to if he’s going to get through this creepy alleyway without losing it.
…South Baeksu. Is that right?
And then, at that moment, an unexpected presence catches him from behind.
A presence that materialized silently, without a sound or any trace.
If you want to survive in this city, you’d better get used to that kind of thing.
After all, this is Liberti, the free city where all sorts of oddities roam.
-…Shit!
Evil comes, but the good don’t bother showing up.
Whoever knows his name and approaches him certainly couldn’t be up to any good.
The man immediately bolts, trying his hardest to escape.
-Hup, hup, hup…
-Haven’t you run enough yet, South Baeksu?
-What the… Fuck! Wha…t…? Ugh!
-My apologies. Guess my fists acted up without me noticing again.
-Shi…t, if you’re sorry, then DON’T HIT ME…
-You annoyed me, so take another punch.
-Ugh!
Though this man had experience running from various incidents, escaping from the clutches of this unwanted visitor was impossible.
Not only that, this visitor was ridiculously strong.
The kind of brute force that’s hard to find even in this crazy city. One moment of inattention, and this person threw a surprise mid-kick that left him reeling.
And the fact that the attacker followed up with an uppercut while muttering about being “bothered” only reinforced how unpredictable and volatile this person was.
And this wasn’t human.
If it were, it wouldn’t have been able to knock him out in one punch.
Not to mention, appearing out of nowhere without any warning was proof enough that this creature wasn’t human.
-…What exactly are you?
-Nothing special. Half Blood? Yeah, I’m also Half Blood like you. Half mountain tiger, South Baeksu.
The man couldn’t shake the feeling he’d just stepped in something big.
His opponent seemed to know his true identity perfectly.
In this city, there’s nothing more terrifying than that.
-Ah, forget it. Dealing with trash like you is just annoying… Hmm. What can I do? If I have to, I’ll deal with you.
Clearly displeased, the woman slowly pulls the fallen man upright.
-Just stay unconscious quietly.
Then she delivers another kick to his stomach, knocking him completely out.
-Ugh!
After hoisting the unconscious man over her shoulder, she mutters to herself.
Though her comments seem like an explanation to the man.
-It’s not because I’m annoyed, but you tried to escape, so we need a plan, don’t we?
-So just stay unconcious quietly.
-Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced myself, have I? I’m Yuna, from the secret organization Half Blood. The mesmerizing Succubus Yuna. See you later, trash friend.
Had the man been awake, he might have protested whether a real succubus would start with a kick like that, or whether her introduction was unnecessarily slow.
However, the woman slowly disappeared down the alleyway.
Her name is Yuna, affiliated with the secret organization Half Blood with the code number: 3, known as the Mesmerizing (Physical) Succubus Yuna.
*
This scene marks the prologue of the movie, where “South Baeksu” and “Yuri” meet for the first time.
The movie begins with our protagonist getting beaten up not once, but three times.
Unlike dramatic series where scenes are quickly skipped once they reach an appropriate level of intensity, in movies, even the best scenes often get multiple reshoots.
This kind of rough-and-tumble fight scene requires at least a few dozen punches and kicks to get it right.
But Heavenly Yuah has greatly improved her action abilities compared to the past, minimizing the need for reshoots.
She’s now able to throw kicks of pinpoint precision, fully calculated with the camera angles in mind.
“Wow, this feels amazing. Great actors really stand out from the very first scene.”
“Wow, the voice-miming is really impressive, isn’t it?”
“Extremely satisfying. Excellent work.”
This allows for the annoying parts of the fight scene to be sped through, while fully satisfying Director Nam’s needs.
From mimicking voices to knocking someone unconscious, what initially might have required many takes ended after just four attempts.
The crew couldn’t help but appreciate this smooth flow of the shoot.
“Wow, your kicks have gotten sharper, haven’t they?”
“Yeah, it’s all about hitting the right spot. As I regain memories, I’ve also reached higher levels.”
“It does feel more impactful, that’s for sure.”
Even while acting alongside her, I was surprised.
There’s a certain “vibration” in Heavenly Yuah’s kicks that feels almost spiritual.
The feeling of having absorbed the memories and soul of Heavenly Demon seems to reflect that.
Even without much internal cultivation, the understanding of martial arts (武) has reached a whole new level.
Certainly, her physical capabilities were always good, but the depth of it has changed.
At this level, Heavenly Yuah—or perhaps Heavenly Demon—might really be able to pull off some amazing action scenes.
“The setting feels so dreary.”
“Of course it does. It’s dystopian, after all.”
As the scene transitions and we take a break, the film set still retains its dark and ominous tone.
The background itself makes that clear enough.
In a world where every sort of oddity roams and strange crimes abound, a cheerful vibe would be more unsettling.
But this piece aims to be a popcorn movie that you can enjoy casually.
It cannot be too heavy.
So, the writers worked on injecting humor through the characters’ personalities.
“Mesmerizing (Physical) Succubus—how ironic is that?”
“It is. But I think it’s a pretty solid approach.”
“Isn’t this the result of the great collaboration between Writer Ok and Writer Yang?”
Heavenly Yuah’s character, Yuri, is a Succubus capable of mesmerizing people, yet she resorts to brute force to solve problems.
This trend continues with other Half Blood members.
There’s a werewolf who runs a flower shop to embody great strength, a vampire who constantly drinks garlic juice for health, and a leader with charisma whose occasional regression to childlike behavior provides hidden humor.
Watching the protagonist go insane dealing with all these quirky members also contributes to the comic effect.
-Haha, it’s unfortunate. But what can you do? This is Liberti, the Free City that respects even the oddities. As long as these oddities don’t commit crimes, they’re also proud citizens of this city.
However, Jang San Beom played by Nam Hyun-ho contains a twist.
As the leading Daoist of the National Daoist Association, Jeon Woo-chi handles the strange crimes of this city. Though he often collaborates with Half Blood, he appears to be a supporting character on the surface.
But this character harbors a dangerous belief that all oddities in the city must be eradicated for the city’s good.
He is even later revealed to be the main antagonist behind all the events.
Given the scarcity of portrayals of Jeon Woo-chi as a villain, this felt like a fresh idea.
And up to the mid-point of the story, he plays the benevolent role convincingly with easy smiles.
Of course, this film isn’t about the battle between the good and the evil.
Despite the dystopian nature of this city, Jeon Woo-chi’s belief that the city would be normal only when all oddities vanish isn’t entirely wrong.
The film also realistically portrays the plight of humans suffering from strange crimes.
However, considering that the members of Half Blood all seem a little off, and they display their good-heartedness in daily life, Jeon Woo-chi’s belief in eradicating all oddities starts to feel wrong.
This adds layers of complexity and ambiguity to the characters.
“So, the conclusion is simple. If we deliver good performances and capture quality footage, we will have an okay piece.”
“What could be better for an actor than that? After all, I’ve seen works that fail even when the actors excel.”
The atmosphere on set on the first day was fairly pleasant.
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