[비즈한국] I never thought I’d live to see a program like this. This is the story of 'Fate Wars 49,' a survival show where people who can see others' destinies gather together. Disney+'s 'Fate Wars 49' labels those who read human destiny through various methods like shamanism, Saju (four pillars of destiny), tarot, and physiognomy as 'Fate Readers,' gathering 49 of them to test their own fates through various missions. First off, the very idea of turning the concept of 'can humans read destiny?' into a survival show is astonishing, and the fact that they gathered 49 top-tier shamans and fortunetellers in one place is equally surprising. It feels like there is no topic left that Korean variety shows cannot cover, no subject they cannot summon, and no place they cannot go.
'Fate Wars 49' is actually a program that anyone would find interesting. Even if you are an atheist or someone who doesn't believe in destiny, you must have felt anxious about the unpredictable future at least once. With the domestic fortune-telling market estimated to be worth trillions of won, we fragile humans all want to know even a little bit about what the future holds. The methods vary; some go for Saju or Myungrihak (study of destiny), others look at physiognomy or tarot, and some seek out shamans for spiritual readings. Now, not long into the new year, there must be quite a few people searching for a renowned shaman or fortuneteller.
What's interesting about 'Fate Wars 49' is that it features a wide range of experts from fields we’ve all considered at least once. From shamans (known as mudang or baksu) to Saju experts, Myungrihak specialists, physiognomists, tarot masters, and even a foot reader who analyzes destiny by the shape of one's feet and someone who identifies people just by their names. Their backgrounds are also extraordinary. Some have worked as shamans since they were minors, while others are former archers, dancers, or painters, and some are graduates of prestigious universities like Seoul National University or KAIST. There's even a person who works as a large corporation employee by day and a Saju expert by night, and comedian Lee Guk-joo appears as a tarot master, which comes as quite a surprise.
More surprising than the diversity of fields is their actual skill. In the first four episodes released on February 11, the first-round mission to narrow down the 49 contestants to 20 was the 'War of Intuition.' The bizarre missions included guessing the cause of death of a deceased person using photos, birth dates, and date of death; picking out a homeless person from nine photos of feet; distinguishing between someone who got a 'jackpot' in the lottery and someone who suffered a real 'tragedy'; guessing the gender of a fetus; identifying a Seoul National University student; and guessing a surgical site. The missions were shocking, but the performance of the Fate Readers who solved them was even more so. It was a series of moments of disbelief, thinking, 'How could they possibly know that?' Even setting aside the eerie shamans, it was astonishing to see the experts consistently find the right answers using methods like Saju, tarot, and foot reading.
Of course, there are some concerns here. Questions arise about whether it is morally right to dig into a deceased person's cause of death for entertainment, as in the mission mentioned. Even if the bereaved families gave consent, it still leaves an uncomfortable feeling. The couple who appeared for the mission to guess a former lover's willingness to reconcile seemed just as awkward as the viewers watching them. Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable seeing the privacy of the participants laid bare for the sake of a mission, in addition to the ex-couples? Although they were paid and volunteered for it, it’s still off-putting. Ah, but the dopamine is surging. It is undeniably a feast of irresistible dopamine.
The process of determining survivors for the next round is also a bit ambiguous. While some missions, like guessing the gender of a fetus, have clear, definite answers, others require subjective judgment on how accurately the fortune was interpreted. Because they state their answers on a first-come, first-served basis, there is also the possibility of being influenced by the answers given by others beforehand. Ultimately, the burden of deciding who survives based on these answers falls on the MCs, titled 'Fate Envoys.' The Fate Envoy MCs are Jun Hyun-moo, Park Na-rae, Park Ha-sun, Shindong, and Kang Ji-young. The issue here is Park Na-rae, who has declared a hiatus from activities due to various controversies. Although the program was likely filmed before these controversies, it is understandable that some viewers may feel uncomfortable seeing Park Na-rae appear without any edits while she is currently all over the news.
Nevertheless, the buzz around 'Fate Wars 49' is exploding just from the first four episodes. Since less than half of the 49 participants, just 20, advanced to the second round, 'War of Qi,' and the mission involves 1-on-1 battles to read each other's fates, there is a high likelihood that their individual characters and narratives will unfold even more intensely. After all, the first 1-on-1 clash in episode 4 between Shaman Seol-hwa and Heaven-Destiny Master was a harmony of shock, goosebumps, and dopamine.
At this point, one has to wonder if the production crew who designed this show are themselves possessed by spirits. Seeing that writer Mo Eun-seol, who scripted seasons 1 and 2 of 'Culinary Class Wars,' has her name on the credits, it feels like they’ve hit a streak of good luck. 'Fate Wars 49' is a 10-episode series available on Disney+. If you're afraid to go get your fortune read in person, you might as well live vicariously through this program.
About the writer, Jung Soo-jin?
I’ve worked for various magazines, reporting and writing about films, travel, and pop culture. I don't want to fall behind on trends, but I’ve become an 'old soul' who watches the latest dramas only to predict the obvious clichés in the next scene. I’m currently drifting through the vast world of OTT platforms, trying to regain my sense of intuition. My current wish is for an integrated OTT subscription plan.