Meenoi’s Yorizori

Kim Rieun: Is this Theater of the Absurd, 2022 style? If the main purpose of some forms of media is to hide the show business aspect and put on a show of truth, Meenoi’s Yorizori comes across as essentially a parody of the concept. As the host, Meenoi has her guests enter the room and goes through the process of choosing what to cook with them while badmouthing the guest within earshot, speaking frankly to them by adopting a socially inept persona and openly acknowledging the presence of product placements and the publicity reasons that bring her guests to the show in the first place. Similarly, the fact that there’s a teleprompter (complete with colorful language) isn’t kept hidden and laughter coming from the film crew is left in the final cut. The way everything about this talk show pulls back the curtain on what’s planned or artificial actually leads to funnier situations. The show also capitalizes on Meenoi’s standing as a woman in her 20s, whose style comes across as harmless no matter what she says or does. When guest Lee Dong Wook reveals he’s 40, for example, Meenoi blurts out, “That’s so old!” In another episode, she makes fun of Lee Jung Jae, who famously has trouble making conversation on talk shows. What makes the comedy work is that the audience is in on the joke: The show’s still funny because we know Meenoi isn’t really a rude person and doesn’t mean any harm to her guests.

It’s truly a sign of the times that a twentysomething woman can host a show and tell her guests what she thinks without having to filter herself. But what makes Meenoi such a good host is the way she can tease or bring comfort to her guests regardless of their age difference and still make it fun. In addition to her skills when it comes to hosting, Meenoi is also an adept musician and singer, which many people are surprised to learn because they tend to only consider her cute, friendly persona. Two years ago, she uploaded an audition video for Show Me the Money 9. In the video, which has over six million views, she performs a rap she wrote about how her cat has put on so much weight that she has to throw away some of the cat snacks she has at home. The song was intended to be a critique of the hip hop scene but became so popular that she later made it an official release. When I see Meenoi’s Yorizori now, I can’t help but think back to the way she acted back then. Are people able to properly accept Meenoi for who she is and her unique way of expressing herself? I laugh my head off watching Yorizori and find her incredibly captivating, but I keep asking myself that question.

Confidential Assignment 2: International

Im Sooyeon (CINE21 reporter): The most critical factor in determining a film’s success? Whether it can be summed up in one line so that people immediately understand what kind of movie it is. While the first film in the Confidential Assignment series placed a spotlight on detectives from both sides of the Korean peninsula working together, the latest entry, Confidential Assignment 2: International, adds American insight to the inter-Korean investigations. South Korean investigator Jin-tae (Yoo Hai Jin), North Korean detective Cheol-ryeong (Hyun Bin) and American FBI agent Jack (Daniel Henney) are out to nab Jang Myeong-jun (Jin Seongyu), a drug lord with a major hand in distribution from North Korea to the South and New York. Cheol-ryeong was a darker character in the previous film, but here joins in on the laughs, pushing the needle of this sequel further toward comedy overall. The movie is full of sequences to look forward to, like a chase scene set in SoHo, New York but filmed on set in Korea, barebones physical comedy using everyday objects and a thrilling climax set in a gondola lift attached to a tall building. Although it has its flaws, Confidential Assignment 2 works perfectly as a fun-filled action flick and succeeded where it set out to entertain audiences over the Chuseok holiday weekend.

“Hold the Girl” (Rina Sawayama)

Randy Suh (music writer): Sometimes, when I see an artist working on their craft, I look at them and think it’s their time to strike while the iron’s hot. For Rina Sawayama, I think, that time is now. A first-generation immigrant to the United Kingdom from Japan, the multitalented musician and model grew up admiring women considered icons of 21st-century pop music like Lady Gaga and Hikaru Utada, and is now a singer-songwriter whose impassioned messages aren’t limited by any genre, and, in 2022, is the icon of an era. Her new track “Hold the Girl” takes the challenge of caring about yourself and the struggle towards liberation and translates it all into a perfectly balanced, very fulfilling pop song. It’s even more emotional when paired with the song’s music video, which portrays a woman grappling through the wilderness alone. I remember how her previous album, SAWAYAMA, was released to unanimous praise but hardly received any awards. With her new album, though, things will be different. They have to be. She can’t be held back from the throne of pop stardom any longer.

Descriptive Feeling (Haery KIM)

Kim Gyeoul (writer): Some pieces of writing gently nudge the reader forward. When Haery KIM writes, her words are like a light breeze, guiding readers to movies and to their own writing. KIM, long a weekly film columnist, has now released a collection of her own written works, including articles from Haery KIM’s Film Diary. Fans of film and KIM’s delicately detailed writing style have had every reason to anticipate her new book. The way she leverages description rather than interpretation when writing about film shows her modesty as a writer and her sincerity as a columnist who never spoils a movie for those who haven’t seen it. She also shows herself to be a respectful friend of film—she just avoids waving her theories around in the reader’s face. Some might say KIM is overly cautious in her writing, but a close reading reveals such views hold no water. It’s easy to benefit from her reliable guidance while walking down the movie trail.