"I liked 'Linda Linda Linda' when I watched it in my 20s, but I also enjoy it in my 40s, and I felt a timeless connection. It will be re-released worldwide in 2025, and it feels like a world tour with friends I played in a band with during high school after 20 years, and I couldn't be prouder." (Bae Doona)
A masterpiece is eternal. The film 'Linda Linda Linda,' which premiered in Japan on July 18, 2005, is being reintroduced to audiences with a '4K remastered' version after 20 years. The remastered 'Linda Linda Linda' is fully prepared to showcase the 'timeless' emotions of music and film through the unchanged 'youth' of that era.
On the afternoon of the 12th, a press screening and media conference for the 20th anniversary re-release of 'Linda Linda Linda' in 4K remastering was held at Megabox COEX in Gangnam, Seoul. Attendees included actress Bae Doona, Maeda Aki, Kashii Yuu, Sekine Shiori, and director Yamashita Nobuhiro.
'Linda Linda Linda' is a film that depicts the clumsy yet sparkling youth of a high school girl band preparing for a festival to celebrate the end of their high school life, along with a Korean exchange student 'Song' who accidentally becomes the vocalist. It was a hot topic at the time, directed by Yamashita Nobuhiro and starring Bae Doona.
"Linda Linda Linda is a work that I truly cherish and love," said Bae Doona. "Hearing the news of the re-release was the happiest news I've received this year. 'Linda Linda Linda' captures the most beautiful moments of my youth, and all the experiences I had with the actors I worked with have given me wonderful memories and beautiful feelings. That's why watching this film makes me feel a bit strange. I'm so happy and proud," she expressed.
In particular, for this 'Linda Linda Linda,' director Yamashita Nobuhiro and actors Maeda Aki, Kashii Yuu, and Sekine Shiori visited Korea. The three actors and the director will meet Korean audiences through various events.
Maeda Aki expressed, "I was really happy to see a work I love being screened. It's not common to have a re-release, so I'm happy. Above all, I'm glad that the four of us can meet again." Kashii Yuu, who mentioned that this is the first time the film is being screened after 20 years, said, "This was a work that taught me how to make a film. I think it was possible because of the atmosphere the director created and the power to unite the staff, and the four of us enjoyed working together. Recently, I gathered with all the actors in Tokyo, and although we've aged, I felt like I received a gift seeing that we have grown and changed in a good way."
Unlike the previous three actors, Sekine Shiori, who is currently focusing on her career as a musician and not acting, revealed, "This was my first and last film. It was a special experience in my life. I think it's a miracle that 'Linda Linda Linda' can be screened not only in Japan but also in Korea and other countries after 20 years. I'm so happy that we can all gather again after 20 years."
Director Yamashita Nobuhiro, who confessed that he was 28 years old when making 'Linda Linda Linda,' said, "It contains the sparkling things within me, and I was shy back then, but now, 20 years later, I want to praise the 28-year-old me. I want to say I did well making this film." He added, "Visiting Korea with the members feels like being a mentor of a band. It feels like attending a reunion, and I'm happy and feel like I've received an award."
When asked if there was a particular scene that resonated with him after 20 years in 2025, director Yamashita Nobuhiro replied, "Every scene is a good scene," but added, "The scene changes every day. Today's feeling resonates with the scene where Song goes to the gym alone to practice her introduction and comes to the activity room to say, 'Let's do it.' It was expressed naturally and well. Even now, it gives me goosebumps."
Recalling that their relationships grew closer and they became like friends over time, Sekine Shiori mentioned, "There was a scene where we were shopping at a mart. I think my acting became natural as I adapted to it during that time. When I see that scene, I reminisce about how enjoyable it was." Kashii Yuu added, "20 years ago, I was so immersed in my role that I couldn't properly appreciate the film. Now that I'm watching it properly, the scenes I liked back then feel somewhat different now. I feel the 'passage of time' in the lingering scenes, and it seems to seep into my heart."
Maeda Aki, who mentioned that she has many favorite scenes, said, "I remember the scene where we were just walking. The scene where we all walk side by side, and Song hears the song 'Linda Linda Linda' for the first time and copies the sheet music in the teacher's office, is memorable. It's a short scene, and there are no lines, but I felt the joy of joining the band. It may seem like an ordinary scene, but I realized how precious that time was." Bae Doona also shared, "Watching the scene where I first joined as a vocalist and received the copied sheet music while walking together made my heart flutter. I didn't realize it at the time, but seeing Song's expression made me feel so good. I started to see that it was nice to have friends, and it made me feel good." She added, "Sneaking into the practice room at night, following the three friends from the back, or the backs of the friends I saw on set remain in my mind. Watching it again in the theater made me realize how good it was back then."
It has been 20 years since 'Linda Linda Linda' was released to the world. Director Yamashita Nobuhiro, who said that 'Linda Linda Linda' has set a kind of benchmark when making films related to 'music,' remarked, "Time seems to have had a good effect. The emptiness, lingering feelings, and air that I couldn't feel 20 years ago feel matured. I think the 20 years have had a good effect. I hope these feelings are conveyed to the audience."
However, when asked if he has any intention of making a sequel to 'Linda Linda Linda,' director Yamashita Nobuhiro responded, "A sequel?" and continued, "I often think about the characters in 'Linda Linda Linda' and what happens to them afterward. In my mind, they are not holding instruments, and if a story unfolds, it probably won't be about the band. The characters will continue to live after the story ends, and Song might return to Korea, so various imaginations arise. The story 20 years later won't be as simple as 'Linda Linda Linda.' But for now, there are no plans to make a sequel."
Bae Doona shared her thoughts on why 'Linda Linda Linda,' which was released in 2005, is still loved in 2025, saying, "It seems to be a film with a universal emotion that transcends culture and borders. The feelings of dedicating three days to a band during school days, like Song, the humor in the film, and Yamashita Nobuhiro's unique wit are all present. I think this film captures those emotions in a straightforward yet real way. It seems that there are no emotional waves, making it comfortable to watch." She added, "Watching it again felt good. I liked 'Linda Linda Linda' when I was in my 20s, but I also enjoy it in my 40s, and I felt a timeless connection."
The 2025 version of 'Linda Linda Linda,' which has been praised for its harmonious balance with director Yamashita Nobuhiro's unique calmness and low-temperature emotions, will meet audiences again in 2025. Director Yamashita Nobuhiro, who mentioned that the world has changed a lot over the past 20 years, said, "The global situation has changed over 20 years, and the Korea-Japan relationship has changed a lot, but what 'Linda Linda Linda' depicts seems to be something that remains unchanged, something that doesn't change. That's why I think it is still loved by many people across borders."
Sekine Shiori remarked, "When it first premiered 20 years ago, it was shown in a small theater, but now, 20 years later, it has been released in very large theaters and various places in Japan. I felt that it is a living work." Maeda Aki expressed her honest wish, saying, "20 years ago, I couldn't come to Korea, where Song (Bae Doona) lived, but I'm so happy to be here after 20 years. I look forward to the Korean audience's reactions. I hope there are scenes they like."
Finally, Bae Doona stated, "Linda Linda Linda is a special film for me," confessing that through this work, she was able to act not only in Korea but also in Japan, the United States, and around the world. "The 2004 'Linda Linda Linda' was my first overseas experience, and that experience was so good and precious. 'Linda Linda Linda' gave me the courage to challenge a bigger world, and I am really grateful for this work," she said. "Many people around the world say they like this work. And as more people have come to like it, we are having a re-release for the 20th anniversary. It feels like a world tour with friends I played in a band with during high school after 20 years. I can't express how precious this is. I couldn't be prouder."
Meanwhile, 'Linda Linda Linda' will be released nationwide on September 17.
[Geum Bitna, MK Sports Reporter]
