‘Moving’, redefinition of a ‘Korean’ hero different from Marvel [Sukyeong Entertainment Research Institute]

Disney+’s original drama ‘Moving’, which was released on the 9th of last month, is receiving a lot of attention. ‘Moving’ has been ranked first for four weeks in the weekly ranking compiled by Kino Lights, a comprehensive OTT service popularity ranking chart.

‘Moving’ presents a superpower action hero story in which children who live in the present with their superpowers hidden and their parents who have lived with secrets of the past face great danger. It presents a typical ‘Korean-style’ hero film to domestic viewers who have so far only been familiar with Hollywood hero films.

The term ‘Korean style’ has very multiple meanings depending on the expression. At one time, with capital that was far less than that of Hollywood, there was a time when the expression ‘You can make something like this even with little money’ was expressed differently in the ‘Korean style’, and the constant recall and expression of the heritage of the past for the sake of Korea’s unique emotions was called the ‘Korean style’. ‘ was also called.

However, ‘Mubing’ presents a new definition of the term ‘Korean style’. Even though it is not flashy or obsessed with Korean things, it has created a heroic narrative that can clearly reflect the Republic of Korea. In that respect, the success of ‘Moving’ suggests that hero films can grow in a unique way in Korea.

All of the superpowers that appear in ‘Moving’ hide their abilities. However, what causes their abilities to manifest is not an external invasion or existential concerns. These are the many systematic absurdities that Korean society, and only Korean society, possesses.

For example, Jang Hee-su (Go Yoon-jeong), the daughter of Jang Joo-won (Ryu Seung-ryong), who has self-regenerative abilities, lives hiding her abilities. But she can’t get past the situation of her friend being bullied in her class, so she ends up having her abilities discovered. In the end, Hee-su was her victim, but she becomes the perpetrator, and she is forced to run away.

Jeon Gye-do (Cha Tae-hyun), who also has electrical abilities, has difficulty adapting to society because he cannot control the electricity generated in his body. And he is pushed into the long tunnel of youth unemployment. His situation of having to worry about food right away ultimately causes his electrical abilities to be exposed to the outside world.

Lee Jae-man (Kim Seong-gyun), a man of great strength, is also a character with intellectual disability, but his strength was exposed because of the true face of public power revealed during the Cheonggyecheon restoration project. These talented people are also deployed to spy activities overseas, including in North Korea, under the pretext of contributing to the common good of the country.

Until now, many hero films, including Marvel Studios, have had many internal and external reasons for the development of abilities, such as a family’s tragic history or invasion by aliens or foreign forces. However, this opportunity was also an extremely unique situation that can only be found in the fantasy genre, so it was not easy to become immersed in the narrative.

However, ‘Moving’ keeps reminding us of memories that we don’t want to remember or are uncomfortable when looking at Korean history, and ties them to hero stories. Regardless of the humanism of the work, because it is uniquely Korean, there are hidden devices everywhere to immerse yourself in it.

Reporter Ha Kyung-heon azimae@kyunghyang.com