It's All Asian In Me

My desktop

2010-05-31T14:25:00.001-07:00

For Fcuzed

2009-12-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I havent been on much (like anyone cares).
Well my life hasnt changed much except I'll be taking anti-depressants now. Long story, not gunna explain.

But anyway, this avatar is of Kan, a member of new boy band F.Cuz. So, yeah. See yal!

For forum

2009-12-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

Contest

2009-12-10T15:12:00.001-08:00

Banner test test

2009-11-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

Big Bang- Hallelujah MV

2009-11-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

This song has been on repeat for the past 6 hours. I absolutely adore this song.

Photoshopping

2009-10-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

East of Eden- Best Korean Drama Ever

2009-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

The one in the middle surrounded by people is OBVIOUSLY the main character (Lee Dong Chul, played by Song Seung Heon). He's HOTT.

Details

Title: 에덴의 동쪽 / Edeonui Dongjjok
Also known as: East of Eden, 伊甸園之東
Genre: Action, romance
Episodes: 56
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: 2008-Aug-25 to 2009-Mar-10
Air time: Monday & Tuesday 21:55
Inserts: East of Eden OST, East of Eden OST 2

Synopsis

The drama will be about two men whose fates are crossed from the very first day that they were born. Both men were born in the same hospital. When he was a teenager, Lee Dong Chul witnessed the death of his father. From then on he promised to seek revenge on the man who caused his father's death, Shin Tae Hwan. But unbeknownst to everybody is the fact that Dong Chul's younger brother, Dong Wook, was switched at birth with Tae Hwan's son, Myung Hun. Dong Wook grows up to become a prosecutor and vows to help his brother seek revenge. But what happens when they find out that they're not brothers? What will Dong Chul do when he finds out that his real brother was raised by Shin Tae Hwan and that the brother that was beside him all these years is the son of his enemy?

Cast

Song Seung Hun as Lee Dong Chul
- Shin Dong Woo as Dong Chul (5 years old)
- Kim Bum as Dong Chul (15 years old)
Yun Jung Hoon as Lee Dong Wook
- Park Gun Tae as Dong Wook (10 years old)
Park Hae Jin as Shin Myung Hun
- Won Duk Hyun as Myung Hun (10 years old)
Han Ji Hye as Kim Ji Hyun
- Nam Ji Hyun as Ji Hyun (10 years old)
Lee Da Hae as Min Hye Rin
Lee Yeon Hee as Gook Young Ran / Grace
Dennis Oh as Mike Packard

Extended Cast

Jo Min Ki as Shin Tae Hwan (Myung Hun's father)
Lee Mi Sook as Yang Chun Hee (Dong Chul and Dong Wook's mother)
Lee Jong Won as Lee Gi Chul (Dong Chul and Dong Wook's father)
Jun Mi Sun as Jung Ja (Gi Soon's mother)
Park Hyun Sook as Yang Ok Hee (Chun Hee's sister)
Jun So Min as Lee Gi Soon
- Jin Ji Hee as Gi Soon (9 years old)
Kim Sung Kyum as President Oh
Na Hyun Hee as Oh Yoon Hee
Lee Won Jae as Kyung Tae
Yoo Dong Geun as President Gook / Gook Dae Hwa (Young Ran's father)
Shim Hye Jin as Young Ran's mother
Yoon Dong Hwan as lawyer Kim Tae Seon
Jung Hye Young as Janice / Jae Hee
Shin Eun Jung as Yoo Mi Ae / Rebecca
Hwang Jung Eum as Kim So Hyun
Jun Sung Hwan as stationmaster Kim Gab Soo (Ji Hyun's grandfather)
Lee Suk Joon as Father Han
Kim Hyung Min as Wang Geon
Go Yoon Hoo as Dok Sa
- Kwon Se In as young Dok Sa (10 years old)
Park Chan Hwan as Chaeng
Kim Hak Chul
Park Geun Hyung as President Min (Hye Rin's father)
Jung Young Sook as Bae Hwa Mi (Mr. Min's wife)
Jung So Young as Min Hye Ryung (Hye Rin's sister)
Park Sung Woong as Baek Sung Hyun
Jung Yoon Suk as Yeon Sub
Lee Hyo Jung

This chart it legitimately called the "East of Eden Correlation Chart". HOLY SHIT. This drama may be the most incredible thing I've seen. It may be 56 episodes long, and each episode may be an hour and a half, but for me, it's worth it. To actually see intense acting and REAL kissing, not those awkward-lip-to-lip-no- action-kisses. It's awesome. And if I didn't know better, I'd say Song Seung Heon and Yun Jung Hun are brothers in real life or best friends. They play the roles of brothers so well. This drama, like I said is depressing. I can't take many episodes of this in one sitting unless I wanna feel like shit. Watching Song Seung Heon's character (Dong Chul) makes me feel like the most fortunate person on the face of the Earth. Why?
WELL.
Dong Chul's shitty life as of episode 16/56:
-Him and his father were really close. His dad works in the coal mines, and this creeper named Shin Tae Hwan purposefully blew up the mines so the dad would die. WTF?
-Dong Chul vows revenge.
-Feuled by anger and vengeance because Shin Tae Hwan tried to burn their house down so he could have the land (WTF, ASSHOLE), the younger brother Dong Wook tried to burn down Shin Tae Hwan's home. Not wanting his brother to be captured, he took the blame and went to prison. HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD. He fought in jail and such and earned the respect of Wang Gun, who took him under their wing and they performed a jail break. It pisses me off though that BECAUSE OF HIS BROTHER THIS IS WHERE HIS LIFE TURNS SHITTY.
-UNFORTUNATELY. The person he thinks is his brother (Dong Wook) is not his real brother, but is really the son of Shin Taw Hwan, who is his sworn enemy and vows revenge. Not his real brother? WELL. Shin Taw Hwan had sex with this chick, and when she got pregnant, he had her KIDNAPPED and the baby TORN OUT OF HER. She survived (barely), and swore revenge for him killing her child. SO when Shin Tae Hwan really got married and his wife had a child, she switched the children. Dong Chul's real brother is Myung Hun, who was raised by Shin Tae Hwan.
-A while later, Dong Chul is a successful casino hounddog working for President Gook (FUCKING CREEPER), and while working for him gets beaten up/tortured like 5 million times. His sister-in-law (while he's in Macao, China) gets kidnapped and mobsters demand President Gook's daughter of their kill the child in his sister-in-law's stomach and make her eat it's intestines. I know. Nasty.

I can't even think of what else cause it makes me so angry and sad at the same time. I don't even know what to say. Ugh it makes me sad. I LOVE IT.

If you've never seen it...I know 56 episodes seems like a lot, but HOLY SHIT is it worth it. Trust me on that. ;D

This is a drama of betrayal and revenge, bloodshed and love. I love it, and it makes me happy. Sure, it's depressing, but I still love it.

Stuff

2009-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

After awkwardly neglecting this blog for about 2 weeks, I have returned. My dog rolled in deer remains and he smells like crap. School is going okay, but it's making me REALLY busy.

Check out some stuffs that I like:

2AM Jo Kwon and Whale

Taegoon- Betrayed

Super Junior M- Super Girl
Zhou Mi and Siwon make me UBER happy in this.

Kim Kyu Joong- Wuss Up

SHU-I's Bomb Bomb Bomb MV

Kim Hyung Joon- Hey G

2NE1- Let's Go Party
I'm really impressed with 2NE1 right now. I hope they become REALLY big. :)

Another hand fetish and Super Girl

2009-09-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Victom? Taegoon.
0:34-0:36 was like sex to me. I freaking LOVE his hands. I don't knwo why. Don't ask. And that ring doesn't help. And the dance move where he swings his head at :21/:22 is INCREDIBLE. I guess they don't call him the "Second Rain" for nothing.
(Sidenote: Bi Rain is freaking HUGE is all of Asia. He's best known for his silky voice andamazing dance moves.)

Teehee. Super Junior M's MV release. The note Zhou Mi says at 1:43 makes me giggle and clap like a fangirl. Why? Because.
2:12-2:14 is also my sex. Why? My baby Siwon (green top, black pants. He stands out the most during this move. They put him in the front/middle because he apparently is the best at this move.)

And I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while (like my 2 followers even care.... XD) but for the past 2 days I've had a fever and been pretty sick (I'm home today from school as well...WOOT!) and the other days I was in a bad mood and had to do homework.

AND BLEACH IS AMAZING! I'm almost to episode 100!

SHU-I's 'Bomb Bomb Bomb'

2009-09-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

SHU-I's debut song.... I'm not really feeling it...it's okay, I guess...

AND OMFG DBSK'S HEARING IS TODAY IN SOUTH KOREA!!! I HOPE OUR BOYS COMEBACK TO US! THEY ARE MY LIFEEEEEE

SS501 Kim Hyun Joong Award and Bleach

2009-09-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

Leader of famous boy group SS501 (Deu Beul E Seo Oh Gong Il) has gotten the highest award of 'Best Actor' for his role in the worldwide phenomenon drama 'Boys Over Flowers'!!

UNFORTUNATELY- Kim Hyun Joong has been diagnosed with the Swine Flu. May he have a speedy recovery. This on top of Jaebeom's departure from 2PM makes my life sad now.

What does make me happy is Bleach.
Sorry aboutthe creepy picture but I'm in a hurry becaue my parents are mad at me and yelling and this was the only Bleach picture in my pictures that I could find quickly. Anyway, I'm only on episode 58, but it's amazing so far. Byakuya/Ichigo= my OTP

2PM Leader Jaebeom has quit. Are you happy now, Anti-fans?

2009-09-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Before departing, Jay "JaeBeom / Jaebum" Park gave his final interview- beginning with, “What can I possibly say?” He went on to declare how sorry he was to the 2PM members who trusted and followed him, along with his loving fans. He continued on, “I’m sorry that I have to leave like this. I decided to leave 2PM but I wasn’t able to carry out my duties as a leader and have become a burden to the group.”

Many have commented on Jay’s solemn face, stating how this situation has affected him; his face showcases the stress he has been enduring and his voice was also low. He repeated the words, “I’m sorry” a number of times and could not hold his head up.

To ensure the safety of his fans, Park quietly entered a gate different than the one on his ticket, and the fans who later realized this could not hide their disappointment. Many fans even rushed to the 3rd floor restaurant and pushed up against the glass wall to view his final moments in Korea.

He left because about 3 or 4 years ago he talked about his hardships in Korea and how he thought Korea was really difficult sometimes. This insulted people and Jaebeom got a lot of shit from anti fans. Some even had a "Jaebeom should commit suicide" petition, which 3000 people signed. The stress level
Jaebeom said that he could no longer carry out his role as a leader and is returning to the United States.
May God Bless Him. I'll pray for him.
I'm crying for you Jaebeom. I love you. Be happy, be safe.

Jaebeom's message

Hello. This is Jaebeom from 2PM. I’m sorry to give a last farewell with this message. With that very apologetic heart I have, it seems it is hard for me to see everyone on stage again.”

I’m very sorry to everyone. I’m even more sorry to fans who have gave so much love. I will be leaving 2PM from today. I’m so sorry but I have to leave 2PM and you guys because I have been a leader hyung who not only did not give strength but became a burden. I’m once again sorry.”

My heart cries for him. SERIOUSLY. I was in a state of shock before going upstairs in the fetal position and crying for about 2 hours.
Former 2PM leader, Jaebeom...or I guess we should now say Jay Park, has left Korea. The fallen star left Korea on September 8th, 2009 on an afternoon flight at Incheon Airport with over 500 fans literally screaming, crying, and begging for him not to go.
After seeing Jonghun of F.T.Island show his support for JaeBeom, we now have Boom, 2AM's Jo Kwon, and fellow 2PM members showing their support as well.

Boom, who became close to all the members of 2PM especially JaeBeom on the show Idol Army expressed his sadness over JaeBeom's departure from 2PM.

He posted on his cyworld:

"My heart is hurting very much
My heart feels like it’s being torn apart because he is a dongseng that I love
Because I believe and love my dongseng I believe that he will return with a better appearance
Today my heart is hurting very much
Jaebeom, hyung will work harder so that when you return I can protect and hug you with a warmer embrace
Please return healthy………
I love you……………..

This brought tears to my eyes because it was very touching. Knowing they had such a great bond makes the situation more depressing than it already is.

Jo Kwon, who practiced with Jaebeom when they were both trainees expressed his grief on his cyworld:

The first song we practiced together..
We felt nervous and excited..

I always pray.
That it won't be such a hard journey..

I believe you will get stronger
because you're my brother.

Of course you can't forget JaeBeom's fellow members. They wrote on their cyworlds too.

Junsu:

Through the wind, fall came.
Out of nowhere, the fall scent has arrived....
The bright blue sky
It keeps making me cry.
Even the sky is making me cry
in the fall of 2009.

His background music on his cyworld is Bad News by Kanye West.

Chansung:

Let's walk together.

And I think Boom's made me cry the most.
Our poor Jaebeom. I can't express my sadness right now. I feel numb from crying so long and my hands are trembling even as I type this. May Jaebeom be forever remebered.

I LOVE YOU JAEBEOM.

Credit for info: allkpop.com

Kim Hyun Joong and SHU-I

2009-09-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

SHU-I maybe the bomb or they could just bomb and fail miserably, but we'll have to wait until September 11th for their digital single, "BOMB BOMB BOMB." Who came up with this brilliant marketing strategy?

SHU-I will be a 5 member boy band consisting of different talents and traits: Hyungjun(pretty boy), Minho(main vocal), Jinsuk(dancer), Changhyun(charisma), and Insuk(leader).

For the past 2 years, these boys have been training hard under the name of SHU-I (So Hot Union of Idols), and have plans to not only make an impression in Korea, but all throughout Asia.

Their debut track "BOMB BOMB BOMB," is said to be a powerful and fresh new track, inspired by European techniques.

SHU-I will begin their promotional activities mid month. Are you excited about this new group? After all, they are the "So Hot Union of Idols," quite frankly the worst k-pop name ever. Call me Miss Cleo, cause I have a hunch they're going to bomb.

Credit to: allkpop
Now. For ME, I don't know if I'm excited. I kind of am. The Korean industry is spewing so many girl/boy bands right now that it's hard to keep track of them all. I can't help but wonder if maybe something's happened. I don't know.

ANYWHATS. This man over to the left is the leader of the band called Deo Beul E Seo Oh Gong Il (SS501). His name is Kim Hyun Joong. I love his voice and he's ALSO my 3rd top celebrity crush of all time.
1st: (DBSK)Kim Jaejoong- Always and forever.
2nd: (Super Junior)Choi Siwon
3rd: (SS501)Kim Hyun Joong
4th: (2PM)Park Jaebeom
5th: (SHINee) Kim Jonghyun

Anywhats, check out one of Kim Hyun Joong's solo songs. It's called 'Please Be Nice To Me." It's so pretty.

AST'1 and new phone

2009-09-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

I don't really know any of the members...because I don't like them enough yet. I know who Dong Yoon Ki is, but I can't really pick him out here...they've been pretty quiet when it comes to releasing stuff. I hope they come out with more.

I HAVEN'T POSTED IN TWO DAYS OMFG. I feel like I'm going to go to hell. @_@
Okay, well anyway. Here is a song by a band called AST'1 that is currently my crack.

It's called Dynamite. I don't really fancy the music video, but whatevs.

Anyway. Also check out my new phone!!!

2PM- One year Anniversary!!

2009-09-04T12:20:00.001-07:00

I am SOOOO proud of these boys. They are already one year into their singing career and are basically already in the Korean wave. I'm so excited! They plan to release a full album in October.

Allkpop.com news:

We had news earlier that 2PM will be returning in the first week of October, after JYP replied to a fan through Twitter. We have more updates on 2PM's comeback after JYP updated his Twitter with another picture and update.

The new picture sees JYP, with back facing the camera, working hard in the recording studio for 2PM's upcoming album. He wrote, "Back in our manhattan JYP center studio finishing up 2pm's 2nd song. They will release a full length album in Oct. Get ready!"

I seriously look forward to these boys so much.

Huang Yida

2009-09-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Huang Yida (traditional Chinese: 黃義達; simplified Chinese: 黄义达; pinyin: Huang Yi Da; Born August 11, 1979) is a Singaporean singer and song writer. He has released 4 major albums on Sony Taiwan. His song "Chou Nan Ren" (Jerk) was the opening theme for the Taiwanese drama, Devil Beside You. Another song of his, "Set Me Free", was the theme song for the Chinese version of the movie Stealth. He graduated from the Lee Wei Song School of Music. His long-awaited fourth album "Dedicated to Myself" 写给自己的歌 was officially released on 28th Nov 2008.

One of the most popular and loved Taiwanese dramas of all time. Devil Beside You. Starring Mike He, Rainie Yang and Kingone Wang.
I LOVED it. And this is also the song that made Huang Yida famous; Chou Nan Ren (Jerk)

Sorry I didn't post much. I've gotten addicted to Bleach recently, and I only have a limited time before my parents come home and make me do homework.

Shinhwa

2009-09-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Shinhwa (Korean: 신화, Hanja: 神話) is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members (with 3 vocalists and 3 rappers), and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, Baby Vox, Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S. Shinhwa is the Korean word for myth or legend.[1][2][3] Initially formed under SM Entertainment, Shinhwa signed a new contract with a new record label, Good Entertainment, in July 2003. While still under Good Entertainment as Shinhwa, each of the members have all left the entertainment to start their own to concentrate on their solo activities, from acting to going solo. Aside from singing and performing as a group and individuals as well as acting, the members of Shinhwa are also mentors to the Korean boy band Battle.
Contents

Group members

For more information on each of the members, please see their respective pages.

Shinhwa has six members:

1. Eric Mun (Real name: Mun Jung-Hyuk, 문정혁, 文晸赫; 16 February 1979; leader & rapper)
2. Lee Min Woo (이민우, 李玟雨; 28 July 1979; vocalist & composer & choreographer)
3. Kim Dong Wan (김동완, 金烔完; 21 November 1979; sub vocalist)
4. Shin Hye Sung (신혜성, 申彗星; Real name: Jung Pil-Kyo, 정필교, 鄭弼敎; 27 November 1979; lead vocalist)
5. Jun Jin (전진, 前進; Real name: Park Choong-Jae, 박충재, 朴忠栽; 19 August 1980; rapper & choreographer)
6. Andy Lee (Real name: Lee Sun-Ho, 이선호, 李先鎬; 21 January 1981; rapper)

History

Beginnings and debut: 1998-1999

Towards the turn of the century, many pop bands at the time became popular, due to the success of boy band H.O.T. and girl band S.E.S., both of which were created by Lee Soo Man, producer and co-founder of SM Entertainment. To capitalize the success of the two, Lee wanted to create another band to match up to their standards. Thus, he began scouting for possible candidates.

The first member to be scouted was Shin Hye Sung after a stand-out audition in Los Angeles, California. Andy Lee was later chosen to join the group because he was once known to SM Entertainment as a candidate for H.O.T. Although his parents prohibited him from joining H.O.T because he was too young at the time, he did not abandon his dreams. Eric Mun joined not long after Andy, followed by Lee Min Woo, who was discovered by a SM scout when he won 1st place at a student dance competition. Kim Dong Wan was spotted by a scout on the street and was initially in acting, but joined after he saw a preview video of the existing members. Finally, Jun Jin made it as the final member through an audition backed by his high school friend, Kangta. Among the six, only two had had previous exposure to the media; Eric and Andy were introduced in 1997 as rappers to fellow SM group S.E.S.'s song I'm Your Girl.

With the formation complete, the six-member group, named Shinhwa, debuted under SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998 with a performance of their first single "해결사" also known as problem solver on KM Music Tank, with their first single. However, their debut was met with accusations that Shinhwa was just another copy of H.O.T.

Despite these criticisms, the group's first single was a major hit, and gained significant ground on numerous Korean music charts.[4] Their second single, "으샤으샤" ("Eusha Eusha"), a more light-hearted single than their first, was among the top 10 positions[4] on various charts, and Shinhwa adopted a "cute" image to match the concept of the song, even having a complete outfit of white and blue colors. Shinhwa's third single, Chun Il Yoo Hon also charted well for the band, but was not as successful as the previous two.[4] However, the road to stardom for the band was hard to achieve. When they first started to perform "Eusha, Eusha", which was about taking a fun trip to the beach, a tragic water accident had occurred making it hard for people enjoy this song, thus many use it only as a reminder of the accident.[citation needed]

Shinhwa's second album, T.O.P., was released on April 19, 1999. It garnered considerable success with its title song. The album debuted at #4 and peaked at #3, selling 377,500 copies and charting for 24 weeks on the Korean monthly chart.[5] With the release of T.O.P, Shinhwa began to move away from their "cute" image to an edgier image concept. Riding on the success of their second album, the group received the "1998's Best Music Video from a new male pop group" award from M.Net, their first major music award.

Breakthrough Success: 2000-2001

Shinhwa's third album, Only One, was released on May 27, 2000. The album was as successful as Shinhwa's previous two albums, selling approximately 423,873 copies.[6] It debuted at #1 and was the band's first #1 album. The album contained three successful singles: Only One, All Your Dreams, and First Love. The album spent approximately 24 weeks on the charts.

With the success of Only One, Shinhwa won three awards that year: the SBS Gayo "Popularity Award", the KMTV song "Bonsang Award", and the "Popular Singers Award". Their revised dancing style also garnered them much popularity, as it took after the likes of popular American boy bands N'Sync and Backstreet Boys. The group once again underwent a drastic change in appearance, taking on a distinctly gothic image, with most of the members bleaching their hair. On January 13 and January 14 of that year, Shinhwa also held one their first concerts ever, entitled First Mythology.

Shinhwa's fourth album, Hey, Come On!, was released on June 8, 2001, debuting at #3 with the lead single "Hey, Come On!" rapidly climbing up the music charts. The album's release coincided with the rise of the Korean Wave, spreading the group's popularity overseas. The album was a strong seller and managed to sell 430,706 copies.[7] Though a success, Shinhwa promoted the album with only one single. In yet another change in appearance, the members took on a cleaner look, moving completely away from the goth image in the previous album. "Hey, Come On!" charted for 28 weeks on the Korean monthly chart. and ranked #11 on the 2001 year-end chart.[8]

While their album was a stronger seller, Shinhwa was associated with major controversies at the time, giving the group a heavy publicity with the absence of group member Andy and the alleged copying of Shinhwa's popular single, "Hey, Come On!" by Taiwanese boy band, Energy.

On January 31, 2002, Shinhwa released a compilation album entitled, My Choice. The album featured some of the members' favorite songs and some of their most popular tracks as well. In contrast to Hey, Come On!'s strong sales, My Choice was met with moderate success, selling more than 171,368 copies[9] and debuting (as well as peaking) at #4 before it was dropped from the Korean monthly Chart. However, when the yearly chart was released, My Choice ranked #31, selling a total of 183,098 copies.[10]

Making history and leaving SM Entertainment: 2002-2003

A few months after the release of My Choice, Shinhwa released their fifth studio album, Perfect Man, on March 29, 2002. The album also marked the return of member Andy Lee. The album was accompanied with another change in the group's appearance as they moved away from their "clean" look into a more preppy style by sporting trendy clothing and styles. Perfect Man debuted at #1 on the Korean monthly chart, becoming Shinhwa's second #1 album. The title track became popular among their fans, letting Shinhwa promote the album with a second single, "I Pray 4 U". The album was once again a strong seller, selling 355,333 copies[11] and was #14 on the year end chart "Top 100 Albums in 2002" where the album sales was 362,639 copies.[10] It charted for approximately 23 weeks.

On August 25, 2003, Shinhwa experienced one of its first international breakthroughs in Asia when Perfect Man was ranked #10 on the Singapore-Mandarin chart. With this recognition, they were chosen to be Korea's representative in the POP Asia 2002 ceremony in Japan and were later invited to be Korea's representative in Japan's Asia Dream concert (ABU award ceremony).

Towards the end of 2002, Shinhwa made history in the Korean music industry by becoming the longest running Korean boy band in existence with the release of its sixth album, Wedding, on December 6, 2002.[12] They also became the second artist in South Korea to release two albums in a single year; Sechs Kies being the first to do so. Wedding debuted and peaked at #3 and sold 273,714 copies[13].

With the news that Shinhwa almost broke the record for being the longest running boy band and that their contract with SM Entertainment would end the next year, fans worried that the group might disband. SM Entertainment quickly offered Shinhwa a second contract and though it was rumored that they would sign it, the group rejected it. With the rejection, Shinhwa was offered contracts from various entertainment groups and finally signed with a new company, Good Entertainment.

The movement from one company to another while still using the name Shinhwa sparked some controversy over copyright issues. However, after going to court, Shinhwa won the case, thus moving completely from SM Entertainment to Good Entertainment. Because the contract they signed with Good Entertainment would not begin until 2004, Shinhwa members pursued solo activities in 2003.

Shinhwa released a compilation album entitled Winter Story 2003-2004 on December 30, 2003, which sold over 100,000 copies.[14] The lead single "Young Gunz" was often requested at radio stations. Because it was a success, Shinhwa began releasing Winter Story every winter afterwards.

Shinhwa had another live concert from April 18 to April 20, 2003 named The Everlasting Mythology. They also went on their Winter Story Tour, which traveled to a total of six cities: Seoul, Pusan, Daejeon, Incheon, Daegu, and Kwangju as well as going to Japan with a concert call SHINHWA First Live in Tokyo, where they also held a Japanese fan meeting called Have Fun With Shinhwa On M.Net Tour.

The members of Shinhwa pursued solo activities in 2003. Min Woo went solo under the name "M," releasing his first album entitled Un-touch-able, while Hye Sung collaborated with Kangta and Lee Ji Hoon for a project group S. Jun Jin branched out into acting with the drama Forbidden Love alongside actress Kim Tae Hee. Andy and Jun Jin also participated in a Korean sitcom named Nonstop 4 as well as Banjun dramas. Eric also began acting in dramas soon after acting in several CFs.

Good Entertainment and continuous success: 2004-2005

Shinhwa's first album with Good Entertainment was entitled Brand New. It debuted at #3 and peaked at #1 in November, selling 320,337 copies.[15][16] Unlike their previous albums, Brand New had a different beat, transitioning from bubblegum pop to dance songs. The group heavily promoted Brand New with four singles: "Angel", "Oh!", "Crazy", and the title track. The album was ranked #4 on the 2004 year-end chart.[17]

On December 10, 2004, Shinhwa was awarded the Daesang for Best Artist of The Year for the first time at the Seoul Gayo Daesang Awards. Several weeks later, on December 29, Shinhwa was awarded their second Daesang at the 2004 SBS Gayo Daejun Awards, winning two of the possible 4 Daesang in that year with Rain and Lee Soo Young receiving the other two. In 2004, of all musical artists and groups, Shinhwa received the most awards, totaling thirteen or more, from various places: the m.net KMTV Music Video Festival, Seoul Gayo Daesang, Golden Disc Awards and MBC, KBS,SBS Gayo Awards. The awards other than Best Artist of the Year included Best Male Artist, Best Dance Artist, and Overseas Choice Award.

Shinhwa went on hiatus after the success of Brand New and began touring. In August of that year, they held a Korea-China-Japan summer camp called Shinhwa Summer Story 2004. The camp was dedicated entirely for their non-Korean fans. Hundreds of non-Korean fans flew to Korea from all over Asia for the opportunity to spend a few days with the band. They also toured in Japan and held a concert, selling 13,000 tickets within a week.

In yet another change in appearance, Shinhwa's image matured from the preppy style in Perfect Man to a more sophisticated look. They began wearing black suits, which was rather uncommon among boy bands at that time. Although they previously dyed their hair in various colors (from purple to silver), in Brand New they stopped completely, leaving their hair in either brown or black. They also trimmed their hair to a neat style or cut it short, which was uncommon among boy bands because "shaggy hair" was in style.

Though they have written lyrics for their music before, Shinhwa took more creative control over their music and began writing a majority of their lyrics. Eric wrote some rap lyrics for some of the songs while Minwoo Lee took charge and began writing full lyrics. Some songs that he had written are: "All of My", "Oh", and "U". He later went on to write the song "Superstar" for the group Jewelry, which became a hit. The other members also co-wrote various other songs.

Although, Shinhwa was mostly on hiatus throughout 2005, they released two popular singles, "How Do I Say" and "Hey Dude!". They also held the Tropical Summer Story Festival concert. For a majority of 2005, Shinhwa hosted a reality show called Let's Coke Play Battle Shinhwa!. The show was almost identical to the American reality show, American Idol where people audition and sing, hoping to become singers. (see Notable Achievements below.) To end the year, Shinhwa released their second Winter Story album, Winter Story 2004-2005, selling in excess of 102,345 copies.[18]

Returning to the K-pop scene after hiatus: 2006

On January 14, 2006, Shinhwa renewed their contract with Good Entertainment for another 3 years and on March 24, 2006, they celebrated their 8th anniversary, making them the longest running boy band in Korea.

On May 11, 2006, Shinhwa returned to the K-pop scene, with the release of their eighth album, State of the Art, which debuted at #1. Brand New and State Of The Art became Shinhwa's first consecutive #1 albums in a row. Heavily promoted, the album sold approximately 215,641 copies domestically,[19] with their lead single "Once in a Lifetime" being #1 on the Hottracks Sales Chart, followed by SG Wannabe's "3RD MASTERPIECE". Their second single, "Throw My Fist" debuted at #1 with Zhang Liyin's "Timeless" at #2. State Of The Art became the third best selling album for the year of 2006, behind SG Wannabe's 3RD MASTERPIECE and TVXQ's "O"-Jung. Ban.Hap. ("O"-正.反.合.).[20]

After State of the Art, Shinhwa began working on their first Japanese album and single. To prepare for their Japanese album release, Shinhwa held a press conference in Japan on April 14, 2006 and performed at MNET's anniversary celebration in Japan on April 15, 2006. The press conference came as a result of Shinhwa's effort to break into the Japanese market, with the release of their first Japanese language single This is the Sun in Our Hearts on June 14, 2006, which debuted at #9 on the Oricon Chart, and their first official album, Inspiration #1, in Japan on August 16, 2006, which debuted at #4. Both sold in excess of 100,000 copies each. Shinhwa also had their first Asia tour that lasted 5 months. The tour started with their first concert on May 13, 2006 at the Olympic Park, Seoul, and reached Shanghai, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, as well as others locations for a total of 9 cities throughout Asia. Shinhwa also did concerts at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, and Osaka-jo Hall on September 24 and 26th as the part of their Asian Tour.

Their concert in Shanghai was successful; all tickets were sold out. When Shinhwa landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, almost 1,500 fans were waiting for them, causing a traffic jam around the airport and setting a record in China for having the most fans greet them in the airport. The members had to be escorted one by one out of the airport with personal bodyguards, including 40 policemen and 10 other personal bodyguards. At the concert, a sea of orange and balloons filled the concert. To underline Shinhwa's Shanghai concert as a success, the Chinese media stated that Shinhwa was "hotter than Bi or Lee Junki", two Korean celebrities who are very successful throughout Asia.

Going on hiatus, solo activities, and reaching 10 years: 2008-present

In 2007, Shinhwa went on hiatus again. They also celebrated their 9th anniversary on March 24, 2008. With Shinhwa on hiatus, the members expanded their solo activities even further, including the members leaving Shinhwa's management company to start their own: M Rising (Min Woo), New Dream Entertainment (Andy),[21] JF Story Entertainment (Jun Jin),[22] H2 Entertainment (Dong Wan), and Top Class Entertainment (Eric). Dong Wan also released his first album entitled Kim Dongwan is on July 5, 2007.[21] Min Woo released his third album on July 10, 2007[23] and though he had intended to release his third album in the U.S.,[24] he released it in Korea instead. Hye Sung released his second album on August 8, 2007.[25] The three solo artists were successful and consider themselves friendly rivals.

The other members manage to have pursued their own solo activities as well. Eric finished his drama Que Sera, Sera and although he is currently the only member in Shinhwa who hasn't pursued a solo singing career, reports have mentioned that this is a possibility in the near future.[citation needed] Jun Jin, who released his first single the previous year, finished promoting it and was supposedly preparing for his first album, with the help of Min Woo, which would be released around September.[citation needed] However, he did not release an album or single from him. Andy starred in the musical, "Music In My Heart (Season 3)."

In the midst of their solo activities, Shinhwa was said to be working on their ninth album. Originally set to be released on October 2007[21] with tours from October to December, their ninth album was then push back to being released in December.[citation needed] However, due to each of the members having hectic schedules, the album release date was pushed into March 2008.[citation needed] While Shinhwa was not expected to release an album in 2007, they released their compilation album Winter Story 2007-2008 on December 6, 2007,[26] which debuted at #1 on the Korean monthly chart.[citation needed]

Shortly after the release of Winter Story 2007-2008, Shinhwa staged their Asia Concert with a two-day performance on the 8th and 9th of December in Saitama, Japan followed by a concert in Shanghai. For the concert, Shinhwa sang three songs that would be featured in their 9th album.[citation needed] The concert's theme was "Forever Shinhwa" to commemorate Shinhwa's 9 years of activities and to announce the beginning of their 10th year together.[citation needed]

Despite members Eric, Dong Wan, and Min Woo enlisting for the military soon in 2008[27] (Jun Jin will enlist in 2009, Andy in 2010, Hye Sung is exempted from military service due to serious injuries on his knee from a concert in 2001), Shinhwa raised awareness throughout South Korea and among their fans when they reached their 10th anniversary on March 24, 2008. In addition to reaching 10 years, many boy bands look up to the members of Shinhwa as their idols. Celebrating their anniversary, Shinhwa staged a 10th anniversary concert and released their 9th album.[28][29] Because the concert was the last concert before the members left for the army, all 22,000 seats available for the concert were sold out.[30]

Notable achievements

Throughout its existence, Shinhwa has achieved many successes and has been awarded many honors. One of their first notable achievement was when they made history in the Korean music industry when they released their sixth album, Wedding on December 6, 2002, becoming the longest running Korean boy band in existence. Shinhwa is still holding the record as they have not yet disbanded. In addition to becoming the longest running boy band in South Korea, Shinhwa also holds the record for the only boy band to stay together for a decade and not lose members along the way nor add another one in (Member Andy's departure does not necessarily count as he came back into the group). Just as well, Shinhwa is also the only group to ever has all its member branch out to do solo activities with the group still together.[citation needed] Shinhwa has sold an excess of 50 million records worldwide, an incredible feat for an Asian group and one of the highest album sales in Asia.

In July 2004, they were selected to represent Korea in the MTV Buzz Asia Awards along with Namie Amuro for Japan and F4 for Taiwan. They were also selected to sing at the finale. Shinhwa was also the most searched artist in the Yahoo! Singapore search engine for an entire week in 2004, becoming the first Korean artist to do so, on their first visit to Singapore in October 2004.

The group was also the face of Swiss watch brand Radoin Asia for a January 2005 campaign.

In March 2005, along with their management team, Good Entertainment, music channel, MNET and Coca-Cola, the group hosted a reality TV show, called "Let's Cokeplay Battle Shinhwa." The show, which set out to search for a new Shinhwa (new legend group), lasted 8 months long and attracted over 1,800 applicants throughout Korea to audition. The final show took place on November 4, 2005 at Olympic Park, Seoul, where Shinhwa members chose the 6 final members of the new Shinhwa from the 12 finalists. The 6 male winners (making the group now known as Battle), along with 2 other female finalists (as solos) immediately underwent training and debuted in 2006 under Good Entertainment.

A star was named after Shinhwa in 2005. In order to commemorate its launching, USC Korea, the official Korean partner USC (Universal Star Council), an American website that provides services for registering names for stars in the sky, offered a star to be named after them. The star is among the Aries constellation. Ironically, it matched the debut date of Shinhwa which falls on March 24, 1998. The star Shinhwa is the brightest among the more than 2 thousand stars with Korean names that can be seen with the naked eye. The star is best seen in November.[citation needed]

In 2006, Shinhwa was chosen as best Korean singer overseas, according to a poll held by Arirang International Broadcasting. A vote was issued on the internet, allowing only foreigners to vote. Shinhwa's song "Once In A Lifetime" won 60% of the vote, beating Kang Ta, who came in second with 20.3 percent followed by TVXQ with 17.3 percent. Super Junior took fourth place followed by Bada, Se7en, BoA, SG Wannabe, Buzz, and Baek Ji-young, with all of them winning less than 1 percent of the votes.[31] Shinhwa won the award again in 2007 for their song Pretty, beating TVXQ by a close percentage of 50.76% to 48.55%. The other candidates, Super Junior, Se7en, Rain, Big Bang, BoA, SS501, Paran and Jang Nara, all received once again less than one percent of the votes.[32]

Styles

Musical Style

Shinhwa has changed musical styles many times throughout their existence, beginning with typical bubblegum pop songs (as seen with their song Eusha, Eusha) like other pop singers at the time. They also did regular pop songs as well, with the release of their 4th album Hey, Come On!. Shinhwa would continued to release pop music (although they have done alternative rock as well) until their contract with SM Entertainment ran up. It would be in the release of their 7th album, Brand New that Shinhwa would transition into dance songs. With the release of their 8th album, State Of The Art, Shinhwa can still be seen having dance songs as well as, though their hit song, Once In A Lifetime shows a more slow pop style. Because they have change many musical styles over the years, Shinhwa have created a variation of popular music for their fans and general K-pop listeners, though throughout the years, they have as well created their own distinct style of music.

While Shinhwa is known best as artists who do dance songs, the members have branch out to do various styles. Min Woo's first album show him as an R&B singer, though his #1 hit song, Just One Night is more of a jazz genre. His later albums would be R&B/dance vein of his previous albums. Hye Sung have branch out to do ballads song, as ballads are becoming popular throughout South Korea. Dong Wan,Jun Jin and Andy had also followed within his footsteps, doing ballad songs.

Dance Style

Shinhwa is often hailed as one of the best dance groups in South Korea, winning many dance awards such as M.net/KM music video festival "Best Dance Music Video" and Best Music Video For The Dance Section Awards. Their dances are often filled with heavy choreography, with a few free style moves once in a while (often from Min Woo). They also feature break dancers in the background of many of their performances as well as female dancers dancing with and around them. Shinhwa's own members Min Woo and Jun Jin also break dance and often teach it to their fans. Shinhwa's unique style of dancing is credited to member Min Woo, who is their main choreographer (although they do have another choreographer as well). Min Woo was discovered by an SM Entertainment scout while he was in a dance group, which can explain why he has choreographed some of Shinhwa's most technically challenging dances. Jun Jin, another member who is skilled in dancing as well assists Min Woo. Their dance moves has been describe as "evil," "complicated," and "difficult-to-follow" with few people being able to copy their dance moves.

Image

Like most popular bands, Shinhwa has change their appearances various times. In their early days, Shinhwa were generally marketed as a typical boy band with cute looks and matching outfits (as seen with their performances and music videos). They later transitioned this "cute" image concept into a more darker tone with the release of their second and third albums, bleaching their hair and wearing dark make up. Their outfits also matched their appearances, being either shiny or dark. With the release of their fourth album, Shinhwa would change from the gothic style of before into a much more simple and cleaner look. Their fifth album would change them into a more preppy style. With the style, Shinhwa would began to sport mondern trend clothing and styles. Shinhwa would continue this preppy style into their sixth album, though it was obvious that they were beginning to mature their looks. When they released their seventh album, Shinhwa began to change their appearance once again, wearing black suits and looking significantly more sophisticated than most boy bands at the time. They also stopped with the dyeing hair and heavy make up, as well as leaving their hair shaggy and long. Shinhwa's eighth album continued their sophisticated look, with the group wearing black suits for most of their performances. For their 9th album, Shinhwa's new look was displayed in their MV Run, in which they describe it to be "Mexican Mafia".

Discography
Further information: Shinhwa discography
Korean Albums

* Volume 1: Resolver (May 5, 1998)
* Volume 2: T.O.P. (April 4, 1999)
* Volume 3: Only One (May 27, 2000)
* Volume 4: Hey, Come On! (July 28, 2001)
* Volume 5: Perfect Man (March 29, 2002)
* Volume 6: Wedding (December 6, 2002)
* Volume 7: Brand New (August 27, 2004)
* Volume 8: State of the Art (May 11, 2006)
* Volume 9: Volume 9 (April 3, 2008)

Korean Singles

* 1st: How Do I Say (August 8, 2004)
* 2nd: Hey, Dude (April 4, 2005)
* 3rd: Summer Story Tropical 2005 (August 10, 2005)

Japanese Album

* Volume 1: Inspiration #1 (August 16, 2006)

Japanese Single

* 1st: Bokura no Kokoro ni wa Taiyō ga Aru (June 14, 2006)

Compilation Albums (Winter Stories)

* 1st: Winter Story 2003-2004 (December 30, 2003)
* 2nd: Winter Story 2004-2005 (December 20, 2004)
* 3rd: Winter Story 2006-2007 (January 25, 2007)
* 4th: Winter Story 2007 (December 06, 2007)

Best Album

* 1st: My Choice (January 31, 2002)

Albums Chart

The chart positions are based on data from Music Industry Association Korea. Unlike the Oricon Chart and the Billboard Chart, the charts are released monthly, not weekly.
[edit] Korean Studio Album
Year Title Chart positions
1998 Resolver —
1999 T.O.P. 3
2000 Only One 1
2001 Hey, Come On! 3
2002 Perfect Man 1
2002 Wedding 3
2004 Brand New 1
2006 State of the Art 1
2008 Volume 9 1

Japanese Studio Album
Year Title Chart positions
2006 Inspiration #1 4

Awards
Further information: List of Shinhwa's awards

Controversy

"Hey, Come On!"

In July 2002, Taiwanese boy band Energy covered Shinhwa's song, Hey, Come On! causing tensions between the fans of Shinhwa and Energy. This led to a misunderstanding as when Shinhwa was performing Hey, Come On! in Singapore in 2004; they got booed on stage because some of Energy's fans thought Shinhwa was the one covering Energy's song "Come On" which was actually the cover song. As it was later noted, Jeff Vincent and Peter Rafelson who wrote Hey, Come On! had sold the song to Energy, therefore, it was legal. Even so, fans of Shinhwa were angry over that fact. The Taiwanese group 5566 also covered Shinhwa's "Dark", a song included in Shinhwa's 4th album.

Leaving SM Entertainment

In 2003 SM Entertainment's 5-year contract with Shinhwa ended, thus allowing the band to either sign another contract or switch label. Lee Soo Man, the head of SM Entertainment, only wanted to sign on Eric, but due to his offer, Eric rejected. He wanted to stick with the group as Shinhwa and not go solo. The band rejected the offer and switched over to the fairly new management at the time, Good Entertainment. The movement sparked controversy when Lee denied their permission to use the name Shinhwa with the different company. However, after the argument was taken to court, Shinhwa won, allowing them to still use the name "Shinhwa."

Solo activities

After moving from SM and signing with Good! Entertainment in 2003, the group members took time to do solo activities. Despite rumors, they did not break up. Min Woo also once stated in an article that the group would never disband, no matter what. It is said that once the members have served their mandatory army service, they will release another album.[21]

The members of Shinhwa, except Hye Sung, have acted in various TV series and movies (although all have appeared on numerous variety shows, both separately and as a group).

* Jun Jin acted in KBS drama Forbidden Love, SBS Drama Let's go to the Beach, as well as appearing in several "Banjun" dramas (반전드라마) and FC Shootdori.
* Andy has acted in the MBC sitcom Nonstop IV, SBS drama Lovers in Prague, as well as appearing on some "Banjun" dramas as well. He was also the MC for a music program called SBS Inkigayo (인기가요). He acts in a musical "Music In My Heart (Season 3)" on September 7,2007, a type of project that none of the Shinhwa members have tried to pursue yet. His role is main character, Jang Jae-hyuk. He also is in an MBC reality show called We Got Married where he is a couple with singer Solbi.
* Dong Wan played the main character in the film Spin Kick (돌려차기), and has appeared in various television dramas such as Beating Heart, Magic Power Alcohol and Goodbye Sadness(슬픔이여 안녕). He was also featured as a thug-with-a-heart-of-gold in a music video for Korean R&B group SG Wannabe. In 2007, he acted as Yoon Suk-ju(윤석주) in the television drama Person I Love'(사랑하는 사람아).
* Eric played one of the main characters in the highly successful and acclaimed drama The Phoenix(불 새) and was awarded the "MBC Best New Actor" Award in 2004 in recognition of his performance. Other dramas performances include a supporting role in I'm Running (also known as Breathless, released in 2003) and the lead in New Employee, also known as Super Rookie in 2005). Eric was again awarded the "MBC Best Actor" Award 2005 in recognition of his performance in the latter. His first film role was that of a killer in A Bittersweet Life, followed by the release of his first feature movie, June's Diary (released in December 2005), in which he is playing a detective. His TV drama Wolf (늑대) (co-starring Uhm Tae Woong and Han Ji-min) aired for only 3 episodes. Production was halted when Eric sustained serious injuries from a stunt gone wrong. He then filmed the drama SBS's Korea Secret Agency, a drama about secret agents with actors Han Ji-Min, Yoon Ji-Min, and Shin Seung-Woo. Eric then starred in the MBC drama, Que Sera, Sera in 2007, which was not as successful as his previous works. Eric also stars as a lead in the historical drama "Strongest ChilWoo" in 2008.
* Min Woo starred in the MBC sitcom Nonstop 5 and released the movie 원탁의천사 (Holy Daddy aka Wontak's Angel), co-starring entertainer Ha-Ha.

Many of the members have released solo albums as well.

* Min Woo has released three full albums, starting off with Un-Touch-Able in 2003 where he also encounter major controversy due to his single Just One Night's music video. In early 2005, he released the single If You... and later in the year, he released his follow-up album IInd Winds, where sales were exceedingly well, selling over 120,000 copies. His third album Explore was released in mid 2007,[23] which sold a poor 41,007 copies, due to an illegal leak of the album a few days before the album's official release date.[33] However, his albums were successful enough to warrant a solo concert, in which he performed in Japan.[34]
* Hye Sung has collaborated with his close friends Kangta and Lee Ji Hoon, forming a project group named S. The vocal-oriented trio released a project album of ballads, Fr.in.Cl. He also released a solo album "오월지련" (Love of May) in May 2005. The album had strong pre-orders (having the #1 spot on HMV Japan's chart[citation needed] and sales continued to be strong in Korea, where the album placed 5th on the year-end charts for album sales.[35] Hye Sung released his second album on August 82007 which sold over 50,000 copies in its first week (30,000 copies on its first day).[25]
* Jun Jin released a solo single titled 사랑이 오지 않아요 (Love Doesn't Come) on November 18, 2006, selling 44,724 copies.[33]
* Dong Wan released his first solo album on July 5, 2007. His album features a duet with Shin Hye Sung, and songs featuring the rapping skills of Eric and Andy. Min Woo wrote the song 'My Love' for Dong Wan's album as well.[21]

Brand New by Shinhwa

Super Junior M- U

2009-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I usually don't like version other than the original language, and I do think that the Korean version is better. But Kyuhyun's vocals amaze me in this. (Kyuhyun is the guy: 0:37-0:45) I like this version too!

Melody and Harmony

2009-08-31T14:18:00.001-07:00

Article released at: 2009/08/31 16:51:59

Tohoshinki's Jejung (Hero) and Yuchun (Micky) will be releasing their Japanese single 『COLORS～Melody and Harmony～』on 30th September, under the name of 「JEJUNG＆YUCHUN（from東方神起）」. The jacket photos for this CD has been revealed.

On the 29th, Jaejoong also did PR for this single on his on Twitter (a micro-blogging communications system). There will be CD version and CD+DVD version available.

This song is a composed by both Jejung and Yuchun. As the theme song for the world renowned character "Hello Kitty"'s 35th Anniversary, the song will be played in all Sanrio shops nationwide, from September onwards.

Although the 3 members, Tohoshinki's Jejung, Yuchun and Junsu (Xiah), are currently in a court case against their Korean management company SM Entertainment, they are still appearing as radio DJs and on television in Japan, and they are carrying out their activities there smoothly. Also, Yunho (U-know) and Changmin (Max), who did not participate in the law suit have been casted to act in Korean dramas.

Photo source: [HMV Japan]
Source: [chosun online]
Translation credits: mandasoh@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net

Y Si Fuera Ella

2009-08-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

This song is a solo by Jonghyun of SHINee. I would write more, but I just spent 5 hours to build a house for "Habitat for Humanity", so I'm kinda exhausted. This song is beautiful and if you don't like it then you don't appreciate good music. I mean, seriously.

Please Don't Go, Strong Baby, I Don't Care and the first week of school

2009-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Beautiful live version of Onew (left) and Jonghyun (right) duet Please Don't Go. Keep in mind that they're both only 19. o.O

This is a dance song called Strong Baby by member Seungri of Big Bang.

Hit song from 2NE1, the girl group that's taking over the music charts

Sigh. First week of being a senior. I was so tired today it was ridiculous. After I post this I plan to go take a NICE. LONG. NAP. And I'm really regretting doing this "Habitat for Humanity" thing that I signed up for. Hey, I'm ALL for helping, but it's so early in the morning and I want to sleep in... TT_TT

Well, for anyone who cares I posted those songs. Goodnight.

SHINee

2009-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

You know, I'm surprised I haven't posted anything about them earlier.

From left to right: Onew (Wrinkly), Taemin, Jonghyun (My BABY), Minho and Key

Shinee (샤이니, stylized as SHINee) is a contemporary R&B South Korean boy band.^[1] Formed by SM Entertainment in 2008, they made their debut on May 25, 2008 on SBS's Popular Songs with their promotional single, "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)" ("누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)", lit. "Older Sister, You're So Pretty"). The group consists of Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin.

Since their debut, Shinee has won numerous awards. They have also starred in their own reality show based on their song, "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)". Shinee are considered to be a fashion icon having starting the "Shinee Trend", which is popular amongst the younger generatio

History

2008: Debut

In late May 2008 news articles started to surface online about SM Entertainment's new group, Shinee (pronounced "shiny").^[1]^[2] On May 23, the group's first mini-album, Replay was released.^[3] Replay debuted at #10 on the Korean music charts and peaked at #8, selling 17,957 copies in the first half of 2008.^[4]

On June 7, 2008, Shinee participated in the Dream Concert in the Seoul Olympic Stadium along with other high profile Korean stars such as Epik High, Girls' Generation, Super Junior, TVXQ and the Wonder Girls.^[5]^[6] The group won their first award, Rookie of the Month, at the Cyworld Digital Music Award on June 22, 2008.^[7] Shinee took part in SMTown Live '08, which was held on August 18, 2008.

They performed alongside labelmates BoA, Cheon Sang Ji Hee the Grace, Girls' Generation, Super Junior and TVXQ.^[8] On August 23, 2008, Shinee attended MNet's 20's Choice Awards 2008, where they won the "Hot New Star" award.^[9] Shinee released their full debut album, The Shinee World, on August 28, 2008.^[10] The album debuted on the charts at #3, selling 30,000 copies.^[11]

The first single released from the album was "Sanso Gateun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)" (산소 같은 너 (Love Like Oxygen), lit. You Like Oxygen), a cover of "Show the World" by Martin Hoberg Hedegaard,^[12] originally written by the Danish songwriting and production team of Thomas Troelsen, Remee and Lucas Secon.^[13] On September 18th, 2008, Shinee's "Sanso Gat

eun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)" was the #1 song on M! Countdown.^[14] A few days later, Shinee received the "Mutizen" award for the single on SBS's Popular Songs. Shinee participated in the "5th Asia Song Festival", where they received the "Best New Artist" award with Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo.^[15]

Shinee attended the 2008 Style Icon Awards on October 30, 2008, where they won the "Best Style Icon Award".^[16] On the same day, they released The Shinee World as a repackaged album under the name Amigo. Included on album were three new songs: "Forever or Never", a remix of "Sa. Gye. Han (Love Should Go On)" (사.계.한) and the promotional single "A.Mi.Go (Amigo)" (아.미.고).^[17] "A.Mi.Go" is a shortened version of the Korean phrase "Areumdaun Minyeorueljoahamyeon Gosaenghanda" (아름다운 미녀를 좋아하면 고생한다 lit. Heart

Aches When You Fall In Love With a Beauty).^[13]

On November 15, 2008 Shinee won the "Best Male Rookie" award at the 10th annual MNET KM Music Festival, beating fellow newcomers U-Kiss, 2PM, 2AM and Mighty Mouth.^[18] At the 23rd Annual Golden Disk Aw

ards, they performed a me

dley of their songs, "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)", "Sanso Gateun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)" and "A.Mi.Go (Amigo)" and won the award for "YEPP Newcomer Album".^[19]

2009: Comeback

SM Entertainment announced that Shinee would make their comeback with their second mini album Romeo on May 21, 2009.^[20] On May 18, "Juliette", the first single was released.^[21]^[22] It was later announced that their comeback was going to be delayed due to Onew damaging his teeth and the release of the mini-album was pushed back to May 25.^[21]^[23] Shinee eventually had their return performance on June 5, 2009, on KBS's Music Bank, where they received the a

ward for first place.^[24]

Image and artistry

From left to right: Onew (Wrinkly), Taemin, Jonghyun (My BABY), Minho and Key

Shinee are known for their fashion style, created by designer Ha Sang Baek (하상백), which features high-top sneakers, skinny jeans and colorful sweaters.^[25] Their style has created a fashion trend amongst students which the media dubbed the "Shinee Trend".^[3] This has led to product endorsements, and the band has promoted Smart,^[26] Korean cosmetic company Nana's B,^[27] and Reebok.^[28]

Other activities

Shinee was the topic of a short-lived reality show, Shinee's YunHaNam, which was hosted by MNet. The show ran from August 8, 2008 to October 16, 2008, with a total of twelve episodes. Each episode featured the band members going on a date with an older woman, after which she would chose one member for a solo date.^[29] The group also recorded a song, "Stand By Me", for the Korean drama adaptation of popular manga series Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio.^[30] In addition to promoting Smart, Shinee recorded a song, "Blue Pink Song", to further promote their product.^[26] Shinee recorded a digital single "Bodyguard" (보디가드) to promote Samsung's Anycall mobile phone.^[31]

Members

Lee Jinki (이진기), born December 14, 1989 (1989-12-14) (age 19) , better known by his stage name Onew (온유). The leader and oldest member in the group, he was discovered at the "2006 S.M. Academy Casting".^[32] Onew collaborated with Lee Hyun Ji, former member of project group Banana Girl, for her song "Vanilla Love".^[33] He was also featured in a duet, entitled One Year Later "1년 後", with Girls' Generation member Jessica for their mini-album Tell Me Your Wish.^[34]

Kim Jonghyun (김종현), born April 8, 1990 (1990-04-08) (age 19), commonly known as Jonghyun, is the main vocalist in the group.^[35] He was discovered at the "2005 S.M. Casting System".^[32] Before debuting with Shinee, Jonghyun sang a duet, "Wrongly Given Love" (交错的爱), with Zhang Liyin for her debut Chinese album I Will.^[32]

Kim Kibum (김기범), born September 23, 1991 (1991-09-23) (age 17), better known by his stage name Key (키), is a vocalist and one of the rappers in the group.^[32] He was a gifted varsity water-skier at Dae Gu Young Shin Middle School.^[36] He was discovered at the "2005 S.M. National Tour Audition Casting".^[32] Before debuting with Shinee, Key appeared in Super Junior's movie Attack on the Pin-Up Boys as an extra.^[37] Key was featured in label-mate Xiah's solo "Xiahtic".^[38]

Choi Minho (최민호), born December 9, 1991 (1991-12-09) (age 17), commonly known as Minho, is the other rapper in group. He was discovered at the "2006 S.M. Casting System".^[32] Before debuting with Shinee, Minho modeled for Ha Sang Baek's "Seoul Collection F/W 08-09" in March.^[25]He has also appeared in Girls' Generation's music video "Gee".^[39]

Lee Taemin (이태민), born July 18, 1993 (1993-07-18) (age 16), commonly known as Taemin, is the main dancer of the group.^[35] He is the youngest member in group. He was discovered at the "2005 S.M. Open Weekend Audition Casting ".^[32] His acting debut is on MBC's sitcom ‘TaeHee HyeGyo JiHyun’ (태희혜교지현이) as Junsu.

Discography

Studio albums

2008: Replay (Mini-album)
2008: The Shinee World
2009: Romeo (Mini-album)

Promotional Singles

2008: "Nunan Neomu Yeppeo (Replay)"
2008: "Sanso Gateun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)"
2008: "A.Mi.Go. (Amigo)"
2009: "Juliette"

Take a look at their "A.Mi.Go." music video. I'm so excited cause they're basically in the Korean Wave! SHINee fighting!

F(x) and my desktop

2009-08-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

New girl band F(x). SIGH.

SM Entertainment's new girl group f(x), consisting of members Sulli, Amber, Krystal, Victoria and Luna will make their showcase debut on September 2nd, 2009 at 5:00pm KST!

They will be showing off their fashion and music, as well as interact with fans and put on their first performance at the Seoul Samsung dong Fashion Center (삼성동 섬유센터)!

The event will last 1 hour, in which they will unveil their single LACHATA and music video, as well as show off their special talents.

Credits from allkpop.com

Okay. Well, you see. I'm not posting this because I'm happy about it. The opposite, really. With the recent debut of 2NE1, and not to mention other girl groups like Kara, Wondergirls, SNSD, Jewelry, CSJH the Grace, Brown Eyed Girls and other girl groups, I think we've had enough. I'm not hating on them, because I have no right to do that because they haven't even released anything yet.

But in South Korea and the Korean wave, girl groups are kinda....eh. 2NE1 is, TO ME, the best girl group out there right now. But the Korean wave is made up of mostly boy bands like DBSK, Super Junior, Big Bang, SHINee, 2PM, SS501, FT Island, SG Wannabe and such. They dominate the charts in a lot of countries from outside Asia. Plus, 2NE1 is domniating, so I don't think there will be much competition. I don't get why all of a sudden South Korea feels the need to get more bands out there. We're fine with what we have.

Anyway, check out my desktop.
They're positioned kinda funny. First row is the two guys, seconds is the three guys, third is those two guys on the outer side that looks like the starts of the third row, fourth is the 2 guys on the outer side after the other two, and the back row is the four in the back row..
From left to right:
Front Row:
Leeteuk and Eunhyuk
Second Row:
Sungmin, Siwon and Hankyung
Third Row:
Shindong and Kangin
Fourth Row:
Kibum and Heechul (angry dragqueen)
Back Row:
Rywoeook, Donghae, Kyuhyun and Yesung

Sorry Sorry

2009-08-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

I can't really say much because school is starting, so I'll just post this video by Super Junior that I'm OBSESSED with right now. I don't even know why. Actually, it's freaking amazing. But I'm just saying.

F.T Island

2009-08-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

The main vocals- Hongki. I absolutely ADORE his voice. At first it kinda freaked me out, but I love how husky and amazing it is. Take a listen, because you can hear what he sounds like pretty early in the video.

F.T. Island (Korean: 에프티 아일랜드), Five Treasure Island, or FTI, is the name of [a popular Korean boy] band . The name F.T. Island stands for 'Five Treasure Island', each of the five members being a treasure.[1] The band's official color is sunshine yellow, and their fans carry yellow flags known as "pentasticks." Their debut album, Cheerful Sensibility, made the sixth best-selling album of 2007 in South Korea. Their official fanclub is "Primadonna".

Band Members

Hongki
Name Lee Hong Ki (Korean: 이홍기)
Birthday March 2, 1990 (1990-03-02) (age 19)
Lunar Birthday February 6, 1990 (1990-02-06) (age 19)
Education Seongji High School (Korean: 성지고등학교)

Attending Kyung Hee University since March 2009, majoring in Drama and Theatre
Position in band Main Vocal
Other works Acting debut in 2002 in KBS2 Magic Kid Masuri (매직키드 마수리) as main role

Cast as Lysander in a Korean version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Jonghoon
Name Choi Jong Hoon (Korean: 최종훈)
Birthday March 7, 1990 (1990-03-07) (age 19)
Education Shindongshin Middle Information Industry High School (Korean: 신동신정보산업고등학교)

Attending Gyeonggi University since March 2009, majoring in Digital Music
Position in band Guitar, Leader, Piano, Vocal
favorite day January 6

Jaejin
Name Lee Jaejin (Korean: 이재진)
Birthday December 17, 1991 (1991-12-17) (age 17)
Education Seonyoo High School (Korean: 선유고등학교)
Position in band Bass, Vocal
Other Work Acting debut in 2007 KBS2 daily sitcom Unstoppable Marriage as Wang Sa Baek (왕사백)
Musical acting debut in 2009 in "Sonagi"

Seunghyun
Name Song Seunghyun (Korean: 송승현)
Birthday August 21, 1992 (1992-08-21) (age 17)
Position in band Rapper, Vocal, Guitar

Minhwan
Name Choi Minhwan (Korean: 최민환)
Birthday November 11, 1992 (1992-11-11) (age 16)
Education Eunil Information Industry High School (Korean: 은일정보산업고등학교)
Position in band Drums
Other Work Acting debut in 2009, KBS1 The Road Home

Former Members

Oh Wonbin
Name Oh Wonbin (Korean: 오원빈)
Birthday March 26, 1990 (age 19)
Education Seongji High School (Korean: 성지고등학교)

Attending Gyeonggi University since March 2009, majoring in Digital Music
Position in band Soft Vocalist, Rapper, Guitarist, Harmonicist

Apparently he left because of "different tastes in music." :/

Credit for info: Wikipedia (of course :P)

Another song by them that I adore. I love all their songs really. But I think that their style is an acquired taste. It took me quite a while to get used to Hongki's voice and I had to listen to the songs a couple times to love them.

DBSK- Picture of You and Fanmade Video

2009-08-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

This song was released and is their newest song. I think it's beautiful. The note that Jaejoong holds and echoes at 0:26 breaks tears my soul in half. I hope with all my heart and the hearts of fans everywhere, that they don't break up. Always Keep the Faith!!

And this is probably the best fanmade thing I've seen in my life. 'Always Keep the Faith' is what DBSK told all the fans. Yoochun had it tattooed on his chest. They WILL NOT break up. Always Keep the Faith. This video shows how freaking BIG they are and how huge their fanbase is. If you're a DBSK fan, you'll cry. I did.

New Boy Band B2ST- Boys 2 Search the Top

2009-08-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Cube Entertainment's new 6 member boy band, "B2ST (Boys 2 Search the Top)," which features AJ, Yoon Doo Joon, Poppin' Dragon, So-1, Son Dong Woon, and Yang Yo Seob.

AJ, Yoon Doo Joon, So-1 and others to be in new boyband B2ST.

MTV is currently nurturing 6 member boy group ‘B2ST (Boys 2 Search the Top)’ through Star Documentary Reality.

This
coming September, this boy group will debut with ‘Dancing Shoes’,
promising a magnificent performance and great vocal talent. Joining the
line-up is rising star AJ (Ace Junior), who is dubbed “the second Rain”
of the group.

With their debut coming real soon, these boys had
undergone strenuous training. They are also in the process of recording
their song, going to MV sites and showcases, and preparing for the MTV
filming.

Cannot be seen twice, this boy group’s debut image
could be viewed on the broadcasting on Sunday the 23rd of August in the
afternoon at 3pm.

Here’s more about each members
#1: AJ
Lee
Ki Kwang, better known as solo singer AJ. Because of controversies, he
will be changing his stage name which has yet to be announced by his
management. There has been news that he will be included in the cast
for the second season of popular sitcom “High Kick.”

Birth Name: Lee Ki Kwang (이기광)
Birth Date: 1990.03.30
Blood Type: A
Height&Weight: 174cm&58kg
Birth Place: Seoul
School(s): Seoul Composite Art School
Hobbies: Dancing, and DVD appreciation
Trainee Years: 4yrs under JYPE
Favorite Singers: Taeyang of Big Bang, Omarion & Usher.

#2: Yoon Doo Joon
He
first appeared as one of the candidates for JYP’s new boy band on
Mnet’s Hot Blood Documentary. Currently one of the rappers for AJ’s hit
song Wiping the Tears.

Birth Date: 1989.07.04
School: JoongSan High School.
Height / Weight: 180cm/67kg.
Specialty: Singing.
Fact: Mgoon Audition 3rd place.
Special Fact: Likes “Black” music

#3: Poppin’ Dragon
Yong
Jun Hyeong, previously known as Poppin’ Dragon. He first debuted in the
earlier generations of Xing. He, like Doo Joon, raps for AJ’s Wiping
the Tears.

Real Name: Yong Jun Hyeong
Stage Name: Poppin’ Dragon
Birth Date: 1989.12.19
Interests: Dance
Family: Parents, younger brother
School: Ahnyang High School, theatre movie

#4: So-1
Jang
Hyun Seung aka SO-1. He was eliminated from Big Bang in the ninth
episode of their documentary because he lacked stage presence and was
too shy.

Birth Name: Jang Hyun Seung (장현승, 張賢聖)
Birth date: 1989.09.03

#5 YoSeobYoseob.
As
you can tell from the chosen picture, it’s difficult to find pictures
of him. He also has the least information out right now. All that is
known is that he is a back-up dancer for AJ.

#6: Son DongWoon
Son
Dong Woon (1991.06.06), the final member of the group. He’s been a part
of JYP as a trainee for quite a long while. Boy has good taste in
musicand makes me assume that the new boy band will have a similar
sound to ‘Wiping the Tears.’ Teased jokingly by fans for looking Thai,
especially when with Khun (who is said to look more Korean than him)

Joo Ji Hoon and Lee Dong Wook off for duty and Daesung news

2009-08-21T12:54:00.001-07:00

SIGH. Two famous actors are leaving us to go to their mandatory 2 year service in the army. Joo Ji Hoon enlisted and is expected to go later this year, while Lee Dong Wook is expected to go in a few short weeks. He just finished his newest drama Partner and filming his new movie.
Joo Ji Hoon, who is known to play Prince Shin in the legendary 'Goong' drama, has caused much uproar with fans. I wish these boys the best and I hope they stay safe.

Now I wanted to get on to the good news. Daesung, member of the Korean wave boy band Big Bang, was in a car crash recently on the 12th, breaking both arms and fracturing his nose and a bone near his eye. The operation was a success. Daesung has apparently been recovering pretty well in the aftermath and will be discharged sometime next week.

YG Entertainment expressed that because of Daesung's spinal injury, he is still having difficulty moving around properly. But Daesung has already regained his appetite to that before his accident, and is looking forward to getting back on his feet again. We all hope to once again see Daesung's smiling face. We love you Daesung! Stay strong!

Credit for Daesung information: allkpop.com

Ji Sung- Swallow the Sun

2009-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Details

Title: 태양을 삼켜라 / Taeyangeul Ssamkyeora
Also known as: Swallow the Sun / All In 2
Previously known as: 히든 / Hidden, 꾼들의 나라 / The Land of Professionals
Genre: Romance, action
Episodes: 24
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2009-Jul-09 to 2009-Sep-24
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55
Related TV Series: All In

Synopsis

“Swallow the Sun” revolves around three young people in Jeju Island and how they develop Seogwipo, Jeju into a world city.

Kim Jung Woo (Ji Sung) is the illegitimate child of a gangster father and a haenyeo (a traditional freediver) mother. He was raised in an orphanage and soon developed a rebellious temperament.

Lee Soo Hyun (Sung Yu Ri) has a strong will and is focused on achieving her goals. She overcame many unfortunate situations in her life to first study overseas and then become the organizer for a world famous performance team.

Jang Tae Hyuk (Lee Wan) was raised without ever knowing his father. After he entered adulthood, Tae-hyeok meets Jun Kwang Ryul (Jang Min Ho), a wealthy businessman, who claims to be his father. This changes Tae-hyeok’s life entirely as he now works to excel in business management.

Cast

Ji Sung as Kim Jung Woo
- Yeo Jin Goo as Kim Jung Woo (child)
Sung Yu Ri as Lee Soo Hyun
- Lee Young Yoo as Lee Soo Hyun (child)
So Yi Hyun as Yoo Mi Ran
Lee Wan as Jang Tae Hyuk
Han Ji Yun as Han Sun Young

Big Bang Album/Style Change Review

2009-08-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

Review at the bottom.

▪ RELEASE 2009.08.19 (TODAY)
▪ LANGUAGE Japanese
▪ SIZE 82.6mb/320kbps

1.Intro
2.ガラガラ GO!!
3.Bringing You Love
4.MY HEAVEN
5.Stay
6.Top Of The World
7.Follow Me
8.Baby Baby -Japanese Version-
9.Emotion
10.Love Club
11.Always -Japanese Version-

Korean Singles: I think this is where their new style started.

6th: Taeyang & T.O.P - Friend,Our Legend (친구) (June 25, 2009) Digital Single
7th: G-Dragon - Heartbreaker (August 18, 2009) Mini Album

Japanese singles:

1st: MY HEAVEN (June 24, 2009)
2nd: ガラガラ GO!! (July 8, 2009)

So anyway. I'll review the singles first. Okay. So 'My Heaven' is probably my least favorite from their new style. Sorry, Big Bang.
Rating: C

Okay. Gara Gara Go was amazing. Gara Gara Go has a nice beat and catchy. 'Top of the World', another song on the single, is one of my favorite songs to date by them. The beat is also catchy, but it has a really soft feel to it becuase of the voices. I'm listening to it now, acutally. "I MISS YOU!! TOP OF THE WORLD!!" If you're a Big Bang fan and for some reason haven't heard this, then DO IT. Now, 'Stylish' is the last song on the single. I like this song a lot too, but the beat is a lot harsher than the rest of the single. I'm not saying it's bad. Because it's not. It's pretty awesome. It just doesn't fit with the others songs.
Rating: B+

Now Korean singles. Okay. Taeyang and TOP's single "Friend" is definately a new revelation. It was released as. what I think, starts their new style. The sing is soft, but it's a popish song. It fits really well with Taeyang's soft voice, but also with TOP's really low one. It's definately a success.
Rating: A

G-Dragon. I haven't listened to the whole thing (Yes, shame on me, blah blah.) It came out yesterday, so...I'e heard most of it though. His songs Breathe and Heartbreaker are very nice and they suit his voice. But, the thing I don't get it why they call it a 'mini album' when it was 11 songs on it. In Korea and Japan and even China, a mini album has like, 5 or 6 on it. I don't know. I also really like Butterfly. The song I'm not fond of is 'Korean Dream'. It kinda freaks me out. I also sort of like 'The Leaders'. It's one of those songs that you need to listen to more to like it more, I guess. Since I haven't listened to the whole thing, I'll rate on what I've heard.
Rating: B-

Now for the beauty. Their new album released today (yesterday in South Korea).

From left to right: T.O.P, Seungri, Daesung, G-Dragon (leader), Taeyang

Bringing You Love.
Now. The entire album is amazing. I've never been so satisfied with a Korean album in my life. No joke. Not even DBSK's. There is always one song on each of DBSK's album that I like a TINY bit less than the others.

BUT NO! Not this one.
1. Intro.- Catchy and even though it's about 1:30 long, I've listened to it alot. It's a straight up popish song, and it's awesome.
2. Gara Gara Go!- From one of their singles, it fits amazing into this album. It's a great way to open up the album! With it's smooth beat and interesting lyrics, it makes me really happy.
3.Bringing You Love- Probably one of my favorites off of the album. It's their cover song, and I think it's amazing. It's borderline ballad and pop. I find myself bouncing to it and swaying my head side to side. I love it.
4. My Heaven- I know I said I didn't really like this song, but I said it was my LEAST favorite. Doesn;t mean I didn't like it. But the way it was positioned in the album right after Bringing You Love, it makes the song so much better.
5. Stay- The ballad of the album, and can I say that's it's amazing. Also one of my favorites. I listened to it all night on repeat and fell asleep. I could hear Taeyang's voice in it and Daesung harmonizing. This song fits them perfectly, and I highly recommend it. This song shows off their vocal abilities really well, and they all sound great.
6. Top of the World- Well. You already know what I'm going to say about this. Probably my favorite song from Big Bang. This song, positioned after a ballad and before the upbeat song 'Follow Me' is amazing. WOW WOW nani mo ira nai yo, I miss you TOP OF THE WORLD!!! The song has great meaning, and I love this song a lot.
7. Follow Me- At first I didn't really like this song. It was okay, and I was iffy about it. But after listening to it (right now) I'm really impressed. Big bang took a lot of time into where to position their songs, and I think it really paid off. LOVE.
8. Baby Baby- Ahhhh. I remember this song when it came out in Koeran. They remade it in Japanese, and its as amazing as ever. "I don't wanna be without you girl..." SIGH. This song is a ballad popish song as well, and I really like it a lot. I like the Korean version better, but the Japanese version is as refreshing to listen to.
9. Emotion- Everyone says that the opening sounds like Poker Face. Um. I don't think so. I compared the two, and I think that they sound nothing alike. Stupid Americans. TT_TT
Anyway, I thought that the chorus was anticlimactic at first, but it really grew on me. "All of the emotionnnnn..." Yeah. The soft voice made me happy. Also a favorite.
10. Love Club- Probably my least favorite on the album, but of course, the way it's positioned in the album is a nice quick break from all the amazingness to a more upbeat R&B song. I still like it of course.
11 Always- The Japanese version. Ahhhhh~ I always loved this song. It helped me fall asleep. Very very relaxing and awesome. Man, this song gets better the longer you listen to it. A very nice way to end the album. Very nice.

Man. This album was amazing. I'm listening to it again right now. <3
Rating: A+
Words can not describe now awesome this album is. I recommend you get it. You WILL NOT be sorry. It's so great. It's just....I'm at a loss of words how beautiful it is. Just get it.

Wheesung

2009-08-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Choi, Whee-Sung (Korean: 최휘성, born February 5, 1982, in Seoul, South Korea) often credited by his stage name Wheesung is a Korean R&B singer.

He's been active since 1999. He has achieved mainstream success, but he gained Asia popularity with the release of his recent single 'Insomnia'

Discography

Vol. 1: Just Like a Movie (Debut Album)

* Released: April 4, 2002
* Format: CD, Digital
* Label: YG Entertainment
* Sales: 203,566[citation needed]

1. Intro
2. ..안되나요..
3. 전할 수 없는 이야기
4. 악몽(惡夢)
5. 아직도
6. You Are The Only One
7. Magic Eye
8. Interlude
9. 떠나
10. 제발
11. 하늘에서
12. 후애(後愛)
13. Feel The Night
14. Incomplete

Vol. 2: It's Real

* Released: August 21, 2003
* Format: CD, Digital
* Sales: 610,000

1. Intro
2. Set me free
3. 다시 만난 날
4. I am missing you
5. With me
6. 사랑하지 않을 거라면
7. Player
8. 말을 해줘
9. Interlude
10. Dilemma
11. 미워하고 싶은데
12. Pretty lady
13. 미인
14. Angel
15. Outro
16. BONUS TRACK: Luz Control (Feat. Se7en & Lexy)

Vol. 3: For the Moment

* Released: October 18, 2004
* Format: CD, Digital
* Sales: 230,707

1. Intro
2. 탈피
3. 누구와 사랑을 하다가
4. 내 눈물보다
5. 불치병 (Feat. Masta Wu)
6. 하나가 더해진 생일
7. Skit Part1. 박.갑.성 VS.삼오십오 (일산 집으로 가다가)
8. Corea new school 제비 스딸 (Feat. 1TYM Teddy)
9. 7days
10. 사랑은 (Feat. Big mama 이지영)
11. Skit Part2. 삼오십오 VS 박.갑.(광주여고로 가다가)
12. Clubbin' (Feat. Jinusean Jinu)
13. She's Beautiful
14. 일생을 (Remake)
15. Dear My friend (Feat. 이정, Wanted 하동균)
16. Outro
17. Bonus Track: It'z time (Thanx to Masta Wu)

Vol. 4: Love... Love...? Love...!

* Released: September 23, 2005
* Format: CD, Digital
* Sales:224, 689

1. 가을에 내리는 눈
2. 일년이면
3. 울보
4. 하늘을 걸어서
5. Good-Bye Luv..
6. 하나 둘 셋 넷
7. 왜 나만
8. 날아가다
9. Luv Shine
10. 내가 너를 잊는다
11. 가
12. Morning
13. Too Hot
14. 사랑 한 장
15. 내 사람
16. 커다란..너무 커다란..
17. With Me (Mr)

중천의 기억 (Digital Single OST)

* Released: December 6, 2006
* Format: Digital

1. 손톱달

Vol. 5: Eternal Essence of Music

* Released: September 4, 2007
* Format: CD, Digital

1. Love Hero (Feat. J)
2. My Way
3. 사랑은 맛있다♡
4. 다쳐도 좋아
5. 차안남녀
6. 안녕히 계시죠
7. 어쩌다 보니 비밀
8. Savannah Woman (Feat. Verbal Jint)
9. 이런 시츄에이션
10. 만져주기 (Feat. Younha)
11. Tick Tock
12. 이별 앞에 서서
13. 벌
14. Against All Odds - Bonus Track

With All My Heart And Soul (First Mini-Album)

* Released: October 29, 2008
* Format: CD, Digital

1. ReaLSlow gotta go again
2. 완벽한 남자 (The Perfect Man)
3. 별이 지다.. (Fading Star)
4. Interlude with 효리
5. Choco Luv
6. Prayer 4 Soul (feat. Lovelyn)
7. 나락(奈落)
8. 별이 지다.. (Inst.)

Insomnia (Digital Single)

* Released: February 19, 2009
* Format: Digital
* Extra Notes: This song is originally by British R'n'B singer Craig David. David publicly asked Wheesung to do a Korean cover for his promotion in Asia. Wheesung accepted his offer and wrote his own lyrics for the song.

1. Insomnia (3:47)
2. Insomnia (inst.) (3:47)

Partner

2009-08-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Newest drama I'm watching!

Top left: Kang Eun Ho Top Right:Lee Tae Jo
Bottom left: Lee Young Woo Bottom right: Han Jung Won

Quickie info: Lee Honey plays Han Jung Won, and guess what? She's Miss South Korea! :O
But anyway, she's kind of a slut in this drama.

Lee Dong Wook plays Lee Tae Jo, and that's kind of the reason I decided to watch this beacuase I really liked his drama "My girl".

Choi Chul Ho is a great actor, and he plays the older brother. I can't STAND him, but in a way, I'm not irritated by him. Does that makes sense? When he comes on screen, the first thing I think of is, "Oh, I wonder what he'll say/do now!" He's an interesting character, and though I don't QUITE like him, the chemistry between him and his younger brother (Lee Tae Jo) is very realistic. Oh, and he's cheating on his wife with his ex (Han Jung Won). Great guy, eh?

This is I think the first "Lawyer" drama I've watched, but of course there is romance thrown here and there, which I really tend to enjoy. Plus it can't be called a drama without the romance.

Title: 파트너 / Partner
Genre: Law, romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2009-Jun-24 to 2009-Aug-13
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55

Synopsis

"Who is your partner?" When you take a look at the definition of ‘Partner’, it gives you synonyms such as colleague, sharer, spouse, and accomplice. Partner is a person who is strongly associated with me; the one who knows me very well and stays by my side. The word ‘Partner’ takes a different meaning when it is used in law firm. Partners are the people who survived from the power struggle. They are executives who are on the top of the law firm pyramid. Enterprises are law firm’s partners. Law firms fight each other to become a partner of business. They struggle to be close to power and to become a slave of money. There are some lawyers who want be the partners of commoners as well. They are willing to be the spokesperson for the underprivileged. It is a story about partner; the one who is going to stay by your side and fight together in front of law.

Cast
- Kim Hyun Joo as Kang Eun Ho
- Lee Dong Wook as Lee Tae Jo
- Choi Chul Ho as Lee Young Woo (Tae Jo's older brother)
- Lee Honey as Han Jung Won

The complicated chart of love and hate! The red dots are the "love" dots.

Fly to the Sky- In Memory of

2009-08-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

Left: Fany Hwang Right: Brian Joo

Fly to the Sky debuted in 1999, and after 10 years in the music industry, they have split apart. With their subsequent albums, they solidified their status as R&B artists and are credited as the first R&B duo of South Korea.

They're hit song "Like a Man" rose them to fame and they continued to have success throughout South Korea until they split. Though I haven't listened to them since 1999, I've heard their music transitions from 2005 to 2009. Though they have split, the two remain best friends and contact each other often. I hope their solo careers will be as bright as they want it to be.

Fly to the Sky (1999-2009) In Memory of. Live on forever. R.I.P.

The actual song starts at like, 1:55 or something. And don't ask what the video means. I think I have a rough idea, but it's just too complicated.

Lower voice: Fany Hwang
Higher voice: Brian Joo

Dead at Heart

2009-08-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

I love this song. This is probably one of the few songs that I can fall asleep so. I'm a softy for Korean ballads, and this song makes me relaxed and tired. I lvoe it, and I hope you enjoy it. I think it's beautiful. Lyrics are provided. I did not translate them myself.

I'm curious as to why only half of the team were given parts. There are 13 members. I guess they had their main vocalists.

Lyrics:
~Lyrics Credit: jpopasia.com

KYUHYUN
Really, what did you do during this love year
after letting you go, I felt like I was going to go crazy and die up until yesterday

SUNGMIN
In that long period of time, there’s only you who left me..
having no other thoughts but of you.. that’s how this year is passing by

The memories of that rainy day when I went to go find you
The clear sunshine that shined down on us when we walked together
YESUNG
None of these have left me.. inside my head, it makes me slowly die
RYEOWOOK
All of my friends have become adults.. but me.. still like an immature child
YESUNG
Having no other thoughts but of you.. it’s just like being dead

SIWON
The memories of that rainy day when I went to go find you
LEETEUK
The clear sunshine that shined down on us when we walked together
RYEOWOOK
None of these have left me.. inside my head, it makes me slowly die

YESUNG

I can’t understand our breakup.. even now I imagine our future
KYUHYUN
Even after our breakup, just like how my heart is always living by your side..
It’s as if it’s dead
ALL
I stop the moments that I loved you
even when we’re together, I won’t be able to remember you
RYEOWOOK
If I just think that I wasn’t any of these
YESUNG
... Then it’s nothing
YESUNG/RYEOWOOK
If I can’t forget you
KYUHYUN
...It’s as if i’m dead

Bi Rain

2009-08-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Going to sleepover at Maria's house, so I need to post something before I go.

Okay well, this is BI RAIN. He's pretty huge in South Korea, and he dominated Japan as well when he released his Japanese album.

Quickie info: He always wanted to be a singer, and in 2000 when his mother passed away of diabetes, he dedicated his music career for her.

He didn't really gain mainstream success until:
--->2004, he starred in another successful drama called "Full House". It was broadcast in many other countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States Through Full House.

Super Junior- Siwon

2009-08-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Isn't he ADORABLE?!

I... I thought Katie would like this. So, KATIE. This is High Guy singing Elton John's song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." Of course he has a mild accent, but I still like it. And the person who uploaded the video called him "Eltom John." So....

Anyway. And here's a clip of some chicks and some of his band mates making fun of him because he uses so many hand gestures. He's adorable really, and pretty shy around girls. You see him do his most famous gesture in the beginning. XD He's so adorable. And I think (if I heard correctly), the girls were saying that his smile was cute and that a lot of girls fall for him because of his looks. But one thing I noticed is how formal they are being with him (using really polite speech meant for respected people). I think it's interesting.

Oh, and to learn some Korean, listen to the first word the lady says. "KARISSMA." What does that sound like? "Charisma!!" YAY!!!! You learned a new word!!! I think she's saying that people say that he's the most charismatic member, and he puts up his famous gesture and is like , "No!"

OH! AND KATIE!!! Fatty #2 is sitting to the right of High Guy. You can hear him talk at 1:30.
(Sorry of you don't get this. Inside joke.)

And I love this one. They're talking about Siwon's hand gestures, and he saus, "No! I don't!" And he says that WHILE doing his famous hang gesture. I love Super Junior. XD
AND I LOVE HIS HANDS, OMFG. THAT'S RIGHT KATIE. ANOTHER HAND FETISH.

Big Bang, 2NE1 and the Korean Wave

2009-08-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

On the left is Big Bang. They're a pretty big thing in the Korean wave right now. From left to right: T.O.P (oldest), Daesung, Seungri, Taeyang, G-Dragon (leader). Although their debut was somewhat successful, it was not until the release of "거짓말" ("Lies") that the group gained mainstream success. The group is also working on a Korean Volume 3 album entitled "Memories". The group is currently on break in Japan and people anticipate the release of G-Dragon's single album slated to release August 18, 2009. They are scheduled to perform at the annual korean music festival Dream Concert, in October 2009. At the 2009 I Love Korea Dream Concert, they will performing side by side with 2PM, Super Junior, TVXQ, 2NE1, and Wonder Girls. More artists will be confirmed later in the year.

This little chunk of information made me happy, because 2PM is in the Dream Concert, which is a PRETTY BIG thing. If you notice all the other people playing in it: Super Junior, DBSK (TVXQ), and Wondergirls. Dream concert is a huge concert where all South Korean fans gather and watch the current bands in the Korean wave.
---> Wiki info of the Korean Wave: The Korean wave or Korea fever^[1] refers to the increased popularity of South Korean culture around the world since the 21st century, especially among the Millennial Generation. While popular throughout the Asian continent, its influence is strongest in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, spreading to India,^[2] the Middle East,^[3] Central Asia,^[4] Iran,^[5] Israel,^[6] Turkey^[7] and Russia.^[8] The Korean wave is rapidly expanding beyond Asia and has a substantial presence in North, Central and South America, particularly in Mexico and Argentina,^[9] and is increasingly becoming popular in the United States.^[10] It is also gaining momentum in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, led by Hungary^[11] and Norway.^[12] It is gathering positive interest in North Africa, attracting a sizable niche audience in Egypt.^[13] Currently, the Korean wave is starting to hit the shores of the UK^[14] and Australia.^{[15]

GLOBAL DOMINATION!!!!!!! >:D It's about time!}
But anyway.

This is 2NE1. Newcomer band (debuted in May), but they've already hit the top charts. They're called the female Big Bang, which kind of irks me a bit because they're skill isn't really there yet (no offense, girls. I still thin you're good).
But it's whatever. I'm going to Katie's today, so I had to post before I get picked up sometime. If I didn't post I would have gone insane.

TaeGoon

2009-08-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is Taegoon. Pretty cute, and he's somewht popular. He released a mini album with the song "Call Me" on it, and it was an instant success. I really do hope that he reaches high stardom (I heard his life story and I was sad). I wish him luck in the future. Please check out his music video for 'Call Me'.

Oh, and Jaejoong from DBSK and Taegoon are friends, so he appears in his music video. He first appears at 0:30 with the gun..... O.O

But anyway.

And here's his other song that he has come out with on May 13, 2009 in his 2nd mini album! (That right. I know details.) It's called Superstar.

Song Seung Heon and Kwon Sang Woo are best friends?!

2009-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently these two hunks are best friends.
On the left is popular actor Song Seung Heon, who's career took off when he was quite young. A chick magnet, really.
On the right is middle aged Kwon Sang Woo, and it creeps me out that he has a six pack. I mean, REALLY creeps me out. He's a good guy though, and I guess that makes up for it. But anyway, I saw them in an interview for their movie together (It's about time they did a movie together. I mean, really.), and they were PRETTY friendly. I don't mean groping or anything (Not too much of it, anyway.), but they make fun of each other and slap each other on the backs and knees and and seem to know a lot about the other's lifestyle. It was kind of a shock.

Please check out the trailer for their movie: Fate
I saw it and thought it was amazing.
What it's about:
Four friends plot their last heist together to steal money from the rival gang. Their bold plan follows through and they succeed in taking the money until one friend(KWON Sang-woo) betrays the others for a bigger piece of the pie. They are handed over to the mob boss who takes revenge on them. Kang-sups leg gets messed up leaving him crippled and Woo-min(SONG Seung-hun) is made to take the blame for the crime and goes to jail. After two years, Woo-min gets an early release. Woo-min wants to put the past behind him but fate wouldnt let him move on. The more he tries to escape the more it chokes in on him and he is forced to jump back into the dark world to save the ones he loves. Once again, the betrayal and revenge surrounding these men get tangled in a turn.

Jaebeom in old person spandex clothing and ugly person

2009-08-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's at 3:25. He and Wooyoung had to dress up in costumes and Wooyoung dressed like a Japanese school girl while Jaebeom had to dress in Korean old people spandex sleeping wear. XD I think he looks amazing in it because it outlines his muscles, but I do feel bad for him (spandex).

And isn't this an ugly photoshopped kid? I mean, if you're into this kinda stuff it's okay, just don't leave a comment about it.

Jaebeom: Leader from 2PM~

2009-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

I realized that I hadn't posted today and almost went berserk. I've been watching 2PM interviews for the past 2 days straight, so take a look at my obsession:

Jaebeom. He has the Godly body of the Korean world, and he's only 23! (April 25th. Blood type A....) I love him so much. I was watching 'Idol Show', which is a SUPER popular Korean show with Boom as the host (He's hilarious.) What I thought was funny was that Boom has a thing for Jaebeom, which I think is funny. During the season finale, Boom approached Jaebeom and tackled him to the floor and started coming on to him. The other 6 members saved him, and Boom DRUNKENLY answered, "I like him a lot."
XD I love him to death and I think he's such a dork. Despite his muscular body and intimidating first appearance (I was intimidated when I first saw him. Like, seriously.), he's really shy and sexy, and also kind of cutely awkward.

Example of shyness: The members said that he had the best body, and when everyone looked at him, he pursed his lips and looked down with a cute little smile. LUFF!
Example of sexiness: His dancing. Once he gets on the dance floor, nothing can stop him. He can do backflips and such because he practices acrobatics a lot. Plus, the SIX PACK! DUH. (And one time he was wearing a shirt that you could see his six pack outline and I was drooling the whole time.)
Example of cutely awkwardness: On a talk show, the lady asked him to introduce himself, and he was like, "Hello. I am Jaebeom of 2PM. Hello." And he smiled a little and opened his eyes wider and looked around for a few seconds. All the members started laughing at him and he looked confused. X"D

I think it's also cute because he's the shortest and leanest member, and anyone can pick him up because he's so light.
XD

Junho and Bi Rain~

2009-08-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

On the bottom is Junho from 2PM, and on the right is Bi Rain. Don't they look alike? It surprises me every time I see Junho smile. Any way, I love both of them Junho is such an adorable dork, and Bi Rain is currently in the Korean Wave (Era of popular Korean culture that effects all of Asia.) I love them both.

And here is Bi Rain with a hit song: It's Raining. I think the song actually starts at 1:10.

2PM~ My Growing Addiction

2009-08-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

(BTW- The guy on the very left is the youngest. WTF!!!?!?!! He's 19! He looks like he's 25!!)
I thought that before I go to the dentist to have them drill my teeth and gums, I would share the Asian world with you. Again.

This time is the band 2PM. Here are the member profiles.

Jaebeom (Speaks fluent English because he was born and raised in the U.S)

Real Name: Jay Park (United States)
Korean Name: Park Jaebeom (박재범) （朴宰范）
Date of Birth: April 25, 1987 (1987-04-25) (age 22)
Position: Leader, vocalist, lead dancer, rapper
Religion: Christianity

Jaebeom is the leader and oldest member. He was born in Seattle, Washington. His mom lead him to audition since he likes to dance and rap but he never knew that it would take him far.

Junsu

Real Name: Kim Junsu (김준수) (金峻秀)
Date of Birth: January 15, 1988 (1988-01-15) (age 21)
Position: Lead vocalist
Religion: Buddhism

Junsu is known as the lead vocalist of the group. He is originally from Daegu, Korea. He originally auditioned for YG Entertainment, where he befriended G-Dragon and Tae Yang of Big Bang.

Nichkhun

(Also speaks English fluently. He's also Thai, so not only did he have to learn Korean, he had to leave behind English. He slips up sometimes and goes into angry rants in English. It's funny.)

Real Name: Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul (นิชคุณ หรเวชกุล)
Stage Name: Nichkhun (닉쿤)
Date of Birth: June 24, 1988 (1988-06-24) (age 21)
Position: Vocalist
Religion: Buddhism

Nichkhun is a vocalist in the group. He was born in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He spent his childhood in Thailand and in California and studied abroad in New Zealand. He returned to the States for high school and was scouted by a JYP talent agent in Hollywood, California while he was attending the Korean Music Festival in Los Angeles.^[4]

Taecyeon (Guess what? He also speaks English!! Wooo.)

Full Name: Ok Taecyeon (United States) (옥택연) （玉泽演）
Date of Birth: December 27, 1988 (1988-12-27) (age 20)
Position: Main Rapper, Vocalist
Religion: Christianity

Taecyeon is the main rapper of the group. He was born in Seoul, South Korea but immigrated to Bedford, Massachusetts at a young age.^[5] He originally auditioned for JYP Entertainment in New York to become a model. He likes girls who do their work well.

Wooyoung

Full Name: Jang Wooyoung (장우영) （张佑荣）
Date of Birth: April 30, 1989 (1989-04-30) (age 20)
Position: Vocalist
Religion: Buddhism

Wooyoung is a main vocalist. He is from Busan, Korea and was selected as a JYP trainee through MGoon's JYP auditions. He won first place in this audition.

Junho

Full Name: Lee Junho (이준호) (李俊昊)
Date of Birth: January 25, 1990 (1990-01-25) (age 19)
Position: Vocalist
Religion: Christianity

Junho is a main vocalist and lead dancer of the group. (Note that he is A lead dancer. The MAIN and BEST dancer is Jaebum. Seriously, he's amazing and can do all sorts of acrobatics.) He joined One Day following a winning of a contract with JYP Entertainment after he won a contest in JYP's Superstar Survival in 2006.

Chansung

Full Name: Hwang Chansung (황찬성) （黄璨诚）
Date of Birth: February 11, 1990 (1990-02-11) (age 19)
Position: Vocalist, rapper
Religion: Buddhism

Chansung is a vocalist and rapper in the group. He starred in the highly-rated Korean sitcom "Unstoppable High Kick" prior to his debut with 2PM. Chansung participated in the same survival game as Junho but lost. He then auditioned again and later received the title of being the maknae or the youngest of the group.

In the picture from left to right. Bare with me I just learned their names a few days ago.

Junsu, Jaebum, Junho, Nichkyun, Wooyoung, Chansung, and Taecyeon. I might have gotten Wooyoung and Junho mixed up.... TT-TT

This was their song that hit #1 in the charts, and since then, they've only been growing in fame. I think this is the fastest Korean band I've seen get so popular so quick. With their new release of their single "I Hate You," it's already hit #1 on all internet websites and weekly charts. But this was the song that rose them to fame. AND, despite being put up about 3 months ago, it already has 1,800,000 hits on youtube, which is AMAZING. I'm very impressed.
(Just to give you an example on how HUGE that number is, DBSK (literally the most popular band in all of Asia) released a hit song called 'Mirotic', and despite being out for a little over half a year, it only has about 900,000 views. So, YEAH.)

This is their song Again and Again. And don't let the electronic voice sounds fool you into thinking they're bad. Their vocals are amazing, and I've heard them.

Dong Bang Shin Ki Update~ Disbanding?

2009-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Finland, Japan, UK, USA, Peru, Brunei, France, Sri Lanka, Egypt... These are where the letters poured in to DBSK, all saying the same thing: 'Forever as 5' and 'Always keep the faith.'. From all over the world, over 5,000,000 fans are in a rage.
Since the lawsuit, Super Junior, Girl's Generation and other Korean groups have spoken out about the unfairness of SM Entertainment as well. Stocks in SM have dropped over 20% due to DBSK's lawsuit and the entire South Korean music industry is in an uproar.
Jaejoong and Yoochun have already decided to take on the Japanese market as a duet by the name of 'Jejung and Yuchun from TVXQ.' The two revealed their duet song at the Tokyo Dome performance in early July. The song, 'COLORS ~Melody&Harmony~' will be released as a single in September and the two members are planning to attend tv programs to promote the song. Junsu is still considering his choices such as a solo album. A representative of SM stated, "Xiah Junsu was actually the first to embark on solo activities when he appeared in the 2007 mobile phone commercial 'Anyband'," and "He will choose between the Korean and Japanese stage and is currently decided what he will do. Changmin and Yunho are focussing on their acting careers, and producers are noticing their increasingly hard work.

According to the official statement put out by the three members,
"Kim Junsu, Kim Jaejoon and Park Yoochun have been going back and forth Korea, Japan and China ever since their debut in 2004 and have been getting 3~4 hours of sleep per night, except for one week in a year, to complete their schedules."
SM Entertainment also lied about their vacation, claiming it was "one month long", when in reality it was about 7-10 days.

There are also rumors spreading that Cassiopeia, the official fan group has been gathering and plan to start a riot. Rumors also are rotating that the representatives and leaders of Cassiopeia have been getting together. It is unconfirmed.

Personally, I am very worried about our boys. I say this because like many people, their music has changed my life. I adore them, their personalities, music, and every hair on their head. SM Entertainment needs to get over themselves and give DBSK what they deserve. This is an outrage.
But DBSK knows they have support all around the world. Forever as 5!!! Always keep the faith!!! WE LOVE YOU DONG BANG SHIN KI!!!!!!!

Super Junior~ Largest Boy Band in the World

2009-08-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Super Junior (Korean: 슈퍼주니어), often referred to as SJ or SuJu (슈주), is a boy band from Seoul, South Korea that was formed under SM Entertainment in 2005. With a total of thirteen members, they are the largest boy band in the world.[1] The members are Leeteuk (the leader), Heechul, Hangeng, Yesung, Kang-in, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kibum, and later, Kyuhyun. The Chinese member, Han Geng, was chosen from three thousand applicants, via auditions held in China by SM Entertainment in 2001.[2]

I was a little bit iffy about listening to them. I mean, I love Asian boy bands, that's a given, but with all their success and such I thought they would be a little full of themselves. I've listened to their songs before and thought they were good singers, but I never got into them. Well. That day has come. Even though they debuted in 2005, I have been following them, but it's been on and off. Welcome, SuJu!!!!! <3

BoA USA Debut- Energetic

2009-08-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

BoA is one of the most successful Asian artists in the world, and she comes to America in hopes that her music will spread even farther. Support her!

DongBangShinKi (DBSK) Lawsuit Against SM Entertainment

2009-08-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

(Taken from Wikipedia)
I heard that Changmin and Yunho are also standing by the lawsuit, but I'm not sure at all or if it has been confirmed of not.
But really, if DBSK disbands, then I'm going to cry for the rest of life. This is serious, you guys. I'm really nervous.

Lawsuit against SM Entertainment

In late July 2009, Kim Jaejoong (Hero), Park Yoochun (Micky) and Kim Junsu (Xiah) submitted to the Seoul Central District Court an application for provisional disposition to terminate the validity of their contract with SM Entertainment.^[80] In a legal document released through the law firm Kim & Shin, the three stated that their 13 year exclusive contract with SM Entertainment was no different from a binding lifelong contract. They also said that they were not treated fairly by the agency in terms of profit distribution.^[81]

During the press conference on August 3rd, a statement was released by the group, claiming

“

(They) have had health problems and finally reached their physical limits, but SM Entertainment continued to send them abroad and plan excessive activities. Thus, the three members have started to hope they will be able to continue their careers as they wish, instead of being used as tools for the agency's profits... SM Entertainment's attitude made them realize there was no hope in solving the situation through communication, and the members finally decided to take legal action to further settle the case.^[81]

”

The Warrior Heir

2009-08-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

"The Warrior Heir is a great book for those of us who like magic and fighting. It's all about a boy named Jack in a small Ohio town who, at birth, had a heart surgery that saved his life. In high school, he discovers that his world is not what is seems: he is a warrior, called Weirlind, who has a strain of magic which applies specifically to fighting. The warring wizards covet warriors for their tournament (the Game), which decides the rulers of the wizard world. Nothing is as it seems."
Reviewed by Kaitlyn at http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/Tools/Library/teen/reviews/review.aspx?14

WARNING!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!~~
The thing about this book was I bought it because I didn't think I would like it. The prologue PULLED ME IN. It breifly discussed the life of a child in the 1850's or something name Lee, and he comes home to find his brother ripped in half, his father's body in the fireplace and his mother holding knitting tools, but she's knitting nothing. Then we meet GOOD OL' JACK. I couldn't help picturing a little young version of Jack Nicholson.
But anyway, he's some 16 year old who has to take medicine. He forgets it one day in a rush to get to school, and during soccer tryouts Jack loses his temper and sends a player flying across the field. I found it very intriguing.
ENTER THE WEIRD AUNT. Linda. She takes Jack and two of his friends on a goose chase to dig up dead relatives, and THAT'S when you find out about who Jack really is. All these mysterious people linger around Jack's friends, home and school, following him and such. He's a Warrior, a rare breed of Weirlind, and The Red and White Rose want him. So Jack must learn from his teacher Coach Hastings which you figure out is actually Lee. The thing I liked the most is you really can't tell who to trust. I predicted that this old man was a wizard because of his intrigue of keeping Jack safe, but other than that, I didn't see it coming.
It's very intriguing and there's a fair amount of violence and late night chills for you. I stayed up until 4 am reading it because I was so transfixed. I'm not done yet, but I'm really enjoying it. I also bought Wizard's Heir, the sequel to Warrior's Heir, and I can't wait to read it.

Quickie update: Jack and Linda were on the run from the creepy Dr. Longbranch (nice Indian name). She has a thing for Jack and calls his body beautiful. They run into a church, cause apparently magic doesn't work in there. Before they get in church, Jack's shoulder is hit by a....hmm. The best way to explain is is a magical dagger. It doesn't break the skin, but it does internal damage. Linda calls Hastings to heal him so they can escape, and Hastings comes and cured Jack when he's about to die. Linda then tells Hastings to take Jack and run and she will stall them. Jack's friends come by later and show Linda a news clipping from the 1900's about how a boy name Lee Hastens found the body of a female with a hole in her chest. Linda realizes that Hastings (who was Lee Hastens) is out to get Jack and steal him for himself in a fight. I'm not sure if he plans to kill him, rip out the stone from his heart, or use him in a fight, but it's really exciting.
XD

My Girl

2009-08-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

My Girl (마이걸; Mai geol) is a hit series in South Korea. With the popularity of Lee Jun Ki and the appearances of Jae Hee and Han Chae Young

Joo Yoo Rin is a tour guide, proficient in English, Chinese, and Japanese, while Seol Gong Chan is the second generation heir to a big hotel's CEO. Because of his grandfather's illness, he asks Yoo Rin to act as his long-lost cousin so that his grandfather's last wish can be fulfilled. So therefore, they are both bound in a lie that no-one in the family knows the truth of.

Gong Chan's charming and intelligent ex-girlfriend, Kim Sae Hyun, dreams to become a world-famous tennis star with the nickname "Sharapova of Korea". She leaves Korea and her boyfriend Gong Chan to fulfill her dream. Upon returning to Korea after winning the title, she works hard at getting back with Gong Chan, thus causing both she and Yoo Rin to compete for Gong Chan's affection.

To make matters more complicated, womanizer Seo Jeong Woo, who is Gong Chan's best friend, falls for Yoo Rin and finally learns to love that special someone despite being an "accomplished" playboy.

Cast

Lee Da Hae as Joo Yoo Rin
Lee Dong Wook as Seol Gong Chan
Lee Jun Ki as Seo Jung Woo
Park Shi Yeon as Kim Sae Hyun

I've already seen it and it's pretty funny and adorable. I just HAVE to post something everyday.
:D

Black and White

2009-07-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Pi Zi and Ying Xiong are two cops who are as different as day and night. One does nothing except for drinking coffee and living a luxurious lifestyle while waiting for information from dubious sources to crack his cases. Another believes law and justice are the pillars of society and is constantly on the street catching criminals… a little overzealously for his superior’s liking. When a case brought these two top crime solvers together, sparks flied and a little light peeked into this dark city where the nation's President is on friendly terms with the local triad and twins kill people while drinking milkshakes.

I finished it awhile back and I thought it was amazing. In the beginning the main character was drugged up and he was so funny. The family tree was confusing though. Don't believe me?

That's right. Pink means romantically, red means hatefully, I think green is relatives and blue is masterminds or something? The Big Big Bosses are the two in the bottom right corner.

Iljimae

2009-07-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Now that I've finished Cain and Abel (ending made me want to throw myself from a cliff. In the good way. So freaking sad.), I've decided to move on to the hit series called Iljimae (Eel-gee-mah). There are 20 episodes and since episode 8, it was the most watched show, being #1 with over 25% ratings (which is amazing.) Even better was that it experienced 31% ratings in the finale (Which is incredible).

Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Yong acted as a hooligan in the marketplace by day but at night he was a thief who robbed corrupted government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he left behind a painting depicting a plum tree branch to make his mark and was thus named Iljimae. His main purpose was not so much to rob but to search for the owner of a specially designed sword which he saw as a child was used to kill his father, a loyal subject of the emperor. Eun Chae is a government official's daughter who despite her upbringing has a lot of empathy towards the poor. She met Iljimae by chance and couldn't help admiring him for what he stood for even though she had never seen his face.

It stars Lee Junki, one of the most popular and highly screened actors in South Korea, despite his young age of 27. Fans all over Asia are upset at recent events of Lee JunKi being listed in the army near the end of this year. However, it is mandatory for all South Korean males to serve a 2 year term. I hope that Lee Junki remains safe and that no harm comes to him.

Iljimae also stars Han Hyo Joo (famous for her role in Spring Waltz), Lee Young Ah and Park Shi Hoo (famous for his role in Delightful Girl Choon-hyang). I'll watch it now.

The hands of Vincent and Onew (Wrinkly)

2009-07-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Okay. This is Vincent Price. I posted this because I felt that you all needed to see his hands. I think he has pretty hands because I'm a loser like that. AND! It's autographed!!! WOOT WOOT.

This is my love of SHINee, Jonghyun. He's the main vocalist and I adore him so much. <3 Sarang hae yo, Jonghyun oppa!

And of course we have Onew of SHINee. I love him to death and think he's adorable. Also known as Wrinkly.

Iris

2009-07-29T12:17:00.001-07:00

There's this new drama coming out that I'm looking forward to. It's called Iris and has actors Lee Byung-Hun, Kim Tae-Hee, Jung Jun-Ho, Kim Seong-Woo, Kim So-Yeon, and Big Bang's member T.O.P. Here is a 2 minute trailer, so please just use 2 minutes of your life to watch it.

I'm really excited for this drama. So, I hear it starts airing in September, and I'LL BE THERE!!!!!!!

Pretty boys/scruff/messy hair.

2009-07-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

I don't even know. Maybe I like scruffy Asians. Sure, they're attractive, but I don't see them THAT way (I already got me a boyfriend). BUT, I noticed that all the Asian guys I think are attractive have some thing in common. They're either: pretty boys, scruffy guys or guys with messy hair. I don't even know. I couldn't tell you why. Oh well. A bad storm has been RAGING over here and I think we've gone through the worst of it. WISH ME LUCK. <3~

The guy in black and white is So Ji Sub, the actor in Cain and Abel. And while we're briefly on the topic, I'm enjoying it very much. The part that made it interesting is the part when the main character gets amnesia. And, NO. THAT IS NOT CLICHE. This is only the second time I've seen amnesia, and that says A LOT because I've seen TONS and TONS of dramas. Lee Cho In (his actual name) thinks he's Oh Gang Ho, brother of Oh Kwang Ho. Unfortunately, though Kwang Ho is the only one that cares for him. And this is short lived when Kwang Ho gets stabbed and then commits suicide. Cho In's life sucks. I MEAN, REALLY.
--> His dad is in a coma.
--> His mother hates him. I mean, like, HATE.
--> His older brother, Lee Seon Woo doesn't care about him at all. He didn't even care when someone ordered to kidnap Cho In, his younger brother, and shoot him in the head. When he learns that Cho In might still be alive, he thinks, "I hope you aren't. Don't make me kill you again." I mean, WTF?
--> Since he gets amnesia (I mean, wouldn't you after surviving getting shot in the head?), Oh Kwang Ho takes care of him and even calls him his brother. Then, Cho In and Kwang Ho get betrayed and Kwang Ho gets stabbed. In the end he shoots himself so he won't be a burden for Cho In.
I mean, REALLY? Can ANYONE'S life get any shittier?

Goong/Princess Hours and The Devil

2009-07-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, this drama was good.

Goong (궁) is based on the same titled manhwa by Park So Hee. (Manhwa is Korean manga)

Goong is a story about young love in face of tradition, politics, and intrigue. In the imaginary world, modern-day Korea is a constitutional monarchy and the Royal Family lives in a grand Palace, the Goong. Story opens with the sudden death of the reigning the King. Faced with the decreasing popularity among the public for the Royalty, a grand wedding for the Crown Prince, Lee Shin (Joo Ji Hoon), is decided to be the best publicity move to improve the image of the Royalty and at the same time prepare Shin for immediate succession. The intended bride? The headstrong, awkward, and sweet spirited Shin Chae-kyung (Yoon Eun Hye) that just happens to go to the same exclusive art school. Chae-kyung was betrothed to become the next Crown Princess by her grandfather and Shin's grandfather.

After 14 years of living in England with his mom, Lee Yul (Kim Jeong Hoon) appears all of a sudden. He is Shin's cousin as well as the former Crown Prince. Everything seemed to be going normally until Chae-kyung's optimistic spirit wins the heart of internally lonely, Yul. As the Crown Prince Shin and simple-minded Chae-kyung's relationship appear to developing deeper feelings, a series of scandals are exposed to the public right after the pair were officially announced married. Will love prevail all in a world of political pressures and martial hardships? Or will being in the spotlight of the public be too much for the young newlyweds to endure?

It's very interesting, and I think it was a very cute drama.

This drama is pretty amazing.

When Homicide Detective Kang Oh Soo hit a dead end in his investigation of two seemly unrelated murders, except for the Tarot cards left behind at both crime scenes, he sought help from Seo Hae In, a woman with psychometry ability. She revealed that the killers were different in each murder, but the victims were chosen for their connection to a death of a high school boy. Later, the cases proved to have one more thing in common: the suspects have the same defense attorney, Oh Seung Ha.

Seung Ha's defense for his clients severely shook Oh Soo’s conviction to catch the Tarot Card mastermind. Oh Soo was reminded that years ago he had killed a high school classmate in a fight. He was acquitted of all charges and began his life anew. Now, someone has came back to revenge the boy’s wrongful death by killing those who got him off.

It's amazing. Oh Seung Ha really freaked me out. I mean, all the freaky-ass closeup's of his face with dark circles under his eyes...it's great.

Asian Beauty and Cain and Abel

2009-07-27T22:49:00.001-07:00

I feel obligated to post to my blog everyday. If I don't, I'm a slacker. We'll start out with this.
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I find this model absolutely gorgeous. Du Juan is her name, and I think she is stunning.

Another blog on here has much more than this, so please check them out--->http://asianmodelsblog.blogspot.com/

Second, there's this drama I'm watching now. It's called Cain and Abel. The only reason I wanted to watch this was because of the name and the actor. So Ji Sub just returned from his 2 year service in South Korea and was welcomed back with open arms. This is his first drama since 2004 when he was enlisted into the army.

Of course, we all know the story of Cain and Abel. Cain is jealous of the younger brother because of how much he has and how everyone loves him, blah blah. The older brother (left) is Lee Seon Woo, and the younger (right) is Lee Cho In. What I found interesting was the actual OPPOSITE it starts out as. The mother (COMPLETE BITCH) hates Cho In and hates to look at him. The dad is in a coma from emphysema or something. And while I was a-browsin for pictures, I came across a very interesting one.

I mean, WHOA. WTFx2. So, apparently the older guy like, ADORES his younger brother in the beginning. (Note Cho In's expression like he thinks his older brother is going to rape him. ALSO notice Seon Woo's expression. INCESTUAL?) But Seon Woo loved this chick for a long time and she told him "I won't come to you unless you're a doctor," or something. SO, he became a doctor and then left without a word for 7 years. SO. The chick moved on and became a ballad singer and confessed her love (on air) that she loved Cho In, NOT Seon Woo. I mean, WTF?
So, Seon Woo gets pissed at his younger bro, and has him kidnapped and shoots him in the head. I mean, then what the hell is the hug for, you jackass?
So, the younger brother survives and comes back looking shady and suspicious. An the older brother finds out and it all goes horror like from there. Not in a bad way, but literally SCARY. The older brother falls of his rocking horse and goes to any means necessary to kill his younger brother. The acting is very good in this and I'm very impressed.

Asami

2009-07-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

I know it kind of sounds creepy, but this is is the most attractive manga character I've ever seen in my life. That's all I will say. His name is Asami. LOVE HIM.

Addicted

2009-07-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've known about SHINee for a pretty long time (Since their debut last year). And At first I didn't really like this song that much, but LORD GOOD GOD. Juliette has me hooked. I've listened to it for like, 5 hours straight. NO. JOKE.

My favorite part is 2:04-2:26 Especially Jonghyun's long note
TT-TT I LOVE ASIAN MUSIC.

Of course, Katie and I laugh about Onew because he's the oldest, and we have an inside joke about him. We even call him "wrinkly." We point to him and yell "WRINKLY!!" So yeah.

We are also sick perverts. We paired Wrinkly Onew with Blessed Simon (sea- moan) Maria de Guadalupe. I'm not telling you who he is, and I don't think anyone will even guess it. If you want to know, go seek help. Poor Wrinkly and Blessed Simon.

NONE OF THESE SONGS ARE MINE@ THEY BELONG TO SHINEE AND THEIR PRODUCING COMPANY!

But this song HOOKED me on them. LOVE IT. Especially the chorus. SO BEAUTIFUL.
Onew (Wrinkly) is on the left (leader) and Jonghyun is on the right (main vocals).

[Onew] Last night in my dreams, you drew close to me
Your whispered words, your hair that brushed against my face

[Jonghyun] When I woke up from my dream, it was all too clear
That your presence was nothing but a dream
The tears in my eyes told me

[Jonghyun&Onew] You can’t, you can’t, don’t leave like this
Please just one more time, one more time, hold me in your arms again

[Jonghyun] The next time I close my eyes to meet you
Hold me as I stay still in that spot

[Jonghyun]Even when I open my eyes, only your figure is clear
That your presence was nothing but a dream
The sadness reflected in my tears told me

[Onew&Jonghyun]You can’t, you can’t, don’t leave like this
Please just one more time, one more time, hold me in your arms again

[Onew] The next time I close my eyes to meet you
Hold me as I stay still in that spot

[Jonghyun] I try and even though I try
I insist, I insist
Come back to me

[Jonghyun&Onew]You can’t, you can’t, don’t leave like this
Please just one more time, one more time, hold me in your arms again

[Onew] The next time I close my eyes to meet you
Hold me as I stay still in that spot

Also this song sung by Jonghyun. I love how they all just listen to him. SIGH.

Hello Everyone

2009-07-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is my blogspot full of wonders and me. That's all you need to know to enjoy life to the fullest. My baby Lord Jesus bless you all.