Yes, People Are Allowed To Enjoy Things, But…

People are more than allowed to enjoy anything they want, and I can believe that, for the most part, the people approaching this story wouldn’t condone what is portrayed here in real life at all. But people should be aware of and understand precisely what they’re reading, ESPECIALLY when it comes to dark literature (but all literature, really, any art you engage with). I know I myself have been concerned about some people reading Jinx, not because I hate this story and what it’s portraying and think it’s inherently morally corrupting or whatever (although I do have issues with it for a variety of reasons—it should be known that no matter what you’re reading, that thing IS trying to convey some message about reality, how it is and/or how it should be, and it can reinforce and/or critique the preexisting narratives we tell ourselves) but because it feels like some people, for some reason, aren’t willing to just…be honest about what’s happening in this story. I find it worrying when people cannot identify rape as being rape. They’re allowed to like it, but they should know that that’s what’s happening, y’know?

Of course in the realm of fiction, you can make anything happen. I’m someone who loves reading and writing fantasy so I know more than anyone how fun and enjoyable it can be to come up with those “what if” scenarios and then try to write my way through it. But the thing about any fantasy that wants to be good, any storytelling that wants to be good, really, is that at the end of the day…things have to be believable. Things have to be (internally) logically consistent, they have to make sense, they have to be convincing. Writing often is an exercise in persuasion—persuading the reader that what you have written has some “truth” to it. Speaking for myself, I am interested in seeing how Jinx will attempt to write its way into the happy, healthy relationship that it wants Dan and Jaekyung to end up being in. But from what I’ve seen thus far of their relationship, and from what I know and understand about happy, healthy relationships, I know that I will need a whole lot of persuading to be able to believe in the happiness and healthiness of their relationship in the end.

Ah, it would’ve been so good if it committed to and explored its themes through and through…