Mnet Asian Music Awards 2012

Hey guys!Have you watched MAMA 2012? I did and even though I was a little disappointed regarding some awards and some performances, overall it was pretty awesome. I do give the credit to Mnet because it was well organized and everyone was pretty good but I hoped there would be more fans around there. Maybe it's my perception because of EMA, where the arena was really crowded, or maybe the Eurovision, where there was no free seat, but yeah...However, the show was good.

In case you couldn't watch, since there's a problem with the time zone (while in Hong Kong was late evening here was about midday) let's see who won and at what category.

SONG OF THE YEAR : GANGNAM STYLE - PSY

ALBUM OF THE YEAR : SUPER JUNIOR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR : BIGBANG

BEST GLOBAL GROUP - MALE : SUPER JUNIOR

BEST GLOBAL GROUP - FEMALE : KARA

BEST LINE AWARD : SUPER JUNIOR

BEST MALE ARTIST : G-DRAGON

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE : EPIK HIGH

GUARDIAN ANGEL WORLDWIDE PERFORMER : BIGBANG

STYLE IN MUSIC : GAIN

NEW ASIAN ARTIST GROUP : EXO

BEST NEW ASIAN ARTIST (CHINA) : TIME Z

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (JAPAN) : AKB48

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (PHILIPPINES) : SARAH GERONIMO

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (VIETNAM) : MY TAM 

BEST NEW ASIAN ARTIST (THAILAND) : NATTHEW

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (CHINA) : LI YU CHUN

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (INDONESIA) : AGNES

BEST ASIAN ARTIST (SINGAPORE) : TAUFIK BATISAH

TVB'S CHOICE : JOEY YUNG

BEST MUSIC VIDEO: PSY

BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK: SEO IN GUK, JUNG EUN JI (All For You)

INTERNATIONAL FAVORITE ARTIST: PSY

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE - GROUP : DAVICHI

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE - SOLO : K.WILL

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE - FEMALE GROUP : f(x)

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE - MALE GROUP : SHINee

MNET PD'S CHOICE: B.A.P

BEST COLLABORATION: TROUBLE MAKER

BEST FEMALE GROUP : SISTAR

BEST MALE GROUP : BIGBANG

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE - SOLO : PSY

BEST BAND : BUSKER BUSKER

BEST FEMALE ARTIST: IU

BEST NEW MALE ARTIST: BUSKER BUSKER

BEST NEW FEMALE ARTIST: AILEE

From my point of view, it was YG's year. Psy came back with the phenomenon, Gangnam Style, which won many awards world widely. Also, it is me or Super Junior didn't really make an actual show? I really expected more from them. Also, I was looking forward to EXO's performance. I can't say I had been blown away by it, though. 

Some good parts would be Ailee's performance which was incredibly touching. That girls has great talent and I'm happy she won Best New Female Artist. Also, I was really enthusiastic for Psy's live. It was definitely something. Adam Lambert and B.O.B have also made great show. However, by far, the best performance was Big Bang. Now, I may be subjective because I'm a VIP but really...it's been INCREDIBLY WELL THOUGHT AND AMAZING! They used Crayon when they needed something different, something out of nowhere and that giant skull and their performance overall was so good. It was seriously the best, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Of course I can't say I liked Seungri or GD's outfits...one was white and made him look bigger while the other was very eccentric ..yeah these styles definitely characterize them. And TOP in pink...extreme pink actually...but he looked hot.

Something that surprised me was...or were, the performances on the red carpet. I couldn't take my eyes off BAP and Block B. Have you seen that at one point, later in the show, when Victoria started to talk in Chinese...Kyung's face was epic? He was smiling but at the same time it was clear he was thinking what the fuck? Haha. Also, EXO seemed very out of there. I can swear at some point DO, with his big eyes, was somewhat looking into GD's back. Don't know why but it was fun. So, this year's MAMA was entertaining and like I said, had good performances...and some that I didn't really like. I guess I just thought it would be bigger than EMA but it wasn't. Actually, we can say they were on the same level but more classy. The idols and other stars came in some quite nice clothes. I liked Park Shin Hye's dress a lot and the young girl from Davichi (sorry I forgot her name) she also had a nice dress.

Into the Wind

This is my version of Into the Wind. I recognize I've taken an example from B1A4's album title but hey! Free World! Anyway, I know it doesn't sound great and doesn't expresses what I wanted to because I have a shitty recorder. I know some parts sound like I've played them from 10000 km afar and some parts sound very high and go from normal tone to pitch tone. Sorry but I seriously can't find a good recorder. However, I would be very thrilled if you would give a listen to it and if you want tell me your opinion, be it bad or good. I really work hard as a soon-to-be composer.

Good Year-Best Albums of 2012

Until now, there have been a lot of new releases. A Hell lot of them! From my point of view maybe just half of them are really good and entertaining. The industry of K-pop, most of the time, is concentrated on the looks and on the perception of the fans, who love a good looking guy more than a talented one so the companies tend to make danceable songs so the hot ones would show off. However,  this year brought a lot of truthfully good songs. The older bands improved a lot and the rookies have done a great job. There are just 5 albums in my top and I asked more than just a few people for an opinion. I also asked non-k-fans who have been very helpful.

On the first place, in my point of view, is Blockbuster. No matter how you look at it, the album has everything it needs, from bad ass rap songs to melancholic ballads. Also, fans have been very receptive mostly because this album was long awaited for. Every song makes a deep impression and that's been proved. So Block B's Blockbuster is definitely the best album of 2012.

Second place goes to Big Bang's Still Alive. Besides the fact that I'm a VIP, their comeback came like a serious bang. Every song comes from their own experience and it's obvious they've grown very much since their début  which was a few long years ago. Their vocals also improved and eve if TOP's dance moves are bad, like always, they know now how to make them funny and attractive. Daesung's voice is amazing and he has a lot more parts now where he shows a cool side of him. They've done something more emotional, more personal and it sounds good.

On the third place is SISTAR. I'm not such a big fan but Hyorin's voice always attracts my attention. She's also really pretty and the dance moves these girls pull off aren't that easy as they look. Their mini-album, Alone, is one of my favourites. Their voices bring something different to the songs mostly because of their different tones. But in the end they're very good entertainers and they have professionalism. That's an important factor and they are pretty famous because they do an awesome job.

The fourth place is taken by B1A4. Why? Because the latest album is so cool and sounds so different and bohemian and has some melancholy in there, some piano, a few soft female voices and overall it's a pleasure to listen to it. In the Wind wasn't on my list but after I listened to it I realized I'm stupid. It has everything it needs, it sounds classy but at the same time very new. It's definitely a good album.

The fifth place would be GaIn's Talk about S. Her mini-album captivated me simply because it breaks the barriers. There's sexuality, there's seriousness too but overall everything comes together and it sounds very good. It's not necessarily the gender I listen to a lot but her album was much better than others.  I also like her style when it comes to singing. She's not a bad ass but she's not some princess either you know. She's a woman and I like that she expresses her feminism and sensuality so well without being too much.

Other good albums which haven't been included here are:

BAP's No Mercy

Yoseob's The First Collage

Exo-K (and Exo-M)'s Mama

and others that I seriously can't remember right now :)

B1A4- In the Wind

Ok so I seriously couldn't stop myself from doing this. The new B1A4 album is really awesome and surprisingly well made. It has some female voices here and there and Jinyoung's solo sounds very good, though for me it is a little bit boring. However, it's one of the best albums I listened this year. I'm really proud of these young guys. They really worked a lot since their début and tried to take any image they could master in order to captivate their fans and even the non fans. Now, the fact that the badass concept doesn't work at all on them well...let's say this new bohemian aspect and very stylish and classy clothes and hairstyles really suit them well.

The whole album, for me, is quite a pleasure listening to. It has some melancholic rhythms and also there are some catchy melodic phrases which really captivates me. I'm really curious who composed the songs because they are kind of my style.

The intro of the album is nice. It has some orchestra on the back but what I like the most is that it creates a fantasy world where you can imagine yourself in a garden full of red roses, simply swaying with the wind. For me, since I'm quite the melancholic type, gets me into a truthfully wonderful atmosphere. That's some great way of introducing the next song.

The second track is actually their title song, Tried to Walk. For me, the transition from the Intro and into this sad song is wonderful and perfectly made. I already explained why this song seems so deep and bohemian for me. It's not just the song itself that attracts the listener but the lyrics also are different. It's not a story necessarily but more like a soul which is torn apart by reality.

The next song is  너만 있으면  or more commonly know as If... Well now, this song is one of my favourites so far. I love their voices and the whole aspect of the song. It's exactly how they express it, you know. When you fall in love with someone and sometimes don't want to recognize your feelings or don't even recognize them at all. I haven't fallen in love until now, sadly, but it still touches me somehow. For me, this is the perfect way of characterizing a first love.

Now, now, the fourth track on the album has a narration by Suzy from Miss A. I really like how she changes the song, making it more significant. This is my favourite song of In the Wind and I seriously can't stop listening to it. It has something that catches your attention (blame that awesome composer) and there are some parts that intrigue me. For example, the chorus. It's so addictive! And I love how Baro begins the song smoothly with a soft deep voice. It sounds warm but hurt at the same time. The whole songs is like that and the lyrics just complete everything. If previously there was a first love, the guy was willing to wait for her, she was the reason of his life, now she left and there's so much resentment into the song. I love it.

The fifth track is 뭐 할래요 which caught my attention very fast. It's a song that doesn't have special lyrics with extraordinary story behind or something bohemian, poetic to them. They're very simple. However, the melody gets you more interested in the song. It's smooth and calm. The way the song starts already gives a hint of what the song will sound. It's quite an interesting song for me. 

Now, next is Jinyoung's solo which features Jea from Brown Eyed Girls (I like Brown Eyed Girls, as a side note). Why I said this song seems boring? Because Jinyoung's voice is very smooth and very good for slow songs but it also has this sleepy effect. Being so calming makes you relax and slowly fall asleep. It's a good song for your night playlist and after a hard day at school or at work, it's quite good but if you are, for example, on the street and it comes up in your playlist, it provokes sleepiness or gets you bored and you automatically change it to something more upbeat.. But the song overall is good.

In the Air is an awesome song! I swear I'm addicted to it. It sounds more like B1A4 than the rest of the 

album. It reminds me of Beautiful Target and Baby Goodnight but also, it's unique into the whole picture because the other songs are so sad and resentful and here comes the brighter part of the situation. It reminds me a lot of Dancing in the Rain from BAP's album. It was exactly the same situation. The song seemed as if it had been placed there as a side note or I don't know, simply because they wanted to. But it's awesome and fun.

The last song is the instrumental of Tried to Walk, which I listened a few times for my personal interest. There's nothing to add and nothing to complain about. This album is a surprise for me because it sounds different somewhat and I like the new image they want to go for. 

Music to the Ears( LEDApple's Let the Wind Blow)

I just heard and seen the song. It's so, so awesome. I've always been a big fan of LedApple because their songs are different yet they have everything it needs to also sell. This song is completely perfect. I don't think I can look as deep as finding something that doesn't seem right. The MV is all about superficiality. As an idol, you practically become the puppet of a master who knows (or doesn't) how to get benefits out of it. Sincerely, to me the whole concept for the music video runs deeper than to most people because I get to see some part of what I do into it. The guys look awesome with their new hair colours. HanByul  looks so hot and Kwangyeon looks really handsome too. He's really awesome and I admire his talent. These guys have actual ytalent you know and it's not because I'm a fan but because they play instruments very well and it's a proven fact already. The backgrounds look interesting and the fact that they used some plot, even if it's really rough around the edges, it's still satisfactory. 

Now, if we get into the song as it is...it's quite common but it has some very good places that sound very pleasurable to the ear and makes you automatically enjoy the song. If you think closely, that's how their songs are usually. You like them yet you can't express why and that's because of those parts. It's not obvious so listen closely to the rhythm. But, it is original and that's what I always liked about them. Their songs are well thought into.

When it comes to being a band and also having some moves here and there, LedApple is definitely on top of the charts. They're really smart and choose well the moves so that the vocalists are able to sing and concentrate equally on both doing their jobs as singer and dancing a little . The performance changes drastically and it's a pleasure to watch them. This time, the dance seems a little off because it looks kind of girly but they still pull it off good enough...and manly enough.

Music to the Ears(B1A4's Tried to Walk)

Well, let me say that this MV is amazingly well made and surprisingly artistic. I saw the teaser and was a little sceptic because I didn't understand the concept but now, after seeing the full music video, I find it quite interesting. The background changes from member to member but the initial one is kept. If you look closer, it's exactly the same thing but caught in different perspectives by the camera and depends on how the members stay. What I really liked was the parallel Universe/relationship that happened in the whole video. There are two worlds and in each one the girl chooses to leave and the boy practically remain heartbroken and disappointed. However, as the situation goes on, in one world the boy dies and in the other one the girl comes back yet he doesn't seem happy about it. It's like one relationship can't happen because of the other and so one story has to die and one gets the right to live. It's really deep if you watch it closer. It may as well be the two sides of a heart, when practically he's torn apart. I'm sure you've seen how he looks completely lonely when the girl hugs him. I giess that wasn't the point of the music video anyway.

Now, B1A4 are usually young boys who give this innocent feeling. Mostly because they have pretty faces and are very mature in thinking next to other bands who seem more laid back. They came up with very prince-like image throughout time and also they tried something cute in music videos like Beautiful Target and Baby Goodnight. They also tried a more mature and stylish image through Baby I'm Sorry which was an epic fail and made them return to their original concept. This song expresses more than just words, at least that's what they wanted. The concept is somehow abstract and more stylish but in a way they can actually fit in. Personally, the surprise was Baro. He looks somehow mature but at the same time so cute and innocent. He gives me the vibe of a man who has a sensitive heart. But it's obvious he's not a young boy any more and that  itself is a fact for every member. However, his looks reminded me a lot of Zelo's image with that pink hair and his voice reminded me of TOP. His acting throughout the video also really intrigued me because it's good. I was very surprised how good it was. And his personality seems to go really well with this new concept. I'm very proud of him as a fan and also a fellow artist. Now, Jinyoung looks very handsome but he didn't surprise me as much as Baro did.  His new hair colour really suits him. He also has the most  close ups. His voice sounds really soothing in the whole album, not just this song. Sandeul's voice, to me, sounds better. Either he worked harder for this album, either he worked his voice more. But anyway, he looks good with black hair even if I do preferred him brown haired. What got me surprised, again, were CNU and Gongchan. ShinWoo looks very.....interesting. Somehow, his face looks bigger with that hairstyle but some part of me likes it like that. He definitely looks his age like that. On the other way, Gongchan looks amazing. He looks older, manlier than ever and well still ahs that glimpse of innocence. I'm was all mushy mushy over him when I saw his parts, I recognize. But, still, Baro was the best in the MV.

The song is good. Like I said, I listened the whole album and somehow it strongly reminded me of a few songs from Big Bang. They sound like that a lot but still have their own thing which makes them original. They are also very relaxing. I listened to them a lot while doing my homework and it helped me concentrate more. That's really good. And I like how the lyrics are somewhat more than what they seem and have a whole story behind which even if you understand them or not, you still feel it through the song itself.

Music to the Ears (Younique Unit-Maxstep)

I can't even say how many people told me about Younique. At first I thought it's some kind of new brand or something but I was surprised to see what it actually was. A mesh up band made from different SM artists. Younique Unit and their MAXSTEP got me going crazy! The song is awesome and the dance is really good too. What I don't like is that one step at some point where it looks like they're miming a hand job but that's fine. We can get over that.

Let's take each member and see how they excelled in their parts. First it would be the only girl in the Unit. I, sincerely, ain't fond of SNSD at all. They seem false and they're seriously too skinny but I do like Hyoyeon. She's the best female dancer in SNSD and one of the best dancers in South Korea, in my point of view. She actually does something good and she's very pretty. (I also like SooYoung and Yoona, as a side note.) Anyway, she doesn't appear much in the MV, unfortunately. She's really awesome and looks really badass in her parts.

Eunhyuk, the reason so many ELF went crazy these days pointlessly, looks like a Mafia dealer. That fur doesn't make him any good. He looks way too confident and that's not really a bad point but he gives me the vibe of Fizz ( an old singer from my country who shouldn't be seen as an example.) His parts don't impress me because I got used to his style so there's nothing I can comment about.

Henry is fucking handsome and God! He'd grown so well. He looks so good and confident but shows it in some other way, more subtle. His parts are maybe too short for my liking. I never knew he dances so well or maybe I was too busy looking at Donghae to care but he's awesome. Those clothes fit Henry better than I imagined. Ah, he's so talented.

Kai looks a hell lot like Taemin. Seeing them together really got me thinking. Taemin has the looks from Ring Ding Dong and that one fits him the best. However, Kai really exceeds when it comes to dancing. He's really good and has a different charisma than most of them. He also gives me the vibe of a young Mafia leader but not as heavy as Hyuk. Taemin is in the exact same car with the same butterfly doing the same moves as in Ring Ding Dong and Kai is in a room full of gold. Yeah, something seems unfair here.

One guy I never imagined to be so charismatic while dancing (because I didn't give him enough credit) is Luhan. That guy is amazing! He has more charisma in this MV than all of them at once. Each time his face appears on the screen no one can't resist to push stop and stare at him. He has something that attracts you instantly. And, he's also a good singer. I really like how innocent he looks, out of them all, he looks the youngest but we know the truth...he's such a little pervert...It can be shown into his eyes while being on stage. He's a young beast.

So, overall, the MV is actually exactly what SM does. A lot of rooms with different backgrounds  one brighter than the other, with good staff who works a lot to get the artists from different points and make them look good. The camera, which is always in some exact points and some good close ups. Nothing new SM, nothing new. But even so, the song rocks and so does the dance. It's catchy and has some alluring rhythm that gets you to get up and dance (how you can) on it. It's definitely unique.

Music to the Ears (Boyfriend's Janus)

Wow. Seriously, wow. I'm reviewing a Boyfriend MV. Wow. I'm really surprised by myself. No offence but they're not really my type of boy band. They seem too innocent and young. I don't know who is who because it never interested me and still doesn't. Actually, the one I liked the best in the MV was Shim Hyun Seong since he's one of the two boys who are actually older than me...Well it's not that I don't like them because they are young...but next to my favourite bands (Big Bang, Block B, BAP, etc) they are still children.

Anyway, something about Janus attracted me to them. The song itself doesn't seem to have something different but after listening it for a couple more times it gets you. It's not very catchy but it has some parts that get you addicted to it. The MV itself is kind of cool. Of course, I've never been a fan of the so called 'nature inside of a house'. I seriously don't understand from where did that snow come from since they are inside but no one cares anyway. The dance doesn't seem very difficult either but while watching my friend trying to learn it, it kind of is.

About the outfits, I really like the new image. It's more teenage-ish than their previous one. That red colour really gets them in a good light. They actually look somehow manly. Scratch that, they're still young, inexperienced boys in my point of view. But I still like the song. I'm not the one to judge people but they should try to show older people they are good artists. Until now, I've seen just young teenage girls drooling over them. But, I choose them over Justin Bieber any time, any day.

The lyrics look fine to me. I mean, it is kind of very cliché but it suits the MV and their style. The guy doesn't want to disappoint and bring down the girl with him so he chooses to leave her. I don't see the logic here but that's because I've never been in love and never thought about someone else as being more important than myself.

Overall, the song is good. I listen to it, my friends listen to it even though we're not Boyfriend fans so that means they're improving. I also heard Janus is the title song for their first full length album. I will give that album a listen or two and maybe review it if it worth the time. :)

Faith-The High Doctor

Well, well...I cried rivers when this exceptional drama finished. It left the viewers into such a tension because it was really hard to imagine how it would end. Now, Lee Minho has such a huge talent to make whatever role he plays into a magnificent character. Choi Young was so complicated to begin with! There was loyalty but also some rage and resentment. That character toyed with our hearts, seriously. It was so hard to say what he was going to do, who he was going to protect until the end...and I'm really happy with the ending.

Faith is about the romance between a warrior from the ancient times and a female doctor from the modern times, their love transcending time and space. It also tells the story about the process of making a true king. The hardships he has to go through, the internal and external fights, the way he changes and also changes the country. 

Yoo Eun Soo (Kim Hee Sun) is a 33-year old plastic surgeon in the year 2012. She was originally a general surgeon, but quickly found that it was an overworked, under-paid profession and jumped ship to plastic surgery. Her dream is to someday open her own practice. But one day, Choi Young (Lee Min Ho) kidnaps her and takes her back to the Goryeo era because he needs her medical skills. Their love story spans centuries but also warring beliefs. He gave up on love to be an unflinching warrior. Yet, that wonderful woman from the future (or Heaven, since they all call it like that) makes a whole lot of changes. She grows up, she finds out what life is, what love is and also learns Choi Young how to do all that, too. It's such a beautiful masterpiece. I love the chemistry between Hee Sun and Minho. They seem to click really well and she's beautiful. They express exactly what they have to, the personalities of the characters are greatly constructed. It's really a masterpiece and there's no one who can negate it.

The evil characters are indeed evil. I can't express how much I could hate that Ki Cheol prince of Whatever. He was cruel and didn't care about anything but hismelf, not even his pledged siblings! He just left them all die and for what? He died anyway. Actually, his death reminds me of "The Shining'. Remember, the evil character died the same way. Also, the Woodalchi were refreshing characters. I mean, they were there to entertain somehow and change the atmosphere a little. It was amusing how Deok Man would always laugh and make fun of his general when he would disappear with Eun Soo. Also, I liked the idea of Suribang...it had been created with a lot of inspiration.

Sprout

One of the dramas I finished this week is Sprout. I didn't really know what o expect from it, actually, because I seriously didn't see any link to what the subject may be. Anyway, I was surprised to find myself in the posture of the principle characters. The four principle actors are good but sometimes they wouldn't really express the real thing. They are still very young and it can be seen. They have more to learn and they have to experience, to grow so that they can find little bits of themselves into their characters.

For people who don't know what this drama is about, well I'm sure everyone knows what happens when two people fall in love but they don't realize and don't recognize their feelings. They end up paired up with other people and so, it's not just them who suffer but, also, the ones involved indirectly. That's what Sprout is about. The love story evolves when two high school students, named Shouhei and Miku, start living under the same roof after Miku's parents turn their home into a boarding house. The heroine is played by Morikawa Aoi (16) who I find alright actually. She did some nice acting there but I do strongly believe she overplayed some emotions which just meant she never went through that situation. Shouhei, who's a very indecisive young man, is played by Chinen Yuri (19). The actor is good but I didn't like his character that much. He expressed the feeling somewhat veridical but he's just so slow...Other actors are Kojima Fujiko (18) who was a very good Miyuki but the character itself was annoying to some point and Lewis Jesse (16) as Katagiri Hayato. I love the name 'Hayato' but this guy was too...nice. The character should have had more personality. It really looked like he lacked something. Also, the actor is very young and it was so obvious when he had close-ups. Also, his facial expression didn't really convince me of his talent at all. He still has a long, long way to go.

However, I kind of liked the drama. There are a lot of creepy things, though. For example, Miku falls in love with a person who feel right, who gives her the feeling of fate even though she hadn't even seen his face clearly. And when she gets disappointed that he has a girlfriend and he's actually happy, she starts to cry. It's a little bit exaggerated. Seriously...she just met him, for God's sake. Of course he won't fall in love with her from the start. However, I like how the tables turn at some point and Shouhei gets jealous. It really hits you deeply how anyone can transform into Miku or into Shouhei and how this problem doesn't always have a happy ending.