7 Asian Christmas movies to kick off the festive season

Starting off with one of Hong Kong’s classic romcoms, the simply named Merry Christmas stars the legendary Karl Maka as Baldy. Since he is a single father of three, his children attempt to set him up with their next-door neighbour Paula (played by Paula Tsui). Baldy is obviously into her, but doesn’t act on his feelings until something forces his hand.

The humour is absolutely silly, slapstick comedy, but it still has heartwarming moments that Hongkongers will no doubt find relatable – not to mention it stars two of Hong Kong’s biggest heartthrobs of their generation, Leslie Cheung and Danny Chan Bak-keung. If you enjoy movies from that period of Hong Kong cinema that’s full of wackiness, pranks, and double-time quips, then you’ll like this romp.

Small town photographer Jung-won (played by the fantastic Han Suk-kyu – yes, Dr. Romantic himself) finds out he has a health condition but decides not to disclose it and to simply live to the fullest. Da-rim encounters him in his studio and falls for him, but Jung-won doesn’t notice. While obviously carrying a good bit of melancholy because the premise is undoubtedly sad – a symptom of South Korean dramas and movies of that era, we’re afraid – fans of nostalgic Korean romances will definitely enjoy this film and its warmth.

Since this film stars Cha Tae-hyung in the early noughties, you already know it’s going to be a bit of a screwball comedy. Cha stars as Byung-ki, a small-time policeman who dreams of clearing his little hot spring town of all evil. He falls in love with the oblivious Min-kyoung (played by Kim Sun-a), but the local gangster boss Sang-doo (played by Park Yeong-gyu) also decides that he must have her for himself. Oh, and despite the provocative name, this movie doesn’t have any explicitly erotic scenes (sorry).

There’s no way we’re leaving this beloved film by the late, great Satoshi Kon out of the list. On Christmas Eve in Tokyo, three homeless people discover a baby abandoned in the trash and set out to find her parents, running into a range of unusual nighttime characters along the way. This is obviously not your typical festive flick – it’s also the only animated feature on the list – but the heartwarming and at times tear-jerking story is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

11 characters weave in and out of each other’s stories in surprising ways, each dealing with their own baggage and traumas. Saeki (played by Tomorowo Taguchi) finds out on his father’s deathbed that he was born out of an affair and tries to find his birth mother; a teenager visits a woman after he witnesses her failed suicide attempt; a bar owner waits for his ex-lover without realising the affections of someone nearby. When a satellite crashes and plunges Tokyo’s electrical grid into darkness, the long dark night provides these people with the opportunity to confront their deepest feelings that don’t see the light of day. Japanese movies have a way of feeling soft, slow, and rather magical – and within a Christmas setting, that feeling is compounded in this film.

Despite Japan not really celebrating Christmas, this film is set during the holiday season and manages to create a wholesome Christmas atmosphere. Sayuri (played by Miki Nakatani) has long had dreams of being swept off her feet on July 24th Avenue in Lisbon. When she runs into her high-school crush Satoshi (played by Takao Osawa), Sayuri decides to change her appearance to get his attention.

Love Actually is obviously on everyone's Christmas watch queue, but if you’d like to try something new, this Japanese film was actually inspired by the classic British romcom. Focusing on Tokyo Station as the central location, the stories of 10 somewhat intertwined characters are told through six plot lines. Romance, family dramas, heartache, and a jolly dash of Christmas cheer – It All Began When I Met You has it all.