Ellie Loethen

Yosei GSIS Newsletter, Editor

One of my all time favorite movies is kind of a weird one. The plot is vaguely supernatural but still holds onto realism as much as it can, while delivering one of the most devastating, tear-jerking plots I have ever seen. It is not always easy for a film to make me cry. I don’t know why, but the list of films that have successfully brought me to tears is quite short. However, this film is on the very top of that list with several stars and question marks next to it.  

The 2012 film A Werewolf Boy stars Song Joongki, Park Boyoung, and Yoo Yeonseok and is set in the countryside in the mid-1960s. Sun-yi’s (Park Boyoung) family moves there after a doctor gives them advice that moving away from the city would be better for Sun-yi’s health. They live at the mercy of their landlord, Ji-tae (Yoo Yeonseok), who takes a liking to Sunyi. However, one day Sunyi’s family discovers a feral boy in their yard who cannot speak or read and acts like a dog. Despite his weird behavior, the family takes him in and names him Chulsoo (Song Joongki).  Sunyi dislikes him at first, but then after reading a dog training manual is able to slowly train him to act normally. She even teaches him to read, write, and speak. Ji-tae is so jealous of Chulsoo and ultimately causes problems as he tries to get closer to Sun-yi. 

The film is an absolutely heartbreaking story about friendship, loyalty, and unwavering love. Chulsoo’s fierce loyalty to Sunyi is put to the test and questioned by everyone around them, but it transcends time and all of the challenges put to them. The ending, which I won’t spoil for you if you haven’t seen it, is bittersweet and melancholy.Song Joongki’s performance is truly remarkable and this is one of my favorite performances of Park Boyoung.  

Speaking of melancholy, I am what you would call a “fan” of the actor Byeon Wooseok and, in fact, I am doing an excellent job of being normal about it.  That being said, another heart wrenching film is the 2023 Soulmate starring Kim Dami, Jeon Sonee, and Byeon Wooseok. It follows the friendship of two women Miso (Kim Dami) and Haeun (Jeon Sonee) as they navigate high school, youth, and early adulthood together. Both girls have a complicated relationship with Haeun’s crush, Jinwoo (Byeon Wooseok), where Haeun thinks that he and Miso like one another. However, Haeun and Jinwoo continue to have a romantic relationship until she leaves him at the altar before their wedding. Haeun has their child in secret and then, as far as Jinwoo knows, vanishes into thin air. Miso raises their child as her own while she copes with the disappearance of her best friend.  

This story is about friendship, love, and a bit about motherhood. While the relationships between the leads are about as simple as the Sunday crossword, the women clearly have immense love for one another.  

While I can’t tell you for certain if either film has a happy ending, both films remind us to not take the people we love for granted. When we care about someone, we have to spend time with them and tell them how we feel. You never know what could happen tomorrow. Stay tuned for next month’s recommendations!