“Gou Young’s Comic ‘The Romance of the Three Kingdoms’”

The novel “Three Kingdoms,” based on Chinese history, is a particularly popular theme in the three East Asian countries of Korea, China, and Japan. In China, it naturally enjoys popularity as it’s their own history, while in Japan, it gained popularity as the company “KOEI” developed games set in the Three Kingdoms.

In Korea, too, “Three Kingdoms” is a popular theme, often encountered from childhood, and this interest often continues into adulthood. Many people in the media lecture on “Three Kingdoms,” and there are also many who tell lighter stories. Thus, it can be said that “Three Kingdoms” is a content commonly consumed by people in the three East Asian countries.

“The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms”

The Three Kingdoms consists of “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and historical records. Historical records are categorized as a type of history book, presenting stiff content describing historical facts. On the other hand, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a novel form of storytelling based on historical facts but incorporating fictional imagination.

Generally, when people refer to “Three Kingdoms,” they mainly mean the Romance of the Three Kingdoms based on the novel. Among them, the most central one is the Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by a writer named Na Gwan-joong, which is based on the summary of “Jeon Sang Samgukji-Pyungwha (全相三國志平話)” using the stories and episodes included in “Samgukji” written by Seo Jin and “Samgukji-Ju” by Bae Song-ji.

Although its original name is “Samgukji Tong-sokyeon-ui,” it is commonly called “Samgukyeon-ui” in Chinese-speaking regions and is known as titles such as “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” in English. It’s worth noting that the English title of the Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms is “Record of the Three Kingdoms.”

“The Background of the Three Kingdoms”

The background of the Three Kingdoms ranges from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 AD to 280 AD. Stories unfold through events such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Ten Eunuchs’ control, Dong Zhuo’s tyranny, and the rise of military heroes such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan in an unstable era.

“Three Kingdoms in Korea and Japan”

Although based on Chinese history, the Three Kingdoms, as mentioned above, also gained significant popularity in Korea and Japan. In Japan, the manga artist Yokoyama Mitsuteru produced a manga adaptation, which was then made into a 47-episode animation.

In Korea, the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” translated by Yi Mun-yeol is well-known, and recently, various history lecturers have been rewriting the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” However, if one were to mention having seen a Three Kingdoms work in Korea in the past, most would refer to Yi Mun-yeol’s version.

“Gou Young’s Comic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms'”

While Yi Mun-yeol’s version of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is considered the standard in Korea, Gou Young, a comic artist, also depicted the “Three Kingdoms” series. However, unlike other novelists, Gou Young’s distinctive feature is that he expressed it through comics.

Being depicted in comics, Gou Young’s version of the Three Kingdoms comes across more lightly compared to the novel version. In fact, the content is somewhat lighter than reading it in text form, and it reflects Gou Young’s unique charm with advanced drawing techniques and narrative style, making it one of the most highly regarded works among several Three Kingdoms comics.

“Gou Young’s Unique Interpretation of the Three Kingdoms”

Gou Young’s Three Kingdoms is famous for its unique perspective and interpretation, unlike other existing versions. Its storytelling, seemingly light yet profound, is exceptional.

The narrative, seemingly interspersed with the author’s intervention throughout the work, stands out as a technique transcending eras. Some scenes are exaggerated, and memes out of sync with the times, such as Jesus, occasionally appear. These elements are used to relieve tension in the work, showcasing Gou Young’s distinctive narrative style.

In terms of interpretation, Gou Young’s work offers a different perspective from other existing Three Kingdoms works. He portrayed characters like Cao Cao, who are now being reevaluated as reformists, as early as the 1970s, while characters like Liu Bei, often portrayed positively as heroes, are depicted closer to being foolish. Additionally, in contrast to the romantic portrayal of Lady Sun in modern works, Gou Young depicts her as the offspring of the tyrant who killed her father, Sun Jian, presenting a somewhat different image from modern Three Kingdoms interpretations.

Even Zhuge Liang is depicted as a more outstanding figure in Gou Young’s Three Kingdoms than in other works. In particular, the notion that Zhuge Liang deliberately attempted to eliminate Guan Yu is included in the work, leading to the emergence of the “Zhuge Liang’s Guan Yu Elimination Theory.” Although this concept may seem far-fetched and is not readily accepted, given Zhuge Liang’s abilities as depicted in Gou Young’s Three Kingdoms, such a theory sounds plausible.

“The Work Damaged by Strict Censorship”

During the period when Gou Young was serializing the Three Kingdoms, South Korea was undergoing severe censorship. Much of the original content was heavily censored, resulting in significant deletions to the extent that a 10-volume book was reduced to 5 volumes.

At that time, the censorship and deletion process was not done on copies of the work but directly on the original, ultimately resulting in the tragedy of the original being damaged. Although a restored version of the original was later published, Gou Young left a poignant note in the preface, saying, “My child suffered the agony of having his arms and legs cut off, and for over 20 years, I inflicted endless suffering on that child…”

Fortunately, in the 2000s, Gou Young’s Three Kingdoms was released in CD format as an e-book and reissued in print form, revealing itself to the world once again.

Gou Young’s Three Kingdoms delivers a different kind of emotional impact from existing works. From the distinctive interpretation and narrative elements unique to Gou Young to the narrative features that transcend eras, one can feel another charm in addition to the standard characters and interpretations of existing works.

“Gou Young’s Comic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms'”