K-Movie Review [2] I Saw The Devil

Hey guys, so I just watched a movie that after I finished watching it I asked myself "What the hell did I just watch?" I'll admit that I mainly decided to watch this movie because Lee Byung Hun was in it and the trailer made it look interesting. But boy was I not prepared for what happened in this movie. I'm not even sure where to begin to review this but i'll give it a try, here's my review of "I Saw The Devil."

BE WARNED THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

SYNOPSIS: After secret service agent Soo Hyun's fiance is grotesquely murdered. He sets out to find the murder and inflict the same amount of pain on murder as the murder had on Soo Hyun's fiance. Soo Hyun soon finds himself up against Kyung Chul, a man who finds enjoyment in raping his victims and then cutting them into pieces. Soo Hyun finds Kyung Chul and inflicts numerous injuries to him before stopping short of killing him only to release him and then do the same thing all over again.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Lee Byung Hun as Soo Hyun [He is a secret service agent who is often away because of work. He feels responsible for not being there to prevent his fiances death and is determined to find the man responsible and make him pay.]

Choi Min Sik as Kyung Chul [He is a serial killer who rapes his victims and then chops up their body parts. He normally targets younger females who are alone at very sparsely populated areas. At first he does not understand who could be after him, however after he discovers that Soo Hyun is the lover of one of his victims he is intent on causing Soo Hyun more pain.]

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:

Jeon Kuk Hwan as Squad Chief Jang [He is a police chief and father of Soo Hyun's fiance. He is the one who gives Soo Hyun a lead as to who the cops think the murder is.]

ACTING: The acting was great, I really felt like  Kyung Chul was a monster who felt no remorse for killing people. Soo Hyun as character was interesting because he never really made you pity him, but he made you hope that harm would not come to him or that the bad guy would never best him. 

PLOT OVERVIEW: Oh geez where to begin. If I had to sum this movie up in one word it would be "blunt." This movie does not hold back, when a character kills someone, there is no cut away scene you see them kill that person. There is quite a bit of nudity, also scenes involving sexual themes as well.  Oh and blood is definitely there in abundance as well as gore. You will see people getting bet over the head with different objects and stabbed with various things. 

    I suppose you could say there was a plot, however there were also a lot of plot holes. A number of times a character is beat, and while I know the human body can withstand a crazy amount of injuries, there's just no way that character should still be alive after a beating like that. As for the plot holes, the whole movie centers on the the fact that Soo Hyun made Kyung Chul swallow a tracking device that allows him to track his movements and listen to what he says. Now i'm not a tech export but I find it hard to believe he would be able to hear what he said if the deceive what in his stomach. I know, I know, i'm being nit-picky but that really seemed to bother me. One last thing, why did he give him money, that really confused me. 

    Now moving on to that actual plot, overall not bad, it is the basic man seeks revenge for fallen loved one. However this case is unique because he doesn't want to kill him right away, he wants to make him suffer. Also the fact that Kyung Chul seems unfazed by Soo Hyun's attempts to scare him is interesting because most villains beg for their life from the hero, whereas Kyung Chul really doesn't seem to care.  

ENDING: If you are hoping for a happy ending then you really should not watch this show. Besides the fact that Kyung Chul gets another chance to inflict more pain on Soo Hyun by killing more of his loved ones. When Kyung Chul finally gets what he deserves there is no satisfaction to be had since Soo Hyun's life is now completely screwed up.

SOUNDTRACK: Soundtrack was pretty good.

RATING: Ok so on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the worst movie I have ever seen and 10 being a movie I could watch every day I give it an 6. I'm trying to no give it too low of a score simply because it's not my kind of movie. Now I like action movies, I like horror and suspense movies. But I think this movie was simply too raw for me, too realistic. With a hero who really seems to end up right back where he started not really gaining anything from getting even with his fiances murder. I think that this is what you call a "guy movie." For some reason have a feeling that guys wouldn't mind all the gore, sex, and violence.

Here's the trailer:

As always I encourage everyone to form their own opinion about a show or movie, these are simply my   views and reflections of what I felt about this movie.  

Ask Me Kpop Questions

I have a new segment I want to try out. I was wondering if you guys would like me to start a segment where you ask me kpop/kdrama related questions and I'll answer to the best of my ability.

Now I'm not the most knowledgeable person out there when it comes to kpop. However I do know quite a bit, I'm also becoming very well versed in the history of kpop and I'm learning of new groups every day. For instances, maybe you are looking for a good Korean ballad singer, or maybe you want to know what Trot is, those are questions I can help you with.

Since I try to keep my Features mainly the facts about the group/artist and maybe a little bit of personal reasons why I like them. I avoid going into detail about my personal reasons for liking a group/artist or perhaps who my favorite member of a group is. So you could ask me who my favorite old school kpop duo is, or who my favorite member of a certain group is.

Or with my kdrama reviews, you could ask me to go into more detail, or explain in simply terms, why I liked or didn't like a certain drama. Perhaps you are looking for a movie/tv that stars your favorite Korean actor, I can help you find a movie or tv featuring that person.

*I changed my comment status so that anyone with a google account can comment on my blog. You can also ask me question via twitter if you like. https://twitter.com/VastWorldOfKpop

The only thing I ask, is if you write a question please ask it in a respectful manner. I try to make this blog a positive place to promote underrated artist, as well as promote kdrama's. And while I do give my personal opinion I make it clear that, my readers should read the facts i've included about a kdrama in my review and decided for them self if it's a show they would like to watch.

So leave me a comment and once I get enough questions from I'll answer them in a blog post.

Feature [14] Verbal Jint

Hi guys, ever since I featured PHANTOM i've wanted to write a feature for someone who I believe, to be one of the most talented rapper in Korea. I would like to introduce you all to Verbal Jint. 

BIO: A man of many talents Verbal Jint is not only a graduate of SNU, but passed the bar exam to get into law school. He debut in 2000, since then he done CF's, worked as a voice actor, however music has always remained a constant in his life. He has done numerous collaborations with other artists. He has a style all his own, and is a well respected rapper in Korea.

OFFICIAL WEBSITES: Official Company Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/brandnewmusickorea

                                         Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vjpaper

                                         Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/freevj

MUSIC VIDEOS:

You Deserve Better (this video has a really cool twist at the end so I would suggest watching the whole thing) 

You Look Good (be warned that there is a slightly graphic scene in here involving a car, but it's only like 2 seconds long.)

Promise Promise (feat G.NA)

Thank You Thank You (I normally link the original video but you need to know the lyrics to this song to appreciate it. This whole song is Verbal Jint thanking the people in his life for supporting, now how often do you here a rapper thanking anyone like this.)

Classic (this is an MV he made in collab with Reebok)

Verbal Jint is an amazing rapper with a style all his own, even if you don't like rap I still believe you would like Verbal Jint's songs. Please support him by purchasing his song 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/go-easy/id501894251

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/10nyeon-dong-ui-odog-10-years/id537544029

Feature [13] GP Basic

Hello everyone, this is a review that has been a long time coming. I'll be talking about a group that had an anti club even before they debut. A group that has constantly been under-appreciated simply because of one factor, age. I think you should have by now figured out who i'm talking about, yep it's GP BASIC.

MEMBERS:

Zion (Vocals)

Leah (Leader, Lead Vocals)

Trinity (Rapper, Main Vocals)

Amet (Sub-Vocals)

Mui (Sub-Vocals, Rap)

Janey (Maknae, Rapper)

Ex-member

Hannah (Leader, Main Vocal) 

BIO: GP Basic is a six member girl group who debut in 2010. They made noise in the music industry for having the average age of 15. Maknae Janey was just 12 (13 in Korea's age system) when they debut and was actually banned from performing on some of the music programs until she turned 13. Even though the girls have had doubters from the start they have worked hard and proven they do have talent. The girls have managed to gain fans, they have even managed to last longer in an industry that often sees a group fade out after just one year in the music industry.

INTERESTING FACTS: It really bothered me that a group that clearly has talent was receiving such hatred simply because of age. So I decided I would check and see if there was anyone else that debut at a young age without receiving hatred.

List of ages when they debut:

15&: Jimin and Yerin were 15.

Apink: Hayoung was 15.

Teen Top: Changjo and Ricky was 15.

Chocolat: Tia and Melanie were 14.

C-Clown: Maru was 15.

F(x): Krystal and Sulli were 15.

SHINee: Taemin was 15.

2NE1: Minzy was 15.

TVXQ: Changmin was 15

KARA: Jiyoung was 14

BoA was only 14.

4Minute: So Hyun was 11 when she first debut with Orange and was 15 when she debut with 4Mintue.

OFFICIAL WEBSITES: Un-official Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/gpbasicVids 

                                         Un-official Cafe: http://z15.invisionfree.com/GirlPower/index.php?

                                         Un-official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GP-Basic/124883190891513

                                         

MUSIC VIDEOS:     

Game

Jelly Pop

V

Christmas' Carol

Now I'm not saying that I think it's ok for the music industry to start pumping out young groups left and right. However I believe that people should not automatically assume that they will be bad simply because of their age. I mean seriously how is what GP Basic is doing, any different from what child actors do. Child actors are on sets for long periods of time, they have to go to events, they are also subject to public opinion, yet no one seems upset with that. Or what about kids who appear on shows like Star King. They are much younger then these girls and are applauded for appearing on a show at such a young age. GP Basic has a great deal of talent, I hope to hear more from them in the future so please support them.

You can help support these girls by purchasing their music on itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/gp-basic/id459005470
https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/edge-ta-single/id502788713

Countdown to EPICNESS

So for the past couple of months I have been working on something, slowly but surely, that is kpop related and from what I understand will be the first of its kind to be made with such detail and made by an international fan of kpop.

Wow i'm making this sound like it's a much bigger deal then it is, but this is something that I believe kpop fans around the world will find useful.

Over the next couple of months I will drop hints as to what it is that I am planning on posting. I added a countdown to the sidebar of my blog to count the days until I reveal it, so please look forward to it.

FIRST CLUE: It is a list of some kind.

p.s. Feel free to leave a guess in the comments I would love to hear what you guys think it is.

K-Movie Review [1] The Man From Nowhere

I believe this is my first Korean Movie Review, and boy do I have a great movie for you guys. I would say that this movie is probably in my top five movies of all time and that's including movies of every language. I now present to you The Man From Nowhere.

BE WARNED THIS POST WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

SYNOPSIS: Cha Tae Sik is a man of few words who keeps to himself. He runs a pawn shop in a poor neighborhood and finds himself the reluctant companion of little girl named So Mi who lives next door to him. When So Mi's mother steals drugs from a crime group, both So Mi and her mother are kidnapped by the crime group, leaving Tae Sik to use his knowledge of fighting and weapons to get them back.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Won Bin as Cha Tae Sik [A introverted pawn shop owner, who seems void of emotion. His past is complicated and is the reason he lives such a depressing lifestyle. He is highly skilled and trained in the art of fighting and weapon use.]

Kim Sae Ron as So Mi [So Mi comes from a broken home, her mother is addicted to heroin and tells So Mi that she is worthless and should just disappear. Despite her sad home life So Mi appears to keep a good outlook on life. She likes to go to Tae Sik's as an escape from her mother.]

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:

Kim Hee Won as Man Seok [Man Seok is the leader of a crime group he cares for no one and thinks nothing of using children to earn money by any means.]

Kim Sung Oh as Jong Seok [He is Man Seok's brother and right-hand man. He has a cruel side and love to cause pain to others through torture.]

Thanayong Wongtrakul as Ramrowan [He is the muscle of Man Seok's group, he is somewhat fascinated by Tae Sik's abilities and see him as an opponent who can test his skills.]

Kim Tae Hoon as Detective Kim Chi Gon [He is committed to bringing down the crime groups in his city.]

ACTING: The acting was really great, Won Bin truly is an amazing actor. Sae Ron was really cute and made you feel for her. Oh and I was blown away when I saw Sung Oh, for those who don't know he play Secretary Kim in Secret Garden, but his character in this movie was nothing like his character in Secret Garden. I must say, he is a really good actor because his character was believable and did not seem forced. I also really enjoyed Thanayong Wongtrakul's acting, he made for an interesting rival and supporting character throughout the movie.

PLOT OVERVIEW: The plot was great. The themes may be a little too dark for fans who like candy sweet romantic k-drama's. But if you are a fan of action movies this is one to see. I also like that it shows a side of life in Korea never really hinted at in k-dramas. In this movie the main character isn't filthy rich, and there is no love interest, it is purely an action suspense movie at its finest. Another thing I really loved about this movie is that the lead character is so human. Though he has amazing fighting skills he can be injured which makes the character believable. Also Tae Sik's reason for being so well trained in fighting makes sense and goes well with the plot, it's not something just thrown in there or worst never explained at all like a lot of movies out there do.

ENDING: The ending really suits the overall feel of the show. Though it is considered a happy ending it is still not an overly done super sugary sweet ending. I like that Tae Sik and So Mi are reunited and though I do wish that the two of them could end up living together and become a family, it just would not fit this show.

SOUNDTRACK: The soundtrack was good and served its purpose, nothing overly mind-blowing but not bad by any means of the word.

RATING: Ok so on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the worst movie I have ever seen and 10 being a movie I could watch every day I give it an 10. This really is an amazing show that has great camera work, an amazily talented cast, a wonderful plot, I really do not have one complaint about this movie at all.

Here's the trailer:

As always I encourage everyone to form their own opinion about a show or movie, these are simply my   views and reflections of what I felt about this movie.  

2012 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards)

It's time for the 2012 MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards)

If you are like me, over the years you've heard of the MAMA's but never really knew what they were or why you should care.

The MAMA's are one of the major Kpop awards shows in Korea. It allows fans from all over the world to vote for their favorite artist.


It is super simple to vote, you have to have an account, however all you are required to put to make an account is an email address an account name and a password.

Vote HERE

I'm not really one to do this, but I'm going to do a shameless plug and beg you guys to please vote for Shinhwa in the two categories they are nominated in.