The Silent Sea Character You Are Based On Your Zodiac Sign
Ever since its release, "The Silent Sea" has been riding waves of audience adulation, with a high-concept script, captivating visual effects, and an all-star cast to top it off. What's not to like? The show portrays a future where ecological disaster has laid waste to Earth and its people, leading to widespread drought and, consequently, a system of water distribution that favors the powerful and affluent. Amidst all this, Director Choi (Gil Hae-yeon) of the SAA (Space and Aeronautics Administration) dispatches an elite team of scientists, soldiers, and engineers to fulfill a mission that sounds straightforward enough: retrieve a sample of an unknown substance from a defunct research station on the moon. But twists and turns lie in wait, as characters betray each other, forge friendships and alliances, and grapple with the arrival of a space intruder.
Arguably, these myriad individuals are the beating heart of the show. The spectrum of "The Silent Sea" characters is fairly wide, ranging from brilliant, enigmatic astrobiologist Dr. Song Ji-an (Bae Doona) to resolute ship captain Han Yun-jae (Gong Yoo). Where do you fall on this sweeping scale? Do you share traits or quirks with Ji-an, Yun-jae, or other crew members? And what better way to answer these questions than by combining astronomy with astrology? To pair you with your ideal SAA team member, we've consulted the stars and arranged this diverse set of characters according to the zodiac signs they personify.
Aries: Han Yun-jae
Aries, leadership, and Yun-jae are all synonymous with each other. When Gong dubbed his character "cool-headed" and "extremely capable," he may as well have been listing out the qualities of an Aries native.
Like Yun-jae, people born under this sign may often find themselves heeding the call of duty. Unfortunately, sometimes that duty may happen to be part of an ill-begotten plan, like that of Director Choi's. In the beginning, Yun-jae is solely focused on following Choi's plan to its bitter end, which may even spell the death of Luna 073 (Kim Si-A). True to the classic Aries trait of self-reliance, Yun-jae hesitates to defer to anyone else's expertise, even as he sees his duty violently clashing with his principles.
It does eventually strike him that his duty is not to Choi or her politically-charged strategies, but to his daughter and millions of others like her back on Earth. With this realization, Yun-jae performs the highest act of leadership: sacrificing himself for the sake of his team and its new, better mission.
Taurus: Director Choi
Natives of the Taurus sign are known for their persistence, and Director Choi is no different. In rare circumstances like Choi's, a Taurus' resilience and focus can corrode into an unhealthy obsession. The SAA director's fixation with dominating the water distribution market leads her down a dangerous path of lies, unethical science, and outright tyranny.
The Taurus affinity for material possessions reinforces Choi's water-mania. In a world where water is the highest form of material wealth, the director schemes to make herself and her government rich. The ends justify the means — but only until it's time to stick her own neck out. When she sniffs a ticking PR bomb that could blow up in her face, she orders the science station shut down — that is, purged of all evidence of the experiments, including the scientists themselves. Ironically, Choi's lunacy does yield results, as her experiment Luna 073 ends up being the key to Earth's salvation.
Gemini: Kim Sun
Geminis are considered to be "the pollinators of the zodiac," primarily because of their adeptness at building meaningful bonds as they flit from one individual to the other. A Gemini's most discerning characteristic is their interpersonal skills and engaging, amiable qualities. Every team needs their own Gemini, and in "The Silent Sea," that role is played by pilot Kim Sun (Lee Sung-Wook). Always armed with a wisecrack and a comeback, Sun is the class clown of the team, and few of his scenes take place without a much-needed joke.
"The Silent Sea" establishes Sun's role as comic relief early on. One of the show's lighter moments occurs in the first episode, when Sun confers the title of "Top Gun of the SAA" on himself, much to his teammates' amusement. Later, when the team suffers blows and losses after their spacecraft crashes and crew members begin to die, we see Kim Sun attempt to lift spirits and breathe life into his teammates' dying hopes. He may or may not be deserving of the "Top Gun" title, but he certainly earns the "pollinator" label.
Cancer: Kim Jae-sun
The Cancerian tendency to be supportive and empathetic is most plainly seen in Kim Jae-sun (Heo Sung-tae), a section chief of the SAA. Jae-sun begins the series as a lackey of the unfeeling, mercenary Director Choi, but ends it by finally stepping out of her shadow. His transformation is slow and deliberate, which many Cancer natives will sympathize with. Change doesn't come easy for those born under this sign, and old habits die hard. But Jae-sun begins to empathize with the plight of his parched compatriots and with Yun-jae's daughter, both of whom are slowly succumbing to dehydration. With renewed vigor, he's able to send a spacecraft to rescue the crew stranded on the moon.
At the very end of the series, Jae-sun's Cancerian inclination towards leadership finally shines through, and he leads the charge against Choi's unscrupulous dealings. His is one of the most redeeming — and satisfying — character arcs in "The Silent Sea."
Leo: Gong Soo-chan
Gong Soo-chan (Jung Soon-Won) is the picture of warmth and perkiness, both cardinal characteristics of the Leo sign. His playful streak particularly emerges in the presence of crew member Kim Sun. Soo-chan and Kim Sun are close friends and playful sparring partners, taking the edge off the show's grim premise. Their camaraderie is hardly surprising given how compatible Leos are with Geminis — the Gemini love for humor gels well with the Leo affinity for merrymaking.
But Leos aren't all play and no work. They can tap into deep reserves of courage to meet even the most challenging of tasks. Of all the heroic acts in "The Silent Sea," Soo-chan's is likely the most underrated. When he spies a lunar water sample near the corpse of a scientist, he all but leaps into action to retrieve it. In prying out the sample, droplets of lunar water enter his eye, and he becomes infected. Eventually, Soo-chan's martyrdom does not go unrewarded, as his post-mortem reveals the true nature of the water-virus.
Virgo: Luna 073
Virgo is a mutable sign, one that brings with it the end of a season and, consequently, an affinity for change. Similarly, one of the key characteristics that define Luna 073 is her adaptability. The uncanny ability to adapt to even the harshest of conditions — be it the unwelcoming surface of the moon or water that acts as a virus — is quite literally in Luna's blood. After all, she endured the rough lunar terrain and environment for five years all on her own. Virgo natives also tend to possess deft motor skills and dexterity, which empowers them to be superbly agile (perhaps not as much as Luna, but enough to be noteworthy).
Most importantly, the Virgo sign is intricately intertwined with nature. In keeping with that trait, Luna shares a unique relationship with the Earth's natural satellite and is driven to conserve and protect its resources when the crew from Earth arrives. Like-minded Virgoans may also find themselves instinctively guarding the bounties of nature.
Libra: Dr. Hong Ga-Young
If Yun-jae represents the team's strategic core and Ji-an its intellectual firepower, Dr. Hong Ga-Young (Kim Sun-young) stands for its emotional heart and soul. When we first meet Ga-Young, she is brimming with witticisms and perceptive remarks, a testament to her nature as an affable and extroverted Libra. Kim herself described Ga-young as "very outgoing" and the yin to Ji-an's yang. The latter's aloof persona stands in stark contrast to the former's effervescent one, but Ga-Young, ever the inclusive Libra who can't bear to see others feeling isolated, perpetually attempts to coax Dr. Song out of her shell (she only occasionally succeeds).
Yet beneath all that charm and magnetism is a deeply caring person with abundant affection for her team members. Ga-Young even puts her diplomacy skills to use to help Ji-an uncover the mystery of what happened to her sister. She also personifies the healing characteristics of the Libra sign, which makes her perfectly suited to a career in the medical field.
Scorpio: Lieutenant Ryu Tae-seok
If you're a Scorpio, you might find yourself sympathizing with Lieutenant Ryu Tae-seok (Lee Joon), villain supreme of "The Silent Sea." But Scorpios are hardly one-dimensional, and neither is Tae-seok. He may have committed his share of transgressions in the show, but his troubled past may just absolve him of them.
Despite Director Choi being the one to sentence the scientists inside Balhae Station to their deaths, Tae-seok acted as their executioner. The lieutenant was charged with shutting the gates on those inside the station, even as lunar water threatened to wipe them out. After the incident, he becomes overwhelmed with guilt. Disillusionment is not far off, and soon, Tae-seok is nursing a grudge the size of a lunar crater.
Like the creature from which they derive their name, Scorpios can spew venom when threatened. Even though they may be endowed with many virtues like patience and passion, forgiveness is not their strong suit. In that vein, Tae-seok resolves never to let lunar water fall into the corrupt hands of Choi and her associates. The corporation Rx capitalizes on his thirst for vengeance, placing him as a spy within the SAA team.
Sagittarius: Lee Gi-su
The fire element in the Sagittarius sign may reveal itself through acts of "brutal honesty," which also happens to be co-pilot Lee Gi-su's (Choi Yong-Woo) brand. Gi-su, to put it mildly, does not mince his words, however dire or macabre the situation may be and however unreceptive his companions may be. When the team stumbles upon the corpse of a drowned mercenary, he crassly exclaims, "I'm jealous. I know he's a dead man, but at least he had as much water as he wanted."
In exceptional cases, that fiery spirit may manifest in short tempers, which would account for Gi-su's sudden erratic episodes. At other times, it may present itself as impulsivity or unreliableness. When pushed to the brink, Sagittarians may become increasingly fickle in their loyalty, as does Gi-su. The co-pilot is later revealed to be a spy for Rx, a corrupt corporation that seeks to monopolize essential resources like lunar water.
Capricorn: Chief Gong Soo-hyuk
Steadfast integrity, tenacity, and resourcefulness are characteristic of both Capricorns and Chief Gong Soo-hyuk (Lee Moo-saeng). Lee describes his character as "a soldier of integrity who always keeps it together and is the most faithful at carrying out his duty." Soo-hyuk, Yun-jae's right-hand man, stays the course even as his captain combats a deadly virus, a murderous intruder, and a mole within his own team. When disaster strikes, you want the loyalty and resilience of a Capricorn by your side.
Towards the end of "The Silent Sea," the crew — or what's left of it — becomes trapped between the frying pan and the fire. Ryu Tae-seok, infected with lunar water and a thirst for revenge, brandishes a gun at one end. A stream of water bears down on the crew from the other. The fearless Soo-hyuk wastes no time in picking his poison and shoots Tae-seok dead, getting shot himself in the process.
Aquarius: Dr. Song Ji-an
Dr. Song Ji-an's intellectual capabilities literally know no earthly bounds, but her genius is a double-edged sword. It gives her the ability to view the world differently, but takes away her capability to relate to others. In fact, Aquarians, you may be the only ones with whom Ji-an could really identify.
Aquarius natives possess a very specific kind of intelligence, one that allows them an objective view of any given situation, eliciting a new and novel perspective. Ji-an's objectivity allows her to see through the ruse Director Choi has cooked up and connect the dots between her sister's death and Luna 073's supernatural powers. The ensuing revelation — that Balhae Station used human subjects as guinea pigs — leads her down the path of righteous indignation, which many Aquarians may be familiar with. Considered the "reformers of the zodiac," Aquarians like Ji-an often find themselves overhauling the status quo in pursuit of better ideals and more grounded principles.
Pisces: E2
One quality deeply ingrained within Pisceans is selflessness, for which E2 (Yoo Hee-je) is the poster boy. Admittedly, lady luck doesn't seem to be on E2's side throughout the mission. First, an encounter with Luna 073 almost results in him meeting his maker. Then, while bedridden, he happens to be the one to spot the mole in the group, after which the bruised and battered E2 makes his way to confront the spy Tae-sok, injuries be damned.
E2 embodies the Pisces attribute of service before self. In fact, most Pisces natives derive their sense of purpose from serving others. E2's love of service is firmly rooted in his selflessness, which compels him to follow Tae-seok, and even with Tae-seok's gun in his face, E2 stands his ground in the pursuit of truth. Ultimately though, the lieutenant's firearm wins that round. In situations such as these, the slightest sense of self-preservation would do Pisceans like E2 a lot of good.