Kpop Article Review: Kpop Fever

* Article from Korea Magazine (February 2012)

K-Pop has been making headlines on online music service providers for some time now. In August 2011, the music video for Super Junior’s new single ‘Mr. Simple’ ranked no. 3 on YouTube’s global chart. The music video came third on the ‘Most Viewed Webcasts’ after Lady Gaga and Kanye West, proving the international popularity of the Korean dance group.

Back in 2009, the Wonder Girls took the world by storm by being the first Korean group to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100 with their American debut single ‘Nobody’ which later ranked no.1 on the ‘Year End Charts Hot Singles Sales’ section, topping American artists like Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas.The release of the Billboard K-Pop Chart was a testimonial to its recognition as a global genre. “We were already receiving requests for K-Pop charts from music fans of different nationalities and ethnicities few years ago. Billboard looked into the fast-spreading popularity of Hallyu and the success of Hallyu concerts in various countries” states Biilboard Korea.

More K-Pop Services

Before Billboard started servicing the chart, there was a lack of an official Korean music ranking medium for foreign fans. Now, through the Billboard chart, they can view the most up to date ranking of Korean music based on online source analysis. The Billboard K-Pop Chart uses a sound scanning system to data mine the charts of 13 online music services that are available in Korea. The collected data is then processed to provide automated rankings.

With the launch of K-Pop chart, Billboard Magazine and online Billboard Korea (www.billboard.co.kr) have begun to publish music-related news and other services. It is Billboard’s next project to customize the news to each local language abroad and service it with the K-Pop chart. Hopefully this new service will not only satisfy the craving for K-Pop fans, but will also help more Korean artists to go abroad.

Hallyu to the Next Level

The Billboard K-Pop Chart and YouTube’s K-Pop channel are not only good news for international fans but are also welcoming news to the Korean music industry in the hopes that the new services will bring Hallyu and K-Pop to the next level. . Music videos of dance groups like Big Bang, 2PM and Girl’s Generation are a big hit around the world. And behind this new wave of Hallyu is YouTube, utilized not only by ardent fans but also by Korean entertainment companies to promote their artists. Last year, YG Entertainment launched a showcase for the first solo album of G-Dragon and TOP (Big Bang members) through YouTube. The one hour streaming of eleven songs attracted 390,000 users worldwide. It is with hope that the new K-Pop services provided by the Billboard chart and YouTube’s channel will be an opportunity to promote K-Pop in places around the world that it has not reached yet, and be a starting point to introduce other Hallyu content.

My thoughts:

The internet is undoubtedly the most important medium in expanding Kpop fanbase to the world. Western fans were introduced to Kpop almost solely via the internet. With Youtube and Google paying more attention to Kpop, the fanbase in the West is now steadily growing. Google is even holding a free Kpop concert with live broadcast on 21st May, which is a big step ahead in promoting Kpop to the world. Fans can also make some noise and promote their Kpop Idols with the help of the internet. With many  awards now having the online voting systems, fans have worked so hard to vote for their Idols so that they can garner more attention from the general public. Case in point; all Kpop fans united to vote for Bigbang for MTV Europe Music Awards. In turns, many new fans have discovered Bigbang, and Kpop in general.

America is the dreamland of any artists but is one very tough market to get into.  With more Kpop artists like Wonder Girls, Girls Generation and JYJ debuting in the US,  although they were only moderately successful (and some even consider it as a flop), they are in fact opening the path for Kpop to become household names in the US, and the rest of the world (Hey, even Will Smith mentions Wonder Girls in his interviews, yo)

English albums –  Arguably, Wonder Girls’ English version of Nobody is the more popular worldwide. Their English album has garnered worldwide attentions and new fans. However, Kpop artirst need to get the lyrics proffesionally translated. Girls Generation’ English lyrics of The Boys doesn’t make sense – this will only invite critics and general public to make fun of them. Another thing to note, with Korean language out of the picture, the artists need to show the world what makes Kpop different. In other words, they need to maintain the distinct Kpop sound (and dance), or else it will be just another pop songs from Asian artists.

Korean dramas – a lot of  fans (including yours truly) discovered Kpop through K-dramas which often features catchy soundtracks from Kpop artists (the “almost paaaaradise”soundtrack from Boys over Flower immediately comes to mind). With k-dramas like Protect the Boss and Love Rain being sold to European countries, this could also spread the Hallyu wave to the West.

Last but not least, for the love of Kpop, please,  dear Kpop idols: learn English. I’m sure they just need a little bit of polishing since Korean learn English in school. As much as we Kpoppers love Korean language, English is the global language. Fans, the media and general public can relate more to the artists, and they can express themselves better, without relying on translators.

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Leisure Activities in Korea

Last week at Kpop Academy we practice singing 아리랑 (Arirang) and also played  물총 노래방 (water gun Noraebang) – basically a karaoke session where you have to memorize the lyrics, and opponents shoots you with water gun a-la “Happy Together” when you sing the lyrics wrong.  Being a person with zero ability to sing, I managed to not embarrass myself too much the Noraebang session. It was really fun and I actually hoped we can sing more songs.

credits: KCCUK

For homework, I have actually recorded myself singing two Kpop songs, but after listening to it, I decided not to torture anybody’s poor ear with it, hence I’m choosing option 3: Choose 5 leisure activities that I want to experience in Korea other than the Noraebang.

Cha Muwon and Seo Nayun

Singing in Noraebang is a really big part of Korean culture – I have not seen a single Korean drama that doesn’t feature a Noraebang scene in it (okay, exagerating, but you know what I mean). Other than singing in Noraebang, here are other activities that feels uniquely Korean that I want to try there:

1. Korean sauna (Jimjilbang)

Lee Gak and Park Ha

Of course I want to try the Jimjilbang! Koreans love going to the Sauna, and from what I see in dramas and internet, Korean Saunas are really big, clean and modern. Many of them are open 24-hours, so you can even sleep there if you can’t find a place to crash. That is a truly Korean experience that I don’t want to miss.

2. Hiking

Hiking is said to be Korea’s national favourite past-time, people say Koreans love mountains more than the beach. South Korea is a largely mountainous country, so the folks really enjoy hiking with family and friends. One of the nearest mountains in Seoul is the Bukhansan National Park. A great way to keep in shape during the trip to Korea, and enjoying breathtaking scenes at the same time – perfect!

3. Riding bicycle in parks

Gu Junpyo and Geum Jandi

I know people in other countries ride bicycles in the parks too, but I see this a lot in the dramas, so riding bicycle in one of Seoul’s park is something that I really want to try in Seoul, or maybe even the countrysides.

4. Hanging out at cute cafes

Seriously, who wouldn’t want munch on cupcakes in this lovely Hello Kitty cafe? This kind of cutesy, girly cafes can only be found in Korea (okay, maybe Japan as well). I’m guessing that hanging out at coffee shops is a huge thing there since I’ve seen it a lot in dramas and people’s travelogue to Seoul, and also, the sentence 커피숍에서 친구를 만나요 is a compulsory line in every Korean textbooks I’ve read.

5.  Shoppping!!

Seoul is a shopping heaven! There are so many things that I want to buy when I go to Korea. They have all the ridiculously cute Asian stuffs that can’t be found anywhere else (see eatyourkimchi.com), markets selling trendy clothing at cheap prices (although I may not fit Korean sizes, I swear Korean XL is like S size over here), modern shopping districts like Myeongdong, stashes of BB creams that I must buy from arrays of Korean cosmetic shops and of course Kpop merchandises. Not to forget the most expensive item I want: a custom made Hanbok.

Random pics: DBSK in Happy Together^^

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아리랑 Arirang

Last week’s lesson was so fun! We learned about Korean traditional music and instruments. The first part of the class consists of lecture on Korean traditional music and a Gayageum perfomance, and the second half was introduction  to Samulnori and a hands-on lesson on how to play the 4 instruments of Samulnori. It’s so great to see a young person like Ms. Norris to become an expert at Korean’s traditional music (okay I’m gonna go back home and learn about Malay’s traditional music and cultures too -.-).

Ms. Norris demonstrates how to play Janggu  (one of Samulnori’s instruments). credit: KCCUK

Now for the homework, I chose to do a research on Arirang – what is the origin of Arirang, and how did it become popular? Most k-loving person would know what Arirang is, or at least have heard of it at some point. It is Korean’s most popular folk song and has become sort of an unofficial national anthem of Korea. Many k-pop artists have also sang it , especially at end of concerts. It is also  sang to uplift athletes’ spirits in international sporting events.

Kpop artists sang Arirang at Kpop Masters LA. credit: koreanyousay@youtube

Arirang symbolizes unity and spiritual strength of Korean people. This song is about overcoming hardship in life and the lyrics uses crossing the Arirang Pass as an analogy to life’s obstacle, hence the title, Arirang. There exist many theories on the origin of Arirang.

One version says that it came originated from the time when the father of King Gojong (the second last king of the Joseon Dynasty) was rebuilding Gyoungbok palace in, which had been destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion of 1592-1598  The laborers consoled themselves with songs and one of them is Arirang. Another version says that the song existed since the Shilla Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago. The original version used the words “Aryong Arirang…” in praise of of Aryong, wife of the founder of the Shilla Dynasty. Over time, the words have changed to “Arirang, Arirang…”.

There are several versions of Arirang, each version originates from different regions and have slightly different lyrics and melody. The most commonly sang is the the version from Gyeonggi, which is the province of Seoul. For some reason, it gave me goosebumps when I first heard of this song some time ago.

Here is the lyrics of the first verse of Arirang:

아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요…
아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.
나를 버리고 가시는 님은
십리도 못가서 발병난다.

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo…
Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.
Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun
Sibrido motgaseo balbyeongnanda.

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo…
Crossing over Arirang Pass.
Dear who abandoned me here
Shall not walk even ten  before his/her feet hurt

Random pic: Junsu playing the Janggu . I played it too last week!^^

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How to Promote Korean Culture

Last week at Kpop Academy is bring-your-family-and-friends week. We watched a promotional video of events held by KCCUK, had a round of Kpop quiz, and a pitch session where we have to persuade the family and friends on why they should/would love Kpop. It wasn’t easy to persuade them. I totally understand what average, non-k-loving citizens feel about Kpop. I used to dislike Kpop because I didn’t even wanna try listening. If they TRY, I’m sure they’ll be converted like me too 😉

For this week’s homework, I chose option 1: Suggest 5 events you think will  be effective to promote Korean culture.

1. Food Festival

Food is a big part of a culture and what better way to promote Korea than to promote it’s cuisines, because, who doesn’t love food right?

 A big scale event at Trafalgar Square where KCCUK can collaborate with London’s Korean restaurants to promote Korean cuisine.

2. Cooking Classes

A lot of my friends were really excited when I told them we’re going to have a cooking lesson back in week 3 and asked if they could join. I take that as an indication that regular citizens would love to participate if KCCUK were to hold cooking classes.

An ajusshi demonstrating how to cook Kimchi Jjigae XD

3. Craft Workshop

Korea has a lot of unique crafts like kites, fans, paper-crafts, embroideries and so much more! So why not make workshops for craft-lovers to learn how to make those?

4. Travel Fair

The best way to explore Korean culture is by experiencing it in Korea itself. K-pop lovers already marked Korea as their must-go destination, so a travel fair can be set up to attract the public to go visit Korea for it’s wonderful culture and magnificent natural landscapes.

5. Open Day

Ideally, I would love to have an open day at a Korean family’s house during Seollal day to celebrate it together with them, but that is quite far-fetched, so an Open Day at KCCUK during other festive time like Chuseok  is a good way for the public to experience Korean festives.

I really look forward to participate in KCCUK’s future events!~~ 

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10 Basic Korean Etiquettes

Last week’s Kpop Academy students’ visit to the residence of the Korean Ambassador to London was very fun as it was informative! It was an honour to be invited to Ambassador Choo’s residence. He made us feel very welcomed and patiently entertained our questions. We learned about Korean food, festive, the Jeol (Korean bow), and even Korean traditional medicine. We got to perform the Jeol in front of him – it turned out that his 60th birthday was coming, so that made the Joel even more meaningful.

Ambassador Choo applying the mugwort medicine. 

It is very useful to learn about Korean manners and etiquettes to avoid any faux-pas when visiting Korea. Here I compiled 10 basic Korean etiquettes that I know. I learned most of these out of K-dramas.

1. Remove your shoes when entering the house

Like most Asian cultures, Koreans put great emphasize in keeping the floor sparkling clean, because the floor is used a lot; like lying on the floor while watching TV, or sometimes sitting on the floor to eat. Hence, this is the number one rule you must remember when going to a Korean’s house. You may be required to remove your shoes in some restaurants too. You will be supplied with slippers to use indoor.

2.  Wait for the eldest to eat first

Older people are generally respected in other countries too, but in Korea it’s a whole different level! Koreans are really strict with age gap; even a person who’s a year older gain the respect. The younger ones should also grill the meat when eating barbeque dishes. The seating arrangement at the dinner table is also important; the seniors should get the best seats.

3.  Pour drinks for each other

Koreans pour drinks for each other. When someone older is offering to pour you a drink, never reject it, and you must always hold the cup with both hands.  Don’t want to drink too much because you can’t reject a drink offer? Simple – don’t finish your drink, always keep the cup half empty. It is also customary to drink with your head turned sideways in front of seniors.

4.  Never offer anything with the left hand

Always use your right hand to offer and receive something, even though you are left-handed. Best practice is to use both hands.

5.  Do not put your chopstick upright on a rice bowl

Please don’t do it because it resembles the incense sticks that are lighted during funerals.

6.  Do not write anyone’s name with red inks

Again, this symbolizes that the person is dead, and anything related to death is a sensitive subject to Koreans.  You might want to avoid using red pen altogether.

7.  Do not blow your nose in front of anyone

Although it doesn’t seem like such a big matter in western countries, blowing your nose in front of people  is considered terribly rude in Korea, and most of Asia I believe. Please do it in the washroom.

8.  Always refute a compliment

When complimented, reply modestly with (aniyo). Koreans are known for their politeness and humility.  Maybe you just wanted to be honest, but if you agree when someone complimented you and added some more good things that you do to add to that compliment, you will come across as arrogant.

9.  Never point at someone with your index finger

I guess this one is considered rude everywhere, but especially more so in Korea. Please avoid pointing people (or things) with chopstick as well.

10.  Koreans don’t “go Dutch”

If Koreans invite you to a dinner at a restaurant, they will pay for your meal. Don’t insist on splitting the bill, you are expected to pay for  the next round too. I personally find this a good concept; everybody’s treating each other in every round. Happy.

Random picture. After going to Ambassador Choo’s house, I suddenly wanted to buy a  Hanbok.

Seriously, I really want one. Those expensive custom-made silk ones >.<

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Movie Review – 71: Into The Fire

Although I love action movies, I’m not a big fan of war movies.  I do appreciate them mostly only because of the historical contents that I can learn from it. Watching Into The Fire, on the other hand, was something that I greatly anticipated because I’m interested in Korean histories and I never watched a movie based on the Korean war before – I don’t think Hollywood ever made one. Or maybe I’m biased because TOP is in it (and looking mighty fine in that military gear). Nevertheless, here’s the review:

Based on a true story, Into The Fire sets in the 1950 during the start of the Korean War. 71 South Korean student-soldiers were left on their own to hold back the several hundreds of North Korean armies at a strategic post – the Pohang School, while the rest of the real soldiers went to a bigger battlefield at Nakdong River.  Being one of the only three student-soldier who survived from the previous battle, Oh Jang Beom (TOP) was appointed as the leader. Despite having a hard time  in the beginning, Jang Beom successfully lead the 71 student-soldiers who had no training at all to hold back the advancing North Korean armies. These student-soldiers played an important role in buying time for South Korea and the allies to defend against the somewhat surprise war.

Despite all the actions, Into the Fire is an emotional movie – I’m not usually easy to cry over sad movies or dramas  but my eyes got all teary. I pity the student-soldiers for being left all on their own to fight against hundreds of trained soldiers. Jang Beom only wanted the war to end so that he can go back to see his mother. Other than the 3 experienced student-soldiers, the rest of them  had never fired a single bullet. I admire their determination and courage to fight until the very end (all of the 71 student-soldiers died in the movie =.= but I think not all in reality because there are survivors?).

TOP is surprisingly a very good actor! He didn’t have many lines and mostly just lets his eyes do the intense staring talking (I’m not complaining 😉 ), but one can really feel all the emotions that his character portrays.I hope to see more of his acting – action movies are fine, but perhaps as a lead role in romantic comedy?

The special effect is decent – all the battle scenes and bombs and tanks, just like other high-budget Hollywood war movie. The only thing I dislike is the last scene where Jang Beom and the badboy’s (I think his name is Kapjo) rooftop fighting scene. The fight scene just looks unrealistic and over the top. If not because of this rooftop scene, I would have rated Into the Fire as a 5 star movie. I also find it hard to believe that the commander of North Korean Army would take a pity at the student-soldiers and was willing to spare their lives (they were 17, not 13).  Also, I wish that the narrations of the student-soldier survivors were a tad bit longer.

I’m not a movie critic, so I cannot comment on the cinematography or other fancy-schmancy artistic point of view that critics always comment in their reviews.  What I know is that I was deeply moved by Into the Fire and wouldn’t mind watching it again.

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Dinner Date with Mr. Kim Jaejoong ♥

We all know Jaejoong is a really good cook (as for me…err I can cook rice! =p). But what if I were to prepare a Korean dinner for him? Here are the meals that I’d like to attempt prepare:

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10 Interesting Korean phrases/words…according to me

So for the second Kpop Academy (actually I prefer if they call it Korea academy, cuz we’re studying Korea’s culture, not just kpop rite?) homework, I chose option D – create a list of 10 phrases/words you Kpop stars regularly uses and explain the meaning of each phrase/word – except that some (or most) of the phrases/words that I post here comes from kdrama, not kpop stars. Because Korean actors are really expressive in their dialogs, I could understand the meaning of those words the first time I heard it even without subtitles. Take note that I am only writing these phrases and the explanation based on my observation so they may not be accurate, so please correct me if anything I wrote below is wrong ;). These are simple phrases which any k-loving person would already know, but for the rest of you, here goes:

1. 진짜(jin jja) – really

Koreans use a lot of jinjja. Uri Junsu is one of the heavy user. His statements are always full of jinjjas everywhere 😉

I hope Junsu will remain as cheerful as his bubbly younger days…

Jinjja can be used when you want to emphasize what you’re saying is true, especially when you think people might not believe you. Repeat a few times for further emphasize. For example “I think Daesung and his small eyes is cute. Jinjja. Jinjja think so!” .

Jinjja can also be used as a question simply by adding a question mark. Eg.  K:”I support you no matter what” JJ:”Jinjja? Gomawo..”

You can even use jinjja when someone annoys you. Eg. Friend annoys you to no end. You:”Ah again? Ya! Noen jinjja…!!”

Even I always find myself jinjja-ing all the times – Eg. can’t believe myself for misplacing Oyster card again–> Me:” Ahh!! jinjja…!!”

2. 괜찮아 (kwenchana) – it’s okay

You can use kwenchana like how you usually use “it’s okay”. Eg. JJ:” Ah Karen, mian, I forgot to bring the book” K:”Kwenchana, I don’t need it today”

It can also be used as a question, like “are you okay?” Eg. Someone accidentally tripped in front of you. You:”Ah kwenchana yo?!”

Koreans are known for their politeness and humility. I noted when someone offers them something, even though they actually want it, they would say kwenchana at first (or maybe second) offer, and will only say yes when offered again. I think it’s an Asian thing. It’s the same too for Malays.

3. 어떻게 (eottoke) – how/what to do?

Ah…the quintesential eottoke…Actually eottoke literally means “how” and is also use in your normal question like “how to make a…blabla.” etc.

However, what’s interesting is that Koreans use eottoke in place of “what to do”. Eg. Karen accidentally lost the book that JJ lent. K:” Ahh eottoke!! JJ’s gonna kill me!!”. We don’t usually use “how” in English in that situation, but actually in Malay we do use “camne”  (which literally means “how”)  to say “what to do”.

4. 저기요 (jeogiyo) – excuse me

You use jeogiyo like you say “excuse me” when want someone’s attention. Eg. “Jeogiyo, can you explain this to me?”. Or you can use it when you want to call the waiter in a restaurant.

However, Koreans don’t usually say jeogiyo when you want to excuse yourself like when you need to go to the toilet, or when you’re asking people to give way in crowded places. Instead, you would say 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida) or 실례합니다 (shilyehamnida).

5. 알았어 (arasso) – understood/okay

Arasso can be used when someone give you an order, and you reply back as in “I get it”. Eg. JJ: “Ya! Please keep the kitchen tidy!” K: “Arasso…”

You can also use it when someone states something and you reply with “Oh Isee” Eg. JJ:”I can only eat spicy Asian food” K:” Ah joengmal? Oh..arasso…”

As always, you can also use it as a question. JJ:”You must fry the chili paste for 5 minutes. Arasso?” K.:”Ne!”

6. 화이팅 (hwaiting) – fighting!

“Hwaiting” is used as an encouragement like when you’re wishing good luck to your dongsaeng for his exam. K: “Bye Jon. Answer carefully. Hwaiting!”

It can also be used as some sort of a battle cry when you start a match or game or performance.  I know hwaiting is essentially not a pure Korean word. It comes from the word fighting (which I’m guessing becomes hwaiting because there’s no letter F in Korean language). Even the usage of fight-ing itself in those situations is grammatically wrong – it should be “fight!” (not that we say “fight!” to send of our dongsaeng to exam hall). But the phrase hwaiting is just so prominent in Koreans’ daily life (from what I see in TV- I don’t know if it’s the same in real life in South Korea) that I must absolutely include it in the list.

7. 잠깐만요 (jamkanmaniyo) – wait/ just a sec..

You use jamkanmaniyo when you need someone to pause what they’re doing/saying. Eg. Someone gossiping about something:”…you know…bla bla..” You: “Jamkanmaniyo. So you mean…bla bla”

Or you can abbreviate it into just 잠깐 ( jamkan). Eg. JJ walks too fast. K:”Ya! Jamkan! I’m tired”

Other than that, you can also say jamkanmaniyo to tell someone to wait, or to say “I’ll be right back”

8. 안돼 (andwae) – no! cannot be!

Andwae means no but usually it’s use to express “No! That cannot be”. In Malay this translates to “takleh”.Eg. News: JYJ’s movie screening need to be cancelled. K: “Mwo? Andwae!!!!”

9.몰라 (molla) – don’t know

As usual, molla, which means “don’t know” can also be used as a question to mean “don’t you know?”. Eg. K: “Ya! I hate that. Molla?” JJ:”Molla”.

10. 혹시 (hokshi)- by any chance/could it be…

I find the phrase hokshi interesting. When watching k-dramas I kept on wondering why do they need to say “by any chance” aaalll the time?”. But I think it’s a polite way of implying something that you’re not sure of. So instead of jumping straight to a question, Koreans would insert hokshi first. Eg. You spotted JJ and K walking together. You: ” JJ-shi, hokshi…she is your yoejachingu?”

11. 켜 (kyeo) – oh really?/ is that so.

Of course I have to insert a phrase related to Jaejoong, hence the 11th phrase^^. Well he doesn’t say this all the time, but it’s a rather unique phrase he taught me off  a variety show. It’s a local slang from his hometown that comes from the abbreviation of 그래요 (guraeyo). Eg. Someone:”You know what, I this…and I that…”. You:”Ah kyeo?”

12. 당연하지 (dangyunhaji) – of course

Haha sorry, I just have to include this. I just suddenly remembered about Korean’s Dangyunhaji game. You use dangyunhaji like how you usually use of course. Eg. JJ:”Eh..you can actually cook..”. K:”Dangyunhaji!!”

Jae and Changminnie play Dangyunhaji game during their happy young days. Of course Jae won.

**In the Dangyunhaji game, basically you will face off the opponent and revealing secrets/embarrasing facts about them.  After your opponents finished their sentence, you begin your rebuttal by saying “Dangyunhaji!”. You win when you’re opponent is left speechless at your revelations or if you reveal/state more shocking things.

It’s actually fun doing this list. There are actually so many other phrases that I want to add. I’ll add more when I have time. But I also hope that a native speaker can double-check if I understood the phrases correctly. Who can be my double-checker?^^

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The King and The Clown 왕의 남자

This is a belated post on the Kpop Academy’s first homework – for the record, I did submitted it before last Saturday!^^

The first time I heard of The King and the Clown was when uri Dongbangshinki made a parody of it prior to Banjun drama filming many years ago. I knew this was a popular movie that received many praises, and I’ve always love watching Sageuk dramas, but for some reason, I haven’t watched this movie until now. I’m not an artistic person, and the only writing that I do is in form of assignment reports. Hence, this review is purely saying what I felt and learned from watching the movie as a non-Korean general public. Because I couldn’t find any streaming site with a decent quality, I endured almost 2 hours of watching what must be a 360×360 quality video. Boy, was it worth it.

 Jangsaeng and Gonggil performing in the streets of Seoul.

The movie is about two street performers in the Joseon era, Jangsaeng and Gonggil who were arrested by Government officials for mocking the King and his favourite consort, Noksu in their street performances. Jangsaeng and Gonggil has a very close hyung-dongsaeng relationship where Jangsaeng is very protective of Gonggil (my friend firmly suggest that their relationship was more than just hyung-dongsaeng, but that’s for another discussion =P).  After the duo performed in front of the King to save their lives, the King took a liking at the pretty boy Gonggil (omo, at one point even kissing him!)

 Sorry Royal Consort Noksu, Jaejoong in the parody Gonggil is prettier than you =P. 

Every time after watching their performance, the King, who was already had insecurities due to not having full authority despite being a King, would torture or kill the wrongdoers that were potrayed in their performances. The ministers dislike the group of jesters because they revealed the government officials’ corruptions so they attempted to kill the King’s favourite, Gonggil. The royal consort Noksu, who was jealous of Gonggil, framed him for putting up posters criticizing the King in the streets. Jangsaeng stepped up and confessed of the crime in order to save Gonggil. He was punished by having a hot iron stick poked in his eyes, thus rendering him blind (scary!). The movie ends with sights of the ministers’ attempts to overthrow the King, and reconciliation between Gonggil and Jangsaeng.

The ministers attempted to kill Gonggil when he went hunting with the King

I have already watched several dramas starring Lee Jun Ki before this, and I’ve always thought that he was pretty. I’d say he’s done a brilliant job of potraying the feminine and fragile Gonggil. I’m already accustomed to the flower boys of Korea who can be prettier than females ^^. But this is my first time watching a Korean movie where a man actually like the pretty boy.  Other than that, the insecure King was potrayed very well too.

          The pretty Gonggil

Because both this movie and Sungkyunkwan Scandal are both set in the Joseon period, I can see similarities in the movie, in terms of how the Kingdom was ruled, and the influence of the government officials. Although ultimately the ministers are only advisers of the King, they are powerful and the King need their support and approval in order to retain his position. The King, although how respected and powerful is still prone to the ministers’s plot to overthrow him. Hardship of the lower-class citizens due to corruption by the government officials is another issue displayed in both. I also got an inside of Koreans’ traditional arts of performing like the masks, makeup and the traditional instruments used.

 The makeup and costume reminds me of the Chinese opera I watched in Beijing.

Overall, this is a movie that I would recommend my friends to watch, even those non Korea-loving ones. I wouldn’t recommend to younger audiences though; apart from the vulgarity of the languages used, younger ones might have a problem in enjoying and understanding the content. One thing that I wish this movie should have is the costumes. I wish that the Hanboks worn by both male and female characters could be more prettier and more colourful. Although what they wear were  probably more realistic to the movie, one of the reason I love watching Sageuks in the first place is because of the pretty costumes. Not to say it affects the movie quality or storyline in any way, just an extra entertainment value for me who love traditional garments.^^

     I like pretty Hanbok like this!^^

….I wonder how would South Korea be now if the monarchy still exist today?…

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