Disaster brings out the worst instincts of residents of the only tower block to survive apocalypse in Um Tae-hwa’s housing crisis satire.
Dec 8, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this
Concrete Utopia 콘크리트 유토피아 (2023) Director: Um Tae-hwa [Chicago International Film Festival 2023]
Concrete Utopia 콘크리트 유토피아 (2023), directed by Um Tae-hwa, is a disaster movie that marries together an apocalyptic earthquake and the dog-eat-dog world of home ownership in Korea. [Chicago…
INGtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls (잉투기, Um Tae-hwa, 2013)
A keyboard warrior enters a masculinity crisis after being ambushed in real life and taking a beating from an online rival in Um Tae-hwa’s graduation film.
Mimang (미망, Kim Tae-yang, 2023)
A man and woman wander without direction in a confusing city in Kim Tae-yang’s meandering drama.
The Moon (더 문, Kim Yong-hwa, 2023)
Geopolitical tensions are sparked when a Korean astronaut is marooned in space in Kim Yong-hwa’s futuristic science drama.
Project Silence (탈출: 프로젝트 사일런스, Kim Tae-gon, 2023)
“It’s a nation’s duty to protect its citizens wherever they are,” according to a more earnest politician, though Blue House security advisor Jung-won (Lee Sun-kyun) counters him that…
Concrete Revolutio: A Look at Heroism
At this moment, I don’t think any of you would be surprised to hear that my brain has two different sides on how I feel like I can…
5 Reasons To Watch: Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight
Manabi Straight usually looks as bouncy and fun as you'd expect of a slice-of-life comedy, but it also taps into more emotional material.
um-hum lulls you into Plastic L(ove)
Thinking to turn it down a notch this Thursday before we fling ourselves into Aloha Friday and whatever wild adventures the weekend has in store for us, I…
Concrete Revolutio – Too Much of a Good Thing
I don't think I've ever watched an anime with as much going on as Concrete Revolutio. That's not a typo, it's Revolutio.
In Defense Of... The LEGENDARY Tae Yamada
Throughout the story of Zombieland Saga, one member of Franchouchou stands as a beacon of self-confidence, passion and power. Let's talk about how Mappa portrayed disability in the…
A Very GLORIO 2024: Franchises – The Ever Distant Utopia
I wish the world didn’t have to be this way, but if big franchises are the only way the creators I like can get any work, then so…
Um... Excuse Me But Girls Can Like Ecchi Too
I'm female, but I'm no feminist. OK that's not technically true. I believe in equality between the sexes and that women and men shouldn't be discriminated against purely…
Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts, Mitsudomoe, Naruto, Nodame Cantabile, Sailor Moon
A Very GLORIO 2024: Franchises – The Ever Distant Utopia
I wish the world didn’t have to be this way, but if big franchises are the only way the creators I like can get any work, then so…
Chaotically Queer Podcast Ep. 17 - "Concrete Roads, Letsah Go!"
First Podcast of 2025 and it's got a lot of new things as well as some old stuff in the pipeline! Today the trio talk about Whisper of the…
February 2026 Manga/hwa/hua, Light Novel, & Book Releases
Here are the February 2026 manga, manhwa, manhua, light novel, and book releases from 14+ publishers, such as Yen Press, Seven Seas Entertainment, VIZ Media, Kodansha, Square Enix…
March 2026 Manga/hwa/hua, Light Novel, & Book Releases
Here are the March 2026 manga, manhwa, manhua, light novel, and book releases from 14+ publishers, such as Yen Press, Seven Seas Entertainment, VIZ Media, Kodansha, Square Enix…
Zombieland Saga: Revenge – 06 – Tae-Tae’s Big Adventure
Ookoba Shinta needs a big scoop to maintain his sanity in Saga, and he can’t quite take his eyes of the group of lookalikes of deceased famous people…
The 8th Night (제8일의 밤, Kim Tae-hyoung, 2021)
Hell is a place on Earth in Kim Tae-hyoung’s eerie supernatural thriller.
Awoke (복지식당, Jung Jae-ik & Seo Tae-soo, 2020)
Disabled after a car accident, a 30-something man finds himself trapped in a kafkaesque battle for recognition after being incorrectly assessed in Jung & Seo’s impassioned drama
BaronJ Believes in Tae Takemi Supremacy (Persona Part 4)
Help I am trapped in the YouTube algorithm, you can free me by liking the stream and sharing it around, as well as subscribing to see whenever I…
BaronJ Believes in Tae Takemi Supremacy (Persona Part 4)
Help I am trapped in the YouTube algorithm, you can free me by liking the stream and sharing it around, as well as subscribing to see whenever I…
A Swordsman in the Twilight (황혼의 검객, Jeong Chang-hwa, 1967)
A wronged swordsman vies for revenge against a corrupt courtier and compromised regime in Jeong Chang-hwa’s elegantly lensed swordplay drama
King Boxer (天下第一拳, Jeong Chang-hwa, 1972)
An earnest martial arts student squares off against a corrupt rival school in Jeong Chang-hwa’s seminal kung fu drama.
Or Utopia, KY Rock!, Taiyo ga shoppai, Expelled from Paradise, Japanese Film Trailers
Or Utopia, KY Rock!, Taiyo ga shoppai, Expelled from Paradise, Japanese Film Trailers
Impressions: The end of 91 Days has brought a Concrete Revolutio to Dororo
I’ve been under the weather for the last couple days, so I’ve been doing what any right-thinking anime fan should do — I’ve been watching anime. Specifically, I’ve…
Memento Mori (여고괴담 두번째 이야기, Kim Tae-yong & Min Kyu-dong, 1999)
Internalised shame leads to tragic, unforeseen consequences in Kim Tae-yong & Min Kyu-dong landmark South Korean horror
I Don’t Fire Myself (나는 나를 해고하지 않는다, Lee Tae-gyeom, 2020)
A young office worker unfairly transferred to the sticks finds unexpected solidarity with a local labourer in Lee Tae-gyeom’s impassioned workplace drama
The Cabbie (運転手之戀, Chen Yi-wen & Chang Hwa-kun, 2000)
The crazy freewheeling life of a lovestruck taxi driver eventually takes a turn for the contemplative in Chen Yi-wen & Chang Hwa-kun’s infinitely charming comedy.
WELL. That, uh…..That Was, um…..THAT WAS QUICK. My Hero Academia Chapter 297 BREAKDOWN, I guess…….
Um…….Yeah! Yeah, the Tartarus Prison break arc we were expecting turned out to be less of an “arc” and more like “an eventful chapter.” Because I have to…
Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On (태일이, Hong Jun-pyo, 2021) [Fantasia 2022]
Hong Jun-pyo’s animated biopic of the real life labour activist casts him as an ordinary man radicalised by compassion in witnessing the exploitation of those around him.
I Don’t Fire Myself 나는 나를 해고하지 않는다 Director: Lee Tae-Gyeom (2021) [New York Asian Film Festival 2021]
“I Don’t Fire Myself” is a compelling look at workplace exploitation and one woman taking a stand to overcome it. I Don’t Fire Myself 나는 나를 해고하지 않는다 Director:…
I'm Not Going To Write About Concrete Revolutio, In An Attempt To Project Mysteriousness And Get You To Watch It For Yourself
12 Days of Aniblogging, Day 8Recommending media carries a lot of weight, as if you are now personally responsible for every individual flaw of the work you are…
Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.
Winny (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Matsumoto offers a serene insight in how the Other of the law curtails a subject and, indirectly, sabotages the prospects of a new industry.
Single8 (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Konaka offers the spectator a heartwarming invitation to re-find, within oneself, one’s (nearly extinguished) passion for creation.
Plastic (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Miyazaki creates a moody narrative that highlights the equivocal functionality of music for the subject as well as the destructive impact of not being able to create an…
Farewell 2023
Another year has passed which means its time to reflect. This has become a yearly tradition where on New Years Eve I reflect on my life and the…
2023~ update
Still alive! :) A new thing I added a Trending ‘block’ to the top of the ABT homepage. It’s a really simple formula at the moment – I’m…
Fanime 2023
This Fanime season was a bit special for me. I got the opportunity to have my own panel and also present alongside the Nakama Podcast too.
Farewell, 2023…
This post is brought you by Sasaki and Peeps (or Sasaki to Pii-chan) as I’ll be picking this new anime adaptation in Winter 2023, which will begin in…
Update (2023)
It’s a bit sad to have to say this, especially since I was so excited to come back to blogging (ok, I completely failed on that part LOL),…
2023 Goals Status Update (2023-02-26)
I feel like it’s about time to do a status update on all my goals.
2023 Goals Status Update (2023-12-28)
The year is almost over, and I need to get ready for 2024. What I’ve learned is that in 2023, I tried focusing on too many things at…
2023 Routines Status Update (2023-05-29)
[ABANDONED] I will go to the Vue.js guide and work on small projects every day. At this point, I feel complacent about my programming skill levels. With me…
Mad Cats (Reiki Tsuno, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
The captive felines of Japan are mad as hell and they aren’t going to take it anymore in Reiki Tsuno’s absurd action comedy.
2023 Goals Status Update (2023-03-25)
1. [IRREPLACEABLE] Learn new coding skills (Completed) [SUBGOAL] Learn how to use the Notion API I now know how to import data to Notion using the Notion API,…
2023 Routines Status Update (2023-05-02)
[SUSPENDED] I will learn Google Cloud Computing skills every day. As it turns out, I need to risk spending money to make progress on this goal, and I…
Side by Side (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A peaceful dream-like visual experience that celebrates both the impact subjects have on each other as well as the manner in which the subject remains opaque to himself…
2023 Goals Status Update (1-13-2023)
1. [IRREPLACEABLE] Learn new coding skills I learned how to read and modify XML files using JavaScript, so that counts as learning new coding skills. I have made…