Seven Years of Darkness Korean Novel Thoughts

 

   This novel is the second that I have read in English by famed Korean author Yon Jeong Jeong. She rose to fame after the release of her novel: The Good Son, which I really enjoyed. Naturally, I would pick up her second English translated novel titled, Seven Years of Darkness. A film adaption was released in 2018. 

  A man tries to find out the answers to the mysteries leading up to his father being accused of the murder of a young girl in a small dam villages years before.....

   I'm going to get right into the meat of the matter and say that I didn't enjoy this novel nearly as much as I did The Good Son. One aspect of this novel is it's a family drama that spends most of it's pages describing the family dynamic of the people involved. I won't give away who did the killing but, it doesn't take a genius to figure out. Then to top everything off, the characters are multilayered causing them to need a deep look into their backgrounds to fully understand them. Keep in mind that this novel isn't very long and by the time you get untangled from all the connections the characters share with the victim, you're just wanting the story to come to a close. These same Korean story elements of family values mixed into dark mindsets that turn to beating their wife or self harm have been done before. Mostly because I feel many Koreans can't take this element of over analyzing family out of their stories due to their cultural values. Sometimes always trying to bring the essence of family into a tale that didn't need it to be great wouldn't have had some readers strolling off the beaten path to get to the main point of the novel which is the darkness in people's hearts. I believe that the relationship between father and son was written well in the text that hit a home run into my heart however, I wasn't a fan of any of the other relationships in this novel at all. At least the build up to the end wasn't bad. Everything just didn't seem to blend together as well as things did in The Good Son in my opinion. Probably because this was Jeong's earlier novel before The Good Son. 

A Girl Missing(よこがお) Japanese Film Thoughts (2019)

      

   A Girl missing is a 2019-2020 film directed by Koji Fukada and stars Mariko Tsutsui, Sosuke Ikematsu, and Mikako Ichikawa. The film was entered into many international film festivals, where many audiences had mixed reviews. 

    A family nurse keeps the secret that the teenager who adducted the family's daughter is her nephew. One day the media uncovers this information to the nurse's dismay as everything around the women begins to fall........ Soon revenge toward the one who betrayed her is all that's left. 

     A Girl Missing's title might make you think that this film is about a kidnapping or a mystery of finding someone who has gone missing. Your thinking wouldn't be completely wrong however, the story doesn't focus around the idea of a girl missing. Instead you are forced to see into the side profile of the characters who the missing girl were left behind. The main character is pushed in the middle of a conflict that really has nothing to do with her outside of being related to the kidnaper. Her only mistake was not being straightforward about her blood relation and allowing the media to break her secret first. As a result, the whole last act of the film is her life being destroyed while her lust for revenge grows. Most of the film slides between the past to the present where you don't know which is which unless you pay close attention. Then, the film's paces waddles along at a turtle's pace but Fukada's films tend to showcase styles for simplicity. A Girl's Missing's final scene puts the main character had a crossroads where she had a choice to go down whatever road she chose. I believe that the audience was split on her decision but her choosing to walk away showed growth in character. I honestly would have taken her choosing the more darker choice too. It's just that that would have subjected the character to more of the pain that she already experienced. 

   Mariko Tsutsui was great to watch as a women blamed for something she didn't even do. You can see her character tries to make the best of the situation. Things only get worse though. She's not a perfect character nor is her plan for revenge perfect. Her acting makes me feel uncomfortable at times during the film as well. 

   A Girl Missing isn't a perfect film at all. This film isn't Fukada's best work either. I do however think that the concept of second hand blame was a good plot idea. Harmonium was a better film in my opinion. 

Raging Fire(怒火) Chinese Film Thoughts

 

   I haven't watched a Donnie Yen or a film starring Nicholas Tse in years. I'm just the type of person that gets bored after seeing the same tired selling point in action packed films: bad story telling. Raging Fire looked like the same old mechanics but at least the trailer managed to hold my attention. This film is also Benny Chan's last film before he lost his battle with cancer last year... I was so out of the loop of Hong Kong/Chinese cinema that I had no idea until the film gave dedication to the director in the film's ending credits. Raging Fire was a huge hit at the box office, staying number one in China for almost five weeks.

   A veteran cop  must jump into action after most of his squad is killed by their ex partner turned villain.... 

   What Raging fire has going for its success the most is the action sequences. Not once throughout the film do the action scenes slow down or bring the film to a place of boredom. It's quite the opposite actually since the action compliments the plot's progression and character building. Still, story telling continues to be the weakest element to films like this. We can sit around all day praising Donnie Yen for the wonderful job he does for stun choreography in his films however, that still can't cover up the fact that cop revenge stories have been played out for years in Hong Kong/Taiwan cinema. I know these themes tend to sell well but you pretty much go into these films only to see new ideas in the action and that's it. In no way was Raging Fire's story bad- In fact, I believe that the script was the more solid story building ideas I've seen in years. It's just that the story doesn't break the mold of what we as the audience already know this part of the world's cinema to be known for. 

    I found myself more wooed by the action than taking the time to care about the characters. Nicholas steals the spotlight as the film's protagonist. The look in his eye was the true "raging fire" here. Donnie shows that he still has that star factor as an action star, even has he gets older. He's just not as buff as he was in his younger years. I don't believe in the slightest that he will go down the same road as Jackie Chan..... The other cast felt like the typical chess pieces needed for a film like this. 

   Some artistic choices i\are made in the way some scenes are shot that I noticed. There was a death choke scene that shows the close up of the victims point of view and the one doing the choking. I never seen a scene feel so personal. Also, all the high flying car chases and gun fights.  

    Raging Fire is a film for action fanatics. Everything is here for you to love. I enjoyed watching the action scenes on the edge of my seat too. 

The Walking Cat(ウォーキング・キャット) Japanese Manga Thoughts

 

     I don't believe that I need to go into much background detail about this title. The original manga was released as three volumes in Japan however, the three volumes were released as a full book in North America. The manga's creator is Tomo Kitaoka. 

   A cat tries to survive with the remaining humans in a zombie apocalyptic world. He's journey tells you of the various people he meets along the way to a safe heaven said to be on an island. 

   Anything that has "The walking" in its title tells you that inspiration from the mega popular series; The Walking Dead which is dealing with Zombies. This story tells a Cat's eye view of a zombie filled Japan. Nope, The world isn't specified to be the same shared world as the walking dead. I would argue that the story is told through the cat's eyes. It's more like the store revolves around the characters that have the cat as a companion. Most of the time, the cat is very moody and you don't really know what the cat is thinking but you have a front row seat into the thoughts of the the human characters. The Walking Cat is a page turner in the regard that the plot uses on the edge of your sit situations mixed with relatable characters to keep you engaged much like The Walking Dead did in the show's earlier seasons. I found myself reading the manga in on sitting since the chapters aren't very long. Page length isn't a negative thing even as the story throws in comedy throughout the story using the Cat as a medium. Cats are man's best friend but this book doesn't try to be a " you must love all cats" kind of manga. Some people might be turned off at the title. thinking that this series is a story geared toward cat lovers. There's a little sprinkled in for everyone if you take the time to read this Manga. 

  The artwork reminds me of the another older manga called Switch that was released in the early 2000s. That artist was Tomomi Nakamura. It's pretty much the same character design and world sketches. I love this kind of art style because the raw look fits the story tone. 

  The Walking Cat was the first manga that I had read in awhile where I was reading it in excitement to get to the ending. So much good content is in the story to keep readers entertained. I would also recommend this manga to people who like Zombies, cats, and real raw story telling. 

The Emperor's Sword(乱世之定秦剑) Chinese Film Thoughts

   

   The Emperor's Sword was another historical film that was a hit in China. The film is loosely based off the legend of an Emperor who used a sword that was said to be more powerful than normal during war. Zhang Yingli directed the film while Fadien Yang, Yilin Hao, and Feng Bin-Mou make up the cast. 

   The Emperor's Sword, also called the Sword of the Emperor, is a famed relic blade that was wielded by the Emperor of Mankind Himself during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. ... When it is swung, the burning blade draws pyrotechnic arcs through the air, able to slice through the stoutest of armor with ease. The sword is said to be split in two in a time that kingdoms want to use it's power to conquer the land. 

    I'm sort of over these kinds of films coming out in China. They're a dime a dozen and China doesn't need any more mythical retellings of their history. Especially films with weak plot lines and badly done special effects. The Emperor's Sword actually avoids both pit falls by using effects that are passable but a bit of an overkill at times. These scenes didn't take me out of the story as so much that you notice it here or there. I also really loved the switch up between arrows and sword fights. The arrow fight sequences are so well done that it makes you want to use a bow and arrow over a sword, even in close combat. 

     The plot its self is extremely simple to follow without thinking too much. There's a lot of dialogue too. In these scenes, you have to pay attention to what it being said. Then apply that to the flashback scenes for a deeper approach to storytelling. I was surprised that the film had a bit more deep meaning to the script than I thought. I'm not a big fan of the overall product, however there's things that I liked about The Emperor's Sword. 

    It seems that they might do a second part which i'm not too excited about. I don't even think I would watch this film again or recommend this film to friends. This film just was what it was. 

 

   

Chocolate(초콜릿) Korean Drama Thoughts(2020)

 

    Chocolate is a 2020 Korean drama that was directed by Lee Hyeong Min(The Snow Queen, Sorry, I Love You, Winter Sonata etc) and written by Lee Kyoung Hee(Will It Snow For Christmas, Innocent Man, Sorry, I Love You).  The drama wasn't very highly rated even with the well known cast of Ha Ji Won, Yoon Kye Sang, (G.O.D.) and Jang Seung Jo. Still, some viewers call Chocolate a hidden gem though. 

   Two children met by chance on at an island town. The boy wanted to be a chef and the girl was just living out her youth. Their meeting would hold a special place in the girl's heart for years. They meet again years later but the boy has become a man and doesn't remember her. plus they both have traumatic pasts that connect them more than they would want to know.....

     Chocolate begins using a feel of K-drama from the early 2000s. There's no surprise considering director Min has directed classic productions from that era. The characters start from children that are innocent but then life happens and they become connected by tragic events. There's no denying that Chocolate is a sad melodrama. Subject matters involving death come up frequently. Especially when Cancer patients become the main topic of the story as it progresses through the episodes. If I'm to be honest, I'm tired of medical Korean dramas and had no desire to watch anymore since they all tend to wind up the same way, however, the second topic of cooking different foods really balances out the story. I loved seeing all the different Korean and foreign foods being prepared by the lead actress. Other topics occupy a space in the story such as family problems which is the norm in K-drama. This isn't something that started ruining the show until the family fights get a bit played out. It's the same old same old and the problem fixed it's self a bit too neatly. Meanwhile, the story drags our leading couple through a land of misery for the duration of the show. Literally these characters have passion for what they love to do but the story tries to take that away from both of them too. By the last three episodes, I was very tired out by all the missteps that happened in the past episodes that I was ready for the story to be over. At least the ending was one of the cutest one's that a K-drama has gotten in awhile. 

    The medical aspect of chocolate shined because of all the talented co stars that the production had. I loved the variety of character from different walks of life and their families. The script even takes the time to relate their struggle to food. Food invokes memories in people which then leads to you feeling love for the person or people you associate that food to. Yoon Kye Sang's performance was pretty stone cold here and Jang Seung-jo feels like he just got type casted after being in Money Flower(amazing drama!!). The fact that this drama went through two third wheel potential love interests was cool to me as well. 

  I thought the places outside of Korea where very beautifully shot when done over head. The one shot defining the show is shot in a stone arch near the beach and I loved the overall view of the characters's kissing in the scene. 

   Chocolate is a good drama. The earlier episodes shine more than the second half of the story. Also, the storyline gets a bit bothersome toward the end but I think it's still enjoyable. The soundtrack is one of my favorites. 

Eniale & Dewiela(エニデヴィ) Japanese manga series Thoughts

   

   I found this series one weekend browsing through a local bookstore. What made me pick up this series then put it back before picking it up again was that the series was created by Kamome Shirahama: the women who created the popular series, Witch Hat Atelier. Eniale and Dewiela is a short manga, spanning only at three volumes, so I bought all three volumes in one swoop. 

   Angles and Demons coexist together in different planes but come together when visiting the world of the living. Two females who couldn't be friends any other time find a way to connect. One a low ranking Angel and the other a powerful devil. When the two fight about clothes, who needs help, and how to help them, the world never will be the same.... 

   I wasn't sure what direction Eniale ad Dewiela was trying to go toward. The story opens using the start point of humanity using an infant who has lost his parents. The two women use every out of the box method to find the runaway parents. You would think that a she devil would care less about a random baby but, Eniale seems to bring out a caring bone in Dewiela. She's somewhat always on the fence. That's were the comedy lies. She will help out then in the next breath state that she will claim your soul. Eniale is presented in a more pure heavenly image since she's an angle. She's a pretty selfish character during certain points in the story. Especially when fashion is more important than clearing up the mess you made. Both ladies seem to come together when it comes to fashion and Kamome wastes no time drawing the ladies in different attractive wardrobes. Witch Hat Atelier has a more childlike theme that sets it's story apart from this one, though both have deep issues in their stories that don't seem so bad until they're right up in your face. Conflicts don't really come up until volume two which is my favorite part of the series. There's an introduction of more characters that cause Eniale and Dewiela to fight. We really get to believe that Dewiela is a demon as she works her magic. Then in the final volume, Eniale let her new found power go to her head and Dewiela keeps her distance. Comedic moments lace all three volumes through the girl's shenanigans only to balance the more serious moments to come. The conclusion felt never ending for the most part. 

  Kamome's artwork is what pulls readers into her works. She has some of the best looking character models in here genre. The scenery looks like very detailed sketches also. Everything just has a welcoming feel visually.  If that makes sense.... Artwork can make you feel warm or embraced. 

  Eniale and Dewiela is the devil wears Prada literally. It's a series dressed as a comedy that isn't actually a comedy. These two have a light hearted friendship considering they come from different sides of the tracks though.