Darn maknaes growing up and becoming handsome! Who said you could do this Hyuk! Go be handsome somewhere else!
VIXX is back and once again they put out a good song. I don't think that I have ever been totally let down by a VIXX. True, I didn't love Love Equation, but that was a cover so that's not terribly important.
I know that this MV is suppose to tell this beautiful story about a man that is leaving his girlfriend because of Reasons and his inner self rebelling, but I could not take this video seriously and because of that I feel like my first listen of the song is tainted. What I view has a lot of do with how I feel about a video. I have watched a MV and liked the song but when I go to buy and listen to the short clip I realize that I didn't like the song as much as I liked the song AND the video.
I have learned since listening to this mini album that I am probably the only one who is totally amazed by the two songs because they aren't really "new" songs. I guess they were performed at the Hex Sign concert and since I have kind of gotten out of my concert video/variety show/candid stuff phase I didn't hear about it. I'm not too sad about that though because I got to hear the song "Memory" for the first time and I am OBSESSED with it. Like dang, it has been on repeat on Youtube since yesterday because it wasn't on iTunes when I checked, but now it is and I definitely need that song in my life.
This is definitely not a VIXX that we have seen in a while but it is still majorly cute if maybe a little cringe inducing, but it's definitely a video that makes you smile. After listening to the inspiration song, you know that this video will probably have a cute concept, but it's another thing entirely to see it. It's also videos like this that makes me wonder if Leo ever questions his life choices. He wasn't as awkward as I thought he would be though and Ken was obviously in his element the whole time this was filmed.
In a lot of the shots of this video I was also glad to see that VIXX looked like they were legitimately having fun. There is definitely a different between a fake smile and a real smile and there was a lot of real smiles happening in this video and that makes my heart happy. They K-pop industry is a scary place and it is good to see that there is some happiness up in there occasionally.
I liked a lot of comebacks this year. I think there were more than last year and that caused me problems in the beginning drafts. The post was too long, I ran out of label space, and the boys were crushing the girls because I generally like guy groups more than girl groups. In the end, the way that I chose which comeback to talk about is which groups do I really care about. There are comebacks I like from groups that I don't really listen to, so they were the first so go. So that means that TVXQ, Boyfriend, and god were out. Sorry guys. I didn't really want to, but I nixed U-KISS and CN Blue too. I loved those songs and I'm more into these groups then the before three, but I still am not as big of a fan of them as I am of other groups.
It was at this point that I felt comfortable with my picks
Because I sometimes have the attention span of a goldfish, I totally forgot that I wanted to review albums more often. It's a good thing that I was reminded about it or else I would have just let this go and never have though about it. Hooray for internet friends!
I am feeling a certain kind of way about what I have just viewed. I'm not sure that I am yet capable of coherent thoughts because that video and song were pretty legit.
I have been waiting for this to begin! I have never watched a sitcom before, it breaks up all the sageuks that I am watching, and it has Ken and High Top in it, what more could I want right now?
After the initial joy of hearing that two groups that I liked had people in this sitcom, I was then fascinated about the drama itself. It sounds easy enough: six strangers in their mid-twenties come to live together in a boarding house. The trailer and the poster are strangely ominous though, like they are all coming to this house and becoming trapped and so far, that is the vibe that I am getting.
How's the song?
We all know that I have a great love for Leo and that he is my spirit animal, so when I heard that he was going to be doing a duet with LYn, who I don't really listen to but know has an awesome voice, I knew that it was going to be magical!
How's the song?
Something magical happened during this song. Normally VIXX is pretty good about part distribution except when it comes to Hyuk. Not that he doesn't get parts, but they're normally small and he isn't really featured when he sings. The sun has shined upon Hyuk though and he got parts and he was front and center during them too. He also has a similar sounding voice to Onew which is okay by me because I like voices that had that type of sound.
Hongbin is the visual, or "artwork", of the boy band VIXX and I thought that it would be appropriate to post this since they are going to have a comeback on Tuesday! Yay!
I made this Hongbin doll as I was pumping dolls out when I was considering making an Etsy account. I knew that I wanted to make a VooDoo era doll because I thought that the clothes were really cool with all the exposed stitching; and as we know, if there is one thing that I like, it detailing that will make me blind.
Unfortunately, you can't see all of it in the picture, but trust me, it's cool looking. Something cool that you can see though is the little voodoo doll that I made for Hongbin. I tried to copy it as much as possible from all the promotional pictures and I think that I did pretty well. He has a little heart and the word VIXX on his arm and everything. I'm pretty proud of it.
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?
Wow, it feels like it has been forever since I wrote anything here. What with my moving to Korea, no internet in my home yet, and then the Sewol ferry incident, there has been no time or opportunity to write about anything. All the students are taking their midterms right now though so I thought I would take this moment to write something pointless just for the sake of writing something. Hold on to your hats, here we go.
What do you think about when you aren't thinking about anything? Well that all depends upon what is going on around me. Am I in a quiet nature-y area? Who are the people that I am around, if any? What kind of music am I listening to and what language is it in? These are just a few variables that cause my mind to run rampant.
One such thing that I have thought about is if we as an F4Plus1 were a K-pop group, who would we be? I know weird. I thought about this when I first got into VIXX because Leo is totally my spirit animal.
It's true! We both basically hate everyone except those lucky few we allow into our presence, and even then, sometimes we only tolerate them. But even though we would like to occasionally smack them, we still love them. We both are also more comfortable while performing than just being ourselves. Leo kills it on stage but then runs for cover from the camera off stage. I am much more articulate when writing than I am speaking. Talking to people is annoying.
But at the end of the day we do actually like the people that we hang out with even if we don't always show it. And then when we do, it gets weird.
After thinking about it more though, I realize that my friends and I would totally be VIXX if we were a K-pop group.......and guys........that could also help.
N = Autumn
How could she not be and not only because she is basically our fearless leader. Everything is done at her house and she is normally the one who plans the outings and get togethers. She is also loud and bubbly and likes to hug, much like N.
Replace N and Leo with me and Autumn and it's basically the same thing.
Leo = Me
As stated before, Leo and I would get along really, really well I think. We would enjoy each others mostly silent company while playing with animals and babies and be perfectly content. We would also need various snacks. Snacks are important.
Ken = Becca
I was debating putting Becca as Ravi because she is Autumn's sister and Ravi is kind of like the VP of VIXX, but I think that Ken fits her so much more. Becca is very excitable and loud, and just like Leo and Ken this has also happened with Becca and me
Ken and N are also really alike in temperament and weirdness levels too. They are both the ahjummas of the group and are very vocal and expressive when it comes to life in general.
Ravi = Alyson
Ravi, as the VP of VIXX is very responsible and when I first got into VIXX I thought that he was higher up in the age line than he actually was. Alyson, even though she can be very funny, I feel is one of the most responsible in our little group. I guess it comes with the territory of being a teacher. All she needs to do is work on her 'levels of swag' (writing that made me die a little inside) and she'll be perfect.
Hongbin = Andy
Oh, Andy, how we miss you. From what I have seen of VIXX, Hongbin's role in the group is to go along with what the other people do. He watches and laughs and then occasionally says things that are funny or just generally strange. Since English is Andy's second language, he would usually just watch the goings on and probably also judge a little. Sometimes, not very often, but sometimes we would also need a little clarification of what it was he was trying to get across as well.
I wasn't sure what picture to put up for Hongbin so I'll just make the masses happy (i.e. the friends being spoken about) and insert this picture.
Nope, I found something even better
N and Ken (Autumn and Becca) forcing their love upon Hongbin (Andy)
This also makes me think of the Plan V episode where N forces Hongbin to wear this stupid scarf even though Hongbin does not want to wear it. Becca and Autumn liked to make Andy do "cute" things.
Hyuk = Murphy
This one is a little hard to explain, but it feels right. A lot of Hyuk's time seems to be spent laughing and making jokes and that is totally Murphy. For some reason I can also see Murphy doing something like this
I don't know why, but I see Murphy in this picture. Is it just me?
And there you have it. For all intents and purposes F4Plus1 is really VIXX. Now for the rest of you, who is your K-pop spirit animal?
Is it bad that I think that Valentines Day is a load of crap? Maybe I'm just jaded because I have never had anyone that I wanted to spend Valentines Day with, but I just generally think it is annoying. It's just another reason to spend unnecessary amounts of money on someone that you should be showing your love to all the time.
On that happy note, let's talk about my biases in K-pop groups! I like quite a few groups, but that doesn't mean that there is someone in that group that I like more than anyone else. For the people that I picked here, they are the ones that I can say without any doubt in my mind that they are my favorite person in their respective groups.
Heechul of Super Junior
If you didn't see this coming, then there might be something wrong with you. Heechul is my ultimate male bias and he always will be. He's just so 4D and he's also very honest and that is something that is lacking in the entertainment industry. He can also keep a secret too because I'm pretty sure he has the dirt on every single famous person in Korea. With great power comes great responsibility?
Jaehyo of Block B
Oh, Jaehyo, so much ego, so little time, and so little respect given to you by your members. Maybe that is why I like him so much. He takes a lot of crap, but he can also give it back and a lot of the time he just seems to laugh it off.
I actually don't have a lot to say about Jaehyo, I just like him and that's the way it is.
Second place: PO and Taeil, they're a package deal, okay?
CNU of B1A4
CNU is another person that I don't have a specific reason for liking, I just like him. He sings, he raps, he writes music, he has magical hair, what's not to like? I also feel that he is the member that is the most done of all the members. All groups seem to have that one member who is laid back and just watches the insanity going on around him, and that member more often than not is CNU.
Second place: Baro
Changsub of BTOB
I started to get into BTOB after their song "Thriller". I wanted to know more about them and I found that they had done Diary which is a fantastic show and I wish that it was still happening. As I watched all the BTOB variety I could find I slowing began to fall for Changsub's quirkiness. He has a different look about him too with his perpetual I-just-woke-up face.
One of my favorite things about him is that he is very layered. You watch him on camera and he is such a weirdo, but then he sings and you just want to wrap yourself in his voice, but he also skateboards and plays the drums and has two tattoos.Who are you really, Changsub?
Second place: Peneil, PenJae is real.
Leo of VIXX
I think that anyone who says that they don't like Leo is a liar. Yes, he's quiet and he kind of puts off an I'm-going-to-kill-you vibe, but watching VIXX TV, and Diary you find........well......I guess he is kind of like that. Not all the time though!
Since he is always so quiet, it's a lovely treat when he does something unexpected like dancing, laughing (even though he always hides), or actually saying more than one word.
Second place: Hongbin, that kid is so awkward, I love it.
Himchan of BAP
As I was creating this post I realized that I often fall for the most embarrassing member of the group. Maybe it's because they are funny and they stand out for that reason, but I often experience second hand embarrassment from those that I like.
Take Himchan for example, he can be the most self centered little turd and then he goes and says "What is hurricane in English?", "the loof is on fire",declares his love for "cheeju burgers", and is constantly talking about how good looking he is. He is one of those people that should never be allowed to open his mouth, but at the same time, we're glad that he does.
Side note, there needs to be a BAP sub-rock-unit that features Bang Yong Guk and Himchan. That has the possibility of being the most amazing thing ever.
Tao of EXO
I have come to find that sometimes when picking a bias, one day you just know. It was never a conscious decision, you just know one day and it felt right so you went with it. This is how I came to like Tao and sometimes I wonder about that decision.
I have been watching EXO's reality show Showtime and more often than not, I am sometimes embarrassed to say that Tao is my favorite. When he isn't talking he looks really cool, but then he opens his mouth and it is all over. He's also really needy, but for some reason, I love it.
Second place: Xuimin
V of BTS
So it wasn't until after I fell in love with this kid's strangeness that I found out he's totally jail bate. I probably should have knows though, I mean look at that face. At least I didn't decide I liked Jung Gook, that boy is practically still covered in amniotic fluids. Babies, all of them.
On BTS's Youtube channel thy post funny videos of the boys and if you haven't watched them you should because they will make your day better. Something that I have noticed about V is that in the videos, he is about 50% crazy and 50% judging his members. There doesn't seem to be any in between and I love it.
Second place: J-hope, he's V's partner in silliness.
So there is my list of my favorites. I guess since I don't have a real valentine I'll just pretend that they are my valentines. No, that's weird, I'll just go eat a cookie and call it good. Sounds like a plan.
So, just for giggles, I thought that I would do the K-pop tag, not that I have been tagged by anyone. It would be cool to be tagged, but alas, I'm not that cool.
1. Favorite guy group
This was actually a hard decision because I also really like VIXX, Block B, and B1A4. These four groups are my favorite collectively, but I chose these guys because they are my first love. They got me into K-pop and no matter what happens, they will always have a special place in my heart. 2. Favorite girl group
I'm going to be honest, I don't really listen to girl groups. Right now I am really liking G.I and Heyne, but I can't really say that they are my favorite since I don't know a lot about them. The reason that I picked 2NE1 is because I have all of their music except their most recent songs because I haven't really liked them. What I do like about 2NE1 though is that they are a powerful group of women who sing powerful songs. It is different than the usually sexy, cutey look that most girls go for.
3. Ultimate guy bias
I think that this macro speaks for itself.
I love me some Heechul.
4. Ultimate girl bias
Can we all just agree that Dara is perfect? Please? It makes me sad that she is overshadowed in 2NE1 because while she is talented, CL, Minzy, and Bom are more talented so Dara's position is confusing sometimes. She's the director of communications of 2NE1 though and she has talent for variety. She has talent, but it isn't something that can be conveyed in a music video.
5. Favorite K-pop performance
Super Junior's "No Other" is probably one of my favorite live performances. Why? Because these boys are a bunch of weirdos. That, of course, could be said about many groups, but with this performance, I feel like SM just told them to have fun and do whatever they wanted to do.
1. Leeteuk is way too happy looking, flipping his hair, but he's not constantly yelling things during this particular performance, only occasionally
2. Leeteuk's insanity causes Heechul to give him stank face
3. Ryeowook also gets in quite a few hair flips as well
4. The insanity that is Eunhyuk, Shindong, Siwon, Ryeowook, and Sungmin at the start of Shindong'srap
5. Lastly, every performance is different, in this one Heechul has a balloon, Sungmin retaliates, and it is wonderful
6. K-pop dance you would want to learn
Yeah, we're talking about Super Junior again, deal with it. Maybe because this was the first K-pop song that I really liked, but I have always enjoyed this dance. It has that one key part and it isn't incredibly difficult, not that it is easy either though.
7. First K-pop song you ever heard
This isn't the song that grabbed me by the throat and dragged me into K-pop, but it was the first song that I ever heard. It was a complete accident as well, I think that it was a add on the side of my Facebook that I randomly clicked. I thought that the concept of the video was cool, but I didn't love the song.
I actually ended up forgetting about the song which was a problem when I wanted to look it up again so that I could learn more about it. The video that helped me find this one was actually The Fine Bros "Kids React to K-pop" video.
8. Favorite interview
I'm having trouble posting the video because it's on Daily Motion, but this is an interview with Block B. The reason that I like it so much is because, I like anything that has to do with Block B and they are so natural in their interviews. They don't just sit there stiffly and read things, they destroy the area that they are in. No joke, they are hitting each other, dragging one another out of the shot, and there is a little booth type of thing that looks like it went through a hurricane by the end of the video. It's great.
9. Favorite picture of your favorite group
Okay, so I know that I said that my two favorite groups are SuJu and 2NE1, but this is one of my favorite pictures of Block B. It's not a picture of them being derp monsters, it's their comeback picture. This was one of the greatest comebacks ever because they were able to tell the industry to suck it and came back and then won an award.
10. What do your friends and family think about you watching K-pop
My family has come to accept it. They do think that it is really weird, but after being all about anime and manga in high school, to say the least, they're not surprised.
11. Favorite cover by a K-pop song by a K-pop artist
I'm going to cheat here and put one funny cover and one serious cover. I do what I want!
When it comes to K-pop groups singing other groups' songs, I normally prefer things that are done for fun rather than for seriousness. It is also amusing - and terrifying - when guy groups go full out and put on a skirt to do a girl group number. I'm looking at you VIXX.
For this category though, I have chosen a group of covers, and that word is being used loosely. BTOB have a collection of videos of them in the Cube practice room jamming on the karaoke machine to various K-pop songs and it is...... interesting.....to say the least.
You rock that tambourine Peniel.
This song makes me feel a lot of feels. It would probably make me feel more if I knew who Kim Sung Jae was, but I can still appreciate the sadness that isfelt when someone leaves us too soon. VIXX does a beautiful job at capturing the feel of this song while also making it their own.
My favorite part though is that note that Ken hits in the beginning. Holy crap, that was amazing.
12. Favorite cover of an American song by a K-pop artist
Well, that just happened.
13. Favorite video of your ultimate bias
This is more of a group thing that a solely Heechul thing, but it is still awesome. For those of you who haven't watched Super Junior's Intimate Note, you are missing out on life. In this particular cut, some of the SuJu boys decide that Heechul and Eunhyuk are particularly awkward with each other so they decide that they are going to stand on a roof and insult them. Heechul of course cows the members into saying that they love him instead.
I'm pretty sure that Heechul could ruin almost every famous person in the Korean entertainment industry if he wanted to.
14. Favorite dance battle
There is quite a lot going on in this video, but the important part is the first half. The idol groups all send out their best dancer to show off their moves. The only two groups that I care about though are Block B and BAP who send out B-Bomb and Jongup respectively and the two of them do pretty well. Jongup also makes everyone fear for their lives as he gets his b-boy on.
But then, it gets real. The female host, whose name I can never remember calls out Shindong and everyone else in the room become dancing peasants. He kills it and it's amazing. He puts all the other dancers to shame and they are all aware of that.
Shindong has always made me really happy because he is the "chubby idol". He doesn't look like any other idol because he is heavier and I think that is great. It shows that you don't have to have abs and be conventionally good looking to be successful in the business. Get it Shindong.
15. What is your favorite album?
I don't buy a lot of albums because I don't want to buy the whole thing if I don't absolutely love it. Why would I spend money on something that I don't want? After saying that though, I have to be honest, "No Joke" isn't my favorite song I have to be in a certain mood to listen to it. Linking that video was the first time I looked at the translated lyrics and Holy English Lirycs Batman, where did all that come from?
For other albums that I really like, they are Super Junior's second album, it's a shame that it is overshadowed by "Sorry Sorry", and B1A4's new album Who Am I.
So there you have it, the K-pop tag. If I had someone to tag, I would, but I don't. So who wants to do this? Anyone? Anyone?
I really like this song, like, a lot. It is darker sounding that "Hyde" which I like but it still sounds like VIXX. Sometimes with rookie groups it takes a while for them to really find their sound, but VIXX has always seemed to know what they were going for. Sure, they took a sharp left turn down Doom and Gloom Lane but it still sounds like a VIXX song.
Even though it's not technically part of the song, I really like the dissonant piano that is in the beginning. Once we get into the actual song though, the piano is gone but we get a plethora of other cool sounds from the deep pounding bass to the lighter eerie sounds played during some of Ken's parts. I also liked the.....tinkling noise?.......that proceeded the chorus when N sang. It's so hard to write about the noises in a song! I'm not good at it!
One thing that I can talk about though is Ken's falsetto at the bridge, that was gorgeous. Ken has such a wonderfully clear voice and he has progressed so much since VIXX debuted. Then after that bit of ear candy, Leo lays on his note and by this point I am done.
Last thing I want to mention are the lyrics because those are kind of dark. When I watched the video with subs, it took on a whole new level of twistedness. The speaker of our song is saying that he loves a girl so much that he doesn't care what she does to him as long as he can be with her. She can torture and abuse him, but to see her smile is enough. This all works with the concept since it is about voodoo dolls. Hooray for cohesiveness!
I also really liked the "tick tock, tick tock, may it all be fulfilled" bit of the song. It is like a spell is being cast and that is a nice touch since voodooism is black magic.
How's the video?
Whoa.
I don't even know what to do with this video.
I think that Jellyfish has a secret room that belongs to VIXX. This secret room is kept refrigerated and this is where they keep all the body parts and decomposing flesh that they have been using in VIXX's videos. "Hyde" was definitely more creepy crawly than it was slimy, but there were still things that looked suspiciously like internal organs in that video.
Something that I really loved, and was disturbed by, were the rooms that the boys were all in. They were all unique to that person and each member also had their own unique emotions that accompanied their character. It would have been really easy for all the members to be in the same rooms and expressing the same feeling of anger and maybe fear, but we were given such a larger spectrum here.
N is straight up pissed and looks like he would like nothing more than to rip that girls face off. I also think that his prison is the most cruel because he isn't barred and his window is broken. I would even say that he was the one who broke it. His freedom is right in front of him but he is unable to attain it. It is like our girl doesn't even see N as enough of a threat to really trap him as she has the others.
I'm not getting much from from Leo other than he, like N, would also like to rip that girl's face off. I think that if he were in N's cell, he would manage to bust out somehow. Even though, he only has a chain link fence around him while the others have bars and plexiglass. The two scariest looking prisoners have the weakest shields. I suppose it is to show them no matter how much they hate her and how much they struggle, they can't escape.
For me, Ken is the most heartbreaking prisoner. From seeing him on VIXX TV and Diary, he seems like a person that really enjoys being around people and making them happy. Here, he is trapped behind a glass wall, unable to be with anyone. You can see the anguish on his face as he longs to touch the hand of his tormentor even though she causes him pain.
Ravi also seems to have a desire for our lady, but his desire to me seems more passion driven. He hates her so much, but at the same time he wants her. He also has those weird contacts in which I take to mean someone who has been with her for a long time. He is more doll than man now. He is losing himself and becoming her slave.
Hongbin is her favorite captive. Maybe she has had him the longest or maybe it is because he is her artwork, but she seems the most gentle with him. It looks like she is trying to stroke his face through the glass and he is also trying to reach out and touch her as well. Hongbin is the middle ground of Ken and Ravi, he hates her but he wants her, not is the way that Ravi does, but for the simple action of human contact like Ken. He also has the contacts in which also parallels his own emotions with Ravi's.
Then we have the maknae and I don't have a lot to say about him. His emotions aren't very strong which could be attributed to the fact that the girl looks like she is trying to turn him into a tree. Maybe he is the newest edition to her collection and she wanted to try something new.
I liked at the end of the video when the doll was trying to run away like VIXX's spirits were being contained in it. I was a little confused as to why they were in different outfits when they got out though. At that, how did they get out of their prisons? They even looked a little confused, or that could have just been terror at being caught.
It is absolutely heart wrenching to watch Hongbin being caught at the end though it does make me want to know what happened to the other five members.
Maybe this makes me a terrible person, but I kind of wish that Hongbin had had one sad little tear fall from his doll eye. He is completely under her control, but he still has that one tiny ounce of humanity left that allows him to realize what is being done to him and he can't do about it.
Well, that was dark. I think I need a puppy.
How's the styling?
I liked that they were able to tie in the doll theme with the outfits that they wore. On some of the suits it looks like they have been Frankenstein-ed together or someone has stitched white thread over the different pieces of the jackets. It is a fun take on a pretty normal looking outfit. There would have been nothing wrong with VIXX wearing normal dark suits, but these seaming details make them special. I also liked that some of the members had bi-colored shirts.
Is the dance super amazing?
I am really glad that the practice video came out this morning so that I could watch it before I posted this. I have been waiting for this because from what I saw from the videos and live performances the dance looked amazing. Something that VIXX does really well is making interesting shapes with their bodies whether that be on their own, or layering the members.
I also thought it was interesting that Ken was the one who was flipped up at the beginning. I guess it makes sense because he, aside from Ravi, opens the song, but when I think about dance, Ken is not the first person that comes to mind.
I also like everything that happens at the beginning of the chorus. The beat is powerful, the line is "look carefully at what I'm going to do" as the stretch out their arms as if to present themselves.
Which member owned it?
There wasn't one person who out shone the rest, but N, Ken, and Hongbin were placed a little higher that the other three.
N is one of those annoying people that look good no matter what happens to them. He also seems pretty good at acting so he was really able to convey proper emotions in the video.
Ken caught my eye because he was just so freaking sad looking and it broke my heart every time he came on screen.
And Hongbin because he just freaks me out. He rocked this concept, pulled out his crazy eyes, or eye rather, and it was horribly beautiful.
He also has this wonderful moment in the clean version at about the 3:05 mark where there is a shot of him laughing for about a second and, again, horribly beautiful.
Did the English make your ears bleed?
Oh, Ravi. Dear, sweet Ravi. I know that you try really hard when it comes to English, but your track record is against you. The intro to "Superhero" went as follows: Yeah. I Wanna win this race. VIXX. Value in Excelsis. Brand new boys in the building. Yes sir. Sure, we gonna make it rookie's time. Race is exciting.
Rock Ur Body: Let the games begin ya'll.Check it out, V I double X in the house.
On and On: We back again now. This is real fantasy. 'Cause I ain't playin' around.
Hyde: New generation is back. Yeah, we killin' this track right now. We started from the bottom, but we just do it now, eh. Just follow.
Why, Girls?: You deserve it girl. I say I love you.
As you can see Ravi has improved since the beginning because I am pretty sure that he writes all of his parts. They are becoming more cohesive and there is a clearer message there even his pronunciation is getting better. But then the intro of this song happened.
VooDoo Doll: You shot right through my heart. I will fall for you.
I think that is what the last line is, it sounds really garbled. There is also the "Should I stay, should I go? No body know" during the chorus. I think that Jellyfish needs to make sure that Ravi and Brian spend like five minutes together after Ravi writes his parts. That's all we need to fix little grammar mistakes and pronunciation errors. Make this happen.
What else is happening?
Things I liked
Lush "Yesterday" - This song is beautiful. It is ballad-y but it also have a stronger sound so I am really liking this.
Hyolin "Lonely" - This is another ballad that I really like, it's a good week I guess.
History "What am I to You" - I don't know why I don't like these guys, but they just don't do it for me.
Younha "It's Okay" - It happened, this is the ballad that I didn't like. It's way too ballad-y for me.
