Review: Webtoon Characters Come Alive in ALONG WITH THE GODS

Seoul Performing Arts Company's production of ALONG WITH THE GODS is an adaptation of the well-known 'webtoon' or webcomic of the same title. The hit webtoon was released in 2010, made its stage premiere in 2015, and came back for a second run in 2017. It was also made into a movie that was released in December 20th, 2017. The 2018 revival of the musical brings together artists of the Seoul Performing Arts Company and famous musical actors in Korea.

ALONG WITH THE GODS is based on the Buddhist belief that one has to go through 7 trials in 7 different hells for 49 days to get reincarnated. The performance starts with an ordinary man, Kim Ja-Hong discovering that he has died. After meeting the three underworld warriors who lead dead souls safely to the underworld, Ja-Hong departs the world of the living by traveling on the train to the underworld where he has to go through trials. On his way to the underworld, a fellow passenger escapes the train claiming that his death was a wrongful one. The underworld warriors follow the restless soul, trying to catch him, while the other passengers arrive at the Gate of Underworld.

The story of Ja-Hong going through the seven trials in the underworld and the story of the three underworld warriors chasing the restless soul in the world of the living is interwoven throughout the show. When Ja-Hong and the other passengers arrive at the Gate of Underworld, they meet their lawyers who guide them through their 49 days in underworld. Jin Gi-Han, Ja-Hong's rather clumsy lawyer, promises Ja-Hong that he will try his best to defend Ja-Hong even though Ja-Hong's case is his first case as a professional lawyer. In the world of the living, on the other hand, the three underworld warriors find the vengeful soul and listen to his story of why he died.

While watching the show, the LED screen floor and the oval-shaped tilted edge on the stage will catch the audience's eyes. The LED screen floor shows different colors and images for every trial and hell Ja-Hong has to go through. Another interesting part of the stage - the oval-shaped tilted edge - reminds people of the Möbius strip, which can also represent the belief in Buddhism that there is an eternal cycle of birth and death. The costume and the makeup that the performers put on is also a huge part of the show that help actors actually become the cartoon characters in real life.

I thought that this performance depicted the afterlife of an ordinary man hilariously and showed how the life after death can still be similar to the life that we are living right now. The gods in the underworld are shown as beings that use smartphones to take selfies, send messages and they call each other on phone. The underworld also has coffee shops, subways, motorboats, kayaks, and more. But the only thing that makes the underworld different from the world of the living is that they have gods who judge people by how they lived through their lives. Even though some gods are shown as beings who are like ordinary humans - for instance, being negligent while working - other gods are shown to be very strict in their duties and try their best to give fair verdict to the defendant.

The show not only depicts the afterlife in a hilarious way, but also gives some lessons about life. Ja-Hong, who was a very ordinary working-class man when he was alive gets huge benefits because he was humble and kind to everyone around him. Also, in one of the hells Ja-Hong goes through, he has to get judgement for the filial duties he performed when he was alive. At some point during this trial, people will be reminded of their parents. Because it seems like one's parents are always going to be there for you, it may be hard to express how much you love them, like Ja-Hong. But as it is always said, expressing how much you appreciate your parents is important, and this show reminds you of that fact once more.

ALONG WITH THE GODS at CJ Towol Theatre in Seoul Arts Center

Closed on April 15th, 2018

Photo Credit: Seoul Performing Arts Company