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Chinese period movies, in particular action epics, is the genre of choice among YesAsia's best-selling movies of 2011. Hong Kong period action films take up a good half of the top ten ranking, and superstars Andy Lau and Donnie Yen headline the top four spots with two movies each. Korean action also made a strong showing, with Kim Jee Woon being the only director to appear twice in the top ten. BEST-SELLING MOVIES OF 2011 1. Shaolin (Hong Kong/China) One of the highest-grossing Chinese films of 2011, Benny Chan's martial arts epic also captivated action fans around the world with its mix of explosive action scenes, splendid martial arts choreography, and deep spirituality. 2. Wu Xia (Hong... [read more]
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Korean dramas lead the pack for YesAsia's best-selling television dramas in 2011, and the top seller is a very familiar title for K-Drama fans. With precious few Mandarin and Japanese television series seeing English-subtitled releases, Korean and Hong Kong dramas easily dominated television sales on YesAsia's US Site. BEST-SELLING TV DRAMAS OF 2011 1. You're Beautiful (Korea) Even two years after its broadcast, the popularity of You're Beautiful is still going strong enough to top our bestsellers ranking. The fan-favorite idol drama spawned a Japanese remake in 2011, not to mention a slew of Pig Rabbit products and Jang Keun Suk fan meetings. 2. Dream High (Korea) K-Drama meets K-pop in... [read more]
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The power of the Korean Wave in the Japanese music world could clearly be felt in 2011, as Girls' Generation, SHINee, TVXQ, and other popular Korean artists dominated the music charts. Johnny's artists like Arashi and KAT-TUN nevertheless remained big favorites among J-pop fans, while Hamasaki Ayumi continued her reign as the most popular solo female artist. Check out the charts below to see if your favorites made the list! BEST-SELLING J-POP RELEASES OF 2011 BEST-SELLING J-POP ALBUMS 1. Girls' Generation GIRLS' GENERATION 2. Arashi BEAUTIFUL WORLD 3. Dong Bang Shin Ki TONE 4. SHINee THE FIRST 5. Yamashita Tomohisa SUPERGOOD SUPERBAD 6. Hamasaki Ayumi FIVE 7. YUI HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE 8. Amuro... [read more]
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Korean music sales in 2011 can be summarized with two words: Girls' Generation. The super girl group topped both YesAsia's K-pop album and DVD bestsellers in 2011, while male groups occupied the rest of the charts. JYJ and Super Junior both rank in twice on album bestsellers, and Big Bang members alone managed to take three of the top ten spots on both the album and DVD charts. Sales of all editions (including repackages) and versions (Korea, Taiwan, Japan, etc.) of the same album in 2011 are summed together for the bestseller ranking. This means, for example, that Mr. Simple and A-CHA sales are counted together as Super Junior's fifth album, while non-repackage follow-ups, like Big Bang's... [read more]
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Are Korean artists taking over C-pop, too? Not yet, but Super Junior's Mandarin sub-unit did exhibit tremendous drawing power on the album sales chart, ascending to the throne with their sophomore album Perfection. Other than Super Junior M, the charts don't offer many surprises, as the most bankable artists are the usual suspects. Jay Chou is still the champion, with his two recent albums taking #2 and #4, and his The Era World Tour claiming the top spot for concerts. Show Luo, Rainie Yang, and Raymond Lam also cracked the top 10 on both charts. Under the dominance of Mandarin music, the highest-placed Canto-pop album comes from Eason Chan at #9, but the concerts of veterans like Andy Lau,... [read more]
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We close out our year-end picks with the most contentious of them all: the music! Many, many music releases came out in Asia this year, but only a select few can make the final cut. Here are YumCha! Editorial Team's picks for the Best Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Albums of 2011! BEST CHINESE ALBUMS A-mei Chang - R U Watching? A-mei was a big hit with critics last year with her Amit rock experiment. This year, the Taiwan superdiva returns to her original self, and offers a more intimate album that feels closer to the listener. Instead of booming ballads, she takes a gentler route with beautiful, back-to-basics ballads like "What Time Is It Already?", "My Dearest", and "One Person's Words".... [read more]
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When we're not writing, we watch movies. Out of the many Asian movies that were released this year on video, here's what our editors have picked as the Best Movies of 2011! ROCKMAN'S PICKS Chonmage Purin (Japan) This offbeat time-traveling comedy stars Johnny's pop star Nishikido Ryo as a samurai who travels to the present and becomes a pastry chef. As strange as the concept sounds, Nakamura Yoshihiro (Fish Story) miraculously makes it work. With this and the Kaibutsu-kun film, Nakamura seems to have become the new go-to director for films starring Johnny's stars. As long as he keeps making them this funny and sweet (both literally and figuratively, in this case), it doesn't matter one bit.... [read more]
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The year is almost over, which means it's time to start making a list and checking it twice. The YumCha! Editorial Team kicks off our 2011 year-end listamania with our picks for the Best Asian TV Dramas aired in 2011. Apparently, we watch too much TV. BEST KOREAN DRAMAS Can You Hear My Heart (MBC) The year wouldn't feel complete without an addictive Korean ultra-melodrama, and this year we give the honor to Can You Hear My Heart. This drama has it all: evil parents, tragic deaths, birth secrets, changed identities, revenge schemes, brother falling in love with stepsister, corporate treachery, and three major characters with disabilities. Three! Yet, through all the soap opera backstory, it... [read more]
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The last decade has seen a colorful and extremely bloody explosion in Japanese gore cinema, with a new wave of splatter serving up all manner of bizarre and gruesome treats, combining horror with insane comedy, action, and even twisted romance. Although Japan has always had a reputation amongst cult and exploitation fans for over-the-top madness, these new films have managed something approaching mainstream success, carving out a real niche on both the domestic and international scenes. This has been seen in the widespread domination achieved by the likes of The Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police, with directors and special effects experts Iguchi Noboru and Nishimura Yoshihiro rapidly... [read more]
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Jackie Chan really needs no introduction. As one of the biggest and most instantly recognizable stars not only from Asia, but arguably anywhere in the world, his career has spanned almost fifty years and has seen him starring in, directing, producing and writing well over a hundred films, not to mention providing some of the most breathtaking and daring stunts in cinema history. Immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars, Chan has found success in the East and West in both critical and commercial terms, topping the box office on numerous occasions and winning a multitude of awards. The reasons behind Chan's phenomenal success are obvious, with the actor... [read more]
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Few filmmakers personify modern Korean commercial cinema quite like Kang Woo Suk. Frequently noted as one of the most powerful men in the nation's film industry (topping Cine21 magazine's "50 Most Powerful Men in Korean Cinema" list from 1998 to 2004), Kang has undoubtedly played a vital role in shaping Korean cinema, not just as the helmer of some of the biggest blockbusters of the last two decades, but perhaps more importantly through his role as producer and financer. Indeed, despite not being particularly well known internationally and having directed a relatively modest 19 films to date, his influence can clearly be seen in the fact that he has been responsible for investing in or... [read more]
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Summer is the prime season for big blockbuster releases, but it's also ripe inspiration for smaller movies about puppy love, youth adventures, and that summer way back when. We've picked ten of our favorite sun-soaked movies for the summer, plus one extra for kicks. Do any of these stories sound like your summer? 1. Catch a Wave (2006) Japan's first surfing movie Catch a Wave is what summer is all about - beach, sunshine, and hanging out with annoying friends. Beautiful blue skies and ocean waves are never too far away in this youth crowd-pleaser about three 16-year-old boys who dedicate their summer to living on the beach and learning how to surf. Miura Haruma fills the teen heartthrob... [read more]
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Rather than being just another commercial director making commercial-like films, Nakashima Tetsuya has proven himself to be a leader in the evolution of that trend. At a time when feature films by commercial directors are criticized for emphasizing style over substance, Nakashima - as writer and director on all of his own films - blends powerful themes with an equally strong eye for colorful visuals, creating works that are both thought-provoking and visually appealing. With just six feature films under his belt, Nakashima has injected a strong shot of adrenaline in the Japanese film industry, making him one of the most dynamic contemporary Japanese directors working today. Nakashima Tetsuya... [read more]
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Although many actors in Asia and the West have tried their hand at directing, few have met with such acclaim and success as Jiang Wen. Known as part of the Sixth Generation of Chinese directors after stepping behind the camera for the first time in 1994, Jiang is also one of the country's most beloved and acclaimed actors, having starred in a variety of hit television series and films. Although in the past more associated with the arthouse end of the market and with the cinema of social criticism, he has of late moved somewhat into the mainstream, taking on stately roles and helming the massively successful action comedy western Let the Bullets Fly. At the same time, Jiang has continued to... [read more]
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Jia Zhangke doesn't break box office records with every release like Feng Xiaogang, or create star-studded spectacles like Zhang Yimou, but he has over the last decade emerged as one of China's most important filmmakers. Though recognition at home is a more recent development, Jia's name has carried great weight in world cinema since he burst onto the festival scene in 1997 with Xiao Wu. A regular presence at the major international film festivals, he won the Golden Lion at the 2006 Venice Film Festival for Still Life. As the most prominent figure among the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, Jia has garnered widespread acclaim for his festival darling films exploring the lives... [read more]
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Everyone's making year-end movie lists, and YumCha! Editorial Team is joining the fun. Out of the many Asian movies released this year on video (hopefully with English subtitles), here's what our editors have picked as the Best Movies of 2010! KOZO'S PICKS About Her Brother (Japan) Familiar, maudlin and also predictable, About Her Brother is nonetheless special due to director Yamada Yoji's sublime handling. Japan's modern master of the melodrama, Yamada wastes neither action nor words - nor does he pile on too much of either. Affecting and emotional simply because it rings so true. Acting is top-notch, as one might expect from this cast. Au Revoir, Taipei (Taiwan) Remember when movies were... [read more]
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It's a tough job, but someone had to do it. Out of the many, many music releases that came out in 2010, here are YumCha! Editorial Team's picks for the Best Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Albums of 2010! BEST KOREAN ALBUMS 2AM - 2AM Mini Album Just a few years ago, mid-tempo ballads ruled the K-pop charts. Times have shifted towards dance pop, but it's 2AM that owns the arguably biggest single of the year, "Can't Let You Go Even If I Die", a traditional ballad free of auto-tune and busy arrangements. At the same time, the album also successfully incorporates electronic and hip-hop into uptempo, urban ballads like "To Her" and follow-up single "I Was Wrong" without losing the group's original... [read more]
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The Chinese title of Atari Kousuke's new album includes the subtitle "Voice like a Musical Instrument". It's not an easy declaration to live up to, but the Japanese artist is indeed one of the most unique and memorable voices in Asian pop. Born on Amami Island, located in southwestern Japan near Okinawa, Atari Kousuke has become one of the most famous representatives of Amami's folk music tradition of shima-uta, or "island songs". Applying the shima-uta vocal techniques of octave leaps, register breaks, and high-pitched vibrato to popular music, he has brought the traditional musical style to a wider audience in not only Japan but around Asia, particularly Chinese-speaking regions. Atari was... [read more]
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Ever since the heady genre days of the late 1980s, Hong Kong cinema has been known for, and indeed for many viewers around the world defined by, its iconic action directors. With the legendary John Woo, responsible for countless classics of the form including A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hardboiled, having returned from Hollywood to focus on Mainland China historical epics, there has for some years now been a vacancy for a new master of explosive thrills. For many critics and fans, Dante Lam may well be the man to sit on the throne and to take the crown from Woo, having directed several of the genre's very best outings of recent years, including his 2010 hits Fire of Conscience and The... [read more]
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Although many Hong Kong actors are known for being hard working and flexible, appearing in countless films and jumping between genres at will, few can claim to have put in quite as much effort as Daniel Wu. From his debut back in 1998, his star has rapidly risen as he worked his way up to become one of the industry's most popular leading men - no mean feat, given that Wu is American-born, and not a native Cantonese speaker. Despite being labeled by some as nothing more than a glowering pretty boy for much of his career, he has slowly but surely collected a respectable number of acting awards, as well as extending his talents behind the camera. This success has allowed Wu to make increasingly... [read more]
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