Original subtitles

[♪ mysterious music plays]

[narrator] We endlessly ask ourselves.

What is my fate?

For thousands of years,

the desperate quest to see into our fate has never stopped.

We prayed to the gods.

We read the stars.

We told fortunes.

Does fate really exist?

If it does,

are we able to read it?

Now, humankind's first experiment

to answer this question

begins.

-[♪ tense music plays] -The fate for you to read is…

[bleep]

[contestant 1] This is the question?

[contestant 2] I have to win no matter what.

[contestant 3] All right, let's go all out. It's do or die.

[contestant 4, crying] Granny, show me.

-[host 1] Look at her eyes. -[host 2 exclaims]

That's the correct answer.

Gee, it gives me the chills.

Oh, my gosh. I have goosebumps.

I feel nauseous.

[sighs]

[contestant 1] I'm a shaman. This is my fate.

[contestant 2] There's no avoiding it.

[contestant 3] I started seeing things.

-[contestant 4] I kept seeing ghosts. -[contestant 5] You saw ghosts?

I'm really scared right now.

This is so freaky.

[contestant 1] Watch out, Fairy! Oh, no!

[contestant 2] A taboo shouldn't be broken.

[contestant 3] Look how angry Granny is, you fool!

-[gasps] -[ritual bells ringing]

[narrator] A survival game where those who read fate bet their own.

Battle of Fates.

BATTLE OF FATES

[♪ mysterious music plays]

[♪ dramatic music plays]

-[♪ secretive music plays] -[contestant] Ow.

This is amazing.

I was the first to step inside.

The moon looked great.

This place has good energy, with water and lakes.

Hello.

I'm Lady Wish, and I'm a shaman based in Daegu.

My family has been practicing shamanism for 3 generations.

My great-aunt, my father, then myself.

I was a competitive archer from elementary school to university.

Jang Hyejin, the famous archer

was my junior since elementary school.

Archers Ki Bobae and An San

trained with me at Kwangju Women's University.

Second only to archery,

being a shaman is what I'm best at and enjoy the most.

It makes me feel alive, happy, and loved.

I never got to represent Korea as an archer,

but as a shaman, I'm hoping to make

a name for myself as a famous manshin (experienced shaman).

[bell chimes]

[♪ mysterious music plays]

I bowed in all 4 directions because spirits dwell in this place too.

I prayed everyone would enjoy themselves

and get through this without any mishaps.

This should be fun.

[♪ intriguing music plays]

[contestant gasps] Wow.

[exclaims]

I guess that's my spot.

Hello. I'm Yoon Daeman.

YOON DAEMAN 5-YEAR SHAMAN

I studied and practiced Gugak (traditional Korean music)

for about 23 years.

I mastered National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 57

and Songseo Yulchang (musical recitation), Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 41.

Still, I couldn't turn away from my deities.

That's why I've been a shaman ever since.

[ritual bells ringing]

Another male shaman.

Hello.

It's Young Master Byeon.

-[♪ stirring music plays] -Hello.

I'm Young Master Byeon, and my shrine's in Sindang-dong.

YOUNG MASTER BYEON 15-YEAR SHAMAN

This is my 15th year as a shaman.

I get a lot of entertainment agency heads and people in show business as my clients.

[Daeman] Was it Young Master Byeon?

We're both male shamans.

I'd say there's a slight sense of competitiveness between us.

[Lady Wish] Young Master Byeon?

I thought, "Wow, he's going to be tough to beat."

It felt like a grandmother's spirit is inside him.

[Daeman exclaims]

Hmm?

I don't think he's a shaman.

Hello.

Nice to meet you.

I'm a deputy department head at a large company by day,

and a corporate fortune teller by night.

I'm Business Sage Kim.

I've done fortune telling for around 6,000 start-up founders

and professionals across various fields.

I want to show the power of Korean saju (fortune-telling based on birth chart).

-[Sage Kim] I know him. -[Lady Wish] You do?

[Sage Kim] He's Heoyu.

He's young, but he has about 30 years of experience.

I'm Heoyu, and I come from a family that's studied myungri (the study of saju)

for 4 generations.

[contestant] I majored in International Business in Washington, D.C.

I've been doing myungri for 15 years.

I'm Meta Myungri Joon.

Divination has a long history, but so does saju.

I think we'll definitely have the upper hand.

I personally think face reading beats saju.

[♪ tense music plays]

I'm Taeul Lee Dokyu, and I've been reading faces for 11 years.

-He's a face reader. -[Sage Kim] Yes.

He's famous in the field.

[Lady Wish] He looks like a guru.

[Dokyu] I read faces,

so I don't need any tools or a perpetual calendar (Four Pillars Chart).

The upside is, I can read a face anytime, anywhere.

My specialty is people's health.

Excuse me, tarot master.

Your kidneys are pretty weak.

-How did you know that? -Well…

Your body shape says you have weak kidneys.

[chuckles] Are you a shaman?

No, I read faces.

[gasps] You're a face reader. Wow, so fascinating.

I'd like to prove to everyone that face reading

is just as great and accurate as saju.

[♪ rhythmic music plays]

-Wow, what a body. -[Sage Kim exclaims]

She's gorgeous.

[contestant 1] Goodness. She's like a model.

[contestant 2] She's beautiful.

[all chuckle, exclaim]

-[all laugh] -[contestant 3] Wow.

HONG YULJAE 6-YEAR SHAMAN

[contestant 3] She could pass for a celebrity.

-Hello. -[contestant 4] You're like a K-pop idol.

Oh, thank you.

Wow, this place is gorgeous.

-[Sage Kim] She's quite flashy. -[Lady Wish] Yes.

-She's beautiful. -Right.

-Hi, hello. -[Sage Kim] Hello.

-I couldn't pull off those purple boots. -That's no easy feat.

-She looks great. Is she a celebrity? -[contestant] Wow.

I think she's a tarot master or does astrology.

I can't tell what those two do.

-I believe they're shamans. -[Sage Kim] Are they shamans?

Lovely to meet you.

I went from being a dancer to a shaman.

I'm a third-year novice shaman, Seolhwa.

I went on Dancing 9 and somehow made it all the way to the live shows.

But once I entered my 20s, people started saying I'd gotten weird,

and the readings kept coming to me.

That's when I realized I couldn't avoid the calling anymore.

I was just as serious about dance as I am about being a shaman now.

Walking on this path hasn't been easy.

I want to leave this show with my pride intact.

[Sage Kim, chuckling] Her presence…

[Byeon] Gen Z shamans? I don't get them, to be honest.

They wear wacky clothes.

I'm sorry to say this,

but it looks like they're here to put on a show.

[Seolhwa] I'm just going to show them who I am.

I'll just go at my own pace.

[Seulbi] I don't care what the other shamans think of me.

I just focus on my own game.

-[clacking heels approach] -Wow… she's got quite an aura.

[♪ stirring music plays]

-[contestant] What? Who is that? -Huh? Who's this?

[all exclaim]

What a presence.

She's got amazing presence.

Is she a tarot master?

I've been reading tarot cards in Sejong for 8 years.

I'm the god of East Asian tarot.

I'm Monad, a tarot master.

East Asian tarot is so full of charm.

I want more people to see how well it fits the Korean sentiments.

There are countless tarot traditions around the world,

but when it comes to Eastern tarot, I'll be the best.

[contestant] Whoa!

[all laugh]

How cool.

[Dokyu] Incredible.

[Joon] That was a powerful entrance.

[contestant] She's definitely the one to watch.

[soft drumming echoing]

-What? -The vibe changed.

-[Daeman] What's this music? -Is the final boss coming?

[drumming intensifies]

-[Seulbi] What's going on? -[all exclaim]

-[contestant 1] Wow. -[contestant 2] That's cool.

-[contestants cheer] -[contestant 3] How impressive.

-[scattered applause] -[contestant 4] A grand entrance.

[contestant 5] Bringing in good energy.

[contestant 6] Awesome!

[contestant 7] I'm blown away.

I'm Ineuidang, the shaman

who foresaw the December 2024 martial law crisis.

INEUIDANG SHAMAN

[♪ imperious music plays]

The spirits of independence fighters took me over and urged me to go to Yeouido,

warning me that the country was in danger.

They told me to beat my drum as if I were going to war.

I beat my drum hard outside the National Assembly building.

I will survive

with the same intensity I had when I predicted the martial law crisis.

[contestant gasps]

She's got real presence.

-[Lady Wish] A drum says it all. -[Sage Kim] Yes.

[Monad] I like it.

[contestant 1 exclaims, gasps]

Who's that?

[contestant 2] Who?

-A celebrity? -[contestant 3] A comedian?

[contestant 1] Hello. Oh, hi!

-No way! -[contestant 1] Hello.

-Hello. -Gosh.

-Hello. -It's… It's Lee Kookjoo!

-Hello. -Whoa, it's her!

Wow!

What's she doing here?

-Hello. -It's Lee Kookjoo.

Is she here to get a reading?

-I don't know. Hang on. -[Daeman] Is she a host? A client?

I think she's a contestant.

[contestant] Wow!

-Yes, I'm here as a contestant. -Goodness.

-[Dokyu] What a shocker. -I do tarot reading.

-I'm not possessed. -[laughing] "NOT possessed," she says.

-I'm not a shaman. -She's not possessed.

How long have you been doing tarot?

-I've been doing it for 5 years. -[Seulbi gasps]

[Dokyu] An unexpected contestant.

-[♪ rhythmic music plays] -[contestant 1] He looks pretty hip.

[Daeman] I'm getting tarot vibes.

His older sister is a celebrity.

I'm Beentarot, a tarot master.

Actress Yoon Gai is my older sister.

I do tarot readings for her before she starts

a new show or something big.

We're a big support to each other.

Hello.

Hello, I'm Choi Hannah. This is my third year as a tarot master.

I was on Possessed Love last year.

Spiritual tarot requires you to read the energy shift in the moment,

which allows you to see more details.

-[contestant 1] Everyone's so different. -[♪ energetic music plays]

How did they gather all these people?

Hello. I'm Sage Cheonmyeong,

and I did my PhD at KAIST before becoming a shaman.

I'm Hyeondo, and I do Religious Studies at Seoul National University.

I did my undergraduate at Korea University and masters at Seoul National University.

I'm pretty sure I can win easily.

-They seem really professional. -Yes, so professional.

[contestant] I know.

[♪ soft music plays]

[all exclaim]

-[Daeman] That's a Fairy. -[Seulbi] Hello, Fairy!

-She's like an angel. -Is she a princess?

We have a Heavenly Fairy.

[contestants exclaim excitedly]

[contestant 1] Gosh, so cute.

[contestant 2 exclaims]

-[Dokyu] She's a baby. -[contestant 3] She's playing peekaboo.

[Seulbi] How old are you, Fairy?

-I'm 5. -[Seulbi] You're 5 years old?

-[Hannah] Adorable. -[Daeman] She's a Baby Fairy.

-That's so cute. -[Seulbi, in baby voice] Smart girl.

How cute. What a pretty fan.

She's a baby.

I'm 29 years old,

and this is my 26th year as a shaman.

I'm Kwon Sujin, a manshin.

I started telling fortunes as soon as I could speak.

That was when I was 4.

I had a pure soul as a child, and I lived on a mountain,

so I started feeling the spirits early on.

I bet of all the shamans here today, I've been a shaman the longest.

I have a lot of experience, and I hold the title of a manshin.

I'll just be myself and perform in a way that suits that title.

I believe in my deities, so I don't doubt my readings.

-[contestants exclaim] -[♪ intense music plays]

Gosh.

[Sujin] They're wearing hanbok (traditional Korean attire).

Who's that? Is it a woman?

[contestant 1] Is that a man or a woman?

[contestant 2] Gosh. Hang on.

-[contestant 3] Is it a man? -[contestant 2] Wait, what?

[contestant 4] Oh, my word.

-Hello. -Welcome.

[Seulbi] He's dressed like a Granny.

-He's wearing a woman's hanbok. -How extraordinary.

-He's a man, right? -Yes.

What a beautiful hanbok.

Looks like a female spirit possessed him.

[Monad] Do male shamans wear a woman's hanbok

if they're possessed by a female deity?

I guess they do what their deity tells them to.

My goodness. Look at how he walks. So sassy.

Hello.

[Kookjoo] Whoa, what an incredible presence.

-[contestant 1 exclaims] -[contestant 2 chuckles]

[Daeman] The Granny got up there all tough.

[Sujin] He looks so confident.

I'm pretty sure he's not even 20 years old yet.

For real?

He's young.

I heard I'm the youngest one here. I'm Young Master Jiseon, and I'm 18.

I started out when I was 5 years old.

I first stood on a jakdu (ritual blade) when I was 8 or 9 years old.

The General spirits allow me to stand on the blades

to suppress the negative energy or misfortune.

I feel great when the General spirit takes me over.

The General will protect you.

I've reached a certain level over the past 13 years.

I'll prove that when it comes to spiritual divination,

I have more experience and better skills than most.

I'm going to win this thing.

Let the youngest show you what he's got.

-You're young. -Yes.

I started as a kid too. I became a shaman when I was 5.

[Sujin exclaiming]

Your soul is still clear even though you've done this for a long time.

-Me? Thank you. -Yes.

We've got a lot of strong contenders here.

One glance, and I can tell they're tough to beat. Oh, no.

[Kookjoo] Someone's coming.

[contestant exclaims] Here comes the Fairy!

[♪ lively music plays]

-Gosh. -She's flashy too.

No way. Wow.

-Here comes the Fairy! -Hello!

I'm Soho, and I want to be the star of the shaman world!

-Hello, everyone! -You look great!

Good vibes your way! The spring wind's here.

Here's some good fortune!

-Here goes good fortune! -[Daeman laughing] Yes, please.

Take the luck!

Watch out for the water.

-Good fortune. Oh, she might fall. -Watch out.

Good fortune for you!

You're so pretty, Fairy.

Nice to meet you.

[Seulbi] Watch out, Fairy! Oh, I knew it.

-[Soho] Nice to meet you. -Watch out, Fairy!

Oh, I knew it. Gosh, are you okay?

-Oh, dear. -Oh, I knew it. Gosh, are you okay?

-Oh, dear. -Oh, no.

The water…

Oh, dear.

-This is precious to you, right? -Be careful.

My crystal ball!

-Oh, dear. -She fell in the water.

-It's okay. It's happened to my girl too. -Are you okay?

The Fairy tripped.

I'm okay, everyone!

Give me a warm welcome!

-[♪ buoyant music plays] -[contestants cheer]

[Seulbi] It happens to 4-year-olds!

-I'm fine! -You're 4. It's okay.

-[Sage Kim] She's fine. -I love her energy.

-She's so upbeat. -Yes.

-I'm a novice, so I'm full of energy. -[Kookjoo] I can see that.

Is she with a Child spirit?

-I fell in there while blowing kisses. -You did?

[Daeman] Maybe because she's from the Dragon Palace.

She serves the Dragon King?

We have a Fairy get-together here.

-We are the world. -Watch over them, Granny.

SOHO, LITTLE MISS HWARANG

-I envy them. -[Jiseon] How pretty. I'm jealous.

I'd love to have that youthfulness.

-They're novices. -Exactly. How great is that?

[Sujin] They look sweet and cute whatever they do.

Not us. We're jaded.

-[Jiseon] They're all our rivals. -[Sujin] You're right.

[♪ ominous music plays]

-[contestant 1] Hello. -Hello.

-[contestant 2 exclaims] -[Jiseon] Hello.

Oh, it's him!

[Soho] Didn't he become famous for crazy spiritual powers?

-[contestant 1] He's no joke. -[contestant 2] You look splendid.

-[contestant 3] A lot of familiar faces. -[Daeman] Everyone seems to know him.

[Lady Wish laughs] He brought his instruments in an Hermès bag.

[Seulbi] Wow, a rich man.

I'm Young Master Byeolsang, and I'm a Hwanghae-do manshin of 11 years.

I worked as a hairstylist from 9th grade

until I was 25.

My first reading was for my mom,

and soon after, I became a shaman.

Since then, I've been making about 100 million won every month.

-You're here too. -Hi, my man.

-Hello. -Welcome.

-Nice to meet you. -Hello.

[Kookjoo] Guess shamans have gear buffs too.

-[Lady Wish] Look at that bag. -[Seulbi] Isn't that really expensive?

[Byeon] He's probably the richest one here. Definitely loaded.

[Byeon] Young Master Byeolsang does North Korean rites.

Among those in our age group, he's unrivaled,

and people tend to compare us.

He's powerful, charismatic, almost like a general with a dark presence.

But I do Hanyang-style rites.

I wear white and channel an old lady.

We've been friendly rivals for years.

I should beat him at least.

I have to beat that punk.

[Byeolsang] Hwanghae-do rites are rough and flashy.

It's like a battle zone. We use blades from start to finish.

About 600 people attended

my New Harvest Prayer Ritual last year.

The rite cost about 100 million won,

but I made many times that.

That shows how powerful my deities are.

I'm confident I can take on whoever challenges me.

[Daeman] All the famous shamans are here.

[contestant 1] I sense some strong energy.

Very strong.

-[Monad] Oh, one of the elders. -[♪ curious music plays]

Oh, gee.

It's very powerful.

-Wow. -[contestant 2] I love this kind of thing.

What's that?

[Sujin] That's fascinating.

-[Hwarang] What are those? Radio antennas? -[Soho] Water dowsing.

Isn't that a feng shui thing?

[Seulbi exclaims] It's gauging our spiritual powers.

[Kookjoo] This is the old-school stuff.

-It's retro. -[Sage Kim] Yes, retro.

-[♪ upbeat music plays] -I'm Kim Baekmun,

and I've studied fortune telling and foot reading

for over 30 years.

KIM BAEKMUN 35-YEAR FOOT READER

I specialize in foot reading.

I also study Qimen Dunjia (ancient Chinese divination),

myungri, the Book of Changes,

Hexagram Divination, crystal gazing, and gemstone divination.

I can also do water dowsing.

-[Dokyu chuckles] It's him. -[Monad] Do you know him?

-He created the saju reading software. -[Monad exclaims]

-I use it too. -[Baekmun exclaims]

-[Dokyu] He's really famous. -[Monad] I see.

[Kookjoo] See if you've got a good spot.

Is that a good spot?

The water vein must be no joke here. There's water everywhere.

[Baekmun] Nice to meet you.

The energy is… Gosh, it's really strong.

[contestant 1 exclaims]

-[Kookjoo] The antennas are going crazy. -[contestant 2] They're going wild.

-Oh, my goodness. Look at that. -[contestant 3] It's moving nonstop.

They won't stop.

[Sujin] That looks powerful.

[Baekmun] Everyone here has some powerful energy.

-This place must have good energy. -[♪ tense music plays]

There's a lot of water energy here.

I see a lot of big names here.

[Baekmun] Ryu Donghak?

All he does is study myungri.

He has his own knowledge and expertise.

We have a master in our midst.

But the win is still mine.

Wish me luck.

[Heoyu] The entrances keep getting grander. [chuckles]

[contestant] Hello.

-[Kookjoo] Welcome. -[♪ upbeat music plays]

-Nice to meet you. -[contestant] Hello.

-He's handsome! -Hello.

Who's that?

Who is he?

Who? Who's that?

[Soho] Hwarang, we've never met anyone handsome on our prayer trail,

and now they're all here.

[Hwarang] It's full of good-looking people.

-I've never met anyone handsome. -Right?

-[Soho] He's the first cute male shaman. -Yes.

Hello.

I'm Young Master Plum Blossom from Mokpo.

My shaman family does a lot of tough rites.

[♪ suspenseful music plays]

We're called the Avengers because we pull off even the hardest rites.

My goal is

to be the best male shaman among the 49 contestants.

[Kookjoo] The shamans are all pretty young.

[Byeon] They're all young and good-looking.

[contestant 1] Yes, they're cuties.

-[contestant 2] Hey, he looks cool. -[Sujin] It's like a scene from a K-drama.

-[contestant 3] Oh, wow. -[Plum Blossom] Everyone's so handsome.

[contestant 4] That shaman. He's a stunner.

[contestant 5 chuckles] How cute. He's like a little boy.

[Donghak] They gathered the young male shamans from all over.

[chuckles] Right?

[Daeman] Who's that?

[Plum Blossom gasps] He's dressed in white.

[Shaman Junghwa] A handsome young man is walking in.

-[Seulbi] What? He's really tall. -[♪ alluring music plays]

-[contestant 1] He's so tall. -[contestant 2] He's like a model.

[gasps] Wait, what?

[gasps]

-[Soho] I've seen him somewhere. -[Young Master Mint] Hey, it's him.

-[Byeolsang] He's from Possessed Love. -[Mint] He was on Possessed Love.

-[Sujin] Possessed Love! -[Soho] Oh, Possessed Love?

CHEONHAE HWASIN 2-YEAR SHAMAN

[Mint] He's like a knight in shining armor.

He's so handsome.

-[Hannah gasps] Hongjo. -[Cheonhae] Hello.

-Hey. -[chuckling] Hongjo.

-[contestants chattering] -Gosh.

-[Hannah] You're right next to me, too. -[Cheonhae] Right, I am.

What's happening?

-Why are you next to me? -I don't know. Did they intend it?

[Cheonhae] There was someone I was on another show with.

I didn't think I'd see her here.

-[ritual bells ringing] -Oh, what? Is that a box?

-[Daeman] He's wearing a box. -Box Man?

[contestant 1 laughs]

[contestant 2] Is that a microwave over his head?

-[♪ intriguing music plays] -[contestant 3 laughs] It's a television.

[contestants cheering]

-[laughing] -[cheering continues]

[Seulbi] TV Man.

[contestants chattering, chuckling]

[laughs] That's incredible.

-[Seulbi] Retro Man. Hello. -[Hannah] Hello.

[contestant] Nice to meet you.

-[Seulbi] Hello. -[contestant] I'm a male shaman.

-[Seulbi] Can you see? -[Heoyu] How does he see? [laughs]

He found his spot just fine.

Is that a real TV?

[contestant] Yes, I bought it at Dongmyo flea market.

[Hannah] Oh.

[contestant] There are many great fortune tellers here,

but I'm the only one wearing a TV?

-It's like King of Masked Singer. -[Seulbi] Exactly.

The King of Masked Singer zone.

MASKED TAROT, YOUNG MASTER CHERRY BLOSSOM

-[Daeman] Everyone's so unique. -[Seulbi] I know, right?

-[contestant 1] Everyone's so different. -[contestant 2] That's right.

[♪ tense music plays]

[Seulbi] I've never seen anyone use that before.

[Polaris] I'm Polaris, a conjurer.

[Juno] I'm Juno, and I can tell everything

about someone from their name.

[Doeyu] I'm shaman Doeyu,

and I used to be a K-pop idol trainee.

DOEYU IDOL TRAINEE-TURNED-SHAMAN

[Byeolsang] She's from North Korea.

-[Seulbi] Oh, like actually North Korean? -[Byeolsang] Yes, she's from North Korea.

[Soho] Isn't she the figure skater-turned-shaman?

[Sujin] The figure skater shaman!

[Junghwa] She kept seeing ghosts at the ice rink

-[Seulbi] Really? -and became a shaman.

-[Seulbi] How tall! -[Kookjoo] Is she a model?

[Seulbi] She looks like an elf.

[contestants laugh]

[Byeon] She's a famous transgender shaman.

[Mint] We've got the most famous people in Korea.

[contestant] Is this the last person?

The last contestant. I wonder how powerful their energy is.

[♪ suspenseful music plays]

[Seulbi] Gosh, who could it be?

-[Daeman] She looks graceful in a hanbok. -[Seulbi] Yes, she has a nice silhouette.

[Fairy Butterfly] Hey, that person's really famous.

It's her! The young shaman who foresaw MC Mong's future.

-When she was a child. MC Mong. -Yeah, predicted what happened to MC Mong.

-[contestants exclaiming] -[Byeolsang] MC Mong!

-[Mint] Isn't she really famous? -[Byeolsang] She's all grown up.

[Mint] She became a shaman at a young age.

-[Kookjoo] Oh, really? -[Daeman] The child shaman on Star King.

-[Seulbi] For real? -[Daeman] Yes.

-[Joon] Her aura is no joke. -[Mint] She's done this for long.

[Byeolsang] Young in age, but rich in experience.

-[Mint] Definitely. -[Seulbi] Hello, little miss!

She may be a little miss, but there's an old Granny spirit inside her.

-[♪ tense music plays] -An old Granny's in there.

[Seulbi] How old are you now?

I'm 26.

My shrine is in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do.

I'm Lee Sobin, a shaman. I'm pleased to meet you.

I became a shaman when I was 7.

That's when I was spiritually called.

I appeared on TV when I was 9

and caused quite a stir.

FORETELLING OF MC MONG'S MISDEED SENT CHILLS DOWN THE SPINE

STAR KING CHILD SHAMAN'S ACCURATE PROPHECY

My Granny spirit said

as long as I believe in my deities and speak truthfully, like I used to,

it will work out.

If I put my faith in her,

I think I can win it all.

Total respect.

For me, Sobin was the most intimidating shaman of all.

I said I thought she'd win.

[Sujin] She's here too.

[Sujin] Manshin Lee Sobin.

I felt a connection with her.

But I do want to beat her, of course.

[Daeman] Lee Sobin's spiritually clear.

[contestant 1] Lee Sobin.

[contestant 2] Lee Sobin.

[contestant 3] Lee Sobin.

-[contestant 4] Lee Sobin. -[contestant 5] Lee Sobin.

[contestant 6] Lee Sobin, was it?

-[contestant 7] Lee Sobin. -[contestant 8] Lee Sobin.

[contestant 9] She's a strong contender to win.

[Soho] This show really pulled out all the stops.

[Sujin] It's a battle of the gods.

A battle of the gods.

[contestant] Is everyone here?

[Junghwa] Is this all?

-[mystical chimes] -[gasps] What's happening?

[all exclaiming]

[contestant 1 exclaims]

-[contestant 2] Gosh. What's this? -[♪ mysterious music plays]

[Mint] It's mesmerizing.

[contestant 3] Impressive.

[contestant 4] It feels like a whole new world is opening up.

[contestant 5 exclaims]

[narrator] Welcome to Battle of Fates.

[Kookjoo] I feel nervous. I didn't until yesterday.

I'm so nervous.

[Tarot Eyes] I'm shaking.

[contestant chuckles]

[narrator] Gathered here are

saju experts,

tarot masters,

shamans,

face readers,

foot readers, and so on.

The 49 Fate Readers

use their own unique gifts to tell fortunes.

[Fate Reader] Mmm, "Fate Readers."

[narrator] Some use the power of deities.

Some use spiritual sense and intuition.

Only those who see through fate will survive Battle of Fates.

The last one to survive this battle

will become the final Fate Reader

and win 100 million won in prize money.

[all cheering]

Let's do this!

[contestants exclaim]

-100 million? That's crazy. -[Fate Reader] No way.

-[exclaiming continues] -[♪ tense music plays]

[Byeon] I think I'll win.

[Cheonmyeong] I think I'll be the final winner.

Who's most likely to win? Obviously me.

You're all beneath me.

I'm going to win.

[Fairy Gaun] Isn't this a showdown between shamans?

Only a shaman stands a chance. [laughs]

[Monad] They did kind of get on my nerves.

[Tarot Eyes] Tarot readings are often more accurate than spiritual divination.

[Fate-teller] Tarot masters have a tougher shot than saju experts.

[♪ suspenseful music plays]

[Fate Reader] When a shaman sees another shaman…

We just know whether we can beat the other person.

[Sujin] So it begins.

[Fate Reader] A battle of the gods.

[Hannah] I'm going to win this battle.

-[Fate Readers exclaiming] -[Junghwa] It's coming down.

-[Seo] It's coming down. What is that? -[Seulbi] It's scary.

[Fate Reader] I'm scared all of a sudden.

[narrator] Dear 49 Fate Readers.

Before going into battle,

offer your prayers and blessings to the moon.

[♪ tense music plays]

-[rings] -[dings]

[drum roll]

[narrator] You may begin your prayers now.

[instruments ringing]

[exclaiming]

[Kookjoo] It was so scary.

It was my first time seeing so many shamans ring their bells

and connect with their deities.

[Fate Readers murmuring]

[Beentarot] The air suddenly changed.

I felt overwhelmed as soon as I saw it happening.

[Joon] What is this? Is this real or is this a dream?

[Seulbi exclaiming]

[muttering]

[bells ringing]

[muttering continues]

[Donghak chanting]

[Young Master Dragon] Help us see things clearly.

[Sujin] Let my eyes see visions and my tongue speak the truth.

[Byeon] Help me speak with grace.

[Hwarang] May my deity's name be known to more people.

I pray.

[♪ intense music plays]

[Soho] There are crystal balls and chairs.

[Sujin] What? Seats are on the floor.

[Donghak] What? They switched up the concept.

[Soho] It finally begins.

[Masked Tarot] Be careful. Do you need help with your bag?

[♪ intriguing music plays]

[sighs]

He took off his TV mask.

-The TV mask. -[Fate Reader 1] Finally, no more TV.

-[Daeman] Oh, dear. -[♪ wondrous music plays]

[Byeon] Look at Sobin's crystal ball. I should've brought something like that.

[Kookjoo] That knife… What…

Isn't it uncool to stand a knife up like that?

Hey, it's facing me. Are you…

Are you cursing me? I knew it.

Happy now?

[Fate Reader 1] Those with laptops must be saju readers.

[♪ tense music plays]

[Fate Reader 2] They look so fancy with their laptops.

[Hwarang] Seeing all this is just incredible. That's all I can say.

[Kookjoo] I've been in entertainment for 20 years,

but I've never seen anything like this. [laughs]

[Seulbi] Now it really feels like a survival show.

[narrator] Now, it's time to introduce the 5 Fate Reapers

who will join you on Battle of Fates.

[Kookjoo] Five will join?

"Fate Reapers"?

[♪ epic music plays]

[Fate Reader 1] They're here. What's happening?

[Fate Reader 2] The doors are opening.

-[Sujin] What's this? -[Soho] "Fate Reapers."

[Fate Readers exclaiming]

-[gasps] What's this? -[Fate Reader] What is it? Who are they?

[exclaiming continues]

[Hannah] With white smoke everywhere, they really looked like the Grim Reapers.

-[Plum Blossom] "They're here to get me." -[Fate Reader 1] Who are they?

-[Fate Reader 2 exclaims] -[Fate Reader 3] What's going on?

[applauding]

[Fate Reader 4 exclaims]

[Fate Reader 5] Wow.

[narrator] Jeon Hyunmoo.

JEON HYUNMOO FATE REAPER

Park Narae.

PARK NARAE FATE REAPER

That's a killer outfit.

She could be one of us.

[narrator] Shindong.

SHINDONG FATE REAPER

[Fairy Butterfly cheers]

I'm a die-hard SUPER JUNIOR fan. [laughs]

I'm a massive fan.

It's such an honor to see him here.

[narrator] Lee Hosun.

LEE HOSUN FATE REAPER

-[Sage Kim] From Divorce Camp. -[Fate-teller] Oh, really?

She's a tough one.

[narrator] Kang Jiyeong.

[Sobin] I'm a survival show addict,

so I'm a huge fan of Jiyeong's.

[Pie] I could tell at a glance she has a dry saju.

She's someone logical and practical.

She seemed to have a powerful presence.

[Fairy Butterfly] It looked like they gathered people with a strong aura.

[Dokyu] Why are they here?

[Mint] I wondered why they were here.

[Hyunmoo] They call the messengers of the Lord of the Underworld

-the Grim Reapers. -[♪ foreboding music plays]

The 5 of us

are Fate Reapers who were summoned by the God of Fate.

You'll be asked to read

fates and truths,

and we already know about them.

[gasps, exclaims]

[sighs]

Based on what we know,

we will judge and decide your fate.

[inhales sharply, sighs]

[Joon] This was totally unexpected.

[Fairy Gaun] It meant they'd be watching us with eagle eyes,

which was a lot of pressure.

I'm so excited

and happy to be here.

Everyone,

give me the chills.

I'll look forward to it.

[Byeon] She seems to know a lot about shamanism and tarot reading.

-She's into this kind of stuff. -Yes, I figured.

Some of you might know,

but my grandmother is a shaman.

[Fate Readers exclaiming]

Oh, really? I had no idea.

I'm not sure if it's true,

but they say shamanic gifts skip a generation,

and people tell me I channeled it into becoming an entertainer.

So I think they're not so different.

[Cheonmyeong] They sure did gather people that are full of spiritual energy.

[Seolhwa] They know our work, so I figured they'd be tough judges.

Hello, I'm Lee Hosun, a counselor.

-[♪ tense music plays] -In a way, I think

you and I have something in common.

I'll be watching closely at how you play the role of a counselor,

your skills, and the process.

[Byeolsang] I felt a bit nervous when she appeared.

I think she'll be tough and picky.

Sorry to say this, especially since we've just met…

but I don't believe in fate reading.

I don't.

[♪ dramatic music plays]

[chuckles] She's tough.

[Soho] Oh. She's just like my clients.

[Cheonhae] That was pretty uncomfortable to hear.

I feel fired up. [chuckles]

I wonder, "Is this really true?"

"Is shamanism something we can believe in?"

I'll share with the viewers only what I've seen

and experienced myself.

I think that's my role here.

[Sujin] I'll make you believe.

That's what our job is about.

[Daeman] Korean shamanism has a 5,000-year history.

I'm going to show her

how and why it's lasted so long.

Look, they're up there.

[Fate Reader] Oh, they'll be watching us from up there.

[Plum Blossom] The Fate Reapers added

a whole new level of pressure.

[narrator] We'll now begin the first round of Battle of Fates,

the Battle of Intuition.

BATTLE OF INTUITION

[♪ suspenseful music plays]

Intuition is the ability

to sense something beyond the 5 senses,

sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

In the Battle of Intuition,

only 1 contestant will survive after each question.

The number of survivors in the Battle of Intuition

will be only…

20.

[sighs] More than half of us will be gone.

[gasps] They're cutting us down to half in the first round.

[Dragon] Oh, my gosh.

Let's have some fun.

[narrator] Here is the first question.

-[♪ pensive music plays] -[sighs]

-[Fate Reader 1 exclaims] -[Fate Reader 2] What's going on?

[Fate Readers exclaiming]

[thuds]

What's that?

[Fate Readers exclaiming]

[Donghak] Huh, what?

[Fate Readers exclaiming]

What's that?

Huh?

-[exclaims] -[gasps]

[Sage Kim] It's a face.

[Soho] Someone's face showed up on the stone.

[Monad] I was confused. I couldn't figure out what it's supposed to mean.

[Juno] I was lost.

She's not of this world.

KO MIYEONG (FEMALE) DIED ON JULY 11, 2009

-[Fate Reader 1 gasps] -[Fate Reader 2] Gosh, what is this?

[Fate Reader 3] There's the date of her death.

[Shindong exclaims]

She's deceased?

[narrator] The fate for you to read

is the deceased's cause of death.

[Fate Reader 4 gasps]

-[♪ thrilling music plays] -Gosh, this is crazy.

Huh? [scoffs, sighs]

[Pie] We're off to a tough start.

[narrator] Using the photo and the details of the deceased's birth and death,

-you need to read into how she passed. -Gosh, this is…

This is a bit…

[Heoyu] I've never done anything like this.

[Beentarot] Can I do this with tarot cards?

[Baekmun] It was shocking.

What kind of question is this?

[Seolhwa] I thought, "Whoa, this is no joke."

[Jiseon] These TV people are really rough and cruel.

Can they guess this?

-[Narae] I think they will. -You do?

[Narae] Shamans are good at this kind of thing.

Apparently, they can somehow see it.

[Daeman] As soon as I saw the picture, I knew for sure.

[Doeyu] Feeling the spirit of a deceased person is what we always do.

I was pretty confident.

[Sujin] We see souls and spirits,

so I thought I could certainly do it.

[narrator] We will give you 10 minutes to read her fate.

-[♪ intriguing music plays] -Please begin

your reading now.

[♪ heavy music plays]

[bells ringing]

[whistles]

[exclaims]

Oh, my.

[Jiyeong gasps, exclaims]

-[Shindong] Whoa. -I have goosebumps.

[ritual bells ringing]

[Fate Reapers exclaiming]

What a bizarre sight. Oh, my.

This sound gives me the chills.

My head hurts.

[Hyunmoo] There are too many bells.

I doubt they can connect with their deities this way.

There are too many kinds of bells.

LEE SOBIN 20-YEAR SHAMAN

[Sobin] You could call it a kind of noise canceling.

At that moment, my ears block everything out.

[bell ringing stops abruptly]

[Sobin] The moment I connect and communicate with my deity,

there's just the two of us.

SOHO 5-YEAR SHAMAN

-[♪ curious music plays] -[Fate Reader 1] My instruments are

a medium that improves communication with my deity.

[Fate Reader 2] It's believed that deities come to us through sound and wind.

FAIRY BUTTERFLY 4-YEAR SHAMAN

I ask for deities with sound.

I ask them to descend on me riding the wind.

CHEONHAE HWASIN 2-YEAR SHAMAN

[Cheonmyeong] They also heighten my spiritual sense.

SAGE CHEONMYEONG 10-MONTH SHAMAN

They're like an amplifier and a flare.

NOH SEULBI 5-YEAR SHAMAN

[Seulbi] As long as you have a firm connection with your deity,

you don't really need to use any tools.

So I just stared at the photo.

KO MIYEONG (FEMALE) DIED ON JULY 11, 2009

[♪ inquisitive music plays]

I should check July 11 as well.

BUSINESS SAGE KIM 8-YEAR SAJU EXPERT

When reading someone's saju,

you enter their birth date and time into the perpetual calendar.

The 8 letters it yields are

the letters that represent their fate.

Based on those,

you interpret their temperament and the flow of their fortune.

That's what it means to read someone's saju.

PHOTOS AND THE CALENDAR WERE PROVIDED

YISEO 20-YEAR SAJU EXPERT

[indistinct murmuring]

[Fate Reader] This is not the kind of reading we're normally requested to do.

OSANG YOO JINSEOK 30-YEAR SAJU EXPERT

[Fate Reader chuckles] I thought, "This isn't going to be easy."

FATE-TELLER 9-YEAR SAJU EXPERT

But can you figure it out with tarot when the person in question isn't here?

-Yes, they pick the cards for the person. -[Jiyeong] Oh, I see.

[Beentarot] What's her cause of death?

She died on July 11, 2009.

Was it murder?

BEENTAROT 9-YEAR TAROT MASTER

How did she die? Was it a blade?

[Beentarot] I kept picking cards to narrow it down as much as possible.

[Kookjoo] Whoa, how do you guess how someone died?

How do you do that with tarot?

[Byeon] Only shamans could do it.

Shamans?

[exclaims]

[Dragon] Deities,

they've asked me to guess how the Ko descendant died.

[grunting, groaning]

She was in so much pain.

All alone.

She was all by herself and lonely. She died alone.

That poor thing. Oh, poor thing.

[Dragon] When someone comes to see me for a reading,

I channel an ancestor of theirs

and relay what they want to say. That's what I'm good at.

My deities gave me a jigi (physical sign from spirits).

I started shuddering, and I felt something seething inside.

JIGI: A SPIRIT'S ENERGY THE SHAMAN PHYSICALLY FEELS

FAIRY GAUN 6-YEAR SHAMAN

Every joint in her arms hurts.

The arms hurt, and she fell.

KO MIYEONG (FEMALE) DIED ON JULY 11, 2009

-[♪ sinister music plays] -[Fairy Gaun] I saw her fortune

as soon as I saw her photo.

Her body's torn.

Torn here and there.

So many scars.

YOUNG MASTER MINT 3-YEAR SHAMAN

Fell to her death.

It feels like

she fell to her death while traveling?

YOUNG MASTER SEO

She fell, and her head bust open?

[Jiyeong] He's really quick.

The answer just comes to them.

-[Narae] Right. -[Jiyeong] Mmm.

[Fate Reader whimpering]

The one in the yellow jacket seems to be crying.

Someone's crying?

[Fate Reader sobbing]

She's crying.

-[Narae] The girl in a yellow jacket… -[Hyunmoo] Who?

[Jiyeong] Who's crying?

[Hyunmoo] It's Seolhwa.

SEOLHWA 4-YEAR SHAMAN

[♪ foreboding music plays]

[whimpering continues]

Why? Is she feeling something?

She must be reading the spirit's emotions.

-Seriously? -[Narae] Yes.

Gosh, I got goosebumps.

[Seolhwa murmuring]

[Seolhwa sobbing]

[Seolhwa] Granny, Grandpa…

Don't go.

[Seolhwa] The deceased's spirit took over my body for a while.

Grandpa, Granny, I'm sure you saw what happened.

I'm welling up.

[sobbing] Granny, show me how she died.

[wailing]

[Seolhwa] She cried, saying she died a death she didn't deserve.

That was me getting a jigi.

-Is she crying knowing the cause of death? -[Narae] It's like…

It's different for every shaman,

but when they channel a dead person,

some shamans can physically feel how the deceased died.

Oh, really?

They say if they channel someone who died drunk,

they feel very nauseous and dizzy.

-They can feel their physical state. -Like they're drunk?

This is wild. It's inexplicable.

This feels so weird.

[♪ tense music plays]

[narrator] The time is up.

Any Fate Reader who wants to have a go,

press your button now.

[Mint grunts]

[all] Wow.

[all exclaim]

-Wait, that's a lot. -This many?

When it's only the first question?

[Hosun] Almost everyone wants to have a go.

[Jiyeong] A lot of challengers for the first question.

-[Narae exclaims] -[Shindong] They're all shamans.

-[Narae] Most of them seem to be shamans. -[Hyunmoo] As expected.

[narrator] Forty Fate Readers are up for the challenge.

[Fate Reapers gasping, exclaiming]

Wow.

It's almost everyone.

[Shindong] Forty?

[♪ intriguing music plays]

[Hyunmoo] I guess they're all confident.

[narrator] Of those who pressed the button,

only the first 7

get a chance to present their readings.

Here are the 7 Fate Readers who will present their readings.

Please. [grunts]

KIM BAEKMUN 35-YEAR FOOT READER

TAROT EYES TAEUL LEE DOKYU

OSANG YOO JINSEOK YOUNG MASTER JISEON

You're in.

Hey, Granny. You're going for it?

-[Hwarang] Congratulations. -[Soho] Congrats.

NOH SEULBI 5-YEAR SHAMAN

I'm jealous.

[narrator] The Book of Fate holds the answers

to every question.

The 5 Fate Reapers will make their decisions

based on what's written in it.

It's so detailed.

[exclaims]

[narrator] The first to press the button was…

Yoon Daeman. Please present your reading.

The shaman who does Gugak.

[♪ secretive music plays]

First, this woman, Ms. Ko…

I'm hearing that her throat closed up, like she was suffocated to death.

She couldn't breathe, and her heart was racing.

-[exclaims] -[whispering] He's right.

I also see water.

[Daeman] I think she was traveling abroad when she died.

[exclaims] It's insane.

[exclaims]

He's right.

That's what I'm getting.

This is amazing.

-She didn't want to die. That's for sure. -Yes.

-Emotions exploded as soon as I started. -[Soho] Me too.

-I couldn't help crying. -She feels so wronged.

[Sobin] Do you think it was an accident?

It was an accident. Definitely.

I don't think she wanted it to happen.

[narrator] Next, Young Master Jiseon.

YOUNG MASTER JISEON

[Narae] The youngest shaman.

The youngest. He's 18.

[♪ tense music plays]

What I'm getting about the deceased is

she wasn't in good health even when she was alive.

She had minor illnesses and such.

I think she went missing far from home.

[Hyunmoo] This is incredible.

[Narae] Holy moly. I'm literally getting the chills.

I get the feeling that she went missing.

-This is actually insane. -[Narae] Oh, my goodness.

-[exclaims] -[Hyunmoo] How did he know that?

Yes, that's what I was getting.

Yes, me too.

This is so fun.

-I'm not even joking. I got the chills. -[Shindong] Me too.

[narrator] Next, Noh Seulbi.

NOH SEULBI 5-YEAR SHAMAN

I wonder what she got.

[Soho] Noh Seulbi.

-[♪ suspenseful music plays] -Her spiritual powers are so…

I think she's extraordinary.

[Plum Blossom] As for Seulbi,

her eyes are so alive.

She's with such a powerful Granny spirit.

She's the one to watch.

It's cold and… Let's see. My deity says, "It's cold and dark."

That's what I'm hearing.

-[♪ ominous music plays] -[Shindong exclaims]

What the heck?

"Are you sure that's the day I died?"

-[Hyunmoo] No way. -[Seulbi] I'm getting that too.

[Fate Reapers gasp]

Oh, goodness.

-What? -[Narae] She's right.

Oh, she is right.

"Are you sure that's when she died?"

I don't think that's the day she died.

[Hyunmoo exclaims]

She's spot-on. Oh, gosh.

[Seulbi] She was away from home.

It seems she went missing there and was found later.

[exclaims]

This is unbelievable.

[Shindong] She's really good. Wow.

[Seulbi] That's what my Granny spirit told me, so I have no doubt.

I'm sure of it.

It's so detailed, isn't it?

Too detailed.

-Very specific. -[Byeon] Yes, it is.

[narrator] All readings have been shared.

Fate Reapers,

please choose the person who read the fate

most accurately.

-You can kind of guess that. -You can guess.

She died when she fell,

and her body was recovered later.

They're discussing, which means there was more than 1 close answer.

[Jiseon] I just said what I was told and what I felt.

[Daeman] I trust my deities and my Granny spirit.

[Seulbi] I was confident.

[narrator] Let's find out the Fate Reapers' choice.

My gosh. Who's the survivor?

[Fate Reader 1] Drumroll.

[narrator] The first survivor is…

Translated by Jennifer Jean Lim