Japanese filmmaker Shinji Aoyama, recently in Korea to attend the Seoul Independent Film Festival, has unusually strong opinions about the Korean Wave. Aoyama visited Korea on Dec. 9 to participate in the Shinji Aoyama Specials, one of events of the Seoul Independent Film Festival, where he opened up in an interview with CineSeoul about his discomfort with the Korean pop culture fad that is sweeping Japan.
"I really want to say this", the director said, clearly exasperated. "To me, Japanese women who flock to see Yonsama (Korean actor Bae Yong-joon) are repulsive. When I see something so repulsive, whoever they are carrying on about, it makes me feel profoundly sick".
The director was accompanied by his wife who, as it happens, is an admired performer in Japan. Maho Toyota, too, would like a little less of the Korean fare. "As an actress, I feel like the presence of Korean actors on Japanese television is excessive", she said. "It would be good if all stars could perform freely on the Asian scene regardless of their nationalities. It's a pity that the current tide is leaning too much toward one particular phenomenon".
She said she was concerned how long it will last. "I hope this leads to the development of a unified scene where Asian people can exchange their cultures and share them, I hope that Koreans will feel the same way".
Aoyama's remarks carry weight given his reputation as an intellectual; indeed, a significant proportion of Japanese people feel the same way.
One of the leading filmmakers in his home country, Aoyama's work "Eureka" was honored at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. He has developed his unique style in works like "Lakeside Murder Case", "Helpless" and "Desert Moon", striking a cord with his realistic depiction of emotional desolation in the country and the violence inherent in human beings.
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