• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.77-114
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• 2020

This article aims to examine the Sinpa of Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds. Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds was a box office hit with a 10 million attendance mark, but it was also criticized as a 'Korean Sinpa' at the time of its release. The original version of Along with the Gods is a Webtoon called Singwahamkke in Korean. The popularity of Singwahamkke and its adaptation, Along with the Gods was enormous, which prompted a very active research to be carried about the work. However there are only a few articles which analyze the Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds focusing on the Sinpa, even though the Sinpa of the Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds was a highly controversial issue when the movie was released. In this regard, this article tries to examine the Sinpa of the Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds closely, especially by comparing it with the original webtoon Singwahamkke Jeoseung. The body part of this article is composed of three major parts: chapters 2, 3, and 4. Chapter 2 contains an in depth explanation about the notion of Sinpa, the main conceptual research tool for this study. In chapter 3, the original webtoon Singwahamkke Jeoseung is examined closely. This chapter analyzes the 'Sinpajeok moment' in Singwahamkke Jeoseung and argues that despite the presence of Sinpa elements, the webtoon cannot be considered a 'Sinpajeok text'. On the other hand the main subject of chapter 4 is discovering what effect the adaptation from webtoon to movie had on this work, with a particular focus on the gender of Sinpa and Kim Ja-hong. Chapter 5, which corresponds to the conclusion, briefly evaluates the social significance of the controversy arisen in South Korea about the Sinpa in Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. Sinpa is one of the most repeated code in the realm of Korean popular narrative. This is why the Sinpa of contemporary text is examined continuously even though there are already plenty of studies on the Sinpa. Everyone has called Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds Sinpa but no one has properly analyzed it. It is hoped that this article which closesly examined the Sinpa in Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds contribute to the field of Sinpa. It is also expected that this article can find appropriate contextual meaning of the series of Along with the Gods.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.87-94
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• 2019

South Korean films narrate exquisitely, express emotions implicitly and employ magnificent images, exemplifying unique oriental aesthetics. This paper takes Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) as an example to analyze the meaning of oriental aesthetics in South Korean films using the Film Narrative Theory. It is a fantasy blockbuster depicting family kinship stories. It structures with the familiar karma and reincarnation of Asian Buddhism with the core of family kinship. Perfectly interpreting the fantasy world of hell with stunning movie effects, it shows the family kinship of families under the main plot line of a horror film.