The Korean curse, also known as the "maejil-ttok" in Korean, is a curse that is said to bring bad luck or misfortune upon a person. It is believed to have originated from ancient shamanistic practices in Korea and is still widely believed and used today. The curse is often performed by a shaman or a person with knowledge of the curse. They typically use a ritual that involves chanting, burning specific herbs or materials, and making symbolic gestures. The words and actions used during the curse vary depending on the desired outcome, whether it be to harm someone or to protect oneself from harm. The belief in the curse is deeply ingrained in Korean culture, and many people still fear its effects.
The belief in the curse is deeply ingrained in Korean culture, and many people still fear its effects. It is believed that once a curse is cast upon someone, it is difficult to remove and can cause a cascade of negative events in the person's life. The perceived effects of the curse can range from physical ailments to financial troubles, relationship problems, or general bad luck.
The Cursed Drama Review
Back with another drama to review. I don’t really have intention to review this one much in addition that there’s not many noteworthy screenshot that could be use for this review. So bear with me, this gonna be full of text reviews instead.
— Spoiler, proceed at your own risk —
The Cursed is a story of a shaman’s daughter, which was possessed by evil spirit, Inugami. Because of inugami’s nature as being vicious and love for hatred and curses, its power is extremely strong when performing procedure. Now here, is a bit explanation about procedure. The terms procedure used here, or perhaps curse itself is like a voodoo (just to familiarise people that are not used to asian kind of thing). The person performing the curse is called performer in this series, though most of them are shamans.
I love how the series started, accentuated on the asian kind of thing, which in this case shamanism in contrast to many different ways in the world. There are dramas that portray exorcism or fighting with super human power but most of them are more towards western-like instead of asian. The portrayal of shamanism in this series, which closely related to asian culture and introduction of several spirits such as inugami brought the sense of belonging closer to a korean drama.
The series evolved in every episode on how they are going to fight against the evil spirit within the body of a huge corporation CEO. Much to the disappointment however, the series keep playing cat and mouse game. The only real battle that was noteworthy to mention was only during the very first time So Jin performed the procedure on Jin Jong Hyun. Jin Kyung as the corporation shaman was well prepared at that time with Tsukumogami to fend off the Inugami attack, along with several other talismans. Tsukumogami was destroyed but the procedure rebound back to So Jin instead.
It’s probably pretty frustrating whenever Jin Hee tried to convince Sung Joon about the superstitious belief yet Sung Joon waived them all off. However, it come up interesting when Sung Joon finally look at the perspective of his wife to force Lee Hwan to spit up the truth.
While the momentum of the drama kicks off quite fast, again, its another drama that failed to keep that very momentum till the very end. The final episode and the final battle between So Jin and Jin Jong Hyun and his “armies” of shaman from all around the world is laughable in my opinion. The very first time So Jin performed the procedure on Jin Jong Hyun, the whole room shake and even Tsukumogami drum was destroyed, but against all these shaman from all around the world, the place didn’t shake or nothing spectacular happened aside from all the shaman performing the force field fell down one by one, leaving only Otomo.
The drama also in my view, failed to deliver as to how So Jin managed to connect with the inugami that enters Forest. What happened was Jin Hee asked So Jin to do the procedure on her to take the lead and defeat the inugami in Forest. And through a series of some sort of reflection, Jin Hee met a child version of So Jin which told her that she couldn’t perform a procedure on Jin Hee and asked her to wake up. So Jin also mentioned that she has connect with the inugami and will try to hold on to it. And thus, Otomo said the inugami has disappeared.
The concept of the drama came off very interesting, trying to showcase dark magic and procedure in asian society, which many of us in asia could relate. While the story was interesting at first, the momentum drops pretty quick with all the cat and mouse game. Let’s not forget, why Jin Kyung bother to hire henchmen to kill when she can simply perform procedure to do so. Those henchmen are extras I guess, which otherwise the story with the policemen won’t even correlate. Like, how do they even try to catch without a proof.
The death of Jin Kyung and Ju Hwan were reported with high content of anandamide in their brain. Anyone care to explain what does that indicates? Like, why bother mentioning when there’s no explanation in the drama itself?
There are not many dramas that brings forward the concept of shamanism and playing with talisman thing yet. I remember there was a korean movie Jeon Woo Chi which brought that element in, which later followed by the drama version. Regretfully, while the movie was extremely good at showcasing the elements, the drama version was extremely terrible at it, more towards playing with magic instead of talismans.
So far, the best at this concept is only Tokyo Raven, which is a japanese anime. Unbeatable with this concept.
The Cursed (org. title Bangbeob) was directed by Yong-wan Kim and written by screenwriter Sang-ho Yeon. While Yong-wan Kim is relatively new to film and television, Sang-ho Yeon is one of the names you’ll come across a lot when watching South Korean genre productions.
Some people even believe that the curse can lead to death if not addressed. Because of the fear surrounding the curse, people often seek out shamans or spiritual practitioners to help remove it. These practitioners may use specific rituals, prayers, or even perform exorcisms to rid the person of the curse. While many people believe in the power of the Korean curse, there is also skepticism and debate surrounding its effectiveness. Some argue that the curse is simply a psychological phenomenon, where the belief in the curse can lead to negative outcomes due to self-fulfilling prophecies or the anxiety caused by the belief itself. Regardless of the validity of the curse, it remains a significant aspect of Korean culture and continues to be a subject of both fear and fascination. It serves as a reminder of the ancient shamanistic practices that still influence Korean beliefs and traditions today..
Reviews for "The Curse Korean: From Folklore to Film"
1. Samantha - 1/5 stars - I found "The Curse Korean" to be incredibly boring and lacking in substance. The storyline was confusing and disjointed, making it hard to follow. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with any of them. The pacing was also extremely slow, with very little happening throughout the film. Overall, I was extremely disappointed and would not recommend this film to anyone.
2. Michael - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Curse Korean" after hearing all the buzz, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The plot was intriguing, but it was poorly executed. The film relied heavily on jump scares and cheap thrills, which got old very quickly. Additionally, the characters felt shallow and lacked development, leaving me detached from the story. While the cinematography was stunning, it wasn't enough to salvage the film from its lackluster storytelling. Overall, "The Curse Korean" was a disappointment and left me wanting more substance.
3. Emily - 1/5 stars - "The Curse Korean" was a complete waste of my time. The plot was nonsensical and convoluted, and it seemed like the filmmakers were more focused on creating scary visuals than developing a cohesive narrative. The scares were predictable and relied heavily on cliches, which became tiresome after the first few jumps. I found myself questioning the logic of the characters' decisions throughout the film, making it difficult to suspend my disbelief. Overall, "The Curse Korean" failed to deliver on its promise and left me feeling underwhelmed.
4. David - 2/5 stars - I have mixed feelings about "The Curse Korean." While the film had a unique concept and some genuinely creepy moments, it ultimately fell flat for me. The pacing was inconsistent, with some scenes dragging on while others felt rushed. The writing also lacked depth, resulting in characters that were difficult to connect with. Additionally, the scares were often predictable, and the film relied too heavily on jump scares rather than building suspense. Overall, "The Curse Korean" had potential but failed to fully deliver on its promises.