Having turned 28 this year, director Nobuhiro Yamashita is is the most renowned director on the current Japanese film scene. His films No One′s Ark and Ramblers were excellent work that shined through with lingering humor and originality, and which were all introduced at Pusan. Yamashita, who′s best known for his skill in portraying incompetent men, steps out with a new story about high school girl. A girls′ high school band is at a crisis pointwhen some members ae injured and others get into fights with each other right before the school festival. Kei, who plays guitar, decides to play with new band members. The songs of choice, instead of their own, are hits by Blue Hearts, a legendary band that first made its appearance in mid-′80. A Korean classmate, Son, replaces the vocalist. Like the long tracking shot showing parts of the school while following Kei in the first half of the film, Yamashita doesn′t hurry or exaggerate, but with unchanged humor he builds a slow portrait of the four protagonists and the characters around them. It′s great to see Bae Doo-na play the role of the Korean, Son, but what is more impressive in how well her role blends into the film.So at the conclusion of the film, when the sound of their voices spreads out, their high school days become precious memories embedded in their hearts. It′s a. cheerful film full of Blue Hearts′ hit songs and. the freshness of schoolgirls. (Kwon. Yong-min)