Mikeru On Korean Music Today

Comic books have always been a popular source of cinematic inspiration, and over the past few years such films have been enjoying unprecedented success on the silver screen, with the likes of The Dark Knight and Iron Man racking up incredible box office figures across the world. This has also long been the case with the Asian film industry, primarily in the case of Japan, with manga comics having provided a never-ending list of popular films and television series, both animated and live action. Indeed, the country has become famous for such adaptations, with recent hits such as Death Note receiving international releases. Even other Asian countries have used manga as source material, as in the case of the Hong Kong productions Initial D and Shamo, and from Korea the hit 200 Pounds Beauty and director Park Chan Wook's worldwide blockbuster Oldboy.


However, Japan is by no means the only Asian country with a thriving industry of comic book adaptations, and the last few years have seen an explosion in films and series based upon Korean comics, also known as manhwa. Certainly, the form has been taking over both television screens, through massive hits like Full House and Palace, and cinemas through such diverse productions as Tazza: The High Rollers, Duelist, and Apartment. As a result, manhwa artists such as Hur Young Man and Kang Pool have become widely recognized names in the worlds of film and television as well as print. With more high-profile manhwa adaptations on their way, their stock, and indeed that of other artists is only likely to rise yet further.