Welcome to the fifth edition of Koreanfilm Weekly. In this weekly column you can find the latest news on DVD releases from Korea, along with plenty of DVD reviews. For any information, question, complaint or correction, contact KoreanFilmWeekly@hotmail.com.

Note: DVD release dates and specs are subject to change.
Disclaimer: The DVD reviews might contain minor/major spoilers.

CORRECTION: The Match Girl review featured a little typo. Of course it's not 2DVD, but a single DVD Edition. Also, the Seoul DVD seems to play bad jokes on me and keeps getting delayed. 1/20, this time. CD Plus is one of the major VCD companies in Korea.

**This Week on DVD**

Ardor  ["Mirae" 2002]
Release Date: 1/23 - Company: Cinema Service - Running Time: 112 Minutes - Package: DVD+OST CD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Fatures: Audio Commentary by Director Byun Young-joo, actor Kim Yoon-jin - Special Documentary - Deleted Scenes with Director's Commentary - Cast & Staff Interview - Interview with Music Director Cho Young-wook - NG Cut - Theatrical Trailer - 19/only Internet Trailer - TV Spot - Music Video - Production Notes - Poster Shooting - Storyline - Kiss Scene - Other Trailers: Jail Breakers - OST CD

NOTES: Byun Young-joo's erotic drama is on DVD! Kim Yoon-jin won Best Actress at this year's Blue Dragon Awards for her role in this film. The director previously made some of the most acclaimed short films of the 90s. Cinema Service's next release will probably be Jail Breakers in mid February.

Love Me Once Again Boxset Collection ["Miwodo Dashi Hanbeon" 1968~2002]
Release Date: 1/20 - Company: Daekyung - Running Time: N/A - Package: 6-disc Boxset
Audio Options: Korean DTS (certain titles only), Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1, Full Frame - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: None

NOTES: A collection of the Love Me Once Again saga, spanning from the late 60s to this year's release. The boxset is pretty barebones, but it's also cheap at around 65,000 Won retail. Most interesting is that the 68 film will have a DTS track. No subtitles here, so probably of little interest to fans outside Korea.  This tile was postponed three weeks. 

Again 2002  ["Miwodo Dashi Hanbeon 2002" 2002]
Release Date: 1/20 - Company: Daekyung - Running Time: 102 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, Full Frame - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Fatures: T.B.A.

NOTES: This is the same film featured in Daekyung's boxset, but only the 2002 version. I find it hard to believe it will be fullscreen, and without even Korean subtitles, but Daekyung is new to Korean releases so there's no guarantee. Special features should be the usual fare (Trailer, Photo Gallery, Cast & Crew). The film is the last instalment of a melodrama series started in 1968. The first film is considered one of the great melodramas of the 60s, but both popularity and quality started to stutter since. For completists and Park Yong-ha die-hards only.

Love Me Once Again ["Miwodo Dashi Hanbeon" 1968]
Release Date: 1/20 - Company: Daekyung - Running Time: 93 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, Full Frame - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Same as above. It's not known yet whether they'll release the rest of the sequels from the 80s on single DVDs, but this could be a good opportunity to see one of the classic melodramas ofthe 60s. Sadly not even Korean subtitles, but I doubt that will hold up. More on this later.

Road Movie [2002]
Release Date: 1/21 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 115 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary (Kim In-shik), Critics Audio Commentary (Tony Rayns), Actor's Audio Commentary (Hwang Jung-min, Jung Chan, Sarin) - KBS Tv Documentary - Gallery - Storyboard - Steal Cut - Music Video - Theatrical Trailer - Making Of

NOTES: Of course the major news is that Tony Rayns recorded an audio commentary for this film. It will be in English with Korean Subtitles. This should be a great release, with three audio commentaries, the usual Tv Documentary enterOne has been adding lately, and some more extras.

Sex of Magic ["Mabeop-ui Seong" 2002]
Release Date: 1/24 - Company: Starmax - Running Time: 118 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Making Of, Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery

NOTES: The latest film from the director of Prison World Cup (Pang Sung-woong) was quickly forgotten at the box office. The film seems to be forgettable, but decent fun. Now the Starmax site mentions English and Korean Subtitles. I'm not sure if the few sites who updated the DVD's page are just following what Starmax is saying (they were wrong with the Four Toes DVD before), or it it's reliable information. Postponed two weeks.

Scent of a Man ["Namja-ui Yangi" 1998]
Release Date: 1/17 - Company: Winson - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Stereo 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Chinese Traditional Subtitles, Chinese Simplified Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: None

NOTES: This is starting to become interesting. Once again a '98 film released by Winson. No 'huge' stars in this film, so it looks like the company is committed to releasing more older Korean films. Of course there are usually big problems with their DVDs, such as not respecting the original aspect ratio (some sites though report this will be 16:9 enhanced!), and often offering bad subtitles. But, at around $4-5, I don't feel like complaining. Especially if they keep this trend up. Jang Hyun-soo's melodrama is the debut film for Lee Yo-won, and also stars TV Drama star (and Breakout leading man) Kim Seung-woo, along with Kim Rae-won.

My Boss, My Hero ["Dusabu Ilche" 2001]
Release Date: 1/14 - Company: Winson - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Chinese Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio:  1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: None

NOTES: Good news for those who wanted to see this film released on a cheap HK DVD. At least this is 16:9 Enhanced, so probably much better than the usual Winson release.

The Ring Virus ["Ring" 1999]
Release Date: 1/22 - Company: Kam & Ronson - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Chinese Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio:  1.85:1, Letterboxed - Format: Single Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: None

NOTES: This film previously released as the first ever English subtitled Korean film on DVD, by Bitwin. It's the Korean version of Nakata Hideo's box office hit 'Ring,' and it's also Bae Doo-na's first role. Kam & Ronson is definitely not one of the best HK companies, but since the Bitwin DVD is long out of print, if you haven't seen the film this might be a good purchase.

Shiri ["Swiri" 1999]
Release Date: 1/22 - Company: World Wide Cinema/Future Film (Finland) - Running Time: 124 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Finnish Subtitles, Danish Subtitles, Norwegian Subtitles, Swedish Subtitles, ??English Subtitles??
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: PAL R2
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Futurefilm's second of many upcoming Korean releases. Still not sure if the DVD will have English subtitles, or if it will be a 2 DVD edition. Special Features weren't announced. Looks to be a port of the Bitwin release, though at this point everybody has seen this film, so it's not exactly a hot release.

*Coming Soon On DVD**

YMCA Baseball Team - Director's Cut ["YMCA Yagu-dan" 2002]
Release Date: 1/28 - Company: CJ Entertainment/Myung Films - Running Time: 108 Minutes - Package: 2DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Making Film, Production Note, Cast Interview, Crew Interview, Art Gallery, OST, Still Galllery, Trailer/TV SPOT, Storyboards, Location

NOTES:  Quick release for this sports comedy starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Hye-soo and Hwang Jung-min. It did really well at the box office, but seemed to be quickly forgotten by public and critics alike. Quite a few sites report that it will be Starmax to release this DVD. I've seen the back sleeve and there are only CJ and Myung Films' logos. I'll keep you posted on this. This has "major release" oozing from every spec, so I'm betting on CJ. Hopefully it won't be delayed as the other recent CJ titles.

Wet Dreams ["Mongjung-gi" 2002]
Release Date: 2/10 - Company: Bear Entertainment/Starmax - Running Time: 94 Minutes - Package: 2DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Interview with Director Jung Cho-shin, Lee Beom-soo, Kim Sun-ah, and the girls of Wet Dreams, Poster Shooting, Making Film, "I've had Wet Dreams, too" interview with Psy, Lee Hong-ryeol, Kong Hyung-jin, Bae Cheol-soo, Kim Ae-kyung, Park Sung-mi, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer, Audio Commentary with Jung Cho-shin, Kim Sun-ah and Lee Beom-soo

NOTES:  From the director of Jakarta, this is one of last year's top box office hits. Yet another dork comedy, which looks absolutely hilarious (and will live up to its title). The extras look interesting, especially that "I've had Wet Dreams, too" section, where they'll probably asks those actors (and singers, like Psy) about their fantasies. Bear Entertainment is a great company, releasing some of the best DVDs of the year, so this has the potential to be an excellent release.

If The Sun Rises in the West ["Haega Seojjokeseo Ddeundamyeon" 1998]
Release Date: 2/10 - Company: SRE - Running Time: 100 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: One of '98's most underrated films, Lee Eun's If The Sun Rises In The West stars Ko So-young, Im Chang-jung and Cha Seung-won. Should be similar to SRE's other releases of older films (The Contact, Harmonium in My Memory).

Phantom: The Submarine ["Yuryeong" 1999]
Release Date. 2/10 - Company: SRE - Running Time: 103 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Another chance to catch this blockbuster starring Choi Min-soo, Jung Woo-sung and Sol Kyung-gu (in a small cameo). At the moment the Modern Audio HK DVD is a pretty good option, with an anamorphic transfer and DTS. The Japanese DVD is without subtitles and not much better. The Korean DVD is long out of print and wasn't too good to begin with. No idea if this will be a new transfer, or just a port of the Japanese DVD. Special Features and Audio specs could change.

The Way Home ["Jibeuro" 2002]
Release Date: 2/14 - Company: CJ Entertainment - Running Time: 87 Minutes - Package: 2DVD
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles (Normal/For Hearing Impaired), English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Director's Audio Commentary, Theatrical Trailer/Tv Spot/Making Of Spot - Still Gallery - Making of Documentary - Cast & Crew - Animated Menus - Game - The Way Home Episode 1 & 2

NOTES: One of the most acclaimed films of the year is finally on DVD, with a packed release. Plenty of extras here, but most interesting will be Lee Jung-hyang's Audio Commentary. The film is already selling well on pre-orders, appearing on Top 10 all over Korean online retailers. This should be one of the best releases of the year. Postponed another three weeks. Seems like this date will be the final. This is the perfect film for a Valentine's Day gift. Smart move by CJ.

The Coast Guard ["HaeAnSeon" 2002]
Release Date: 2/18 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 87 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Director Kim Ki-duk & Jang Dong-gun Audio Commentary, Documentary, Making Of Documentary, Interview, Photo Gallery, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spot

NOTES: The long awaited JDG-Kim Ki-duk project fell flat both at the box office, and on the critical side. Nonetheless, every KKD film is an event, for better or worse. Expect the usual "Non-Special Edition" enterOne DVD.

I Wish I Had a Wife ["Nado Anae-ka Isseosseumyeon Chokketta" 2001]
Release Date: 2/11 - Company: enterOne - Running Time: 87 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R0
Special Features: Making Film, Photo Gallery, Music Video, Theatrical Trailer

NOTES: I don't think I'm the only one who's been waiting months for this release. This romantic comedy starring (my favorite actors) Sol Kyung-gu and Jeon Do-yeon was previously released in HK, in what was a substandard DVD even for EDKO. I wish there were more extras, but I'll happily take 16:9 enhanced and film-sourced transfer in exchange.

Yesterday [2002]
Release Date: 2003, 1/31 - Company: CJ Entertainment - Running Time:  - Package: 2-disc Special Edition
Audio Options: Korean DTS, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Production Notes, Cast & Crew Profiles, Cast Interview & Making Of (Kim Seung-woo, Kim Yoon-jin, Kim Sun-ah) - Crew Interviews - Outtakes - Supporting Actors Behind Story - Art Interview & Sketch - Deleted Scenes - Costume Collection - Still Gallery - CG Before & After - Theatrical Trailer - Teaser Trailer - Tv Spot - Easter Eggs

NOTES: This is a really interesting sci-fi blockbuster, despite its major flop at the box office. The release is not surprisingly packed, and this could be a sleeper hit for Korean film fans.  That is, if they actually release it before 2004...

Can't Live Without Robbery ["Dodook-makkon Mot Sara" 2002] 
Release Date: 2003, January/February - Company: Starmax - Running Time: 107 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: Not announced

NOTES: Park Sang-myun's latest comedy hasn't been well received by critics, and disappeared from theaters after a few weeks. Subtitle options are shaky, because the Starmax site is pretty unreliable, but there's a good chance for a release of medium importance like this we'll get English Subtitles. Release date will probably change, too.

A Single Spark ["Areumdaun Cheongnyeon Jeontaeil" 1995]
Release Date: 2/27 - Company: Cinexus - Running Time: 96 Minutes - Package: DVD
Audio Options: Korean Dolby Surround 2.0 - Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, Letterboxed - Format: Dual Layer - Region Coding: NTSC R3
Special Features: T.B.A.

NOTES: Very early specs for a title which has been delayed for months. Cinexus's release could have English Subtitles, and even anamorphic enhancement, but all this is up in the air, as well as the content of the extra features. Park Kwang-soo's acclaimed film starring Moon Sung-keun has never released before on DVD (and VCD, to my knowledge), so this could be an interesting purchase. Unless they delay it again. There you go..delayed again! I shouldn't write things like that.

Future Releases
All the information here is collected from DVD inserts, info from companies, official website announcement, and other info. Titles could change distributor at the last moment though, since production companies and even DVD companies license their rights to smaller companies. Also, we try the 'safest' speculation, like if a company releases a film on Video, it's likely it will be the same company releasing it on DVD.
Film Name [Top Star (Release Year) - DVD Release Year/Month]

ENTERONE

She Brings Us Danger [Park Sang-myun (2002) - 2003/March], Madeleine [Shin Min-ah (2003) - 2003/April], Natural City [Yoo Ji-tae (2003) - 2003], Anarchists [Jang Dong-gun (2000) - 2003], Plum Blossom [Bae Doo-na (2000) - 2003], Indian Summer [Lee Mi-yeon (2001) - 2003], Summertime [Kim Ji-hyun (2001) - 2003], Chunhyang [Cho Seung-woo (2000) - 2003], Ghost Taxi [Im Ho (2000) 2003], Lies [Lee Sang-hyun (2000) - 2003],Fin De Siecle[Lee Jae-eun (1999) - 2003]

CJ ENTERTAINMENT

Bus Stop [Kim Tae-woo (2002) - 2003/March], Who Are You? [Lee Na-young, Cho Seung-woo (2002) - 2003/March-April], The Happy Funeral Director [Im Chang-jung, Choi Kang-hee, Jung Eun-pyo (2000) - 2003], Happy End [Jeon Do-yeon, Choi Min-shik, Joo Jin-mo (1999) - 2003]

OTHERS

Conduct Zero [Ryu Seung-beom, Kong Hyo-jin, Im Eun-kyung (2002) - 2003/February-March - Released by: METRO] , Sex is Zero [Im Chang-jung, Ha Ji-won (2002) - 2003 - Released by METRO], Jail Breakers [Sol Kyung-gu, Cha Seung-won, Song Yoon-ah (2002) - 2003/February - Released by: CINEMA SERVICE], Are You a True Guy? [Lee Won-jong, Kong Hyung-jin (2002) - 2003 - Released by: BEAR ENTERTAINMENT], A Bizarre Love Triangle [Kong Hyo-jin, Cho Eun-ji (2002) - 2003 - Released by:BEAR ENTERTAINMENT], Too Young To Die [(2002) - 2003 - Released by: SRE ]

PREMIER ASIA (Medusa - UK)

Bichunmoo [Kim Hee-sun, Shin Hyun-joon (2000) - 2003/February], Musa: The Warrior [Ahn Sung-ki, Jung Woo-sung, Zhang Ziyi (2001) - 2003], Champion [Yoo Oh-sung, Chae Min-suh, Jung Doo-hung (2002) - 2003], My Wife is a Gangster [Shin Eun-kyung, Park Sang-myun (2001) - 2003], Volcano High [Jang Hyuk, Kim Soo-ro, Shin Min-ah, Kong Hyo-jin (2001) - 2003]

WORLD WIDE CINEMA (Future Film - Finland)

The Isle [Suh Jung, Seo Won, Cho Jae-hyun (2000) - 2003/3/21], Friend [Jang Dong-gun, Yoo Oh-sung, Jung Woon-taek (2001) - 2003/4/11], Joint Security Area [Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Young-ae, Shin Ha-kyun (2000) - 2003/5/23], Bad Guy [Cho Jae-hyun, Seo Won (2002) - 2003/6/11],My Wife is a Gangster [Shin Eung-kyung, Park Sang-myun (2001) - 2003/7/25]

*DVD   REVIEWS*

[(æÇäñá³àã) "Yeonae Soseol" 2002 Popcorn Film/Korea Pictures]
ENTERONE DVD+OST Special Edition
Release Date: 2002, 12/12
Running Time: 106 Min
Audio Options: Korean DTS, DD 5.1
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day: 2002, 9/13 - Cumulative Box Office:  1,625,013 Admissions
Directed By:
Lee Han
Starring:  
Cha Tae-hyun (My Sassy Girl, Happy Together, Former TV MC)
Lee Eun-joo (Oh! Soo-jung, Bungee Jumping of Their Own, Unborn But Not Forgotten)
Sohn Ye-jin (Chihwaseon, Classic)
Moon Geun-young (Autumn Fairy Tale, Janghwa Horyun)
Park Young-woo (Shiri, Musa, Say Yes, Ditto, The Hole, Two Cops 3)
Lee Moon-shik (Hi Dharma, Public Enemy, Breakout, The Happy Funeral Director)

THE FILM:

This year's Chuseok Holidays releases probably presented the most interesting ups and downs of the whole season. On one hand, the top grossing film of the year --Kim Jung-eun and Jung Joon-ho's Marrying The Mafia-- slowly building a fanbase. On the other, the most legendary flop in Korean Cinema history,Resurrection of the Little Match Girl's abysmal performance at the box office followed by widespread criticism for the investors and director. Just in the middle, Lee Han's debut film Lover's Concerto scored a very respectable figure, enough to enter this year's Final Top 10 (unlessConduct Zero will make even more money in the next few weeks). What makesLover's Concerto work are simple things: good acting and nice chemistry between the three young leads, a nice atmosphere which effectively alternates between the silly/cute and dramatic/romantic. And, last but not least, the usual slightly convoluted plot which intrigues the viewers enough to care about it until the end.

Ji-hwan (Cha Tae-hyun), now a taxi driver, pays visit to a longtime friend (Park Young-woo in a nice cameo). Thanks to him, memories of his teenage years come back to mind, as he shows him pictures Ji-hwan took with his friends Soo-in (Sohn Ye-jin) and Kyung-hee (Lee Eun-joo). As the film goes back in time five years, we meet the slightly dorky Ji-hwan, building a friendship with these two inseparable friends, which will quickly turn into love. The girls have a really strong relationship, which improves even more with the appearance of Ji-hwan. But they also lead a mysterious life, never showing up at school, always spending time together, and often disappearing for days with no explanation. Ji-hwan is caught in the middle, with a crush on Kyung-hee, but without the guts to tell her.

Of course, like any respectable Melodrama, problems ensue. Lover's Concerto has a very TV Drama-like pacing, where the charming and funny quickly turns into tragic and touching. The difference here is that the director isn't concerned too much with the usual plot developments of the genre. He shows us slices of Ji-hwan's past, connected with his present, trying to build the characters first. When the inevitable reunion happens, we care about those people enough to forgive a little manipulation. Cha Tae-hyun is once again excellent, showing great range and a ton of talent. He comfortably switches between the goofy young Ji-hwan, and the more mature Ji-hwan. While Lee Eun-joo's good performance is not a surprise, it's Sohn Ye-jin who impresses here. This was a big year for the former Tv Drama 'Cinderella.' With substantial roles in this film, Chihwaseonand the upcoming Classic, she's become one of the most interesting up and coming young actresses in the industry.

There's really nothing outstanding about Lover's Concerto. Like the Korean title of the film suggests, this is just a 'romance novel.' But, it's well made, well acted, and has enough charm and character development to forget for a moment about the manipulative finale. This is a good date movie, and that's all I asked. [7.5]

VIDEO QUALITY: 
Usual top notch job by enterOne. Some minor grain, but I only noticed it when I was close to the screen. Colors look great, black levels and shadows are very good. And, with the exception of a few minor spots and marks, I didn't notice any problem with the print. [8.5]

AUDIO QUALITY:
The soundtrack is nice, but other than that surround speakers are rarely put to test. Clear dialogue, nice separation and no background noise. A good job.[7.5]

SUBTITLE QUALITY:
The font is a bit too small, but most people will live with it. A little less mistakes and more polish could have been better. Other than that, the subtitles do the usual good job. Korean subtitles are perfect. [8]

EXTRA FEATURES:
Audio Commentary Director Lee Han joins Cha Tae-hyun and Lee Eun-joo for this fun commentary. There's very little insight actually, but like the My Sassy Girl commentary (which featured Kwak Jae-yong and Cha Tae-hyun), it's a lot more entertaining to listen. They mostly crack jokes about certain scenes, talk about their experiences about a particular moment of the shooting, or tell some anecdotes. CTH is always entertaining, and the tone is like a discussion between friends. I don't think I'd go back to it, but it's fun for a laugh.
Making Of Documentary   The usual TV Style Documentary, at around 45 Minutes. While the narrator introduces the director, the characters and performers, they show clips from the shooting and from the finished product. In between, some short interviews with the cast. There's some fun scenes showing the actors fooling around. Perhaps there are too many clips, but remember that Docu's like this are shown around the release of the film on Tv. Interesting, but ultimately it doesn't show anything impressive.
Interview   All of 6 Minutes. Cha Tae-hyun, Lee Eun-joo and Sohn Ye-jin alternate talking about similar themes. CTH mentions the casting and why he liked this kind of character, then they exchange views on working with each other, and conclude with a final message to the director and crew. Pretty good, but should have been at least 20 Minutes.
Deleted Scenes   The quality here is pretty bad (probably it was kept on tape only), and the sound cuts every 10 seconds or so. Thankfully, there's nothing you'd really want in the film. First deleted scene shows Kyung-hee trying to make Soo-in smoke. Following two scenes show Kyung-hee fooling around with her friends, and the fourth and final shows Kyung-hee washing socks and getting teary eyed.
Theatrical Trailer, Photo Gallery   First section shows lots of nice stills from the film. Second section is full of 3D models for Kyung-hee's room.

Original Soundtrack CD   A little disappointing. It definitely is a good soundtrack as far as the film goes, but listening to it alone it doesn't sound anything special.
**Usual amount of extra features for a non 2-disc enterOne release. I expected a little more in terms of interviews, but the commentary is a lot of fun, the documentary is long and informative, and the soundtrack CD is ok. If it was great (like Resurrection of the Little Match Girl), they wouldn't have added it for free. [7]

VALUE FOR MONEY          (7.70)
Lover's Concerto is one of this year's nicest romantic dramas. It's very good for a date, or for TV Drama fans. It also confirms Cha Tae-hyun as one of the most exciting talents in the country, and introduces Sohn Ye-jin to the movie crowd. Usual very good presentation and some pretty cool extras round up the release. Recommended.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

ADDICTED (Áßµ¶)

[(ñéÔ¸) "Jungdok" 2002 Cine2000/Showbox]
METRO 2-DVD Special Edition
Release Date: 2002, 12/27
Running Time: 122 Minutes
Audio Options: Korean DD 5.1, DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Opening Day: 2002, 10/25 - Cumulative Box Office: 988,416 Admissions
Directed By:
Park Young-hoon  (Assistant Director of 301, 302)
Starring:  
Lee Byung-heon (Joint Security Area, Bungee Jumping of Their Own)
Lee Mi-yeon (Pisces, The Last Witness, The Harmonium in My Memory, Love Bakery)
Lee Uhl (Waikiki Brothers, acclaimed stage actor)
Park Sun-young (Show Show Show, No Comment)
Kim Ji-eun (Sex of Magic)

THE FILM:

Showbox, the latest distribution company to challenge 'monsters' like CJ Entertainment and Cinema Service, started already on the right path. Their first three productions were Addicted, which closed at just under one million tickets sold; Sex is Zero, the sexy comedy starring Im Chang-jung and Ha Ji-won, which was a tremendous success and is still playing in theaters. And, set to open the 24th, Han Suk-kyu and Ko So-young's big comeback to movie screens with Double Agent. The film is already starting well, having just signed a US$ 1,500,000 contract with a Japanese company for the release rights, and with lots of buzz on the net. Time will tell if Showbox will continue to be so successful, but the industry needs a third huge competitor, which will only improve the product. Addicted marks the return of Lee Mi-yeon and Lee Byung-heon after a year, and an interesting theme which attracted a lot of attention.

Hwang Ho-jin (Lee Uhl) is the perfect husband for Eun-soo (Lee Mi-yeon). He cooks for her, writes love letters every day, picks her up at work, and remembers dates and anniversaries like a swiss clock. They live with Ho-jin's brother Dae-jin (Lee Byung-heon), who's addicted to car racing. Even if colleague Ye-joo (Park Sun-young) constantly tries to attract his attention, all he cares about is his car. They seem to have a perfect life, until a shocking car accident puts both brothers in a coma. When Dae-jin finally comes back to life, he's a changed man. He seems possessed by the spirit of his brother, doing the same things, sharing his memories, and his abilities. Eun-soo now has to decide between accepting a 'hybrid', or say goodbye forever to her man.

The setup of Addicted is interesting on paper, but for one reason or another it's not too effective. Lee Mi-yeon goes overboard with the cutesy, and Lee Uhl isn't allowed to display his range. Lee Byung-heon's character doesn't show enough drive (no pun intended) to lead us to believe his vocation. Not much happens until the big car accident. In terms of plot development it's a good setup, but it seems to lead nowhere. Thankfully the film improves by leaps and bound after the accident, which is impressive in both editing and shock value. Addicted's second half is more a thriller than a melodrama, and the writing is good enough that on second viewing you can pick up all the clues. Director Park Young-hoon keeps a nice pace and good suspense, until the surprise ending. It does make sense, but it still feels a little like a cop-out.

While Addicted is a compelliing, involving film, there are evident flaws. Lee Mi-yeon is a fine actress, but film after film I'm starting to see the same pattern. She's like a Hollywood Diva from the 40s. No matter how sympathetic the character can get on paper (Pisces, The Last Witness), she fails to involve, you always feel detached from her actions. She's not able to pull you in, and even when the scene seems to be involving (like the sex scene here), you're never able to suspend disbelief and forget for a moment that you're seeing Lee Mi-yeon trying to portray a character. It's by no means a bad performance, as her change between the first part of the film and the second is evident. But, the difference between a great effort (like Lee Mi-yeon here and in Pisces, or Ko So-young in A Day) and a great performance is raw talent. In that sense, Jeon Do-yeon towers her two 'Big Three' colleagues for that. On the other hand, Lee Byung-heon and Park Sun-young are quite good, giving multi-faceted performances which improve the film. Sadly Lee Uhl is severely underused. His character is nothing more than a blanket stereotype, which isn't allowed to grow and is quickly disposed.

If anything, the production values of this film stand out. The cinematography (by Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance's DP Kim Byung-il), the stunts and art direction are excellent. If the acting was a little more focused, and the surprise ending built more on character development rather than protoypical thriller 'McGuffin's,' perhapsAddicted could have been excellent. As it is, this is a fine film, but nothing more. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY:
Fantastic job by Metro. Great colors and skin tones, near perfect black levels and shadow detail. This is a pleasure to watch. There's only one noticeable flaw, which is a horizontal line right after the sex scene which cuts in the middle of the image. I didn't notice it on first viewing, and since it lasts only a couple of seconds maybe it won't even bother you. Best transfer this company has done to date. Note that there's a little authoring problem (or least a problem I encountered with my copy on my 2 DVD Players). When you press 'Play Movie', the time counter moves to the new title, but doesn't start automatically. You just need to press fast forward for a second or two, then everything will go smoothly. Still, it's a little annoying. [9]

AUDIO QUALITY:
Clean, crisp dialogue and good use of the surround effects during the car sequences. Other than that, there is very little 'action' as this film works more on pacing and soundtrack for its most dramatic scenes. Nonetheless, an excellent job. [8]

SUBTITLES QUALITY:
A couple of minor mistakes, but otherwise this is an excellent translation. Good timing, nice font, no problems. [8.5]

EXTRA FEATURES:
On Disc 1-
Audio Commentary  Director Park Young-hoon is featured in this Audio Commentary. To tell you the truth, this kind of commentary is not my cup of tea. The director exclusively talks about the plot and characters, giving very little insight into the production, casting, and so on. But, at least, giving the content of the film, and its orientation towards plot-driven thriller elements, it's helpful in underlining the characters' personalities and their actions. He mentions for example a few of the clues he 'planted' earlier on, like when Dae-jin listens to the doctors' comments about his brother. Or, when Eun-soo reads the love letters which is the final clue directing her towards the truth. Basically you could consider this a guide for a better comprehension of the film's themes. Yes, it's informative, but for a two hours film it can get tiresome. Also, since on second viewing the film becomes much more clear as far as the plot goes, it's almost useless to listen to this, since you know already what he's talking about.

On Disc 2-
Cast & Crew   Short profiles for Lee Mi-yeon, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Uhl, Park Sun-young, Director Park Young-hoon and DP Kim Byung-il.
Synopsis, Music Video, Photo Gallery
Interview   Only two 2 Minutes long interviews with Lee Byung-heon and Lee Mi-yeon. They're asked the same questions, and obviously have no time to elaborate. Very disappointing.
Trailers   A trailer for Addicted, Boss X File, Cube 2 and Conduct Zero. Metro will release the hit comedy starring Im Eun-kyung, Ryu Seung-beom and Im Eun-kyung soon. Definitely good news, and the film looks like tons of fun. It's also making a lot of money, which is nice for the young leads' future.
Making Of   50 Minutes long, this is a very good collection of behind the scenes clips from the various stages of production. They start with rehearsal, then move to the Lee Yeon-woo concert. Plenty of time is devoted to the preparation for both the car race and the accident. They show how Lee Byung-heon was trained, how they shot inside the car, and the impressive (and dangerous) car accident. They then move to the open set, where actors often fool around. Considering the length it could have been a little better, especially because there are no interviews, but it's still pretty entertaining.
Story Note   Standard Storyboard sketches along with the original scene. 14 Minutes chosen from the film.
**A little on the disappointing side. Some Korean DVD Companies are following the examples of US companies. That is, releasing a film on two discs even if there aren't many extras, just to save enough space for the best possible A/V quality. And, since the presentation here is very good, I wouldn't really complain. Maybe a few interviews could have been added. [7]

VALUE FOR MONEY         (7.75)
By far Metro's best presentation to date, and an interesting film. Extras are a little disappointing, but it could be worse. Metro is really becoming a good company, and hopefully they'll keep releasing Showbox films.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

2424 (ÀÌ»ç ÀÌ»ç)

["I-sa I-sa" 2002 JR Pictures/CJ Entertainment]
A9 DVD
Release Date: 12/10/02
Running Time: 98 Min
Audio Options: Korean DD 5.1, DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: Korean Subtitles, English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1, 16:9 Enhanced
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R0

Opening Day: 2002, 10/18 - Cumulative Box Office: 211,000 Admissions
Directed By:
Lee Yeon-woo
Starring:
Jung Woong-in (My Boss My Hero, The Foul King)
Jeon Kwang-ryeol (Out of Justice, Besame Mucho, Out of Justice, Hur Jun)
Kim Rae-won (Snowman, Harpy)
Yeh Ji-won (The Turning Gate, Anarchists)
So Yoo-jin (Rival)

THE FILM:

For a film whose Korean title (Isa) means house moving, Jung Woong-in's latest comedy doesn't move that much. We meet Jeon Kwang-ryeol, No. 2 of a Jopok gang, while he's trying to hide 300 Billion Won worth of diamonds somewhere, to smuggle them in Brazil. At first, he asks his trio of sidekicks to take care of it, in unusual ways (either swallow them, or stick them where the sun doesn't shine, so they won't be found). Of course he's also moving, so what better opportunity for Detective Choi (Jung Woong-in) and his crew to inflitrate as a House Removal company and find the diamonds? Meanwhile, another couple is moving and, working for them a young guy (Kim Rae-won) starts his job as independent mover, after being let go by the same company Choi and crew are trying to mimic. No need to tell you trouble will ensue, and the whole film will see Jung Woong-in and So Yoo-jin trying to catch the criminals, and also deal with their 'competitors.'.

That's about it. After a few slightly vulgar jokes, crazy antics of the sidekicks, and the almost compulsory womanizing, the film doesn't really leave an impact on you. Also, it doesn't offer much replay value. Considering Jung's talent for comedy, his performance is rather disappointing. Perhaps the reason has to do with him being a better supporting actor than leading man, or because this is not his kind of comedy. Also, while pretty faces So Yoo-jin and Kim Rae-won don't do much other than look pretty, the director wastes the considerable talent of Jeon Kwang-ryeol and especially The Turning Gate's Yeh Ji-won. Some of the physical comedy works, and there are a few brilliant touches (like the loser who follows Choi for an apology, and the constant trashing of one apartment), but as a whole the film doesn't amount to much. Unlike other 'dumb comedies' likeA.F.R.I.K.A., Dig or Die and Four Toes, 2424 doesn't offer anything which makes you forget it's disposable, quick entertainment. And, the real problem, it's not even that entertaining. [5.5]

VIDEO QUALITY:
A good debut for A9. The print shows a few white marks and spots at the beginning, but overall this is a very attractive presentation. Really good skin tones, black levels and detail. On a few instances scenes will look soft, but overall there's nothing to complain about here. [8]

AUDIO QUALITY:
Very solid 5.1 track, even though the film doesn't offer much of a challenge for the surround speakers. Crisp and clear dialogue, no distortions or dropouts. [7.5]

SUBTITLES QUALITY:
Some minor spelling mistakes, but generally a very good job. Some timing problems on occasions when a sentence is attached to the following (on top), but it's all eventually understandable, even if they concentrate long sentences into a larger amount of lines. [8]

EXTRA FEATURES:
Trailer, Music Video, Highlight (20' clips from the film), Photo Gallery
Making Of  A mere 6 minutes, mostly including outtakes and a few behind the scenes clips.
**Very Average extras, but considering the type of film, there wasn't probably much to talk about either. [5]

VALUE FOR MONEY         (6.60):
The film is very unimpressive, as are the extras. At least the presentation is good, and A9 could be a company to look out for, if they improve a little on the extra features, and actually decide to release something else. Their website is still under construction, so we're clearly not talking about a new SRE or Metro here. Look at the trailer first before you purchase it.

You can purchase this film at YeonDVD.com

WINTER LOVE SONG (°Ü¿ï ¿¬°¡)

["Gyeoul Yeonga" 2002 KBS Miniseries]
KBS MEDIA 6-DVD Boxset
Release Date: 5/5/02  
Running Time: 1330 Min (20 Episodes)  
Audio Options: Korean DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: English Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, OAR Full Frame
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R0

Directed/Produced By:
Yoon Suk-ho  (Autumn Fairy Tale)
Starring:  
Bae Yong-joon (Scandal, Hotelier)
Choi Ji-woo (Nowhere To Hide, The Hole, The Romantic President)
Park Yong-ha (Snowflakes, Again 2002)
Park Sol-mi (Bad Girls)
Sung Ok-sook (Summertime, My Sassy Girl, The Harmonium in My Memory)
Lee Hye-eun (Nowhere To Hide, Chunhyang)
Ryu Seung-soo (Hi Dharma)
Jung Dong-hwan (Autumn Fairy Tale)
Lee Hye-young (No Blood No Tears)
Kwon Hae-yo (Last Present, A Day)
Kim Hae-sook (Marrying The Mafia, Autumn Fairy Tale)
Jung Won-joong (Ghost in Love, Volcano High)
Jang Hang-sun (Tell Me Something, Out of Justice)

THE SERIES:

Two years have passed sinceAutumn Fairy Tale opened the doors to Southeast Asia for Korean TV Dramas. What was almost a non-entity in terms of export sales has become a pretty profitable business, so much Jang Suh-hee's monstrously popular 'Inuh Agassi (Little Mermaid)" was sold for over $700,000 in Taiwan. The same production team behind AFT comes back with Winter Love Song, probably the second of four season-related series. During the last few years, they've certainly learned a lot, cut some rough edges, improved many aspects of the story. But, eventually, they ended up with a series which is a little overstuffed, and over-ambitious. If I talked about the plot, I'd probably spoil just about the whole thing, since it's based so much on contrivances, coincidences and diabolically convoluted plot developments. At the core, it's still the usual menage à trois between a woman and two men, a setup similar to countless other TV Series. But, in contrast with Autumn Fairy Tale, WLS has matured. That innocence and almost embarassingly manipulative --yet touching-- tone is gone, replaced by a 'grown-ups' drama filled with intrigue, mistery, and lots of shock value. The first evident change from AFT is  the characters' personality, much more grounded on realism, showing more effectively their flaws.

Also, the casting and acting improves considerably. Bae Yong-joon is quite an effective lead, and the supporting cast is often excellent (with Kwon Hae-yo and Lee Hye-young giving really strong performances). Park Yong-ha and Park Sol-mi, despite a shaky start, do a good job. The disappointment is Choi Ji-woo, who starts great as the teenage Yoo-jin, then becomes an emotionless stiff for the rest of the series. It seems like a few tears is enough for her to sell her emotional state, but it's hard to buy it. The biggest problem with the series though is how uneven it becomes towards the end, almost slowing to a crawl. It seems like they packed the first 7-8 episodes with everything they could, and for a half dozen episodes they were left with nothing to do. Viewers will have to make a leap of faith to remain engaged by this ever developing tragedy. Also, the initial maturity of the series seems to go away, go back to the genre's familiar canons, once it reaches its rush to the finale. Plot developments contradict each other minutes away, and the usual cop-out of suicidal tendencies and sickness to resolve a plot hole becomes unnerving here, because it's much more evident than in AFT. This is a problem --losing pace around the end of the middle arc-- I've found with many similar series. Shock value is not enough to engage viewers, and the constant need to up the ante eventually becomes annoying. The first 10 episodes of WLS are great TV, with strong characterization, a nice atmosphere, stunning locations and nice music. The following 9 will be a bit harder to digest, and will lead many people to turn off the thing entirely.

The series concludes with a strong finale, which actually makes sense, and is more touching than the previous episodes would lead you to believe. Since it's likely we will see some sort of Spring-related series in the future (from the same producers of this one), hopefully by then they will have ironed out their shortcomings. There's potential for very good storytelling here, but they're not there yet. Also, I personally hope they'll let go of the usual canon of sickness-suicide present on too many series. Less involving than AFT, but at least this has more lighthearted moments and a stronger build up before the pay-off. Evident flaws, but enough good elements to make it a worthwhile experience. [7]

VIDEO QUALITY:
Very good. There's some grain and colors are not exactly perfect, but the transfer looks better than broadcast Tv (KBS, that is), and is rather attractive. With the series' very good cinematography, the locations certainly make an impression.[7]

AUDIO QUALITY:
Good Stereo track. No significant problems, with the exception of a few dropouts. This series has a good selection of music, unlike AFT which kept repeating the same 4-5 tunes over and over, and the overall impression is quite pleasant. [7]

SUBTITLES QUALITY:
I've seen around 150 English Subtitled DVDs of Korean films, and this must be the best job I've come across so far. One thing is to make a few mistakes over the course of a 120 Minutes film, but watching the first ever English Subtitled Korean TV Drama will probably make you understand why companies don't even bother with Korean Subtitles on TV Dramas. We're talking about 20 episodes for 65-70 Minutes, and I could probably count the spelling mistakes on my hands. Correct grammar, good contextualization, great timing (with a couple of  minor exceptions). It's clear that someone with a good understanding of Korean culture and the English language was used for these subtitles. There's an evident change between deferential and plain discussions, and the right jargon at the right moment. Also, the font is big, well positioned and easy to read. There's never too much text on screen, and always a nice balance between trying to convey the dialogue's meaning, and trying to filter out useless chatter. Note that the subtitles can only be turned on and off via remote. The first disc has no Subs as default, the remaining five have English Subs by default. [10]

EXTRA FEATURES:

On Disc 6 -
Making Of  A 15 minutes Tv-style Making of, with commentary in studio with the fans, and lots of fun clips from the shooting. They revealed some 'secrets', like the girls shooting the toilet scene in the men's room, Bae Yong-joon fooling around during the kiss scene, the two leads' make-up and hair, and more. More entertaining than informative.
N.G. An extremely funny, 30 Minutes long collection of outtakes from the shooting. Talking about the content of these clips would spoil the series, but most of the major scenes have a dedicated NG moment.
Location  3 Minutes long series visiting the locations, asking local people about the series, and how they put photo and banners of the series on all the particular locations.  
Cast & Crew, Photo Gallery, Character Description, Synopsis, Interview   7 Minutes long, and a little disappointing. Choi Ji-woo, Bae Yong-joon and PD Yoon Suk-ho talk about working with each other. Then, the usual 'Fan Club' type questions are asked, like what the two leads would do in the same position, the difference between Lee Min-hyung and Kang Joon-sang and who's more attractive.
**Some good, entertaining material here. I expected a little more in terms of interviews, and they could have at least included the Series' opening/end credits (the DVDs jump from one episode to the other, and the only way to notice you're watching a new one is checking the Note on screen), but there's enough to satisfy fans and casual viewers. [7]

VALUE FOR MONEY          (7.50):
Considering the great start, this series sort of disappointed me. That is not to say it isn't good, because it has improved on many of AFT's flaws. It's not as touching, even though the finale isn't the 'poetic justice' cop-out like AFT. Of course Bae Young-joon fans have had this boxset for months, but those who are interested in Korean TV Dramas should take a look at this, since only a few copies are left. The packaging is gorgeous, the DVDs have the best English Subtitles EVER made for a Korean production, and there's a good number of extras. Ajumma or non Ajumma, this is a good purchase.

You can purchase this film at DVDAsian.com

RULER OF YOUR OWN WORLD (³× ¸Ú´ë·Î Çضó)

["Ne Meotdaero Haera" a.k.a Do As You Wish, 2002 MBC Miniseries]
BITWIN 8-DVD Director's Cut Boxset
Release Date: 12/18/02  
Running Time: 1226 Min (20 Episodes)  
Audio Options: Korean DS 2.0
Subtitle Options: None
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, OAR Full Frame
Format: Dual Layer
Region Coding: NTSC R3

Directed/Produced By:
Park Sung-soo 
Starring:  
Yang Dong-geun (Address Unknown, Bet on My Disco, New Nonstop, Wild Card)
Lee Na-young (Who Are You?, Dream of a Warrior, Have We Really Loved)
Kong Hyo-jin (Conduct Zero, Volcano High, Guns & Talks, Last Present, Snowman)
Lee Dong-gun (Family, Friends, 3 Friends, Former Singer)
Shin Koo (Christmas in August, 2009 Lost Memories, No Blood No Tears)
Jung Doo-hung (No Blood No Tears, Champion, Resurrection of the Little Match Girl
Jeon Hye-jin (Jungle Juice, Lies, The Happy Funeral Director)
Yoon Yeo-jung (Hotelier, This is Love)
Kim Myung-guk (Emergency Act 19, The Siren, Doctor K, The Gingko Bed, A Promise)
Cho Kyung-hwan (Born To Kill, Partner)
In Jung-ok (Whispering Corridors)

THE SERIES:

They're called "Mania" Dramas. TV Series that, for many reasons --including their competition with top rated shows, or lack of major stars-- fail to capture the masses, but manage to slowly build a faithful audience which supports the show until the end. Ruler of Your Own World is one of those underappreciated dramas which attracts a different demographic. Meaning, it's not catering to Ajumma's and women in their late 20s. This is a different show, far away from the diabolical convolutions and contrivances of the prototypical Tv Melodrama --like, say Winter Love Song-- far away from the usual weepy, over the top atmosphere. Far away from stereotypical characters. Of course I'd be a hypocrite if I said I don't enjoy those too, but if you're one of those people who can't tolerate most Korean TV Dramas for their manipulative content, this might be a huge surprise for you.

Three things stand out in Ruler: the acting, the writing, and the emotional content. There are no major stars here, but everyone down to the smallest supporting characters does an excellent job. If Shin Koo's superb performance as Bok-su's father is no surprise, the real find is Yang Dong-geun and his partner Lee Na-young. After a career as a child actor, Yang slowly built his acting skills thanks to important roles in films like Kim Ki-duk's Address Unknown, and started to become popular after appearing in the hit TV show New Nonstop. Following his singing debut (with a slightly controversial album full of cursing), and his successful turn in the nostalgic dork comedy Bet on My Disco, he started to get recognition from both the public and critics. His portrayal of Ko Bok-su is a great one. He swings between the character's innocent naiveté and guilt for his past with ease. You can really relate with his problems, being a simple task like showing his parole officer that he's a changed man, or a big one like accepting Jeon Kyung's (Lee Na-young) affection. Yang shows impressive range here, something I really never noticed in his previous performance, even for good ones like in Address Unknown. He seems the perfect leading man for the series' ever changing mood.

The other surprise is relative newcomer Lee Na-young. If you're tired of super-pretty plastic beauties overacting at every chance they get (I'm thinking about the leading lady in SBS' 'The Age of Innocence' here, just to give an example without naming names), here's finally someone who can convey different emotions without making a fool of herself. Kyung's charming personality comes across impressively thanks to Lee. When she smiles, she does it with her whole face and it feels sincere, as much as the opposite evokes the same reaction. Her character is a difficult one: Kyung is a simple young woman. She's not particularly attractive --at least compared to the conventional canons of beauty in this kind of set-up-- is rather shy and has a hard time opening herself to other people. As the series begin, the viewer will likely have a hard time connecting with her. Little by little though, as she begins her relationship with Bok-su, you'll start to relate to her, and understand her personality. Lee Na-young was previously a CF Model, then she appeared in a few TV series likeHave We Really Loved. She got her first leading role in last year's Who Are You?, starring opposite Cho Seung-woo. The film garnered good reviews, and she has become another interesting actress to look out for in the future.

It would be almost criminal leaving Kong Hyo-jin out of the picture. Despite her charming personality and great raw talent, she's been underused for the past 3-4 years in both TV Dramas and movies. 2002 was probably her breakthrough year, with her first leading roles in Emergency Act 19, Conduct Zero and A Bizarre Love Triangle. She's also a lot more active than usual on TV, lately starring in MBC's Snowman, with Cho Jae-hyun & Kim Rae-won. Her portrayal of Mi-rae is interesting, because it mixes a lot of elements from her supporting roles (lots of cutesy and quirky moments) with a more 'grown up' personality. This is the best performance of her young career, and it finally gives a new spin to the 'bad girl' character you often find in series like this. That's of course only the leading stars, because the supporting cast is equally good. Jung Doo-hung, for example, impresses once again with a role which basically mimics his real life occupation (action director). He's a tough, no bullshit man looking at him from the outside. But, he reveals himself to be one of Bok-su's best friends. Jung seems a natural for this kind of role, and he's been leaving a mark all year long. All his performances (No Blood No Tears, Champion, Resurrection of the Little Match Girl) showcase his charisma and screen presence. Personally, he's been one of the most surprising finds of this year.

Second, the writing. Fans of TV Dramas often put up with a lot more bad writing than those who only watch Korean movies can tolerate. After all, If you're a sucker for melodrama (like myself), you can sometime forgive sappy music, manipulative plot developments, and stereotypical characters. I think most of the people who enjoy these dramas do so for their emotional content (remember, the major target demographics here are Ajumma), they're not trying to find great writing. Ruler of Your Own World features some of the best writing I've seen on a TV Drama. Characters seems stereotypical at first glance, and actually trick the audience with the usual set-up of the genre (boy 1 likes girl 2, girl 1 is pissed at girl 2 because she loves boy 1, dysfunctional families galore, and so on), but emerge from that set-up as multidimensional and realistic. Ko Bok-su is neither a simple thief nor a perfect man. Kyung's emotional state often gets the better of her and she avoids problems instead of facing them. Mi-rae can be pretty egotistical and short-minded, and that's just scraping the surface. There is never the feeling that things are rushing to the usual mega-convoluted cliffhanger, or that a mysterious sickness or death will come out of nowhere to further the plot. Whatever happens here does so for a reason. I never got the sense of urgency felt on other melodramas. This series shows a good mix of lighthearted, even silly moments with more serious and touching ones. And, the most important thing, it's successful in hitting the right notes. Even when things get a little manipulative, it's that kind of manipulation like in Lee Jung-hyang or Hur Jin-ho's films. One you can happily live with, because you care about the characters.

With a fantastic ending and lots of questions left to the viewer after the conclusion of the story, Ruler of Your Own World does something I haven't seen for too many Korean TV Series. It takes the most overused plot device (a fatal disease) and actually uses it to convey something. It's not just a facade to bring tears to your eyes, no matter how successful at that some TV dramas are. Up to the last episode, the atmosphere never goes the usual way, there's no tragedy here. Bok-su builds a beautiful life out of his last days on Earth. He tries to make life better for him and the people he knows. He makes new friends, makes his parents' life meaningful again, and why not, he lets people who love him enter his life. The only flaw of Ruler of Your Own Worldis that it eventually has to end. This little masterpiece will probably be forgotten in a few years, except for the critics who voted it best TV Drama of 2002 --ahead of big productions like Dae Mang andYain Shidae, and monster successes like Inuh Agassi and Winter Love Song-- and the 'maniacs' who stuck with it even though there wasn't a huge star leading the cast. I don't know if it'll touch you like it did with yours truly, but to me this is essential viewing. [9]

VIDEO QUALITY:
The night scenes are a little soft --especially in the middle-- but the colors are really attractive, skin tones look great, and the level of detail is good. Given the way this series was shot, I don't think it could look much better than this. [7.5]

AUDIO QUALITY:
A really solid Stereo track which gives justice to the series' well made, touching soundtrack. There are a few dropouts but I don't think it's an authoring mistake. There's good separation during the action/stunt scenes, and when moments need a quiet atmosphere, there's no background noise or hiss. A good job.[7]

SUBTITLES QUALITY:
None. For Korean speakers, there's a script at the drama's official site. It's not formatted really well, but it's decent help if you need to understand a little better the dialogue. Sadly asking for subtitles here will fall on deaf hands. It's not really a marketing problem. This particular DVD is the quickest selling Korean TV Drama ever, nearing 20,000 copies since its release. Bitwin would gain even more from adding English Subtitles. But, I think it's too much work. 22+ Hours to subtitle is a long undertaking. I'd still love if they added Korean Subs, but no Korean Release of TV Dramas has them. Those who can read Chinese could try the VCDs, though I don't think those are the Director's Cut version (much longer than the original). Problem is, dialogue is quite good and improves considerably as the shows develops. You'd lose an important part of this show's brilliance. On the other hand, the emotional content --be it the funny or touching parts-- needs no subtitles, and no understanding of the language. Yes, the acting is that good. [3]

EXTRA FEATURES:

On Disc 8 -
NG Best   17 Minutes full of the best outtakes from the show. Some funny scenes here. Some clips are without audio, probably because they were part of the Director's Cut. They also show how they recorded  the voiceovers for the last episode. The last NG shows Lee Na-young and Yang Dong-geun endlessly eating bananas on a bus. This shows PD Park sung-soo's style, giving great freedom to his performers, which in turns improved the acting considerably.
Making Film  Very good 22 Minutes section which features small P.I.P.'s of the original scenes along with the bigger behind the scenes shots. They show the underwater shots, and Yang Dong-geun playing harmonica during pauses. He's pretty good, actually!
Best Scene   Pretty self-explanatory. The best moments from the series in this 14 Minutes piece. This would be a good trailer for those who don't know the series.
Location   They show the various locations used, with the production crew explaining why they shot there.
Gallery  Divided into Photo Gallery, which is the usual still collection. And, Movie Gallery, which is a creative collage of clips from the show, handwritten messages and pictures.
Cast & Crew, Stunt Scene   All the Stunt Scenes from the shows are grouped here. Some cool stuff, and it's nice to finally see stuntmen respected this way. Actually some of the best moments of the series involve Bok-su's relationship with his stuntmen friends, especially the reaction when he comes back after weeks.
**I really wish they'd added some interviews, and maybe the TV Trailers, but these are good extras. [7]

VALUE FOR MONEY         (7.10):
Personally this was the best TV experience I've had in years. Great acting, strong characters you can relate to, intelligent plot development. Also, it sends a nice message, and has a pace which effectively swings between the lighthearted and touching. Those who liked films like Last Present and Christmas in August should take a look at this, because some of the same themes (what to do with the rest your life when you're facing death) are portrayed. TV Dramas fans will likely enjoy the freshness and creativity this series brings to the table. Hopefully it's a sign Korean DVD companies will start releasing something different other than star-studded romantic comedies and major tearjerkers which will sell in the rest of Asia. There's a huge wealth of little known series ready to be released, and enjoyed. Ruler of Your Own World is a step in the right direction, and if you know enough Korean to enjoy it, a superb TV series.

You can purchase this series at DVDAsian.com

Note: The film's rating is counted twice for the final average. After all, the most important thing is the film, isn't it?

Reviews Requests?   Send me a note if you want to see a particular review here, and I'll get to work on it soon!

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Special Thanks: Darcy Paquet, Yeon Hyeon-sook, Cho Jung-young, dvd.co.kr, papadvd.com, dvdshelf.com, dvd.naver.com, yesasia.com, koreanwiz.org, dvdasian.com, joycine.com, film2.co.kr, cine21.co.kr, cinemaservice.com, cineseoul.com, futurefilm.fi, leffat.com.

Last updated on 1/19

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