[On Stage] The Peculiar Coexistence of Coldness and Warmth in "Record of Bones"

A Peculiar Occupation Bridging Death and Sincerity

“Record of Bones”: An Android Undertaker’s Journey in a World of Coldness and Warmth

Exploring Human Emotions and the Meaning of Death Through Robis and Momi

A Futuristic Tale Questioning the Relationship Between Humanity and Technology

Not long ago, I happened to watch a YouTube program featuring an interview with a young funeral director in his 30s. He admitted that he once held strong preconceptions about the profession, but now finds it deeply rewarding. “When we say ‘thank you’ in a restaurant, it is usually just a formality, but after a three-day funeral, the ‘thank you’ from the bereaved carries a completely different weight.” It struck me that being a funeral director is a peculiar occupation that bridges the cold notion of death with the warmth of genuine sincerity.

The play “Record of Bones,” currently being performed at the Seoul Arts Center, features an undertaker android named “Robis” as the protagonist. The production is captivating in its unique interplay of coldness and warmth.

Robis begins every funeral by looking at the deceased lying on the mortuary bed and saying, “On the final journey of the departed, I will do my utmost to ensure you leave as you were in life,” before commencing the cleansing ritual.

The play opens on a day in 2085, just before humanity completes its planetary migration project. Earth has become desolate due to humanity’s depletion of its resources. Most humans have already left for other planets to survive, and the last spaceship carrying the remaining humans is about to depart. As humanity says farewell to Earth, Robis also faces decommissioning—that is, death.

The setting then shifts back to 2053, when the planetary migration project began. Each day, Robis spends his time preparing the bodies of the deceased. Through encounters with many bereaved families, Robis reveals a deeply human side, yet he does not understand what death means to humans. His only friend is “Momi,” a janitor at the funeral home. Robis communicates with Momi, who lost the ability to speak due to a childhood fire, using sign language. He asks about the meaning of human emotions and gradually begins to comprehend them.

The quietly flowing narrative of Robis and Momi’s repetitive daily lives takes a dramatic turn with Momi’s death. Seeing Momi, with whom he shared countless conversations, lying on the mortuary bed, Robis is filled with deep thoughts. Believing that Momi would dislike cremation, Robis pulls Momi’s body and escapes the mortuary for the first time. Robis sends Momi beyond Earth, as if launching a spaceship into the sky.

The scene of Robis escaping the mortuary is staged with dramatic lighting to heighten the tension. The image of Momi’s bed gradually disappearing into the darkness at the back of the stage leaves a lingering sense of ambiguity, as if questioning the meaning of death and disappearance.

“Record of Bones” is based on the novel of the same name by science fiction author Chun Sun-ran, widely known for “A Thousand Blues.” Director Jang Hansae, who adapted “A Thousand Blues” into a play at the National Theater Company of Korea in 2024, returns to direct this production. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, more works are placing robots and AI at the center of their narratives. “Record of Bones” is also part of this trend, exploring the relationship between humans and technology.

Director Jang Hansae commented, “Since we already live in an era alongside robots, a play featuring robots no longer feels odd.”

As AI becomes more advanced, the era depicted in the film “Her,” where humans seek comfort from AI, is becoming a reality. In “Record of Bones,” the android Robis, who is even more human than humans themselves, raises questions about how cold humanity has become.

Director Jang Hansae said he wanted audiences to feel the sensations of a cold world. He stated, “I often thought that the world has become so cold that we now need warm robots. Unlike the original novel, this production adds the world of 2085, with the idea that humans once again go against nature and depart for elsewhere. I wanted the audience to sense the atmosphere of a cold world.” He added, “The more AI and technology develop, the ultimate question we are left with is: ‘What does it mean to be human?’”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.