Idols Open and Close Social Media Accounts

It's hard for me sometimes to keep up with the comings and goings of K-Pop idols on social media. It seems at times that they come and go as they please like the ebb and flow of a tide.

Since my biases are mainly FT Island and CNBlue and sometimes I like to blog about Super Junior, I mainly stick with them. But there's so many more idols out there, trust me. In the past I've blogged about how FT Island bassist and vocalist, Lee Jae Jin, had closed his Twitter account for apparently no reason. Not too long after that, both lead vocalist Lee Hong Ki and Leader and lead guitarist Choi Jong Hoon had both opened up their own Instagram accounts.

Slowly, but surely, idols are reaching out to more of their fans through social media. So it came as a surprise that Heechul (aka Heenim or Hee Dictator) of Super Junior mysteriously closed his own Instagram and Weibo accounts.

But with every closure, two more must open. Hmm, I think I heard about that somewhere? It's like the Hydra myth where you cut off a head and two more grow back. Same concept.

So, following that vein, and of course my biases, FT Island's Lee Jae Jin and Choi Jong Hoon let fans know through their Instagrams that they have opened up Weibo accounts. Follow them both at "JamesJin" (Jae Jin's) and "ChoiJongHoon90" (Jong Hoon's). I definitely liked Jae Jin's stab at an Anglicized name. The name, "James" suits him and is still very close to his original name.

Follow, follow, follow, these two handsome cuties. And don't forget to check out Jong Hun for updates on his new drama, JTBC's "Heroes", where he will play the lead role of Choi Hee Yeol.


Credit: Lee Jae Jin and Choi Jong's Instagram. Choi Jong Hun's image courtesy of @ftnorinori (as stated on original image.)

Lip Syncing and K-Pop Idols

Over the years, lip syncing has been noted as a serious offense. It shows to fans that artists are "fake" and can't be trusted. And it tarnishes the reputations of other artists who have a real passion for their craft.

Take for example one time R&B dance duo, Milli Vanilli, from the late 1980's and early 1990's. Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus had a breakout with their hit, "Girl You Know It's True" and it took the world by storm. And they soon followed with other hits, "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" and "Blame It On The Rain". But after speculation began to surface about whether or not Fab and Rob could barely speak English, let alone sing it, critics began to probe into the background of the duo. The heat was on when they had been performing "live" to "Girl You Know It's True" and the track kept on repeating, "Girl you know it's...girl you know it's..." over and over. This forced Milli Vanilli to run off stage. It was then revealed that they were lip syncing their songs and they were stripped of their Grammy.

So, in a nutshell, you are committing social suicide if you get caught lip syncing like these guys, you will not be deemed worthy. Period.

When I got into K-Pop years ago, I was initially pulled into the dancing and bright lights and choreography. The songs were catchy, but I noticed that not everyone were singing during the performances. A friend of mine explained later that it's impossible sometime to sing and dance to the choreography at the same time, so some groups perform to tracks.

Oh, the conflict of emotions that had passed through me back then! On the one hand, I could understand why they lip synced because some of the moves really were complicated. But on the other hand, it was the whole Milli Vanilli thing. Argh argh argh.

To me, sounding out of breath while you're singing and dancing is understandable. And honestly, very much appreciated! Who cares if you have hair flying all over the place and sweating like a hog? Why do you practice 18 hours a day only to sing on a track?? Argh argh argh.

Recently, a Korean music show, "Show! Music Core" stated that they would only have groups perform at least 50% of their songs live. No matter how small the part, they are taking the stance that if you're an artist, you should be able to sing. Well, hallelujah, amen and can I get a "thank you Jesus!" on that! Again, why do you practice 18 hours a day only to sing to a track? And for those groups with instruments, like FT Island, CNBlue and AOA, let me just say that it was really refreshing to see CNBlue actually go onstage "plugged" into their speakers. THAT. IS. LIVE. MUSIC. And I'm glad their company, FNC, was going with it.

CNBlue Bassist Jung Shin and drummer Min Hwan on tour

On the flip side, Super Junior's Ryeowook, made an interesting point through his Twitter:

"To singers, brilliant stages and lights are just as important as sound systems are.. It's true that performance-centric idol singers just lipsyncing is a problem as well, but I think it's tyranny to emphasize just live performances without any improvement..".

This, I can only take to mean, is that if shows are going to make groups sing live, then these shows have got to step up their game and make sure the sound system is working. There have been many times when mics haven't worked, not everyone could get a mic to themselves, or the sound had been sub par. Ryeowook's vocals are known to sound exactly the same as the recorded track. Can you imagine not being able to hear him because of a bum sound system? Unacceptable! Good point, Ryeowook!

Super Junior's Ryeowook

I am torn on both sides. But honestly, I have to say, I would love to see more live show performances. How they do that, I dunno. But I feel strongly that if you're dedicated to your craft, you have pride in what you do, you will want to make sure your best work is heard. The fans deserve it.

Source: Super Junior Ryeowook's Personal Twitter and AllKpop

FT Island's Front Man in "Vampire"

Lee Hong Ki as Count Dracula

FT Island's front man, lead vocalist Lee Hong Ki, will be stretching his acting chops again. This time, he'll be tackling on the role of the most infamous and debonair monster of all time, Count Dracula.

Many people know of Count Dracula as the one time Romanian Prince Vlad "the Impaler", known for impaling unlucky victims on stakes, hence the nickname. As well as the lead character in Bram Stoker's, "Dracula". Pop culture has talked about him being suave, dashing but a horrifying blood sucker who quenched his thirst by entrancing lovely ladies to come to him so he could indulge in a little snack.

Super Junior's Sung Min, INFINITE's Sung Gyu and FT Island's Hong Ki will rotate in the role of "Count Dracula"

I am not familiar with the musical. The characters are all different from any version we've seen here in the U.S. Their version has characters named, "Adriana", "Pierre", "Lorraine". I have no idea who those are, unless they're supposed to correspond to the English counterparts, "Mina", "Van Helsing" and "Lucy". It's all a mystery to me. But it will be interesting to see how much will differ from the book and movies that have come out so far.

I'm especially interested to see how Hong Ki will bring his off-beat, endearing and sometimes comedic style into such a serious role. I had a taste of that in his last TV series, "Bride of the Century", where he played a plutocratic heir to a big named shopping mall. I felt he really pulled off the high brow brattiness in that role. However, I must say that sometimes I felt the depth of hurt and despair he experienced didn't reach down far enough to be really believable. And when he tried to be sexy, I didn't get the feeling that there was enough for the scene. I mean the girl didn't even look tempted! I actually didn't care for her, but anyways. (Sorry Hong Ki, I love you, I really do! Mianhae!)

If you take a look at the teaser, he looks very promising as the Count. I think even more so that the other two idols that will be rotating the role with him: Sung Min's Super Junior, Sung Gyu's INFINITE. Of the three, I think Hong Ki really gives off more charisma. Will be looking forward to the reviews!

Opens August 10, 2014.

Source: 24-7 K-Pop

CNBlue's Jungshin Injured During Concert

CNBlue Bassist Lee Jungshin

Oh the troubles of being an idol and doing fanservice. I think CNBlue bassist, Lee Jungshin, will need to be a little more aware of his surroundings from now on whenever he goes to greet their fans.

The young idol went out to shake hands with fans after a concert in Hong Kong. As he was reaching out to some of them, he suddenly dropped off the edge of the stage, falling about 4 feet to the arena floor.

It took fans, and his bandmates, by complete surprise. I don't think they realized the edge was that close either. And arena staff and security quickly swarmed to his aid, removing a barricade. His fellow band members, Yonghwa, Jonghyun and Minhyuk were shocked, but couldn't hide smiles of amusement afterwards.

Yet...only drummer Minhyuk reached down to help Jungshin up. Geez. Thanks a lot guys! It must've been hard for Jungshin to gauge the distance to the edge with all the lighting.

Unfortunately, Jungshin suffered a hand injury as a result of the fall. This quite a bit troubling since, as a musician, use and dexterity in his hands is vital. Although not much else is known at this time, I hope he has a speedy recovery so he may continue rocking his heart out!

For the original story and fan cams of the event, click here.

Source: AllKpop

Free K-Pop Concert in LA!

It was announced back in February that KBS and the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles were teaming up together to put on a FREE K-Pop concert in Los Angeles on April 12th at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Yes, you read that right. I said "FREE".

They weren't much details at that time, but today they sent out an update via social media that tickets were going on sale via Ticketmaster starting Saturday, March 29th at 10am PST.

Do the groups SHINee, 2PM, CNBlue and SISTAR sound familiar to you? They're just part of the lineup for the concert!

So if you live within the greater Los Angeles area or are willing to drive down to watch the concert, make sure you get your tickets before they run out!

Get your tickets while they are hot on Saturday, here!

Good luck all you lucky people!

Source: All K-Pop

FT Island's Leader Jong Hoon Joins Instagram

Choi Jong Hoon, Leader and Lead Guitarist of K-Pop/Rock group, FT Island

Jong Hoon relaxing with his guitar

I noticed that a lot of you seem to like my posts about FT Island's handsome leader, Choi Jong Hoon. And I can only guess that you all must be fans. So, in case you haven't heard the news yet, he has also joined his band members, Lee Hong Ki and Lee Jae Jin, in opening his own Instagram account in early March.

So much cuties on Instagram now! Their handsome features and crazy antics will definitely amuse you.  He and Hong Ki love to share what they're doing during the day and post videos of their concerts and general silliness.

Instgram and their Twitter accounts seem to be the best way to keep updated on their whereabouts and any updates to their activities. Hop on them!

You can follow him on Instagram @ftgtjhc.

Sources: PrimadonnaSarangae, Choi Jong Hoon Instagram, FT Island Jong Hoon Turkey Fan Site (yes, he's also popular in the country, Turkey!)

Peace out! Love his aegyo!

Review: TvN's Emergency Couple

Song Ji Hyo as Oh Jin Hee and Choi Jin Hyuk as Oh Chang Min

I've been taking a break from blogging to deal with overall general craziness at work and family. And also to try to get a handle on my personal life. And I came to a realization one day that lives are just one big K-Drama.

I've been watching a drama called, "Emergency Couple" (응급남녀; RR: Eunggeubnamnyeo; lit. "Emergency Man and Woman") starring Song Ji Hyo (Palace/Princess Hours) and Choi Jin Suk (Heirs, Panda and Mr. Hedgehog).

If you haven't seen it yet, please beware that there will be spoilers in this post.

Song Ji Hyo and Choi Jin Hyuk play a divorced couple (Oh Jin Hee and Oh Chang Min) who meet up again while they are interning as doctors at a hospital.

Marriage Minefield

As you can imagine, the marriage leading up to the divorce was a mess and really tough to handle. So when they meet up again, the encounter isn't very pretty. Both absolutely hate each others guts for various reasons. And then to find out that the other had made it through the tests to be a doctor and that they were going to be thrown together on a daily basis, well, that just made it even more uncomfortable.

Add in extra people as side love interests to make a couple of love triangles and the usual family dynamics- Chang Min coming from a very well off family of doctors and Jin Hee coming from a rough and poor family background, and you've got your K-Drama.

Lee Pil Mo as Chief of Emergency Medicine, Gook Cheon Soo, scolding the newest group of interns in his ER.

As the drama unfolds (and it's still unfolding as of this post) the negative aspects of their past relationship starts to fall away and they begin to see each other in new light and acquire a new found respect for each other. As the animosity drops away, their feelings of attraction for each other grows stronger again. However, the effects of their past marriage and the current playing field (new love interests for each one) throw serious doubts on whether or not this love is real or just a passing infatuation. For instance, Jin Hee, sweet and naive Jin Hee, can't even fathom that explosive Chang Min, who had actually initiated the divorce and basically left her rather abruptly, could even have any feelings for her. And if he really does, how can she be so sure that he's changed?? And why now when there's an honorable and honest guy waiting for her??

On the flip side, Chang Min, after several scenes of reflecting over his feelings for Jin Hee and fighting feelings of jealousy over his competition, Chief of Emergency Medicine, Gook Cheon Soo (played by Lee Pil Mo), he finds that his ex-wife has matured and blossomed into the woman he just can't live without. (Huh, go figure.) And it was he, not Jin Hee, who was the bad apple in the relationship.

So here's what I'm struggling with now.

Are there any second chances?

Oh Chang Min, a gentleman?

If someone who you gave your all to, someone you loved with all of your heart, turned out to be a complete jack's arse. And after so many years, after walking away, or coming to terms with walking away, they tell you that they have changed or that they will change. Would you believe them?

Would you be as generous as Jin Hee and say all the hurt you've caused is in the past? Strong enough to tell that person that you want to move on? Or would you give them another chance, and risk that things will go back to the way it was before?

Would you believe in the fairytale, that everything will work out in the end?

Flashback of Jin Hee and Chang Min 

At what point do you cut your losses and start over?

See, some people think that K-Dramas are all fun and silliness. And yes, some of them are. Some are purely meant for entertainment purposes. And there are some that speaks to you. Some that you will connect with, cry over, talk about over lunch.

For me, I'm beyond connecting with this drama. I'm really interested in this drama (even though there's another drama, Bride of the Century with FT Island's Lee Hong Ki in it that I would love to watch), and I relate especially with Jin Hee. There's a lot of hurt in her character. A lot of fear. And a lot of maturity in her character. Chang Min's character gives me hope that maybe people can change. Maybe some people do reflect on their bad actions. (Yes, I know it's only a drama.) But at the same time, it really made me think. Would you continue to be by someone that you've had a lot of negative history with? (even if not all were negative) Or do you cut your losses and start over? Whether it be with someone in the future, or alone, would you be strong enough? Thoughts like these run through my head as I watch Jin Hee and Chang Min's scenes together.

K-Dramas like this make you think. No, they make you evolve. How you handle the evolution is really up to you, I guess.

Who will Jin Hee pick? Will she believe that Chang Min's changed? Or will she go with the gruff, yet honestly lovable Chun Soo?

We will have to wait and see...

Source: Dramabeans

Chang Min acts on his feelings to hopefully win Jin Hee back

FT Island's Lee Hong Ki On Instagram!

In case you have missed the news, Lee Hong Ki, FT Island's charismatic lead singer, opened up his own Instagram account in the past week.

He has known to be really active on his social media accounts and it looks like he finally joined the crowd on Instagram.

His first posts were of a video of his little dog and of him at what looked to be like a spa with a quizzical look on his face.

If you haven't found him yet, go follow him on Instagram @skullhong12!

Source: Lee Hong Ki's Instagram

FT Island's Lee Jae Jin Is Dating Ladies!

FT Island's Lee Jae Jin at his interview in January 2014

I can't believe I totally missed this bit of news. He always seems to be such an independent person. But in an interview last week, FT Island's bassist, Lee Jae Jin openly admitted on camera that he is currently dating someone! He won't say who it is, of course, although the reporters bless their hearts did try. But he confirmed many times that he is in a relationship. That's right ladies, this sweetie is t-a-k-e-n!

Those reporters were very persistent. They asked him if he would tell them anything else about her, to which he emphatically said, "NO!". And then they asked him if she was in show business (actress, musician, etc.) and he evaded the question by inquiring if the interview was "finished?" LOL.

Denim Boy Lee Jae Jin, Spring 2013

Ah, sweet Jae Jin. It was only a matter of time before your boyish good looks attracted (hopefully) a well deserving lady.

Jae Jin dongsaeng, chukhaeyo!

Check out the interview here! Loved the part where they ask him what the most embarrassing secret his band mates had spilled on TV. He totally tried to make the producers on variety shows cut out those segments so they would never air by cursing or mentioning product names. In case you didn't know, mentioning product names without consent of the company is a no-no because you're supposed to ask permission to mention their product or you can be fined! He's so smart! LOL.

If you're in Japan, don't forget to check out FT Island's newest Japanese album, "Beautiful" which came out on January 22nd!

As "Troy" in the Korean version of High School Musical

Source: MSN.com Video Service

CNBlue Rocking in the USA!

The K-PopRock wave has once again reached the shores of the United States. FNC group CNBlue is currently in the Big Apple having just finished the first concert of their U.S. Blue Moon tour on January 21st.

Despite frigid temperatures, fans waited out in the cold for almost 7 hours in hopes of seeing them. Good lord! Those are some dedicated Boices! They weren't disappointed though as CNBlue rocked the house for a good 2 hours straight which one fan called "amazing!".

Group member Jung Shin took to the outdoors yesterday to catch some photos of New York City. The group is traveling to warmer California for the next stop of their tour in Pasadena at the Civic Auditorium there. Tickets are still on sale, so if you haven't gotten a ticket yet, you're still in luck. Click here to go to the AXS site. The concert is set for Friday, January 24th at 8pm. Will someone please take some good photos if possible?

Sources: KPopStarz and FNC's Facebook

2PM's Taecyeon Voices His Thoughts on Change in 2014

Where did the rest of 2013 go? It seems like the last half of the year just blew by so fast for me! But... I am very happy that 2014 is finally here. Happy New Year everyone near and far!

If you've been checking up on this site, you will see that I haven't been posting for quite a while. So my apologies to all since I pretty much kept whatever I was working on hanging in limbo.

As with any new year, we aim to start fresh and new. And, somehow, try to make any changes for the good.

One person that would like to see more changes for good is 2PM's Ok Taecyeon. You may remember his handsome face as one of the grooms from last year's "We Got Married Global". He was "married" to actress/singer, "Gui Gui".

He started the new year by taking to his Twitter account and voicing his opinions on showing appreciation for employees that actually work hard and put in a lot of effort. By not acknowledging hardworking staff/individuals and praising those that didn't help or put in real work is not fair to them. He believed that there needed to be "internal stability" within the company in order for it to continue to be one of the top 3 entertainment agencies in South Korea.

Honestly, within any company, if you don't acknowledge the hard work of individuals and employees see you elevate or praise individuals that relied on others to help them get through, you will only breed dissatisfaction. Immense dissatisfaction. Seeing the worth of your peers and other employees in your company and helping them get the recognition they deserve raises self-esteem, happiness, company growth and pride in work. Hopefully, the management and employees of JYP think about what Taecyeon has said and are willing to make some changes.

Well said, Taecyeon!

Source: AllKpop, Taeceyeon's Twitter