Thoughts on MAMA 2009

Here are some very random and scattered thoughts on Mnet’s “MAMA” award ceremony. There is a lot I don’t mention, but whatever. Last year I held my thoughts on the MKMF and I didn’t post it until like a month five months later.

Yoon Mi Rae/Tasha and Tiger JK
(this has nothing to do with what I wrote; I just think they’re adorable)

Review: Taeyang’s ‘Wedding Dress’

Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress” MV is finally out! I must admit that I’m worried about this song. I don’t think it will sound bad, but the (assumed) theme makes me so distraught. TAEYANG, YOU CAN’T GET MARRIED YET! LOL, kidding… or am I?

Oh, but starting the video, I’m wondering if it’s all that I imagined it to be. It seems a bit melancholy! But watching this guy play piano makes me heart flutter like a little girl. LOL! Romantic~

GUHHH, we’ve finally moved past the first thirty seconds of preview material we’ve had since “Where U At.” KSFLkdsjs. BUT WHAT IS HE SAYING?! Ahhh though, this song really is good. I can tell even this early on.

At least they picked out a really charmingly pretty girl for the video. I can be okay with that. / CHOOOOORUS! I love how powerful it feels. I think this is aided by the dancing! Wow.

Omg, I’m starting to wonder what’s going to happen in the video. Is this like Proposal Daisakusen?! Maybe it’s wishful thinking. OMGGGGGGASDFSLDFJASDLKJFKSDJ IT IS IT IS IT IS. I TAKE BACK THE “WISHFUL THINKING” THING BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY SAD OMG CRIES! Dude can’t catch a break.

Holy smokes!!! They go and break your heart by going back in the scenes and showing how one-sided YB’s love is. ;__; / Nothing will be sadder than the vision of Taeyang watching from the piano. OMG CRYING CRYING. / P.S. I LOVE THE DANCE SO SO SO MUCH.

OMGALDFJSL A KISSSSS HAHA THEY HAD TO SNEAK THAT IN THERE, EH? Taeyang gets all his action in his MVs, or at least YG would have us believe so. They didn’t even promote this lol. What a surprise!

Not gonna lie; Taeyang is much more expressive when he’s singing or dancing. Acting is not his forte! But I still love him. / I just realized that his back-up dancers are all couples! This makes this all sadder than ever.

Now that the video is over, I am rather speechless. This suchhhh a good MV. REALLY POWERFUL! It goes perfect with the song. I will have to gather my thoughts about it more, but for now I can only say that I LOOOVE it. Maybe I’ll recap my thinking after the first performance!

Subs are out at from alwaystaeyang@youtube. The song is even more amazing/powerful/sad when you know the full meaning!

Review: 2PM’s ‘Heartbeat’ (part 2)

After a few days of listening to “Heartbeat” and seeing the video again, I have changed my mind to some extent.

The song is really good. I know even by the end of my review before I was warming up to it, but now I love it. I even have to say weird touches like the “beat beat beat” (it’s very odd) and Chansung’s rap give the song a unique flavor that JYP was probably trying to achieve. I actually liked “Tired of Waiting” quite a bit, but now whenever it comes on next (on the album), I find myself thinking about how much better of a song “Heartbeat” is. It just has a lot of passion and it stands out more than any of the other tracks on the album (although there are some good ones on there!).

I also complained before that the song was too elegant for some of the style and choreography choices, but I take that back some. I still don’t like the clothes or hair, but the feeling of the song isn’t just the romantic/beautiful strings; it’s the whole “heartbeat” theme. Knowing the lyrics helps too. It’s a song about a heart that is supposed to know that things are over, but it keeps beating anyway. Somehow the dissonant concept goes with that. Plus, 2PM has always been a group to break away from the crowd, so no one should be surprised that they don’t go for the classic “slick” look or even “gentlemen” look. U-Kiss came back with the former concept and they’re getting criticized for being boring (I have a post written out about them that I want to get out soon). It’s better to err on the side of standing out TOO much, right?

When it comes to the choreography, I’m sticking with the idea of dissonance. Studying the moves more (like seeing what the non-singers are doing while someone is on the mic) makes me realize how cool and unique this dance is. It’s not pretty, but that’s part of it! It’s rough and broken and messy and jumbled and confusing and I really think that it’s way more complex than I originally gave it credit for originally.

Maybe I read too much into things, and this is just another case. But with any kind of art, whether the artist intends to convey certain message or not, what you get out of it is important and valid. Interpretation is everything. I’m choosing to interpret “Heartbeat” as something more than what you get at face-value. JYP is a smart guy, and I’m sure he had to think even harder about 2PM’s comeback once Jay left. I feel like he put a lot into it and it’s working out well.

That being said, I can just imagine Jay doing this dance so well. And every time I hear Taec or Khun narrate on the album, I think that Jay would probably have done that originally. And hearing him in the remixes makes me really really miss him. Before I just felt sad about the situation, but now that we’re actually having 2PM with no Jay it’s more like, “This guy had way too much talent to just leave.” I thought about that before, of course, but it’s more pronounced at this moment.

But I don’t want to keep bringing up Jay. I didn’t really in the last review, though, so I figured it was okay to now. I’m not obsessing, but you can’t ignore he elephant in the room.

Part 1 is here. It’s more negative.

Review: Rainbow’s ‘Gossip Girl’

So. Rainbow has released their first video, “Gossip Girl.” There are so many things that could be said about this, but I will try to minimize my ranting. Apologizes go out to anyone who is crushed by mild criticism.

Rainbow is soooo very DSP. The first indication of this is the garbled, heavily accented English. At first, it grates on your ears, but later you’ll laugh and find it endearing. Still, for now you want to die.

I think about six months ago we had too many new girl groups, but now it’s getting to pretty hilarious. It would have benefited DSP (I believe!) to wait until maybe January to debut Rainbow. Right now a lot of popular people are promoting and we’re already done with 2009 girl groups.

I also don’t see what sets this group apart. They are cutesy-sexy (ugh, hate that combo). Like f(x), they won’t hesitate to give you a “chu” face, but like 4minute, they won’t mind shaking some boom-boom. Like 2NE1, they are willing to try some interesting clothing combinations, but like T-ara, they go for girl-next-door hairstyles (well, T-ara prior to “TTL”). When it comes to the “older” girl set, Rainbow compares to SNSD’s size (once you get up there in members, specific numbers don’t matter as much anymore), sounds like Kara, and attempts Wonder Girl’s catchiness. It’s so boring.

I’m sorry if you’re into this group, but you can’t argue that it was really, REALLY unnecessary to throw these girls into the industry at this particular moment. They will have to compete with the likes of 2PM, Taeyang, IU, and even Park Bom who is still hitting high on the charts. I may not be a psychic, but it doesn’t take one to predict disappointing results for Rainbow’s debut.

Review: 2PM’s ‘Heartbeat’ (part 1)

I’ve yet to hear 2PM’s full album yet, but I just saw their recently released “Heartbeat” MV and I couldn’t help but write about it. There are a few things that really bother me about this video. It’s obvious and sad that Jay is missing, but that’s pretty much the least of my concerns right now.

Pleaaaase forgive me for being critical. Everyone should know that I adore 2PM to pieces. Although I am generally positive in reviews, the cons should be mentioned. They just need to be said.

First of all, what happened to Junsu’s beautiful face? I remember seeing an article on Seoulbeats mentioning the change, but I wanted to pretend I didn’t see it until now. Honestly, I can hardly identify him anymore. Something is CLEARLY different about him, and I think it’s the nose? Which really weirds me out because he had a fabulous nose before. I won’t fault someone for making a minor change, but when it renders the person unrecognizable it’s kind of worrisome. That being said, I will proceed to forget that he ever did such a thing and look toward the future lol.

Second of all… oh stylists. Why. Why. WHY?! You have styled 2PM has generally well in the past–even “Again and Again” can be forgiven–but why must you inflict lattice-work suits on these brilliant guys? WHY?! Furthermore, the hair. THE HAIR! THE HUMANITY! How on earth… again, WHY on earth would give men ponytails in a serious video?! I am completely stumped. Stumped beyond the stuttering of a few words. I mean, even the suits could be overlooked if the hair wasn’t so bizarre.

Finally, the song. I like the song in parts, but as of now I am not feeling the flow. I don’t get it. I want to love it to bits (and I know it will grow on me), but there is something (too dramatic?) choppy about the way the song transitions between verse to chorus etc. And maybe the music is too dominant? I love the strings, don’t get me wrong, but you definitely lose power in the vocals when all you can hear is the pounding of the music. But onto the good in the next paragraph:

I must say that hearing the song in full quality has made all the difference for my opinion about it. The MV on 2PM’s YouTube really messes with the sound. Quick rundown: I think it’s interesting how it starts off with Taec’s rapping. I like it. It’s SO surprising though when you hear Chansung come out with that… really DIFFERENT rap. I somehow like it but it’s still unexpected. And all of the rest of the verse is good… It has a heartbeat pace, almost. The chorus is different than you’d think, but I find that it works? Nickhun rapping though… ! Really, all of the song is very enjoyable and I find myself loving it.

Ah, and I know I said “finally” but I’m also on the fence about the choreography. I need to see it more to make a final call, but I can’t say I understand it all.

I suppose it’s almost natural for 2PM to garner some criticism for “Heartbeat.” Not only is it their first single/video without Jay, but it also is the first MAIN single that is not high-pace and up-beat. I’m not calling “Heartbeat” a ballad, but it has a softer quality to the song than, say, “Again and Again.” The strings evoke an almost ballet-esque mood, or something that calls for plenty of grace. It’s not that 2PM is not graceful in the song/video, but I feel like there needs to be something to smooth it all out and I’m getting a sense of “choppy” that is rather disconcerting.

I love a lot about all of it, but right now I want to voice my concerns over it more than anything else. I know I’m sounding extremely critical, but I think I needed to get that out of my system so I could start focusing on the good.

Edit: Read part 2 here! It’s more positive.

Review: G-Dragon’s ‘A Boy’ or ‘소년이여’ MV

I was all set to go to bed when I just automatically checked a Big Bang news source (out of obsessive habit) and I totally remembered that G-Dragon’s “A Boy” MV was coming out today!

All I can say at this moment is that I love this video POSSIBLY even more than “Heartbreaker,” and that is saying a ton because I’ve watched “Heartbreaker” the video more than I’ve (probably) heard the song alone (which is a ton).

First off: THE HAIR. This is like an amped up exaggerated version of one of my favorite GD cuts. Love or hate it? I love it. I kind of drooled over it in GD’s second live performance of this song, but seeing it make an immortal comeback in this video is fabulous.

I could write a master’s thesis on this boy’s hair, I swear.

As some of you already know, I make a lot of videos for songs that don’t have an official MV attached. I thought that because YG released a video for “Butterfly,” that meant that there would be no “A Boy.” I actually had the subs close to ready and a rough idea for the video footage when I found out there was going to be a real video for this. I couldn’t be happier though. This video is gorgeous and inventive and it really goes along with the lyrics (which I heavily researched in preparation for the video I’m not making!). I lovelovelove this. Love.

Oh oh oh, the more I see the more I fall in love. With it, with the song, with this guy who can dress in girl’s clothes and still make me like him. I really need a prince charming to come along soon because I like my Big Bang boys too much. I need to be brought back to reality! LOL!

Really really. GOOD video. It was extremely visually appealing (although I might say it erred on the side of being TOO dynamic? Was it distracting?), and G-Dragon’s avant-garde style fit perfectly in all of it. Everything he wore was actually believable, even though the make-up made me laugh a little.

UGH. Just when I thought I was “over” G-Dragon’s album, he brings me right back. I mean, I just listened to it yesterday, but it’s gotten to the point that I want to give it a break. I CAN’T NOW.

Remember back in the day~

If anyone wants them, I combined and basically re-grammar’ed and re-moulded three different lyric translations of “A Boy,” like I would for a video sub. It’s never means anything against the original translations; I just like doing this before a video so when you’re reading the words as they’re spoken, they flow like an English conversation would. Sharing below the cut with original credits attached!

Discussion: Familiarity with languages for non-speakers

In a rather informal fashion, I want to find out how non-speakers of a language get familiar with aspects of culture. International fans typically rely on subtitles most of the time, but when you’re new to something it’s still tricky to navigate certain things. In addition to that, I’m curious how much people absorb of a language if they just hear it over and over, and how many people feel the need to delve deeper into the language once they’re interested.

I’ll put this in a “Q&A” format to make things easier to read, but I’ve treated it extremely casually. Clearly, the answers below the questions are just my opinions. Please share yours! Also, I’m using Korean as an example because that’s my thing, but feel free to replace the “K” with whatever language that’s applicable for you!

Q: When you first got into Korean entertainment, did you have trouble with names? Do you still?
A: I definitely used to, and I found myself having to read names over and over and over before even recognizing them. Now, not only do I recognize the names, but I can usually recall them after seeing them once or twice. I don’t know if this comes from two and half years of loving this stuff or becoming really familiar with Hangul or whatever. I just realized it today though.

Q: Speaking of Hangul, how many of you learned to read Hangul after falling in love with K-entertainment?
A: It only took me about six months to give it a go. It’s so easy if you haven’t learned yet! I think it’s so beautiful and logical. Some people say it only took them half an hour or something to learn it, but it honestly took me more like a week due to the chaos of school and the familiarity issue. It took me MUCH longer to be able to read it fluidly, and even about two years later I still hesitate sometimes.

Q: To build on all of this, would you say you’ve picked up a lot of Korean vocabulary from watching/hearing and even reading (news articles often keep words like oppa/unni/ajusshi/ajumma/sunbae/hoobae/etc. untranslated) things related to Korean entertainment?
A: I don’t have a number for how many words I know, but I would say I have a sizable Korean vocab that’s source is entertainment-based.

Q: ALTHOUGH, I have done some self-teaching of Korean. Has anyone else?
A: I consider it a hobby. This way, it doesn’t feel like there is weight or pressure in learning a language. I haven’t learned any thing hugely new in a while because I transferred to a very demanding college this semester, but every now and then I use my free time to learn some more Korean. What about you?

Q: As a last note, do you mind when subbers translate words that have no equivalent in English?
A: I personally hate this. I remember when I was new to things, I was very confused by My Girl’s translation of “oppa.” Relationships are huuuuge in that drama and then they’d go and interchange “oppa” with words like “brother” or “cousin” or not even add them in at all! I think it’s assuming that the audience is really really lazy. Once a person learns what a word means, I believe repetition of the term will help them remember it. If you leave something like “hyung” out of a dialogue it will still make sense, but it removes a subtle nuance that can sometimes be really important (because in this instance, a guy calling another man “hyung” will show that they have a close relationship before you even see them interact).

Sorry for such a strange entry, but I’m curious about all this! I don’t mean to restrict things to Korean either. I’m just using it to ask all my questions because I love K-entertainment very much. I’ve definitely learned a bit of Japanese and Mandarin as well, but Japanese flies out of my head so fast (it doesn’t want to stick at all, even though I catch on fast while studying it) and Mandarin is veryyy intense (especially for a person who has a hard time articulating herself in ENGLISH!) and the characters are time-consuming to learn.

I suppose you could extend this question outside of Asian languages as well, but most English speakers are familiar with many European languages (of course, I mean like French, Spanish, German, etc. and not things like Dutch) so don’t include those unless you really think your example is valid (like if you grew up outside of North America/Europe)!

Please have a discussion with me! Languages are so fascinating and beautiful. I wish I could devote all my time to cultural studies, but I’m choosing to keep it a hobby. Am I the only one who loves this stuff to death?

Review: ‘Ohitorisama’ (episode 2)

I snuck in the second episode of Ohitorisama today! There was absolutely no time for it, but I’ve been having a trying night (sliced my finger for one… I’ve almost mastered the nine-finger typing technique by now). That always calls for drama… of the Asian type, of course.

I sincerely love Akiyama’s enjoyment of being alone. I’m the kind of person who needs people around me, but I value solitude as well. I think it’s true that many people would think a person on her own might appear lonely, but sometimes it’s very satisfying because you don’t have to think about anyone else. Selfish? Maybe, but it doesn’t make it less true!

Really though, this show has a spark to it that I can hardly put my finger on. Maybe it’s humanity? They’ve added so many things that aren’t necessary individually, but as a whole you can get a clearer picture of everyone and their personalities.

Of course, Ohitorisama isn’t without it’d cliche characters, but they often act as comic relief more than anything else. I sense a few expected story lines ahead, but if this show stays on track with its current laugh-out-loud goodness, I think I’ll be okay with that. I mean, Ohitorisama isn’t much of a comedy, but it works the human character well enough that you can’t help but chuckle once in a while.

Less ambiguous thoughts are beyond this point! Character analyzing happens. Not too many spoilers.

Review: Big Bang’s ‘Hallelujah’

The music video for Big Bang’s song for Iris has been released!

I think this MV would be so much better if they had left out all the dialogue. It’s so gratuitous. The editor of the video probably though he/she was hot stuff, adding gunshot effects and putting in a random word here and there. I know most official movie or drama MVs are like this, but it really distracts from both the show and the song. You can’t enjoy either, because you’re too confused by the shift from this to that.

The song is pretty kick-butt, just like the drama looks to be. I still haven’t seen it, but it’s on my to-watch list.

It’s funny because at first I had no idea that it was a song that just had GD, TOP, and Taeyang. So, when I heard it I was like, “THERE IS AN EXTREME LACK OF DAESUNG AND SEUNGRI IN THIS SONG!!!” Haha. I love this trio though. I have to say the song TOP and Taeyang did for “Friend, Our Legend,” is one of my absolute favorites. The their voices go together well. I think GD fits in well too. Maybe I’ve been dealing with color theory too much lately, but these guys are almost like complimentary colors; each voice brings out the strengths in the other. Split complimentary? LOL. Jokes jokes jokes har har har.

I still need some time and a full (unadulterated) track to give my full opinion on the song, but I think it’s pretty good so far.

Oh, and happy birthday to TOP! TOP’s birthday is the 4th, so it’s his birthday now in Korea. He’s the only Big Bang member that’s older than I am. We’re only about a month part in age~ lol. If you’re on Twitter, I suggest you try out this project that The K-pop Addict is running for ~*Seunghyun’s*~ b-day. It starts 12 AM EST, November 4.

Review: ‘Ohitorisama’ (episode 1)

When I first heard Big Bang was singing the opening song for Ohitorisama, I read the synopsis for the show and thought it seemed pretty average. Hearing the song, however, has made me really curious. I know the two things are hardly related, but I don’t know… I kind of can’t get enough of “Let Me Hear Your Voice,” so any associate is fine with me. Plus, Koike Teppei is also a big draw for me because that guy is SO DARN CUTE (although he doesn’t play really cute character).

After seeing the first episode, I can easily say that I have great expectations for this drama. Whenever I begin watching a school drama, I really worry that it’s going to suck me in and then throw me the same recycled story lines over and over. For some reason I don’t feel like that’s going to happen with Ohitorisama. There is already enough going on in it that makes it seem fresh and interesting, even though the settling has been used to death. Here is a quick run-down of how the drama is going so far (I was careful to not spoil anything!):

Akiyama Satori is a strong, confident woman in her thirties who loves being single. According to her, she could be married, she could keep a clean house, and she could have friends over–if she wanted to. But she doesn’t. She is happy with her life, and she is especially happy with her job as a teacher of Japanese history at an all-girls school. Things really get interesting when the school has a need for a substitute teacher, and twenty-three year-old Kamisaka Shinichi takes the job as simply a way to earn some money. The other female teachers (as well as the students) are thrilled to have a young guy in their midst, but Akiyama struggles with the bumbling, half-heartedness of Kamisaka. The principal seems to have a special interest in Kamisaka, and asks Akiyama to be his mentor. Their relationship is a pretty rough one–as Akiyama is strict and demanding, and Kamisaka is a timid person who has hardly gotten out of the student mindset himself. However, certain events take place and the two characters begin to sympathize with each other little by little and learn some new things along the way.

That’s all I’ve gotten from it so far! It’s hardly a synopsis or an episode summary, but maybe it will give you more information about the nature of the series. If anyone else has decided to watch Ohitorisama, let me know! I don’t know if I’ll recap or give any commentaries, but if it keeps staying this interesting I might!