Hello Schoolgirl
Encyclopedia
Hello, Schoolgirl 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
.
Meanwhile, Kang Sook who is 22, has just started working at the district office. He falls head over heels for older woman Kwon Ha-kyeong , a 29 year-old melancholy woman who wanders around taking pictures. Ha-kyeong is still holding onto an old flame, and keeps on looking for traces of that 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?
. The film is adapted from the first webcomic
by Kang Full
, which was serialised on Daum and attracted a record-breaking 60 million page views and 500,000 visitor comments. 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. The script took two years to complete, and filming commenced on 1 April 2008.
on 27 November 2008, and topped the box office on its opening weekend with 309,065 admissions. As of 21 December the film had received a total of 740,379 admissions.
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."
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
by Kang Full
Kang Full
Kang Full is the pen name of Kang Do-young , a South Korean webcomic artist.Regarded as a first generation webcomic artist, Kang had no formal teaching in either writing or drawing comics...
, it is the second film directed by Ryoo Jang-ha. It stars Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Yeon-hee
Lee Yeon-hee
Lee Yeon-hee is a South Korean actress and model under record label and talent agency, S.M. Entertainment. She made her first appearance in Moon Heejun's music video, "ALONE" in 2001 and officially debuted in the Korean television drama, Sea God as young Junghwa in 2004...
, Chae Jung-an, and Kang-in
Kang-In
Kim Young-woon , better known by his stage name Kangin, is a South Korean idol singer, actor, MC, presenter, and a member of the super boy band Super Junior. His name 'Kangin' , meaning strong benevolence, was given to him to complement his personality. Currently, Kangin will not be joining Super...
.
Plot
Kwon Yeon-woo is a somewhat naive 30 year old low-level civil servant who works in a district office. After moving into a new apartment, he begins to encounter a high school girl, Soo-young , on his way to work every morning. She is a cheerful and eccentric 18 year-old who lives with her mother downstairs from him. Over time the two begin to develop feelings for one another.Meanwhile, Kang Sook who is 22, has just started working at the district office. He falls head over heels for older woman Kwon Ha-kyeong , a 29 year-old melancholy woman who wanders around taking pictures. Ha-kyeong is still holding onto an old flame, and keeps on looking for traces of that 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
- Lee Yeon-heeLee Yeon-heeLee Yeon-hee is a South Korean actress and model under record label and talent agency, S.M. Entertainment. She made her first appearance in Moon Heejun's music video, "ALONE" in 2001 and officially debuted in the Korean television drama, Sea God as young Junghwa in 2004...
as Han Soo-young, the schoolgirl - Yoo Ji-tae as Kwon Yeon-woo, the older man
- Kang-inKang-InKim Young-woon , better known by his stage name Kangin, is a South Korean idol singer, actor, MC, presenter, and a member of the super boy band Super Junior. His name 'Kangin' , meaning strong benevolence, was given to him to complement his personality. Currently, Kangin will not be joining Super...
as Kang Sook, the recent graduate - Chae Jung-an as Kwon Ha-kyeong, the older woman
- Choi Soo-young as Jeong Da-jeong, Soo-young's friend
- Nah Yeong-hee as Soo-young's mother
- Shin Choon-sik as Laundromat father
- Lee Joo-sil as Laundromat mother
- Kang FullKang FullKang Full is the pen name of Kang Do-young , a South Korean webcomic artist.Regarded as a first generation webcomic artist, Kang had no formal teaching in either writing or drawing comics...
(author of the comic) as Umbrella shop man (cameo)
Production
Hello Schoolgirl is the second feature film directed by Ryoo Jang-ha, following his 2004 debut SpringtimeSpringtime (2004 film)
When Spring Comes is a 2004 South Korean film starring Choi Min-sik as a struggling musician who takes a job as a music teacher in a rural mining town outside of Seoul....
. The film is adapted from the first webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
by Kang Full
Kang Full
Kang Full is the pen name of Kang Do-young , a South Korean webcomic artist.Regarded as a first generation webcomic artist, Kang had no formal teaching in either writing or drawing comics...
, which was serialised on Daum and attracted a record-breaking 60 million page views and 500,000 visitor comments. 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. The script took two years to complete, and filming commenced on 1 April 2008.
Release
Hello, Schoolgirl was released in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on 27 November 2008, and topped the box office on its opening weekend with 309,065 admissions. As of 21 December the film had received a total of 740,379 admissions.
Critical response
Joon Soh of The Korea TimesThe Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
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."