[비즈한국] It is not easy to treat others without prejudice or stereotypes. In fact, unless one is completely devoid of thought, it is nearly impossible. Even before we speak to someone, we subconsciously make arbitrary interpretations and assumptions based on gender, race, age, appearance, and attire. If that’s the case when we have no information, what about when we are aware of information or rumors about them? It goes without saying.
The protagonist of the drama 'Witch', Park Mi-jung (played by Roh Jeong-eui), is a person who is ostracized and labeled as a "witch" by those around her. This is understandable, as the men around Mi-jung frequently suffer from accidents, both big and small. As it turns out, all those men had feelings for Mi-jung. There are even cases where men who confessed their feelings to her died in absurd accidents (such as lightning strikes, drowning, or falls). In such a situation, are you confident you wouldn't label her a witch and keep your distance? As someone with a younger brother, I honestly don't have that confidence. One cannot easily blame Oh Mi-sook (Jang Hye-jin), the mother of the drama's male lead, Lee Dong-jin (Park Jin-young), for trying to drive Mi-jung out of the village to protect her son.
However, in truth, Mi-jung is not at fault. The genre of this drama is mystery romance, not fantasy. It means Mi-jung doesn't ride a broomstick, command cats, or cast curses on men. If anything, Mi-jung is closer to being the victim of a curse. During her school days, Mi-jung knew about the rumors and hid quietly to avoid being seen. She ate lunch alone every day and remained isolated like an island during gym class or field trips. She never once approached the boys who suffered accidents around her. As someone with a younger sister, if my sister were in Mi-jung's shoes, I feel like I would be just like Mi-jung’s father, Park Jong-su (Ahn Nae-sang), eyes blazing as I tracked down the source of the rumors and picked a fight.
Regardless, Mi-jung’s situation is incredibly dire. Normal social life, let alone school life, is impossible for her. After her father dies while saving Mi-jung from a snake bite, she is branded a "witch who even devoured her own father" and is driven out of the village. As I said, Mi-jung is innocent, but from the perspective of an ordinary person, having an inexplicable aura of misfortune nearby is an uncomfortable thing to deal with. We live in an era where mothers-in-law who fly into a rage, calling a daughter-in-law a "husband-devourer" when their son dies, are criticized as archaic, but it is still difficult to completely ignore the atmosphere of a society inherited from the past.
Ostracized by the world, Mi-jung isolates herself even more thoroughly. She intentionally moves into a neighborhood slated for demolition, has all her daily necessities delivered from the market, and only goes out at night or early morning when there are few people around. The man who tries to save her is Lee Dong-jin. Dong-jin went to the same high school as Mi-jung in Taebaek and had his eye on her. Although he never worked up the nerve to talk to her, his gaze always followed her, and his feelings for her were strong enough that he enrolled in the statistics department to clear her name. The problem, however, is that as Dong-jin approaches and investigates the accidents around Mi-jung statistically to clear her name, he concludes that the common denominator of all the accidents is Mi-jung, and that she might truly be a (cursed) witch.
Can you love someone who is cursed? No, before that, can you love her without getting hurt or dying? Dong-jin pushes forward earnestly with a love that an ordinary person would have given up on long ago (in reality, the men around Mi-jung keep their distance after getting hurt). He does it in his own way. It is significant that Dong-jin’s profession is a data miner (someone who discovers meaningful patterns and relationships within vast amounts of data to predict the future). If every accident surrounding Mi-jung has her as a common denominator—if a kind of "law of death" exists—Dong-jin intends to find the error in that law and help Mi-jung emerge into the world by bypassing it.
Will Dong-jin’s love be able to pull Mi-jung into the world? Can Dong-jin’s heart succeed in avoiding Mi-jung’s "law of death"? The 10-episode drama 'Witch' has aired 6 episodes (as of March 5), and the preview for episode 7 shows Mi-jung knowing Dong-jin’s name, putting him in crisis as it is revealed that he fits all the criteria for the so-called "law of death." The drama is based on Kang Full’s webtoon of the same name, and while it follows the original quite closely, it remains to be seen what kind of adaptations were made to the progression or ending.
Dong-jin’s approach has aspects worth considering for all relationships in the world. For instance, Dong-jin did not recklessly approach Mi-jung just because he had his eyes on her. If you observe for a little while, you can tell that Mi-jung does not want to be in front of others or receive attention (due to rumors and jinxes). The era when the proverb "a tree cannot be felled by ten strikes" applied to romantic relationships is over. The method of approaching someone and aggressively pursuing them without checking their intent, simply because you like and love them, can be quite violent. Even Lee Hyun-chul (Lee Bong-jun), the "subway confessing man" who almost suffered a major incident after confessing to Mi-jung despite her warning him not to come close, says as much after mistaking Dong-jin, who approached to investigate the accidents, for a police officer: "Is it a very big crime? Following someone. I know I did something wrong. Did she report me herself?" Therefore, it is quite impressive that Dong-jin does not crave for Mi-jung to acknowledge his feelings (although his subsequent methods of helping her lean heavily toward stalking).
In fact, even without a Mi-jung followed by a "law of death," this society is one where it is all too easy to label and ostracize someone. Prejudice, stereotypes, and the fallacy of hasty generalization are basic options. "Are you poor? You must be gloomy due to deprivation, so I don't like you. Are you a high school graduate? I don't like uneducated people. Are you an only child? You must be selfish, so I don't like you. Do you have a widowed mother and many sisters-in-law? You must be a mama's boy, so I don't like you. Is the man short? He must have an inferiority complex, so I don't like him. Is the woman tall? She must be pushy, so I don't like her. Are you overweight? You can't manage yourself, so I don't like you. Are you from Jeolla province? I don't like you because that region backstabs people. Is he a Gyeongsang man? He must be the ultimate patriarch, so I don't like him..." Prejudice, stereotypes, and the fallacy of hasty generalization are rampant in human relationships, leading to ostracism and hatred. How are we supposed to form relationships and live in such a world? 'Witch' puts Dong-jin at the forefront of this harsh, hateful world to make us reflect on the value of love.
Since the storytelling of the original is excellent, 'Witch' is a drama that leaves much room for thought. However, there are also many disappointing points. While lead actors Park Jin-young and Roh Jeong-eui are clearly giving their all, there are moments where their presence or the engagement falls short. Since there aren't many characters, the roles of supporting actors Heo Eun-sil (Jang Hee-ryung) or Kim Joong-hyuk (Im Jae-hyuk) are quite important, but their floating performances are unfortunate. The direction, which makes a story that already has little to watch even slower, is the same.
Nevertheless, for fans who love Kang Full’s works, 'Witch' is likely a work they won't want to miss. As it is a work that is hard for anyone craving a special love story in this age of great hatred to ignore, if you think your sensibilities align well with author Kang Full, I recommend watching it. 'Witch' is airing every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM on Channel A and can be re-watched on Netflix, TVING, and Coupang Play.
About the writer Jung Su-jin?
I have covered and written about film, travel, and popular culture while working for various magazines. I don’t want to fall behind on trends, but I’ve become an old-school person who watches the latest dramas only to predict the obvious clichés in the next scene. I am trying to regain my lost intuition while drifting through the vast OTT world, and my current wish is for a unified OTT subscription plan to be released.