housekeeping
h-hi... ^^
HI GUYS! Hope you all wrapped up your semesters/quarters nicely :). I've been wanting to write a blog post like this for a while ever since I translated that article on fandoms growing up a couple months ago but a lot of other unfortunate accidents and scandals required my attention since. I finally have some breathing room to talk to you guys.
I know it might not seem like it but I do really enjoy reading your comments, especially on nonentertainment/culture type articles where you share insight from your own country's culture. It's like taking a mini vacation every time I read through comments because we have so many readers from around the globe (not just Japan! :D).
Even if I don't comment or moderate as often as I should, I'm still snooping on you guys! Not to brag but *flexes my arm* NB's readers are so knowledgeable sometimes, you guys are like walking encyclopedias with such vast areas of interests and passions (except when you guys go on 8,000 comment tangets under the first upvoted comment about 100 million unrelated topics and I have to explain to Korean netizens who request articles why there's a discussion on Hermione on an article about school violence all because someone decided to use a Harry Potter reaction gif which sparked that tangent LOL).
Especially Black_Plague! I don't know him personally but every time I see him pop up in the comments, I know I'm in for a lesson with how much knowledge he has on various topics.
I want to know on a more casual/personal level your K-Pop history! Even with how big K-Pop is today, I still find myself really surprised when I meet a non-Korean so well versed in Korean music and my first question is always "When/why did you start listening to it?"
My first exposure to it was through random K-Pop mixes my mom had playing in the car, songs like Young Turks Club's 'Jung' (such a good song, even still today) and a whole lot of Turbo. I got my first real CD when my mom came back from Korea one summer and told me a girl my age was debuting and how it was a big deal with TVs playing documentaries on her all throughout record stores. So yeah, my first CD was BoA's debut album and it's what got me interested in Korean music at all. I asked my dad to bring home VHS recordings of Music Bank and all that, which exposed me to more music like Baby Vox (I thought they were the coolest ever).
I still remember the two first CDs I bought with my own money which were Im Chang Jung's 6th album 'White' (if you're into ballads, check it out... his voice is dreeeeaaaamy) and J's 2nd album 'In Love' (perfect breezy songs for spring/summer).
The only exposure I really had to idol groups when I was younger were posters of HOT all over my older cousin's room. I never got into idols until 1TYM (I've given up on Teddy ever producing a comeback), and after they went on a million year hiatus, I moved on to TVXQ (Junsu was the first and only idol I ever wrote a fan letter to LOOOL, I was like 14 pls and it was for his birthday). Then TVXQ split and I didn't want to deal with the drama so I discovered 2PM only to deal with more heartache and drama and VOWED TO NEVER LIKE IDOLS AGAIN until Block B showed up in all their talented glory and I couldn't stand such a talented group of boys being passed up and had to do something about it (shout out to my botb followers! I miss you all).
I've lost interest in idols and boy bands and all that jazz since then and if I listen to K-Pop now, it's usually to whatever girl group is trending at the moment. I've become a bit of an uncle fan, I admit. Their songs are a little easier to relate to lyrics wise than fantasizing about 15 year old boys promising to be my oppa at my age (I'm 23). Once you remove yourself from all of the personal fandom drama, you realize that K-Pop on the surface is a lot of glorified eye candy, which girl groups excel at delivering (oh boy, Marionette.. I've also been looping AOA's 'Mini Skirt' lately...).
So yeah! If you have time, write me a little something :) I want to know your K-Pop background, the ups and downs of it all. And as always, thanks for sticking with me on this little (not so little now, whoa!) blog of mine. It may not always be the best but it's my little home on the net and I love sharing it with you guys. I'm going to work super hard over the summer to try and deliver more on your needs and wants so stay buckled and wait! :)
I know it might not seem like it but I do really enjoy reading your comments, especially on nonentertainment/culture type articles where you share insight from your own country's culture. It's like taking a mini vacation every time I read through comments because we have so many readers from around the globe (not just Japan! :D).
Even if I don't comment or moderate as often as I should, I'm still snooping on you guys! Not to brag but *flexes my arm* NB's readers are so knowledgeable sometimes, you guys are like walking encyclopedias with such vast areas of interests and passions (except when you guys go on 8,000 comment tangets under the first upvoted comment about 100 million unrelated topics and I have to explain to Korean netizens who request articles why there's a discussion on Hermione on an article about school violence all because someone decided to use a Harry Potter reaction gif which sparked that tangent LOL).
Especially Black_Plague! I don't know him personally but every time I see him pop up in the comments, I know I'm in for a lesson with how much knowledge he has on various topics.
I want to know on a more casual/personal level your K-Pop history! Even with how big K-Pop is today, I still find myself really surprised when I meet a non-Korean so well versed in Korean music and my first question is always "When/why did you start listening to it?"
My first exposure to it was through random K-Pop mixes my mom had playing in the car, songs like Young Turks Club's 'Jung' (such a good song, even still today) and a whole lot of Turbo. I got my first real CD when my mom came back from Korea one summer and told me a girl my age was debuting and how it was a big deal with TVs playing documentaries on her all throughout record stores. So yeah, my first CD was BoA's debut album and it's what got me interested in Korean music at all. I asked my dad to bring home VHS recordings of Music Bank and all that, which exposed me to more music like Baby Vox (I thought they were the coolest ever).
I still remember the two first CDs I bought with my own money which were Im Chang Jung's 6th album 'White' (if you're into ballads, check it out... his voice is dreeeeaaaamy) and J's 2nd album 'In Love' (perfect breezy songs for spring/summer).
The only exposure I really had to idol groups when I was younger were posters of HOT all over my older cousin's room. I never got into idols until 1TYM (I've given up on Teddy ever producing a comeback), and after they went on a million year hiatus, I moved on to TVXQ (Junsu was the first and only idol I ever wrote a fan letter to LOOOL, I was like 14 pls and it was for his birthday). Then TVXQ split and I didn't want to deal with the drama so I discovered 2PM only to deal with more heartache and drama and VOWED TO NEVER LIKE IDOLS AGAIN until Block B showed up in all their talented glory and I couldn't stand such a talented group of boys being passed up and had to do something about it (shout out to my botb followers! I miss you all).
I've lost interest in idols and boy bands and all that jazz since then and if I listen to K-Pop now, it's usually to whatever girl group is trending at the moment. I've become a bit of an uncle fan, I admit. Their songs are a little easier to relate to lyrics wise than fantasizing about 15 year old boys promising to be my oppa at my age (I'm 23). Once you remove yourself from all of the personal fandom drama, you realize that K-Pop on the surface is a lot of glorified eye candy, which girl groups excel at delivering (oh boy, Marionette.. I've also been looping AOA's 'Mini Skirt' lately...).
So yeah! If you have time, write me a little something :) I want to know your K-Pop background, the ups and downs of it all. And as always, thanks for sticking with me on this little (not so little now, whoa!) blog of mine. It may not always be the best but it's my little home on the net and I love sharing it with you guys. I'm going to work super hard over the summer to try and deliver more on your needs and wants so stay buckled and wait! :)
