Have you ever experienced a moment of good fortune? It often comes to us in our daily lives, such as getting unexpected money on the street or winning a prize at an event. It brings us a great sense of happiness. However, just as everything has a yin and yang, if there is good fortune, there is also misfortune. How does good fortune find its way to us despite the presence of misfortune? Let's look at two works that will make you think deeply about this.
Book
"It's my life. I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep pushing this."
- Ji-yu
<Luck Is on Its Way to You (2022)>
The main character, Eun-jae, is a cold-hearted girl who doesn't usually smile and doesn't like to get involved in relationships. She doesn't have any friends and goes around alone, which is why she has a bad reputation at school. In fact, she used to be a bright girl with friends in the past. However, from a young age, she was deeply hurt by her abusive father, and she closed herself off from the world. Even though the adults around her knew she was suffering from domestic violence, she was neglected by them and betrayed by her best friend, leading her to increasingly isolate herself and endure a difficult life on her own. One day, classmates Woo-young and Hyung-soo witness Eun-jae being abused, and together with Ji-yoo, the class president, they take care of her, finding ways to help her. Understanding her pain, Ji-young, the captain of the football team, also approaches Eun-jae and helps her. In response, Eun-jae starts to change her attitude, but her situation still makes it difficult. Did her friends come to her as a fortunate existence? Can they help her become the bright child she once was?
Recommendation
This is a story about teenagers facing violence at home. The narrator of this book is a bit special, as the stories are told by a being called the Goddess of Luck. This transcendent entity brings the lives of troubled youth to life through the stories of Eun-jae and her friends. The entity watches over them and provides opportunities for those who are lucky enough to encounter them. The setting of giving a fortune to those in difficult situations is comforting to the reader. Also, the reader can feel the deep friendship and loyalty of the young ones. Through their deep friendship, the book conveys a touching message to readers that luck will surely find them one day.
Movie
"It's one of the advantages of misfortune. It always gives a different perspective."
- Bob
<Luck (2022)>
An orphan named Sam Greenfield aged out of her foster home at the age of 18. Upon becoming independent, she accidentally dropped her house key down the drain. This incident represents that her current state of misfortune is the crystallization made by all the bad luck she's had up until now. One night, she meets Bob, a black cat, on the street after work. Thinking it is just a hungry street cat, she gives Bob a panini. Distracted by the panini, Bob leaves a penny on the street, and Sam picks it up. This penny acts as a lucky coin, and good things happen to her after she picks it up. Despite this good fortune, she ends up losing the lucky penny due to her inherent misfortune. Watching her wailing at the loss of this penny, Bob takes her to a land of fortune, which is a world that is beautiful and runs like a perfect cog. Will she be able to leave behind her misfortune in the future?
Recommendation
<Luck> tells the story of good fortune and misfortune. In the movie, the moments of good fortune are visualized and shown pleasantly. Various devices to express a world of fortune and misfortunes are amazing, and the process of adjusting to those devices intrigues the viewers. Such stories based on imagination not only entertain the viewers but also make them think deeply about fortune. In the movie, good fortune and misfortune are expressed as artificially made in a land of fortune and randomly distributed to the human world. In this situation, the coexistence of misfortune and good fortune leads Sam to get new enlightenment. The process of Sam searching for good fortune sends the positive message that if the viewer regards unfortunate events positively, they can bring about more good fortune. The movie sends great comfort to the viewer in the fact that it offers a new perspective on misfortune. This SMT reporter recommends this movie, which unfolds in an interesting way and can be enjoyed visually through the colorful elements.
