Ma$ter(마스터) Korean Film Thoughts(2016)

 

   Master is a 2016 South Koren film that was directed by Cho Ui Seok(Make It Big, Cold Eyes) and stars Lee Byung Hun, Kang Dong Won, along side, Kim Woo Bin. The film gained more than 4 million ticket admissions making it the eleventh highest grossing film of 2016. Placing at number thirty six on the list of the best films of all time in South Korea.


   I big company called One Network is said to be involved in a fraud case. The police investigation team is made up of cops that are at the top of the police academy. They are on a mission to take down One Network by forcing it's chief in command to become a mole for reporting all activity happening on the inside of the company to the police. Little do they know, the founder of One Network isn't the kind of man to be taken down so easily.


  This film might look like an off the chain action film. I'm going to tell you right now that its not. The poster and trailers of this film are misleading. Ploys to get action fans into the theater or to spend your money on a physical copy of this film. There's action in the film. Certain scenes call for a kind of action element but these scenes come on screen way less than the scenes that are dialogue heavy. A few Scenes portraying car chases and gun fights make appearances if you can imagine something like that[INSERT ME LAUGHING]. Master isn't meant to be a shoot em up crime thriller like many other Korean films. Viewers are instead introduced to a game of wits. A game that could be called "Who will get found out first?". Think a game of chess where you have to think a few moves ahead of your opponent while also trying to read their moves. Master's plot is all stuff with the characters trying to move around the chessboard in order to outwit each other. Since whoever gets away, gets a whole lot of fraud money. I was just watching this film to see where the story would end up. The actor's performances make up for the lack of action. I was on the edge of my seat watching the three face off with each other. Most satisfying part of the film for me was the ending. Gosh, the ending was a person forced to hold their breath finally being able to breath again. Rainbows always look better after thunderstorms.

  Byung Hun still has a strong sense of acting out a character to their fullest potential. His character did a lot to hurt people but I didn't feel like he was totally a villain. He did what he needed to do. Just don't hurt others people to get what you want. That's where he went wrong. The character had a strong leader presence that wasn't to be played with. This could be seen in early scenes he had with Woo Bin's character. Woo Bin is an actor that I really want to see brake out of the same stereotypical gangster roles. Twenty was a take on a different character for him… It wasn't too much of a difference though. Master has him playing a character that isn't a gangster but he might as well be. The character adds comedy to the film which he has shown that he could do comedic roles in the past. I want him to do a role that is the opposite of what you would expect from someone that looks like him(He has a handsome scary looking face.). Sending my prayers for Woo Bin's fight against cancer. Kang Dong Won can't be stopped for anything. The man is a good actor. That's the bottomline. I've watch him play a numerous of different roles that tested his acting ability. This film featured him using what he learned over the years to act with some of South Korea's best actors(Byung Hun). He brought out such emotional quality in both Byung Hun and Woo Bin. I wasn't expecting Kang to have a strong presence being in the same camera frame as Byung Hun but he held his own. Like I stated above, watching these three go at it in a game of wits was more than enough to make up for the lack of action. Not that I'm really complaining about the lack of action scenes. Good chemistry from good actors can make any film good…. Ok, well... we need a good script too. Just that the point is having actors who can take me on their emotional journey through their acting. The cast of Master did this well.

   Master's set on location changes a few times. I'm talking about going out of the country type changing of location. The transitions for this travel in the film is so spontaneous also. Fade out from the city line of Seoul to the crowded streets of Hong Kong. Then back to Seoul before ending up in Thailand. It's sad when people do bad and have to do every thing in their power to get away from punishment. Other than that, Master is filmed like all the other Korean crime thrillers.

  I enjoyed Master the most after the ending result. I don't know if I would say that this is the best Korean film out there. It's a good film but I'm missing components leading to that WOW factor. The cast was fabulous till the end however.

Epik High(에픽 하이)- WE'VE DONE SOMETHING WONDERFUL Album Thoughts(K-rap)

Track List:
01. 난 사람이 제일 무서워 (Love Is The Most Scary)
02. 연애소설 (Love Story) [Ft. 아이유 (IU)] 
03. 노땡큐 (No Thank You) (Ft. The Quiett, Simon Dominic & Song Min-Ho (Feat. MINO, 사이먼 도미닉, 더콰이엇))
04. 빈차 (Home is Far Away) [Ft. 오혁 (Oh Hyuk)] 
05. Here Come The Regrets [Ft. 이하이 (Lee Hi)]
06. 상실의 순기눙 (Cycle of Loss) [Ft. 수현 (Lee Suhyun)]
07. Bleed
08. Tape 2002年 7月 28日 (Tape July 28th 2002)
09. 어른 즈음에 (Around Adulthood)
10. 개화 (Blooming) [Ft. 김종완 of 넬 (Kim Jong Wan)]
11. 문배동 단골집 (Munbaedong Favorite Spot) [Ft. 크러쉬 (Crush)]
 


   Isn't it alright to say that this release came out of nowhere for me? Was I the only one that just looked up and saw Epik High coming out with new music? It's been three or four years since the rappers signed to YG Entertainment then they moved to a sub-lable of YG which didn't surprise me too much. Tablo, Mihra, and their DJ have always done things by their own rules. They are known for testing the boundary of what Korean Rap/Hip-hop is known for. Some of their music has actually been banded based on the content being too anti-South Korea. Even so, Epik High went on to win many awards for their albums at music shows. This is their ninth studio album to date.

  "Wonderful" is what I'm going to call this album while I type. The name of this album is too damn long to be typing every time I mention it so let's stick with a shortened version. Epik High asks for the aid of big singers to help them craft their musical imagery for this album. There are special guest appearances by the nation's little sister trying to shed the title(IU), Oh Hyuk; and Lee Hi, who was brought back to feature again simple because she fits just right in Epik High's music, plus other artists. Oh Hyuk was the feature artist that had me the most excited. I'm a huge fan of his music so this feature came at the right time for me. One quality that I constantly address when talking about Epik High's music is their flexibility to bring new flavor to the Hip Hop genre. They don't try to be followers of trends that others think make them more Hip hop or "Thug". If Epik High doesn't feel the music in their souls, you're not going to hear it. Wonderful comes in full swing like a diary that Tablo wrote during his darkest moments over the past few years. He seems to really suffer with a lot of emotional anguish as noted in Epik High's past songs. I felt a little torn because I enjoy listening to Tablo's experiences but it's sad to know that his suffering is my past time. Hopefully, writing all his heartache down was somewhat of a cure for him. I know that doing this helps many other musicians. The album was produced in a way that didn't try to be music that was strictly Hip Hop. Epik High never was that kind of rap group. Instead Wonderful features instrumentals that are inspired by the classical music genre. instruments such as violins and piano are performed seamlessly through the base beat that's a must for every rap track. Then a rock mixed with rap sound is laid down for tracks such as HERE COMES THE REGRETS. The electric guitar gave the track a sure fire edge for the lyrical message. No Thank You, features a whole bunch of rappers that participated as judges with Tablo on Rap competition show, Show Me The Money. This is probably the most Hip Hop orientated track on the album. All the rappers have no filter here and I loved every minute of it. Not every track is depressing on Wonderful. Some tracks give confidence in moments that Epik High's emotions become more hopeful.

   Epik High is the type of group that can rap along to any genre of music. That being because these guys can rap with fierceness making any track they rap on worthy of greatness. I would consider most of the tracks on Wonderful to be pop. However, Epik High's bars are so powerful that it doesn't even matter. They still can be about that Hip Hop life though. The featured artists adapt to the normal Epik High formula when it comes to the soft way they all chose to vocalize. IU's feature reminded me of the group's old tracks like Love Love Love. Many of the female features sing in the same style when singing for Epik High. Lee Hi was kind of an exception. She sang with a soulful sorrow, fitting perfectly to Tablo's rap bars. Oh Hyuk's track is the title track for the whole album. He sounds amazing on Home is Far Away. His husky and soulful vocal was mystifying, yet commanding. I loved the transitions between his high and low registers. Perfect for listening while relaxing on the bed.


  Epik High came back on a different appeal for their fans. They put their hearts on their sleeves by being more artsy than their other rapper counterparts. I believe they are one of the few Korean rappers that realize that Rap is about talking about YOUR OWN experience. Forget rapping about thug life that you know good and well you're not apart of. As a black guy, I get so tired of the fake wannabe thug Korean rappers that try to copy off my people's culture. Cool, if that's your experience(like if you actually grew up in urban culture) but don't rap about stuff that you think makes you look good. Rap from the heart.

The Game Changer(游戏规则) Chinese Film Thoughts

 

   Television director and producer Gao Xixi makes his film directorial debut with 2017's The Game Changer. Singers/actors Peter Ho and Huang Zitao(former member of Kpop band EXO) take on the staring roles for the film. The film is inspired by a television drama called Shanghai Bund that was very successful in 1980. This film is only one of a slew of remakes that the drama has inspired.


   Two men work together under a powerful gang where it's leader is in a fight for power over the town district. These men see each other as brothers but one of the men has history in his past. He is on the path of revenge for the deaths of his university military group of friends killed at the hands of the leader of the gang. Things continue to work in his favor when the gang leader's daughter falls in love with him, putting a divide between the two brothers.

   The Game Changer could have gone somewhere good in storytelling. Had the film took the time to tell the full story of some of the character's with a solid good scene. The film uses a lot of quick flashback sequences to make the viewer wonder what happened to one of the characters. Which is cool because you spend your viewing experience figuring out what's going on in a good way. Bad part about this decision is that there's never a solid flashback scene that brings all these random flashback scenes together.(The scene used to tie them together was like a short flashback.) You are instead left wanting more expansion on the characters introduced. The Game Changer does go the extra mile to explain how the two characters became brothers but this doesn't help the film overall when you want to know more about solely one character. Nothing can be done except to realize The loop holes in the script. Now you bring in the action scenes, then you pretty much have all that The Game Changer can be. Action is done very darn well by this film. I just couldn't  help but think that the action overrode the potential that the storyline could have been. There's some much action that when you get to a scene with speaking lines, the scenes feel forced or rushed to get back to the shooting. Not all scenes were like this but even the good acting that did happen in this film was toned down by the action. Everything about The Game Changer tries too hard to scream that it's a "gangster " film. Massive destruction in the action was what made this film be one step above a mindless Chinese action film. Gosh, you should know how I feel about some of the recent films out of mainland China. I've seen too many films that I had to turn off before the hour mark. I would have liked this film to have focused more on the plot but there was enough of a story progression to keep me watching.  Perfect balance like Ying and Yang is key though folks.

  Peter Ho was in the zone for his character. The film's best acted scenes involve him and even some of his scenes feel like he was acting on an undeveloped character. Tao wasn't terrible while acting with Peter. Though we all know that he was cast as a money bag filler. Him being in this film alone got this film some good amount of admissions…. mostly women probably. His acting can be a little over the top in some scenes. He might want to learn how to let his emotions come out more natural. Love is one emotion you can't rush when acting. I couldn't get into the same space as Tao's character and his love interest because it felt like he had just met her. In the film, they had known each other awhile however, I didn't feel that as a person watching them. Peter Ho on the other hand had me feeling every bit of his heart while acting with both actresses. Thinking about the film, many qualities of the film were over the top…. The deaths to be exact. Bottomline was that the action takes top priority over much of anything in this film.

   I might sound kind of evil or sadistic but liked that the action scenes were bloody. Watching the blood fly from the bodies made the action all the more realistic. Then…. the realism went far out the window. I couldn't help but laugh at the stunt doubles falling off buildings in slow motion. So damn slow that you could see the strings holding them up as they fell. How could the director give that mess the ok? That was as bad as that overused 1930's Shanghai film set.

   The Game Changer could be a good watch depending on what your watching it for. It's not the best but i've seen much worse. At lease Chinese cinema is working it's way to having coherent storytelling  again. Slowly but surely as I always say.

SPYAIR(スパイエアー)- Kingdom Album Thoughts(J-rock)

 

Tracklist

1. THE WORLD IS MINE
2. RAGE OF DUST
3. MIDNIGHT
4. スクランブル
5. 君がいた夏
6. THIS IS HOW WE ROCK
7. BRING IT ON ～Battle of Rap～
8. Don’t Look Back
9. Brand New Days
10. C!RCUS
11. Goldship
12. Be with
13. サムライハート (Some Like It Hot!!) [Acoustic Sessions]     (DISC 2)
14. RAGE OF DUST [Acoustic Sessions]
15. Be with [Acoustic Sessions]
16. Supersonic [Acoustic Sessions]                  
17. Stand by me [Acoustic Sessions]

  Spyair is a band that debuted in 2005. The band consists of four members, IKE, UZ, MOMIKEN, and KENTA. Their name came from the name "spyware" that is a kind of computer virus. They got their rise in fame when their songs were repeatedly featured in many popular anime such Gundam, Bleach, and Haiyku!! Kingdom is their seventh album release after having several live tours throughout Japan and a continuing streak of their songs being used in different forms of media.

   I'm not one of the fans that found out about Spyair through anime. I actually stumbled upon one of their songs, Beautiful Days on Youtube years ago and kept up with their activities after that. Kingdom comes are their album 4. An album that came out the doors ready to fill every listener with a fever bring confident flame. So I could only wonder what Kingdom would bring to the band's discography.  Every track that came with this album made me do a double take. I actually had to listen to the album a second time because of the content. There's a constant tug of war in the musical style that want to be dominate on Kingdom. At first, I was under the impression that the band was going for a more mainstream pop rock grove style. World is Mine features Spyair in swing music mixed with heavy punk rock. Other tracks that feature the same type of style have production of horns and Pianos giving these tracks a light mainstream Pop Rock sound. You can repackage the punk rocker but you can't take the punk out the rocker. Tracks like Midnight and This Is How We Rock unleash the band's old ways. Heightening the guitar solos for fast precision that's so dominate that they knock you off balance. They also return to rap for tracks such as Bring It On -Rap Battle-. I believe Spyair was rapping in their past songs too. Only this time I felt like the boy really put their best foot forward to create a rap/rock genre. I was pulled all over the place as each song played. Kingdom's production truly tried to have a song for everybody. With You was probably the softest track to be found on Kingdom. Putting the song at the very end of the album was a good move. Listeners will need a peaceful track to calm them down after being exposed to so many different sides of Spyair. Kingdom went well since Spyair changed up a little. However, this band knows the limit. I felt that Spyair is good enough to not have to change their sound to sell more album sales.(They never got number one spot on Oricon.) Good thing Spyair knew how to not lose themselves to the big bad wolf known as "selling out". If you understand Japanese, the song's lyrical content hasn't changed much also. I still get encouraged by how their songs are written in a uplifting manner. Even their romantic perspective comes from an uplifting place.

   Vocals recorded for Kingdom have IKE singing songs that are new to the band's style. I don't think his voice fits Jazz or Swing music but he sings with confidence like he's meant to. He's vocals are right at home during the performance of heavier rock tracks. Raspy vocal grit can't help but come alive on top of a rock band. Strong backup vocals still support IKE as demonstrated in World Is Mine. Gosh, Kenta plays the hell of of the drums on this album. Did you guys take the time to really listen to him play? Lord have mercy…….


  Kingdom wasn't as good as 4 in my opinion. Its not a let down either though. One might notice that Spyair's music is evolving before our eyes. These guy's seem to know what their doing, thankfully.

Jeong Sewoon(정세운) - EVER: 1st Mini Album Thoughts(K-music)

Track List:
01. JUST U (PROD. GroovyRoom) – 정세운, Sik-K (식케이)
02. 바다를 나는 거북이 (PROD. 이단옆차기)
03. MIRACLE (PROD. Joombas)
04. 오! 나의 여신 (PROD. 키겐, ASSBRASS) – 정세운, 광현
05. 괜찮다면 (PROD. 브라더수) – 정세운, 브라더수 (Brother Su)
06. 오해는 마 (PROD. 정세운)

  I only know Jeong Sewoon from his music. He took part in the reality show known as Kpopstar but eventually was eliminated.  Then he signed to Starship Entertainment and took part in another show called Producer 101. Only to get kicked off that show too half way into the broadcast. I say that I know this guy solely for his music because these Kpop reality music shows care more about how a person's face looks than their actually talent. Plus I honestly don't want to waste MY time watching them. Too many awesome talents get eliminated on these types of shows when they don't live up to the handsome/beauty standards according to the Korean audience watching. Of course, you realize that votes from the viewers watching are the contestant's lifeline on those damn shows. I'll admit that I like looking at a good looking face as much as the next person. I don't agree with good-looking being a requirement to being a successful Kpop singer. Korean singers should be popular without the looks standard or happen to be good looking(Those that are Kpop idols that aren't super good-looking went though hell before getting to fame.). Lets keep it real, most Kpop fans look at the outer appearance before talent in South Korea. Even I'm guilty of it when I listen to certain types of music(not a huge Kpop fan.). Jeong Sewoon decided to keep on striving whether he is handsome enough to the public or not. Ever is the solo singer's first mini album which comes in to parts. Part 2 will be released soon.

   Sewoon's title track, JUST U is the jam that makes you turn up the volume when it plays on your radio speakers. The track hooks you during the first listen by using a group vocalized chorus that was huge and impactful. You should've seen me dancing on my bed when the music video started playing on my computer.  JUST U reminded me of the music Kpop was producing back in early 2008. It was nice to hear a strong debut from a solo artist that isn't a rapper or apart of a group. He shows that he his a guitarist in his debut since most of the album is acoustic based. Except that a soulful pop is produced within that sound. Guitar isn't a stand alone musical element on Ever. Issues for me arise on the album when the same impact that JUST U made wasn't carried over to the other tracks on the album. These tracks were alright but not amazing. I felt like his music become more focused on catering to the viewers that didn't give him those few thousand votes to keep him on Produce 101. Those viewers probably bought his album, however there's so many girl pleasing songs in Kpop. Singers in South Korea should sing more about life besides just love every once and awhile. Maybe their own personal problems, you know. Things would come off as less robotic that way. JUST U's lyrics are directed toward females too. The good production of the song makes this fact not even matter though. I liked the other tracks that used a more pop guitar performance…. I did notice that the album was well produced as it used perfect musical traits that merged well with Sewoon's guitar playing. Something like that is not an easy feat to accomplish.

   I'm glad that Jeong Sewoon has a somewhat successful solo career. Prove to those who didn't vote for you because of your looks that you have talent. MAKE people look out for your talent. Artists that have true talent don't need their looks to justify their talent.

HE AIN'T EVEN UGLY.

 

Someone(何者) Japanese Film Thoughts(2016)

  Someone is a 2016 film based off the novel of the same name written by Asai Ryo. The film features a cast of very well known actors and actresses known as, Satoh Takeru, Arimura Kasumi, Suda Masaki, Nikaido Fumi, Okada Masaki, and Yamada Takayuki. Miura Daisuke also directed for the film's creation. Someone debuted at fifth place during it's release in theaters in Japan. The theme song also titled after the film was a hit in Japan as it placed within the top ten spot on the Oricon charts.

   
   Five university students are joining the job search to take the next step in their lives. All of the students are hopeful by posting their progress on twitter to encourage each other. Their real feelings are hidden under the fake smiles though. Each person has their own problems that they must face in order to find their own guiding light in life. Either you jump over the line away from what makes you comfortable or you stay in the same place that takes you nowhere.

  This film comes off as pretty damn dry in excitement. I believe many fans of Japanese cinema will have high expectations for Someone just based on the casting. What a hell of a cast this film has and sadly the film doesn't have a huge impact in the beginning. Well, let's say that the film does have an impact. It's up to the viewer to understand whats unfolding on screen. I had to watch this film two times to full enjoy what I was watching. A style of backtracking to the past is used constantly in the film. Then the characters are kind of complexed in personality. One of the magical factors of this film that, I believe is the reason why this film resonated with Japanese audiences, is the focus on job hunting for youth in Japan. Finding a good stable job anywhere in the world is a challenge. Imagine the struggle in Japan when everyone is super competitive for a spot at a business company. There's not time to joke around for these characters and as time goes on, the pressure get's heavier for them. The last ark of the film is the best part of the whole film. You get the real inside look at what the hell was going on in those dry ass scenes. I though the overall conclusion was satisfying enough to make up for the non eventful scenes…… Ok Ok. Events happened in this scene but the answer to the questions of whats going on lifted the fog of confusion that I had. I took away from this film the message to be your authentic self no matter what. Others can sense when your not being true to who you are. Including those who are interviewing you for job opportunities. Also, hiding who you are becomes emotionally draining. Let that weight off your shoulders and be happier. If the characters did this in the beginning, their problems wouldn't have been so problematic.

  Such a variety of different personalities are presented in this film. Each character was portrayed in a precise fashion to showcase the differences. Our main character was one of the most withdrawn characters that I have ever watched. More than that, his love interest has confidence issues too. However, life problems forces her to be more outspoken as the film progresses. Feeling like enough is enough will do that to you. Then there's a character that are super laid-back about the whole job hunting thing. I like Suda's character. Its just that his attitude could be seen like a slap in the face to other who are trying hard to get a good job. His character goes where the wind takes him. The character did that for the whole damn film. Next, characters that liked to fake that they had everything under control. Where was their job offers though? Yep. See my point. Satoh's acting was the glue that made this film feel right. His character inner fight with himself was too raw. That war of doing what you love or doing what you know will guarantee an income. I would say do what you love while also finding a way to make an income out of that. Some people don't believe that they can do things this way but you can.

  Best feature of the filmography was the stage play used to explain the last part of the film. Some might not understand these scenes. I on the other hand saw these scenes as symbol for the character's inner turmoil. I enjoyed the stage design with the square divided into four sides where each scene was reacted from the main character's perspective. The character actually loved theatre so much. His pride just got in the way of what his heart desired to do.

   Someone is more of an arthouse film for people that can understand the message being conveyed without the clues being too obvious.  It's not a film for everyone. As seen by some of the comments online saying that the film wasn't good due to the meaning going over their head.

Cosmos People(宇宙人) - RIGHT NOW(右腦) Album Thoughts(Mando-rock)

Track List:
01.現在就讓我走 | Let Me Go
02.你以為 | Hello Princess
03.心向夏天 | Summer Festival
04.如果我們還在一起 | What If We
05.這就是我愛你的方法 | That’s the Way I Love
06.這樣 那樣 | This That
07.兩人舞 | Pas De Deux
08.Bon Bon Bon Bon | Bon Bon Bon Bon
09.不用大腦 | Brainstoning
10.我們的探險計劃 | Our Bizarre Adventure


 

   No posts about Chinese music or music in Mandarin has been written on here in a long time. Probably due to the fact that I don't give too many Mando artists a chance. Which I guess just boils down to me being super picky once again. This blog still manages to have quite a few posts on Cpop/Mandopop though. I decided the other day to force myself to look up new artists that I may of heard of but never gave a listen. Cosmos People being one of those artists. They are hugely popular in Taiwan but they keep a down to earth kind of image. They're not a band that found success after releasing a couple of albums. Nope. Success came to them at the release of their first album where the album won many awards. Today Cosmos People is considered one of if not the most popular band in Taiwan. Right Now is Cosmos people's newest release.

   Right Now would be the first album that I've ever listened to by Cosmos People. I started listening to this album knowing nothing about the band's musical history. As I listened, I found myself wondering who Cosmos People were as artists. A name like Cosmos People automatically puts one in mind of a Disco floor dance scene. Tracks that are contained in Right now such as Bon Bon Bon fit the indie-Disco image that their name gives off but the boys have other tricks up their sleeves. There's a strong presence of Disco pop grove in the tracks until production gets more versatile toward the middle of the album. After a while you think that you have Cosmos People penned down in one genre then a different musical direction is placed Right Now's production. Calling them a "Rock Band" isn't an understatement either. They keep an indie alternative rock side to their music, only to bring it out in spurts. Sometimes instead of following the same formula as everyone else, the guys will add new sounds. Examples being hand drums and keyboard playing that add a youthful notion to their tunes. The lyrical content of their song's remind me how down to earth they seem to be. Right Now has tracks that most normal people in life can relate to as human beings. Heartfelt lyrics come from artists that live in their truth unwavered by fame and fortune.

  Cosmos People's lead vocalist sings in a lazy type of manner. Like a college guy that has too many problems and not enough people to listen to them.  Weezer kept coming to me when listening to the unique vocals. Both frontmen sound similar in terms of the lazy teenage persona of singing. Works for the message trying to be conveyed. I do also acknowledge that Cosmos People's vocalist doesn't sing in the same manner all the time.

   I'm going to start keep my eye out for Cosmos People. Their sound is familiar, yet different for me. I can't wait to see what else they decide to come out with. I'm happy that I gave this album a chance.