#south korean musical theatre

[kadythethief]

i don't understand korean but holy fuck he's nailing the tone like holy fu- ahdjfjdjs

[bethanysnow]

So me and @lonelystczennie have been working on a project for a while now that is both of our babies. Around the time the Korea Elle shoot happened for Hyunjin, we both showed interest in this concept. I wouldn't have been able to write this without @lonelystczennie she is one of the best writers I have seen and I love her dearly. Everyone should follow her BTS account @7ndipity

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★Yandere!Hyunjin x Fem! Reader.★

---slow burn, obsession, College AU!, pinning, eventual stalker, Fluff/eventual smut????/there is a sprinkle of angst. ---

3.3k wrds. CHAPTER ONE

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Y/n sat in a chair in the theatre hall of SNU between classes. The room was large, and the red plush seats were a sight to behold at least in comparison to the underfunded American theatre she was accustomed to. They had just finished Romeo and Juliet for the fall and far on a facade balcony was where their Juliet stood and uttered the famous line “where for art thou Romeo-” Of course in Y/ns opinion she could have done it better. 

That was the problem with the South Korean society, or more so any society as far as she was concerned. It was about who looked the part, not that they did it well. 

Getting up on stage Y/n started to gather. A music stand, a chair, a folder of monologues she had put together. Holding her imaginary audience captive she readied herself…

“To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

    The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles

    And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,”

It was here in this soft moment that Y/n could be herself, be loud, be obnoxious, be in her own little corner of the world where no one would see. She meandered around the stage, using its size to her advantage. Her mind cast back to the years at theatre camps, high school productions, anything to get her hands on stage…where she could be anyone she wanted to be. At least in theory.

“-No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

    That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

    To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,”

While she wasn’t insane, she knew where she stood in the world. She knew what people thought when they looked at her. It was hard to miss, but somewhere in the mean girls brimstone there were glimmers. Glimmers of what might be, what could be..what should be. 

“Must give us pause—there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of th'unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovere'd country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution

   Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment

  With this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action.”

The crowd was silent, jaws agape at the performance that befell them. Until it was a trickled down noise, starting as a low hum, but grew to a roar of applause, A tony! One shouted, Encore!! Brava Brava!! Another yelled from their seats. In the space between classes Y/n got to hold onto her dreams.

Silly Y/n, dreaming big dreams…

            The door to the theatre opened and like a lightbulb flickering out. Y/n turned finding the head director of the art department walking in. 

“Ah! Y/n, you here to pick up some costumes?” 

            “Oh uh- yea! Just making sure folks didn’t just leave them behind after last show…” Quickly taking the music stand to the side of the stage, it was in reality where Y/n had to stand her ground. So, she batted the stars away and swallowed the butterflies, getting off the stage to grab her bag. Maybe this year’s Musical would be more fun…

~~

Hyunjin slowly followed Jisung across campus towards the art building, watching the dry, faded leaves skitter across the pavement ahead of them, caught in the wind, his hands stuffed in his pockets in an attempt to fight off the growing autumn chill.

Why had he agreed to this?

When he joined the drama department, he hadn’t realized just how much time and effort it actually entailed from him. He didn’t know much about how any of it worked actually, he had signed up mainly just to appease his friends and to get them to stop worrying about him so fucking much… 

“I didn’t know this place was here.” He’d commented as they’d navigated their way through the crowded cafe, sitting down at one of the few available tables.

“How have you not noticed it, it’s like two blocks from our place?” Changbin asked. 

“I don't know, I just haven't.” He mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. It was surprisingly good.

“You need to get out of the house more.” Changbin commented.

He didn’t argue with his roommate, though he didn’t necessarily agree with him. Nowadays he spent most of his time holed up in his room, painting, but he was okay with that. That seemed to be the only thing that made him happy anymore, the only thing that held any real spark for him.

It was quiet for the briefest moment before Jisung suddenly piped up.

“Hey, why don’t you sign up for the theatre department? Most of the guys are already involved in some way, so it’s not like you won’t know anybody." Jisung suggested, referring to the rest of their group of friends.

“I’m not an actor.” Hyunjin said flatly.

“You look like one though, that goes a long way.” Changbin stated, swiping a cookie from Jisungs plate. “The rest, you can learn.”

“And there’s more than just acting involved.” Jisung adds. “There’s writing and production, wardrobe and set dressing, music-”

“You could paint sets!” Changbin offered, earning a side-long glare from Jisung.

“We just finished the Shakespeare production too, so it’d be a good time to join before we start planning for the spring show,” Jisung added.

“Why do I feel like you rehearsed this?” Hyunjin asked. They glanced between each other guiltily.

He knew what they were doing, they just wanted to get him out of his room, out of his apartment, out of the headspace that he’d been living in these past few months. They’d tried a few similar tactics in the past, and while he appreciated the gesture, he really didn’t see much point to it. He didn’t see much point to anything anymore if he was being honest. Still, he knew they wouldn’t relent until he agreed to something.

“I’ll think about it.” He offered, satisfying them for the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, as he trailed behind his friend, he felt a weak flutter in his chest.  Anxiety? Probably, but there was also something else, something faint, more pleasant.  Excited? He hadn’t felt excited by much since-

No, no. We’re not thinking about that anymore.

He shook his head, quickly following Jisung through the door of the auditorium. Maybe they were right, maybe a change of scenery would be good…

The auditorium was abuzz at SNU. That winter was to be the planning and prep phase for the spring musical, and every theatre geek on campus was somewhere in that room trying to live out their slice of life anime dreams. 

Y/n was in the back of the theatre typing on her laptop, busy working herself away already for what she had planned this quarter. Her theatre friends, Chan, Seungmin, Felix, Han, Jeongin, Changbin, and Minho all tended to arrive late. Leaving her to babysit the freshmen if the art director wasn’t in. 

This year as part of his senior project Seungmin was going to direct and produce the Musical with the help of his friends. She was glad to be part of it; just didn’t think being late necessarily set a good example for everyone that was new. 

The doors to the side stage opened and sauntering in was her band of misfits. Or at least that's what the group chat was called. 

With a…new person in tow. His shoulders risen to his ears and yet his gate was sluggish. Shuffling and looking at the ground. Y/n found herself walking down the aisle to the white fold out table with stuff for the crew putting her bag down. 

“So glad you cared to join us- oh great leaders~” She bowed dramatically to Seungmin and Chan. She laughed and rolled her eyes at Seungmin flipping her off. 

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get on with this.” He said, trailing after her down the aisle.

The light peal of laughter drew Hyunjin’s attention, his eyes flicking up from the floor, quickly scanning the group until he found its owner. She was turned partially away from him, but he could still make out part of her features. Round apple cheeks, bright eyes that disappeared into half crescents as she smiled, her whole body moving as she spoke animatedly with Seungmin about something. He didn’t realize he had frozen, staring at her, until she looked up and met his gaze.

“Um, hi?” She offered, looking at him curiously.

“Oh, Y/n, this is our friend, Hyunjin. He just joined the group. Hyunjin, this is Y/n. She’s in charge of keeping us from accidentally setting the building on fire.” Han said, gesturing between the two of them before quickly snagging the chair closest to Minho’s, as per usual.

“Don’t pin that kind of responsibility on me!” She shot back before offering a warm smile to Hyunjin. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.” He said quietly, finding himself unable to look away from her.

“Alright, should we get started?”  She nodded slightly before turning back to the rest of the group.

After rousing games of zip, zap, zop, freeze and change, and traditional ice breakers for the lonely extrovert, Y/n found herself sitting in the audience scrolling her phone while the rest of the crew bickered over what to do in earnest. Her eyes drifted to the new boy.

…Hyunjin? 

His face was a lack luster pale like he hadn’t seen the sun in over two weeks. But his eyes were an abyss. No real emotion, seemed to be dragged here by their friends. Which- was how they got her to come in the first place; now it's their 3rd show season all together. His clothes hung on his body like a wire frame in a department store. Out of place, but far more expensive than the financial aid in her bank account could dream of. Catching his eyes, her own fell back to the screen in her hand. Maybe her cheeks were red from the smut she was reading earlier, or just being stared down by a dark prince type. 

Y/n had gotten used to living in and around very attractive people. It was the land of the Idol.

There were enough plastic surgeons to go toe to toe with the number of Walmart’s back home. Everyone had someone they wanted to be, to look like, to sound like, to replace. 

There just was no one like Hyunjin…He was who boys put up on their wall as inspiration, and girls put on their wall to admire. She dreaded to think what came to mind when she was caught looking. 

~~~~~

“Beautiful, ethereal, the human incarnation of a Renaissance Goddess.” Every word or phrase that came to mind didn’t seem to do justice to the woman sitting just a few seats away from Hyunjin. ‘Y/n.’ Her name danced around the inside of his head like a lyric from a forgotten song, foreign and yet somehow familiar. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying several times to redirect his attention towards his friends, who were clearly in the middle of some heated argument, Jisungs voice echoing loudly through the hall in frustration, but each time, he found himself drawn back to her.

He couldn’t understand it, every little thing she did seemed to hypnotize him. The way her fingers danced lightly across the screen of her phone, brow creased in concentration as she read, sending occasional curious glances in his direction, sending a small jolt of electricity through his system every time her eyes locked with his, even for the briefest moment.

His heart thundered in his chest; mouth dry as his mind raced to figure out what he should do. Should he try to strike up another conversation with her? What would he even say? Every time she glanced in his direction, his mind went completely blank. Maybe it would be better for him to keep his distance? He didn’t know how long he sat there like that, observing her from afar, before Chan suddenly spoke up. 

“Y/n, I need another adult!” 

She jumped slightly at the sudden use of her name, making the glasses she was wearing slip a little further down her nose.  Cute. He bit back a grin, watching as his friend approached her.

“Can you please explain to them why Dracula is a severely overdone production right now and how-”

“Actually I really like Dracula,” She interjected, stopping Chan in his tracks. “I think it’d be a great idea for the spring production. “What do you think, Hyunjin?” He froze as she suddenly glanced over at him. 

“I-” He stuttered, his stomach doing somersaults at the way his name sounded slipping from her lips. “I think it would be good.” He managed to agree, causing her face to light up in a triumphant grin as she turned back to Chan.

“See? Majority vote wins.”

“What do you mean you wanna do Dracula? It’s cringey-” Chan exclaimed. 

“Says the man who at my birthday went on a tirade about how aegyo is cute and it should be embraced…sir you are a master of cringe- embrace ego death it wouldn’t be that bad for you” Y/n laughed. Still, her eyes glanced at Hyunjin, hoping he didn’t mind that she brought him more into the conversation. Her hand reached up and pinched his hyungs cheek. “-plus, vampires are hot- if you don’t think you could pull off being a sexy vampire just say so” 

Chan's eyes widened and he gasped in faux horror. Y/n smiled triumphantly looking to Seungmin with a raised brow, silently asking for his thoughts. 

“Director!!” Han yelled clinging onto Seungmin's arm trying to force him into receiving his love and affection “Mom said it's okay! Let’s do sexy vampire show!” 

“I told you to stop calling me that!” Y/n yelled back pulling Han off. 

While they all ended up bickering about the ethics of sexy vampires, Changbin’s eyes found Hyunjins. Staring at Y/n as she manhandled Han to get off their mutual friend. Was…that a blush on his cheeks?

There was a light in his eyes that Changbin hadn’t seen in so long. 

It was a welcome change, maybe with some encouragement, Hyunjin could find his way back to himself again. Or- that was the hope at least. 

Hyunjin looked up from his middle-distance stare to see Han chasing Y/n around the stage and her dodging his antics.

 “!would-” “-yoU” “QUIT-” “IT?!” She shrieked bobbing and weaving from the younger’s attempts to grapple (he would say hug) her. A small smile teased at the corner of his lips as he watched her interact with his friend, admiring the grace and agility she moved with. I wonder if she dances-

“Alright that’s enough, Han!” Chan called, finally managing to capture the hyper younger man in a tight bear hug, allowing rehearsal to get underway at last. Chan eventually catches Han, and play rehearsal could truly start. 

Y/n sat in an auditorium seat in the front row, while the rest of the boys spoke to the incoming freshmen for that year. Explaining Dracula, what it entailed and if they were uncomfortable with it to go now, no hard feelings, but best for them to see just who they could work with. 

~~~~

It was a rather daunting undertaking, but Y/n planned to be in charge of costumes and wardrobe for the year's productions at SNU, and hopefully for the coming seasons as well.

 Not by choice of course, but rather had resigned herself to the fact that the cost of auditioning, the cost of being good, but not good enough, the cost of being ensemble as great as ensemble is, was too much. She had a skill set that was fit for behind the scenes work, might as well embrace it. The boys were getting names, contact information, and the like as Hyunjin decided to test the waters, coming over to sit near Y/n, keeping an empty seat between the two of them so as to avoid potentially making her feel crowded.

“So,” He cleared his throat awkwardly, catching her attention. “How do these things usually go?”

“Well,” She sat up a little straighter. “Once we figure out the main production team, we start working on things like set designing, auditions, wardrobes-” Hyunjin’s attention began to drift as she spoke, her hands capturing his focus with the way they moved and flitted about as she spoke, leaving him transfixed. “What department are you interested in joining?” Her question shook him out of his daze, his eyes snapping back up to meet hers.

“Uh, I don’t know yet.” He said. “What department are you working in?”

“Costumes.” She answered with a small, amused grin.

“I might try that then.” He said quickly. 

She laughed, or more chuckled. Almost one could think she just cleared her throat, but the smile on her face would prevent the assumption. It was enough though. Hyunjin had fireworks in his soul blowing off and he didn’t know how to stop it. Not that he would want too of course.

“You should audition though! Everyone should give it a shot; you won’t know what you don’t try.” Y/n said in an attempt at being encouraging to the newcomer. 

“Are you then? Going to Audition?” 

“Nah- not this year, It’s Seungmins project, I wanna support him best I can and that is with costumes.” She smiled and leaned back in her chair. 

Looking at Hyunjin Y/n couldn’t help but notice the bags under the boys eyes, the flat expression wore thin and the smile he dawned was tired. Her heart ached, but not in pity, it was in recognition. She knew what it was like for the lights to go out behind ones eyes…thats what happened when she moved to South Korea.

The main 7 that adopted her brought her back to life and now there was Hyunjin. In a similar position to where she was, and maybe with some musical theatre shenanigans he would find his way back to wherever he fell off. 

            “Y/N do you think you could get the phantom costumes from freshman year?!” Seungmin raised his voice above the chatter. Her head whipped to the sound of her name and rolled her eyes. “What do you think?!” She shouted back only to bow her head at Hyunjin briefly to go join his friends little circle that had been made. Leaving him, to watch her walk away. 

Hyunjin watched her join their other friends with a faint pull in his chest as she went. “Y/n”, everything about her seem to draw him in, though he couldn’t quite place the reason why. Was it the bright flash in her eyes as she spoke? The warmth that colored her cheeks as she laughed? Her very being seemed to exude a warm, calming quality that he hadn’t experienced in another person before. He shook his head, looking away from the others as he tried to collect himself.

Was he seriously this infatuated with her after only a half hour?

It wasn’t impossible, he knew he tended to be rather intense when it came to these types of things, he’d been told that more than once in the past, but something about her seemed to strike a different chord within him. 

thank you @lonelystczennie for being my writing partner.

Tag List: Open

@kaciidubs @itsseohannbin @ldysmfrst @frenchkisstheabyss @daydreams-after-dark

[not-your-teddy-bear]

coming out (of your shell)

pairing : non-idol!minatozaki sana x reader

summary : you’d always been shy, never wanting to step out of your comfort zone. but sana made you experience things you never even knew were possible.

warnings : internalised homophobia , slight homophobia in general , mention of drugs (not like actual drugs but comparing something to drugs) , slight angst ? , hurt/comfort , otherwise pretty fluffy

requested : nope (asks open btw)

notes : school is kicking my ass. slightly inspired by “Why” by Sabrina Carpenter. cross-posted on ao3 (yourteddybear)

You never thought you’d be spending your free time in a packed, loud, overwhelming music theatre, but here you were. And here was Sana, too.

You had only met the woman a couple months ago, but she had easily wormed her way into your heart. Although, your friendship was quite a paradox, considering you kept to yourself and she would make friends with a tree, if given the opportunity.

At times, it felt hard to keep up with Sana. She was just so bright and outgoing and social and you were…not. Where you liked to laze around on rainy days, she liked to dance in the rain. When you wanted to laze around all day, she wanted to go on an adventure. But when you realised that your feelings had turned into something more than just platonic friends, she was none the wiser.

That being said, her extroverted nature definitely made your life more interesting.

Since meeting Sana, you had been to a carnival for the first time in your life, where you almost threw up after stuffing yourselves with overpriced hotdogs and too-sweet cotton candy. Your first trip abroad was with her, too. She took you to Paris; “just because she had an extra ticket,” she had said so nonchalantly, as if she wasn’t setting the bar astronomically high for anyone who came after her.

And, of course, now you were watching the South Korean production of Chicago, with her head rested on your shoulder. You had never been so tense. You feared making the slightest move would make her raise her head from your side, or ruin her comfortable position. Not to mention you were already in an unfamiliar environment.

But she seemed so at ease, and eventually you began to relax, as well. That was the thing with Sana. For some reason, she was able to change you for the better when no one else could.

There wasn’t anything wrong with your shy disposition before, but after meeting Sana, you found yourself more confident, more daring. She made you laugh harder than you knew you could and taught you more than your entire school career could ever imagine.

She was, for lack of a better term, your other half.

And you made her better, too. Around you, she didn’t feel that she had to put on a performance, be the smiley, ever-cheerful girl everyone expected her to be. She didn’t even need to say anything for you to understand.

But now, sitting in this music theatre with hundreds of strangers, with music blaring through the speakers, and lights bright enough to cook an egg, it was all a bit much.

You needed to tell her. You wanted to tell her. About how much she meant to you. About how she inspires you to be a better person everyday. About how much you admire her.

And yet, you couldn’t.

What would they say? Your parents? Your friends? You were sure they would never hurt you, but it was still daunting to share such an vulnerable part of yourself. And, to be completely honest, the prospect of being anything more than friends with Sana was terrifying.

What if it didn’t work out? You didn’t want this friendship to end, not when she made you feel so whole. And what if she didn’t like you like that in the first place? She is physically affectionate, but she may just be with all her friends.

“Hey,” that soft tone on your shoulder snapped you out of your trance, “are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” you said, totally convincingly, “I just…need to go to the bathroom. Be right back.” After which, you had left before she even got to say anything.

You just needed a bit of air. The music theatre was so stuffy, and man, was that music loud. And why did it smell like smoke? Smoking was prohibited in the theatre, and it wasn’t like someone was just sitting there smoking—

“This doesn’t look like the bathroom to me,” came a lighthearted voice from behind you. Sometimes you were astonished by Sana’s amazing ability to cut you off right as your mind is getting away from you.

After there was no response, she came closer.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.” It had come out harsher than you intended, and you could see the flash of hurt in her eyes, making you feel all the more guilty.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it. But if you do, I’m always here to listen.” Her bright eyes conveyed so much love and concern, you almost melted on the spot.

You contemplated telling her. What did you have to lose? The best friendship you’ve had in years and possibly your happiness. No big deal.

“Look, I just…before I say anything, I want you to know that these past couple months have been the best, and I am so incredibly thankful that I ever met you, Sana.”

“What are you—“

“Wait, let me finish?” She nodded and allowed you to continue.

You took her hands, which surprised the both of you. “You know that I’m not the most outgoing person—even getting through this is taking all I’ve got—but I just can’t hide it anymore.”

You took a moment to prepare yourself for potential rejection and heartbreak, but what you didn’t notice was Sana’s flushing cheeks.

“I really like you, Sana. More than just friends. And I’m really sorry. I know you don’t like me back, and you probably don’t feel that way about girls, and I totally get that, and it’s completely my fault—“

“Can I kiss you?”

It felt like a sucker punch to the stomach. But, like, a good sucker punch.

“…What?”

“Can I kiss you?” By now, her face was fully red—no doubt yours was the same shade—but she had such a mischievous smirk on her face you just wanted to kiss it away—

“Uh, sure.”

Uh, sure? You internally cursed yourself. Fortunately, Sana found it funny, chuckling as she leaned in.

The moment your lips connected, you felt like you were flying. Literally. Your entire body went numb and you could no longer feel the ground under your feet or the evening wind against your hair. And you swore you could feel clouds brushing against your fingertips.

Or maybe that was Sana. She was just as soft and delicate as clouds, anyway.

All doubts and worries were erased from your mind for those few seconds. You didn’t care about what your parents would say, or your friends, or even the old lady watching you two from across the street. You kind of cared about that last one; it was a little creepy.

However, even after you broke the kiss, you still felt invincible. And maybe that was because you were hooked on the drug that was Sana, or maybe you still hadn’t processed it yet, but you felt like you could conquer the world

And you were glad you had her by your side, to conquer it with you. Through the hard decisions and the scary situations, you knew she would always help you come out of your shell.

[bts-hyperfixation]

Repercussions

A Hoseok x Namjoon x Reader Fanfiction

Summer madness 7/32 Y/N is fed up of not being the center of attention because Namjoon and Hoseok are busy. But can she handle it when bratting gets her EXACTLY what she asked for? Degradation, name-calling, fem oral, Dom/sub

"I'm kinda busy here sweetheart." Namjoon dismisses you.

The rapper is bent over his mixing boards, hard at work on what is sure to be the next big thing on the Korean music scene. Too bad you didn't really care all that much, the South Korean public had monopolised more than enough of his time, especially with enlistment coming up. It left you feeling particularly sour about the lack of attention you had been receiving of late, both from Namjoon and Hoseok.

You drape yourself over Namjoon's shoulders and sigh dramatically. He rolls his eyes but continues with his work, largely ignoring you in favour of his new album.

You walk your fingers along his arm, tracing the veins that stick out along his biceps.

"Love we can play later." He says shrugging you off.

"But I want to play now." You whine in the most petulant voice you can muster.

He looks up at you finally, but it's not the look of defeat you'd been hoping for. His tongue is buried in his cheek, one eyebrow raised. It's a look that tells you he is not in the mood for you to be bratty right now...

It's a look that might've worked on you ordinarily, sent you whimpering off with your tail between your legs to wait for him on his terms. Except he has told you later twice this week and fallen asleep before later ever arrived. This time you weren't willing to back down.

"That look has never been followed by anything good." You tease.

You make yourself comfortable on his sofa as he watches. You make a point of laying against the arm and arching your back in a way you know accentuates your curves, a pose he wouldn't normally refuse. You close your eyes and run your hands down your body, groaning as you ghost over your breasts. They continue down past your belly button, hovering at the tops of your thighs.

You open one eye to glance at him, to make sure your audience is truly captive. His knuckles are turning white from holding on to his knees too tightly.

"Y/N..." It's a warning, his voice low and gravelly.

"What? If you don't want to play I might as well make myself comfortable."

Your hands continue. You let your skirt fall upwards exposing your thighs properly. You dig your nails into the unmarred flesh leaving red marks in your wake.

"Y/N stop." He commands, but you've gone too far to listen.

You play with the seem of your panties. Your finger dips across the growing wet patch in the middle of the fabric, the coolness of your hand making you shiver. A hand reaches out and covers yours and you think you've won.

You open both your eyes to look at Namjoon but your triumph is quickly replaced with dread when you meet his eyes.

"Y/N I love you so much, but right now you are testing the limits of that love."

Your stomach drops and immediately you sit upright. He brings his hand up to your face and caresses your cheek as you whimper under his touch.

"I said later, sweetheart."

You nod this time and he releases your face. He turns back to his work and it is clear that is all that will be said on the matter for now.

You decide to go in search of Hobi. His mood hadn't been particularly cheery this morning, but perhaps he might be easier to sway than Namjoon.

You find the man in your 'everything room'. A spare bedroom that you had converted for use as a dance studio, gym, movie theatre, and other recreational activities. Your favourite feature happened to be the closet that turned around to reveal Hobi's favourite toys. It fills you with hope when you see him standing near the door only to find it facing the other way and filled with boring things like ankle weights and sweat towels.

You loiter in the doorway watching him wipe away the sweat that accumulated along his collar bones. He doesn't seem to notice your presence, or at least he ignores you if he does. He tosses the used towel across the room towards the hamper and presses play on his phone.

A song from his latest album blares across the speakers and like clockwork his body springs into the routine he has been practising for days. He moves harshly in time to the beat, meeting each step with perfect timing any mistakes he makes are completely imperceptible to the untrained eye. But he sees them. And you can see each one on his face as he becomes more annoyed with himself.

As the song comes to an end he grumbles to himself and finally turns to look at you.

"What's wrong Jagiya?" He asks.

"Missed you." You pout.

You jut your bottom lip out hoping to goad him into kissing you. It fails.

"I need to get this perfect before the weekend Y/N... How about we spend the evening together?" He suggests.

"But I'm lonely now..." You groan.

"Don't use that tone of voice with me." He rolls his eyes "You know that only works on Joonie."

"Not today apparently." You grumble under your breath.

He catches it anyway.

"OH! So I'm not even your first choice today? Silly Brat couldn't take no for an answer?" His voice turns cold.

You stammer for a response but he raises his hand to stop you.

"I want you to go to our room and stay there until I come and get you. Don't ask for things you've already been told you can't have Y/N you know better than that." He chastises.

You want to protest, not ready to give up on your endeavour. You're certain if you could just try for a little longer he will give you exactly what you want.

"But Hobi..." You pout, fake tears threatening your waterline.

"Don't. I've given you your orders, I'll deal with you later. Now go." He waves you away and starts his music again.

You huff loudly as you leave ensuring he hears your displeasure.

You glance at Namjoon's closed studio door one more time but decide better of it. And so you sulk for the rest of the afternoon, lounging on your shared bed and flipping through different shows on Netflix.

______________

Almost five hours later the door opens to reveal an irate-looking Hoseok. He flicks on the lights and unplugs the TV.

"You're so annoying. Did you know that?" He pauses like he expects a response.

But you know better than to give one.

"You think you'd be grateful, you know? So many others would kill for the life we've given you, yet you take it for granted..."

You whimper as he stalks closer to the bed, scrambling against the headboard.

"But maybe you're right. Maybe we haven't been indulging you enough. Maybe the unlimited credit cards and a beautiful apartment aren't enough for you? Maybe we've been selfish working so hard to provide for you, hmm?"

He crawls across the bed towards you leaving you nowhere to escape to as he cages you in. He reaches out and hooks a finger under your thumb, forcing your gaze up to meet his.

"Clearly you've been neglected, so let me fix that... strip."

His hand drops down into his lap and he gives you just enough room to dispose of your clothing. You do so quickly, knowing better than to leave Hoseok waiting when he gets like this. You sit with your back against the headboard, legs spread wide with space for him in between. He appraises you, gaze lingering in all his favourite places. He looks hungry. But he doesn't touch, not yet.

"Show me how needy you are."

You place your hand between your legs, using two fingers to part your labia exposing your little pink hole. You can feel how wet you are with just a small motion, the skin sticky from waiting so long. The cool air causes goosebumps along your skin.

"Touch yourself." He growls.

You whine, realising he has no intention of touching you himself, at least not yet. You start reluctantly, teasing at your entrance with no real conviction hoping he might take over if you do it wrong.

Instead, he slaps your thigh, making the skin jiggle and leaving a bright red print in his wake.

"I know you're dumb Y/N but you're not that dumb. Show me how you pleasure yourself." He sneers.

This time you try harder, dragging your hand up towards your clit. You circle the sensitive bud, eyes closing as you focus on the pleasure.

Another slap lands on your leg, this time he digs his nails into the flesh leaving behind little halfmoon bruises. His free hand tucks back under your chin, forcing you to look at him. He doesn't need to speak his command this time, clear in his intention. Your eyes don't leave his as you play with yourself.

Your hand moves quicker and in more erratic rhythms as you get close. Cramps start in your wrist as the movements become more jolted the closer you get to the edge but you don't dare stop. Your head flops back against the headboard as you cum, eyes squeezing shut, unable to focus them any longer.

"Colour?" Hobi asks as your high fades away.

"Green." You affirm.

Hoseok grins at you and leans forward to kiss you quickly.

And then just like that, nice Hobi is gone again.

He attaches himself to your collarbones, marking across your skin with ugly red and purple bruises. His hands press your legs outwards, making them burn as he stretches them further apart than naturally possible. Slowly they inch down towards your centre so close to their target before you are interrupted by a cough at the doorway.

You look up to find Namjoon looking annoyed with his arms crossed, but Hoseok barely bothers to acknowledge his appearance, fingers finally finding their target as he pushes two inside of you with no warning.

"Hob-ah... I thought you were going to wait for me." Namjoon frowns.

"Got impatient." Hoseok shrugs, mouth refusing to detach from your collar.

You try to reach out for Namjoon but Hoseok curls his fingers at just the wrong moment, all thoughts of getting to your other lover abandoned instead for incoherent moans.

"I don't think you're doing a good enough job Hob-ah, the needy brat is still verbal." Namjoon scoffs.

Easily provoked, Hoseok immediately abandons his attempt to completely repaint your collar bones and drops into his stomach. His lips wrap expertly around your clit as his tongue dives into the centre of the nerves. You squeal and writhe as he attacks the sensitive bud.

Namjoon is quick to cross the room, pacing his lips on yours to swallow the noises that escape you. He bites hard on your bottom lip making it swell, a reminder of him that will likely last for days. His hand comes up around your throat holding you in place.

Hoseok pushes a third finger inside of you. The stretch proves too much and he works you through your second orgasm. His fingers maintain their pace and his tongue continues to wiggle against your clit preventing you from seeking any relief from the intense wave as it washes over you.

You try to moan out for Hoseok to stop, hands seeking his hair to tug at the strands but Namjoon stops you. His free hand bats yours away easily and his lips capture any noise that manages to escape past the hand constricting your throat.

"I thought this was what you wanted slut? Didn't you want our attention? Don't tell me after two orgasms you're ready to throw in the towel?" Namjoon whispers cruelly, biting at your earlobe.

Hoseok chuckles at Namjoon's taunts, the vibrations making your overstimulation worse. The man between your legs keeps going until your thighs are shaking, threatening to close in around his head, a third orgasm rattling through you. When he eventually does pull back, you're panting for air, Namjoon's hand finally fully releasing your throat.

Hoseok doesn't allow you much time to catch your breath, claiming your lips with his own, allowing you to taste yourself all over him, his chin dripping with you.

You're so wrapped up in what he is doing, you drift away from Namjoon, no longer aware of what he is doing. It's too late when you realise he is between your legs, dangerously pillowy lips torturously close to your clit. The bundle of nerves is still throbbing from Hobi's onslaught, not yet ready for more.

But Namjoon isn't always known for his patience.

He lays his tongue flat against your heat and licks a long slow line upwards, gathering your cum along his tongue. You try to scramble away as he flicks the tip over your clit, but are met by the headboard with nowhere to escape. Hoseok bites along your shoulder to distract you, settling in at your side so he can watch Namjoon go down on you. He reaches out and threads his finger in the other man's hair, guiding him along your sensitive pussy.

He is messier than Hoseok, much less precise in his movements. His tongue dips inside of you, pushing as far as he can manage before pulling back out and dragging upwards to circle your clit. It's just enough stimulation to keep you hanging, but never quite enough to push you over the precipice.

His hands dig into your thighs, pushing them away as they try to close around his head. Tears roll down your cheeks as he pulls back and bites at your legs in warning. You try to force them to stay open but the closer you get the more you tremble. Just when you think your legs are going to snap like a rubber band he lets you cum. Your thighs suffocate him as they rush to close around his head, shaking from the force of your fourth orgasm.

He doesn't seem to mind as he emerges beaming moments later. He reaches out to caress your face, wiping away the tear tracks.

"Are you okay love?" He asks.

You nod in response, not trusting your voice to have returned just yet. Namjoon wipes your cum from his face using his t-shirt and tosses the soiled garment towards the door to be dealt with later. He then pulls you forward into his lap, cuddling you closely.

Hoseok brushes a hand lovingly through your hair before disappearing from the room. He returns with wipes and snacks. He plugs the TV back in as he walks past and settles in on the bed next to Namjoon, playing with your hands.

"I'm sorry we've been busy lately, love," Namjoon whispers, kissing your head.

"Once I've finished this weekend's performance, all my schedules are finished, I'm all yours," Hoseok says.

They turn the TV back to the channel you had been watching when Hoseok had come in and set about cleaning you up as you lay limp in Namjoon's arms.

"You guys didn't cum..." You say as Hoseok pushes your legs apart to clean you up.

"I'm sure you'll make that up to us next time, I don't think you could handle anymore today," Hobi says.

As if to illustrate his point, he merely ghosts a wipe over your clit and it causes you to flinch.

"As long as next time is soon." You pout.

"Very soon," Namjoon promises " You have some very bratty behaviour to make up for..."

Masterlist

Prompt from: @hobizjagiya

[bestmusicalworldcup]

The South Korean musical Marie Curie will have its English premiere in London's Charing Cross Theatre (also home to the English premiere of Rebecca) on June 1, with the official opening night set for June 7 and performances scheduled until July 28th.

Marie Curie was originally written in Korean by Seeun Choun, with music by Jongyoon Choi. This musical is directed by Sarah Meadows, with the English adaptation by Tom Ramsay and Emma Fraser, and literal translation by Ahreumbi Rew.

While various European musicals have had English runs in London over the years, the import of Asian musicals to London (as far as I am aware) is a relatively new phenomenon. The only other examples I can think of are the concert production of Frank Wildhorn's Death Note musical and the upcoming production of Wildhorn's Your Lie in April musical.

It's also very interesting that the Charing Cross is doing another import; I have to wonder if they're actively seeking foreign musicals to produce now.

[sillyname30]

shinkim0817: 🪴 Maybe Happy Ending..🤖💝 (Oct. 27th, 2024) Seeing my dream show on Broadway was so magical. The first time I saw Maybe Happy Ending in South Korea, I immediately thought Oliver is me!!! I need to play him one day 🥺. His care and love for his own collections, listening to music, cleaning his room.. his personality clicks with me very well. I still can’t believe it’s on Broadway now. As I entered the theatre, the first thing I saw was “Maybe Happy Ending” sign in Korean next to the English Title on stage; 어쩌면 해피엔딩. Throughout the show, lots of Korean words and phrases were used on stage. As Oliver started singing the first number “World within My Room” got me tear up right away. The staging and set designs were very creative, original, and outstanding! Thank you so much for creating and having it on Broadway. This is the representation, I NEEDED. It made me very proud 🇰🇷. @hue_park , Will Aronson. Thank You. 좋은작품 정말 감사합니다🥰 ——————————————- This show feels dramatically different each time I see it. This is one of the shows that truly encourage me to reflect on myself. There must be an ending if there is a start… I know it can be so painful to say goodbye sometimes. What’s considered Happy Ending…? Are just pretending? Does Happy Ending truly exist? …

[redrumrecords]

REDRUM RECORDS | BACKGROUND

─────────

REDRUM RECORDS, formerly known as XPERIENCE ENTERTAINMENT or XECOMPANY, is the rebranded name of the company after the CEO change from the founders CAL ROWE and CHO BAEK-HYEON to their respective children HARVEY ROWE and CHO FLORI. The change has been talked about behind the scenes in the company since MID 2020 and it wasn't until LATE APRIL 2024 that an announcement was posted to the company's official Twitter.

─────────

COMPANY INFORMATION ───

CURRENT CEOS: HARVEY ROWE & CHO FLORI

TYPE: HALF PUBLIC | HALF PRIVATE

INDUSTRY TYPE: IDOL ENTERTAINMENT; MUSIC PRODUCTION, MODELING, TALENT / ACTING

AWARDS: TBD

COUNTRY OR ORIGIN: SOUTH KOREA & CANADA

HEADQUARTERS: 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREAN MONTREAL, CANADA MIAMI, FLORIDA SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA SHANGHAI, CHINA MARSEILLE, FRANCE

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: ~12,426 (as of NOV. 2024)

SOCIAL MEDIAS & WEBSITES:

redrumrec.kr redrumrecords_auditions.kr instagram: redrumrecs twitter: redrum_records

SUBSIDIARIES -

IDOL ENTERTAINMENT AGENCIES:

FALSE GOD STUDIO SWEET DREAM MEDIA EXTRA EXTRA PRODUCTIONS SHARE THE STAGE BAD END THEATRE BAD COMPANY STUDIOS

ACTING AGENCY:

BEHIND THE SCENES PRODUCTIONS

MODELING AGENCY:

ALTER EGO MANAGEMENT

[lianawrites350]

Into the Shadows: An Analysis of BTS’s “Black Swan” Music Video

Read the full essay here or on The Medium! https://medium.com/@bethalal5813/into-the-shadows-an-analysis-of-btss-black-swan-music-video-c71c5008bbbe

What if I no longer love my art? Every artist has, at some point, asked themselves this question. It’s a question fraught with fear, shame, pressure and doubt, asked in the deepest, darkest moments where no one else can see. South Korean boy band BTS, and one of the biggest musical acts in the world, also asks this question except they confess this fear to their global audience. In their 2020 single “Black Swan” from their album Map of the Soul: 7, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook examine their relationship with music and the fear of losing their passion for it. As American dancer Martha Graham said “a dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” This struggle with their fears is like death to them, tearing at their certainty of who they are, and they must find a way to overcome their fears or risk losing themselves entirely.

“Black Swan” is a raw, vulnerable insight into the insecurities and pressures BTS face as musicians and artists. Whereas their previous track, “Dionysus” is a delirious high, showing an artist’s intoxicating passion for their art, “Black Swan” and its corresponding music video is the bleak hangover. This R&B trap ballad admits the pressure and fears they face and how that interferes with their love for music. The title’s allusion to both Tchaikovsky’s evil character in the Swan Lake ballet and the 2010 thriller Black Swan hints at this duality of passion and fear, perfection and insecurity. The title could also reference the term “black swan”, an event, in this instance falling out of love with music, that happens unexpectedly, has extreme impact, and is of human nature. The music video, shot at the Los Angeles Theatre and released on March 4, 2020, captures these dualities by incorporating motifs of shadow and light, on-stage and off-stage, and black and white to explore the lyrics’s themes of fear and overcoming fear.

“Do your thang with me now. What’s my thang? Tell me now” This intro directs BTS to keep doing their passion, except they’re struggling to remember what their passion is. This struggle is at the core of the first verse, which introduces the shadows that haunt them. Suga raps “The heart no longer races when hearing the music play”. As a rapper, idol, musician, and producer, music is deeply intertwined in Suga’s life. His love for it is detailed in his 2016 song “First Love” which described the piano as the first love in his life, there for him throughout his life whenever he needed it. In this verse, however, he fears losing this passion for music one day, confessing it would feel like death. RM raps similar sentiments, admitting a deep fear that what if this first death is happening right now.

The music video articulates shadows through its lighting. Reflecting his opening lyrics, Suga crouches by himself on an elegant, empty stage that is half-submerged in shadows. In the music video, the stage is a metaphor for their relationship with music, and currently Suga’s love for music is submerged in darkness. The camera is pulled back in a long-distance cut, making him appear even smaller on the stage. Projected onto the background behind him, a huge shadow awakens and flexes like a bird stretching its wings. The shadows are awakening and actively overtaking him. The next scene is RM standing alone in a hallway of the theater, staring at the camera. The hallway is more clearly lit than the stage, but a daunting shadow is projected on the ceiling, looming over him. This shows that they are still being followed by their fears even when they leave the actual stage. As he raps about his “first death”, he momentarily turns his back from the viewer, hesitates, before looking into the camera directly, rubbing his throat.

This gesture of suffocation and death and the fear being realized in the present is reflected in the music video’s costuming and choreography. For most of the music video, the members are in fully black outfits, signifying their descent into the shadows. Black-and-white costuming is featured, however, in the choreography scenes that are intercut throughout. These scenes take place on a blacked-out stage with a single spotlight, symbolizing the shadows they are facing. Two dances take place here: the group’s official choreographed dance and Jimin’s solo dance. The costumes are designed to look mid-transformation from white swans to black swans. Jin and RM are in white suits but have black undershirts and black jacket linings. Further along the transformation, Jungkook has black trailing up his coat sleeves while Suga and J-Hope have black color on their tailcoats. V wears a black undershirt with actual feathers on his collar, and Jimin, the primary character in this music video, has black feathers running down his white jacket. The black represents the shadows, and the gradual overtaking of black, particularly around the neck, suggests the shadows suffocating them. In the group choreography, as Suga raps, Jungkook dances around him as a representation of Suga’s struggle against the shadows before offering his hand which Suga accepts. In RM’s verse, Jimin and V mimic RM’s moves behind him, amplifying his fears. In his solo scenes, Jimin performs a modern dance with the shadows nearly completely obscuring him. A clear shot of his face is not seen until nearly the start of the chorus, suggesting intense private turmoil.

The chorus section drags them deeper into the fear itself. The pre-chorus lyrics describe a muffled silence, impenetrable by songs or their cries for help. The silence is filled with only their heartbeat. This cavernous emptiness represents their fears of falling out of love with music, most likely brought on by the intense pressure, expectations, and scrutiny they face as global superstars as well as possibly anxiety and burnout from constant musical output. In the music video, V looks down at the camera, like a human to an insect, as it circles around him. This reflects the lyrics of trying to escape from the maw, evoking the voraciousness of this fear and the danger of being eaten alive by it. In the pre-chorus line “Do you hear me”, Jimin is alone amongst the audience seats, the room completely dark except for a large spotlight on him. The camera is held at a long-distance and Jimin is crouched away from the camera, reinforcing the isolation and the disconnect BTS feels. Jimin slowly rises but never looks at the camera.

To understand the main chorus, we need the context of BTS’s discography. In 2017, BTS released a hidden track called “Sea” where they described their journey as a group like walking through a desert, which represented their struggles and failures, as they tried to reach the sea, which represented success. The same metaphor is used in “Black Swan” except now they have reached the sea, or the ocean in this case, but find themselves at the bottom of the ocean with no light or sound. The success they have achieved through their struggles has come now with new fears. Rather than swimming in the ocean of success they are drowning in its depths. Further, on the same album as “Black Swan” is “Interlude: Shadow” in which Suga discusses the pressures he feels from his immense success by using the metaphor of shadows to describe his fears of failure, self-doubt, anxiety, and loss of control. Though “Black Swan’’ focuses specifically on the fear of losing their love for music, all these fears and pressures and doubts manifest themselves in the shadows heard and seen in “Black Swan”. In the music video, Jimin dances solo, succumbing to the shadows. As he sings that he is crying out silently, he drops out of the frame, and the scene cuts to the group dance.

During the chorus, the music video contrasts the darkened stage and a brightly-lit lobby, signifying the song’s focus on the group’s internal struggle behind the scenes. In the lobby, Jimin slides across the floor while the others prostrate themselves, reaching out for help. The movements are large and expressive, showing how they are trying to escape and failing. They struggle to rise but their feet are held in a rut on the ocean floor, and it is “killin’ me now, killin me now.” At this line, the scene switches to the stage where the members wear their white-and-black outfits; they are trying to perform, but the shadows are overtaking them. The camera is at a long-distance, disassociating them from the stage. When V sings “Struggle but it’s all ocean floor” the scene returns to the lobby, their metaphorical ocean. It feels like eternity being trapped at the bottom of the ocean, and they direct the listener to “Film it now, film it now”. The scene cuts back to them on the stage to be filmed for the world as Jin drops his arm from head to belt like taking a snapshot. As global superstars, BTS have every move, word, and decision scrutinized by millions across the world. Through this song, they surrender even their darkest moment to these millions of eyes, knowing there is no escape from the pressures and fears. The irony of their journey they discover is that at the bottom of the ocean is more sand: they never escaped the desert.

To be free, BTS has to confront their shadows and, somehow, overcome them. The ending of the chorus shows close-up shots of the members on the stairs. Jimin stands slightly away from the others, and instead of a close-up shot for him, it cuts to him on the stage. The camera curls around him as black wings burst forth from his back, signifying him turning into the black swan but also alluding to a hidden meaning. BTS’s 2016 album Wings, explored the growth and struggles of the group as they became adults. Their song “Outro: Wings” spoke about how BTS’s fandom ARMY are the wings to BTS that enable them to have freedom and success. The motif of wings returning here foreshadows how grappling with this fear will allow them new freedom and new heights.

After Jimin’s wings spread, the music video cuts to J-Hope, wearing all-black, in a new foyer. The light in the room is almost completely extinguished except for a floodlight-like light on him, as if he is in the ‘belly of the whale’. J-Hope raps about sinking deeper into the shadows. This time, however, instead of being pushed there, he tells the darkness to let go and walks himself into the deepest depths to face his own shadows. Throughout their discography, BTS have emphasized the importance of facing your fears. To them, fears are not a weakness to hide or something to run from but an essential part of growth. Fears can be overcome if only we’re willing to acknowledge them and push through them. This fear of their music and passion may be their deepest, darkest moment. Nonetheless they face it head-on. J-Hope dances near a fountain, symbolizing the ocean he is trapped in, and the camera begins to move closer to him, closing the previous emotional distance.

The reward of confronting his fears is seen in J-Hope’s final words of his verse: “I saw myself”. Struggling past the insecurities, pressure, and doubt, BTS have remembered the true reasons why they love music. They don’t specify these reasons because it is private to them, but by remembering why they do this, they realize that music is an essential part of who they are. Their fears were not a negative thing trying to destroy them, but an opportunity to grow deeper into themselves. As J-Hope raps, the scene cuts to a large, window-lit practice room. This time, the behind the scenes don’t suggest inner turmoil but inner peace and familiarity, a place they use to prepare to go back on stage. We now get a close-up of J-Hope’s face, cutting out any emotional distance, as he grabs and faces Suga.

Suga’s verse signals the return journey from the ‘belly of the whale’. J-Hope mirrors Suga’s movements like a shadow as they circle around each other. When Suga raps that he’s found himself, J-Hope leaves, alluding to Suga finally escaping the darkness. As if from a dream, Suga says, he wakes up in his studio, and realizes that no matter how violently the waves throw him, he won’t get dragged away because his love of music is in himself. Similar to the stage, the studio has at times been a burden to them, as seen in their 2015 song ‘Dope’, where the studio is the place where their youth rots away while they work; here, however, it goes from being a place of work to a place of love. The music video returns Suga to the stage where he first started the song. The camera now closely circles around him as opposed to the long shots in the first verse, and the shadow projected behind him is much smaller than it was in the first verse. Their fears held them down on the ocean floor, but openly acknowledging these fears and finding the reasons they truly love music means that they could never lose their passion again. He reaches out to his shadow like a friend.

The second chorus section references their 2018 song “Fake Love”, which features musical motifs repeated in “Black Swan”. “Fake Love” describes a bad relationship where they are masking their true selves. The lyrics “a forest of just us…I forgot the route that I came along”, shows how they have lost themselves in an effort to save the relationship. “Black Swan” continues the themes by describing them being in a bad relationship with music where masking their insecurities causes the death of their passion. The second pre-chorus section finds them waking up from their ocean nightmare in a forest. In the music video, Jin is in a dressing room, perhaps the most well-lit set of the video, surrounded by mirrors. In a different scene, Jungkook stands in the balcony section, where the whole theater is in darkness except the stage. Doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com notes that in Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami the forest is a kind of labyrinth that represents “the understanding of the self”. RM is a known fan of Haruki Murakami and is a main songwriter on both songs, so this is likely the forest he is referring to. In “Fake Love” they’ve lost themselves in the forest, but in “Black Swan” they’ve woken up in the forest, knowing once again who they are. Jin chooses to look himself in the mirror, and thus his shadows, as the lyrics contrast being swallowed by the jaws of fear with “nothing can devour me”. Overcoming the silence around them, they “shout with ferocity”, and Jin turns to stare into the camera. Though millions of eyes are on him, he is just as free to stare back at them. The mirror images don’t move with him, a homage to the film Black Swan, but also symbolizing that by looking into his shadows, he is no longer controlled by them. From the balcony, Jungkook has metaphorically risen above the fears of the stage. BTS know who they are and thus know the route through the forest. Jungkook leans back far over the balcony. Arms spread wide, he has found his wings and is not afraid to fall.

The final group dance takes place on the stage; however, unlike earlier, the camera moves from the audience’s perspective to BTS’s perspective. BTS are silhouetted against the spotlight, and their backs are to the audience, removing the control that the world has on them. They dance and sing for the love of it alone, and here, wearing all black, we see the transformation of the black swan completed. The black swan side of themselves at first appeared dangerous; like in Tchaikovsky’s ballet, it seemed evil, seductive, deceptive, as opposed to the white swans in them who were good, pure, but vulnerable. In truth, though, the appearance of the black swan as the sudden appearance of fear, is a good thing. Like in the 2010 film, the black swan side of themselves is raw, emotional, and in touch with the art, as opposed to the white swan character who is obsessed with perfection, technicality, and therefore afraid. The black swan is good because it is in touch with the deepest part of their souls and who they are as people and artists. Jimin’s solo, from the same stage and perspective, is a silhouette against the bright spotlight. He dances freely, expressing being broken by the pressure and rising once more again with faith in himself.

The difficulty of creating art, however, is that the insecurities, doubts, and pressures never quite fully leave. The outro of “Black Swan” shows the cyclical nature of these fears in BTS’s lives. BTS’s songs are typically structured as 3-verse, 3-chorus with a thesis-antithesis-synthesis approach showing their problem, revelation and growth through the progression of the song. “Black Swan”, however, is condensed into a 2-verse, 2-chorus structure, and the lyrics repeat for the second chorus and the outro. This repetition and break from their three-part structure indicates that their fears are not entirely gone. Producer and Youtuber Joey Nato noted that the synth of the outro sound follows the “What’s my thang” melody of the intro, and the music sounds submerged as if underwater. This suggests the ever-presence of their fears lurking at the edge. On the stage, they dance in a line behind Jimin, who reaches out for help and drags his feet across the floor as they sing about the sound being shut off and their feet held in a rut. Joey Nato points out, though, the “Do you hear me” is more aggressive in the outro. They have gained the ability to confront these fears.

In a solo shot, J-Hope is again surrounded by shadows. He stares into the camera before descending into the darkness. As he does so, Jimin, in his solo dance, collapses, and the camera pulls away, leaving him to the darkness. Though we don’t see the conclusion, we see a post scene of Jungkook in the balcony section. A large shadow has overtaken the stage. As he watches, the shadow shrinks and disappears. Satisfied, he walks off. It’s interesting to note here that a behind the scenes clip revealed that the looming shadows were performed by Jimin and J-Hope, adding a deeper layer of intimacy and familiarity to the shadows plaguing them. In the group dance on the stage, as they block the light, their shadows loom large in front of them. In the final formation, however, their silhouettes become interlaced with their shadows. They have confronted and overcome their fears and recognized that these fears are a natural, ever-present, and vital part of who they are as humans and artists.

BTS’s discography openly talks about their personal challenges, including growing up, mental health, and contending with injustices in society. Throughout these struggles, music remains a vital source of strength carrying them through it. “Black Swan”, however, rocks this security as they question their love for music. The song is spectacularly raw and its intense vulnerability makes it a definitive entry to BTS’s discography and the music industry as whole. But this struggle is not theirs alone. “Black Swan’s” various performance concepts reimagine the song in different contexts of art and shadows. In the premiere performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, BTS danced barefoot and dressed in black on a stage designed like a fairytale forest at night. This performance paid homage to Tchaikovsky’s Black Swan and the ballet’s theme of good vs. evil. The Korean music show performances had them dancing in both black and white costumes amongst ruined classical architecture. These performances evoked imagery of grandeur decaying, of the art itself being broken because of their shadows. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s “BTS Week”, they introduced a new spin on this struggle and performed on a stage designed like an abandoned church, alluding to the disillusionment of belief, in institutions but also in themselves, as their core identity is being called into question. Their Japanese promotions on NHK Songs modernized the theme. BTS performed in flowy, loose modern clothes on a simple stage, evoking an image of a performance student dancing alone in an abandoned auditorium as they struggle with their inner demons. No matter the interpretation, these performances and the song itself speak to the struggle of the soul decaying under pressure, shadows overcoming the light, and an artist fighting against all odds to keep the love of their art alive.

[boysplanetrecaps]

Build Up Episode 2: 숨 (Breath)

Welcome back to another recap of MNET’s Build Up. In the last one, we covered Something Like That, and I got myself a new bias! In this one, we’ll be taking a look at The Hardest Song on the Show (along with all the other songs), 숨/ Sum / Breath. Let’s do it!

(photo: Choi Haram’s Insta Update, via Reddit)

As has become traditional on the show, the judges talk about how this is the hardest song. They say that about literally all the songs, though. Vocal Coach Guy (VCG) wonders aloud if the guys chose the song voluntarily, or if they were forced to do it because no other songs were available. No, that was mostly Every Moment of You. 

Breath was originally performed by Park Hyo Shin, who, per Wikipedia, “is a South Korean ballad singer and musical theatre actor known for his emotional vocals.” His songs have reached number one on k-pop hot 100 charts, beating established acts like A*pink. Breath came out in 2016 and hit number 1 in Korea. Here’s a cover of it by Chen from Exo, and here’s a cover of it by Jungkook from BTS, and here’s Bang Chan and Lee Know reacting to the original version. I just like covering my bases. 

It’s a sad song, but it’s a bit hard to say what it’s actually about. It seems to be about being depressed and lost and not really wanting to face reality. I’ll let you read the lyrics and decide for yourself.

The guys come up to the sound of athletic guitar music, like they’re ready to wrestle or box or something. It’s… 

LTR: Lim Junhyeok, Choi Haram, Jeong Inseong from KNK, Lee Hwanhee from Up10tion

Lim Junhyeok, the one who was a member of Day6 for about six months, introduces himself as a singer-songwriter. He was V5.

Choi Haram introduces himself as the “icon of challenge”. He’s a musical actor and was V8. 

Jeong Inseong is from KNK and seems to have a certain fanbase out there. He was V6. He introduces himself as the main vocal of KNK with a “soft charisma.”

Lee Hwanhee is from Up10tion, but you might remember him better from Boys Planet. He introduces himself as the cutie of team Breath. He smiles big, and then just a tiny bit looks like he wants to evaporate.

“Why do I keep going on these shows omg when will people just like my voice it’s a good voice I hate dancing I just want to sing oh god…” --Hwanhee, probably

The show makes a lot of their “prince-like visuals.” Are they handsome? You guys know by now that I have no idea who is or isn’t considered handsome by other people. 

Eunkwang gets right to the point and says it’s an extremely difficult song, so did anyone there choose it voluntarily? Haram, looking dapper in his pinstripes, says it was his first choice. The judges ask why.

Time for a flashback!

I’ll tell you now the order that the guys join. Inseong was in 11th place and chose it first, then Haram in 21st place chose it. Hwanhee came right after Haram, while all other options were still open, so it’s fair to say that at least those three consciously chose the song as their best option. Junhyuk was tied for 38th and had a choice of either Every Moment or Breath, and chose Breath, so it wasn’t really much of a choice for him.

We see the guys talking about how Breath is hard and wondering who would want to tackle it. But we also see the other guys asking Haram what he wants to do, and he always answers “Sum” (Breath). 

Side note: Kpop songs where you can hear the word “sum”!  It’s in the first line of Sugar Rush Ride by TXT (saenggageun got sumeul meomchweosseo), it’s at the beginning of the chorus of Mmmh by Kai (Mmmh mmmh, sumeul naeshwigo baeteo like…), and of course it’s in the first line of Breathe, performed by Lee Hi and written by Jonghyun (sumeul keuge swieobwayo). Those were just the first few songs I thought of. If you open your ears, you’ll hear “sum” a lot. 

We learn that Haram is a pianist as well as a musical actor.

Huh huh. Pianist.

Haram explains that he hasn’t engaged much in Korean music as he pursued classical music, but Park Hyoshin’s songs were his first exposure to singing. “I know it’s a really dangerous choice,” he interviews, “but I really wanted to sing the song that raised my dream on stage.”

Hwanhee takes the wrong route up to Breath and ends up going all the way around. Isn’t that just how things go for Hwanhee? He needs General Gunwook to boss him around. 

As Junhyuk arrives on the team, we get to see a little of his life. (I found a nice video on Youtube of this part, if you want to watch it. )

He says that he writes and sings his own songs, confirming my suspicion that songwriting is his true love, not singing exactly. He says that he has been releasing singles, and even teaching students at an academy. 

Pianist, Idol Main vocals, Singer-songwriter

Haram and Junhyuk take the lead on dividing harmonies almost immediately. 

Inseong asks Hwanhee, what she would do now? And Hwanhee says, “I guess… take a breath?” 

“They talked about music stuff a lot,” Hwanhee interviews. “To be honest, I don't know much about that. They were using difficult musical words so I couldn’t say anything. It was scary/” See? He needs someone to boss him around. Luckily, he has Haram and Junhyuk! 

Hwanhee tries singing his part, using a lot of vibrato, and Junhyuk confirms my good opinion of him by suggesting that Hwanhee dial back the vibrato a lot. It’ll give it a more casual, conversational feel.

Haram is so glad to have Junhyuk on his side to help, and we see a little montage of Haram working really hard. Does this mean Haram will be top tier? 

Here’s the link to the version without reactions. 

My thoughts:

This was a great performance. All four of them had voices I found myself liking a lot. Listening with my eyes closed, I was still able to pick out Hwanhee (I mean it’s pretty obvious) but I was listening to the others blindly and I found I had a positive opinion of all four voices. I don’t even want to nitpick them too much since I really thought this was all very good. I didn’t even mind the song -- I put this on my playlist. 

Haram’s voice is so full and mature, it’s almost incongruous with his youthful looks. I really like how he sings, though I’d prefer if he used a little less vibrato. There may have been moments when he was very slightly off pitch, but I couldn’t swear to it because the song’s melody isn’t super clear to me. I also would have preferred if he sang with his eyes open. But those are nitpicks. His voice is lovely.

Side note: He and Hwanhee are both wearing suits that are way too big on them.  What’s up with that, stylist unnies? Did you ask them to wear sweaters and they said no so you punished them with giant suits? 

Inseong’s voice is rich like Haram’s, but not quite as deep, and a bit smoother. I have no criticism. He also does a great job harmonizing with Hwanhee, singing in a sweet falsetto. I know I’m not saying a lot about Inseong, but it’s just because I have no notes! He did great. 

If you read my Boys Planet recaps, you know that I really like Hwanhee’s voice and always have. I think he sounds a lot like Baekhyun from Exo, and that is fully a compliment to both of them. He uses more vibrato than I would have liked here, but that’s a preference thing. I think he did great here, and I hope he won a few fans, since I feel like not many people supported him on Boys Planet. But isn’t it satisfying when it’s his turn to sing? I love his full belts. 

I wasn’t thrilled with Junhyuk in his teaser performance, but I find his story so sad and affecting that I was really rooting for him. So I was so glad to find out that the full, bright, satisfying belts I heard with my eyes closed belonged to Junhyuk. He also proved himself singing low as a counterpoint to Haram later in the song. Ok, his vocal color is a tiny bit sharp in tone (not pitch), but not unpleasantly so. He can get a tiny bit nasal, but it’s never anything “bad.” 

The harmonies were great overall, and I credit those to Junhyuk and Haram. 

I don’t know who I’d pick as my top tier, I really don’t. Every time I think I’ve decided on someone and type his name, I immediately change my mind to someone else. This was a strong team, in my opinion. 

The MNET Edit is kind, as is usual on this show. It was funny for me to hear one of my biases (Baekho) compliment another one of my biases (Hwanhee). But it seems that the judges didn’t like Junhyuk -- they were squirming around uncomfortably during his high belts. Well, I liked it, you dumb dumbs. 

Hong Seong Jun is enjoying the singing. I think. I guess?

When the song is over, everyone applauds and says they did a good job. 

VCG says that the song is hard to sing well, then tells Haram that he enjoyed his singing, for not trying to imitate the original singer too closely, but instead singing it in his own style. 

VCG goes on to say that Junhyeok was disappointing with “one thing” -- his voice was too “bare” in the chorus. He wanted to hear his “modal voice”, which I think meant his chest voice. I disagree, personally. I think having the contrast of Junhyeok’s voice was refreshing. But I guess that’s just a matter of taste. Also, since VCG said that Junhyeok was disappointing with “one thing”, the implication is that VCG must have had a lot of compliments for Junhyeok as well that we didn’t get to see. 

We don’t hear them say anything about Hwanhee or Inseong. 

The judges vote, and it’s unanimous -- they all vote for Choi Haram. 

That seems fair -- his singing was impeccable, and he also helped devise the harmonies. 

Haram pretty much can’t believe it. 

He almost looks like he’s going to pass out for a second, then says thank you and promises to keep working hard to justify his win.  

As the guys leave the stage, the judges say that they’re glad that the difficult song worked out so well. Then VCG adds, “It’s so nice to have an audition with just singing. I’m used to dancing too and this is much better.” 

Ok, my friends, I’ll post this much so that I can keep going crazy with as many screen shots as I want. Just two more songs to go! I fear I’m going to fall further and further behind… Sigh. Well, thanks for sticking with me and being patient. I’ll see you in the next one, which is going to be Decalcomanie, originally by Solar’s group Mamamoo. That should be interesting! See you then. 

Xoxo BPR Noona 

[growing-cosmos]

Kim SeonHo for ELLE MEN Singapore Issue 05 2023 - Full Interview

Kim Seon Ho Keeps Going On

Farisia Thang

The beloved South Korean actor is back and taking things one day at a time — starting with his debut as a villain.

Every movie needs a good villain — but that's a role that not just anyone can pull it off. Especially when the cards are not stacked in your favour. Kim Seon Ho knows this well.

Having always played heroic roles (Hong Du Sik, literally the neighbourhood hero in Hometown Cha Cha Cha or charming second leads who win over the audience's affection, Han Ji Pyeong in Start-Up and Jung Jae Yoon in 100 Days My Prince), there was a certain image that became expected of the South Korean actor. Before taking on the Nobleman in The Childe, it would have been irreconcilable to picture him as a villain, much less an antagonist. Not because there was any doubt in his acting skills, but because it never would have occurred to the masses to cast a man who has been given the endearing nickname "good boy" to play a Machiavellian assassin. Even the director of The Childe Park Hoon Jung didn't see the fit when he first looked at the actor's profile as he thought, "This face is not for noir."

But Kim has always been one to rise to the challenge. Let us not forget that before he was a TV actor, he was a familiar face in the theatre industry. And though it was only at 31-years-old that he debuted in his first TV drama, his so-called big break came three years later with shows like Start-Up and Hometown Cha Cha Cha. This is the way things go: Just when you think he has reached the height of his career, he keeps proving otherwise.

And that is exactly what he's done in The Childe.

Even if it wasn't a comeback role from his two-year hiatus, it still stands as an impressive film debut on its own. This marks Kim's first big screen role and for that reason alone, the Nobleman remains one of his favourite characters. "All of the characters I've played are special to me and I cherish them all, but a memorable character would be my most recent role in The Childe as Nobleman since it was my film debut," says Kim. "I still vividly remember the excitement and nerves I felt seeing my character on the big screen for the first time."

As it is with most of his roles, he runs through a routine. "I usually take a fairly long time to understand one character. I would choose about three or four lines that I like from a script, and then repeat them over and over again in my head. This could be when I'm walking, when I'm in the shower, or when I'm eating." Kim adds, "Sometimes I also make use of music. would put on some good music, put myself in front of a stunning view, and then read out the lines. And as I do that, there would be moments where I realise, 'This is it. This is how this character would say it. From that point onwards, everything else falls into place itself. For this method to work and in order to get closer to a character, studying the script in detail has to come first. It's important to have a good grasp of a character's language and habits.

With the Nobleman, details maketh man. He says, "I developed my character by studying the lead character from A Clockwork Orange, and I spent plenty of time trying to understand my character as Nobleman." Just like he had done many times before, Kim learned new skills to better embody his character. "I got to learn about using handguns for acting for the first time. I did some practice at a shooting range in Myeongdong and I was given a dummy too, so I was able to practice and have a feel of it. That helped me a lot during the actual filming."

To simply call the Nobleman a villain would reduce the character to a flat trope, but Kim's performance and interpretation of him are actually for more nuanced. This is a character who gets imitated by his shoes being dirtied with blood after killing a room full of people, curses with a sadistic smile in an American accent and British accent, chases after the hero while hollering — and yet manages to confuse the audience with whose side he is actually on. Ultimately, Kim's portrayal of the Nobleman brings to life a brutal yet whimsical anti-hero.

And yet, the actor still struggles to pinpoint a moment during The Childe's filming process that he felt proud of himself for. In past interviews, he scrutinised his performance for the movie. Even now, he laughs as he says, "To be honest, it's hard for me to point out areas that I did well in. In my eyes, I mostly see only my shortcomings. Thankfully enough, people who went to see the movie had lots of positive feedback. I was glad and thankful to be praised as a fluid actor."

Fluid is the perfect word here, and yet it still feels like an understatement to the actor's performance. If his previous roles solidified his expected trajectory as an actor, then this character turned it all around - reminding us all that Kim has been honing his craft for over a decade now. He has been finessing this duality for almost 14 years, and while others may rest on their laurels and rely on their experience in the industry to get by, Kim is always looking for ways to better himself.

His recent projects have been movies and because of that "I'm not as pressured having to film a large amount of scenes in a short time as compared to other mediums. The directors told me to take my time between lines, which showed me the art of slowing down." He goes on to say, "When I was younger, I was also taught to enjoy the pauses between each line. I did think that I was already doing so with my acting for dramas, but the mechanics of movies and dramas are still very much different. So I've recently been working on how I can savour those pauses even more." Looking back at the Kim Seon Ho who started acting 14 years ago, the 37-year-old feels envious of his past self. "I'm envious of the experience and how raw my acting was back then. I recently rewatched some of my previous work. In the past, if I were to rewatch something a year later, all I could think about was how inadequate my acting was before. But seeing it again after 10 years makes me realise that that kind of raw acting was something I could do only back then."

Now, what he is able to appreciate about his approach to acting is. that "I'm a lot more composed and poised. My acting was often carried away by emotions in the past, but I think that my acting now has become more rational. I feel that this kind of rationality is also what makes me grow. After all, Kim knows a thing or two about alchemising patience into gold. While he started acting in plays at the age of 23, it was only eight years later that he made his debut on the small screens. But he has never been one to measure his trajectory against his counterparts in the industry. Waiting has always been a welcomed ritual for the actor, and Kim knows it's to that good things take time.

It's like his Hometown Cha Cha Cha character Hong Du Sik said, "Life isn't so fair for all of us. Some spend their whole lives on unpaved roads, while some run at full speed only to reach the edge of a cliff." It's a line that hits close to home for Kim too. "Coincidentally enough, I happened to re-watch that scene just three days before this interview, I searched for the scene randomly one day because I suddenly got curious about the kind of expression and tone I shot that scene with. Through that scene, rather than discovering elements about myself, I focused more on how I could get closer to Chief Hong. But there were moments where I did feel that I was becoming a better version of myself, like when I was preparing for the drama, after wrapping up the filming, and when I met other great characters." He adds, "People say that each word you say and each action you do creates one's character and personality. I think I got to learn a lot through the lines of my past characters like Han Ji Pyeong and Chief Hong, and thanks to them, I am the person I am now."

During his two-year break from acting on-screen, he remained loyal to his earlier comforts — stage acting. While he stayed off social media and film projects, he went back to his roots and performed in the theatre with Touching the Void. In that period of time, "I found comfort in the fact that one has the ability to create a change if they could just think a little differently in times of trouble." He continues, "I felt grateful to be able to share a stage with other talented actors, and I had fun. Touching The Void was a project where I discovered that the results of something can be very different depending on my perspective on a particular situation and on the support I receive. Most of all, I was moved and comforted by the audience members who came to watch the play even though things were difficult due to the pandemic. I was honoured to be able to perform such a remarkable piece of work for the audience, and it inspired me to become an even better actor."

In life and in work, Kim believes himself to be a dreamer. "I am someone who thinks that we must dream big, and I'm happiest when I come close to the goals I've set. Rather than setting a realistic goal but still feeling unsatisfied even after accomplishing it, I find more joy when I set big goals and accomplish it to a certain extent. When he considers his dreams for the distant future, "My goal is for people to remember me as a skilled actor and to be an actor that people want to work with a second time." But for now, his ambitions are straightforward — "I want to try a role that feels real and warm, one that others can relate to."

When he looks back at his career, there is only one thing he can really say he's proud of over the years. "Instead of feeling proud of my own accomplishments, I feel a stronger sense of pride towards the people that have been there for me since the days before I became an actor. Seniors, juniors and directors who gave me advice so I could pass the audition for my first project, agency colleagues who worked tirelessly until I got my first lead role, and my fans who supported my career as an actor. These are people that I'm thankful for and proud of every moment." He continues, "I often have thoughts like, 'How was I able to meet such incredible people?', 'How did I get so lucky to receive such advice from my seniors at this timing?', 'How is it that all these great people. are rooting for me?' Thanks to these people, there have been so many moments in my career that have made me proud that I cannot single out a specific achievement."

His gratitude grounds him because if there's one thing Kim has leamed, it's to take nothing for granted. With the love he's received from fans and friends in the industry, he hopes to return it tenfold. "I hope to repay the love with my acting and to successfully wrap up current projects. By doing so, I think I would be able to welcome 2024 with a happy heart." What that looks like these days is a running list of plays, dramas, and films. And while he's busy with his ongoing projects, for now, "I will be focusing on the upcoming mystery drama Mangnaein. Although I don't know what the future has in store for me, I will work hard to live my best each day."

When he thinks about the actor he wants to be remembered for, he considers the weight of his answer. "Not too long ago, I felt that I was on a plateau so I reflected a lot on it and I'm getting back on my feet again now." He goes on to say, "I hope to be remembered as an actor who constantly improves. (Of course, for that to happen, a lot of effort is needed on my part.) And I hope people think of me as an actor who is always growing, and as an actor who has the potential for even more growth. I hope to refine my craft a little more."

Because at the end of the day, Kim Seon Ho knows when to walk away from comparison. He's never bothered to measure himself to others, and he has no plans to start now. Instead, he holds himself to his own standards. And the version of him today is content to take things as they come, to better himself with every passing day. After all, if there's one thing we know for certain, it's that whatever accomplishments he's made so far are only a step to greater things to come.

—

special thanks to seonhojoy & preferredalways

[everythingbap]

🎤 NME: Bang Yongguk announces 2024 ‘III’ US tour Featuring shows in California, New York, Texas and more

By Puah Ziwei

South Korean rapper Bang Yongguk has announced his upcoming 2024 US tour, titled ‘III’, featuring 11 concerts in April.

Today (February 29), Bang Yongguk and his label YY Entertainment announced the dates and venues for the 2024 ‘III’ US tour, which will kick off on April 5 with at concert at the Warsaw in New York City.

Thereafter, the rapper will play one-night-only shows in the cities of Louisville, Chicago and Orlando, followed by two concerts in the state of Texas. Those will be held in Dallas and Houston on April 14 and 17.

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Following those performances, the South Korean musician will hold concerts in Phoenix and Las Vegas, before heading over to California to play shows across three different cities in the state. They include Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles.

Tickets to Bang Yongguk’s 2024 ‘III’ US tour will go on sale tomorrow (March 1) at 9am PST via MyMusicTaste. Check out the official MyMusicTaste website for more details.

The dates for Bang Yongguk’s 2024 ‘III’ US tour are:

APRIL 2024 05: New York, New York, Warsaw 07: Louisville, Kentucky, Headliners Music Halll 09: Chicago, Illinois, Avondale Music Hall 12: Orlando, Florida, The Plaza Live 14: Dallas, Texas, The Echo Lounge and Music Hall 17: Houston, Texas, House of Blues 19: Phoenix, Arizona, Marquee Theatre 21: Las Vegas, Nevada, House of Blues 23: Sacramento, California, Harlow’s 26: San Diego, California, Observatory North Park 28: Los Angeles, California, Hollywood Vermont

Head of his tour, Bang Yongguk will also drop his third mini-album ‘3’ on March 31. It’ll follow his 2023 release, ‘The Colors of Love’.

[hvrtroads]

❀ *◦ kim wonpil. cis man. he/him. homosexual homoromantic. ⇝ hey, isn’t that boo jonghyeon? i think that the twenty-eight year old from daejeon, south korea works as a vocalist and pianist for the rock band nexu5 and an actor at the single carrot theatre, but outside of that people describe them as coffee stained papers strewn across the room, composing into the early hours of the morning, the scents of lavender and vanilla, the spring breeze wafting through the window on an early morning, melancholic ballads, warm as the sun and burning bright as one. i hear they are credulous & taciturn, but they are also known to be forbearing & altruistic. consider giving them a visit at their home in delilah's den gated community and get to know why they’re called the virtuoso. stats / pinterest / playlist / profile

disclaimer: all of the gifs found on this blog are mine, made from scratch. please do not save, repost, use or claim as your own.

BASICS

full name: boo jonghyeon

age: 28 years old

date of birth: october 31, 1996

hometown: daejeon, south korea

gender: cis man

pronouns: he/him

sexuality: homosexual

occupation: vocalist and pianist of the rock band nexu5, actor for the single carrot theatre

spoken languages: korean, english, mandarin

parents: xiang ru shi (stepmom)

siblings: boo sil-op, one younger brother, two stepsisters

BACKGROUND

TW: abuse, amputation, car accident, implied ableism, neglect, severe injury

born into wealth, boo jonghyeon was fed with a silver spoon. both parents renowned in the world of the arts, it was only natural for the same path to be carved for himself, just as it had been for his older sibling, boo sol-ip. while they pursued acting, music was more jonghyeon's speed, later discovering that he had a natural aptitude for singing and playing the piano.

with the parents being the way they were, they did make him take on more than he could handle, while neglecting to pay any attention to the symptoms of autism he'd been exhibiting for a prolonged period. despite being spoken to by the nanny and teachers alike, they didn't give it much thought.

the meltdowns just meant bad behaviour to them, and it wouldn't reach the climax until he was in the first grade when the parents had taken their second child prodigy out to a gathering with other sensations and their own gifted children. the whole thing was extreme sensory overload for the six year old, and his ignored pleas led to boiling over under the scrutinizing eyes of moneybags; a scene of hysterics and lashing out.

shortly after his diagnosis, his mother left the picture. time moved forward, and so did his musical prowess. the piano came to be the thing that he loved the most, proceeding in lessons for many consecutive years, going on to win various awards and medals in regional competitions.

his father, who changed his methods and behaviour after the long overdue realization hit him, eventually remarried; the family grew larger. now he had two sisters, and three cousins from hong kong that came to visit often. at fourteen, nikolai moved into the household.

two years later, he took a leap of faith and went to auditions that one of the entertainment labels were having, passing with flying colours. however, his utter lack of coordination and hopeless attempts at learning dance, the label, instead of sacking him, wanted him for his vocals and were impressed by his piano skills. hence, the creation of their first rock band.

NEXU5 was born, the five boys quickly taking to each other (especially since they'd known each other being trainees together) and just a few months after being formed, they debuted with a billboard topping hit. standing out with their different concept, they came to be known as the pioneers who popularized bands in the k-pop industry, growing a large and loyal fanbase.

years later, just days after his twenty-second birthday, he was involved in a severe car accident that he was lucky to have survived. his left leg had to be amputated at the scene, and he had to have multiple surgeries for other major injuries. sustaining a brain injury that gave him post-traumatic amnesia, the following months were extremely arduous as the healing process began.

it didn't help whatsoever that he was in an abusive relationship at the time, having been involved with him for three years prior to the accident. it was thanks to his bandmates that he was finally able to get out of it; they assisted with getting him a restraining order and relocated to jeju island from seoul.

the band came back from their long term hiatus only once he was ready, but it came with many challenges, both mental and physical. the prosthesis took time to get used to, and there were periods where his other leg locked up or grew weak, resulting in collapses, along with episodes of syncope and phantom pain; navigating everything became more difficult, but he manages it the best he can, with the support of his loved ones.

HEADCANONS

he has a few little critters for emotional support; a hedgehog, two frogs, two gerbils, two guinea pigs, a rabbit and a praying mantis.

re: the single carrot theatre, he aspires to be a playwright one day. he has scored a few roles in dramas, and is hoping that acting continues to bring him out of his shell.

he doesn't really do well in social situations,, like at all. he's the type of person to just be there and let everyone else do the talking; he straight up doesn't talk unless he's with someone he knows. interviews are his worst nightmares, it's rare that he says more than one sentence in them that isn't to his bandmates, who often speak for him.

very softspoken. if you ask him to speak up he simply will not.

ultimate maknae. has always gotten babied on by his bandmates and family.

despite not talking much when he isn't in the comfort of friends, his personality shines when he does; (fnaf phone guy vc: the animatronics do get a bit quirky at night) he's just a silly little guy. a creacher if u will. he will go on about the weirdest shit and act like nothing happened. epitome of "he quiet unless he know u fr" tiktok sound.

outside of music, jonghyeon is very interested in plants. his living space is always full of various plants, and he tends to them lovingly, even giving pups to his friends.

he is extremely sensitive and very crying in the chili's core.

sarcasm isn't something he's able to detect, having difficulty with idioms and other figures of speech. he takes everything very literally.

pls come luv him he is. softest bean

[lierrelearns]

I didn't get the best picture of the sign, so there may be errors in the transcribed Korean text.

新京極 北は三条通から南は四条通に至る約五百メートルのこの通りを新京極通といい、通り各平安京の最も東に位置した東京極大路(現在の寺町通)の東側に新しく造られた通りであることに由来する。 天正年間(一五七三〜一五九ニ)、豊臣秀吉が市中の多くのを寺院を寺町通に集めたことに伴い、その境内が縁日の舞台として利用され、周辺は見世物や催し物を中心に発展するようになった。 明治五年(一八七ニ)、このことに注目した京都府参事槇村正直は東京還都で衰えていた市民の士気を盛り上げるべく、寺院の境内を整理して、そこに新たな通りを造った。新京極通の誕生である。 明治十年(一八七七)頃には芝居座、浄瑠璃、寄席などの興行場や飲食店などの多くの店舗が建ち並び、明治三十年代には東京の浅草、大阪の千日前とともに、日本の三大盛り場として知られるようになった。 現在も、修学旅行性をはじめとする多くの観光客や買物客でにぎわう、京都を代表する繁華街である。 上方落語の始祖・安楽庵策伝が住職を務めた誓願寺、和泉式部の寺として知られる誠心院や、西光寺、蛸薬師堂妙心寺、安養寺、善長寺、錦天満宮、染殿院という由緒ある七つの寺院と一つの神社が通りの歴史を今に伝えている。 京都市

Shinkyogoku Shinkyogoku-dori street, which is approximately 500 meters long, runs between Sanjo-dori Street in the north and Shijo-dori Street in the south. The name Shinkyogoku (literally means the new edge of the capital) was given because it was constructed on the east side of Higashi Kyogoku Oji (literally means means the boulevard on the eastern edge of the capital), which is presently called Teramachi-dori. The Japanese warrior commander Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated a number of temples from other places in town to Teramachi-dori Street. The precincts of the temples were used as stages of fairs then, and the vicinity of Termachi-dori Street developed as an area focusing on shows and events. In 1872, Kyoto Vice-Governor Masanao Makimura gave an eye to the area. He rearranged the precincts of the temples and built the new street in order to enliven the morale of the residents of Kyoto that had declined as a result of the relocation of the capital to Kyoto. This is how Shinkyogoku-dori Street was born. Around 1877, numbers of facilities, such as playhouses, Joruri theatres (traditional Japanese puppet theatres), variety halls, and restaurants lined the streets. Later, this area along with Asakusa in Tokyo and Sennichimae in Osaka came to be known as the three greatest entertainment quarters in Japan. Still now, Shinkyogoku-dori Street is a busy street representing Kyoto and crowded with a large number of tourists and shoppers including students on school excursions. There are seven historic temples and a shrine that pass down the history of the area. Kyoto City

(Chinese)

신쿄고쿠 북으로는 산조도리(三条通)에서부터 남으로는 시조도리(四条通)에까지 이르는 약 500m의 이 길은 신쿄고쿠도리(新京極通)러고 하며, 이 도로의 이름은 헤이안큐(平安京)의 가장 동쪽에 위치한 하가시쿄고쿠오지(東京極大路・현재의 데라마치도리(寺町通))의 동쪽으로 새로만들어진 길이라는 뚯에시 유래하였다. 16세기 후반, 도요토미 히데요시(豊臣秀吉)가 시내의 많은 사원들을 대라마치도리로 집결시키면서, 경내에서 재를 올릴 때마다 그 주변에서 공연이나 행사 등이 자주열리며 발전하게 되었다. 1872년, 이 점에 주목한 교토부 참사 마키무라 마사나오(槇村正直)는 토쿄 천도로 침체되어 있던 시민들의 시기를 끌어옵리기 위해 사원의 경내를 정리하여 이곳에 새러운 길을 만글었는데, 이것이 바로 신쿄고쿠더리 탄생의 유래이다. 1877년, 무렵에는 연극극장, 조루리(浄瑠璃: 음악에 맞추어 낭창하는 옛날이야기), 만담 등의 공연장과 음식점 등 많은 점포들이 들어서면서 도쿄의 아사쿠사(浅草), 오사카의 센니치마에(千日前)와 함게 일본의 삼대 번화가로 널리 알려지게 되었다. 요즘도 수학여행 학생들을 비롯해 많은 관광객들과 셔핑객들로 붐비는, 교토를 대표하는 번화가이다. 길가에는 유서 깊은 7개의 사원과 신사 하나가 자리해 있으며, 그 역사를 오늘에 전하고 있다.

寄贈　新京極商店街

Japanese vocab 新京極 (しんきょうごく) Shinkyogoku 三条通 (さんじょうどおり) Sanjoudoori 四条通 (しじょうどおり) Shijō Street/Shijoudoori 平安京 (へいあんきょ) Heian-kyo; ancient Kyoto 東京極大路 (ひがしきょうごくおおじ) Higashi Kyogoku Oji 寺町通 (てらまちどおり) Teramachi Street 造る 作る 天正 (てんしょう) Tenshō era [1573-1592] 豊臣秀吉 (とよとみひでよし) Toyotomi Hideyoshi 寺院 (じいん) Buddhist temple 伴う (ともなう)to be accompanied by, to take with 境内 (けいだい) grounds (esp. of shrines and temples) 縁日 (えんにち) temple festival; day related to a specific deity 見世物 (みせもの) show, exhibition, spectacle 催し物 (もよおしもの) (program of) entertainments, special events, attractions 参事 (さんじ) secretary, councilor 槇村正直 (まきむら・まさなお) Makimura Masanao 還都 (かんと) return of government (esp. Kyoto) 衰える (おとろえる) to become weak, decline, decay 士気 (しき) morale (of troops, team, etc) 誕生 (たんじょう) creation, formation 芝居座 (しばいざ) playhouse, theatre [more common: 芝居小屋 (しばいごや)] 浄瑠璃 (じょうるり) jōruri, a type of dramatic recitation accompanied by a shamisen 寄席 (よせ) entertainment hall (for rakugo, manzai, magic, music, etc.) 興行 (こうぎょう) show, performance, act 店舗 (てんぽ) shop, store 建ち並ぶ (たちならぶ) to stand in a row (i.e. shops on a street) 浅草 (あさくさ) Asakusa 千日前 (せんにちまえ) Sennichimae 盛り場 (さかりば) busy street, amusement quarters 修学旅行性 (しゅうがくりょこうせい) student on a field trip 繁華街 (はんかがい) business district, shopping district, downtown 上方 (かみがた) Kyoto-Osaka region 始祖 (しそ) founder, pioneer 安楽庵策伝 (あんらくあん・さくでん) Anrakuan Sakuden 住職 (じゅうしょく) chief priest (of a Buddhist temple) 務める (つとめる) to serve (as), fill (the position of) 誓願寺 (せいがんじ) Seigan-ji 和泉式部 (いずみ・しきぶ) Izumi Shikibu 誠心院 (せいしんいん) Seishin-in 西光寺 (さいこうじ)Saikou-ji 蛸薬師堂 (たこやくしどう) Takoyakushido 妙心寺 (みょうしんじ) Myōshin-ji 安養寺 (あんようじ) Anyo-ji 錦天満宮 (にしきてんまんぐう) Nishiki-Tenmangū 染殿院 (そめどのいん) Somedonoin 由緒 (ゆいしょ) history, pedigree, lineage 寄贈 (きぞう) donation, presentation, gift

Korean vocab 북 north 가장 most, best 동쪽 east 위치하다 to be situated, located 형재의 current, present 유래하다 to originate 후반 second half 사원 temple 집결시키다 to assemble 경내 precincts, grounds 주변 surroundings 행사 event, function, ceremony 발전하다 to develop 주목하다 to watch, pay attention 참사 disaster, tragedy 천도 transfer of the capital, moving the seat of government 침체 recession, depression, become stagnant 시민 citizen 정리하다 to organize, put together 탄생 birth, be born 무렵 toward (i.e. toward the end of [time period]) 연국 극장 drama theatre 만담 comic talk, (informal) gag 공연장 theater, venue, auditorium 점포 shop, store 들어서다 to go up, be built 번화가 main road 알려지가 to be well known 수학여행 school trip 비롯해 including? 관광객 tourist 쇼핑객 shopper, customer 붐비다 to be crowded, bustling 대표하다 to represent 길가 roadside, wayside 유서(가) 깊다 to have a long history 자리하다 to be located, be situated in 역사 history

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.9 (after 1920)

1934 – An Ustashe assassin kills King Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Louis Barthou, Foreign Minister of France, in Marseille. 1936 – Boulder Dam (later Hoover Dam) begins to generate electricity and transmit it to Los Angeles. 1937 – Murder of 9 Catholic priests in Zhengding, China, who protected the local population from the advancing Japanese army. 1941 – A coup in Panama declares Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango the new president. 1942 – Australia's Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 receives royal assent. 1950 – The Goyang Geumjeong Cave massacre in Korea begins. 1962 – Uganda becomes an independent Commonwealth realm. 1963 – In Italy, a large landslide causes a giant wave to overtop the Vajont Dam, killing over 2,000. 1966 – Vietnam War: the Republic of Korea Army commits the Binh Tai Massacre. 1967 – A day after his capture, Ernesto "Che" Guevara is executed for attempting to incite a revolution in Bolivia. 1969 – In Chicago, the National Guard is called in as demonstrations continue over the trial of the "Chicago Eight". 1970 – The Khmer Republic is proclaimed in Cambodia. 1980 – Pope John Paul II greets the Dalai Lama during a private audience in Vatican City. 1981 – President François Mitterrand abolishes capital punishment in France. 1983 – South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan survives an assassination attempt in Rangoon, Burma (present-day Yangon, Myanmar), but the blast kills 21 and injures 17 others. 1984 – The popular children's television show Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends, based on The Railway Series by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, premieres on ITV. 1986 – The Phantom of the Opera, eventually the second longest running musical in London, opens at Her Majesty's Theatre. 1986 – Fox Broadcasting Company (FBC) launches as the fourth US television network. 1992 – The Peekskill meteorite, a 27.7 pounds (12.6 kg) meteorite crashed into a parked car in Peekskill, New York 1995 – An Amtrak Sunset Limited train is derailed by saboteurs near Palo Verde, Arizona. 2006 – North Korea conducts its first nuclear test. 2007 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its all-time high of 14,164 points before rapidly declining due to the 2007–2008 financial crises. 2009 – First lunar impact of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program. 2012 – Pakistani Taliban attempt to assassinate outspoken schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. 2016 – The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launches its first attack on Myanmar security forces along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border. 2019 – Turkey begins its military offensive in north-eastern Syria.

[shop-korea]

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[sillyname30]

Darren Criss returns to Broadway alongside newcomer Helen J Shen in the futurist new musical Maybe Happy Ending, and PEOPLE has a first look at the pair in action.

The two actors — he an Emmy winner for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and she/they making her Broadway debut in the production — lead the four-person show that takes place on the outskirts of Seoul in 2060 and follows two humanoid-looking Helperbot robots near the end of their warranty who make a powerful new connection with one another after they're abandoned after their owners and traded in for newer models.

On paper, it's an offbeat concept for a story, but a romantic one that surprisingly shows the humanity in the small things that make any life worth living.

The internationally acclaimed duo of Will Aronson and Hue Park created the magical musical, penning its music (Aronson), lyrics (Park) and book (both Aronson and Park). Their work is also a technical marvel to watch, thanks to a stunning visual design developed by Tony Award nominee Dane Laffrey.

Direction comes from Tony Award winner and visionary artist Michael Arden (Parade, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Once on this Island), who is one of the industry's biggest talents and most sought-after directors.

In fact, it was Arden that drove Criss to the show, the actor told PEOPLE last month at his theatre-themed music festival ElseFest.

"He's been a longtime friend, and if you stick around long enough, you see your friends do cool things and you wonder, 'Oh, I hope one day I get to work with them.' And then that day finally came and he called me and here we are now," Criss said. "and I'm truly beside myself with gratitude and excitement. And I know that's a cliché thing for artists to say when they're promoting something, but I don't know any other way to express that. There's something special here and I can't believe I get to be a part of it."

Criss isn't just a part of it; he's also in a role he's never been in before: a veteran of the boards, leading Shen through her first show. The Glee breakout was made his debut on Broadway in 2012 as a replacement in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and has since starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015) and American Buffalo (2022).

"This is now my fourth Broadway show — which I can't believe I'm saying that, this is crazy. But Father Time is undefeated in the ring and he continues to throw his punches, so I am now in the senior position here. And that is one of the new experiences for me," he says.

"The great thing about youth is that it's always going to be there to remind you what is exciting about the next thing," Criss continues. "So it's a joy for me to be able to be present for Helen and the other members of our company as they make their ascents. It's a big moment; it can power cities, that excitement and that raw energy, and it's an exciting and invigorating thing to be around. So on top of the show being something that we genuinely love and are excited to be a part of it, it's this sort of unbelievably delightful cocktail that I'm just going to guzzle every day until it's time to go."

Preview performances for Maybe Happy Ending began on Oct. 16 at the Belasco Theatre in New York City. An opening date is officially scheduled for Nov. 12.

A Korean-language version was first performed at the DaeMyung Culture Factory in Seoul South Korea in 2016. That production subsequently won six Korean Musical Awards including best musical. It's been revived in Korea multiple times since, and has also been performed in Japan and China.

Arden directed the English-language, American premiere of the show at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia in 2020. It won the 2017 Richard Rodgers Production Award.

In addition to Criss and Shen, Maybe Happy Ending stars Dez Duron (NBC’s The Voice) and Marcus Choi (Wicked, Flower Drum Song).

Rounding out the production as understudies are Steven Huynh (Blue Bloods), Hannah Kevitt (Back to the Future: The Musical), Daniel May (Flower Drum Song) and Christopher James Tamayo (Les Miserables).