gay films and Korea

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

Hello omonatheydidnt and welcome to the grand master list of queer films that Korea has made! The following is a list that, to the best of my knowledge, covers most (if not all) queer films that come from Korea. The list may not be large, but remember, South Korea is a country where most people didn't even think gay people existed a few short years ago.




Minor spoilers below!

Memento Mori (1999) Trailer Starring: Lee Yeong-jin, Park Ye-jin Synopsis: Synopsis: The film revolves around the relationship between two high school students, Yoo Shi-Eun and Min Hyo-Shin. As the two girls become romantically involved, their taboo friendship causes them to be marginalized by the other students. Unable to cope with the social pressures of having a lover of the same gender, Shi-Eun tries to distance herself from the increasingly dependent Hyo-Shin. Extra Info: A sequel to Whispering Corridors, though the plot and characters are different.

Yellow Hair (1999) Starring: Lee Jae-eun, Kim Ki-yeon, Kim Heyon-cheoi Synopsis: The title refers to two young women with dyed yellow hair who pick up a man at a club one evening. The three begin a sexual relationship, but jealousy rears its ugly head when they tire of his long absences, due to time spent with another woman who works at the same office. Extra Info: I haven't seen this movie so I can't personally comment on it, so I don't know if this would really qualify for the list.

Yellow Hair 2 (2001) Starring: Harisu, Shin Yi, Mo Hong-jin, Yoon Chan Synopsis: Two women follow their dreams on the steamy side of Seoul. Extra Info: Sequel to Yellow Hair though the plot and cast is completely different. It gained a lot of attention due to Harisu's involvement with the movie.

Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001) Trailer Starring: Lee Byeong-Heon, Lee Eun-joo, Yeo Heyon-soo Synopsis: A man's girlfriend dies. He meets another man who he realizes is his girlfriend reincarnated. Even the second man begins to realize it. They struggle to be lovers when they have become a same-sex couple unexpectedly.

Road Movie (2002) Starring: Hwang Jeong-min, Jeong Chan, Seo Lin Synopsis: A film about a love triangle among a woman, a man who loves her, and a gay man who loves him. Living on the margins of society, they go on a road trip together.

The King and the Clown (2005) Trailer Starring: Kam Woo-seong, Jeong Jin-yeong, Lee Joon-ki Synopsis: Two clowns living in the Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution, but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh. Extra Info: Not only was The King and the Clown Korea's first real gay film, but it also became the highest grossing film (12 million tickets! $70 million!) until Gwoemul beat it later on that year. It was also the film that made Junki famous.

No Regret (2006) Trailer Starring: Kim Nam-gil, Lee Yeong-hoon, Kim Dong-wuk Synopsis: Leaving the country orphanage where he grew up, Su-min comes to Seoul to study design. However, after several tough jobs, he unexpectedly ends up working as a prostitute in a gay bar. There he meets Jae-min. Su-min refuses Jae-min who’s been trying everything he could to win Su-min’s heart. Jae-min is from a rich and conservative family that doesn’t accept his sexual identity. Can this relationship between two men with different backgrounds have a future? Extra Info: In my humble opinion, the best movie on this list. And keep your eyes peeled, Coffee Prince Kim Dong-wuk makes an appearance.

Like a Virgin (2006) Trailer Starring: Ryoo Deok-hwan, Baek Yoon-sik Synopsis: Oh Dong-gu believes himself to be female. Although overweight and on the short side, he dreams of becoming the perfect woman some day, and he devotes himself to mimicking Madonna's singing and dancing after school. To cover the costs of transsexual surgery, he decides to enter a wrestling competition.

Rainbow Eyes (2007) Trailer Starring: Kim Kang-woo, Kim Min-seon, Lee Soo-kyeong, Park Won-sang Synopsis: Inspectors Kyung-yoon CHO and Eun-joo PARK have been an inseparable duo ever since their police academy days. One day, the two inspectors take on the case of a young rich sports center owner, violently stabbed to death. The only clue to the case is a piece of body hair with AB blood type found at the scene. The two inspectors identify a swimming instructor as a major suspect to the case, but he later gets brutally murdered in the same way. It is later revealed that the two victims and a third party were once in the same army and committed a disgraceful act together. The police see the murders as a serial murder case in revenge for the victim at the time, ‘Yoon-suh LEE’. But as the murderer’s identity slowly unfolds, inspector Kyung-yoon comes across another shocking mystery… Extra Info: A crime thriller that doesn't look like it belongs on the list.. but it really does. I promise!

Boy Meets Boy (2008) Trailer Starring: Kim Hye-seong, Lee Hyeon-jin-I, Ye Ji-won Synopsis: Boy Meets Boy is a short film about two boys that find romance through a bus ride and a roll of film. Extra Info: This is Kim Jho Kwang-soo's directorial debut, but he's worked on previously mentioned No Regret as well as some other big name movies.

A Frozen Flower (2008) Trailer Starring: Jo In-seong, Joo Jin-mo, Song Ji-hyo Synopsis: In the end of Goryeo era politically manipulated by the Yuan Dynasty, the ambitious King of the Goryeo Dynasty organizes Kunryongwe. Hong Lim, the commander of Kunryongwe, captivates the King of Goryeo, and the Queen keeps her eyes on the relationship between Hong Lim and the King with a reluctant view. Meanwhile, the bilateral relation between Goryeo and the Yuan gets worse as Yuan demands to install the cousin of the King in the Crown Prince of Goryeo with ascribing it to no son the King has. The King refuses it resolutely, so the high-ranking officials of Goryeo, who are in submission to Yuan, are discontented with the king. One day, the King gives Hong Lim a covert yet unobjectionable order to sleep with the Queen instead of himself to protect the independence of Goryeo from the Yuan by making a son, the successor to Goryeo throne. Extra Info: A warning to those that are on the young side of squeamish, there is a lot of blood (and a uncomfortable castration scene) and a lot of sex in this movie. It's good! But.. it's not for everyone.

Anqitue (2008) Trailer Starring: Joo Ji-hoon, Kim Jae-wook, Yoo Ah-in, Choi Ji-ho Synopsis: Jin-hyuk was brought up as the well-bred heir to a corporate fortune. He has got the looks, the money and the charm, but even so, true love is hard to find. Jin-hyuk opens up a cake shop and hires Sun-woo, a talented patissier who had a crush on Jin-hyuk back in high school. Together with Gi-beom, an ex-boxing champion and Su-young, a clueless bodyguard, four unique and handsome men stir up a quiet neighborhood when they show up at the cake shop, Antique. Extra Info: Antique is based off of a manga that has been adapted into both a j-drama and an anime.

Two movies to add to the list when I get time: A Crimson Mark and Some Like It Hot.


very long list of sources: Memento Mori (one and two,) Yellow Hair (one and two, Yellow Hair 2 (one and two), Road Movie (one and two), The King and the Clown (one and two), No Regret (one), Like a Virgin (one), Rainbow Eyes (one), Boy Meets Boy (one and two), A Frozen Flower (one), Antique (one)
video sources: youtube

Comments

[dailysky.livejournal.com]

first for my waifu

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

Haha you know she's slow. :(

[nezumi-kenka.livejournal.com]

I read some of the manga for Antique :o

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

I tried to watch the anime but it was just bad.

[x-neverbroken.livejournal.com]

well, i know what i'll be doing this week.
i just watched the king and the clown yesterday, and i'm still amazed at how junki makes a gorgeous girl.

[irodorinosanka.livejournal.com]

I know! Those hips! x___x

[ftsk-lykewhoa.livejournal.com]

To watch or not to watch.

[nudrive.livejournal.com]

mte

[valmorbia.livejournal.com]

I've always thought it was weird that although Korean people have this great aversion and disgust towards real life gay people, gay FILMS are so well recieved. Why? Everybody just seems to go crazy over them, King and the Clown and A Frozen Flower and No Regret were hits...and then when a model came out of the closet on a reality TV show, netizens went on to hound him to his death. Do people there watch this sort of film as a masturbatory pleasure, a novelty, without learning a thing from it?

But then again, people everywhere do that.

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

Korea... yeah I have no idea.

I mean there's Hong Suk Chon that came out back in 2000 and it just ruined his career. And the death of the model... yet those films beat out records and shit. :(

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

The good thing about the few movies is that all of them are really well done. At least, the ones I've seen, which is all on the list minus Memento Mori, the Yellow Hair movies and Road Trip.

[sojufever.livejournal.com]

Thanks for taking the time out to make this list.

I've seen a lot of these.

[magicmelodyx.livejournal.com]

My list of things to watch has suddenly grown exponentially. :D

[vanillacakes.livejournal.com]

ty!

i love no regret and antique so much

[missjoongie.livejournal.com]

Loved No Regret, Bungee jumping of their own, and Antique.
Boy meets Boy was a huge disappointment >_<
Frozen Flower was ok~
The kind and clown no matter how much never seemed like BL to me at all haha.

Can you delete the spoilers?

[valmorbia.livejournal.com]

Or at least label them? I just saw the spoiler for A Frozen Flower and am, to put it MILDLY, dismayed.

Re: Can you delete the spoilers?

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

I don't really see anything spoilery there, but I'll put a warning at the beginning of the post.

[valyrian.livejournal.com]

Is King and Clown the one Shinee does on that one show?
or am I thinking of something completely different?

Either way I shall be adding a lot of these movies to my list

[ontokki.livejournal.com]

yup it is :D

[ontokki.livejournal.com]

you have no idea how much i appreciate this<3
tysm.

[pickychu.livejournal.com]

Bungee Jumping of Their Own sounds like a good movie. I'll have to check it out along with a bunch of others on this list. :)

[kyujong.livejournal.com]

I think No Regret sucks out loud but I seem to be the only one lol. Road Movie is not good either. Bungee Jumping of Their Own was nice though.

[thenylonkid.livejournal.com]

OMG you aren't the only one! It's really horrible...people just get blinded by the ghei.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

My eyes got bright when I read Lee Byung Hun :O I will be watching Bungee Jumping of Their Own very soon.

I love the King and the clown. They should have included this deleted scene...

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

OMG LOL

[paperlet.livejournal.com]

the only one i've seen from this list is 'frozen flower.' that movie scarred for life, IT WAS INSANE. but in a good way - it was like nothing i have ever seen and it continually messed with my head. very provocative and unpredictable!

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

I just saw it last night, and yeah. Whoa it was a good movie, but not what I was expecting.

[epik.livejournal.com]

all of these seem like really good movies!
does anyone know where i can download some of these movies with english subs?

[valyrian.livejournal.com]

jdramas has a lot of movies with english subs.
I found a frozen flower there.

[pivotandsway.livejournal.com]

lol I liked watching it but I didn't think it was a very cohesive film. it was pretty though

[taylorssi.livejournal.com]

cool! a list! i've been wanting one. * takes notes*

[marochi-x.livejournal.com]

Tysm. <3

Could you also put the ratings on the films?

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

And that's a good idea but hancinema doesn't have the ratings, or I can't see them and I'm lazy atm.. :/ No Regret, A Frozen Flower, and the two Yellow Hair movies have sex scenes. Rainbow Eyes has some violence and mentions rape. Haha. idk if that helps.

[mo-chan-tf.livejournal.com]

The King and The Clown is BEAUTIFUL. <3 I really liked watching it, though it's quite sad. i3i~

[freakymysty.livejournal.com]

Yay, this helps me so much! I'm adding this to my memories so that I can make sure I see all of these movies. The only one I've seen already is Antique.

[pivotandsway.livejournal.com]

needs more lesbians

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

I know. :'(

[spidersky.livejournal.com]

Don't forget Sohee's movie "Some Like it Hot". :)

IDK why that's never labeled as a queer film...maybe because Sohee isn't the lead character (or because it's a bit of a spoiler)? o_O

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

It's a queer film? I haven't seen it and I don't really know much about the movie.