I don't disagree with your conclusion that a memory-less Ji-eum would be a different person, but the concept of destiny is more than a convenience to Korean writers. It's an Asian belief. My kiddo's Chinese nanny used to tell me that the Chinese believed that what a child is like when they are young is what they will be as an adult. Who you are as a person is predetermined. It's why ancestors and family are so important--that's what makes you who you will be.
In 19th Life, the good people were always good in their past lives too. The only exception was perhaps Min-gi, who seems to have realized the error of his ways and repented. I don't agree with this belief--but a lot of Asians do.
That's absolutely true. And the concept of destiny does allow for some beautiful stories to be told in K-dramas. But what we see in 19th Life is a case of writers using the concept as a lazy shorthand in the end, which I can't be okay with. (This is the tldr; there's a longer version below. ☺️)
In pretty much all East and South Asian countries you'll find the concept of destiny and preordained life is hardwired into folklore and popular culture. My grandmom would say the same thing as your kid's nanny, but my dad - whose entire education has been western - would use a different English aphorism: Morning shows the day. By which he meant that you could tell from a child's early behaviour, who they would be as an adult.
Western philosophy has some interestingly archaic ideas about human character. There is little trust in rehabilitation and an abandon of trust in harsh punishments. There are also strongly held notions of good and bad being innate and somehow passed down through bloodlines. All of it is deeply baked into their governance, policing, and the history that's taught in schools. But just because it's something influencing western popular culture and folklore, we don't stop expecting nuanced storytelling from western screenwriters. When they keep showing minorities as villains in their movies, we try to question why this trend is so blatantly present across all media. When they do better, we celebrate it.
I grew up with eastern ideas of destiny and unchangeable fate written in the lines of our palms and the stars of our birth, but I see no reason why modern writers can get a pass for poor plotting because of it. I don't want to give them that pass. Not in my country, not in Korea, and not in the west. 💚
I don't disagree with your conclusion that a memory-less Ji-eum would be a different person, but the concept of destiny is more than a convenience to Korean writers. It's an Asian belief. My kiddo's Chinese nanny used to tell me that the Chinese believed that what a child is like when they are young is what they will be as an adult. Who you are as a person is predetermined. It's why ancestors and family are so important--that's what makes you who you will be.
In 19th Life, the good people were always good in their past lives too. The only exception was perhaps Min-gi, who seems to have realized the error of his ways and repented. I don't agree with this belief--but a lot of Asians do.
That's absolutely true. And the concept of destiny does allow for some beautiful stories to be told in K-dramas. But what we see in 19th Life is a case of writers using the concept as a lazy shorthand in the end, which I can't be okay with. (This is the tldr; there's a longer version below. ☺️)
In pretty much all East and South Asian countries you'll find the concept of destiny and preordained life is hardwired into folklore and popular culture. My grandmom would say the same thing as your kid's nanny, but my dad - whose entire education has been western - would use a different English aphorism: Morning shows the day. By which he meant that you could tell from a child's early behaviour, who they would be as an adult.
Western philosophy has some interestingly archaic ideas about human character. There is little trust in rehabilitation and an abandon of trust in harsh punishments. There are also strongly held notions of good and bad being innate and somehow passed down through bloodlines. All of it is deeply baked into their governance, policing, and the history that's taught in schools. But just because it's something influencing western popular culture and folklore, we don't stop expecting nuanced storytelling from western screenwriters. When they keep showing minorities as villains in their movies, we try to question why this trend is so blatantly present across all media. When they do better, we celebrate it.
I grew up with eastern ideas of destiny and unchangeable fate written in the lines of our palms and the stars of our birth, but I see no reason why modern writers can get a pass for poor plotting because of it. I don't want to give them that pass. Not in my country, not in Korea, and not in the west. 💚