Have you downloaded iQiyi yet? This pandemic, I’ve really made it a point to download various streaming platforms because let’s face it: one streaming platform simply doesn’t have it all. If you haven’t downloaded the app yet, this July may be a good time to do so as iQiyi presents a slate of all-star blockbusters with mesmerizing casts from China, Japan, and Korea. Check them out:
8 Asian Movies to Watch on iQiyi
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Holding the highest box-office record in Japanese film history so far, ‘Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train’ performed exceptionally well in box offices worldwide and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. With over US$474.6 million in revenue around the globe, it was the bestselling film in 2020. The story continues after the television series ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’. After completing the training at Butterfly Mansion; Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke board the Mugen Train towards the darkness. On this train, they meet up with Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku to embark on a new mission.
Ephemeral Bond
The highly-beloved animation ‘Natsume Yujin-cho’ has been adapted into a feature film ‘Ephemeral Bond’ where Takashi reunites with classmate Yuki and meets with Yorie Tsumura, who knows Reiko. Yorie has a serene life with her only son Mukuo in a village that seems to have mysterious spirits. On the way back from the investigation, a seed attached to Nyanko-sensei drops at the frontyard of Fujiwara’s residence. The seed grows and bears fruits overnight. After accidentally eating the fruit that resembles him, Nyanko-sensei suddenly has two doubles. The film relates to life with laughter, bittersweet moments, excitement, and everything in-between. With a cat character, it’s even better for all cat lovers.
My Love
After rising to fame with the Taiwanese drama ‘Someday or One Day’, Greg Hsu debuts in the film ‘My Love’, where he and Zhang Ruo-nan showcase an emotional love story across 15 years – from high school to college, and from dating to marriage. Hsu plays a skilled swimmer despite having been intimidated by water during his childhood.
‘My Love’ premiered over CNY$100 million at the box office on the first day and secured the top-selling title on the first week.
Passage of My Youth
‘Passage of My Youth’ (starring Zhang Zi-feng and Song Wei-long) is a heartwarming and heartbreaking coming-of-age love story. Adapted from the namesake novel by Lu Yi-ge, the story follows Jiang He (played by Zhang Zi-feng), who studies very hard to catch up with learning genius Jiang Hai (played by Song Wei-long).
Eventually, they go to Britain together for college and encounter many heartwarming and emotional events. It underlines the purity and beauty of love on campus.
Pipeline
Director Yoo Ha spent four years producing the crime comedy ‘Pipeline’, starring Seo In-guk, Lee Soo-hyuk, Tae Hang-ho, and Bae Yoo-ram. The story revolves around a group of thieves trying to steal crude oil located dozens of meters underground. This unprecedented topic in Korea offers a brand new story to viewers. With multiple prior collaborations, Seo In-guk and Lee Soo-hyuk create fascinating chemistry.
Recalled
‘Recalled’ is a mystery thriller starring Seo Yea-ji (‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’) and Kim Kang-woo (‘New Year Blues’). After losing her memory, Soo-jin gradually gets her life back on track with her husband’s support. In the process, she also gets the ability to see the future. While trying to help others with this gift, she witnesses her husband murder someone. This major secret starts to wreak havoc to her memories. After premiering in Korea in April, the film stayed as the top-selling film for weeks.
Voice of Silence
‘Voice of Silence’ stars Yoo Ah-in (‘#Alive’), the youngest award-winning actor in Korea, and Yoo Jae-Myung (‘Reply 1988’, ‘Itaewon Class’). As Tae-in and Chang-bok, they are vegetable vendors during the day and handle corpses for mafia groups at night. After being dragged into a kidnapping incident, their life gets out of control.
The film was nominated for both major film awards in Korea (Blue Dragon Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards), and Yoo Ah-in was awarded Best Actor on both occasions. Similar to ‘Parasite’, the film tackles the grim reality at the bottom of society with dark humor and resonates well with viewers.
Why Women Cheat
‘Why Women Cheat’ is a historical romantic fantasy, starring Deng Kai, Yao Xiao-xiao, Xiong Su-yi, and Cao Jie, with Wang Kuirong as a guest star. The beautiful and handsome cast generated a lot of discussions even before filming. Based on an ancient legend in Southeast Asia, it’s a romance between a kind princess in a coastal country and a “snake god” princess in a neighboring country.
Other films on iQiyi International’s slate include ‘The Rescue ‘(directed by Dante Lam and starred by Eddie Peng), ‘A Writer’s Odyssey’ (starring by Lei Jiayin and Yang Mi), ‘Detective Chinatown Vol. 2’ (starring Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran), as well as several Wuxia classics remakes (‘The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Dragon Tamer’ and ‘King of The New Beggars’.
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