Looking for LEDApple in 2018

A group pic of LEDApple from their 2011 AllKpop interview. The lineup at the time comprised (standing from left to right): Hanbyul, Kwangyeon, Kyumin, (sitting from left to right): Jun, Hyoseok and KeonU.

 

From LEDApple to LEDT

LEDApple was a five member music group formed in 2010 by StarKim Entertainment. The group sought to capture audiences and differentiate themselves from other idol groups with members that were able to play instruments as an idol rock band.

The group’s unusual name was inspired by Led Zeppelin and their aspiration to provide performances that shine like the brightness of LED lights and produce refreshing music reminiscent of apples.

Over the years, their fandom – called LEDAs – stood by the group as it went through multiple lineup changes due to some members leaving for health reasons, changes in career goals or music direction, etc., with thirteen members – Junyeong, I-OH, Sunghyun, Minyong, Chihoon, Jaehoon, Keon U, Hanbyul, Kwangyeon, Kyosung, JUN, AKi and Kei – forming parts of the group at different times throughout their years in music.

Their career highs include reaching number six on the Gaon Chart (Korean music chart) with their album CODA and winning the Rookie Award at the 2012 Korean Culture Entertainment Awards. The group’s body of work includes six singles, three mini albums and multiple Japanese and European concert tours.

In 2015, the band finally became a trio under the new name LEDT with only Jun, Kei and Aki remaining as members but disbanded shortly after in 2016. Hence, the group remains more well-known as LEDApple with fans still referring to them as such rather than the short-lived LEDT.

A picture of the final lineup of LEDT before disbandment shared on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/TopLedT. From left: Jun, Kei and Aki.

 

Staying true and finding new passions

Scouring the internet for info on the various LEDApple members over the years, it’s evident that many no longer have much of an internet presence other than old postings from their time with the group.

Fortunately for LEDAs and those yearning for any tid bit of info on their beloved group members, there are some members who are active in their chosen fields and regularly update their social media accounts so read on below to find out more.

 

Left: Jun’s Instagram profile photo @windboy511. Right: Screenshot of Jun’s Youtube channel and uploaded guitar cover.

Seo Youngjun (Jun), the only member that was with the group from its formation to eventual disbandment, remains true to his roots as a guitarist and has a YouTube channel Guitar JUN where he regularly uploads videos of his guitar playing. He also keeps his Instagram account updated with personal photos but has not elaborated on any commercial activities.

 

Kei in a pic from his Facebook account Kei Kyumin Lee.

Lee Kyumin (Kei), the group’s former vocalist once cited wanting to pursue hip hop as the reason for intending to leave the group before deciding otherwise and remaining in the final lineup in LEDT. However, there’s been no update on his endeavors in that genre since the group broke up. Fans can check out his Facebook page under Kei Kyumin Lee for future developments.

 

A recent photo of Aki on his Instagram account @kimhyoseoks.

Kim Hyoseok (AKi) is another member who does not appear to have commercial endeavors in the media. Nevertheless, he is active on Instagram and lists ‘Drummer’ in his profile so presumably he is still working in music.

 

A poster of Hanbyul’s solo concert tour shared on his Instagram account @onestarbyul.

Hanbyul, the Australian former leader and vocalist of the band who left to pursue a solo career continues to grow his music with a European solo concert tour in 2018. He has stated before in an interview that he gave up a career in dentistry for his passion for singing so fans must be delighted to see him make his dreams come true.

 

A photo of Sunghyun on the stage at World Club Dome – and EDM music festival. Inset: A profile  photo of Sunghyun from his Instagram account @roberkix.official.

Sunghyun, one of the group’s former members who left the group earlier in 2011 due to personal reasons is now known as EDM DJ Roberkix. He performs at EDM music festivals and other music venues.

 

A photo of Jaehoon on his Instagram account @zeze_hi.

Jaehoon, a former vocalist of the group, has branched out into the entirely different field of professional special effects makeup. While other former members have stayed within the music industry, Jaehoon – now known as Zeze, formed a makeup studio called Seoulite Studio specializing in sfx makeup. His instagram account is full of pictures of his works and he also has a YouTube account Seoulitestudio showcasing the results of his makeup skills – you’ll be surprised at his very talented portfolio especially his horror and Halloween series.

 

 

—-Fie Fed

Fashion trends are changing from season to season. Each and every season is different and those who are following fashion trends even just a little bit, know what we are talking about. Every new season brings something new. It may be some new color that will be trending that year, some piece of clothing, or special type of footwear. Although there are so many things that were fashionable and trending this year, one, in particular, dominated the accessories fashion department. Different from all the previous seasons, the hat has returned in the fashion eye on a big door. All year round, we have seen many versions of various hats and pieces that resemble hats – both on the runways and on the streets. Following the trend of fabulous and impeccable style of the girls in the fashion capitals, the Asian fashionistas have turned all the fashion trends in their own unique way, giving an example that there are so many different ways that you can pull off certain look or wear an accessory. As many might be just in doubt whether a hat should be a part of their day or evening look, the Asians have upgraded the hat trend into a fashion hat game and delivered some of the most fabulous looks and outfit inspirations. To see what we are talking about, take a look at the biggest hat trends for the fall season and how the Asian fashionistas do it:

Driver Cap

The revival of the driver caps came as a replacement to the baker boy hats. These caps are easily recognizable by the brim at the top section. They were very popular in the late 1800s’ and early 1920s’ and they were worn mostly by the working class. Since then, their purpose turned into a more fashionable one and they returned on the Dior runway, worn by the Asian models and launching the trend as one of the most popular hat trends in the world.

 

Knit beanies

This classic cold-weather accessory was seen as a new fashion option on many runways thoughout the world. Maintaining its purpose of keeping your head warm and being a fashonable garment, beanies have become one of the biggest headwear trends for Fall 2018. They are a must have fall and winter piece, and they come in lots of different options. Their functionality is undeniable when the cold season comes. Some of the inpirations on the trendiest beanies can be seen on the Dolce & Gabbana runway – lots of versions with ears, eyes and a nose. There were some with a logo across the band at Emporio Armani’s and many more. Asia has taken up this trend seriosly and delivered some extraordinary fashion inspiration.

Baseball caps

Baseball caps have made a comeback into the fashion world. They are not considered only as a part of sports gear, but, as a fashionable and stylish accessory piece. As they are lightweight, they can easily be worn with almost every outfit. Many fashion brands changed their position and view on the caps so they decided to include them more in their lines. Gabriela Hearst decided to go with classy caps that can be worn with more elegant outfits, while the House of Holland focused on baseball caps with prints and black leather. This trend hugely impacted the Asian fashionistas and caps can be seen in many outfits and more frequently than ever before.

 

Bucket Hats

Another big hat trend this Fall 2018 are the bucket hats. And it seems that Asia has the perfect way for wearing them. Since they were first spotted at Dolce & Gabbana’s and Prada’s they instantly appeared everywhere in various colors, designs and materials. The bright colors seem to be the perfect choice for the colder weather. This unexpected trend hugely dominated the Asian fashion scene.

 

Fedora hats

Those who are hat lovers, and have at least one hat as an accessory, will find that fedoras this season are the most fashionable as they’ll ever be. This season, wearing a fedora speaks for improved fashion style and sense. From the embellished versions at Dolce & Gabanna’s to the patterned ones at Michael Kors’s, fedoras have reached its peak in popularity. Asian bloggers and models were among the first to promote the fedora trend – in all different colors and sizes.

 

French Beret

Berets may have never been out of style, but somehow it was very limited to see them in the streets and out in the fashion world. They are considered as a favorite winter accessory of many, and certainly favored by many celebrities. This year, the beret trend goes around the classic French beret in number of styles and interesting designs. The variety of colors, materials, prints and textures offers for all the fashion lovers to find their choice. Versace and Armani were just some of the brands that accented the revival of the French beret. This was enough for the Asian trendsetters to deliver some unique looks and beret game.

 

 

 

—-Maja Krdzic

Shila Amzah (born NurShahila binti Amir Amzah) will be releasing her first Malaysian album since 2013 before the end of the year, and instead of rejoicing, fans of the 28-year-old songstress are criticizing her over the title of her lead single.

The track, titled “Bodoh,” is about a couple that breaks up after one of them cheats.

“The song is dedicated to those who are cheated and those who cheated on their partners. We are stupid for trusting the person who cheated on us, and he or she is stupid for leaving us,” Amzah said.

Even with the explanation, it didn’t stop people from criticizing the title (“Bodoh” means “fool”). Commenters consider the song title distasteful and disrespectful, but Amzah isn’t worried.

“Honestly, the title is just a normal title, like ‘I’m such a fool’ or I’m such an idiot’. But I just use one word to describe it because it’s easier to remember,” she said. “I don’t care if people are going to criticise me. After listening to this song, they will understand [why] it is called ‘Bodoh.’”

Instead of criticizing the song title, Shilalas (Amzah’s fanbase) should listen to the song. “Bodoh” is a catchy, soulful track that highlights Amzah’s vocal strength and steadiness. Amzah has a strong ability to emote in her music, and this is especially evident in the track. Amzah’s husky vocals are smooth, strong, and ear-pleasing from beginning to end, and the track is surprisingly soothing despite its subject matter.

Amzah’s return to the Malaysian scene should be something to celebrate given her success in other Asian markets and abroad. She is the first Malaysian singer to find success in Chinese-speaking countries, specifically China and Hong Kong where appearances on the singing competitions One in a Million (2000, runner-up), Asian New Singer Competition (2008, winner), Asian Wave (2012- winner), and I Am a Singer Season 2 (2014, second runner-up). For Asia, she was also named as one of Forbes “Top 30 Under 30” in 2018, and she’s also been recognized by American fans and nominated for Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards.  In addition to her Kids’ Choice nomination, Amzah has been nominated for—and won many—awards in her own country and abroad, making her one of Malaysia’s bright, shining stars.

Plus, she is one of the few Hijabi singers who has earned global recognition thanks to her albums, music show appearances, world tours, and cover songs she performs on YouTube. She also sings in nine different languages (English, Malay, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Tamil, Spanish, and Italian).

Instead of nit-picking a single’s title, Amzah’s success should be praised.

Fans are also upset that Amzah’s sound is heading in a new direction. Amzah, who usually sings ballads, will be trying different genres with her new album release. Part of the change is due her shifting songwriting duties to a new team of writers; Amzah usually writes her own content.

“As a writer, you tend to write the same types of song after a while. There’s a need to take a break so you come to realize what songs suit you best,” Amzah told Star2. “I will never be able to write such happy songs because it’ll come off very cheesy. I’m better at writing songs about heartbreak. So, when somebody else writes it, it feels right. Other people’s perception of yourself is totally different from what you feel about yourself and sometimes that’s what you need.”

One of her recent songs, “If We Are Getting Old,” was written by a Beijing-based songwriter. Amzah performed the track at her wedding in April 2018.

2018 also ushered in Amzah’s “Loving You” tour. The tour celebrates Amzah’s love of music, her friends, family, friends, and husband, but it extends to fans loving themselves and those around them.

If the success of her tour, her new sound, new upcoming album, and new tracks are any indicator, Amzah’s prepped to have an amazing 2019. Naysayers shouldn’t keep this up-and-comer down!

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

On November 22, 2018, Block-B’s leader, Zico, announced he left Block-B. He also departed Seven Seasons after five years with the agency. In September, Ilgan Sports reported that Zico intended to leave the group and company when his contract ended, a rumor that Seven Seasons neither confirmed nor denied.

The remaining Block-B members—P.O, Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, and Park Kyung—resigned with the agency.

Seven Seasons addressed Zico’s departure in a statement shared on their website.

Hello, this is Seven Seasons.

We and Zico have ultimately agreed to the end of his exclusive contract of the past five years. The other six Block B members aside from Zico have decided to renew their contracts with us, with all signing completed.

As the time for the members to enlist is approaching, individual and unit activities will take precedence since their enlistment periods differ.

As for Block B’s future activities, we are currently discussing it from many angles with all seven members.

We express our gratitude towards Zico who gave it his all not only as Block B’s leader, but also as a producer, and we wish him the best of luck on his new start. We will continue to cheer him on from here on out.

Zico, who just wrapped up his “King of the Zungle” world tour in October, will focus on his solo career. Currently, it’s not clear if Zico will sign with another agency, but there are rumors he intends to start a one-man agency and releasing new music in the New Year.

“I’m always producing and making music, and right now I’m trying to figure out what direction I’m moving in next,” Zico told Billboard on November 20, 2018. “I’ve worked with a couple of artists and featured on some songs, but I don’t know when it’ll be released yet. So, people should be on the lookout.”

Zico is poised to have a successful solo career due to his background as an underground rapper, an idol, and his chameleon-persona that can easily adapt to different music genres, which is something he’s known to do. From Rap, R&B, pop, dance, and anything in-between, Zico has tapped into each of the genres at various points in his career, so it’s a given that whatever the award-winning artist releases, it’s almost guaranteed to be a pleasing hit to whichever fanbase he is trying to reach.

Following news of his departure, P.O and Park Kyung posted on social media trying to make light of the situation while pointing out Zico’s newly-solo status. Park Kyung said, “Why are you here alone” while hashtagging “It tastes especially bitter today, ha It’s just a drink.” Meanwhile, P.O said, “Hyung why are you here alone” while hashtagging “I especially feel like drinking today. It’s just a beer.”

 

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Seven Seasons plans to continue Block-B as a six-member group. However, solo activities appear to be a priority with military service looming for Taeil, B-Bomb, and Jaehyo.

Currently, Zico features on Sam Kim’s new release, “It’s You.”

We wish Zico and the rest of Block-B luck with their future endeavors!

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

The fashion game is a big thing. As a department of art, fashion has always been an industry that has seen many changes, influences and is the easiest one to show your creativity. From street fashion to high fashion, the world is obsessed about nice garments and accessories. With the rise of the social media platforms, now each and every piece of clothing is closer to you than ever. Following fashion trends, finding inspiration and creativity has never been easier. People want to be nicely dressed, depending on their budget of course. Every day there is some new blogger or IT girl who is taking over the fashion world and social media. The best and the most popular brands might come from Europe and the US, but the most fashionable girls in the past year are certainly the Asian ones. With their unique beauty and impeccable style, they have taken the fashion world by storm, and leave impressions like no other. Asia is a big market so there is enough space for everyone to leave their own mark. However, this 2018 is nearly at the end, and what is for certain is that all the world’s biggest fashion trends were definitely seen in Asia and the Asian girls were rocking them. Here is a list of the most popular fashion trends for this 2018 and how it was done big in Asia:

 

Lavender

Pastels are always trendy when the Spring season comes. However, this year, one particular hue that stood out from all the pastels set was lavender. The color lavender was firstly presented at Victoria Beckham’s Spring 2018 Fashion Show, at Erdem’s Spring 2018 Fashion Show and at Peter Pilotto’s Spring/Summer 2018 Fashion Show. Although lavender in particular may suggest a color that is most appropriate for Spring, the Asian fashion trendsetters were rocking it on jackets and sweaters.

 

All Red

Said to be the coolest, boldest and sexiest color of them all, red made a great comeback this year. This daring color was accepted widely and the fashion world took it to the fullest. There were lots of monochromatic looks that we saw this year – all red- from top to bottom. The first all red looks were spotted on the runways of Dior, Calvin Klein, Valentino and Saint Laurent. The lacquer red trench coats and all red suits were some of the choices of the Asian fashionistas.

 

Hats as the main accessory

At the beginning of 2018, the hats were announced as the main accessories in the fashion world. Starting from the French berets seen at Dior’s to military caps, hats became the latest obsession of many. Moschino, Chanel and Versace were some of the brands that included variety of this accessory in their collections. The world went crazy for it, and Asia found this trend as a great base for sporting some serious hat game.

 

Yellow-on-yellow

It looks like yellow is the hottest color for the Fall/Winter 2018 season. Although commonly considered a Summer shade, yellow is trending as a warm color for outwear. Michael Kors chose yellow for its tartan jackets, Balenciaga for its sculpted coats and Balmain for its fur coats. Besides outwear, many brands offered all-yellow looks like cool dresses, biker suits and jumpsuits.

 

Marjolica Prints

Prints have always been fashionable and part of fashion garments. This year, prints are dominating the runways and the street fashion. The print patterns are very unique and interesting, as well as stylish for combining. This trend has seen a significant growth and was worn by many fashionistas in the Asian countries. The fashion weeks may have introduced the print trend, but it is a fashion that Asia seems to have worn the best.

 

Sequins

Whether on full display on not, the ’70 fashion trend made a comeback this year. It was accepted momentarily as it allowed the sequins and everything glittery to be worn not only at night. Juicy Couture, Alice +Olivia, French Connection and Creatures of Comfort were among the first who incorporated the sequins as a part of their day wear collections. This trend is still very strong and it is expected to continue in 2019, too. For those in need of inspiration, just take a look at the best dresses Asian bloggers and IT girls showed interest.

 

Puffers

This year, one of the trendiest models of outwear were the puffers. The unexpected appearance they made on the runways instantly grew into a trend. These jackets were not the usual ones – they have been upgraded to include various colors, forms and lengths. The first appearance they had was on the Fall/Winter fashion shows as a dramatic and eye-catching version of the regular puffer. Christian Cowen and Kim Shui presented something different, while Prabal Gurung decided to go with an oversize bomber version. The Asian trendsetters opted for more classic version of the puffers.

 

Which “trend” is your favorite?  Let us know in the comment section below!

 

 

—-Maja Krdzic

Kim Gun-mo is a Korean singer-songwriter and pop icon, born in 1968 in Busan and raised in Seoul, Korea. For many years, due to his soulful voice, he was often been dubbed as Korea’s Stevie Wonder. Kim is highly regarded as one of Korea’s most successful pop artists of the 1990s and early 2000s. He covers many genres of music like, Jazz, Soul, R & B, Reggae, and House among other genres. He is a prolific singer-songwriter, as well as being a gifted piano player and TV personality. Since his debut in 1992, he has released 13 albums and won multiple awards including “Album of the Year at the Golden Disc Awards” for three consecutive years between 1994 and 1996. Since his debut, his albums consistently rank high on the music charts.

Kim is said to have shown incredible talent for singing and playing musical instruments since the age of four. He attended elementary school, middle school, high school in Seoul and attained a Bachelor’s degree at Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he was known for being a musical genius. He then served in the South Korean Navy in the late 1980s.

Kim worked briefly at a café and would sing Elton John songs to kill off the time before he got into the music industry. He was later put into a rock group as a keyboardist for a short while. In 1991, he was put in charge of producing the first album for a K-pop dance group called, “Noise.”

In 1992, Kim made his debut by releasing his first album, which was then followed by his second album, “Excuse” a year later. By this time, Kim had already become a big star in the Korean music scene with a large, age-diverse fan-base. He fascinated crowds with his candid humor and unique characteristics. During this time, Korean singer and CEO Park Jin-young, also known as JYP, was one of Kim’s back-up dancers before he debuted as a singer.

In 1995, Kim released his third album, “Mis-Encounter.” Kim holds the record for having the biggest selling album in Korea with the album, which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling album of all time in Korea for selling 3.3 million copies in the first year of its release. The album includes his most famous single, “Mis-Encounter, a.k.a. Wrongful Meeting.”

 

 

For his first three albums, Producer and songwriter, Kim Chang-hwan, who was recognized as one of the best producers in Korea at the time, worked on most of Kim’s album production as the lyricist and composer along with other songwriters. However, the two fell out after several altercations (over heavy schedules and other issues), and Kim moved on to work with other up-and-coming producers like, Choi Jun-young, Joo Young-hoon, and Yoon Il-sang. He recalls in interviews that he was told by various people that he was only able to succeed due to producer Kim Chang-hwan, which made him doubt whether he should continue making music; however, he put all his effort into his next album.

In 1996, his fourth studio album, “Exchange” was released and many were proven wrong when it became commercially successful, although it didn’t sell as many as Kim’s previous albums.

His 8th album, ‘He-story,’ was the best-selling album of the year in 2003.

In 2004, he released his 9th album, “Kimgunmo. 9” and in the following year, he came up with “BE Like…” which also met with a huge success and critically acclaimed. In 2008, his 12^th album, “Soul Groove” was released which consisted of songs written by Producer Kim Chang-hwan, whom Kim had worked with over a decade prior.

In 2011, Kim released his latest and most recent album, “Autobiography.” In the same year, Kim received a presidential commendation from the government for his contribution to popular music culture.

In recent years, the singer has been in the public eye by featuring with his mother on a hit reality TV show/talk show, “My Little Old Boy” which portrays the lives of single men residing alone. Despite being in his 50s and having the desire to wed, Kim has never been married and through the reality show, the public was shown a side of him that was never seen before.

It was a common knowledge that Kim loves to drink – especially Korea’s favorite drink, Soju. When viewers saw his way of doing “obscure” and unconventional things like decorating his Christmas tree with 300 bottles of stacked Soju, installing a Soju fountain and a refrigerator for storing only alcohol and frequently drinking the alcohol from what should be the water purifier; his obsession with the alcohol definitely raised many eyebrows.

Kim is also an avid gamer and is frequently seen with his tablet with him even when he is on air.

During his long career as a singer, composer, producer, Kim hasn’t failed to offer great music and entertainment for his fans and is considered as one of the most admired artists in the K-pop industry. He has also expressed that his is happier now than he ever was at the prime of his popularity, since he can now take the time to reflect back on his career and appreciate and enjoy what he has in life.

 

—J.Chung.

We love our beauty products here at KCrush, so we attempt to try different products whenever we can. When a need for mascara arose, an Etude House product was a natural choice, especially since Etude House is a favorite brand not only for some of us but for other Korean beauty lovers.

The Lash Perm Curl Fix mascara sounded like a great option because it claims to address several problem areas while providing benefits many mascara-lovers look for including:

• A clump-free formula
• Long-lasting curl
• Water, sweat, and sebum-proof formula
• Long-wear

Reading what the mascara does makes it seem like a Holy Grail mascara, especially since Etude House boasts that the mascara as a dual-head jelly brush that can “lift and curl short and straight lashes.” I’m sold! For $14, how could I go wrong?

Presentation

First, the mascara is packaged well. It comes in a nice box and a plastic seal, so the integrity of the product is in place. The bottle, too, is nice. It’s a basic design that highlights the name of the product, and it has a nice wand. But, since it’s mascara, a lot of thought and intense designs are not needed, so don’t expect anything fancy. When opened, the wand is, in fact, a dual brush. The mix of shorter and longer bristles will, in theory, coat the lashes well and help with curling them. There’s a shorter side that looks like it’ll lift the roots well, and the long side looks like it would comb through lashes and help with lengthening. So far, things look promising.

Ingredients

The mascara comes in three different shades: Black, brown, and plum burgundy.

#1 Black

Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyethylene, Microcrystalline Wax, Butyl Acrylate/Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate Copolymer, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ceresin, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene Carbonate +/-Iron Oxides(Ci 77499, Ci 77492, Ci 77491), Ultramarines(Ci 77007), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Mica

#2 Brown

Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyethylene, Microcrystalline Wax, Butyl Acrylate/Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate Copolymer, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ceresin, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene Carbonate +/-Iron Oxides(Ci 77499, Ci 77492, Ci 77491), Ultramarines(Ci 77007), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Mica

#3 Plum Burgundy

Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Polyethylene, Microcrystalline Wax, Butyl Acrylate/Hydroxypropyl Dimethicone Acrylate Copolymer, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Ceresin, Silica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Propylene Carbonate +/-Iron Oxides(Ci 77499, Ci 77492, Ci 77491), Ultramarines(Ci 77007), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Mica

Promises Made Aren’t Promises Kept

Now comes the fun part: Trying the mascara. Hooray!

Unfortunately, this is where all promises fail to live up to expectations.

First, the spoolie brush (simplified to just “brush” for the rest of the review) is not a jelly brush as promised. It’s a standard brush with fiber bristles. On top of that, the wand looks nothing like the Etude House pictures with short, densely packed bristles or long, slightly spaced out bristles. It’s noticeable the wand is curved, so at least that’s correct in what is advertised, but other than that, this wand is far from what’s shown in advertising.

For a formula that claims to be clump-free, the brush should have nice, even coverage when removed from the tube, and the bristles should be able to comb through lashes to lengthen them without giving the illusion of tarantula eyes. This mascara fails with both accounts. The bottom of the brush doesn’t get enough product; the tip, however, is covered in too much product.

 

The curve of the brush is why parts of it get more product than others. This is where I prefer a straight, spiral brush or a dense bristle because clumps and uneven coverage aren’t a huge problem. Right off the bat, I can tell this mascara is not going to work for me.

When applied, one coat is like taking a trip to Clump City. This mascara is so clumpy, it feels heavy and sticky on the lashes. Because it’s so clumpy, this also means it’s takes forever to dry, so it gets all over the upper and lower eyelids. After applying the mascara, it’s a good idea to use a lash comb.

The mascara also promises curl. The name of the product promises curl. The shape of the brush promises curl. Unfortunately, a curling effect was not present. Lashes remained straight, but if you look past the clumps, lashes are longer. However, this product was not supposed to be for lengthening, so lacking curl is another strike against this product.

Finally, is the mascara waterproof? The answer is “yes.” After it finally dries, the mascara does not budge. In fact, it is difficult to remove, so it will take a few washes before it comes off completely. For me, it took an oil-based cleanser, a foam cleanser, a makeup removing wipe, and my Clarisonic to finally get it off. However, this was after a few hours of wear. When I wore it for more than ten hours, the mascara did tend to flake off, and it was easier to wash off. This leads to the promised “long-wear.” This mascara does tend to last, so there is a plus amongst the failed promises. However, it does flake.

Overall

After trying this mascara, I actually longed for my Julep and Laura Gellar mascaras because the Lash Perm was such a fail. I go through mascara like water because I use it every day, so I know what I like and what works best for me. This one was bought because my go-tos were sold out and because it’s rare for me to meet an Etude House product I didn’t like. Sadly, the Lash Perm mascara is a rare miss for Etude House, and it’s probably one of the worst mascaras I’ve ever used since wearing makeup. While it’s possible I may have just received a bad tube, I doubt I’ll try it again to see if this was the case.

The Etude House Lash Perm Curl Fix mascara earns a 1/5, and it only earns that due to the 10-hour wear I did experience.

Do you have any products you love that you want us to try? Send us a message below or on our Facebook page!

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

In an age where the LGBTQA+ community is making its mark in the mainstream world, the community should also have films and representation that does them justice. Blush (Barash), an Israeli film directed and written by Michal Vinik, is not that film. Instead of a feel-good film that focuses on the positives within the LGBTQA+ community, the film is a messy mish-mosh of drugs, parties, and shaky “artistic” cinematography (which also includes nudity) that attempts to be edgy. Instead, the infuriating 2015 film throws away its female characters in favor of faux, stereotypical indie-film fodder that proves that just because a film is award-winning, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good.

The story focuses on suburbanite teen Naama (Sivan Noam Shimon), the middle child in a family that’s more focused on the troubles of her older sister, Liora (Bar Ben Vakil), a soldier in the Israeli army who keeps going AWOL. Due to the focus on Liora, Naama’s parents, Gideon (Dvir Benedek) and Michelle (Irit Pashtan), lack awareness of Naama’s drug use and promiscuous lifestyle. When new student Dana (Hadas Jade Sakori), comes into Naama’s orbit, Naama gets swept into a whirlwind of Dana’s hard-partying ways and even dives into harder drugs all while experiencing a sexual awakening.

At the core, Blush is about Naama realizing she may be a lesbian, but this is masked by her constant seeking of approval from her friends and her crush, Dana, and her consistent angst (because it wouldn’t be a teen drama without “relatable,” “no one understands me” yarns) and drug explorations. Similarly, Dana, like Naama, also has drama of her own with an institutionalized mother and an ex-girlfriend who is much older. With Naama in the picture, it appears that Dana and her ex tango around each other by toying with each other’s emotions by using other people, and it’s clear early on that Dana and her ex will get back together by the end of the film, leaving Naama out in the cold to still explore who she really is in a structured world of rules and non-existence due to her own sister’s issues.

Both Naama and Dana are wholly uninteresting as characters despite what other critics say. Naama is by-the-book angsty teen while Dana is the stereotypical rebel girl who is borderline Manic Pixie. Both characters are so ingrained in their tropes that they don’t really grow or change, and this is evident in the end when Naama walks away presumedly to continue to break expectations and find herself while carrying a chip on her shoulder. The thing is, Naama doesn’t find herself. In her pursuit of trying to be edgy, cool, and “different,” Naama just continues to conform to fit in with whom she feels are “her people.” Naama doesn’t have a voice, even as she screams “let her live” to her father regarding allowing her sister to make her own choices. Naama is a parrot that repeats whatever sounds good at the time.

Meanwhile, Dana plays a significant role in Naama’s life, but she is a background character trying to be a secondary lead. Her lines aren’t that meaningful, and she basically serves as eye candy in Naama’s drug-and-hormone-fueled world. She is an action girl who lives fast and hard, a dream-girl representing an assumingly ideal teen life of carefree experiences without rules. Of course, she comes complete with a tragic backstory.

Interspersed with the rather bland romance lies more interesting stories that didn’t get their due. Liora’s story, especially, needs more information and coverage because the family dynamic indicates she’s the golden child in the family. The parents, Gideon and Michelle, stop at nothing to try to find their AWOL daughter. They question the military. They question her friends. Naama is subject to consistent questions. At one point, Liora is also in a prison-setting without a clear explanation for why she’s there (perhaps for deserting the military). What we do know is that Liora has a Palestinian boyfriend, thus kicking off another story that required more depth.

Secondary to Liora’s story, we see that Gideon’s prejudice toward Palestinian people to the point where he refuses to even communicate with them. His search for Liora showcases his deep-seeded hate for them, and it would have been interesting to see from where these prejudices stem. With the secondary storylines, a much more interesting story exists that actually shadow the main storyline. Of course, this is also done by design as the whole story focuses on life in the shadows and the sub-lives people lead in the face of mainstream, every day life.

As with many Indie films, there is content throughout the movie that are supposed to provide deeper, significant meaning to the overall arc (for example, eyes play a large role in some of the ads “hidden” references). The film wants the viewer to think and analyze different nuances, but this, like many other Indie film tropes, is often overdone. Sometimes, a curtain should just be blue without having a deeper meaning.

Blush could have been a decent film if it wasn’t so forced. The side stories had more potential than the main coming-of-age tale, so the film missed the point entirely.

Blush is available on Netflix.

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

Weeks after it was finally announced that HyunA and Cube Entertainment terminated their exclusive contract, E’Dawn is also out of the company. The pair’s dissolved contracts come after the two announced they’ve been dating for two years, thus creating a firestorm in both artists’ respective fandoms that called for them to be ousted from Cube.

With the ouster, E’Dawn is now no longer a member of Pentagon, and the sub-unit of Triple H has also disbanded.

In a statement, Cube said, “Cube Entertainment and E’Dawn agreed to the termination of the exclusive contract on [November 14, 2018]. We once again sincerely thank the artist and fans who have been with us until now.”

Following the termination announcement, E’Dawn, whose real name is Kim Hyojong, took to Instagram for the first time since opening the account in October. There, he changed his username from “eeeeedawn” to “hyojong_1994” and uploaded captionless photos. HyunA also posted images on her Instagram following the Cube-E’Dawn split announcement.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by hyojong (@hyojong_1994) on Nov 14, 2018 at 2:06am PST

On November 16, 2018, E’Dawn updated a song sample to his Instagram account, which prompted HyunA to ask to hear the whole song with E’Dawn stating he’d think about it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by hyojong (@hyojong_1994) on Nov 16, 2018 at 6:34am PST

It appears parting ways with Cube hasn’t dampened any spirits. Stay tuned for what’s to come for E’Dawn and HyunA in the future.

 

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

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?

 

Androsia series will be ending on November 30, 2018, but will still be available on our site for a while longer, but to enjoy our newest exclusive Manga also from Nita Sharp.

When it comes to the movie industry, the Chinese do it differently. Each show is unique in its own way and there is nothing similar to the Western type of production. With a high-rising entertainment industry, the Asian countries are rapidly becoming strong rivals to Hollywood, especially when it comes to producing shows that are appealing to the wide and mass audiences. One particular Asian country that is making a boom in this department is China. Seeing the potential of this particular country in the production of the TV shows, Netlifx saw the opportunity to embrace this expanding trend and widen its selection of foreign titles. As the number of available Chinese TV shows currently streaming on Netflix is huge, we have composed a list of the top 20. From history to drama, the current selection has everything for everyone. They are interesting, addictive and very different from what the regular audience is used to. Well, of course, if you are open-minded and willing to see how the others outside Hollywood do it. Take a look!

 

1. Day and Night (2017)

This detective drama revolves around a former Criminal Investigations captain Guan Hongfeng who is working on clearing his brother’s name for a murder charge. While on that mission, he constantly swaps places with his brother while solving brutal series of murders.

 

2. Meteor Garden (2018)

The romantic comedy set in Shanghai, follows the story of Dong Shancai, a beautiful heroine starting her studies at a prestigious university and meeting handsome men along the way. While determined to achieve her university dreams, she unexpectedly finds love.

 

3. Empresses in the Palace (2011)

This historical palace drama is set in the time during Qing Dynasty and the main actions are around the harem of women of the Emperor Yongzheng in the time between 1678 – 1735. It focuses on teenage girl Zhen Huan as she enters the palace, followed by betrayal, treachery and corruption.

 

4. The Rise of Phoenixes (2018)

The costume drama, based on a novel by Tianxia Guiyuan, is set in ancient China. One secret from the past is coming to light and a court scholar must choose between getting a revenge for family or a prince she loves.

 

5. Here to Heart (2018)

The romantic drama series follows the love story, resentments, re-building the trust and rekindling the love of a man and a woman after a separation of 10 years.

 

6. Diamond Lover (2015)

A young man, named Mi Duo, was obese all of his youth, suffers an accident that results in losing lots of weight.  His new body and appearance later lead him on an adventure in working for his secret crush – a CEO of a diamond company Xiao Liang.

 

7. The Legend of Bruce Lee (2008)

The drama series covers the life and famous career of the martial arts icon Bruce Lee.

 

8. King’s War (2012)

Set in the 210 BC, this is a story of two warriors who are fighting for control of the Chinese empire.

 

9. Lian Ai Xian Sheng (2018)

A romantic love story about a dentist, who always has time for helping others find love, but has never been in love. Until, one day, at his workplace arrives someone who deals with heartbreakers.

 

10. The New Legends of Monkey (2018)

In order to save the world from evil, a girl sets free the Monkey King, a god that has been trapped in stone for a long time. Her mission is to find the seven sacred scrolls.

 

11. A Chinese Odyssey: Love You a Million Years (2017)

This series is an adaption of the same called movie series and it is based on the fantasy theme involving the mystic Monkey King.

 

12. Tientsin Mystic  (2017)

The combination of drama, crime and sci-fi present the plot of the policeman, leaving and working in a mystic river town while he fights to save his people from the deadly magic.

 

13. My Only Love Song (2017)

A top actress experiences a setback and discomfort while working on a shooting. Leaving everything behind, she embarks on a time-traveling journey in an old van.

 

14. When A Snail Falls In Love (2016)

Ji Bai, the team leader of the Violent Crime Unit is working together with a new intern Xu Xu, who specializes in offender profiling. While working together on solving crimes, they begin to develop feelings for each other.

 

15. What Is Love? (2012)

While looking for a monogamous and romantic relationship, a 32-year woman meets and falls in love with a bad boy who only believes in one-night stands, instead of long-term relationships.

 

16. Qin Empire: Alliance (2012)

Duke Xiao, the Qin state ruler recruits a statesman to help him enforce reforms in Western China and transform it.

 

17. Sunshine (2018)

After an incident in 1871, a young boy ends up living in the US. His decision to return to Korea at a very historical moment leads him to a noblewoman and he falls in love.

 

18. Ice Fantasy (2016)

Off to an adventurous journey to a sacred mountain, the Ice Tribe prince gets into a war with the Fire Tribe. The story develops as he learns that the leader of the Fire Tribe is his long lost brother.

 

19. Singles Villa (2015)

Two young people, sharing the same luxurious residence, fall in love despite the firm rules that forbid any kind of romance. Not following the rules, they enter a secret relationship.

 

20. Be With You (2015)

Two sisters find themselves in a situation where their life is being completely changed. Involving a reconnection with their childhood loves, they experience intrigue and unexpected revelations.

 

 

As Netflix continuously gains rights over more and more Chinese series, it is only a matter of time when this list will be much longer and the options will be more diverse. Meanwhile, enjoy these highly rated shows and see for yourself while the Chinese entertainment industry is booming.

 

 

 

—-Maja Krdzic

In a follow-up hearing after courts provided former SECRET member Jun Hyoseong an injunction that suspended her exclusive contract with TS Entertainment, Hyoseong scored another victory against the company.

On November 14, 2018, Seoul Western District Court ruled in Hyoseong’s favor and ordered TS Entertainment to pay the remainder of her contract fees and unpaid earnings. TS must also pay for 95 percent of the lawsuit costs; Hyoseong will be held responsible for five percent of the cost.

“TS Entertainment shall pay Jeon Hyosung the remainder of her exclusive contract fees as well as her unpaid earnings, totaling approximately 130,000,000 KRW (~ $115,000 USD). The defendant shall also pay for the cost of the lawsuit,” the Seoul Western District Court.

Following the ruling, Hyoseong posted a thankful post on her Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Thanks God ??

A post shared by ᴊᴜɴʜʏᴏsᴇᴏɴɢ 전효성 ?? (@superstar_jhs) on Nov 13, 2018 at 6:08pm PST

Hyoseong originally filed her lawsuit against TS Entertainment in September 2017. Her suit alleged that TS failed to pay her and that managerial duties were transferred to a third party.

With the ruling, Hyoseong is no longer under contract with TS Entertainment and is free to start her activities with her new agency, Tommy & Partners Entertainment. She signed with Tommy & Partners on October 29, 2018.

At the time of this writing, TS Entertainment has not responded to the court’s ruling.

 

—-Joelle Halon

The weather’s getting colder, so it’s time to start thinking about keeping our skin moisturized and protected. Of course, moisturizing is important all year, but when we enter the winter months, it becomes more vital. Here are some of our picks** to help keep you protected and hydrated while keeping your skin supple.

Hera Aquabolic Hydro-Whip Cream

The Hera Aquabolic hydro-whip cream is probably one of the best creams out there. With its thick texture, smoothness, and fabulous melting ability, it’s a jack-of-all trades cream that will not only moisturize skin, but it will bring back a dewy, youthful glow. One of the main ingredients in the cream is Betaine, a chemical that occurs naturally in the body as well as spinach, beets, wine, and certain seafood. There’s also lotus essence. Both ingredients are present to help stimulate the skin’s natural moisture barrier and to help eliminate dry, rough skin.

The Hera website suggests the following usage: Water, emulsion, serum, then the cream, and a sleep pack. Of course, if the whole arsenal isn’t available, the cream is wonderful at night after exfoliating, washing, toning, and a water-based mist (I recommend Evian mineral water facial spray) and it’s a great base under primer and makeup to help provide a smooth skin surface to work with daily. The cream’s benefits seem to be enhanced when used with a jade roller, so this is a wonderful option.

For those with sensitive skin, this cream will work for you as it doesn’t burn or irritate skin. Of course, always spot-check prior to using.

Hera Aquabolic hydro-whip is available for under $60 at YesStyle.

 

Hera Aquabolic Essential Water and Emulsion

Two other products from Hera also deserve a mention due to their moisturizing qualities. Hera’s essential water and emulsion both refresh skin beautifully to make makeup-free days possible. The essential water smells delightful and absorbs into skin well. When followed by the emulsion, skin appears dewy, fresh, and plump. Of course, when paired with the hydro-whip, you have a moisturizing triple-threat that can’t be beat.

To use, wash face and tone like normal. Then, pat the essential water into skin. Next, pat the emulsion into skin. It’s that simple! The effects work for several hours during the day, but they work best at night as part of nightly skin routine. For extra-refreshing benefits, place both products in the fridge prior to use to help “wake up” skin, especially around the eyes.

Hera Aquabolic essential water and emulsion are available for $40-$50 a piece on Amazon. Travel sizes are available on eBay for between $7.50-$15.

 

 

BMT Roselle Hibiscus Intense Moisture Sheet Masks

“Intense moisture” is not a lie when it comes to these sheet masks! The lightly-scented, highly moisturizing sheet masks are an easy, low-maintenance, budget-friendly addition to any skincare routine. After washing and toning your face, wear the mask for 15-30 minutes, then remove the mask and pat the remaining product into your skin and follow up with the rest of your moisturizing routine.

The masks contain hibiscus and bamboo which help brighten and tone skin. The benefits of both are enhanced when used with a jade face roller so skin really absorbs the product. When used once or twice a week, the moisturizing benefits can be felt greatly.

The sheets are available for under a $1 on Eleven Street.*

 

 

AHC Ultimate Real Eye Cream

If fine lines and dark circles are a problem area, then the AHC Ultimate real eye cream may be beneficial.

Infused with ginseng root and peptides, the cream brightens dark circles and discoloration while blurring fine lines. The cream does provide a nice base that helps “fill” lines to where it makes makeup look better and smoother when worn underneath. The cream is a great cream to use at night because it works overnight to help brighten skin and make you look more awake in the morning. The cream is also helpful with preventing dry skin around the eyes.

While formulated for eyes, it can be used be used on the glabella (space between the eyebrows) to help smooth out the dreaded “eleven lines.”

AHC Ultimate real eye cream is available on Amazon for $10 or Walmart for $13.

 

Easydew DW-EGF Cream

EGF stands for epidermal growth factor, which is a glycosylated protein that occurs naturally in skin. As we age, EGF weakens, so skin has a harder time repairing itself, making scars and skin discoloration more prominent. Easydew DW-EGF (the DW stands for “Daewoong Pharmaceutical”) suggests that is can help slow the deterioration to improve skin tone and elasticity. Formulated with collagen, amino acids, hyaluronic acid, ceramide, Vitamin C, and elastin, the Easydew cream may be able to help with a variety of skin issues. Not only does it claim to help smooth wrinkles, it has brighteners that can help fade scars and discoloration. For the latter, the cream does seem to help for acne scars. However, it is a strong moisturizer in addition to the other benefits it claims to have.

While the cream does feel sticky, it does feel better as it absorbs into the skin. The stickiness does make the cream feel heavy at first, but with continued use, you will get used to it. The heavy-feel is a benefit on colder days, though, as it tends to act like a barrier between skin and the elements, so it is a blessing in disguise! Come winter, you’ll be grateful.

Easydew DW-EGF cream is available on Amazon for under $45.

 

Kim Jeong Moon Aloe Co. Cure Plus

Finally, the ultimate barrier between colder weather lies in the Kim Jeong Moon Cure Plus cream. The cream, which is derived from pure aloe, provides protection from wind, water, and cold. In the summer, it’s a nice protectant to aid in cooling a sunburn and dry skin. It’s a little product that does a lot, so it’s worth keeping around.

When applied, it provides a cooling effect to skin, but it feels good and almost relaxing. It’s a balm, but it melts well into the skin to leave behind a smooth surface. If you’re not keen on using it on your whole face, it works great as a cuticle cream or to relieve eczema and cracked skin. On windy days, it does well to protect cheeks from wind-burn. Or, if you’re a drooler when you sleep, rubbing the cream around the corners of your mouth before bed does help to prevent dry skin caused by the dreaded drool. Of course, it works great as a lip balm.

The formula is nice because it’s smooth and not greasy. It’s also scent-free. Because of it’s many uses, this product may be the best bang-for-your-buck.

Kim Jeong Moon Aloe Co. Cure+ Cream is available is under $30 on Amazon.

 

Do you have any products you love that you want us to try? Send us a message below or on our Facebook page!

*At the time of this writing, the sheet masks were still available. It now appears they have been discontinued by the manufacturer. The Mamonde flower essence mask in hibiscus is a comparable product and available for $3 on Mishibox.   

**Products that are reviewed and/or recommended are purchased by us. We do not receive kick-backs or samples from companies in exchange for reviews. All reviews are 100 percent based on our experiences and perceptions.

 

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

Earlier this year, it was revealed that TS Entertainment, the company notorious for their problematic treatment of their artists and employees, were locked in a legal battle since September 2017 with [more-than-likely] former-SECRET members Jun Hyoseong  and Song Jieun over contract disputes and payment transparency. In recent months, the legal battle between Hyoseong and TS have heated up, and they recently took another turn with the announcement that Hyoseong signed with another agency while still under contract with TS Entertainment.

On August 29, 2018, the Seoul Western District Court held a hearing regarding contract invalidity claims Hyoseong filed against TS Entertainment. The hearing was delayed twice; this was the fourth hearing overall for the case. During the hearing, TS Entertainment and Hyoseong failed to arrive at a compromise, and TS Entertainment’s lawyer shared that the company plans to not compromise with Hyoseong.

“We have no plans on negotiating with Jun Hyoseong,” TS Entertainment’s lawyer said. “Although we hope to conclude the case smoothly, concluding the case the way the plaintiff pleases is the same thing as us not being able to operate as an entertainment company anymore. We will not terminate the plaintiff’s contract. We can begin discussions for negotiations after the plaintiff repays the deposit. It is unclear from our point of view that the plaintiff wishes to terminate the contract due to personal circumstances.”

On September 27, it was revealed that the court provided an injunction that effectively suspended the validity of Hyoseong’s exclusive contract with the company.

On October 29, 2018, Tommy & Partners Entertainment announced that Hyoseong signed with them.

“Recently, Jun Hyoseong’s exclusive contract with her former agency was ruled invalid,” a company representative said. “While searching for a new agency in order to resume her activities in the entertainment industry, she ended up signing an exclusive contract with Tommy & Partners.

“After signing an exclusive contract with us, Jun Hyoseong has become part of our family. Jun Hyoseong is talented in many areas, including singing, acting, and variety, and we will not hold back in fully supporting her so that she can make a fresh start. Please show her a lot of love and interest in the future.”

Following the announcement of the signing, TS Entertainment, predictably, responded.

Hello, this is TS Entertainment.

We are conveying our official position on the news about Jun Hyoseong’s exclusive contract which was released today.

Our exclusive contract with Jun Hyoseong is valid and the court will give a verdict regarding this on November 14, 2018. Therefore, Jun Hyoseong signing an exclusive contract with a new agency is obviously a breach of her contract because she has entered into two contracts.

On our company’s part, we feel deep chagrin toward the company that Jun Hyoseong one-sidedly signed an exclusive contract as the company did not question or inquire about the procedure while we are currently in a dispute regarding the validity of her exclusive contract and that they released the information through a press release.

Additionally, we would like to say that we will take strict legal action and be calling into account how the one-sided contract signing and media report has tarnished our company’s image and created confusion.

We thank everyone who loves and watches over our company’s artists and we promise to actively work for our company’s artists.

Thank you.

In response to TS Entertainment’s statement, Hyoseong’s lawyer, Park Jung-Ho stated, “Jun Hyoseong’s new contract is not based on the judgment of merits from the previous case regarding the validity of her contract [with TS]. It is based on the injunction cited from the court ruling on September 27, which had the purpose of suspending the validity of Jun Hyoseong’s contract with TS Entertainment.”

TS Entertainment claims an injunction is not in-place and that Hyoseong’s contract is still valid until 2021. Hyoseong and TS Entertainment return to court November 14, 2018.

In a slightly related note, has anyone checked on Sonamoo?

 

 

—-Joelle Halon

 

In Korean, the expression “Makjang” is used to describe many different meanings but it is most commonly used to reference a story or a plot in a Korean TV drama – that goes to the extreme, unrealistic, abnormal or ridiculous situations – usually to bring in high TV ratings.

When plots involving extreme, absurd or shocking instances are dealt with illogical or unusal methods – mainly to arouse controversy or to hook more viewers – or conveniently inserted for that purpose, all this is described as “Makjang” in Korean.

“Makjang” can literally mean, “to take things too far” or “to reach a limit, regardless of the circumstances.”

Frequently-used “Makjang” scenarios in K-dramas include, birth secrets, murder, adultery, cover-ups of illegal actions and nearly-impossible-to-happen-in-real-life happenings, endings and ridiculous twists. However, these are not the only elements that make a “Makjang-ish” piece of work, but it is really the manner in which they are carried out or executed, which deviates from what is the norm purely for shock value or merely to draw higher ratings.

Another common characteristic of a Makjang drama is that the “so-called villains” get away with the likes of murder, theft, blackmail, fabrication and whatnot, ever so easily, which is incredibly unrealistic and ridiculous. In most cases, culprits are caught in the end because the writers are fully aware that the viewers hate to watch the “bad guys” win, by the time the show is over.

“Makjang” has become so commonly used as a term to refer to such work but it’s not all so negative since the majority of the viewers would not be watching the dramas if they didn’t have such sensational scenarios, storylines, twists and endings. Also, the acting from the leading and supporting actors need to be up to standard and it takes hard work in order to pull off a good show.

Most TV dramas are not created to be taken too seriously – even though some are – either way, the dramas would have to offer dramatic, fun and out-of-the-norm plots and twists to gain viewers.

I’ve listed just 5 Korean dramas that I’ve watched over the years that are widely categorized as a Makjang drama. *Some descriptions may contain spoilers.

 

Always Spring (언제나 봄날)

 

This morning drama aired from October 31th 2016 until April 21th 2017 on MBC. It’s also interesting to know that the series aired throughout three seasons of Autumn, Winter and Spring, since the title for this TV drama is Always Spring.

Unlike most stereotypical morning dramas, (this aired from 7:50 am until 8:50 am) the series featured fairly younger generation of actors (morning dramas normally consists of experienced and aged actors and since people don’t watch TV as much as they do in the evenings. Morning dramas are usually created to target stay-at-home housewives/husbands) and a few established middle-aged actors.

In-jeong, played by actress Kang Byul, is a hardworking, young woman from an underprivileged family background who has been discharged after serving 7 years in the military. Her father sells veggies on a truck and her grandparents, parents and older brother all reside in a two-bedroom house. She and Se-eun are twins but were mostly raised apart since Se-eun wanted to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt, she was legally adopted to her their family.

As mentioned in the introduction, one of the most common characteristics of a Makjang drama is that they usually have unpredicted secrets about people’s origins or birth. This drama is full of such twists.

In-jeong is a single mom; raising her daughter who is in pre-school. The true identity of the child also remained a secret until the very end – which is a very typical “Makjang” scenario. In-jeong’s father was also switched at birth at the maternity hospital that he was born in. This means that his fate along with the rest of his family is overturned; his biological father is a business mogul which mirrors a typical Prince and the Pauper theme.

The most vicious villain in this drama would probably In-jeong’s sister, Se-eun. It can be seen throughout the whole show that Se-eun is a pathological liar with anger management issues, who gets hysteric over the littlest things and she’d go far as messing with her grandfather’s medication he takes for dementia, so he can be locked up in a mental asylum for her benefit. Commonly, such characters would be imprisoned at some point but for some time, they usually manage to get away with their evil deeds until someone comes along and rectifies the issue and expose them.

 

Miss Mermaid (인어아가씨)

 

Miss Mermaid is a Korean TV drama series starring – Jang Seo-hee and the late, Kim Sung-min – which aired from June 24, 2002 to June 27, 2003 on MBC.

It will be safe to claim that many would “credit” Screenwriter, Im Seung-han as the pioneer of Makjang dramas.

To the public, actress Jang Seo-hee who played the main character, was formerly only known as a mediocre child actor, so the executives at MBC were very skeptical about casting her the leading role at the time. Writer, Im urged that she would not let the production go ahead with her work if they don’t hire Jang as the lead. Most of the staffs predicted the drama to fail miserably commercially but the result was otherwise. Miss Mermaid became a huge hit, reaching a peak of rating at an incredible 43.6 percent, despite its various flawed factors and controversies.

Through her outstanding performance in this show, Jang soon became a household name and won several awards at the 2002 MBC Drama Awards, including the Grand Prize for Miss Mermaid. Miss Mermaid was awarded numerous awards at MBC Drama Awards, but the actual drama was put under hot fire for multiple reasons by the viewers and critics due to its overly dramatic storyline that gradually turned extremely nonsensical as the series extended on.

(I personally have never seen so many face slaps in a TV drama.)

By the time the show kept extending, the majority of the viewers were left pretty much perplexed because they didn’t know what to make of the story and later its ambiguous ending. Since the TV series ran for 12 months with 256 episodes, which is incredibly long for today’s standards, large majority of the netizens petitioned MBC to stop airing Miss Mermaid because they were “so fed up” of seeing the show on air for so long.

 

Return of Bok Dan-Ji (돌아온 복단지)

 

Return of Bok Dan-ji (or Return of Fortunate Bok) which aired for 122 episodes from May 15^th 2017 until November 24^th of 2017, is a typical Cinderella story infused with a cry for justice. People have always been fascinated by complicated plots and stories that have “unforeseen twists” and this is certainly one of them.

I do not think it’s healthy to stereotype a certain class or group of citizens due to their standard of living. It’s an undeniable fact that people get affected and swayed by what they read or watch. This kind of plot is commonly found in dramas in particularly and the financial status of the characters are overturned in many cases.

I felt that this drama gave out a biased message that conglomerates are cold-hearted people who don’t deserve to get what they work for, while the underprivileged are always the victims who do nothing wrong.

The main character, Bok Dan-ji, played by actress Kang Sung-yeon, is a very diligent and determined woman who was raised in an orphanage. She falls in love with the son of a factory owner Min-kyu, who is in a relationship with an heiress of a conglomerate company, called Seo-jin, played by actress Song Sun-mi.

Someone pulled some strings because they don’t want Min-hyu and Seo-jin to end up together and things go terribly wrong for Min-kyu’s father’s business that causes them go bankrupt. Eventually Dan-ji marries Min-kyu, who has already got Seo-jin pregnant.

Seo-jin soon gets married to a successful lawyer, Jung-wook, only because her father suggested her to; she hides the secret that the boy is Min-kyu’s.

Trouble starts to brew in the scene when Min-kyu dies from an aftermath of a car accident whilst trying to save Seo-jin. Up to this point, the two were meeting in secret, from time to time. Seo-jin and her husband, Jung-wook later gets a divorce. Dan-ji and Jung-wook get romantically involved and later marry that sets Seo-jin up to avenge Dan-ji – and since she was Min-kyu’s widow, she feels a deep sense of jealousy towards her. It’s up to Dan-ji to find out how her husband died, while Seo-jin and her mother do all they can to conceal their secret.

Like many Makjang dramas, some characters end up in prison, tables turn and one family gets their breakthrough, while another gets ruined due to lies and deception.

 

Enemies from the Past (전생의 웬수들)

 

Enemies from the Past aired every weekday, starting from November 27^th until June of 2018 on MBC, earning moderate ratings. The title of the TV drama in Korean is literally, “Enemies from a Past life” which has a slight Buddhist or Confucius connotation.

The main character, Choi Go-ya is a very determined young woman who covers all kinds of part-time jobs to support her family.

Ten years prior, her father had an affair and left the scene with his new lover, despite the fact that his wife was pregnant with his third child. Go-ya’s family struggle to make ends meet and the youngest is seriously sick; needing a kidney donor as soon as possible.

Go-ya’s father and his new wife suddenly make a comeback to Korea after their business fails in the States. All kinds of trouble start for Go-ya and her family since the homewrecker, Oh Na-ra is a wicked woman by nature and schemes to further ruin Go-ya’s family, out of spite and for her own gain.

The two families that were never supposed to cross paths (being enemies) are now forced to meet and connect because Go-ya falls in love with Min-seok.

The pair managed to get married without inviting Go-ya’s father to the wedding and not informing their family the truth that Min-seok is the nephew of Na-ra, the woman Go-ya’s father is remarried to. Circumstances get much more intricate because other members from both families run into each other by pure coincidence.

This drama didn’t contain many Makjang elements, but it had enough to be considered as a typical Makjang drama.

Just by having unrealistically “cruel and unethical” characters like, Oh Na-ra and Go-ya’s father on the show was enough to make this work very scandalous and appalling. The main character, Go-ya also finds out that she was adopted and it takes a long while for her to find her biological mother, even though she was the CEO of the company she works at, because Na-ra gets in their way.

 

Temptation of Wife (아내의 유혹)

 

 

Temptation of Wife was a highly watched TV drama broadcasted by SBS, from early November of 2008 and ending in May of 2009 on Mondays to Fridays for 129 episodes. The series was a part of the “Wife Trilogy,” which includes Two Wives and Wife Returns and the series were also remade in China and the Philippines. This particular K-Drama received much backlash due to its sensational and distasteful content, like most Makjang dramas.

It gained much criticism when the main character, Eun-jae, played by actress Jang Seo-hee, who was believed to have died, comes back as someone else for revenge but everyone who used to know her fails to recognize who she is – because she drew a mole on her cheek, which is pretty ridiculous.

In past interviews, Actress Jang Seo-hee revealed that she initially hesitated taking the lead role for this drama because it had a similar “revenge” theme like her previous work, Miss Mermaid. Both dramas definitely have a notoriety for being sensational and dramatic.

Temptation of Wife is full of shocking and unpredictable events and plots but is in no way consistent with the execution until the end, since the ending is considered to be weak and somewhat mundane as if someone was in a hurry to wrap up the show.

There was also a claim made by Writer, Jung Hye-kyung who stated that ‘Temptation of a Wife’ plagiarized her book, Janus’ City because it had over 60 accounts of scenes and scripts that were almost identical to her work which was serially printed on Daegu Woori newspaper, from 2007 until 2009.

Despite the controversies about Temptation of Wife, this K-drama remains one of the most watched dramas in Korea, gaining approximately 30 percent of ratings each day, and the cast won several awards including the Grand Prize for Jang Seo-hee at the SBS Drama Awards.

 

 

— J.Chung

Unless your head is in the sand, it should be known that the K-Pop world is a dark, shady place. What’s on-stage isn’t necessarily what happens behind-the-scenes. Members of the now-former K-Pop rookie group, The East Light, are bringing forth their tale of abuses suffered at the hands of their agency, Media Line Entertainment and its CEO, Kim Chang-Hwan and producer, Moon Youngil.

The East Light, an all-teen band with a member that’s only 15-years-old, formed in 2015 and debuted November 3, 2016 with “Holla.” The group consists of brothers Seok-Cheol and Seung-Hyun and fellow members Eun-Sung, Jun-Wook, Sa-Gang, and Woo-Jin.

On October 18, 2018, XSportsnews broke the story that The East Light members were verbally abused and physically assaulted by producer Moon while the CEO did nothing to stop the abuse. On October 19, 2018, Seok-Cheol, who is The East Light’s leader, came forward to discuss the abuse he and his groupmates experienced.

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In his emotional press conference, Seok-Cheol, 18, described the abuse the group experienced between 2015-2018. He described how Moon hit the group with baseball bats and metal microphones, and he spoke about how Moon threatened to kill the members if anyone told their parents. Seok-Cheol described, in detail, the experiences his brother Seung-Hyun, now 17, had with being locked in a room and beaten and how he [Seung-Hyun] is now receiving psychiatric treatment due to the trauma the abuse caused. Seok-Cheol also detailed how the members weren’t allowed to seek medical treatment and even had to carry on promotions even though physical wounds were visible on his, his brother’s, and other members’ bodies. In 2016, Seok-Cheol also claims that Moon choked him with guitar strings.

Seok-Cheol spoke about himself and his brother and said he understood why the other members have not come forward to share their sides and experiences.

Following the press conference, fans of the group started pouring over media featuring the group, and they zeroed in on one clip from their YouTube show Eastlight Genius. In the clip starting at the 28-second mark, fans noticed that one of the members is heard saying “it was a mistake” in the background, and sounds of him being hit with something can be heard. The camera attempts to show what’s going on, but the clip cuts away and says the footage was removed at the request of the agency. In the clip, Eun-Sung states, “Actually, on the way here, Seok Cheol was playing music in the car and had opened the sunroof without starting the engine, doing everything he wanted to do, so the battery in one of the cars died. He’s being disciplined by our manager.”

In response to Seok-Cheol’s press conference, Media Line’s CEO, Kim Chang-Hwan, released a statement that, while apologetic, seemingly refuted the claims Seok-Cheol and his brother made.

This is Kim Chang Hwan, the CEO and general producer of The East Light’s agency Media Line Entertainment.

Firstly, as the person who is responsible for Media Line Entertainment and The East Light, I am strongly aware of my faults and apologize profusely for what has arisen because I was unable to properly manage the staff. As I watched Lee Seok Cheol’s press conference, my heart ached as much as it did when I first found out a year and four months ago that the members had been victims of assault.

However, as was stated yesterday [in reference to XSportsnews’ story], while working with many artists in the past 30 years of my career, I have never once instigated or abetted violence, and while there have been times where I’ve taught or cautioned the members, I state once again that I have never committed verbal abuse or assault. I humbly accept the criticism in regards to my mistakes and negligence, and I will try to dispel all doubts by approaching them with honesty. However, for the future of the remaining four members of The East Light, we will be making an active response regarding acts of defamation committed through exaggerated false information. I apologize once again for causing concern through this controversy.

Following CEO Kim’s press release, Seok-Cheol’s camp released audio featuring CEO Kim telling Seok-Cheol to not speak up. Seok-Cheol’s lawyer, Jung Ji-Seok, also unveiled photos featuring injuries the members received at the hands of Moon. Text messages between Moon and the Lee Brothers’ father were also revealed. CEO Kim refutes the audio and claims that’s not him speaking in the audio.

On October 22, the Lee Brothers (Seok-Cheol and Seung-Hyun) announced through their lawyer that they plan to take legal action.

“Today at 11 a.m., we [Lawyer Jung Ji Suk from Nam Kang law firm] are going to file a complaint against Producer Moon Young Il and more on the violence case regarding The East Light’s members. The brothers’ father, who is their legal representative, will submit the files while Jung Ji Suk will accompany him,” the brothers’ lawyer said.

Following the announcement that the Lee Brothers intend to sue Media Line Entertainment, the company announced that they terminated the contracts of the remaining East Light members. The announcement was supposed to be made through a press conference with Eun-Sung, Sa-Gang, Woo-Jin, and Jun-Wook in attendance, but they released a statement to the media instead.

“After deep consideration, we are announcing that we have decided on terminating the company’s contracts with the remaining four members of The East Light,” Media Line said in the statement. “However, we had the concern of the young members receiving additional pain as they stand in the center of the issue through this press conference and considering the members’ pain and futures as the priority, we reached the conclusion that terminating the four members’ contracts would be the best measure. We are discussing the contract termination process with the four members’ parents.”

Media Line also stated, “We worry about the members feeling uncertainty for their futures with the termination of the contracts, but we ask for your support so that the young members can no longer be hurt and dream again after healing their pains. In addition, as the controversy continues to grow and is brought to attention continuously, we will not take unnecessarily respond to press in consideration of the potential pain of the six members including the brothers [Lee Seok-Cheol and Lee Seung-Hyun].

“Also, we will diligently participate in the upcoming legal investigation, and in this process, we will not avoid responsibility and address problems. We sincerely request that the speculative reports without investigation results that can cause pain to the members will no longer be released from this time forth,” the statement concluded.

On October 26, 2018, the Lee Brothers, along with their father and lawyer, went to the Bangbae Police Station to provide testimony about the abuse they endured as part of their legal complaint.

“I am very exhausted and afraid. CEO Kim Chang Hwan just stood by and watched while producer Moon Young Il hit me and locked me in for four hours on June 13. All he said was, ‘Keep it easy,’ although Moon Young Il was holding on to my hair and my head was bleeding. The producer did that for another two or three hours. I remember it clearly as if it happened yesterday. I’m so afraid,” Seung-Hyun told the media. “This cannot happen again. I’m telling you right now, but I will reveal everything during the investigation.”

In response to the brothers’ claims, Media Line Entertainment stated they plan to file a defamation case on behalf of the remaining East Light members if the brothers’ claims turn out to be false.

“I hope my actions do not cause any more victims [of assault]. I was only able to make it this far as I held great aspirations of becoming a singer. This whole process is extremely painful and difficult for us,” Seok-Cheol told the media outside of the Bangdae Police Station.

This is an ongoing investigation. All parties are assumed innocent until proven guilty. Stay tuned for updates.

——Joelle Halon

A month after Cube Entertainment announced (and later retracting the announcement) HyunA and Pentagon member E’Dawn were to be kicked out of the company for dating, Cube Entertainment finally announced they will part ways with HyunA.

E’Dawn and HyunA have been secretly dating for two years prior to breaking the news to their fans that they’ve been together.

On October 15, 2018, Cube Entertainment released a statement that simply said, “Cube Entertainment and HyunA reached an agreement to terminate her contract on October 15. We sincerely thank the artist who has been with us until now and fans once again.”

Prior to the announcement, on October 4, 2018, HyunA sent a message to Cube CEO Shim Dae Nam. The message, which was not revealed to the public until after Cube’s contract termination announcement contained the following:

To: CEO Shin Dae Nam

As you probably know, the only thing I’ve ever done was do my very best for the Cube Entertainment that exists today.

Firstly, when I was parting ways with JYP, I was on Chairman Hong’s side. Secondly, when there was a conflict between Chairman Hong and President Park Choong Min, I turned down President Park even when he tried to convince me and stood on the side of Chairman Hong. Thirdly, after Cube went public, the only thing I’ve done is do my best to help create the Cube that it has become today.

I don’t know how great of a crime I’ve committed, but since the beginning of September, all of my schedules have been canceled. Then on September 13, I read the news of my removal. Even though I could’ve been told in person. I accepted everything and received notice of the early cancellation of my contract after a final discussion at the chairman’s home in Mokdong on September 16. I’ve been told that a general meeting of stockholders will be held and that I would be told the results of the meeting, but I have not heard anything back so far. Things are being delayed with the excuse of above and below when we’re all in the same building.

Every day is torture for me. For these past two months, it has been too difficult for me to wait. I ask that you give a response by the 15th. Then, I would like for the contract to be canceled cleanly and gentlemanly. If I receive no response by then, I will go about it on my own through a press conference on the basis of the facts that have occurred thus far. I ask once again. I’ve only done my very best, deteriorating my health in order to sacrifice for the Cube that exists today. Despite my feelings, my image has hit rock bottom and my reputation has been tarnished because of my removal from Cube.

If you remember our beautiful memories, I ask that you resolve this issue beautifully and amicably. May Cube experience continuous and endless growth. Thank you.

From HyunA 10.04.2018

Sender: Kim HyunA”

Following the ouster, HyunA has yet to release an official statement. However, actions speak louder than words as it appears HyunA is not bothered by the announcement.

On the same day of the contract nullification announcement, HyunA uploaded a video to Instagram featuring her meeting up with E’Dawn.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hyun Ah (@hyunah_aa) on Oct 15, 2018 at 2:30am PDT

Apparently, Queen HyunA’s unfazed.

Cube Entertainment has yet to release a statement regarding E’Dawn’s status with the company or with Pentagon. The sub-unit Triple-H has been dissolved. Their last comeback was in July 2018 with “Retro Future.” Pentagon, meanwhile, promoted their latest single, “Naughty Boy” in September and October 2018.

 

——Joelle Halon

Kim Dong-ryul (born March 15, 1974) is one of the most loved pop singer-songwriters in Korea.

Musically, Kim is known for his multi-talent: He composes, writes lyrics, produces music for himself and has written songs for artists like, Lee Seung-hwan, Kim Won-Jun, Park Hyo-shin, John Park, BoA and others.

Kim was born and raised in a quite affluent family background as the eldest with two younger siblings. His father is a well-respected dentist who is known to offer free-of-charge dental service for underprivileged senior citizens.

Kim was studious at school and was the head of student committee while he was at elementary school. His parents didn’t really encourage him to take up any hobbies but only allowed him to play the piano, so music naturally became an escape for him.

In 1993, Kim enrolled into Yonsei University to major in Architecture. He and his close pal, Seo Dong-wook formed a musical duo called, “Exhibition” while they were freshmen at the school. Kim was in charge of composition and the piano, while Seo played bass guitar.

The two first encountered fame when they won the grand prize at MBC University Song Contest in 1993.

In 1994, their first album “An Essay of Memory” which was produced by the late, singer-songwriter and record producer Shin Hae-cheol, was released.

Being perfectionists, Kim and Seo were both very hands-on with producing their debut album; they did all the composing, playing the instruments and computer programming themselves. The album received favorable reviews from the public and was also acclaimed by the critics; the record went on to sell over 600,000 copies.

In 1994, Kim and Seo enlisted in military service simultaneously. Once they were discharged in 1996, the duo released their second album “Strangers” which was also produced by Producer Shin Hae-cheol and received positive reviews, however, a plagiarism dispute regarding a track called, “A Testament” was soon aroused.

The song had similarities to the soundtrack, “The Girl Who Fell from the Sky”, in Studio Ghibli’s animated film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Experts concluded that the melody and the usage of instruments were very similar. To this day, Kim has never played the song in public.

In 1997, Exhibition released their last album – “Graduation” – which included just five tracks and they announced their disbandment to the public.

Seo went back to his studies and pursued goals outside of music and is currently an entrepreneur.

Kim claimed that the only thing he is capable of doing is music, so he created a project group called, “Carnival” with singer-songwriter and a member of a Hip hop duo, Panic, Lee Juck, whom he became close with through the popular radio show, At Starry Nights.

Kim and Lee were both 24-years-old and had different music styles from one another, they were able to connect musically as they worked with world-famous brass session team, Jerry Hey, and Korean jazz pianist, Kwang-min to release the album, “Carnival” in 1997. The album became an instant hit and they were awarded the Golden Disc Award later in the year. Veteran singer, Insooni later remade one of their songs, “A Goose’s Dream.”

A year later in 1998, Kim released his first solo album “The Shadow of Forgetfulness” and in the same year, he held his first solo concert on Christmas day.

Kim dropped out of university to pursue his education in the States, at Berklee College of Music to major in film scoring in 1999.

While in the States, he became more interested in Korean traditional music and culture, which he later incorporated into his music.

At the end of his first academic year, he released his second solo album “Hope” where he collaborated with not only the London Symphony Orchestra but also ‘Samul nori’ which is a traditional Korean percussion quartet.

In 2001, he released his third solo album, “Homecoming” and continued to integrate Korean traditional music with classical sound.

Kim graduated top of his class at Berklee College of Music, and released his fourth solo album “Exposing,” the same year in 2004.

Kim experimented with new music styles in his latest work, including bossa nova, samba and pop-opera. His song, “At Long Last” from this album topped the KBS charts in April. He held his second solo concert in Seoul and Busan in August, that year and released the live recording album “Invitation” a year after.

From 2005 to 2007, he hosted the TV music show, “Kim Dong-ryul’s For You” and the radio program, “Kim Dong-ryul’s Music Island”.

Kim’s best compilation album “Thanks” was released in the year of 2007.

In the year of 2008, Kim released his fifth album “Monologue” which became an instant chart topper and he held three concerts the same year.

The tickets sold out in less than 20 minutes and the concert arenas were designed to hold as many audiences as possible and Kim rearranged his songs to be performed with an orchestra.

In January of 2018, Kim released his new EP, “Reply” after a 3-year hiatus and later in September, he released a single called, “Song“ which is an extension of “Reply.”

Over the course of his career, Kim dong-ryul has fully established himself as one of the most respected singer-songwriters in Korea, it goes without saying that his music has touched the hearts of many.

 

— J. Chung.

A group pic of C-Clown from their official Facebook page @cclownofficial.

Crowning The Clown

Formed in 2012 under Yedang Entertainment, Crowning the Clown or more widely known as C-Clown was a six-member all male Kpop group. The six members were made up of Rome, Siwoo, Ray, Kang Jun, T.K, and Maru who performed together as a group for three years before officially disbanding in October 2015.

During their relatively short span as a group, they released four albums and five singles, the most notable being ‘Shaking Heart’ which reached the top spot of the weekly Gaon Music Chart which tabulates the relative popularity of South Korean songs and albums.

 

Curiously quiet or simply retired?

In the three years since the group’s disbandment, the members have remained relatively low key with the exception of Maru, who has since joined another Kpop group through a reality TV show.

Meanwhile former group leader Rome, has been busy working behind the scenes of the music industry, forming his own visual art and media company, DPR. Read on for more details on their latest individual endeavors.

A recent photo of Rome (Christian Yu) as shared on his Instagram account @christian_yuu.

Rome, a Korean-Australian, is one of the founders of Dream Perfect Regime (DPR) and works on music videos for his company’s artistes as well as other artistes such as f(x)’s Amber and Big Bang’s Taeyang . He is currently working on ‘Coming To You Live’- a worldwide tour for his company’s co-founder, rapper DPR Live (Hong Da-bin).

On the left, Maru (Lee Jae Jun) in a recent photo and with his new group ‘Trei’ on the right. Both pics are shared on his Instagram account @jjun_iii__.

Maru now goes by his real name – Lee Jae Jun and debuted as a trio called ‘Trei’ in May this year. The hip hop group under Banana Culture originally comprised two members when they first formed in 2017 but acquired a third member after participating in ‘Mix Nine’, a survival reality show on JTBC where contestants compete to become a part of a nine-member idol group.

A recent photo of Kang Jun posted on his Instagram account @cuzimdawn.

Kang Jun has been posting pics regularly on his Instagram account in recent months and one of the photos appear to indicate he has completed his military service. Unfortunately, not much else is included with the photos so fans can only wait for further updates to guess at what he’ll be up to in future.

A photo of Ray shared on his Instagram account @hyeon__il.

Ray whose real name is Kim Hyun Il was said to be working as one of the producers for Kpop group FT Island after C-Clown disbanded back in 2015. Since then, there’s been no news on whether he’s still with them but fans can check out his Instagram account @hyeon__il for a fix of recent photos.

A photo of Siwoo on his Instagram account @ktkmkm.

Siwoo last updated his Instagram on October 21^st with a picture of him in military uniform together with his family members so presumably he is starting his mandatory military service. South Korea requires physically able male citizens aged between 18 to 35 years old to perform military service for about two years.

TK’s profile photo from his Instagram account @1220mm. 

TK participated in the The Uni+ under his real name – Lee Min-woo – late last year but unfortunately did not make it past the audition for the idol reboot reality show which aimed to give former idols a chance at relaunching their careers. No word since then on his latest activities.

 

—-Fie Fed

I detested idling around in between lessons in Campus. I needed a challenge to keep busy while adding value to my life. I came across a poster advertising Korean language club during my second-year studies and decided to give it a try. This is what I was looking for. The Hangul (Korean characters), which seemed as just symbols, were intriguing thus fueling my desire to succeed in this newly-found hobby. After a semester at the King Sejong Institute, I came to learn of a Korean Language department where K-Pop, K-Drama and Korean culture was icing on the cake. Additionally, the class offered Korean cuisine classes where I experienced the Asian delicacies. With the help of a Korean professional teacher and after exciting and diverse courses; including conversation classes, I managed to attain a level one certificate in Korean proficiency. Upon completing my undergraduate studies, I was offered an opportunity to study Korean cuisine in South Korea. Interacting with locals was a completely different experience than what I had learned in the university campus. Apart from desiring a challenge, I learned Korean with a bid to understand their social life, especially with K-Dramas reflecting fairytale love as a possibility.  I was also intrigued by the bewildering fashion trends from the K-Dramas and music and their beauty-related products. I wanted to understand why most wished to have fairer skin when they already seemed to have so to me and why they preferred thin physiques; as portrayed in the dramas, compared to thick ones as fancied by Kenyans.

The top K-pop artists in Kenya include Taeyang and groups such as BlackPink and BTS. Taeyang possesses a unique genre and style compared to other K-Pop artists. Apart from his strong vocals, the artist’s marvelous and creative collaborations postulate his capability and skills. BlackPink is not just a fashion trendsetter but a record breaker regarding fresh and funky music. The BTS crew are more like BlackPink although their music is of higher quality with regards to creative lyrics. The fact that BTS has a rap artist positions the group’s music quality better to that of BlackPink is of course my opinion only. Moreover, the rhythm and beats of K-Pop music correlate with Kenyan music thus increasing their appreciation among Kenyans. BTS songs are most favorable for nightclubs due to their hard beats. Although most Kenyans have little understanding of Korean language, they enjoy K-Pop as music is more than just words. As long as the beat and rhythm is up to task, and relates to local genres, the songs are embraced. The preference to K-Pop induces more Kenyans to learn Korean language as well as watch K-Dramas to improve their listening skills.

The most intriguing K-Drama I have watched is “Goblin.” The tale revolves around a goblin and a girl, expected to be his bride. After decades of having to interact with people from different generations, the goblin meets the love of his life. We see and feel his pain and struggles throughout the movie as his bride; who gave him a purpose to live forever, has to remove the blade from his chest thus killing him. He is faced with the dilemma of wanting the sword removed; as it had brought pain over the decades, and wishing to be with the bride for a little longer. The movie puts one in extreme suspense throughout even as the undertaker; another mortal being, is in a dilemma of fulfilling his love desires and that of his course. The unpredictable ending leaves one in gasps. The movie was well crafted with a clear storyline. The dilemmas of life and beyond are expressed with the viewer left wanting more. The characters were deep into their roles and each scene was explicitly portrayed. The accommodating background theme songs were complementing the various scenes intensifying the desired emotions and feelings. I would watch that movie time and again.

Overall, Kenyans like K-Pop and K-Drama because of their authenticity and quality. K-Dramas are more than just shooting scenes. They comprise well-crafted storylines, clear themes as well as well-expressed and arranged scenes. K-Pop is embraced for its international blend of beats that create an appealing, attractive and contagious rhythm. Fashion is the crucial factor for relating to K-Drama and K-Pop. Koreans do not wait for a new season to changes their styles. The culture is set up such that every new clothing has a difference, including changing the side of button holes. As such, fashion lovers engage with latest music and dramas to interact with the fresh designs. The K-Pop groups are main trend setters since for each song, each member tends to have a unique design although the theme might be similar.

Kenyans would be exhilarated to have any K-Pop or K-Drama artists gracing them with a performance. After coming back from Korea, I started an online platform where I could share with people the experiences I had in Korea. In the initial stages of the platform, I thought of introducing the Korean basics, including teaching greetings in Korean and referring individuals to sites and the Sejong Institute where they can interact and master the language. With regard to culture, I introduce Korean cuisine by sharing YouTube links of the famous cooking channels such as Maangchi. I also shared K-Pop links, including BlackPink and BTS, and K-Dramas such as “Goblin.” As such, the platform exposes individuals to Korea through its culture. Upon imitating the platform, I realized the many Korean fans there are in Kenya. I interacted with other individuals advocating and sharing their Korean experiences, including their desires to have Korean artists come to Kenya. We liaised with the various Korean-related online platforms and held a Korean experience event where we interacted with K-Drama, K-Pop fans, and put our Korean language into practice. From that experience, I realized that there is a growing desire and preference to Korean artists, which is on the rise especially with the official introduction of Korean studies in major Kenyan universities. Having a concert of any particular K-Pop group or K-Drama actors/actresses would be an event worth planning for a year ahead for most Kenyans. The online platforms are reaching out to more individuals in other parts of the country. Moreover, the fact that the locals are operating and referring them, K-Pop and K-Drama culture are taking root in Kenya.

 

 

—-Pe Arlkh