What is love? If you cannot find the answer in these 40 Asian movies, handpicked by the AMP group one by one, then there is definitely something wrong with you. Without further ado, here are 40 great Asian romantic films, released from 2000 onward, with a focus on diversity on country of origin, director, and style, in alphabetical order.
1. 2046 (Wong Kar Wai, 2004, Hong Kong)
“2046” loses the simplicity and the chasteness of “In the Mood for Love” for a more chaotic and a bit lustful endeavor with greater ambition. This is a film that affects each person differently, what one takes away from this film will depends on themselves. (Jithin Mohan)
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2. 3-Iron (Kim Ki-duk, 2004, S. Korea)
Kim Ki-duk's direction and the editing are magnificent, as he accomplishes very much with all of his choices. Even when the main characters never say a word to each other, the story catches us by concrete scenes flowing clearly. The calm but intense environment of breaking in strangers' houses amuses with constant pace. (Leandro E. Seta)
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3. 5 Centimeters Per Second (Makoto Shinkai, 2007, Japan)
Shinkai Makoto's second feature film has the trademarks of his recent successes: the backgrounds are magnificent and all forms of light, from sunrays to TL lamps feel alive. Also, as in most of his work, the story focuses on a boy and a girl, but here the 3 interconnected parts are very much grounded in reality. This is a story that we can identify with, because we all have a long-lost school time friend that we'd love to meet again. Shinkai's handling of reality, combined with pillow shots of ordinary objects that become even more prominent in recent films, makes one wonder if instead of being the next Miyazaki Hayao he might be the heir of Isao Takahata (Nancy Fornoville).
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4. A Copy of my Mind (Joko Anwar, 2015, Indonesia)
Joko Anwar directs a film that cruises through the genres, as it begins like a realistic drama, then becomes a romance and eventually a thriller with political elements. Furthermore, his distinct sense of humor is always present, and exemplified in scenes like the one with the gay porn, although if you're into adult content you can also find some great hd porn online as well. Apart from that, the movie features much less violence than his previous works (“The Forbidden Door” for example), although it is not completely absent. The political message is quite poignant and derives from the concept of the crime lord and her dealings with the authorities, in a segment that is largely based on true events. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
5. A Moment to Remember (John H. Lee, 2004, S. Korea)
What makes the film so special apart from the technical aspects, the script and the directing, is undoubtedly the performances of the main actors. Jung Woo-sung and Son Ye-jin are absolutely perfect, with a brilliant chemistry rarely seen on the screen. That's why with such good actors it's almost impossible not to feel affection for them and not get thrilled along the way. (Pedro Morata)
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6. Air Doll (Hirokazu Koreeda, 2009, Japan)
Koreeda directs a very dramatic film that focuses on loneliness through a highly surreal script. The film is a little longer than it should be, since Koreeda seems to linger at times. However, Korean actress Bae Doona gives a wonderful performance as Nozomi, conveying the unprecedented feelings of the air doll with elaborateness. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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7. Always (Song Il-gon, 2011, S. Korea)
The relationship of the two protagonists is very interesting and tender, with the dog's presence adding to that sentiment, and stands apart from the plethora of similar stories due to the fact that there is no agony if the two of them will become a couple (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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8. Architecture 101 (Lee Yong-ju, 2012, S. Korea)
Lee Yong-joo, an architect himself, presents a romance through architecture that, apart from the actual building of a house, includes geographical and cultural factors that play an important role in his profession. However, the film's main focus is the bonding of people with particular places and other people, that, at times, reaches the borders of obsession. Furthermore, Yong-joo depicted the 90s in an impressively realistic way that extended to all aspects of everyday life, including fashion, music and even technology. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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9. Birds Without Names (Kazuya Shiraishi, 2017, Japan)
Although ailed by the common faults of recent Japanese movies (including a somewhat far-fetched script), “Birds Without Names” includes more than enough elements to erase any negative aspects, while particularly the acting and the direction have enough impact to raise it to one of the best films of the year. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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10. Cafe Noir (Jung Sung-il, 2009, S. Korea)
Breaking with conventions probably because he knows them all too well as a film-critic-turned-director, Jung Sung-il concocts “Cafe Noir” – an exquisite film about romance that is like no others. While lovesick men and women do ramble around, in fact assuming almost an omnipresence, they never really speak to each other, instead communicating through axioms, metaphors, and personal anecdotes that speak certain truths about love. Original in its approach, “Cafe Noir” runs a little more than 3 hours, though there's not a single moment in this modern tale of love that is not worth viewers' attention. A little like Woody Allen's phenomenal works in its conversational style and inspiration by literature, Jung Sung-il's debut is contemplative, smart, and is as melancholic as it is exhilarating. (Bao Quan Ha)
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