Damo (2003–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

Were you trying to kill me?

I already... killed you

Turn around, criminal!

Jang Sung-Baek

It's all over

Give up! Do not resist!

What you see before
you is only a cliff

You ran down a road that isn't a road

A road that isn't a road...

How can you say that?

If one person takes a path...



If two people take it...

If many people take it,
then that becomes a road

In this rotten world...

all I did was create
and run down a new road

Don't be foolish

The road you created is only
a cliff leading to death

You're wrong

Though my bones
may be buried here today

after I die, many people will
walk my path to make a road

Some time, their blood and souls
will fill the valleys and rivers

and a new road will definitely...

a new world will
definitely be opened!

Even though I die now...

I will not... completely die



Only...

Jae-Hui...

This life of mine ends here

Please relieve me

How dare you?!

Who says a rebellious traitor has
the right to choose his own death?

If I don't kill him with my sword...

I'll live with great regret

All right

Don't make a mistake this time

I'll kill you no matter what!

(Chosun City Fortress AD 1692)

(Left Police Bureau)

(Episode 1)

Wonderful tea

It was given to me by Miss Nan-Hui

Though the tea leaves
are important...

the fingertips of the tea servant
who brings out the deep flavor

are more important. Try some

OK

My lord, I am Chief Officer,
Lee Won-Hae

What's going on?

Official Lee Soon-Ho's daughter-in-law
died in Nam-San village

This needs an investigation

Hurry, go check it out

Yes

Goodness, for something like this to
happen when her husband was away...

Autopsist, what do you think?

It may be a natural death,
but since she's clothed

I can't accurately determine
the cause of death

It's really hot today so you're
lucky the corpse didn't decay

In the summer, the smell of
a rotting person is the worst

Take off her clothes
and examine her carefully

Yes, my lord

Did she eat dinner last night?

No, something was bothering her...

She said she wasn't feeling well so
for two days, she didn't eat anything

Natural causes?

Murder

It was set up to look
like she died in her sleep

Those dumb idiots...

Fools who can't clean up after
themselves do things they can't handle

Give me the details

I wasn't able to find a weapon-related
scar or marks from strangulation

I used the examination fluid
but I couldn't find a drop of blood

It seemed like a natural death but...

it was strange that
her stomach was swollen

Didn't they say she
hadn't eaten for two days?

Couldn't she be pregnant
from adultery with another man?

I suspected that she died from
complications with pregnancy

but she wasn't pregnant

If we follow the medical journals

It's written that we should suspect
suffocation in cases like this

She must have suffocated

This is a piece of window paper
I found on her face

She was suffocated by a wet piece of
window paper covering her face

Nothing was stolen

and there are no
indications of trespassing

This is a crime by an insider

Any evidence of resistance?

Well, there are traces that
something was pressing on her arms

I suspect that the criminal used
his knees to press down on her arms

He pressed down on her arms...

That must have hurt

Why did he press down
on her arms and assault her?

And with his knees too

While I was using the examination
fluid to look for traces of blood

I found something else
on her lower body

What is it?

Evidence of a man

It was subtle but I'm positive

It could be traces of her husband too

It's been over a week since her
husband left for the countryside

A man's mark doesn't last that long

This was clearly a crime of obsession

How many men are here
on a daily basis?

There should be about fifteen

It's scary how many there are

Our rope is also too
short to bind fifteen men

How about if you do things like this?

Open up your ears wide and listen
The lady of this estate

was murdered by some
idiot causing trouble

It's unfortunate, but
one of you is the criminal

This is an examination fluid
we use during autopsy

You probably didn't know
such a thing exists

And this is a piece of window paper...

All of you know what this is

What this window paper means...

The person who dared to set
foot in her chamber last night

will know better than anyone else

Watch closely

Whoever touched the window
paper like this last night

will get his hand dyed red like this

Now let's get this over
with quickly so we can eat

I couldn't eat breakfast
because of you idiots

That's it!

Take it out

What's going on?

No one's running away

The criminal is the man second
from the end who dipped his hand

What?

My lord, would you take
another look at those men?

From right to left, they are
standing in order of age

It's a habit of people
who live as slaves

However, only that man is out of order
and standing with the young slaves

He was trying to buy a little time

and he kept rubbing
his hand on his clothes

He'll probably blame it on
his hand being numb

I'll go to the back door

Look here, this idiot
looks like a murderer

What?

It's really hot today so let's go
without making me use any force

Huh? Why are you doing this my lord?

You want a beating?!

Hey! Tie this fool up!

Stop him! Stop him!

While the man of the estate was away

a man named Pan-Dol tried and
failed to rape the lady several times

Fearing a misunderstanding,
the lady did not tell her elders

And taking advantage of this weakness,
the criminal stole her possessions

And last night,
he ended up raping her

The lady's behavior changed and...

fearing that he would be revealed,
he returned and murdered her

Although he tried to remove
all traces of resistance

he could not get rid of all of the
pieces of window paper near her mouth

Great job

I really didn't do too much

Chae-Ohk's assistance was huge

You did well

However, that was not a good strategy

Though you brought out the
criminal's evil-nature with the test

if he had been a careful man,
he would not have been fooled

If you thought it was
an inside job, you should

have brought them all to
the bureau for investigation

How could we have taken that
many suspects into custody?

A tiger uses all of it's strength
when catching even one rabbit

When pursuing a murderer...

Or pursuing a thief...

You must not be careless
when confronting them

Geez

My lord, I was too thoughtless

I am not reprimanding you or
telling you to take responsibility

Just... Do not make any reckless
decisions beyond what is necessary

That is the role...

of a Police Bureau's
tea servant (Damo)

My lord, a letter came from Chilpae

My lord, it must be
a letter from Jang-Gak

Hey, shouldn't we be
heading out for this too?

I'm sorry

You got it too because of me

You know me, I'm always like this

I don't even eat right and I work

I get ridiculed

The only thing that matters

is that we caught him

You and that temper...

Get up!

Thanks for coming here to meet me

I'm sorry

No, it's fine. Had you gone to the
bureau, you would have drawn attention

What have you found?

As you commanded,
I led a gang of thieves

And succeeded in settling in Chilpae

And what about the
counterfeit money deal?

The previous gang received three
fake nyangs for every one real nyang

But we pay one nyang
for two counterfeit nyangs

so the gangs with stolen
property are really excited

Have you gotten into
the counterfeiting business?

They check three or four
times before making deals

On top of that, until they
initiate the counterfeit money deals

we have no way of reaching them

Chilpae is becoming a place of
great opportunity to thieving gangs

The more robberies there are, the more
counterfeit coins there will be

If the gangs cannot deal with this

then gangs including Jang-Gak's will
deal with the counterfeiters directly

In that instant, they will
expose themselves

Shouldn't we inform our superior?

Counterfeiting is a major crime which
shakes the foundations of a nation

If we reveal this before
we find clear evidence

not only will the royal
court be uneasy

but the counterfeiters will
disappear without a trace

When the time comes,
I will inform him

but for now, keep things
like they are

I will take responsibility

Hey, hey, hey!

I am guard soldier, Lee Ki-Won!

Shut up! Shut up!
Where is Officer Lee?

He is in the conference room
Conference room?

Conference room...

Where your hat properly, fool!

Yes, sir!

Officer Baek will handle
the Chilpae issue

What is the matter?

Oh my... I had no idea
you were in a meeting...

Well umm... right now...

Today is the gyeokgu match against
the Right Police Bureau and...

Oh! Was it today?

Officer Lee, Officer Ahn,
hurry and go ahead

Chae-Ohk, why don't you go with them?

Let's all go together

Let's go together

I am not in a good situation
to play gyeokgu right now

Officer Baek, please be the leader
Yes, my lord!

Hey, let's hurry!

Get up!

Left Police Bureau 15 points!
Right Police Bureau 75 points!

Everyone gather around!

Why are you all so weary?

Why are you like this? Why?!

When the ref's not looking,
at least elbow someone in the face

Or jab them with your rod!

Listen up

Since joining the Left Police Bureau,
I've never lost to the Right!

If we lose...

I'll make your lives at the station
as much of a living hell as I can!

Got it?!

Yes, sir

Well well, listen to your voices

You want some morale?

Morale?!

Sir!

Oh my... Officer Lee!

The bleeding hasn't stopped?

I'm pressing on it
because it's not stopping!

I'm totally gonna mess up the
idiot who clubbed me with his rod!

Stay over there!

We're playing gyeokgu right now!

You want to start a fight?

We're short on players as it is

This is really driving me crazy

Well done!

That's a face I haven't seen
Who is it?

I'm not sure, commander

Why, that girl is...

"That girl"?

Are you saying it's a girl?

Yes, she's a tea servant
at the Left Police Bureau

She's called Chae-Ohk

Drink! Drink!

Drink up people!

Drink!

Take a drink of this too, Chae-Ohk!

Let's flatten those
Right Police Bureau idiots' noses

No alcohol, I'm fine

Come on! Drink!

Just one drink would be great

You wench!

What the heck is this?!

Can you really do this, my lord?

Who is this boy?

H- he is a comrade at
the Left Police Bureau

Then is he an officer?

Well, it's not that...

Since one of our officers
cracked his head so...

Is he a man?

I am very sorry, my lord

Aren't you a tea pouring servant?

Do they teach servant girls to play
gyeokgu at the Left Police Bureau?

Why aren't you answering?!

I heard that gyeokgu was encouraged
as a means for training all soldiers

But I did not hear of any national law
allowing only noble men to participate

What?

Why you wench! Where do you think

you're giving such
a thoughtless remark?!

I am part of the
Left Police Bureau family as well

If you were me, would you
ignore a wounded comrade?

If I do not even value my comrades...

how can I call myself a member of
the police who value the people?

I do not think it is shameful to
take the place of a wounded comrade

Who?! Who said a warrior's sword
could be replaced by a kitchen knife?

You really want to die

Get on your knees
and beg for forgiveness!

Commander, I made a mistake

This girl didn't do it
because she wanted to...

Well then!

Did you tell her to do it?

No, I mean... I didn't tell
her to... things just...

Will you not get on your knees?!

Chae-Ohk, beg for forgiveness. Beg!

I will not beg

My crime does not require me
to beg for forgiveness on my knees

Why you little...!

Stop it!

It's also disgusting to
draw a sword on a woman!

What?

How dare this pale faced idiot
speak so rudely to me?

Stupid jerk!

Stop it!

Stop this immediately!

What the heck did you all just do?

Is this how...

police officers of...

the Left Police Bureau
of Hansung look?!

Officer Baek!

Yes, my lord

Is this...

the leadership of a senior officer?

Well, rather than leadership...

Since I was the oldest...

How will you take
responsibility for this?!

Huh? It was not me

The Right Police Bureau
men provoked us first

Two of the officers of the
Right Police Bureau broke an arm

The Right Police Bureau
will report this to the military

if we do not pick someone
to take responsibility

One person must take responsibility

and resign to settle this matter

My lord...

With my marriage last year,
I have a son who just turned one

I will go

It was my fault for
starting the brawl

I have no parents to support
so I would not have

anything to worry about
from being fired

I will go to the Right Police Bureau

You idiot, what are you saying?
Do you want to be beaten to death?

They're just hoping for the chance

My lord, if you place all
of the blame on one man

the rest of us officers
will not be at ease

Please let all of us receive
the punishment together

You idiots...

My lord!

How could men who
can suffer together...

not be able to control themselves...

and come to this?

It was customary up to now for
the commander to lead in gyukgoo

I also hold some of the blame...

for not finishing up
my work ahead of time

As your commander...

I will take responsibility
for this incident

Only...

I did not expect my
career as an officer...

to come to an end like this

For the past few years,
we ate from the same rice pot

And despite being
overworked and underpaid

we encouraged each other keeping in
mind our duty to protect the people

But...

This is the result

I will go to the Right Police Bureau

I'll place my honor
on today's incident

and will take care of
things without a hitch

For my successor, assist him well

so something like this
does not happen again

You are dismissed

You can not!

You were not even there, my lord

If it is a commander's
place to make orders

then it is also his place to
take responsibility for them

You are dismissed!

Sir! Are you really going to send
the commander away like that?

We were the ones who did it!

This is terrible

Sir! Are you really going
to live like a coward?

OK, I get it, idiot

Who says I'm not gonna do anything?

Hey, Officer Seok, how long has it
been since you joined the bureau?

This is my eleventh year

Eleven years?

Then how many has it been for me?

If you combine you, me,
Officer Lee, and these guys...

we have over a hundred
years of experience, right?

I'm saying that in the case that...

In the case that something happens to
the commander, we'll all say we resign

If all of us who've served
for over ten years quit...

we'll paralyze the public order
and police force of Hansung!

So we'll push them with that strength

Yeah, that's it! OK?

My lord!

My lord, I have come
to receive my punishment

I told him to send someone
to take responsibility

And he ended up sending you instead?

My lord, everything happened
because of me

Whatever punishment you
give me, I will accept it

Well now, the girl who
was so cocky and arrogant

finally comes and gets on her knees

You're really a contemptible wench

seeing as you change your mind
back and forth without any pride

I ruined the officers' training...

I injured an officer
of a noble house...

and I insulted you, my lord

I deserve to die. Please punish me

and forgive the Left Police Bureau
commander and officers

You worthless girl!

You dare to take responsibility and
settle this with yourself alone?!

I beseech you like this

My lord, please punish me!

I will take whatever
punishment you give me

Tie a blade around
my neck and beat me!

Burn onto my forehead that
I'm a woman deserving death!

Put me into slavery in a mountain
village and I won't complain

My lord! My lord!

Two of my officers broke their arms

Break my arm!

How could a warrior's
arm compare to yours?

I don't know about cutting off
one of your arms though...

Why? Did I choose
a punishment you didn't want?

Though you can take responsibility

It's too much for you
to give up one arm?

Cut it off

Will you truly...

give up one arm?

I... I will

What the heck is this?!

My lord!

What are you doing here?

Commander Hwangbo, you have
a very remarkable tea servant Damo

Wouldn't you know that she's
offered to give up an arm?

I was moved by her sincerity so I was
about to cut off her arm as she wished

Who told you to take responsibility?!

My lord! It all happened
because of me!

Commander Joh, did you learn
to use your sword like this?

Commander, how can one who can't even
control a tea servant be a commander?!

My lord, please cut my arm off!

You stay out of this!

You're only a tea servant

My lord, you were not even there

I will receive the punishment

What a pretty scene

Commander Hwangbo, you must
really value this girl

She is my subordinate

More like your whore

Sheathe your sword

This girl is only a tea servant

I will take all of the responsibility

Tell me, what must I do?

If you want me to change
my job, I will go far away

If you want me to resign...

I will resign

My my, this is really touching

Since you two keep quarrelling, I feel
sorrowful and don't know what to do

However...

I can't turn back a sword
already drawn, right?

Isn't that right, Commander Hwangbo?

I said I'd cut off this girl's arm
so I must keep my word

In return, I will see that all
blame for this incident is resolved

Stand aside! Commander!

I am begging you

Didn't I say I would
take all responsibility?

What meaning would there be in cutting
off the arm of a contemptible woman?

This girl insulted me!

Putting responsibility aside, I will
cut off this girl's arm as payback

If that is what you truly
intend... Do as you wish!

My lord, please do not do this

Cut it off!

Though I withdraw my sword today...

If she falls into my grasp again,
I'll cut off her head

Does it hurt?

Yes

It hurts me as well

Although you are my subordinate...

you are no different
from a younger sister

Don't hurt me

My lord

Since I was seven,
I've been at your side

I would lay my life down for you, but
I do not want to become an obstacle

I have served you for 15 years

I know the suffering you went
through better than anyone else

I do not want to see your dream
fall apart because of me

I have no intention of sacrificing
you in order to achieve my dream

These are different from
the fakes we saw before

Take a look at this

This is one new counterfeit coin

What do you think?

It's hard to tell just
by glancing at it

Sir, I'm sorry for saying this but...

You want to say that you're already
investigating this in Chilpae?

Did you know all along?

I've lived as a military officer ever
since I came to the Bureau from abroad

Don't disregard this
old man's sixth sense

I felt that it was strange that
you were putting more than enough

energy into arresting
gangs in Chilpae

I apologize

I didn't know that and...

I was curious when you'd expose them

There's already rumors around
the royal court of counterfeit money

It will be difficult for any
more covert actions now

On top of that...

This counterfeit money conspiracy
isn't limited only to Hansung

In the south: Dong-rae, Jin-ju, Na-ju,
Jeon-ju, Dan-yang, Choong-ju

Even in the north, they say
counterfeit coins are circulating

In Jin-ju, two merchants using
counterfeit coins were killed

Before there are more victims,
we must find the roots

Other than small flaws or weight,
it's hard to differentiate them

I will keep a watch and
collect in Hansung

Officer Baek will go to Kyung-sang

Officer Lee will go to
Jeon-rah Province

Chae-Ohk, check out Kyung-gi Province

This problem shakes the foundations
of this nation, so move covertly

This tea tastes great

You should drink as well

Please have some

Are you headed out now?

There is an elegant joy in the
lady's face when she pours tea

The tea's flavor is as deep as that

A tea servant like me
can't follow after her

I'm not in a comfortable enough
position to savor the tea's flavor

How is your arm feeling?

The medicine you gave
me made it heal a lot

Then, I will leave now

Chae-Ohk...

Even if you find
the counterfeiters...

don't move in alone... no matter what

Please do not worry...

Young Master

Young Master...

It's been a long time
since I heard that

Hurry and come back safe

Hello! Good morning!

Thanks

Good morning!

Chae-Ohk! Chae-Ohk! It's me!

I'm here!

Chae-Ohk!

Chae-Ohk?

Where did she go? Her man's here!

Father!

Father?

I wouldn't say anything if you had
a prostitute for your mistress

but I won't ever permit
a servant class woman!

But father!

Also... Fool, I told you
to study at your mother's house

Why did you come here?

What are you doing here at this time?

You didn't even file the death
certificate for the Namsan incident yet

What?

Do you think handling documents is all
an employee at the Police Bureau does?

Hey! Idiot!

What do you hope to become not studying
and so intent on police records?

Well, I... I don't want to take
the higher civil service exam

What?!

Then what?

I'm not saying I don't
want to take an exam

Just not the civil service one

Then?

The military

I'm going to ace the military service
exam and work at the Police Bureau!

Military service?

Hey idiot! Just lose some weight!

Father!

I got this figure because of all those
herbs you gave me when I was young

I'll make this into a
muscular body very soon

Why did you change your mind?

Well, I...

Since you worked here
for your whole life...

of course, I want to
follow what you want and...

You don't have to do what I want

And there's nothing
that I want of you

It looks like you're doing this
so you can be with Chae-Ohk...

but you'll die by my hand first

Go back immediately!
I don't have any food for you!

Father, what about Chae-Ohk?

Where did she go?

Why you little...! She ran away

because she didn't want to
see your pitiful face, fool!

Father!

Father!

Be careful

Please wait! Please wait!

Boat man! Please let us on your boat

It's all full with people

Please take the next boat

My child has been vomiting
for the past few days

It looks like he's going to have
to see the doctor across the river

Please spare us a little seat

If I seat more people,
the boat may capsize

If someone is not busy,
please give your seat to them

I'm sorry about your situation...

but nobody dies immediately
from a little vomiting

And who here isn't busy?

The next boat is in two hours

Please save our child

Is this his funeral?

Stop crying now!

For heaven's sake

it's not just one person

but we need three seats

Please get on

Thank you! Thank you!

You can't. You can't

Please look at the circumstances!

Could you please help my child?

He's been like this for several days

I'm begging you

My lord, we have let
too much time pass

If we just left...

would you feel comfortable about it?

Thank you

Take your child and go together

Thank you so much! Thank you!

Hurry and get on

What are you all staring at?

I have urgent business as well

Isn't only one person necessary
to look after the child?

My lord, but those people did
not give up their seats for you...

How dare you!

Didn't I tell you that
I had urgent business?

And by law, a nobleman has
authority over a commoner

so you would have had to give
up a seat if there were none left

My lord, it will be very difficult to
move around if there is a commotion

That's why I'm trying
to get rid of the commotion

Who are you?

Please get up

Before you think about the law...

you should bring up your conscience

What?! Why you...

Don't you know how big a crime
it is to insult a nobleman?

Do you think it's not a crime
to insult the commoners?

Why you...!

Why are you doing this?

It is proper to give
your seat to a nobleman

who cares for the royal
court and commoners

My lord, it's perfectly fine
that you took that seat

but you should be aware of that seat

A child urinated on that
seat where I was sitting

What did you say?!

I thought it smelled funny!

Where is it? Where?

Help!

He is a spirited young man

Seeing how he kept his balance on the
boat, he doesn't have typical skills

If we work together
with a man like that...

It's not a man

It's a girl disguised as one

Huh?

My lord

You just returned?

It must have been tough

This counterfeiting problem is
more serious than we thought

All of the districts I passed had
at least one or two people arrested

No need to mention Song-sang,
Kyung-sang, or Nae-sang

Even tiny little temples
have been hit

These days, they need a professional
to examine coins for transactions

How was Hansung?

One in ten coins is a fake

According to Jang-Gak, thousands
of fake nyangs have been released

But where's Chae-Ohk?

That was delicious!
Thank you, good bye!

What the... This is a fake!

Hey, stop right there!

You disgusting scoundrels!

I'm so out of luck

Did they have no one to swindle so
they paid with fake coins to get booze?

You cheap and dirty scoundrels!

Long live and prosper!

See what happens if I ever catch them

Give it here!

I can't just take this by myself

I'm going to spend it somewhere!

If you spend a counterfeit,
that's a large crime

Who doesn't know that?

If they enforced that, then one in
every ten commoners would be arrested

Give it to me

Regardless of whether it's real
or fake, why do you ask for my money?

Well then, will you buy a drink?

All right

Oh dear me

I'm so grateful

Hurry and take this unlucky coin

Please sit down for a moment, OK?

This is the first time that I've met
a young man as handsome as you

OK, now put down your sack

It's fine, I'll put it down

Here, have a drink

Your sack looks very heavy

Do you carry around maybe
a block of gold or something?

If I had gold, would I have
become a wanderer like this?

Here you go

I'm so grateful!

My goodness

Hope you have more business

Where are you going?

You reimbursed the money I lost
so I should buy you a drink

That's fine. I don't take
alcohol very well

Then I'll feel sorry

You're hungry, right?

Why are you getting up
in the middle of eating?

I'll feel so badly

Oh my!