Welcome to the World of EXO - Part 2

OK! My previous post was a little bit depressing if you guys happen to like EXO a lot, but this post is all about why I love EXO. Mostly this post will comprise of an EXO crash course and just my general thoughts. So, let's begin shall we?


How can I describe EXO's music? Well, it's very powerful, for one thing. To be honest, I'm not good at classifying music into genres, so let's just call this pop/rock with heavy metal and electronic influences to make up for my lack of knowledge. However; I can distinguish what kind of style and what kind of vibe they give off. Does Star Trek come to mind? The whole entire time I was watching MAMA, star trek star trek star trek Vulcan, live long and prosper, star trek and star trek kept going through my mind. (I kinda like Star Trek by the way) We can definitely say that EXO is out of this world what with their vibrating, metallic pants - which were very baggy might I add - their glass mosaic pantaloons, and their aluminum foil jackets. By doing this, they're really trying to play up the whole alien/supernatural concept, which helps me segue onto the topic of their awesome magical powers! I love how each member has their own super powers. The special effects were quality stuff! Also, from what songs I've heard, it tells me that EXO is experimenting a lot of different styles of music; (dub step, of course, is included) which I think is pretty interesting. Their music as a whole definitely has a unique sound, I guess you could say it's exotic, but mostly what I love is that each song translate well and sounds good in Chinese and vice versa. Most songs usually sound really off when their translated into another language, but all the songs sound good. I have to say that I sometimes I have trouble deciding which version I'd rather listen too!


Not to mention, I love their voices. So far, I think Chen, Lu Han, D.O. and Baekhyun have got the best voices as well as wide vocal ranges. That, I think, is one of the elements that make their music unique in addition to the main rappers, Kris, who is a rhythmic rapper, and Chanyeol, who is a faster rapper, according to an interview I saw. Despite their main roles in the group, almost all of the members are well-rounded in at least dancing, rapping, and singing. And even though they only have 6 songs on their album, their teasers hint at other songs, which I am really excited for, (i.e. Black Pearl, Beautiful and My Lady!) but I keep hearing that these songs will be in the repackage album. (Crossing fingers!)

Does lightning bending count as a talent? lol

One of my other favorite aspects of EXO is their dancing. I'm trying not to make comparisons with other groups, but how else can I describe EXO's dancing without mentioning some SHINee! (I mean Kai kinda looks like Taemin for Pete's sake!) So, I must commend them on their choreography which possesses the same charisma and complexity found in Shinee's dances. When they dance, it looks so epic and powerful; especially in the teaser because of the slow motion and the sound effects, but enough of the technical stuff, because mostly I want to talk about the members themselves. 


 EXO members are really versatile and multitalented.
Even though this is nothing new because all  K-pop idols are talented in some way or another, I still find it hard to believe that one person can be good at so many things. Kai knows ballet, jazz, popping, and that's just naming a few. Chen and Baekhyun both have amazing singing skills; their voices can hit really high notes! Tao and Xiumin know martial arts. LuHan is just so smart; have you seen him solve a Rubix cube?! Nearly half of them are bilingual or trilingual in Kris' case. SM, where do you find such amazing people? What I love about SMTown is that they always pick people with distinctive characters, I mean that's one of the reasons why I love Super Junior! For this same reason, I like how each EXO member has a unique personality, especially Tao. Since they just debuted, they're still shy and awkward, especially in interviews, so we still have yet to see what they're really like, but I find that to be the fun part! 

EXO-K

Suho

REAL NAME:Kim Joon Myun

DOB:May 22, 1991

AGE:21

SIGN:Gemini

BLOOD TYPE:AB

ROLE:Leader/Lead Vocalist

NATIONALITY:Korean

OPINION:Very shy and awkward in an endearing way.He seems like a lovable leader, in that Onew-kinda way. (sorry again for the comparison.)

BIAS

Chanyeol
REAL NAME:Park Chan Yeol
DOB:November 27, 1992
AGE:20
SIGN:Saggittarius 
BLOOD TYPE:A
ROLE:Main Rapper/Vocalist
NATIONALITY:Korean
OPINION:When I first saw him, he had very fuzzy hair as if it were crimped, so instantly I thought he look like Shut Up Flower Boy's Ha Jin, especially his deep voice, his tall height, and his easy going manner. 

BIAS

Baekhyun
REAL NAME:Byun Baek Hyun
DOB:May 6, 1992
AGE:20
SIGN:Taurus
BLOOD TYPE:??
ROLE:Main Vocalist
NATIONALITY:Korean
OPINION:Try try try not to read comments on YouTube before you watch a video, or sometimes you'll regret it. I did and now every time I say hear his name, I think of Bacon, albeit a very cute bacon with an amazing vocal range.

BIAS

D.O.
REAL NAME:Do Kyung Soo
DOB:January 12, 1993
AGE:19
SIGN:Capricorn
BLOOD TYPE:??
ROLE:Singing/Beatboxing
NATIONALITY:Korean
OPINION:He is one of the first people I memorized from EXO-K, and I really like his jet black hair.He has a powerful voice, but he doesn't seem like the talkative type, and his name sounds really cool.

KAI

REAL NAME: Kim Jong In

DOB: January 14, 1994

AGE: 18

SIGN: Capricorn

BLOOD TYPE: A

ROLE: Face/Rapper/Vocalist/Main Dancer

NATIONALITY: Korean

OPINION: Cute and super-duper talented. wasn't that interested in him since he was everywhere, if you understand what I mean. However; he's really shy and awkward too in interviews; it's like he can't say something without laughing. Very endearing.

BIAS

SEHUN

Real Name: Oh Se Hoon

DOB:April 12, 1994

AGE: 18

SIGN:Aries

BLOOD TYPE:??

ROLE:Lead Dancer/Maknae/Rapper/Sub-Vocalist

NATIONALITY: Korean

OPINION:I don't know why but I find dancers very attractive, I mean I like Eunhyuk and Donghae if that tells you anything. So, I really like Sehun; he's shy, quiet, and gentle, but my gut tells me to keep an eye on the quiet ones. Will he turn out to be an evil maknae? (Mwhahaha!)

*EXO-M will be featured in another post.*

-A

Welcome to the World of EXO- Part 1

Sometimes, I don't understand myself; one day I could hate something and then I could love it the next day! Does this mean I'm bipolar, because at first I was very dubious towards EXO, but now I'm really interested in them. I suppose the reason for this being a combination of boredom and curiosity, and evidently, I have succumbed to both. I have looked at EXO, to what I think is, two different perspectives: the "Like Them" perspective and the "Don't Like Them" perspective, so here's what I think and my other initial thoughts on this group.

The two "faces" of their groups. How cute!

First of all, I'm going to address all my complaints and concerns in this post, so I'm sorry for all you Kai biases out there, but way back in EXO's "teaser" stage, I noticed a lot of Kai here, Kai there, Kai everywhere! Hey, I have nothing against Kai, he's a pretty cute Taemin look-alike and super talented, but there's a reason why Kai was the only member in EXO that I knew. SM made an obvious effort to promote Kai, but what about the other members? So, this goes without saying, but Kai is definitely a visual, or "face" of EXO. If you've read my other posts then you'll know I'm not a big fan of the "face" concept, but sometimes, it just happens, like when a member is recognized more because they happen to be on shows or dramas often (i.e. SNSD's Yoona or Infinite's L). This, however, is not the case, which is mainly what bugs me about SM. It's like from the get-go they decided to make Kai the "face".

Teaser No. 1278342 JK! I like the teasers!

My other complaints, not uncommon among netizens, is the whole "prologue" song thing. Let's not get all fancy and start calling songs prologues. Does this mean I should expect an epilogue song too? SM shouldn't make things too complicated.  At first I couldn't keep up with all the teasers, but now I see the necessity of having them. With all those members it's hard to memorize, so individual teasers introduce each person, but there were so many repeats of people. For example, I saw a lot of Kai, Lu Han, and Se Hun in teasers - not that I object, since I happen to like them-, BUT I think they should have kept it simple and straightforward: introduce all the members with one teaser each, and then maybe do some extra teasers on the side with EXO all together etc.  For me, all the teasers were overwheming, and I think the main problem with SM is timing. As they say, timing is everything, but SM waits a long time when it comes to marketing. Again, how long did we have to wait for Shinee to make their comeback? EXO took forever to debut; SM needs to know when to build hype and maintain it too.

Probably my favorite teaser!

Another thing, I have a love/hate relationship with the whole EXO-M and EXO-K thing. I love both groups, and I think it's great that SM wants to promote themselves more in China especially after the success of Super Junior-M and such. However; I'm worried that EXO-M might be neglected, because they're mostly going to be promoting in China, and their music industry is different from ours. Basically, I just want equal exposure for both groups; I would hate to see EXO-K more receive popularity or more advantages than EXO-M, because in comparison to the Korean EXO showcase, ,the Chinese EXO showcase had a smaller stage. Plus, their showcase wasn't even posted on SME's YouTube channel. It's unfortunate that most of my biases are in EXO-M too, so trying to find concerts and subbed interviews are going to be a bit harder to find.  Hopefully, SM has thought ahead, and knows how to make this work; otherwise this might pose a problem.

Leeteuk and Kai! Also cute!

With that said, we can't forget SM's reputation. Yes, it's an amazing company that has produced some of the most famous, most successful, and the most talented idols in the buisness, but as netizens, we all know the DBSK and the Super Junior scandals, so hopefully, SM has learned from some of their mistakes and hopefully EXO won't experience, if not the same problems, but at least different problems and less of them.
Lastly, the thing that pains me the most to say, is that with every beginning there is an end. I just became an ELF but I feel like EXO is for lack of a better word outshining Super Junior. This is to be expected because no K-pop group lasts forever, but that doesn't mean that Super Junior will ever be replaced by EXO or otherwise. They are legends that will always be loved by ELF's everywhere around the world. But this doesn't mean I don't like EXO because of this; rather EXO's debut makes me sad because it's another sign that Super Junior is getting older, age wise. So don't be hating on EXO just because they're the new kids on the block. We can equally love both Super Junior and EXO too. Love them as they are and as always, have an open mind.


PLEASE NOTE that I mean no offense to SME, EXO fans, or EXO; rather I am merely stating my opinion and my thoughts in this post. I make no judgments against them, and if you think I'm being critical, that's ok, but at least await my second one where I talk about all the things I LOVE about EXO. 

-A

KRASH -- lovely spring

were heading into summer soon but who says you cant wear sping outfits during summer. Where I'm from its hot during the day but at night it get cool enough for a very lightt jacket. So today is a spring to summer outfit. For me I like simple clothing. Nothing more and nothing less. For cute simlple korean outfit pair black leggings or jeans with a loose plain white shirt ten over it something of a soft color cardigan. Don't wear grey because that will just make you looked washed out and boring. Wear a pastel color like salmon or a light blue if you have enugh courage. So anyways for a purse choose a white so your cardigan stays as the statement of the outfit. And for the shoes wear nude color shoes. Lastly wear a pretty light pink nail polish.

FASHION: The Spiky Headband

You don't know me! So shut up Boy!
(Got that song stuck in my head)

"On the outside, I’m a Bad Girl. On the inside, I’m a Good Girl." - Miss A's Good Girl, Bad Girl

Now, I'm not the one for the punk, rocker chick style. (I'm one for vintage clothing and pastel colors.) But oddly, I am really drawn to the spiky head band. I spotted my first spiky head band In Dream High 2 wore by none other than the resident bad girl/good girl of the drama, Rian (Jiyeon). It really matched her character; and the fact that the headband was pink with spikes shows that Rian may look like a sweet girly-girl, but get on her bad side and you'll be on the receiving end of one of those spikes. Now that I think of it, Jiyeon has almost got that Avril Lavigne vibe to her what with her feline-like features. Plus I noticed that SNSD's maknae, Seohyun, was wearing one too! Usually, the most conservative one in the group, I thought the headband looked especially striking on her. Honestly, I really don't know what it is about this headband! Maybe it's the fact that it's so ironic; to be pink, one of the most feminine colors on the color wheel, combined with deadly spikes. Maybe it's the fact that's it's different and unique; so far I haven't seen many spiky headbands in my hometown. Or maybe I'm just a biased netizen that likes Jiyeon and Seohyun too much. Well, whatever it is, I Like it! 

I know Seohyun, I like your headband too.

-A
*all credits belong to their rightful owners*

TaeTiSeo's Twinkle Teaser - Taeyeon & Tiffany

The rumors have been confirmed that, yes, Girls Generation is promoting a new sub unit called TaeTiSeo, respectively, featuring Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. Now, show of hands, how many of you thought Jessica was going to be put into this sub unit? I kind of assumed that she'd be there. No worries, it's said this is not the only sub unit and that this sub unit is supposed to be flexible to change members. It's nice to see a girls group sub unit because I haven't seen one in a while besides After School. I think sub unit are always a great way to showcase each members' talents and I just hope that Girls Generation will be making more sub units in the future so we can focus on talents of other members too. (If I could I'd lobby for a a Hyoyeon, Sooyoung, Yuri sub unit). 
So SM released the new teaser April 24 for Taeyeon.The song has got a Lady Marmalade vibe. With that said, we should probably expect various and wide vocal ranges. As for the music video, it looks fun and sparkly, like a Girls Night Out! You can call me hyped up for this, because I've already replayed this teaser like 10 times! 

Here is the new teaser for Tiffany that was released April 26, and I'm still mesmerized by all the sparkly-ness! I can't wait for Seohyun's

-A

**Also, Super Junior released the Short PV for their Japanese single Opera! <3!**

*All credits belong to their rightful owners*

FASHION: The Face Mask

Want to look like a Ninja? Want to look a K-pop idol? Want to stay healthy? Then Get a face mask.

Let's face it: Ninjas are cool. They can kill people with their bare hands and they are silent, but deadly. So leave it to Asia to make the face mask; not only a healthy precaution, but a new style of fashion! I've seen these countless times; Asians walking around with face masks, (you know the ones that make them look like surgeons), and I must confess that my even my mom has done this, but it's not without good reason! Asia is full of smog and pollution that having a face mask makes sense. I mean, would you want to inhale dirt everyday? I know I wouldn't. But the coolest thing ever is the way my favorite K-Pop idols wear them. Super Junior's Eunhyuk and Donghae are usually found wearing them either in music videos and in the airport! Plus, how could we forget 2PM's Junsu's assortment of studded to glittery face masks! And that's just naming a few people who wear them. It's intense, because these masks aren't just disposable masks, these masks come in different colors and patterns. They just look, please excuse my French, bada**! Even 2ne1 wore face masks, so girls, you're not excluded either! If only I could wear masks everyday, because that would totally be the best thing ever! You can look like a ninja, and be all mysterious-like! Now I just need a sword, nun chucks...

Donghae! Don't care; you still look cute!

Fierce mask Eunhyuk! 

BEST MASK EVER!

Who said girls couldn't be ninjas!

LOVE THIS!

He looks intense for some reason

Don't be fooled by the cuteness!

-A

*All pictures and credits belong to their rightful owners*

Upcoming Posts

i did post that i will be busy but I will try my best in working a little at a time to deliver some posts so yeah here are the list of things i have lined up that i will be working hard on so please watch out for them :)

1. Goong kdrama - review --rewatching it for the review
2. My Princess kdrama review
3. Boys Over Flowers kdrama review
4. Girls Day OMG kpop review
5. King and 2hearts ep 1 & 2 review
6. Queen InHyun's Man ep 1 & 2 review
7. Protect the boss review
8. I'm a Flower too review

TEDDY BEARS

I'm a 15 year old girl that absolutely loves teddy bears and cute things and I'm not afraid to say it!!!! So here are some cute teddy bears I often see in Korean dramas.

Here is Pig Rabbit from the oh so famous kdrama YOUR BEAUTIFUL. It was on epsiode 7 that TaeKyung (Jang Geun Suk) operated on a pig teddy bear and a rabbit teddy bear ge got from fans. He put the nose of a pig on the rabbit making PIG RABBIT! and he gave it to Minyu (Park Shin Hye) because he didn't want to directly give her this hairpin she lost. Well you guys have to watch the episode to understand it all. If your wndering where to buy this cute little thing just search Pig Rabbit on Ebay for at least $13-$15 minimum and thats for a pretty big teddy bear.







Have you seen that really cute brown teddy bear that many korean drama's and idols have. His name is Rilakkuma (the brown one) and theres Korilakkuma ( The white one) their by the same compay that makes hello kitty (San-X) this ultra mega cute bear is very popular everywhere and the adorable plush comes in many style and when i mean styles i mean clothings. Some come in them wearing a bunny suit or a kimono. These bears can be a little expensive since they are made by San-X. They range $10 for smaller items like pencil cases, but for bigger teddy bears like a 18' bear its $30 more or less. You can also buy all the adorable Rilakkuma goodies on ebay. The picture of the teddy in the dragon suit is Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma celebraing 2012 the year of the dragon :) this one sells for $30

Koreans love their teddy bears and there's even a Teddy Bear Museam in Jeju. There they exhibit teddy bears wearing traditional korean clothing and set up in traditional korean gathering or displaying very imprtant events in history, important people like ghandi, kpop idols, and very old teddy bears. In the korean drama Princess Hours the Crown Princess visits this museum and many instances in the drama itself where there are teddy bears depicting a scene from the episode at the end. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful teddy bears tht are exhibited on the museum.

I'm Not Dead

yeah i'm usually posting a lot but i haven't been on because of the simple reason of being very busy. I have had to turn in projects and work on projects that have to be turned in and also studying for tests. The end of the year is always the hardest. But i am NOT dead if you were wondering. I will be posting new things once im free and that's maybe in the middle of next week. I'm also maybe getting an ipad so i can blog from school (wouldn't that be fun) but yeah. BUSY BUSY HIGH SCHOOL KID. I'm also working on a novel that keeps me busy. If you guys want to know what im working on or if you want to see please ask. I also might do another blog on beauty..... if you guys want that please comment. It would be a blog where you can like get the look for a cheaper price and of course its korean fashion.

List of Dramas I Want to Watch

1. Fashion King
2. The Moon Embraces the Sun
3. The Feast of the Gods
4. What's Up
5. Protect the Boss
6. Iris 
7. Coffee Prince

If you guys have any other suggestions, don't hesitate and comment below! 

-A

Dream High 2: Episode 13 Review

What a wonderful wake up call.

Yes, I know. Dream High 2 is over, but it's not over for me. I've been stuck at episode 13 for a while, and I finally took the time to sit down and watch it. So, if you've seen it already, it's all good. You don't have read to this. Besides, it's mostly my opinion on the episode, plus I just like writing reviews in general. As a side note; I might be a little critical about Dream High 2.

Dream High 2 is like a patchwork quilt made of really good patches and really sucky patches. This episode so far, has been a pretty good patch, and I actually like Rian in this episode. I despised her character (not Jiyeon), since episode 1. She's what I like to call a Blair Waldorf: a privileged, insecure  girl with a difficult past, and a princess attitude with a good side buried underneath. Even though I didn't like her character, I knew that Rian always had the potential to be good, but why did it have to take 13 episodes to fully show this!! Nonetheless, I loved her Bad Girl, Good Girl attitude here (pun intended); she was sassy, more sure of herself and she has shown some legitimate compassion towards her peers. I especially like her relationship with Yoo Jin; it's cute and entertaining to watch Rian's more playful side of her. I'm (sniffle) proud of her.  

Yoo Jin! Why you so cute?! JB! Stop lying to yourself
and change your hair!!! Right Now!

Now, where is that Kirin necklace when you need it? While Rian is rising above, JB has reached an all time low beginning with his hair. It's always the hair. His dark locks reflect his dark mood. It's like he's got a perpetual rain cloud following him wherever he goes, and its hard to pity or sympathize with him. Instead I'd rather bonk him on the head because all you want is for him to go back to the old JB (and his hair too, please). 


Also, while I'm at it, let me commend Shin Hye Sung and Yoo Jin. Shin Hye Sung finally stands up for herself! She's not the pathetic girl we once knew; she totally told off some girls who were giving her a hard time about dating JB. Maybe Rian's confidence is rubbing off on everybody, because then Yoo Jin enters the scene and he decides to confess to Hye Sung! This takes a lot of courage on his part, but not only this, I hope this humbled Yoo Jin a bit, because despite his good looks, his character can be quite full of himself sometimes, especially when it comes to Hye Sung. I'm not sure where the writers will go with Yoo Jin, because he's going great lengths to try to impress Hye Sung by getting out of his comfort zone and signing the contract with the president. Personally, I have a bad feeling about this, but I feel that this will also show a more vulnerable side of Yoo Jin's character that will help him grow. 

Sniffle..It's for your own good. 

Even better, Hye Sung breaks up with JB,. Half of you are saying yay, while the others say boo. I think Hye Sung is feeling the pressure of being with JB. I think since JB and Rian have so much history and there's so much tension that makes me think JB and Rian are probably endgame. 


The last thing I want to comment about is the slow progression of character development. All of characters including Ailee,  Nana,  Seul, etc, have specific personalities that make them stand out and each of them have their own unique back stories. I wanted to see more of this and their relationships and hardships, because it is a bit tiring to watch the JB, Yoo Jin, Hye Sung, Rian love rectangle after a while. Mostly, I'm worried that with the three episodes I have left to see, this might not be enough to show the character's growth and change, all while resolving and wrapping up the main conflicts. Korean dramas always seem to wait till around the end of a drama to squeeze everything in, so I only hope that the next few episodes wrap it up to a close with a pretty bow. 


-A


Sorry If there weren't enough pictures; I couldn't find very many.


*All credits belong to their rightful owners*

FASHION:Super Cute Sundresses!

According to this trio, Spring Fever is in the air!

Sniff Sniff! Do you smell that? That's the smell of spring which means sundresses. Living in the Sunshine State, I am usually never without at least one sundress, so I've had my eyes peeled on some good ones, but then I spotted the famous trio TaeTiSeo (Taeyon Tiffany and Seohyun) from SNSD on Music Core! I absolutely loved their sundresses which are now my new inspirations for spring! Taeyeon had a darling toile with bright stripes of green and with some frills on her straps which she matched with a wooden block bracelet. The dress had a tropical, summer feel and it was simple and sweet like Taeyeon, herself! Moving on to Tiffany, who wore a fun print tied with a skinny, string bow, which was also worn with sparkly glittery bracelets! Plus, the side bun on her head added a playful effect. Lastly, we have the maknae with her vibrant and stiped dress. She wore this with a simple black bracelet and a spiky hair band in her wavy hair. I especially liked that spiky hairband. It seems that pairing simple dresses with vibrant colors and prints is the trick here, but not without some accessories either! It's fun, fresh, and perfect for hot weather. 

Seohyun was very cute here with arm akimbo, as did Tiffany and Taeyon, who was very adorkable here! Here's a clip from this week's Music Core MC Cuts!

-A




*All credits (including pictures and videos) belong to their rightful owners*

UKiss Teaser DoraDora

I know what you're thinking, and no, this song isn't about Dora the Explorer, because the last time I checked Dora the Explorer wasn't a Korean idol who could walk on walls (but that would be cool if she did). I am a big fan of UKiss, and their songs never fail to disappoint me! So, naturally, I am really hyped up for their comeback. When it comes to Ukiss I always have high expectations, but then I was disappointed with their new song Amazing because I wasn't very pleased with it. After I watched their teaser, I'm not disappointed anymore! No exception to the trend, this teaser hints at dub step (of course!) and cool supernatural stuff! The song has the same vibe of Man Man Ha Ni, plus, I'm really anticipating the dance! I am so hyped for Ukiss! Ahh! 

-A

*All pictures and credits belong to their rightful owners*

B.A.P. - Power Teaser

Charge your I-Pods because B.A.P. is making a Comeback!

Today is a short post, but for all you B.A.P. fans, this post will be a cause for celebration! This rookie group is  making it's comeback. Soon. April 27th to be exact. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of their song Warrior, I really liked their other songs Secret Love feat. Secret's Jieun and Unbreakable from their album. For a rookie group they seemed to have received a big response. Personally, their rapping is hardly amateur, and their dancing is superb! I think that they have a lot of potential as a group. Their new teaser, Power, shows exactly that: power. Watching this teaser, it reminds me of Ben 10 or Generator Rex what with all the machinery, and it really does look like their getting charged up for their comeback. (Plus, one of the members had Energizer Bunny Pink hair!)

-A

*All pictures and credits belong to their rightful owners*

Catch Me, If You Can

K-Pop goes to the Big Stage

My mom and I love movies, we love award shows, and we also love musicals, more specifically, Broadway! I love the theatricality of it all, and I admire the hard work it takes to do the same show, on cue, every night. The same goes for K-pop. A K-pop idol doesn't train  5 years for nothing! With that said, fellow Super Junior member Cho Kyuhyun is starring in the musical Catch Me if You Can based on the popular movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I have been waiting for the day when Kyuhyun would act, so I knew this was bound to happen and I think a musical suits him perfectly! But wait! There's more! The Almighty Key also stars in this musical! Both idols have the role as "Frank". But wait again! There's still more! Don't be surprised if you spot Girls Generation member Sunny on stage either! She plays "Brenda" here, and my gut tells me that Sunny has the got that charm that will really bring out her character on stage. This show looks really promising and I've never seen a Korean musical before. The only problem is...I don't live in Korea, but then again, isn't that always my problem when it comes to these things?

(Showing from March 28th to June 10)

-A

SISTAR's Alone Review

First off, I know lots of people are comparing 4minute to SISTAR and vice versa but, I'm here to review SISTAR, not 4minute. Frankly, SISTAR and 4minute have completely different styles which is why we love them so much.


The first word that comes to mind when hearing this song is: classy. The video, the song, everything about the Alone exuded a femme fatale-esque vibe (in a good way). Their dance reminded me of Miss A's Touch because of the slow movements and the smaller steps, but I loved their attitude which really brought the dance to life.  They owned this dance in addition to being stunning. It was all in the eyes. Each member oozed confidence and they had a penetrating gaze that said, "I'm beautiful and I know it." Plus, the Vegas setting also worked perfectly with the night-club ambiance of the music video. And somehow, while watching this video, I kept visualizing Panam the TV show, Catch Me if You Can (the Korean Version, of course) and I kept feeling this 70's disco vibe. I suppose it was the combination of club scene,  pilot hats, Dasom's cute hairstyle, and the glowing, vibrant floors which shockingly didn't electrify the girls while they were lying on it. I mean, how could you sleep on a giant night light?


Now let me be the first to point out the giant, inky elephant in the room. What up with all the tattoos?! It's not just SISTAR though. I saw tatoos in 4minute, BIG BANG, and EXO's videos too! I have nothing against tattoos but the least they could do was make it realistic looking, especially Soyu's. It looked too ostentatious as if it were copy and pasted on her leg, as well as Bora's. I don't see the significance of the tattoos, and the music video would've done well with or without it. Maybe this is a new trend! Hmmm.....


Within the first few seconds of the song, I heard that beat; I could already feel the tone of the song, and I knew I would like it. It sounded smooth like R&B, but the melody had an almost disco vibe (Or maybe that's just me), but whatever it is, I fell in love with this song, and it has been on constantly replaying in my head as well as my computer. I loved every part of this song; the beginning had this awesome piano bit which I later learned was a synthesizer and then the funky melody would kick in and then this song would forever be imprinted in my mind. Plus, I thought Hyorin's voice range added some, lack of a better word, pizzazz.  Also, I absolutely, positively loved Bora's rap because it sounded more like she was rhythmically talking, instead of a rapid fire jumble of words which complemented the whole tone of the song. This song is so unique; it's guaranteed to play in your head everyday, any day. After watching this music video, I highly doubt SISTAR could ever be alone.

-A


*All credits (including pictures and videos) belong to their rightful owners*

To Come Soon...

Hey Guys so i have promised you guys pictures of my field trip to Epcot. I took some pictures and things i bought there. I will have those things in by tomorrow or thurday.

Kangin is Back!

Super Junior's Kangin Reunites with his fellow Members!

Courtesy of AllKpop

Tis true! Super Junior's Kangin returns from the army today! It feels like forever since he enlisted in 2010! When I saw the pictures of Kangin and the other members of Super Junior's reunion, I felt a pang in my heart. It's like another piece of the puzzle came back! The most amazing part had to to be the sea of fans that the fans that sent him off waited two years for his return. We aren't called Ever Lasting Friends for nothing! Welcome back Kangin! We missed you!


-A


*All pictures belong to their rightful owners.*

Korean Study Headbands

When I can't focus on school work, I find that putting something on my head, whether it be a hat or a scrunchie, usually puts me in the mood to work or motivates me to study. I'm not kidding, and I don't know why, but it just works for me. It seems that Koreans have the same mindset, because I noticed in Playful Kiss that many of the students wore headbands that had Korean characters on them. Always the curious one, I Googled it. Unfortunately, the only source I found was Yahoo answers, which isn't always reliable. According to this, it is possible that this head band trend was inspired by the Korean independence movement during which people of that movement would wear said headbands. Thus, the headband, I assume, is a symbol of motivation. I found this very interesting so I made my own, impromptu headband (it was a bandanna) because, if anything, I need all the concentration I can get. Once again the method did not fail me! I managed to stay focused on my geometry homework, my least favorite subject, and finish it! So, who knows, maybe it will work for you!


-A


*All credits belong to their rightful owners*

KMOVIE : A Millionairs First Love

I have never really watched Korean Movies only because I was too busy watching drama's but I have seen a few and those weren't very good so today I am here to review a movie I stumbled upon while in the midst of looking for a new drama.

The stars of this movie is Hyun Bi of Secret Garden and Lee Yeon Hee of Paradise Rance (she apeared in many SME music videos)

The story itself is a sad love story. It is a tearjerker, it woul make you cry so hard at the end you might be able to swim in your own tears. The story is about Jae Kyung (Hyun Bin) who is your average rich guy. Hes the badass who thinks he can get away with anything like going to school since he has money, but then he gets threatened by his deseased grandfather that he would not be able receave his inheritance unless he goes to Boram High School and graduates. The location where the school is actually the place his parenst died in a car accident. He was very depressed and forgot about the place. But he forgot about his first love Eun Hwan (who he actually ran into in seoul). While living in Gangwondo (provice) he slowly becomes friends with his classmates and learns more about Eun Hwan. He learns that she has a terminal disease and does whatever he can to make her happy. He even called his lawyer that he would trade his inheritance for the orphanged she dearly loved. Before graduating the graduationg class has to do a play and it was The Sound of Music. This play then reminded Jae Kyun of his own life and recalling that he was at the orphanage in Gangwondo and before leaving he promised her that he would come back after 10 day and 10 nights. He then apologizes for not fulfilling his promise for that very day his parents died and erase his memories of the unfortunte event. They kissed under the rain.

Finally during the play Jae Kyung changed roles and became the Colonel instead of the maid. But during the play Eun Hwan felt pain in her chest but returned to the stage much to Jae Kyung's worry. Her mother who she hadn't seen in 19 years came to watch. The play sucessfully ended.

After the play there was a small celebration and Eun Hwan and Jae Kyun are seen sitting together on a bench. Eun Hwan said she would sleep for 3 minutes but never woke up. The first snow of winter fell as she closed her eyes.

The movie ends with their graduation. Eun Hwan who never woke up had a bouquet of flowers sitting in her chair next to Jae Kyung. He stayed well after the ceremony and finaally got up holding that bouquet of flowers. His grandfathers lawyer who was in charge of his grandfather's will congratulated him and as of that time the inheritance was his.

We Got Married Cancellation Thoughts

so you might of already heard or found out that We Got Married has been cancelled. The show that has been running for quite some tim now has finally stopped. I really liked this show especially the Adam Couple and i;m still having a really hard time processing that this just happened. I am very upset and demand my show back but then again what can I do. .... I WASNT WGM BACK!!!! wahhhh!

KFA #4 -- deokbokki

skewered teokbokki @ street vendor

On today's menu is Deokbokki which is a very inexpensive yummy dish and is very easy to make at home. Deokbokki in Korea is a very popular street food and very widely known. It was once part of the royal coat cuisine. It is made with a spicy sauce (can be mild to spicy), gochujang, red chili pepper flakes and rice cake. It is mixed i a pot and then the rice cakes are put in. You can find many recepies of this on YouTube. But this is really yummy and very spicy but worth every penny. Again it has different variations like someplaces it might be more spicy or different ingrediants are put into the sauce like seafood or cheese.

KFA #3 -- Bibimbap 비빔밥

Dolsot Bibimbap

So today we discuss Bibimbap 비빔밥 for our KFA. The word bibimbap mean mixed rice or mixed meal. Its a dish that had warm rice at the bottom and then is topped with vegetables that have been sauteed. It has various veggies on top so to name them all is impossible and also the fact that there are so many possibilities. So anyways usually theres some meat, seaweed (YUMM!), soy bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, etc. As for presentation the veggies are usually placed to compplement each of their color. So as to any place anywhere there are variations of this ,like the dolsot bibimbap like shown in the picture, it means stone bibimbap because this particular bibimbap is served in a very hot bowl and served with raw egg that is to be cooked at the side of the bowl (cool huh!) also the bowl is so hot that anything that touches is sizzles for a period of time so what they do is they coat the bottom of the bowl with sesame oil before putting the rice and this makes the rice at the bottom crispy and a good golden brown color. Many other variations include seafood and other mixed vegetables. This dish can be served hot or cold.

I have had bibimbap but mine was served cold. It was the tastiest thing I have ever eaten. It came with the bowl looking lovely for it had been arraged and then I put som gochujang past (chili paste) and some sesame oil then mix it. My parents and I enjoyed the meal very much. I cant wait to have it again.

jeonju bibimbap

nakji bibimbap

Teasers: Girls Day & Super Junior

The Era of Bubblegum K-pop has not ended! It's nice to know that we have girl groups like Girls Day who are still in touch with the super girly side of K-pop. This teaser was....I want to say tacky but at the same time kinda cute. That's what K-pop does to you. You may think it's weird but who still want to watch it again anyway. This teaser has got really exaggerated sound effects, and it introduces each member with an English with a little bit of accent voice over. I can't deduce much from this teaser other than, the style will be bright neon hip hop style, with a really cute and catchy chorus. I don't listen to Girls Day but I liked their sung Hug Me Once a lot, so I'm a tad bit excited for this. The song releases April 18, 2012.

My boys are back! Super Junior is making another music video for their song Opera  on their Mr. Simple album. It will be promoted as their new Japanese single, and I think the song will translate well into the Japanese. I like the theme of the music video. The song is called Opera, probably referring to Phantom of the Opera, hence the masks. They all look handsome (especially Donghae!), but I understand why people were expecting something more...or rather maybe the lack thereof, because SuJu has been confined to black and white rooms. This fancy room seems like a step up from that, but this is nothing new as far as concepts go. Nonethless, I love them unconditionally, plus, SM is probably putting more of their time into promoting EXO. It's ok Suju! I still love you!

-A

4Minute- "Volume Up" Review

4minute definitely brought some sass and attitude to the table with their new title track, Volume Up. However; the whole entire time I was watching this video, I kept thinking of the Volturi. If you've ever seen Twilight then you'll notice that the music video kind of resembles this rich and powerfully scary clan of vampires, what with all the towering columns, the ancient-looking architecture, the marble floors, the dancing servants and Hyuna's blood red eyes. This didn't come as much of a surprise considering that their concept is vampire themed. Plus, I like how it had some Spanish influence. For example, their dresses looked similar to matadors, and I spotted that Pasodoble dance. It was a nice touch to their concept.

VAMPIRE! 

As for Hyuna I did expect her to get a lot of screen time, because I already knew that she was considered "the face" of the group. It not that different from other groups like SNSD's Yoona. I don't really like this idea of having a "face", but, hey, I'm not in charge of this stuff. Also, I do admit there was a lot of raunchy dance moves in this song, but it's all about their concept and how they want to portray their image. For me, personally, the first time I watched this, it was a bit off putting to watch the dance, but later on, I didn't mind so much. I overlooked this since I liked other aspects of the video more. 

I really like her outfit; very Edgar Allen Poe-esque! <3

As for the song, I was absolutely scared when I heard the beginning of Volume Up, because the first thing I hear is a bone-chilling whisper of voices speaking gibberish. I felt like Voldemort was whispering in my ear, and the fear factor escalated because I was wearing my headphones at the same time. Like Miss A's Touch it had a scary intro but if you wait it out, it's really worth listening to. I absolutely loved the combination of saxophone and electro. Never had I heard a combination like this before in an indie song, nonetheless a K-pop song, making this my favorite part of the Volume Up. It also makes the song sound unique while still retaining the same elements characteristic to a 4minute song. Plus I also loved the long notes that Ji Yoon belted out. The notes melded into the chorous giving it an epic feel, as well as Hyuna's part which added a kind of buildup to the chorus, but my only complaint; however, was the chorous. I felt that it was anticlimactic because it didn't seem as strong in comparison to the verses or the belted out notes. Nonetheless, the song is superb, and I hope the rest of their songs on their album are just as good.


I give this 4 out of 5 cups of Ramyun


-A

After School Red - Into the Night Sky

Recently, I've been listening to some After School in an effort to get to know more girl groups and there's one of their older songs that I'm absolutely in love with. It's by their sub group After School Red; the song is called Into the Night Sky. I love this song for three reasons:

 1). The Music Video: First of all, how many K-Pop music videos do you know of that are show in the outside? In actual nature? This is why I love this video, because it's not in a club or in a black and white room (no offense Super Junior!), rather it's in the desert. They're riding pickup trucks and motorcycles! 

2.) The Clothes: If After School went to Urban Outfitters you would end up with what I would label as their Desert Flower look: it's very organic. I love the fringe, the cutoffs, the leather and the plethora of feathers! This look is very rare among K-pop Girl groups who usually opt for the super cute image, the metallic punk style, or the the sexy Lolita look. It was a nice change of pace that I hope I can look forward to seeing in YG's new girl group that is said to debut in May.

 3) The Concept: Their concept is very different from some of the other music videos I've seen.  I deem this song a catchy, feel good summer song. My favorite part was when Uee looked pissed but then she was like. "Just kidding!" and they laugh it off. It's not too outrageous: it's just a band of friends having fun and letting loose! If that doesn't scream summer, I don't know what does. The music video makes me want to roam around in the middle of the desert and have a bonfire party too! That is... once I start living near a desert, I will. 

I don't see why this music video doesn't have a lot of views! It's different and unique and I really hope that After School Red makes more music like this, because I would most definitely buy their album! So, be sure to check it out! 

-A