Chie Izuno works full time at an office Branch. Though she’s 30, she’s very young at heart and kind of innocent. She tries hard to go into the dating field but finds herself struggling due to her weight and self-esteem issues. She meets up with one of the company’s investors, Jin Harada, a super sucessful and young business man. However Jin has a severe lack of social skills. Chie strives to make a deal with Jin in order to aide her in her goal to lose weight and gain confidence, she tells Jin she can help him with his own flaws. Where will this agreement lead them to, and can two total opposites and flawed individuals overcome their personal demons?
On August 31, 2019, Amber Liu announced that she has left SM Entertainment following the expiration of her exclusive contract.
In a handwritten letter posted on her Twitter page, Liu said:
Hey everyone,
I would like to announce my contract with SM Entertainment has ended today, and I have decided to part ways with the company. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank everyone who believed in me and have been patient with me all these years. I can’t wait to show you what’s in store in this next chapter of my career. Again and always, thank you!!
Love, peace, and Boba
–Llama
— Amber J. Liu 刘逸云 (@llama_ajol) September 1, 2019
Liu has been with SM since 2008 when she auditioned for the company via a global open audition in Los Angeles. In 2009, she debuted as a member of the quintet f(x). The group was active from 2009 until 2015 when they last released 4 Walls. While f(x) hasn’t officially disbanded, Sulli and now Liu have departed; it is also assumed Krystal is no longer a member as she has expressed that she no longer wants to engage in the singing and dancing portions of her career. Victoria has been promoting in China as an actress, while Luna has been performing solo.
Krystal, Amber, and Sulli reunited to perform as f(x) in August during the SM Town Live concert in Tokyo. As it seems, this performance may have been the group’s last.
Since 2015, Amber has been busy with individual activities both in Korea and in the United States. In 2018, she released her dual singles “White Noise” and “Lost at Sea” along with “Lower,” a track she did with Luna. She’s also been featured on different tracks including Superfruit’s (a sub-unit of Pentatonix) track “Fantasy.” She’s also written numerous songs during her time with f(x) and away from f(x) that others, including Eric Nam and Ailee, have performed.
Liu is not without an agency, however. In 2018, she signed with the American label Steel Wool Entertainment which handles her American promotions. United Talent Agency, where she signed in 2018, represents her global activities.
Given Liu’s connections in the industry (like Kevin Bacon, you can easily play the “Six Degrees of Separation” game with Amber Liu), she’ll be in a goo position moving forward with her future endeavors.
—-Olivia Murray
The last week of August brought some good news as three free agent K-Pop artists signed with new agencies!
On August 29, 2019, B.A.P’s Yoo Youngjae signed on with Dmost Entertainment. The signing comes after he released his solo debut album, Fancy, on April 19, 2019. For his Fancy release, which included the lead single “Another Night,” Youngjae was under his own label, J WORLD Entertainment. However, Dmost will now be Youngjae’s home.
“We are so thankful toward Youngjae for his decision to work with DMOST, trusting in our company,” Dmost Entertainment said in a statement. “We will not withhold any of your fullest support in Youngjae’s musical activities so that he can unfold his abilities to his heart’s content. We ask for your abundant expectations and encouragements toward Youngjae’s new beginning as a solo artist.”
Along with the signing, Youngjae revealed he is currently working on his second solo album.
“I am happy to work with good people and I am excited to be able to show more to fans and the public,” Youngjae said on Instagram. “Please wait for your next album. Ah! Beyond the album, I can tell you good news, so look forward to it.”
Meanwhile, former KARA member Park Gyuri signed with TheCNT Global as an actress. Prior to debuting with KARA in 2007, Gyuri was a child actress.
In July 2019, the former girl group singer became a free agent when her exclusive contract with Dain Entertainment ended. She signed with Dain Entertainment following the expiration of her DSP Entertainment contract in 2016.
TheCNT Global said, “We are honored to work with actress Park Gyuri. We will be working hard so that she will promote and work through different activities. Please keep an eye out for this talented actress.”
Finally, Melody Day’s Yeo Eun signed with SG Made on August 20, 2019.
“We recently signed an exclusive contract with Yeo Eun,” SG Made said. “We promise to provide our fullest support so that Yeo Eun, who previously garnered attention as the main vocalist of Melody Day as well as through her various OSTs, can display her talents and vocals in numerous fields.”
While under the label, Yeo Eun plans to promote as a solo artist. She has an album planned for September.
Whose signing excites you the most? Let us know in the comments!
—-Olivia Murray
On August 28, 2019, FNC Entertainment revealed that FTISLAND’s Lee Hongki will be enlisting as an active duty soldier soon.
“Lee Hong-Ki will be enlisting as an active duty soldier on September 30,” FNC Entertainment said.
Regardless of the announcement, Hongki has been busy with different promotions and is expected to continue with those promotions up until the day before his enlistment date. Currently, he is rehearsing for his role in the musical I Loved You, a show that runs from September 20 to October 27. He is scheduled to perform up until September 29, then he will rescind from the role. His FTISLAND bandmate, Jaejin, is expected to take over for him.
Meanwhile, FTISLAND has hit the studio to prepare for a new album to be released prior to Hongki’s enlistment. Teasers came out August 29, 2019.
FTISLAND NEW ALBUM SPOILER
YOUTUBE – https://t.co/WApUG92IxO#FT아일랜드 #FTISLAND #NEW_ALBUM_SPOILER pic.twitter.com/ciSwmVZ75f
— FT_FANCLUB (@FT_FANCLUB) August 29, 2019
Additionally, on September 8, 2019, the group will hold their FTFT fan event.
FTISLAND have a lot planned prior to Hongki’s enlistment. We wish them and Hongki the best.
—-Olivia Murray
Being wrapped up in Jung Joon Young’s KakaoTalk controversy wasn’t enough for CNBLUE’s Jonghyun to leave the group, but apparently being caught sliding into someone’s DMs was convinced the embattled lead singer and guitarist to depart the group.
Earlier in 2019, Lee Jonghyun admitted to receiving and viewing lewd images and videos via a secret KakaoTalk messaging group tied to former singer Jung and other celebrities. At the time, Jonghyun elected to not leave the group but instead stated he would reflect on his actions.
“He is reflecting and is [aware] he deserves criticism as he watched the videos via KakaoTalk, had inappropriate sexual conversations, and inappropriate conversations degrading women as reported,” FNC Entertainment said at the time. “Feeling embarrassed and horrible, Lee Jong Hyun accepts the criticism of the public regarding his wrong sexual morality and values and is deeply regretful and criticizing himself. He will be careful about all of his words and actions as a public figure, and he will reflect and accept the consequences of his wrongdoings.”
On August 28, 2019, YouTuber Park Min Jung posted messages she received from the singer-actor after he allegedly slid into her DMs. As shown in the now-deleted screenshots of the DMs, Jonghyun, who is currently serving his mandatory military assignment, used his official CNBLUE account to contact Park, who said she initially ignored the message. However, when she received another message, she felt uncomfortable.
Hello, this is Park Min Jung. I’m sorry about how there has been much controversy because of the [Instagram] story I uploaded last night. Firstly, I received the first direct message from CNBLUE’s Lee Jong Hyun around last week, and as I was aware that he was self-reflecting, I just ignored it. When I received the next direct message, to be honest I felt a bit uncomfortable. I also thought that he might message other women and something bad might happen, and I wanted to prevent that. Those reasons are why I uploaded the story, and I want to say that I’m very sorry to have revealed a private conversation. I have now removed the story and in the future, I will be careful not to act so rashly. I apologize.
Following Park’s release of the messages, Jonghyun released a statement stating he would depart CNBLUE.
Hello. This is Lee Jonghyun.
I once again apologize to the people I’ve hurt through my inappropriate words and actions and to all the people that I’ve greatly disappointed.
Also, although it’s late, I am informing you that I’m withdrawing from CNBLUE. I feel sorry that I have caused harm for the members, and I have told the members as well that I am withdrawing. I am ashamed to have disappointed the fans who believed in me.
Since all of us including me are currently doing our military service, it took a while to convey opinions and announce this. I feel sorry and grateful to our company who waited.
I feel great regret over my wrong-doing and I am willing to accept criticism from many people. I’m sorry for evoking criticism over a shameful matter.
Following his announcement, Jonghyun also deleted his Instagram page.
What do you think of the situation?
—-Olivia Murray
-What are they offering and How to access them-
Just got your Roku and don’t have a clue about how to access Asian channels and what to watch? You have come to the right place 😀
What is Roku?
Similar to AppleTV, Roku devices are essentially boxes or flash drives that you plug into your TV and thus gain access to over 3000 channels, which Roku is currently offering. Some are free, some are not, but Roku’s broad selection of content and features like voice control are why many are arguing that it is the best service for those who would like to go with a cable-free TV.
You can think of Roku as a mobile phone. It comes with a few free channels (like default apps on phones), but you can also download new channels on Roku and enjoy the content they are offering (much like downloading an app from the AppStore). You can see the list of channels that Roku is offering here, including the most popular like Hulu, Netflix, AsianCrush. Roku also has its own free channel, The Roku channel, offering some of the most popular movies and series free of charge.
The most popular Asian channels on Roku
We are talking about 3000 channels here, so we can’t list them all, but here are some of the Asian streaming channels you definitely want to check out:
You can literally bring China to you small screen with this one. Including live TV from the most populated country in the world, as well as movies, dramas, kids content and the latest variety shows. All that for $9.99/month, with one month free trial.
Live stream of Korean and Chinese broadcast channels with a variety of movies, clips, television shows, series and more. Cheapest on the list, starting at $2.99 per month.
Otakus’ legal favorite, with the largest selection of existing anime and manga. You can now enjoy your favorite waifus on TV for $6.95 per month, after a 14-day free trial period.
People always seem to exclude India, but here is the channel where you can watch your favorite Bollywood movies in HD.
Viki and AsianCrush
Both offering Asian movies, dramas and shows. We listed our best picks from the two channels in our previous article about AppleTV. Check it out here.
How to add a channel to your Roku
If you don’t currently have these channels on your Roku, you can easily download them. Here is a step by step instruction on how to download anything from Roku’s channels store. Also, if you do already have a subscription to any of the channels, you can link your existing account to them.
Top Asian picks on Roku
The channels we mentioned have an endless amount of shows you can explore and play with, but here are some great ones to kick start your Roku experience.
The thing is that you can search pretty much any movie or show on Roku and it will show you all channels that you can stream that show/movie from, so that you can choose to watch it on the channel you are possibly subscribed to. As multiple channels may have the same show, we listed our favs on Roku itself, and you can pick from which exact channel you want to watch.
Anime
Listen, we all know the mainstream giants of anime. So, here are some of the not so famous series from Crunchyroll:
Terror in Resonance
This one is seriously an amazing thriller. The story of two not so good guys and their painful pasts will make you rethink human reasoning and truly possibly empathize with them. Heartbreaking story, following two incredibly intelligent teens trying not to be forgotten.
Kakegurui
What if you went to school where grades do not really matter. Instead, school’s hierarchy is determined by how well you can gamble. Follow Yumeko as she rises to the top of the school engaging in all sorts of strategies and cheats. This lunatic, or a genius, will put everything, even her life, on the line for the sake of feeding her obsession with gambling.
The Promised Neverland
This one deserves so much love. The story of an orphanage and its brightest children who are revealing the dark secrets behind the smile of their “Mamma”. Will they be able to escape from this twisted facility whilst leaving no kids behind?
Drama
My Love From The Star 
Interested in a sci-fi Kdrama portraying teleportation with a pinch (or 10) of romance and a ton of sense of humor, watch this one. The drama is following a story of an alien trapped on Earth. Desperate, he tries to find a way to escape, but he might change his mind after he meets a famous actress.
The Legend of Hao Lan
If you are a type of person who cannot resist watching a classic Chinese history drama, check out this one. Following a real story of a woman sold to slavery, with her wit as the only tool she can use to survive.
Pinocchio
A beautiful love story of a man forgetting revenge for the sake of love. The girl has Pinocchio Syndrome, every time she lies, she hiccups. Thus she always has to tell the truth. Will the love between the two grow stronger than his desire for revenge, watch this Korean drama and find out.
*For more dramas you can watch on Roku, click here, as they are referenced in our AppleTV article.
Movies
The Dude in Me
With the classic trope of switching bodies adapted to a hilarious comedy of a weak, bullied high school boy who finds himself in the body of a mighty gangster, this 2019 Korean comedy will make you laugh so hard you will cry.
Battle Royale
Here is your Japanese version of the Hunger Games, but more horrifying. The Hunger Games movie is an adaptation of Battle Royale. If you want to watch a bunch of kids and young adults fight to the very end until there is only one man standing, this might be the movie for you.
Always
He has closed himself off from the world. She loves the world, but the world is slowly closing her away from it, for she is losing her sight. Will the two find salvation in each other, and how long might their relationship last?
—-Tina Mihajlovic
Despite the recent news that she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, TWICE’s Mina reportedly participated in the MV filming for TWICE’s upcoming comeback!
According to a JYP Entertainment representative, Mina filmed her MV portions for the group’s upcoming single.
“It’s true that Mina participated in the comeback MV filming. She relied on the members a lot but was able to get through her portion of filming” the representative said.
Initially, JYP Entertainment did not confirm or deny Mina’s participation in the new MV, telling Newsen, “We are not able to confirm such a report at this time. We will release an official statement when the time is right.”
According to reports, Mina opted to appear in the MV after consulting with her agency and her fellow TWICE members. Her TWICE sisters were reportedly there as emotional support during filming.
While this is seemingly great news for ONCE (TWICE’s fanbase)—a fanbase that has been incredibly supportive of the ailing star— Mina’s filming is just one small step forward in a disorder battle that is difficult to maintain. Just because she filmed the MV, it doesn’t mean she is ready to return to the stage.
“Severe anxiety attacks can occur at any time, sporadically,” the JYP Entertainment representative said. “We cannot confirm Mina’s return to promotions until we monitor her condition further.”
We wish Mina the best during her road to recovery!
Meanwhile, TWICE will be making their comeback sometime in September 2019.
—-Olivia Murray
Former M.I.B member and current singer and TV personality, Kangnam, will be tying the knot soon!
Kangnam, who announced recently that he will be giving up his Japanese citizenship to work on becoming a Korean citizen, has been dating former Olympic speedskater, Lee Sang Hwa. Kangnam’s label, Dmost Entertainment, confirmed the news.
This is Dmost Entertainment.
We want to share joyful news today regarding Kangnam and Lee Sang Hwa.
Kangnam and Lee Sang Hwa will be tying the knot with love and trust for one another.
They will be holding their wedding on October 12 (Saturday) at a hotel in Seoul.
We ask that you send warm blessings to the days ahead for Kangnam and Lee Sang Hwa, who are awaiting their new beginning. [Kangnam] will work to give back the love and interest with positive work.
Thank you.
Lee, who has retired from speedskating, was a sprint distance skater. She is a two-time Olympic champion (2010, 2014) in the 500-meter event, and she holds the 500-meter world record and the 1000-meter South Korean records for the fastest times in the events.
Dmost Entertainment, along with Lee’s label, BONBOO Entertainment, also released a joint announcement regarding the couple’s upcoming nuptials.
The two artists have promised marriage through a background of love and loyalty. The wedding ceremony will take place this October 12 [2019] at a hotel in Seoul. We ask for your warm congratulations to the two, who will be starting a new leg of their lives, and we also promise to do our best so that they can repay your love and support by showing their good sides.
Kangnam and Lee have been dating since meeting on Laws of the Jungle. The pair went public with their relationship in March of this year.
Congratulations to the couple, and good luck with the marriage!
—-Olivia Murray
Back in June of 2019, K-pop’s leading girl group TWICE’s Japanese member Mina had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder after recently pulling out of the world tour.
This revelation got the fans worried when it was confirmed by Mina’s agency that she had been struggling with ‘extreme anxiety and insecurity towards performing on stage.
—
Anxiety disorders form a category of mental health diagnoses that can lead to excessive nervousness, fear, apprehension, concerns and the various. These disorders can alter how a person processes their emotions and behavior. An anxiety can be expressed as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. Defining the standard feelings of anxiety and “an anxiety disorder” that needs medical attention can help a person identify and treat the condition. Mild anxiety may seem vague, while severe anxiety might seriously affect someone’s day-to-day living. Did you know what anxiety disorders affect around 40 million people in the United States? Although it is among the most common group of mental illnesses, only 36.9 percent of people with an anxiety disorder actually receive treatment. Treatments can normally consist of psychotherapy, behavioral therapy and medication.
—
Let’s dive back to the story. JYP Entertainment has now given the TWICE fans an update on Mina’s health, stating that the 22-year-old may be missing from group activities in the future. The agency revealed the following:
“Hello, this is JYPE.
After checking with specialized medical institutions, it was confirmed that anxiety disorder is the diagnosis for Mina’s current health condition. The major characteristics of the symptoms for this are continuous anxiety or intermittent anxiety that occurs unexpectedly and also abrupt changes in the level of anxiety. Based on this variable situation, Mina’s participation in scheduled activities is being decided through discussion with Mina herself and the members. In addition, Mina’s participation in activities has to be decided entirely based on the objective state of Mina’s health, so we ask for the understanding of fans on the decisions inevitably being partially selective. We will continuously take all possible measures for Mina’s recovery. We ask for the support and interest of fans.”
TWICE have just wrapped their TWICELIGHTS world tour, completing the dates without Mina and having their last show on 17 August in Kuala Lumpur. Mina is taking a break to focus on her mental health and overall well-being.
J.Chung.
The seven-piece male group MYTEEN has disbanded after two years together. The group’s company, Music Works, announced the news via a statement.
Hello, this is The Music Works.
First of all, we express gratitude to the fans who cherish and love The Music Works Entertainment’s artist group MYTEEN.
With trust and respect, we have had thorough discussions with each member regarding their future directions.
As a result, the final decision was made for MYTEEN to officially conclude two years of activities on August 21, 2019 and go on each of their own paths.
We want to use this opportunity to express our gratitude to the MYTEEN members who trusted and went with us. We will discuss each member’s future direction and put in our full effort to support them.
We sincerely thank the fans who have given overwhelming love and support to MYTEEN until now, and we ask for continuous interest and unchanging love for the members.
We will also sincerely cheer on each member’s future.
Thank you.
Member Eun Su, who was the group’s leader, confirmed the breakup in an Instagram post shared August 21, 2019.
Hello, this is Eunsu.
I had trouble sleeping for several nights thinking about what I should say first.
Worrying that I would forget something to say, I jotted down what came to mind every night, and I am finally writing a letter today.
As of today, MYTEEN has disbanded and will be going our separate ways.
MYTEEN, which I gave my all to pull along as the leader and through which I received a lot of love and anticipation from many people including You”th, has come to an end.
I honestly still feel dazed and don’t know what kind of expressions I should make or what I should say.
I learned a lot after entering Music Works. Meeting great people and pulling all-nighters together to achieve our goal of debuting, all the broadcasts and radio shows that we appeared on with the name MYTEEN, they were all moments that were more valuable than anything.
To be honest, it was difficult to endure the long periods of inactivity, but I was able to endure it because I had You”th who came to watch our performances and cheered us on from far away. It was all possible because we had You”th.
It feels like a couple of days ago that we met, but I am very sad that we are ending after not having met again since our final schedule in January.
I feel so apologetic as there were more days that we were not able to meet than days when we did meet over the three years since “Follow MYTEEN” before debut through our reality program, first album, second album, and activities overseas.
We should’ve gone to show You”th more sides of ourselves more often… but now that time has passed, I feel regretful about the promises we weren’t able to keep. I am sorry for not fulfilling the promise of a letter for our second anniversary.
Taevin, Chunjin, Kookheon, Junseop, Yuvin, Hanseul, and I were so happy during our time together.
Let’s just remember the good memories and cheer each other on no matter where we are because I always believe that we will achieve success.
Because we were MYTEEN, because you were You”th, thank you everyone.
All of our Music Works family and senior artists who I have been together with until now, and all of the staff who have worked hard for us, I want to once again express sincere gratitude to each and every one of you… I ask for lots of support and love for me as I continuously work hard through life!
This is not the end, but the beginning.
Everyone who has supported and loved me, although I don’t have much to offer, you have worked hard.
Thank you, and sorry.
Following the disbandment news, the now-former MYTEEN members Song Yu Vin and Kim Kook Heon released their debut track, “Blurry” as a duo.
The remaining remembers have yet to state what their plans are for the future. We wish them all the best in their respective futures!
—-Olivia Murray
Disney’s D23 Expo took place this past weekend with loads of exciting new lands and features being announced across many of the Disney parks. During the convention, Disney Imagineers unveiled models for the soon-to-come elements at Disney Hong Kong and Tokyo Disney.
Disney Hong Kong
Between now and 2023, fans of Disney Hong Kong will have an opportunity to see several near features opening at the park, which has experienced a growth in the number of visitors over the past year.
Currently under construction is the new Disney castle that promises to be a fanciful tribute to 13 Disney princesses! Currently, Disney Hong Kong is redoing Sleeping Beauty Castle in a complete overhaul that will turn the castle in the Castle of Dreams.
The Castle of Dreams will feature nods to different Disney princesses throughout the interior and exterior. In the images and models released, these features include Cinderella’s stagecoach, apple adornments (Snow White), and the rose from Beauty and the Beast. Colors on the exterior seemingly pull from each of the princesses’ signature outfits, while different turrets reflect the “lands” from where the princesses hail.
When the new castle opens, it will also feature a brand-new afternoon show and a new fireworks extravaganza that will close the park each night. A Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique will also open on-site, while the overall castle hopes to serve as a “shining beacon of courage, hope and possibility.”
Additionally, an all-new land based on Frozen will also open at Disney Hong Kong. The Frozen area of the park will feature Frozen Ever After, a popular attraction from Disney World’s EPCOT. Frozen Ever After takes guests on a journey through Arendelle. Also taking guests through Arendelle is the new rollercoaster, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs. The rollercoaster starts in Oaken’s shop and tours Anna and Elsa’s kingdom before you’re taken up a mountain by Sven and Olaf to ride down. Additionally, there will be an area to meet-and-greet Elsa.
The new castle is expected to open prior to 2020, while the Frozen area will be sometime later in 2020. These renovations and additions will be joined by a new Marvel-based area in 2023 according to the South China Morning Post. Finances for all of the projects were approved in 2017.
Tokyo Disney
Meanwhile, over at Tokyo Disney, several new attractions are planned in the main park and Tokyo Disney Sea that are expected to be completed by 2022.
In addition to new ticket gates and the new attraction Soaring: Fantastic Flight, which opened July 23, 2019, Tokyo Disney fans can expect an area in Magic Kingdom based on Beauty and the Beast, a new theater, an attraction based on Big Hero 6, a Toy Story resort, a Minnie Mouse meet-and-greet area, and the DisneySea expansion area called Fantasy Springs.
The Beauty and the Beast-themed Fantasyland portion of the park looks to be one of the best Beauty and the Beast-themed additions in any of the Disney parks. The land, which is capped off by lots of greenery, features a rendering of Belle’s quaint little French village. In addition to the village, which will have Gaston’s pub and a restaurant, the area will also feature a dark ride and a theater featuring a daily show.
Toon Town will also have an expansion that will open soon. The expansion includes an area where guests can meet Minnie Mouse and take pictures after touring the area.
In Tomorrowland, Big Hero 6’s Baymax will get his own attraction.
Finally, over at Tokyo DisneySea, construction on a new port began in May 2019. The new area, Fantasy Springs, will feature attractions based on Peter Pan, Tangled, and Frozen.
For the Peter Pan section, guests can expect a new restaurant and two new attractions. Not much has been released about the attractions, but one is a ride that will feature guests “helping” Peter Pan fight pirates as he flies over Neverland in search of Wendy’s siblings. The other attraction is supposed to be based on Pixie Hollow, Tinkerbell’s home.
In the Frozen area, guests will experience one new attraction and a new restaurant that is in the spirit of Be Our Guest in Disney World. The attraction is expected to be in the spirit of Frozen Ever After in EPCOT, so expect it to be a boat ride through Arendelle.
Finally, the Frozen area will also feature one new attraction and one restaurant. The attraction will be a dark boat ride that will take guests through Rapunzel’s “best day ever” before ending with the lighting of the lanterns. Details regarding the restaurant have yet to be released.
Are you excited about the plans unfolding with Disney Hong Kong and Tokyo Disney? We know we are!
—-Olivia Murray
SPECTRUM is a Korean pop group that consists of 6 members – Minjae, Donggyu, Jaehan, Hwarang, Villain, and Eunjun. Dongyoon sadly passed away due to unknown causes on July 27, 2018, at the age of 20.
SPECTRUM made their debut on May 10, 2018, under WYNN Entertainment. The band’s name refers to continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed through a prism, and each member of Spectrum represented 7 colors of the rainbow. We would like to thank SPECTRUM and their management for this great interview, as we wish them all the best in all their future endeavors.
*Hello, thank you all for your precious time. Could each of you give us a little self-introduction?
Minjae: Hi, I’m Minjae, the leader of the team in charge of vocals and performance.
Donggyu: Hello, I’m Spectrum’s protective big brother, Donggyu . I’m a vocalist.
Jaehan: Hi, I’m the leading vocal of Spectrum, Jaehan.
Hwarang: I’m the rapper of the group Spectrum, Hwarang.
Villain: Hi, I’m Villain, Spectrum‘s angelic rapper.
Eunjun: Hello, I’m Eunjun, the youngest of the group and a vocalist.
*How did you come to make your debut as a group? Is it something you’ve always dreamed of?
Minjae: This started as a hobby, and then I found it was the right thing for me. I took an audition, joined the company and made my debut. As a child I had wanted to be a baseball player.
Donggyu: When I was younger, I’d never thought of myself as a celebrity, let alone a singer. The longest dream I had was to become a profiler or doctor, but then I turned to art and I began to dream of becoming a color scientist or graphic designer. And just before my mandatory service at the army, I also thought of becoming a civil servant in law by taking the examination for it.
Jaehan: I had wanted to become a singer since the second year at middle school. Before that, it was all about judo. And before making my debut in Spectrum, I had wanted to become a singer-songwriter or a band vocal. Then I fell in love with dancing and performing while singing, so I made my debut as a group member. I also like life as a team.
Hwarang: I loved to dance in a group as a child, so I used to practice with my friends. That got me used to living as a group, which then led to me being recommended as a member of an idol group. But my original dream was to become an actor.
Villain: I took auditions because I had always wanted to become an entertainer. And finally, I’ve become a singer.
Eunjun: I had never expected to become an idol, so I was working to become a vocal trainer. I got in a few auditions in the process, and then I met the current company and made my debut.
*Which one of your songs are you the most attached to?
Minjae: Mine’s Light it Up, which is our debut track.
Donggyu: I love every single one of our songs, but I personally love Dear My. The song is made so beautifully. Everything about it from the lyrics to the feel of the song is to my taste. I think to all of us, this song brings up some sad and precious memories. Not only is it a message for our fans, it is also a tribute song to Dongyun, our member who passed away.
Jaehan: Mine is also Dear My – I hope the whole world could hear the voice and lyrics of our friend Dongyun.
Hwarang: Mine’s What do I do. I participated in the choreography and lyrics, so it’s especially endearing to me.
Villain: My personal favorite is our debut song, Light it Up.
Eunjun: I think that I’m the most attached to Dear My from our second album, composed by Jaehan.
*Which musician or artist do you admire the most? Please share a song/album that you frequently listen to nowadays.
Minjae: Well, I’m learning to play the guitar these days, so I listen to Little Star by Standing Egg sunbaenim often, and sing it a lot too.
Donggyu: My role model is IU sunbaenim. I love her music. I also like the work of BTS sunbaenim. I think my favorite artists tend to have a wide musical spectrum. And my current favorite track is Fifth Season by Oh My Girl sunbaenim.
Jaehan: I’m so into playing the guitar these days, and band sounds appeal to me a lot. I listen to Cold Play, Yun Do Hyeon sunbaenim and DAY6 sunbaenim a lot. I especially listen to Congratulations by DAY6 sunbaenim a lot these days.
Hwarang: Song Min-ho – Fear, and Loco – It will take time.
Villain: I admired Hoya sunbaenim and Taeyang sunbaenim from my childhood days. A favorite track for me these days is Shower by Norazo sunbaenim.
Eunjun: I love Bruno Mars’s wide spectrum of genres and his tone. I tend to listen over and over again to a favorite song, and these days that would be When I was your man, a song I returned to recently.
*How would you describe your own character in just one word?
Minjae: Cool.
Donggyu: Documentary.
Jaehan: I can’t think right now…
Hwarang: Watery.
Villain: Angelic.
Eunjun: Sloppy.
*What’s your fav food or beverage and why?
Minjae: I think I dislike everything that looks weird, because I get put off. I love everything that kids love, because my palate is very childlike…I hear that a lot.
Donggyu: I don’t have a particular favorite food. I just like anything that suits me…I’m not that particular. But if I had to choose something, maybe some cool cucumber kimchi. I didn’t realize it myself, but my mother tells me that I really eat a lot of it when she has it prepared at home. And my worst food would have to be chicken feet and pupas. My family used to raise chickens and I know what they always step on. The looks aren’t too appealing either. As for pupas, I used to have them as a kid, but ever since I saw a real big moth, I really couldn’t. And I guess I don’t really care to try foods that look a little funny.
Jaehan: My favorite dish is tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cakes) and raw shrimp. I don’t know why, I can just eat them forever, haha.
Hwarang: I like pasta, western food. My personal favorite is Spaghetti Aglio e olio! And what I don’t like is chilli pepper in soups because they taste like paper.
Villain: My favorite menu is clear seafood soup, because I absolutely love seafood.
Eunjun: It’s hard to choose a favorite because I have so many… but my worst food is fermented skate fish. I tried it recently and the smell was just…too much.
*What’s your favorite color and dress code, if you have one?
Minjae: I like black the most ~ and my preferred fashion is just comfortable clothes.
Donggyu: My favorite’s green. I love all colors but green really eases your eyes. As for clothes, I like loose tops and less loose bottoms with very simple accessories. I don’t go for the flamboyant type, either clothes or accessories.
Jaehan: I like blue the most. As for my fashion, I think I take care to have little matches of colors…the shoes and belts for example. Color combinations are important to me.
Hwarang: Purple! I wear things to suit my face each day. So, I could be dressed cute, or sexy, or whatever.
Villain: I don’t really have a fashion code. I prefer bright colors.
Eunjun: I like pink, yellow, and white. Besides that, I’m not really a fashion person so I go for anything comfy to wear.
*Describe your ideal type.
Minjae: Someone with an attitude. Someone who does their best in what they do, responsible and has strong beliefs.
Donggyu: Someone who has a nice voice. And I like elegant and pure looks. And I think eyes are my special point of interest. I like people with clear eyes.
Jaehan: My ideal type is someone with their own views.
Hwarang: Someone cute and pure in looks, with a somewhat proud demeanor.
Villain: A good driver, with polite manners.
Eunjun: Someone with a nice voice, long straight hair and pretty neckline.
*How do you relieve stress?
Minjae: I work out!!
Donggyu: I tend to write or draw pictures. I forget my troubles by concentrating on something in particular. I sometimes cry in the shower too…or watch a sad movie. Then I can feel all light-hearted again. I’ve tried eating and sleeping a lot too, but it didn’t work for me.
Jaehan: I used to binge-eat, but these days I like to take walks.
Hwarang: I play games.
Villain: See a movie or go for a walk alone.
Eunjun: I binge-eat something really good, or play games.
*Where would you most like to travel?
Minjae: The U.S.
Donggyu: The States and the Czech Republic. Can’t choose between those two. I’ve never been to the States but ever since my sister’s trip there I’ve wanted to go myself. And out of the places I’ve been to, I really loved the Czech Republic. It had terrific views and people, so much that I felt like living there. I’d love to visit again. I wonder if I’d feel the same if I did go.
Jaehan: I wanna go to France someday.
Hwarang: Europe… Halstatt.
Villain: Hong Kong.
Eunjun: I’d love to go to France.
*Where do you see yourself in ten years? What would you be doing?
Minjae: I guess I’d be running a business of my own, while still active as a Spectrum member.
Donggyu: Nobody knows whether I’d be in the entertainment industry after ten years. But I currently love this job, and love all of our fans who love us. So, if there’s no special reason not to, I think I would still be with you like this. If not, I would still be pursuing another dream, somewhere, still the same person, to achieve something just as I became an idol singer…and at a rather late age at that.
Jaehan: I think I’d still be singing, for people, even after 10 years.
Hwarang: I’ll be making hit songs as a composer!
Villain: I have a dream of owning my own building and opening an academy.
Eunjun: I promised to stay forever with Lantana, so I would still be a member of Spectrum.
*Describe your future plans and hopes, and a word for your fans. Thanks!
Minjae: We’ll work really hard to promote us, Spectrum. We hope to achieve a lot with this group. For our fan club, Lantana, thank you so much for your support and working alongside us. We’ll try harder to become singers you could be proud of!
Donggyu: There’s something we’ve promised Lantana. Whatever hardship or troubles that may be ahead, we’ll walk all the way together to reach the sea. I have hopes of reaching the deep blue sea with our fans, whatever life may bring. The future looks unstable and scary for us at the moment but there will be a better tomorrow, just as light comes after darkness. I’ll try to be a place of rest for our fans, when you get tired on the way. Love you.
Jaehan: I’d like to continue to share a lot of my music. I thank you, our fans, for trusting us and keeping up with us.
Hwarang: I wish I could do more work in entertaining and acting, and I’ll try my very best with the members here.
Villain: I hope to be able to spend a whole day with our fans, sometime in the future. Please stay by our side until then, Lantana.
Eunjun: I’d never give up singing, so I’ll be singing for a long time. And Lantana, thanks for being with us for a year…we could exist and keep going because of you. Hope to be with you forever. Love you!
J.Chung.
We have spoken about Netflix and Hulu, and now, we are giving you the list of our favorite shows made in the biggest continent in the world, that you can stream via AppleTV.
I have to throw in a little disclaimer though. I’m sure most of the AppleTV users are aware that AppleTV is a bit different than other streaming apps, regarding the fact that most of the shows are still streamed through third party apps. That being said, AppleTV does support AsianCrush and Viki as two of the channels with the biggest selection of the top-rated Asian dramas, variety shows and movies, but the third party app is required.
Even so, you still get the perks of AppleTV services, so sit back, grab your popcorn and enjoy this list of just a few of the brightest stars of Asia’s cinematic universe.
For the sake of giving you a slightly more categorized selection, we are going to divide those top picks into a few groups.
Top 5 Korean dramas
Korean Entertainment industry is booming in all possible ways. Kpop opened the door to the west for the entire industry, but we love Kdramas no less. So, here are some of them you must watch. The list contains top rated ones on the mentioned AppleTV partner apps.
1. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Starting off strong, with the overall rating of 9.8/10, we have the 2017 classic.
Plot: She is no ordinary woman. Do Bong Soon comes from a long line of women possessing Herculean strength. But there is a catch to her power: she can only use it for good. Follow along with her journey of trying to find a job in the game development industry, whilst dealing with a love triangle and helping two hot men fight criminals. You’ll laugh, you’ll whine and cheer for this amusing girl and her extraordinary adventures.
Fans said:
“I swear this is the first drama that I’ve watched from 8pm till 7am… NO LITERALLY, I watched it for 11 hours….”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Sci-fi, Fantasy
2. Hotel Del Luna
Staring the popular IU, this drama is a must watc with the 9.8/10 rating.
Plot: Deep in the Seoul’s thriving downtown sits a peculiar hotel. Old beyond measure, this hotel and its CEO are not what they first seem to be. Jang Man Wol is running this hotel, but not by her own will. She is cursed, doomed to spend all of eternity catering to the need of a most peculiar clientele of this odd hotel, all because of the crime so old she cannot even remember she committed. Her only hope of escaping the curse is to find someone who has committed a crime bigger than hers. After 1000 years she began losing hope, but things are changing when a young perfectionist starts working at her hotel. Who is he, and will she be able to break the curse?
Fans said:
“WATCH THIS SHOW. WATCH IT. STOP READING THESE REVIEWS AND JUST HECKIN CLICK ON THE EPISODE. YOU WON’T REGRET.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Romance, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Drama, Mystery
3. Doctor John
Human medical drama of doctors who seek the cause of their patients’ pain. 9.7/10
Plot: Basing in the world where medicine is so advanced that doctors can save the patient even if he’s at the verge of death. But ability to save doesn’t mean that the patient will live, doctor must determine if saving the patient’s life would make that patient happy. Chao Yo Han is a genius doctor who needs only 10 seconds to determine a patient’s condition, but one patient changes his life. Kang Si Young is a doctor with a warm heart. She meets a prisoner who used to be a doctor, a genius who can grasp patient’s condition within 10 seconds. Next time she meets that man, he is a professor. Who is he, and what will their relationship bring?
Fans said:
“Out of all the dramas that I have watched during the past years, this one is seriously one of the best. It managed to get me hooked since the first Episode and ever since I have been unable to wait for the new Episodes to air.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Medical Drama, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
4. Watcher
Hold your wigs for this one, the 2019 thriller drama with 9.7/10 rating.
Plot: A brutal murder committed 15 years ago turned the lives of our 3 protagonists upside down. Brought by fate, the trio goes on the hunt for answers nearly two decades later. Will they be able to solve the mystery of the crime that has shaped their lives, and what else will they uncover in the process?
Fans said:
“Wow! I’m used to crime dramas that build up the story line as the episodes progress. With Watcher, this story hits the ground running! I agree with another user that said this will make you want to hit rewind, play, fast forward, and rewind again.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Drama, Thriller
5. While You Were Sleeping
Finishing off lightly, a romance rated with 9.7/10 stars.
Plot: A young woman has a special gift, she has dreams of bad events before them happening, but is often unable to do anything to stop them. That changes when she has a dream of her neighbor being in an accident. She manages to save him and a young police officer, who develops the same ability as her afterwards. How and why did their lives intertwine and will they be able to save the people they care about the most using their gift?
Fans said:
“Interestingly I had watched this drama 9 times in a row. I don’t know why. But I am still going to watch it again. It is that much worthy to watch.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-fi, Fantasy
Top 3 Asian made movies
1. Go Brother!
If you have siblings, you will relate to this Chinese movie.
Plot: Ever wanted your siblings to disappear? Shi Miao can’t stand her irresponsible older brother who always seems to try to make her life harder. She always wanted him to disappear from her life and leave her alone. One day, her wish actually came true. Her brother is now the older brother of her best friends. She is delighted with the life of an only child, but what secret did her brother hide from her, the secret that might make her regret everything. Will she?
Fans said:
“This movie is such a beautiful story about the love of an older brother towards his sister.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Comedy, Sci-fi, Fantasy
2. The great hypnotist
Can you solve the mystery of Ren Xiao Yan before the doctor? A mind twisting Chinese thriller.
Plot: Dr. Xu Rui Ning is a psychiatrist using hypnotherapy to help his patients. One day, he takes on a patient who was dismissed by her previous doctor. Apparently, she can see ghosts. Is she crazy, laying to cover a bigger secret and will the doctor reveal her secrets, or will she reveal his…
Fans said:
“Brilliant, different, riveting, you will never guess the ending. Highly Recommend and 10++++++++++++ stars for this crazy story and great actors!”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
3. Fuse: Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
By now It is well known that animated movies make strong competitors in the cinematic industry. We have all heard of Paprika, Perfect Blue, Ghost In The Shell and other big names, but here’s one that you might not have heard of yet, although I doubt that is the case.
Plot: After the death of her grandfather, Hamaji, a hunter, leaves her countryside house and goes to the city. There, she hears about Fuses, hybrids between humans and dogs, who live in Japan in the Edo period. It was said that they kill people to feed themselves with their souls. She decides to help her brother and hunt them, but what will happen when she befriends one of her targets?
Fans said:
“This movie is great if you are into fantasy Japanese style. It has everything likeable: principal character, moving story, mix of reality and fantasy, folklore, action, love, sadness. A must see.”
PG 13: YES
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Drama
With that, we conclude this top listing. Be aware that we only included Asian shows available on the AppleTV, and that we tried to include a variety of genres and shows from different countries. What are your favorite shows, are they on our list?
*Again, most of the shows require a third-party app.
—-Tina Mihajlovic
K-Pop Top 30: July 2019
Your votes have been tallied! Here is what you voted as your K-Pop Top 30 for July 2019. Polls for August 2019 will be open soon!
Everyone has their favorite idol bias and we enjoy seeing them perform, staying well and enjoying free time, but there is a different idol that we are learning about that is all the rage and may even have their very own Instagram accounts. We are speaking about the loveable pups that are always there to bring laughter, joy and peace to the idols that work hard for their careers. Let’s find out a little more about some of those famous pups.
1. Taehyung & Yeontan
I’m sure most of you know of Kim Taehyung, member of BTS, but his pup is almost as famous. Taehyung’s Pomeranian has gained a lot of attention from fans for his adorable looks and cute interactions with the members. The puppy was first shown on Jin’s birthday vlive, but he was formally introduced to the public in December of 2017, with a tweet saying the pup’s name was Yeontan, which means coal in Korean. In the tweet Taehyung also said “우리집 새식구”, meaning “my family.” Fans speculate Yeontan’s birthday is the 6th or 7th of September 2017, which would make him 2 years old at the time of this article. Yeontan used to live with BTS, but had to move in with Taehyung’s parents due to BTS’ busy schedules.
2. Chungha & Bambi
This former I.O.I member has stolen millions of hearts, but so has her dog! Most people got to know Chungha’s dog, Bambi, through the special dog episode of weekly idol. Several idols brought their pet dogs in for a special episode of the show, one of those idols was Chungha. She has since shown and talked about Bambi several times, but the Weekly Idol episode was one of her first big public appearances. Bambi’s birthday has not been specified, but in the episode, which was filmed in late 2017 and released in early 2018, Chungha stated she was 4 years old. That would make the dog around 6 years old at the time of writing this article. In the weekly idol episode. Chungha also explained the dog was named Bambi because Chungha’s mum kept calling her that due to her long legs, which made her look like a deer. Bambi gave birth to 3 puppies in 2017, Dakgol, Bamtol and Dodo. Soon after, one of them, Bamtol, was adopted by Ryu Jina, Chungha’s manager.
3. Jooheon & Sanche
Most people know of Minhyuk’s dog because of the Weekly Idol dog special, but there’s another Monsta X member with a pet dog. Sanche is Jooheon’s 6-year-old family dog, who he’s brought to fansigns and vlives. When Sanche was first introduced, fans believed he was actually Kihyun’s dog, as the pup would follow Kihyun around more than his actual owner. Sanche lives with Jooheon’s parents and he has stated that, as his mum has no daughter, she loves to dress Sanche up in dresses and cute clothes.
4. Jennie – Kai and Kuma
Blackpink are known for having many pets, as each member has at least one. Jennie’s dogs are two of the most known pets in the fandom though. Kai, a cocker spaniel, and Kuma, a Pomeranian, have appeared in numerous vlives and selcas, one of them even sparking a meme in the fandom. In one of the vlives featuring the pups, Lisa began singing their hit song ‘Boombayah’, but replaced the chorus with “Kumaya”, which made the fan’s hearts burst. None of their diets have been specified, but Jennie has stated that Kuma absolutely adores sweet potatoes. Kuma’s birthday is March 24th and he is currently 2 years old, while Kai’s birthday has not been specified, but fans guess he is around 6. Both dogs get along well, as they grew up playing together, and now live with Jennie’s family. They’re both also very close to Dalgom, Jisoo’s dog.
5. Amber & JackJack
Many of you may know of JackJack and Tuna, Amber’s dog and cat. They have their own Instagram (@jackjackandtuna) and Amber mentions them a lot. JackJack, the dog, has appeared on her youtube channel several times and fans are quite familiar with him. He’s a mixed dog, 50% Chihuahua 25% Pomeranian, 12.5% Pekingese and 12.5% breed groups (herding, Asian, companion and sporting.) His birthday is July 6th, though the year of birth is unknown and she has never stated his age. He is Amber’s second dog, Gongju, the first one, sadly passed away in 2015.
6. B.A.P
Various B.A.P members have pet dogs, more specifically, Daehyun, Youngguk and Zelo. All their pups have personal Instagrams, Yongguk’s poodle, Tigger, (@bangteezy). Daehyun’s pup, Kanji, (@gan___ji) and Zelo’s pup, Mochii, (@bymochimato). Mochii is a Pomeranian, born December 1st 2015. Tigger was born on the 16th of April 2014, making him 5 years old at the time of writing this. Kanji’s birthday, but his posts go back to early 2018, making him at least 1 year old. Zelo talks a lot about his dog, so we know a lot of cute random facts about Mochii and Zelo’s journey with pets. Mochii loves to chew on things, he even destroyed Zelo’s bracelet and book. He may chew a lot, but he loves a Pikachu blanket he sleeps on whenever he can. We also know that when someone is speaking to him, Mochii will tilt his head, as if trying to understand. Not much information about the other pups is available, but they all update their Instagrams every few weeks.
7. Ashley
Ashley’s puppy, Kiwi, is another Instagram pup. Ashley updates pictures of her pup every few weeks, they’re mostly quirky and cute, making the dog somewhat of a meme. Kiwi is a half Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, half Shih Tzu female pup. Her birthday hasn’t been stated, but and speculate she’s a few years old. Just like Mochii, one of Kiwi’s favorite toys is Pikachu themed and just like Sanche, she’s constantly being dressed up by Ashley. On her Instagram (@kiwithepiggi), you can see various pictures of the pup in quirky hats and cute outfits.
6. Harim – Toto & Momo
All the previous idols have been singers and rappers from world famous K-pop groups, but not many people know of Harim and his band. Harim is the lead singer of Movning, a trio under Sugar Records Ent. He’s also the proud owner of two dogs, named Toto and Momo. Toto is a playful Schnauzer, while Momo is a West Highland White Terrier. They both appear on his Instagram (@chicken_harim) a lot and they seem to have a great relationship with each other. Both pups were abandoned at a young age and Harim, wanting to give them a good home, adopted them both. When asked, he stated that their diet consist solely of fodder, which is dried hay or straw.
—-Valeria Movnings
Some of the most famous and Intagrammable places in the world are architectural designs. Those beautiful buildings have been designed by the extraordinary minds and hands of the architects around the world. One of those architects, that has left us back in May 2019 is I.M.Pei. Maybe unknown for many, this man most famous architectural legacy is nothing other but the glass pyramid standing in front of the Louvre museum in Paris. Impressive, right?
I.M.Pei, full name Ieoh Ming Pei (pronounced pay) was born on April 26, 1917, in Guangzhou, China. Not much is known about his early life until he decided to come to the USA when he was 17 years old and to study at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Although that was his first and original ides, he later transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which proved to be the right move and there earned his bachelor degree in architecture in 1940. After earning his degree, Pei continued his studies at the Harvard University’s Graduate School of design. It was the place and the opportunity he came across to meet and study with Walter Gropius. He was a German architect, the founder of the Bauhaus design movement – a moment in the modern architecture that defined the decorative elements in the way that “form follows function”, something that is present to this very day. Like many great minds, Pei took a break from studying too, and that was in the period of World War II when he worked for the National Defense Research Committee. Returning to school in 1944 was again the right move, and in 1946, Pei got his masters degree in architecture. This was the time when he also started working as an assistant professor at the university. With this impressive education background, and living in America, the doors to a Pei’s successful career were wide open.
Looking to broaden his horizons and dive deeper into the architecture, in 1948 Pei started working for an architectural company named Webb & Knapp, Inc. They were based in New York and his colorful resume brought him to the position of director of architecture. Pei was working there until 1955 when he decided it is time to leave and start something of his own. He founded the firm I.M. Pei & Associates that is today known as Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. With his new firm, came the first big projects that were major for the time – Mile High Center in Denver, Colorado. While working on this project, Pei was also doing consulting on several plans for urban renovations in Washington, Boston, and Philadelphia. His talent was soon heard in the higher levels of the society which brought the project of designing a presidential library for then, the late President John F. Kennedy, which was finished in 1979. Later came the projects of creating the east wing of the National Gallery of Art and the Dallas City Hall in 1978, Mesa Laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, the west wing of the Museum of Fine arts in Boston in 1980, Fragrant Hill Hotel in China in 1983.
One of the most famous Pei works is the revitalization of the Paris’ Louvre museum. Although he did not accept the invitation at first, Pei decided to do something unique to revive its look and it proved to be a world-class move. The large glass pyramid that today stands in front of the entrance of the museum became Pei’s signature representation of the work.
Pei’s work did not stop here. Just on the contrary, his business was booming. He became the most sought-after architect attractive to real estate developers, corporate and art museum boards. During the 1990s and 2000s, Pei designed other impressive buildings like United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, the Nascar Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Museum of Islamic Art and many more.
From the moment Pei appeared on the architectural scene, he caught the eye of many cultural, governmental and commercial companies who wanted his input in their projects. This was all due to his talent and ability to interconnect the sharp geometrical lines with the current regional architectural traditions which always resulted in a magnificent design. Thinking outside the box at the time when Pei started working and designing a variety of buildings from skyscrapers to museums, represented the perfect balance in his creativity and open mind how to carefully work within the lines of the cutting edge and conservative.
His style can be best explained as modern. He loved designing projects with clean and sharp-edged lines, combining the simple geometry with the latest trends. Although many at that time might have taken his work and approach with the dose of reservation, Pei was strong and determined in his work. In the end, his creations did pass the test of time, today being considered as the best and most beautiful architectural designs in history.
On May 19th, 2019, his son Sandi, also an architect working at his father’s company announced that the great mastermind and brilliant architect passed on the age of 102. He lived a great and fulfilled life. Born in China but living in America has made Pei appreciative of every culture and tradition which was only a plus in his creative work and building a rich architectural profile and profession.
—-Maja Krdzic
If you’ve by any chance clicked on this article without knowing who Ravi is, fear not and let me introduce you to this Kpop star!
Best known by his stage name Ravi, Kim Won-sik is the main rapper, lead dancer, lyrics writer and composer for a Kpop boy group named VIXX. Born (February 15, 1993) and raised in Seoul, Korea. Just because I know we love to have excessive info about idols: He is 6ft tall, Aquarius, blood type O, fitness enthusiast, and has publicly stated that he would date his fellow member N if he was a girl, just saying ;). Oh, also, his nickname was speculated to be LUCKY BOY. He has a younger sister.
Lucky Boy’s first appearances
This older brother was one of 10 trainees on the famous Mnet’s competition series named MyDOL. He debuted in the final line-up of VIXX, then called Super Hero, in May 2012.
Solo career
Besides being a member of VIXX, Ravi also debuted as a solo artist in January 2017 with his mini album R.EAL1ZE. He also dropped his first mixtape R.EBIRTH in March 2016, and this busy rapper also appeared on the fourth season of survival program Show Me The Money, alongside a bunch of underground rappers.
Supporting his colleagues
He sure supports the Korean rapper community, given that he collaborated with multiple fellow rappers, including SMTM4’s winner, Basick, on OX, the mixtape where he experimented with all kinds of music genres.
Keeping up the supporting other artist theme going, in June 2018 Ravi produced a song for the girl group ELRIS. The song is called TELL ME, so feel free to check it out, it surprised me that this song is not even close to what we are used to hearing from him.
EXO‘s Kai and SHINEE‘s Taemin are his best friends, and fans love this multi group friendship.
Controversy and split personality?
Despite being involved in controversy regarding him ‘objectifying women’ in his solo song BOMB and criticized for his scary rapper persona, fans say that he is being misunderstood and are standing by his side. One of the fans wrote: ‘Behind the fast raps and the amazing dances lies a human being. Take away Ravi and you get Kim Won-sik, a caring, passionate, hardworking, creative person.’ Ravi himself touched on the split-persona topic in his 2018 NIRVANA, finding a middle ground between his and others outlook on Kim Won-sik. Talking about controversy, he is the idol with the 3rd highest number of copyrighted songs.
Ravi takes on Europe
Won-sik had his first solo European tour in October 2018. He left London amazed by the passion of his fans, who were singing along to every song.
Variety show appearances
He appeared as an MC for the Korean beauty show, Style Follow. Though he was taken by surprise by the content of the show, he kept his professional cool.
‘I thought it was a fashion variety show at first, but when I started to film, it was about beauty but I said I’d continue. I’m just the MC, so it was ok.’ – Ravi said for METRO UK.
His variety show career didn’t end there. Ravi proved his physical skills on a show about rigorous military training, Real Men 300. The show raised his popularity as viewers were amazed with him getting into the last round, but unfortunately failing to complete the last challenge. Even so, his 10km march while lugging 20 kg took fans’ breath away. Is there anything he can’t do?
Butt the pup
Ravi did find time to indulge in fatherhood. In 2017 the Won-sik family got a new member, French bulldog named Butt. Butt is spending time with his parents whenever Ravi’s away, though he always gets to hear and see him through FaceTime.
GROOVL1N – changing entertainment industry norms
Ravi, who writes his own lines and music, decided to add another ‘own’ in his career and establish his own label. On May 24 this year, the Jellyfish Entertainment (agency he was signed to) announced that Ravi chose not to renew his contract with the company for the sake of creating his own. Fortunately, he didn’t abandon VIXX. The company also stated that, even though Ravi cut ties with the agency, he was to remain a part of the boy band. I swear you could hear all of STARLIGHT (VIXX’s fandom) sighing with relief.
Regarding his label, Ravi took no breaks after leaving JF Entertainment. Won-sik’s label was officially created on June 26,2019, under the name GROOVL1N. This new hip hop label welcomed its first two artists Cold Bay and Xydo. Ravi promised to keep making new music and moves, and called for fans to support his first steps in the industry. You can keep up with him and his label on his official social media pages:
@GROOVL1N_GTCK on Twitter
@groovl1nofficial on Instagram
He is no stranger to fighting for creator’s voices in the controlling Kpop entertainment industry, and has spoken about this issue in his songs and interviews various times.
This label is one of Ravi’s efforts to gain creative freedom and change the wrongs of Kpop.
What is he doing now?
Ravi enters 2019 working on new songs and creating music with no boundaries. Also, fans were relieved when he stated that sad feelings he talked about in his previous songs are no longer valid, though he did add that ‘There’s a happiness but there’s a sadness and they’re there together’, such a poetic soul.
After leaving the agency, Ravi published his new single VACAY on August 6, and fans seem to like this classic rapping Ravi style with a hint of your good old summer song.
GROOVL1N has also finally published the debut single for Xydo OUTFIT OF THE DAY feat. Coogie. He has his hands full for sure.
The star and starlight
Ravi’s relationship with his fans, he himself described best: ‘A star has no meaning without a starlight’, he stated. In fact, VIXX’s first activity for 2019 was a fan meet and greet, those guys keep giving back to their fans.
Where will you be able to see him?
On August 12, the Jellyfish Entertainment announced that VIXX will be holding the concert “VIXX LIVE FANTASIA [PARALLEL]” at Jamsil Indoor Stadium on September 28 and 29. Tickets of the concert will be opened for pre-order at 8 pm (KST) August 19 for fanclub as well as at 8 pm (KST) August 21 for general audiences through Melon Ticket Agency.
GROOVL1N is holding a release party for Ravi’s NIRVANA II on September 1, so keep an eye out for that. It will be held in Hongdae Rollinghall in Seoul, so us international fans will have to cling on fancams and official footage, though considering Ravi is no stranger to world tours, we may get a chance to see him live once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFjCgWcd54
—-Tina Mihajlovic
*Tibet is a country based in Himalayan mountains.
*Tibet is the 10th biggest nation in the world, in terms of land-mass.
*Tourists were first permitted to Tibet in the 1980s. Tibet only open to visitors as long as they’re on an organized tour with a guide.
*47% of the world’s population depends on the flow of fresh water from Tibet. 46% of the world’s population depends upon rivers originating in Tibet. Six of Asia’s biggest rivers originate from Tibet as well.
*Tibet is located on the Tibetan Plateau, which is the highest region on earth. The elevation is an average of 4,500m, which can cause some travelers to experience altitude sickness. Many tour companies offer tourists oxygen tanks to ease the transition process.
*Tibet invaded China to seize land in 1930, during a period of de facto Tibetan independence.
*In April 27, 1906, Great Britain and China signed a treaty approving China’s dominion of Tibet – this was negotiated without any Tibetan participation.
*Tibet was an independent country until 1959, but was forcefully occupied by China. China claims Tibetans are happy with them ruling, but they prohibit foreign journalists or politicians to visit and see for themselves. There’s evidently stuff that China doesn’t want the world to know.
*Tibet is currently governed by the Chinese Communist Party, and Tibetans frequent protest in order to resist China’s rule. Many have set themselves on fire.
*Dalai Lama fled to India during the Chinese invasion and is currently still based there.
*Dalai Lama’s government and around 80,000 Tibetans fled to India in March of 1959.
*There are no KFCs in Tibet thanks to Dalai Lama, who wrote a letter on the mass slaughter of chickens violated Tibet’s traditional values.
*Potala Palace in Tibet has been the official residence of the Dalai Lama’s since the 7th century until 1959. The palace is the highest in the world and visitors are asked to acclimatize themselves before entering; they are prohibited to take oxygen supplies into the palace for fear of fire.
*One of the “Silk Road” routes was through Tibet.
*Traveling in Tibet solo is currently illegal.
*In April 25 of 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal and killed over 8,000 people. In May 12 of the same year, another major earthquake shook Nepal and killed minimum of 94 people.
*There’s a railway connecting Tibet to China that reaches the highest point of 5,072 m. Due to the high elevation, an oxygen supply is given to all the passengers and a doctor must be accompanied.
*Pugs originated in Tibet and went by the name “Little Turks.”
*The Lhasa Apso dog was domesticated and bred as long ago as 800 BC in Tibet as an indoor monastery sentinel dogs. The first pair was brought to America in 1933 as a gift from the 13th Dalai Lama.
*Mt Kailash in Tibet has never been climbed!
*If there’s more than one candidate during the selection of the next Dalai Lama, the Minister of Tibet will pick a name out of an urn.
*Buttered tea is a Tibetan. Tibetans obviously knew the benefits of adding fat to tea since centuries ago.
*The main religion in Tibet has been Buddhism since its outspread in the 8th century AD.
*99% of the Buddhist monasteries in Tibet have been closed due to the Communist rule. The current Dalai Lama of Tibet was given Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, for his efforts for non-violent liberation of Tibet.
*March 23, 2018, US President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 into law, which approves continued and additional funding for Tibetan communities inside Tibet, and exiled Tibetans in India and Nepal.
J.Chung.
The kids are taking up the world. And that is something to applaud and welcome. In a time of great political change and various movements, the good news involving kids and their accomplishments are rare but also much needed. It is hard to be successful these days, but with lots of love, determination, and passion, anything is possible. Especially if you are a girl. It seems that women today have more to prove, so the young Sky Brown began just in time – to show the world that she is the best in what she does.
Maybe lots of you have never heard about this girl. That is quite all right. Just head to her Instagram profile @skybrown ( managed by her mother) and when you see the number of 409K followers you will know that she is something special. You will see an energetic, cute and professional girl, in love with skateboarding and achieving new accomplishments every new day. The longhaired British-Japanese skateboarder has become very popular early in her age. Her passion for skateboarding and recreational surfing has caught the eyes of the world. There has been nothing but outpouring support when the name of Sky Brown is heard. Even some of the biggest sporting brands like Nike have stood behind this talent, signing her as their youngest client and allowing her the needed support and encouragement in creating a successful career.
Born to Japanese mother and English father on July 12, 2008, in Miyazaki, Japan, Sky Brown is a Japanese nationality. She has a younger brother named Ocean who also loves skateboarding like his big sister. Alongside skateboarding, Sky loves to dance a lot, especially on the tunes of Sia and Nicky Minaj. That type of music is what drives her and boosts her self-confidence while practicing skateboarding. She has been known for a laid back personality and down-to-earth little girl considering the popularity she is enjoying on a world level. In a recent interview, her father Stuart talked about his daughter’s endeavors. He has seen her doing some tricks and trying out the skateboards and said that he never imagined that a little girl would love something like skateboarding. Yet, Sky has shown incredible talents as early as the age of 3 where it became clear to her parents that their daughter has a talent and a future career. That has been love at first sight, as since then, Sky and the skateboard have become inseparable companions. With lots of trying she has learned how to properly and adequately run the skateboard, and she only did get better and better in time. As her father explained, the only female inspiration skateboarders at that time for her have been Leticia Bufoni and Alana Smith. She has looked up to them, their style and tricks, and tried to incorporate their things with her things, creating a new, individual and personal style.
Her talent did not remain unrecognized for a long time. When she was only 8 years old, in 2016 she participated in the Vans US Open Pro Series where she became the youngest member ever. After that, came another event – Dancing With The Stars: Juniors in 2018. She was partnered with JT Church and became a champion.
Now, next in the line of her achievements are the Olympics 2020 in Tokyo. If she manages to qualify, and she will compete for Britain, she will be the youngest participant in the history with the age of 12 years and 15 days on the exact opening day of the skateboarding event. Her desire to attend the summer Olympics 2020 in Tokyo is additionally driven by the will, as she explained, to go there as a young little girl and show everyone that even if you are young and a girl you can do everything.
It is safe to say that this 11-yeard-old skateboarder has become an influencer. Her high profile and almost a celebrity status were put to a good cause, by no other than her parents and herself. Their visit to Cambodia was an inspiration to do something to help the children there, especially those her age without access to clean water and education. This initiative was appreciated by Almost Skateboards board manufacturer and charity partner, with whom Sky has designed a skateboard. Almost Skateboards & Sky Brown x Skateistan is the collaboration that was announced back in February 2018 that is selling skateboards under the signature of Sky Brown. All the proceeds from the sales of these boards were being directed into empowering children and youth through skateboarding and education.
And she does not stop here. As surfboarding has become an Olympic sport during Tokyo 2020, she hopes that she will also qualify and add it to her resume of achievements.
Sky Brown is a wonderful example of how everyone can achieve what they want. As she has stated many times, you can do the boys job and excel at it. We are living in modern times and the boundaries are pushed and moved every day. Her determination and achievements are an example and inspiration for many young females who are hesitant about a certain aspect of their life and career.
Sky Brown is not only her generation’s icon but to many more. She encourages girls to try themselves in every aspect they desire and not to mind the age. So little and so wise – there is a lot to be learned from Sky Brown.
—-Maja Krdzic
A.R.M.Y can breathe a sigh of relief! BigHit Entertainment recently announced that their global phenom group, BTS, will be taking an official break to rest following their last concert.
BigHit announced the upcoming hiatus on their official Twitter page.
[공지] 방탄소년단 공식 장기 휴가 알림 (+ENG) pic.twitter.com/fV4Aw5UNY4
— BigHit Entertainment (@BigHitEnt) August 11, 2019
Hello. This is Big Hit Entertainment. We would like to announce that for the first time since their debut, BTS will be going on an official and extended period of rest and relaxation. Today’s LOTTE DUTY FREE FAMILY CONCERT performance will make the last scheduled event before members prepare to take their vacations.
This period of rest will be an opportunity for the members of BTS, who have relentlessly driven themselves towards their goal since their debut, to recharge and prepare to present themselves anew as musicians and creators. This will also provide them with a chance to enjoy the ordinary lives of young people in their 20s, albeit briefly. During this time, the members will rest and recharge in their own personal ways.
Should you have a chance encounter with a member of BTS while they are on vacation, we ask that you show consideration for their need to rest and enjoy their private time off. BTS will return refreshed and recharged to return all the love you have an continue to show them. Thank you.
This will be BTS’ first vacation since they debuted in 2013. As the statement suggests, anyone who sees any of the members out and about are encouraged to leave them alone.
The statement suggests that the break may be brief, however. BTS is scheduled to perform in Saudi Arabia October 11, 2019.
Some speculate that the break will also give BTS members a breather before members have to start enlisting for their mandatory military service. Jin is scheduled to enlist in 2020 while the others’ schedules are staggered at different points after his.
For now, here’s to hoping BTS enjoy their time off!
—-Olivia Murray
Former M.I.B member and current soloist and television personality Kangnam (Yasuo Namekawa) announced that he will renounce his Japanese citizenship in order to become a Korean citizen.
Born to a Korean mother and a Japanese father, Kangnam, who announced earlier this year that he is dating Korean speedskater Lee Sang-Hwa, will begin the naturalization process later this year.
“It’s true that Kangnam is preparing to be naturalized,” his agency, DMost Entertainment, said. “He will be submitting his request this month. The process is expected to take about one year.”
To become a Korean citizen, Kangnam must submit paperwork and take exams during the process. He also must meet specific criteria in order to obtain full-Korean citizenship.
Kangnam has been a performer in Korea since 2011 when he debuted with the solo track “Say My Name.” He later re-debuted in the Hip-Hop group M.I.B, which disbanded January 4, 2017. Prior to his Korean debut, Kangnam, who went by the stage name Ya-Cha, was a member of the Japanese band Kick Chop Busters before leaving. Following the end of M.I.B, Kangnam has split time between Korea and Japan as a singer and television personality on several variety shows.
We wish Kangnam the best during his naturalization process.
—-Olivia Murray