PART I: WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THIS DECEMBER…

Chances are, you were once a follower of this Japanese anime famously known as Samurai X. A live action movie version of Rurouni Kenshin was premiered nationwide in SM Cinemas last December 5 to 7, 2012. Pioneer Films Philippines, using the name Movie Punch, has announced the Philippine-wide release of Rurouni Kenshin. It was announced thru SM Cinema's Facebook as an early Christmas present to all Kenshin fans in the Philippines.  The film has performed extremely well, earning $36.7M in Japan and $25M in limited international release.

Equally uplifting news is the announcement that the film will be having its US premiere at LA EigaFest which runs from Dec. 14-16. The film will be released with English subtitles rather than voiceovers. No word yet on a wider release but keep your fingers crossed anime/manga faithful.  Specifically, the film has been licensed in 64 countries and two additional areas. (Some locations such as Hong Kong are considered their own separate market, even though they are not countries.) The countries span Europe, Latin America, and Asia and include Germany, Mexico, and Taiwan. In addition, the rights for another 17 countries are under negotiations. Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web

Samurai X movie was first shown in Japan last August 25 produced by Warner Bros. Starred by Takeru Satoh who is the star in the series Kamen Rider Den-O. Created by manga artist Nobuhiro Watsuki in 1994, the legend of Kenshin went on to become one of the top 100 manga series, animated television series, and animated movies ever produced. Its reader base is large, and its audience in other media is considerably huge. Recently Rurouni Kenshin has spread to art, guidebooks, and novels.


THE MOVIE CASTS 

Samurai X is a story of an x-legendary assassin called Hitokiri Battosai or Battousai: The Slasher, and his adventures. Hitokiri Battousai is the world’s deadliest samurai assassin in 18th century Japan, a violent era called Bakumatsu, when he suddenly disappeared. Eleven years later he resurfaced to become a wandering swordsman under a different name, Himura Kenshin ‘the wanderer’. He refused to commit murder any longer.  He gave up his trade of killing people as he finds new life and vowed to leave his past behind.

Himura Kenshin, as a reformed man, has vowed to resolve issues with peaceful means. Hence, his Reverse Blade sword is his most appropriate weapon. It has a unique feature of the cutting edge found on the inwardly curving side. This is directly opposite design to the samurai swords, where the outward edge is rigidly polished to a fatal sharpness. The Reverse Blade sword cannot kill lethally to anyone got hit by it. The Reverse Blade sword is also consistent with his commitment: that he would never kill a single life heedlessly.

Final Thoughts

Going into the film I was expecting an ordinary and trashy Kenshin story being retold, suitable only for diehard fans of the series. But it turned out to be completely the opposite of what I’ve expected. It was a good movie in its own right. The fighting scenes were amazing. The SWORD FIGHT SCENES WERE A KICK ASS! Violence has and always will be one of the most exciting things to see on film FOR MOST. The movie is an absolute visual marvel, filled with considerable violence, an engaging plot, and imaginative fight sequences that make for an unforgettable experience. The film’s highest point is a 40-minute long battle between our champion Kenshin versus a great number of cruel soldiers. The directing was brilliant, the casting nearly perfect, and the story was told correctly according to my close friend who is a kenshin diehard fan. Well, I have to say Rurouni Kenshin may be the single best Japanese live-action adaptation I have ever seen.

If you have seen the movie, was it worth the watch? You decide…

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KOREA INVADES CEBU: HELLO HALLYU!!!

I am not a k-pop fan but I hold a deep fascination with Korean culture and tradition and I would love to learn more about their culture. The root of my great fascination came from watching Korean series and movies. Describing “Korean Culture” and how one can love it is not easy coming from a non-Korean seeing Korean culture. Saying that I love Korean culture does not mean to say that I admire everything about them. I just have positive feelings about its culture, the ways the people live and the things they value without having it compared with my own culture and values wrongfully. We may perceive Koreans as unfriendly, but really, this is just due to cultural differences or a language barrier. Koreans are actually hospitable. They share a unique spirit, living by “WE” concept. Koreans put the welfare of others ahead before themselves, but do not easily express their emotions toward others straightforwardly.  

KOREAN FESTIVAL 2012 IN CEBU CITY was at its first. Holding this kind of event brings two cultures together. I am hoping to see more of the festival in the coming years in sha Allah.

“Let’s Celebrate! Korean Festival 2012” that’s the theme of the Festival.

FACT: During the festivity, I learned that Cebu City’s sister city is Busan and Yeosu in South Korea.

No wonder Cebu is the favorite haven of Koreans. Particularly they are drawn to the country’s beaches and hospitality of Filipinos.  About 2,000 Korean communities came to Cebu to study, enjoy the beaches and landmarks and invest in business. According to a report, Koreans are the number one tourist in the Philippines today. One has to look around and see Korean establishments like English schools, restaurants, groceries, shops, churches, and the Korean pop culture “HALLYU” influence! 

In the festival area, there are many different zones where visitors can experience a wide range of Korean culture. Nothing can be more Korean than the experience of wearing a HANBOK! 

FACT:    Hanbok is the traditional Korean dress.  It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. The term literally means “Korean Clothing”. Hanbok was established as part of the unique living culture of Korea, influenced by the geographical and climatic nature of the Korean peninsula, and handed down throughout the years to present times.

THE BEAUTY OF HANBOK...

The best Hanbok I fell in love with was the one worn in the movie “HWANG JINI” by Hye-Kyo Song.

HOW COULD SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AND CONSERVATIVE TURN OUT TO BE SO SEXY?

 AND OF COURSE THE T.V. SERIES VERSION : Ha Ji-Won as Hwang Jin Yi

Who wore it better?

I find the 'royalty hanbok' type lovely...

A modern take on Asian aesthetic. The outfit looks like a modernized version of the Korean Hanbok that’s both rustic and elegant. Design by Christian Dior.

We enjoyed ourselves with free movies: Arahan (action-fantasy film) and Spellbound (horror-comedy film). The better of the two films was Spellbound. It is one of the recommended films I watched. It’s not every day that I get to watch a film that would make me laugh loud at the same time scares the hell out of me. It has the right amount of romance, comedy, and creepiness that will keep the viewers on the edge of your seat. 

We watched the cultural show on its last day. It was started with a marching band called “Chwitawitadae”.

FACT: Chwitawitadae is a Korean traditional marching band. It is group of musicians that plays Daechwit Daechwita. Daechwita is the music played by royal military band and is historically used in the march of the King or high official. Daechwita consist of percussion and wind instruments as the word “chwita” literally means “to blow and to hit”.

The image below looks the same with the performers i saw...

The marching band performed first outside the theater while people lined up for the show. They started pulling people to join them dance. To my great surprise a lady performer grabbed me by the hand into the crowd and shown me how to dance. I was laughing so hard because I didn’t know what I was doing. I danced until my head hurts from spinning around.

A traditional Korean farmer’s dance performed by percussionists called Gwanggaeto Samulnori.

The audience who experienced the performance found Korean traditional percussion exciting. We enjoyed and applauded the performance. 

People enjoyed a meditative performance of Changgo.

FACT: CHANGGO is a traditional hour-glass drum, adapted for p’ungnyu, the classical ensemble music of Korean nobility. P’ungnyu also refers to an elevated state of leisure in which one can better appreciate poetry, music and companionship.

In the middle part of the cultural show, the audience found it monotonous as the same type of performance was shown over and over again. Korean traditional song was sung 5 times and we have no idea what the song was all about. The only part that people became alive was when a GANGNAM style dance was performed.

There were more to see, things to experience, and food to eat!!! Until next year Korea!

Na-jung-e bwae-yo!!!

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