Friday, March 14, 2014

White Day 2014

It's White Day!

What? You don't know what White Day is? Omo. Let me explain.

Feb 14th is Valentine's Day. In the states that means you give people you love, like etc. candies, chocolates, flowers, cards, presents all sorts of lovey dovey stuff. In many Asian countries it is the girl who gives boys candy. It's usually handmade chocolates, to show love and effort. If they aren't that special then store bought is ok. lol.

March 14th is White Day. It's now the girls turn to receive. Boys now give candies/chocolates, etc to the girls they like.

On a sadder note for us lonely people, April 14th is Singles Day where you eat black bean noodles all by your lonesome. An even sadder day for us is June 14th which is Kiss Day and you have to kiss someone. lol.

Many idols have been hitting up the social media networks like Twitter and Youtube to share some White Day Love to their fandoms. Here is where I post some of my favorites.

BANGTAN BOYS (BTS)


CCLOWN


ROYAL PIRATES


KEVIN (UKISS)


ALPHABAT


MYNAME


2PM

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

They Look Alike:// Ravi VS Baro

This is a little segment known as They Look Alike. It's pretty self explanatory.
VIXX's Ravi and B1A4's Baro are the first set on my radar. Why? Because I love them and have found myself calling them the wrong name plenty of times. I can tell the difference between the two, but that definitely doesn't stop the occasional slip of the tongue. Let's compare now, shall we?

Stage Name: RAVI (of VIXX) BARO (of B1A4)
Real Name: Kim Wonshik Cha Sun Woo
Date of Birth: Feb. 15, 1993 Sept. 5, 1992
Position: Main Rapper Main Rapper

Do you think Ravi and Baro look alike?

Baro starred in Reply 1994 and is in God's Gift-14 Days which is currently airing.

Photos copyright to their owners respectively.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Review:// You Who Came From the Stars

You Who Came From the Stars / My Love From Another Star / 별에서 온 그대 poster
There was a lot to love about this noona-killer rom/com fantasy melodrama. A little gem at the end of each episode contained an extended scene which revealed more of the story. Funny or touching, it was always something to look forward to, and you could often pinpoint which scene was going to be expanded upon beforehand.

Kim Soo Hyun  plays the alien, Do Min Joon, who was stranded on Earth 400 years ago. He meets a girl in the Joseon era who makes a deep impression on him. Now, just as the opportunity to return home arises, it seems he has met her again.

 A UFO flies above the trees.

Kim Soo Hyun 김수현 as Do Min Joon in the Joseon era as he stops time.

Do Min Joon has a variety of powers, including the ability to stop time for a short while. His abilities were portrayed in a believable way and the special effects were done well. Though powerful, he is not omnipotent, and tension is created when his limitations make him vulnerable. Kim Soo Hyun played the iceberg role well, especially as he subtly warmed up, and was at times overtaken by his emotions. Batzy-chan loses it when he cries.

Jun Ji Hyun 전지현 as Chun Song Yi in some of her crazier scenes showing both her goofy and flexible sides.

The award for standout performance, though, has to go to Jun Ji Hyun who plays the self absorbed Hallyu actress, Chun Song Yi. She does beautiful, tough and dignified well, which makes it such a riot when she plays wild, goofy cray cray. Her psycho facial expressions and contorted postures were over the top, but completely in keeping with the story, and made the arrogant Song Yi into a lovable character.

Chun Song Yi dressed as a school girl.  Ahn Jae Hyun 안재현 as Chun Yoon Jae, and Do Min Joon stare at her aghast.

Kim Soo Hyun was the perfect straight man to Jun Ji Hyun's comic, with Ahn Jae Hyun who plays Song Yi's brother, doing a fine balance of both.

Do Min Joon and Chun Yoon Jae touch fingertips in Song Yi's bedroom.

Multiple references and parodies throughout the drama added another dimension to the entertainment. From Min Joon and Yoon Jae's E.T. moment, to the unexpected scene from Heirs in episode five, to historical figures showing up in the Joseon era flashbacks, the story becomes connected to the world around us.

Hong Jin Kyung 홍진경 as Bok Ja, stares longingly at Chun Yoon Jae and Lee Hwi Kyung played by Park Hae Jin 박해진.

Then there was the noona who all fangirls could relate to. Bok Ja owns a manhwa cafe and sees otakus all day, but gets breathless at the sight of flower boys. Don't we all? Second leading man, Park Hae Jin is nothing to sneeze at. Although it's impossible to sway my heart when the iceberg is Kim Soo Hyun, I did feel for the sweet devoted character of Hwi Kyung.

The drama really was wonderfully cast except for perhaps Yoo In Na who played a rather dispassionate supporting role. The rest came across as heartfelt and memorable, even the goofy otakus.

Do Min Joon runs into Suzy 수지 who says he looks just like her old boyfriend, Sam Dong.

There were also a lot of fun cameos including Suzy who thought that professor Do Min Joon looked like her old boyfriend Sam Dong, who Kim Soo Hyun played opposite her in Dream High.

Shin Sung Rok 신성록 as Lee Jae Kyung smiles evilly in his car. / Do Min Joon grabs Lee Jae Kyung by the collar.

Shin Sung Rok portrayed the sociopathic villain so well, I don't know how I'll ever be able to see those eyes in any other light. His cunning was a chilling match for Min Joon's powers, which is a testament to how effective an antagonist he was.

The writing, photography, pacing, romantic push and pull, and the handling of the fantasy aspects were all done so perfectly, that the stumble at the end was extra disappointing. The saving grace is that I did like the end result, but the way it was arrived at departed from the drama's own logic. The ending was unpredictable only because it involved a concept that didn't make sense, had no correlation to the other events occurring, and was never alluded to previously and so did not seem connected to the rest of the story.

All in all, it was a fantastic romance that will make you laugh out loud and get teary eyed, if not bawl (Batzy-chan). Most of it is brilliant, and the rest is forgivable as long as you can live with unanswered questions.

Min Joon and Song Yi's selfie.

Chock Full of Spoiler Questions
Highlight text to read:
Do Min Joon doesn't want to get involved with humans and switches identities and professions every ten years due to the fact that he doesn't age. However, he's amassed such wealth, he doesn't have to work or be around people, so why does he insist on working where it's necessary to keep changing his identity?

In the end, why did the UFO come to Earth if it wasn't going to pick Do Min Joon up? If it opened the wormhole for him, it should have been explained as such so we would know there was a reason for the way things happened.

Do Min Joon explains that the wormhole took him somewhere, but he doesn't say it took him home. Where is this "somewhere", and if he didn't get back to his home planet, how did he regain his health?

The most asked question I saw posted about the ending was about bodily fluids. Can they have sex and kids? Since Min Joon and Song Yi were concerned with just being able to be together, those details don't matter too much. However, if they did have babies, would those children lose vitality if they weren't able to go through the wormhole periodically as well?

You Who Came from the Stars: Male Bonding

I thought about adding some lovers' dialogue, but the images tell the tale so eloquently on their own.

Kim Soo Hyun 김수현 as Do Min Joon and Ahn Jae Hyun 안재현 as Chun Yoon Jae touch fingers in You Who Came From the Stars 별에서 온 그대.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Video Teaser:// ToHeart: Delicious (+MV)



WooHyun of Infinite and Key of SHINee, come together to form ToHeart. They have release several teaser photos and short videos to promote the duo. The teaser for Delicious was released today and the two look cute together.This song has a funky jazz like feel and the video set as fun and colorful.Their friendship before forming this group helps with the chemistry and act of being comfortable together. I look forward to seeing these chic and power players in action as the time passes.

The tracklist of the album has been released as well. This is also a push with the set comebacks for both Infinite and SHINee in the near future.

Infinite is also set to have comebacks scheduled for Infinite H (Hoya and Dong Woo) as well as a release set for Infinite F. Infinite F is a subunit that was unveiled recently at their concert that consists of the maknae line vocals/visuals, L, Sung Jong and Sung Yeol.




ToHeart: Prologue I



ToHeart: Prologue II



ToHeart: Delicious (Teaser)



We have to wait until March 10th for the full MV.

)

Source: ToHeart FB

Monday, March 3, 2014

Video Teaser:// Vamp: Heart Attack



The boys from Thai group Vamp are back with their third single entitled 'Heart Attack'. This marks the first release since Pangpond's motorcycle accident back in July of last year. He scuffed up his face, leg and arm roughly during that time so its good to see he's back in great shape and with an adorable mood. The fan page on facebook for Vamp released photos for the single promotions and although the album is available for you to listen to on Deezer, it's not available in the states. :(

The teaser for the single was released yesterday and the full video is on its way March 10th. The single has an electronica feel with an upbeat tempo. The lead female in the video seems vaguely familiar yet I can't quite put my finger on who she is or where she is from. The main point of the dance includes some chest pumps and hip thrusts, yet still seems to lack feeling and flawless synchronization. (Maybe it's just the way it's cute in the video that makes it look like that?)Regardless, I am looking forward to it and wish them much success. I'm excited to see them back in action, though they never completely left the public eye as they have been very active on the You Channel.





Pangpond, why do you look so cute? I just wanna pinch his cheeks.


Toon, why is your suit so wrinkled? You need me to come over and handle your clothes for you?I love you, just call me, I have no problem taking care of it. At least let me Photoshop the wrinkles off, I don't like irons either. 555.


Vamp: Heart Attack Teaser



All images are from and belong to Vamp Fan Club Facebook