Apink Diary4 EP 08 2017 Asia tour – Eng. Sub
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
Launched in 1999, ‘MAMA’ is a major K-pop award ceremony that attracts performers from all over the world to this day. It aims to bring together international fans and musical artists of different cultures and languages on one great stage as well as bring Asia’s music to the world. The ‘2017 MAMA’ was held over 3 days, November 25 in Vietnam, November 29 in Japan, and December 1 in Hong Kong.
Let’s have a look back at the first day of MAMA 2017 in Hoa Binh Theater, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. On the evening of November 25th, Kpop fans in Vietnam had the opportunity to enjoy one of the most popular music awards in Asia – Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Vietnam.
In the first three divisions of MAMA, Mnet had selected Vietnam as the venue of the opening night. Millions of Kpop fans have gathered together at Hoa Binh Theater, Ho Chi Minh City, where they could meet a lot of Vietnamese and other stars on the red carpet as well as the three big names from Korea: Wanna One, SEVENTEEN and Samuel Kim.
During the two hours of the showin Vietnam, many awards were handed out, the names were announced and of course there was incredible performances from representatives of Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand Lan, Singapore as well as Korea.
MAMA 2017 in Vietnam started with v ibrant music theme “Coexistence”.
These are two MCs of the event: Duc Bao and Phan Le Ai Phuong.
The Host- Singer Thu Minh saying how thankful she is for being the host of the show.
Toc Tien- Beautiful Vietname’s singer started the show with her hits called” I’m Not The Only One”, I’m In Love” and “Tomorrow”.
She received “The Best Asian Artist in Vietnam” Award.
This is Agnez Mo-“The Best Asian Artist in Indonesia”.
The star from Thailand – Lula brought to MAMA in Vietnam the stage series entitled “Lulaland” inspired by the movie”La La Land” and she received “The Best Asian Artist in Thailand” award.
The show continued with the performance of the 23-year-old star from Singapore – Aisyah Aziz with the theme “World, Word”.
And she received “The Best Asian Artist in Singapore” award.
To continue the show, 3 young and talented Vietnamese singers: Duc Phuc, Hoa Minzy and Erik performed a love song series: “Ánh Nắng Của Anh”, “Yêu”, “Anh Đang Nơi Đâu” and The Descendants of the Sun’s OST -“This Love”.
Next the very exciting performance from a very handsome and talented Korean singer – Samuel Kim.
Coming to MAMA 2017 in Vietnam, Wanna One had brought to the stage some incredible performances “Energetic” and “Burn It Up.” They are honored to receive the “ Best of Next” award.
Wanna One group leader saying thank you for receiving the “Best of Next” award.
Another big boy group from Korea- Seventeen came and performed at MAMA 2017 Vietnam.
Here Seventeen are receiving the “Worldwide Favorite Artist” award from the host singer Thu Minh.
After recei ving the award, Seventeen had performed 4 songs in a row as to say thank you to the fans for supporting them.
What a great night! The fist night of MAMA 2017 in Vietnam was a big success and Congratulations to all the winners!
—-Lucy Le
As someone who enjoys coloring her hair often, I’m always trying different hair color products that are non-damaging and rich. I had an opportunity to try April Skin’s Turn-Up Color Treatment recently. As pinks and purples are my favorite colors to use in my hair, I tried the peach-pink and pink shades on my hair. Unfortunately, this product was a colossal waste of money.
Packaging
The tube of hair dye arrives in a pretty pastel box. The colors are clearly displayed, so there’s no mistake in what you’re getting. The packaging is simple, so there’s no muss or fuss with opening either the box or the tube.
Ingredients
April Skin boasts that the product has over twenty herb extracts to help hair. There are ingredients like coconut, sage, lavender, citrus, and rosemary, but there are still a lot of chemicals. The chemical list (pictured) provides details of what’s included.
Use
The instructions are a bit conflicting at first. The package says to shampoo and towel dry hair, then apply the dye, wait the allotted time, and rinse. Don’t do this! Instead, wash your hair hours before you plan to dye it. Make sure your hair is thoroughly dry, then apply the product. If you have long hair, you will need more than one tube. Apply the dye to dry hair and let it set for the allotted time or a little bit longer. Then, rinse out the dye using water only. Once complete, dry your hair and hope your color turns out as vibrant as the product advertises. I recommend not getting your hopes up for solid color.
Impression
I tried two different colors with the same results: No color. At first, I tried peach-pink and thought that, perhaps, my hair was still too dark for the color to take even though it was recently lightened. Since peach-pink is supposed to be a subtle color, I thought that maybe it was just too subtle due to my hair’s hue. However, the pink—which is darker and looks like it would have some purple tones—also didn’t show with the first use. I tried both colors twice, first with leaving it in for the suggested 20 minutes. For peach-pink the second go-around, I left it in for 45 minutes, while I left the pink shade in for nearly an hour. For the latter, it was unclear if the color took at all. In some lights, my hair had a slightly reddish hue, but I can’t say for sure if it was the dye or the fact that my hair has some reddish tones.
Even though the color did not take as expected, the dye is surprisingly gentle. The condition of my hair felt better than it did pre-dying it, so it didn’t strip or harm my hair. My hair is thin and slightly wavy; it stayed that way after use. Even though everyone’s hair is different, it feels like this treatment may be gentle on different hair types.
One of the major concerns people have regarding hair dye and treatments is the scent. There are a lot of products out there that have a horrible, lingering smell. The fragrance with this dye is light, so it’s not bothersome by any means. However, there is still a chemical fragrance even though it’s not as bad as other products on the market.
Overall
This product seems to be hit or miss depending on your hair texture and color. While it isn’t harsh on hair, it doesn’t color as well as advertised if it colors at all. I did like the feel of my hair after using it, but their needs to be color, otherwise this is just glorified conditioner. Instead of this product, use Overtone, which really does color without stripping hair.
April Skin’s Turn-Up Color Treatment receives a score of 1/5.
—-Joelle Halon
fromis_9 TV Behind 2017. 11. 23. fromis_9 – Eng Sub
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
Vũ Thu Minh (born September 22, 1977) often known simply as Thu Minh, is a Vietnamese pop–singer. She is famous for pop ballads and dance-pop music and is referred to as the “Queen of Dance-pop in Vietnam”.
Thu Minh is also called “Vietnam’s Celine Dion” and “The wind chime of Vietnamese music” due to her famous and rare soprano C or Spinto soprano singing voice that has a range from D3 (low) to C7 (high) with the highest belt note B5, headvoice C#6, and some whistle. She originally trained to be a ballet dancer, and, before the age of 30, she had never taken officially any professional music school.
Owning a high and powerful soprano C voice, in the intermittent low notes Thu Minh presented without recognizable specialty. After her efforts to learn from many international singers and especially inspired by Whitney Houston, she gradually overcame this drawback. She always believed: “fame is not what makes me happiest, but artistic differences and uniqueness”, thus, she always tries to cultivate and train herself for her own ‘Thu Minh style’, vocal technique and performance style. Thu Minh also genuinely said that the “frugal”, “straight-forwarded, critical and perfectionism” in her music career, inherited from her mother, is such a good element for her job because it helps bring the audience her best music performances, regardless of how long it costs in execution time. For example, the album Body Language took two years to complete. Thus, in 2007, Thu Minh had shifted to Boston, Massachusetts, in the US to pursue an international education on music and graduated from Berklee College of Music.
From 2012, she has become one of four judges for the current hot show in Vietnam The Voice of Vietnam
Thu Minh truly found her explosive fame and success through her talented mentoring, a sane judgment and a sensible art instinct. Through each round, she proved strongly to be more brilliant with her mentoring position since Thu Minh’s team is still anticipated to be at the top at the end of each year. She is claimed to be the most favorite judge by contestants and audiences due to her strong voice and notable experiences throughout the show.
On 13 January 2013, Huong Tram was officially crowned as the champion of The Voice in Vietnam for the first season with outstanding performances with a great contribution of Thu Minh in clever song choices, creative and bold move of modifying the performance. (The top 4 of contestants on The Voice of Vietnam from Thu Minh’s team)
On 21 Dec 2012, after numerous rumors on whether she had tied the knot in an interview with the press, she declared that now it can be said that she is married and has worn a wedding ring for two months. Some paparazzi pointed out that this can be easily recognized when she started wearing a more plain ring which matches the ring on Otto’s (her husband) left hand though she may have intended to wear it on her right hand (yet, wearing a ring on the right hand is actually a tradition in some Europe countries including the Netherlands). It is also expected that Thu Minh would never hold a big wedding celebration involving the public and the press in Vietnam since she is well known for being quite secretive in her love life. This could be a reason that she may have chosen to celebrate her 2012 wedding only with some close friends and family − to avoid the public attention. Besides, because Thu Minh only has contact regularly with very few co-workers at a personal level, the news, hence, was not widespread and was under cover for a while. Till now, the public only acknowledges her husband’s face and he is a Dutch businessman (Her husband’s name has recently been revealed as Otto). Her husband appeared on the event she held on 21 December 2012 as an event to introduce her husband and celebrate the ended year 2012. In this event, he also spoke sincerely in Vietnamese though not much, to thank the press, but expressed his willingness to keep their relationship secretive. He also called Thu Minh his wife and teased her for being talkative.
Thu Minh was glad to be the host announcement of MAMA 2017 awards show in Vietnam on Nov 25. The main host position is chosen based on the criteria of the top stars, music icons, influencers in their country’s entertainment industry. The stars who took over the m ain host site of MAMA are Asia’s biggest names such as Bi Rain, Lee Byung Hyun, Lee Seung Ri and this year’s Song Joong Ki in Hong Kong and Thu Minh in Vietnam. Yes, no-one else but Thu Minh. She sure did a great job and she deserves to be where she is today.
—-Lucy Le
Bananas are a pretty common fruit in Malaysia seeing as the trees thrive in the hot and humid climate. Unsurprisingly, Malaysians have come up with a variety of ways to consume this humble fruit as it seems eating it just on its own isn’t enough to satisfy the local palate.
In fact, there are even some (like me *cough cough*) who prefer these alternate variants to the plain old raw banana.
To start with, there’s the ever reliable and frequently seen in roadside hawker stall offerings – fried banana or banana fritters. Also known as ‘pisang goreng’ in Malay, these hot, crispy slices of deliciousness are simply sliced ripe bananas dipped in batter and deep fried to perfection.
Pisang goreng or Banana fritters
As any Malaysian will tell you, this delicacy is a favourite tea time snack as evidenced by the abundance of roadside stalls selling them.
Lately, this traditional snack has also been modernised with some stalls providing the increasingly popular option of adding grated cheese, chocolate sauce or chocolate sprinkles on the piping hot fried bananas.
Next on the list is the ‘cekodok pisang’ which are basically a concoction of mashed bananas, flour, sugar, water and salt scooped or shaped by hand into rough mini ball shaped snacks and deep fried until a dark brown color.
I’ve also tasted some with baking soda added which gives them an airier or lighter texture and are more crispy to boot but personally still prefer the ones without baking soda better. More importantly, these taste best when they’re banana rich instead of flour rich as some like to make them.
Cekodok pisang or Banana mini-balls
For the more health conscious, the ‘lempeng pisang’ or banana pancake may be more to your liking as these are pan-fried with minimal oil instead of deep-fried. Also a mixture of mashed banana, flour, grated coconut, sugar and salt, what makes it different is the proportions of the ingredients and the addition of the grated coconut in the mixture.
Lempeng pisang or Banana pancake
This pancake-like delicacy also has more banana in it and the thick, lumpy mixture is spread out on a flat pan to cook before it is served on a banana leaf. Less commonly found outside in restaurants, these remain a favourite breakfast or afternoon tea selection for some households especially in the northern states of Malaysia.
Last but not least is the ‘pengat pisang’, a sort of broth or sweet porridge made with bananas, coconut milk, brown sugar and sago.This flavourful dessert has a rich broth which is infused in the pieces of soft cooked banana so you’ll get a lovely full taste in every bite. The addition of pandan leaves also gives it a delectable fragrance you won’t soon forget. Generally served hot, this dish is also delicious when eaten cold after being stored in the fridge.
Pengat Pisang or Banana broth
In fact, other than these very traditional ways of cooking banana, there’s also some modern varieties such as the banana cake, banana filled donuts and others.
You may even be surprised to walk into a local McDonald’s to see a banana pie as these are served from time to time, usually during festive seasons in Malaysia in place of their usual apple pie.
Now that you know about some of the best ways banana is served in Malaysia, all I can say is, if you’re ever in Malaysia, get ready to go bananas!
—-Fie Fed
CH BRAVE #46 W F M F 비하인드 W F M F behind the scenes – Eng Sub
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
Special Clip B A P 2017 WORLD TOUR ‘PARTY BABY!’ CLIMAX Making
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
The new K-pop girl group, HASHTAG has successfully made their long-awaited debut on October 11, 2017. They especially caught the public’s interest since Kan Mi-youn, a member of the veteran Korean girl group Baby V.O.X has been revealed to be the one who produced them.
HASHTAG consists of seven members, Hyunji, Sua, Dajeong, Seungmin, Subin, Sojij and Aeji who are all thoroughly trained and they are said to meet the standard of a top-notch girl group in terms of their ability to perform and engage with the audience.
Hashtag as a group will focus to showcase coordinated team work as they interpret the feelings and emotions of what young girls deal with in everyday life, through their vibrant music and performance.
We would like to express a big thank you to the members of HASHTAG for this great interview with KCRUSH America Magazine.
Would you introduce yourselves to our readers?
Hyunji: Hello! This is Hyunji, HASHTAG’s oldest member but I have a young appearance. I am the vocalist! It’s nice meeting you all! Thank you!
Sua: Hello, everyone! This is Sua who gives out happiness to the group ~ I am responsible for being an innocent visual and I promise to give out my happy vibes to you all…!
Dajeong: Hi! My name is Dajeong and I am the leader of this team! My position in the HASHTAG is the choreographer and rapper. I hope you all like my girlish image.
Seungmin: Hello! I am the main vocalist of HASHTAG…it’s so very good to meet you all!
Subin: Hi!! This is Subin from HASHTAG! I am the sub-vocalist and dancer from this team! Thank you!
Sojin: Hello! I am the most talkative member of HASHTAG…I am the sub-rapper in the group. It’s very nice to see you all!
Aeji: How are you all? I am the youngest of the group, the lovable Aeji! I am the one who does the ”killing parts” and the beautiful dancing in the group! Please show us some love!!
Please explain how you became the members of HASHTAG.
Hyunji: I was one of the last members to be added to this group. I became a HASHTAG member after working many times as hard by training and sweating with the members. That is how the seven members of HASTAG, who all have different attractive characteristics was formed.
Sua: I was the last person to join HASHTAG! I was casted last, and was picked because my image matched with the group well. After spending a long time as a trainee, we have now made our debut as HASHTAG! We’ll be showing what we can do, so please watch out for us!
Dajeong: I’ve been a trainee for the longest at this company, since it was first founded. As I was working hard and training; talented and skilled friends began to join the scene. We were able to debut after many hours training and spending time together.
Seungmin: I was introduced to take an audition at this company, by a teacher I admire very much. I passed the audition and after training with other trainee friends and developing myself; I was given the chance to join HASHTAG as the main vocalist. It’s still unbelievable to me and I am so looking forward to what’s ahead of us!
Subin: I was attending a music academy in Ulsan and a teacher asked me if I wanted to take an audition. I became a trainee after Dajung and Aeji had joined. I still remember clearly how I came to live in Seoul at the age of 19, and I am so thankful that I’ve now fulfilled a dream by becoming a HASHTAG member.
Sojin: I’ve been a trainee for the shortest period in this band. I became a HASHTAG member after I was asked to join while I was performing at an academy in Busan.
I was still underage when I came to live in Seoul, without any of family or friends here. I am very proud of myself for having endured it all so well.
Aeji: I’ve been a trainee as long as Dajeong! I remember when I came to Seoul from Daegu and lived in a spare room of my relatives! I trained so hard with one will in mind and now the seven-member group, HASHTAG is formed!
What is the first thing you do when you get up?
Hyunji: I begin each day with a prayer! ^^
Sua: I weigh myself on an empty stomach and have a glass of water in order to start the day afresh!
Dajeong: I drink lukewarm water and do morning stretching.
Seungmin: I drink a glass of water and weigh myself.
Subin: I use the blender to make some fruit juice to drink and do morning yoga. ^^!
Sujin: I wake myself up from the state of sleepiness by taking a shower then get ready to go out!
Aeji: I look into the mirror and tell myself, “I can do it” three times before I start the day!!
Do you have any hobbies or special skills?
Hyunji: I love listening to music and also love to sing. I always have the music on, if I don’t…then I feel empty and extremely bored. I have speakers set in my room.
As soon as I get home, I connect the speakers and play music. Because my position in the group is a vocalist, I want to enhance my singing ability and since I want to showcase my skills more, I tend to focus on listening to a lot of music.
I love searching for rare songs and make my own playlists. There are so many gems when you look hard enough. I get this tingly feeling of satisfaction when I add great tunes to my playlist.
I love fashion as well, so I enjoy shopping so much! I search for photos online and if I like anything I capture clothes, fashion gadgets or anything I like. And I make sure I purchase the ones I really like, so my style of dressing has become very diverse.
Sua: I’m really into cute things like rabbit characters and cute ornaments in pink.
My current bedroom wall is pink and I have a lot of stuffed toys on the bed of our dormitory. I also like cosmetics a lot, so I enjoy collecting blushers and lip products.
And I really enjoy eating as well. Ha ha.
Dajeong: I think my special skills lie in Hip Hop and urban dancing! I love to dance a lot so I am very good at copying or memorizing a dance routine.
I am also very interested in clothes and fashion, so I like to surf for fashion photos and dance videos on the internet.
Seungmin: My skills are in singing. I’ve been extremely absorbed in singing since I was young, and it was my dream to preform my song on stage. So naturally, music has become a part of my life!
I listen to diverse genre of music, and I wish to write songs with the members in the future.
Subin: Ever since I was young, I’ve loved to sing and dance. My skills are all related to singing and dancing. It may seem boring to say it, but it’s the truth.
I also love to sit at home all day and watch dramas or movies for my own healing.
I spend time shopping for fashion or beauty products and usually the time flies when I go to shop.
Sojin: My hobby is collecting cute things like Kidult toys. I tend to buy them if they are pink, and I’m very obsessed with collecting limited editions of mini figures and such.
I’m very interested in decorating my room since I consider visuals very important.
After I work hard on a decoration, I become really proud of my work and people around me all give me a word of praise when they see it.
I love cosmetics as well so I shop around for them often. I can guess what kind of products my friends have got on and I recommend them what to use as well. The make-up artists already call me a “Cosmetic fanatic”. Ha ha.
I like to take time to read and watch movies…I am also learning a language. I’m currently focused on learning Japanese, so I look forward to revealing my skillful Japanese soon!
Aeji: I think I’m skilled at dancing. I majored in dancing since I was young and would hear frequently that my bodyline looks great while I’m dancing.
I enjoy myself when I’m dancing and my skills have improved vastly, which I am very proud to say.
I am also very interested in all different kinds of things including, perfumes, clothes, beauty and etc. I like to watch Mukbang videos when I get the time…I am very interested in acting as well, I also like to practice and research by monitoring.
What is your favorite HASHTAG song that you’re the most attached to?
Hyunji: I am the most attached to the song, “When It Rains” on our album.
The lyrics and the melody take us back to the days we spent training hard as trainees. The song kind of makes us not lose our initial determination.
Our members have already promised that we would sing this as the final song when we hold a concert.
Sua: Since this album is our first, I’m attached to all the songs. But if I had to choose one track, I’d choose, “Like That” because the quote that goes, “The things like that which have traces of love…” left a really impactful impression on me and the sentence I think is pretty. I think the song shows the style and the direction HASHTAG will be pursuing in the future very well.
Dajeong: I am very attached to “Like That” from our album. I managed to write the lyrics to the rap parts on this album; this song has the longest rap and I find the beat really my style. I spent four hours in a café writing those lyrics so I am especially attached to it!
Seungmin: I like “When It Rains” from the album the most!! It was the first track we recorded and it reminds me of the trainee friends I used to with be and the times we spent together, as well as the memories I made with the current members. This is the only ballad song on the album, so I feel a special attachment to it. Ha ha.
Subin: I love all the songs on our album but if I had to pick one song, it would have to be “Like That” because there is something about the song that puts you in a great mood!! Everyone, please listen to it!
Sojin: I will definitely choose “Like That” because the genre is really what I like and I got to do the intro part that I wanted in the song. We really loved the recording process of the song, and it was the last one to get complete so I feel a strong attachment to it.
Aeji: Uhm…I think all the members are in unison that our fav song from the album is “Like That” for sure. It has such pretty lyrics and the song describes a normal everyday relationship that our members aren’t currently able to have!! I feel content when I hear the song. Yay!
Do you have any colors you like or dislike?
Hyunji: They say that every color under the sun is different. I don’t have any colors I dislike and I like all colors.
Sua: I have a nickname which is “Pink Princess” because I love pink so much!!
Dajeong: I love all colors. There aren’t any I don’t like.
Seungmin: I like purple, black, yellow, pink and blue! I don’t have colors I dislike.
Subin: I don’t have a color preference but I like all types of pink.
Sojin: Pink is always my favorite! I love it!!!
Aeji: Uhm…I don’t think I have any colors I dislike or like in particular.
What is your favorite food or beverage?
Hyunji: I like jelly, chocolates, Pepero and any kind of food! ^^ For beverages, I like smoothies.
Sua: It’s hard to pick one type of food. I really like eating meat and Mozzarella cheese!! And Korean food!! I love jelly, chocolates, ice Americano and fresh yoghurt smoothies…
Dajeong: I like Korean food the best! And my fav beverage is definitely ice Americano!
Seungmin: I love sushi, tteokbbokki, jelly and chocolates! Also, ice Americano for drinks.
Subin: I really eat all kinds of food extremely well! I love desserts, so cakes, chocolates, macaroons, ice cream, smoothies and every type of desserts! I love to drink fresh beverages like strawberry smoothies!
Sojin: I used to visit various different coffee shops because I love desserts, most of all, macaroons and tarts! I like to drink customized latte or cappuccino to suit my taste.
Aeji: Food! I like chicken, spicy tteokbbokki, chicken feet and everything else!!! My favorite drink depends on the situation but most of the time, I like Americano the most!!
Tell us about any movies, books musicals you’ve seen recently.
Hyunji: The High School Musical the movie series! I keep the DVDs inside my notebook and watch them whenever I get the chance!! The movie showcases perfect songs, choreography, script and etc. I love watching movies for High School teenagers and that movie expresses the sentiment and the youthfulness of teens very well!
Sua: I recently watched a movie called, “Collateral Beauty” that left a great impression on me. The storyline is about people who have been through tough times and healing from their pain. I hope you all get to watch it. Ha ha.
Dajeong: I was able to watch the movie, “Titanic” just recently. I was watching it, it made me think what a classic movie it is and the audience feel the same back when it was released and nowadays as well. I recommend anyone who hasn’t seen it, to watch it.
Seungmin: I recommend movies, “High School Musical” and “Nanny McPhee.”
I watched “High School Musical” when I was younger and absorbed in the world of Disney; I used to think I wanted to sing and act like the characters.
“Nanny McPhee” is another movie that I enjoyed watching so much that I didn’t know the time was passing by.
Subin: I recently watched a Korean movie called, “Midnight Runners” which I
watched with great interest. I would like to recommend you to watch the “Twilight
Series.” I’ve seen the four movies multiple times and I’ve become a fan of Robert
Pattinson and Kristen Stewart so I searched to watch other movies featuring them.
Sojin: I can’t choose just one movie, so I have a few movies of diverse genres I want
to mention. I love the “Mean Girls” the most, out of all the movies for teens.
I remember thinking that the actress, Rachel McAdams was so pretty in that movie,
so for a while I collected her photos.
I tend to enjoy watching depressing movies and “All About Lily Chou Chou” stays in
my memory the most.
If you want something like a musical with a storyline, I recommend that you to
watch “The Great Gatsby.” It even has perfect original soundtracks.
“The Hunger games” is also great and I also read the whole series of the novels.
I love the main character, Katniss and wish there would be more strong-willed
female characters like her in any kind of productions.
Aeji: I got to watch the Twilight series recently and I regret the fact I hadn’t watched
them before.
What is your favorite song?
Hyunji: Since it’s coming onto winter, I frequently listen to “I’m Still” by Eden (Feat. Kwon Jina) and “When Night Falls” by Eddy Kim!
Even though the weather is now chilly, those songs make me warm when I listen to them! Really recommend them for you to listen!
Sua: I recommend you to listen to Sweden Laundry’s “Voice” (Feat. Junggigo), Brother Su’s “Arm Pillow” and Standing Egg’s “Little Star.”
Dajeong: I think I listen to “SAAY” by CIRCLE (Feat. Tish Hyman) about five times a day.
Seungmin: The song I’m listening to often is “Kim Na-young’s “We Could Only Have Broken Up” – this song has these lyrics that make me emotional!
Baek Ye-rin’s “Zero” is another great song that makes you happy and hopeful when you listen to it after a long hard day. You must all take the time to listen to these songs!
Subin: I love “I Would” by Bobby sunbaemin! I can’t get bored with the song even when I listen to it over and over again. The melody is so great and the lyrics really capture the female heart, plus his voice sounds so good!!
Sojin: There are countless songs I love, but I recommend Glen Check’s “60’s Cardin” and I also love Lucia sunbaenim’s “The Moon and Six pence.”
Aeji: “Just One Day” by NU’EST! The lyrics are very touching and so great!!
Have you experienced any interesting or awkward situations when you were broadcasting?
Hyunji: During a rehearsal for a music show, there was a part in the choreography where we had to hold hands and my ring got stuck in Dajeong’s outfit!
We tried to take it out but it wouldn’t come off and I had to move to the front since it was my part next. After a struggle, we could detach from each other.
But the camera had caught it all! It was a relief that it was only the rehearsal.
And when we first made our debut, I remember the audience telling us we are pretty and wished us well, which kept us really energized and encouraged. We really enjoyed the experience and we’re going to try harder and enhance in order to meet people’s expectations.
Sua: When we first did rehearsals for our first ever music show, because we didn’t know which way to get off the stage after the performance and just came off the same route we came in from. I remember the staff was surprised and he told us to get off the stage from the other side.
I recall everything was new and strange for me, the first time.
I remember when our fans first made a chant for us, when we didn’t have one…so when they did the chant when we were performing, we really got so emotional. Thank you all very much!!
Dajeong: Since we’ve only recently hit our debut, there are many incidences during rehearsals. We didn’t know whether to get off the stage right after performing, which way we had to go when we had to exit, what “run through” means and etc…
We’re still at the stage of gradually learning one by one.
Seungmin: I recall being very confused because I had to monitor the song but I couldn’t hear from my inner ear and it kept going on and off…there has also been times when we were confused about what to do after we finished our performance on stage. I am now used to it all and performing on stage is just awesome!
Subin: I recall an awkward situation when a ring got stuck on an outfit on a music show. The show was live and because my hands were tied down, I couldn’t do my choreography for that moment…I got the ring off as fast as I could and luckily, when I checked the aired broadcast, it didn’t seem like anything was wrong.
I just enjoy myself so much on stage and get excited even when I am not doing anything! I think I’m the happiest when I am singing and dancing on stage and communicating with fans. >-<
Sojin: I enjoyed every moment we’ve performed so far and haven’t yet experienced any difficult incidence. We had to perform outside one time and we had the biggest crowd we ever had. My hometown is Busan so performing in front of the audience was very memorable and fun.
Aeji: Because we’ve only just debuted, I didn’t know how to adjust the volume on the inner ear and mic, so I made many blunders while broadcasting and had to be assisted a lot. I am now quite capable of handling stuff like that myself.
Where would you most want to perform?
Hyunji: We would love to perform anywhere!!! We’ll travel to perform wherever we are asked to.
Sua: I would really like to go anywhere abroad where people want HASHTAG to perform. I think we’d be so pleased just to be asked to perform. We would also love to do a tour around Korea and visit each members’ hometowns to perform!
Dajeong: I really would love to do a performance in Japan! I went there last year for a trip and would love to revisit. If we were to do a performance there, that would really mean a lot!
Seungmin: We would very much love to go wherever we are asked to perform.
In the future, we want to do a HASHTAG world tour and would love to spend great times in every country we visit. Performing in front of our dear fans would be so thrilling!!
Subin: Anywhere would be wonderful!!! If possible, we would love to communicate with our fans by doing a tour all over Korea!! Just thinking of it really excites me and we’d love to see that day come soon!!
Sojin: I would also love to do a tour! I want to introduce myself while we’re out travelling abroad…Ha ha. If we get to do a performance in Japan, I can manage to speak in fluent Japanese anytime!
Aeji: We would love to have a tour oversees, if it’s possible.
There are many countries we would love to visit and there are lots of activities we’d like to do while we tour!!
What can we expect from HASHTAG in the coming future?
Hyunji: HASHTAG’s debut album is finally released as we hit our debut!
We are rookies but hope that we as a group will be known to more people. There are so many goals we want to achieve, we want to be in the top 100 chart, hold a fan meeting to get more intimate and close to our fans!!!
We’ve got so much to show you and will be showing our charm bit by bit!!! This is getting long so I’d better make this short.
HASHTAG will be coming back with great music, will be enhancing ourselves, not lose the attitude we’ve had from the start, we will be always humble and thankful.
Please stick around with us and please show love and support! Love you!
Sua: HASHTAG is finally released to the world…we have so much to show you all and because there are seven of us, please stay around and show us your love and support! ♥♥ We’ll always stay the same and work hard to bring you awesome unique music that only HASHTAG can offer.
I also wish that there’ll be more chance for us to communicate more with our fans. Please stay with us! ♥♥♥
Dajeong: I really wish that HASHTAG will be known to many people out there and we have so much we haven’t been able to show yet, so please keep your interest in us! Really love you all!
Seungmin: We’ve just recently made our debut, so we want to let the public know more about us and make diverse music for them.
We want to showcase our unknown sides the world hasn’t yet seen and would also love to hold a fan meeting soon! Please keep an eye out for us, HASHTAG and thank you! ♥
Subin: HASHTAG has only just made debut, so we still have so much to show!!!
We’ll come back with music that will connect with the public and we want people to be elevated when they listen to our music!! I’m getting quite excited just by thinking about it, please show us a lot of love and interest because we’re going to be working ever so hard on our activities!! Thank you and I love you all! ♥
Sojin: This is the beginning for HASHTAG! We will enhance and prepare for better performances stage, so please join in and share happy memories with us.
I will show you a brighter side of myself in the future!
Aeji: I want to make HASHTAG more know to the public as we will work to become more developed and mature as a group! Please watch out for us and send us your love!! Thank you!
—J. Chung.
B A P 2018학년도 수능 응원 메시지
With B.A.P always being concerned with their fans, they took time for those taking their college entrance exams to wish them well. Unfortunately, the exams were postponed when a 5.4 quake hit Korea on exam day.
Even though there are some changes in society and even in the traditions of Vietnamese people nowadays, the wedding is still one of the most important events in one’s life. Fortunately, I’ve had the chance to attend weddings in Vietnam and in America, so I’ve noticed some differences in the way each start a relationship and the way they prepare for a happy ending-the wedding.
In Vietnam when you are dating a girl and you are thinking about having a serious relationship with this girl, what you need to do is to ask for her parent’s permission first then if they say yes, good for you, but when they say no, you will have a really hard time proving your love for their daughter. The wedding is planned about 6 months to 1 year ahead. During that time they will have the engagement ceremony which is about a few months before the wedding ceremony. They pick out the outfit for the wedding and will take a beautiful wedding album, pick out the rings and they do everything together. This is a huge difference compared to Western culture that the groom is not going to see the bride in her dress until the wedding day as well as taking wedding photos.
Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony
Traditionally, the groom’s parents will lead a procession to the bride’s family home where the groom and his family will ask for the bride’s hand in marriage.
Gifts are carried by family members in odd numbers and stored in a Mâm Quả, or red tin baskets, and covered with a traditional red cloth (They believe that odd numbers and red color will bring good luck to the bride and groom).
The gifts are different but basically here are some things that would appear in any engagement ceremony. They are a special kind of wedding cake (Bánh phu thê), betel and areca, fruits, a roasted pig.
After receiving approval, the groom and his family are invited inside to exchange gifts and proceed with the wedding ceremony. After a few formal introductions, the groom will present his gifts to the bride’s family before receiving permission to see his bride-to-be. The bride will be escorted, often by her mother, where she will meet her groom who will be ready to greet her with a bouquet in hand. The two will then make their way to the Vietnamese alter to begin the Tea and Candle Ceremony.
Vietnamese Wedding Dress
One of the most iconic symbols of the Vietnamese Wedding is the Vietnamese Wedding Dress or the Ao Dai. The Ao Dai is often in red color and worn by both the bride and groom during the Vietnamese Wedding Ceremony and/or during the reception as the couple makes their rounds to greet and thank their guests. In modern weddings, the bride can wear the Western white wedding gown if she wants to but Ao Dai is still the best choice because they are very simple, comfortable and easy for them to move around during the wedding. The Ao Dai has a fitted top with floor length panels and a pair of accompanying pants. With Ao Dai, the bride and groom will often wear a circular headdress called a Khan Dong.
The Reception
They serve all kind of different foods in the reception. Many couples choose to have the reception at a nice restaurant but some of them still want to have the reception at their house with the help of their family members.
Boiled chicken, steam sticky rice with green beans or our traditional cake Banh chung, salad, soup, spring rolls, Vietnamese ham are the main dishes of the reception. The drinks for the receptions are various too. They do serve alcohol like beers and wine for adults and soft drinks for kids. Another tradition that happens at most Vietnamese weddings receptions is the table visits. As a thank you and sign of respect, the bride and groom will make their way to each table and greet their wedding guests. The most significant family and friends will be visit ed first and a toast will be given acknowledging the most important person of each table. It is traditional for guests to give the bride and groom envelopes filled with money at this time. Once the bride and groom have made their rounds, the party officially begins!
Wedding gifts
Traditionally, gifting is made in the form of money or gold, a symbol of prosperity, health, and happiness, in a card/envelope. The money is referred to as “money warding off evil spirits” and is believed to protect the person of younger generations from sickness and death.
The wedding cake
You will see wedding cake in every wedding nowadays. Wedding cakes come in a variety of sizes, depending on the number of guests the cake will serve. Cake designers use various ingredients and tools to create a cake that usually reflects the personalities of the couple. They are decorated beautifully with flowers and messages that couples want written on their cakes.
There will be differences in different areas of Vietnam but they all share something in common in the wedding day. I hope those above information would help you understand more about Vietnamese Wedding traditions and Vietnamese tradition in general.
—-Lucy Le
ALIIFE ”Rumpum” Clip Officiel – English Subbed
Vietnamese food is my favorite food in the whole world! They are so famous for being fresh, healthy and delicious. Today I am going to show you how to make a super simple but awesome Vietnamese dish- Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls!
Ingredients:
- 200 grams of meat of your choice (pork belly or beef tenderloin).
- 100 grams of prawn
- 50 grams of fresh or dried noodle.
- 1 big carrot, 1/3 pineapple and 1 cucumber, cut into very thin and small stripes.
- Lettuces, fresh mints, cilantro: Wash and rinse, set aside.
- 1 Avocado- remove the seed and skin, slice into small pieces. (This is optional but avocado will help enhancing the flavor of your rolls so much. Plus it’s supposed to be really good for your heart and your health so why not add avocado into your recipe!! )
- Fresh or dried rice paper
-Bean sprouts (optional)
- Crushed peanuts
Serving: 2-4 people
Preparation:
– Meat:
- Pork belly: Boil with water until the meat is no longer pink. You can use the meat thermometer to check. If the temperature reaches between 145° and 160° F, the meat is done cooking. Slice the meat into very thin slices, set aside.
- Beef tenderloin: Slice the beef in to very thin slices. Marinate with some soy sauce, ginger and black pepper (please do not add any salt now as it will make the beef very chewy). Brown some garlic and stir the beef for about 3 minutes, set aside when it’s done.
- Prawn: Remove the heads, boil about 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil, add the prawn with the shell on and cook until then turn to pink. Remove the shell and the vein from the prawn, set aside
- Noodles: For the dried noodles, boil them in water for about 6-8 minutes until they are cooked through and soft.
Let’s roll!
– If you are using dried rice paper, pour some drinking water in to a big bowl, before you start rolling, dip the dry rice paper into the water for about 3 seconds to make it wet. If you are using fresh rice paper, please skip this step.
– Use your cutting board or a big flat plate to roll your spring rolls. Basically yo u just need to toss everything together then roll them up in the following order:
Here are the final results of the Fresh spring rolls:
Making the sauce:
Apparently, people have different versions of the dipping sauce. My favorite one is peanut-hoisin dipping sauce. In a sauce pan, heat up one can of coconut water (it’s optional so don’t worry if you can’t find this). Add about 3 tablespoons of cr eamy peanut butter, and about 6 tablespoons of hoisin sauce. Whisk until all the peanut butter melts. Let it simmer to your desired consistency – the sauce should have a consistency like gravy.. (Taste it & add more hoisin or peanut butter to suite your tastebuds). Cool before serving. Top with crushed peanuts and we are ready to roll! Enjoy!
—-Lucy Le
TRCNG TRACKING EP 2 ‘Spectrum’ M V Making Film Part 1
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
Korean singer, Park Hyo Shin was born on December 1, 1981 in Chungcheongnam-Do, South Korea.
Park was a gifted singer from an early age and as a youngster, he used to frequently perform foxtrot music at his family’s restaurant, where people would visit the restaurant just to hear him sing.
Being an introvert, Park never considered becoming a professional singer but one of his friends talked him into competing at his school’s song contest; Park competed and was awarded first prize. This paved a way for him to win numerous Grand Prizes in other singing competitions.
As he enrolled into High school, Park became a trainee at a certain entertainment company and started recording his first album. Within a few months, the company had to shut down due to lack of funds. Park took an audition and relocated to another agency where he was faced with more disturbing issues.
It was revealed that his new company was a scam and Park was pressured into paying all the expenses incurred from recording his demo, rooming fee and the various.
The company demanded a large sum. Park asked to be let off from the contract because he had never even signed a deal with them. His parents had just divorced and he wasn’t in a good place financially.
This unfair incident caused injury to Park’s feelings and made him reconsider pursuing his dream of being a singer.
Then his friend introduced him to composer, Hwang Yoon-min and Park resumed recording again under Hwang’s guidance.
Park trained for almost a year until his debut on November 4, 1999, through a radio program. Later in the same month, his first album, “Things I Cannot Do For You” was released.
He received a mass of media attention, after appearing on a popular music show, Lee Sora’s “Propose” on KBS.
Approximately, 440,000 copies of his debut album were sold and placed 15th on 2000’s Music Sales.
Park was honored to be awarded the Rookie of the Year award at the 15th Golden Disk Awards. By this time, he was already settled down as a great talent to be reckoned with by the Korean public and critics.
The album “Second Story” was released in February 2001, its first single, “Longing” became another massive commercial success.
This album was specially produced by prolific producers in Korea, Yoon Sang, Kim Dong Ryul, Jo Kyu Man and Yoo Hee Yeol.
The next album, “Time Honored Voice” was released in September 2002 with 470,000 copies sold. Its title song “A Good Man” ranked top of the charts for two weeks in SBS Inkigayo and he was given Main Prize from the 17th Golden Disk and Seoul Music Award.
His fourth album, “Soul Tree” was released in 2004, which was extremely well-received. In November, Park sang “Snow Flower” which became the original track to K-drama, “I Am Sorry, I Love You.”
This song for the K-drama, is thought to be the piece that brought Park the most fame. “Snow Flower” was originally sung by Japanese singer, Mika Nakshima and since has been covered by many others.
But it is of popular opinion that Park’s version is the most critically acclaimed due to the song delivery.
Park released his 5th full studio album, “The Breeze of Sea” in 2007 and for the next few years, he had to deal with several intricate lawsuits regarding his agencies.
In October 2009, to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Park held a series of concerts at the Olympic Fencing Gymnasium.
For years, he has been famous for bringing his A-game to every one of his concerts.
On September 15, 2009, Park released his 6th album, Gift-Part 1.”After Love” also made it to the top of the charts.
From 2010, Park began his mandatory service at the Korean military and was discharged on September 24, 2012.
In 2014, Park released a song called, “Wild Flower” which became a great comeback song for him.
The same year, Park released a digital single, “Shine Your Light” where he utilized a very mellow singing technique that he rarely used before.
Since 2000, Park took leading roles in several musicals, including Mozart! and Phantom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3JWree2dJk
Park’s trademark would be his husky voice.
Park’s singing technique has vastly improved and altered over the years; he is also known to have the ability to project different moods and feelings depending on the song.
This unique style of sound he projects has made him one of the most loved ballad singers; as well as being one of the most highly praised performers in Korea. This is evident as he was asked by the Blue House to perform in front of the U.S. President during his visit on November 7th.
-J. Chung.
The Reality of LADIES’CODE EP #07
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
During a night filled with laughs and music, DAY6 brought their special brand of rock to Emo’s in Austin, Texas. Fans began lining up many hours before the doors opened, braving the rain through the night for the best possible view during the show. Once inside, you could feel the excitement from the crowd singing along and dancing to the tracks playing before the group hit the stage.
DAY6 came out individually to choruses of screams before diving into their first song of the night, “I Wait(아 왜)”.
From the start, it was apparent that the club venue was the perfect place for DAY6’s brand of music. The coziness of the club made their performances of “You Were Beautiful” and “Letting Go” all the better to hear.
DAY6 were also enigmatic during their talk and game segment. Fans were able to ask the group questions via post-it notes on a board and the members gave many amusing answers. Most memorably, a fan asked what they wash first in the shower and member Jae’s response of “Ya’ll don’t wanna know…You can’t handle the truth!” had the venue ringing with laughter.
In a vlog made by Jae, DAY6 were shown eating and exploring Austin and discussing things about Austin, including the annual SXSW festival.
Other songs performed included “Congratulations”, “Man In A Movie”, and “I Smile”. During the final song of the night, “Free”, members left the stage and got up-close and personal with a few lucky fans.
Personally, as a casual fan, I expected to enjoy the show. However, I was blown away by the energy and passion DAY6 put into their live performances. DAY6 is a must-see group, no matter their set list.
Thank you to JYP Entertainment and Subkulture Entertainment for bringing the group stateside!
—-Ke’Anna Bullard
Boy Story is a creation of JYP Entertainment, established by South Korean record producer and singer Park Jin Young. Given the influence of K-pop culture in Asia and the seeming wide audience of youths and adolescents, Boy Story can be adjudged a good business move, to tap into the Chinese pop culture market, following the success recorded by TFBoys pop band in China.
JYP Entertainment subsidiary; NCC Station Entertainment on August 2017 announced via their weibo page the imminent launching of a new Chinese pop boy band “BOY STORY.” The group (BOY STORY) is believed to be the first juvenile pop combination created by JYPE China (NCC Entertainment) and Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME).
It is widely reported that the boy band will have four pre-debut singles and music videos commencing from September 1, 2017, through August 2018, and an official first mini album will be readily released afterward. The boy band (BOY STORY) is comprised of six members; Han Yu, Xin Long, ZE Yu, Zi Hao, Ming Rui and Shu Yang, with an average age of 12 years. They launched their first single, titled “HOW OLD ARE YOU” in September 2017. The planning, song writing and music video production is credited to Park JY a renowned South Korean and Asian producer.
At the launch of Boy Story’s single; “HOW OLD ARE YOU,” it topped most charts, swiftly throwing up a debate among the general public. Its emergence has signalled the expansion in number and range of musical genres available to Chinese adolescents.
The group is depicted as the most promising hip-hop boy band in the Chinese music space as well as the youngest. Expectations are high from fans, given the display of immense talent by the band; members have a good knowledge of hip-hop and have developed excellent dance skills over the course of their continuous training. They aren’t far from becoming an iconic group in today’s music in the near future.
Boy Story is bound to be in China’s mainland entertainment circle as a formative force for the juvenile music type, offering a range of choices and possibilities. The strength of young people in hip-hop will be prominently increasing like wildfire as time goes on.
Boy Story’s single; “HOW OLD ARE YOU” is a song that is appealing to a large audience; it offers a perfect blend of appropriated pop beats that fit into the “ratchet” and “twerk” in the dance routine. It delivers a suitable mixture of the teenagers’ youthful behaviour, creativeness as well as depicting the strong energy and vibes inherent in the song.
Mixed reactions have trailed the emergence of the Boy Story boy band; some are amazed by the talent of the boys, their near-perfect delivery in their debut single “HOW OLD ARE YOU.” A fan on aminopps.com stated that:
“Their song and music video was good to me, I love the colors, and I love the whole message and video in general. Also, their dancing was terrific; they are some good dancers.”
Another fan with a different view asserted that:
“I have nice things to say and also a negative view about this group; bear in mind these are my opinions, everyone’s judgment is different. Now don’t get me wrong these boys are talented and super cute; however, they are too young to be starting a career already. They are just about 10-12 years old, I’m not sure if they really should be K-pop stars at such an adolescent age, it would be different a little if they were under tutelage but no they are becoming stars soon and I’m worried that these children will be over-labored and they’ll be missing out on their childhood, they should be home or on the street playing like other kids do and not becoming grownups. The children are in an adult world, and I’m scared for them. If they were mine, I would have declined it or had JYP keep them as trainees till they were older.”
Similarly, a fan questioning the ages of the boys opines that:
“Omg, I found them a few days ago, and I was so stunned about how gifted they were and absolutely agree with the fact that they are too young to be stars. They’re still babies for me. They’re making them grow up so fast. It’s not right. However, I’m still pleased to see people appreciating them.”
The age of the band appears to be a very worrying factor for most fans; serious questions are thus posed from the comments of some fans. Will the boys not be overworked as idols, considering their ages? Some even think their status (idol) might cost them their childhood experience.
—-E. Mily
IN2IT, an 8-member boy group, released their debut album “Carpe Diem” on October 26th and had a press interview to discuss their new album at a café located in Gangnam on the 30th, attended by a number of major entertainment news reporters, such as Top Star News, Newsen, and Aju New. The members said in the interview that they could hardly believe they actually made a debut and held a showcase.
IN2IT include Hyun-uk, Inho, Inpyo, Iasaac, Jian, Jinsup, Sunghyun and Yuntae, the final line-up of a survival audition program “Boys 24.” The group name, a combination of “intuit” and “into it,” was made in hopes of “making the public intuitively get into the group through their charms.”
Although IN2IT are a new group, they are not new to a stage. They have already accumulated more than a year of stage experiences, performing as many as 260 gigs. However, as the group stated in the interview, they are still not used to being filmed for TV shows: “We have lots of stage experiences, so we are not afraid of performing on a stage. But being on TV still scares us.” Nevertheless, the stage experiences definitely helped the “new” boy group.
Then, what makes IN2IT so special? The members said “stage experiences” and “sincerity.” The group aspires to show off their performance skills when they are on stage, and when they are not, they hope to capture people’s hearts through showing their artless, sincere appearances. Also, unlike other groups, IN2IT does not have a “leader,” and members have an equal say in decision making.
Moreover, well-known composers participated in IN2IT’s debut album “Carpe Diem,” which includes five songs in total: the title song “Amazing,” “Paradise,” “Cadillac,” “Rising Star,” and “Tomorrow.” The title song “Amazing,” a tropical themed dance-pop song, was composed by Double Sidekick, a heat song maker. The lyrics talks about a boy’s feelings for his cute girlfriend, and the chorus has a nice hook.
“Cadillac,” composed by Cha Cha Malone, the hottest music producer these days, and “Paradise,” composed by Paul Reign, a leading Swedish song writer who worked with Victoria Beckham, Mandy Moore, and Christina Aguilera, are worth noting. In addition to the well-known producing team, Sunghyun, a member of IN2IT, also participated in writing rap lyrics, showing his enthusiasm.
In addition to that, Hyojae Choi, who was in charge of choreography of TVXQ, EXO, and NCT, created IN2IT’s choreography. Also, interestingly, the music video of the title song “Amazing” was filmed in Kazakhstan. No other K-pop groups previously visited Kazakhstan for music video making. The M/V not only captures vast nature of the central Asian country, but also features the group’s powerful choreography.
IN2IT, as they stated in the interview, aspire to hold a dome tour in Japan in the future. The group will soon start appearing on music shows.
—-J.K. Lim
B A P ‘HONEYMOON’
This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.
The Plot:
Pinocchio stars Lee Jong Suk as Choi Dal Po and Park Shin Hye as Choi In Ha. The series follows young reporters around as they seek to broadcast the truth. The twist to this story and the reason why it’s titled Pinocchio is that in this world there are people diagnosed with the “Pinocchio Syndrome.” These people cannot tell a lie because every time they do, they hiccup. Choi In Ha has the “Pinocchio Syndrome,” and it makes viewers anticipate the antics that she will perform while being a reporter who can only tell the truth.
Main Cast
Lee Jong Suk as Choi Dal Po/ Ki Ha Myung Park Shin Hye as Choi In Ha
Kim Young Kwang as Seo Bum Jo Jin Kyung as Song Cha Ok
Lee Yoo Bi as Yoon Yoo Rae Lee Pil Mo as Hwang Gyo Dong Min Sung Wook as Jang Hyun Gyu Kim Kwang Kyu as Kim Gong Joo Byun Hee Bong as Choi Gong Pil Yoon Gyun Sang as Ki Jae Myung Shin Jung Keun as Choi Dal Peng Kim Hae Sook as Park Ro Sa
My Review
This drama has got all the needed ingredients for a successful Korean drama: A conflict, Amazing actors and well planned story. First of all you may think it’s all about answering the question “Can someone with Pinocchio syndrome live in a world where lying and cheating are common?” But no, it has more depth than I even thought. Reminds us not to be ignorant of the truth, It’s where Ki ha myung turns the point to “Can a small lie completely destroy someone’s life”? Let’s see it through eyes of rookie reporters!
I was never bored, the story is well-written and the development is great. I never felt like any of the episodes were meaningless. It felt like I couldn’t blink my eyes.
I really like the fact that the drama is all about honesty and justice and how these reporters are willing to investigate and report only the truth and it helps when the heroine actually has a Pinocchio syndrome where she hiccups whenever she lies. Our Choi In Ha will hiccup if she has the feeling of “this is not right” It also challenges journalism to its core.
Would we only report happy news or must see news? Would media be able to report the truth and not influenced by the rich? The message of the drama is to always deliver the truth, even if it’s painful, than try to hide it because the truth will come out eventually. As Hwang Gyo Dong said, “No matter how you try to hide it, the truth always has a way of coming out.”
And let’s speak about the chemistry! There’s nice chemistry between Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye and it made me instantly love this couple. Dal Po and In Ha OTP are the most important factors in this drama. There are really likeable from the beginning. Their love without saying, their support for each other, and how they stand by each other. I was so impressed when In Ha defended Dal Po against her mother. They were completely adorable that I wish I can see them together again.
Kim Young Kwang as Seo Bum Jo and Lee Yoo Bi as Yoon Yoo Rae feel adorable second leads from the first time they appear. I’m glad their characterizations are different from standard nice second male lead and evil second female lead.
A bunch of wonderful supporting characters on the news stations like In Ha’s mom, their directors/managers/team leaders, Chan Soo and their family, etc. The show did a good job to make everyone shine.
Speaking about the villains! It’s not as simple as black and white to categorize the villains here. They’re in grey areas and it makes the watching experience even more interesting. Sure, they’re villains, but they’re not completely pure evil with no slight hope towards repentance.
Conclusion:
Pinocchio is a great series because it moves away from the cheesy Korean drama dialogue to real and genuinely scenarios and relationships in family, among co-workers and friends making many of the emotions relatable to viewers. 4/5 rating.
—-Hagar Lotus