Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in people exchanging a certain type of message. This trend follows the premiere of the JTBC weekend drama ‘Everyone is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness’ (hereafter ‘Mo-Ja-Mu-Ssa’), the latest work from writer Park Hae-young, who previously touched the depths of human emotion in ‘My Mister’ and ‘My Liberation Notes’. It is evidence that more people are experiencing “mirror therapy” through the character Hwang Dong-man.
Hwang Dong-man has been an aspiring director for 20 years. He was a member of the ‘8-person group’ who dreamed of cinema since college, but everyone except him has made their debut. So, what is the profession of Hwang Dong-man, who has now entered his 40s? While participating in a pilot study for an experimental “emotion watch,” he is bluntly labeled as an “unemployed man in his 40s.” However, he accepts this description just to receive the monthly payment for participating in the experiment. At that moment, the emotion watch displays: “Extreme Shame.”
“Why should my life be to your liking?”
Hwang Dong-man says this to CEO Choi of Choi Film, who tells him to just give up on becoming a movie director. He is right. You might not like how someone else lives, but you cannot force your own desired life on them. When CEO Choi crosses the line with his “advice,” Hwang Dong-man snaps back, “Don’t act like an adult in this industry. No one appointed you as an adult.” Being old does not automatically make you an adult. In this way, ‘Mo-Ja-Mu-Ssa’ asks what it truly means to be a mature adult.
“I just don’t want to be anxious.”
This is not Hwang Dong-man’s line. It is from Byeon Eun-ah (Go Youn-jung), who feels an attraction to him and calls him “Director.” Byeon Eun-ah was always the child who got pushed around. She stayed quiet because she didn’t want anyone to find out she was abandoned by her mother as a child. She tried her best not to clash with anyone, but as she continued to take the hits, people began to look down on her and speak to her carelessly. However, Byeon Eun-ah began to change while watching Hwang Dong-man, who speaks boldly about the worthlessness of the world and digs into the flaws of others. While she may not attack others, she has learned how to defend herself. It started with her confidently stating that the equation “quiet child = easy target” is wrong. This is the “Hwang Dong-man effect,” as well as the positive influence writer Park Hae-young has on the public.
