Disney+ orders Korean shaman spinoff series House of Fates

Steelman: both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters see House of Fates as a welcome showcase for a distinctive strand of Korean culture, giving practitioners of shamanism, saju and tarot mainstream visibility and economic recognition on a major global platform. They argue that entertainment formats have long been a vehicle for introducing audiences to unfamiliar traditions, and that inviting real practitioners to lead the show, rather than having outsiders caricature the practice, treats the subject with a degree of authenticity and respect. For them, the show's popularity is evidence of genuine cultural curiosity and pride, not exploitation.

The case against

Critics worry that turning shamanic rituals and personal fate readings into competitive, filmed entertainment risks trivialising practices that many Koreans regard as spiritually significant or sacred, reducing them to a formulaic content pipeline optimised for viewership rather than meaning. They are uneasy about a large multinational streamer commercialising indigenous spiritual traditions for profit and rapid franchise expansion, and question whether the format's focus on ranking and spectacle can coexist with the respect such practices are traditionally afforded. For them, the swift spinoff underlines a concern that commercial incentives, rather than cultural stewardship, are driving how these traditions are represented.