[WG] KpopHeaven Wonder Party Album

     This was by far the best $14 I ever spent on an album. Given that it wasn't a full album, I wasn't expecting much but boy was I surprised. As a Wonder Girls fan, it's a given that I like the album no matter how unpopular it is right? Wrong! This album just might be my favorite album so far. I loved every single song on the album [except maybe The DJ Is Mine but that was released before so it was on this album for the Korean fans].

20 postcards instead of a photobook. I think this is $15 well-spent. Has anyone solved all the math problems in big bang's still alive album?

     The best park of the album was definitely the 20 photo cards set instead of a flimsy photobook. My sister got Big Bang's Still Alive at the same time and I can guarantee I was a lot happier than her. My only complaint was that I got really upset at the quality of Lim's individual photos. They were really blurry. But that's the company's fault, although it would be a little overboard if they just threw away all the messed up postcards [*cough* BAP's album]. This Wonderful was not a happy camper.

*It's a good thing Sohee came out beautifully.

     On the other hand, these official kpop-merchandise selling websites take shipping and handling seriously. No scratches or dents on my album thanks to the endless bubble-wrap. And can I just say, I got a little addicted to the smell of the new plastic-rubber material used to case the cd and postcards. It kind of reminded me of the floating tube things I used as a kid in the pool. I thought it was pretty neat to shape the case like an envelope so it's like you're getting an invitation to "Wonder Party". Clever. I see what you did there JYPE.

     I also got the poster to go with it so that I could get free shipping. And my bonus gift was T.O.P.! Now that's a good deal. Although I never imagined the promo posters would be so small...but still worth it.

     Now for the songs on the album, as I stated earlier, I love all of them. Wonder Girls definitely came back with a new image this time. I loved the concept because it was so fresh and new. I also thought that a lot of the songs didn't exactly give off a Kpop vibe right away. My favorite song off the album is probably Sorry and I say "probably" because I like all the songs and it's hard for me to choose.

     I've seen a lot of Wonderfuls say how thankful they are to the guy who dumped Yeeun because it really made her pump out some amazing songs [check out WG's performance of Yeeun's song Stay Together]. In particular, Girlfriend, from this album was definitely a good piece for them to perform for their comeback stages. The track is a slow ballad about a girl who is still in love with her ex and can’t accept that he has another girlfriend. Their soft vocals also help express the pain of the girl in the song. Yoobin’s rapping is especially a new style that I’ve never heard from her before. And I can say this proudly as a Wonderful, Sohee's voice is perfect in this song. It fits well, and when they perform it on stage, it's flawless. Check out their performance from their comeback stages.

If you haven't already gotten the album, I suggest you do so quickly. Check out KpopHeaven and its awesome sales here!

[DR] Soulmate - Episode 1 ★★★★☆

This is definitely one of my all-time favorite dramas. I remember there was some major controversy over whether this qualified as a drama or a sitcom. And the end result of the argument meant no season 2. TT_TT

Anyway, since this is my 4th or 5th time watching, I decided to finally write a review. Bare with me, I love this show so I might show some bias.

For the opening, our leading lady, Soo Kyung is introduced. She has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Philip for 5 years now and is presented with a proposal…on the subway. Definitely not every girls’ dream proposal and certainly not hers either, but under the pressure of the unwanted audience she feels like she has no choice but to accept. However,  it really seemed like she was in love with the guy so I was really confused as to why she was so against the proposal.

Later on, she has her little dream sequence where she tries to figure out what exactly was so wrong with the proposal. Was it the location? The ring? Or Philip? At this point, I kind of get the idea that she might be a character much like our beloved Chu Ga Eul from Boys Before Flowers who is just waiting for the right guy [SPOILER: and ends up with a playboy].

Now back up a little and we have our main guy, a playboy, Dongwook. His first scene is with Yoojin and their setting seems to be a blind date. Seeing her proper etiquette and manners does not get him too excited about the relationship so he excuses himself, only to discover Yoojin’s spying mom. Poor girl, you can already tell that she has no sense of independence. Seizing the opportunity, Dongwook takes Yoojin out to eat some not so formal dinner. He finds her sudden change and enjoyment of street-food far more attractive.

Now we also have a little side pairing which involves Yoojin’s roommate, Min Ae, and Ryo Hei, who happens to be Dong Wook’s friend. They’re not as interesting because I can already sense a bunch of future problems for this couple because Ryohei is a sweet sincere guy where Min Ae is the female version of Dong Wook except a real player.

By the way, isn’t it rather convenient that all the actors use their real [first] names for the characters? And another pleasant surprise is comedian Park Myung Soo’s recurring appearance as a poor victim of Yoojin’s trial and error conversion. And he would be incomplete without his ever-so-famous “YA YA YA!” line. Now I’m seeing the comedy in this “sitcom”.

Anyways back to Sookyung who has given up hope on finding fault with the proposal. I think she’s just not ready to commit to the relationship she invested 5 years in. And Philip seems to be in the same boat by the end of the episode. So anyway, she falls asleep and another dream starts except when it ends, it shows Dongwook.

What just happened? He had a dream about her? But they’ve never met, right?

Well, his discussion of the dream with his gym buddies clarifies a lot and also foreshadows some future events [well the dream did the most foreshadowing on its own]. So they say that when you dream about someone, they have the same dream at the same time. Makes sense, considering they showed Sookyung at the beginning and Dongwook after it was over.

Now Yoojin here seems to be the only problem, I’m already not liking her. I think Dongwook shouldn’t get so deep into a relationship with a girl like her. It will be harder for him to break it off after he finds out his experiment failed.

I’m glad they put some thought into Sookyung’s depression. When you’re depressed in Korea, Soju and Noraebang is the medicine to those mental wounds. And what karaoke scene is certified as a karaoke scene without the most popular karaoke song: Bogoshipda [Stairway to Heaven OST] although I don’t think I would have recognized it if it wasn’t the lyrics. And can I just say, Sookyung’s analysis of the song that her senior was singing [Millionaire’s First Love clips were playing in the back but I don’t recognize the song] was quite a load of fun as well.

“As I walk on this road of life, there is one thing that I must do.”
Sookyung: What the heck does this person have to do? Does Anyone know? No! You know why? Because it doesn’t say what that person “must do” in the song at all!
“Though I stand on the windy plains of life alone, I am not lonely.”
Sookyung: Why does the author of the lyrics all of a sudden tell us that he’s not lonely? What the heck happened to the thing he “must do”?
“But when the pine needles fall, so too, do I shed my tears.”
Sookyung: What the heck is the “but” for? It doesn’t have anything to do with the previous sentence!

After she finally breaks down, we know now what her problem is, she doesn’t know what she “must do.” And now, things will start to unfold. From the preview of the next episode, I sense that this will be like a farce where they just barely miss each other. I guess that’s what defines “fate” these days.

Make sure you check this out with full English subs and in High Quality only on Dramafever! Seriously, I checked out other sites and since this is from 2006, the quality sucks everywhere else but dramafever makes it look like it just came out in the past 2-3 years. Plus the subs are of good quality too. Truly, one of the most underrated shows of all time.

[RR] Asian Celebrity Look-Alikes Round 3 [Siblings Edition]

     This list is a little different from rounds 1 and 2 because this special edition is for celebrity siblings. And yes, all of these siblings seem to have inherited the same good-looking genes.

     To start off our list, we have the Park siblings, who are none other than 2NE1's SNS queen Sandara Park and her brother Cheondung from MBLAQ.

     Next up is another MBLAQ member, the maknae in particular, Mir with his sister, actress Go Eun Ah. I didn't notice just how much they looked alike until I saw her in Kpop: The Ultimate Audition. And let me tell you, the kiss scenes were so awkward for that very reason.

     For this next pairing, we have Go Eun Ah's co-star from Kpop: The Ultimate Audition, Park Yoohwan who happens to be JYJ member Yoochun's brother. And boy do they both share the same cute dimple smile.

     Since we're on the topic of JYJ members, the next pairing is Junsu with his brother Junho [Zuno]. Despite being fraternal twins, as siblings they still share plenty of similar facial features.

     While we're still on idols, let me introduce this pair of successful siblings. Here we have SS501's maknae, Kim Hyungjoon, and former U-Kiss [and Xing] member Kibum [or Marumir]. Both have branched off successfully from their respective groups and are now working together in the business.

     Now let's move onto the siblings who are more active in the acting realm of the industry. Here we have Ha Ji Won with her brother Jeon Tae Soo. Jeon Tae Soo might be more well-known for his antagonist roles in Sung Kyun Kwan Scandal and It's Okay Daddy's Girl, in both of which he did a great job. However, he was soon enveloped in a scandal involving him assaulting a taxi driver and police officers while being under the influence of alcohol, after which he withdrew from the limelight to engage in more community service.

     Now we have another Hallyu actress, Kim Tae Hee, and her brother, Lee Wan. Both siblings worked in Stairway to Heaven together, where Lee Wan played the younger version of Tae Hwa [Shin Hyun Joon's character which is actually Kim Tae Hee's character's brother. Coincidence?].

Now let's open up the floor to the siblings who are supposed to look very much alike, twins! First of all, I'm really sorry if I mislabeled any of the twins. I'm not familiar with all of them so I get them mixed up too. 

     To start off the list we have Huh Gak [Super Star K2] and his twin Huh Gong [The Voice Korea]. Huh Gong went on a strict diet to lose weight so people could differentiate between him and his brother. He also has a birthmark next to his eyebrow.

     Second on the list are the mysterious twins, who have just recently been "discovered". It's none other than Bang Yongguk and his twin Yongnam. Bang Yongguk has mentioned being a twin a few times since his debut but netizens have finally located his twin and there are pictures to prove it to all you non-believers. I wonder if his twin is as violence-loving as Yongguk.

     Next up we have former T-Ara member Hwayoung and her twin, Co-Ed member Hyoyoung. Hyoyoung showed a lot of support for her sister during her controversy with T-Ara and Core Contents Media.

     Another pair of well-known twins in the idol world are Boyfriend's Youngmin and Kwangmin. They have been active in the entertainment world since an early age.

     Another pair of twins from the same group are rookie duo Tasty's Soryong and Daeryong. Both of them are great dancers.

     Oh no, it seems like YG’s renowned Kwon twins made it onto the list again! I defintely can't tell them apart which is why I didn't label them.

BONUS!

     Finally, for our last pair we have, not siblings, but cousins. Kim Kibum [yes, another one] might be more well-known as a Super Junior member though he's inactive these days, but he has actually been acting for quite some time. Shin Dong Wook on the other hand is a full time actor. And if you haven't seen his drama, Soulmate [arguably a sitcom], then I recommend you check it out because it is still one of my all time favorites.

EXTRA BONUS!

     Another pair of cousins where you can tell they're related consists of former Fly to the Sky member Hwanhee and his cousin, actor Lee Jang Woo.

Did I miss any other siblings that look strikingly similar?

[RR] Gurupop Show Episode 4 - BAP Review

Here's my review of the show and if you haven't already seen it, I recommend you do. The best thing about this show is that San E and Daniel do all the translating for you.

"Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she shits." - San E [3:00]

     With every episode I realize how much more comfortable our “number 1 oppas” are getting with their mc positions. Congratulations on completing one month with the show! 

     In the opening, I thought the tongue twisters were a fun addition, especially since we get to see our English experts Daniel and San E struggling with it. Another segment I really like is when San E and Daniel go over the celebrity tweets. It kind of becomes my only means of catching up with what celebrities are up to. And I love how San E always shows his love for the JYP Nation members [except at the end of this episode where he said Girls Day would be their first female guests]. I loved the music video choices of this week as well. All the songs that came out recently are really good.

     And here’s comes BAP with the results of  the most mother-like members of the group. Himchan came out on top, which I totally expected since I voted for him too. And he also started BAP’s catch-phrase of the day: VICTORY! He was followed by Youngjae, Yongguk, Zelo, Daehyun, and JongUp. This episode really makes last place look like a “victory.” Jongup was given a “happy meal” to go with his cushion seat. Zelo on the other hand looked like he was squished up in his seat with his super long legs. BAP’s self-introductions were short and sweet and we also got a preview of their English skills. Also later on we found out just how many languages BAP members know [at least they can say short phrases] and it wasn‘t just the ordinary ones you would expect so I was shocked.

     As a fan of BAP, we all know their individual talents so I was really glad that there was a special segment for Himchan to showcase his talent in traditional music. And I couldn’t help but notice how genuinely shocked San E oppa looked after his short performance. 

     Sadly, there’s always last minute changes in the order of activities during the show which always leaves our mcs a little bit flustered but I think they’re getting better at handling it. It must get confusing for the guests too. Thankfully, this little blunder was followed by some freestyle from Yongguk.

     Some fans are so lucky because they get their comments read aloud to the artists. And the idols are usually happy with what they hear. And we all know how anti-aegyo Yongguk is but with their latest song, Crash, he performed a cute dance. 

     I realized how many of the questions/wishes were similar to each other but I’m glad they asked some good questions during this episode. BAP also managed to carefully give intelligent answers especially to the one about the tattoos and piercing. Their ideas for a date were really cute too. As a girl, I was impressed. And finding out little things like what they just bought recently were interesting facts so thank you Alyssa, who asked the question. Although I think it felt a little unnatural when they were asked to name their favorite girl group song. It seemed like they named Secret because they’re under the same company or to help promote for Secret’s comeback. IU and BoA were also mentioned but it was really funny how they didn’t even know the lyrics to their “supposed” favorite songs.

     Now my favorite segment is always the balloon fight. It was a great idea to add the weapon choosing portion. Who would’ve thought the fly swatter and the flip flop would turn out to be the greatest weapons? Youngjae must have been so disappointed that he broke the hammer. Another segment I really enjoy is the learning Korean part. Himchan’s “daebak shireuda” was hilarious whereas Zelo’s was really adorable. 

     The highlight of the episode was definitely when Daehyun kept stealing from JongUp’s happy meal, and his poker face when he was caught by the camera. Also San E's little blunder at the beginning with the tongue twister had me laughing for a good 5 minutes. I couldn’t stop laughing at their antics throughout the show. And I can honestly say, it looked like BAP had a lot of fun on this episode since they were constantly laughing. 

*Make sure you watch the future episodes live! 

[RR] Asian Celebrity Look-Alikes Round 2

Here comes round 2 of celebrity "dopplegangers" with more variety and more familiar faces.

Starting off the list are 2 of the most well-known Hallyu stars. Bae Yong Joon and SS501's Kim Hyunjoong are both from Key East and share striking good-looks. Both are also talented actors well known for their roles in The Legend and Boys Before Flowers, respectively.

Next up is Vixx's Ravi and B1A4's Baro. Would you be able to tell who's who if they weren't labeled?

And here we have Big Bang's TOP and BAP's Himchan. For these two, all I can say is, "they have some really good genes." Both have piercing eyes that really sharpen their facial features.

Now, to add some girls on this list, we have Son Dambi and Lee Chae Young. Most people are probably familiar with Son Dambi as a solo artist [under Pledis] and also an actress. For those who don't know Chaeyoung though, she was a female host for Star Golden Bell for a while and also starred in Homme's MVs [8eight's Lee Hyun and 2AM's Changmin].

This next set consists of popular Korean actor Kim Jaewon, well known as Mr. Arrogant from 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant, and Taiwanese actor/singer Nicholas Teo [he's actually Malaysian-Chinese but works in Taiwan] from Smiling Pasta. And now you know why this is Asian Celebrity look-alikes and not just Korean.

All of you kpop/k-drama fans might not know this next pairing. Mint Chalida is a Thai actress and Sonarika Bhadoria is an Indian actress most recently known as Parvati in tv series Mahadev.

Is it possible for one group to have three members look really similar? In this case, I'm talking about SNSD's Yoona, Yuri and Seohyun. Hard to believe? Well it took me a long time to be able to differentiate between the three especially during their "Into the New World" days.

Now for the last pairing on this list, it's none other than Wonder Girls' Sohee and her fellow member Yubin's bff, After School's Uee. The similarities are probably in their mandoo cheeks and round eyes. I think their lips look some-what alike as well.

What do you think of this list? The next one will be a siblings edition!

[WTF?] Jessica pokes Yoona's butt?

Girls’ Generation Jessica‘s “naughty hands” have been attracting much attention online when a series of photos surfaced on an online community titled “Jessica’s naughty hands“.
In the photos, taken at the Yeosu Expo on August 25, Jessica quickly pokes at YoonA‘s behind with the pole end of a Korean flag. Surprised, YoonA turns around, but Jessica puts on a poker face when YoonA looks at her.
Netizens responded, “Jessica plays pranks like that too,” “Jessica’s naughty hands break her ‘Ice Princess’ image,” and “Not ‘Ice Princess’, but ‘Prank Princess’?”

 The comments on allkpop were not much different. SNSD is one of the hottest [not in terms of looks, but popularity] girl-groups in Korea so obviously there would be an influx of supportive comments. And these would be along the lines of "this is not the first or the last time" and "aw my yoonsic".


-_-


Not to be a hater or anything but I swear Korea has the biggest bias towards SNSD and it pisses me off. If say Jay Park or some other Korean-American/non-Korean was caught using the flag to poke someone's butt, they would have been viciously attacked by netizens for the inappropriate and disrespectful action.

I mean seriously, I'm not even Korean and I find that a little offensive and rude. It's hard to believe that all those over-reacting netizens are nowhere-to-be-seen. I call on you, mighty netizens, where the hell did you all go??? I usually hate netizens but come on, you're always an a** to other idols so give GG their fair share.

[cr to allkpop for the picture and news]

[WG] Wonder Girls Perform Unreleased Songs

     On September 4th, Wonder Girls had an interview with z100 and iHeart radio. Later in the evening they had a concert that was streamed live to viewers everywhere. Wonder Girls performed all of their greatest hits and even gave Wonderfuls a surprise. They performed 3 brand new songs that have never been heard or performed before. The first song was made by JYP and the second song was made by Yeeun. The first two songs are slow, whereas "Wake Up" is more of a dance track.

Ouch

Stay Together

Wake Up

In my opinion, I don't sense any bit of "KPOP" in these songs so I think the girls will do just fine easing into the US market.

What do you think of their new songs?