Looks like the guys have all muscled up. Leader Eeteuk shows his toned abs (it's okay if it's not fully 6 packs. Toned is good. Now, I need to go to the gym.... -__-)
Fierce. I like grown up SUJU. :P
Members in order of appearance of MV (the first few seconds before the song actually starts): 1. Siwon 2. Heechul 3. Sungmin 4. maknae (youngest) Kyuhyun!!! (has the boy grown!) 5. Eunhyuk 6. Shindong 7. Donghae 8. belter Yesung!!! (love the fierce look he gives ^^) 9. Ryeowook 10. Eeteuk
Eh-hem. Cough cough.
Too bad the other three (Hangeng/Hankyung, Kangin, Kibum) aren't here. I miss Hangeng the most. :(
By the way, Kyuhyun is growing up well is he not? Now that he's put in as one of the lead dancers and is having more muscles (*cough cough) compared to his thinner days..I'm seeing him growing quite well.
I wish there is more screen time of Sungmin and Shindong though.
And I am so happy that after 'Sorry Sorry', Yesung has finally gotten more lines! My favorite belter, Yesung has finally gotten more lines, almost equal to Kyuhyun! And that is the best part, to me. Not that I don't love the rest. :D (Though I wished he belted a bit...-__-)
The only two gripes I have are the Autotuning and how Kyu, when dancing with the other three, seemed to be thrown off perspective. C'mon, cameraman, do your job.
It sounds so Bollywood, but I'm excited nonetheless. It may not be as catchy as 'Sorry Sorry' but I didn't like 'Sorry Sorry' at first. It was 'It's You 너라고' that caught me up in this ELF storm.
My new stock of Korean CDs have finally arrived into my arms! ^^
Although all of them are considered 'old' since it's been a few months since their release, I haven't heard any of their tracks except for a few.
But physical CDs to me are very important for keepsake purposes. Especially of those who are underrated. Because their underrated means they are real good for collection. Call it the audiophile's collection.
First off, it's J.ae (formerly J) mini album 'Sentimental'. When I heard that she finally released a long-awaited album, I was ecstatic. I heard it only once and decided to buy the album, regardless it's a mini album or not. J.ae is the first person who opened up my eyes to all things Kpop. Not surprisingly, she's also one of the first Asian R&B/Soul artistes that pops into my mind when I discuss about Asian R&B/Soul. :D
And her R&B skills with her breathy voice has never stopped from intriguing me.
At first listen, I'm already very in love with track 7 ' Love'. Too bad there is one track that never made it to the final cut. Would have been awesome. (Too bad she don't have Twitter. I'd stalk all day. XD)
2nd: Fly To The Sky's Brian's 2nd solo album 'Manifold'.
I will honestly say this. When I heard about FTTS disbandment, I was disappointed. I seem to always appreciate artistes after they disband. -__- If there is a song lyrics for my life, I'd pick Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi'.
And no thanks to my Korean language impediment, it's been great to have someone to speak English all the time on their Twitter. (Don't get me wrong here, I love my native Koreans. Just that I need a dictionary all the time and it's a little time-consuming to translate them...especially in the office. LOL.)
When I first knew about FTTS, I saw both of them on Star Golden Bell, promoting their last album 'Decennium' together. And from there, I heard that Brian has always been the underrated one since many loved Hwanhee's voice more.
Honestly...I liked Brian's voice more. (Sorry, Fany. :P)
I still do.
I love how he signs all his albums. Such a pleasant surprise. Maybe I'm a newbie, but I really appreciate the fact that he sat down and sign each of his albums. It's not printed, you can actually feel the pen mark. If you get what I mean. The only gripe I have with the printing of the album...is that the glue at the back is coming apart... T^T. Not very fun.
3rd: Mate EP album 'Be Mate'
Mate is indie turned mainstream in Korea. But I would say they are still very underrated. Kpop is filled with all kinds of dance bubblegum beastly what-have-you and singer-songwriters, especially in genres other than dance, is quite underrated, no matter how popular they are. My friend who got me these was telling me that his Korean friends only recognized half of the artistes. LOL.
But back to the point. I love Mate, a soft rock band, with their very beautiful rock sound (I don't know how do you explain that). Their first album was pure love at first heard...so it's only practical that I get their EP, right?
4th: Epik High's 'Epilogue'
Epik High minus one, if you like. DJ Tukutz is off for military training and this is the last album put together by Tablo and Mithra Jin before they call it a hiatus to wait for their buddy to return from the army. So it's gonna be 1 and 1/2 years before we'll hear from the hip hop group again.
I hadn't plan on buying this because I'm not a Epik High fan initially. I appreciate their music though, and I've always heard about them. But I heard their title track 'Run' and another track 'Over' and I was in love. That's why I cannot listen to newly released tracks. -__-
Last: Loveholics's 'In The Air' (the 'oldest' album of the bunch)
Loveholic - Jisun = Loveholics
I loved Loveholic ever since Javabeans introduced them on her site. I loved the composing, the writing and Jisun's angelic voice.
Then Jisun left, but the composing powerhouse duo is still around. I haven't really listen to this album, so I'm expecting this to surprise me. :D
Don't get me wrong, I love Jisun's composing in her solo debut album 'Mermaid...Come Home' but I think Kang Hyun Min and Lee Jae Hak have serious writing chops.
Edit: I'm absolutely in love with this album. Especially their title track 'Pain' sung by Jang Eun Ah.
As I wrote on my Twitter, it's gonna be a music fest for the next few days. :D
This is so not helping me, especially when I'm not attending SSII this coming 20th.
He finally has great hair.
And I'm definitely watching his drama, Oh My Lady.
Check out the rest of the promo pics and the drama preview here at Dramabeans.
This is the kind of drama that I would watch solely for the lead actors alone. I love Chae Rim's quirkiness as well. I don't mind it having good plot though. Please please please let it have a good plot.
*fans oneself.
Okay, I shall leave the rest of the fangirling somewhere else.
Choi Siwon, you are one fine looking dude. And I ain't talking bout the abs.
It's been a long time since I updated my blog layout. It's not much difference really, just a new header and different color scheme.
I've always been going back and forth regarding what I want this site to be.
But, I guess, the header picture nicely sums up the content:
Myself, Kpop, Music, Christianity, love and everything around and in between.
After taking a long break from Kpop, it's really a renewed perspective and to my delight as a "welcome-back" gift, this is something new from 2AM, the ballad quartet of JYP.
And it's great to hear my favorite voice Changmin belting and harmonising, albeit only for a short while. And if you listen to this song, seriously, you really feel like crying. It's just so sweet.
There's a lot of things I want to share. The past one month has been awesome with God.
To be honest, I never gave any interest to JYP artistes. Then again, I never gave any interest to SM artistes nor YG artistes either until of late.
Thanks (no thanks?) to Kpop entertainment sites, I got to know the mainstream Kpop, see them on stage, working really hard, sacrificing blood, sweat and tears.
I have not seen other entertainment agencies work their artistes this hard. And suddenly I am filled with this kind of love for them. Not in the fangirl way, rather in a sisterly, motherly way. It's that kind of affection that makes me want to befriend all of them and work with them.
These artistes start off really young. Jo Kwon of 2AM, for example, started training at around the age of 13.
I used to see these artistes in a very different light. When they do crazy and questionable things that went against my perception of guys in general, I was a little put off.
Then...strangely, due to the 2PM Jay's controversy, I began to see artistes as how I see them now. Partly because I'm also training vocally, though I'm not a trainee, per se. Partly because I began to understand them from their viewpoint.
And slowly I grow to love them, not all the time, still. But somehow knowing that I may not be able to give as much as they do, makes me respect them all the more, love them all the more.
I won't agree with everything they do, though they do inspire and encourage me to excel in my talents, grow my wings and fly with confidence.
Thank you, my dear Kpop artistes.
(RE: Video. The guy in the specs singing the most lines is Changmin and has the best voice, imo. I just love his voice and how he carry softness and strength at the same time. And he's pretty witty too! Now that is fangirling...XD)
I woke up, remembered what Pr. Edmund Chan spoke on Hebrews, did my quiet time and made a difficult decision which then I found out how much I was obsessed.
ㅠ.ㅠ
But knowing that I gave up something that was above Christ, gives me a kind of release. Small but will soon be significant kind.
And today, thanks to CK dear, I found out about my favorite in SUJU (okay, I've lost count seriously. Cause I like many of them in the same degree) Yesung, participating in a CCM project.
And that I love.
Yesung - Greatest Story of All (along with Yurisangja's Lee SeJun)
And when he also talked about how Siwon is so devoted and attends church every week even in Japan where the population is very low (shows that Siwon somehow must have made a bit of small research before going)...pure love.
Pure love because I'm glad that Siwon is so unwavering despite all the fame and fortune he possess. Shows that his heart is in the right place. And God, I want my heart to be in the right place as well. To love You more and more.
"If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, I can only conclude that I, I was not made for here." -Brooke Fraser, C.S. Lewis Song
Let me start off by saying this. This is solely my opinion and I am not naming anyone cause I don't know any of them personally so I cannot talk about their actions. As long as their motives serves their conscience and values, I have no say and will not say anything.
~~
DongBangShinKi
In view of the legal war between DBSK and their company SM Entertainment, there were many comments flying around. Many who sided with DBSK for fairer treatment and cursed (yes, cursed) SM Entertainment to the depths of hell.
Though I am no Cassie, neither am I a legal practitioner, but I can understand why DBSK wants this. Will it work? We don't know but it will definitely shake something up.
But as my ex-lecturer and I were talking about this, I realised that this issue is only big because DBSK is big. But this issue is not foreign. Many higher management have taken the unscrupulous path and the employees suffer the consequences. You've heard of them. Enron is the classic example.
Only SM Entertainment play a slightly different game. Instead of playing only with numbers, they play with contract statements.
But I'm not here to talk about that.
~~
I love Kpop. I do. I still do.
But it saddens my heart to see the industry squander itself away like so many other pop industries. Especially an (East Asian) industry that has the highest number of professing Christians.
Girls have to be gorgeous or cute or pretty, notwithstanding talents. In that matter, I totally applaud YG and 2NE1.
Girls' Generation (SNSD), Wonder Girls and 2NE1
With the rise of girl groups, the competition becomes fiercer and girls then go lengths to just stay on the top. You can figure out what lengths they go yourself.
Although this time round, the girls are dominating the stage but for a while in early summer, boys took the reins for a while. Super Junior, 2PM, 2AM, SHINee...These boy groups have since said their goodbyes to Korean stage and went on to conquer variety shows and Japan alike.
With all that swirling whirl of activities, I wonder. I just wonder if they ever stop and ask themselves, "What am I doing?"
And I wonder if fans ever stop and ask, "What am I doing?"
And I wonder if netizens ever stop and ask, "What am I doing?"
I totally understand the pressure that a celebrity have, especially the idol celebrity. They are really what we call in Chinese 四面楚歌, which basically means to be beseiged from all sides.
You have the top management, people like SM, JYP, YG and all the other abbreviations you can think of. Once you are contracted to them, you are styled according to THEIR concept. You sing the songs they tell you to sing. You speak what they tell you to speak. Sounds like puppetry?
Well, think it this way:
You work in a company, you sign a contract, you have to abide with those rules. You can't take more leaves than what was stipulated.
Artistes are also employees, only with a more "glamourous" image and a slightly different contract but it's the same.
So, then.
You have your fans.
DBSK's Cassiopeias
I love fans. I studied them for my FYP. I find them absolutely fascinating, scholarship-worthy. But they are also the ones that can break their so-called idols.
Idols, you have an image that you portray. Example, Hero JaeJoong is the pretty boy type. Siwon is the hunk with chocolate abs. One wrong step, like saying some supposedly racist remarks like Taeyeon, or even something more compromising like sex tape scandals like those of Ivy and Baek Ji Young, and you pretty much degraded your own image.
That's why you have things like anti-fans though I find anti-fans the most pointless people on earth. If your whole purpose is to bring down someone, I think you got major issues with yourselves.
But let's not go into anti-fans cause fans are also those who overstep the border and start thinking as if they are the managers or the company management instead. Which basically means the same thing as those companies. You feel as if you have to abide with their rules and please them always. You must be a truly omniscient and omnipotent god to them.
The other extreme would be for the sake of their idols, fans totally take things into their own hands. Case in point, ELFs and their "Only 13" issue. THAT is why I call myself an indie ELF.
Of course, I'm not bashing fans here. I'm raising the point about fanatics. There are those who show genuine respect and loyalty to their idols. Those who know when to back away and when to just show their support by either buying the CDs, merchandises, attend the events and probably just say to their idols, "오빠, 아자! 파이팅! (Oppa, a-ja! fighting!)" or even more personal emotions like "사랑해! (saranghae!)"
Bless these fans' heart.
Next, you have your support "organisations". Your church, your family, your community, your school, your university.
Unfortunately, I find many churches are either silent on this matter, too free or too conservative about Christian celebritites. That's why the celebrities get confused. Even with their own grounded faith, they cannot be allowed to be alone in this. The church needs to be a supporting structure for these celebrities. When I say support doesn't mean freely allow, but more of keeping them accountable. Know this, celebs are leaders as much as pastors and elders of the church. We are all called to fulltime in serving God, not necessarily just within the church office.
Seriously, where do you draw the line? When celebs dance in skimpy outfits, there is only criticism from the church. Yes, I personally don't agree with skimpy outfits cause we are all called to modesty. But that's where there is no follow up. Please, let us not point fingers. The church needs to help their members.
I'm no holy saint. Heck, I compromise more often than you can recite John 3:16 a hundred times. It is by God's mercy and grace that I am saved, period.
And then, you have yourself. You dictate yourself to behave in certain ways. "Oh, they are more sexy. I guess to be that, I need to be do this and that." With all these pressures, you face the danger of losing your own self in the end. Why do we hear about celebs taking drugs? Doing silly things? Going for rehab? Going to a psychiatrist? Becoming violent? (Okay, violence can be inherent to a person's personality, but you get what I mean.)
You get depress, you write anxiously and you joke about them later. It's not about getting a girlfriend/boyfriend. It's about getting inner peace and comfort. Filling that void that only Someone can fill. You look in the mirror and you get more insecure with yourself. The incessant pressures...
It's only those with a faith strong enough can withstand all these but God did not intend us to walk alone.
There is no glamour in being a celebrity. I think it's much safer being a normal ordinary person, working a normal ordinary job, but living an extraordinary life. Celebs can't go anywhere, can't do anything without certain fingers pointed at them.
If you donate money to the charity, good for you. But when celebs donate money to the charity...
"Ah, it's all for show." "Hypocrites." "Publicity stunt!"
Maybe that's why Jesus had said to give discreetly. XD
But anywayz.
I wrote in my Facebook that sometimes it's good to go away from something you are passionate about to come back with a more mature passion.
King Solomon, when he was wiser, had said that everything is meaningless, like a chasing of the wind.
That's why it's good to see celebs like Park Ji Yoon pauses, take a long break and come back with a more solid performance. Not all the time, yes. Cause it depends what did you do during the break. I haven't heard Brian's (FTTS) solo comeback (not released yet), but from what I gather from his tweets and FB updates, I think his comeback will be solid indeed. :)
~~
I'm taking a break from Kpop not because I'm sick of subpar talents and overdose of dance tracks, but because I myself need a reality check. Why did I like Kpop? Call me a deep thinker, but I like to be passionate about things that brings substance. When you are devoted to something, you need to have a bigger purpose than just a shallow love for music or good looks.
In another way, I pray that Christian celebs, not just in Kpop but in every entertainment-filled country, will be supported and be strengthened in their faith. Although, yes, Jesus is enough and God is sovereign, but men's hearts are deceitful. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Again, God did not intend for us to walk alone. And in turn, they will reach out to the people around them and the people who listens to them and bless them.
"What am I doing?"
"I'm an entertainer that wants to bring glory to God."
"I want to leave a legacy, How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering A child of mercy and grace Who'd bless Your name Unapologetically And leave that kind of legacy" - Nichole Nordeman, Legacy
I know I said MIA, but I just want to say this, especially the long awaited delivery has finally come!
I got a peeve about buying CDs, especially music CDs.
I like original versions, not as in "ori" but as in from the direct source. I don't really like local printing cause they seem to take away something about it.
So it was so obvious that I would "invest" to buy Kpop CDs from Korea itself.
And it's as sweet as "It's You" to my ears.
First off, I love her voice, they are one of the electronica groups that I listen to only. You see my rotating header chock full of them:
W & Whale's first album, Hardboiled.
Love their simplistic yet unique album design, though I gripe about the thickness of the CD inset that makes it hard for it to slide into the CD case nicely, causing folds and what nots. :(
And I was okay to believe that it would be good. Cause it's GOOD. It's not too electronica like their 1.5 Random Tasks remix album, but with Whale's deep, smooth and round voice, it has a little pop sound to it with a hint of fun-poking. With songs like R.P.G which stands for Rocket Punch Generation and Agatha Christie's Another Life, it's wacky but not silly.
Talking about hardboiled, this is the other reason why I'm real flushed.
OMG, it's the Version C of Super Junior's 3rd album "Sorry, Sorry"!
Discarding CD insets, the lyrics are attached to the album like a book. Too cool. The only gripe is that there is no plastic covering for the whole thing which invites dust collection and minimal protection. :(
But at least I'm comforted to have the photo diary and personalized messages (actually not really personalized as in "Dear Rebekah...") with their autograph.
But that I gripe as well, cause I can't read Siwon's handwriting. SO SMALL and thick.
Celebrate fandom! :)
So I have a talented CD and a star CD. Nice balance.
By the way, Eunhyuk has the most appearance in the CD. Jacket, inset, CD label...
Ever since I saw Kim Joon of T-Max on Boys Over Flowers, I just love his character and him.
Niwayz,
T-Max is back (finally!) with a new found fame, thanks to the BOF star of the group, Kim Joon.
But Joon's coming out with his solo effort first, featuring none other than his BOF cast mate, Kim Hyun Joong of SS501.
준비 O.K. (Be ready okay), also a play on his name: Jun Be O.K.
(Check out the "intense" look of Joon in 00:07.)
Okay, SS501ers, bash me not, but seeing Kim Hyun Joong doing that awkward wave at 00:22....reminds me so much of his BOF days...that I'm glad BOF is over. At least he always look good with that 00:27 "okay, enough fanservice" wave.
(Same thing he did in 02:56, though he has better hair now, imo.)
However, Kim Joon wrote his lyrics and I can't wait for the full MV to be out on YouTube in a few hours' time, even if I have to laugh all the way through the MV.
I was not anticipating anything from the 20th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan this year, but I like award shows. I have a fancy for them, so I stayed on and watch through the red carpet and opening...
And I saw the first to present awards were Ariel Lin and omg, SUPER JUNIOR!
SUJU, you are amazingly popping up everywhere I see!
At red carpet...missed this part cause Astro AEC wasn't showing the red carpet until the last 40 minutes or so.
It was quite a treat cause on Friday they performed on Music Bank's Half Year Special, some like Yesung, Shindong, Eunhyuk and Sungmin performed as part of Boys' Generation...yup, parodying "Gee", along with 2AM, 2PM and SHINee members.
Boys' Generation & Girls' Generation - Gee (JoKwon from 2AM is the one who's the most er, expressive.)
Super Junior - It's You & Sorry Sorry
Then they flew to Taiwan to perform their 2 hit songs...
So anyway, then Ariel Lin said that probably because they were going to perform later, so they were quite nervous. And I wanted to watch them perform.
And so I waited. And waited. And I was like "WHERE IS SUJU?" And then they appeared.
Videos won't be up so soon, but I was disappointed by the cameramen. Granted, they won't know the songs "It's You" and "Sorry, Sorry" like the Korean cameramen would, but it was visually not so appealing. Then again, I don't think they have ever encounter such a ENORMOUS band like Super Junior. Just look at them on the red carpet!
And Sung Min, due to leg injury, was standing up on the pedestal like some lone figure. At first I was like, eh, then I realised that Sung Min was injured, so he couldn't dance much. But he did dance a little. That boy is just GREAT.
Yesung's hair. Meh. At the rate of dyes he's doing, I'm actually afraid for his hair health.
Heechul's looking a little moody, thankfully Eeteuk seemed to be smiling a little bit more. I always think he has this charisma.
Hangeng, being the only one most fluent in Mandarin, spoke mostly.
Everyone else are just looking GREAT. Eunhyuk is just awesome, I love his dancing. Shindong as well.
But camera aside, the audio system was quite good, considering how Music Bank for the last two weeks have been annoying me by ruining "It's You" audio-wise. Though their fans, omg, can just muffle the whole singing. Not that the singing is great, but Ryeowook, hey, Kyuhyun, hey, Yesung, hey!
Of course, Ki Bum wasn't there, but I'm not really bothered. I just had to keep myself from being too excited when I saw them...live. for the very first time. Too bad their Super Show won't be coming to Malaysia. Maybe I would go for it.
Actually, I'm a little worried for them cause they are quite busy, flying from Korea to Taiwan and then back while preparing for their Super Show, which is BIG.
Super Junior will also be having their Super Show in Taiwan, given their popularity there. Their subgroup SUJU-M, which is active in China, is also quite well-received in Taiwan.
20th Golden Melody Awards is still on RIGHT now, with the last three biggest unnamed yet: Best Male, Best Female and Best Album of the Year. So who will win? Jay? Lee Hom? Fish? Tanya?
Edit: Best Newcomer - Crowd Lu 盧廣仲(100 Ways To Live 100 種生活) Best Male Singer - Jay Chou 周杰倫 (Capricorn 魔杰座) Best Female Singer - Sandee Chan 陳珊妮 (If There Is One Important Thing 如果有一件事是重要的) Best Album - Eason Chan 陳奕迅(Don't Want To Let Go 不想放手)
(Bear with me while I sort out Wordpress problems.)
Pardon me if my translation is wrong, but it seems that Super Junior's MIA member, Kim Ki Bum, though said to be joining his members for the upcoming Super Show 2...
Well, due to a leg injury, Ki Bum won't be able to participate in the concert. Ki Bum was saying along the lines of "Though I can't join, the other members would be alright since they have been preparing for this, so do anticipate".
BoA, the Korean singer that was last seen doing her best in getting into the American market, is found on the pages of the magazine Nylon Korea for the July issue. The theme, if I didn't read incorrectly, is "Cutie, Sexy". Judge for yourselves if the pictures fit the theme.
I was thinking of moving all the focus of music away from this blog. Maybe start a more focused blog on Kpop and Mandopop music overall, rather than writing all here. If so, I will have to shut down my Pixnet blog and this will hopefully, go back to being a personal blog. But of course, it also means that this blog will face some decline in posting.
Either that, or I just shut down this blog as well.
Or I stick to writing what I've been writing in this blog.
Ah, decisions.
And that doesn't mean that my Korean is great now. Nor my Chinese.
I do sometimes pray for the Christian artistes (I refrain from using the word 'celebrities' cause some aren't really celebrities a.k.a stars but they are REAL talents) so they will continue to shine in the entertainment world.
This brings me to the topic of the artistes being commercially valuable. I may have been blogging non-stop about the Kpop music scene, though I write opinions. Many people think that being a celebrity you enjoy perks and it's a glamorous dream filled with plastic surgery and fake personas. Many people may think that the artistes are shallow people. Scandals, exposed shots, low IQ, stupid and silly antics...
But I will say they aren't shallow, nor are they glamorous. Cause artistes/stars/celebs/what have you are working. HARD. They are the ones who work like ants or bees, non-stop, to provide the best entertainment for people. Yes, sometimes, they go so silly and causing even their fans like me to go utterly speechless. Like...
or
(I don't know whether to laugh or cry. That boy is incomprehensible. Why did you think I call him an ambiverous oddball?)
Though many times they will also exhibit greatness like:
(See what I mean by even Yesung's voice can't beat Kyuhyun's? That boy sings first singer in clip, Im Chang Jung's "Long Time No See" so effortlessly BEAUTIFUL)
But they are trying their best to do what will entertain, and I think that's really a great thing. And I do occasionally wonder, sometimes, how far is too far? I'm talking about Asian or specifically Korean entertainment circles here.
Sometimes artistes will compromise for the sake of better sales or higher commercial value, cause seriously, the reason why people like SM makes big bucks is because his groups are all commercially valuable (and makes me almost wanting to join them. Almost.) People love them, people will pay to see them, people will camp outside their hostels just to catch a glimpse of them (no kid). This is fandom, and it's not something to be ignored like yesterday's newspaper. Fans are really the dynamics of an artiste. Without fans, the artistes cannot be commercially valuable. With fans, well, you get a full house.
I know I say some, if not, many are REAL talents, but they too need to cari makan (earn money) and therefore make themselves commercially valuable. CFs (commerical films a.k.a advertisements) contract, go for it! Appearing on variety shows, go for it! Look silly, why not? Be totally impudent to your hyungs (elder brothers), WHY NOT?
(Kyuhyun is my confirmed favorite next to Yesung. Snarky snarky gamer. BTW, he's a math Olympiad and an avid gamer, explains why he keeps referring to Starcraft. Can you believe it? Genius + Swooner + Good-looking + Humorous...)
But they are not shallow, I repeat. Being an artiste, or anyone in front of the camera or at the back of the stage, is a tough and cruel job to take. I've mentioned this before in my pixnet blog. Being an artiste today can no longer just be an artiste. All the "entertaining" things done so that they can last longer in the passion that started them there, may it be singing, dancing, acting, MC-ing, what else there is...
I think it's all these self-sacrifices they make that makes them lovable. Of course, when I say self-sacrifices, I meant it in a good way. They throw away their self-consciousness or lack of confidence to really, entertain people. Of course, again, there's always the thin line. When is too much, too much?
That's up to the artistes themselves to draw the line.
I will respect them always for their ability to stay sane though their lives get so publicly disclosed sometimes. If you think a garbage collector is the worst job, I'd say the celebrity is the worst.
End note: I keep on throwing references of Super Junior. They are my current interest and they are really the epitome of a commercially valuable pop group. But the Korean list also includes DBSK (with the biggest fan club), Big Bang, SS501, SHINee, SNSD, 2PM, 2AM, Wonder Girls, F.T. Island, all the rest I can't think of now.
Besides, they are really a great group to study (13 different people in a boy band working together to achieve one goal. It's a psychoanalyst's dream!). All have their own quirks and charms, yes, including M.I.A Kibum, Heechul, Kangin and Donghae which I didn't really look into. (Heechul and Kangin are absolutely funny in the clip I posted above)
That being said, I will always have a soft spot for oddball Yesung. Maybe because he is often overshadowed by other members in his group who are more "entertaining" than he is. Probably that's because he's very serious. If you notice like I do, he sometimes stay out a bit. 4th-dimensional? Probably thinking about how to attract attention. Probably that's why after that he gets totally crazy mad with his weird antics. But either way, he has his fans, and will always make me smile in spite of myself.
(See, he's not always odd. Though Kyuhyun has now come out into the limelight and shine brightly and Yesung is often second-fiddle, I still like his smile and that husky voice.)
click on the picture for larger image. (L to R): Kibum, Eunhyuk, Shindong, Yesung, Donghae, Siwon, Hangeng/Hankyung, Heechul, Leeteuk, Sungmin, Kangin, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun (...*sweat)
Maybe in a few months from now, I would look back and cry. But I'll admit here. Now. I have become fond of the gigantic 13-member Super Junior....but only as an entertainer group. I admit, all of them have their charms and all that. But honestly, I didn't give two hoots about them before the third album came out. Cause so many of them looked so girlish then I was like ...
So, SUJU, it's you that make me feel so sorry, sorry to myself.
But get this. As much as I find their third album something, they charmed me more with their entertaining selves. Sure, I love Yesung's and Kyuhyun's voice which are irresistibly good (where their voice got to show a bit more in the ballad dance pop 사랑이 죽는 병 /Love Disease). But though the number just staggered me in the beginning, they are really special, imo. Perhaps this is why ELFs are so active and so protective of their Only 13. (Leaving poor Henry and the other guy from Super Junior's 192731278th subgroup SUJU-M so battered) Let's not even go into Cassiopeians and the rest!
But I'm not going to be an ELF, crazy or sane. I'll enjoy them while they are still there, cause my music taste is always quite fickle, with exceptions. Like I used to like Jolin Tsai a lot, but then now I'm a little more indifferent towards her. I still think she's one of the best dancers around in pop. Like my like-dislike relationship with Fly To The Sky and LeeHom as well. But as I said, they are entertaining.
In a breeze of my opinion (talents notwithstanding):
Eeteuk 이특 - leader, eldest (1983) I think he's really a very good leader albeit quite fail with his "honey world". To take care of 12 people is no joke. Imagine how Jesus must have felt. And for the fact he's pretty quick as a MC and still so dedicated though he always get bullied by his members is a plus point. I'd remember how he would say "Kibum, love you" on music shows recently as that fellow is never around.
Heechul 희철 - 2nd eldest Haven't really look into him, just know that he got a habit of kissing his members and a little girly. So. Prefer him with his long hair though.
Hankyung/Hangeng 한경 - the Chinese member I'm bias cause for a Chinese to make it big both in China and Korea is seriously a big thing. And he looks better now with his new hair (not this). Then again, the reason why I paid attention to SUJU now is because they somehow look better (not all) with this new look. Found their blonde mops a real turnoff. Though his Korean is a little on the hopeless side, but hey, kudos for getting fans either way. One of the best dancers in SUJU, given his martial arts background.
Yesung 예성 - ambiverous oddball He is odd. He rubs people the wrong way. His voice is huskily great (though I mentioned he toned down much for this third album) and I really don't understand why he does the things he does sometimes. I feel like asking the psychoanalyst from Infinity Challenge (무한도전) and analyze this boy. Like him MUCH better with this hairstyle. When he smiles, it's really very (*cough) nice. The oddest but my most favorite.
Kangin 강인 - quick thinking MC Kangin is the other talkative one after Eeteuk. He's quite quick also, so makes him a perfect candidate to be in variety shows. I'm envious of their eloquence. I think he also raps for SUJU?
Shindong 신동 - resident chubster I didn't name him that. He is the chubbiest in SUJU, Kangin takes second place. But Shindong is cute, I admit. He has this really I-want-to-pinch-your-face look. But the boy is one of the strongest dancers in SUJU and I'm serious, he can dance. He's also one of the creative dance choreographer of SUJU.
Sungmin 성민 - all-rounder Another martial artist. But that boy can also toss pizza, dance, what have you. It's almost like there's nothing he can't do. (Edit: yes, he cooks too!)
Eunhyuk 은혁 - the one that fell of the chair and got laughed so hard by Kangin This and next two are same age as me, he's the best dancer of SUJU and raps pretty well too. Pretty entertaining to watch on variety shows and he still make me laugh over his fall, hosts a radio show with Eeteuk. But I like his dancing the most.
Donghae 동해 - many's favorite Haven't really look into him also. But he's a good dancer and often commenters were teasing about how he always love doing the body wave even in a sad song like "It's You". One of the good looking ones, imo.
Siwon 시원 - resident hottie I won't say he's hot. But he's definitely photogenic and classically handsome. Very tall and well-built. A really good actor, acted in "Battle of the Wits" alongside with Andy Lau as a prince or something. And one thing that really stands out is how he never shames away from saying about his relationship with God.
Ryeowook 려욱 - music prodigy Okay, I don't really like his tenor voice. I think it's too high but he is one of the best singers in SUJU. But that boy's piano skills. OMG. Respect. (Edit: He cooks too!)
Kibum 기범 - M.I.A As I've said, I only started paying attention to this group in their 3rd album. And the infamous M.I.A member is this boy who is facing some uproar from his fans and anti-fans alike. So haven't been paying any attention to him at all, never mind if he's cute and all that. I won't say his acting skills are horrid but they're not KangJiHwan-esque either.
Kyuhyun 규현 - maknae 막내 (youngest) and best singer Even Yesung's voice can't beat Kyuhyun's. I think Kyuhyun scores point for being a baritone singer and therefore even if he can't belt, he sure has a lot of chest voice (emotional voice) to swoon his fans. He's very quiet though but one of the best looking albeit skinny.
Okay, I'm done. May I never have to look at this again. I've got this off my chest and there it is. I'm not saying I'm embarrassed for liking SUJU cause as I've said, they are really a fun bunch to watch and they are seriously a group that you can't possibly miss, but it's good to get this off my chest, if not, I think SUJU will overwhelm me like how Girls' Generation once did with "Gee". SM, you succeeded yet again.
But this I have to say: Why do guys like to kiss each other? I know bromance but still. You don't find girls kissing each other in a sistermancely way.
Not for assignments. That will come in due time, but definitely game for good music.
After hearing "My Everyting" from Lee Min-ho's part in the Boys Over Flowers After Story (supposedly 5 years after, but it's reminiscence more than anything. 5 years later, pah.), I realised, where vocals lack, the composition makes up for it.
My Everyting - Lee Min-ho 이민호
Hwang Chan-hee 황찬희 is a really good songwriter, imo. He wrote "I'm Sorry" sung by Tim, and it's one of my favorite songs. He also wrote this song and though Lee Min-ho isn't a stellar singer (I think this song would be sung better by that huskier voiced guy Shin Min Chul 신민철 of T-Max or Super Junior's Kyuhyun or even Kim Bum though the former voices aren't as deep as Lee Min-ho's) the composition saved him. In other words, it fits his voice.
I'm not being mean to Lee Min-ho. He sounds nice in the verses and he maintained the roundness of his voice throughout the song, despite his "everyting" but you know, he kinda strained a little at the higher notes. I heard this a few times using the earphones so he's an actor who can sing but not a actor-singer. Sorry Min-ho fans. But I like that song cause it's really nicely composed. This whole thing is very Jay Chou.
But let's go to those who can really sing. I stumbled across this two balladeers who don't sing Engrish and held their pitches well.
They are less-in-the-limelight Gavy NJ's Hee-young 희영 and Jang Hye-jin 장혜진. For the English movie "Twilight" (you know, the vampire love story), they did a Korean soundtrack and can I say...even though the music sounded a little like Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" but oh man, those two voices...
Twilight 영원토록 (Forever)
Judge for yourselves. Their pitching is perfect even when they belt and it's really belt, not shouting. This is called great singing.
And let me ruin the moment for you by showing you the epic fail-ness of my favorite in Super Junior - Yesung 예성. (You would definitely know he's my favorite. Been talking about him non-stop) I realised that I'm a bit like him in terms of personality. Though maybe not so fail but we both take life quite seriously and so depreciate ourselves.
Watching this video, I'm just saying "Oh, Yesung, you make me laugh and cry at the same time. Thank goodness your voice saved you."
After spending over a few hours writing yesterday's post (I seem to like to edit my stuff nowadays, like A LOT) and realizing that I've been doing nothing else but repeating the addictive "너라고 It's You" on YouTube non-stop, reading comments about all 13 members of SUJU...liking Yesung's belting so much that I'd repeat the ending always, finding Hangeng's expression and exposed biceps ...*cough.. interesting, Siwon's height and built ..*cough.. interesting....and the rest are getting finer than what I used to gawk at...
L to R: Siwon, Yesung, Shindong (pre-Sorry Sorry days; don't like them then)
Hangeng (I'm bias towards him cause he's the only Chinese in the "official" SUJU and that boy can dance as well)
Siwon (classically handsome, tall and well-built...rich too. Devoted Christian as well. ++ points)
I am stark mad. I'm not loving SUJU, but their new looks and THAT song is piquing my interest. A little too much. And I'm turning into a silly fangirl over just that ONE song. 미쳤어 (I'm crazy).
Time to go and really do my FYP. Like, really, go and do it.
P/S: My sis thinks Shindong is cute. I think he's adorable and that boy can dance, don't laugh at his size! :)
While everyone is droning on and on about the fantastic-ness of Iron Man and the mediocrity of Speed Racer, here I am, finishing on my pilot episode and reviewing dramas.
One sentence: I still love "Butterfly Lovers".
Until now, they never fail to make me want to watch that series again. And I wish either AEC or ShuangXing will play it. But Astro might not play it since it was played in WaTV...but still.
I'm reviewing on a recent Hong Kong TVB show called "A Journey Called Life" or 金石良緣 acted by Steven Ma 馬浚偉 and Linda Chung 鍾嘉欣 and the legendary 肥貓 鄭則仕 Kent Cheng.
I watched this after seeing the preview on Astro On Demand Preview Channel (Ch 302). And I was interested in how the story will turn out.
Plot (Warning: Spoilers!) Onn (Steven Ma) is the disciple of Kam Sek / Fei Lo Ban (Fat Boss) (Kent Cheng) who operates a stone chiseling factory. KaKa (Linda Chung) is a delinquent girl who hates her stepmother and also her father, to an extend. KaKa feels that her father cheated on her mother and cause her mother to get into gambling and consequently dies.
Forget the first three and the last two. The middle is Linda Chung as Sze KaKa and Elaine Yiu as Hana. Well, if you really must know, the guy on KaKa's side is her ex-boyfriend who runs a handphone shop with her.
Kam Sek loves to help everyone in his apartment area and treats Onn more like a son than his own son, Roy (Raymond Cho 曹永廉) which Kam Sek's wife spoils.
Onn's father loved marathon but died when Onn and the sisters were still young, so Onn quit school and went under the tutelage of KamSek. Onn proceeded to become a real master in chiseling and KamSek is proud till he decided to sell the factory to Onn, much to Roy's (who's in the share buying habit) dismay.
Fala Chen as Vicky, Raymond Cho as Roy, Steven Ma as Onn and Angelina Lo as KamSek's wife.
Onn's 1st sister Vicky (Fala Chen 陳法拉) loves money, wanting everything branded. She got into the company where Roy and his boss Mr. Tung (Cheng Tse Sing 鄭子誠) are in. Roy always try to gain favor with the boss till willing to give up his girlfriend Vicky for success.
Mr. Tung and his sidekick, Ben. Mr. Tung is a womanizer who wants Vicky as his lucky charm.
Onn's 2nd sister Moon (Helena Wong 黃卓慧) is a simple university girl who fell in love with the simple, dyslexic boy of KaKa's household (KaKa's 3rd stepbrother). Through an unexpected pregnancy, Moon and Heng (Stephen Wong 黃嘉樂) got married and though a little childish sometimes, they symbolized a simple but happy marriage as opposed to Vicky's tremulous affair with two men which got Vicky and Roy into really hot water.
The two behind are Heng and Moon, Onn's youngest sister and her husband.
KaKa, under the guidance of Onn and KamSek, changes for the better, especially after losing her friend Hana (Elaine Yiu 姚子羚) to a case of drug overdose.
Fei Lo Ban was thinking of a way to make KaKa run with Onn during Onn's practice for the marathon.
Then the story goes, KaKa fell in love with Onn and through a marathon, they both officially became a couple though 10 years apart in age. Married, pregnant, lost the baby due to Vicky's drunk driving...KamSek lost his house because his wife took it and sold it off to help Roy in his debts.
Maggie, after nearly got raped by KaKa's first stepbrother. Notice the difference in Linda Chung from the previous picture.
KaKa lost a friend but found another in Maggie (Queenie Chu 朱慧敏) who was the supervisor in Mr. Tung's cosmetic company till got kicked out by Vicky. KaKa also reconciled with her father when she realised the truth that her mother was a gambler all along. KaKa also reconciled with her stepmother after she lost her baby and the stepmother, who fell sick after kicking the husband out of the house and realizing the people who really loved her (like her third son Heng which she also kicked out because his determination in marrying Moon and her husband) as opposed to people who loved her money (her own 2 sons and daughter).
It was a story of happiness, lost and found. In the end, it was KaKa who got her husband to run again (meaning to not give up in life) after Onn felt like it was all his fault that Vicky turned out that way (loving money over family, giving up her values, aborting her and Roy's child, "killing" Onn's unborn baby, killing herself in the end with sleeping pills and a whole bottle of expensive liquor) and that he could not save his daughter.
KaKa showing Onn that he shouldn't give up being a nice guy just because he failed once. They look like husband and wife here, not brother and sister.
Roy at the same time finally got the understanding that KamSek loved him very much, just didn't know how to express it, till KamSek felt that he was a failure as well. Roy finally realized his mistake after in a spur of anger, injured his own father.
***
My thoughts on this drama...
It's been quite sometime when Kent Cheng acted. And I wanted to see how Linda Chung will do cause I didn't think that her chemistry with Steven Ma was sparkling enough. Besides, the plot sounded interesting.
Well, it is interesting. I find the occupation of KamSek and Onn are a new thing. I mean, which show talks about people who carved tombstones? Anyway. Though in retrospect, the plot gets cliched since it's around the same story about happiness lost and found. But I like this show due to its nicely interwoven stories and FAST timeline. One episode can have KaKa getting pregnant, and two episodes later, KaKa lost her 7-months old baby. Hong Kong dramas tend to be fast-paced and it's good.
2nd row: Lo Co and Tam Suk (both are KamSek Factory's faithful employees), Maggie, KaKa's father and reformed stepmother. 1st row: KamSek's wife, KamSek (why he looked so angry here I have no idea), Onn's mother, Moon and Heng (look how they hold hands on a hot day)
It is a sweet story for Onn and KaKa who went through some minor obstacles to be together, though after they got married, their story dimmed and it wasn't very detailed on how they cultivate their love even after marriage and how KaKa really becomes accepted as a new person. However, I especially liked the part where KaKa told Maggie that she was worried for Onn as Onn is too naive because he had not went through big storms in his life as how she had. At first it was Onn who was the stronger hand who held the helm, but in the last episodes, KaKa took over.
Onn and KaKa in their wedding. This was when her stepmother suddenly barged in and stopped the wedding proceedings. Here, they looked the most like lovers.
It was a sad story for Roy and Vicky, especially Vicky. On their quest for success and riches, they both lost it all and Roy would have to live with the guilt of his greed for the rest of his life. Vicky, well, at least she reconciled with her brother who earlier on, disowned her before her death.
KamSek was the only one who remained quite unwavered until the last few episodes when Roy lost everything. He loved to talk about philosophy and tried to be the peacemaker and negotiator, using his philosophical point of view.
Vicky after her abortion, kicked out by Mr. Tung and disowned by her brother.
The ending was a bit of a blah. KamSek suddenly got his house back (whatever happened to the previous buyers), and KaKa's stepmother was like "Later I will treat everyone in my restaurant!" in inexpressible joy. What was oddest was that KaKa walks towards Onn and told him, "I'm pregnant!" when before her first pregnancy was more of like a miracle cause she had a problem in conception. It was like as if there's no way better to end that part. But oh well. Don't they all end this way. And then all of them hug and rejoiced together. Lalala...though it was a proper ending, I kinda wished that they could have ended it in a less dramatic way.
Happy family picture. Notice the baby bump on KaKa. This was just moments before her accident.
Linda Chung were great when she was still in her bad-girl dressing. Then she became very mellowed-down and became this 180 degrees changed woman who speaks gently and very understanding and also cries frequently. Oh well.
Steven Ma is always a good actor. Like his acting, acted like as if he's really a human. Sometimes characters can get too nice or too bad or too patient and sometimes it annoys you.
I find that in the last episodes that Onn and KaKa looked most like lovers.
The chemistry? So-so. Sometimes they acted more like brother and sister rather than lovers. But that maybe just me.
***
Conclusion: It's not a bad show, can get a little addictive, can get a little frustrating with the characters but hey, that's drama. And it's a Hong Kong drama. And where Hong Kong drama is concerned, there is always the element of heavy drama.
Well, due to a leg injury, Ki Bum won't be able to participate in the concert. Ki Bum was saying along the lines of "Though I can't join, the other members would be alright since they have been preparing for this, so do anticipate".
