한중 저승 서사에 반영된 욕망과 치유— 웹툰 《신과함께》와 화본소설 속 저승 이야기를 중심으로

Abstract

Many people are interested in stories about the underworld. The reason why people are interested in the underworld, which is difficult to check if it exists, is because they want people who struggle with reality’s toughness, injustice, and absurdity to relieve their anger, relieve their desires, comfort, and heal through the “tools” of the underworld. If you look at the webtoon Along with the Gods, the narrative proceeds in a way that comforts and heals those who are struggling at the time. The themes of causality and punishment of authority are the same as Huaben xiaoshuo, but their approach and orientation are slightly different. Feng Menglong’s ‘Sanyan’ contains interesting underworld stories. In particular, vol. 31 Make a noise to the underworld and Simamao goes on trial and vol.32 Humudi recites a poem after visiting the underworld, the two works in Yushimingyan tell interesting stories that contrast each other in relation to the underworld. Feng Menglong’s ‘Sanyan’, published at the end of the Ming Dynasty, was a great commercial success, and the later novels followed its form and content. Joo Homin’s Along with the Gods, which started as a Naver webtoon, was also produced as two movies with great commercial success and watched by more than 10 million audience. Both works on the subject of the underworld have been very successful commercially, and I find out what was the same and different between the underworld story that was popular in China at the end of the Ming Dynasty and Along with the Gods that was successful in Korea in the 21st century. To this end, I compare the social and cultural background of the birth of the story, writers, and readership, and examine how commercial success was achieved in completely different times and social situations.