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.

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.

K-pop Blondies, the Good and the Bad

Blonde hair, it can either be the most amazing thing that can happen to an idol's head or it could make you want to throw liberal amounts of hair dye at them in the hopes that they will use it to change their hair back to an acceptable color.

Not too long ago on Allkpop there was an article about a writer's favorite blonde haired idols which got me thinking, who are my favorite blonde idols? And then, more importantly, who are the people who should never, ever, be blonde again (and if it does happen, their stylist should be shot)?

The Good 

Gongchan - Beautiful Target Japanese Version  

Gongchan isn't my favorite member of B1A4, that goes to CNU, but I still really like him. He has grown into his face recently and he has a really versatile look. One minute he can be the cutest thing ever and the next he's got his smolder on and looking all mature and jailbate-y. Is he still jailbate? I don't actually know and I don't care enough to look it up. I don't think he is.........

Hyuk - Hyde

Blonde Hyuk, was the best Hyuk. His blonde was really complimentary to his skin tone so it didn't wash him out like some other people who will be on the bad list. I think that Hyde was also the time that Hyuk started to look more adult like than in previous videos. The baby's growing up and he is doing it well.

Sungmin - Sexy Free and Single 

There have been quite a few blondies in Super Junior but my favorite bottle blond in Sungmin. Yes, even with my great love for Heechul and Enhyuk who have also been blonde Sungmin pulls it off the best. I think that it is because Sungmin is already adorable and the blonde adds to that cute innocence that seems to follow him everywhere.

Dara - Falling in Love 

Everyone here knows that Dara is a goddess right? Good. I know that CL is the blonde of the group and she looks mighty fine with her honey hair but Dara looked amazing in this video. Her blonde hair with that white dress and gold jewelry was stunning. She was glowing and I could probably go on but I'll save everyone from that embarrassment and stop here.

PO - Nillili Mambo 

Like Dara, P.O. is not the blonde of the group, that title would normally go to Zico and while I like Zico's blonde hair, I like it better when he has more of a chocolate color like in "Tell Them", post dreads. His hair was so fluffy and beautiful then. I do kind of miss the dreads though, he rocked them. I loved P.O.'s long blonde hair during this era though, even when he had it down, kind of. That middle part was questionable, but then again what middle part isn't questionable?

The Bad 

Kyuhyun - Don't Don 

"Don't Don" was a dark time for Kyuhyun. First, he almost dies in that horrible car accident and is unable to promote with the rest of the group and then to add insult to injury SM poured a bottle bleach on his head. This hair is too light for his face and there are artistic dark roots to go along with the song's J-rock concept. I really liked this song, but I do not like what it did to Kyuhyun's hair.

Taemin - Lucifer Japanese Version 

Yes, I am aware that this isn't a flattering picture of Taemin, but I feel that if you need makeup and lighting in order for you hair to work with your face, something is wrong with that. His hair and his face are similar colors and it is making him look sick and gaunt. Taemin can look good with light hair but it needs to be a brown or red blonde. No more single tone light blondes on Taemin's head SM!

Gain - Bloom 

I wouldn't say this was bad in the same sense that Taemin is bad, but Gain definitely doesn't have the same appeal when she is blonde. In "Bloom" she was going for a more innocent look and it matched all the pastels in the video, but for me Gain should always be black. She is this powerful woman that pushes the boundaries that are set around her and I don't feel like she can do that with blonde hair.

Jaehyo - Jackpot

Luckily for the actually video he had silver/grey hair which I did like, but during the "5 Minutes Before Chaos" promotions he had this super weird blonde hair going on. It was also styled quite terriblely in one of the teasers too which made it look even worse.

And there you have it people who rock a blonde head and those who do not. I can think of quite a few others who I like blonde or with white hair but not as many who I don't like, what do you think?

~ 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. 

Kyuhyun

Kyuhyun is the maknae (youngest member) of the Korean boy group Super Junior. He is known as the 'evil maknae' because he is always making fun and being disrespectful to his hyungs. (older members).

When I was going to school I introduced a friend to Super Junior and it was so funny watching and helping her to learn all 13 + 2 members of Super Junior. She, in the end, chose Kyuhyun her favorite member and the doll that she wanted. The costume that she chose for him comes from the Super Junior M (a sub group) music video Perfection.

I really enjoyed making him and I also got to use printed felt for the first time, even if it is a little baby amount for his tie/scarf thing. The part that gave me the most trouble were those little circles that he has on his lapels. In the end I discovered that if I tied some silver thread around the end of a chopstick, I was able to produce the prefect sized circle and glue it on. I think that this may be one of the few dolls that I have nothing to complain about. Success!