Thought I’d make an additional post to address this fruitful question, @aprilblossomgirl (and @luckydragon10 you might find this interesting as well!). Thanks for mentioning it because I’ve had a lot of fun thinking about it! :) *Link to the original post: here.
Before I get into it, I’ll just mention the first part of your comment on the OG post: Kinn and Porsche are definitely opposite sides of a coin, and I think that’s what makes them so interesting as double protagonists. One comes from very little but leads a very emotionally satiating/optimistic lifestyle while the other comes from a lot but carries a lot of inner turmoil and emotional damage. They’re essentially opposites.
Ok, now onto the main topic.
Tankhun in the chess game
Tankhun is a bit difficult to place in the chess game because his power is not as clear-cut as Kinn’s or Korn’s. According to the general hierarchy of chess pieces, the rook would naturally fit between Kinn (the king) and Kim (the knight):
In chess, the rook is just under the queen in terms of power. Now, this makes sense to me for a few reasons, both of which relate to Kinn as the king piece. We know that, at the moment, Porsche holds the most sway in Kinn’s life. But we also know that Kinn cares deeply for Tankhun, as he demonstrated in the first few episodes (pleased that Porsche could get Tankhun out of the house, willing to buy Tankhun new carps, etc.). The queen and the rook are both fundamental in the life of a king (at least when it comes to chess).
Tankhun doesn’t seem very powerful, but I think he holds a lot more sway than we think. And, like how the queen plays a monumental role in defending her king, Tankhun is devoted to protecting Kinn and pointing him in the right direction. He doesn’t want to trust Tawan because he knows that Tawan betrayed the family, and Kinn, in the past. He also doesn’t believe that Porsche is a traitor. It doesn’t necessarily matter in this instance, but I’d like to note that I think Tankhun knows the relationship between Kinn and Porsche. He’s more observant than others give him credit for, and though he’s a bit erratic, he’s still got a sharp mind. This makes him a unique protector of the king.
When it comes to the actual capabilities of the rook piece, a rook can move in all directions (like a queen) EXCEPT diagonally; this is what cements it as one step below in the hierarchy. Where things get dicey is when we think about the hierarchy in terms of mafia power versus the power to manipulate the playing field—i.e., the power Porsche has. Korn is most powerful in a mafia sense (and as the player in the chess metaphor, he’s the one giving all the pieces meaning), but we know Porsche is the most powerful in a more objective sense. In this case, I think Porsche is so powerful because Kinn has developed such a strong attachment to him. Again, it’s easy to get in the weeds on this metaphor, but at its most basic, I think Porsche holds a lot of power because of the way he lives his life: freely. His freedom of thought and spirit is what Kinn adores/craves, and it’s what elevates Porsche’s power that much more. It also feeds into the “us against the world” idea because Kinn and Porsche give each other strength. Kinn was afraid of Porsche (…and still is, as evidenced by his hesitation to admit his love), but the greater theme seems to be that love isn’t a weakness. We’re still working to a full resolution of this idea.
I’m getting off topic a bit, but I want to reiterate that I think the chain of command is necessarily muddled/messy because control is so dependent on the bonds formed between these characters. That’s what makes KP such a deeply personal show, despite how it might look from the outside.
So, all of this is a long way of saying that I think Tankhun is a rook. He’s quietly powerful, not as notorious as a queen piece, but still offering helpful input. Yet again, I have gone on a wild chess rant, so please let me know your thoughts on the organization of each piece in this metaphor. :)
