Fair Shake Reaction: 9th - Psy

9th - PSY

(Genre: Kpop)

I have the links down to a Psy-ence:

That That (Music Video)

Celeb (Music Video)

Ganji (Performance Video)

Now (Performance Video)

That That Interview (Behind the Scenes)

ReacttotheK Reaction (to That That)

Favorite MAMA 2015 Performances

It's another year for kpop idols to claim their year end paper weights of fan achievements and bribery! I guess it's become tradition for me to cover the MAMAs every year and obviously, I'm not making a vlog about it. Why? Because I'm sure someone's covered the flaws, surprises, and wtf moments of the show already. Sure, there's plenty of criticisms I could point out to lure out the trolls, but instead I'll shake up the kpop fanbase by not including their faves in my list this year. So! Get your fingers ready for paragraph long comment on why I didn't include [insert idol/group] in my post. Here we go~


CL - The Baddest Female
Song(s): HELLO BITCHES

I'm probably going to receive a lot of criticism for this one and most likely not because I listed CL on here. I know she gets criticism on her own. No, I expect some criticism for only including CL's performance and not the reunion of 2NE1. While I was excited to see the quartet united on the stage together performing one of their older songs, "Fire", I wasn't all that impressed with their unpolished presentation. I've seen better. But let's focus on their leader and how she can easily own the stage with a blase song. Yeah, I don't particularly care for "HELLO BITCHES" (or even "Dr. Pepper"). It's a trap mess that somehow I don't feel nauseous over like "It G Ma". Maybe it's the delivery, the attitude, the style, or just...y'know the fierce diverse female dancers slaying the stage. They work very well together and it makes the song bearable and even...as the kids say, lit.



Jessi - Tough Enough
Song(s): Sseununni

While Jessi didn't have the fierce choreography as CL's stage, I didn't mind it. The problem I have with Korean rappers being on live shows on TV is that it seems like choreography is a requirement, which is annoying. This performance proves that the dancers could basically do whatever they want and still be synchronized. It's not strictly choreographed and it goes well with Jessi's casual, freestyle movements as she raps. She really owns the stage all on her own. Whether you believe she's as hardcore as she presents herself or not, I believed this fiercely passionate performance from her. The stage was really hers for the taking.



San E - Tough Enough
Song(s): Do It For Fun

Not one of my favorite San E songs from 2015, but he took a risk performing all alone and...I think he made the right choice. There were no back-up dancer distracting from the wild energy San E brings to the stage lyrically and physically through majority of the performance. He just seemed like a free spirit getting into his own music and losing himself in his own ego. I really wished the crowd and idols got more excited about this amazing, spitfire solo performance. There really should be more appreciation for hip-hop acts at the MAMAs, because they've had some outstanding performances on their stage and such little vocal appreciation from the audience.



Jolin Tsai - Queen of the Night
Song(s): Play

Much like Koda Kumi in 2011, I feel like the MAMAs needs more international Asian "queens" in the building. I was very much excited and surprised to see Jolin Tsai on the stage and while her performance wasn't the most hype, she delivered a satisfying performance with "Play". I loved that she had these beautiful men in high heels backing her up, while she tried to balance her singing and dancing in this great song. I wish she was able to do more on the level of Koda Kumi, but what we were given made me happy enough.




SHINee - Marvelous
Song(s): Savior & View

It's crazy how much this group has grown on me. It's so crazy that I should dedicate a whole post to it at some point, but let's focus on this performance. From the pre-recorded introduction, I knew something magical was going to happen on the stage. Whether I got into them more or not, I was confident in the stage presentation. SHINee is a reliable group when it comes to vocal and choreography skills in live settings. The performance starts with a Jonghyun solo: briefly on the piano and some dancing with floating light fixtures, then the rest of the members appear in idol cases. Since I'm still majorly behind on listening to music, this was my first listen of "Savior". Not their strongest song, but they tried their best to raise the energy and show off their vocal talents, despite bad audio management. I was happy to hear "View" live for the first time. I felt the same energy and maturity as I did when I watched the music video for the first 5 times. In short, another solid performance by SHINee.




MONSTA X & SEVENTEEN -The Boys
Song(s): Trespass & Mansae

I'm still surprised that I decided not to include GOT7 and BTS's collaboration stage. I enjoy both groups greatly, but it didn't pan out as I thought it would. Last year's BTS collaboration was on point and hopefully, I'll go back and make a post on 2014's MAMAs, which I have no idea why I didn't make a post at all. I think I'm more surprised how well this collaboration came together as both groups seem so opposite of one another concept wise. MONSTA X didn't hold back with their debut track, "Trespass". It was bombastic and full of energy. Not as smooth of a transition audibly, but worked with this sweet vs. bad concept they had for this stage, SEVENTEEN went with their latest release at the time, "Mansae". While I don't enjoy it as much as "Adore U", for some reason I enjoyed watching this live more than I did when I first watched the music video. Yes, school stages have been done hundreds of times, but they did a great job with it as well. It was a charming and energizing stage. The rap break after felt like a response to SEVENTEEN's cuteness and I loved every minute of it, flaws and all, but the best part was the choreography during and after it. SEVENTEEN killed it! Overall, they worked very well together and it was pleasantly unexpected.



Psy - 2015 Psy Returns
Song(s): Napal Baji, Daddy, & Gangnam Style

Surprise, surprise! Psy is on my list. No, I haven't jumped on the Psy bandwagon yet, but I have to admit that the man knows how to bring his world onto any stage he steps on...or at least the couple performances I've seen on the MAMAs. "Napal Baji" brings a fun disco Vegas feel to the stage with flashy lights and disco inspired dance which some kpop fans may recognize from the chorus of T-ara's "Roly Poly". Out of the two new releases, this one was my least favorite, but it was enjoyable enough for me to listen to it a couple times. The light effect dub step break between songs was pretty cool, even though it wasn't perfectly synchronized, but it brought both songs together nicely. "Daddy" was a song that's hard not to enjoy with its high energy and catchy beat. The dance is also a little infectious as well. Honestly, I could feel myself feel a little hype build inside when this song came up. Psy really works his body out during this song and I give him major kudos throughout the whole performance. Of course, he couldn't leave the stage without performing his viral hit "Gangnam Style", which manages to carry the same high energy and fun as it did when it was first released. It was nice to see the other idols and presenter let loose and enjoy the music together.



Big Bang - Truth + Dare
Song(s): LOSER, BAE BAE, & BANG BANG BANG

No matter how underwhelmed I felt about Big Bang's new material, I always seem to find a place for them on my MAMAs list. One thing they excel at is stage presence. They know how to bring the house down and the energy threw the roof. While I don't completely dislike the songs they released last year, it was fun watching them perform them for this "prestigious" award ceremony for the fans. "LOSER" presented a beautiful emotional performance that I rarely see from the group and I really enjoyed the set up with the lights and the members facing different directions toward the crowd. "BAE BAE" gave the crowd some sex appeal with a dash of fun in the chorus and of course, most people's favorite moment, Seungri sitting on EXO's Sehun's lap as he delivered his verse. Much like "Fantastic Baby", "BANG BANG BANG" was the grand finale of energy, making the stage their own personal party. The highlight of that performance were the female dancers during the intro. They were amazing and slayed the choreography harder than anyone else on the stage.



Zion.T x Kim Seol Jin - Bridge of Memories
Song(s): Yanghwa BRDG

Every year, I go blindly into MAMAs not knowing who's performing and after seeing this performance, I'll most likely keep it that way. Seeing Zion.T on stage, let alone in the building, was a huge surprise for me. I feel like the mainstream doesn't appreciate his artistry and I'm happy he stayed true to himself in this performance of "Yanghwa BRDG". It's a song that I might've listened to twice at most, not because I dislike it but because it's slower than his usual tracks and those I listen to less often. I did watch this whole performance, because it's Zion.T. I was happy that the crowd went crazy within the first few notes. Hearing Zion.T's soulful voice and the piano echo throughout the venue really hit my heart and soul. It was truly perfection and passion. I'm assuming Kim Seol Jin is the dancer and he really brought out the emotion and passion that Zion.T expressed in his voice through his body. I enjoyed the interactions between him and the onscreen illustrations. Truly, this was the best performance of the evening.

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2014

PSY & Snoop Dogg Collaboration
Whether you're a kpop fan or not, there's a good chance you know about the foreign phenomenon that was "Gangnam Style". It was nearly impossible to escape the track in 2012. PSY made a follow up single, "Gentleman", which didn't get as many hits as the first on YouTube, but people were aware of it and it still got parodied. I'm not sure if PSY or YG Entertainment wanted to make another attempt of worldwide or even viral relevancy by having this collaboration with Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion, I'm not sure what he was going by at the time), but it seemed like listeners were very split about this project. Some saw it as a great anthem for post-drunkenness, while others found it as more of an annoyance. Plus there was a controversial blackface co-signing by Snoop. Nonetheless, I don't think the single caught on as much as the previous efforts.


Jackie Chan's KPop Group Debuts: JJCC
I still find it so odd to know that Jackie Chan created a kpop group. Of all the things he could make! I guess we needed more rookies in the sea of...um...rookies? I don't want to put these boys down in the least, because I actually enjoy their music so far...excluding "Bing Bing Bing (Oneway)", I'm still trying to figure that one out. I know this is a minor statement, but it's very wtf worthy. I wish JJCC a long, prosperous life in the kpop universe. Also, check out their guest appearance on K-Populous.


BABYMETAL & Crayon Pop Open for Lady Gaga
Most people are familiar with BABYMETAL with their YouTube appearance on @midnight with their "Gimme Chocolate!!" live and Crayon Pop with their brief viral popularity with "Bar Bar Bar" and maybe their MAMA collaboration with Ylvis of "Fox Song" fame. I'm guessing because of these two moments in 15 minute musical fame sparked interested in Lady Gaga to welcome them aboard her artRAVE tour. I was tempting to go myself as Lady Gaga is on my wishlist of musicians I would love to see live, but I'm not that big of Crayon Pop fan and I wasn't planning on traveling to see BABYMETAL either. Nonetheless, I'm happy that both of them received some exposure in the States and I hope that BABYMETAL makes another round of touring here as well that's closer to home.


J-Indies Favorites Disband
Every year I have to face the disappointment of a promising j-indies band putting their musical journey to a halt. Some I'm sure I will see members in newly formed bands, but of course it is never the same. I know that indies bands disband every year, but it's nice to acknowledge some of my favorites. Some were new to me like Lil.y and EVE and others I have been following for years: LICKER, Jackman, Suicide Ali, downer, xTRiPx, and THE KIDDIE. I suppose it is less surprising, but still saddening, BLACK LINE. I'm sure fans will miss and support these bands in this new chapter of life in 2015.


Simon D Joins AOMG
After the unfortunate disbandment of Supreme Team, E-Sens tried to piece back together his rap career and Simon D impressed his fans with a brand new solo album, then things got quiet. So, I was so excited, along with the fans, that Simon D resurfaced to an amazing R&B and rap track with Jay Park and GRAY called "Metronome". I thought this collaboration was a one-shot, but fortunately for us, Simon D signed up as co-CEO of AOMG with Jay Park, so I'm expecting a lot of epicly amazing things with this new addition. Hopefully, they'll spread their live performance wings a little further into America and make a trip to the south.


Band Member Departures
Similar to the feeling of losing a band is the feeling of losing a beloved member. Whether it's creative differences, health, personal obligations, or other uncontrollable circumstances, it can be hard for both the band and fans to accept letting go of a member. A few I feel worth mentioning are Sala (Black Gene from the Next Scene), Rui (SCREW), John (Sel'm), Kazuki (Royz), Yui (Ganglion), Kifumi (BORN), and Shingo (GOTCHAROCKA). Some of these are rather surprising as they've been part of their band for many years and others may be in new or increasingly popular visual kei bands. Nonetheless, I wish them the best of luck for 2015!


Dahee (GLAM) & Lee Jiyeon Charged with Blackmail
This news was a bit on the unusual side, especially for kpop. GLAM isn't part of the big leagues like SNSD or 2NE1, but Dahee and model Lee Jiyeon's target, Lee Byung-hun, is a very high profiled star. At first, it was uncertain who Dahee's accomplice was or what their motivations were. The details are still partially unknown and I'm not expecting it to get any clearer than what I know or anyone who reads Seoul Beats and Asian Junkie. I don't know much about Lee Byung-hun other than the very few little things I've seen him in, but apparently he has a controversial reputation and may even be on the unlikable list for some. I don't know anything about his habits or his relationship history, but either way, blackmailing is never acceptable, especially when you're at the bottom of the barrel of idoldom. The whole situation was an amusing read to say the least and it seems like Dahee and her partner in crime will be apologizing for quite some time. I suppose the future of GLAM is bit unknown at this point as well.


Janghyun Leaves Sunny Hill
During Janghyun's mandatory military service, the ladies of Sunny Hill continued to produce music for their fans and send their well wishes to their composer and leader. Upon his return, fans were excited for another gripping and unique concept from the group a la "Pray" or "Midnight Circus", but was given the news that Janghyun would not be returning to the group. Instead, he has decided to continue being a producer, which is great news as I believe he makes high quality work. I still find it strange that all the kpop sites I follow have not mentioned this news whatsoever, but I'm glad I found out about it and can share with you guys. I wish Janghyun and the remaining members of Sunny Hill the best of luck for the new year!


2NE1's Series of Unfortunate Events
YG Entertainment has been quite busy in 2014, considering some other "speculations" were unsurprisingly postponed (i.e. Any new material from Big Bang or that mystery girl group). The kpop world was introduced to WINNER, iKON, and Akdong Musician and we finally received some new material from 2NE1 (which will be reviewed momentarily). Despite releasing a new album for their precious Blackjacks, 2NE1's more controversial news stood out a little more: Minzy's plastic surgery and change in her Twitter handle, one of CL's live performance misusing Muslim incantations, her potential U.S. debut, and her unsatisfying and confusing collaboration with Skrillex, Diplo, and G-Dragon. But the member who took the cake was Park Bom as she attempted to bring home amphetamine tablets from the U.S. This scandal caused Bom to pause all activities meaning she had to depart from the reality show Roommate and absent from any live performances with 2NE1. Then there was that minor diss rap news from A.KOR's Kemy too...


Kim Hyun-joong's Domestic Abuse Case
Most people are aware that kpop fans are very delusional, otherwise the saying "oppa/noona didn't mean to" wouldn't be a popular mocking phrase among the well adjusted set. When it comes to domestic abuse, all statements like that should not exist, especially when so much concrete evidence exists. I like one or two songs by Kim Hyun-joong, but I am not a fan of his. Even if I was, I wouldn't excuse his behavior toward his former girlfriend nor try to convince others that he doesn't deserve punishment for what he did. It was sickening to read fans defending his actions and even more appalling how long it took for things to move along with this case. There might some moralistic discrepancies, but either way I find it unexcusable that he was allowed to continue live performances abroad while he was actively avoiding the police to place a statement. It's probably wishful thinking, but I hope the consequences of his actions catch up to him sooner rather than later.


Band Revivals
Even though band revivals are temporary events, they're pretty exciting when they do happen. It's like a second chance to have that live experience with the band and the fandom in an intimate setting enjoying music. A lot of these live revivals I wish I could've attended such as Pierrot, SIGNAL, D'espairsRay, Transtic Nerve, LuLu, Otogadead, Psycho le Cemu, and Doremidan. More exciting is that some of these revivals are more than just a one or two day live event, but a reboot of activities such as Rin, MY BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND, and D.I.D. I'm looking forward to hearing more music and hopefully I have a chance to indulge in a live performance as well.


Hideto (Amber Bullet), Yuuza (~E'm Grief~) & K (Moi dix Mois) Passes Away
I am a casual listener of Amber Bullet and I don't quite know the members' names, but it was sad to hear that their bassist Hideto had been struggling with an illness. I'm not really a fan of Moi dix Mois or ~E'm Grief~, but a passing is worth mentioning, especially since I know people who are very fond of these two bands.






Alice Nine Leaves PS Company
Another band decides to leave the evil clutches of PS Company to return back to their roots. I'm sure fans cheered for victory as I don't feel that Alice Nine's activity have been very...productive. From my perspective, I see the GazettE as the most active group while Alice Nine focuses more on their show and occasionally will release a single or something. When they do release music, it seems like a hollow shell of what originally pulled me into the band. They've already released pictures of their new look and logo. Since things have been going pretty well for Miyavi and SuG post-PSC, I'm hoping the same good fortune will come for Alice Nine. Now...if only the GazettE would leave...


Joon & Cheon Doong (Thunder) Leave MBLAQ
Compared to the Japanese music industry, I never really hear any big news about members leaving a group nor fans making a huge deal about it. Most departures seem pretty quiet, maybe due to the fact that the group isn't very popular, or it is simply labelled as a graduation of sorts like After School. Hearing this was very surprising, but seemed understandably necessary in a weird way. I haven't gotten around to seeing Lee Joon as an actor, but I've heard many good things which makes me extremely happy. Reading the news seemed like a tug of war of unconfirmed information, but soon it was settled (or at least mostly settled) that MBLAQ's legacy would be discontinued. I wish things turned out better for them during their musical journey and I sadly have to put part of the blame on Rain for neglecting what he started, but I look forward for what's to come for these five young men.


TS Entertainment Contract Dispute
It's been a rough year for kpop and I'm guessing some fans are having flashbacks to 2010 (give or take a year). Personally this news is not that surprising, but for others, I guess they were blinded by the consecutive releases. Anyway, B.A.P as a whole filed for nullification of their contract as they hadn't received the payment they expected. This case is somewhat similar to what happened with Stardom Entertainment and Block B last year. Block B is doing quite well under their new label Seven Seasons, so I'm hoping the same will come with B.A.P along with some much needed rest. There are rumors that labelmates SECRET and Untouchable may be joining the lawsuit bandwagon. Hopefully, we will hear a fair conclusion to this unfortunate situation in the coming year.


SM Entertainment Back Lash
I am not the biggest fan of SME's and their supporters are the worse~ Sure, a few good and interesting things have happened for them like giving solos to SHINee's Taemin and Super Junior M's Zhou Mi and next year SHINee's Jonghyun and f(x)'s Amber. Unfortunately, the massive black cloud overshadows any excitement SME has delivered to its followers. The set of news dealt with up and coming boy group EXO and the other with one of Korea's most popular female groups SNSD. I haven't forgotten about them giving f(x)'s Sulli a hiatus during their "Red Light" promotion or that one of the members of Super Junior is getting hitched, it just doesn't stand out as much as what happened with Kris, Luhan, and Jessica. The first strike against SME was Kris (EXO-M) filing lawsuit, then Luhan (EXO-M) followed suit and demanded financial compensation for promotions. No matter how you read Jessica's situation, in my eyes, SME booted her out of SNSD as it sounds like she was committed to the group, but wanted to also venture in other smaller projects. It is possible to maintain a musical career and put together a line of merchandise; American artists do it all the time! Even some Japanese artists do other side projects alongside their musical career. Since I'm very anti-SME, I'm hoping more idols (in general) will continue to speak up.


Ladies' Code Car Accident
2014 seemed like a year of management lessons for the kpop industry: how to handle saesang fans, deal with dating "scandals", settling contract lawsuits, and, in this entry, safety and scheduling issues. There are many great discussions about Ladies' Code's car accident, most of them pointing out the problem of managers trying to cram too much in a day. Please check out these insight links about the incident: Eat Your Kimchi, Asian Junkie, and Anti-KPop Fangirl. I know in America we are told to pull over if we're feeling too tired to drive and to slow down when the weather conditions aren't very favorable for driving above the speed limit; these are tips that have been brought up as well. Nonetheless, it was very unfortunate to lose such talented young ladies, EunB and RiSe, especially at the rise of their musical journey. I hope this incident will change the way managers schedule idols' activities and that car safety regulations will become stricter.

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2012

ALDIOUS' Vocalist Leaves
I've already given my praise to these awesome set of ladies, but it was sad hearing that Rami had to depart from the band. Of course, fans understandably accepted this news and wished the departed member well on her health. Fortunately, the band wasn't knocked down and picked up KERA model Re:No to fill in the position. I'm sure her vocal talents will take some getting used to, but the essence of ALDIOUS are not lost.


BABYMETAL's Debut
I know they formed two years ago, but they didn't debut their awesomeness until this year and it was definitely a "wtf" moment. Who would've thought that fusing cutesy girly jpop with metal was going to be so amazing. I know for a fact that this group confused some people and it's definitely a group that you'll either love or hate, but either way. Apparently, they have something in the works for 2013 and I am looking forward to it. Perhaps, there will be a battle between them and BiS. That might be pretty epic.


Pay money To my Pain's K's Mental Health
It was sad to hear that PTP's vocalist K had to put his musical activities on hold due to his mental health. I tried to look up some information on the situation and you'd be surprised how difficult that can be to find a truly credible source. From what I gathered from Tumblrdore, K has been battling his mental problems for quite some time and as of late it was time to check into a professional to prevent further problems from occurring. I hope he takes care of himself and doesn't rush the process to please fans.


VII-Sense Disbands
Probably less surprising for those familiar with Shaura's (Juka) track record, but still saddening to fans of the band. For me, the band seemed to be gaining momentum with each release and made me excited as time passed by. They had an interesting line up of having triple guitars and utilizing every aspect of that. Unlike Kisaki, Kamijo, and Hizaki, this is the end of Shaura/Juka's musical adventures. I wish him a lot of luck and I hope that Erina shows back up in a new band as well, because his skills are amazing.


DecoLa Hopping Disbands
Another less surprising bit of news that's still saddening to me and their fans. I knew they had been having direction issues, but somehow they carried on to make a couple more singles before officially announcing their disbandment. They have one more release and then it's all over in April of this coming new year. If you've never checked these guys out, they are definitely not what you would think they would be judging by appearance. I remember thinking it was going to be the typical oshare kei, but then Suiya began to growl and I was instantly in love. Nonetheless, I wish them all the best and I hope they continue their musical endeavors, especially Suiya, in new projects.


Chemical Pictures Disbands
The last of the disbandment news for me was hearing this bit of saddening news. In a way, it seemed expected as the band had been silent for a while and TenTen's bands don't last long from what I noticed. I'm hoping that TenTen shows up on the scene as he normally does and even the other members as well. They had a lot of potential and it's sad that they couldn't fully develop a little longer.


D'erlanger & Die's Performance
So, D'erlanger is probably my favorite legendary jrock band and I'm sure most of you know that I adore/love Die probably more than any person should. Hearing that the two shared a stage together and doing a BUCK-TICK cover made my heart explode. I know how much Die admires Cipher and, if you didn't know, they share the same tattoo. In short, it was the most amazing thing to see as a fan of both parties and reading Die fanboy over the experience warms my heart so much. I hope one day they do a collaboration in the near future. If you haven't seen it, watch it and brace yourself for epicness!


Seungri "Scandal"
South Korea continues to amuse me with their conservative ways and lack of sex education knowledge. Seungri decided to be the break out star of Big Bang in Japan, which I believe he fits in quite well. He has the personality, charisma, and a good grasp of the culture and humor. Apparently, he also has a way with the ladies of Japan as well to the point that he ended up in a Japanese tabloid. He was rumored to be in a hotel room with someone and had some kinky sex, then didn't offer to clean up the mess afterwards. Japan was unfazed, but South Korea caused an uproar over the "scandal". If you want to believe the highly unreliable AllKpop, G-Dragon voiced his disappointment toward Big Bang's charming maknae and fans inappropriately used the flimsy information for poster inspiration during their world tour. *sighs* I have lost what little respect I had for V.I.Ps this year. Thanks, guys~


Lolita23q Indefinite Hiatus
Hiatuses aren't too much to cry over, but when you slap the word "indefinite", it's acceptable to have some fears of no return. Having Soshi as their newest vocalist was a step up and their new musical direction was a positive move, so hearing that the band was taking an indefinite hiatus caused some panic. It's hard to accept improving bands taking such ambiguous breaks or even disbanding. I hope they will return in the near future to blow our socks off, but for now I shall be anticipating Ryosuke's solo project this coming year.


"Gangnam Style" Blowing Up Worldwide
Who would've thought that we would be plagued by a silly, yet catchy kpop song for the end half of the year? I already voiced my thoughts on the viral phenomenon and I had my first radio listen of the song driving back to university after Thanksgiving break. Yeah, I don't listen to the radio, obviously. Of course the success and kpop fan victory blew up in their faces when newbies who claimed to know about kpop through one song tried to jump in on the action with false claims and accusations that every kpop artists were ripping off PSY's global hit. Eventually, everyone got almost as annoyed as I was over the song and Americans started making PSY the butt of jokes before promptly turning their backs on him with his anti-American lyrics from his past. Have my thoughts changed on PSY opening doors for kpop to be accepted in America? Eh...not really. I don't think he's made that big of a deal for hallyu to swoop in like they have in Japan and even Japan is trying to kick them out.


Versailles Hiatus
I mentioned this the last time I had Versailles news that I am not a fan, still not, but this flooded my Tumblr feed. The ridiculousness, guys! With mistranslated blogs comes riots and people claiming the world is ending, but indeed this is purely a hiatus. At least, that's how I see it when glancing over the articles. Although this wasn't big news for me, I had to deal with the aftermath spamming on my feed of dramatic fans overblowing minor news. Bands need breaks to explore other musical outlets and improve future visions for their band. Even if they decided to break up, Kamijo and Hizaki are not the types to go silently in the visual kei industry.


SuG Abandon PS Company
I think I've seen more fans jumping for joy upon hearing this news. SuG has become larger than life and want to take charge of their own fate without PSC's slimy hands controlling them. I am totally looking forward to their debut under a new label and I'm crossing my fingers that a couple or so other bands will follow suit. If I could, I would trade Under Code's closing for PSC to close. I wouldn't want the bands to suffer, I just want them to be free from the torturous conditions they've been put under. I suppose I can save my ranting for my new video project as well. In short, I'm cheering for SuG and their band growth. I'm expecting very good things from this move.


T-ara Drama
Kim Kwang-Soo has been extra busy this year causing trouble for fans, especially T-ara's. Apparently, he caused so much trouble that I had to dedicate a whole post to his plot to destroy something further that wasn't broken. It seems like his reign of "good" decision making hasn't ceased, unfortunately. Expect the same old b.s. nonsense from him in the coming year. I'm not feeling confident about his choices with his money making group, T-ara, and his attempts to redeem success without Davichi and a potential poor reincarnation of SeeYa.


Under Code Productions Closing
Probably one of my favorite j-indies labels have decided to close its doors in March 2013 and the fans are deeply saddened by it all. Although the news isn't completely surprising to us all, we still feel the deep sinking feeling of our hearts when the news was announced. Perhaps Kisaki didn't manage his money very well after his tax evasion scandal. Along with this news was hearing Dali announce disbandment beforehand and lastly NEGA following suit. Dali may not be as surprising as they had gaps of silence between releases, but they were one of the last of not so well known UCP bands I enjoyed. As for NEGA, I'm hoping Asagi will recruit them to God Child and they continue to make incredible music under a new name or at least something similar. They had so much growth and uniqueness and I still want to see them live! I don't want to comment too much about the closing as my new video series will cover everything I want to say and how much I enjoyed the bands on UCP. I'm sure Kisaki won't stay out of the music scene for too long.


Gackt Scandal
I didn't touch too much on this in my v-log, but only because I merely skimmed over the posts on Aramatheydidn't on LiveJournal and Shattered Tranquility. It wasn't that I didn't care, I just didn't feel like reading it all, but now I have so I can properly comment on this list. If you want a scandal, Seungri, this is how you do it. The tax bureau of Japan decided to look into Gackt's taxes and found some interesting things with his finances as well as his secret love life. Not that it's anyone's business, but since Gackt is a prominent figure in the visual kei and jpop scenes, some people flip their sh*t over a potential secret mistress in Canada that he has been supporting as well as an illegitimate child she bared before moving out of the country. Whether this will taint Gackt's reputation or not, it's quite uncertain, but not many people are saying much about it lately.


Jin Akanishi and Meisa Kuroki's Real Life FanFiction
Jin is no stranger to the tabloid scene and Meisa is a little less of a stranger, but Aramatheydidnt as well as other Japanese pop culture sites and tabloids had a field day with the fanfiction life of these pop talents. It started with a rumor of the two having a relationship and it was soon revealed that they had a secret marriage that slipped Jin's mind and angered Papa Johnny. Audiences criticized and joked and even speculated that Meisa was possibly pregnant. Thus another rumor was proven true and Jin's career suffered all throughout the year. He spent most of his time hamming it up in America with our talentless artists, then lost countless acting opportunities and Japanese fans failed to sell his worthless albums. Meanwhile, Meisa was labelled as Jin's sugarmama as she held onto her endorsement deals, gained modelling opportunities, and planned out acting and music deals post-pregnancy. On a more amusing note was the fan reactions before people got annoyed with spam, some calling Meisa a slut and clinging onto their bad boy Mr. Akanishi and spreading rumors of her chasing after his friends beforehand and others saying Meisa could've done so much better. Nonetheless, Meisa continues to be flawless while Jin tries to recover what's left of his career while still being a bad ass.

V-log: Gangnam Miko Style

Once again, this ended up being longer than I expected. I guess being alone and thinking too much seems to contribute to these lengthy things. lol Anyway, I hope fans and non-fans of PSY or "Gangnam Style" understand my point of view. I'm open to reading people's thoughts on the viral phenomenon.

V-log: Hype, Scandal, Change, & Updates Ahoy~

It's been a few months since I did one of these, so let me explain the situation of what's been going around here. Hopefully, you will forgive me for the inconsistent stream of content here. I'm hoping that I will get back into the groove of things, so please bare with me while I adjust to everything. A new poll should be up by the end of the week concerning my new idea for my channel which is in the second part of my v-log. Please check that out. Also, you can always send me requests, questions, and suggestions no matter how busy my schedule is: zetsu_nightmare2.0.9[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"GANGNAM STYLE" by PSY
I was going to post this last week before this catchy tune went viral, but I couldn't find enough recent videos that were worth recommending. Anyway, I honestly don't like PSY's music, but this is quite ridiculously catchy with a silly dance. I'm glad that people outside of the fandom find this entertaining and worth sharing. It's a fairly amusing video and the song is pretty decent. Don't think I'll become a PSY fan though. I'll stick with SAN E, thanks. ^^;



"Stand in the World" by HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT
This isn't my favorite song from their latest album, but it's still pretty amazing. They haven't lost their touch and Anza is as ferocious as ever. I love her presence and emotional vocals. The music helps emphasize the tone and the simplistic video gives enough mental stimulation to piece everything together.



"Beautiful Night" by B2ST
Once again, another group did a better job than Big Bang on utilizing their abroad surroundings in a video. There's even some damn diversity in the people too! I love B2ST and I was excited to see something more upbeat and fun, not that I didn't enjoy what they had before or anything. The video is great and definitely shares the same energy as the song. Cool, fresh, and energetic. A perfect summer song, right? The styling is a little off, but it's easily forgivable since everything is right.



"I'm Missin' You" by D-UNIT
I'm sure a lot of people are comparing this rookie girl group to 2NE1 and I can see it. If you're denying it right now and you can definitely hear some similarities, I'll tell you the reason why. KUSH put his hands all over this track. The styling is simple and tomboyish. The video isn't super flashy, so it matches the tone of the message. The song is catchy and has a decent balance of electro-pop and hip-hop. The girls definitely have potential and hopefully they break out of the comparison shadow because there are differences in their vocals and style. Looking forward to more.



"sink" by 9GOATS BLACK OUT
It was announced recently that this band will be disbanding and I'm quite saddened by this. Although they hit a slight bland phase in their career, the spark was slowly emerging again. Nonetheless, this PV was their first and it sparked an immediate love for me. It's also my favorite from the trio. It's a very calming, beautiful, and somewhat sorrowful song that has great, artistic imagery to accompany it.