Goblins & Demon Hunters

Hi! Judy here. Certainly most of you have heard about the blockbuster movie KPop Demon Hunters. It's the #1 movie on Netflix of all time with several pop hits also coming out of the show. Due to its popularity the Gmamas feel like we need to give a repeat primer on goblins, ghosts, and demons in Korean culture.

The Saja Boys! Even their animated men are gorgeous!

The basic storyline for this movie is a girl band (who are actually shamans but that would be a different post) is fighting against bad guys to help make the world better. The bad guys are portrayed by the 'Saja Boys'..... a Kpop band. Saja means grim reapers in Korean! Per the attached article from 'The Korea Herald' Grim Reapers and Ghosts are "Far from being purely malevolent, they are portrayed as tormented figures — a reflection of han, a uniquely Korean concept of unresolved sorrow that permeates much of the country’s ghost lore. Han is the emotional pain that lingers after a traumatic experience, preventing one from moving on." You will note that HAN is also the stem of the Korean Alphabet (Hangul), the name of the country (Hanguk), and the name of a major river (Hangang or Han River.) In the movie the Saja Boys are not exactly malicious but more grief stricken due to bad behavior in the past.

Grim reapers frequently wear black... and often have the 'gat' which is the traditional black hat from the Joseon period. In one of the Gmama's favorite shows (Guardian: the Lonely and Great God) the grim reaper is also dressed in black but sports a more modern hat. You will remember that this show (Pat and I rate it a very solid 10) features two characters; the Guardian (synonymous with Goblin) is burdened with everlasting life and the other, the Grim Reaper, escorts people to the afterworld. Guardian shares many of the characteristics that are found in Kpop Demon Hunters.

In Demon Hunters the audience can actually feel a bit of sympathy for these demons as they portray very human traits... they're not monsters but rather deeply flawed humans. And that's how Koreans treat this subject!

By the way, if you want an introduction to Korean Culture I think Kpop Demon Hunters is a great start.... It's less than two hours and is upbeat with catchy tunes. However, if you REALLY want to get a feel for Korean Culture you should definitely watch Guardian: the Lonely and Great God. It is truly wonderful and will keep you entertained far beyond the time that Kpop Demon Hunters requires.

And you thought the Gmamas were only fluff...

Pat here. I’m leaving all the heady stuff to Judy. I’m the fluff member of the group.

I hate to correct Judy when she’s spent so much time trying to educate our readers about demons and goblins, but to be fair, one of the girl band members in K-pop Demon Hunters is also part demon. Hence, the existential dilemma that I think all humans share.

One of the wonderful things that this movie has done is to propel the mostly unknown actors and singers in this film onto the world stage of stardom. I hope they get lots and lots of roles after this. Of course my original heart throb Lee Byung-hun has a role in this movie as the ultimate baddy, but he doesn’t need the press. He’s doing just fine all by himself! I wonder if he chose this role to please his kids. I notice that many actors with young children take roles that might appeal to their own kids.

I do agree that Guardian: The Lonely and Great God is one of the all time best Kdramas ever. You can only see it on Viki, but it’s worth the price.

Iconic scene from Guardian: The Lonely & Great God

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10549189