#go ho tae

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

lee "i don't really know the reason but my girlfriend who i'll later learn doesn't even thinks we are dating wants to see the ad on a random taxi so i'm gonna fucking speed up on a busy seoul road and everybody better buckle up" jun-ho

[estelle-sim]

Waltz of Finding Evidence

[aylinaliens]

previously on extraordinary attorney woo: doing things the american way™

[blmpff]

Official_ULSS2 on twt 24.03.2023

[coreancitizen]

"Are you leaving? Why? Don't go. It took 25 years for me to meet you. I hope today will be a long day."

[sonderkore]

eaw thoughts tonight center around -

lee jun ho's closet.

this man probably has 1928383 different button-ups. he always looks so prim and proper and gooorjusss at work every single day. and then he comes home and changes to pastel sweaters to sleep in like the adorable man that he is

[rookie-critic]

Memories of Murder (2003, dir. Bong Joon-ho) - review by Rookie-Critic

Prior to 2019 (really 2020, if we want to get really specific) there probably weren't a lot of people in the States who could tell you who Bong Joon-ho is if pressed. Nowadays, after Bong's historic first non-English language Best Picture win for Parasite, most people would at least identify the name as familiar, and for good reason. Parasite is undoubtedly amazing; its message is both regionless and timeless, it has superb acting and brilliant cinematography, it is one of the best films of the modern era, if not any era. However, prior to Parasite, back in the days when Bong's fanbase outside of his native South Korea was limited to foreign film lovers and people who really liked Snowpiercer, most people would probably point to his breakout film, Memories of Murder, as his best work, and for a lot of the same reasons that people point to Parasite as his best now.

I'm not entirely sure why it has taken me so long to sit down and watch this considering how much I've enjoyed the other films of his that I've seen, but I'm glad I finally did. Following the true story of the detectives that investigated the Hwaseong serial murders of the mid-80s to the mid-90s, the film works as both a gripping crime thriller and a social satire of the failings of the legal system and the corrupt nature of a lot of its employees. One of our protagonists, Detective Park Doo-man (played brilliantly as always be Song Kang-ho) as well as his partner Detective Cho Yong-koo, are horrible police officers. They fake evidence, they torture victims until they'll confess to anything to make it stop, and they scoff at real investigative discoveries and excuse them as the other detectives "watching too many crime movies" (which in and of itself is an amazing line that both pokes fun at and winks a respectful eye towards the crime films that it follows in the legacy of); all they care about is putting someone away, regardless of if the person is actually guilty of the crime they're accused of committing or not. You can watch the film purely from a plot perspective and be entertained and engrossed, but much like Parasite, the true genius of it lies within this satirical commentary.

The knowledge that maybe the killer could have been stopped, victims could have been saved, if more resources had been poured into actually searching for the real killer instead of trying to put away people who obviously had nothing to do with it is maddening, but somehow Bong is able to inject humor throughout the film that makes all of these frustrating people and darker moments have a brief sense of levity without taking away from the nature of the subject matter. It's truly amazing the way he is able to craft stories that are not only interesting from a surface level perspective, but that contain darker themes and complex social commentary that even casual moviegoers can pick up on and appreciate, and then even with all of that blend comedy and drama so seamlessly you rarely notice the change. Another element of the film that I personally found brilliant, and that I briefly mentioned above, is the way that it seems to be a love letter to the crime dramas/thrillers that came before it and a criticism of them at the same time. If you've been following my reviews for awhile, you'll know how deeply I appreciate films that are able to strike that balance (Scream, Nope, etc.). The ability to acknowledge the problems with a genre without completely dismissing the films that portray those flaws as lesser or bad is something that just appeals to me on such a core level. This may just sound like a meeting of the Bong Joon-ho Fan Club, but it is truly awe-inspiring that he can make a film that has something for everyone in it, and can make everyone enjoy the other bits that, in any other movie, they may not have.

Now, Memories of Murder isn't perfect, it is only Bong's second film and some of those early film maker pitfalls exist here. A lot of the first half of the movie tends to drag a bit, and there may be certain scenes that could have cut or sequences that could have been re-edited to keep that sense of urgency (or maybe even the lack thereof on the part of the detectives) a little more present and flowing. Also, and I know I just got done ranting about how great this exact quality was, but sometimes the injection of humor could overtake the film a little too much. It doesn't happen but maybe once or twice, but I did take note of those moments as something that stood out to me, at least. Outside of these few kinks, Memories of Murder just further proves that Bong Joon-ho just knows what he's doing, and I can safely add another film to the "great" column of his filmography, and hopefully soon I can finish out watching the rest of them.

Score: 9/10

Currently streaming on Hulu.

[pain-suffering-even]

modern AU jobs for the gang

what jobs/positions/etc would they have if the rulers and monarchs were never a thing? well...

(this list is a little long, just a heads up)

Choi Jong-In: arsonist Forensic scientist

Baek Yoon-Ho: I know in canon they mention him being a firefighter? which i kinda see, since he seems like the type to want to help people. but, besides that, I could also see him as a EMT or something along those lines

Min Byung-Gyu: He would 100% be a nurse. He gives me tired and slightly unhinged med student vibes

Cha Hae-In: Personal trainer perhaps? Or a martial arts teacher?

Lim Tae-Gyu: Competitive archer (probably won a few silvers and a gold at the olympics and afterwards he immediately retired)

Woo Jin-Chul: Accountant. or! or a math teacher! but i imagine he'd be too tired to deal with kids, so

Go Gun-Hee: The korean equivalent of a DA. i was gonna say judge but that doesn't seem up his alley, so

Yoo Jin-Ho: I mean... he's rich... that aside, he'd probably start a company with his money, probably for bioengineering research stuff. anything to help people, yeah?

Sung Jin-Woo: Well, he'd still be how he was at chapter 1, so... hm... maybe a librarian or something like that? i'd imagine he likes books a lot

Thomas Andre: Can you imagine this man in the real estate market... selling houses... "oh you're the construction worker?" "nah im sellin this house!" and the buyer would like. visibly pale. because this man would still be built like a brickhouse i can guarantee it

Laura: Architect/interior designer (she probably flips houses with Thomas and he splits the profits with her)

Christopher Reed: Marine biologist + animal/environment activist

Lennart Niermann: Hair stylist

Liu Zhigang: Blacksmith. he'd be so good at creating swords

Goto Ryuiji: Grumpy but diligent manager at an office

Reiji Sugimoto: Aspiring musician/singer

Akari Shimizu: Either an entomologist or a pediatrician, though i feel like the latter is too obvious since she's a healer

Kenzo Tanaka: PE teacher + school counselor

Atsushi Kumamoto: Probably part of a cleaning service

Ippei Izawa: Twitch streamer. he just. gives me those vibes. gaemer

Kei: Psychologist + profiler

Kanae Tawata: Tattoo artist

Minoru Hoshino: Works at the same office as Goto. one of the few to put up with his grumpiness

Mari Ishida: Lawyer. she'd either be loved or hated since she's a stickler for rules and procedures

Tatsumi Fujishima: He'd work as an engineer for NASA perhaps, or maybe try and start his own robotics company. You know those robot dogs? yeah. yup. he'd love that

[deokmis]

Kim Young-kwang as Kang Tae-ho in Go Ho's Starry Night (2016)

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

it's really good jun-ho told her none of her date ideas were fun for him and didn't keep it in even though he might have but only mentioned it when she said they aren't dating yet bc otherwise woo young-woo never would have guessed i think it's good for both of them

[barbarasecretfiles]

The King: Eternal Monarch

Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon Kim Go Eun as Jeong Tae-eul /  Luna Woo Do-Hwan as Jo Eun-seop / Jo Yeong Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-Jae Jung Eun-Chae as Goo Se-ryeong Kim Yong-ji as Myeong Na-ri Lee Jung Jin as Lee Rim Kim Young-ok as Noh Ok-Nam Lee Hong-nae as Seok Ho-pil Kang Hong-seok as Jangmi

The King: Eternal Monarch is a story about a parallel world. Set in both Republic of Korea and Kingdom of Corea. Kingdom of Corea is like the alternative timeline where Korea is never successfully conquered by Japan and the country was never separated into two. The story starts on a flashback from the night of the treason in 1994. The traitor Lee Lim wants to obtain the magic flute named Manpasikjeok so he organized a coup. For him, the manpasikjeok and the throne was rightfully his. Him and his followers successfully killed the current king. Lee Lim gets to hold the flute but it was cut into two by the crowned prince Lee Gon. Lim was about to kill Lee Gon when he was stopped by a mysterious man dressed in black. The mysterious man successfully saved Lee Gon but he left an ID card. Lee Lim was declared dead in the Kingdom of Corea but he found a way to the Republic of Korea. He killed his other self and his other self's family. He hides on the other world while gaining his followers. Years later, they showed a playful but smart king in his thirties. Lee Gon grew up well with his uncle and court lady Noh on his side. Plus, he's well protected by his unbreakable sword aka Jo Yeong. Gon's motivation is Lt. Jeong Tae-eul id card. Court Lady Noh wants him to marry or find a girl already that's why she's setting up a talisman's card in his room. True enough he found a girl, on the other world. Thank God that Lee Gon is smart enough that he figured it out that he's in the other world but poor him because no one is believing him there.

This show is complex from start to end. I really like the idea of parallel universe and what ifs. They set the parallel world thinking what if their country is never conquered at all. But I must admit that this drama is not for everyone. The pacing is slow and some concepts are hard to comprehend. Nevertheless, I still love it. Tho, I didn't like the product placement. They are not subtle on showing it on the camera. Furtheremore, some cgi/green screen is not made well but it is  kinda understandable. For me, they build up the story quite right. The plot twist is properly showed on the right time plus I really like how they hang the ending in every episode. Then, they will show it on different shots on the next episode. I also love how they differentiate the two person with safe faces. They emphasize that even though you have the same face, you will never be the same person. They have their own personalities and not just a copy of their other self. They also showed the differences in lives of the characters between the two worlds. Like the other one is having a good family and the other one is none at all. Or like Lee Gon is rich and king and close to his father but his other self is not. Lee Ji Hun is close to his uncle and poor. But still, they will both have the similarities aside from their faces as they both ended up in the military. Like Jeong Tae-eul and Luna both ended up becoming a cop.

One of the highlight of this drama is Woo Do Hwan. He perfectly portrayed Jo Yeong and Jo Eunseup. Like he can differentiate both. Yeong is stoic but he you can see that he really cares then there's the comedic Eun Seup. I admit he have a chemistry with himself. Jo Yeong and Jo Eun seup is the example of the parallel characters that can be friends (somehow they even consider theirselves as brothers) and having no intention to kill one another. Woo Do Hwan nailed his acting in this drama.

Jo Yeong as Jo Eun Seup:

-There's an episode when Lee Gon wants to eat but instead they encountered a group of gangsters. Jo Yeong came to the rescue but Jo Eun Seup's seniors saw him. He immediately copied Eun Seup's accent but not to the extend of being Eun Seup. Like you can really tell that it is still Jo Yeong.  Plus, his chemistry with the twins. He grew fond of them.

Jo Eun Seup as Jo Yeong:

-Woo Do Hwan nailed Jo Yeong serious self (like he's fine af with that hair and suit). But when he was Jo Eun Seup acting as Jo Yeong, everything he did was comedic. Like when he tried to pull out his gun or when his saying "Yes, your majesty" acting serious but not to the point of being Yeong. Like he's being Eun Seup in Yeong's clothes.

Both of them become Lee Gon's unbreakble sword. Both loyal and both willing to sacrifice their lives.

VISUALS:

One of my fave scene is when he announced that Tae-eul will be the queen and they need to protect her!

The ending for me is perfect. The second lead man ended up (in terms of pairing) with the female lead's other self. I think they kinda hint it when Luna kissed Shin-Jae. Plus Luna is adopted by Goo Seryeong's mom and she did have her own name this time(Koo Seo-gyeong). Seryeong's in jail for all the bad deeds she did. Lee Ji Hun is alive and became part of the navy. The real Shin Jae grew up well and became a ceo(?) while Eun Seup marries Nari. Jeong Tae-Eul cannot be the queen because Luna is still existing in Kingdom of Corea. But I think she will still marry Gon and have that weekend trips with him. Gon will not worry about a successor because his cousin (the good one) will be the next in line. Also, eventhough only three of them knows what happened (Yeong, Gon and Tae-eul) it was still ok. It was actually a fine ending for me. I really enjoyed it but again, its not that type of drama that everyone will like. It really depends on the viewer and its fine if you didn't like it. And this show is not as bad as the others says. Because in 2020, I read a lot of bad reviews about this drama so I have zero hope when I started this out. But it turns out fine. Not the best but not THAT bad.

Some photos that I found:

[alettearesius]

"Wherever you go, you can't go alone, I'll go with you, no matter where it is, no matter what battlefield it is."

[ladymapple]

"When it's fate, there are no coincidences. Your fate is determined by the choices you make, but there are times when your fate chooses you."

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

[blmpff]

Official_ULSS2 on twt 10.04.2023

[coreancitizen]

"Hey, do you want to die? Answer your phone before I kill you. You freak! A horse? Are you serious? You told him, didn't you? Pick up the phone already or I will kill you. Answer me! You are so dead!" "Someone is texting you. A warning of murder."

[sonderkore]

kang tae oh for elle