Chun Hyang: Im Kwon Taek vs. Clamp

Unlike, Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, Clamp’s manga, Legend of Chun Hyang, portrays Chun Hyang as a woman and heroine of strong independence and skill. In Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, she is portrayed as a passive and docile woman, who only stands up for herself when she must preserve the dignity of her husband. However, within Clamp’s version of Chun Hyang, she is an extremely independent woman, who does not ever depend on men. She possesses extreme martial arts skills that frequently defeat men in combat. She is almost so strong-willed to the point of being frequently “violent.” For instance, Mong Ryung, her “companion,” would always say, “I keep asking you, if you’re going to use violence, you really have to warn me” (Clamp 95). I believe that these two differ extremely as a result of the difference in time period and target audience. By Im Kwon Taek staying true to the folk tale of Chun Hyang, he portrays the tale within the time period of the 18th century. During this time period, Korean women were very subservient to men for Korean was predominantly patriarchal society. I believe that Im Kwon Taek did not have a specific target audience. I believe that he tried to appeal to the older and younger generation. By creating a historical drama, it would tend to appeal to the older generation. However, by also incorporating teenagers as the main characters, it would also attract the younger generation. Clamp is a manga that targets young girls, such as teenagers. If Clamp stayed true to the original Chun Hyang, a person who tends to be very docile and subservient would not appeal to young girls. Therefore, they create a drastic change in Chun Hyang’s personality. She is a fighter who is very independent. She is a heroine who defeats evil with good and avenges her mother’s death. Also, she frequently rescues the villagers from the tyrannical rule of the yang-ban, a person sent by the government who is to become ruler of that certain location. I believe that it is these characteristics that appeal to young girls and make Clamp so successful, for it is the ideal idea of independence from men that is so alluring, for the majority of societies today are mainly patriarchal.