My general thoughts on movies, dramas, anime, RPG games, and music from East Asia.(Japan, South Korea, and China.(Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China)
Please note that this blog is not a review blog nor do I clam to be a professional. I just like talking about East Asian pop culture. My opinions are my opinions good or bad. It's no hard feelings. Feel free to comment your thoughts as well.
Youtube/Twitter/Instagram @Rico is 에리코(Erico)
Epik High is a trio rap group that's been around since the early 2000s. They were the group to helped cement Rap into the mainstream in South Korea. This didn't come without hardships for the group though. Some of their music faced heavy censorship for the visual and lyrical content that member, Tablo put in Epik High's songs. Still these same kind of songs shot them to stardom throughout the years. Fast forward to a new year that brings Epik High's tenth album after mostly a year of fans seeing Tablo Podcasting.....
Track List: 01. Lesson Zero 02. Rosario (Feat. CL, 지코) 03. 내 얘기 같아 (Feat. 헤이즈) 04. 수상소감 (Feat. B.I) 05. Leica (Feat. 김사월) 06. 정당방위 (Feat. 우원재, 넉살, 창모) 07. True Crime (Feat. Miso) 08. Social Distance 16 09. End of the World (Feat. GSoul) 10. Wish You Were
Epik High is Here part 1 doesn't bring anything truly new to the Epik High signature style that long time fans know and love. These guys have always been about emotional expression in the form of poetry rap. Tablo kinda lays all his emotions out on a table in the span of a whole album, hopping that fans relate. I can't speak for everyone but I defiantly still relate to his internal struggles that only amplify when the problems from the outside would come flowing in. What I enjoy about this album is how Tablo doesn't try to have the answers to all his problems but he does let you know that you're not alone in feeling hopeless when he spits bars. Tracks like End of the World featuring G.Soul(didn't he change his name to Golden or something?) are written testimonies to his mental state. Like I said before, the music itself isn't anything we haven't heard from these guys, however, I was pleasantly surprised at the featuring artist lineup. CL's appearance on Rosario's chorus reminisces old school rap recreated for the new school generation. True Crime with Miso takes me back to the old dark erie sound contributed from tracks like Fan. Epik High has never been rappers who follow one formula to get their point across to listeners. They've experimented using Pop, Rock, Classical, and Ballad genres. Some underground artists might say this is selling out but there's a difference between selling out for fame and just being artsy for the sake of self expression. Epik High is Here part 1 combines pieces of this very idea like a big middle finger to what's conventional. If the music is still good, I couldn't agree more. Even if I've never liked every track on an Epik High album before.
I recommend first time listeners to go backward through Epik High's discography before listening to this album. Some of their best works in my opinion are, Remapping The Human Soul, Map The Soul(This was before BTS ya'll), Pieces Vol 5, [e], Epilogue, and 99 which was the album that sounded the most mainstream due to them being under YG Entertainment at the time.
O Maidens In Your Savage Season is a manga series written by Mari Okaada and drawn by Nao Emoto. The series was so popular at it's time of release that an anime began production soon after. There was also a live action drama created last year. English versions always flew off the selves as soon as they were released and you can't really find them in many bookstores anymore......
A group of girls who couldn't be more different in personality come together in a high school book club where they learn more about sex and the growing pains of becoming women.
O Maidens isn't a series that's too hard to think about. I believe anybody no matter your gender will be able to relate to one of the female characters in some kind of way. The reason the series shot to fame so fast was that there isn't a manga that goes so deep into the minds of girls blossoming into maturity. Well, not none without the perverted fan service done to female characters to please otaku male readers. People who ask me how to describe this manga, I say that it's the female perspective of what males at a certain age think about. This manga shows that females have sexual desires too but sometimes it's hard to find that right way to approach them. Life lessons in love, friendship, and, becoming an adult keeps O Maidens In Your Savage Season truly keeps this series being savage through all it's eight volumes. Comedy moments are funny because they have awkwardness in them as the characters try to figure themselves out. The ending was cute and I would defiantly read this manga again. This was one of the series that I bought a physical copy of every month because the volumes aren't that big, plus the series is relatively short.
I'm familiar with Nao Emoto's artwork from reading Forget Me Not(no not the flower..). That was one of the main reasons I picked up O Maidens in the first place. Forget Me Not's storyline was a let down, especially after all going through the story and all those girls to get that lackluster ending. What did keep me around was the art and Emoto's work for O Maiden's is no different. The cover's color schemes on top of the flower drawing scream blossoming women. Her art style naturally has an emotional vibe that not many manga creators have. She knows when to turn it on and off from panel to panel too. One moment she's drawn a character who wants to die from embarrassment using an over the top facial expression, next moment she's drawn a very serious character who it looking back on their regrets. I enjoyed the youth dynamic being presented in the characters's round faces and big eyes since the look inexperienced like they're suppose to. On top of that, the emotion that'a shown in each character through a panel where the character might feel instantly rejected, so Emoto will draw them without any eyes or just the facial outline. Due to this you can see the character's heart sink clearly in the panel.
O Maiden In Your Savage Season was by far one of the best manga series of 2019. It's a manga I would highly recommend to readers who want a slice of life involving young girls's ever maturing perspective on puberty never done in manga before. Girls don't have everything all figured out during youth just like boys. No matter how mature they might seem.
Metamorphosis is a 2019 South Korean film that was directed and written by Kim Hong Sun(The Traffickers). The film stars seasoned actors, Bae Sung-Woo and Sung Dong-il. South Korean social media had a field day with the family issues in the film. Internet users commented various opinions about the films content, causing Metamorphosis to be a trending topic in 2019.
SIDE NOTE: Shout out to Shudder for starting to license Korean films for North American release. I hope they keep going. The Closet starring Ha Jung Woo would be a nice film to add to the list. Just a suggestion.
A family moves to a new home that might be inhabited by a demon. The demon can take the form of any person that it choose causing deception in the family. Things become so horrifying that they call a family member who is a Priest. Little do they know that this demon has been around for years before......
This film is presented as a mystery thriller with some horror on top of everything else. I wouldn't say that that Metamorphosis as a film itself is scary. Maybe more like disturbing than scary. It's not because of the demon either. Other images such as failed exorcisms followed by a scene of intense anime cruelty bombard the viewer one after the other. Mysteries aren't really had to crack when the film gradually tells you whats going on. So, before the end of the film, you can somewhat guess what's going on. There was a good guessing game of whether the demon was a case of possession or shape shifting. Also, How the demon found the family that had connections to the Priest that it battled before. If some asked me was Metamorphosis a brutal film, My answer would be yes but the story is also a fun thriller to watch on your spare time. This is another film that from start to finish wasn't setup to have a feel good happy ending. Characters do survive at the expense of sacrifice. I honestly didn't see any other way myself as the film hit it's final climax. You have to do what you have to do in life. Movies should reflect this once in awhile.
Most all the main cast had the task to play the devil at one point in the film. Everyone did a fantastic job embodying the evil through facial expression and movement. Some of the actresses also had to learn latin while making the speech believable. Sung Dong-il is in his element since he's done erie films like this before, though I've never seen Bae Sung-Woo take a role like this. Talent all around. No lack of such.
Metamorphosis is a passable film to crunch time. By no means is this film a masterpiece however, I don't think that this film deserves all the bad reviews either. It's a film that basically lived off the success of other exorcism films that came before it such as The Priests(2015).
Your Name Engraved Herein is a 2020 film directed by Kuang-hui Liu and written by Yu Ning Chu. The story are based on true life events of young gay people during the eighties in Taiwan after Mainland China's Martial Law ended over Taiwan. The film stars Edward Chen(Red Ballon), Tseng Jing Hua(Detention), Leon Dai(who is a Golden Horse winning director and actor), and Jason Wang. Neflix premiered the film toward the end of last year and the film would go on to become the highest grossing LGBT film in Taiwan. The Golden Horse Awards also awarded the film for best original film song and best film cinematography which I personally believe were well deserved.
THERE MIGHT BE LIGHT SPOILERS SO BEWARE! I TRY TO GIVE SPOILER FREE THOUGHTS IF I CAN.
A Catholic school student attending an all boys school struggles with his feelings for the class outlaw in the year 1987. Their bond would continue to span many years..... Beyond time.
I found out about Your Name Engraved Herein after seeing the shower scene clip.... Those of you who have seen the film know what this scene entails but I also found out about the film because of the heavy promotion of the main theme song that was so popular, that famous Taiwanese singers and Youtubers alike have covered the song titled after the film. I then said that I had to see what all the buzz was about. Seeing the story plot should already prepare you for this film not being the normal happy ending kinda of story. I mean come on..... These relationship was set in the eighties: where nowhere in the world accepted homosexuality. So I knew what I was about to watch would be a bumpy ride through my emotions. Believe me that it was and more. A passage from Solomon opens the film to signal that you are dealing with religion. However, the passage showcases A-han's inner battle with his feelings while looking to his faith. Plot lines from there take no time at all to form their way out onto the screen. I would actually think that the two boys had a bond off the screen looking how realistically fast they connected. Engraved defiantly doesn't hold back any punches pertaining to whats going on in the world around them. There's constant issues with lack of information about homosexuality. It's to a wild degree where the ignorance makes you nauseated. I've seen the bullying of gay people in a strong religious environment many times before. You won't see a fun sight and the victim often feels alone. Especially when the guy in the closet is always teasing them relentlessly too. On top of that, China has a very conservative traditional culture where you must start a family by a certain time in your life as a male. If you don't, something must be wrong with you. Upholding family values in order to not bring shame on to your family brings more added pressure. One final pressure as a young person is performing well academically in a faith based education. All of these factors made Birdy and A-han's relationship seem almost impossible. Still, they managed to escape the growing pains of growing up in the mist of having some magical moments. Ok Ok, I'll admit the disfunction was all over their relationship but the movie wouldn't have been heart shatteringly beautiful without that disfunction. Stories that tell the cold hard truth always get props from me.
The Cinematography supports the story full throttle. You get that sense of Birdy's character spreading his wings every time the boys took a bus that ended up in Taipei. The scene when they went to the ocean as the land met the land, made me so sad. I think it's because the acting paired with the scenic shots gave this feel of the true last time the two would every be romantic with each other. The scenes filmed in Montreal Canada were a breath of fresh air as well. I loved the contrast of how Canada looked compared to Taiwan's more countryside looking landscape. Both were well presented in the film.
I became familiar with Edward Chen in 2017's Red Ballon which was another LGBT drama production I enjoyed. His acting go so much more intense that I didn't recognize him here. He shines as A-han in the foreshadowing scenes with the Canadian pastor. The ruin inside his character cause by not understanding how to handle his feelings cause some A-list acting by him. Tseng has this natural quality that makes the camera love him as soon as he comes into frame. Birdy is a character that has a personality I inspire to also have. He marches to the beat of his own drum and stands up for what he thought was right even in a time where being too opinionated outside the norm got you killed. Some viewers say that Birdy and A-han should have fought harder for their love. I firmly believe that both character's fought as hard as they could in that era for their love but outside factor would have never allowed them to be together. Birdy made a huge sacrifice for A-han to live a danger free life. Imagine the huge target that would have been on their backs had they lived out and proud during that time? They would have never known peace. Engraved's ending was one of acceptance in the fact that their love had sailed it's course but they will always have love for each other. The theme song for this film conveyed A-han's love for Birdy perfectly in lyrics as well as melody. Edward Chen's version to me, is the original version. The telephone scene had me bawling.... Crowd Lu sounds more like a professional vocalist in his version while Edward's version has all the emotional connection to the character in his vocals. Let's not forget the jazz version of "Oh Danny Boy" being played throughout the film, adding that sentimental touch.
Your Name Engraved Herein soaks in realism that doesn't pride itself on being the perfect happy every after. You do get a lesson in life not always being fair or sometimes you have to be selfless in love. Other times memories are the best thing that we could ask for. Check out the film on Netflix. You probably could find the film online on an Asian drama site too. I highly recommend bringing tissues. I'm considering buying a physical copy on Blu-ray. This film touched me so much that I broke my rule of not posting about a film until I have the film in hand.... My heart can't deal.
Aaron Yan fell off my radar years ago. Not because he's boring or anything. I've actually kept up with his music career after his boyband Fahrenheit went on a hiatus. We might as well say they broke up but I'll still hold out a little hope they will at least comeback together for an album. Aaron has been on top on his game for years now. He's thirty four now and has done almost everything there is to do in Taiwan. He's lead fashion brands, had a successful acting career, and a fruitful music career as a solo artist. I actually hadn't though about him until he started releasing digital singles over the last remaining months in 2020. So, I knew an album was coming......
1
摩登原始人 (Metropolis)
2
不安室的奈美惠 (Gone Wild) (Ft. Julia Wu 吳卓源)
3
假如瞳孔有濾鏡 (Filtered Iris)
4
到土星露宿 (Slowly Take Me To Saturn)
5
聊寧 (Talk in Silence)
6
火種之人 (Light My Way on Fire)
Metropolis doesn't seem to have a set theme like his other albums. That might actually be the theme: no theme under a dark mysterious image that could be the cause of him growing older. His last album also had Yan taking on a more mature pop sound but he's forte has always been a more acoustic pop rock vibe in my opinion. The title track of the same name as the album goes in a different direction compared to his older works. It's a pop disco track that fits the dark vibration of the album's realm. I don't think that this song is a defining factor in shedding a new light on Aaron's career as a singer, however, the production does show a unique take on his own version of pop rock. You can still hear the appearance of edgy guitars in the background composition. The one collaboration on the album featuring Julia Wu blends the two singers voices sultry together. This was the most mature track on Metropolis giving Yan a chance to play off Wu's vocals to achieve probably the best vocal performances on the record. They're supported by a salsa dance track that has many various parts to the production such as an seductive guitar opening. Yan continues his decent into the album, cramming as much glossy productions into the short listen as possibly. Some songs hit a new high for Yan(Light My Way On Fire) while others feel a bit like a step back into old troops fans know him for. All in all, Metropolis is a pretty good effort for Aaron at a time in his career where he can't do much more to establish his presence in the Taiwanese music scene.
Aaron is defiantly a high tenor. His vocals can really reach a high pitch. Especially when he's in falsetto range. I'm not going to lie though. He can be a bit screechy when he stays in this high range too long. On the other hand, Metropolis shows the most control Yan has had in this range considering what I've heard on past albums.
