Sherlock Holmes is known for his typical deerstalker hat and curved pipe. He is a brilliant detective, able to deduce one’s job or character from just a look at one’s appearance and behavior. Standing 1.8 meters tall, the man with a hooked nose first appeared in Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Study in Scarlet” and for nearly 130 years he has taken on a central role in popular culture, starring in musicals and plays through to TV dramas, films and literature.
Sherlock Holmes has become a new fad in Korean popular culture this year. KBS2, a public television station, had such demand that it aired season three of the British TV series “Sherlock” before the show was broadcast in the U.S., all while plays and musicals based on Sherlock Holmes are being staged one after the other at local theaters.
Recently, the musical “Sherlock Holmes 2: A Bloody Game” opened at the BBC Arts Center in southern Seoul, a private theater not associated with the British broadcaster. The musical is a sequel to “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Anderson Family,” which swept the musical awards in Korea in 2011 with its powerful storyline and music. Holmes’ character is similar to that described in the original books, but a serial killer, the Victorian Period’s Jack the Ripper, was added to its plot.
“Holmes is a character from 19th century but he is rather close to a 21st century hero,” said Noh Woo-sung, director of the musical. “He endlessly pursues the case, not because of a sense of justice, but to satisfy his curiosity. He is different from other traditional heroes and this makes him very attractive.”
In addition to the musical, a Holmes play is also currently on a stage in Seoul. Since last year, the play “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of Birlstone” has been staged at the Sky Theater in Seoul’s Daehangno district, a neighborhood famous for its theaters. The play has both suspense and comic elements. Its storyline starts with the arrival of a letter on which a secret code is written. As soon as Holmes solves the code, he hears that an associate of his is being executed by firing squad. The play is an adaption of “Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear.” Even those who haven’t read the book can still enjoy the play.
Of all the Sherlock Holmes franchises currently out there, we cannot miss the TV drama “Sherlock,” featuring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. This modern version of Sherlock Holmes recently aired in Korea. The Holmes in “Sherlock, Season 3” was described as a cold-hearted, antisocial person, as in the original book. The preview for “Sherlock, Season 3” has recorded over 100,000 hits in only five days on YouTube.
The literature world is no exception when it comes to Sherlock Holmes fever. In the last couple of years, “Sherlock Holmes: The House of Silk” by Anthony Horowitz, “A Letter from Sherlock Holmes” by Yoon Hae-hwan and the newly annotated “Sherlock Holmes” have all been published and have grown in popularity. Conan Doyle’s original “Sherlock Holmes” collection was published for the first time in Korean in 2002 and it has become a steady seller ever since.
“The collection consisting of 10 stories has sold more than 2 million copies so far,” said Kim Jun-hyck, a manager at Golden Bough, a publisher.
Specialists attribute the popularity of Sherlock Holmes across genres to his multifaceted character. The genius-like Holmes can solve a mystery with just a small clue, but he is also single-minded, unrealistic and eccentric, which allows for various reinterpretations.
“Holmes is a character that fits better into modern society, more than 100 years ago when he first appeared. This makes modern reinterpretations possible,” said Kim Bong-seok, a literature critic. “This is why fans consider Sherlock Holmes to be ‘the most arrogant urban guy’.”
In the British TV drama “Sherlock,” Holmes manipulates his iPhone and roams around the streets of London on his motorbike, but his fans take this modern version of Holmes to be natural. In addition, with the growing popularity of crime dramas such as CSI, genres featuring detectives like Holmes have also become popular.
Jeon Young-chan, a blogger who claims to have a “crime fiction mania,” said Holmes’ character has both good and bad sides. “Writers continue to recreate Sherlock Holmes by highlighting the different elements of his character,” he said. “Fans can see different sides of Holmes across the many genres, including TV drama, film and theater, and there are many more manias possible with Holmes’ character.”
By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr
A scene from the recent musical “Sherlock Holmes 2: A Bloody Game.” (photo courtesy of Clip Service)
Sherlock Holmes has become a new fad in Korean popular culture this year. KBS2, a public television station, had such demand that it aired season three of the British TV series “Sherlock” before the show was broadcast in the U.S., all while plays and musicals based on Sherlock Holmes are being staged one after the other at local theaters.
Recently, the musical “Sherlock Holmes 2: A Bloody Game” opened at the BBC Arts Center in southern Seoul, a private theater not associated with the British broadcaster. The musical is a sequel to “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Anderson Family,” which swept the musical awards in Korea in 2011 with its powerful storyline and music. Holmes’ character is similar to that described in the original books, but a serial killer, the Victorian Period’s Jack the Ripper, was added to its plot.
“Holmes is a character from 19th century but he is rather close to a 21st century hero,” said Noh Woo-sung, director of the musical. “He endlessly pursues the case, not because of a sense of justice, but to satisfy his curiosity. He is different from other traditional heroes and this makes him very attractive.”
The play “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of Birlstone” has both suspense and comic elements. (photo courtesy of Human Company)
In addition to the musical, a Holmes play is also currently on a stage in Seoul. Since last year, the play “Sherlock Holmes: Secret of Birlstone” has been staged at the Sky Theater in Seoul’s Daehangno district, a neighborhood famous for its theaters. The play has both suspense and comic elements. Its storyline starts with the arrival of a letter on which a secret code is written. As soon as Holmes solves the code, he hears that an associate of his is being executed by firing squad. The play is an adaption of “Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear.” Even those who haven’t read the book can still enjoy the play.
A scene from the TV show “Sherlock,” featuring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. (photo: screen capture)
Of all the Sherlock Holmes franchises currently out there, we cannot miss the TV drama “Sherlock,” featuring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. This modern version of Sherlock Holmes recently aired in Korea. The Holmes in “Sherlock, Season 3” was described as a cold-hearted, antisocial person, as in the original book. The preview for “Sherlock, Season 3” has recorded over 100,000 hits in only five days on YouTube.
The literature world is no exception when it comes to Sherlock Holmes fever. In the last couple of years, “Sherlock Holmes: The House of Silk” by Anthony Horowitz, “A Letter from Sherlock Holmes” by Yoon Hae-hwan and the newly annotated “Sherlock Holmes” have all been published and have grown in popularity. Conan Doyle’s original “Sherlock Holmes” collection was published for the first time in Korean in 2002 and it has become a steady seller ever since.
“The collection consisting of 10 stories has sold more than 2 million copies so far,” said Kim Jun-hyck, a manager at Golden Bough, a publisher.
The cover of “Sherlock Holmes: The House of Silk.” Sherlock Holmes books are popular across the country. (photo courtesy of Golden Bough)
Specialists attribute the popularity of Sherlock Holmes across genres to his multifaceted character. The genius-like Holmes can solve a mystery with just a small clue, but he is also single-minded, unrealistic and eccentric, which allows for various reinterpretations.
“Holmes is a character that fits better into modern society, more than 100 years ago when he first appeared. This makes modern reinterpretations possible,” said Kim Bong-seok, a literature critic. “This is why fans consider Sherlock Holmes to be ‘the most arrogant urban guy’.”
In the British TV drama “Sherlock,” Holmes manipulates his iPhone and roams around the streets of London on his motorbike, but his fans take this modern version of Holmes to be natural. In addition, with the growing popularity of crime dramas such as CSI, genres featuring detectives like Holmes have also become popular.
Jeon Young-chan, a blogger who claims to have a “crime fiction mania,” said Holmes’ character has both good and bad sides. “Writers continue to recreate Sherlock Holmes by highlighting the different elements of his character,” he said. “Fans can see different sides of Holmes across the many genres, including TV drama, film and theater, and there are many more manias possible with Holmes’ character.”
By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr
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