MV Review | NCT 127 "Superhuman"

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/29/19 | 2:20 AM PST

MV Review | NCT 127 "Superhuman"

Before Thoughts: Before I start watching this MV, I'm thinking about EXO's "Power", and wondering if this is going to be something similar. Judging from the screen pause though, it seems like it's going to be more opposite of that. Less up beat and playful, maybe more dark and tragic. I expect to see superhuman abilities or at least the concept of a super human person. My guess is that the choreography will be more power less softness. Lets see if I am right!

After Thoughts: I was right and wrong! This video had a robotic style of a super human, not a superhuman with supernatural powers. It was a lot darker than "Power," but it had nice vocals that seemed contrasting which I loved. It wasn't really tragic, but it was as dark feeling as I expected. The choreography was very precise from what I could see, though I could not see much. I did feel as though the dark overtone with electric static was a bit over-used. There are many different effects they could have used that would have complimented the video without it seeming as though it's repeating constantly. My mind kept being thrown back to EXO's Overdose beginning while watching this. I also kept being reminded of Tron, the movie or IRobot. I would have loved to see more robotic style clothes, or eye contacts. I also felt as though the facial expressions did not really fit the lyrics to the song. More smirks or half smiles - not full smiles- would have made the feel match a little better. They just seemed as though most of them were trying to be cold machines. I mean I get it. Cold machine matches the MV concept, but I think the lyrics lost their meaning when combined together with the visuals. Separate the song and MV are both great, combined, they just don't seem to compliment each other. I do love when they show a more angry expression, like determination. I felt it went well with both the lyrics and the MV itself.

Overall: As I stated just above, I think the song and MV are both amazing, but they just don't compliment each other as well as I had hoped. I would have liked to see more facial expressions to compliment the video. Such as determination, egotistical, and maybe some expressions of doubt. Less coldness an emotionless parts. Absolutely no full smiles though. That would ruin it I think. I'd really like to see a live action version of this, as often times I found that live performance versions allow they artists to change their facial expressions to better fit the mood of the song. I probably would not promote the video of this, however, I did enjoy the song immensely.

MV Review | AB6IX "Breathe"

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/29/19 | 12:05 AM PST

MV Review | AB6IX "Breathe"

Pre-Thoughts: Before I start to play this MV, I keep thinking about Daehwi. As my bias, he's who I am most excited to see, though I really like Woong as well. I can't wait to see the choreography as I have the video paused at the beginning, and they are all lined up. I really like the blue hue. With blue being my favorite color, I get really excited when I see blue lighting like this, or especially when an artists hair is blue. I'm not really sure what to expect in terms of how the MV will play out, though I don't really think it will be flashy. More suave and intense maybe. Lets see if I am right.

After Thoughts: My predictions were correct, yay! I really liked the MV and Performance MV. And of course the first actual sound out of their mouths was a deep breath. Kekekeke. I would have been shocked otherwise. Woojin's deep voice when he raps gets me every time. Though I wish there was less scene flashing whenever he's center. I'd like to see his emotions more as well. He always seems to turn away or look uninterested to me. Though I know that’s just his style, it makes me feel like he is avoiding the camera on purpose. Woong's voice is so sweet, and Daehwi's voice when he sings melts my heart. And when he sings in English I just straight up fangirl squeal. The smoke everywhere kind of made me like this MV less though. I mean, with a MV called "Breathe" you'd expect smoke or fog, but it just seemed overpowering to me. Made me think more of loss of breath or no breath at all. I mean if they had secluded the fog to certain parts instead of having it through 90% of the entire video, I think the meaning would have gotten through better. Like for example during, "The hazy sky that blocks my views is lazy like me. It's hard to breathe standing alone," they have the thick fog, and it fits so perfectly. But in other parts I feel like they should have had les fog. Not so think to where the message looses its meaning.

Because I couldn't see much of the choreography in the MV, I decided to watch the performance version as well. I did however enjoy the water dance section of the original MV. I always love those cuts. Though I did notice some inconsistencies that bothered me a little when I finally did watch the performance version. Mainly moves or placements that were not universal, or done by only one members that made them stand out. This made them seem like they were off beat or doing something wrong during those parts. At one point I even paused the video and had to back track. I played it in slow-motion just to make sure I wasn't viewing things wrong.

Overall: Not the best music video, though the song was amazing! Choreography could use fine tuning, but was fun to watch. The vocals and the rapping were spot on, and this is definitely something I'd find myself playing over and over again, though I would probably stick to the audio version only, and not really watch the MV's as I found the over-use of smoke and rapid quick cuts made them unappealing. I probably wouldn't have non-Kpop friends watch the MV either, just listen to the song, or maybe find a live performance version.




                                                       Performance MV

Quick Rant 5 | K-Pop Generations

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/8/19 | 4:22 AM PST

Quick Rant 5 | K-Pop Generations

There are many people debating which generation we are currently in, so I wanted to set up a timeline that I personally view as accurate. I have these split in certain ways due to timeline as well as the feel of these artists in comparison to each other. Would love opinions!

1st Generation | HOT, SES, GOD, Sech Kies, Shinhwa, Seo Taiji and Boys, etc.

-Foundation of Hallyu. The beginning of it all.

2nd Generation | Super Junior, SNSD, 2NE1, Kara, 2PM, SS501 (My first K-Pop), BigBang, etc.

-Testing boundaries and making idol goals.

3rd Generation | EXO, BTS, A-Pink, BTOB, Hello Venus, VIXX, AOA, Got7, Mamamoo, etc.

-More personal voices, emphasis on stage presence and fun theatrics/choreography.

4th Generation | Seventeen, GFriend, CLC, Oh My Girl, MonstaX, Up10tion, Twice, NCT, BlackPink, etc.

-Power Up, Fun Cheerful, Powerful. Starting to get younger idols making their debut. Multiple voices.

5th Generation | Current/Transitioning Into?

I’m debating if we are currently in the 5th Generation or not. I want to believe that this is still 4th, but at the same time the newly debut artists seem to have a different feel lately than most of the 4th Generation. Are groups like ITZY, TXT, & Everglow really the start of 5th?

I came to these conclusions by asking myself these questions:

-What year did they debut?

-What was the overall feel when they first started promoting?

-What is the current feel is still promoting?

-Would I really put this group in the same category as this group?

-Why do I feel like this group is of an older generation compared to this one who debut not long after?

-What are the commonalities across all in question?

With this I could find a separation between EXO & BTS vs Seventeen & BlackPink for example. This is also why I am hesitant to say we are still in 4th Gen. This might be a transitional phase we are in where I have to wait to see more debuts in order to make a clear decision.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 4 | Korean Fans Get All the Attention, but there is a Reason!

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:33 PM PST

Quick Rant 4 | Korean Fans Get All the Attention, but there is a Reason!

International Fans: "Korean Fans get all the Attention!"

YES. Because artists LIVE in Korea! Of course Korean fans will be able to get free concerts and have huge fan-signings or meetings! K-Pop is called K-Pop for a reason. They live there! Their companies are there! It’s where they produce their music, practice, train, and promote! It takes a LOT of money to send an artist over-seas.

Korean fans can pay LOTS of money to be able to have some of these 'perks.' Their 'free' stuff is not always free. People say that artists don't hold meetings the same way they do in Korea. There is a reason for that. Ethics! Each country has their own set of ethics. Their own version of good and bad that is not always the same around the world! Their companies are in charge of their well-being! If a fan accidentally gets too excited in Korea, fine, the artist can be cared for, maybe even come back a few minutes after whatever had occurred. However when this happens over seas there are factors that need to be considered! They have no place to go. They do NOT know the area, and the language is DIFFERENT.

Other USA-ers know how bad our health care system is for us US residents. Just imagine what hell they’d go through should the unthinkable happen. It is NOT that artists don’t love us or are un-willing to risk it, but sometimes their companies are not. I am NOT saying that international fans are bad or they would all harm artists, but sometimes fans can get a little extreme/burst into feels they can hardly control. It can scare companies and artists themselves.

This does not always stop artists or companies from letting their artists run free now and again though, which shows they do in fact care about foreign fans.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 3 | Artists are NOT Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:33 PM PST

Quick Rant 3 | Artists are NOT Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend

I get it, we’ve all played that joke on a friend or family member when they accidentally see our phone screens. People always ask me, 'who is that?' when they see Taemin as my background, especially family I have not seen in a while. However, it can get a little weird when over exaggerated or . . . worse, the person actually believes that that artist is their significant other. I think that when fans attend concerts in wedding dresses they look ridiculous! Really though. I mean I get the prom dress/suit thing for those who skipped their proms to attend concerts. You’ll probably hit up a nice late-night dinner afterwards, but dang. When a bunch of ten-year old’s are screaming that the twenty-year old performing is their 'lover' I cringe. I mean, I’m twenty-four. I’m not as young as most of the 4^th gen fans, but I’m not as old as 1^st gen fans either . . . though not by much. I get the joke, I do the joke, but please don’t be a believer of your own joke or take it to extremes. This is mostly towards female fans. Most male fans are pretty laid back, though they do have their moments. If you want attention so bad, try not to drag other fans down with you.

This has NOTHING to do with cosplaying, which is a very common form of flattery. However, there is no such thing as cosplaying that person's bride/husband. That's just stupid, and then you end up on the news as crazy girls who don't know the reality they live in.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 2 | Views on Kpop from an International Standpoint

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted | 5/7/19 | 10:21 PM PST

Quick Rant 2 | Views on Kpop from an International Standpoint [Media/Non-Kpopers]

NOTE: This is NOT to bash any groups mentioned in this post. This is a rant about how I feel the media is not accurately covering what Hallyu truly is, and is instead using it to bolster themselves. Some even diving in without any knowledge whatsoever.

Okay, lets get this started. I love BTS as much as the next person, but as a fan, I sometimes think that maybe the media is putting too much on their shoulders. To me, the current view of Kpop through international eyes is a copy of what we true Kpoppers faced a few years back when PSY’s “Gangnam Style” started trended worldwide. All of a sudden new “Kpop fans” arose claiming they were one of us, but knew only one thing . . . how to mimic a dance. This went on for a little over a year before thankfully dying down and releasing us of those insincere fans.

I’m NOT saying that PSY didn’t open doors to real fans, but many more fake ones appeared than I could stand. Currently, BTS is the one in the spotlight, though luckily there seems to be more questions of interest than false fans already taking their claim to the boys. However, it is the medias turn to be annoying! The international media I’ve noticed now assume any male Kpop group in existence that travels to their country (mainly in the US), is BTS. Take poor NCT and Lay. They collaborated with Jason Derulo, but some media networks claimed they were all part of BTS. When BlackPink and MonstaX did interviews, many questions became “so what do you think about BTS?” With some (NOT all) interviewers not even having any research done at all, about Kpop in general, excluding who they are interviewing at the time.

I do not think that uneducated people (in terms of K-Knowledge) should be in charge of interviews or story coverage. I do not believe that by looking up a profile, they should feel like they know who they are interviewing. Before the media tries to use an artist to boost their own views, they should consider learning the basics. K-Pop 101 I call it. Basics like Hallyu, companies, training, positions, etc. Simply research that would helped them better understand fans. Reading a blog or forum would help as well. No cheesy falseness.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Quick Rant 1 | Defining "Underappreciated" Kpop groups/soloists

Miranda Rodriquez

First Posted |5/7/19 | 9:40 PM PST

Quick Rant 1 | Defining "Underappreciated" Kpop groups/soloists

NOTE: This is NOT to bash on any artists at all. All groups are amazing and have fans that love them. This post is simply to provide a rant of how I believe the term "underappreciated" is too loosely used or incorrectly used by fans.

Underappreciated artists are artists that have a small fanbase; including currently growing/just starting out, or artists that peaked then diminished quickly. This does NOT include soloists/groups that spent YEARS topping the charts and now have solo activities, military enlisting’s, contracts ending/ended, members leaving, etc. These are artists that are from small or unknown companies, artists that had one hit wonders then fell short, artists that are good solo, but not in groups, etc.

Special Exceptions: Artists that have fallen in popularity due to the company themselves under-appreciating the artists. Though this is NOT the same as FANS under-appreciating that artist.

When you claim that one of the top selling artists in all of Kpop is underappreciated, it's just annoying for those who truly follow groups that are underappreciated.

Examples

Underappreciated Examples: KNK, The Rose, VAV, 100%, ACE, MAP6, etc.

NOT Underappreciated Examples: BAP, NCT, Up10tion, SHINee, Super Junior, BlackPink, Girls Generation, etc.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your feedback in the comments!

Album Review | BTS "Map of the Soul: Persona" Ver 1

Miranda Rodriquez
First Posted | 5/7/19 | 7:19 PM PST

Review | BTS "Map of the Soul: Persona" Ver 1

Cover of "Map of the Soul: Persona" Ver 1

Cover: My initial thought was "PINK". Nothing else. I was just amazed by how pink and bright it was next to the TXT album that came in the same shipment. There is a beautiful heart embedded in silver. A clear shimmer embedment behind it making what looks like a grid of some kind. All writing on the cover and back is in the same silver as the heart, making it pop out.

Disk: The disk is a beautiful pink, exactly the color of the cover. The writing is white, and "Persona" has a ripple effect, like a stone hitting water. I had expected the writing to be silver , but the white made it easier to read. No real designs are on the disk, though I had thought the heart or grid would be a part of it.

Inner Design & Photobook: The photo book detaches from the cover! I really like this! I'm always so careful not to rip the photobook from where they glue it in, but being able to take the photo album out is my favorite aspect of any album! It also revealed a light blue color behind it. I haven't seen the over version of this album yet, so I wonder if there is an inverse of this one. The photobook itself is the same colors as the disk with the same affect on "Persona" written on the bottom right corner.

Inside Cover and Disk

All I keep thinking about is Easter as I run though the photobook. The colors are all pastel, and most photos seem to have a colored filter over them. Pink and blue are the main colors in most photos it seems. Selca's and group photos fill the pages. Film strip borders are used for each member at certain points, and it takes me back to when I used film rolls for my cameras. In high school (senior year) I even had to teach a friend (freshman) how to change the film in his camera that his parents gave him. It actually makes me feel kind of old when I think about it. Though I'm not that old at all.

The grid comes back at the end to map out each song as we see the lyrics. Then the notes from the artists. Jungkook's note is especially long it seems.

Extras: I had a small glance at some of these when trying to pull them out without looking, only because they were all spread out! There were quite a few actually. The survey card, "the notes", and the audition paper as always; as well as a PC, photo, and film strip. The PC I got was Suga, with two photos on the card, stacked. The back mirrored the cover with the clear grid and "Map of the Soul" printer in white on the bottom. The photo a got was Jimin wrapped in a blanket. A copy of a small note and his signature printed on the back. My film strip is of the group posing together and staring into the camera.

Film Strip

Poster: I decided to buy the poster of this album, though I do not always. When I opened it, I was shocked by how amazing it looked. Each member smiling and so clear. Sometimes BigHit posters don't really look all that clear to me. When my mom saw it she even said "wow!" And she's not even a fan of Kpop! She's said she was amazed and that even she thought it was a good poster!

Poster

Bought From: Kpoptown.com | They also included a photo of Suga from "Love Yourself: Her" which is really cute.

Album Review | TXT "The Dream Chapter: Star"

Miranda Rodriquez
First Posted | 5/7/19 | 7:05 PM PST

Album Review | TXT "The Dream Chapter: Star"

Cover of "The Dream Chapter : Star"

Cover: My first thought when I saw the cover was "Oh, thick plastic!" Not many albums come with a thick or hard plastic cover. And this one wrapped all the war around perfectly. It also contained part of the TXT logo, so when I pulled it off, the logo separated. The album itself is mainly blue (my favorite color), with white writing and a combination of white and yellow for the logo. When the plastic is pulled off, it takes half of the logo (in yellow), from the cover design, though a clear film takes its place on the cover itself.

Disk: The disk background is black with blue and yellow writing. "STAR" (in yellow) & "+OMORROW X +OGETHER" (in blue). There are streaks/dotted lines that blast along with the writing. It makes me thing of Star Wars when they jump to light speed. Which is probably the affect they were going for. Streaking stars. It also reminds me of the morse code we've been hearing, though I can't read it if it is.

Open Album with Photobook on Left Side and Disk on Right

Inner: This is a box form type album, so the extras were right on top of the photobook, and the disk imbedded into the back behind that. The same blue as the cover fills the inside with no extra designs. The photobook itself has many yellow and white logos pulled apart printed on top. My original thought was that it king of looked like flowers, but I now assume they are stars.

The first photo in the photobook is of them on bikes in a grocery store . . . Why? What is with BigHIt and bikes in places that people do not ride bikes? As I flip through the book I notice cartoon images printed and glossed, popping up. I really like this effect. They list off each member with a photo to help identify them since this is their firs album. I really like that most companies do this for their new artists. The group photos as look so cute a lovey-dovey, though I have started to notice that sometimes the boys look awkward in solo and group shots. Like they are trying to pose, but hesitate/don't know if they are posing right. Soobin especially seems to be drawing my eyes for that reason. Beomgyu seems the most relaxed and drawn my eye as being the most photogenic.

Lyrics are next, with notes from the artist to follow. Most are really short, with only Yoenjun taking up an entire page.

Extras in Album

Extras: I had to try and move everything over really quick, though I did view some of the backs. So many extras in this one. I got the survey card as normal, but no notes or audition paper. I also got two sticker sheets. One that mimics the glossed cartoons in the photobook as well as the members themselves, and the second with the group name, member names, and logo (regular and star form). I also got three different types of PC's. A group film with a bright yellow border, photo of Yeonjun that slips into a bright yellow paper frame with a pop-out backing, and a photo of Hueningkai witch pairs with a metal clip. I found the metal clip first and was completely confused until I realized there was a small circle pinched into the Hueningkai card.

Sticker Sheets

Poster: The poster was small and of the first photo in the photobook. I wish it had been of them on the escalator. That was my favorite group photo.

Poster Received with Album

Bought From: Kpoptown.com