Super Junior Magic MV and Album Review

I'm seeing a pattern in my actions. Something comes out that I am interested in and I decide "Okay! This is my moment to start blogging again!" Then I get all pumped up and nothing comes from it. Hopefully the third time is the charm though. I am finding that recently I have started to fall into a funk and I think that it is because I don't have very many creative outlets here in Korea. I don't have a piano, I can't make dolls, and there isn't a pool that I can get to easily. I have loved living in Korea but I think that I will be glad to go back to the states when the the times comes.

All that being said, this blog I'm realizing is the easiest way to be creative that I have at the moment and even now as I write down my thoughts I am already feeling better about life. I guess that means I should start writing about things again!

Super Junior Devil MV and Album Review

I have been taking a mental health break and even though Super Junior's song and album have been out for a week now, I don't even care, I'm going to write about it because it was awesome! On to the post!

It's Super Junior's 10th anniversary (almost)! I have only been around for the last four years of it but it has been a really good four years for me. I had to do a lot of catching up and there was a lot of history to learn, but it was totally worth it. I am a little jealous of those E.L.F.s who have been around since 2005 because they really got to see SuJu grow as a group while my time has been like a lightning round.

Donghae and Eunhyuk The Beat Goes On Album Review

This album starts with the song it's named for "The Beat Goes On" and there are quite a few beats going on in this song. This is like something that SM would have released last year or the year before or maybe even a reject f(x) song. This song is all over the place and sometimes Frankenstein songs can be fun but this song isn't so much fun as it is just generally confusing. There are some good moments, but collectively, it's just a hot mess.

But, then, glory hallelujah we get to "Growing Pains" which I am obsessed with. This is a beautiful song and I'm going to listen to this and just pretend that first song never happened.  I love the guitar and the piano and the transition from the simpler versus to the large sound of the chorus. I also really liked Eunhyuk's rap. Yes to everything here.

Donghae and Eunhyuk Growing Pains MV Review

I am pretty sure that there are two Donghae and Eunhyuks. There are the crazy people who promote in Japan and wear bright suits and sing about motorcycles and wear questionable costumes and then there are the Donghae and Eunhyuk who release more relaxed and adult songs and videos in Korea. I mean seriously they go from this

Super Junior Evanesce MV Review

So much Super Junior! I love it and Super Junior comebacks seem extra special to me because they are always doing individual promotions or subunit things so to see everyone together makes my little E.L.F heart happy. I'm not going to say that I am unhappy with the song selections for the repackage, but I did think that it was weird that they didn't make new songs like they usually do. I have come to the realization why though and even though it makes me sad, I have accepted it.

Super Junior Mamacita MV Review

How's the song? 

I would like to begin this post by saying that this might be the best thing that SM has done for Super Junior in a long time. It took me a while to warm up to "Sexy, Free, and Single" and I don't really like "Swing" but I think that this song is awesome. It is has a different than what they have done in the past and I quite like it.

Speaking of "Swing" I have seen some people asking why the E.L.F's are so excited because it's not like Super Junior has been dead for two years. There have been two Super Junior M albums plus the Japanese album that they have done since Sexy, Free, and Single, but you don't understand. Super Junior M is Super Junior M, not Super Junior. Not that I wouldn't be 100% with Zhou Mi and Henry becoming full Super Junior members, but the groups are different. Also, a Japanese album is in Japanese and it wasn't all new things. So, there's a difference, okay? You'll just have to trust me.

Super Junior Mamacita Album Review

Just so you are all aware, this week is going to be the week of Super Junior, so if you don't like them, I would stay away from here for the next few days. I haven't had any new Super Junior for two years so I am latching on to this like the fangirling leech that I try to never be.

I think that I can pretty non biasedly say that this album is really good because I can also say that I didn't love the Sexy, Free, and Single album. I didn't buy that album right away and for a while considered only buying a few songs namely "Gulliver" and "Butterfly" because those songs are awesome. I did eventually buy it though and I like it, but it isn't my favorite album they have ever done.

Super Junior Mamacita MV Teaser Review

Hey! I definitely haven't posted anything in about two weeks now but that is not to say that I haven't written anything, I just haven't posted anything. I've been feeling a little uninspired and if I started something, I would decide that it was crap and push it aside and eventually erased the whole draft.

I think that the inspiration could be flowing soon though with the release of Super Junior's teaser and the video that will be coming out! Even with my great love for all things Block B and VIXX, Super Junior will always have a special place in my heart because they were my first group. Heechul will also always be my number one bias, I don't care what anyone says or who comes along, it will always be Heechul.

Donghae and Eunhyuk Still You

How's the song? 

I was in a bit of a dilemma as to what to do today. I liked Junghyun's solo debut "Flower", I considered doing a Christmas song themed post, I also thought about dropping K-pop until the new year, and then this song came out. I think that I am feeling a little burnt out lately with the holidays and the fact that I don't know what I am doing with my life and it's stressing me out a little and I also have been obsessed with Golden Rainbow lately and I have 16 episodes to catch up on.

Then at the last minute decided to do this, and it really is last minute since it came out yesterday. Write like the wind!!

After watching this video I have decided that it needs a new title, that new title is "Donghae and Eunhyuk's Love Story in London". I think that it is funny that SM knows that the highest shipped pairing after HanChul was no more is EunHae. I really like the songs that Eunhyuk and Donghae put out though. This one is quite different from the dance tracks that they have put out too.

This seems to be the year of artsy fartsy travel abroad videos with BAP and VIXX also doing their own versions of this same idea. This also means that Donghae and Eunhyuk get more singing time! Yay! Donghae is more of a singer than a rapper anyways, but Eunhuyk is the rapper, but he does have a nice voice. It makes me happy when I hear Shindong and Eunhyuk getting to sing in songs because they both can sing, but they don't get the chance to very often. I feel the same way when Yesung gets to be in the front during dances because he can dance as well as sing.  

How's the video? 

Donghae and Eunhyuk have successfully escaped the SM box set! They actually got to leave Korea too! What is happening? Is the next year going to mark a change in the way that SM does things? Probably not, but one can hope. The colors were all very pretty and muted too, it was wonderful! Sometimes the cameras were a little heavy handed with the filters, but it did fit since the video is about them walking about London and always missing each other, even though they are singing about a girl. Right~. Let's look at pretty pictures!

Something that really confused me about this video is who is the owner of the hat? Donghae has it first and almost wears it out, but then changes his mind and tosses it on the bed.

Then Eunhyuk comes in and sees a hat on his bed that he doesn't seem to recognize. How did Donghae throw that hat through time and space onto Eunhyuk's bed? I assume they aren't staying together because if they were, then they wouldn't be looking for each other.

While Eunhyuk is out, he drops the hat, and I'm confused whether he does it once or twice. On the possible second time though, Donghae finds it. Does Donghae know that it's Eunhyuk's hat? Was it a gift to Eunhyuk delivered through a time vortex, or is he wondering how his hat ended up on the streets of London?

The two eventually find each other  and Donghae puts the hat on Eunhyuk's head because another name for this song could be "PDA by EunHae".

How's the styling? 

I'm not a swearer, but the first thing that popped into my head when I say one of Eunhyuk's outfits was literally "What the hell are you wearing?"

Seriously, who thought that this was a good idea. That hat looks like the animal that it was made out of has come back to life and is taking its revenge on Eunhyuk's head. Then, what is that shirt? Why? It is red sequined leopard, plus it is incredibly shapeless and long. And then the stylists HAD to put on one more little accessory on his hip with that chain. Why? Why! This outfit has literally nothing to do with the video. It doesn't go with anything and it actually makes me mad because it's so awkward.

On a happier note, Donghae and Eunhyuk are totally wearing couple scarves. You're really pushing this aren't you SM?

Is the dance super amazing? 

No dance here amazingly considering that Eunhyuk is the dancer of Super Junior and Donghae is also one of the main dancers. 

Which member owned it? 

Since this is a duo everything is very even camera and music wise. That's one reason that I'm glad Eunhyuk is in this duo. He's also in the three other sub groups: M, T, and H. He and Shindong are larger players in H, but it is nice to see him in a duo like this. He is also my favorite member after Heechul, so there is that too.

Did the English make you ears bleed? 

So, amazingly, the English in this song is pretty good. I heard all of it without reading any subs and the pronunciation is pretty good too. I'm always hesitant about SM and their English abilities since they are usually train wrecks, which seems weird considering all the people who are English as a first language speakers and all the others who have learned English.

Another reason that Super Junior's English especially scares me is because I always think of their show Full House and the English lesson and the trip to English Village. 

And then there's Donghae pretending to know what the waiter is saying. Don't be silly Donghae, you have no idea what is going on. Maybe the waiter will music with you.

What else is happening? 

A lot of stuff happened, but you're going to have to find it on your own.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays!!!

~ Alora

Attack on the Pin Up Boys

I don't think that anyone can call themselves a true ELF if they haven't seen this movie. It was made during the golden years of thirteen members and all it is is about an hour and a half of fan service. I can't remember how I came upon the movie, but after I watched I gathered the rest of the F4Plus1 and forced them to watch it. I was the biggest K-pop fan at the time so they didn't fully appreciate it like I did, but now that they are more into K-pop, they have re-watched it and love it. 

Our story starts out with our two main characters, I guess you could call them, Kibum and Donghae. Kibum has recently quit the student council because Siwon is driving him nuts and Donghae wants to enter a b-boy contest to help him get into college. The best part about this is that Heechul is the leader of this dance group.

As they talk, Donghae tells Kibum that the lead singer of a band has been attacked. Kibum then begins to think about the other attacks that have been going around. The first victim was flower boy Sungmin.

He sparkles, of course he does

Sungmin is the pretty boy at his high school who always get love confessions and when he opens his locker (which has stickers that say SM Ent on it), it spits mountains of candy at him. As he is walking home with all of the gifts that he was given that day, he hears something. When he turns around to see who it is he is hit with a bag of poo.

I felt a loud unending scream piercing nature ~ Munch

Then we meet sporty flower boy Hangeng.

 He is also attacked after school when he is walking home.

Oh my gosh, close your mouth!

Our last victim if rocker flower boy Yesung, he is the person that Donghae mentioned in the beginning and the most recent person attacked.

Again, close your mouth! Gross!

Through some deduction, Detective Kibum decides that the next person to be attacked will probably be from the school that he is attending. Donghae tells him that he thinks that the next person will either be Kangin, Heechul, or Siwon. Let the games begin.

Part cyborg part Sith lord

Narcissistic as ever

Master of the ippon move

As the movie continues, no one, of course wants to get hit by a bag of poo, except for maybe Heechul. Kangin thinks that he is an idiot for promoting himself on his blog, but Eunhyuk says that he is the smart one, not Kangin. Whoever gets hit by poo is the one that the attacker thinks is the coolest person in the school. Therefore, poo = coolness. That makes total sense right?  

Kangin decides to take his own pictures and it is not cute, even if he tries really hard to look that way.

Heechul, trying to get another step ahead of Kangin, decides that the world needs to see his body. His plan is to take his pants off and have Shindong take a picture. Donghae is totally against this idea which starts a very awkward, yet very funny, wrestling match between 'pants down' Heechul and 'pants up' Donghae.

I hate writing about endings in movie reviews. When you know how something ends, it takes away the fun of getting there for there for the person who hasn't seen it. That being said, I think that I'll end right there plot wise. 

Something that I really like about this movie is that all the members' characters are kind of like hyperbolized versions of themselves. Siwon is the strong and silent one, Heechul is crazy and narcissistic, Shindong is the fat, funny buffoon, Sungmin is sparkly and full of aegyo, and Kangin is the strong brash one just to name a handful.

There are three scenes in this drama that I want to mention before I close this post:

One scene that really plays to the ELFs watching is when Heechul and Kangin are at Kangin's Aunt Mae's house. "Rokkugo" is playing in the background and Kangin makes a remark saying "What kind of music is this?". They also comment on Sungmin's popularity after being hit and Heechul read somewhere that he is now dating BoA. BoA is in the same entertainment company as Super Junior and is their Sunbae.  

This isn't a scene but a person. How wonderful was Ryeowook in this movie? There are really no words to describe his character, it is something that you just have to see. He was so funny and he actually got to show that side of himself because whenever you see him on variety shows, he kind of quiet, but totally adorable.

The last part I want to mention is the musical number at the end, because who doesn't love a good musical number? Especially when it showcases a panda.

This movie doesn't try to be anything it is not. They are fully aware that they are making something for the fans and that its purpose is to be lighthearted and stupidly funny, and they did their job. It is sad that Kyuhyun isn't in the movie and that Leetuk is only in it for about two seconds, but Super Junior is still Super Junior no matter how many members there are.

What am I watching?

Nail Salon Paris - ASDFGHJKL Yeah, I think that sums up what I feel right now

Dating Agency: Cyrano - This drama continues to impress and Gong Yoo is the next celebrity cameo!

Cruel Palace: War of the Flowers - This can also be described with a ASDFGHJKL, but this is a good computer smash. Things are starting to go down! Not that they haven't been since episode one, but still.....

Full House - Finally finished. I have said a lot of cruel things to my computer while watching this drama. More on that next week.