#directed by b1a4

[theweirdkidinside03]

Fortnight remained unstoppable for the fourth week of Countdown Top 40

Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) - Taylor Swift

Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter

I LUV IT (feat. Playboi Carti) - Camila Cabello

Salamin, Salamin - BINI

we can’t be friends (wait for your love) - Ariana Grande

Karma - JoJo Siwa

obsessed - Olivia Rodrigo

Illusion - Dua Lipa

Alienated - ZAYN

Popular - The Weeknd, Madonna & Playboi Carti

Eyes Closed - Imagine Dragons

청춘에게 (To Youth) - EPEX

I WANT YOU - SB19

MASC (feat. Teezo Touchdown) - Doja Cat

FAMILY MATTERS - Drake

LUNCH - Billie Eilish

TEXAS HOLD 'EM - Beyonce'

Beautiful Things - Benson Boone

Love On - Selena Gomez

Like What (Freestyle) - Cardi B

My Oh My - Ava Max

redrum - 21 Savage

Make You Mine - Madison Beer

I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen) - Post Malone

Stardust - ZAYN

thing u do - Tori Kelly

Spicy Margarita - Jason Derulo & Michael Bublé

ART - Tyla

Doctor (Work It Out) - Pharrell Williams & Miley Cyrus

To The Moon - Meghan Trainor

After Hours - Kehlani

Friday - The Chainsmokers & Fridayy

Lose Control - Teddy Swims

Hands On Me (feat. Meghan Trainor) - Jason Derulo

overcompensate - twenty one pilots

Enough (Miami) - Cardi B

Been Like This - Megan Trainor & T-Pain

MY MIND - Sarah Geronimo & Billy Crawford

yes, and? - Ariana Grande

Back To You - B1A4

[absolutebl]

Leaving GMMTV aside, what were youre favorite shows this year so far? I'll have more free time coming up and im way behind and out of the loop, so some recs would be appriacted, wise sage. Especially for those shows that didnt get the attention they deserved in your opinion! Thanks a lot!

Top 10 BLs of 2023 So Far

Our Dating Sim

(Korea) 10/10 Viki

If you haven't watched this, it's a must. I actually handed out a 10/10. I NEVER do that. It's a perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy. I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent. Full review here.

My School President

(Thai) 9/10 YouTube

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Yes, we’ve seen it all before, but I still ADORED this. And there is a lot to be said for the classics being re-executed perfectly. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? This show was fantastic, it’s only flaw was the singing (and that’s my baggage). My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL.

(you said no GMMTV but I have to include it)

The Eighth Sense

(Korea) 9/10 Viki

One of the longest BLs Korea has given us and (like Blueming) it feels more atmospheric gay coming of age romance than strictly BL. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. It’s a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs (do I detect a touch of Taiwan?) This one deployed BL tropes (messy eater, shoulder sleep, protective seme, there’s even some hyung-slinging) but front loaded them with painful backstory and tons angst drives the 2nd half. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it does have a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

The New Employee

(Korea) 9/10 Viki

So good, SO QUEER, so soft, a near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also found family and a lesbian bestie. Sweet & innocent (and out) Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams. On his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved (and also v gay) boss. As you do. Frankly? This is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Rainbow rice cakes forever! Directed by queer activist Kim Jho Gwang Soo (Just Friends?) partly set in the same neighbourhood as the To My Star house. Gotta love WATCHA (Semantic Error, Light on Me).

Unintentional Love Story

(Korea) 9/10 iQIYI

A boy who just lost his job due to faked corruption charges accidentally discovers his ex-boss's favorite artist, now a recluse. Evil manager offers him his job back if he can convince the artist to rejoin society. Instead, they fall in love. I found the artist a bit stiff and reserved but Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT - he carried this show (which I do not expect from the idol element). He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, just drown in the emoting abyss. The external conflict, social tension and pressure is complex and beautifully executed, plus Korea gave us legit side dishes (NOT a love triangle, hally-fucking-luya). I’m not sure on rewatchability, and it didn’t whip me into a verbal frenzy the way some KBLs do, but it still gets a solid 9/10 for those damn eyes alone.

Destiny Seeker

(Thai) 8/10 grey

A darn near perfect pulp featuring 3 likeable tsundere/sunshine pairings with uncomplicated iterations of enemies to lovers. At least one half of each does a decent amount of pining and there’s good chemistry, classic tropes, and communication rep. It’s fun and full of linguistic jokes. Sublimely cheesy but a good rainy day offering with tons of rewatch potential. Full review here.

Make a Wish

(Thai) 8/10

PNR (from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not-Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but v. satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af, fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency.

All the Liquors

(Korea) 8/10 Viki & Gaga

A pretty classic foodie set KBL that managed to distinguish itself from others in this category by having a particularly satisfying final episode centered around found family. Sunshine sweetie soju rep gets involved with a shy introvert chef who doesn’t drink. This has a somewhat uneven plot and ridiculous central conceit (much in the way of Tasty Florida or Behind Cut), but if you are looking for a restaurant BL with Korea’s signature softness, then this is a great option. FYI I may identify with our baby party boy hedonist more than any other BL lead ever presented.

Love Mate

(Korea) 8/10 Viki

Features a very much openly gay older uke with commitment issues and a romantic (if arrogant) younger seme with no respect for boundaries (hyung romance). Workplace harassment much? That’s BL for ya. (Also a nonBL Kdrama specialty.) So yeah it’s questionable, but so is my taste. The ultimate premise that someone badly hurt shuts themself off to romance is very similar to Happy Merry Ending or 8th Sense but this version was more about fear than abuse or trauma. For me, this made Love Mate more relatable. However, because the denouement was driven by a late addition faen fatal, the conclusion felt rushed and forced. I can, however, see myself rewatching this one, so it falls into the general rank of 2023′s KBL aka solid high standard and eminently watchable.

Bed Friend

(Thai YouTube, Gaga, iQIYI)

Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship that is built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly longing eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged (ALL THE TRIGGERS). NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, unfortunately the story ultimately failed them. Had the show had the strength of its convictions and kept to a tighter, darker, harsher 8 eps it would have been the first high heat to earn a 10/10 from me, but once they fussed with it, it dropped to a solid 8/10. Could have been great but was overworked. Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down. Full review here. (Triggers include: child abuse, attempted rape, family abuse)

(3x! 3x Tumblr ate this post. They HAVE to de bug their new editor. This never happens with the old one. Biggest bug is with the "undo" function, DO something about it!)

[lunarsights]

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 & 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝙍𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨

⟢ be patient! doing card and chart readings takes time, but card readings are usually easier, so they are likely to be answered first in comparison to chart readings. i am seeing every request and will get to it!

⟢ no questions about death or true crime. please, let the dead rest

⟢ for now, readings are about musical artists only. i may make it broader later on down the road, but i want to narrow things down for now

𝙍𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨

ᯓᡣ𐭩 aespa chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 aespa/blackpink/le sserafim views on their groups and cochella performances

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's next big milestone

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez members' personalities on versus off camera

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez member's wants for their career

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's hongjoong current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's hongjoong and yeosang dynamic

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's seongwha ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's yunho florist dating rumor

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's yunho and wooyoung dynamic

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's san chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's san individual popularity

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's mingi ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ateez's jongho red and green flags

ᯓᡣ𐭩 b1a4's jinyoung's current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 b1a4's jinyoung's ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 big bang comeback chances

ᯓᡣ𐭩 blackpink's performance consistency

ᯓᡣ𐭩 blackpink's jennie solo career forecast

ᯓᡣ𐭩 bts's suga dui scandal

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's solar return chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jay chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jay as a boyfriend

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jay ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jay current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jay future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jake chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jake ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's jake personality reading

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's sunghoon showing interest in crushes

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's sunhoon ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's sunghoon and newjeans's haerin views on one another

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's sunghoon as a boyfriend

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen's sunghoon and illit's iroha views on one another

ᯓᡣ𐭩 enhypen and illit group dynamics

ᯓᡣ𐭩 (g)-idle's minnie current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 (g)-idle's minnie ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 (g)-idle's yuqi career reading

ᯓᡣ𐭩 jay park's future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 illit's view on their career direction

ᯓᡣ𐭩 what itzy members find attractive

ᯓᡣ𐭩 itzy's ryujin energy check up

ᯓᡣ𐭩 itzy's ryujin future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 itzy's yuna current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 iu career reading

ᯓᡣ𐭩 iu's future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 izna career reading

ᯓᡣ𐭩 katseye's view on dream academy docuseries

ᯓᡣ𐭩 le sserfaim's view on their career direction

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct's johnny's view on having/raising kids

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct 127's yuta current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct's jaehyun's view on having/raising kids

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct dream solar return chart analysis

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct's mark lee ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct's mark lee future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 nct's mark lee current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 newjeans's danielle personality reading

ᯓᡣ𐭩 newjeans' view on their career direction

ᯓᡣ𐭩 p1harmony's jiung's personality on versus off camera

ᯓᡣ𐭩 pluto in aquarius transit's affects on the kpop industry

ᯓᡣ𐭩 seventeen's jeonghan's ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 seventeen's joshua current energy and love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 seventeen's joshua ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 seventeen's joshua futue spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 seventeen's joshua's rumored girlfriend

ᯓᡣ𐭩 shawn mendes and camilla cabello: will they try again?

ᯓᡣ𐭩 stray kids's lee know future spouse

ᯓᡣ𐭩 stray kids's hyunjin current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 taylor swift and travis kelce relationship update

ᯓᡣ𐭩 taylor swift endorsing politics

ᯓᡣ𐭩 the boyz's hyunjae current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 the boyz's juyeon current love life

ᯓᡣ𐭩 the boyz's sunwoo ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 the boyz's sunwoo current energy

ᯓᡣ𐭩 twice's sana ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 txt's taehyun ideal type

ᯓᡣ𐭩 what the k-pop industry needs to purge and bring in for a better environment

ᯓᡣ𐭩 zerobaseone's ricky career after disbandment

[heizelnutlatte]

📷 Cosmopolitan: B1A4 Interview for Origine "The Tenacity of a 10-Year Idol Group, B1A4"

What does the original intention of a 10-year-old idol group look like? B1A4 reveals their true intentions in a pledge to show more restraint in their desire to show more and perform better.

Q: It’s been exactly 3 years and 1 month since your comeback. This is the first album worked on by just the three of you, and for Shinwoo, it’s his first activity after being discharged from the military. It must be very meaningful and also quite burdensome.

Shinwoo: "I feel quite sorry. I'm concerned that fans may have found it hard waiting during the 3-year hiatus. Accordingly, we've prepared a lot. In fact, there was a lot we wanted to show with this album, and we were quite ambitious. However, it felt necessary to restrain ourselves, especially at a time like this, in line with our experience. Especially since this album is meant to show the direction B1A4 will take going forward, it holds more significance and is more important. You'll probably feel Gongchan's strong presence. As the youngest of the team, he used to rely on the older members, but this time, he voiced his opinions more and was more involved. Sandeul is our main vocalist, but I hoped the main vocalist role could vary depending on the song within B1A4, and it was well reflected in this album."

Sandeul: "The role of the main vocalist is quite burdensome. I know all the members' abilities, and unavoidably, I stood out more in terms of singing on stage. Sometimes, when it gets too tough, I joke, "Shinwoo, you sing instead." Now, having started to create our own songs, it feels like we have become a group that can sing in harmony. Just like Shinwoo said, while we practice restraint, we believe it's necessary to show our audacity and tenacity through our lyrics, melodies, and the overall mood."

Gongchan: "This album wasn’t made by one person alone; all the members worked on it together, and that made the process very joyful."

Q: As a singer in your tenth year since debut, is there a song you wish had been more highlighted that perhaps would have been better received if released now?

Sandeul: I really like the song 'Nightmare.' I even mentioned to Shinwoo during this album's preparation that it would be great to make a song like this. I think it could also be a good title track now.

Gongchan: The song 'Seoul' is very charming. It’s not too provocative, and wherever you listen to it, you can feel its unique sentiment. It's especially nice to listen to by the Han River.

Shinwoo: It’s a bit embarrassing that both of them mentioned songs I wrote. Haha.

Sandeul: Shinwoo writes songs that are fun for the singer to perform. He also wrote this album’s title track.

Q: People often say that an artist’s sensitivity dulls after military service, but it seems that wasn’t the case for you, Shinwoo?

Shinwoo: Of the tracks on the album, I wrote three before enlisting and five during the later part of my military service. From private to senior private, there wasn't really time to write, and my sensitivity decreased. It was really hard right after I was discharged, and we decided to release an album because nothing came to mind. Military life does accumulate experience, but it's limited in providing inspiration to an artist. The repetitive daily routine simplifies your thoughts. But what was the question again?

Q: What changes have the two members noticed in Shinwoo before and after his military service?

Sandeul: It’s funny, he just asked, "What was the question?"—that used to be my line, but now he’s using it. There are times I wonder, "Why is he acting like this?"

Gongchan: He might have been very lonely in the military because he talks a lot more now. Ha ha.

Shinwoo: I really had a lot I wanted to say during those two years.

Q: I've seen older idols with many years of experience express sadness about being treated as outdated due to their age. This must be an unavoidable topic for B1A4 as well.

Shinwoo: Everyone wants to be noticed and show something new, so it's inevitable to be conscious of it. However, we are confident that with each album release, we generate as much anticipation as any other group. We believe B1A4 has its own symbolic presence and a unique image, which somewhat frees us from those concerns.

Sandeul: People often talk about returning to their original intention. It might not be possible to be exactly as we were at the beginning, but it’s something to reconsider. The reason I mentioned audacity earlier is because I don't want to lose the spirit we had in our early twenties, when we knew nothing and still sang and danced with audacity. If we maintain our original intention, I think we won't be shaken by what people say.

Q: B1A4's greeting slogan is 'Let's Fly.' Is there still a higher place for you to soar?

Sandeul: We are a work in progress. Ha ha. I actually gain strength when we say, "Let's fight on!" I believe that if you say something with your heart, it will certainly come true. I believe in the power of words.

Q: Having spent your teens and twenties together, the members must mean more than just colleagues to each other, right?

Shinwoo: I bet everything on this, but I consider these guys my family. There's no one else I can speak so openly with. I can expose my flaws around them without worry, and we rely on each other more often than we see our own families.

Gongchan: We're closer than family, so now it seems impossible to part ways.

Sandeul: That's why I'm currently worried. People around us say we should maintain professional boundaries with colleagues, but we are so comfortable and close that it sometimes feels unsettling because we are so close.

Shinwoo: We don't need to worry about that because we're a team. If you do well, the team does well, and the team needs to do well for you to do well.

Q: Sandeul, you've been very active in solo activities, including being a radio DJ and appearing on various variety shows. It seems possible that young people might only know Sandeul and not B1A4.

Sandeul: Even when I'm doing solo activities, I always introduce myself as "B1A4 Sandeul." There might be times during B1A4's hiatus when people remember me just as Sandeul, but I don’t want that.

Shinwoo: I wanted the two members to be active and develop their personal capacities further. I thought that would be good for the team. So, I pushed them a lot.

Gongchan: When doing solo activities, we provide more support and concern. We comfort and take care of each other while monitoring each other’s activities.

Q: Gongchan, you're currently acting in the drama "Lonely Enough to Love" How do you think his acting is?

Shinwoo: The character 'Junghoon' that Gongchan plays has a subtle atmosphere that wouldn’t have been easy to portray, but he does it. It's unfamiliar, but I think he's doing well. Gongchan, being the youngest of the team, shows a manly and mature side in the drama. In reality, he’s meticulous and often serves as a stabilizer between Sandeul and me.

Sandeul: Watching Gongchan act on TV feels so surreal. I find myself saying, "He's so handsome," and "He's doing so well."

Q: The fans of B1A4 have grown up as much as you have. Your thoughts on the fans and their significance might have changed over time.

Sandeul: It's a bit surprising when fans who used to tell me, "I got into college," or "I got a job," now say, "I'm getting married." I have various thoughts, but to me, BANA (the fan club name) is just BANA. It’s similar to the past. Just as BANA looks at us, when I think of BANA, I’m reminded of our debut. They are still cute and I’m thankful.

Gongchan: Being a ten-year-old group, I feel like I'm living life with BANA. It's happy to be able to share strength and various emotions with each other. I'm also looking forward to the time we will continue to spend together.

Shinwoo: In the past, when I thought of fans, I felt gratitude and joy, but nowadays, I find myself tearing up. I don’t know why exactly, but I'm so grateful that fans remain with us, thinking about our songs and reminiscing, 'My first idols are doing well.'

Q: As trainees, you had goals like debuting, then winning first place on music shows after debut. What are B1A4's goals now?

Shinwoo: I think it's everyone's goal, but we want to be together for a long time. We watched a performance by senior Nahoon last Chuseok, and I messaged the members, who were also watching. If someone like him can show such passion, what's our ten years? Our goal is to keep active for a very long time, like senior Nahoon, and it’s the toughest challenge. At the same time, we want to shape the title B1A4 well. It carries people’s memories and our lives, so we want to nurture and cherish this name.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with this album?

Sandeul: The goal itself was for the three of us to release an album, and we've already achieved that.

Shinwoo: I hope to hear from fans watching our stage that they're happy to say, "Our brothers are back."

B1A4 x Cosmopolitan Korea, 2020

[thesuitelife547]

Gongchan News1 Interview [ARTICLE TRANSLATION]

I did combine both of the interviews into one. But enjoy!

- Marisa

Original articles:

Part 1 | Part 2

B1A4’s Gongchan has said that the year 2023 will be busier and a year of growth. It’s a promise to go further as both an actor and a singer.

The Gongchan who is working hard will have his first step in the release of the BL (Boys Love) drama, ‘Unintentional Love’ (written by Shin Ji An, directed by Jang Eui Soon) that will be released this year. Based on Pibi’s webtoon, it’s the story of two people whose relationship started out as a lie and later developed into true love, a recovery of trust romance. The country’s first BL drama was ‘Where Your Eyes Linger’ and this drama will be a collaboration between Shin Ji An, who wrote the script, and the director for ‘Peach of Time,’ Jang Eui Soon.

In this project, Cha Seo Won plays the role of Yoon Tae Joon and Gongchan took on the role of Ji Won Young. Specifically, Gongchan is Ji Won Young, an employee of the general affairs department of a large company that has to win the heart of the president’s favorite artist, Yoon Tae Joon, if he wants to be reinstated. Ji Won Young is someone who has a bright nature and is a social butterfly who likes to help people and always has people surrounding him. It’s a story of how he meets Yoon Tae Joon and becomes entangled with him when Won Young is suddenly on the verge of losing his job.

Gongchan has steadily built up his filmography as he started acting in 2015 with the web dramas ‘Delicious Romance,’ ‘Dear My Name,’ and ‘Mokkoji Kitchen.’ He’s also appeared in the MBC Every1’s ‘Dating is Annoying, but I Hate Being Lonely!’ among others. He’s back after around two years with a new project. Although Gongchan was unfamiliar with the BL genre, of which has yet to become popularized, he said that he was drawn to the authentic story and thanks to that, he was able to immerse himself well.

He is also a member of the boy group B1A4 and has done activities as an artist. He has said that he wishes to meet fans as the complete B1A4 when fellow member Sandeul is discharged from the military. Gongchan continued by saying, “A steady person, I want to become someone who does not let go of their goal and who continues to run. There are times when I’ll rest, but my goal is to have fun and be happy while promoting or being active.”

Gongchan plans to spend the Lunar New Year holiday with his family this year. They’re planning on having a peaceful holiday by making jeon [Korean pancakes] together and giving his grandmother New Year’s bows. He also brightly conveyed New Year’s greetings to News1 readers. I recently met Gongchan for this interview.

How are you planning to spend the Lunar New Year holiday this year?

My family is going to all get together and we’re going to make jeon [Korean pancakes] together and also give our New Year’s bows to my grandmother.

‘Unintentional Love Story’ is going to be released this year. If you were going to describe the project?

It’s based on a webtoon. A relationship that started with a lie turns into a true love romance. I play the role of Ji Won Young, an employee of the general affairs department of a large company. I am excitedly waiting for it to be released this year.

Have you read and referred to the original webtoon?

I read the webtoon while preparing for the role and thought that Ji Won Young and I have a lot of similarities. Despite having a bright personality, he doesn’t tell others when he’s having a hard time. It touched me because it felt like I was looking at myself. Isn’t the original version very popular? I paid a lot of attention to the details while filming in order to make the character seem similar. Won Young is a bright fellow, so I really thought a lot about what would work best to express his kind of energy.

How did you come to join the project?

I had received an offer for the role of Ji Won Young. They had said that my image resembled that of his, so they decided to contact me. After I received the offer, I immediately read the project and thought, “It’s so interesting, it would be even more interesting as a drama.” I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Thankfully, the director and the head of the production company looked at me favorably during our meeting and my appearance was decided upon right away.

It’s difficult to say that the BL genre has yet to become popular in South Korea. It’s a time when related works are now just appearing, so did you hesitate to appear? Did you reference any other works?

It is true that I was previously unfamiliar with the BL genre. However, when looking at ‘Unintentional Love Story,’ I liked the story of how two people with painful scars slowly open their hearts as they get to know one another. Therefore I decided to try to focus on the script and act from that. Before filming, I tried to look back on and refer to the drama ‘Semantic Error,’ the movie ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ the Japanese drama ‘Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You A Wizard,’ and others.

How was it acting with Cha Seo Won?

When I heard that Seo Won-hyung was cast, I thought he was the same as Yoon Tae Joon in the webtoon and also thought that the production team really delicately found the character. I saw him in ‘I Live Alone’ and also in a daily drama that I watched with my mother [t/n: I think the daily might be Second Husband]. When I first saw him, he was like a celebrity (Laughs). It was difficult in the beginning, but isn’t he quirky and cute? He’s very playful and the atmosphere on the set was good, so we became close quickly. Even when filming, he guided me a lot and we also cheered each other up through laughter. All of the actors became very comfortable with each other so it’s a pity that we can’t promote together because he enlisted.

What is a point to observe about the project?

It depicts Won Young and Tae Joon growing closer and closer, so pay close attention to each of their detailed emotions in each situation. There’s also going to be a tickling excitement about it.

What kind of evaluation do you wish to receive after ‘Unintentional Love Story’ is released?

I wish to hear the people that watch this project recommend it and say “The actor Gongchan here is pretty good.” I would be very grateful if I were able to become an actor that people know about.

You started working as an actor in 2015. What was the reason you started?

I was originally very greedy to act. When I was actually able to try it, I was able to see that it had a different charm than standing on stage and I therefore gradually fell in love with it. I’m trying to work on at least one project every year.

It seems that there are roles you’re greedy for

I want to play a villain someday. I really like the drama ‘Bad Guys’ [t/n: a 2014 drama] and want to play a character like Park Hae Jin’s role.

You’ve been active as B1A4 for a long time. I’m curious about the secret of your teamwork

I see CNU-hyung and Sandeul-hyung quite often. We talk about recent updates, our daily lives, and about the album we’ll release later. It seems like the secret of how we can last for so long is our humble virtue towards each other. Even when talking about things that need to be improved, we don’t take it too heavily. Although I’m overflowing with passion when faced with work, I’m the type who receives it well.

Aren’t B1A4 on a break due to fellow member Sandeul’s military service? Are you not greedy for a solo album?

I am greedy, but I’m too afraid. (Smiles). It’s become late because I think about things such as whether the concept that I want to do will come out well.

Sandeul will be discharged in August, will we be able to see a B1A4 album?

I want to quickly come back as a complete group when Sandeul-hyung is discharged. I wish to have one come out within this year, but nothing has been specifically decided upon.

Aren’t you also actively communicating with your fans?

Communicating with the fans is so much fun. Similar to how real friends communicate, it’s nice to hear about what the fans are doing. I also like to share what I’m doing with them. Because the fans seem to like that, I tend to communicate with them a lot.

What is your goal?

A steady person, I want to become someone who does not let go of their goal and who continues to run. There are times when I’ll rest, but my goal is to have fun and be happy while promoting or being active

What kind of year would you like 2023 to be?

I hope it’ll be a year where I’m busier, where I’m growing, and a year of fun activities. I’m already looking forward to this year because even if there’s a lot of work, I don’t think it will be hard.

Would you like to say Lunar New Year greetings to News1 readers?

I hope you have a pleasant holiday while eating plenty of delicious food. Happy New Year!

[idolskpop]

Kim Hae Sook to Star in ‘Miss Granny’ K-Drama Remake with Jung Ji So and B1A4 Jinyoung

Kim Hae Sook, one of the most respected and versatile actresses in Korea, has confirmed her participation in the upcoming K-drama remake of the hit movie "Miss Granny." She will join the young stars Jung Ji So and B1A4 Jinyoung in this fantasy comedy series that will air next year.

What is ‘Miss Granny’ About?

(Photo : News 1 Korea) Kim Hae Sook “Miss Granny” is a popular 2014 film that tells the story of Oh Mal Soon, a 74-year-old grandmother who suddenly regains her youth after visiting a mysterious photo studio. She changes her name to Oh Doo Ri and pursues her dream of becoming a singer, while hiding her true identity from her family and friends. The movie was a huge success, attracting over 8.6 million viewers and becoming the highest-grossing Korean comedy film of all time. It also spawned several remakes in other countries, such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The K-drama version of “Miss Granny” will follow the same plot as the movie, but with some modifications and additions to suit the longer format. The series will be directed by Kim Sang Ho, who previously worked on “Extraordinary You” and “Run On,” and written by Shin Ha Eun, who penned “The Crowned Clown” and “Mr. Queen.”

Who are the Cast Members of ‘Miss Granny’?

(Photo : CJ ENM Movie) Kim Hae Sook will play the role of Oh Mal Soon, the feisty and stubborn grandmother who transforms into a 20-year-old beauty. Kim Hae Sook is a veteran actress who has appeared in numerous films and dramas, such as “Thirst,” “The Thieves,” “Mother,” “Dear My Friends,” “Prison Playbook,” and “Hospital Playlist.” She is known for her versatile acting skills and her ability to portray various characters with depth and nuance.

(Photo : Singles Magazine Korea) Jung Ji So Jung Ji So will play the role of Oh Doo Ri, the younger version of Oh Mal Soon who enjoys her newfound youth and freedom. Jung Ji So is a rising actress who gained recognition for her roles in “Parasite,” “The Cursed,” and “Snowdrop.” She is also set to star in another upcoming drama, “The Glory,” written by Kim Eun Sook. B1A4 Jinyoung will play the role of Ban Ji Ji, a music producer who discovers Oh Doo Ri’s talent and helps her debut as an idol. Jinyoung is a singer-actor who debuted as a member of B1A4 in 2011. He has also starred in several dramas, such as “Love in the Moonlight,” “My First First Love,” and “Police University.”

When will ‘Miss Granny’ Air?

(Photo : CJ Entertainment) “Miss Granny” is currently in the middle of filming and is expected to air sometime in 2023. The exact broadcast date and network have not been announced yet, but fans are already looking forward to seeing how the drama will adapt the movie’s hilarious and heartwarming story.

What Else Can Fans Expect from Kim Hae Sook?

(Photo : JTBC Drama Official) Lee Yoo Mi, Kim Hae Sook, Kim Jung Eun, Ong Seong Wu, Byun Woo Seok While waiting for “Miss Granny” to air, fans can also catch Kim Hae Sook in another upcoming drama, "Strong Girl Namsoon." This is a sequel to the 2017 hit drama “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,” which starred Park Bo Young as a woman with superhuman strength. In “Strong Girl Namsoon,” Kim Hae Sook will play Gil Joong Gan, the grandmother of Kang Nam Soon, played by Lee Yoo Mi. Kang Nam Soon is the cousin of Do Bong Soon, who also inherited the superpower from their grandmother. The drama will follow Kang Nam Soon’s adventures as she teams up with her mother and grandmother to protect Gangnam from evil forces. “Strong Girl Namsoon” will premiere on October 7 on JTBC at 10:30 p.m. KST.

(Photo : JTBC) Kim Hae Sook What do you think of Kim Hae Sook’s upcoming dramas? Are you excited to see her as Miss Granny and Strong Girl’s grandmother? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

[shinwhoohoo]

Re: b1a4 being b1a4/sticking to kpop… I think more than anything, if they still want to release music/sing bc that’s what they love, I’d want them to do it more maturely and less “young kpop”.

SNSD and Super Junior for example, they’re much older now and you can really see that their music and image has grown up with them. I think b1a4 does have that more mature sound now but they seem stuck trying to relive their bubblegum pop aesthetic days when they first debuted.. maybe it’s the lack of proper management now so they’re kind of just flopping around art direction wise and doesn’t realize it’s ok to evolve your aesthetic. As an example, sure SM has more money and is a bigger company than WM but SNSD’s comeback last year.. you can see that their styling fits the year we’re in/they’re age, the fact that they’re now senior idols celebrating 15yrs, even their outfits in music shows are much more sophisticated/elevated. Same for SJ. They aren’t stuck with the ‘shticks’ that they had when they first debuted bc they’ve grown up and their tastes have changed.

As an aside, I’m actually excited to see how GC will do in this webtoon drama bc the posters look good and it feels like a “legit” acting role if that makes sense. And if the others want to explore branching out like that too in whatever avenue, I’d love to see that for them… maybe they just don’t want to be as active anymore (and that’s fine too), but sometimes part of me thinks it’s bc they’re being neglected where they are and aren’t getting the best opportunity so I’m worried about them looking for other agencies.. it pains me to say this but with baro for example, he hasn’t really done much / hasn’t done many projects as the lead, it feels to me like he’s still trying to start over and is still at that stage where he’s being cast as a minor character/guest role for an ep or two idk, when he was the one who really wanted to be an actor (but maybe he wants to be low key, we don’t know). So just based on him, I’m worried for the other 3 when/if they decide to go switch to another agency. But also that has to be better than what WM is doing for them now no??

See, as far as your first couple points, I feel like initially things were looking ok-- just taking their only main comeback following the split, they were styled really well (at least in my opinion lol). Though something that is also interesting about all this, is that the comeback was prior to WM Ent. being acquired by RBW... because following the acquisition is where we had the solo fanmeets of CNU and Gongchan were they were dressed... not great, lol (see the discourse here and here and here) along with a bunch of other examples of them not being styled well. SO I think that's maybe where there is a disconnect in how you feel aesthetic is? Because when they style themselves they don't look like bubblegum pop boys at all.

But this also could possibly tie into your last point about neglect? Because obviously things have seemed to take a turn for the worst as far as the care, effort, and money put into their events or lives or whatever. And I can partly understand this, in the sense that they are an older group and RBW is going to invest more in their 'own' groups, or a group that still has a more youthful energy and potential like ONF for WM groups. But of course, I've been a BANA for over 11 years and I hate to see this, no matter how much I know it just happens from a business perspective.

That being said, there are better ways they could smartly spend money on them so that it doesn't look like last minute shit thrown together. They just need the staff willing to be a bit creative and sit down with them because I'm sure the boys have their own thoughts and opinions on what they want (and who knows, maybe RBW doesn't like what they want, hence why they're not doing too much for them.)

Also though, I do feel that there isn't that much of a concern for them to be super active. But in regards to your remarks about Baro, yeah, I'm a bit 😕 about it because I'm still waiting on him to catch is break in the acting field too. I just wish we saw more of him overall, idk. I miss him lol but I know that's also because I don't keep up with k-dramas so I'd have to really go out of my way to watch what he's in.

[tteokwookki]

SANDEUL920320: 너무너무 감사한 시간이었어요♡ 행복했어요♡♡ #B1A4 #신우 #산들 #공찬 사랑해요♡♡ 

[rough trans] It was a very, very grateful time ♡ I was happy ♡♡ #B1A4 #신우 #산들 #공찬 I love you ♡♡

[damanixjanay]

I'm almost 21 and my side of my shared bedroom looks like it belongs to a teenage girl. Well I was like 18 when I started this wall anyways lol. I dont even listen to some of these groups as much anymore but I still keep up with them.

[theweirdkidinside03]

Another good week for Jung Kook & Latto as Seven remained on top of Countdown Top 40 for the seventh week

Seven (feat. Latto) - Jung Kook

Dance The Night - Dua Lipa

What Was I Made For? - Billie Eilish

Traffic Accident - Dann & Mujin

Rush - Troye Sivan

Daylight - Harry Styles

Fast Car - Luke Combs

bad idea right? - Olivia Rodrigo

Vampire - Olivia Rodrigo

Single Soon - Selena Gomez

Like a Movie - B1A4

Lipstick - Charlie Puth

Love Like This - ZAYN

K-POP - Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & The Weeknd

I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) - Taylor Swift

Snooze - SZA

Barbie World (with Aqua) - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice

Paint The Town Red - Doja Cat

Rainy Days - V

Mourning - Post Malone

Baby Don’t Hurt Me - David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leroy

Favorite Song - Toosii

Boyfriend - Usher

NewSmile - JO1

Attention - Doja Cat

Used To Be Young - Miley Cyrus

Desire - Calvin Harris & Sam Smith

The Show - Niall Horan

How We Roll - Ciara & Chris Brown

Lilith - Halsey & SUGA

Cupid - FIFTY FIFTY

Water Drop - B1A4

Angel - Halle

Waffle House - Jonas Brothers

Karma (feat. Ice Spice) - Taylor Swift

GENTO - SB19

what is lovE? - B1A4

Fall In Love Alone - Stacey Ryan

Cheetah - Jackson Wang

Artificial - Daughtry

[bangstermoon]

LIVE YOUR DREAMS YALL. Y'all know how many people tell us we will never meet our idols?? Do you know how many times I've been told that only to them meet my idols face to face! Hi touches, fansign, etc! Anything is possible! Plus! If you wanna date your idol, dont give up hope! Do you guys know just how MANY FANS have DATED their IDOLS?! Shit is possible! Believe in yourself! Like I believe in myself! Cause bitch, Yongguk where you at?? XD

[wment-groups]

170814 CNU’s Instagram Update:

Congratulations!! ma bro 🎉 @gongchanida 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 똥개 맛있는거 사줄겡~~

Translation:

Congratulations!! ma bro 🎉 @gongchanida 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 I’ll buy you something delicious Puppy~~

trans by @wment-groups take with full credit

[uwua3]

if it's ok 😳👉👈 i really love your writing and i've had this idea in my head for awhile but i can't get myself to write it on my own 🤔 i wanted to see how your spin would be on it- so can i request a prompt where reader gets jealous of tenma's co-actress in a romance and tries to mimic what she does to him in a show they're in?? ty!!! 💕💕💕 i look forward to your interpretation

thank you so much for requesting~ ♡ i love you sososo much; i hope this lives up to everything you’ve dreamed of! ♡ ～('▽^人) i LOVE YOU!!! <333

summary: when tenma lands a role in your favorite drama, he had one goal: to become your favorite actor

warnings: envy/jealousy, food mentions, rivalry (all covered briefly!)

author’s note: after learning everything there is to know about the k-drama, true beauty, on tik tok, i’ve decided to write this! for context, the only thing i recommend watching before reading this is watching the “roar” scene!

this is also the first time i’ve introduced made-up characters with names! please enjoy jun, the first character who isn’t canon to the a3!verse :D

word count: 3,768

music: like a movie – b1a4

pretty u!

🌻☀️ sumeragi tenma

what the heck was love, and why did he have to be in it?

sumeragi tenma, future “world’s best actor”, was suddenly... seeing why he hadn’t won that award yet. with a script in his hand and confusion in another, tenma read the title of the next drama he landed the role for

“PRETTY U...” it was japan’s next major love story, advertised on every social media platform possible with the all-star cast in the spotlight already. although it had already been out for a season, tenma was entering as the up-and-coming newest character of the series

tenma was boyish, young, and much too confident for his age—perfect for the role of a second-lead bad boy who was going to steal the heart and test the protagonist’s commitment

except... he didn’t actually want to take up a new project so soon. he only did because—

“what?! you’re going to be chan on PRETTY U?!” he proudly nodded and watched as you began ranting about how much you loved this show. there was only one reason he came to the audition: tenma wanted to star in your favorite television series

you always went on and on about how great everything about PRETTY U was. after hearing so much and pretending not to listen (even if he could practically explain the entire plotline now without watching it), tenma let himself become a fan, too

after all, how could he not be a fan when you loved PRETTY U so much?

tenma didn’t respond to his manager’s pleas until one day, you revealed another reason why PRETTY U was your favorite production: the main lead

“he’s so handsome~ i love him so much!” “do you know him? could you get me his number?” “look at him... he’s the most perfect actor in the business right now—ah, sorry ten!”

tenma scoffed every time, claiming he could most certainly do better than that hotshot. although the boys typically didn’t do the same type of television, he had become tenma’s #1 rival without even knowing it

besides... what did that guy have that tenma didn’t? he was just nice! sure, he held open the door for the lead, bent down to tie her shoes, bended over backwards just to be the perfect boy-next-door. yeah... even he couldn’t pretend anymore

tenma pouted at the thought, skimming over his next pilot episode for rehearsal tomorrow. he was too good to be real, after all, he was meant to end up with the lead girl anyways (spoiler alert!)

but, it didn’t matter how perfect that actor was! because tenma had gotten the role of “chan”, the leather-jacket wearing mystery with an actual heart of gold, and he was going to make the entire audience swoon

(though, tenma just wanted to make your heart skip a beat when he ended up on the big screen)

tenma would never admit how fast he checked his phone when he felt it buzz in his pocket. sure, it was unprofessional during rehearsal but he knew it was you. however, his smile dropped the moment he read what you sent

you: remember to tell him how much i love him!

tenma: hah... no good luck for your new bad boy?

you: you know i’ll always root for you, ten!

tenma: but, i’m better than that actor, right?

tenma watched his message get delivered and was about to keep bothering you until someone called his name like they were friends. speak of the devil...

that actor’s straight, white toothy smile made tenma stand a little straighter (damn it, tenma was shorter), eyes wide as the actor gracefully introduced himself as his co-star for the next month or so (how did his voice sound even better in person?!)

“good morning, tenma! my name is jun, i’m so honored to meet a fellow actor on set! let’s work together well!” were they... really the same age? tenma barely registered the fact he was suddenly shaking jun’s (right, that’s his name) hand. why did he have such a manly grip?

tenma quickly (to his dismay) found out that him & jun had entered the industry around the same time but often had different projects, so they were never featured in the same production before. apparently, that was creating quite a buzz in the media that two childhood stars were competing against one another

a competition that tenma couldn’t lose. he was going to be your favorite actor, not his rival!

jun, like the perfect gentleman everyone described him to be, showed tenma around the PRETTY U set. jun had nothing but good things to say about the crew and vise versa. that only reinforced how tenma was oddly much more quiet than he usually was. luckily, one of the talents of being an actor was improvising, so jun was doing just fine

when they had reached the dressing rooms, jun shot a bright smile at tenma and gestured to the rather large room

“we’ll be sharing a dressing room together, tenma! we’ll be spending a lot of time together!”

tenma suddenly regretted his decision to become chan of PRETTY U. you couldn’t have had a different favorite show?! anything but... this

there were now three main characters for PRETTY U: hoshi, yuri, and chan, creating a love triangle for millions of viewers to watch every week

nakamura jun, leading role, played “hoshi”, the boy-next-door. this is the popular boy at school with the best grades and an even greater reputation amongst everyone. next, uedo ren, one of japan’s rising female actresses of this generation. she is adored as “yuri”, the perfect girl. she is the typical nerd who suddenly transformed into the prettiest girl at school from learning make-up

last (but definitely not least!) is sumeragi tenma, playing “chan”, the bad boy. it was nothing like tenma’s done before, since the character was much less expressive than he was used to. chan is a traditional rebel who is revealed to have a soft side for yuri. but, chan (ironically enough) has a secret history with hoshi, causing tension in this already confusing love triangle

(embarrassingly enough, jun had to explain to tenma the complications and ties between each character. tenma, unfortunately, found it to be extremely helpful)

even with this newfound knowledge of the characters in season 2, tenma couldn’t help but absolutely ruin the first day of rehearsals. even with a decade or so of acting as his experience, one thing kept him from being chan: his lack of chemistry with “yuri”

“cut!” the director called out again for the nth time, sighing as their eyes landed on tenma, who was not enjoying being the center of attention this time, surprisingly

“take 5, kid. once you come back, i expect you to actually go through this scene without messing up your lines.” tenma nodded and exited quickly, feeling flustered from the looks of sympathy directed his way. usually, it was one-and-done. it didn’t take a hundred tries just to do another romantic and cliché scene

tenma exhaled loudly once he felt the fresh air upon his face. without the fear of cameras in his face anymore, tenma ran his hand through his hair with a frustrated kick at the concrete. come on! he was renown child actor sumeragi tenma, why was he so in his head now?

tenma was about to yell into the sky before he heard someone close the door, standing beside him with their usual silence. tenma didn’t even have to look to know it was jun (probably with the most pitiful look ever)

“tenma? are you okay?” jun waited as tenma tried to not say anything he’d regret, shifting his weight on his foot back and forth before relenting, shrugging as if it couldn’t be helped

“i don’t know... i just, i can’t see yuri that way. how am i supposed to flirt with someone i don’t even like?”

jun pondered the thought for a moment, before tilting his head, a boyish smile overtaking his features. tenma unwillingly relaxed; jun finally looked his age

“who do you like then?”

tenma froze, a blush even foundation couldn’t hide blossoming on his cheeks. jun let out a teasing “oooh!” as he nudged tenma with his shoulder, who pushed back with an eye-roll

“i-it’s not like that! don’t be so—ugh!” tenma cut himself off, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding jun’s knowing eyes. damn it, they barely knew each other. why was he getting so comfortable with his enemy?!

“well, whoever you thought of, imagine yuri as them.”

“is that what you do?”

jun shrugged, not giving a clear answer for once. before tenma could ask for more information, their break was over

when tenma returned to the scene, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. when he opened them again, he watched as yuri transformed into the one person he’s been trying to impress this entire time: you

when “you” smiled, tenma couldn’t help but follow along. his first-take after break made the cut for the final product

“you must really like them, tenma~” — “stop!!!”

filiming afterwards became easy, especially when he imagined all his romantic words were directed towards you. he could feel the clamminess of his hands, the rapid beat of his heart, the intense blush across his face, all at the thought of you

(the only time he had to start over was when he accidentally said your name instead of yuri’s)

tenma was sure he’d become your favorite actor now! after all, you were his favorite person

“will you watch the first episode of PRETTY U’s season 2 with me?”

you had never said yes so fast in your entire life. when tenma learned there’d be a cast-viewing of episode 1 after finishing the season, he knew his +1 invite could only go to the biggest fan of the show

throughout filming, you were always the person who got him in trouble when the text tone wasn’t put on silent. you liked spamming tenma with a bunch of supportive and encouraging messages when you were available, meaning tenma always had something to look forward to after each scene

in return, tenma would send a selfie of him with his castmates or the set (or, what he was allowed to show under his contract). yet, despite your constant pleas, there was one co-star he’d never take a photograph with: jun

(“tenma! we’ve worked together for months~ shouldn’t i be called your friend now?” “no—” “huh?! don’t pretend you don’t like me!” “who said i was pretending?” “tenma!”)

at first, tenma was apprehensive about inviting you to an event where jun’s picture-perfect face would be on display everywhere. but, whenever he saw you, the weight of the tickets suddenly felt much heavier in his pocket. he couldn’t deprieve you of such an exclusive event just because of his jealousy (even if he was this close to doing so)

when tenma impulsively asked three days before, it felt worth it when you threw your arms around him (he hugged you back and pretended this meant something to you)

“i love you, ten!”

tenma felt like he was on set again, with yuri’s arms tightly holding onto his heart

“i love you, too.”

even after saying it so many times, tenma meant it even if he didn’t say it to your face every time

you looked like the star of the show

tenma fixed his tie as his blazer suddenly felt too tight. you appeared in your most formal attire, looking like a million bucks as you two sat across each other in the limo

“ten, look at all of this!” you pointed out every little thing of preparing for a professional event. the little glasses of champagne neither of you two could drink sat to the side as the leather seats molded to fit your posture. as the night lights of tokyo blurred by, tenma couldn’t help but think you sparkled more than this diamond of a city

“i can’t wait to go see the first episode! thank you for inviting me.” you bowed your head, as if suddenly overcome with gratefulness. tenma lightly kicked your shoe with his, fondly rolling his eyes as he tried not to smile (mission failed)

“don’t worry about it, who else would i bring? you’re my favorite pe—friend. friend, yeah...” tenma trailed off, suddenly finding something very interesting outside of the window. you only nodded, seemingly more interested in the fact there was enough room to walk around

when tenma caught sight of the infamous red carpet laid out in front of the theatre, he cleared his throat and put on his best face for the cameras. after stepping out of the car with his bodyguards nearby, tenma turned and gave you a genuine smile. not his typical arrogant smirk the news source ate up, but a type of smile only reserved for you

when he held out his hand, the flashing lights behind him seemed like a real celebrity, something you had never considered him to be before. it was like seeing tenma in a new light (both literally and figuratively)

“shall we?” you took his hand and wondered if you could ever have your own j-drama. perhaps, tenma could even be the main lead...

before you could step off to the side, tenma already had his arm wrapped around your waist with his unchanging expression (however, underneath it all, he was internally freaking out. what was he going to do now?!)

“you’re my date, right? walk the red carpet with me.” tenma winked (you swore it sparkled) as he gestured towards the carpet ahead. suddenly, the line seemed much longer

“t-ten... you’ve never brought a date before...” you mumbled, acutely aware of how soon it was to walk down together. tenma’s arm stiffened, but nothing else exposed the revelation as he looked down at you

“you’re my first, then.” and my last, tenma thought to himself. before you could change your mind, it was showtime. tenma put on his movie star face and introduced you to familiar interviewers, smiling away as if you two weren’t panicking on the inside

while you were focusing on the fact you were going to be going viral as tenma’s first “date” to the event, tenma was trying not to blush from how close you were. you felt... right besides him

tenma was a natural in front of an audience waiting for him to make a mistake. he flawlessly answered every question with swaggering confidence, his stride easy and poses photogenic

you did your best to follow his lead but it all ended when tenma took you into the theatre, staring down at you with a bright smile

“we did it! see, told you we’d be just fine.” tenma let out an exhale of relief, glowing with joy from the adrenaline of everything that came with being a superstar. as you looked up into his excited eyes, you saw him lean down before—

“your arm is still around me.”

silence, then a hurried separation as tenma put too many feet between you two. it was suddenly as if you two were strangers. you regretted the words the moment they left your mouth; you didn’t mind at all... why did you say something?!

“um... so, food?” tenma spoke up after an eternity of making excuses. you two quickly moved to the line of movie snacks, using candy and popcorn to substitue the suddenly awkward silence

when tenma ordered all your favorites without even asking, he turned around with the selection only to close his eyes and internalize every single thing he was feeling because there he was, his worst enemy

jun entered from a side door, most likely finishing up helping the crew with set-up (and 30 minutes early as usual) before catching tenma’s iconic bright orange hair, a grin lighting up his face

“tenma! it’s me, jun!” he said, as if they weren’t the two main leads of japan’s most famous drama so far. immediately, your smile matched jun’s as you watched as your favorite actor of all time make his way towards you two

“jun... of course you’d be here.” tenma said through gritted teeth, forcing a pleasant smile even with an armful of junk

“ah, still keeping the bad boy attitude? we’re off set now, you can stop method acting now.” jun joked, bringing his attention to you with a dazzling smile that would absolutely make any fansite’s career

“oh? who is this, a friend of yours?” tenma tried not to sigh so loud when you couldn’t help yourself and burst into a long rant about how amazing jun was. tenma waited until you reached your midpoint and stopped you with a quick nudge, trying not to scream (could jun stop being so... perfect? could you stop being so cute?!)

when tenma introduced you, he stood a little closer as he tried to maintain his jealousy. “they’re my date, by the way.” no one had asked, but tenma was clearly telling anyone who was around you two had gone together

jun’s eyes lit up in recognition as he let out a noise of surprise. “ah~ so this is who you—”

tenma didn’t regret losing his giant popcorn so fast to a co-star who could only be silenced with food. his wallet could afford another one, anyways. his pride on the other hand? could not let you know his acting secret already

“what was jun going to say?” you asked after you two departed for the viewing room. tenma nonchalantly pretended like everything was okay as he guided you to front row

“probably something about the fact you’re the one who always interrupts our scenes.”

“hey! my texts make your day, don’t lie!”

“go sit down and eat already, jeez.”

when it began, your eyes couldn’t leave the screen. it was better than you could have imagined. everything was perfect, it exceeded the standards of even the toughest fans out there. you loved every second of it... except...

tenma was too good at being chan. even with his bright hair, the dark clothes he wore made him appear intimidating, with his sharp eyes and even sharper smirk. chan’s appearance was tough, rough, and mean, everything tenma wasn’t

yet, you still couldn’t help but feel your heart sink when chan was clearly in love with yuri. yuri was one of your favorite characters by far, but she ended up bothering you for the entireity of the episode

especially every time she shared a scene (which were many times) with chan. chan was revealed to be a bad boy with a heart of gold, all with a special soft side for yuri

what was this feeling? were you... no, you couldn’t be! after all, you had never seen tenma that way before, right? yet, every time chan made an exception for yuri, you felt sick to your stomach

was it possible that tenma liked the actress who played yuri? you snuck a glance at tenma, only to see he was looking at you already (he’d never admit it, but he was watching your reactions to see if he made you proud. yet, every time you saw him, you subconsciously frowned)

were you not proud of him? did you not like his performance as chan?

before tenma could ask you, the scene changed into one of chan’s. he was standing outside in the school uniform, his head ducked as he swiped through yuri’s social media. before he could look up, yuri jumped in front of him with a teasing smile

“roar!” she called out, referring to their inside joke earlier in the episode. yuri cutely bounced back with another roar, holding her hands up like paws. chan watched, his typical rock-hard expression breaking to reveal his developing feelings for yuri

later on, chan stopped yuri in the hallway, other students watching as the school’s bad boy and goddess interact

“do that again.” chan demanded to which yuri innocently tilted her head, confused like a little puppy. “do what?” “that... that thing.” when chan roared, tenma sunk into his seat with an embarrassed defense and explanation ready. but, when he looked, you finally cracked a laugh at his little roar

your smile only fell when yuri roared again as a joke, but chan smiled for once. tenma wondered why... he thought you would be so happy to be here with him. maybe, he’d never be better than jun...

when the episode ended, it took a moment before you stood up and clapped. tenma followed along, but all he could think about was how he let you down. not only as chan, but as your boy, too

when you two left the room, you two hung back to watch as everyone congratulated one another on the success of the production. in the midst of the cheer and celebration, tenma felt small as he watched your blank expression

what did he do wrong? he put his best efforts into every scene; he might even say it was his best work yet. before he could apologize, you did the unthinkable: you roared

you jumped up into his face, holding your hands up like yuri did. when yuri did it, tenma didn’t feel a thing. but, when you did, tenma felt it. the butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he stared at you, frozen in place

“this is the part where you ask me to do it again.” you shyly trailed off, about to put your hands down before tenma weakly put his hands up, knowing he was about to regret his next move (if the embarrassment didn’t kill him, he didn’t know what would)

“roar!”

that was too loud, wasn’t it? the room suddenly went a lot more quiet as they turned their attention towards a teen actor roaring at his date

“yah! why didn’t you ask me the next line?”

“b-because... i know i like you even without you doing, that, again.”

you paused, taken back by his honesty. as tenma contemplated just falling onto the floor right then and there, you suddenly hardened your expression, standing up straighter with your arms crossed

“do that again.”

“do what?”

“that thing.”

when tenma roared again, much quieter this time, you nodded as you finally smiled genuinely for the first time ever since that episode started

“good, i know how chan feels now. i like you, too.”

“does that mean i’m your favorite actor now?”

(when jun released a video of tenma roaring online, he captioned it with “ROAR = ILY!!!” tenma realized maybe he wasn’t all that bad, but still)

[cnugallery]

B1A4 CNU to appear in tvN drama project 'Find the 1st Prize'

B1A4 CNU transforms into a new civil servant in 'Find the 1st Prize Winner'. According to his agency WM Entertainment, CNU will appear in the acting work 'Find the 1st Prize' of the tvN drama project 'O'PENing', which will be broadcast on June 17th (produced by Choi Si-eun/directed by Park Hong-soo). The one-act drama 'Find the 1st Prize' is a comedy in which a man who is self-isolated due to COVID-19 finds out that he won 1st place in the lottery with less than a day left until the deadline for payment, and runs away to catch the greatest luck of his life. CNU plays the role of 'Kim Hyun-woo', a new public official at the ward office, who passed after five years of long exam life. Although the joy of passing was short-lived, he was assigned to a screening clinic due to COVID-19, and he lost his vitality and kindness while working overtime, but he is a person with a strong sense of responsibility. In particular, it stimulates curiosity by saying that Jae-hoon (Kim Do-yoon), a self-quarantine managed by Hyun-woo, escapes and faces a crisis in public life. As it is a character that fully captures the sorrows of office workers, expectations are high for CNU's passionate performance, which will arouse the sympathy of viewers. Previously, CNU challenged his first drama with the SBS drama 'Miss Ma: Goddess of Vengeance' and received favorable reviews for his fresh charm and stable acting skills. In addition, he played an active role in his first musical comeback, 'Gwangju,' after being discharged from the military last year, and imprinted his presence through various works such as 'Chess', 'The Three Musketeers' and 'Hamlet'. Meanwhile, 'Find the 1st Prize', the third work of the tvN drama project 'O'PENing' starring CNU, will be broadcast at 12:10 pm on the 17th.

[source | apologies for translation inaccuracies] 

[thesuitelife547]

CNU “My songs match B1A4 completely…I can’t imagine anyone else singing them” [ARTICLE TRANS]

Here’s the translation to the recent interview that CNU did. You can definitely tell that they thought long and hard about what direction they want B1A4 to go in as a “new group” and you can also kind of see how he’s very sort of future facing in regard to the group. But, I hope you enjoy reading!

- Marisa

Part 1

Part 2

[t/n: I combined the two parts of the interview since the intros are the same for both parts]

The third person for this [I-Mind] is CNU (30, real name Shin Dongwoo) of boy group B1A4. CNU is the eldest and is in charge of vocals and dance in the 11-year group, B1A4. Additionally, he directs and makes music within the group as a ‘Composition Idol.’

 CNU started by writing lyrics for the title song of B1A4’s second mini album ‘Beautiful Target’ and then composed the ending track ‘Seoul’ on their second full length album ‘Who Am I.’ Since then, he’s made songs in various genres and has showcased a broad spectrum of music from the emotional ‘Drive,’ ‘Call Me’ that has a trendy beat, and even the intense ‘Nightmare.’

 CNU, who has been recognized for his composing ability, earnestly participated in the production of B1A4’s fourth full studio album ‘Origine’ that was released in October of last year. About the album CNU said, “I think that this album will influence the next 10 or 20 years and we tried to do music that utilized our strengths.” As a result, CNU’s name was listed in the credits of 8 of the 12 songs on the fourth full length album including the title song ‘Like A Movie.’ Thanks to that, the group’s identity was able to be in the song and even their musical maturity could be higher.

 What will the future musical direction of B1A4 be? CNU has said that he wanted B1A4 to not be confined within a mold in regard to music and that even if they receive negative comments, he wants to do various things sincerely saying that he wants to create “music that listeners can look forward to.” He was also determined when he said, “I will work harder with the sense of duty that even with music, it’s not just to let the public know but also so that it can be recorded on one page of K-Pop.”

 News1 met with CNU, a ‘Composition Idol’ that is full of musical greed.

It’s nice to meet you. Please introduce yourself. I’m also curious about your recent situation

I’m CNU, the eldest in B1A4 and I’m also in charge of the mother role. We made a comeback two months after I was discharged in August and we also had a concert in December. (Smile) I’m glad that we were able to do that as soon as I was discharged because it was my goal to release an album.

 If you were to introduce a representative song of B1A4 as a Composition Idol?

I think it would be ‘Like A Movie,’ which is the title song of our fourth full length album that we released last October. It’s the title track of an album that we released after such a long time and I’m fond of it because it seems to fit with our situation.

 I’m curious about your style of working

I tend to worry a lot when I wrote about songs so it’s a kind of progressive and aggressive style. It’s hard but it’s also fun to make songs.

How did you first start composing?

I believed that there were a lot of things boiling inside of me and at first, the way to express those things was through song and dance. Then while completely working on the stage, I gradually had the desire to write songs so I tried to write lyrics. The first time I wrote lyrics was for the title song ‘Beautiful Target’ on our second mini album. I wrote the chorus and my part for the song. That then became my momentum and I thought that I wanted to continue writing songs. So by the second or third year, I bought equipment with my own money and started composing.

 What was the first song you worked hard on?

That would be the song ‘Seoul’ that appeared as the last track on our second full length album ‘Who Am I.’ At that time I didn’t think like “I have to write a song!” It was a song that I was able to comfortably write without any expectations. It’s a side track that I wrote while thinking “Should I try to make one?” It’s a song that contains what I felt after coming to Seoul. Because all of the members are from the countryside, the city of Seoul has a different meaning to us. [t/n: in case anyone might not know, the countryside in this context is just referring to anyone that’s not from Seoul] The song details my honest feelings about how I felt when I came to Seoul to become a trainee and anyone that has lived in a foreign country will agree. It’s a place where I met my members when I had no one else to lean on and it’s a place where I was able to meet the fans after I debuted. It holds the message that in this cold city I only have the members and fans to lean on.

 Since you didn’t specialize in it, you must’ve struggled and had difficulties while working

[t/n: specialize as in I’m assuming be formally trained in composing]

In the beginning it was really frustrating but I fortunately have a lot of good people around me. Artist Jooyoung is my good friend from my hometown. When I was making ‘Seoul,’ I asked him a lot of questions about music. At that time he told me about what kind of equipment I should buy and he taught me a lot about how to do the beats. I learned while doing that. Jooyoung and I were in a band club together in high school and the two of us promised to do a collaboration if we both succeeded in Seoul. (Smile) Later, I worked together with Jooyoung and his close friend Gureum to create ‘Drunk on Music’ and ‘Drive’ amongst others.

You must’ve been really proud when your own self-made compositions were included in B1A4 albums

I really was. It was a time when I was into mannerisms. I had doubts about myself as a member of B1A4 wondering, “Am I doing well?” Although I was working hard since our debut, I wanted to be of more help to the team. I then did some composing and created some results. Thankfully the reactions of the members and the company was good and it was able to be put on an album. I really liked it back then.

 Did you want to formally study composing afterwards?

Personally, I don’t think that the concept of learning art is established. Rather than studying about it, I think that you should share and empathize. It’s about a person who has experienced many things letting the one who hasn’t know the way. I have seen how a lot of composers have written their songs, but eventually I did what it was that I wanted to do. Their way isn’t mine. You can receive some sort of influence, but you have to create the result in your own style. When people listen to the songs that I’ve written so far, they say “This is CNU’s style.” I tried to make my own path very clear.

When listening to the songs you made such as ‘Seoul,’ ‘Drive,’ ‘Nightmare,’ and ‘Sparkling,’ the genres and colors are all different. I can feel that you have a desire to create a variety of music

I didn’t intentionally attempt multiple genres, but I just made the music that I like and it could have been felt as being varied. Personally, ‘Nightmare,’ that was on our third full length album ‘Good Timing’ was a challenge for me as well. Who would’ve thought that B1A4 would do music that had a reggae beat? It was a style that I definitely wanted to try at least once and thankfully everyone liked it after I made it. I do have a greed and desire to broaden the spectrum with a variety of music.

What would you say is the biggest feature or differentiated color of music that you’ve made?

That it seems like music that has been specially made for B1A4. That’s also the part that I consider the most important when writing a song. I always worry about how I should incorporate the member’s voices into a song. I can’t imagine other people singing it because it completely matches with our tone. That’s why I don’t even think about giving songs to others.

Up until now you’ve only participated in the side tracks, but starting from your fourth full length album ‘Origine,’ you’ve become more proactive in creating songs. You participated in 8 of the songs and even made the title song therefore I’m curious about the process

It’s an album that took 3 years, from before I went to the army until it got released. The original goal was to announce it before my enlistment, but it took a long time because I went earlier than expected. I prepared the album all the way until I went to the army. I thought about it every day. When I was on vacation I wrote songs in the studio with a friend named Wooram and then I’d return and when I was on vacation again, I’d record. That’s the way I worked on it. I even asked the members to write songs and participate in creating the album. Personally, it was important because I thought about the album as something that will influence the next 10, 20 years of B1A4 so I thought about the direction. After thinking about it, we tried various things by using our strength as an ever-changing group. Even while feeling the weight of the year, we made a lot of effort for different music that will be further anticipated in the future. [t/n: I’m pretty sure the year that they’re talking about is the year that they became 3]

 In the process of creating the album, was there no difference in opinion from Sandeul or Gongchan?

It matched well with the members. Although there were times when our opinions were slightly different, our desired directions and flows were the same. And because the company also agreed with our opinions, we were able to work while receiving more strength.

Out of the many songs, is there a reason why the title should have been ‘Like A Movie?’

Since it had been a while, I thought about songs that had our existing color and ones that had a different color and I felt like ‘Like A Movie’ seemed like the best in terms of B1A4’s new direction. Honestly, ‘Like A Movie’ is a dynamically composed song that has a melody line and no rap. Not having a rap is a big change in regard to idol music. Because we can’t help but think about that year, there is a sense of that weight but since we wanted to express B1A4’s unique charm, we made a new attempt. I don’t have any regrets because we gave forth all of our efforts. (Smile)

 What is the most memorable compliment you have ever received for your songs?

In my final months of the military, I completed ‘Like A Movie’ and played it for the members. After I had come back, I had asked the president, executives, and successors to take a listen to it. When the song was over, all of them said that it was awesome. The successors may not be very objective (Smile) but I still can’t forget that expression. And I asked for a professional evaluation from the military band and was proud when they said that the rhythm and melody line was good. Even the boss praised me saying that it was really good and I gained strength from that.

What would be the song that became a turning point for Composition Idol CNU?

It would be the fan song ‘A Day of Love’ that I made before I enlisted. It contains the message that I want to convey to the fans without being convoluted. Just like how BANA always think about B1A4, we also expressed our feelings of always thinking about the fans when we’re eating, when the wind blows, and in every moment of our daily lives. It’s a song that was made with honesty.

 Out of all of the songs you’ve worked on, what is the song that you like the most?

The song that I’m most fond of always changes but right now it’s one of Sandeul’s solo songs, ‘Oblique Line.’ It’s a song that contains the feelings that I had during various changes. I had written it before joining the military and I had given it to him because when he listened to it, he said he really liked it and wanted it.

With the fourth full length album you decided to do music that was different from the usual music B1A4 released thus far. What kind of songs do you want to do in the future?

I hope that B1A4 is a group that doesn’t become confined to a mold. It’s my goal to make music that is unpredictable and causes future anticipation of “What kind of songs will they release?” I want to try an unlimited amount of various things and even if there is a negative reaction and we get scolded [t/n: scolded from the public], I have a big desire to try just that.

 Do you have an artist that you wish to collaborate with?

There is an artist that I really wanted to collaborate with, but we collaborated on our fourth full length album. That would be Bibi who participated in my solo song ‘Zero Gravity.’ When I was in the military, I listened to their music and wanted to work with them so I asked for her to feature in my solo song and thankfully that worked out. When we went to record, I’m very thankful that Tiger JK-sunbae and Biji-sunbae gave all sorts of advice and I fell for both of them. Besides for BiBi, if there’s an opportunity, I’d like to collaborate with my role model, Taeyang-sunbae.

There’s not many Composition Idols in today’s idols. Is there someone’s songs that you want to compliment?

It would be ONF’s MK. When MK makes a song, he works really hard on it. Before, when ONF received a vacation, MK didn’t go and rest, but he stayed at the company to work. When I saw that, I felt his passion.

 Please express your determination for future activities as a singer and composer

When I first said that I wanted to become a singer it was because I was simply thought that singing and dancing on stage was fascinating and cool therefore I set my mind on only becoming that. However, if you now ask me about what energizes me to make music, the answer would be BANA. Because the fans are there, I’m motivated and receive strength when I’m working or try to make music. I’m very thankful for that. I also try to be careful as I think that the activities that we do can have an affect on many people. I will work harder with the sense of duty that even with music, it’s not just to let the public know but also so that it can be recorded on one page of K-Pop.

[chaoticcassidy]

[BABA B1A4 4] Ep.40 'Documentary Live - Directed by B1A4' Behind