#future-idol-asia

[mjohnso]

Quarterly Debut Review: Q1 2024

Quarterly Debut Reviews are a supplementary series to my biannual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which are published quarterly. Each installment covers three rookie groups that debuted over the past three months. For the fifth installment, I covered ALL(H)OURS (January), YDS (February), and Heimish (March).

As always, a full list of rookie groups that have debuted thus far in 2024 is available here: 2024 Rookie Groups Debuts

January / ALL(H)OURS Debut: January 10, 2024 Debut Song: “GOTCHA”

Although I have been tracking rookie groups for over a decade, I am no soothsayer. I cannot predict with any accuracy the number of new groups that will debut in 2024 or if more groups will disband this year than last year. Nor can I tell if the recent reversal of a multi-year decline in the number of boy groups I covered in Periodic Rookie Groups Report No. 22 is permanent or a temporary deviation. At best, what the numbers tell me is. 2024 is not off to a bad start, especially regarding boy groups. The four boy groups that debuted this year in January mirrors the previous year's total. While this may not crack 2019’s record of nine boy groups in January, it is better than 2018's where boy groups' poor performance was foreshadowed by a single debut at the start of the year.

No matter how this year shakes out for boy groups, it cannot be said that boy groups did not try like ALL(H)OURS who was one of the four boy groups to debut. Their name externalizes their ambition signaling, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, their intention to “pour everything it has at all times.” Their debut song doubles down on this message with the chorus, punctuated by a deep bass sound, emphasizing their laser focus on their goal.

Of course, it takes more than focus and hard work for idols to achieve their dreams—or stardom —in the industry. Those are only parts of an equation with multiple variables, many of which idols have no control over, including their image, musical director, or whether a group gets to come back and try again or build on the momentum. But at least ALL(H)OURS are committed to doing what they can do and working with what they have control over.

February / YDS (YeoDongSaeng) Debut: February 21, 2024 Debut Song: “A Fluttering Love”

YDS’s debut single “A Fluttering Love” can claim more so-called ‘firsts’ than your average debut single. The song is the group’s first release under a proper label, as well as, their official debut and first single. Contrarily, it is also the first song in the industry's history to qualify as both a debut and a comeback single, a fact that the marketing has not hidden but highlighted. On a teaser image released to promote the song’s release, above the two members seated back-to-back on a white table, it reads “YDS 7TH DIGITAL SINGLE ALBUM.”

This discrepancy in qualification is a byproduct of YDS’ unorthodox career trajectory. The duo began their career uploading covers of k-pop songs to their YouTube channel, before pivoting to producing their original songs in 2022. They released six singles and built up a small following before according to their December 2023 Instagram post, signing with HO Entertainment. Then as established above, in February they released their seventh single that doubled as their major label debut. In other words, unlike most k-pop groups who debut after being assembled through the industry’s traditional top-down method, YDS debuted in reverse.

While there are tradeoffs for both YDS and HO Entertainment for bypassing this usual path, I see the appeal. For HO Entertainment, in particular, it is a cost-saving measure. A group with a pre-determined lineup eliminates the need to recruit and train future members of a group, a process so expensive that according to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)’s 2023 Pop Culture & Arts Industry Survey, most agencies do not even maintain a pool of trainees. They also come with a pre-defined image and sound, which although certainly adjustable, HO Entertainment has left unchanged. Indeed “A Fluttering Love”, features their signature sweet acoustic sound and lyrics about a love confession. This is consistent with their previous releases, only this time it comes with a name attached to it and an accompanying promotional rollout, typical of your average group.

March / Heimish Debut: March 15, 2024 Debut Song: “Golden Hour”

So far, this year has gone according to Rainbow E&M’s plan. That plan, laid out across their 2023 year-end Instagram posts, indicated that they aimed to debut one group per month – a feat they have pulled off. Three months into 2024, they debuted at least one group under the Future Idol Asia banner every month: Flora in January, Bluebell in February, and now Heimish and Pearlys in March.

Practically speaking, these are all new groups in the sense that Future Idol Asia has never debuted a group under these names or with these lineups. Of the four groups that debuted, Flora and Heimish’s lineups are partly a patchwork of members from prior Future Idol Asia groups. In the case of Flora, of the group’s six members, four previously debuted under Redplum and Closer, respectively. As for Heimish, their group is comprised of one new member, two members of Blossom, and one member of Winsome. This is a byproduct of the nature of the project. As I have written before Future Idol Asia groups are not intended to be permanent homes for aspiring idols but a temporary waypoint on their journey. Ideally, a member who debuts as part of a Future Idol Asia group would catch the attention of an entertainment agency scout at a showcase who invites them for further auditioning before inviting them to join their agency. In reality, though not every member gets picked. For example, in the case of Closer, two of whose members re-debuted this year as part of Flora, only one of the ten members in the group was chosen for additional auditions with other agencies.

This poses a conundrum for the Future Idol Asia project, as they are left with groups with gaps in their lineup, although groups like Flora and Heimish point to their solution. Since last year they have been repackaging members from their previous groups into these new groups. That allows the project to pad its numbers, giving the illusion that the project has more recruits than it actually does, especially if recruitment does not meet expectations. More importantly, it also gives those not picked the first time another chance. With a new group, concept, song, choreography, and opportunity to perform at the showcase this time might be the charm.

[underrated-ggs]

Underrated bop of the day is “PARTY” by Fresh!

[jjuwuni]

caught in his web ; choi yeonjun ch. 1 | SWEET DREAMS

pairings — yeonjun x afab reader

genre — smut (lots of it so minors dni please), fluff, angst, college!au, friends to lovers, drama

word count (for this chapter) — ~2.3k

summary —  You thought you’d be immune to Choi Yeonjun's charms, turns out you were completely, utterly, shamefully wrong. 

And what’s worse? He’s your new best friend's boyfriend.

Wanna hear something even worse than that? His dad and your mom are dating.

MOA University: An educational institution created for the 1%. The elite of the elites. Those who are to inherit large multinational companies, take oath in office, and represent Korea's future in business and politics. This is where it begins.

warnings — almost-stepbro!yeonjun but not really since your parents are in the early stages of dating, kinda slow burn yes, black haired!yeonjun, bad boy yeonjun, all of you are trust fund babies, all the tubatu's make a cameo and are in the same friend group, might reference some other 4th gen idols, alcohol, drinking, drunken mishaps, lots of sex, profanity - lots of it, yeonjun is a menace but he's so cute wtf i'm screaming, jealousy, making out etc. minors dni istg! i'm watching y'all..

A/N: hello! bela here! my apologies for dipping after posting the preview. here is the official first chapter! hope you guys like it. i'll try to update more frequently. 🙏 comments and reblogs are very much appreciated xoxo also please do let me know if you'd like to be tagged for the next parts!

MASTERLIST: [ preview ] | [ 1 ] | [ 2 ] | [ 3 ]

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

“O-oh..” You clear your throat after telling yourself to get it together about a million times. Opening your mouth after what seemed like an eternity, “I uh.. Uncle Minjun? It’s nice to meet you. I’m y/n.” You offer your hand out to the man who was undeniably a splitting image of Yeonjun - just older.

He was dashing and had an air of charisma around him. One would know that being in the real estate business, you need to have some type of charm after all, so you're not too surprised that he owns the biggest housing and commercial property business in Asia. He seemed like the type to be able to sway you easily into buying things without much hesitation. 

Also explains why your mom fell for him.

“y/n.. Very nice to meet you finally. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from your mother, you seem like a very smart lady. And as expected - beautiful too. Surely you have a lot of suitors by now, eh?” He says in a playful manner, as you finally take a seat to join them, right across from Yeonjun. 

“Oh, trust me, dad. Soobinnie's all over her.” The male across from you nonchalantly points out, making you cough right as you scoop the clear soup into your mouth. 

“Oh? CEO Dongwon's son? Well sounds like he’s a decent man.” Your mother for sure wouldn't pass off the chance to give her two cents, “Why didn’t you tell me this, sweetie? You should invite Soobin here sometime.” She lets out a giddy laugh as you grimace into your soup.

"Well, we’re not an item, Mom. And you know I want to focus on my studies first…” 

“It’s rare you hear that nowadays eh? I wish my son would see education the same way as you y/n. Maybe you should teach him a thing or two, huh?” Minjun replies, sipping from his scotch glass and giving Yeonjun a look to which the younger male replies with a sarcastic scowl. 

“I’m sure Chaewon’s got that covered.” You take the opportunity to tease back, it was your way of repaying him for bringing Soobin up. “They’re a really cute couple.” You smile the sweetest one you can muster and look over at his dad who seems to suddenly be interested at the mere mention of a girl. 

“Well, if you’re serious about dating her, son, stop bringing random girls home. You know the guards see you when you do that, right? It's quite distasteful really.” 

Your eyes widen upon learning this little piece of information, he was still bringing girls home, even though he’s dating my friend?  You think to yourself. You could feel Yeonjun’s glare directed at you from across the table, but ultimately decide to avoid it and just eat. 

“I-I’ll go get the dessert.” You shoot up from your seat not too long after, wanting to do anything to get you out of that semi-awkward situation. 

“I’ll help you y/n!” Yeonjun chimes in, walking behind you and following you into the kitchen- giving you no other choice. 

“Ahjumma, can you please take out the cream cake my mom bought this morning? I’ll cut it myself.” You say in a polite tone and a smile to match, watching the older lady walk out back to the refrigerators to go grab it. 

You let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back against the expensive Italian marble countertop. “Not even an hour with you and I’m already tired.” You glare at the male.

It’s true, there’s a reason why you never got along with him, as he was always picking on you. But it was more of a welcomed gesture for you because even though it was annoying, you were just glad you are not a part of the population of MOA-U girls who have fallen victim and succumbed to his charms. 

“Well, you do know what this means… right y/n?” Yeonjun asks, almost in a teasing tone from what you can pick up.

Soon, his hands lay flat over the countertop, on each side of your hip - effectively trapping you in. 

You swallow hard, you’ve never been this close to him before. 

Chaewon always had somewhat of a fence around him in school, which is why we’ve never been face-to-face like this. You find yourself taking note of his prominent features- from his black locks, which complimented his hazel eyes, his strong jawline, his raised nose bridge, and even that cute, boyish smile. 

“H-huh?” Great, what was that part about being immune to his charms again? 

“We’re going to be siblings," He says, arms wrapping around your waist, "..so you’ll see more of me around, most likely.” His smile stretches out even more, and it was like he enjoyed that you were flustered by the mischievous glint in his eyes.

Like a shark being able to smell fear from a few feet away. 

"You're... You weirdo." Was all you were able to say, and it took all of your might to push him off of you, and right on time too, as the help finally came back with the cake to save the day. 

You leave the kitchen as fast as you could, and even as you briskly walked away, you could feel Yeonjun smirking behind you.

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

"I don't know how I feel about it, honestly." You say as you plop down on one of the couches in Chaewon's living room after school that day. 

"My best friend and my boyfriend becoming step-siblings? Who would have thought..." Chaewon says with a smile, though you couldn't tell if it was a sarcastic smile or one that was of genuine nature. 

"I know my mom's been a notorious magnet for rich dudes but I never thought she would end up in the arms of Choi Minjun, tsk. This is driving me nuts." You whine out, pulling at your hair and punching the throw pillow repeatedly.

"You do know there's some business strategy side to this, right unnie?" Minjeong suddenly speaks up. The youngest in your group rarely opened her mouth, which is why all four of you were all ears whenever she decides to give her input on things. 

"How so?" You ask, trying to make sense of the situation and guessing where she was going with this statement.

"Mm well... Yeonjun oppa's dad owns a lot of properties, and you guys own a lot of department stores.. So if your companies merge... Then, your mom can expand to more places and oppa's dad will acquire more patrons because of the brand - since your mom does have an insane amount of fans. It will be the merger that everyone in Korea will be talking about." 

"Wow.. I never really thought of it that way." You say in a hushed tone, trying to put the pieces together. 

"At this rate you'll be richer than all three of us combined. With the exception of Chaewon, of course." Yeji says in a joking manner, her statement causing Chaewon to flip her hair over her shoulder. 

You laugh it off, "Ah, well- that's.. that's really not my concern now. All I know is that my mother needs to get her life together.." 

"Well look at the bright side y/n, at least you get to look after my baby for me," Chaewon interjects, putting her hand over her chest. "You know, you can report to me and tell me if there are girls who try to flirt with him and all that. You’re basically going to be his younger sister anyways." She points out, nodding her head a few times. 

You stay silent, suddenly remembering that one little fact that his dad gave away at dinner.

He was still bringing random girls home at this point. 

There was an inner battle in you suddenly - should I say something? Or should I keep it under wraps since their relationship isn’t my business anyway? Something prompts you to go for the latter, not open your mouth and just nod.

You'd rather not be caught in the middle of the drama.

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

As expected, there was another party that night at Chaewon’s house.

There were indeed perks to being inheritors to future companies: your parents were more often than not, too busy to take note of anyone's whereabouts. Which is why you have the luxury to party whenever you wanted.

Surprisingly, you were actually in the mood to party then. As you’ve managed to down a few shots of soju as well as soju bombs with Yeji.  

And not surprisingly, Chaewon was all over Yeonjun that night.

You could feel him staring at you from time to time though. Nevertheless, you don't think much of it- as you’ve always made it a point not to.

He's probably waiting for me to f*ck up or something so he can tattletale on me to my mom next time we have a ‘family’ meal. 

“How’s my favorite girl?” Soobin’s voice made its presence known as he wraps his arm around your neck and pulls you into a hug. Your arms instinctively wrap around his torso, and you stay that way for a few minutes. 

“Ah- y/n! Before I forget! Remember how you were looking for that limited edition version of that manga we both loved?!” He asks as you pull away from the hug. You, of course, nod quickly.

The two of you have a lot of similarities, and your love for mangas and graphic novels was one of them. 

In a swift motion, he then pulls out something from his bag. And lo and behold, in its pristine condition, was the same novel you've been searching high and low for. 

“WHAT! NO WAY!!!” You shout over the music, enough to draw attention from the people around you. You envelop him in another excited hug out of gratitude. “I can’t believe you found it?! How did you do it? I had my mom’s assistant look all over for it. Even my grandparents’ staff were searching for it.” 

“Ah well, I have my connections. You’re not the only one, y/n.” Soobin winks as soon as you pull away to take the manga and read through the back cover. 

The rest of the night was spent with Soobin and a few more soju bottles. And by the end of the night, you were feeling the ugly effects of alcohol. 

Cuddled up with him on one side of the couch, with the two of you talking about all the animes you’ve watched the past week. It was pretty fun to have someone with whom you could nerd out, especially in a group of socialites such as the one you both have. 

“Ah, you’re remarkable. I can’t believe you like the same things I do.” He said, pinching your nose which causes you to scrunch it upwards. 

“y/n...?” He suddenly grows quiet after a few moments of just staring at each other. 

“H-huh?” You ask, your forehead creasing in curiosity. Unfortunately, right on time, your vision starts to blur, and the dimmed-out lights in the living room turned party area wasn’t helping. “W-what is it?” 

“C-can I k-kiss-- Y-yah.. y/n?! Hey! You ok?!”

That was pretty much the last thing you hear before passing out. 

And that was it, your dear old friend alcohol got the better of you, knocking you out on his lap. 

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

“Yeonjun, I don’t understand, you know I can bring her home safely.” 

Was I dreaming? 

“I know, but I promised her mom I’d take care of her, and that’s what I’ll do so hand her over.” His voice didn’t falter, standing firm to the promise he made to your mom.

W-wait.. I can’t see anything.. I can’t open my eyes. I’m still dizzy,  I can only hear faintly.. Ah, what is happening to me?!.. 

“Pff, alright, fine Jjunie.. But you better not try any funny business.” 

You could feel another pair of strong arms underneath you, cradling you as you shifted. The air is crisp and cold as it brushes through your legs. You were outside.

“Babe! Where are you going?! You can let Soobin handle her and the party’s not over yet.” 

That was Chaewon’s voice..

“I have to go Chae, I’ll bring her home first and make sure she’s settled. I’ll see you tomorrow in school hmm?” 

————-　★　-———— . ————-　★　-————

You wake up to music, a hummed lullaby of sorts. It was soothing and pleasant to hear. You can feel the soft mattress under your tired body. With how familiar it all felt, you could tell you were in your bed.

Apart from that, you can feel someone stroking your hair. 

Your eyelids felt so heavy as you open them, curious to see who it was. But you could barely see, vision still blurry no thanks to the after-effects of alcohol.

Add that, and the fact that it was rather pitch dark around your room- signaling that all the lights were off.

Someone was in your room, that you knew. Because you can hear him and his melodic humming, and whoever it was- he was unmistakably sitting at the edge of your bed next to you. 

“O-ow..” You croak out, feeling the throbbing in your head.  Pressing the palm of your hand against your forehead almost immediately, the melodic, soft voice cuts as you note the mattress' weight shift when the person beside you leans in to check on you.

“y/n, don't get up, just get some rest…” That voice, you know who it belongs to, but it took you a while to process it. 

Yeonjun’s voice? 

Even though you wanted so badly to keep your eyes open and verify if your guess was correct, you've had way too much to drink to keep up.

You couldn’t believe it though. How can someone so rugged and nonchalant about things have such a sweet voice? Plus, the mere idea that he’s here to make sure you're okay- that definitely does not seem like something he’d do. 

Or have you had a skewed vision of him this whole time?

Soon after, You feel his lips against your forehead. His soft buds leave a small peck and a tingling sensation on your skin, and you swore your cheeks felt a lot more heated than it was before.

At that point, you weren't sure if it was all a dream. You feel your stomach churn. Was it butterflies? Nah, it must be the soju. You tell yourself.

“Sweet dreams, y/n.” And with that, you drift off into dreamland.

[sharksupermacy]

k. (pt2.)

k. (pt2.) - jihyo x idol! reader

synopsis: part 2 of k.

genre: angst?, communications actually????, yes ik your response would never fly in asia, mentions of soojin (DO NOT THROW HATE ON HER), swearing, 1.1k words pt1. pt.3

the reason was simple. you had gotten a good enough score on your CSAT to be able to go to any university you desired. So you had set your heart on attending Seoul National University for a M.D. of psychiatry. Maybe it was your desire to know why jihyo had made the decision to break up with you without your approval, or maybe you just wanted to find another way to make people smile. whatever the case, you still got accepted to SNU program in psychiatry.

psychiatry was fun aside from the endless nights of studying, writing papers, and consuming energy drinks. it was still your first year when you started selling some of your songs to JYP for money and when cube entertainment reached out to you.

the email that changed your future again read as follows:

dear y/l/n y/n,

we hope this email finds you well. we were wondering if you were willing to participate in our new upcoming girl group project. although we cannot tell you the names of other members at this time, we can confirm that this will be a seven-member girl group. we heard wonderful things about you from other trainees and entertainment, and we would love to have you on board this project. If you wish to know further details about this group, please come in soon, as this is a limited-time offer.

futher thanks,

cube entertainment staff

you had a dilemma. as much as you wanted to live a normal life as a psychiatrist helping people, something inside you was yearning to take this opportunity to debut. after all, it was what you had trained for over 4 years at JYP for. two hours later, you had reached your final decision. taking up your laptop, you typed out a simple response to the cube team, forever changing the future you had laid out for yourself.

when is the closest available appointment

sincerely,

y/l/n y/n

sent.

time skip (abt a year)

you weren't going to lie that the past years had been brutual being put through evaluation after evaluation, but hey. you had six awesome girls to rely on, and better yet, you had a name to call all of yourselves. (G)I-dle. man, what a name soyeon came up with, and better yet it fit all seven of you very well. it was worth every ache to just debut with this group... i wonder if this is what jihyo felt when she made her debut. you and soyeon even made a song together that ended up on the album, which was kinda cool. 

as soon as you knew it MAMA's rolled around, and you knew that your group excitement couldn't be contained when your arms started hurting from being smacked on the arm so many times by yuqi who was beside you when the news came. as the leader and soojin tried to calm the two youngers down, you were with minnie, and miyeon where a question that threw you off so much was asked innocently by miyeon, "do you think twice will be there?" 

she looked at you, knowing that you were a JYP entertainment trainee who probably knew the most, if twice were going to be there. after all, you guys must have been friends. you responded, scratching the back of your neck a little, and tried to say in a nonchalant way "i'm not sure, but they probably will be there since it's MAMA's."

the older nodded and went back on her phone; however, minnie looked at you for a second, taking note of your unusual response to miyeon. then going back onto her phone, you, on the other hand, were sweating buckets, thinking of maybe seeing your ex at the award show. you still haven't unblocked her number, or any of twice for that matter... but then the thought hit you. 

you haven't unblocked any of twice yet... maybe you should unblock one. you felt bad for dragging all of your and her friends into the messy part of your relationship. debating between the latter, you ended up unblocking one person, mina. you weren't exactly close with her, but you saw the text kept ringing one by one. 216 messages. 125 missed calls. HOLY FUCK- you thought. you didn't even talk to the girl that much, and the last one was on your debut date, May 2 2018.

peguin minguin: happy debut date! hope you're will do well!!! i'm cheering you on!! fighting!!

you bit your lip, trying to hold back your tears from reading the message, before excusing yourself to the bathroom. typing the response to mina. 

traingle goof: thanks mina! I hope your yes and yes promotions are going well!!! i'll be cheering from the sidelines for you!! fighting!!!

returning back to your room after sending that message, trying to help soyeon and soojin calm the youngers down.

mina pov: 

it was another tireless day of promotion, and with our schedule being so packed by JYP, i was ready to just straight out pass out on to the bed.  a thought passed by me to check my phone just in case anything important happened or someone texted me. while scrolling through the notifications quickly, something caught my eye, traingle goof , no way. i screamed causing jeongyeon and nayeon to run quickly to me. jeongyeon gave me the good look up and down and nayeon well she was tired and asking what i was screaming about. i showed them the text. "no fucking way," nayeon says while being hit by jeonyeon who didn't see. 

however, the face on jeongyeon face when she saw the message was priceless; her jaw dropped wide open. she grumbled out a reply, "i don't understand why she would contact you out of all people. she wasn't really that close to you."

i understood her logic for thinking that way, and sure, we weren't really close, but we still understood each other. hell, they were closer than i ever was. i walked over to sana, who seemed to have almost just slept, until i shook her a bit and showed her the messages. she shot up almost immediately, asking me in japanese if the message i showed her was fake. she started texting y/n again, asking if she had unblocked her again. no response. then she turned back to me, asking if i could text her. so i typed out a simple response to y/n

penguin menguin: thank you! are you and your group going to MAMA this year? maybe the j-line and 2yeon could meet up with you guys!

a response was sent. now all she had to do was wait. little does she know that a figure saw a flash of mina screen when walking by.

a/n ok why is this actually like taking more than 2 parts than i thought it would be i promise it will be 3 chapters manifesting it will be. anyways yea MISAMO STREAM IK THEY'RE PROMTIONS PERIOD IS OVER BUT LIKE PLS THIER ALBUM IS LITTERALLY SO PERFECT

[reivrze]

RE ' WIND | open collab.

take a trip down memory lane with me ?

記憶力 – 💿 ᵎᵎ hello everyone !! first of all, i'd like to thank all 1k+ of you who have followed my blogs. it's an immense pleasure to be able to share my writing journey with each and everyone of you :) it's been a very short time since i started this blog and i'm incredibly surprised by how fast this blog grew, it's all thanks to all of you seriously. this collaboration is a way for me to thank all of those who have stayed around my page for the past two months and to celebrate this milestone !!

車線 . 🎐 . › re'wind is fic collaboration for stories set in 70s to 80s asia and is open to everyone ! we're going back to nostalgic scenery, a time where the internet didn't exist yet. stories should focus on cliche tropes, feel-good romance and peaceful settings. i have arranged a playlist for musical inspiration and here are videos you can watch to help visualize your stories ! I will also be participating so I'm very excited to see how others will write their own stories :)

guidelines . 🪩 . ›

this project is for enhypen only !!

the fics can be either idol x reader or idol x oc ( no idol x idol ! )

both minors and adults can write for this collab !!

minimum word count : 1000 ( 1k )

this project is purely for full-length works only.

it goes without saying but i'll say it anyways, plagiarism is strictly prohibited. writers can write the same tropes but no copying of plotlines !

smut and suggestive content are also not allowed ! this project is meant to focus completely on fluffy romance so avoid nsfw themes !

all written works will be added to a masterlist i will make by the end of the year ( december 31st 2023 )

how to join . 📽️ . ›

interact with this post so i know you'll be joining ( by rbs or comments ! ) and fill this form ! ( the form is just to make sure not too many people write for the same member and so that I can prepare the master list... etc ! )

tag your work with #re'wind or tag me @reivrze

if you talk abt the collab on your page you can use the tag #re’wind collab talk

feel free to send me an ask if you have any extra questions or comments about this project ! i'll try my best to answer asap :)

deadline : december 29th, 2023

記憶力 – 🎙️ ᵎᵎ again, thanks to all of you for making this milestone a possibility! i hope to grow even more in the future with you by my side !! also thank you to @aernx for having helped me figure this collaboration out :)

EXTRA . 📽️ . › heeseung, jungwon and jay are no longer available ! all slots for them have been used :)

[nj-6-girl]

#father x daughter:

Choi haneul is the second son of the Choi empire that is worth 193 billion dollars that makes them the richest family in Asia, he is known as a cold hearted business man. He looks like he can be extremely ruthless and it is true. But he has other side to him that only his family know of. He is devoted and loyal to his family. At first he didn't want a daughter because simply he felt like he would be the worst father a daughter can have, he is not good with the gentle gender, he is till this day didn't know how he was lucky with his wife, even though she thinks otherwise. But everything changed when Micha came in his life. He loves to spoil her, if she wanted something or just she casually talked about it and then forget, she will surely find it in the next morning waiting for her with her dad standing besides it with a big smile on his face, he can't say no to her no matter how he tried. Because he kinda feels guilty how him and his wife are always busy and a way from her. ,with all of that he feels lucky to have an understanding and kind hearted daughter like her who is selfless and worry about others sometimes too much for his liking. Seeing the rotten discipline of other kids, he feels truly blessed.

#mother x daughter:

Mo myeong is a middle child of a wealthy family in Korea who are also part of a noble clan, funny enough she met her future husband in one of their hospitals where he had an accident but he was insistent on going to the meeting to the point of she had to literally tie him to his bed. Unlike her husband, she is more strict in raising her daughter and she doesn't mind putting her foot down when it is needed. And that what happened when her daughter asked her permission to be an idol, she simply said no. It isn't because she didn't support her daughter dreams but the reason is that she was young, and honestly Micha was sheltered all of her life and she knew this industry can get harsh and she just wanted to protect her, but she reluctantly accepted when she saw how determined she was.

#brother x sister:

Choi Kang is the only son of haneul older brother who passed away with his wife when he was just nine and he is next in line to inherent after his uncle. At first haneul and myeong wanted to take him in but he wanted to stay with his grandparents not because he didn't like his uncle and aunt in the contrary he really loves them but he didn't want to be a burden. When Kang first met baby Micha he promised himself to be the best big brother, and he kept it, he is really protective of her and knows everything about her since Micha doesn't keep anything from him. He was the one to convince her parents to let her be a trainee but secretly he made her promise him if she in any point she wanted to quit she will tell him and not force herself to do anything she didn't want to, simply Micha is his little princess.

[stormblessed95]

Here to tell the whole world to stop living through some rom-com style, heteronormative fantasy of Jikook. Last night’s live seems to be such a big deal for so many of you and I am here like, buddy?? You all really thought ,one fine day, JK would wake up and be like, my ring finger has JM on it, as in JIMIN??? If they are in fact a couple, there’s simply no way they will come out any time soon, if at all. Jk is 25, he’s very successful, but he’s still very young with at least two decades of career ahead. JM is just 27, known as the idol’s idol, pretty much acknowledged as a role model for the idol space. They live in Korea, and the current regime is anything but pro LGBTQIA+. As many sus moments as we have seen, they are still in the CLOSET, if they are intact together? They aren’t gonna kiss each other in public and make it official you no? At least not for the foreseeable future.

I can’t emphasise this enough- it may seem all sunshine and rainbows, because we all are wearing tinted glasses, but being queer in a queerphobic country with cameras on you 24*7 isn’t even remotely fun. It’s even harder if you have images to live up to and roles to play. As someone who has been living in Asia, I can promise you, the tables would turn so fast if they even approach the subject. They were just recently Busan expo ambassadors? You know that means practically having supremely close connections with the government? Their families, the communities they are a part of, the group, the company, everyone would have to face such strong repercussions. I am a nobody and my nonhet sexuality is a nightmare to navigate. I have lost friends and families over it. Imagine doing that while being hella popular?

Just wish them happiness and move on. If they are together, they are. We have no control over it, only over the narrative. Please just please don’t expect a mega coming of age film. It’s embarrassing. We have no right to be hurt because he said what he said. Either it is the truth or he’s trying to protect something. Either ways, respect it. Also, they are K-pop artists after all, of course they are very globally renowned, but after all they are K-pop stars. Their narratives, their medium, their stories, we will never have first hand access to. We are seeing them through a tunnel, because we just don’t have access to many things. For instance, JM is so so popular in SK and many other Asian countries and pretty much receives endless love. Like the culture minister of the country says “everyone knows JIMIN”. He isn’t tortured or tired, he’s very loved and he knows it. JK just because first Korean artist to perform at WC, he’s made the country very proud. We see them as these characters in this world, they aren’t. They are full people, with agency. Let them do what they want to. Twitter is vile and bullies playground. But that doesn’t make it a reality. They get hate, and they probs see it. But they also get love and know it.

Meant to post this yesterday. Sorry I'm late anon. Jikook distracted me 🥰

[your-anime-boyfriend]

Last wednesday I ended "Oshi no Ko" (2023) and I have A LOT to say... I LOVED IT.

I have to say I didn't expect an hour episode (no one did I think), but it's a great way to introduce this anime because the first episode is about Hoshino Ai, her life and what happened before everything. We got to meet her, we got to love her and we got to SUFFER.

I cried a river IN THE FIRST EPISODE... Well deserved the best score in MAL.

In the following episode we know what happened after Ai's Death. We have this new version of Aqua, which is horrible because he lost all hope, and we have Ruby, blinded by her brightful future.

Next up, we meet the new cast, and everything flows. Oshi no Ko shows how it works in the idols industry. They have to go where they don't want to because it's work, they have to do things they don't want because it's work, they have to be real, be fake, have a smile, don't smoke, don't drink, be happy, etc. It's really exhausting.

Every character has something relatable:

Arima Kana. She started as a genius kid in acting. She's really good, but she discovered that it doesn't matter how good you are, they drop you when there's a new star. Because of this, she overthinks a lot and she has a very mature point of view, that's why she goes for the best option to survive. She was that much in the entertainment industry for a reason. She also thinks she doesn't deserve nice things (as Taylor'd said), but she's very nice, really amazing in general.

There are a lot of Arima Kanas, it's really sad.

Kurokane Akane. Akane tried to be real in a show, she didn't shine because her personality isn't that brightful. When she had an accident with another actress people went for the throat. She was bullied almost 'til death, she tried to kill herself, but Aqua avoided that. People was SO MEAN, that she wanted to die. It's a relatable story, in East Asia countries it takes one story (verified or not) to destroy someone's career.

MEM. She wanted to be someone, but she couldn't due to her family. She had to support them, and when she was able to pursue her dreams, she was too old. Agencies don't usually go for trainees of more than 20. Finally, she got to debut with B Komachi. I'm so happy for her.

Aqua learned things tended to discover his father, so he knows who killed Ai. He enters the entertainment industry because this would help him in his plans.

Ruby wanted to be an idol, and she did. She's very optimistic, I guess it's because she didn't witness Ai's death. Ruby is the opposite of Aqua, she has dreams and she's hungry to fulfill them.

Hoshino Ai. She died too soon, but she's so relatable for me. She thought she could never love someone, she lied her fans everytime because she want them to be happy, she did her best always. She never lied to Aqua and Ruby, but it's so sad that she realised she loves them when she's dying. I think she died in a horrible way, but I think it's lovely to hear Ai saying "it's not a lie, I love you" to Ruby and Aqua.

And now, this has to end. BUT-

Let's talk about IDOL by YOASOBI... HOW CAN THEY MAKE SUCH A MASTERPIECE AND SLEEP LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED???

The music is brilliant, it is "sparkling", like a pop/idol song; the lyrics are amazing: the chorus is what everyone thinks "she's the most powerful Idol", there's a part like... distorted, with the bad opinions people who don't like her say, and we end with Ai's thoughts, she thought she could never fall in love with someone, and she did with her sons "this isn't a lie, I love you". I was devasteted when I read it.

My decision is...10 out 10! And well deserved, It went #1 in My Anime List after his first episode for a reason.

[mjohnso]

Quarterly Debut Review: Q1 2023

Quarterly Debut Reviews are a new supplementary series to my biannual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which as the title indicates will be published quarterly. Each installment will cover three rookie groups that debuted over the past three months, one from each month. For this first installment, I covered MAVE: (January), HAWW (February), and Delight (March).

As always, a full list of rookie groups that have debuted thus far in 2023 is available here: 2023 Rookie Groups Debuts

January / MAVE: Debut: January 5, 2023 Debut Song: “Pandora”

As with the debut of every virtual idol group, MAVE:’s debut was greeted with what I refer to as The Question: “Will they eventually render human idols obsolete and thereby replace them?” Treating it as a simple yes/no question, I would say no, probably not. But if I consider this a more open-ended question, I would have a different answer arguing that this is the wrong question to be asking. That is, rather than asking if they will replace idols, it is more salient to ask if Metaverse Entertainment even intends to.

At least in the case of Kakao Entertainment, which partnered with Metaverse Entertainment (itself a subsidiary of the gaming company Netmarble F&C) to create the group, I would say no. Instead, I suspect their interest in creating a virtual idol group stems from the same reason they set about acquiring SM Entertainment earlier this year. Much as the that acquisition of gives them access to SM’s stable of talent to feature in original content for Kakao branded platforms and apps, so can the same be said about virtual idols like MAVE:. Kakao has already given us an idea of how this might look with the group. A month after their debut, they announced a MAVE webtoon that would be published through Kakao Webtoon and Kakao Page.

This is not the extent of their plans for a group like MAVE. It is likely they will take a page from Japanese VTubers like Kizuna Ai or anime idols from media mix projects, whose status as fictional characters allows them to appear across a range of properties. This is all to say that it would not be surprising if in the future MAVE: branches out into television shows and video games, all delivered through Kakao’s suite of apps.

February / HAWW Debut: February 23, 2023 Debut Song: “How Are You”

Even as the rest of the industry has made strides toward recovering from the shock of the pandemic, boy group debuts have remained a stubborn exception. Their numbers dropped 39% from 2019 to 2021, slipping to a low of 22 groups total for 2021 and 2022. Hence why the debut of every new boy group in 2023 takes on such outsized importance. Each holds the possibility that they will be the one to herald or mark the reversal of this downward trend.

Unfortunately, HAWW is no such herald. Their debut was not part of a wave as much as a trickle; they were the only boy group to debut in February. They were the fifth boy group to debut in 2023 out of a total of seven boy groups that debuted during the first quarter of the year. For the sake of comparison, eleven girl groups debuted in total over the first quarter, with four girl groups debuting in February alone.

Yet of all the few boy groups that have debuted thus far, HAWW is the perfect group to offer as a chaser to such dour news. Casting the members as what amounts to emotional support k-pop boys, the group describes themselves as a “healing group” that seeks to soothe listeners through their music. Their debut song, “How Are You” is very much in service to this goal. Lyrically, it addresses a significant other asking how their day went, although it keeps the identity of said significant other vague. It could be anyone, including the listener, which is the point. Their music is not meant for just a small group or those willing to buy into their lore or multi-month debut rollout but for everyone.

March / Delight Debut: March 31, 2023 Debut Song: “Neverland”

Condolences to that YouTuber commenter who pleaded with Rainbow E&M to please stop debuting new groups—three years on, they show no indication of stopping soon. This is because the groups under the Future Idol Asia umbrella are not being debuted and promoted as traditional girl groups. Their existence is purely taxonomic. Groups are the most efficient way to organize and present the greatest number of trainees at the Future Idol Asia showcase, the centerpiece of the Future Idol Asia project (For more about the Future Idol Asia project, see Periodic Rookie Groups Report No. 20).

Understanding this is the nature of the Future Idol Asia groups explains the aesthetic choices of these groups, like their budget music videos. As it would not make financial sense to sink money into expensive music videos with elaborate sets or effects for temporary groups, they tend to recycle the same formula: photo rental studio + choreography version inter-cut with close-up shots + maximum two outfit changes.

That applies to the naming conventions for the groups well. Their names tend towards the unoriginal and SEO-averse. Many of the Future Idol Asia groups share their names with the title of at least one k-pop song (Memoria and “Memoria,” Black Rose and “Black Rose,” and Dream Girl and “Dream Girl” and “Dream Girls”). In this respect, Delight is an especially unfortunate choice for a group. In 2013, another girl group debuted with that same name, and despite disbanding in 2015, still crowds them out of YouTube search results. Key and Rolling Quartz have released songs titled “Delight,” while CSR, Baekhyun, and Daesung have released albums with that name. Meanwhile, the name of SF9’s 2022 tour was Live Fantasy #4 [Delight]. This does raise the question of why bother naming the groups at all, although I suspect it is partly because Delight sounds better than Group #22. It may also have something to do with the fact that while Rainbow E&M is not chiefly marketing to a general audience, they are trying to sell these trainees to outside agencies. Names decrease the chances that an agency will confuse one group for, but also individuates them, clearly dividing one group from another.

[finallydelight]

ASIA ARTIST AWARDS 2022

On December 13, 2022, the 2022 Asia Artist Awards took place in Japan. SVT's Ming hosted the award ceremony alongside Super Junior's Leeteuk. The group took home 3 awards: Hot Trend Award, Fabulous Award and Singer of the Year (Daesang).

Here are some Ming highlights:

○ Carats were delighted to see Seventeen take home one of the Daesangs, but what made the moment even more special was that Ming was the one who announced them as the winners. Leeteuk mumbled a quiet ''Congratulations, Ming-ssi.'' into the mic while she walked up to her members.

○ When the group won the Hot Trend Award, Ming joined them on the stage. She took the place in between Jeonghan and Coups, the two older men fondly looking at her. The three of them were kind of in their own world, the members asking her how she's feeling and telling her that she's doing a very good job.

○ Fans were sad that Ming couldn't join their performance at the show, but a lucky attendee saw the female idol enjoying her group's performance on the side of the stage and sneaked a video of it.

○ After the ceremony, Jeonghan went live on Weverse and praised his younger member: ''We were jet lagged, so it was hard to wait for so long at the award ceremony. I was so sleepy, but there was no place to lie down. That's why I'm so proud of Mingie, she was standing up the entire time, while we at least got to sit down during the ceremony. She did so well today, she was a total professional! I felt so proud watching her from my seat, she was so good. I got a bit emotional, but that was maybe because I was so sleepy (laughs).''

○ Hoshi also took to WeLive to compliment her: ''We (the members) were all watching her and felt so proud that she was our member. Ming worked the hardest today, but she still had a smile on her face even when the ceremony was over. Aah~ she did so well.''

○ Ming was also praised by non-svt fans. Many were impressed by her skills as an MC, saying that she had improved from the previous year. Japanese fans applauded her knowledge in the language as she switched between Korean and Japanese throughout the show without any problems.

○ During the taking of the group picture with all the artists and actors, Ming was seated next to Han So Hee. The actress took the initiative and tapped the female idol on the shoulder. Ming seemed surprised but quickly bowed her head and So Hee did the same. They both expressed that they are fans of each other and will support any future projects. The interaction ended with the women shaking each other's hands.

○ When the group picture was taken, Ming immediately stood up and approached her members who stood at the side of the stage. Mingyu was the first one to notice her and gave her a hug, upon which he saw that she was freezing as she was wearing a dress without any sleeves. He quickly took off his leather jacket from their performance and put it around her.

Taglist: @mystic-luv @cosmicwintr @mythicalamphitrite @billboard-singer @stopeatread @still-astray @sakuurra @multiplums @giverosespls @seongwhaffels @kimhyejin3108 @smoooore

[khainovo]

comprehensive list of CFV ocs? And their Worst Vs Best possible future in G???

LONG ANSWER AHEAD

First of all!! Thank you for this ask HELP I've been meaning to rant about this silly guy.

Currently, I only have Rei as a CFV oc! He's my first ever oc for the fandom actually. Though I've been in the CFV for quite some time now, I've never had the thought to make an oc until now. So, here's a rundown of Rei's personality + his backstory:

Rei's personality is bubbly and playful, but the kid's his age didn't really like it, so growing up Rei tried to contain himself and his energetic side so that he could have friends. Rei discovers Vanguard at a fair where he finds a card on the ground and was instantly charmed by the card art, when the owner of the card asked for it, Rei couldn't help but explode in curiousity and ask him questions about the game. Later on, he frequented his local card shop and started his own Pale Moon deck. (Pale Moon because I think it fits well with Rei kinda having to hide his real self and on the stage everything comes out and he's happy).

(S1) Over time, he polished his skills and had a group of other players at the shop to compete in Regionals. However, they lost at the final battle to Nationals. A talent agent from Tatsunagi Corporation had kept his eye on Rei's personality, gameplay, and his "All-Eyes-On-Me!" Persona during the games and was offered a job as a Vanguard idol. He takes it of course, and he starts his idol journey there.

(S3) As his fame rises, he reaches highschool and enters Miyaji Academy, where he finally gets to meet Aichi. He's known of Aichi because of his job as an idol and because of his rise to fame for Asia Circuit and Nationals. In Miyaji and with his whole career, he finally feels free enough to express his true self and his bubbly personality shines through. He's made friends with Aichi and the gang, particularly playing tricks on Aichi because its fun to see his expression (in a gremlin way). Aichi thinks its fun, the whole gang thinks its fun. Kourin and Misaki thinks Rei is being over the top, but it makes their day.

During the whole Link Joker mess, he's one of the few to not get Reversed. He really hated Kai for a while though, because he knows how much Kai means to Aichi etc. etc.

(S4) In Legion Mate I wanted him to be like Ren and Leon, people who were supposed to be Quatre Knights, but he says no of course, and doesn't really help Kai much until the end because he's still salty about the shit he pulled in the Link Joker arc (When he found out Gaillard punched Kai he was laughing about it and Aichi was like, nervous laughter "Rei that's not very funny." but Rei is like "LMAO NO that was so good I wish I was there." Kai agrees to both of their sentiments.

OKAY SO

His worst future in G, I'll keep this short because my god this post is going to be long, is losing contact with his friends, or his Idol career ending because he really enjoys it.

His best future (i'll call this canon for my heart's sake) is that his Idol career flourishes and works for the Dark States part of FIVA and promotes Vanguard through streams and stuff in a reads notes influencer style tm

[growing-cosmos]

Kim SeonHo for ELLE Singapore May 2021 Issue - Full Interview

Kim Seon Ho Is On His Way To The Top

Caroline Suganda

For the uninitiated, Kim Seon Ho might seem to have emerged out of nowhere, but the South Korean actor's meteoric rise did not just happen overnight nor by luck. The humble and charismatic actor is taking over the world at his own pace.

If 2020 was a year that life came to a standstill for many, it proved to be the opposite for South Korean actor Kim Seon Ho — thanks to a TV drama role that singlehandedly propelled him to stardom: Netflix’s Start-Up. Airing last October, the drama had Kim starring alongside idol drama heavyweights Nam Joo Hyuk and Suzy Bae and told a story of young entrepreneurs trying to forge a path in the world of start-up companies. To his 400,000-odd Instagram followers then, the 35-year old was playing the second lead in his eighth TV drama; to his new followers, which quickly amounted to three million over the course of 16 episodes (two months), it was more like love at first sight.

It’s not hard to understand why. Kim may play the second lead, but his role as Han Ji Pyeong made him hard to resist. In fact, Han is what a 21st-century dream man looks like: A handsome, young, clever investor who is living in his bachelor pad overlooking Seoul’s Han river [read: loaded]. His backstory is equally compelling: An orphan with nowhere to go helped by a stranger — a grandmother who stood by him through the tough times. His cold and reserved demeanour was eventually overturned to show a warm, affectionate side, but alas, his narrative (albeit expected) left many heartbroken. But despite all that, Han emerged as the crowd’s favourite, topping the Brand Reputation Index for South Korean Actors last November (when Start-Up was airing) and winning the Best Emotive Award from the 2020 Asia Artist Awards, not to mention inducing fans to flood the internet to console each other over the heartbreaking ending.

Kim attributes Han’s popularity to his character. “Like in a fantasy, it’s a great rags-to-riches story. He has all the circumstances I wanted to experience and that’s what attracted me to this role. And I guess, that could be why viewers think he is really attractive too. I want to be as smart and capable as him,” says Kim, whose name has since become indistinguishable from Han’s — but not for long.

The way fans took the character of Han to their hearts is only matched by their recognition of Kim’s skill as an actor, leading to his well-deserved shot to fame that followed. Up is only the way to go, as Kim grows out of Han’s shadow to find his own footing. Soon after Start-Up wrapped, Kim returned to his roots as a stage actor. Earlier this year, he acted in Ice, a two-person play whose tickets were sold out within minutes. “I couldn’t even get any [tickets] for my friends,” says Kim. “I was in disbelief, but very thankful too. It felt great.”

In the theatre industry, Kim has already established his own fan base — rightfully so since he has been in the scene since 2009. In the past, fans would form a line outside the theatre to buy tickets, so much so that it would cause traffic jams. After the show, fans would wait around, hoping for a chance to speak to him, and he would always gladly oblige. “I was really moved by their support for me and I would always think about how else I can improve or try different things for my future acts. It was really enjoyable to meet and greet my fans then,” says Kim.

Stage acting was something Kim fell into after graduating from college. “I wanted to act but didn’t know how to start, so I decided to take a six-month break. One day, I met a junior of mine who was already in the scene and he asked why I hadn’t thought of stage acting when I love theatre so much. So, I thought: ‘Oh yeah? Should I give it a go?’” says Kim, who went for an audition that eventually led him to his first stint on-screen with a supporting role in the TV drama Good Manager (2017).

Whether on stage or on screen, acting has always been what Kim dreamt of doing. While it may seem to many that the theatre was merely a stepping stone to bigger things for him, the actor says that performing live gives him a sense of contentment the latter can’t replicate. “In stage acting, we can interact with the audience live, so we know their response right away. I think the audience contributes to the play as well because their laughter, or even the sound of their breathing instigates our next move or spurs us to do something more. That was an ecstatic feeling that I cannot forget,” says Kim.

In the short span of the last six months, Kim’s Instagram following has grown 1,150 per cent, and stands at five million strong now (as of press time). Congratulations are definitely in order. In response, he smiles shyly and laughs before saying thank you. “In the beginning, the numbers were going up so fast that I would randomly check my followers in the midst of filming — it was exciting. I am really thankful that [there are people] out there who show interest in me,” he says.

“Interest” is an understatement — “immense interest” is more fitting. Newly-minted fans who are converts after watching Start-Up thronged the internet to see more of him. Netflix quickly made 100 Days My Prince available one day after Start-Up wrapped, where Kim played the second male lead, an advisor to the Crown Prince. Video streaming service Viu even curated a playlist known as “Kim Seon Ho Specials”, compiling all of his shows to date, from Good Manager (2017) where he played a nerdy accountant and Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2018) where he acted as a struggling singer, to his first leading role in full-length series Catch the Ghost (2019) as a police officer. He also starred in a four-episode miniseries You Drive Me Crazy (2018) where he played an introverted artist, a role he resonates with the most. But what fans gravitate towards the most is 2 Days 1 Night, a reality-variety show series where Kim is a cast member. The show’s concept takes the six cast members on various 2D1N trips around places of interest in South Korea, while competing in missions to earn rewards such as meals and sleeping arrangements. The show, while having a certain format, is entirely unscripted, allowing the cast members to show their candid, spontaneous reactions when placed in surprising or stressful situations.

Indeed, 2 Days 1 Night is popular with Kim’s fans because they get to enjoy a side of the actor that they otherwise would not see. In the first episode (of season four, when he joined as a new member) which aired in December 2019, Kim entertained the viewers just by being himself — a variety show rookie who failed his first mission finding his way to the set after being dropped off at a random location, and came in last, or to be exact, 26 minutes later than the cut-off time. He also got caught sneaking in snacks (food is almost like a currency in the show) and demonstrated his unfamiliarity with the variety show cameras by back-facing them while surrendering said goods — all within the first 30 minutes of the show. In the same episode, fellow cast member Ravi (from South Korean boy group VIXX) said veteran cast member Kim Jong Min (who has been in the show for 14 years) predicted Kim would be a superstar. When asked about that moment itself, he says, “I felt really happy, and I asked [Kim Jong Min] why he said that, and he replied, ‘Oh? I just randomly said it.’ He said that I have a ‘good’ image. I don’t think I have become a superstar. I’m just very grateful.”

Kim must have been quite enthralled; after all, Kim Jong Min is more than just a fellow cast member — he’s also a role model. “He is much more serious off-screen, very self-aware and I would say, mentally healthy. By observing him, I realised that if I were to just change my perception on certain things, I would be able to overcome whatever problems I may face. I learnt how being mentally healthy is important and good for the individual, thanks to Kim Jong Min. For the past one year, as an actor and an entertainer, I’ve learnt a lot about the importance of having a good attitude,” says Kim.

It has been 15 months since Kim joined 2 Days 1 Night, a gig that has since won him KBS Entertainment’s Rookie Awards for Show and Variety. Sleeping alone on a deserted island, awkward dancing to Jessi’s Nunu Nana in front of the rapper herself, impersonating a baby dinosaur hatching from an egg — Kim has done it all. From starting off as a clueless and shy rookie, he’s now quick-witted and sharp, sometimes even initiating pranks in order to win. From someone nicknamed “Paper Doll” for his clumsy dancing skills, he’s developed into someone who won the audition to dance in South Korea’s tourism board video Feel the Rhythm of Korea: Incheon — a 2 Days 1 Night special project for season four’s first anniversary. But in the game of reality-variety show, strength and wit are nothing without luck — which he has no lack of, so much so that there was an episode loosely dubbed as “Kim Seon Ho’s Special” where he won almost every game. “My luck has been so good in the show and I think it’s probably due to the amazing people I get to work with on set.” These days, he looks forward to shooting the show, “It’s really fun!” he says. But what happens when he lost a mission, has to sleep outdoor or skip meals? “No stress at all. I feel very comfortable with the people I play and work with on set so it’s really fun.”

Luck is something that took the humble actor a while to realise he has. “I learnt that I’m very lucky,” he says. He attributes his luck to the fact that he has many good people who work with him. But luck wouldn’t have materialised without the faithful combination of opportunity and capability, which is what has actually brought him to the top. These days, besides shooting 2 Days 1 Night, Kim is busy with endorsement engagements for numerous lifestyle brands, as well as preparing for his upcoming drama where he will play the male lead against veteran actress Shin Min-A (our February cover star). A romcom drama set to launch in the second half of year, it is a remake of the 2004 movie Mr. Hong with a working title of Seashore Village Cha Cha Cha and Kim will play an unemployed, go-to guy in a fishing village.

Kim seems to have it all — he’s a TV actor and an entertainer on the rise, albeit a “late bloomer” which he acknowledges but he really wouldn’t have it any other way. He debuted in his first TV drama at 31 years old, almost 10 years late compared to most of his peers. But that doesn’t bother him at all, in fact he prefers to chart his career trajectory at his own pace and that often works in his favour. “If I were to go back in time [and change things], I wouldn’t have been able to debut at all,” he laughs. “I don’t think I was good enough to debut early [on TV], and I think now is the right time. I’m not saying that I’m very good now, but I think I’ve improved enough that I’m able to express my character well. Also, debuting later [on TV] helped me to form a good acting foundation, without being too arrogant or carried away.” It’s evident that Kim is a humble person, and also an endearing one. When asked if there is anything he can be proud of, “I don’t think I have anything to brag about in particular… Maybe my dimples?” he says with a laugh. “I never liked them when I was younger, but as more people complimented me [his nickname is Dimple Prince], I’ve grown to like them. I’ve got my mum’s eyes and so I love them since there’s a saying that goes ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’.”

If 2020 was a career-defining year for Kim, 2021 is only going to be bigger. He shares that his wish is to hear someone say, “Wow, I could never imagine anyone else acting as this character apart from Kim Seon Ho” or “Nobody can play this role as well as Kim Seon Ho”. But ask anyone who has watched Start-Up, chances are they would tell you, Kim has already nailed that.

—

[digital cover]

source: discountmags.com

special thanks to havennary

[dojae-huh]

so lucas got his first solo!!!!!!

u knw what twtr i is exploding.... Haha.... Some are being neutrals while some acting like the scandal is happened with them.... Like they have seen it through their eyes!!! I mean as a new one to this fandome I only can read the news.... Yes there was a scandal, a bad one actually.... But I don't knw how much of it is true.... So if u hate him ignore him nd don't listen to his songs.... Nd u like him just support him rather picking up a fight with those hate him..... That's all i can say.... But am really curious abt smthng...

I mean, even if u r doing a great job the company won't always invested in u much...most of the cases are like that....nd when u got into a scandal, there goes ur career into a bhooom....like u knw these entertainment companies won't just support someone....even if they are introducing a new face they work hard to make them famous coz they can't risk the amount they spent on that person..they want profit....but here in lucas case, what made them so confident abt get him into the field again... I mean he had such a big scanadal nd got really hate, ofcrs i knw he still has a good fanbase but u knw, it won't be an easy task... There is risk... There is a chance of it won't make it big... But still SM daringly made him a solo artist really makes me curious.... Does he have some connections or what.... Or is he really innocent that company wants to give him a chance..... Nd I don't think that pink company is that much generous.... Coz they even made shotaro nd sengchan into another group just becoz they are already famous, so puting them into another group would make more benifit to reach out to the fans.... That compnay only think abt profit rather than their artists feeling, so what in the world they got the confident lucas would bring back lot profit through this solo?! Normal idols not getting things while scandalous one got it..... I'm totally confused huh nim.....im soryy if my words made u offended, if I'm wrong correct me nd share ur thoughts on this.... Thankuu ☺

Lucas was accused of things of various degree of villainy. Most fans never cared to look into the things more deeply, read the disproof by fans who investigated the case, just jumped on the hate train. And now those people think they continue to stand on the side of "good people" who condemn cheaters, sexual harrassers, rapists, etc. And, of course, there are just plain antis.

Taeyong was cleared from accusations of being a bully and others in 2020. It is now known he had one of the worst childhoods among 127 neos, was even sent for a month to his granparents, away from school he didn't want to go to. And even today fans spread misinformation about him being a "nasty person".

Many Lucas' fans stayed and demonstrated they were waiting for him through trending of tags, comments on IG, etc. SM could see the continued interest and rely on that core fanbase. Lucas is going on a fanmeet tour around Asia, which demonstrates SM being sure it will be sold. The upside of working for the global market is that being cancelled in one country (here: China) doesn't nesessary mean that other countries will follow suit. When SK starts to hate a celebrety, that celebrety "dissapears" to Japan or China for a couple of years (works there non-stop), and makes a comeback back home, once people forget.

I suspect Lucas is Chris Lee's personal project. He uploaded a photo together with him a year or so ago, and appeared in the documentary. Either Chris was empathic, knowing Lucas personally and how the things actually were behind the scenes, or he wants to try to return a banished idol back and make a case for the future. Idols are cancelled all the time, and recently it has become a big problem. Just look how many idols were kicked out from their groups, and big ones. This issue will become even worse in the future, with deep fakes and AI voice generators.

LSM also gave chances to some of his artists after they caused problems.

SM signed Kim Woojin, who was ousted from Stray Kids. He managed to clear his name with the help of lawyers, proved the accusations were false, but it was too late.

Lucas wasn't a super big star, not like BigBang members, for example, or BTS. He has star quality, a potential to be very big, however, SM has new groups and current ones that bringmoney. It's not like he is last resort, worthy of risking everything. As such, SM returning him means whatever mess ha was involved with, it wasn't criminal. Not something that can comeback like a boomerang again if media really tries to dig something up (and not antis proliferate rumours).

Shotaro and Sungchan's opinon was taken into consideration. The transfer was agreed on with them. Yes, Riize gets a lot of problems with scandals, but the degree of it wasn't possible to predict in the past. The two boys fit Riize better than NCT Wish, and they don't need to work from scratch again and build thegroup's popularity slowly. Just look at choreos. Shotaro would be bored. Meanwhile Sungchan is too tall for teens like Ryo or Sakuya. He is pushed as the next SM visual, while Wish' concept is cute boys.

[fymoonbyul]

[INTERVIEW] MAMAMOO - 1883 Magazine

Building on the momentum of their sold-out Asia tour across Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, K-Pop super group MAMAMOO is all set to take their powerful performances to global stages, as they gear up to head off to their US on their first-ever arena tour.

With their sprawling fanbase Moomoo brimming with excitement for the continuation of the band’s MY CON tour, the “performance idol group” who have been selling out shows right from their first in 2016, have consistently experimented and surprised fans on stage with charismatic presence.

Ahead of their tour kicking off on May 16, the superstar quartet consisting of Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In, and Hwa Sa speak to 1883, delving into what we can expect from their shows, how they each keep themselves creatively motivated, what concept they’d like to experiment with and their future goals among other things.

You’re set to embark on your first-ever US World Tour, in just three words tell me how you’re feeling about it.

MOON BYUL: Anticipation, Excitement, Happiness

Mamamoo has been termed as a “performance idol group” so what can fans expect performance-wise from the MY CON tour? Anything new your fans can look forward to?

MAMAMOO: Some aspects are solely presented during the MY CON Tour, and we believe our fans are looking forward to that as well. We hope you enjoy it!

As artists, how do you keep yourself creatively motivated when it comes to performances/concerts and how do you feel you’ve improved or evolved with each stage?

MOON BYUL: I strive to be constantly improving as an artist. So, it is my dream and goal to become an artist who continues to get better day by day.

HWA SA: I think I constantly find myself thinking about such creative matters. In some ways, it can be taxing, but it is a must with my job, so I regularly keep my head churning, experimenting with various ideas to keep myself creatively motivated.

Given your massive social media following you’re aware of the love that people around the world have for you, but are there any comments or messages from your global fanbase that touched you or has stuck with you for any reason?

SOLAR: Even though our global Moomoo are far away, I can always feel their love and support; constantly cheering for us, and waiting for us. So, instead of a single comment or message, there are just so many moments when I feel touched and overwhelmed by our global fans.

WHEE IN: Reading phrases like, “Thank you for singing” makes me feel a deeper level of appreciation for what I do. To know that singing by itself is enough is just so gratifying and humbling.

Your music and artistry is quite daring as well, what’s a concept or style you’d love to try experimenting within the future and why?

HWA SA: I always want to make music that contains meanings/messages. For instance, if Mamamoo is the main character of a music video, it is my desire and hopefully our direction as artists to go beyond that framework and capture a deeper, wider perspective.

MOON BYUL: I personally enjoy band music, and I would love to try a rock genre in the future.

Now that you’re venturing abroad to connect with fans around the world, what countries are on your bucket list for a future concert or tour?

SOLAR: I want to go to all the places we weren’t able to go during the Tour. There are still so many places in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, and North America that we haven’t been to!! Please send us  

WHEE IN: Wherever it may be, I wish for us to meet often, exchange positive energies, and bond with one another.

What do you consider the most important during a tour and what lengths do you go to prepare/maintain it?

SOLAR: Since we are on a tour, I think our performances are the most important and I’m sure Moomoo are looking forward to the performance aspect as well. Global Moomoo can briefly experience our concerts through videos, and other snippets, but it is a whole new experience to enjoy it directly with one’s own eyes. And because Moomoo have lent us their precious time, we do our best to bring unforgettable, amazing performances!

MOON BYUL: I consider stamina to be the most important during a tour. I always make sure to have a filling meal before going up on stage.

WHEE IN: I also think taking care of my health is the most important. Since there are physical burdens with traveling and jet lag, I always make sure to take vitamins and other supplements to keep myself healthy.

HWA SA: I too consider stamina and physical care to be the most important. Moomoo have been waiting for us for so long, we’re finally on this tour, and we can’t have any other complications deter us. So, I always do my best to keep my health in check.

Both as a group and as individual artists, what are your future goals and dreams?

SOLAR: For Mamamoo we always tend to say, meet as many Moomoo as often as we can. Showing our Mamamoo’s signature colour on stage and spreading that positive energy like we’ve been doing so far is something I wish for us to continue. As a solo artist, I believe there are still many more to come. But as Mamamoo and as a solo artist, it is my goal and dream to continue doing music happily with our Moomoo.

MOON BYUL: My current dream is to do music with more fun. I’d love for us to comfortably show off our natural colours and go meet our Moomoo!

WHEE IN: I’d love to maintain a more laid-back mindset and continue living this life with music. And I would love for our Moomoo and Mamamoo (myself included) to go through the years happily, one by one.

HWA SA: I would love to continue sharing my own stories.

The bands MY CON tour starts May 16th, for more info visit www.cafe.daum.net/mamamoo and follow via @/mamamoo_official

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Holy Apostle Timothy. Saint Timothy was from the Lycaonian city of Lystra in Asia Minor. Saint Timothy was converted to Christ in the year 52 by the holy Apostle Paul (June 29). When the Apostles Paul and Barnabas first visited the cities of Lycaonia, Saint Paul healed one crippled from birth. Many of the inhabitants of Lystra then believed in Christ, and among them was the future Saint Timothy, his mother Eunice and grandmother Loida (Lois) (Acts 14:6-12; 2 Tim. 1:5). The seed of faith, planted in Saint Timothy’s soul by the Apostle Paul, brought forth abundant fruit. He became Saint Paul’s disciple, and later his constant companion and co-worker in the preaching of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul loved Saint Timothy and in his Epistles called him his beloved son, remembering his devotion and fidelity with gratitude. He wrote to Timothy: “You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and patience” (2 Tim. 3:10-11). The Apostle Paul appointed Saint Timothy as Bishop of Ephesus, where the saint remained for fifteen years. Finally, when Saint Paul was in prison and awaiting martyrdom, he summoned his faithful friend, Saint Timothy, for a last farewell (2 Tim. 4:9). Saint Timothy ended his life as a martyr. The pagans of Ephesus celebrated a festival in honor of their idols, and used to carry them through the city, accompanied by impious ceremonies and songs. Saint Timothy, zealous for the glory of God, attempted to halt the procession and reason with the spiritually blind idol-worshipping people, by preaching the true faith in Christ. The pagans angrily fell upon the holy apostle, they beat him, dragged him along the ground, and finally, they stoned him. Saint Timothy’s martyrdom occurred in the year 93. May he intercede for us always + Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/01/22/100262-apostle-timothy-of-the-seventy (at Klistra) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnsPsV7BdOf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chaos-coming]

I'm annoyed and have been stewing in these thoughts for a few weeks, it's time to get it off my chest.

Despite their enthusiasm, i think i will not he working with the local marxist group here after all. Ive met with them a few times and honestly they fall into all of the classic shortcomings of white european leftist groups.

This group of upper middle class white swedes seem really and truly convinced that they will be the leaders of the great global revolution. They openly told me the first time we met that they are studying the literature to train the future leaders of the movement (the ego is just...wow). Dogmatic and enthusiastic, yes, but aware of the global currents happening right now, no. They dont see that capitalism is reliant on imperialism, and the idea that they might not be center stage when the workers of the world (most of whom live in the global south) rise up has never crossed their minds. They say they only want members who are serious and committed to the cause, but it really looks like they just want to create an echo chamber to boost their egos.

They think that boycotts and direct action are meaningless, as if disrupting the capitalist war machine is antithetical to their "great revolution". They use protests and demonstrations as opportunities for recruitment and to prosthelytize about reading theory. I watched them stand in front of a group of mostly migrants and refugees from syria, iran, palestine, and talk at them about the situation as if everyone showing up to a demonstration organization meeting wasnt already aware. As if refugees with family in the region wanted to hear this blond guy with a mustache posturing for Woke Points(tm) and say nothing constructive, dominate the conversation and ignore suggestions for action from people who have lived through the imperialist wars in SWANA.

Besides going to marxist conferences aka paid field trips, these people dont talk about any action if it's not directly about the great revolution and recruiting more communists, and place way too much emphasis on reading "the classics" (dont get me wrong reading theory is useful but its not the end all be all they think it is). And they dont read literary response/criticism to the classical theory, or modern interpretations, it's not "pure" enough. Theyre not just reading it for theory either, theyre literally and uncritically looking to 100 year old descriptions of society for instructions and methods for creating a revolution in the current day - descriptions which do not acknowledge climate change or indigenous sovereignty or the hyperconnected global economic system we live under - with no critical thought to how it must be adapted to the current epoch (i watched them shoot down all suggestions for organizing online and on social media, or provocative visual demonstrations, insisting that the only and best way to spread awareness is to stand in the hallways and pass out fliers to passersby like its still 1980 and sweden isnt already a paperless cashless society).

I made a comment about how soviet agriculture in west asia wasnt sustainable and got blank or disappointed faces in response. Which leads me to suspect that they idolize the ussr and have no intention to look at non european perspectives. I even tried to bring up the fact that we are currently on occupied sami land, sweden still has a literal actual monarch, living off of taxes and the imperial conquest of the sami people and neighboring countries. It got quiet, they did not want to have that conversation, they dont care beyond lip service about the rights of the indigenous people in their backyards (literally, theyre camped outside the city with their reindeer right now). Getting rid of the monarchy is not a priority, the concept of a monarch in the 21st century is not offensive or antithetical to their beliefs because the "great revolution" will take care of it anyway. Theyre not interested in actions, anything short of their fantasy of a total revolution is meaningless to them. These self proclaimed leaders of the revolution arent even interested in leading a push for an end to the monarchy which takes the workers' taxes to uphold an imperialistic remnant.

Like its basically a pay to play book club, theyre super insistent on the member fee being 10% of your income (even if you have no income you still pay) and it needs to be paid to participate in any of their group meetings etc. Like i get that they have a newspaper and printing press and a full time newspaper employee to pay for, but how is that not capitalistic? How is it not a class barrier, and especially when non-european students have to pay 5 figure tuition costs and they get to go to uni for free. The fact that their group is entirely 100% white and almost all swedes says volumes. And the fact that the palestine organizers have stsrted to schedule their meetings at the same time as the marxist group regularly does, almost like they dont want to work with these white guys who are trying to control the local solidarity movement.

When all you do is sit around reading literature and patting yourselves on the back for being special, when you look a refugee in the face and talk about revolution like theyre not the ones who have literally lived through it, when you are completely uninterested in taking action to fight imperialism in your own country, when you staunchly refuse to get with the times, why are you surprised nobody wants the 'revolution' youre offering them.