Doramatic Bites

Koi Tsudu Youtube Digest

It seems like this was not translated fully, so I translated from 59:20-1:09:22. I’ll keep updating this post till I finish (there’s about 10 minutes left to the video)

Kousei: Nabe-nii what did you think? When senior had to say the line, “This is the remedy”

Watanabe: When the show aired I really looked forward to this part.

Kousei: Right?

Watanabe: So when I watched, he flung open his coat.

Kou…

So let’s start with when the women are exposed as assassins. As they prepare the fight, the camera cuts to each woman in turn – a mix of close-ups and medium close-up shots of each drawing their sword.

The tightness of the shot also allows us a good look at their determined expressions. It’s very reminiscent of Chinese wuxia movies – it’s designed to make you understand you’re watching the heroes here.

At this point more soldiers rush in. Observe how the camera is placed low here. Coupled with the diegetic roar of men breaking in, it increases the tension immediately and makes them look more imposing.

Compared to the sense of tightness of the previous shot, we’re suddenly freed into a wide angle shot, with Nokdu riding forward. Because of this contrast, we get a sense of breath and vigour. At the same time, the gallop of the hooves is in sync with the music. Therefore it adds to the sense of urgency in the scene. Nokdu is swooping in to save the day, complete with his gorgeous flowing hanbok.

OK FAVE SHOT HERE. You know what, they really didn’t have to make a shot like this. They could have just had the horse scene, cut back to the fight, and then add in the part where Nokdu glides in (more on that later). But it’s BEAUTIFUL. Bird’s eye angles can be used in a variety of ways, in this case I see it as a transition to connect Nokdu with the greater action.

Also do you note how in the horseriding scene the camera is moving leftwards…and how in this scene it’s still moving left? You can actually FEEL the continuity and seamlessness. There’s a thread tying this entire sequence together from start to end – and it’s completely intentional.

Here we have one long take of the assassins fighting. This is the part that made me want to do an analysis in the first place! You feel like you are in the fight, like it’s happening in real time. It increases the sense that there’s action all-around. Something you would know if they kept cutting, but you can feel more because they did one long take.

Also the camera is unsteady, you’re angling up to look up, you’re angling down when someone falls to the ground. So again, it’s like you are partaking in the action. As an audience, this point of view plays a large part in helping you immerse in what is going on onscreen.

You see that at the end of Ssook’s twirl with the sword, we finally have a cut to a medium close-up short of her. This cut is so seamless you can barely notice it. It draws our focus right in on her, and together with how she delivered her line, it emphasises her strength. The camera didn’t steady itself fully because we’re still in the thick of the action. You could say it’s the unsteadiness that maintains continuity between the long take and this shot.

I will skip the next few seconds to the part where Nokdu slides in. However, I want you to note how many of these shots in symmetry or have some kind of visual pattern. Duo, duo. Two ladies killing a man cut to two ladies killing a man.

Then, at the point where Ssook is cornered, Nokdu slides in. Another beautiful shot!

Here, the camera at a low level again. If it was placed higher, Nokdu’s entrance wasn’t going to be as imposing. Also, the camera tracks forward as Nokdu glides moves in. Again imagine if it was still. You won’t feel the same power as when the camera is moving WITH Nokdu.

Last note, even though I won’t analyse the rest of the fight, the moment right after Nokdu glides in, and says “It’s hot” the entire tone changes. It’s an incredible switch into comedy and the remainder of the fight, the way it’s shot, the bgm, the choreography, all reflect that.

The Tale of Nokdu is, as a friend of mine has pointed out – the little drama that could. It’s a drama that may not be a blockbuster, but is entirely sincere and detailed in its execution.

I work in Hakodate, in Hokkaido, the prefecture of ‘People who speak Japanese nobody can understand’. Besides the general dialect of the Hokkaido region, there are also some differences between cities. Hakodate has it’s own dialect and accent. For Japanese people, these dialects are not easy to identify. For me? I couldn’t tell if it hit me with a brick. 

Even though I’ve learnt Japanese for a number of years, speaking and listening was never my strong point. Hakodate is the first place where I’m actually in a situation where I listen to Japanese every day. When I got here, to me there was only two types of Japanese - Japanese I could understand, and Japanese I couldn’t understand. 

When I came hear, when people spoke Japanese I couldn’t understand, I just assumed that my Japanese wasn’t advanced enough to understand. It didn’t occur to me that they might just have a thick accent, or better yet, be speaking completely in dialect. 

I have a colleague who has been working here for about 30 years, and everyone remarks on how he speaks in an obvious Hakodate dialect. To me, I couldn’t tell the difference. Then just this year a new colleague came from Osaka. I could tell he spoke in a Kansai dialect because the intonation was a little different, and also because he would say things like ’分からへん’ instead of ‘分からない’. But one day I caught a really interesting conversation between him and the school administrator. 

Her: If you don’t mind me asking...you don’t sound like you come from Osaka. You sound like maybe you’re from Kyoto instead?

Him: Oh yea, I was born in Kyoto. 

So apparently he was born in Kyoto, moved to Tokyo at around elementary school age, moved back to Osaka after university to work there for 10 years. AND STILL, people could tell he was not only from Kansai, but specifically from Kyoto.