What's the time, yo?

I've been listening to 2PM's album "The First Album 1:59PM" and although I wasn't that impressed by it initially, it's slowly grown on me. It just goes to show that sometimes stuff gets better the more you loop it incessantly. A couple of these songs are actually songs that I've listened to before, like Again and Again and 10점 만점에 10점, but didn't really like. Turns out that Again and Again is ridiculously catchy and for some reason I find the dance only version of the MV to be fascinating to watch. In fact, I haven't even seen the normal MV for it.

I've also watched a few random clips from different shows that they've appeared on or starred in and they're quite amusing. Park Jaebum was really fun to watch and now I understand a little better why he's so loved by his fans to the point of borderline insanity. And the boy has some mad dancing skills; I wish him the best with his dance group!

On a side note, it is craaaaazy how out of hand the whole 2PM controversy has gotten. It's one thing to be upset and to want to boycott or hate the other members but I think some of the things that these fans (ex-fans?) are resorting to are a little excessive. And the level of emotion that some people have invested in these idols (and this goes for idols in general, not just 2PM) is just... wow. Not that excessive fandom doesn't exist elsewhere in the world but I can't really speak about other countries since I'm not currently fangirling following their idols.
I think it's interesting that many of the fans who are now anti-2PM (as in the remaining 6 members being 2PM) claim that they are anti-2PM because they feel deceived by the members in terms of personalities and the image that they have portrayed through the media. It seems to me that fans look at these idols on TV, on variety shows and whatnot, and believe that the image that they project is the real them. And perhaps it is, to an extent. But I feel like they should take it with a grain of salt and realise that these idols are 1) not faultless and 2) obviously going to show a face that will garner more love from the public, real or not. Then again, maybe I'm just misunderstanding their idol culture.

But that's off topic.

I really like the remixes on the "1:59PM" album, especially the Lounge Mix of 니가 밉다. It's probably one of my favourite tracks off this album. The original version is also really good (it's not on this album though, boo), probably one of the only songs by 2PM that I liked the first time I heard it. The Red Light Mix of Heartbeat is also pretty good, and a nice change after looping the original so many times in the last week.

Overall, 2PM's music generally doesn't jump out at me the first few times I hear it but it gradually grows on me the more I listen to it. They're still relatively new (only been around since 2008, I think?) but their dancing is really good (what I've seen so far) with some acrobatics thrown in, and they're pretty good looking too. Although for some reason I laugh every time Taecyeon rips his shirt off on stage.

Listening to right now: 2PM - 니가 밉다 (Lounge Mix)

So tempting...

Would it be too fangirl-ish to make a Twitter account solely to follow Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Jun's supposed accounts? I'm hoping it will bring me one step closer to meeting Kim Hyung Jun and jumping/marrying him.

Too bad my Korean isn't good enough to understand most of the tweets. I guess that's what Babel Fish is for.

Yay for SS501 finishing up their Asia Tour! Hope they release a full length album and not a mini-album in May! ^^

Listening to right now: Kara - Lupin

Listen to my heartbeat

I waffled a bit on whether on not to comment on the recent issue involving 2PM and their former leader Park Jaebom, since I'm not really a 2PM fan unless you count Taecyeon starring in my recent daydreams as being a fan. I've heard maybe 2 songs in total by them and I know nothing about them as a group or even about the Park Jaebum controversy but it bothers me to read some of the blind fangirl comments regarding that issue.

Recently it's been confirmed that Park Jaebum will never be able to return to 2PM due to a "severe personal mistake". A translation of a subsequent conference that the remaining members (plus their agency's CEO I think) held with fans says that the members fully support that decision. And now people are jumping all over them for it, calling them backstabbers and haters. In fact, a lot of people have even said that they will not continue to support 2PM because the remaining 6 members supposedly turned their backs on Park Jaebum.

I can understand that people are upset over Park Jaebum not being allowed to return. And I can understand that the brotherly bond between the members is one of the reasons that the fans are even fans (though I'd like to hope that their music plays just as big a role). But as per usual, fans are so blinded by their "love" for their idols that they immediately start bashing on anyone or anything that even hints at hurting their idol. Perish the thought that their precious idol might be human and do something wrong. To their credit, the fangirls can sometimes acknowledge when their idol does something wrong but they void those brownie points by automatically redeeming them ("it wasn't that bad") or blaming someone else (everything's a conspiracy nowadays).
Of course, not all fans are like that but most of the ones who voice their thoughts that strongly are.

Instead of calling the rest of 2PM backstabbers and saying that they didn't protect their brother or try to get him back, why not consider the possibility that maybe what Park Jaebum did really was that bad? Maybe not allowing him back into 2PM (and maybe he doesn't even want to come back) is the best thing because if whatever he did is revealed later on, it could hurt not only him but 2PM as a whole. And saying that they're only saving their own asses is unfair. First off, because this decision might actually protect him. And secondly, because it's their job/dream to be doing what they're doing. And if they're that hurt by whatever Park Jaebum did, then like I said, maybe it really was that bad.

Even though I don't have any particularly strong feelings towards 2PM (this crazy long post seems to suggest otherwise), I don't like watching so many so-called fans jump on their backs unnecessarily. Only a handful of people know what's really going on, and I'm 99.99% sure that the Hottests are not them.

Listening to right now: 2PM - Heartbeat

"It's Rainbow and free skin care!"

I actually wrote a blog entry about Hyung Joon's MBCGame show about a week ago but didn't get around to molding it into an actual post. And since I'm too lazy to refine it, I'm going to straight up cut and paste (with a little editing here and there).

Cut
Awesome choice by Hyung Jun to do the programer show.
I was reading some comments on the show on a StarCraft forum/website and although they weren't necessarily always positive comments, the fact remains that there were A TONNE of them. Which means that Hyung Jun is at least getting exposure, if for nothing other than being that "pretty boy singer" who's anticipated to fail.
It's amusing though because most of the people on the forum are relatively clueless about SS501 or K-Pop on a whole but on the flipside most of the people on a K-Pop forum are clueless about StarCraft. Same comments, different subject.

Ironically, I had the sudden desire to play StarCraft when I went back home over Christmas break, and this was even before I heard about Hyung Jun's new show. Watching the show itself brings back memories though and makes me want to play it again even more.
Paste

I watched the 3rd episode tonight and not only is it hilariously funny but I also really like how relaxed Hyung Jun is in this show, especially compared to his last few appearances on variety shows, etc when SS501 was promoting "Love Like This". Also, his hair looks MUCH better, thank you cordi nuna. 형준, 화이팅!

Listening to right now: F.T Island - Everything is possible

P.S. Translation credit (title) to Team Liquid Fansub team.

Gung hee fat choy!

Happy Chinese New Year!! ^^

Or Happy Valentine's Day, whichever you prefer. :P

Personally, I don't celebrate either so I didn't really have anything special planned. Instead, I'm wasting my life on Youtube, trying to fangirl C.N. Blue. I'm thinking maybe I should just wait until 5 years from now when they're ridiculously popular and anything related to them has already been subbed and uploaded. At least then it would be easier to find their variety show appearances online.

Listening to right now: C.N. Blue - Y, Why...

Also, another picture from Hershey Gardens:

I'm sorry, I hallucinated... what?!

Just got done with the 16th and final episode of 미남이시네요 [You're Beautiful] and I think it has officially topped my list of K-dramas thus far. Ironically, when I first read the synopsis for this drama last year I thought the storyline was silly and decided against watching it. But thanks to my brief fangirling of F.T Island and C.N. Blue, I have now jumped on the You're Beautiful bandwagon. I kind of wanted to see more of the real Go Mi Nam (even though he would have looked the same as fake Go Mi Nam -_-;) but I guess there wouldn't have been a point. Also, I usually find drama music to be... icky... but I actually like the music in this one.
Thanks Jang Geun Suk for giving us such excellent "wtf?" moments, Jung Yong Hwa for the "Shin Woo 오빠!!! *sad face*" moments, Lee Hong Ki for the "o_O" moments, and Park Shin Hye for all her loads of cuteness. It was fun. ^^

I happened across a profile pic on Facebook of some random person from back home and happened to see something about "TYFRUU" in one of comments. At first I thought "SS501? Nahhhhhhhh...." But lo and behold, someone in my home country actually knows K-pop? Not just any K-pop but SS501? Now I know that there are a lot of people in general who are into K-music and K-drama and so it's unrealistic that NO ONE back home is into them but still... I never found anyone who was even into Japanese music/drama (arguably more popular back home than Korean stuff). Where were these people when I was looking for friends?

Listening to right now: 이승기 (Lee Seung Gi) - 꼿처럼

Edit: Turns out I did have You're Beautiful bookmarked as a potential drama-to-watch. Guess I should look at my bookmarks once in a while, huh?

Hallelujah, chance!

In typical procrastination style, I finished watching the Japanese drama　プロポーズ大作戦 [Proposal Daisakusen] tonight instead of doing actual work. Although it had the obvious pitfalls that you would expect from any time-travelling-to-change-the-past-and-thus-the-future storyline, this drama was less about those technicalities and more about how hot Yamashita Tomohisa is the love story itself. Overall, I didn't think it was a fantastic drama and I found myself able to put it off for nights at a time rather than being completely obsessed like I was with other dramas. But it was still nice, and I especially liked the special that they made for it.

The next drama on my to-watch list is the Korean drama 미남이시네요 [You're Beautiful]. I've watched the first two episodes and I understand now why it was/is so ridiculously popular. I've seen Jang Geun Suk in a couple of movies prior to this and liked him but now whenever I see him my mind can't help but flashback to his highly disturbing memorable performance in drag at the 2007 MKMF. I really like Park Shin Hye in this drama because she's really adorable even as a boy! Though like I've said before, I bet it's the hairstyle.
I was a little surprised that her secret was exposed so early in the show but I guess I was unknowingly expecting something more along the lines of Coffee Prince? Also, actually being familiar with the guys who play the A.N.JELL members definitely adds to the experience. Lee Hong Ki's such a shorty compared to Jang Geun Suk and Jung Yong Hwa, hee hee.
Soooo many borderline disgusting scenes in the first two episodes alone though. I agree with Lee Hong Ki's character... I would have thrown her off the roof too. o_O She's lucky he fainted.

On an unrelated note, I searched for my first name on urbandictionary.com (as per other people's Facebook statuses) and it seems that people with my name are undisputedly AWESOME. Some excerpts:
- Slang for "most awesome girl ever"
- usually extremely beautiful. can surprise you at what she can do. very outgoing. can be emotional at times, but mostly just wants to party!
- Very hott girl that you won't seem to every forget about,amazing personality and great figure.
- amazing
- An amazing person, not likely to ever leave your thoughts, always to the be te only one on your mind . Incredibly beautiful, nice, smart, caring, and all-around great . Her eyes gleem with a radiance of a thousand stars, her lips draw you in, like magnets, her love is like life, without it, you surely cannot live.
- being of extreme beauty, class, and creativity. also happens to be pretty rad.
- An extremely intimidating person. Possibly may be small, but don't let it fool you.

I left out the ones with less-than-appealing definitions because you know... they're obviously wrong.

Listening to right now: F.T Island - 빙빙빙