BABO
Encyclopedia
BA:BO is a 2008
South Korean
film. Based on a popular webcomic
, the film was directed by Kim Jeong-kwon, and stars Cha Tae-hyun
and Ha Ji-won
in the lead roles.
who has been studying and playing abroad for years, but her career takes a blow when she is struck with stage fright
. Returning home, Ji-ho is reunited with her old school friend, Seung-ryong, who, although now in his twenties, has been left with the mind of a six year old following an accident.
Seung-ryong's only family is his younger sister, Ji-in, and he takes care of her by trying to sell toast outside her school, much to her embarrassment. Ji-in later becomes ill, and Seung-ryong's other friend, Sang-soo, falls into trouble with some gangsters. With all of his friends and family facing problems, Seung-ryong becomes an unlikely saviour.
, which ran from January to April 2004. Director Kim Jeong-kwon, himself a fan of the comic, was approached directly by Kang, and described the film as being faithful to the source material.
on February 28, 2008, and was ranked third at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing $
2,302,058. By April 6 the film had grossed a total of $6,377,089, and as of March 23 the total number of tickets sold was 951,573.
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
South Korean
Cinema of Korea
Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North and South Korea. As with all aspects of Korean life during the past century, the film industry has often been at the mercy of political events, from the late Joseon dynasty to the Korean War to domestic governmental interference...
film. Based on a popular 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....
, the film was directed by Kim Jeong-kwon, and stars Cha Tae-hyun
Cha Tae-hyun
Cha Tae-Hyun is a South Korean movie star, television actor, and singer. He started his acting career in a 1995 KBS television drama. He appeared in his first movie, Hallelujah, in 1997, also making his debut as a singer in 2001...
and Ha Ji-won
Ha Ji-won
Ha Ji-won was born Jeon Hae-rim on 28 June 1978. She is a South Korean actress. She is also the Grand Prize winner of 2006 KBS Acting Awards for her performance in TV drama Hwang Jin-i.- Career :...
in the lead roles.
Plot
Ji-ho is a promising pianistPianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
who has been studying and playing abroad for years, but her career takes a blow when she is struck with stage fright
Stage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
. Returning home, Ji-ho is reunited with her old school friend, Seung-ryong, who, although now in his twenties, has been left with the mind of a six year old following an accident.
Seung-ryong's only family is his younger sister, Ji-in, and he takes care of her by trying to sell toast outside her school, much to her embarrassment. Ji-in later becomes ill, and Seung-ryong's other friend, Sang-soo, falls into trouble with some gangsters. With all of his friends and family facing problems, Seung-ryong becomes an unlikely saviour.
Background
BA:BO was adapted from a popular webcomic of the same name created by Kang FullKang 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 ran from January to April 2004. Director Kim Jeong-kwon, himself a fan of the comic, was approached directly by Kang, and described the film as being faithful to the source material.
Cast
- Cha Tae-hyunCha Tae-hyunCha Tae-Hyun is a South Korean movie star, television actor, and singer. He started his acting career in a 1995 KBS television drama. He appeared in his first movie, Hallelujah, in 1997, also making his debut as a singer in 2001...
as Seung-ryong. A fan of the original comic, Cha stated at a press conference that he "cried [his] eyes out" when reading it. Rather than draw his inspiration from mentally challenged people in reality or as portrayed in other media, he felt it necessary to play the character as written in the comic. Cha gained eight kilogrammes during production, and was unable to lose all of that weight for his wedding in 2006. - Ha Ji-wonHa Ji-wonHa Ji-won was born Jeon Hae-rim on 28 June 1978. She is a South Korean actress. She is also the Grand Prize winner of 2006 KBS Acting Awards for her performance in TV drama Hwang Jin-i.- Career :...
as Ji-ho. Playing the role of a frustrated pianist, Ha performed on the piano herself for the film. Although she had studied piano as a child, she received tutoring from singer/songwriter No Young-shim, who also taught her subtle gestures and postures. - Park Hee-soon as Sang-soo.
- Park Ha-sun as Ji-in.
- Park Grina as Hee-yeong.
- Seo Dae-han as young Seung-ryong.
- Jeon Mi-seonJeon Mi-seonJeon Mi-seon is a South Korean actress. She appeared in movies such as Memories of Murder and Bungee Jumping of Their Own.- Filmography :*Bungee Jumping of Their Own *Memories of Murder *A Wacky Switch...
as young Seung-ryong's mother. - Lee Ki-young as "Small Star" president.
- Lee Sang-hoon as junk seller.
- Choi SulliSulli ChoiChoi Sulli , is a Korean actress, singer, dancer, and MC. She made her debut as a child actress in 2005...
as young Ji-ho.
Box office
BA:BO 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 February 28, 2008, and was ranked third at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,302,058. By April 6 the film had grossed a total of $6,377,089, and as of March 23 the total number of tickets sold was 951,573.
External links
- BA:BO at HanCinema
- IMDb entry