Lives-For-Anime

Hi There

So I've been very consistent lately with my reviews as I had watched a few while on plane trips and such. So, for your pleasure, here is my review of 200 Pounds Beauty. This was one of the first movies that after I read the description that I wasn't excited for. I’ll put it below…

Han-Na (Kim Ah-Joong)is a very large girl with a warm heart. She also possesses an unbelievable voice. Han-Na wants to become a pop-singer, but due to her extra-large appearance, can only work as a faceless singer. She provides the vocals for a popular singer named Amy (Ji Seo-Yun), a beautiful young lady that can’t carry a note to save her life.

Han-Na is also in love with Amy’s music producer, Sang-Joon (Joo Jin-Mo), but it’s a one-sided love. One day, Han-Na is invited to Sang-Joon’s birthday party and receives a red dress from him to wear at his party. Han-Na is excited, yet scared. The dress is revealing and quite extravagant. With her very large figure, she is not sure if she can wear such an outfit. Han-Na does eventually go to the birthday party in the red dress, but is mortified when petite Amy appears in the same red dress. During the course of the birthday party, Han-Na absorbs more emotional trauma and she simply disappears for one year.

Han-Na then returns as Jenny a slim and beautifully looking woman. She gets an audition at Sang-Joon’s studio, who for his part is still looking for a replacement for Han-Na. Being blown away by her voice Sang-Joon is determined to make Jenny the next Superstar. Moreover, Jenny has finally the chance to engage into a romantic relationship with Sang-Joon. However, Amy seems to have gotten behind Jenny’s little secret and wants to ruin her career before it has even begun to bear any fruits.

Does this seem a little far-fetched to you? I was a little sketchy when starting to watch this and throughout the film. It was an alright movie, however it wasn’t my kind of thing. It was about a woman, getting plastic surgery and becoming loved. Does this give off a bad image? But, here is my overall review!!

The story of "200 Pounds Beauty" is based on a comic of Suzuki Yumiko, and concerning its basic idea it has all the ingredients for some nice laughs. These, most of the time, are related to what effect Jenny’s/Han-Na’s appearance has on her surroundings. As the film progresses these jokes work surprisingly well, even though one did a rather awkward job at the beginning.

Korea’s obsession with beauty is made fun of on every occasion. Men think that it’s okay for women to undergo plastic surgery as long as it isn’t your own girlfriend, and pop culture is full of big-eyed, perfectly slim and tanned idols(Not that I’m complaining!!!!!) That this may also have its disadvantages is shown for instance when Sang-Joon wants to get a little bit more intimate with Jenny, who then realizes that every part of her body is artificial and could be brought “out of place” if touched. The way Korea’s beauty craze is made fun of is very refreshing and without a doubt the films strength.

Furthermore, on another note, Kim Yong-hwa's work stays true to its joyful mood and doesn't shift into drama realms at the end, in contrast to many other movies of the genre. Here, it’s just a happy-life atmosphere that is supposed to take the viewer along with it, and it works out well. Also, there isn’t even an attempt to convey a certain message or view point concerning beauty craze – or at least not directly. Nevertheless, "200 Pounds Beauty" is everything but original and remains extremely predictable. There are only a few scenes in which we can actually be made to believe that Jenny doesn’t know anymore who she really is, since she is suffering from an identity crisis. But this is something you can turn a blind eye on. What’s unforgivable is the incredibly cheesy ending. The resolving comes with too many tears and a display of fireworks (literally) that is just too much to bear, decreasing the movies overall quality enormously. It’s all a bit too much and the filmmakers didn’t even seem to care that there might actually be people out there, who aren’t so easily to be deceived and manipulated by some honest words and sobbing.

Unfortunately, the comedy flick as a whole is never coherent. Many things on screen just look too random, contrived and haphazard. For instance, there is one fan of Jenny who stands as a mirror image of Jenny’s old self, then there is her dog that suddenly ends up at Sang-Jun’s home, and of course there is also Amy who has nothing else to do, but stay at Han-Na’s father side from morning to night, waiting for Han-Na to show up, eventually. There is nearly no basic framework to be found, and moreover some of the characters remain pretty shallow. What’s really strange, however, is that Joo Jin-Mo who plays the music produces, gives a shockingly one-dimensional performance. Somehow, we can never relate to or sympathize with him and so the love story also never really gains and momentum. For this we are compensated with Kim Hyeon-sook, who portrays Han-Na’s friend, and a few other side characters, that are integrated into the movie quite well. But they still can’t fill the big gap that the movie leaves open.

The star of the film is no one else than  Kim Ah-Joong, who stands out because of her natural beauty, but on the other hand she also depicts the artificiality of the plastic women created by Korean pop culture. It’s fascinating and refreshing to see with how much self-confidence she makes fun of her own body, always throwing a wink at the audience, even more so at the beginning when we see her in a fat body suit.

However, it becomes really impressive when Kim Ah-Joong starts to sing. This may be the first time for her, as she never sand professionally before, but her voice is really powerful. Thus, her “Blondie”- cover song “Maria” took the charts by storm in Korea, naturally. Therefore, lovers of music will get their treat, yet concerning this aspect the film is also not intrusive at all.

In the end "200 Pounds Beauty" fails to deliver what it could have been. That is because of its heavy kitsch-factor towards the end, some colourless characters and a weak script. It’s praiseworthy that the movie doesn't try to convey some message like “Inner beauty is what really counts”, and besides that some of the jokes work out quite well, too, even if quality-wise there could have been more. However, ultimately the film just can’t live up to the hype. The movie lacks that special something, which is exactly what one hoped to find here after all the words of praise from many a film fan. Maybe this is also the reason why this review is especially critical, but this just reflects the disappointment of the writer of these lines.

Score 2½ /10

Hi There

So here is another review in less than a week! Amazing right! Well, seeing as I have just gone back to school and have a mountain load of work to do, I’d though I’d procrastinate a little and write a few reviews for you ^.^ Today's review is going to be on the movie called “The Two Faces of My Girlfriend". For some peculiar reason I have come across no Sci-Fi or Action movies yet, just a lot of melodramas and really sad movies. So here is another really sad one, yet it ends in a really adorably cute way

*Disclaimer*

As can probably be gleamed from its title, “The Two Faces of My Girlfriend” from Korean director Lee Seok-Hoon is another in the long line of romantic wacky comedies. Whilst to an extent this does give a pretty clear picture of what to expect, the film does have a bit of a twist in that the female protagonist is not merely sassy, or even cheeky, but actually has a split personality. Whether or not this is a subject for guilt free laughs is largely beside the point, as it here presents plenty of opportunities not only for laughter, but teary melodrama, and as such the movie certainly delivers the goods.

The film begins as an awkward young man and all around loser Goo Chang(Bong Tae-Gyu)being outed as a virgin in front of his friends, much to his embarrassment and annoyance. However, destiny soon gives him hope in the form of the beautiful Anni(Jung Ryeo-Won)who appears in his life after he finds her wallet, and who for some reason doesn't take an immediate dislike to him.

Thing seem to be going well enough until suddenly one night when she gets drunk her personality undergoes a radical shift, and the sweet, quiet Anni is replaced by the brash, violent Hanni, who promptly accuses Goo Chang of trying to take advantage of her and proceeds to beat him up. Although understandably confused, the poor boy perseveres and tries to further his relationship with Anni despite her tendency to abruptly turn into Hanni. However, as he gets closer to her heart it becomes clear that she is hiding a tragic secret that holds the key to her crazy behaviour.

Like its female protagonist, “The Two Faces of My Girlfriend"really is a film of two halves, with the first hour or so offering a good amount of zany gags, most of which revolve around Anni’s personality switching during inappropriate moments. However, this all changes as director Lee quite suddenly decides that her situation is no longer funny as he launches into an exploration of her sad past. As such, the film shifts tone very abruptly, and not only stretches credibility with a clichéd, silly tale of woe but confuses the viewer by trying to convince that what was previously played for laughs should now be taken seriously.

Certainly Lee seems to have been more at home with the film’s humorous aspects than with its stab at serious drama, and his direction flounders a little towards the end, abandoning his bright and breezy approach and the long musical montages which pepper the early stages in favour of characters sitting around staring into the rain. Whilst this is by no means to say that the film goes off the rails, it does lay the melodrama on a bit thicker than was really necessary.

Of course, if you’re looking for a few tears along with their laughs this is not much of a criticism at all, and although the film is predictable, it still makes for entertaining viewing thanks to a winning sense of humour and a pair of great comedic performances from the two leads. Jung Ryeo-Won does well in what effectively amounts to a dual role, and although both Anni and Hanni are fairly two-dimensional characters, she manages to achieve the difficult task of whipping up some viewer sympathy along with laughs. This is mainly since although she looks cute, she comes across as a genuine oddball, and whilst she doesn’t quite convince in the latter stages, for the most part she succeeds in treading the fine line of believability between being aggressive and vulnerable.

Bong Tae-Gyu is certainly value for money in an archetypal wretched male role, spending most of the running time being beaten up by Hanni or indeed pretty much every other member of the cast, and does a decent job of adding a touch of emotional depth as his character (very) slowly makes the journey from selfish boy to caring man. Since both stars are likeable and charismatic enough, despite a rather weak script their relationship is touching, enough so to keep the viewer interested once the laughs have dried up, and though the film is never as emotional or moving as it clearly aims to be, it does at least come across as being heartfelt and genuine.

As a result “The Two Faces of My Girlfriend” is a solid example of the Korean romantic comedy genre. Benefiting from a pair of game and appealing performances by the two stars, the film is generally entertaining and amusing, and should definitely be enjoyed by fans of the form, especially those not likely to be deterred by its last act dive into angst.

Score 5 ½ /10

Hey Guys

Well, being consistent totally failed as it has been a fair while since my last review -.- The next Korean movie that I will be reviewing is "…ing". Yes, this unusual title of this introspective and well-executed film refers to the present continuous tense in English. Directed with confidence and a clear-eyed perspective by Lee_Eon-Hee, it captures a sense of what it feels like to be on the inside of an everyday tragedy. At the same time, the film’s warmth and humour help the viewer to appreciate the joy and poignancy of the present.


      

*Disclaimer*
Although having an odd title, it is a highly engaging romantic melodrama about living life one day at a time. Im_Soo-jung, star of A Tale of Two Sisters, plays Kang Min-Ah, a pretty teenager who has had the misfortunate of spending most of her life in hospitals, especially during her formative years. Min-Ah has a deformed hand, and unknown to her, a terminal illness to boot. However, Min-Ah’s single mother Mi-Sook (Lee_Mi-Sook) does know the truth and keeps it hidden from her daughter, instead trying to turn this negative fact into a positive motivation. Although hurting on the inside, Mi-Sook puts on a brave face, encouraging her daughter to take life by the horns and live in the here and now. Min-Ah is sceptical, but soon finds the possibilities of life re-opening to her.

Soon enough, a photographer named Young-Jae (Kim_Rae-Won) enters both of their lives by moving into the downstairs apartment. Upon seeing her, Young-Jae immediately does his best to win Min-Ah’s attention, engaging in a series of well-intentioned, but slightly juvenile acts that he hopes will make her change her mind about him. Although highly resistant at first, Min-Ah eventually caves into Young-Jae’s goofily charming persistence, and the two embark on a tentative friendship. Much to the delight of her mother, the friendship between Min-Ah and Young-Jae eventually turns to love, and they soon plan a trip to Hawaii together. But with the bitter realities of Min-Ah’s fatal illness looming low on the horizon, one begins to wonder if the budding couple will be able to make it to Hawaii before it’s too late.

*Disclaimer*

This movie was somewhat traumatic as the ending is definitely not what you expect. If you enjoy melodramas and crying A LOT, this is the one for you!

Score – 10/10

Hi there

Hope you liked my previous review and I hope to be consistent and continue with them. The next movie that I’m going to be talking about is called 19-Nineteen. I’m just letting you know now that I watched this movie without knowing that Seungri and T.O.P. from Big Bang were two of the three main characters in this movie. This should be enough incentive to watch the movie without even telling you what it is about!! Haha (as you can tell I love Kpop). Anyhow here it is.

19 – Nineteen

               

*Disclaimer*

After graduating from high school Min-seo (Seungri) fails to get into college. He spends the next year cramming for his entrance exam once again. Jeong-hun (T.O.P) is a university student fresh out of high school.

Late one evening, a high school girl dies. Earlier that evening, Min-seo filmed the girl in an internet café, where she works with Jeong-hun, without her knowing. Min-seo, Jeong-hun and another girl named Eun-yeong (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huh_E-ja…) – who went to the same high school as the dead girl – all become murder suspects in the death of that girl. All three of these young suspects are 19 years old. They don’t know each other, but quickly become fugitives from the law. To clear their names they work to uncover the truth behind the girl’s death.

*Disclaimer*

This movie is extremely well done and even though it is very unrealistic. It is still relatable to the struggles they go through as friends/acquaintances. I don’t want to reveal to much however, at the end of the movie, you feel rather sorry for the threesome and the girl that had been killed. You feel sorry for the girl, as she had asked for help from all of them, to no avail.

Score – 8/10

But I give it a 10/10 because T.O.P and Seung-Ri were in it ^.^

Hi there guys!

I know that I said that I would start becoming more active however, I have had school and other priorities. But today I am back and will be doing something a little different for you all! Instead of reviewing an anime that just came out, or that I found, I have recently started getting into Korean Movies/Dramas. I will be focusing more on Korean Movie reviews because Dramas are much longer and take a fair while to watch and review. Movies are just as good, but all the action is packed into 2 hours! The way this will work is I will give a rough overview of what happens throughout the movie and then what I thought about it, maybe even a score out of 10. So without further ado here is the first Korean movie review – 100 Days with Mr Arrogant.  This movie has a few translated titles including, “My Love, the Asshole” and “My Love, the No-Manners”.

100 Days with Mr Arrogant



*Disclaimer*

After being dumped by her boyfriend just before their 100 day anniversary, Ha-Yeong (Ha_Ji-Won) meets a college guy named Hyung-Jun (Kim_Jaewon) when she kicks a can that accidentally hits him in the face and causes him to scratch his Lexus. He demands she pay him $3000 on the spot. She escapes from him, leaving her wallet behind.

Hyung-Jun stalks her, demanding money to pay for his car. Since she is a poor high school student Hyung-Jun writes up a “Enslavement Agreement” for Ha-Yeong in order to pay for the damage to his car. Ha-Yeong is thrown into a nightmarish slave life for 100 days, running his errands, i.e.: cleaning his house, carrying his shopping, and cleaning his car.

By accident she finds out that the damage to Hyung-Jun’s car that’s only $10. She then takes her revenge. However, Hyung-Jun then becomes her new tutor. He once again takes advantage of her, but soon Ha-Yeong finds herself falling head over heels for Hyung-Jun.

*Disclaimer*

This next part of the movie is very emotional and sad and can only be explained by you watching it! I cried for so long -.-

My final thoughts of this movie were pretty excellent. The story is great and it is well made. Even though you don’t see this plot in real life and it is a little over exaggerated, it is still amazing! I will definitely be watching it again

Score – 7/10