Money and Straight A’s: The Recipe for a Good Life?

Note: This post is the first part of a series that explores the main message of the Korean webtoon Annarasumanara. You might want to read the introduction first.

Il-deung and Ah-ee in chapter 8

Despite coming from different backgrounds, senior high school students Ah-ee and Il-deung share the same view on life. They believe that life is about becoming typical successful adults. To do so, one must attain economic and academic success. Nonetheless, the story conveys that economic and academic success do not necessarily guarantee a fulfilling life. This can be seen through the juxtaposition of Ah-ee and Il-deung themselves.

Ah-ee

Ah-ee in chapter 1

Ah-ee is an academically successful senior high school student who, unfortunately, does not fare well economically. Her father is constantly on the run from debt collectors while her mother left years ago. Left with only her younger sister and no source of income, Ah-ee is forced to juggle school-life with part-time jobs. She repeatedly expresses frustration at her destitute and hopes to be broken out of this “curse of poverty”.

Due to her circumstances, Ah-ee desires money more than anything else (chapter 8). In fact, it is strongly the case that this desire is what’s behind her academic success. Ah-ee studies hard so that she can get good grades, enter a reputable university, and get a stable job that earns a lot of money (chapter 9 and 15). The importance of money is reflected not only in Ah-ee’s thoughts, but also in the webtoon’s use of colors. Annarasumanara is largely told in black-and-white, and thus any use of color must be significant. Money is among the only things that consistently appears in color. In this bleak world, money is something that brings vibrancy.

Chapter 1

Interestingly, it is hinted that at least a part of Ah-ee doubts the validity of her current belief. In chapter 9, Ah-ee admits that she used to view studying hard as the only way out of poverty. Ah-ee continues, “or at least that’s what I once hoped for. Like a fool.” Why continue believing, then? It – studying hard – is the only thing she can do now. I believe Ah-ee is not saying this because she thinks she can be happy without riches. She says this out of disillusion: She just cannot seem to improve her condition despite having exerted much effort. This points to the fact that poverty may not simply be a personal issue. It can be a larger systemic issue. Meritocratic ideas that deem individual laziness as the main cause of poverty are an oversimplification of reality.

Ah-ee's thoughts in Chapter 9. The background depicts TV static.

For most part of the story, we see Ah-ee clinging to the notion that material and academic success are what you need in life. The current Ah-ee thinks she is ultimately unhappy because she is missing a piece of the puzzle: material success. Another character, however, proves this to be untrue.

Il-deung

Il-deung in chapter 1

In contrast to Ah-ee, the school’s resident number one Il-deung enjoys both academic and material success. Academically, he is in the top 0.01% of all Korean students. Economically, he is supported by his parents’ enormous wealth. His colorful smorgasbord of a house with a giant diamond on top is a sure testament to his family’s wealth. (Curiously, only the house’s exterior is colorful. The interior isn’t.) Il-deung convinces himself that his future is guaranteed, and is the best one out there.

Il-deung's house in chapter 8

Il-deung shares Ah-ee’s beliefs, deeming academic and economic success as necessities for a good life. Il-deung’s top grades are proof of how highly he thinks of academic success. His willingness to bribe Ah-ee so that she scores lower than him (chapter 8) can also be proof of his belief (although I think here Il-deung is also taking revenge on Ah-ee in his own way). He wants to be academically successful no matter the cost. Meanwhile, in chapter 11, Il-deung negatively judges the magician based on his money-making capability. Il-deung having the same beliefs as herself is not lost on Ah-ee. She agrees with his view on the magician (chapter 4) and even considers Il-deung as the type of man she needs as a husband (chapter 7). Nevertheless, the reasons why they come to adopt this belief are different. While Ah-ee comes to accept this belief due to poverty, Il-deung must have been taught by his parents (chapter 8, 14, 22).

Nevertheless, Il-deung eventually finds the “asphalt road” he undertakes to be unsatisfactory. In general, he has three problems with it. First, the road is cold and lonely (chapter 14). Il-deung appears to get along quite well at school, but he repeatedly asserts that he is standing alone on the asphalt road. Perhaps he does not have any close friends, or perhaps nobody understands the pressure put on him by his parents. Whatever the reason is, the story shows that it can be lonely at the top. Second, Il-deung is not enjoying the journey – things fly past him too quickly (chapter 21). He is too focused on the goal and as a result misses out on day-to-day life. Finally, Il-deung is unsure whether he is going down the road out of his own volition (chapter 21).

Conclusion

To Ah-ee and Il-deung, becoming a typical successful adult is everything – and that means attaining economic and academic success. However, the story demonstrates that doing so does not always result in happiness. Initially we have the academically successful Ah-ee who believes economic success to be the cure to her problems. We are then presented with Il-deung, a character who possesses academic success and the economic success Ah-ee wants. Yet he is equally unhappy. Therefore, this juxtaposition produces the message that academic and economic success do not necessarily guarantee a fulfilling life.

In contrast to Ah-ee and Il-deung, Annarasumanara has another main character with an alternative point of view to life. That person is the magician, R. What is his view like? Please kindly wait for the next post!