Hello, Schoolgirl

Hello, Schoolgirl

Theatrical poster
Hangul 순정만화
Hanja 純情漫畵
RR Sunjeong manhwa
MR Sunjŏng manhwa
Directed by Ryoo Jang-ha
Produced by Kim Soon-ho,
Jo Seong-woo,
Choi Yong-bae
Screenplay by Ryoo Jang-ha,
Lee Taek-kyeong,
Kang Kyoo-heon,
Yoon Taek-Geun,
Jeon Hyun-hee
Story by Kang Full (comic)
Starring Yoo Ji-tae
Lee Yeon-hee
Chae Jung-an
Kang-in
Choi Soo-young
Music by Choi Yong-rak
Cinematography Jo Sang-yoon
Editing by Moon In-dae
Studio Lets Films,
MNFC,
Cheong-a-ram
Distributed by CJ Entertainment
Release date(s) November 27, 2008 (2008-11-27) (South Korea)
Running time 113 minutes
Country South Korea
Language Korean
Admissions 740,379

Hello, Schoolgirl (Hangul: 순정만화; RR: Sunjeong Manhwa; literally "Romantic comic") is a 2008 South Korean film. Adapted from a popular webcomic by Kang Full, it is the second film directed by Ryoo Jang-ha. It stars Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Yeon-hee, Chae Jung-an, and Kang-in.

Contents

Plot

Kwon Yeon-woo (권연우) is a somewhat naive 30 year old low-level civil servant who works in a city hall branch office. After moving into a new apartment, he encounters a high school girl, Soo-young (수영), and sees her on his way to work every morning. She is a cheerful and eccentric 17 year-old who lives with her mother downstairs from him. Over time, the two begin to develop feelings for one another.

Meanwhile, 22 year old Kang Sook (강숙), has just started working at the branch office. He falls head over heels for 29 year old Kwon Ha-kyeong (권하경), a melancholy woman who wanders around taking pictures. She is still holding onto an old flame, and keeps looking for traces of that lost love every day. Kang Sook continues to woo her, regardless of her living in the past.

Can these two relationships ever lead to a happy ending?

Cast

Production

Hello Schoolgirl is the second feature film directed by Ryoo Jang-ha, following his 2004 debut Springtime.[1] The film is adapted from the first webcomic by Kang Full,[2] which was serialised on Daum and attracted a record-breaking 60 million page views and 500,000 visitor comments.[3] As with the comic, the story of the film revolves around two unconventional romances with a noticeable age disparity, though other details of the original serial were changed, such as setting the story in the summer as opposed to winter.[2] The script took two years to complete,[4] and filming commenced on 1 April 2008.[5]

Release

Hello, Schoolgirl was released in South Korea on 27 November 2008,[6] and topped the box office on its opening weekend with 309,065 admissions.[7] As of 21 December the film had received a total of 740,379 admissions.[6]

Critical response

Joon Soh of The Korea Times praised the film for retaining the essence of the comic despite deviations from the original story, saying, "Ryoo succeeds in capturing the tenderness of the online comic, which slowly comes to the surface as the relationships unfold. There is a rich, layered quality to the film, where each little decision or gesture leads to further meanings and possibilities"; however, it was also noted that "there are times when the movie aims too much for the conventionally beautiful, sacrificing the awkward, self-deprecating humor that drives much of Kangfull's works."[2]

References

  1. ^ Yi Ch'ang Ho. "YOO Ji-tae and LEE Yeon-hee in romantic film". Korean Film Council, 6 November 2008
  2. ^ a b c Joon Soh. "'Soonjeong' Stays True to Its Heart". The Korea Times, 4 December 2008
  3. ^ Yang Sung-jin. "Filmmakers eye hit with stories from other genres". HanCinema, 3 November 2008; originally published by The Korea Herald
  4. ^ "Comic artist Gang Do-young". KBS World, 5 March 2008
  5. ^ Yi Ch'ang Ho. "RYOO Jang-ha's comeback stars YOO Ji-tae and LEE Yeon-hee". HanCinema, 21 April 2008; originally published by the Korean Film Council
  6. ^ a b "Hello Schoolgirl (2008) - 순정만화". HanCinema
  7. ^ "Korean Box Office" (2008.11.28 ~ 2008.11.30). HanCinema

External links