What new superheroes really need

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What new superheroes really need

Published: 17 Jun. 2025, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Lee Hoo-nam

The author is a senior culture reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo.

What if you suddenly gained a superpower? As a child, that idea might have seemed thrilling. As an adult, the thought feels burdensome. Experience has taught us otherwise — power, as Spider-Man famously learned, comes with responsibility. If it’s just enough to help with daily life, that’s one thing. But if you’re suddenly capable of saving the world like an Avenger, the pressure of where to begin could be paralyzing.

In "Hi-Five"(2025), that anxiety fades. The film’s five rookie superheroes are not born with power. They acquire it through organ transplants — a narrative twist that reminds us they were once sick enough to need those transplants. That context makes their new abilities all the more moving.

A scene from the film "Hi-Five" [NEW]

Park Wan-seo, played by Lee Jae-in, the daughter of a taekwondo instructor, can now run with impossible speed and strength. She used to skip school due to a heart condition. Her father still treats her like a fragile child, unaware of her transformation. Her sprint up a steep road is more than just a flashy scene — it’s a liberating moment for a girl with no friends and an overprotective parent.

Aspiring writer Park Ji-seong, played by Ahn Jae-hong, and style-obsessed drifter Hwang Gi-dong, played by Yoo Ah-in, also seem socially isolated. Their clashing personalities play out like a real-life version of an online comment war. They don’t begin as heroes burdened with saving the world. But when one of them is in trouble, the other extends a hand. Gradually, they become a team.

That act — reaching out and becoming part of a group — means everything to these unlikely superheroes. For Kim Seon-nyeo, played by Ra Mi-ran, the gesture is literal. She only activates her power by physically holding someone’s hand. She works selling probiotic drinks from a refrigerated cart. Despite personal struggles left mostly unexplained, she remains the most grounded and dependable of the group.

Unlike Hollywood superheroes, Korea’s rarely dominate the box office. The filmmakers behind "Hi-Five" likely know this. These characters, who are closer to ordinary citizens than icons, are more relatable as a result. Their quirks and personalities drive much of the film’s appeal.

Still, the story eventually returns to familiar patterns. As expected by Park Ji-seong — the self-aware writer character — the villain is another superpowered figure: cult leader Seo Young-chun, played by Shin Goo and Park Jin-young, who seeks immortality and others’ abilities. He is depicted as an unambiguous antagonist.

One more note: The most enviable power belongs to Heo Yak-seon, played by Kim Hee-won, who heals others in secret after a factory accident. Though he feels their pain, a gulp of spring water revives him. Of all the powers in "Hi-Five,” his might be the one we wish we had.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.