“In an age where personal information no longer belongs to me, I think it is not only frustrating but also a fear worth thinking about.”
In a written interview with Yonhap News on the 14th, author Ludviko, who drew the original webtoon for the Netflix series 'The Field Mouse', revealed the reason why he drew the realistic fear of identity theft based on the old folktale of 'the field mouse that ate a fingernail'.
The author first came up with this subject around 2013-2014, when smartphones became commonplace. After encountering an advertising algorithm based on his search history, he recalled, "I thought, 'Isn't it possible that someone is watching what I'm searching for?' and for the first time, I felt a chill," and "I felt like someone was watching a part of me that no one knew about."
In order to convey this fear more easily and clearly, he borrowed a folktale in which a field mouse that ate a person's fingernails turns into the same person and takes over the person's life.
'The Field Mouse', which was created in this way, is the story of a man whose life was completely taken away by a mysterious entity, and was serialized in three parts on Kakao Webtoon from 2017 to 2020.
The series of the same name, based on a webtoon and starring actors Ryu Jun-yeol and Sol Kyeong-gu, was released worldwide on the 28th of last month and ranked first in the non-English show category announced by Netflix's official site Todoom in the second week.
This work tells the story of Je Mun-jae (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), a reclusive novelist who lost everything due to someone with the same name and face as him, Noja (Sol Kyeong-gu), a loan shark trying to recover his lost money, and detective Park Sun-yong (Lee Gyu-hyung), who pursue the identity of a field mouse.
In an era where individuals can be easily identified with various information such as resident registration numbers, fingerprints, and bank accounts, the story asking 'How do I prove that I am me?' is combined with realistic concerns to create intense suspense.
Writer Ludviko, who enjoyed watching 'The Field Mouse' as both the original author and viewer, introduced the series as 'A Restaurant with Endings', saying, "I have come to respect director Kim Hong-seon, who cuts off the ending points more than the original author."
He continued, "The original work has a strong dark and cold emotion. The characters are not heroes of justice, but 'ordinary people' like us who are morally ambiguous and full of deficiencies," and added, "Writer Lee Jae-gon, who wrote the series, adapted the original work in a more intuitive and kinetic way, while not losing sight of the unique emotions of the original work."
He also expressed satisfaction with the acting of Ryu Jun-yeol and Sol Gyeong-gu, who played the main characters Je Mun-jae and Lao-tzu, respectively.
He said, "Ryu Jun-yeol offset the potentially cliché setting of two roles for one person with acting that was not cliché," and "Sol Gyeong-gu properly showed the explosive energy and madness of Lao Tzu in the original work, making people think, 'That's Lao Tzu!' I liked it. “I found Sol Gyeong-gu, who passionately played Lao Tzu, very sexy,” he said.
The original webtoon leaves food for thought with philosophical questions posed by author Ludviko, such as ‘What proves a person’s identity?’ and ‘Who would you choose between the bad real thing and the good fake?’
In relation to this, the writer said, "I felt that the world was changing little by little after graduating from college in my late 20s," and "classes emerged even among friends, and on TV, a culture of mentioning a character's qualifications before their name has become established. In some ways, this can be seen as the natural order of capitalist society, but I was younger at the time (than now), so I think such things seemed crooked."
He added, "I had a perverse thought, 'What happens to a 'human' without a number? What happens to a 'human' without a number to show off?'"
For him, who grew up as an avid movie fan under the influence of his parents who ran a video store, having his work made into a Netflix series had an even more special meaning. He debuted in 2010 and released the webtoons 'Interview' (2011), 'Ludvico's Cartoon Movie' (2012), and 'I Am Gaeroso' (2021).
Author Ludvico joked, "As the son of a video store owner, I was deeply touched that Netflix, which I always liked, produced it," and added, "Now, I plan to boast that I am also the '#1 Netflix' Ludviko."
He continued, "I was most pleased with the response that it was 'fresh' and 'original.' As a reader and audience member, I also prefer unfamiliar and challenging works. Above all, I am most happy that the public seems to be enjoying the adventure I attempted."
It was also expected that the popularity of the series would lead to interest in webtoons.
Author Ludviko said, "The webtoon and the series are so different that the motive, story, and twist of the field mouse can be viewed as completely different works. I am confident that the webtoon 'The Field Mouse' is the most perfect ending in my career, so if you are curious about the original after seeing the series ending, please check out the webtoon. Thank you to the fans who willingly enjoy this strange story, and when the series ends, be sure to eat the original for dessert."
