[August 2012] DBSK Song of the Month

This is my article for TVXQWorld this month. ^^

DBSK Song of the Month: Fighting Spirit of the East

It’s the Olympic season again, and this year, the 2012 Summer Olympics took place in London. We have seen the grandeur of the opening ceremonies, and with over 200 countries participating in the spirit of sportsmanship in the Games, it’s indeed the biggest sporting event in history. So, with the Olympic fever in full swing, TVXQWorld ushers in this historic event with a special issue dedicated to sports.

Speaking of sports, for this issue, I have chosen one DBSK song which showcases unity and sportsmanship of the Korean people in the 2006 World Cup. Yes, you got it right, the DBSK Song of the Month is “Fighting Spirit of the East”. 

“Fighting Spirit of the East” was the Korean anthem during the 2006 World Cup Tournament, and honestly speaking, even if I am not a Korean, I actually got goosebumps when I first listened to the song.
 

The chorus goes like~

“I believe that, with you, our cheers
Will work miracles once more,
That the world will be ours once again
Please show us our rising flame,
The fighting spirit that, with our lasting love, does not give in,
So that it may ring throughout the world.”

Koreans are known to be extremely nationalistic, and with their stint at the 2002 and 2006 World Cup, it has given them the confidence to excel in the field of sports. According to news, the Korean Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments, which is the most appearances for an Asian country. Even though they didn’t make it to the finals, they were then considered as the most successful World Cup nation in Asia. Park Ji Sung, who is undisputedly the most popular South Korean soccer player became more famous when he made it to England’s Manchester United.

I remember watching Team Korea in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup, and I was awed by the unity that they exemplified during their matches. People shouted “Daehanminguk!!!” which means “Go Korea!”, painted their faces red, and waved the South Korean flag as a sign of support to the Korean soccer team.

The song has a very strong nationalistic feel, and with the addition of background choral voices, it became more majestic to the ears. DBSK’s voices blend so well together, aside from the fact that they sang it with so much pride.  The last chorus made my hair stand, literally because everyone just screamed “Korea!!!” at the end.

In the spirit of sportsmanship and unity, I really believe that gaming events such as the Olympics and the World Cup teaches us to give our 100 percent in everything we do, we should be a good sport, whether we win or lose.

[June 2012] DBSK Song of the Month

A/N: This is another article which I wrote for the June issue of TVXQWorld. ^^

DBSK Song of the Month: Love Bye Love

Yoochun celebrates his 26th/27th birthday this June, and so for this issue, I think it is just fitting to feature one song composed by our birthday boy. I actually went through the list of his compositions, listened to them one by one, and after so much deliberation, I finally chose one song to be featured as the DBSK Song of the Month. It’s so difficult to choose, and if only I had the liberty to feature all of them, I would have done so.

For this issue, I decided to review “Love Bye Love (사랑 안녕 사랑)”, which is off DBSK’s fourth Korean album, Mirotic. The music and lyrics were all penned by Yoochun.

From the title itself, you can easily say that this is a song about saying goodbye to a loved one, and true enough, the song is a sad ensemble of all the sadness one feels whenever they have to say goodbye to a loved one---in this case, breaking up with your special someone.

The song starts off with a birds chirping at the background, and a narration from fellow SME artist Go Ara, saying “I’ve gotten over you.. Sorry.” Ouch.

“Love Bye Love” is a mid-tempo song featuring the angsty yet angelic voices of the members of DBSK. We can see how the members do their adlibs in the different parts of the song. Each line of the song was sung with so much emotion, and you can really feel it as you listen. Changmin’s powerful voice at the last chorus left me in awe. I wonder, how high can this guy’s voice get? What makes this song even more special is the fact that Junsu raps alongside Yunho in the bridge. This is something special, as the rapping duties are usually assigned to Yunho and Yoochun.

Going over the lyrics of the song, I discovered how heavy the lyrics are. Yoochun is a genius for pulling off such emotions and putting them in a song, and now I wonder if this song was based on his own experience. Here are some of the lines, to wit:

“When the color of our memories has faded, when it gets cloudy,
That's when I'll try to end my feelings of love,
Bye bye bye my love, bye bye bye my love.”

“Being hurt again by the love you have given me,
The grevious pain, a wanderer who wears an achromatic color,
The loser in the tears that could not be embraced,
Let's not ever experience a love like this.”

“The music I can hear in the crowded street,
I can feel my heart stop beating today,
I wonder if I was always a good person towards you...
Our happy days which could not be stopped like the clouds.”

Whoa, that was heavy---not to mention, painful, too.

He even re-arranged this song and performed it on his own during DBSK’s Mirotic Concert in 2009.

Yoochun’s ingenuity and versatility in composing music is indeed something which makes him a real musician. He writes and sings from the heart, which makes him well-loved by his fans.

I hope Yoochun composes more songs in the future--songs which will mirror one’s real feelings, when they run out of words to say.

Happy birthday, Yoochun!

[June 2012] Yoochun’s Hair of the Month

A/N: This is another article which I wrote for the June issue of TVXQWorld. ^^

Yoochun’s Hair of the Month

It’s our dandy boy’s birthday month, so for this issue, I chose my favorite hairstyle of him to be featured. I chose his short hairstyle during the ‘Colors~Melody and Harmony’ era, which also happens to be my favorite Yoochun hairstyle of all time. I remember totally flailing the first time I saw it in 2009. This short hairstyle totally fits him, and it exudes an aura of manliness, while not losing the boy-next-door charisma that he possesses. Pairing it up with a plaided polo and scarf (like what he wore in their perfs) gives off that relaxing and laid-back look which makes him as everyone’s dream guy. Known in TVXQ for having the most eccentric hairstyles, Yoochun has been experimenting on how to fix his hair for quite some time now. Well, I guess whatever hairstyle Yoochun is donning, I’m sure it’ll all look good on him. ^^ Happy birthday Chunnie! :)

[June 2012] Chunniefied! ^^

A/N: This was my article for TVXQWorld, OneTVXQ's official online magazine, wherein I work as a writer~ ^^

On the 4th of June twenty-six years ago, a healthy baby boy was born and was named as Park Yoochun. In 1998, when he was in 6th grade, his whole family immigrated to the United States. They lived in Fairfax, Virginia for roughly four years before he got discovered. During his stay overseas, he auditioned for Brothers Entertainment and joined different singing contests. In 2001, at a song festival, he won the daesang (the highest award). In 2003, he received a special award in a youth music festival, and because of that, he caught one of SM Entertainment’s recruiting team's attention. He got a contract with SM Entertainment and was accepted as the last member of CEO Lee Soo Man’s dream group, Dong Bang Shin Ki. He used the name Micky (the name he used in the U.S.) as his stage name. The rest, as they say, is history.

Since this issue of TVXQWorld is dedicated to Yoochun, let me share with you the top 10 reasons why I love our dandy boy. ^^

(A/N: Since Yoochun is way too awesome, the following are not arranged in order. ^^)

 
TOP TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE YOOCHUN~

 
1. His smile, personality, and tears

 
Yoochun’s smile is like that of a kid---whenever he smiles, you can see his very prominent cheekbones, and it’s one of the cutest things ever created. He blushes easily, but with his overwhelming cuteness, you can't really be mean to him. One of his assets is his "look" that you cannot resist. Although he had experienced many hardships in life, you can still see that sweet smile on his face. Yoochun’s tears are way too precious, and we have all seen him cry publicly in many instances. Whenever he cried, we cried as well. It makes me want hug him and say that everything will be all right.

2. The collarbones, neck, and Adam’s apple

 
I personally think that these are the sexiest parts of Yoochun’s body. I mean, hey, we all flailed over these right? Yoochun has the collarbone that every female wants, including me. *_* His neck and Adam’s apple are also very sexy pieces of art that are too beautiful to go unnoticed. Have you seen those defined collarbones, neck, and Adam’s apple in his shower scene in “Vacation”? I died. GAAAH.

3. His wide forehead

 
Call me weird, but I find this asset (or not? XD) of Yoochun to be really entertaining. Remember how Junsu described Yoochun’s forehead as a soccer field (as evidenced by his epic drawing)? We’ve seen (and laughed at) all sorts of pictures of Chunnie’s forehead, but I think not many guys can pull off having a wide forehead and being sexy at the same time as our birthday boy.

4. His smexy bedroom voice

 
You don’t call Yoochun the middle low vocal of DBSK for nothing. Sure, he can belt out those high notes with ease (think of “Bolero” and “Unforgettable”), rap with swag (“Rising Sun”, “Shelter”,  and “Summer Dream”), and melt you with sweetness (“One”, “My Little Princess”, “Hug”); but what I love about Yoochun’s voice is the smexiness it exudes. Yoochun’s smooth and husky voice never fails to steal girls’ hearts. One can describe his voice to be sweet, but never tiring. Though it can be nasal at times, it is something which I can listen to all day long in my bed, with his picture beside me. ^^

5. His musicality

 
Yoochun is a musical genius. His knack for composing beautiful music is beyond one’s imagination. He is a versatile musician---he can sing, rap, play the piano, compose, arrange, and probably, produce music in the near future. With many songs composed for DBSK under his belt, which includes “Holding Back the Tears”, “Love Bye Love”, “Kiss Shita Mama Sayonara”, “Kiss the Baby Sky”, and “Get Out”, you can never go wrong with this incredible and talented guy.

6. The gibberish Chunglish

 
Since Yoochun stayed in the United States for four years, we would expect that his English is a bit of a higher level than the average Korean---but lo and behold, this combination of Yoochun and English (YooCHUN + EngLISH = CHUNGLISH) is way more funnier than I had expected. We do all have our own set of Chunglish moments---who would forget Yoochun’s ‘reasonable and passionable’ stint a few years ago? These made us laugh, and Yoochun became more lovable because of these. As defined by the Urban Dictionary, Chunglish is characterized by the frequent use of an 's' or the suffix 'able' where there should not be one and the replacement of words with random terms that sound similar but bear no relation to the intended meaning. Perfect examples are “My Girlfriend” (~First time when I kissed your lips, you were a loveable..),“Kiss The Baby Sky” (~Baby sky, never ever hide of myself prime..), and “Get Out” (~Oh baby tell me why you act so strange, but tonight I don’t need a damn explain..). ^^

7. The adorable Chunface

 
Seriously, this is one of the most loveable assets of Yoochun. The way he twists his face whenever he’s extremely happy, surprised, or disgusted is just so adorable. Like a cute little boy, you could never resist him once he does those facial expressions. His cuteness is so strong, that he appears to be a small child trapped in a man's body.

8. His acting prowess

 
I remember my fearless forecast when I first saw DBSK’s “Banjun Drama” and “Dating on Earth” a few years ago: Among the five of them, Yoochun will have a brightest future in acting someday. Fast forward to 2010, he landed on the lead roles of four different dramas---“Beautiful Love”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”, “Miss Ripley”, and most recently, “Rooftop Prince”. Known as the member in DBSK with the richest emotions (as said by Go Eun Ah in “The King’s Man Parody”), Yoochun was indeed a natural born actor. We have seen him in diverse roles in those four dramas, and we all agree---he is a good actor who knows how to play his role well. His performance in the drama was so excellent that you may not believe that it was his first acting experience. Need proof? He already 9 awards for his acting stints.

9. His airport fashion

 
Together with the rest of DBSK, they could have easily earned the title “Kings of the Airport” for their quirky, hip, and outstanding sense of fashion. Who in the world would look super hot in plain tank tops?  His funky airport swag will send you flying away to the moon.

10. His love for his family

 
This is probably one of the reasons why Yoochun should be the next Yu Jun Sang (aka South Korea’s national husband and son-in-law). Girls love him, guys idolize him and ahjummas adore him. He is a very lovable son and brother, and his mom and Yoohwan can attest to that. He loves his family so much, that he is willing to give up anything for them. Although his parents were divorced, his love for his parents never decreased. He has been a good hyung to Yoohwan too, giving him advice and supporting him all the way in his acting career. He’s an all-in-one package, and surely, his future wife is indeed very lucky.

A handsome, talented guy with a beautiful heart---that is how I would describe Yoochun. He is a natural sweetheart, so he deserves all the love in the world. His success never got into his head, and he’s such a humble person. His bouncy and bubbly character never fails to brighten up the atmosphere. Yoochun, you are so loved by everyone, so continue to be the good and loving person that you are. Please stay that way, baby. Happy birthday! 

Rest assured that we will always be KEEPING THE FAITH. 
The whole Cassiopeia family loves you so much! ^^

[April 2012] Compilation of Write-ups

Late post is REALLY late. Screw work. XD

Note: This were the articles that I wrote for OneTVXQ's online magazine (TVXQWorld) for its April 2012 issue. I omitted the first paragraph coz it's the same paragraph with my post regarding Cassiopeia Philippines winning the Fanchant Battle last July 2011 in Dreamwidth. ;)

The first one is regarding CassPH's 9th Gathering, the second one is about my DBSK Song of the Month, and third one is my DBSK Spring Photo of the Month~ ^^

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Keeping The Faith the Filipino Way

(1st paragraph omitted)

Cassiopeia Philippines (CassPH for brevity) is the premiere TVXQ/DSBK/Tohoshinki/JYJ fanclub in the Philippines which aims to unite TVXQ/DBSK/Tohoshinki/JYJ fans through various activities. The name “Cassiopeia Philippines” was given by Yunho when TVXQ came to the Philippines last January 2006 for the shoot of the Ramodo CF. (I was there~ Hooray for Jaejoong's awesome waistline). The fan club was formed in June 2006, and has been active in many KPOP-related events in the Philippines.

Last February 25, 2012, CassPH held it's 9th Gathering: The Red Room Exhibit (also called the 9G) at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. This article is more like of a fan account because I personally went there with my friends. ^^

Inspired by Bigeast's “The Omotesando”, CassPH presented TVXQ's discography in an exhibit-like manner. CassPH presented all the album jackets of TVXQ's Korean and Japanese albums from 2003 up to the present. My eyes had a feast over the massive display of the group's official merchandise, albums, singles, photobooks, fan goods, and magazines. My whole TVXQ collection wouldn't even reach ¼ of the collection on display. Posters plasted on the wall left the fans spazzing and ogling over their favorite member/s.

Our first stop was to attend a Private Film Screening of DBSK's best live performances in Japan and Korea, as well as a dose of JYJ's funny moments from their Come On Over DVD. While it is true that most of us had already watched these on our own, nothing beats the fun it brings while watching these with our fellow fans—spazzing and squealing to our hearts' content.

I was in nostalgia while looking at the big display commemorating DBSK's achievements as group from their debut in 2003. The Individual Corner is where fans got to see the member’s personal profiles and achievements; then there's The Drama Corner, where posters of the members’ journey as promising actors were put up and the Concerts Corner, which is a compilation of best scenes and moments captured from all 3 Asia Tours and 4 Live Tours, as well as a display of physical copies of concert DVDs and goods. This is indeed a proof of DBSK's hard work for the past years, and such were a proof of how successful they are not only in Korea, but in many parts of the world as well.

One more thing which I liked about the gathering is the Tohocafe. This small, cute shop in the corner of the exhibit area sold dongbang-nized cupcakes, cream puffs, cheesecakes, coffee and chocolate named after the members. You can enjoy these sweet treats beside DBSK's standees at the balcony. I personally loved the mini-cheesecakes, and even bought some for my family. :)

The Library was another favorite for me because some of my stuff were on display. Photobooks and magazines where DBSK are featured were all available for browsing.

The CassPh corner contained memorabilias such as tickets from past gatherings, fangoods and trophies the fanclub has won throughout the years. Media giants such as Myx Philippines and GMA were also present during the event.

With the help of PolyEast Records and Astroplus, CassPH presented the JYJ “In Heaven” album launch, where 300 imported copies of the said album’s black version were released. Each purchase also entitles the buyers a special JYJ t-shirt, drawstring bag, two posters and a notepad. This is such a nice treat because you get all of these items for a reasonable price.

When nighttime came, the speakers went on full volume as the epic Tohonight commenced, which is basically a party where Cassies danced the night away to non-stop DBSK/JYJ hits. The TohoBar also provided dongbang-nized cocktails and drinks for the party-loving people. This has to be my favorite part of the gathering because I got to unwind and dance with my friends and fellow Cassies. Everyone danced to the tune of Empty, Rising Sun, O-Jung Ban Hap, Intoxication, Checkmate, Choosey Lover (a club favorite), and the very fun Hi Ya Ya, where everyone sang and danced in unison. ^^

It was such a marvel to see how Filipino Cassies held on to their faith by participating in our fan club's activities despite all the issues being faced by DBSK. And again, this is is just one of the ways of showing to the whole KPOP fandom that Cassiopeia is STILL here, and will always be here for DBSK. Such faith will never falter until eternity.

Always keep the Faith!

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DBSK Song of The Month: Tea for Two

The snow has finally subsided and the flowers started to bloom----the spring season is definitely here. Spring announces its arrival with white and yellow blossoms and by various festivals being celebrated around the world. Spectators can stroll along parks and enjoy the warm view amidst colorful and splendid flowers, and enjoy the cool breeze of the air.

Actually, I had three songs debating in mind for this issue's featured DBSK song, and after listening to them one by one again and again, I finally came up with “Tea for Two”. “Tea for Two” is part of Tohoshinki's 28th Japanese single “Stand By U”, which was released last July 01, 2009.

While “Stand By U” is a ballad, “Tea for Two” is a mid-tempo and upbeat song. It has funky beat which makes your head move along to the music. The intro sounds like the birds humming—a cuckoo which sits in the leafy twig and sings her melody. A light breeze blows from the south and feels very pleasant. It is indeed a song perfect for relaxation.

The soothing voices of Tohoshinki gives off a relaxing vibe, and this is a song perfect for the spring season. The sound of the harmonica is indeed music to the ears. I really think this song would be more beautiful if this was performed live by the five of them. I actually imagined how the music will look like if ever one is released---the Tohoshinki guys sitting on a coffee shop, wearing laid-back and light-colored clothes, and of course, drinking tea. ^^

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DBSK Spring Photo of the Month: Bonjour Paris

 

The Bonjour Paris era has to be one of my favorite TVXQ eras so I chose this as the Spring Photo of the Month. Their outfits here perfectly match the season and gives off a European vibe because of the plain-colored jackets, checkered polos, and shirts with large prints. The clothes were carefully selected so as to match TVXQ's laid-back personality. Their hairstyles are so perfect for their clothes as well.