AnimeSuki Forums

Register Forum Rules FAQ Members List Social Groups Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   AnimeSuki Forum > Anime Discussion > Movies, OVAs/OADs, and Specials

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 2004-06-02, 23:02   Link #1
jennwenn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: good 'ole US of A
Empress Chung - new Korean animation

I've heard about this Korean anime film that will be playing at the Annecy animation festival in June. It looks like its done the rounds at other animation festivals, but will premiere in general in December. The official movie website is even in English! I know Wonderful Days got a lot of hype, so just wondering if anyone has heard of/seen Empress Chung.

From the website, it looks like a beautiful fairy tale, reminiscent of the really early Disney films yet with a look of its own. For once, a Korean film that does not resemble Japanese anime.

Also, this film is apparently a North and South Korean co-production. I wonder how much the North Koreans actually did, considering the lack of creative freedom and extreme isolation and poverty...
jennwenn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-03, 00:04   Link #2
Yebyosh
冤枉的小狗
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: South East Asia
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennwenn
I've heard about this Korean anime film that will be playing at the Annecy animation festival in June. It looks like its done the rounds at other animation festivals, but will premiere in general in December. The official movie website is even in English! I know Wonderful Days got a lot of hype, so just wondering if anyone has heard of/seen Empress Chung.

From the website, it looks like a beautiful fairy tale, reminiscent of the really early Disney films yet with a look of its own. For once, a Korean film that does not resemble Japanese anime.

Also, this film is apparently a North and South Korean co-production. I wonder how much the North Koreans actually did, considering the lack of creative freedom and extreme isolation and poverty...
Actually the animation style bears some similarity to Disney's Mulan.
Yebyosh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-03, 00:16   Link #3
Za Paper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Looks like a Disney flick. Talking animal sidekicks included.
Za Paper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-03, 00:20   Link #4
jennwenn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: good 'ole US of A
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yebyosh
Actually the animation style bears some similarity to Disney's Mulan.
Mulan, true! It also reminds me of Chinese-style of animation. They have more rounded characters, like in the Butterfly Lovers and Chinese Ghost Story.

Yeah I wonder what's up with those animal characters too. Comic releif cutesy mascot attempts? I like the character design for the King of the Underwater World. (Er, but his kingdom doesn't sound all that cool...)

I'm hoping for a DVD release with subtitles, like Wonderful Days and Oseam had. Or who knows, if it turns out to actually be good maybe someone will license it R1.
jennwenn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-03, 00:21   Link #5
aliensquare
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Incheon
Age: 37
its on display with some of the best korean animes so that probably means empress chung might be good too. i dont need subbing for this keke

or just watch them in theaters
aliensquare is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-05, 22:46   Link #6
Sharkbark
Annoying Fangirl
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Age: 37
Send a message via AIM to Sharkbark
Hmm, I'd be interested in seeing this. Do you think anyone will fansub it?

In general it seems like Korean animation and comics are largely ignored by the anime community. Everyone assumes that because it's Korean it's inferior. I had to force my friend to watch "Wonderful Days," but afterwards he loved it. I think many of the Korean comics are better than Japanese ones also, but they are also ignored. I've only found one scanlations group that does Korean comics, and their work is somewhat... erm... poor quality =P . I won't mention any names though because I'm grateful to them for doing Korean comics at all.

Well, how do you all feel about this? Do you think it's true that many anime fans are ignoring Korean animation simply because it's not Japanese? There is definitely a tendency towards Japanese elitism amongst anime fans.
Sharkbark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-06, 01:21   Link #7
jennwenn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: good 'ole US of A
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharkbark
In general it seems like Korean animation and comics are largely ignored by the anime community. Everyone assumes that because it's Korean it's inferior. I had to force my friend to watch "Wonderful Days," but afterwards he loved it. I think many of the Korean comics are better than Japanese ones also, but they are also ignored. I've only found one scanlations group that does Korean comics, and their work is somewhat... erm... poor quality =P . I won't mention any names though because I'm grateful to them for doing Korean comics at all.

Well, how do you all feel about this? Do you think it's true that many anime fans are ignoring Korean animation simply because it's not Japanese? There is definitely a tendency towards Japanese elitism amongst anime fans.
Unfortunately, yes. Its partly the case that no one knows about Korean animation because of the language barrier, and partly a closed-mindedness of fans. Many anime fans will only see Japanese animation. They ignore (even insult) American, French, Korean, Chinese, whatever non-Japanese animation because its not "anime".

Korean animation, from what I've seen so far, does partly deserve its "copycat" status however. The first titles available in English were Armageddon and Red Hawk, and they are absolutely horrible. Even in Korea, animation is not really seen as an "adult" medium right now and the only stuff you will find are kiddy shows or independent arthouse animation shorts. There are very few examples of mature Korean animation for an older audience. Blue Seagull was the first "mature" Korean animation feature (and it looks like City Hunter!). Genres that are established in Japanese animation, like shoujo, are all but non-existent in Korea. Even hentai is not that big, though there are a few Korean titles. However, Japanese anime is doing well in Korea, so its only a matter of time till Koreans start making more good stuff.

When My Beautiful Girl Mari is released, the view of Korean animation as lacking storytelling power and maturity should change. Companies like ADV have already recognized Korean animation's up and coming status, and almost all the major manga companies release manwha now. (I also suspect that Korean titles are a lot cheaper than Japanese ones, and that's one of the real reasons its "up and coming".) Add Doggy Poo to the list of Korean animation available in English. Doggy Poo is a claymation feature. Its an incredibly cute story based on a Korean children's book. I recommend it!

Anyway, I don't think its just that fans deride Korean animation. Many just don't know about it. I don't know many manwha titles, but its not that I avoid them I just never hear about them. I bet there are great titles from studios elsewhere in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but I NEVER hear about them.

I've heard the Koreans do not like their animation to be called anime, but prefer "Korean animation". What's the Korean word for animation?


EDIT- I really doubt anyone will fansub Empress Chung. Anyway, I'd rather buy a Region 3 DVD with subtitles, if it gets good reveiws. Korean DVDs are dirt cheap. Annecy is next week. I hope someone posts reviews!

Last edited by jennwenn; 2004-06-06 at 01:33.
jennwenn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-12, 23:58   Link #8
jennwenn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: good 'ole US of A
So Annecy 2004 has come and gone, and Oseam has won Le Cristal for best feature! So glad I bought this Limited Edition. I think the film has its flaws, but was very moving. Another prize for Korean animation.

Last year's winner of Le Cristal was My Life as McDull, an animation from Hong Kong which I've also wanted to see. (My Beautiful Girl Mari won the Grand Prix at Annecy in 2002.)

Hmm, can't find any Empress Chung reviews yet! The suspense is killing me. Do the critics say yay or nay?
jennwenn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-13, 18:47   Link #9
green robotics
I AM A FEMALE OKAY?
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: your mum!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennwenn
I've heard the Koreans do not like their animation to be called anime, but prefer "Korean animation". What's the Korean word for animation?
I believe the Korean word for animation is also 'manhwa', but I don't know for sure. I haven't been brushing up on my Korean these days...

Anyway, as a Korean myself, I think that Korean comics/animation are often misunderstood. Most are endorsed in Korean pop culture, folkery, or just stereotypes in Korean society today. For instance, a spoiled rotten young Korean boy who'd rather eat Spam than kimchi is a huge laughing matter in Korea - In America, we'd just say "Huh?"

As for Empress Chung reviews; I've failed to find one myself.
green robotics is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-13, 19:04   Link #10
Za Paper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Quote:
Originally Posted by green robotics
I believe the Korean word for animation is also 'manhwa', but I don't know for sure. I haven't been brushing up on my Korean these days...

Anyway, as a Korean myself, I think that Korean comics/animation are often misunderstood. Most are endorsed in Korean pop culture, folkery, or just stereotypes in Korean society today. For instance, a spoiled rotten young Korean boy who'd rather eat Spam than kimchi is a huge laughing matter in Korea - In America, we'd just say "Huh?"

As for Empress Chung reviews; I've failed to find one myself.
"Manhwa" just refers to comics. Koreans just call it "animation" or "manhwa yungah".
Za Paper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2004-06-13, 19:56   Link #11
Slade xTekno
Tekkaman Blade!
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Bakersfield, CA, USA,
Age: 36
I wonder how many that posted here are Korean...
Can someone tell me how the term "manhwa" got coined? I don't think it's right, but it'll have to do.
My mom calls all my anime "manhwa." I believe it is used like the word "anime" in Japanese - as a term used to describe any time of animation.
Slade xTekno is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009-06-30, 09:06   Link #12
Sailor Matlac
Psychotic Nerd
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Quebec CIty
Empress Chung

Hi there,

Every year, I organize a small asian movies festival. And this year, I'm interested in screening a north-south korea movie this year.

I've been curious about an animated movie since a few months but information about it are scarce. It is Empress Chung, a korean animation movie by Nelson Shin. I'm not here to debate if it is "anime" or not, but to see if this movie found it's way among the fansubber community. When you try to find it, even a raw version, it's almost impossible. In an other hand, this movie surely found it's way in a translated version in western countries since it was screen in a few more or less obscure festivals in 2008.

If anybody has any infos, places where to get it, whatever you know!

Matt
6e Festival du film asiatique de Québec
www.festivalsfx.typepad.com
Sailor Matlac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009-06-30, 21:10   Link #13
orion
Waiting for more taiyuki!
 
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
You could contact the places in this list in the news section to see how they were able to get permission to screen this title and a screener copy.
__________________
orion is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 00:49.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
We use Silk.