can't help but feeling

exploring fandom and doing my spazzing exercises :) hope to the end

fans
Fashion Follows Yoochun
Chaos Under Control
You Captured Me
Pretty Boy Power
Red Playground
Sapphire Pearls
One Pine Tree
Tokyo Bopper
DBSKnights
Cfensi

Crowd Lu Pleaser

I was really happy to see that Crowd Lu has won two awards at the 20th Golden Melody Awards because I've started listening to his album recently and am really enjoying it. It matches up very well to his whole 'image' (feels wrong to use that word though because his demeanor is so real!) of a fun Taiwanese college student and thus gives off that fun Taiwanese college vibe.



Or at least how I imagine that vibe would be :) Cfensi described him in quite a funny way, but it explains his appeal: "I really love how you can look like anything in the Taiwanese music industry and still be really famous as long as you’ve got the music to back it up."

Go Crowd Lu!

PS. I'm also so glad Jay Chou's song Fragrant Rice won Song of the Year- it's a meaningful and uplifting song and one of my Jay Chou favorites.

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Way Back Into Love

*speechless*





Super Junior and SNSD's songs on the recent Music Travel (LaLaLa) program are some of the most, most, most lovely performances I have seen and heard. Maybe I'm just so used to Asian music that hearing these English covers has comepletely taken me by surprise, but I really think their performances are beautiful outside of that context. Although I do love their careful pronounciation, so cute (and very good!).

I'm sad that Suju have finished their Sorry Sorry promotions since that made me their fan and I've enjoyed it very much, but this more than offers a little consolation.

Besides this Suju and Soshi also covered each other's Gee and Sorry Sorry in much more relaxed versions :P I love them both, they are really suited to the hot & lazy weather we are having right now...

These and other amazing performances via here at Allkpop plus Suju's Falling Star and She performance.

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Hero

While we're still talking about hair, let me express my deep admiration for Hero Jaejoong's shiny shiny hair during this past The Secret Code tour. For the longest time now he's just sported variations on the same style in different colors and lengths but I never thought such an interesting version could be made.

Besides having a very gentle color it's also kind of rounder and cuter, and of course the long fringe is a clever flirtateous aspect. The way JJ's hair moves is one of the highlights of this tour, lol! You can check it out during the funny 9095 routine.

By the way, I read about JJ and Yoochun supposedly crying during Bolero in Nagoya and this fanaccount interested me very much (from a comment by 35loveU at SharingYoochun):

i went to the concert on 21 in nagoya

jeajoong cried while he was talking about his own song WASURENAIDE

he talked to us how he felt when he was writing songs.

he said ” when you write us fan letters, i write songs for you , when you listen our songs, we sing for you. that’s only we can do for you.
you always give us lots of love, but i wonder if we can meet the expectations enough for you or not.
we work not only here also we work other countries. we might change something after this.
but i hope you to keep loving us .”

i’m so sorry , my english is so poor.
i can’t tell well…..

yoochun was crying when they sang Kiss the baby sky – that’ s his own song.


Here's the perf in question
.

I'm going to go out on a dangerous speculative limb here and guess that after this- after having broken records in Japan and making their Japan dream of performing at Tokyo Dome- they'll start concentrating their activities in another place, and try to break into a new market. It'll be interesting to see where- China is the biggest Asian market I can think of but I don't feel like DBSK really fit into the Chinese scene. Yet, breaking into the West like Wondergirls or Boa doesn't sound likely either.

In any case, without a doubt DBSK's fans will support them wherever they go. I'm really glad of this fanaccount because it shows once again Jaejoong as the heart of Dong Bang Shin Ki.

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Hair-raising

Wow, Yoochun's hair at the Mirotic Bangkok concert is so cool! I'm really jealous because I can never achieve this kind of curliness XD. Yoochun's hair is always a little bit ajumma-style, haha! But I think he pulls it off.


Kind of reminds me of this perm he had when he was younger (cute ne?):

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Quick 'n Dirty

A couple of longer posts are in the works but right now some snaps from Dong Bang Shin Ki's Thailand trip that caught my eye (so far). Their schedule is crazy/amazing, mixing up the Mirotic Asia Tour with The Secret Code Tour and all the things in between like shooting ads or AADBSK3 and everything else.

Changmin's on his best behavior :) When does he ever look so innocent anymore? Haha. His strange neckwear reminds me of a scarf that Yoochun wore during O Jung Ban Hap promotions.

Below: Yoochun cut his hair! Aaaah I like it. The long hair was... interesting, but this is really chic. In a sort of ladylike way. (Jae looking even sharper w/ glasses there, but sorry, this picture is all about Yoochun.) This haircut really surprised me, in a good way.

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Michael

I couldn't sleep last night and was up listening to the radio talking about Michael Jackson, playing his songs and talking to his fans. People adore Michael Jackson truly for the virtuosity of his performance and that is a level of artistry most entertainers will only ever dream of. Rest in Peace.

I was thinking about Asian artists' Michael Jackson tributes and the first example that comes to mind is the story of Xiah Junsu moonwalking everywhere, even to the bathroom. Allkpop has come up with a slew of amazing Kpop + MJ moments from the past.

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Hyukhyukhyuk

Here's a vid I enjoyed today *nosebleed*...

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From AM to PM

I was impressed by these 2AM and 2PM photo shoots (on Allkpop) even though I don't know anything about the bands at all. Their clothes here are kind of in that avant-garde/rock style that's popular in fashion right now but that I find boring on women. Well, put any clothes on a fit Korean boyband and I'll take a second look ><.

Actually, what they are wearing here is *just* understated enough that the clothes are interesting but also gives room to notice the wearer!

[above] I like the shorts, men should wear more shorts in a stylish way and not in a cargo-shorts or boarding-shorts kind of way. *sigh*
[below] Nice sweater on the left. Nice piano, too.


[below] Crazy good! I like it better to see artists wearing these forward things than just models because it's like they are not just showing the concept but executing it (not making any sense...*hides*).

[next two] Subtle, but interesting.


[below] So weird, but still so good. I like this shoot because it's not just one of those line-'em-up-and-tell-them-to-say-cheese kind of shoots, do you know what I mean? It has ideas and dynamic and interplay, all that high-calibre kind of stuff.

Cute bonus: Jaebeom interviews Lady Gaga
He's so funny uttering Americanisms ("that's crazy", "yeah, i get what you mean") not to mention ridiculously well-mannered and sheepish, like the good Asian boy that he is despite his badass outfit. Although his shoulderpads do not even compare to Lady Gaga's WINGS.

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Airport, you've got a smiling face


I love the recent pics of Dong Bang Shin Ki at Incheon Airport. They may look good in the millions of studio photos that make them the world's most photographed band, but often the DBSK boys look better in candid photos that don't try to squeeze them into a boyband mold.

I always enjoy their airport style and this bunch is particularly good: JJ's smiley face shirt w/ matching smiley face sweater (not to mention crazy patch jeans- also I heard you can get that shirt at Giordano), Yoochun's chic black summer get up and awesome sunglasses, Changmin looking elegant even in sweats, Yunho's preppy outfit (I really like his penchance for preppy lately- it suits him), and Junsu looking... ok in his usual blazer. Come on Junsu! Dress appropriately! It's summer and you're going on a flight, be casual for once!

Haha, I guess I still want them to be 'boyband' style and look complementary to one another >< (meanwhile JJ's hair has been so amazing lately).

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Happy Ending

Sometimes you read a super jumbled interview because it's been translated from Korean or Japanese to Chinese and then back to English and maybe reading a google translation would have been just as logical, haha.

Just kidding! I'm really grateful to fangirls all over for their hard work in translating and subbing and sharing, otherwise where would I be?


All this to say I love the closing quote from this interview (over at Fashion Follows Yoochun): after an amusing attempt at deeply considering their song meanings, Yoochun springs a heart-warming thought-

"See~? Love is like that, constantly repeating itself."

Read the interview, it makes more sense than me. :)

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Endless Story



I always come back to this song by Yuna Ito from the Nana OST.


Endless Story

If you haven't changed your mind
I want you to stay with me tonight
I'm tired of pretending to be strong
I was too young
Every time I think about you baby
Now I can say it, I miss you
It's so hard to say I'm sorry

I want to keep singing this song
For you, not for anyone else
It's an endless story, always shining
Always, I want to tell you, forever

Memories of our time together
Don't erase them, don't go away
Just let them melt warmly, I want to make sure
These drops of tenderness spread out in my heart
I'm missin' you so much it hurts
Our hands overlap, don't let go



If just one wish could be granted
I want to keep singing this song once more
It's an endless story, filled with unceasing love
Tell me why, tell me, forever

I want to keep singing this song
For you, not for anyone else
It's an endless story, always shining
Always, I want to tell you, forever

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Leo Fever

I've found some behind-the-scenes pictures from Leo Ku's Strings Fever cover shoot (via asianfanatics). Seriously, I still can't believe how awesome this concept is. The music is great too- I used one of the instrumentals as bg music for my cooking video a few weeks back.


Where can I get one of these plush string instruments for myself?!! Please Santa...

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Thanks for being the girl that you are

Recently the album I've been listening to most is Penny Tai's newest, Forgive Me For Being The Girl I Am. She's best known for her Meteor Garden theme song, Ni Yao De Ai.

What I like about Penny Tai's music is the independant spirit of it- she writes her own songs and definitely gives the songs her own character. The songs jump and roll and are full of surprises in a way that can't be achieved with manufactured pop and as such are really lively and entertaining to listen to. It's perfect music for the summer.

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One True Hanchul

I've been reading various fanfic lately (mostly Hanchul!) and I'm really impressed by this form of fandom. Yes, a lot of it is quite bad, but fanfiction

1. is really hard to write just like any fiction in an engaging, convincing way
2. requires a deep interest in the artist for good characterization
3. allows the fan to express their idea of what the artist stands for

I think that last point is the one that interests me the most: being a fan, the artist is obviously an Idol and thus you could say they are symbolic of something for the fan. In learning more about our idols we try to relate their character and experiences to ours, as inspiration, as faith that there are still people out there who will do their damndest to love and work and make their own way. Well, that's how I feel :) but I definitely don't have the patience or skill (or time) to write fanfic.



The fanfic that really prompted me to write this post was Smudge about *future* Hanchul. I normally don't like angst fic but this one stuck in my mind all morning. It's so sad. SOB.

And speaking of *future* fics here's a Hanchul fic with a happier (although still quite melancholic) ending: Friendship set on Fire. (via Ceirosken).

The lj Ceirosken actually is the one that moved me with her fandom to love Hanchul (since I don't have lj though, I can't leave a spazzy comment :P). Her fanfics are really good- humorous, touching and believable. Seriously, if I've learned nothing it's that good characterization is so important in fanfiction! You can't just switch the names around in a story. Aaaaaand speaking of funny fanfics, yesterday I read one that really had me ROFLMAO, literally, but I can't remember which one it was.

And here's a good longfic: Out Loud (in 2 parts) using Hankyung's SJM activities in China as the conflict in which the different aspects of the Hanchul relationship come to surface.

Reasons why Hanchul is love ♥♥♥

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Yoochunnieeee

A day late, but it doesn't matter because every day should celebrate Micky Yoochun ;) It's thanks to Yoochun that I became a fan of DBSK and it's thanks to Yoochun's spirit that I feel more determined to fight for my dreams when things get tough.

Actually I have more pics on my other computer but I'll save that for another time. For now, let's be inspired by his awesomeness.


And a super funny Yoochun fanvid:

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Happy Birthday Micky Yoochun


"Everyday we’re breathing the same air together, we hope to be happy forever together. Do you get what my heart says?"

To me, Micky Yoochun is not only a style icon but an inspiration in so many other ways. He's 'passionable' (lol), cute, determined and so very talented. Thank you! Happy birthday Yoochun! I hope you are happy and all your dreams will come true.


PS. more picspam tomorrow! I'm going to bed.

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