Aww Nostalgia

While looking up information on 4-member Taiwanese boyband, Fahrenheit, I decided to do a general internet (*cough* Wikipedia) search of boybands and came across this picture of Super Junior-Happy. It made me smile so I felt like sharing it.

Victory Korea and the 2010 World Cup

Super Junior just released the full music video for their song 'Victory Korea'. It's in celebration of the 2010 World cup, which will be held in South Africa this year. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of sports in general, but if I could get into any sport out there, any one at all, it would have to be football (i.e. soccer for us dumb Americans). I played for two years during high school, (the lack of hand eye coordination prevented me from playing anything else) so "soccer" is really the only sport where I completely understand the goals of the game and how it works (<- ha, completely).

I've never seen a professional football match before (yep, it's football now. take that America.). Wait I take that back. I've seen one. I remember getting tired just watching those guys run up and down the field. Talk about stamina. Anyway, after seeing the teaser for Suju's song I began researching the FIFA World Cup and, oh crap, I'm so looking forward to this year's event. I even have three teams I'm going to cheer for this year: the U.S. (gotta stay patriotic), South Korean (it's the Kpop fan in me), and Germany (they've placed more than any other team out there). I'm even gonna keep my eye out for Brazil. Not root for. Just keep an eye on. Brazil has won the most titles since the World Cup's inception (show offs). If you want to know just how massive the world cup is, over 700 million people tuned in for the final game of the World Cup in 2006 when it was held in Germany. And you thought the Superbowl was big.

Super Junior's Victory Korea:



Doesn't the video just make you wanna go and root for Korea during the World Cup? Other artists have also released their own 'Go, Fight, Win' songs. I don't know how successful Korea will actually be at winning the title. They've only ever placed once (and 4th at that), which was in the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan. Did they have the home field advantage? Maybe. Was there an abundant amount of country pride? Oh yeah! If you ask me, more than anything that was the determining factor. The fans. They sparked a light in Team Korea that gave the players the energy to go all the way. It's a beautiful image if you really think about it. In that case should I put South Africa on the list of teams to root for too? I'm not even going to hold my breath when it comes the U.S. We haven't placed since the very first World Cup in 1930. 30! Talk about country shame. But Americans don't really care as long as they have their Fútball Americano they're fine. As for me, I'm going to go against the grain on this one. Yay Football! Real football! Hooray America! Go Germany! Victory Ko-re-a!

Is it weird that I'm going to cheer for more than one team? I hope not. As far as I'm concerned I have the whole Northern Hemisphere spoken for (North America, Europe, Asia). We're gonna get this thing going and keep it as competitive as possible. World Cup kicks off Friday, June 11, South Africa vs Mexico, with the final game schedule for Sunday, July 11 at 20:30 SAST (South African Standard Time). Mark those calendars!

Why, Oh Why?

So, a couple of days ago I decided to check out my friends blog to see if she posted anything new. She's not an everyday blogger (neither am i. promise it's just cause i'm on break). Anyway, the last post that I saw she had up was about Korean Mega-Artist Rain (비). It's really funny, definitely check it out. Toward the end she has these two links, one of ss501's Kim Hyun Joong and one of Super Junior's Shindong, both performing Rainism and ask you to choose which one you think danced it best. I've seem KHJ's performance before so it was little ol' Shindong's turn. Freaking Hilarious!!! He performed it on Strong Heart and right in front of Rain too, with Leeteuk and Eunhyuk as backup dancers. Not only did he perform Rainism, he also performed a part of this song called Love Song. Now I had never seen or heard of Love Song before watching this video, but Shindong's performance got me interested in wondering what the real version was like. I thought it was gonna be one of Rain's old back in the day songs or something (i'm really not up to speed with this guy yet). But no, it's one of his new singles from his current album 'Back to the Basic'. There's only one word to describe this music video- hotness.


That word is really surprising coming from me, because I'm not a Rain fan. My friend fell in love with him after she saw him in Speed Racer. I, on the other hand, wasn't convinced. She showed me his music videos. I thought he was a jerk. Why did all of his songs have to be about him? It's Raining. I'm Coming. Rainism (seeing any patterns here?). But one thing I had to admit was that the guy could dance. I can't dance. Yes. Yes. It's a common misconception that all black people can dance. My friend and I did have this reigning joke (pun intended) that Rain had stolen our blackness. We couldn't dance, because our ability to dance, by nature, had been given to a Korean. This was even before I knew the country was filled with talented artists just like him.

Nevertheless, all that's in the pass now. Maybe I've matured or Rain's image has improved, but I don't have a bad word to say about him anymore. The first thing I wanted to do this morning after coming to work, besides go to my school's clinic cause I felt like I was dying, was listen to Love Song (could've been into it a month ago, if it wasn't for my previous Rain biased). I think I even used the word cute to describe him when I was commenting on my friends page. He looks much better with a short normal haircut than his Speed Racer, Ninja Assassin styles (Lee Joon just looks better with hair period).

My sister tells me that 2PM's Junho looks kind of like Rain. I thought she was crazy at first, but now I'm beginning to see it in reverse. Is that a good thing? Well Junho is a cutie. So does that mean I think Rain's a cutie, too, by default? Maybe. Like when he smiles, he looks so Asian and gorgeous, who wouldn't melt (try getting me to say that two years ago). If you haven't checked out the video yet, do so now. You won't regret. Oh and just ignore his crazed out running face in the beginning. The chorus dance will more than make up for it. After you're finished watching the video check out TheBeatboxHitman's Love Song beatbox. It's really good. I've never heard him do a ballad before, but he proved to be just as talented as always. Gotta love people with true artistic abilities!

There are two versions of Love Song- Korean and English. So which one do you like better? No duh, it's gonna be the Korean version for, like, everyone. I think the Korean version is sexier, but that's only cause everytime I hear it I picture the music video too. The English version is really good. It sounds like one of those love songs (no pun intended) that was really popular back in the 90s. A truly classic feel. The link is to the Korean MV with the English words and subs, so you won't have a "the Korean version's sexier!!" cause of the music video bias like I had. Both versions are good, period, so I hope you enjoy!

Super Junior's Boom Boom

Boom Boom is straight hotness. It's my favorite song off the fourth album after listening to four out of the eleven so far. I love this song so much that I even bought it on iTunes (yay! so excited. gotta support my babes). It was only a dollar though. Usually new releases and hot tracks are two dollars. I guess iTunes doesn't understand the power of Super Junior just yet. They probably think that if they raise the prices no one would buy the songs (i would buy the songs *pouts*). But really a dollar is nothing. That's only like a penny in each members' pocket, if that. A dollar a song on iTunes makes the whole album around ten dollars (iTunes doesn't have the eleventh track), but like I said before, I'm still trying to decide whether or not to buy the tangible fourth album. It's selling on YesAsia.com for $13.99 with no shipping and handling fee for international purchases. Plus it comes with a free postcard and some other stuff so it's a really tempting deal. I'm already the proud owner of Sorry, Sorry so buying Bonamana would just be adding to my Suju collection.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Boom Boom, or Nappeun Yeoja (meaning Bad Girl), is a hot track. I especially love the dance that goes along with it. I hope they make a music video for it soon, but until then I'm content with the live version.


It's positively sexy. And speaking of sexy, I have to give out an honorable mention to one of the members. That member is none other than Eunhyuk. I noticed this in Bonamana, but its increasingly prevalent in the Boom Boom dance that Eunhyuk has grown more serious about his dancing and it's made him sexier for it. I mean just look at the command of the dance moves he has. His aurora is so much different than the other members. They're good, but he's.......(insert own description here). I may not get the hat thing, his weird hair cut, or the line under his eye in the Bonamana video, but one thing I do get is that this guy is a beast at dancing.

I understand that it's part of Super Junior's edgier image for Bonamana and I'm loving every minute of it, but I hope that Eunhyuk is still his same old goofy, gulliable self off stage and off camera. That's the Hyukjae we all know and love. Actually, I think that's why I'm such a fan of Super Junior in general. Maybe I don't know their true nature off off off camera, but from the interviews I've seen and the reality shows they have it seems like they're showing their true nature and their true nature is silly. They are all silly little goofballs who no one would normally take seriously, but when they get on stage it's like a complete 180. They're all like "Yea, we got talent. Didn't know that, didja? What? What?" And sometimes they're even goofballs on stage. Oh and don't forget about the event that happened at their closing concert in Manila (i so wanna go to a Suju concert -_-). But, yea. Boom Boom. Hot song. Go check it out. Love it! And Enjoy :)

Gengfans?

So is that what we Hankyung..sorry Han Geng supporters are being called these days? Can't I just be an ELF and have that count for all 15. Like the twelfs website says "13 as a group, 15 as a family". Except for that traitor Kibum. The jerk. I honestly almost wrote 14 just then, instead of 15. He really makes me mad with the whole "I'm still in Super Junior" talk, but the not showing up act. If you're gonna leave. Leave! Express how much fun you had in Super Junior and how much you love your Suju brothers and go about your business. Don't keep lying to us saying your still there. That's why I won't supprt him. Claiming that he wants to focus on acting and blah blah blah. All that is, is an excuse. Look at Heechul and Siwon. Eunhyunk, Leeteuk, Yesung, and Kangin (when he was there) had various activities outside of Super Junior. Did they have to leave Suju to do all that stuff? No! Besides I heard Kibum's acting isn't that good anyway. He's been an inactivities part of Suju going on two years now, but I haven't heard much about any of his programs. Siwon gets put into one primetime drama and mysoju.com's updating it every week like clockwork. But still, I'd rather see Kibum happy, although scarce, in acting as opposed to miserable in Super Junior bringing everyone else down. And then there's my baby Hannie.

It makes me crazy when I think back to the slave contact SM had him under. For one, 13 year contracts shouldn't even exist. And then on top of that if he took off for any reason the contract would be extended!? The guy was nearing kidney failure being under SM. Oh no. He was totally justified, in my eyes, for leaving SM. There's no doubt in my mind though that he misses his Suju brothers like crazy. If it wasn't for SM's communication block between him and the members, I'm sure they would still be in contact. He seems to be doing pretty good for himself, though. He's got a milkshake named after him, he sang the theme song for Chinese culture for Expo 2010 Shanghai China (i wanna go to this TT_TT), and he also has plans to release a solo album. It would seem that our Hankyung has been very productive and continues to strive for success, despite past hardships. I bet the other members are proud of him and wish they could share in the happiness of his success (he probably feels that way too). As are we ELFs proud (is Gengfan really necessary?). Remember "12 as a group, 14 as a family", right! :)

KYAAHHHHH!!!!

Please excuse me for the random outburst, which is the title, but I almost died from spastic fangirling just a second ago. How? Glad you asked.

So, I'm checking my e-mail, deleting things and what whatnot, when I come across an e-mail of a video that my youtube friend msinternationalmusic decided to share with me. It's Super Junior's video for Bonamana with an e-mail date from last week. Now of course I've seem this video like a hundred times before, so I'm thinking about deleting it. But then I begin to read the title (gotta brush up on my Korean) and I think it's so hilarious what I see. I love the Koreans way of directly translating foreign words into words that they're able to pronounce. 뮤식비디오(a.k.a myusik bidio). So cute.

After having my laugh I decided to click on the video link. Really one can never have enough of Bonamana so there's no neeed for an excuse to listen to it, but I'm learning the dance right now (i suck, but i love it) and I was hoping to rock out with Super Junior during the chorus. Before I can stand up, however, what do my eyes detect? Underneath the video is a link to.....iTunes. i-freaking-TUNES (how come i never noticed this before)!!! Seriously though, I promise you for two seconds I was absolutely breathless. I'm the type of fan who whole-heartedly believes in supporting the artists she loves, but because Apple hadn't yet gotten a clue, I was forced to obtain certain songs through LEGAL methods of file sharing (piracy's never the answer). But it seems like iTunes and SM are finally answering the cries of many aggravated international Kpop fanatics. Just in time too. I was afraid that I was actually going to have to spend my iTunes gift card on American music. But now as luck would have it, I get to use my iTUNES (still can't get over that) gift card to support my Suju boys. But I still want the CD. I like tangible items that give me booklet's with their gorgeous faces and autographs, plus I have a car and nonstop Super Junior tunes while I'm driving doesn't sound like a bad idea. I hear iTunes is really strict when it comes to their digital music licenses so I have no idea what that means when it comes to burning music.

I could always buy both. That's always an idea. Tisk.....decisions, decisions. Well while I ponder these choices, you guys should head on over to iTunes and check out Super Junior's digital 4th album for yourselves.

Angry Khun....lol!

You know. I'm seriously starting to get why people post multiple times a day. I saw an article on allkpop.com about what Nichkhun, the "innocent" member of 2PM, does when he is angry. Personally, I thought it was hilarious and would love to see it in person, granted I'm not the intended target of said angry. Basically we Kpopers, Kpop fanatics, netizens (i'm not fond of this word), whatever, discovered via Wooyoung that Nichkhun is a hot little button when he's angry. "It's always the quiet ones!" people exclaim in the comment section. "The quietest are the scariest. They're the ones you really have to look out for," others continue. Oh, whatever. I've always known Nichkhun was a maniacal little devil since the first time I laid eyes on him. Just look at that face, pretending to be all innocent and clueless.

When Nichkhun is angry, not only do you want to stay your distance, but you might wanna brush up on your foreign languages as well because (direct words from Wooyoung, minus the translation part->)"...He speaks English, Korean and Thai all at once." See! Isn't that hilarious? Honestly, I wonder what's going on in his head at a moment like that. I wish I could do that, but then again, when I think about it.....don't I? I mean I can't remember the last time I was truly in your face angry, but when I get upset, annoyed, or flustered the first thing to come out of my mouth is either Korean or French. I'm not fluent in either of the two by any means. More French than Korean, though.

Instead of a stream of words in either language coming from me, it's mostly those words, phrase, sounds, or expressions related to exasperation. Once I've exhausted that list it's back to English....unfortunately. Why do I do it? Hmm....well mostly it's because I feel like the language in question has exactly the appropriate expression that displays my frustration that doesn't exist in English (ha, that's kind of funny. anger that gets lost in translation). And now it's become so much a force of habit that it would be weird for me not do it. Zut Alors. Je ne sais pas quoi faire. 나 어떡해 (Na oetteokhae). These are the phrases that keep me sane. So, if that's the case, maybe in some weird way I do understand Nichkhun's mentality. It's either that or he just doesn't want others knowing what he's saying. One more time. Look at that face!

Doesn't it just scream "I'm up to something"? No? Geez, I can't win today. Seriously though, how can someone be that cute and not be up to something?

The Boys of Big Bang

So I just got finished watching the music video for Big Bang's new single "Tell Me Goodbye" from the IRIS Japanese OST (yep that's the same pic from allkpop.com, lol) and I have to say that.....I like :) It's really good, but honestly do you know how long it took me to realize that the first verse was in English. Well it didn't take that long really, but anything over not realizing it immediately is enough to make me wonder about myself. It wasn't until the end of the song that I realized they were saying the sound title "Tell Me Goodbye" in English. I know. Slow, right? But in my defense it's not everyday that I hear Korean artists song in English, and well. That's something I can always count on Big Bang for. Their English is really good. The best I've heard from any K-pop artist who wasn't born in and/or lived in an English speaking country for any number of years. It makes me wonder sometimes if they are actually fluent, like how well would they fare in conversation if someone randomly came up to them one day and started speaking in English.

Their Japanese on the order hand.....it sounds funny. Honestly, though! Like I have the right to say someone's Japanese sounds funny. I don't know Japanese....yet. If life goes according to plan (which it never does), I'll hopefully be taking it in Spring semester...hopefully. But comparing them to native speakers I've heard, I can heard their cute little Korean accents in their Japanese pronunciation like I do in English. But again their English is the best. And they don't even used proper speech. The way they talk is very vernacular....almost....heck, it's just straight up hood. They'd fit right in, here in the south. More than me even, but then again I know how to adapted to my surroundings. I can turn my "AAE" (African-American Ebonics) on and off depending on who my audience is. Like Sunday for explain surrounded by a whole bunch of kin folk. Oh no. You better believe I wasn't watchin my words in that atmosphere. But, I digress. Back to Big Bang.

I like the way the members looked.

G-Dragon seems to be stepping back to the normal side, kinda. I really liked his hair in this video and I don't know why.

TOP looked down right sexy. Don't ask. I just don't know myself right now. Normally I don't go for guys who smoke, but there's always an exception to every rule. And notice the little red streaks in his hair when you watch (if you haven't already). Aren't they cute?

Taeyang is sporting that little mohawk thingy, as always. Personally, I think he would look better without it cause it doesn't do much, but just make his head look pointy. It doesn't matter, I suppose. He still has a good voice. That's all I really look for. I don't expect much eye candy from him.

Seungri is interesting in my opinion. I know he looks good. I know it, but all I ever see when I look at him is ok. He's ok (boy if anyone ever actually read my blog, I'd probably get serious flames for that comment). He kept himself together in this video though. He did his thing with the rest of the members and that's really what counts.

Daesung looked really good and let me just say I'm proud of him for that. I normally only remember him as the guy who just can't seem to open his eyes. Don't think that's racist or anything. It comes from a misunderstanding I had while watching Big Bang on Intimate Note. Anyway, he was playing up the sex and I saw it. And I could really hear the power of his voice in this song, which really adds to the sex appeal.

But hey don't take my word for any of this stuff. Good check it out for yourself and if you already have. Check it out again. Yea, its that good :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_4RtpVVaw

Enjoy!

Bonamana

I don't think I've expressed yet how completely and utterly proud I am of my Suju boys right now. Bonamana is an amazing song, and I even have this as my current Twitter status, but I still haven't been able to figure out if I like the song, because it's just awesome, Suju's just awesome, or both. I think it's both. I'm going to learn the dance to it even though it looks really complicated.

Miina, which is the Korean name of the song, means beauty, but I've yet to figure out what Bonamana means, if it means anything. But what's in a name? For now it matters not. What does matter, however, is this list of hopes and wishes I have for the success of Bonamana and Super Junior.

1. I hope that Bonamana blows every other come back song/album out the water in both success and sells.

2. I wish Bonamana was still trending on Twitter. When I saw it last some girl marked it at 36 hours, but I know it was much longer than that. It had a good run. I hope it'll start trending again. ELFs, where ya'll at!!?!

3. I wish Hankyung could be a part of Bonamana and SJ-Funky (hehe, funky), but I know that wherever he is in China, he is happy and proud of his fellow Suju members.

4. I wish SM would wise up and stop pissing people off. Make the Bonamana promotion a world tour. Heck, forget the world. Just come to America (east side, say what?).

5. I wish that Henry and Zhou Mi could be added to Suju-Funky. Kangin's doing military service. He's gonna be gone for two years. And I've counted Kibum gone since before Super Show 2, the jerk. With Suju-M on hiatus what else have they got to do.

*6.* I hope that Suju stays Suju for a long time, because what would my life be like without the world's largest boyband in it to make me laugh, cry, smile, scream, and totally spaz out fangirling. Sad! That's what it'd be. One sad life. Ha. I kid, but seriously let me put it like this...

If and when that time comes (cause nothing last forever. i have to accept that) I will morn the breakup of Suju like the loss of a good friend. And personally I blame technology for the fact that I can feel so close to guys that are literally on the other side of the planet and at the same time I'm not complaining. Honestly speaking I love these guys and I love their music. So please, if you're as big of an ELF as I am, or at least you think you are (lol), then share with me your hopes and dreams for Bonamana, and how you really feel about Super Junior.

Bonamana Fighting!!
Super Junior Fighting!!

Korean Music On Demand.....Is it here to say?

UGH!! Big fat yes? I hope it's a big fat yes. Last friday I blogged about my sister discovering Super Junior's Sorry Sorry Answer On Demand. Well, a couple of days later I once again get another excited text from her about her discovery of 2PM's Heartbeat and SHINee's Ring Ding Dong. And there are many more. However, after going to the internet about this interesting little phenomenon I discovered that this event is nothing new. It's apart of an even bigger event known as APAHM or Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Comcast has been doing this in recognition/celebration of the event for I, think it was, the past two years. Sooo....if APAHM is the case then will I be able to find Japanese music on On Demand? Chinese? Thai? How about that good ol' Tagalog for your pleasure, hmm?

These are questions that I don't have the answer to, because I am currently not in the vicinity of a TV with Comcast, sadly. One thing I wonder though is that if this awesomely cool access to K-music is because of APAHM doesn't that mean that after May all the music will go away :'( ? Aish, least we not think about this until necessary. My advice to everyone, and myself, is too watch as much of it as possible (without frying any brain cells) and just be happy that it's here. Hooray if it's here to stay. Na oetteokhae if it's not. We could always: A) Be thankful that it was here to begin with and look forward to next May or to a world in general that's ready to accept kpop for the awesomeness that it is or B) Storm Comcast with petitions for why they should make kpop available all day everyday. Sound good? Well you diehards can grab your track shoes and clipboards. I've already established the fact that I'm not nearly as motivated as I need to be. I'm not into all that leg work, but contact me if or when you need a signature. I'll either be right here, laptop in hand, or somewhere dancin it out to Bonamana.

Blog Reformation

Not even a week into my summer vacation, or just about a week into it, I've had a bit of time to think about the future of this blog and what I want to do with it. At first I wanted it to be this broad thing about everything Korean Entertainment had to offer people and how it's expanding and starting to affect the entire world (mostly America). However, there was kind of a big hole in that mindset i.e. me and what I like. On a regular basis I'm not exposed to the entire k-wave thing. Heck, I don't even care about all of it. I care about what I care about and from now on that's how I'm going to write. No more trying to inform or entertain others. This blog is simply going to be about the parts of k-ent that I enjoy. No more structure either. I'm not always the most motivated person. I only write when I'm inspired to write, when I'm not I don't.....meaning I could post anywhere from twice a day to twice a month. It all depends. Sporadic I know, but humor me. And with that I sign off by officially welcoming you to K-Wave My Way formally known as Korean Wave Anyone. Hope this journey proves more exciting than the last.

Sorry Sorry Answer On Demand

Hello my peoples. I know that I said that the next post to go up would be one of your choosing (and wouldn't involved SM artists), but I just had to write this quick fast and in a hurry. Early this week my sister called me utterly ecstatic with the news that she found the video for Sorry Sorry Answer under All Videos M-Z on Comcast's On Demand. Of course the first thing I wanted to do was share the news, but this week I had finals :'( Doesn't matter, though. I'm free now. YES!!!!
So what does this event mean for the Korean Wave? Everything! It's more proof that this thing is real and that it's not going anyway. So for all of you Comcast subscribes hop on over there to On Demand and watch Super Junior's Sorry Sorry Answer before it expires. For the poor deprived souls who are without Comcast and in turn unable to celebrate in this stepping stone for the advancement of the K-wave, the video is linked below for you all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a507jISnumU

Enjoy!!