“To Heaven” becomes “To the Hospital”
by javabeans
What will they remake next? It’s not just songs, or movies, or television dramas anymore — now it’s MUSIC VIDEOS. (What next, commercials?)
The music video for veteran kpop ballad singer Jo Sung-mo‘s breakout 1998 ballad “To Heaven” has just been given a makeover. What’s interesting is that the music videos share the same story, but the songs are different. The new version is set to the song “To the Hospital” [병원에 가다] by singer Miru (her album features collaborations by girl groups Jewelry, Brown Eyed Girls, Da Vichi, and Seeya).
The “To Heaven” MV may not have been the first of its grand-scale, movie-style kind, but it sure made a big splash. It also starred Lee Byung-heon and Kim Haneul and was one of those early MVs wallowing in its own tragedy like some kind of glorification of agony. (Blind lovers? Donated eyeballs? Men in love with mermaids? Tragic lovers torn apart by the cruel, cruel arms of a wretched Fate? Those MVs ain’t got nothin’ on “To Heaven.”) Watch the MV below and you’ll see what I mean.
SONG OF THE DAY
Jo Sung-mo – “To Heaven,” which was a longtime noraebang staple for me — and, I’m sure, lots of others. [ Download ]
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The original, “To Heaven”:
I find the new casting a bit odd, but the main male lead is Gong Jung-hwan (of the cable drama My Boss My Lady), with Jang Mi-in-ae (Blissful Woman) as the female lead. Both actors were also in Soulmate (as Jung-hwan and Min-ae).
Here’s the remake, “병원에 가다”:
This marks the first time a music video has been remade (well, officially. The ripped-off variety — Ivy‘s Final Fantasy, Hyori‘s Britney knockoff — still abound).
The producers of “To the Hospital” explained their intention behind the remake, saying, “We concluded that there hasn’t been a more memorable MV than ‘To Heaven’ in the music industry. We are remaking the music video so that such a great piece of work is remembered.”
(I’m sure easy publicity and a lack of creativity had nothing to do with it.)
The music video for the new version cost 100 million won and took two months to produce. The video was released on all the online music portals on the 14th and the song is kicking off its promotional cycle now.
(I think the original rocks harder. The remake just doesn’t pack that emotional punch. Then again, Gong Jung-hwan and Jang Mi-in-ae — both of whom I like — are no Lee Byung-heon and Kim Haneul.)
Via Hankook Ilbo
Tags: Kim Haneul, Lee Byung-heon, remakes
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1
November 15, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Interesting... remakes sure are popular nowadays. Personally I preferred the original too. I liked the song and video a lot better (plus, I've always had a crush on Lee Byung-heon). I really liked that final shot in the remake though.
I certainly hope they never remake a commercial, lol! But then again, if they did, I wouldn't be surprised.
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2 Maddy
November 15, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Wow...I don't understand why this remake is the same as the original or almost the same. Isn't the point of remakes to do the same thing but better? Or different?
But this one isn't better OR different.
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3 Sue
November 15, 2008 at 2:07 PM
lee byung heon with kim ha neul? i never knew such a pairing ever existed, haha.
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4 Winnie
November 15, 2008 at 2:51 PM
I'd never seen that music video before. But WOW. My favorite part is the dove taking flight in slow-motion juuuuust as the guitar kicks in again.
You're right, the remake doesn't have the same emotional stake - I think the main character is a little less sympathetic. Moreover, it lacks slow-motion doves.
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5 OMG
November 15, 2008 at 3:08 PM
such violence...sorry, didn't like it at all. why do they always make women look so weak? just ew
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6 Genie
November 15, 2008 at 6:39 PM
The original mv is one of my favorites it's amazing.
Remake doesn't give me the same feel.
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7 jem
November 15, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Too extreme, don't ya think...did not feel any emotional tug at all. I think I'll take the eyeball transplant any time of the day. Korean cliches have actually gotten better over the years...*shocked*
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8 sf
November 15, 2008 at 7:03 PM
oh man, def a classic korean mv.
childhood trauma, childhood lovers, car crashes, gangsters, revenge, "good" police men, lovers never to be united all rolled up in one....god its so classic XD
what's the mv where a guy falls in love with a mermaid?
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9 Javabeans
November 15, 2008 at 7:09 PM
sf, there are actually two (ha!). One is the Alex & Jisun song "Very painful words" and the other one is a Shin Hye-sung song. (I'm not sure if she's an outright mermaid in the Alex song, but she is in the Shin Hye-sung one.)
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10 cutiegal
November 15, 2008 at 7:49 PM
i love the original one.
LBH-KHN are so great ever.
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11 rubie
November 15, 2008 at 8:57 PM
Thanks javabeans for the cool highlight. Been wondering what the news on 'To Heaven' was all about. Appreciate the good post. ^^ But really.. the remake's title 'To the Hospital'.. doesn't even resemble the original.. parody of some sort.. perhaps.
The LBH-KHN pairing is awesome.. the music video was done before they did 'Happy Together' right?
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12 Ter
November 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Ah not surprised AT ALL. The kpop entertainiment industry has no creativity whatsoever.
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13 leo
November 16, 2008 at 5:37 AM
Thanks for ur song. the songs u chose to post here are all very beutiful. Thanks u so much
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14 ichiru
November 16, 2008 at 7:31 AM
Since I don't understand korean only the simple words I'm wondering why is it titled "To the Hospital?"- what an odd choice of a title- since mvideos should speak for themselves even without understanding the lyrics of its song but this one I don't get..or is it just me?.. but the first mv I can say that I understand the feelings even without knowing what they're saying..
They should have stick to the original it'll be remembered more since it is the first.
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15 ktbrods
November 16, 2008 at 10:07 AM
What's the name of the one with the eyeball transplant? It's the girl and the photographer and the racing track at the end right? I'm pretty sure that was the first korean mv I ever watched, and I remember how awesomely done it was. Eyeball transplants.....(*snickers)....I just keep remembering the korean drama parody on MadTV....
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16 Javabeans
November 16, 2008 at 10:14 AM
ktbrods, there are actually two of those too (heh). One is Kiss's "Because I am a girl" and the other is one of the Lee Soo-young trilogy of MVs starring Lee Junki (I think it's Grace?) Sounds like you saw the Kiss one (the guy gives up his eyeballs for the girl), and in Lee Soo-young's (I love how excessively cornball it is) the girl gives up one eyeball to Junki so whenever she cries, he cries. HAHA.
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