I couldn’t stop thinking about how much JaeHee looks like Ishigaki Yuma…
For some reason I started this movie when it was already far too late in the evening, but as I became really tired I didn’t notice, until the movie ended and I realised it was 2.30 in the morning and my eyes were killing me. I was sucked into the film, giggling like an idiot and also engrossed in the main character’s emotion plight.It is listed as an action film or martial arts movie, and some people have even described it as a comedy, but all that sounds misleading as it conjures up a ‘madcap’ sense of either the violence of humour that doesn’t match the movie. It is very funny but subtly so, and there is a lot of fighting in it but mostly just ByungTae getting beaten the living sh*t out of. it is definately not a martial arts movie, and personally i wouldnt call it an action or comedy either. But then again, i dont know what i would call it. It reminded me of Holyland (Japanese drama) not only for the fact that in this movie JaeHee looks ridiculously like Ishigaki with his massive eyes and floppy hair cut, the story reminded me of Kamishiro’s difficult journey into his world of self respect and determination from a background of fear and avoidance.
What is different about this movie to the myriad of other works it reminded me of, is that we don’t see much of ByungTae’s physical progression. Really, he could already fight as well as anyone else – the guys he fights are not trained either, it is not necessary to learn martial arts to overcome them. Taking this into account, you can see how the thing he most needs in his training is mental strength and fearlessness; to stop cowering in the hands of his aggressors.
I like that his training consists of a little wax-on-wax-off-karate-kid style laundry just to make him a bit stronger, but mostly advice on how to look at each dangerous situation. This brings me to his mentor, Oh ManSu.ByungTae has sought advice from various people on how to fight, only to come up short, receiving unhelpful bravado ridden tips based on an idolised view of fighting. Eventually he meets ManSu and sees his restrained manner is one of absolute power and confidence. He pleads with the man to teach him how to fight, hounding him at every corner with puppy like innocence and relentlessness. ManSu, who obviously has a less than black and white life gives in and decides to show ByungTae what it means to be strong.
Through many cringingly comical situations ByungTae learns that preconceived ideas of fighting do not work and his instincts are already good enough to trust. He has strength but is too afraid to use it. This is what he must counter in order to protect him self against the constant abuse from his peers. His bullies are relentless and torment him continually; even throughout his training he can barely fight back. But as his friend gets pulled into the mess something snaps, or rather, becomes clear, and ByungTae begins to understand the ebbs and flows of fear, pain, anger, revenge, regret, determination, strength, weakness, and everything in between.
ByungTae, played by the wonderful Ishigaki lookalike JaeHee, evolves thanks to his mentor ManSu, played by the indescribably brilliant Baek YunShik. ManSu is just as lovable somehow as ByungTae, and their friendship is believable even as unlikely as it is. I really did think it was all set to end in tears but keeping true to the strength of both characters the overall story sticks to its adorably amusing path and even after things look like they have taken a major turn for the worse, it pulls back to a warm hearted end that certainly didn’t leave me feeling sad or disappointed. I will be watching this movie again, there’s no doubt. It is so sweet, considering the harsh subject matter of bullying, and those guys are quite savage, I spent most of the movie smiling. 
I really do rate this movie highly – I expected it to be interesting but it brought more to the pot than just that. It is bizarre to feel warm and fuzzy from a film that contains more scenes of bullying and yankii scuffling than the whole of the 3 series of gokusen put together, especially as there was no pigtailed yankumi to storm in a save poor beaten ByungTae. Personally I feel this movie never loses momentum, even though it changes pace here and there, it kept me involved the entire time and I was totally invested in all the characters. 
I do have to give a little ureshii squee for ByungTae’s friend who gets transferred in to his school and then gets tangled up in his fights. For some reason the dynamic of that friendship holds the balance of the rest of the movie on its shoulders. It is such a small but pivotal part, mirroring the sweetness of ByungTae and ManSu’s relationship, but also vastly countering the emptiness and lonliness felt by ByungTae at the beginning of the film. It is his friendship with his class mate which teaches him most about letting go of fear and to fight for those you wish to protect. For ByungTae it is almost impossible to fight for himself, but watching through the window his friend being beaten on his behalf – what a brilliant scene that was, if not a little sick. Boys are so horrible to each other *pouts*
ManSu says that as ByungTae has always been hiding from these bullies, he has never had the chance to see who he really is. The events of the movie are the point in time where he challenges that state of being and lets his feelings and personality surface. That is why many people have pegged this as a coming of age movie, and in that way I guess that is totally right. It is funny how diverse those types of movies can be – I was just thinking of boys of tomorrow with Yoo AhIn, how different the stories are and angles which we see them from.
Gush gush gush. You should come to expect this by now.
promo posters:
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