[비즈한국] I never thought I’d live to see a program like this. This is the story of 'Destiny War 49,' a survival show where people who can see others' destinies gather. Disney+'s 'Destiny War 49' designates those who read others' destinies through various methods such as shamanism, fortune-telling, tarot, and physiognomy as 'Destiny Masters.' It gathers 49 of these masters to test their own fates through various missions. First of all, the idea of turning the concept of 'can humans read destiny?' into a survival show is surprising, and it's equally astounding that they gathered 49 top-tier shamans and fortune-tellers in one place. It feels like there’s no topic, no subject, and no place that Korean variety shows can’t touch anymore.
In fact, 'Destiny War 49' is 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 an unpredictable future at some point. With estimates that the domestic fortune-telling market reaches trillions of won, we fragile humans want to know even a little about the destiny that lies ahead. The methods vary for everyone. Some go for fortune-telling or Saju, others try physiognomy or tarot, and some seek shamans for spiritual readings. Now, not long after the new year has started, there must be quite a few people scouring for a renowned shaman or fortune-teller.
'Destiny War 49' is interesting because it features experts from every field we have considered or seen at least once. From shamans, also known as Mudang or Baksu, to Saju experts,명리학 (myeongrihak) experts, physiognomists, tarot masters, and even podomancers who read destiny from the shape of feet, and those who analyze people just by their names. Their backgrounds are also extraordinary. Some have been working as shamans since childhood, while others come from backgrounds as archery athletes, 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 major corporate employee by day and a Saju expert by night, and comedian Park Na-rae also appears as a tarot master, which is quite surprising.
More surprising than the diversity of their fields is their ability. In the 1st round mission to narrow down 49 to 20 people, shown in episodes 1-4 released on February 11th, the theme was 'War of Intuition.' Unusual missions followed: guessing a deceased person's cause of death based on a photo, date of birth, and date of death; identifying a homeless person among photos of 9 pairs of feet; guessing who hit the lottery jackpot versus who suffered a true 'lightning strike' (tragedy); guessing the gender of a pregnant woman's fetus; identifying a Seoul National University student; and identifying a surgical site. The missions were surprising, but the sight of the Destiny Masters solving them was even more so. It was a continuous sequence of shock, with people asking, 'How did they figure that out?' Even if the eerie shamans were expected, it was surprising to see them get the right answers through Saju, tarot, or podomancy.
Of course, there are points of concern here. Questions arise about whether it is morally right to dig into the cause of death of others for the sake of entertainment, like in the 'guessing the cause of death' mission. Even with the consent of the bereaved family, it feels uncomfortable. The couple who appeared for the mission to guess whether they would get back together also seemed as awkward as the viewers watching them. Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable seeing the private lives of participants laid bare for the sake of a mission? Sure, they are getting paid and volunteered, but... Ah, the dopamine rush is real. It is definitely an irresistible feast of dopamine.
The method of determining survivors for the next round is also a bit ambiguous. While there are missions with clear-cut answers like guessing the gender of a fetus, others require judging how accurate an interpretation is. There is also the possibility of being influenced by previous answers given by others in the process of announcing answers in a first-come, first-served manner. Ultimately, the task of listening to multiple answers and deciding on the survivors falls to the MCs called 'Destiny Messengers.' The Destiny Messengers are Jun Hyun-moo, Park Na-rae, Park Ha-sun, Shindong, and Kang Ji-young. The problem here is Park Na-rae, who has announced a hiatus due to various controversies. Although the program was filmed before the controversy, it is understandable that viewers might feel some discomfort seeing Park Na-rae appear without being edited out while she is currently all over the news.
Nevertheless, the buzz around 'Destiny War 49' is exploding after just four episodes. Since less than half of the 49 participants, 20 people, advanced to the second round 'War of Qi,' and the mission involves 1:1 face-offs to read each other's destinies, it's highly likely that their characters and narratives will unfold even more deeply. After all, the first match in episode 4 between shaman Seol-hwa and Cheonmyeong-dosa was a harmony of shock, goosebumps, and dopamine.
At this point, one has to wonder if the production team that designed this board is the one truly channeling spirits. Especially seeing that writer Mo Eun-seol, who wrote seasons 1 and 2 of 'Culinary Class Wars,' is credited, it feels like they have hit a stroke of good fortune. 'Destiny War 49' consists of 10 episodes and is available on Disney+. If you are afraid to go get your fortune told in person, this program might be a good way to experience it vicariously.
Who is the writer Jung Soo-jin?
She has covered and written about films, travel, and pop culture across various magazines. She doesn't want to fall behind trends, but has become an old-school person who predicts obvious clichés in the next scene while watching the latest dramas. She is trying to regain her lost edge while drifting in the vast world of OTT, and her current wish is for a unified OTT subscription plan.