Author: ZombieMamma

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MUSINGS OF A K-POP FANGIRL: St☆rlight, Star Bright

superheroIt’s no secret I’m a fan of pretty much every K-Pop group out there. Yes, it’s true I love some a little more than others but in general, I can’t devote myself to one single band because there are just too many deserving of my love. That being said, there are times when I find myself pulled toward one band a little more than others. This happened first, with CNBLUE, then with G-Dragon and BIG BANG, and so-on. While I honestly love each and every one of these “special” artists just as much as I did during my obsessive phase, a new band has recently found its way into that special place in my heart and that band is VIXX.

group shot for okdal

Now before you get all huffy on me, telling me that they’re nothing new let me just say that yes, I know. I’m very well aware that VIXX has been around for almost two years. I also know that they’ve made multiple comebacks, collaborated with various artists and even won several impressive awards since their debut but that doesn’t mean I can’t love them more now than I did when I first learned of them, however long ago that was.

 

Ken

The truth of the matter is, it’s only been somewhat recently that I’ve stumbled upon the countless hours of VIXX videos on YouTube and it’s only been since then that my love for them has grown from placid musical respect to full-on fangirl obsession. I can’t help it. From the very first episode of VIXX TV, I’ve been completely addicted to watching these six adorable boys entertain us with their charm, wit and goofball moments as they’ve allowed us quick glimpses into their daily lives and to be perfectly honest, I can’t get enough! Waiting for new episodes of VIXX TV has become as Nexcruciatingly painful as waiting for the next episode of Bride of the Century to air. I spend every Tuesday morning continuously checking my phone to see if the newest episode is up, just so I can be one of the first to watch it. If that weren’t bad enough, every moment of my free time has been consumed with watching episodes of VIXX’s MTV Diary and the like and I’ve seen every single one of their music videos so many times, I can replay them in my sleep.

 

Hyuk hydeIt’s at this point that most people would probably step back and admit they’ve got an addiction problem but not me. No, as a fangirl I thrive on my addiction to K-pop, it’s what keeps me going precious little can. With “Voodoo Doll” blasting in the background, I scour the internet for pictures and videos of the six adorable members of VIXX, hoping to find that one shot of Hongbin’s dimples or Leo’s smile that will get me through my otherwise dreary day. Because that’s what life as a Kpop Fangirl is all about. We thrive on those brief glimpses of our biases in our Twitter timeline, on teasers of our biases next comeback, on their reality shows hongbin's dimplesand interviews, on their social media accounts and fan-cafés because this is how we connect with them. This is how they become real to us and how we come to love them so, especially for those of us who are forced to live half a world apart from our endless list of biases. And for the record, this love of K-pop isn’t just another “phase” or some “passing craze.” Oh no. It’s become a lifestyle and one that I have no intention of ever letting go.

 

lovely leoWhile being a K-pop fangirl isn’t always easy (especially when no one else in your world understands your obsession) it helps to know that, despite how it may feel at times, you’re actually not alone in your K-pop love. No matter where you are, there’s always someone else out there in the world, just as eager to fangirl spazz over your biases latest YouTube video as you are, and all you have to do is reachRavi out and say hello. So this is my official “Hello” to all of my fellow St☆rlights! It’s been lovely meeting so many of you on Twitter and I hope to meet even more in the future, as we get make time to together and share the love we have for our beloved N, Leo, Ken, Ravi, Hongbin and Hyuk. If you ever find me out there in the social media universe, please don’t hesitate to stop and say hello; I’m always willing to drop whatever it is I’m doing to fangirl spazz over Leo VIXX for a minute or two. 🙂

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HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Bride of the Century Episodes 5-6 (2/2)

Zombie: Oh my! It seems Kang Ju has finally decided to admit his feelings for Doo Rim… Yay! I just wish he knew that it was actually Doo Rim he loved. Having him be all adorable with Yi Kyung is just a sad waste of aegyo!

 

Shai: I wanted him and all his aegyo-ness to be in scenes with Doo Rim, but I guess it was to show how much he’s changed. *sigh* That scene with the lingerie was priceless lol

 lingere

Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Bride of the Century Episodes 5-6 (2/2)”

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HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 12-13 (4/4)

cute kiss

Zombie: Oh my word! The feels this week nearly killed me with an overwhelming abundance of feels! My poor heart could barely handle all of the flutters!

 

Karen: And all that advice! It’s enough to fill my head with so many thoughts about relationships!

 

Zombie: Dr. Shim is a very insightful person. She has a well-balanced perspective on life but she’s, surprisingly, not the only one. When Kim Kwang Soo started giving Jin Hee all of his advice on marriage, I was completely blown away. I had no idea he had so much depth to him! I’m really starting to like him!

you need to practice in marriage

Karen: I was wondering where Kwang Soo got all of his wisdom from since I have never seen him fight with Jin Ae. Wisdom comes with experience.

 

Zombie: Maybe he’s just a deeper character than I first gave him credit for. I mean, initially, I thought he was such a flake but as this show is progressing, he’s continually surprising me with his genuine love for his family and the level head he’s got on his shoulders. I think Jin Ae really found a keeper! He seems to be the perfect balance for her.

never lend you money again

Karen: There’s no doubt that Kwang Soo is a very responsible husband and father. Perhaps, Jin Ae is the more immature one as she is the one always looking for sneaky ways to get around the situation. She even approached an ex-brother-in-law to borrow money. I suppose she had to do what she had to do, but going to an ex-brother-in-law for money is super awkward.

 

Zombie: I think it might not have been the best decision Jin Ae ever made, going to Chang Min for money but given the relationship between them, I wasn’t really appalled by her actions. They seem to have such a good relationship… As if it was never damaged by Chang Min and Jin Hee’s divorce. I have a feeling they’ll always be good friends.

chang min and jin aeKaren: I would have loved to see what life was like before the divorce. At least Jin Ae respects Chang Min and doesn’t try to lie her way through a financial emergency. In turn, Chang Min also fesses up to taking Dr. Gook’s jacket and even admits that he is not as mature as Dr. Gook. I have to give Chang Min points for that as well.

i'm not as cool as you

Zombie: I know, it seems like Chang Min is really growing up a lot, all of a sudden. I think he’s taking his feelings for Jin Hee a lot more seriously than he did the first time around because he wants to make sure he does things right this time around. He knows that if he screws anything up this time, he has no hope of ever getting Jin Hee back. Honestly, I’m not really sure how’s he’s even going to manage winning Jin Hee back at this moment. I know he’s trying, desperately at times (how else do you explain that kiss???) but are his efforts really going to be enough? I’m not so sure. Especially when Dr. Gook goes all adorably mushy on Jin Hee. Ugh! That ride home in the rain… Omo! I nearly died from Dr. Gook’s shy semi-confession. The way he answered both of her questions… Ack! I can’t even… SO STINKING CUTE!!!

smoochyKaren: The way I see it, both men are coming on strong. I really like the fact that Dr. Gook has a chance to date Jin Hee, but I am also sad that all of Chang Min’s efforts seem wasted. Chang Min seems to have fallen into second-lead territory where usually the second-lead tries to rekindle a relationship with a main lead, but the main lead has already fallen in love with the other main lead. In the end, the second-lead man just has to bear it. I can’t even tell Chang Min to keep pursuing Jin Hee either because I feel like she needs her space at this moment and he might just annoy her too much.

in the rain

Zombie: And this is exactly where I’m torn! I can’t decide if I want to cheer for Chang Min or Dr. Gook. They’ve both managed to produce an excessive number of heart-palpitations on my end so I’m really dying. I usually cheer for the man who makes me swoon the most but in this case, there are two worthy (in their own way) candidates to win Jin Hee’s affections and I cannot, for the life of me, decide who would actually be better. They both have their good qualities but which one would be better for Jin Hee in the long-run? I honestly have no idea!

 

Karen: Eventually, one man has to bow out and I believe that man is going to be Chang Min. I predict that Chang Min will have to let go of his Jin Hee dreams because his family is about to be shaken up by the news of his father’s illness. Chang Min will have to concentrate more on how to save his family soon rather than saving his love life.

 

Zombie: I honestly don’t know how to feel about that. I want to cheer for Chang Min but at the same time, you’re totally right. There are a lot of things Chang Min is going to have to deal with in the very near future and I can see this going one of two ways… 1. Chang Min’s family trials are going to drive a wedge between him and Jin Hee and they will part ways as friends or 2. Chang Min’s family trials are going to be the glue that sticks him and Jin Hee together for all of eternity. At this point, I’m not sure where this is headed but those are the two ways I see this going.

i gave in for everything

Karen: I think these scenarios all depend on Chang Min’s mother. Until she accepts the fact that she cannot control her son and that her son deserves to be happy, the entire family will be in shambles. In a way, she is a necessary person in keeping the family together. She has the ability to stop her divorce with Chang Min’s father and she has the ability to bless her son’s relationship with Jin Hee.

 

Zombie: Is it wrong to say I wish she were the one with the terminal health problem? It seems to me everyone’s life would a whole lot simpler with her out-of-the-way.

 

Karen: Well, Sung Sook did almost die, but Jin Hee saved her. I hope to see a happy ending though. I’m not sure how that’s going to happen unless Jin Hee saved Oh Tae Suk and Chang Min’s life as well.

 

Zombie: That’s probably going to be the only way Chang Min’s mother will ever accept Jin Hee and even then… I’m not so sure… In that respect, Jin Hee would be much better off with Dr. Gook. Who needs that kind of crazy in their life?

someone who makes your heart flutter

Karen: Dr. Gook seems to have a boring and predictable life. Work. Drink. Sleep? If Jin Hee dated him, I wonder if she would die of boredom or will Dr. Gook change as a result of dating again? He didn’t seem to change much when he was dating Dr. Shim (even though Dr. Shim made him participate in side activities). Furthermore, Dr. Gook wouldn’t even take the plunge into marrying Dr. Shim. Will Dr. Gook eventually reach a dead-end with Jin Hee as well?

 

Zombie: Again, this is why I’m torn. I can see things going well for Jin Hee if she chose Chang Min or Dr. Gook but at the same time, I could see them not working out, in the long-run, either. Both men have their good points and their not-so-good points which is why I’m having the hardest time trying to decide which one I’m going to cheer for the most. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out who would be the better fit for Jin Hee and it’s driving me absolutely crazy! On top of that, both men are making my heart flutter like a butterfly on speed which is making watching this drama an excruciatingly painful experience in some ways and completely delightful in others. I can’t decide if the overabundance of feels is a good thing or if eventually my poor heart is just going to explode…

funny jin heeKaren: More episodes will cure this feeling. I’m sure it will become clearer next week!

 

Zombie: I’m really hoping so… I’m not sure how much more of this exquisite torture I can take! It’s not every day you have a drama with two worthy men making your heart go pitter-patter. Usually one out-shines the other but not this time!

 

Karen: I know, though I have my pick! Usually, I fall for Dr. Gook every week, but Chang Min has got my heart this week. The drama has a completely different vibe from the beginning of the story. It’s all up to Jin Hee to decide which is the best path for her now.

 

So which way would you like to see this drama go? Which adorable gentleman, do you think, will ultimately win Jin Hee’s heart? We’d love to know what you think so be sure to leave us a comment below!

Be sure to check out our blogs for more Hallyu fun!

    Miss something? You can catch up on all of our past discussions of Emergency Couple here:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 7: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 8-9: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 10-11: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 12-13: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
 
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BOYFRIEND TAKES CHICAGO BY STORM WITH THEIR FIRST U.S. SHOWCASE

Written by HallyuTanya and TheZombieMamma

1.1Boyfriend made their U.S. debut last night at The Vic Theater in Chicago, performing before a loving and enthusiastic crowd of Bestfriends who welcomed this adorable six-member idol group from Seoul, South Korea, with open arms.

2.1Kicking things off right at the first of two stops in Boyfriend’s First U.S. Showcase, organized by Jazzy Group, Boyfriend took the stage by storm with one of their most popular songs, “Janus,” much to the fan’s delight. It was adorably obvious the boys weren’t expecting to be met with such overwhelming love. The look on their faces when the crowd started singing along, right off the bat, was priceless. No doubt suffering from an over-abundance of nerves, Donghyun, Hyunseong, Jeongmin, Youngmin, Kwangmin and Minwoo seemed to let all of their nervous tension go as the audience enthusiastically joined them in singing, “You’re not a bad girl…” and never looked back.

3.1Moving from a three song set into a Q&A time, the audience was treated to a plethora of questions answered by various members of the band. When asked what they had dreamed of being before they decided on becoming singers, Youngmin revealed he’d always wanted to be a detective, “Like Sherlock.” Jeongmin admitted that “I Yah” was his favorite Boyfriend M/V because “…it’s so sexy.” Kwangmin revealed that he decided to become an Idol because his father loves music and he always wanted to be on stage since he was little, later proving he has skills beyond rapping, by wowing the crowd with a brief but impressive vocal solo. When asked to compare the differences between their American fans and their Korean fans, Boyfriend said that there was really only one big difference between the two, “The crazy hair colors!” Boyfriend went on to say that American fans are “Beautiful, cute and perfect.” Donghyun won the hearts of every girl in the audience when he answered the question, “What is your favorite accessory?” with, “All of my BESTFRIENDS!” and a smile. It was also revealed that Boyfriend is working on an album and we should see a comeback from the boys at some point this summer.

4.1There was a special display of aegyo when Hyunseong was pressured into doing “Gwiyomi” by his fellow members. The Bestfriends in the audience even sang the song to cheer Hyunseong on. At the end, he was so embarrassed that he hid his face until the other members pulled him back into the line and told him he did a great job.

5.1After Q&A the boys began a two-song set of music which included “Standing with U” and “Go Back” before treating fans to an adorable MV while the boys headed backstage to change. The end of the video ushered in the boys’ solo performances, starting with Youngmin’s beautiful ballad. Donghyun took the stage next singing “Listen,” wowing fans with his skills as a pianist, his singing and his ability to melt fangirls’ hearts.

6.1It was during Donghyun’s solo stage that one lucky audience member, Ryan Boyd, from Jamaica, New York, was brought on-stage to be wooed by him with a bouquet of flowers and a personal serenade, sung, for a bit at least, on one knee. If that weren’t enough to stop this poor girl’s heart, Donghyun continued his serenade with a whole lot of hugs and hand-holding that brought a brilliant and unending smile to this lucky girl’s face. Hyunseong was next to take the stage with his powerful rendition of Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me.” Jeongmin was up next, wowing the crowd at the keyboard with his rendition of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” To wrap up the solo showcases, Kwangmin, Youngmin and Minwoo took to the stage with an impressive dance performance.

7.1Jazzy Group surprised fans by allowing the boys to have game time with six lucky fans. Each member chose a seat number from a box and those 6 people were brought on-stage to play charades, with the boys acting out the movie/animal/object for their teammate. The fan in the seat that Donghyun chose was unable to make it to the stage, due to a physical disability, and he showed true concern for her by asking security to help her back to her seat before jumping off the stage to stand next to her in the audience. The game itself was hilarious! Minwoo and his Bestfriend won the game by guessing four actions correctly before the 60 seconds time-limit was up.

8.1 9.1

To close the show with a bang, Boyfriend took to the stage once more, delighting fans with what was undoubtedly the best performances of the evening, a no-holds-barred version of both “I Yah” and “Boyfriend” that left the crowd yearning for more.

10.1Leaving the stage to the wildly enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, the boys were back in less than two minutes, for an encore of “On & On,” which they actually performed TWICE. After the song ended the first time, Minwoo yelled, “Let’s go again!” and to crowd’s surprise, the sound techs restarted the song and the boys continued their aegyo-fest. To further delight fans, Youngmin left the stage and meandered his way along the edge of the crowd, a smile plastered on his face, stopping to pose for pictures and offer high-fives along the way. The rest of the boys stood at the edge of the stage, grabbing the cell phones that any Bestfriend offered and taking selcas of themselves, before handing them back to their lucky owners. Without a doubt, the encore was the best part of the evening as the boys stopped performing and just had fun with their Bestfriends.

11.1Following the concert, the 100 lucky VIP ticket holders that were given blue wristbands were given the chance to take a picture, ten at a time, with Boyfriend. Afterwards, the VVIP ticket holders were given their copy of Boyfriend The First Album Repackage <I yah> which were then signed by each member of the band, with a friendly high-five, flattering compliments/cute greetings, and ear-to-ear smiles. The professionalism of these boys after a long, tiring showcase was seriously impressive! They gave their all and Bestfriends from Chicago and beyond will never forget this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

12.1Kamsahamnida and saranghaeyo, Boyfriend! We can’t wait for your comeback this summer and we hope you have more opportunities to visit the United States soon. Chicago misses you already!