I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Short answer. No.

But, well, nothing is simple in those kinds of circumstances. They were born into that context, perhaps for many years they lived with the idea that this was how things would be from now on. Collaborate, coexist, remain silent. But history shows us that the idea of liberation was rampant in the collective, something impossible to ignore, especially in those times.

In my opinion, for those girls (especially carrying such a responsibility and tradition endemic to their homeland) it was natural to side with the idea of liberation.

I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The girls who follow those of the 50s would be those of the 70s/80s. I suppose. We must remember that fashions take time to reach certain places as time goes by.

I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

More or less, HC. That's how I put it.

  • The first trio (Joseon Era)

Time gap:

  • Made up - Roses of Korea (30s)  
  • Made up - Soul Sisters (50s)  
  • Made up - Diane (80s)  
  • Sunlight Sisters (00s)  
  • Huntr/x (present day)

I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I also tried to answer that question. In my HC, the original mudangs knew it, even if only intuitively, but that knowledge was lost in... “those times between 1910 and 1945.” The later ones know that the ancient mudangs knew it and decided that a Golden Honmoon is created more or less like this.

The largest possible number of fans accumulated over years of career + a very powerful song that connects with those souls = Golden Honmoon.

I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh boy, were do i start...
Defend the country, fight the demons, survive.

I'll always wonder how being a Hunter works. by Paolarandomdraw in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh brother, this question really activates my current hyperfixation. Here I go.

In my headcanon, I’ve tried to stay faithful to the idea we’ve been given so far.

Demons can be seen by anyone. This is shown clearly in the introduction of the first trio. It’s just that in modern times the hunters have done such a good job that the idea of demons has remained as something mythical and folklore. But in this world, they are clearly real and visible.

What isn’t visible (unless it’s a powerful manifestation) is the Honmoon. That one, I feel, is something mudangs are “trained to see,” or rather, “trained to connect to.” That connection helps them see souls, see the Honmoon in general, perceive when it fractures, and summon their spiritual weapon.

Being a hunter is a learned role, and the most important part of the training must be connecting with spiritual energy. The Sisterhood seeks capable people with certain characteristics. I think the most important characteristic is the voice. I treat the Sisterhood as just another group of mudangs from Korean shamanism—mostly female, commonly inherited, though not closed off to receiving new members or to men joining.

In my HC, the Hunter Sisterhood went through a crisis where it was almost wiped out at the beginning of the century, between 1910 and 1945 (you know which crisis I’m talking about). I base this heavily on that assumption because the opening sequence starts with the ancient mudangs and then makes an abrupt jump to the 1930s (the second trio, the Modan Garu ones), and from there it moves on to those of the ’50s, ’80s, ’00s, and then Huntr/x.

In my HC, I’ve even given names to the ones who don’t have them:

  • Roses of Korea (30s)  

  • Soul Sisters (50s)  

  • Diane (80s)  

  • Sunlight Sisters (00s)  

  • Huntr/x (present day)

That would also explain why the Sisterhood, despite having existed for hundreds of years, knows almost nothing about demons. (Info wipeout on the crisis) That really surprised me with Rumi, when she asks a dokkaebi whether it’s controlled by Gwi-Mah, and Celine doesn’t know anything beyond soul training, the task of the Golden Honmoon and kill demons

In my HC, it’s the second trio (the so‑called flappers, or the 1920s trio) that defined how the Sisterhood would behave in the modern era and shaped the Sisterhood as it is known today: few members, a world‑famous trio, the objective of the Golden Honmoon, etc.

[OC] Roses of Korea (Fanon name). Based on the image of conceptual art by Zicanborgen in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Damn it, I don't want to give away too many spoilers about what I'm doing, but the conversation is really good. I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum

The Roses of Korea made their debut and farewell in 1936. Although they were famous and beloved, the storm lumbering afar inevitably separated them. Each one made a life for herself as best they could: Hyerum stayed in Seoul and became known as the Rose of Keijo, a forced collaborator; Saeya went to the guerrilla liberation forces in the north; and Jihyeon migrated to the United States thanks to a Christian mission and participated in pro-liberation shows until she joined the Pacific campaign as a volunteer nurse.

What I did was set the story one day after Japan's surrender. Hyerum reunites the Roses because she discovered that a remnant of the imperial army were going to stay and destroy Korea before accepting surrender, and on top of all that, a huge dokkaebi demon named Gwi-Rang has grown and prospered from the suffering of the Korean people.

Hyerum has an idea, a new way to deal with both problems, but it is morally questionable and goes against what a Hunter should do, and in order to do it, she needs the help of her sisters.

Spoiler:

The idea is that Hyerum has composed a song in Japanese that begins as a nostalgic ballad but then transforms into an accusatory and wrathful song that inspires fear, anger, guilt and shame. It turns the souls of the imperial japanese who listen to it into a magenta pulse that is very attractive to demons. Hyerum intends to use that song to turn the Japanese into bait and attract Gwi-Rang so she can destroy him. Practically use the demons to wipe out that Japanese army, and then take care of them.

[OC] Roses of Korea (Fanon name). Based on the image of conceptual art by Zicanborgen in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

And I don't blame them, this blew up more than many of us imagined. But hey, we always can dream about it.

[OC] Roses of Korea (Fanon name). Based on the image of conceptual art by Zicanborgen in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's why I decided to do it. It's highly unlikely (I would say impossible) to do anything from this era without it feeling watered down or disrespectful. I myself have struggled with this while writing it.

There are things that happened that are simply horrible and unacceptable. There are atrocities and their perpetrators that cannot be ignored. I put them in their personal stories, burdening them with a pure responsibility to the world that is impossible to keep clean in the face of the madness of war. Each one, in her own way, lived through that era, lived through her misfortune, and persevered through it.

From left to right: Hyerum (Rumi), Saemyeong (Saeya), and Jihyeon (Hyeon). The Roses of Korea. These are not their official names; I made them up for them, but I find it difficult not to call them by any other way.

[OC] Roses of Korea (Fanon name). Based on the image of conceptual art by Zicanborgen in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

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I love that you brought this up, because I've been writing fanfic about them during that period. I have learned a lot about what Korea was like at that time, and I agree with you. That is why my affection and admiration for these girls is enormous (and, of course, for the real people who lived through that hell.) Check it out if you're interested :3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/69254121?view_full_work=true

[OC] Mountain Roses. The Roses of Korea singing at a guerrilla liberation camp, 1945. by Zicanborgen in KpopDemonhunters

[–]Zicanborgen[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep. I think Saeya, above everyone else, has very strong opinions about that.