#bulgasari babbles

[bulgasari-seo]

good luck to everyone ticketing for dream today !! let's do our best :D

[bulgasari-seo]

hi! little bit of an update now that i'm ready to share everything :)

i'm debuting an art shop! catalog will be released this friday. i had one back in 2019/2020 as well. (i still do have a redbubble, actually, but this shop will be all my own.)

i'm hosting a johnny suh cupsleeve event! february 9, 2025, here in vegas. i got my ideal venue and teaser posts will start going out on jan 1.

i'm doing a freebie event for 127 in LA in march! because i've been so busy with the shop and event, haven't had enough time to put some thought into it. but it will be happening!

it's a busy few months ahead, i can feel it. but honestly, i feel more prepared now than ever to take it on. can't wait to show the world what i've got.

more frequent updates can be found on my instagram. this blog is mostly for just showing portfolio graphics and hosting my thoughts on where my life as an nctzen is taking me.

i'll see you again on friday! (waving with a huge smile)

[bulgasari-seo]

sorry i haven't posted much lately! i've been working on a cupsleeve event for johnny's birthday, and well.. it's finally starting to take shape. it feels like an achievable goal and i'm just .. i'm so excited.

graphics under the cut.. can you keep a secret?

first draft of the cupsleeve:

this whole process of branding and designing collateral for an event, and doing this whole thing by myself? has been really.. eye opening, in a way. like i'm starting to understand a lot about myself and my audacity, i don't know. but, uh.. yeah. we're so ready to go. i really... i'm choosing my words carefully here, because i'm embarrassed, but i'm really ready to go. i think this event is going to be a success.

[bulgasari-seo]

i'm on the fence about whether or not i want to do a hashtag event for ty track in cinemas next month, or just make freebies. i have the design done already (for the most part) but i'm still like? recovering? from traveling to dfw (WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN, BTW!)

i think i'm not fully done recharging? there's an nct dream cupsleeve event this weekend that i'm gonna go check out. and i think we gotta plan for october being when i start ordering all my goods, for a proper shop opening in november, so there's time for christmas shipping.

wow.. i really never thought i'd be here again. i think it helps that i believe i'm god emperor of graphic design.. it's a joke, but well.. how else am i gonna worm my way into designing an album for nct? d:

[bulgasari-seo]

god, i feel like i'm running out of time. there's so much left that i have to do before we leave for dallas... not to mention so much i WANT to do for future events ..

i really hope this sunflower project goes well. i haven't worked this hard in my entire life...

i suppose now i understand what it means to want to be part of something bigger than yourself. whatever the case, i'm determined to keep going.

light the way!

[bulgasari-seo]

woke up to horrible, disgusting news about taeil.

moving forward, he will not be featured in my work, and removed from my past work.

and as for me… i don’t know where i’m landing yet.

edit: i thought about it, and here's where i landed.

i'm absolutely fucking pissed.

moon taeil, who the fuck do you think you are? you think that because you've got some fame, you can play god? your career was not built on its own, you know. like are you fucking kidding me?

you just poisoned the entirety of ncity. now its not just nctzens questioning the members. you probably have the members questioning each other, too. do you even care? no, i'm sure you don't.

and as for the rest of 127, did they know? i don't think they did. but how jarring is it to realize that someone you grew up with for 10+ years isn't even remotely close to who you thought they were?

you lived together. trained together. shared your joys and grief. you became family through your hardships. did you even consider them family?

not to mention Your Own Family. your mother. your sister. how could you treat another woman like that. how do you lose the plot THAT BADLY?

already trashed all my taeil merch. it's gone. 127, nct, i will still be here for you. you're still my home, but from a respectable distance.

to think i'd find my heart broken three times in one year..

[bulgasari-seo]

i have been thinking about designing for jae quite literally all month and i thought i wasn't gonna be able to do it.. listening to the album helped SO MUCH..

designing for jae has always been hard, even back in 2018 when i did my first nct design. i think we (who is we? me and jae?) finally found a good style that suits him tho. not sure if i'm gonna do the rest of the songs on the album yet

have y'all listened yet? it's so good !!

[bulgasari-seo]

for the record, y'all are always welcome in my inbox for any reason (within reason). i love making new friends !

[bulgasari-seo]

idk it feels nice to have finally found a design style after almost ten years as a designer :,)

[bulgasari-seo]

my (very first) kcon experience 🌱 with pics!

hello hello! this weekend i was in LA for kcon 2024 - read on for more ~

if you want to watch my vlogs, click here

kcon + the exhibitors

80% of the booths we visited were giving away free items, which was very cool! but every line was looooong. i think this is because there just wasn't enough exhibitors to take up the space - the convention center itself wasn't packed the way i've seen anime expo and lvlup expo. kcon itself was probably anticipating most people were showing up for the stages - i didn't watch these because variety content isn't really what i'm into kpop for.

i did not visit the samsung booth - from what i understood, this was the only way to access the kcon stage, which was sectioned off from the rest of the convention space. that booth was promoting samsung AI, and as an artist, writer, and designer, i am a generative AI hater. and yes, i missed out on seeing A.C.E. because of it, which sucks since i've been passively following their music since 2017, but i just can't support AI!

the shein booth had long lines all three days, and as much as i wanted to get the free accessories, the time in the line would not be worth it. if you're familiar with shein, you know it's nothing different from aliexpress, wish, or temu in terms of the variety of items offered.

we also got to see wooing by connie woo. my friend got one of the pieces of jewelry she made, and we listened to her talk about her story. i found it deeply inspiring, but also a little demotivating - as someone who wants to be part of the industry, as a designer, it feels like you need to know someone to get in. of course, every industry is like that these days, so i really have to work on getting more connections, but i just haaaaaate networking. it feels so soulless.

🔽 everything here are freebies from exhibitors, merch i bought, and fan-made freebies.

a special appearance from trainees?

on day 2, as we were entering the con, lots of people were gathered at the entrance. my friend got photos with a bunch of young korean guys in white shirts, and one of them handed me a package. inside was a diy bracelet and a photocard. (pictured above)

we looked them up, and they're called HinLove! they were promoting their upcoming debut. i believe many of them were contestants on boys planet, and they're from the same company as A.C.E..

on day 3, they were busking in front of crypto arena before mcountdown. those boys worked SO HARD in the sunlight, and they dance so well. it was a very interesting glimpse into the hard work that these kids put into making their dreams happen, and if anything, it's also very inspiring.

the stages @ the con

coming face to face with watching groups well, do fanservice was a little eye opening. i had a moment where i like, stepped outside of myself as a kpop fan, and looked at it from a normie perspective. i mean yes, it is cute seeing a hand heart every now and then, but to be praising these idols with such enthusiasm, for the bare minimum.. was.. well, interesting.

the red carpet stage was cool too, but it was scheduled so close to mcountdown that you would basically miss the entire pre-show if you wanted to see everyone on the red carpet. because of that, i didn't get to see quite a few of the younger rookies.

mcountdown

the whispers and conversations i could hear from fans were all saying that this was the smallest crowd they've ever seen, and that the lineup sucked. but are you kidding me?! this lineup was amazing!! i got to see many groups i started following in the last six months - boynextdoor, p1harmony, enhypen, and zerobaseone to name a few. tragically, keeho, leader of p1h, is VERY attractive, and that man knows how to work a camera. and i was right about hanbin being such a cutie IRL, too.. i now have merch of his, and i will be following his career for a long time.

listening to every group made me realize that i am indeed in ncity for life - their vocal colors across all units are unique. i feel like many of the groups that are trending right now all have similar vocals, which is by no means a jab at them - they're just not enough to overtake nct for me. like, you will be hard pressed to find someone who has a gorgeous deep singing voice like jae's, or the rhythmic rapping you see with marky. or even the roughness of yuta's roars!

nct 127 (what we were all waiting for)

oh, my boys...

the last time i saw them was five years ago, in dallas, on their first tour. even if they weren't complete, and haven't been for a long time now, it's more obvious than ever just how much they've changed as a group. they opened and closed day 3 of the show, and my boys johnny, mark, and jaehyun basically hosted the whole thing.

their stage presence is just.. otherworldly. you can tell every single one of them loves their job deeply, and the entire arena was neo city. i was so grateful for every nctzen that showed up to support 127, and i felt that i made the right decision doing the same.

i don't understand why sm is so intent on retiring them so early into their career - nct as a whole have such a HUGE global presence that just isn't tapped into. it's the reason that we're falling behind when we have to vote for music shows. it also doesn't help that many nctzens who spend all of their time online will turn on the members at the flip of a switch.. ncity is nct's second-biggest enemy, trailing behind sm themselves.

but i'm glad that nct never give up, and keep working their hardest. like i said earlier, it is deeply inspiring and makes me want to pursue my own dreams.

and who would i be if i didn't mention johnny?

oh, johnny suh.. this man. this lovely, lovely man. his energy was enough to light up the arena. he's been shining more than ever for this comeback, and it makes me so, so happy that the rest of ncity is finally seeing him.

there's a lot more i want to say about him, but that is neither here nor there. just know that i love him deeply, and will always support him, through thick and thin. i call myself the last johfam for a reason, after all. 💕

in conclusion...

a fire has been burning in my heart for the majority of this year. i found the home i'd been searching for my entire life in kpop, in ncity, in nct 127. and there is nothing more that i want than to contribute to the culture, be it as a fan, or as one of the many cogs that work behind the scenes of a comeback. kcon only added fuel to that fire, exploding into a brilliant flame of orange and blue.

for seven years, it's been my dream to work with nct on their album and merch designs. i lost my passion for design a few years ago, and now that it's finally back, i know what i have to do.

i want to create. and if i can't join the industry just yet, i'll have to make my own mark on the world, in my little corner of ncity. i have intentions to become an nct merch shop next year, if i can manage it. no, not if.. i'll make it happen.

one day, my talents will be discovered, and until then, we keep going. keep creating things that make me happy, and knowing that they'll make others happy.

forging ahead, in the only way i know how.

[bulgasari-seo]

posting a cool photo set later today, i hope y'all like it

[bulgasari-seo]

as a designer i never understood why all the modern graphics have a noise filter added to them.

but now that i've found the perfect texture.. i get it. shit man

[bulgasari-seo]

has anyone received their 127 comic yet? i got mine last week and i just read over it again, and it said "TO BE CONTINUED" at the end.. is there actually more coming?? why is no one talking about this?!?!?!?!

[bulgasari-seo]

hanging out in riizeland today. so by default, i think i need to make some sort of shotaro graphic.

or finish the one i made for mark's 200...

[bulgasari-seo]

i'm still writing dream(e)scape, btw. life is just.. happening, at the moment.

[bulgasari-seo]

idk what happened but my designer brain reactivated, and i’ve been designing like CRAZY this last week. soo… expect more nct graphics :,)