Dongpal, Kiyoung, and Eugene are from different backgrounds—a gangster, a labor activist, and an aspiring writer, respectively. A comic book store run by Madame (Choi Myoung-gil) is their hideout. Kim Hong-Joon made his directorial debut feature after years of experience with Im Kwon-taek in The General’s Son 2 (1991), The General’s Son 3 (1992), and Seopyeonje (1993) produced by Taehung Pictures. The uniqueness of A Rosy Life is that it depicts how people from different backgrounds draw solidarity in a comic book store, which is a rare setting in Korean films. Combined with the social consciousness against oppressive authorities and the mania culture of comics, the film represents the Korean New Wave in the 1990s. [HUH Nam-woong]