Bang Yong Guk(방용국) - BANGYONGGUK Album Thoughts(K-Rap)

   Here I go again writing about another Korean artist for a music post. I really want to write about more Chinese singers but the music is so hard to find access to. Korean music and Japanese music is easier to obtain so as a result, you get these kinds of posts. There's not an over posting about Kpop because so many other sites write about all the idols. You will see me talk about old idols or Korean indie music that's really good at the moment. Bang Yong Guk would fall into the "used to be idol turned indie Korean music" category. His self titled album is his very first full length album alone after parting ways with his old group, B.A.P.

Track List:
01. Diary
02. 대화가 필요해
03. 히키코모리
04. 모조리 (Feat. Sogumm)
05. 야해 (Ya) 
06. Holiday (Feat. Paul Given)
07. 여행 (Journey) *Title
08. Portrait
09. Codex Gigas
10. AM 4:44
11. Xie Xie
12. See you later
13. 대화가 필요해 (Inst.)
14. AM 4:44 (Inst.)
15. Xie Xie Remix (Feat. Sway D, Liquor, LE)
 



    Yong Guk comes out with any album where he's really on this soothing freedom type of energy. He's changed his flow and musical direction to a sing song mellow style. I can't say that I'm feeling this new direction for him. Most of the singles weren't to my liking because all of them were down right boring. None of them were catchy fun rap songs that brought movement to the mainstream idol kpop rap genre like his older songs. These classic track also showcase that he can rap well but him proving himself isn't the agenda for his solo debut. I feel like he just had a lot of fun expressing the feelings he held in over the past few years. Maybe he had a little too much fun if you know what i mean…. While Yong Kook has the talent to pull off rapping in vocalization, The first half of the album's track are super depressing lyrically and all kind of run together into on big track that's saying the same thing over again. The deep voice is attractive, however, Yong Guk just doesn't possess the fineness performing this type of rap unlike his peers who excel at it such as PH-1 and Loco. He comes off as trying too hard to stay current in a new age of K-hip hop when he doesn't need to prove himself to anyone. I surprisingly loved the later half of the album where Yong Guk finds his own place out of the shadow of "standards" in current Korean pop culture. He even slowly returns to rapping the way he used to, which was a huge treat for this old fan.  BANGYONGGUK tells an interesting tale of this young man if you can get pass the snooze fest tracks to interpret what he's trying to convey. I don't why I imagine an empty coffee shop when I listen to this album….

   Simular to what I wrote above, Yong Guk tries to rap using vocals which was not easy for me to get use to. I kinda just prayed that I would find at least two tracks that I would take a liking to and I found more than that. His skill isn't the problem at all. I don't think he needs to be trying to conform to get the young fans. Keep doing the music that elevates who you are as a rapper. Honestly, this album doesn't do that in my opinion….. There's a couple of gems if you feel like digging though.

Park Bom(박봄) - Spring(봄) Single Album Thoughts(Kpop)

   Usually, posts about singles will never be written on this blog unless it's for special reasons. I'm not a single kinda guy and I rather wait till the full album drops. This is not to say that I don't listen to singles at all….. …. ...OK! I'LL ADMIT!! I'M TOO LAZY TO MAKE A POST ABOUT EVERY SINGLE SONG THAT COMES OUT IN EAST ASIAN POP. It's way too many releases but in these constant steam of releases Park Bom crawled out of a hole with some new music. Spring is her first single in six years. She closed herself off from the public over the years, after having a drug smuggling scandal,(that wasn't as big a deal as the media made the whole situation out to be. She had medicine for health reasons.) Only communicating with fans through a hot mess of  Instagram posts that really concerned me. She's finally gotten herself together for a comeback that was a huge success commercially.  

Track List:
01. 봄 (Spring) (feat. 산다라박 Sandara Park)
02. 내연인 (My Lover)
03. 창피해 (Shameful)

   Spring comes to long time 2NE1 fans containing three love songs all sung by the rejuvenated singer. Spring is a pop and soul crossover song that even shares elements of Gospel. I believe the song was a success not just because of 2NE1's fame but also because no other song out in Korea has such a sound. The light touch of cute flare created by the keyboard played next to the beat gives a playful feel, yet Bom shows she has matured vocally when she starts to sing. Spring's bridge at the middle of the track is classic. Each sound synchronized together as the choir sings makes every dynamic heavenly. Kpop fans don't hear soloist sound like this anymore. Follow ups to Spring hold their own beyond my expectations. Bom and producers keep the single light pop but never fall flat when trying to keep the momentum after the title track. Both tracks come off as what Bom might have been performing had she not been placed in 2NE1 during her days signed to YG Entertainment. I also feel that the tracks make up for the downward spiral Please Don't Cry showed me was taking place in her solo music back in the day. Downsides for the single album lie in the name of the title track along with the lyrics. There's too many Korean songs called Spring. Roy Kim had a hit song called Spring Spring Spring a few years ago. Yes, Spring in Korean can be a catchy word to use lyrical. For me, the lyric sounds kinda of typical even in Park Bom's Spring. Sometimes lyrics in Korean can sound really cheesy when a producer tries too hard to make a good catchy song for an artist. This was the case for me when I first heard Bom's version of her singing about spring time. Who in the world knows how many situational love themes Korean people can tie in with a season…. I know they made the connection enough times for all of us. Spring's Production takes your attention of the lyrics which is a good thing at least for me.

   We going to keep all the way a hundred here. Bom has always been a good vocalist. Even in the days before 2NE1. Check the track Forever With You: a collaboration she did with then label mates G dragon and T.O.P… Her vocals seem like they have gotten more stable than they used to be however, I do still see a little bit of improvement that could be made to make her have a fuller vocal live without relaying on the taped backing vocal so much. What made me happy the most was how she's improved her live vocal, especially based on some of the comeback stages I saw. Her stage setups are perfection. Let's leave it at that cause I can rant all day about how good her stages look.

   Spring is a great comeback song for Bom to get her feet wet in the Korean music industry again. I can't wait to hear a full album from her in the future. I'm still hoping for a T.O.P album too…. Maybe he should take notes from BOM and run away from YG during the damn night!.

 

Princess Jellyfish(海月姫) Japanese Drama Thoughts(2018)

   Princess Jellyfish was originally a Manga created by Yuichi Tokunaga that was published into seventeen volumes and has sold over a million copies in Japan with each volume selling thousands of  copies worldwide. The American edition of the manga was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2017 and the series inspired an eleven episode anime followed by a live action film released in 2014. Director Junichi Ishikawa and writer Akiko Higashimura revived the beloved series once again a decade later. The drama stars popular actor Seto Koji, along with Kyoto Yoshine, Asuka Kudo, Haruka Kinami, Rena Matsui, Rio Uchida, Eriko Tomiyama, and, Rika Izumi.



    A shy nerdy girl moves from the countryside of Japan to live in an all female boarding house in Tokyo. All the girls in this house would be considered NEETS(people who are shut in from the outside world.) but that all changes when a beautiful woman steps foot into their lives. She is nothing like anything that they would be associated with and to top it all off she isn't even a she- She's a he!!!!!  Together they learn the strength of being themselves in the face of world and that beauty is only what you make of it.

 
   Someone though of the bright idea to milk more money out of the Princess Jellyfish series. The original series came out in the early 2000s making it a decade old. I would be mad at the whole production had this drama turned out to be a hot mess. Princess Jellyfish as a made for TV drama works wonders somehow as a end result. Who knew that the writer could hold out a story about a crossdressing pretty boy and a awfully shy Jellyfish loving nerdy girl for ten episodes? First off, let me start by saying that I never read the Manga or watched the live action film but I did watch the anime which felt very unfinished. Probably because the manga didn't have enough chapters out at the time to finish the anime completely. So I wasn't sure how the drama version would turn out since they had more than enough material to make the story work out. What interested me the most was this new take on the series would handle the idea of a cross dressing love interest. How the script would address this issue and how strongly the content would relate to the issue of loving who you are inside as well as on the outside. I can't speak for the manga or the film, however I can say that the show discusses these issues well. The writer does a wonderful job modifying the script to expand on the story while even giving fans a chance to wonder what if this had happened in the original plot. There's also a perfect blend of comedy to keep you feeling connected to the characters, even if most of them are very weird in themselves. Fashion elements are apparent in the world of Princess Jellyfish which are touched on in a more detailed way in the drama. I loved seeing all the characters come into themselves as people when they put their all into creating clothes they wanted to wear. A cross dressing main character was handled in a way that spreads more awareness using a confidence that makes viewers feel like they can face anything that comes at them. I felt this when watching the character because cross dressing isn't seen favorably in the eyes of everyone especially in Japan. The drama pushed forward strongly through this fact for a warm outcome though.

    Seto Koji was a beast in this drama. It didn't help that he has such a cute face that can pull off crossdressing like a girl. He does the original character so much justice that you kind of have to just sit and take him in. His character had a good amount of grace to be a female on top of the manliness to be a love interest. That's a talented actor for you. I wasn't actually rooting for his character to get the girl though. Asuka Kudo's character seemed like a better fit and he was putting up a good fight all through the drama. His straight laced character was funny in comedic scenes where thing just happen that he has no control over. Kyoko plays the nerdy girl in the middle of the two guys. Her character isn't who you would expect to be the main girl at first, but she grows a lot in this drama adaption too. She has a couple of drastic changes to her personally and appearance giving her character a greater scale to relate to. Getting dressed up wasn't to make yourself feel good or for anyone else. Instead it was to bring out the beauty that was always on the inside. I think the characters highlight this fact in there actions as the drama progressed. I love the whole cast to bits really. Princess Jellyfish is one of those dramas that you can't get enough of due how easy it is to get attached to the characters. They're all kind of different in a strange way. Aren't we all a little strange?

   Loved the shots for the fashion scenes. I felt like I was there sitting next to the runway, cheering each of the characters on. Any type of reveal of beauty was shot very well. From the lighting to the slow motion that put an extra dynamic on the scene. Some of the comedy had less of an impact in real life camera shots. You know like the extra unrealistic movements of cartoons for example. They made the scenes work the best that they could using sound effects plus over the top acting which I loved.

   Princess Jellyfish the drama maintained the essence that made the original series such a feel good experience. Fans of the series defiantly need to give this a watch. You're missing out if you don't.

 

Golden Slumber(골든 슬럼버) Korean Film Thoughts(2018)

   Golden Slumber stars Gang Dong Woo, Kim Sung Kyun, Han Hyo Joo, Kim Dae Myung, Kim Eui Sung, and has a special appearance by Actor/Singer Yoon Kye Sang. Lee Hae Jun along with Cho Ui Seok revised the film originally based on the Japanese novel written by Kotaro Isaka. A Japanese film was made based on the novel back in 2010. Golden Slumber did pretty well at the Korean box office as the film landed in the top ten that week, continuing to sell a good amount of tickets even after losing it's top ten spot. No Dong Seok directed the Korean remake. 

  A delivery man is set up as the murderer of the current president just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He also seemed like a good target since he was hailed a hero by the media for his past acts. Now, he is a wanted man on the run from the people who framed him. None is to be trusted. 

   I've never watched the Japanese version of Golden Slumber so this might affect the way I viewed this film. Someone out there is probably screaming of the Japanese version was leagues better than the Korean version. That's an acceptable argument but I honestly bought Golden Slumber for the cast. The plot was the ribbon that tied the present together. This film starts off very good which can't be helped due to the subject matter. Punches are pulled pretty earlier to stir up excitement. Exploding cars and fighting a women in an extremely close space make you slide to the edge of your seat. Then you get to the point of the film where things slow down to give viewers a bit more expansion on different characters. Korean film makers sometimes lay on the emotions too thick and it caused Golden Slumber to suffer quite a bit in the middle of the film. I wish that the writers didn't think so inside of the Korean mindset box because it caused this film's intensity to fall down a slope that could have been avoided using clever writing. None watched Golden Slumber to see a bunch of friends bonding. We came to see the action of who framed dude and why. I will say that I saw the connection of introducing off of the fun history of the friends but it could have been done without changing a political crime thriller into a straight up bros before hoes Korean drama. Golden Slumber then picks up again right before it's conclusion. There's not much to nitpick at here since the same rhythm shown in the beginning of the film kind of returns. The conclusion got on my nerves a little because it should have ended excluding all the friendship scenes. The scene right before the credits had a very strong emotional depth even in the way it was shot. Everything should have ended there on a strong note. Only thing I needed to see was the credits rolling. However the director felt that Golden Slumber had to keep laying it on thick emotion about the friendship. We got it, now let it go please. 

    Let's talk about how Yoon Kye Sang was in this film for all of four scenes. I actually bought the DVD to support him and he's barely in the movie. His part was good while he was there if you exclude all the scenes of the past. Dong Won has a dopey demeanor depending on the character he plays that fit perfectly with this role. The character never loses his pure kindness through the film. Seeing him play two roles in one film just showed that he can act out characters who have two completely different personalities. It was nice to see Choi Woo Sik(Set Me Free) again after a long time of not seeing him in anything. 

   Golden Slumber isn't the best film or remake but some aspects of the film have a lot of heart. A few corrections in the script would have done wonders for this film. Check it out while not expecting a masterpiece. 

Haunted Asylum(곤지암) Korean Film Thoughts(2018)

  Gonjiam also known in English as Haunted Asylum is the only Korean film of it's kind that was released last year. The film was a huge success stemming from the fact that South Korea had never seen a horror movie created in a live camera documentary feel. Bum Jung Sik wrote and directed the script for the film based off a real Asylum(CNN named the place one of the creepiest places in the world back in 2013 which got torn down last year.) and casted a group of lesser known actors/actress to play the roles. The cast consists of Wi Ha Joon, Lee Seung Wook, Moon Ye Won, Yoo Je Yoon, Park Sung Hoon, Park Ji Hyun, and Oh Ah Yeon.



  A group of young people go to an Asylum that was said to be haunted by ghosts who were tortured  years ago. Rumors spread that people who enter the building never come out, so the group enters to film a live stream online. They fake some scary instances to get viewers to watch until they realize that things start happening that none of them staged…..

   Haunted Asylum honestly isn't a scary film at all. Viewers will spend most of this film seeing young people having fun together as they work their way into filming inside the Asylum more than anything else. The character's aren't really all that likable. They're kind of just there to take up time since you see everything through the cameras they hold. This film could be considered the Korean version of Blair Witch without the Asylum, of course. Events become a bit creepy once they story takes you inside of the Asylum but the film tries to psych itself out into believing that this is just a bunch of college kids fucking around in a creepy ass place where nothings going to happen. Well, nothing actually doesn't happen until pretty close to the end of the film. Viewers are still left with questions even when the shit starts to hit the fan. The background for the reasons why the ghost are doing what they do is never really told. Then we are given a super rushed group of scary(?) scenes back to back that loose momentum after the first two that are shown. There's only one scene in this film that made me jump and that scene wasn't technically in the Asylum. The scene following that was good too. Much was left to be desired after that in my opinion. The director could have made so many choices in order to make the kill scenes more artistic than what they were. He took none of these approaches and allowed the film to simmer down instead of building in intensity. I wasn't impressed by how the film ended, nor did I like how he let the idea of possession fall by the waist side. He could have really made Haunted Asylum give viewers nightmares had he taken things a few steps farther.

   I didn't care too much for any of the characters like I said above. The only one of them I would hang out with was Charlotte. She also had one of the best kill scenes. I felt more frustrated with all of them because who in their right mind goes into a place that is said to never have people come out once they go in? The acting was what it was. You don't need to be an award winning actor to act in this kind of film.

  Haunted Asylum isn't the best horror film out there but it isn't the worst either. If you want a simple film that is flawed but an interesting enough watch, This film is for you.

 

EPIK HIGH(에픽하이) - sleepless in__________ Album Thoughts(K-indie/Rap)

Track List:
01. Sleepless
02. In Seoul (Feat. 선우정아)
03. 술이 달다 (LOVEDRUNK) (Feat. 크러쉬 CRUSH) 
04. 새벽에
05. No Different (Feat. Yuna)
06. 비가 온대 내일도
07. Lullaby For A Cat





   Epik High slides back into the music game with a surprise album I wasn't really looking out for. I have loved Epik High for years and even liked their last album but Tablo seems to be going through problems within himself that caused this awesome group to have a few setbacks releasing consistently. Not to mention he pretty much has his own label where he's looking after other artists like YG entertainment throw away: Lee Hi. This new album comes at a time when I might have started to wonder where Epik High could be. I know half the answer as Epik High's been active on their Youtube channel lately. Sleepless wouldn't make my list of best albums released by Epik High. It's nowhere close, however, I believe Sleepless is more of therapy for Tablo than anything else. Songs on the album tell a story of how he still has issues trusting himself in love and life. So much to the point that he has problems sleeping. Even though the album has some good lineups in features, such as Crush followed by Yuna Kim, Sleepless as a whole album feels sort of drowsy. Each track has a more laid back slow vide than what many listeners are used to from the rap group. I had to listen to the album at least two times to kill the expectations I had from the last album causing me to down right hate this new release at first. I've found reasons that I like Sleepless which mostly revolve around the production value of Epik High that fans get in every release. They never not have good bars, They are always true to their emotions at the time of recording, on top of that they're never afraid to try new sounds outside of the stereotypical sound of Hiphop. What's missing that really hurts this album for me at least is the lack of a song that goes hard. Epik High or at least Tablo  probably wasn't feeling a catchy beat heavy track considering the lyrical content. Melodrama Epik High made up Jazz rhythm and classical piano paired to violins was very artsy. Just not as groundbreaking as their older music. 

  No Different featuring Yuna Kim was recorded completely in english and was the standout track to me. Well, outside of In Seoul. Both tracks really set the mood for the album with each singers feature vocals. Epik High always excels the most when they feature female singers in their songs. Most of the songs they have done through the years featured female singers. These singers often come using a smoothness that's familiar territory in Epik High's music.

   If you're a big Epik High fan, Sleepless is at least worth checking out. Don't expect too much though. They basically went ballad hip hop based off of Tablo's ever changing emotions. 

Believer(독전) Korean Film Thoughts

   Believer is a film from South Korea that was inspired by the 2012 Chinese film titled Drug War. This version was directed by Lee Hae Young and stars populars actors Cho Jin Young, Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Joo Hyuk, and Cha Seung Won. Kim Joo Hyuk won two awards for best supporting actor for the film. He died right after filming making Believer his final role as an actor. one top of that, Believer was the first film to sell over five million tickets in 2018. Chung Seo Kyung helped Young rewrite the script for the big screen.



   The police arrest a drug dealer involved in a big time drug ring. He promises to tell the police the truth about the inside operations for a deal of freedom. Then a cop and the drug dealer must go undercover to put a stop to the creation of drugs but the cop finds that the situation is more of a war than a smooth operation….

   Believer comes out similar to the original while telling it's own version of the classic hit film. Events in the film feel strangely familiar but you can watch this film with an open mind. It's a very easy thing to do because the story has this quality to grip you into the characters. That's one thing that this film gets right is the quality to keep audiences wanting more. I wouldn't say that the screenplay it's self does the most to achieve this. Instead the actors are the best thing that could have happened to this film. For people who were a fan of the original, Seeing key scenes redone is less of an annoyance and more of an updated trip down memory lane. Believer hits the target if you ignore the changes Korea decided to make in order to create new content. You know what some folks say: Don't fix what's not broken. The edits don't make or break the film. There's some changes that I welcomed with open arms but it wasn't an improvement either. I probably wouldn't have liked this film so much had it not been for the acting carrying the film along. Believer is just another drugged out gangster film otherwise.

  The roles each actor/actress filled was meant for them. I loved every moment of the dialogue and how the cast new how to change the tide of the story simply using their acting to set each scene. Things could go from action packed to dramatic in the span of the same scene. Believer has enough action for the action lovers but there's also a lot of lines containing suspense in what's being said.

   I really enjoyed looking at the cinematography that sets certain scenes. Especially the above shots that show the whole stretch of land like the snowy landscape that opens and closes the film. This film is shot beautifully using outdoor scenery. Drug War didn't have this quality.

  Believer isn't a film you have to run and see. Johnny To's Drug War is a must see though. Check out this film to see Kim Joo Hyuk in his final role before his death. His performance is a must see.

KOHH - Untitled Album Thoughts(J-Rap/Experimental)

   KOHH is an underground Rapper in Japan. He's known as one of the best rappers in the underground in and outside of Japan. Utada Hikaru introduced him to a mainstream audience when he collaborated with her for the 2016 album, Fantome. This album called Untitled was released out of the blue and none knows why. I guess it's a good marketing move since he's been exposed to an even bigger audience over the last two years.

TRACKLIST

01 ひとつ
02 Imma Do It
03 I Want a Billion (feat. Taka)
04 Fame
05 まーしょうがない
06 いつでも
07 Okachimachi
08 Leave Me Alone
09 I’m Gone
10 ロープ

  Untitled isn't what I though the albums music would be. KOHH's name has made foreign headlines, even causing the rapper to do a few radio shows in America. World Star Hip hop has featured his music videos and this is where I looked into some of his older music. The music I heard was very about the original Hip Hop movement which I liked, however Untitled is KOHH being a little too out there to the point that his musical vision isn't obtainable for listeners. Untitled as an album is like a piece of artwork hanging in an art gallery that people don't understand no matter how many times they try to see it from new perspectives. I just didn't get what he was going for. Auto tune singing replaces the solid rapping I heard in songs from years before. Taka of ONE OK ROCK hops on I Want A Billion which still doesn't save the album's descent. Tara's vocals should have been the chorus of the track while KOHH raps everything else. Instead Taka sings a part of the song then disappears. I wanted to like Untitled because I liked all the work he's done outside of this release. My fear is that KOHH got too caught up in trying to make a rap album that was unlike his others. Focusing on fixing something that's not broken,  never ends well. Untitled should have had the same energy that KOHH had on that collaboration track with Utada. I'm not sure if a second listen will change anything.

   Maybe it's best that this album is placed under the rug. Or labeled as a joke project. I know KOHH can do so much better than what this album gave me. I'll take the Taka feature just because I love ONE OK ROCK though.