The purpose of this study is to examine the cultural originality of folktales and the media specificity of game narratives by comparing and analyzing the narrative structures of digital games and Korean folktales. To this end, this study focused on the fact that both the game <Dave the Diver> and <Tale of Geotaji> feature sea-heroes narratives that follow the structure of a hero’s journey based in the sea. First, this study analyzes the universality inherent in games and folktales through the structure of return between the sea and land and the occupational characteristics of the main character. In Korean storytelling culture, the sea is assumed to be a space interrelated with the land, and sea heroes also perform by utilizing acquired skills. And this study analyzes how archetypal folktales are transformed to fit the game medium. The sea-heroes narrative appears as a structure of juxtaposition in which quest games are repeatedly performed through the participation of players and quest narratives are continuously accumulated. In addition, the main character establishes a dual identity by coexisting with his everyday appearance on land and extraordinary appearance under the sea.
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