Although not exactly that most exported genre towards the West, comedy still holds a significant part in the industries of Asian countries, even the style of humor can occasionally be described as “too local”. Nevertheless, there are movies whose style of comedy can be perceived as universal, with Korean titles being closer to the US style of comedy, Japanese being as weird and extreme as possible, Chinese following deadpan paths for the most part and Indian ones indulging in crudity on occasion. To be as inclusive as possible, we also included some romantic comedy titles, with the focus, as always, being on diversity
Without further delay, here are 25 great Asian comedies, from 2000 onwards, in alphabetical order
1. Boomerang Family (Song Hae-sung, 2013, S. Korea)
Song Hae-sung creates a rather entertaining narrative, whose base lies with the characters of the three siblings, who are all so immature, that essentially do not differ at all from their 15-year-old, almost delinquent niece, on occasion even being even worse than her. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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2. Castaway on the Moon (Hae-jun Lee, 2009, S. Korea)
With its fine balance between serious and funny, its perfect blend of profound topics and lightness of touch, its charming protagonists and top technical specs, “Castaway on The Moon” is an original and crowd-pleasing cinematic adventure. (Adriana Rosati)
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3. Delhi Belly (Abinay Deo, 2011, India)
“Delhi Belly” is a farce with a standard repertoire of genre-defining coincident, comic errors, and deceptions. The movie juggles clichés with a naughty grace, perfect pacing, and sharp wit. Defiant, politically incorrect at times, has humor balancing on the border of a good taste but never goes too far. A story of three roommates, a likable bunch of losers, incidentally landing in all sorts of trouble with a local gangster, is a refreshing view on young Indians, mocking the candy portrayals of family values from Yash Raj-like Bollywood mainstream. Catchy soundtrack and hilarious, Disco Dancer-inspired pastiche of a dream sequence with a surprise star cameo are highly entertaining. (Joanna Kończak)
4. Dying to Survive (Muye Wen, 2018, China)
Measure is the word here, as it is a perfect blend of just the right amount of all the ingredients for success. It has a very balanced ratio of laughters and tears, an extremely relatable protagonist and a rather satisfying (and real) revenge of the underdogs. All in all, despite the very sad and heavy topic, it's a proper feel-good story that avoids plunging into cheesy populism.
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5. Extreme Job (Lee Byeong-heon, 2019, S. Korea)
Comedy might be underestimated as a genre, since it is quite hard to do it properly and the trick is to make it look easy and effortless. In that and every other sense, “Extreme Job” is an enormous success with a high score for laughs and probably one of the best and most hilarious comedies in years. The success is even bigger having in mind that Korean cinema is not usually known for that kind of comedies. (Marko Stojiljković)
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6. Fly Me To The Saitama (Takeuchi Hideki, Japan, 2019)
“Fly Me To The Saitama” (Tonde Saitama) is based on an 80's Manga, written and illustrated by Mineo Maya and serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume in the early 80's, that plays on the universal and age-old rivalry between cool cities and uncool provinces, places that are often adjacent and yet miles away in terms of desirability.
It is a slippery ground and the chances to precipitate in cheesy campanilism are lurking behind every corner. However, director Takeuchi Hideki has enthusiastically and fully embraced the camp cheesiness and the stereotypes and came out with a 107 minutes of pure wacky fun. (Adriana Rosati)
7. Free and Easy (Geng Jun, 2016, China)
“Free and Easy” is a truly different movie from a country which seems to produce many films that look much alike. At the same time, it offers a hilarious (although not of the “laughing out loud” kind) and very artistic view of the contemporary Chinese society. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
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8. Heart Attack (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2015, Thailand)
Director Thamrongrattanarit has cleverly put together a profitable movie that preserves an indie flavour and sheers off from a static genre definition. Notably, it's not the classic rom-com the poster and international title «Heart Attack» might suggest and it's not a full on comedy, although there are plenty of genuinely hilarious moments. Thamrongrattanarit's brilliant script and direction blends comedy, drama, dark humor and just an innuendo of romance. He sensibly avoids the corny romantic cliches in favour of a sympathetic and accurate character study…“Heart Attack” is an easily relatable movie, an honest look at the hardship of balancing work choices and personal life, presented with a light touch and the right amount of humor. (Adriana Rosati)
9. Love in a Puff (Shawn Yue, Miriam Yeung, Chin Wah, 2010, Hong Kong)
I'm not a huge fan of the genre but I don't think I will see a better romantic comedy for a long while, a very relaxed and subtle movie that can have you giggling away, perfect if you're after a quiet night at home with someone special. (The Tiger)
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10. Love on a Diet (Johnnie To, 2001, Hong Kong)
“Love on a Diet” is about harmful beauty standards that are part of a narcissistic society. Its characters cannot escape these expectations and are doomed to obey them. All of their luck and happiness is bound to the validation of others. That's the reason why the main characters, Mimi as a female in particular, are trying so hard to lose weight. That's where the comedy hits some darker and more serious tones. Self-Hatred, feeling unworthy to be loved and body-shaming are at the same time part of the comedic concept of the film but also criticized, as the characters learn more and more how to accept themselves. (Alexander Knoth)
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