What a strange title! You must be thinking. Well it is none other than the 3 words I chose to sum up Popular Korean Film “Love Phobia” (well that was it’s given title anyway). I sincerely felt that this film required a review, why?
Because I’m a sucker for these type of films. Sad, Cliche and a slightly strange love story.
Love Phobia tells the touching tale of two lovers, destined not to be together forever.
I for one, love a good cry after a sad film maybe I’m just a masochist but just like any other girl a sad love film is always bittersweet to the heart.

This film stars Kang Hye-jeong and Jo Seung-woo.
Love Phobia tells the tale of a young boy who meets a strange girl in a bright yellow raincoat claiming that she is cursed and whomever she touches will befall great misery, she also convinces him that she is an alien from outer space and her curse is related to this; however the story is not as complicated or as extra terrestrial as it seems.
Despite being warned several times by this weird yet cute girl, the boy follows her around and quickly commits to being her friend until one day she disappears. This also prompts the boy to seek out the girl and with great difficultly he does, just to let her disappear again, well why does this keep happening, you ask?
Is it just another pointless love story chase where they’ll find each other and live happily ever after in the end?
Well, yes and no.

*Spoilers – as per*
[ Watch the film and THEN come back? (: ]
The “curse” that this story describes is just a series of coincidences, our female lead character is not an alien, nor is she cursed she just claims so to protect those around her (which are not at all that many). Her story is that on a completely normal day out she and her family are driving around until they suddenly crash, ending the life of her father and her mother yet leaving her saved because of a blood transfusion. One she probably wishes she never had. The blood transfused into her was infected with the lethal disease AIDs. She is saved, to die another day. In being young and now orphaned she lives with a monk/priest who picked her up and decided to care for her.
The idea that she is an alien (or calls herself one) comes from an encounter with a doctor whom she asks (at a young age) “What is AIDs?” To which he replies “It is an Alien’s Flu.”
Embracing this idea she lives her life convincing others around her that she is an Alien.
She wore an eye-catching yellow raincoat in the pockets of which she hid a Lizard with a long name. This Lizard was her pet but also something else, he was used to scare off teachers that touched her. Obviously still believing that she is cursed! I think the Korean name of the film was related to Lizards somewhat too… Anyway…
The story then continues to follow her and the boy who fell in love with her, after her every disappearance they’d meet again, his love never once extinguished or wavered, she; strange in essence loved him back even though sometimes not wanting to, perhaps because she know that they wouldn’t end up together. After some Kiss and Chase the final scene is brought about, by this time he already knows of her condition and tells her that he’ll help her get back into space, because she is an alien and she told him that the aliens will come for her and she’ll have to go. He also painstakingly made her a crop circle just to signify his love and her leaving. It’s extremely confusing at the end because the story ends itself inside a metaphor, making the viewer believe that she’s actually left in a Spaceship.
However this meant heaven for her, that her last breaths have been drawn and that her last steps have been walked.
At this point I broke into tears for a good 10 minutes or so.

I guess the reason I was so intrigued by this film was because the mail role featured Tablo’s girlfriend. [Anyone that knows me will know that I am an Epik High/Tablo obsessive]. Admittedly I didn’t think she was very pretty, however she has this free, down to earth feel about her. A familiar fresh yet friendly face. I guess she’s average, cute. There must be something very special about her personality for her to be with Tablo. I give them credit for that. [Other than being a sickeningly good-looking pair]!

For this movie I loved the metaphorical references, that in itself was unique, the tale also unfolds itself nicely.
I reckon this movie ticks all the boxes for a romance, with a twist. Others may view it as too jumpy, unresolved and pieced together badly. But for me, who approached this film with an open mind and artistic view reckon it was a movie worth viewing.

Mistune – 3/5 ~ !