Shark: The Beginning(샤크: 더 비기닝) Korean Film Thoughts(2021)

 

   Shark is a 2021 film that was directed by Jae Young Joon and was based off the popular webtoon written by Un while Kim Useop did illustrations. Kim Min Seok, Wi Ha Joon(Squid Games) and, Jung Won Chang star in the film. 

   This film is the perfect example of a film where the trailer nor the review did any justice to make me want to watch. I bypassed this film a couple of years ago because the trailer looked like a cheap television movie... Then, recently I was at an anime convention where they had this film, so I bought it while shopping. Thank God that I did since this film was such a shockingly good film. There's such an essence of heart in the story even though the subject matter centers around bullying. I felt warm after finishing this film and its a great victim overcomes his bully success story. I enjoyed how the ending wasn't just about beating his perpetrator. Instead, it was about being brave in the face of his bully. Fans of Wi Ha Joon will like this film as well. You get to see him in a project before Squid Games. 

  The acting was great across the board. There wasn't a performance that really brought down the film. I like how the director chose a pretty boy to play the evil character. Normally the main actor and him might be switched based on looks. I'm glad they didn't do that. I've seen Kim Min Seok play evil characters though.  I'm glad that I picked up the blu-ray by chance!!!!

Show-Wa - Kimi no Oujisama(君の王子様) Mini Album Thoughts (jpop)

 

  Show-Wa is a 2023 Japanese pop boy band that was formed on a program containing three thousand applicants. Avex entertainment ends up choosing twelve men and Show-wa wa formed. Their brother group named Matsuri was also created. Kimi no Oujisama is their debut single. 

＜CD＞
01. Your Prince
02. Kiss kiss kiss
03. DESIRE -Passion-

＜DVD＞
01. Your Prince Music Video
02. Your Prince Making Movie

    

[CD only]
AVCD-61457
Price: 1,200 yen (tax included)
First press bonus: trading card (1 of 7 types randomly included)

◆Contents
＜CD＞
01. Your Prince
02. Kiss kiss kiss
03. Megumi no Hito

   

  I didn't think that I would start the new year talking about these guys. Especially since I didn't like them when I first came across them on Youtube. After looking at a photo book, I came back around and checked out the single. I was skeptical at first but when I witness their music, lord was what I heard needed in the Japanese music industry. Show Wa has a kind of music that brings the listener back to a certain era of Japan. They are reviving this genre of Show-Era that brought showy love songs to Japanese audiences decades ago. Production uses dance disco beats with violins and electric guitars. These sounds take me to a place where Japan's music had emotional depth, yet there was a fun essence as well. I've been playing Desire to death. It's such a great song or maybe even their best song to date in my opinion. 

   The vocals are greatly planned out in the group like most Jpop groups. I love the vibrato of some of the vocals. They have songs where you really have to give a solid vocal performance and all the guys are on the older side. Unlike a lot of groups that start out super young. 

   One of the members was in another popular group called SOLDIMO. I can't take wait to hear more from Show-wa. Hopefully a new single or album is released soon. 

   

Exhuma(파묘) Korean Film Thoughts

 

  

   Exhuma is a South Korean film that finished off it's box office run as the six highest grossing film in Korean cinema history. First place was occupied by the film at opening week and then, most reviews worldwide raved about the film's scary atmosphere. I went in to this film not knowing what to expect. Kim Go Eun, Lee do Hyun, Choi Min Sik, and more star in the feature film directed by Jang Jae Hyun. 

   A group of exorcists and funeral grave movers come together to help a family said to be possessed by their grandfather's ghost. little do everyone know that more lies inside of graves than just the remains of the dead. Something should be left undisturbed.     

     This film is a slow burn that unfolds in different chapters. Each chapter tells you something about the characters and why this case is so important. A mystery occurs in the question of why this haunting is happening to this Korean American family or why is the location of the family member's grave in such an odd place. There's a good build up of tension as well as a dive into the subject of shamanism through the two main characters. Some of the rituals are more funny than disturbing in my opinion. Still, the ghost haunting the family was pretty fun scares, however, the overall film didn't give me what the film set me up to believe that I would get. I just personally didn't find Exhuma to be very scary at all. The tension had me on the edge of my seat, only for the "monster" to not be that terrifying. A hint of anti Japanese sentiment  is in a certain point of the film that kept throwing me off. I guess the feeling makes sense from a historical stand point but I don't think a ghost being Japanese should make too much of a difference. An evil ghost is an evil ghost. 

   The performances from the cast was good enough. I especially like the family and the ghosts. They all bring a sense of mysterious chill to the story. 

   Exhuma did disappoint me a bit. So many reviews said how scary this film was. I was just like, "thats it?" Maybe i'm a little spoiled for choice because I grew up with such amazing Korean horror films. This wasn't one of them even though I didn't hate Exhuma at all.  

       

Dragon Pony( 드래곤포니) - POP OUT Mini Album Thoughts (K-indie/Pop Rock)

 

  Dragon Pony is my new Korean artist find! Recently, Their music video came up in my recommended and I wasn't going to check them out at first. However, They also had done a live performance that was raking up views at the time so, I decided to give their video a go. I'm glad that I did because these guys showed me that new artists are not to be slept on. Pop Out is the band's debut album under Antenna Entertainment. They were also perviously known as Saehamamo.

Disc

01 POP UP

02 모스부호

03 꼬리를 먹는 뱀

04 Traffic Jam

05 Pity Punk

   Pop Out is named after the band's title track which is is a blend of upbeat rock with a slight edge of pop that would be relatable to a mainstream audience in South Korea. I would describe the whole album as garage pop rock that feels at home among the likes of Day6, CN Blue, Ft Island, and more. they're music feels a bit more youthful than the latter though. A ballad feel is added in toward the end of the album because there wouldn't be a Korean act without at least one ballad.... This track titled Traffic Jam is all about a slow burn of build up in the band's instrumental as the song gets louder until the end. Pity Punk is my favorite track on the album due to the vocal performance and the tempo change midway through the track. 

  The vocals are really good here thanks the all the songs being created around them. I haven't felt this good about a K-rock band since Day6 was first starting out. Let's hope that they keep up their streak of good musical releases. So far everything fits perfect for Dragon Pony. Pity Punk has been on constant replay since I heard it. 

82Major(에이티투메이저) - X-82 Mini Album Thoughts (K-pop/Hip Hop)

 

    82major is a South Korean Boyband that made their debut in 2023. I didn't know anything about them during their debut but, I did stumble upon them on Youtube. Their unique video Thumbnail made me click really fast and "Choke" pulled me right into these guy's musical world. X-82 is their newest mini album to date. 

    X-82 marks 82major highlighting more of a rap focus on this album. Their last album had choruses full of vocal harmonies that supported the groups strong force of rap. This time around the tracks are more hip hop based with less singing. Stuck was the exception with the track's smooth vocal runs in the chorus. I really thought this adds a cool vibe to the song. As an album, all the tracks are very adventurous for the current Kpop landscape. Not a lot of Kpop boybands are releasing mostly Hip Hop only albums. Plus, they guys seem to naturally love hip hop as an artist expression and not as a costume for a concept. The Wu Tang Clan shout out in the lyrics was everything! 

    I loved this album as well as their last release. 82major is on a good path so far. I would like to hear more in the future. A full album better be in the works. 

Kimi Ni Todoke(From Me To You): Soulmate君に届け 番外編～運命の人～ Japanese Manga Thoughts

 

   Kimi ni Todoke: Soulmate is a spin off series made after the ending of the original series. Kimi ni Todoke was a very popular long running manga series that spawned a an anime, a live action film, and a Netflix TV Show. Soulmate was completed in three volumes. 

      High School rivals turned friends go to college together. One girl, Kurumi is healing after her first love(which is now her friend Sawako's boyfriend). As love blossoms around her, she must find herself before she can come close to having a soulmate. 

   Let's cut right to the chase: Kurumi isn't a very likable character. If you read the original series, then you know the drama she brewed up and for Sawako to take her as a friend was such an amazing turn of events in the original story. I still don't really like her but Soulmate puts more in perspective within her inner dialogues. We see her have a lot of self doubt when she starts to have feelings for Sawako's cousin. We see her be a complete bitch as a defense against hurt. I think this was suppose to be her sympathy ark to a lot of fans of the series. However, I didn't really feel anything for her character. I was very indifferent to her as I read through each volume. The only thing that I felt for was her self reflection of where she went wrong in her action then and now. What I did love about this spin off story was the update on Sawako's life as a side character. Sawako's cousin as a new character was cool too. He was like a male version of Sawako which I adored. My favorite parts of the story were volumes one and two. 

   The art style is the same as the original series. I've always loved the kick back at home feel of the art and panels. The creator loves using random prints in the background of her panels as well. 

    You will enjoy this series if you're an original fan of Kimi Ni Todoke. If not, then you won't get too much out of this. Kimi No Todoke is a long series so maybe watch the Netflix show to get a feel of the story in a nutshell. 

Perfect Days Japanese Film Thoughts(2023)

 

   Perfect Days is a film that was a collaboration between Japan and Germany. The film was directed by Wim Wenders while the script was written by him along side Takuma Takasaki. Academy Awards gave the film a Best International film nomination but the film didn't win. Still, Perfect Days was haled as a massive award wining project by other film associations; With lead actor Koji Yakusho being praised for his performance.

    A simple account of a Japanese man living out his normal days as a bathroom cleaner. 

    For a film to take such a simple story of just following a man's life while also making the content interesting was so amazing for me. Perfect Days isn't really about much while, still being crafting so much in the simple lines of very day life. There's a looming mystery of our main character since he doesn't have much lines. He's also very aloof most of the film. Watching him interact with others as well as live is so captivating for some reason. I think that this film would be this good but, I was surprised. By the conclusion of Perfect Days, you find out that everything isn't so "perfect" for our leading man. He still continues to live on though. The final two scenes are probably the most powerful in the whole film. 

     One aspect of Perfect Days that really supports the film's progression is the soundtrack: which is mostly classics by African American artists. These songs fill the main character's workdays as he listen to them as he drives along. Feeling Good By Nina Simone was a great selection to end the film with that shot of the city in the setting sun. A lot of the camera shots use outward shots or shots that convey events without doing too much in a scene. Less was more for this film and it worked wonders. 

    Koji Yakusho carried this whole film on his back and didn't seem to break a sweat. He conveyed so much to the viewer without dialogue or support from costars. He really showed that he has the talent to be engulfed in a character's existence to being out that character's very essence.   

    Perfect Days is a film that everyone should watch at least one time. It's a film that will allow you to take something away from what you see. I wish more film were like this.