Winter Sonata

[bhchao]

Here is an interesting story about Winter Sonata, Bae Yong Joon, and Japanese attraction to Korean culture.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=47&u=/usatoday/20041210/ts_usatoday/koreasromanticheroholdsjapaninthrall

" ...The hottest items in Japan these days are the baby-faced Bae, 32; Winter Sonata, the melodramatic South Korean TV miniseries that made Bae a star; and South Korea itself. Middle-age Japanese women suddenly are embracing all things Korean. They're trading recipes for kimchi (fermented vegetables, usually cabbage), enjoying a renaissance in Korean films, studying the Korean language and taking excursions to South Korea in record numbers. The Japanese television network NHK says the audience for its Korean-language instruction programs has doubled.

... When Bae visited Tokyo late last month, he was met at Narita International Airport by 3,500 fans, 10 of whom were injured in the resulting melee; 350 riot police were on hand to restore order. Japanese media stalked him in helicopters during his riotous 41/2-day tour. When he returned to Seoul, some Japanese fans were waiting there, having flown 1,000 miles across the sea to beat him home."

Is Winter Sonata really that good or is it just hype?

[skylee]

Is Winter Sonata really that good or is it just hype?

It is that good.

http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2878&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=2

http://www.chinese-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1269&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=19

[tokyo_girl]

In Japan he is called Yong sama （様）

Very respectful form of address.

I haven't watched it

[bhchao]

Very moving and well written article here:

http://www.koreanfilm.org/tvdramas/wintersonata.html

[bhchao]

Forgot about the topics you posted on Korean films, Skylee. Thanks for the links. It gets hectic sometimes on this forum

By the way, I am one-quarter Korean, which explains my interest in "Korean" topics.

Nice avatar. Miss the old one though