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The headlines read, movie “Yupgi Girl” draws an audience of 4 million! The heroine of this movie is different from other heroines. Although there are many exceptional heroines in cult movies and artistic films today, the heroines don’t always appeal to their audiences.
With ticket sales down, I decided to focus on the more popular movies in this article. Unique heroines, in hit movies, that also get favorable reviews seemed my best choice. And what about the relationship between social circumstances and successful movies? Do you think that plays a part in the making of a good movie? Read on!
1. “SHREK”
In this movie, a very undesirable hero named “SHREK” is featured along with an unique heroine pricess “Piona” who resorts to violence and the breaking of fixed ideas. In the past, many movies, especially animated films, featured beautiful and sweet girls and boys as the heroes.
The fairytale story, Snow White, or Ariel, the lovely mermaid princess are two good examples. The beauty of these stars seems to play an important role in the success of these movies. But, in the movie, “SHREK”, a liberal and plain woman was chosen as the heroine. This casting upsets the belief that animated films must have beauty as part of the fantasy. “SHREK” received favorable reviews and also had great box-office success throughout the world.
In Korea, “SHREK” even broke the record of “The Lion King.” It drew an audience of over 929 thousand. How can this affair occur? This movie attempted to relate a trend that was able to interpret a juvenile story in new point of view.
2. “Yupgi Girl”
There is a real yupgi heroine in “Yupgi Girl”. She is characterized as tough and violent. If such a character showed up in a movie five or six years ago, audiences would have felt disgusted. Nowadays, “yupgi” is quite the rage. This movie is popular especially among the N-generation.
The N-generation also prefers the neuter gender. But I wonder if there was not “Chun Ji-hyeon”, the beautiful star in the movie, would it have been such a great success? Movies reflect the trend of the times. In both movies, especially “SHREK”, a fresh idea is presented. The idea that beauty is not the most important point in a person.
In the Korean movie “My Wife is a Gangster, (which will be released soon), the heroine, (Shin Eun-kyeong) is a very violent gangster. This is the first time Korea has featured a female gangster as the heroine in a movie. I know you will be anxious for its release!!
The UOS Times
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