JAdoreKPop14 31 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Don't get me wrong, I love U-KISS. They are amongst my top 3 favourite kpop male groups. I love their music and their crazy personalities. I am a big KISSME and that is why I am opening up this discussion. That's right, the key word here is 'discussion'. I welcome everyone's opinions, whether or not they agree or disagree with the claims I am making. Disclaimer: Those who get butt hurt easily, need to leave. This discussion concerns U-KISS mvs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are a KISSME, you know that waiting for the Stalker MV to drop was torture. Especially with the sexy dark teaser images U-KISS kept putting out there for us. Not to mention that awesome album medley that came out just before. However, after watching the MV... I couldn't help but feel a little.. well... a little let down. (Anyone else there wondering where the hell the dance break was?) If you are on V App, you will notice that U-KISS doesn't have as many hearts or views as us KISSMEs would love for them to have. Especially compared to groups like Big Bang and EXO. U-KISS is a veteran group, who is still around because they actually have what it takes. However, there are a few things I noticed after watching hours of U-KISS videos and comparing them with other "more successful" kpop groups of today. I believe that if they take care of these hindrances, they will be able to unlock their potential: Choreography No Standing Still. Move! ^^ In most of U-KISS's MVs have you every noticed how when one specific member has the camera's attention and is singing, the rest of the members remain frozen in a certain pose - like statues? I know that during live performances, these moments come in handy for when they need to breathe but in the MVs this is not entirely necessary. The choreography can be revised in a way that even when members are not in the spotlight they are moving, even slightly, and not staying stationery, thus disrupting the flow of movement. Watch EXO's mv choreography and you will see what I mean about how they prevent these "still moments" from happening. * Wouldn't it be really cool if U-KISS could do a "One-Take" music video like 'Swing' by Super Junior or 'Growl' by EXO (Not sure about the cost for such an MV, could someone advise?) * Trump Card He is not my bias but I have to admit that Jun is U-KISS's trump card. I am a 91-liner too (sorry Soohyun) and while I know I have energy, Jun has enough to power a whole city. He looks like he is just waiting to burst out into his own dance breaks most of the time. And anyone who has seen Jun dance will KNOW what I mean. The boy has talent... but they do not utilize this at all. Jun is fresh and young and appeals to the younger KISSMEs, they need to maximize on this. How happy and awesome does Jun look around 00:28 of 'One Shot One Kill' when he is put in the front of the group during the ever-so-catchy hook? U-KISS has no problem giving Soohyun, Hoon & Kevin (main vocalists) more than 3 seconds screen time during their best vocal parts but how long does Jun have to show his stuff? (He is also really good at rapping, maybe might give Eli some competition). Jun & Kiseop It's not just Jun who is a great dancer but Kiseop is very skilled himself. These 2 do not get enough screen time to show what they are made off. On more than one occasion, they seem to be getting into it but their parts get cut off too soon. In 'Monster' I couldn't help but notice how the choreographer conveniently placed Kai and Lay (2 of EXO's strongest dancers) in the centre around 03:00 into the video. Every member of U-KISS brings their own skills and creative flairs, and each one of them should be shown. Too Sexy In their MVs, U-KISS has a tendency to use their sexuality to overpower the otherwise, more favourable talents they have to showcase. I am a straight woman and I looooove sexy men. I love the crotch grab and thrusts in 'Kissing to Feel' but... it gets to a point where its excessive. For example, lately HISTORY and SHINee can still appear sexy while minimizing the thrusting, body rolling and krotch grabbing in their mvs ('Queen' by HISTORY). SHINee are exploring other concepts almost entirely removed from sexy body rolling, ( 'View', 'Your Number'), sometimes going so far as to add comedy in their MVs ('Married to the Music'). We still watch them! U-KISS is already very manly and sexy. They look different from most KPop boy groups, and I love it! We know you are sexy already, now show us something new. Shadowing If I was watching U-KISS mvs for the first time. I would walk away convinced of the following: Kevin and Soohyun are the main vocals, Hoon is a sub-vocal but sometimes also a main vocal. Eli is The Rapper, Jun is the backup rapper and Kiseop... well... Kiseop is the visual. KISSMEs know Kiseop can sing really well too, Kiseop stans were excited to see he has more lines in Stalker. Took them long enough I mean, look at Taemin. He was in the shadows some years ago and now... he is on his second solo album. His voice has vastly improved. If Kiseop has a passion for singing too, he should be allowed to showcase this more. (Yes I am aware he wrote a song for their previous album and performed a song on his own. We need more of this). Aside from the MVs for a moment... Language Barrier As all KISSMEs know, U-KISS stands for Ubiquitous Korean International Super Star, but for some reason, they seem to promote predominantly in Japan. I have not looked into detail about the reason why they do this, could be because their market is strongest there. (someone can let me know). However, I feel that it is very unfortunate, since their goal was to be a kpop group with strong international appeal. Most of the time the members are preoccupied learning Japanese. It has been many years and some of the members cannot speak English half as well as they speak Japanese now. (I know not all KISSMEs have English as their first language, but English is the most widely spoken language worldwide. They don't speak my national language and I don't think they ever will. So I accepted that). I know they love all KISSMEs, but I can't help but feel a little discarded because of this. Especially when most of their promotional videos, vlogs etc on YouTube or elsewhere have NO SUBTITLES. Not just for English but for other languages like French, Spanish, Chinese and more, making it even harder to follow them, not just for KISSMEs but for other fans who might be showing even the slightest interest in them. Yes most of SEVENTEEN, 2PM, SHINee, EXO members etc cannot speak English but they do not claim to be a Ubiquitous Korean International Super Star kpop group, now do they? Anyway, there are more points I could touch on but I think this post is lengthy enough as it is. I would be very happy to hear everyone's opinions on this. Let us have a friendly and neutral debate if possible. If you disagree, say so and why, if you agree, speak up. I just don't want them to be underrated anymore. For the love of U-KISS please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear08 7,527 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 This is off subject but you should get a blog and post this on there and then share it. You put a lot of thought into this and I think it could benefit from being seen by a wider audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YNRA 1,082 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 i dont think the choreo thing is an issue, their choreo has always been good. standing furing member shots is just a way for them to rest since some of the members [kiseop/soohyun] have had issues with dancing and health and whatnot so a choreo with no small breaks would be pretty hard for them. yeah its obvious nh are not smart, they have not been utilizing ukiss' internationalness and refuse to put subtitles on videos and would rather have kevin or eli translate through mouth or have fan accounts translate even though it takes months for them since there arent very many korean/japanese speaking fans who also speak english and care enough to translate. ukiss actually used to have official english translation twitters but they closed them a few years ago basically saying "you guys can translate shit on your own instead" i dont like sexy concepts, and they honestly dont fit most of the members. the only members it fits is maybe eli and kiseop but kiseop is awkward af and even kevin's apology for quit playing showed he didn't want to do that concept. plus hoon and kiseops awkwardness during the mv filming and the fallacy of having jun be in an mv he can't watch since he was underage was just ????? ukiss found their right concept in 2012/2013 with neverland/standing still [edm/dance tracks] but they keep trying to do stuff that isn't them at all that most people don't even like. but ive given up trying to understand NH media honestly, they fuck up so much but get a pass by kissmes just because ukiss arent beaten in a basement somewhere like they think sm groups are. also whenever a ukiss fan speaks up about this stuff kissmes are so in denial they usually say shit like "keep it in the fandom!!" "don't criticism them!!" and then try to bully you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAdoreKPop14 31 Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 This is off subject but you should get a blog and post this on there and then share it. You put a lot of thought into this and I think it could benefit from being seen by a wider audience. Thank for replying. I don't have a blog unfortunately, and am too busy to make one. However, can you point me in the direction of one apporprate for this. I can approach the authour for blog and as them if they could feature it? I wonder if posting this on a blog will backfire or not hmmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Everything 23,397 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Thank for replying. I don't have a blog unfortunately, and am too busy to make one. However, can you point me in the direction of one apporprate for this. I can approach the authour for blog and as them if they could feature it? I wonder if posting this on a blog will backfire or not hmmmm There's always tumblr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAdoreKPop14 31 Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 i dont think the choreo thing is an issue, their choreo has always been good. standing furing member shots is just a way for them to rest since some of the members [kiseop/soohyun] have had issues with dancing and health and whatnot so a choreo with no small breaks would be pretty hard for them. yeah its obvious nh are not smart, they have not been utilizing ukiss' internationalness and refuse to put subtitles on videos and would rather have kevin or eli translate through mouth or have fan accounts translate even though it takes months for them since there arent very many korean/japanese speaking fans who also speak english and care enough to translate. ukiss actually used to have official english translation twitters but they closed them a few years ago basically saying "you guys can translate shit on your own instead" i dont like sexy concepts, and they honestly dont fit most of the members. the only members it fits is maybe eli and kiseop but kiseop is awkward af and even kevin's apology for quit playing showed he didn't want to do that concept. plus hoon and kiseops awkwardness during the mv filming and the fallacy of having jun be in an mv he can't watch since he was underage was just ????? ukiss found their right concept in 2012/2013 with neverland/standing still [edm/dance tracks] but they keep trying to do stuff that isn't them at all that most people don't even like. but ive given up trying to understand NH media honestly, they fuck up so much but get a pass by kissmes just because ukiss arent beaten in a basement somewhere like they think sm groups are. also whenever a ukiss fan speaks up about this stuff kissmes are so in denial they usually say shit like "keep it in the fandom!!" "don't criticism them!!" and then try to bully you out. Thank you for replying! You have some good ponts Oh no, it seems NH Media doesn't understand the importance of tearing down that language barrier. I don't think the members have time to translate everything themselves. This is sad :( I agree that Neverland and Standing Still were indeed one of the best concepts they have tried. Even "Feel It" is great, I wish there was an MV for this. (They missed out). If the sexy concept is not the right fit for them, they really should stick with edm, dance hits and work from there, instead off veering off into the complete opposite end of the spectrum with "cute" concepts like Action... It takes a good fan to stand up for their group but it takes an even greater fan to be able to distinguish the difference between hate and constructive criticism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile_fandom2832 158 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 They are tons of groups that do all of what you just typed and some are very popular. Management plays as the biggest factor and then you have to look at what thing might be enough to set Ukiss part from the next 5 groups. Most of the groups I Stan usually caught my attention with a specific charm or something about each member just grabbed me. I tend to not Stan groups in which I only favor one person. Honestly when I think of Ukiss, I can only think of Kevin. None of the other members have their name out there as much as him. I used to know Dongho but he's gone. Then sometimes it's just purely luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile_fandom2832 158 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Tbh it sucks that they never became the IT group I thought they would. The vibe of their music is really good, if they would just go with a company that has better management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAdoreKPop14 31 Posted June 12, 2016 Author Share Posted June 12, 2016 They are tons of groups that do all of what you just typed and some are very popular. Management plays as the biggest factor and then you have to look at what thing might be enough to set Ukiss part from the next 5 groups. Most of the groups I Stan usually caught my attention with a specific charm or something about each member just grabbed me. I tend to not Stan groups in which I only favor one person. Honestly when I think of Ukiss, I can only think of Kevin. None of the other members have their name out there as much as him. I used to know Dongho but he's gone. Then sometimes it's just purely luck. I really like this point the most: 'Most of the groups I Stan usually caught my attention with a specific charm or something about each member just grabbed me.' These days the average viewer's attention span is very short. The MVs need to capture every single person's character at once and bring their talent to the forefront. So that when people walk away from the MV their subconscious has something to relish over. They gotta remember the way that group made them feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear08 7,527 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Thank for replying. I don't have a blog unfortunately, and am too busy to make one. However, can you point me in the direction of one apporprate for this. I can approach the authour for blog and as them if they could feature it? I wonder if posting this on a blog will backfire or not hmmmm Sorry I don't know any blogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookwurm92 17 Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 To be completely honest, do they have to really do anything? I mean, think about it. Sure, they're in perpetual nugu-dom, but at the same time, they've survived in that kind of situation since 2008. If they weren't semi-successful, the plug would have been pulled on them a long time ago. And the fact that they aren't as big as groups like Big Bang and Exo means that they have a quieter success than those groups as well. They get to live actual lives. I mean, if word had come out that D.O. had been married for a year and had a kid on the way, could you imagine what that would do to his career? But Eli started promos and became a dad in the same week! Do we want everyone to love our faves the way that we do? Sure. But sometimes, in the kpop world, maybe that isn't always a good thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ternity 302 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 There is no good or bad concepts tbh~ U-KISS had so many types of concepts, so KISSmes joined the fandom all for different "reasons". My fav concepts happen to be "Quit Playing" and "Action" (p/s I know that these are the extreme opposites lol) Both with high quality MVs. But OP seems to have a bad impression of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineestan 2,485 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I definitely think they are wasting Jun's talent, he can sing (as proved in playground) and rap, he also had to learn all of Ukiss' discography and choreography as well as Japanese. I also think their physical album quality is terrible, as nice as the photos in Mono Scandal are, the album is falling apart, Collage has the opposite problem; the album is fine structurally but the photos are rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAdoreKPop14 31 Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 I definitely think they are wasting Jun's talent, he can sing (as proved in playground) and rap, he also had to learn all of Ukiss' discography and choreography as well as Japanese. I also think their physical album quality is terrible, as nice as the photos in Mono Scandal are, the album is falling apart, Collage has the opposite problem; the album is fine structurally but the photos are rubbish. I hope that they use Jun's potential to bridge the gap between those of use who have known U-KISS for years and the much younger crowd who are just hearing about them now. Was there any album that did it for you? I mean both photography and music quality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ternity 302 Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 I hope that they use Jun's potential to bridge the gap between those of use who have known U-KISS for years and the much younger crowd who are just hearing about them now. Was there any album that did it for you? I mean both photography and music quality? Mono Scandal/Quit PlayingEverything was 10/10 during that era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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