Jira breaks up with Koh in Burnout Syndrome episode 9 after discovering he used the paintings he bought to create an AI that replicated his art.
In Burnout Syndrome episode 9, which aired on January 28, Jira tells Pheem they’re better off as friends, while Pheem warns him about how capitalist Koh is. Meanwhile, Koh successfully develops another AI, feeding it the paintings he bought from Jira to replicate his art style, producing identical works.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Reader discretion is advised.
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Burnout Syndrome Episode 9 Recap: Jira tells Pheem they’re better off as friends
Jira meets Pheem after first talking to Ing, who assesses his paintings of Koh and Pheem. Ing says the painting of Pheem feels like Jira wants him to be free from his sadness and messiness. However, she still prefers the painting of Koh and asks Jira which one he likes more.
Soon after, Jira gives Pheem his painting and finally tells him they are better off as friends. In response, Pheem asks if he was not enough or if he did something wrong. Jira assures him, saying he’s actually very good. When Pheem asks if Jira likes the painting he made of him, Jira says yes. Still, Pheem points out that Jira likes the other paintings more, leaving Jira unable to deny it.
Then, Pheem asks to see Koh’s painting. The moment he sees it, he understands the truth—Jira likes Koh more.
In the end, Pheem accepts Jira’s decision but warns him. He says that one day, Jira will grow tired of Koh because Koh is a capitalist who only loves people as long as they are useful, pointing out that Jira will only be happy if he keeps proving his worth. Although Jira admits he knows this, he says he has already made up his mind, which hurts Pheem even more.
What Jira thinks about AI doing art in Burnout Syndrome episode 9
Koh fetches Jira and buys another painting. He then asks to take photos of Jira on the balcony, using the same angle as the one in the previous painting. After that, they head to Koh’s place.
While Koh works, Jira plays with computer scraps Koh no longer uses. He pours water over them, arranges flowers around them, and agrees with what Koh says: “Tech is the new art.” Seeing this, Koh comments that art and technology have always been connected. He explains that films, for example, exist because of inventions like the movie camera.
From there, Koh says it is now Artificial Intelligence’s turn. Jira immediately disagrees. He argues that AI does not truly create art, since it only generates images by mixing other people’s work, which he calls stealing. In response, Koh says this is not very different from traditional artists using references.
However, Jira insists that art cannot be taught superficially. According to him, real art requires thinking, analyzing, and carefully choosing inspiration. Koh counters by saying AI also learns, just much faster. He adds that he can even make his AI legally copy artworks because he owns the copyrights to all the images used to train it.
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Koh admits he wants Jira in his life
Jira presents his finished artwork, combining flowers and tech parts—“two contrasting things that look beautiful and meaningful when put together.” When he asks Koh what he thinks, Koh connects the piece to the last time they slept together, when everything was a mess. To him, the computer scraps represent himself: emotionless, lifeless, and long untouched. In contrast, the flowers represent Jira, who awakened and revived him.
Jira then explains that flowers often symbolize genitals in art, so Koh’s arousal does not surprise him. To calm down, Koh goes to take a shower, and later, Jira joins him. During their talk, Koh asks if Jira plans to move in, admitting he fears being abandoned. Jira points out that Koh is usually the one who leaves people once they are no longer useful.
Koh finally confesses, “At first, I didn’t feel a thing for you. But now, I can’t stop. I want you in my life.” Jira responds that he wants the same.
Meanwhile, Mawim asks Pheem to accompany him to an audition and help him rehearse afterward. He tells Pheem to be himself and encourages him to release his emotions toward Jira. As the two pour out all their longing and emotions, their performance becomes so intense that it moves Ing, the casting director, to tears.
Koh creates an AI that copies Jira’s art style in Burnout Syndrome episode 9
Koh installs another computer at his place and shows Jira the image he took on the balcony. He asks which part of his body Jira wants to paint. Jira replies that from the first day they met, Koh’s actions were contradictory but interesting—mysterious, yet literally stripping down in front of him.
He admits that when he first saw Koh’s “thing,” he observed it like an artist, noting its shape, size, and color, then went home and painted it. “It felt really arousing,” he adds.
Next, Koh shows Jira another image: The Roses of Heliogabalus, where rose petals fall as revellers are executed, a clash between flowers and death. While Jira comments on it, Koh’s AI is already analyzing him without his knowledge. Koh then explains that his new software uses the camera and mic to study Jira’s facial expressions and voice, training the AI based on what he is saying.
Koh wants Jira to see what his AI can do. He feeds the paintings he bought from Jira to the AI and prompts it to draw in Jira’s style using the images and a recently added “preset.” When the AI produces its work, it looks almost identical to Jira’s original paintings.
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Jira broke up with Koh
Koh is thrilled when his AI successfully replicates Jira’s art, seeing it as the most expensive software he’ll ever sell. But Jira cannot be happy with it. He asks Koh how he felt when he first saw Jira’s paintings—how his painting moved Koh to the point that he had to ask him how he did it.
Every time I paint you, it means so much to me. It feels alive because I paint it based on who you are at the time. That’s the bond between an artist and his model. But this AI-generated image is deformed, a cheap copy of my work.
Jira asks Koh to delete the AI-generated images, saying he does not consent to them. Koh insists he legally bought the paintings and can experiment with them, adding that assessing the pictures earlier was part of his work. Jira then asks if Koh asking him out was also part of his job, but Koh denies it. When Jira asks again to delete the images, Koh refuses, seeing no need to do so. Angered, Jira quits, breaks up with him, and leaves.
As he waits at the elevator, Jira sees the shadows of Koh at the door, as if, deep inside, he is waiting for him to follow and stop him from going. But Koh stays put until Jira leaves.
Burnout Syndrome Episode 10 Preview and Release Date
Burnout Syndrome episode 7 hints at Jira approaching Pheem to ask if they can delete the information fed into Koh’s AI system. Meanwhile, Koh will try to convince Jira to come back to him, unable to sleep again. Jira responds by calling Koh selfish, saying it is better to end it.
The episode premieres on February 4 and will air on GMM 25 at 8:30 PM (ICT). Fans can catch the rerun on the GMMTV Official YouTube channel, while the uncut version will be available on iQIYI at 10:30 PM (PHT) / 9:30 PM (ICT).
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Source: GMMTV OFFICIAL, Burnout Syndrome
