#korean E-sports

[inavagrant-a]

I love how Wanderer’s Korean VA always sounds like he’s pissed off about something as he should, awraxa.

[lestcat-de-lioncourt]

Does love at first sight exist in e-sports?

[ao3-oner]

^^^.

^^^^^.

^.

dawg im sad

[bvckbiter]

whipped up some quick lou ellen n rachel designs!i i always pictured lou as sporting some sort of space buns hairstyle plus a more alternative aesthetic... plus purple/pink seems to be a very her color

for rachel i've been pondering for a while on a korean!rachel headcanon, hence the "da(r)e..." so obviously thats not her natural hair color lol as u can see fr her eyebrows

[wintfleur]

₊˚ෆ stella’s relationship with daisy !

━━━ ❛ if you go I’m goin’ too, cause it was always you

ᡣ𐭩 BASICS !

when did they meet Stella(7) and Daisy(8) met at a figure skating competition in Toronto, Canada , they didn't talk to each other , both of them being too shy. They first talked when they ran into each other at Luke's hockey game that was held at the same rink on the same day. Additionally, David – Daisy’s twin brother – played against Luke’s team often, which often led to the Ahns and the Hughes’ often running into one another.

their first impressions of each other:

to say daisy was impressed (and a little intimidated) by stella’s skills was an understatement. though daisy was never a shy child, watching stella perform before definitely made her a little nervous to perform. but by the time they went to dinner with the hughes, daisy made it a note to speak to her – complimenting stella on her amazing performance.

Stella was in awe as she watched daisy skate, it was obvious that she was very talented and loved the sport. Stella really wanted to become friends with her since she struggled making friends with the other girls. They finally got the chance to speak to each other when their families went out to dinner – and the girls immediately clicked!

favorite memory they have of each other

Stella’s favorite memory of her and daisy, is when the young girls had to go out of state for a figure skating competition with their moms and they decided to let the two girls share their own hotel room (they were next door and there was a connecting door to the rooms – but still the idea of them having their own room was exciting to them) they stayed up way to late eating sweets, listening to music that turned into a playful dance battle, and doing the silly quizzes in the magazines. They ended up falling asleep in the same bed as they watched mamma mia.

Daisy’s favourite memory between her and Stella has got to be the first time Daisy stayed with Stella and her family in Michigan for the summer. The pair of them naturally had to share a room — being the only two girls — spending the entire summer together. Though Daisy was incredibly homesick — due to it being her first time away from her entire family for a long period of time — being around Stella made it easier, as the pair of them did activities like swimming together and curling up on the sofa watching their favourite movies. Daisy had brought her little spa/makeup kit, and the duo spent an entire afternoon giving each other (and Stella’s brothers) makeovers.

ᡣ𐭩 DETAILS !

songs that represent them

birds of a feather – billie eilish

byob (bring your own best friend) – billlie

ribs – lorde

miracle – txt

chiquitita – abba

invisible string – taylor swift

friends – bts

their contact names for each other

daisy’s (for Stella): pretty dahee 🌷

stella’s (for daisy): my favorite hughes 🌸

contact photos

their tropes sunshine!stella x sunshine protector!daisy, sun x moon, twin flames, sisters from another mister, found family, first friend, bad bitch with a baddie friend

nicknames

stella’s (from daisy): stells, estella, byeol (star in korean), superstar, princess, “the best hughes child”

daisy’s (from stella): babygirl, wife, pretty, petals, dahee (dramatically drags out the e), honey, “the prettiest ahn”

their love languages

stella’s: physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time.

daisy’s: acts of service, gift giving, physical touch.

favorite things to do together baking, karaoke, dancing, shopping, buying and opening kpop albums together, watching kdramas, skating together, getting mani-pedi’s together, coloring

ᡣ𐭩 THEIR THINGS !

long study dates 

sitting on the kitchen floor and sharing secrets at 3am

trying each others foods + drinks when they order different things

impromptu day trips 

eating ice cream in daisy’s car

filming tik tok dances/trends 

long conversations about the future

staying up late to play video games 

matching pjs 

sharing their netflix passwords and ect. 

making each other playlists 

holding hands even when they are upset with each other 

getting drunk and watching kdramas in daisy’s apartment 

ᡣ𐭩 FUN FACTS !

Stella and Daisy love going to concerts together! 

They have been to many kpop concerts; ateez, txt, enhypen, twice and aespa

They went to coachella 2023 and 2024 

stella was one of the first people to help daisy with her english; daisy teaching her korean in return

whenever their families go on trips together, stella and daisy always insist on sitting/rooming together.

once on a plane ride, they were seated in front of each other instead of beside, so they passed notes between the cracks of the seats.

daisy often features stella on her videos on youtube and vice versa, the pair of them often vlogging their little dates together 

on stella’s 18th birthday, daisy gifted stella an expensive bracelet with a heartfelt card – getting herself one of her own so they’d match. it’s one of the only pieces of jewelry daisy wears every day. 

fights between the pair are few and far between, though if they end up having a more serious argument, it doesn’t take long for them to make amends.

given how long they’ve known each other, daisy and stella know each other like the backs of their hands. they often tell each other things they don’t even tell their siblings – who of which they’re both close to. 

daisy was one of the first people to know about stella and rutger’s relationship, and in turn, daisy told stella about luke and ethan as soon as it happened.

with this, daisy was also one of the first to know about her impromptu departure to seoul, following stella and luke’s argument.

stella is the one who got daisy to be a little more extroverted in university.

daisy used to have a crush on stella’s brother jack, while stella still has a crush on daisies older brother jihoon 

they often tease each other about this

au masterlist - you can find everything under #👩🏻‍🎨 ͡ ꒱ Stella Hughes

and everything Stella and Daisy under #໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა : stella and daisy

link too daisy’s au!

˖ ་ 💭 roro’s notes ( Stella and daisy own my heart , Daisy is the wonderful oc who’s made by the wonderful @qoqurt we can honestly talk for ours about our girls , I’m so happy with all that we have come up with for them , and I can’t wait for what else we come up with !! )

°. — taglist ( @cixrosie @toasttt11 @bunbunbl0gs @petite-potato4 @winterbarnesblog @yoontwin @iceflwers )

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls, 3x9, A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving, Part V

Previously on TWWGG, it was still Thanksgiving and the Gilmores were headed to the McMansion. I expected a typical Mother-Daughter-Grandparents-blowout re: Lorelai's embarrassing, pathetic, infantile behavior during the tour of Yale, but what I didn't know was that I'd be in for a surprise twist that would delight me to my very core. The younger Gilmores are introduced to some random richies who will be joining them for dinner and nosing in on their business. Lorelai embarrasses everyone by making cringy jokes, Rory attempts to speak some abysmal sounding French. At dinner the subject of college applications comes up and the random and nosy rich people are rightfully floored by Rory's admission that she's only applied to one school.

Wait for it...wait for it...

In a most stunning act of courage, of medal-worthy bravery, Rory defied Lorelai and went behind her back to submit an application to Princeton, and is admitting to it, which makes Lorelai hopping mad! LOL! She makes a total fool of herself in front of her parents, Rory, and the random rich people! CRY BITCH CRY! I can honestly say I have never been more proud of Rory Gilmore. YOU GO GIRL!

Excuse me bish, who's WE?

Golly gee, I wonder why Rory didn't want to tell you and felt she had no other choice but to go behind your back.

In order to avoid your wrath she had to go behind your back just to AGREE TO MAKE PLANS TO VISIT YALE TO WALK AROUND AND LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS! Leave my poor courageous baby alone.

HAHAHA SHE'S SO MAD! HAHAHAA LOL

(Sighs in Princeton)

Two Sports Announcers Named Bill and Bob (one is really excitable and the other is the calm one): Bill: OHHH! THE YOUNG GILMORE GOES IN FOR THE KILL! The one-two Yale punch! I don't think Lorelai is going to recover from this one, Bob. Bob: No siree, the younger Gilmore really went straight for Mom's jugular with the Yale application reveal. We're witnessing some truly first world problems here, Bill.

Bill: Ouch! Lorelai hits back with the "My daughter is a brainless extension of me who can't possibly be trusted to make her own decisions" Bob: Brutal, Bill. Absolutely brutal. Bill: This will certainly land the Younger Gilmore in years of intense therapy. Lorelai: BUT WHY? WHY YALE? Girl, we've been over this. Now Lorelai believes Rory and the elder Gilmores have been holding secret Talk About Yale meetings behind her back. When they had time to do that, I don't know, because the start of the Great 2002 Yale Debacle was only one episode prior. Oh, I'm sorry, Lorelai thinks there were "Emails". Richard and Emily know what email is?

Sure Lorelai, you're not paranoid, and Taylor Doose isn't funneling money from the bridge repair fund into his own pocket to take trips to Maui and Jess Mariano didn't slaughter Shane on the football field behind the school after the DanceMurderThon and dump her body in the lake. Pshhh. People and their crazy conspiracy theories, right?

Lorelai is really confused by this foreign concept of people changing their minds about things.

Are you there God? It's me, CrazyPantsMcGee.

Is Lorelai looking up at the sky hoping...God himself will intervene? Does she want God to come down from the heavens and tell Rory to listen to Mommy and that she sinned when she went behind her back and applied to Yale?

You're talking to a brick wall here, Em. She doesn't understand the confusing concepts of things like backup schools, changing one's mind, or how hitting on her daughter's boyfriend is inappropriate. Give up.

Digestion time is over. E: You wont let Rory have even one piece of our lives? You hate us that much? Lorelai doesn't respond and just rolls her eyes so that's how you know Emily is right and that Lorelai can't admit she's wrong or it will eat her up inside just like the worms that ate up Shane's corpse after the DanceMurderThon.

[lee-sanghyeok]

HYBE aligning themselves with (e-)sports makes a lot of sense, given how much money can be made in the sports industry, but it also needs to be tactfully done. And right now it feels like they haven't found their footing yet.

I think the main issue is that they want to align their groups with American sports teams when a) their groups are Korean and b) they don't live in the USA. Connecting a group with a sports team becomes particularly difficult if they aren't frequently seen together. That's why fashion ambassadorships are a lot easier to manage because there is a fashion calendar to follow and it never changes.

There is an inherent cultural disconnect as well. A Korean-native k-pop idol can absolutely adore American basketball, but they'll never fully be part of that culture and be able to understand the cultural framework surrounding American basketball. That's not something that can be helped. It's literally just a socio-cultural difference.

Thirdly, it's questionable how much profit will be made overtime from k-pop groups aligning themselves with American sports leagues. How many (casual) fans will either party gain from this? How many k-pop fans will start watching basketball and how many basketball watchers will start listening to k-pop?

These three points make promotional content feel disingenuous... or even a bit cringe.

I think, if labels really want to capitalise on their idols in the sports industry, then they need to get their idols to perform at soccer and/or baseball games in Korea and Japan. We occasionally see it (recently Twice performed at a soccer game and plenty of idols have thrown the first pitch at baseball), but they can make a true spectacle out of it. Make them do "tunnel walks" wearing the brands they're affiliated with, go all out with performances, make short form content between idols and athletes, etc etc.

E-sports make a lot more sense, so League of Legends x New Jeans and Overwatch x Le Sserafim was quite a smart move. (I do sometimes wonder if they chose these groups not because of their talent but because they're pretty girls and women, and men make up the majority of video game players;........ but whatever.) I think marrying k-pop and e-sports is a lot easier because there's a lot more overlap.

Anyway. Those are all my thoughts.

[qoqurt]

✶ ⋆ .˚ ⊹₊⋆ WE SHOULD STICK TOGETHER .ᐟ

a walk down memory lane (ft. daisy ahn and stella hughes’ friendship timeline)

aka my first ever collab with @wintfleur !!!

link to roro’s stella hughes au! | about daisy | au masterlist

♡゛BASICS .ᐟ

how did they meet? stella (7) and daisy (8) met at a figure skating competition in toronto, canada. they didn't talk to each other , both of them being too shy. they first talked when they ran into each other at luke's hockey game that was held at the same rink on the same day. additionally, david –daisy’s twin brother – played against luke’s team often, which often led to the ahns and the hughes’ often running into one another.

their first impressions of each other?

to say daisy was impressed (and a little intimidated) by stella’s skills was an understatement. though daisy was never a shy child, watching stella perform before definitely made her a little nervous to perform. but by the time they went to dinner with the hughes, daisy made it a note to speak to her – complimenting stella on her amazing performance.

stella was in awe as she watched daisy skate, it was obvious that she was very talented and loved the sport. Stella really wanted to become friends with her since she struggled making friends with the other girls. They finally got the chance to speak to each other when their families went out to dinner – and the girls immediately clicked!

favorite memory they have of each other?

stella’s favorite memory of her and daisy, is when the young girls had to go out of state for a figure skating competition with their moms and they decided to let the two girls share their own hotel room (they were next door and there was a connecting door to the rooms – but still the idea of them having their own room was exciting to them) they stayed up way to late eating sweets, listening to music that turned into a playful dance battle, and doing the silly quizzes in the magazines. they ended up falling asleep in the same bed as they watched mamma mia.

daisy’s favourite memory between her and stella has got to be the first time she stayed with Stella and her family in michigan for the summer. the pair of them naturally had to share a room — being the only two girls — spending the entire summer together. although daisy was incredibly homesick — due to it being her first time away from her entire family for a long period of time — being around stella made it easier, as the pair of them did activities like swimming together and curling up on the sofa watching their favourite movies. daisy had brought her little spa/makeup kit, and the duo spent an entire afternoon giving each other (and stella’s brothers) makeovers.

♡゛DETAILS .ᐟ

songs that represent them:

birds of a feather – billie eilish

byob (bring your own best friend) – billlie

ribs – lorde

miracle – txt

chiquitita – abba

invisible string – taylor swift

friends – bts

contact names:

daisy’s (for stella): pretty dahee 🌷

stella’s (for daisy): my favorite hughes 🌸

contact photos:

their tropes: sunshine!stella x sunshine protector!daisy, sun x moon, twin flames, sisters from another mister, found family, first friend, bad bitch with a baddie friend

nicknames:

stella’s (from daisy): stells, estella, byeol (star in korean), superstar, princess, “the best hughes child”

daisy’s (from stella): babygirl, wife, pretty, petals, dahee (dramatically drags out the e), honey, “the prettiest ahn”

love languages:

stella’s: physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time.

daisy’s: acts of service, gift giving, physical touch.

favorite things to do together? baking, karaoke, dancing, shopping, buying and opening kpop albums together, watching kdramas, skating together, getting mani-pedi’s together, coloring

♡゛FUN FACTS .ᐟ

stella and daisy love going to concerts together!

they have been to many kpop concerts; ateez, txt, enhypen, twice and aespa

they went to coachella 2023 and 2024

stella was one of the first people to help daisy with her english; daisy teaching her korean in return

whenever their families go on trips together, stella and daisy always insist on sitting/rooming together.

once on a plane ride, they were seated in front of each other instead of beside, so they passed notes between the cracks of the seats.

daisy often features stella on her videos on youtube and vice versa, the pair of them often vlogging their little dates together

on stella’s 18th birthday, daisy gifted stella an expensive bracelet with a heartfelt card – getting herself one of her own so they’d match. it’s one of the only pieces of jewelry daisy wears every day.

fights between the pair are few and far between, though if they end up having a more serious argument, it doesn’t take long for them to make amends.

given how long they’ve known each other, daisy and stella know each other like the backs of their hands. they often tell each other things they don’t even tell their siblings – who of which they’re both close to.

daisy was one of the first people to know about stella and rutger’s relationship, and in turn, daisy told stella about luke and ethan as soon as it happened.

with this, daisy was also one of the first to know about her impromptu departure to seoul, following stella and luke’s argument.

stella is the one who got daisy to be a little more extroverted in university.

daisy used to have a crush on stella’s brother jack, while stella still has a crush on daisies older brother jihoon

they often tease each other about this

♡゛THEIR THINGS .ᐟ

long study dates

sitting on the kitchen floor and sharing secrets at 3am

trying each others foods + drinks when they order different things

impromptu day trips

eating ice cream in daisy’s car

filming tik tok dances/trends

long conversations about the future

staying up late to play video games

matching pjs

sharing their netflix passwords and ect.

making each other playlists

holding hands even when they are upset with each other

getting drunk and watching kdramas in daisy’s apartment

note from mei GUYYYYSSS it’s here 🥹 i’m so so happy to have this out and posted <3 i just wanna thank roro for collabing with me because stella and daisy are some of my favourite characters and jajdjsjdjej please yall check her out if you haven’t yet 🥰

i’m just so thankful for her friendship and her guidance in helping me navigate this community and she just makes it so much more fun 🩷🩷 love u sososoo bad

tags @wintfleur @winterbarnesblog @lovings4turn @iceflwers

[lopposting]

Korea Game awards Game Director interview transcription <Lies of P>

Source (KR)

Hey so, I went through some Korea Game Awards stuff. It looks like there was a lot of content recorded for the event, but it doesn't really seem available online. I did find this interview with the director uploaded by a ruliweb user. It ended up being more of talk related to the industry and not all that related to LoP, but I figured I might as well share it since and I had gone through it anyway [and who knows, this could all be lost media one day!].

On LOP winning GOTY - South Korea

The Metacritic score was honestly higher than he expected

Talk about expanding the console games industry in Korea. Again, in South Korea - a leading world of PC Bangs and E-Sports, MMORPGs reign supreme! [Reading around the k-net supposedly LoP is notably one of the first major south korean developed single-player console title? I want to write about this more]

Influenced by other console, single player titles like Naughty Dog's Uncharted Series. [me: I love you, NG's The Last of Us.]

I'm pretty sure that based on his answers he will continue to spearhead the Lies of P IP

Send me an Inbox if you have a correction or see possible error/clarification needed!

[The "footage" doesn't seem available so it's a little hard for me because we can't hear the phrasing, so it's my best guess]

[VERY ROUGH TRANS]

ENG

Hello, nice to meet you, I am Choi Ji-won, general director of Lies of P [Jiwon Choi]

What games have you participated in developing so far? Asker Online, and just recently I was in charge of Lost Ark. [note: MMORPG and he did combat direction]

What do you think are the virtues of a good developer?

Above all, I think it's being clear and unwavering in direction

To what extent have I achieved compared to my goal? I think I've achieved about 80% of it.

I think the remaining 20% area

I want to at least overcome that level of fun I had, and the remaining area is one where the goal is to explore new fun

To do that, you have to put in a lot of effort, enjoy the game a lot, and talk a lot with your fellow development colleagues to achieve the fun you want

I want to get into that zone This is really honest

What advice can you give to juniors who want to become developers? Above all, you must become a gamer 'Does that fun really move you?' And do you want to give this feeling to yourself by becoming a developer?' I would like to take this opportunity to tell you once again that it is more important than anything to make an effort just to have fun

Why did you become a game developer? I've been a console game fanatic since I was young So, while enjoying famous masterpieces in console games, I also want to create a game that can provide this kind of fun I think it would be The Uncharted Series at that time I think I was able to analyze why this was fun while playing So I decided to become that kind of developer

What do you think about the Metascore rating results? [note: I'm assuming they're talking about the metacritic score, which is a critic aggregate (Lies of P currently sits at an 80)]

I'll be really honest about this too I thought it was a better score than the score I received. [Note: This is what he says, but I think what he means is "It was a better score than the one what I was expecting"] When I saw the evaluations of the metascore I realized I was only thinking about a small aspect and thought, 'I was [too] focused on the completion of just this area' But now, 'I need to think about a broader field and focus on it again.' It was that kind of experience

What is your ultimate goal as a developer?

Rather than being a developer who receives positive reviews from users, I actually want to remain as a developer who has a positive influence on other fellow developers in the field I hope to become someone who can serve as an opportunity to further improve and develop the development culture and development capabilities of our country's game industry

How do you feel when you receive positive and negative feedback?

(If you think positively) Thank you But I think we should never be satisfied with that (When receiving negative feedback) More and more, there were instances of reflection from a gamer's perspective like ‘Okay. I should have been more in his shoes.’

Any last words you would like to say? I don't think this award is ever meant for me I think this is an award given to everyone on the team I will take this as a sign to work even harder in the future We will continue to do our best to become a developer that can provide only fun and emotion

KOR

안녕하세요 반갑습니다 <> 총괄 디렉터 최지원 입니다

Q: 그동안 개발에 참여하신 게임은 ?

<애스커 온라인>, 직전엔 <로스트아크> 프로젝트를 담당했습니다

Q: 좋은 개발자의 덕목은 무엇이라고 생각하시나요?

무엇보다 뚜렷하고, 흔들리지 않는

방향성을 제시하는 것이라고 생각합니다

Q: 내 목표정에 비해 어는 정도까지 달성했나요?

약 80% 정도는 달성했다고 생각을 해요

남은 20% 영역

본인이 느꼈던 그 재미 이상을 넘어서

새로운 재미를 추구할 수 있는 영역이라고 생각을 합니다

그러려면 정말 노력도 많이 해야 되고

게임도 많이 즐겨야 되고

같은 개발 동료분들과도

원하는 재미를 정말 많이 한 방향이 되도록

대화도 많이 해야 되거든요

저는 그 영역에 도달하고 싶습니다

이게 정말 솔직한 겁니다

Q: 개발자가 되고 싶은 후배들에게 해줄 수 있는 조언은?

무엇보다 게이머가 되어야 됩니다

그 재미를 통해서 본인에게 정말 감동이 되는가?'

그리고 이 감동을 본인도 개발자가 돼서 선사하고 싶은가?'

진짜 재미만을 위해서 노력하는 게

무엇보다 중요하다는 것,

다시 한번 이 자리를 빌려서 말씀드리고 싶습니다

Q: 게임 개발자가된 계기?

저는 어렸을 적부터 콘솔 게임 덕후였습니다

그래서 콘솔 게임에서 유명한 명작들을 즐기면서

나도 꼭 이런 재미를 줄 수 있는 게임을 만들고 싶다

그때는 <언차티드 시리즈>일 것 같아요

플레이하면서 이게 왜 재밌는지를 분석을 할 수 있었던 것 같아요

그래서 그러한 개발자가 되기로 결심을 하게 됐습니다

Q: 메세타스코어 평점결과 에 대해서 어떻게 생각하시나요?

이것도 정말 솔직하게 얘기할게요

받은 점수보다는 더 나은 점수라고 생각을 했었어요

그 메타스코어에 대한 평가 내용들을 봤을 때는

납득이 가더라고요

작은 영역에서만 생각을 했었고

'그 부분에 대한 완성도만 봤었구나...'

근데 이제는 '더욱더 넓은 분야까지도 생각을 하고,

또 정진해야겠다.' 그러한 계기가 됐었습니다

Q: 궁극적인 개발자로서의 목표가 있다면?

유저들에게 좋은 호평을 받는 개발자이기보다는

현업에 있는 다른 동료 개발자들에게

긍정적인 영향을 미치는 개발자로 사실 남고 싶어요

우리나라 게임업계에 대한 개발 문화나

개발력이 더욱더 개선되고 발전하는

그러한 계기가 될 수 있는 사람이 되었으면 좋겠습니다

Q: 긍정적 & 부정적 피드백을 받을때의 기분은?

(긍정적으로 생각해주시면) 감사하죠

하지만 그것으로 만족해서는 절대 안 된다고

생각을 하고 있습니다

(부정적 피드백을 받으면) 더욱더 게이머 입장에서

'아차, 제가 더욱... 더 그분의 입장이 되어야 했었구나'라고

반성을 하는 경우도 많았었습니다

Q: 마지막으로 하고싶으신 말은?

이 상은 결코 저에게 주는 상이 아니라고 생각을 해요

팀 모든 분들에게 주어지는 상이라고 생각을 하고

앞으로도 더욱더 열심히 하라는 뜻으로 받아들이겠습니다

오직 재미와 감동만을 선사할 수 있는

그런 개발자가 되도록

계속 최선을 다하도록 노력하겠습니다

[kalena-henden]

The Korean title for The Impossible Heir is Royal Roader (로얄로더). Due to how romanization works, it could also be translated Loyal Roader, Loyal Loader, and Royal Loader. It was difficult to know which one was intended and what any of them meant.

After a teeny bit of searching, I have discovered that it's a term used in video gaming.

Royalroader (one who walks the royal road) is a term used in the Korean e-Sports League. It is given to a player who won the final in the individual league in his first appearance after Kim Dong-soo won the championship in his first appearance in the individual league. The name 'Royal Roader' came from the name of the road taken by the emperor. (Korean Wikipedia)

This makes sense that our young players want to come in and win the chaebol war in their first attempt to become like an emperor.

[tomorrowxtogether]

TAEHYUN: “I think once you’ve felt your fans’ presence it’s impossible not to work hard”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION comeback interview

2023.02.09

Affection, a sense of purpose, MOA, the members—these are what keep TAEHYUN moving forward tirelessly down an endless road.

I saw the “indoor lighting” picture you uploaded on Weverse. Looks like you’re working out a lot. (laughs)

TAEHYUN: There are few places you can see progress faster than you would expect, but that’s one of the perks of working out. I keep at it because I feel a sense of responsibility to become a perfect model for when I do commercials or other photoshoots so it’s a habit now. Now I sing and dance so much that it’s a form of insane cardio so I only work out enough to make up for losing my muscles.

You also work out with your Eonbuk Homies.

TAEHYUN: They came to Yongsan to meet me just yesterday. Only a few of the six of us were close at first. It started as maybe three of us from second year of high school calling ourselves the Eonbuk Homies and we added more and more people until we ended up with six. That was back when I debuted and my friends were preparing for the university entrance exam. We learned to rely on each other during that time because it was the hardest time of our lives. They knew me before I started down this career path, and when I was a trainee, and once I became an artist. They understand and respect all aspects of me.

Most of the people in the Eonbuk Homies were born in 2002, so people must bring the 2022 World Cup up to you a lot. What did you think of the recent World Cup in Qatar?

TAEHYUN: I loved that Korea made it to the round of 16 and I applauded the other Asian countries for putting on great performances, too. I watched the finals with the Eonbuk Homies and we were really rooting for Messi. Seeing France and Argentina go to the finals and then Argentina winning was really … (laughs) There will be a lot of naysaying if there is a TV show with such a storyline.

You wrote an overview of each game on Weverse, too.

TAEHYUN: Weverse is fun and I have a habit of showing up there, and I show up there even more often because I think it’s healthy to have a two-way relationship with MOA.

I can tell you’re dedicated by the way you say you “show up” to Weverse. You also posted a demo version of a song you wrote called “Ring” on there.

TAEHYUN: After watching the movie We Made a Beautiful Bouquet, I could really relate to lyrics like, “One day [we] meet and love each other like that,” and, “Probably because reality will get between us.” The movie’s about how the love is as beautiful as a bouquet at first but it eventually wilts—and there’s nothing dreamy about that at all. I thought there’s probably a lot of couples who break up over realistic and unavoidable reasons and I wrote that into the lyrics. I actually think that the love pretty much everyone has is meant to be. (laughs) That’s why the demo version was a love song. The album was about breakups, so the song was reimagined as a breakup song.

Did you write the lyrics in Japanese?

TAEHYUN: I write the lines I can in Japanese and get them checked by my Japanese teacher. I say something like, “I’m going to use these as lyrics. Does any of it sound awkward?”

How are you so good at English and Japanese? (laughs)

TAEHYUN: Well, I’m a sports fan and a music fan, so I think I got better from looking up a lot of interviews with athletes and artists. And I’m good at my mother tongue! (laughs) I think you have to be good at your first language in order to be good at a second one. I think I have an advantage there because I love to talk in Korean, even. I work hard at it because I want to talk using my own words.

And you sang in Indonesia and the Philippines in the local languages at your concerts.

TAEHYUN: Even though overseas MOA can’t really see us like in Korea unless we’re on tour, they still show us so much love, so we wanted to give them something special. I figured that, even though we can’t visit there that often, our sincerity would come across more if we sang in the languages of those countries.

You were getting ready for your year-end performances even while on your world tour. What was that like?

TAEHYUN: I was quarantined in Korea because of COVID-19 while the other members went to Chile, so I practiced the choreography alone first before reuniting with the group, then we rented a practice studio while staying in the US. We always started early and finished late so we would have more time to practice. I was worried whether we could do a good enough job considering how hard the first version looked and how little time we had but after we gave up our vacation time and practiced really hard it slowly started to come together. So when the performance was done, I thought about how it always seemed like it wasn’t going to be good but then it was, and also how proud and lucky I was to have the other members. But on the other hand, I wondered if they keep giving us hard stuff because we manage to do it every time. (laughs)

Wasn’t it tough practicing?

TAEHYUN: I was desperate. I felt sorry because there were all those MOA waiting for us ever since we dropped our album in early 2022 and I was desperate for an opportunity to show that we’re different now and could put on a good show.

What exactly did you want to show them?

TAEHYUN: That we can fill a stage, just the five of us. That we’re still good no matter which one of us is center stage. That we’re good at performing live.

And what about you personally?

TAEHYUN: Doing things the way I was taught, properly, is both a strength of mine and a weakness. I’m really used to doing group dances, but I think I still need some studying and to sharpen my skills for when I have to do a part alone. So I thought I need to bring up my quality level to be on par with someone like YEONJUN who has natural talent. I thought that would put him at ease. Recently, YEONJUN did “Lonely Boy (The tattoo on my ring finger)” and the four of us did a performance, and when it was all done, YEONJUN said he was never worried about us even from the start—that when he saw us perform, he thought we looked cool and everything would work out. Then he said he didn’t tell us we were doing a good job while practicing because he thought we’d be even better if he didn’t say anything. I thought we managed to take off some of his burden because he could at least take a short break while we were performing.

Is it true that you personally approached the BTS members for advice when you were doing a cover of “DNA” for 2022 SBS Gayo Daejeon?

TAEHYUN: I’ve been talking with Hobi since a while back, and the best part of being with the same label as people at that level is that you can get their advice. I grabbed each of them to ask them about “DNA” and they all said the same surprising thing: “Try relaxing a bit and you’ll look cooler.” So I passed that on to the other members, too. But it’s BTS’s song and when all those people are watching you, it’s not quite as easy to relax as you might think. (laughs)

Why is it you put your all into each and every performance?

TAEHYUN: There’s going to be people who are passionate and people who aren’t no matter what field you’re in. We decided upfront to be serious about it. All of us agreed that people would be able to understand that if they can see how full of grit we are. I’ve been in this field for years and the people who work hard really stand out. So we said we’re going to be those kinds of people no matter how many years we’re at it and hold onto our grit.

You revealed a bit of “Sugar Rush Ride” at the 2022 Melon Music Awards. Unlike your usual uplifting vocals, you sang in a seductive and sexy voice.

TAEHYUN: Everyone has their strengths—some people are best suited to uplifting music, others sing like angels, and then there’s people who sing really deep and soulful. I like to sing songs in a really clear voice no matter what. But you have to sing that song a little rough to make it really work. There’s a lot of parts that require singing sexily and a little over the top, and those were the parts I had to focus on bringing to life.

How do you manage to bring out a different style in every song?

TAEHYUN: I’m actively involved in the direction when I record vocals. I usually tell the recording engineer, “I’ll do that part again,” or make a part and record while talking it over with the producer. I think I should play it safe and dance the way I’m taught by the experts for now, but I’m more involved when it comes to singing lately because I work on songs too and have started to be able to see the big picture of how it’s going to turn out.

Were any of the songs changed to incorporate your ideas?

TAEHYUN: I changed how I express the lines in “Farewell, Neverland” from the demo version and it turned out great. We have a six-person group chat with Producer Bang and he sent us a message saying he was amazed how the recording turned out so well. I said, “Thank you. But didn’t you think ‘Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock)’ sounds really good, too?” (laughs)

You’re in the credits for “Tinnitus,” right? (laughs) It takes guts to put your ideas out there like that, doesn’t it?

TAEHYUN: One good thing about the producers we work with and all the people at BIGHIT MUSIC is that they’re open-minded so there’s no issues when giving them ideas. When I toss out an idea, it’s backed up by how hard I’ve worked to come this far, so one reason I work as hard as I do is so I can give my thoughts on things. It's like I’m taking one major, this one thing I’m really good at, but I believe I can double major with something else if I try really hard.

I think effort is one of the best talents a person can have. (laughs)

TAEHYUN: I used to think I wasn’t born with any, but now I think I was born with a strong will toward effort. It turns out it was a talent all along. It’s actually a talent to be able to put in the effort without much motivation.

You sing about arrested development on the latest album, but you seem to aspire toward growth more than anyone else.

TAEHYUN: I want to grow any way I can because growing means I’m alive and it’s how I demonstrate my identity. Putting on way better performances and singing good songs come first. All five of us make songs and I aspire to make good music. Being a good person is important, too. It's important to behave like artists, too, but this is a job where we work with other people, so it’s also important that the work is fun and nobody gets their feelings hurt so that the staff will feel affection for the whole team.

Have you never wanted to put your development on hold and give into temptation?

TAEHYUN: So many times. (laughs) But I never really give into temptation, no matter how tempting it is. There’s temptation constantly: today, yesterday, the day before that—every day. I think about sleeping more, taking a longer break, going home without practicing—but I realize I’m practicing anyway. I’m always practicing so I can improve myself musically, but sometimes it feels like an endless road because there’s no perfect solutions like in math.

But what is it that keeps you moving forward?

TAEHYUN: Affection’s first. I’m still in love with singing and dancing. Second’s my sense of purpose and third is MOA. I think, once you’ve felt your fans’ presence—once you’ve seen your fans singing along in concert—it’s impossible not to work hard. And I think that leads to a sense of purpose in the end. Fourth are the other members. If I work hard, I think it’s helpful to the group and to the other members.

What you’re saying seems to be reflected in “Happy Fools” (feat. Coi Leray).

TAEHYUN: I think it is an unbelievable blessing if you’re doing the work that you want to do. I also experienced a clash between things I want to do and things I have to do and I’ve ended up doing the things I have to do. There is a line that I wrote that goes, “There’s so many things to do but I don’t wanna do them.” There are also lyrics like  “People say the future’s always more important than now,” “Locked in a sweet moment,” and, “Every day’s so happy.” The most memorable line for me is the “People say the future’s always more important than now.”

Why’s that?

TAEHYUN: Everyone’s thoughts are future-oriented, right? It’s actually more fun and happier if you don’t study right now but grown ups tell you to study for the future. Would the happiness of the future or tomorrow be more valuable than the happiness of today? I don’t think so. That’s why I wrote “People say the future’s always more important than now, but I’m not planning on doing it.” But I’m the type that doesn't practice what I preach because I’ll still be studying. (laughs)

You helped write the lyrics to “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock).”

TAEHYUN: It’s my favorite song of the album and when I first heard the theme I was like “this is insane.” Everyone is bound to meet a hurdle. Let’s say if I’m doing rock, then I will someday bump against this doubt that I will never become like Nirvana or AC/DC. That is why I talked about how I would rather become a rock and do nothing than be a star that feels empty and even hears tinnitus when the fun’s over.

What’s the meaning behind the lyrics you wrote?

TAEHYUN: “Rockstar minus star, just a rock, ok?” is just a pun. (laughs) There’s a line that goes, “I don’t have that kind of talent or deep backstory,” and I think those lyrics are relatable for many people, but I think the key point of that line is the “deep backstory.” Groundbreaking artists like Kurt Cobain, Eminem and Justin Bieber struggled along or have start-from-the-bottom stories, but I really don’t have anything like that. (laughs) So I thought it would be fun to be honest and sing about how I’m not as gifted as them and don’t have their backstories.

I don’t think you’d be satisfied being “just a rock” though.

TAEHYUN: We sing about not having the potential to become rock stars in “Tinnitus,” so I thought it would be fun to write a song later called something like “We’re Rock Stars Now” if we do become groundbreaking artists. There was a time when I struggled with that and wanted to be a rock, but, no—I’m gonna be a rock star. I’m a rock star.

[katscye]

good morning! i am about to head to lunch (korean bbq yum!) and when i get back i'll finish my replies! BENEATH THE CUT i have my four new muses for you guys! if you would like a starter from one of them like this post. don't worry, i'll come to you for which on you'd like!

Olivie Carson - 27 y/o pastry chef

Ant Auewarakul - 30 y/o defense attorney

Eunwoo Han - 30 y/o profession e-sports player

Mai Manoban - 29 y/o ballerina

[lcv3lies]

YOUNGLUV.COM 𓂋 ᧔ enhaha ᧓

SYNOPSIS ✶ seol yn, member of NEWJEANS runs a popular fan account for ENHYPEN member sim jaeyun. what happens when yn attracts his fellow member, park sunghoon, who’s had a crush on her after seeing her for the first time in a cafe?

PARK SUNGHOON ( iceprince ) 🐧 021208

— istj , korean , visual , dancer , vocalist

introverted ex mubank mc. ranked 6th on survival show i-land. a hopeless romantic, falls quick and hard!! sees yn for the first time and is instantly in love. he used to be a professional figure skater, which earned him the nickname “ice prince.” he was chosen to be a music bank host alongside with jang wonyoung, and had his last broadcast september 2. 2022.

YANG JUNGWON ( leaderwon ) 🐈‍⬛ 040209

— istj, korean , leader , vocalist , dancer , rapper.

leader jungwon!! ranked 1st in i-land. has an obsession with his pet dog maeumi and will post him whenever and wherever he can! knows taekwondo. jungwon is definitely an all rounder!

LEE HEESEUNG ( hybeprincefrfr ) 🦌 011015

— istp , korean , center , vocalist , dancer , rapper

ranked 5th on i-land, vocal king heeseung will captivate you with his amazing voice. has an addiction to ramyeon and will eat it anytime he can with jake. is friends with tons of idols in the industry, and is a fan of newjeans!

PARK JONGSEONG ( jongseong ) 🦅 020420

— intp , korean - american , vocalist , dancer , rapper

ranked second in i-land. born in seattle, but lived to korea at age 9. jay is an amazing cook and takes so much pride in it. he also loves fashion. he always looks very expensive and put together, definitely sporting something luxury on him somewhere. he also always smells really really good?

SIM JAEYUN ( jayla4lyfe ) 🦮 021115

— istj , korean - australian , vocalist , dancer , rapper

born in south korea , jake was raised in australia. he loves playing sports , especially soccer and was known in school to be really smart, excelling in math. only training for 9 months, jakes talent was known to many as he ranked 3rd on i-land. part of aussie line, and he is friends with stray kid’s members bang chan and felix. he knows newjeans has two australian members, and once greeted their whole group at an award show.

KIM SUNOO ( slaynoo ) 🦊 030624

— enfp , korean , vocalist , visual , dancer

sunoo is definitely sunshine! always smiling and laughing and lofts the groups mood up whenever necessary . he’s super sassy and his remarks and faces often go viral. ranked 8th in final episode, he was the producers choice to debut. mint chocolate defender till the end of earth! goes absolutely insane when taking selfies (he’s very photogenic) and has no storage.

NISHIMURA RIKI ( giantmaknae ) 🐆 051009

— entj , japanese , maknae , dancer , rapper

ranked 4th on i-land, he was a fan favorite due to his amazing dance and performance skills, and for his persistent determination throughout the show at such a young age. this maknae is extremely tall, standing at 183cm and is considered the best dancer not only by the fans but also the members. loves his members dearly and would do anything for them.

ENHYPEN ( 엔하이픈) is the final 7 members of the survival show I-LAND under BE:LIFT Lab, a joint label created by HYBE and CJ E&M entertainment the group consists of heeseung, jay, jake, sunghoon, sunoo, jungwon, and ni-ki. ENHYPEN is a mix of an en dash and a hyphen that connects different words to create new meaning, members of ENHYPEN will connect, discover each other, and grow together. ENHYPEN debuted on November 30th, 2020 with their mini-album “BORDER: DAY ONE” and title track “Given-Taken”.

taglist (open ! cmt or ask to be added , bold can’t b tagged)

@ihrthni @luvhyun3 @urszn @jencthy @https-skzology @l0ve-joy @luvistqrzzz @astrae4 @noiacha @ 15yroldwholikesrockstars @sanriiolino

[roadtophantom]

Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be - pt 1

a.k.a. finally writing my phantom korea travelogue

Watching Phantom in Korea has been this big goal of mine since December 2012.

When I saw the vast spread of Phantom merchandise at the Blue Square theatre and how they decked the theatre with a Phantom tree and had all sorts of Phantom-themed food, it became crystal clear that Korea goes hard for Phantom like no other, and I wanted to be part of that action.

I planned to visit Seoul when the World Tour revival was slated to visit in 2020, but that one got axed and squashed as a pandemic would do to hopes and dreams.

Cut to October 2021, news of a new Korean production got out around, but I was pessimistic. The borders were still closed and who knew for how much longer. Even as they started reopening toward 2022, there was a quarantine / covid-19 test requirement upon arrival. Then our local Korean embassy started taking a hardhanded stance on applications that made it difficult for visas to be issued. Add to that, the fact that the embassy have limited slots every month.

The odds were wildly stacked against me, but travel restrictions eased up and nothing serves as a better motivator than watching people you know actually go to the place.

Months of mental prep, doing things for the first time, and many expenditures later, I was deemed worthy of a visa. The next step was a ticket to the show…which was an entirely different main quest on its own.

Buying show tickets in Korea is like a national sport

I witnessed this during the first waves of Phantom Seoul tickets sale. The moment the dates open, you would find most of the tickets are already gone. So you are left to buy what's left but even when you manage to click on one, another person is likely completing their purchase ahead of you.

I did manage to snag a Jeon Dong-seok ticket. But the Cho Seung-woo one, I didn't manage to get until a month later.

I have to pause and thank @fadinglandtragedy for actually answering my questions, providing valuable tips, and encouraging me when I myself have given up lol.

The beauty of tickets in Korea is you can actually cancel and if you are early, you can get your money back with minimal processing fee. That means cancellations peek now and then when the ticket vendors refresh their systems everyday. I was able to move to a better row for my JDS show, and I eventually managed to buy my CSW ticket (that no one fought me for 😭😭😭😭😭).

But it took extreme patience, nightly refreshes, and trying not to nod asleep. It was worth it in the end.

So I only had to find a decent airfare, accommodations, and wake up insanely early to catch the flight, and print out all the things to prove to the immigration officer that I'm not pulling a Valjean on his Javert. 🥲🥲🥲

Tip: Overseas fans can buy through Yes24 and Global Interpark, but I highly recommend Yes24 for the exclusive ticket sleeves and the fact that they have a mobile app that you can use to book, stalk last-minute tickets, and eventually claim them.

Tip 2: For faster purchase using Yes24, look into loading your cc info in Paypal so you'd just be one click away to everything. For some reason I found the native cc method a bit harder to deal with (and it charged me more for some reason).

Korea things and hopefully an actual review to follow!

[dojae-huh]

Sometimes, when I psychoanalyze Jaehyun, I couldn't help but think how his possible attraction to men is not surprising. Ever since, Jaehyun already demonstrated how his father is actually the leading figure in his life, which may come as surprising because familial norms are used to having mothers as source of comfort (and from the 127 documentary, a lot of the members did not really grow up with good father figures). But from Jaehyun's stories, it is his father that he seeks comfort and guidance from. Jaehyun likes people that are assertive, mature, wise, stable, yet still comforting and gentle. I couldn't help but think how he possibly patterns the traits he look in a partner after his father (Freud, you will always be famous :D), and how Doyoung perfectly exhibited these traits.

Contrary to his image, Jaehyun is not dominant. His recent interaction with Lauv shows that. He is shy and reserved, but his natural softness and smile are enough to make it look like he is sociable. (That's why I doubt his claims of being an E in the MBTI, when he shows major signs of introversion, even Doyoung is more sociable than him and the latter is a proud ISFJ). I remember he was asked if he would like to be a leader or older member of the group and he answered he enjoyed being younger and not taking charge. His personality is chill and ebbs and flows, he prefers someone leading him instead of taking the lead, yet at the same time, gives him the space to be stubborn and be on his own occasionally. I think someone like Doyoung is really a perfect partner from him.

Orientation develops pre-birth.

Jaehyun had his granny. She coddled him a lot in childhood, and wrote letters with commentary on his dancing when he was a trainee. He talked about her a lot during EnNaNa.

I won't pretend I know for sure, but Jae started mentioning his father (and going for advice to him, playing sports) when he talked about himself as a young adult.

Regardless, the father is definitely the more openly affectionate parent. Jaehyun talked about his mother being a reserved person, and how it was a problem for him, several times.

Doyoung is not a very stable person, heh. Based on whom did you write the list of traits? Who are the other people Jaehyun likes for their personality we know of? (bedise GM, who hardly can be counted) Ten, WW and Yuta don't answer the list.

Koreans are in general shy during first meetings. And even men in their 40s can be very giggly or hesitant. Evenso, normally there is more awkwardness and "don't raise your head", than real shyness. While Jaehyun, despite years as a celebrity, has to rely on "bro" gestures to somehow mask how socially inept he is. Lauv, indeed, was a clear case. They both are of similar age, both have similar status as celebs, Jae is a fan and had motivation to give a good impression, charm and forge a friendship for future collabs. And yet Jae retrited immidiently after a hug or an eye-to-eye.

And no, Jaehyun is not an E. Koreans lie about their MBTI-s in general. Some celebs even lie about their birthdates.

This moment with Doyoung and Taemin from 2016 is good for comparison. Doyoung was awkward, but he pushed himself to do what he had to do, play along.

I think JaeHyuk (and JaeWoo, in the past especially) is good at highlighting Jae's non-assertiveness. Haechan literally can push Jae against the wall, heh. And when Jae wants to stand his ground or has his way, he does it with the help of his stuborness and defiance rather than dominance. Jaehyun can't behave in a way as to be perceived by Woo as a hyung (whose word is finite), so he opts to slight agressiveness and cold responces.

I don't know how Jae's father is, but we might see Jae emulating him (as an example most close to him) in his relatioship with Yuta. With Yuta Jaehyun is a protective figure.

I wouldn't say Jaehyun has a chill personality, lol. He is no Taeil. Jaehyun is accepting, that's different. He is very moody though, can be emotional. In 2018 or 2019 neos joked how TaeJae squabbles were their favourite show at that time.

[leagueoflasagnas]

If the Korean team wins the gold medal at the Asian Olympic Games they will not have to do the military service... this is insane! I think it's the very first time I see an E-Sport treated as an actual sport activity instead of just some form of entertainment