Dwaeji-ui Wang

What can I say? This was a very interesting anime, but many people may not be able to stomach the reality of what this anime represents. Too many people are put off by this because of its brutality but this is what human nature can and sometimes becomes. The anime is vile because humans can be vile we all have the potential to become monsters if the right circumstances are met. If you can understand that is what makes us human then you should be able to enjoy this anime.

I kind of know that there's a problem when I catch myself sitting through a film and feeling worn out and put off by its rampant misanthropy. "The King of Pigs" is likely one of the worst and most tiresome offenders I have ever encountered along these lines. It's all pretty damned vile no matter which way you approach it. I feel hesitant to even write about this, as I'd rather not provide some sort of morbid and unintentional recommendation for the dishearteningly large number of people out there who will seek out anything which is decidedly "EXTREME" in content. I can't stand the prevalent ... attitude that this alone somehow denotes worth or is reason enough to spark an interest. Perhaps you can identify yourself among this crowd as you are reading this, at which point I would encourage you to grow up and mature past this phase as soon as possible, although I also realize how ineffective any such appeals will be. "The King of Pigs" seems best suited for this intellectually and emotionally stunted sort of audience and... not much of anyone else, really. There is an unflinchingly gratuitous scene of fatal and repeated animal abuse which is dragged out for all its worth, reaching the artistic equivalent of any and all trashy teenage gore blogs. I have absolutely nothing against extreme storytelling or explicit content, but there is little more that I despise than such distinctions being used as an illusory crutch in place of any actual depth, originality, or purpose.

"The King of Pigs" is a South Korean CGI feature with highly inconsistent production values, but in all honesty, that's not something that I actually hold against it. It doesn't seek to be a glossy anime-style production, so it mostly avoids the inherent pitfalls to the approach suffered from works like the recent "Berserk" films. If anything, the aesthetic is more along the lines of animated art house successes such as "Waltz with Bashir," or even the rotoscoped Linklater films (albeit with far less technical care and certainly weaker scripts to build upon). I tried hard to justify "Pigs'" content for the duration of the film, as there are occasional flourishes which did appeal to me, but at a certain point, it just becomes an exhausting and monotonous drag.

The film opens with a static shot of a freshly strangled woman, her murderous husband serving as one half of its thematic focus. The other lead is then introduced as an unsuccessful ghostwriter, venting his frustrations through the seemingly routine emotional and physical abuse of his girlfriend. Things only go downhill from there, too. After the former calls upon his similarly abject childhood friend for the first time since their first year of middle school, they recall the traumatizing events that we're led to believe shaped the course of their lives. There's no real message to any of the film aside from the fact that people are awful by nature and that's that. The bullying the young men experience is increasingly cruel and difficult to watch, and like everything else in the film, is as such for the sake of being cruel and difficult to watch.

I think that the most irreconcilable turn the film makes is its apparent and absolute exoneration of the evils both men would later perpetuate on the grounds of their soiled childhoods. In this regard, the film veers from being merely un-enjoyable and celebratory in its grimness into territory which is nothing short of morally irresponsible. Violence begets violence, thus effectively removing any responsibility from the destructive men themselves. In school, the boys rally around a third figure, one who lashes back at their tormentors in ways which grow increasingly gruesome as the running time wears on. In case you haven't yet caught on, that really is the entire modus operandi at play here. I understand that such things are widely open to interpretation, but I would argue that the film's treatment of this backlash is one which not only condones but celebrates the notion of harsh retributive violence.

As I stated, I wanted for a long time (far longer than it deserved) to like this movie, to find something which would justify all of my stated misgivings. Unfortunately, it didn't want to give me much to work with on that quest. There is simply nothing about the story that feels particularly necessary. I think it's important to reinforce just how much this movie revels in its own ugliness. It stops trying to do much of anything else pretty early on.

Admittedly, there are a few well-devised plot twists and turns, jumping back and forth chronologically as it does between the aforementioned childhood recollections and scenes of the two men drinking and then wandering the same locations as adults. It's not an incompetent film, merely a wildly misguided one whose lofty and undeserved self-assurance permeates most every frame. The closing moment alone instantly became one of the most heavy-handed and indulgent bull**** turns I've ever seen a movie take, and let it be known that I have a remarkably high tolerance for heavy-handed and indulgent bull**** movies. Is it art? Yeah, sure, whatever, I don't care, but I certainly don't think it's particularly good or worthwhile art. I regret giving it the benefit of a doubt for even a minute, as well as allowing it to occupy my evening. It's pretty rare that I see something and feel compelled to so immediately broadcast my distaste for it, but it's also pretty rare that I see films as all-around horrid as "The King of Pigs."

This movie must be the most boring movie, who ever
touched the "it's violent, so it's deep" genre.
But first of all I have to say, that I don't see this movie as a bulliying film,
but for what it wants to be at the end of the day:
A Film that wants to be vile, in the edgiest way possible,
by saying things, a hundred other movies said before,
in higher Quality.
So, for anyone who wants to see "Dwaejiui Wang", I recommend
to watch "The 120 Days of Sodom" and the 134 other movies
doing that stuff better, in which this movie gloriously failed.

A movie made by a studio no one really heard of, avg. score of 7.04. I really didn't have much expectation coming into this movie. Was I ever so surprised, I had the most thrilling 90 minutes of my life.

Story: 10/10
Story covers over things everyone is familiar with, bullying and social hierarchy. These themes are executed very well, while also very trilling to watch. Some people might think it is too brutal and unrealistic. Different culture and life experiences we have will makes us look at this film differently. The film felt real for me, but might not for people who had happy childhood. ... My friends in China were spanked a lot, they did things to me just like what bullies did to them (People who watched the movie will know what I am talking about, yes it is to my penis). To be honest, some scenes were a bit extreme. But how extreme it was really sent a good message to us. The movie focuses a lot on hierarchy system. And how breaking it is impossible. I think go from bottom to top is definitely possible but it takes a LOT of work, and most people aren't capable of that. The story took me through a roller coaster of feelings. I hope it will take you as well!

Art: 7/10
The characters looks ugly... Which is a good thing here because they aren't suppose to look good in a movie like this, in another word the art style fits the theme very well. Except how awkward they looked when some character were walking or running. But it is normal because of their low budget. They did a fantastic job with those little budget they had.

Sound: 9/10
Sound isn't the big case here. Animation matches the voice, the OSTs is fit the situations very well. Thumbs up!

Character: 10/10
Characters development is outstanding. I think some people might think that the characters are absolute nuts. When they have so much stress, pain, miserable childhood, plus physical abuses from many people, it is not surprising that they became the way they are. And I think everyone in the world are capable of doing things they did, it is in our human nature. I have to mention it again, I felt closer to the character because I had similar experiences and thoughts when I was in China. And not everyone will feel that way!

Enjoyment: 10/10
It is very enjoyable! Hooked me in right start from the beginning of the film. The constant plot twists made me sit through entire movie barely blinked my eye. Every new character and plot twists were where they needed to be. Even when I finished watching the film, I still couldn't stop thinking about how good the film was!

Overall, I give 9.4/10. I really admire their courage of making a such controversial movie, that is the spirit of a studio without much to lose! I hope more people can give this movie a chance because it is an unique film! Spread the word if you likes this film and have a wonderful day!

Life, often times, is a disconsolate, oppressive journey with enough melancholic moments to make one want to kill their wife (or a creepy cat, who torments you ad nauseam).

“The King of the Pigs” is a gripping allegorical tale about class/wealth inequality and the dehumanizing aspect of school aged bullying; not only for those who are bullied, but for the instigators themselves (because of their internal hierarchical structure). Chan Young, a bright new student, exemplifies this dehumanization when his enthusiasm for school related excellence wanes, due to the callous nature of the imperious “dogs.” The obedience of the other “pigs” is quite ... evident, as their resolve to combat their oppressors is noticeably absent; except for one rebellious soul — Chul “The King of the Pigs” Kim — who aims to alter the contemporary paradigm through a series of aggressive assaults against the tyrannical rulers of the classroom.

Yeon Sang-ho, director of the work in question, drowns his characters in unremitting gloom, never giving the viewer a chance to catch their breath, as he yanks you deeper into his ocean of despair. It is a welcomed experience that far too few directors are willing to accommodate; yet, life, even for those trapped in misery, still contains moments of intermittent joy, an emotion that seems foreign to Mr. Sang-ho. An injection of happiness, every once in a while, would have provided a nice contrasting effect for the viewer (as the characters would resonate with greater effect). Also, the hallucinations of the tortured cat were a bit heavy-handed, bordering on absurd. Nightmarish illusions should, in most cases, be used sparingly; otherwise, the effect will lose its potency and be rendered completely useless.

Furthermore, due to the incessant need to portray life as pure hopelessness, the ending became a contrived mishmash of violence and rage. With those deficiencies in mind, however, “The King of Pigs” is still an impressive film with a plethora of useful insights on the dynamics of societal hierarchies and the ruthlessness of life, from beginning to end.

This is perhaps one of the darkest and most disturbing anime out there that will certainly leave you with a bitter taste at the end due to its theme. A tragic story about hopelessness, cruelty, pain, bullying, stigma and wasted youth. What it means to be a pig (in other words, the lower classification in the hierarchy of society and school) and what happens when the king of pigs emerges. This movie will leave a very strong impression to you and very possibly it will haunt your thoughts for a few days. Strictly recommended only to mature audience with a strong stomach!

So first things first, The King of Pigs is not a happy or uplifting movie. At all. It's relentlessly violent, has almost no morally good characters, and offers no salvation or reprieve from the suffering that takes place. With that said, is The King of Pigs still worthwhile? Well... it's not that easy.

Overall, The King of Pigs is a story about class struggle, and how dehumanising and inescapable class discrimination is.The story is largely told through violent altercations in a middle school between the rich kids, the "Dogs," and the poor ones, the "Pigs." The most similar example I can think of to this film ... would be 2019's Joker, which engages with a similar message of "The world is fucked and the only thing you can do is get violent and show people that you're not someone to be messed with." Except King of Pigs is even more fatalistic than that, and shows that people who act out like that only end up getting punished and that the situation only ends up getting worse than it was before. The only successful rebellion against the system anyone is able to make in this story is a self-destructive show of defiance that ultimately ends up changing nothing. The film portrays the process of the "Pigs" getting bullied, lashing out in anger, and then being punished for it as an endless cycle with no solution.

And if that wasn't depressing enough, there are almost no characters in this film that are portrayed as good or likable people. The "Dogs" are all complete assholes who enjoy tormenting those with less power than them, the main cast are prone to outbursts of anger and violence, and the movie starts off with the aftermath of one of them having recently murdered his wife for unexplained reasons, even the adults in the side cast are portrayed as caring about money above all else and exerting what little power they have over those with less than them. Furthermore, there's almost nothing in the way of healthy relationships either. The friendship between the two leads is tenuous at best, and their mutual admiration of Chul Kim is greatly tested by the later events of the story. Even the familial relationships they all have feel notably loveless. No one in this movie is a good person, and no one really likes anyone else. The prevailing emotions in this film are bitterness and anger and hatred.

On a lighter note, let's talk about the visuals! ...They're not very good. The character designs are horrendously ugly which is probably by design, but also the animation feels noticeably cheap, like they're trying to keep the number of actual frames of animation as low as possible. Movement is stiff, frame rates are low, and it's these elements along with the almost complete lack of lip sync to the dialogue that make it feel somewhat like an amateur production. The film also uses CGI models for its characters any time there's a mid shot or a long shot, and those models DO NOT blend in with the backgrounds in any way. It's not all bad though, as the usage of 3D backgrounds in some parts look pretty neat, and there are some pretty inspired artistic shots that use light and shadow to great effect.

The King of Pigs is a bitter, angry and miserable movie, but is it good? It's definitely not enjoyable or likable in any way, but I can't help but respect how relentless it is in its portrayal of its message, how it doesn't try to sugarcoat things for the sake of the viewer. I'm normally not a fan of stories such as this, as they often just feel like doom and gloom and violence for its own sake, but this movie actually feels like they're being put to use to show the injustices of inequality. I still can't call myself a fan since I prefer stories to have at least some measure of levity amidst all the despair, but I do think there is something to take away from this.

The directing is not bad when you think about scene composition and pace. Voice acting is mediocre, but the main problem is that they either lacked proper equipment, or a sound technician, because when the actors are laughing or screaming the voice starts clipping (distortion due to loudness). The art, now, the art sucks! And the animation is pretty bad too... why did a I give it a 9/10?

The King of the Pigs has a pretty good and well written story, a great narrative and well crafted characters. It's honestly the best animated story I've seen in a long time. There is a whole grim ... tone to it, so probably is not for everybody, but if you are up for a true psychological drama you should check it out (and I say "true" because the tag seems to be used very wildly around here).

Too bad it had a very low budget - if it had any at all!

I've been interested in Yeon Sang-ho's early animated films since watching Train to Busan a few years back, and having finally tracked them down, I started off with his first full-length, The King of Pigs. There's been countless live-action and animated films about kids in school that are bullied and don't have great live outside of the classroom either, but I can't think of many that are as depressing and bleak as this is. While not in the same upper-echelon as films such as Requiem for a Dream or Dancer in the Dark, this had the same sort of complex emotional effect on me as ... they did, where as much as I thought it was a great film, I can't see myself revisiting it very often, if at all, due to how distressing it is.

From a technical standpoint, the animation is above average and has a unique style, but I could see it turning some people off. It's not particularly pretty, but then again, that may very well be on purpose, as it mirrors the tone of the film. All of the voice-acting is very good and the story is well-told with a solid pace. The characters are also deftly written, acting in ways that feel true-to-life, and have nicely constructed character arcs. There are likely those that could view this film and relate to having a similar childhood, as scary and sad as that may sound to someone like myself who didn't.

There aren't many animated films, if any at all, that have scenes that make me cringe or make me feel uncomfortable, but The King of Pigs certainly does, and that's quite a remarkable feat. This is an entirely different beast than Train to Busan, so you should know that going in, but if you want to see how versatile a director Yeon Sang-ho can be, this most definitely will show you. Just be ready for a rather gloomy experience that will follow you around even after the end-credits roll.

I never would’ve thought that some random, terribly rated film, that I watched on whim because I heard it was supposed to be dark would impact me in such a way. I had a very hard time deciding on a rating for this one—and still do. However, I can tell you that this is one I will not be forgetting any time soon.

First off, the animation. This film is completely done in 3d. That is probably an instant turn off for plenty people. And, as things often turn out with 3d, some parts look quite awkward and are a bit painful to watch. But ... don’t lose hope yet. As a hater of 3d animation myself, you can trust me when I say some parts of this film actually look really really good. Some parts of it turned out seamless. So, I desperately urge you to at least try and get past the animation if you don’t like it at first.

Next, the story itself. This film is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It scares you, but not in a horror type of way. The characters themselves scare you with what they might do next. The relatability you find yourself sometimes having with these insane characters scares you. This anime is brutal and unforgiving. There’s violence, but more grounded, realistic violence than most other anime, which makes it all the more frightening. It blows me away what this film was able to do in just 1 hour 36 min. It puts you in these characters minds, forcing you to experience what they’re experiencing. If you’re like me, this anime will make you cry. It’s depressing and it makes you SAD—in a good way of course. It sets out to tell a story outlining the apparent evil of humanity. To characterize the cold and unforgiving world that people can find themselves in, the same world that _you_ can find _yourself_ in. It’s tragic because it’s realistic, and it puts you in this terrible kind of environment that you know exists out there right now. There’s always something oddly intriguing about seemingly mentally unstable characters, in any medium. I think it activates a portion of our brain we’re not used to very much when we explore, try to understand, and sometimes even relate with these kinds of characters. But anyway, that’s a whole other discussion. In short, this film is an atmosphere. It’s atmosphere was somewhat similar to aku no hana, if you’ve seen that. I believe if you are able to immerse yourself in that atmosphere, you will love this anime as much as I do.
Finally, the ending. The ending of this movie is what caused it to cling to my brain and not let go. It’s what really drove home the whole idea of it and made it a truly unforgettable experience for me. Try to go into this one with __no__ expectations. Let it surprise you. I think that’s probably the best way to experience it.