Freedom. The concept of personal freedom is one that Jae-ha values above all else. Whether it be physical freedom, the freedom to shape one's own destiny, or simply the freedom to pursue love, Jae-ha abhors the idea of being tied down. It is fitting, then, that he was gifted (though many would say cursed) with the dragon's foot. In the village that Jae-ha grew up in, this foot was viewed as a monstrosity, and as a child, Jae-ha was bound in chains 24/7 to prevent his escape. It's little wonder that he now values his freedom to move around as he pleases.
Similarly, the freedom to shape his own fate is extremely important to him. Unlike Kija, who readily welcomes his duty to protect and serve King Hiryuu's reincarnation, Jae-ha initially wants little to do with the dragons. He resists the calling of the dragons' blood with all of his willpower, angry that someone could command such power over him simply because of the blood coursing through his veins. While he does eventually join Yona and the other dragons on their quest to better the kingdom, Jae-ha only did so after convincing himself that he was doing it of his own free will. He comes to admire Yona's spirit and her selflessness in taking care of others, and believes that helping someone with such good character is "in line with his idea of beauty".
After freedom, beauty is another concept immensely important to him. This goes for not only the superficial, as there's no denying that Jae-ha loves visually beautiful things (and people), but for inner beauty, as well. He admires Hak's beautiful fighting style, for example, and is inspired by Yona's determination to put her life on the line for others. He appreciates good music and dance. He's generous in his love of finer things, too, and it isn't unheard of for him to dote on his teammates or village girls with gifts.
In contrast, he views bad manners towards women as decidedly NOT beautiful.
One would think that because he's such a huge and shameless flirt, that Jae-ha truly is a no-good pervert. There is, however, definitely a gentlemanly way in which he approaches and treats women. Jae-ha isn't vulgar towards women-- rather, he wants to make a girl feel attractive and special. He doesn't expect anything in return, either, seemingly just as happy to receive a smile at his compliment or a slap. He takes rejection in stride-- he has to, for someone who flirts as much as he does. In fact, if anything, rejection only makes him more persistent. This is where his affections turn pretty annoying.
When it comes to love, Jae-ha loves the thrill of the chase. This is where the "freedom to pursue love" idea comes in. The more someone denies him (really, girl or guy, it doesn't seem to matter for him), the more insistently he pursues them, though this is portrayed as more of a running joke than something he actually participates in seriously. When the tables are turned, however, and Jae-ha becomes the pursued rather than the pursuer, his affections cool. It's no fun without the chase.
Jae-ha is also a canon masochist for pain, although this too is portrayed more for humor than anything. For example, in an effort to get Jae-ha to stop pursuing him (for the sake of recruiting him to his pirate crew, though Hak misunderstands and thinks its romantic pursuit), Hak punches Jae-ha square in the nose. Rather than howling in pain or anger and retaliating, Jae-ha gets really excited and tells him it FELT GREAT.
To most people, Jae-ha portrays himself as cheerful, easygoing, and even carefree. Very few people actually get to see the more serious side of him, the side willing to talk about his childhood and express his worries and insecurities. He remains so private that in one instance, Kija expresses happiness that Jae-ha trusts him enough to speak about serious things with him. Caught off-guard, Jae-ha smiles and blushes, and this moment is a really nice snapshot of how far the relationship between the green and the white dragon has come.
As can probably be expected from two people who held wildly different views about their dragon fates, Kija and Jae-ha did not get along at first. Kija couldn't understand why Jae-ha wouldn't want to fulfill such an honorable duty, and Jae-ha thought him weak-willed to just accept his fate without question. Though the two of them initially left bad impressions on each other, Jae-ha begins to endear himself to him when Kija accepts his reason for coming along with them. No matter what his motivation is for protecting Yona, he's just happy to have the green dragon by their side. Plus, he's a good person for Kija to beg at when he needs a bug or two killed.
His relationship with Yona is interesting, and Jae-ha himself has trouble separating his own, true feelings from that of the dragons' blood. He feels romantic feelings towards her, or at the very least, he thinks he does, but he's also rational enough to realize that this is probably due to the dragons' blood. Yona is much younger than he is (she's 16, and he's 25), after all, and though she's a very cute girl, he doesn't relish the thought of falling in love with someone so young. Even without the effect of the dragons' blood, Jae-ha admires Yona for her kind nature and fierce resolution. Even when Yona is in the face of danger and is shivering out of fright, she continues to press forward, and Jae-ha can't help but feel inspired by her.
Jae-ha has become a teasing older brother figure for everyone in their little group. Aside from Zeno, who is thousands of years old, he's the oldest, and honestly, Zeno acts like he's a teen, so he could use some big brothering, too. He teases Shin-ah and Kija in particular at every opportunity, because in comparison to him, both of them are quite sheltered. He also enjoys teasing Hak, though that one often comes with more violent consequences. It's clear that he's come to care a lot for this ragtag family, and would easily put his life on the line to ensure their safety.
i barely changed anything ... it's fine
Similarly, the freedom to shape his own fate is extremely important to him. Unlike Kija, who readily welcomes his duty to protect and serve King Hiryuu's reincarnation, Jae-ha initially wants little to do with the dragons. He resists the calling of the dragons' blood with all of his willpower, angry that someone could command such power over him simply because of the blood coursing through his veins. While he does eventually join Yona and the other dragons on their quest to better the kingdom, Jae-ha only did so after convincing himself that he was doing it of his own free will. He comes to admire Yona's spirit and her selflessness in taking care of others, and believes that helping someone with such good character is "in line with his idea of beauty".
After freedom, beauty is another concept immensely important to him. This goes for not only the superficial, as there's no denying that Jae-ha loves visually beautiful things (and people), but for inner beauty, as well. He admires Hak's beautiful fighting style, for example, and is inspired by Yona's determination to put her life on the line for others. He appreciates good music and dance. He's generous in his love of finer things, too, and it isn't unheard of for him to dote on his teammates or village girls with gifts.
In contrast, he views bad manners towards women as decidedly NOT beautiful.
One would think that because he's such a huge and shameless flirt, that Jae-ha truly is a no-good pervert. There is, however, definitely a gentlemanly way in which he approaches and treats women. Jae-ha isn't vulgar towards women-- rather, he wants to make a girl feel attractive and special. He doesn't expect anything in return, either, seemingly just as happy to receive a smile at his compliment or a slap. He takes rejection in stride-- he has to, for someone who flirts as much as he does. In fact, if anything, rejection only makes him more persistent. This is where his affections turn pretty annoying.
When it comes to love, Jae-ha loves the thrill of the chase. This is where the "freedom to pursue love" idea comes in. The more someone denies him (really, girl or guy, it doesn't seem to matter for him), the more insistently he pursues them, though this is portrayed as more of a running joke than something he actually participates in seriously. When the tables are turned, however, and Jae-ha becomes the pursued rather than the pursuer, his affections cool. It's no fun without the chase.
Jae-ha is also a canon masochist for pain, although this too is portrayed more for humor than anything. For example, in an effort to get Jae-ha to stop pursuing him (for the sake of recruiting him to his pirate crew, though Hak misunderstands and thinks its romantic pursuit), Hak punches Jae-ha square in the nose. Rather than howling in pain or anger and retaliating, Jae-ha gets really excited and tells him it FELT GREAT.
To most people, Jae-ha portrays himself as cheerful, easygoing, and even carefree. Very few people actually get to see the more serious side of him, the side willing to talk about his childhood and express his worries and insecurities. He remains so private that in one instance, Kija expresses happiness that Jae-ha trusts him enough to speak about serious things with him. Caught off-guard, Jae-ha smiles and blushes, and this moment is a really nice snapshot of how far the relationship between the green and the white dragon has come.
As can probably be expected from two people who held wildly different views about their dragon fates, Kija and Jae-ha did not get along at first. Kija couldn't understand why Jae-ha wouldn't want to fulfill such an honorable duty, and Jae-ha thought him weak-willed to just accept his fate without question. Though the two of them initially left bad impressions on each other, Jae-ha begins to endear himself to him when Kija accepts his reason for coming along with them. No matter what his motivation is for protecting Yona, he's just happy to have the green dragon by their side. Plus, he's a good person for Kija to beg at when he needs a bug or two killed.
His relationship with Yona is interesting, and Jae-ha himself has trouble separating his own, true feelings from that of the dragons' blood. He feels romantic feelings towards her, or at the very least, he thinks he does, but he's also rational enough to realize that this is probably due to the dragons' blood. Yona is much younger than he is (she's 16, and he's 25), after all, and though she's a very cute girl, he doesn't relish the thought of falling in love with someone so young. Even without the effect of the dragons' blood, Jae-ha admires Yona for her kind nature and fierce resolution. Even when Yona is in the face of danger and is shivering out of fright, she continues to press forward, and Jae-ha can't help but feel inspired by her.
Jae-ha has become a teasing older brother figure for everyone in their little group. Aside from Zeno, who is thousands of years old, he's the oldest, and honestly, Zeno acts like he's a teen, so he could use some big brothering, too. He teases Shin-ah and Kija in particular at every opportunity, because in comparison to him, both of them are quite sheltered. He also enjoys teasing Hak, though that one often comes with more violent consequences. It's clear that he's come to care a lot for this ragtag family, and would easily put his life on the line to ensure their safety.