25%Cotton

so i think i mentioned before that INFINITE's Woohyun and TVXQ/JYJ's Jaejoong were both on a show called "Photo People" that had a group of dudes taking photos around Tokyo.

 

woohyun and jaejoong have met before -- they took a photo together before (1), sunggyu has at least once attended jaejoong's birthday party (2), and myungsoo is a HUGE jaejoong fan (3).

 

1 (jaejoong & woohyun):

 

2 (sunggyu, heechul, junhyung, & zico at jaejoong's birthday):

 

3 (myungsoo & jaejoong's sister at jaejoong's concert):

 

i was worried when on an early episode of Photo People, jaejoong talked to woohyun about girls (can't remember the episode but i think he was saying woohyun must have had a lot of girlfriends or something like that). but after interacting a lot more directly through the show, jaejoong had some interesting things to say to/about woohyun:

 

"But I saw many new sides to you during this filming *laughs*"

"I know, Woohyun-ah~, Hyung knows all of your sincere feelings" 

"I think we'll be able to build a better relationship"

 

huh.

I was prowling Twitter and came across a thread that someone had put together re: K-pop's ingrained homophobia/s, SK's religious upbringings and the idol skinship culture. (Not sure how old that Sehun stuff is, my god Chanyeol or Chen (pic is v small) has got a 80s-style curly perm! And current Sehun seems confident and unflustered to my eyes. Actually a fight breaks out on the thread about it, with Sehun Is Gay people firing back. It's great for a laugh if nothing else.)

 

Thought people might like to chew it over for themselves and agree/disagree at will. There are positive mentions at the bottom of the thread for some old favs too.  

 

Click here to view the Tweet

i agree about sehun. i think he said that before because he was scared. if he was asked about it now it would probably be different, but bless suho's heart for going out of his way to bring it up several times from the very beginning (found another tweet thread both with a suho comment and a more recent sehun one).

 

not that it forgives him, but i get the feeling that what he said at the time he said out of fear.

 

that being said,

 

the thread you linked has a great point. idols are not praise-worthy allies unless they actually SAY something. your favorite idol is not amazing just for having a rainbow on their shirt unless they tell you the rainbow represents support for universal love. it might take a lot of strength to say at first, but isn't it worth it to support many of your fans and peers who are struggling quietly, feeling alone?

 

---

 

on a side note, i'm really frustrated by Hoya.

 

back in the early days of Reply 1997 (

), he said: "I heard about my role later. I personally didn't have any bias or prejudice against homosexuality so I wasn't really pressured about that. But my company director was a bit concerned. People around me worried that my image would be negatively affected. But I said that I really wanted to do it and asked multiple times that they allow me. I really wanted to play this role."

 

he also has ALWAYS been one of the most supportive members for the highly-suspected Sungjong

 

@11:35 ↓↓

 

but then, he also (as mentioned in the twitter thread Bushi posted) referred to Sungjong's lack of masculinity as a problem, and went as far as saying it was a kind of "trauma" that everyone started to think he was gay after Reply 1997: “I was a bit traumatized at hearing I liked men. What was worse was that I heard even celebrities asked about my sexuality. It went as far as to traumatize me. It was like this for over a year after the drama’s finale.â€

 

this was a really insensitive thing for him to say and i was (and am) very disappointed in him for saying this... then he comes along on this show Dancing High (where 5 dancing coaches including Hoya works with teams of teenagers dreaming of becoming professional dancers), and worked hard to produce several very emotional performances about being yourself.

 

(song chosen and choreographed by Hoya)

 

as a long-term fan i wish he would revisit his comments from a few years ago and apologize/express explicit support (i'm fairly certain he was aware of the international reaction because he has always been interested in his international fans).

*sigh* it'll probably never happen but...

Hoya covers "none" by Crush

Realistically i think hoseok himself don't want earrings. He is a grown man who is now independent of his father and could do what he want. So i don't think it affected him that much.

Also his ex story sound legit.

of course you can say he invented it or his father influenced him with his mindset but like I said he wouldn't enter in details that much( like Jimin story who just sounded a whole joke or v story who sounded straight out of your typical teenager drama )

well, in Korea, which is one of the most loyally Confucian countries in the modern world, one's "filiality" (how good of a son/daughter you are to your parents) is very important, even as an adult. especially as an adult. of course there are times when you disagree or do the independent thing, but if it's something easily compromise-able like not wearing earrings...

And on the "NOOO not more BTS! ARGH the ARGUING" point, here's why BTS comes up so much

*etc.*

yes, we get that BTS is big and relevant. we aren't annoyed by BTS as much as we are of these petty shipping arguments that sweep the thread every time someone decides to talk about their favorite BTS ship.

 

if you wanna talk about who's GAY in BTS, then by all means DO THAT. but please make it about who is gay *on an individual level* and not who you are convinced they are in a relationship with. if you want to talk about sweet "intimate" moments of your favorite couple putting their hands on each other's shoulders then take it to a shipping thread.

 

Maybe there needs to be a "Are members of BTS gay?" pinned thread to separate it out. *shrug* A somewhat serious suggestion.

this is not the worst idea i've heard, since most BTS discussions here (even when started appropriately) tend to slide over into shipping.

I think putting it under a spoiler was more because it was literally spoiling the Burn the Stage movie that just opened in theaters.

oh i had no idea XD

Maybe it would be better if you put this in spoiler?

why tho? the only difference between this story and bts shipping posts is that this time a non-bts member is involved (which only makes it feel more relevant)

 

... Btw, shippers are welcome, but you should never fight someone else if they deny your ship, or think one person of the OTP is not gay, or if someone use your shipped pair in other ships.

idk “welcome†is a bit strong. i would say “allowedâ€

i'm an out gay dude with multiple out (and not out) gay friends, but recently i'm questioning my gaydar.

 

one of my good friends who i've known for about 6, almost 7 years came out to me just the other day. we were catching up and at one point he asked about my boyfriend (who he knew about but hadn't met yet). i asked him how he'd been on that front and he was like "i don't have a boyfriend now."

 

"huh?"

"i never told you but..." (tells me about ex-boyfriend a few years ago and more)

 

.___________. i had no idea guys i'm completely shocked.

 

everything i've ever known is in flux.

What concerns me is the line between past and future. For how long will shippers interpret Key's material to be about Jonghyun? It hasn't even been a year so the group's material is still understandably melancholy. But say Key writes a love song in 2020. Will Jongkey shippers automatically assume it's about Jonghyun, or will he be allowed to sing about someone else? This is such an unprecedented situation that this kind of nostalgic shipping is quite worrying imho because it locks Key in place as well when he might experience fulfilling healing and growth as the years roll by. I hope he's allowed to do that. Stretching Jongkey material to include all of Key's solo material feels very unhealthy to me as if Jonghyun was a character who died and not a real person.

well, at the current moment, we're actually close approaching the first anniversary of Jonghyun's passing.

i wouldn't be surprised if, romantically connected or not, the music had to do with him.

 

(again, can ANYONE confirm if Key is even the lyricist for any of his songs?)

I think it's interesting how some people are reacting to Aaron Yan's news with 'omg I didn't think he was gay, I always had a crush on him'. Obviously not a sin or anything, I'm not trying to slap the ignorant label on those people but it might be somewhat telling that there's a subconscious element to writing celebrities off as straight when personal attraction to them is involved. Or if there aren't immediate flags.

 

Whenever someone on this thread declares their belief of an idol to be het, I always think of Luke Evans. How many people would guess he was gay if he wasn't out? Probably none. Sometimes gay stands out, sometimes gay looks like everyone else

o man if every man *i* thought was attractive was actually gay... *dreaming*

It's Key's first solo 'Forever yours'.

 

It was released yesterday.

 

I don't understand the lyrics but I think it's for Jonghyun?

 

I'm probably being delusional here lol

 

Sent from my iPhone X using OneHallyu mobile app

video w/ eng-subbed lyrics:

 

it kind of reminds me of this song from Jonghyun's last album ↓

 

 

but i don't know if Key had any part in penning lyrics for this song (or anything off his upcoming album). anyone know who did the lyrics for Forever Yours?

I know this isn't idol related but the American-Korean actor, Jake Choi, recently did an interview where...well, it's 6 minutes of your life to read his story and he is awesome. 

 

He does speak Korean and spent some time there before returning home to the US and has seen his star on the rise with the roles he's landed, notably 'Single Parents'. His attitude is like a breath of fresh air both in the industry and among men in general. Well worth your time, imo. 

 

https://www.verygoodlight.com/2018/09/26/jake-choi/

 

https://www.instagram.com/thejakechoi/?hl=en

wow that was unexpected.

what a cool, honest(, and sexy) guy

woohyun new song from concert

 

 

sounds REALLY good

Japan brings up billboard every time BTS steps a foot there

then it's clearly pressed people faking it.

Kai wore a crop top in their mv comeback

 

 

http://jonginssoo.tumblr.com/post/179681333445/jongins-tummy-in-ᴛᴇá´á´˜%E1%B4%8F-mv

i know

i was shook

and i don't even say that phrase.

Some encouraging news: 

 

https://twitter.com/lunaraligned/status/1056728330248941568

holy shit!

 

hope this makes strong advancements

It ended already!? I thought it would be a lot longer though. I haven't watched these last few episodes so I'm out of the loop.

basically intro (2 eps), elimination #1 (2 eps), elimination #2 (2 eps), pre-finale (1 ep), finale (1 ep) --> 8 eps.

too short, but we got a LOT of great shit from that penultimate episode (dance battles).

ending.

 

holy shit.

 

fucking.

 

those teams.

 

so good.

 

idk even.

 

;;;;;;.

 

why is this show over.

 

baby hold me.

Do people not remember all these facts about GCF Tokyo or do they only pretend not to?

 

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

Jungkook: “whenever I pick a song to cover, upload, or use a song for my video, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE LYRICS.â€

 

/uploads GCF IN TOKYO using “There For You†by Troye Sivan/

But I can't do this alone

Sometimes I just need a light

If I call you on the phone

Need you on the other side

So when your tears roll down your pillow like a river

I'll be there for you

I'll be there for you

When you're screaming, but they only hear you whisper

I'll be loud for you

But you gotta be there for me too

But you gotta be there for me too

Last year took a toll on me

But I made it with you next to me

Around the world and back again

I hope you're waiting at the end

I got you, I promise

Let me be honest

Love is a road that goes both ways

When your tears roll down your pillow like a river

I'll be there for you

But you gotta be there for me too

 

Boy, I'm holding on to something

Won't let go of you for nothing

I'm running, running, just to keep my hands on you

There was a time that I was so blue

What I got to do to show you

I'm running, running, just to keep my hands on you

 

i want to go out of my way to thank you for being one of the only people in this thread to use spoiler tags properly.

 

yes that’s a read regarding the last couple pages.

Good vocals or elaborate dances might not be a standard in America and in most other countries, but it is a must in Korea, culturally it is,  that's why it is so hard to break into the industry...

decent vocals and decent dancing are required. most main vocals are good, some fantastic, but the majority of kpop vocals are only "karaoke-good" (with many simply "carrying a tune" or worse)

 

"the fact that he is openly gay" means nothing honestly...

oh-ho. if it means nothing then why aren't there more people like Holland in kpop (or even Korea at-large).

 

i think it was mostly for PR when he came out, otherwise no one would of payed attention, coming out was probably a good move on his part but not for the long run, if he would of come out in a later point in his career probably when he was already an established name, things would be different and he would be seen as someone with talent rather than someone with a sexuality.

what has longevity got to do with anything? Holland is there to be the one.

 

here's a few direct quotes from a brief article:

 

"I thought there's got to be someone like me who discloses their sexual identity."

 

"I became a victim of school violence after that. They didn't keep my secret. So I was bullied a lot at school. But no one could actually comfort me, not even my parents or friends. Or any public figure."

 

"This song ["Neverland"] is for kids who are having a bad time because of their identity... I wanted to comfort them with this song while they're struggling."

I do agree with you somewhat, I like Holland’s personality and his bravery but musically I’m not a fan, he’s yet to show me anything unique. I don’t like his voice and he hasn’t showed us anything else. That’s partly why korean media doesn’t give him attention. However, imo his popularity is only international, and he has quite a lot of fans. If he had the same popularity and was straight (which I doubt he would’ve tbh) the media would have gave him more attention, at least more articles. Many international kpop fans know him but if you would ask a korean, no one knows who he is, because korean media doesn’t acknowledge him or his existence. Tbh idek where I’m even going with this and what I’m actually discussing so I’ll just stop here hahah

he's not a dancer in the slightest. he's not a particularly great singer. neither one of these are qualifications to be an idol – your standard idol is not inherently much more musically talented than your average karaoke singer or talent show dancer, they simply have diligence, looks, and a manageable personality (sometimes with a strong inclination or exceptional talent in one or more categories).

 

in Holland's case, his charms are his soft prince-like looks and "the fact that he's openly gay," which is actually nothing to scoff at in a country where he and the Korean-American Marshall are the only 2 publicly out singers, and tells a LOT about who he is and what kind of strength it took him just to get this far. he doesn't have power vocals, or dancing skills... but most idols (including solos) don't actually have these, they just get away with great production values and hours of hard work perfecting the choreography.

 

and then, i just really like the song Neverland

 

HSC on masked singer a few months back,

look how well loved he is. the audience adores him.

I know a few of you think they are dating so

Click here to view the Tweet

send me all the rumors plox

you guys,

 

been going through my old posts and i miss the community that used to be here, and before on Hallyu8 and 6Theory.

 

weird that i was only 20 when i first started getting involved with kpop, and only 21 when i first heard of INFINITE when they released the music video for Before The Dawn. weirder still that i'm 27 now, 28 next week.

 

anyway, thought i would share this picture i restumbled upon, which is one of my favorite shots of INFINITE and used to be my desktop wallpaper during college:

 

 

and also this video i recently discovered (not sure if it was posted in the thread already) of some k-Inspirits telling it like it is:

 

 

and lastly, i'd like to say that i've been listening to Hoya's "Baby U" a lot lately and i apologize for my sharp judgement of the song at first. i'm really loving the song, even the chorus which had me off at first, though my favorite part is still the verses with that bizarre pulsing synth that sounds like something out of Earthbound.

 

(for reference:)

 

 

 

so yeah, hope those of you that still show up to OH are doing well, and of course those who no longer do as well, and hope that you're still listening to the boys and remember the more active days

 

this isn't a goodbye because i'll still be here wandering around as i do... so... see ya around

Just stopping by real quick:

 

 

Apparently their parents were in the crowd lol

donghae and... i want to assume it's eunhyuk but really can't tell for sure, i don't know his ass as well as i should