No words can describe how much I would have liked to have been in Jin Ji-Hee’s spot in this picture.
Since Jin Ji-Hee is following me on Twitter, I told her what I thought of this adorable picture and that I would have wanted a similar picture like this with Siwan.
Yes, laugh as much as you want at my inner fan girl =P A girl can dream. One day, inshAllah! kthxbye.
—Moonlight
I’m craving some marshmallows right now xD I find this really adorable ^^ Pretty creative I must say…
Too cute to eat, right?
—Moonlight
EXO has released their prologue song, “What Is Love.” We can finally hear them singing…and boy, are their voices AMAZING! It should be noted that the style of the song was quite unexpected after watching all their teasers xD However, I did notice that it does sound similar to DBSK‘s “Before You Go” and SJ‘s “Sorry Sorry (Answer).”
EXO-K‘s “What Is Love”:
You can check out the music videos for both EXO-K and EXO-M by clicking on the following links:
After watching EXO‘s music video for their prologue song, I think many of us agree that the group is a combination of DBSK, SHINee, and SJ. This makes them quite strong in the K-Pop scene. I can now officially state that Se Hun happens to be my favorite member from EXO-K along with Lay from EXO-M ^^ On the other hand, I didn’t quite understand the meaning of the star, pyramid, and unicorn, that was shown in the book in the music video. For some reason, I’ve been seeing these “symbols” quite often in different music videos, regardless of whether they are K-Pop or Western. Anyhow…
EXO seems to be a very promising group in terms of great dancing skills and vocals. Now we just have to wait for EXO‘s debut song in mid-Feb iA!
—Moonlight
The Moon that Embraces the Sun, a hit K-drama of the month…
I had been looking forward to this drama ever since I found out that Im Siwan, my favorite K-Pop celeb., would be playing a role in it. I knew that it was a sageuk (Korean historical drama) but I had decided to do a little bit of research to get a better idea of what the drama would be about. To my surprise, the drama is based on a novel called 해를 품은 달 (The Sun and the Moon) by Jung Eun Gwol, the same author that wrote the novel that the popular “historical” drama, Sungkyunkwan Scandal (SKKS), is based on. Since I really enjoyed watching SKKS and was addicted to it (thanks to SKKS, I have started watching historical dramas), I knew that I just had to check out The Moon that Embraces the Sun and guess what? So far the drama is a hit! At the moment it has a viewer rating of almost 30% or more in South Korea, which is really good for a drama that has already aired its 8th episode.
To get a better idea of the drama and its storyline, you can check out the synopsis.
First trailer for The Moon that Embraces the Sun:
It’s evident in the second half of the first episode that the drama has a very magical aura that draws the viewer’s attention and I really enjoyed watching the child actors in the first six episodes – they did an excellent job of portraying their characters.
The Young Child Actresses (from left to right): Kim So-Hyun as Yoon Bo-Kyung, Jin Ji-Hee as Princess Minhwa, and Kim You-Jung as Heo Yeon-Woo
On a side note, Kim You-Jung and Jin Ji-Hee are both following me on Twitter! ^^ They are so cute!
I really like the heroine, Heo Yeon-Woo, who is seen as very brave and intellectual. The child actress, Kim You-Jung portrays Heo Yeon-Woo in a very convincing manner. However, my favorite character in the drama seems to be Seol (the meaning of her name is “snow”), the young maid responsible for serving Heo Yeon-Woo and her household. Although she is a maid, she practices sword fighting skills and learns how to read and write, which is very rare for someone her age to be accomplishing. From my observation, I can see that she was inspired by Heo Yeon-Woo’s older brother, Heo Yeom, played by none other than my favorite celeb. during the first six episodes. Despite the fact that Heo Yeom gets married to the young Princess Minhwa, I can’t wait to see what happens between Seol and him as young adults after she returns to the place she and Heo Yeon-Woo left (can’t get into any more details as this will spoil the story for those that have not watched the drama =P).
My Favorite Character (both young and elder version): Seol, protector of Heo Yeon-Woo aka Wol. Young Seol is played by Seo Ji-hee and the adult Seol is played by Yoon Seung-Ah (Credit: The Moon Embracing the Sun @ Facebook)
I finished watching the 8th episode today and I am really looking forward to see what happens next! Each episode keeps the viewer in a state of curiosity and suspense. I hope Seol has some action scenes where she can show the viewers her ninja-like skills xD
Apart from the lovely ladies in the drama, The Moon that Embraces the Sun also consists of “Joseon Dynasty’s F4.” The term, “F4,” is used to describe a group of four “flower boys,” also known as good-looking guys, that are very good friends and hang out with one another like brothers. The term, “F4,” became very popular thanks to the hit Korean drama, Boys Over Flowers, in 2009. Ever since then, any drama that contains a group of four good-looking guys that always stick together, is given the term, “F4.” These are the young actors of The Moon that Embraces the Sun‘s “F4.” All of them are so adorable! ^^ Why can’t guys be more like them? Makes me want to live in the past. I’m starting to think that I have been born in the wrong era (I’m such a traditionalist when it comes to the topic of courtship *sigh*). Times have really changed…
Joseon Dynasty's F4 (from left to right): Lee Min-Ho as Prince Yangmyung, Yeo Jin-Ku as Prince Lee Hwon, Im Siwan as Heo Yeom, and Lee Won-Geun as Woon
So far, this is the opening for The Moon that Embraces the Sun:
If you are into historical dramas or looking for something entirely different from what you normally watch, then The Moon that Embraces the Sun is definitely worth checking out! You can watch the first 8 episodes of the drama with English subtitles here.
Enjoy!
UPDATE: ‘Moon that Embraces the Sun’ OST surpasses T-ARA on music charts for #1
—Moonlight
That’s right, colored denim is the current trend this season!
Colored denim was a hit in the 70s and has now made a full-fledged comeback this season. Zara, Promod, Bershka, Mango, Forever21…almost every store that I go to, I see colored denim! Although colored denim had its initial comeback in Summer 2011, it’s not until now that most stores are introducing them to their clothes line and have made them available in almost every color of the rainbow.
Credit: beautyandthebudget.onsugar.com
Some may feel a bit doubtful about wearing colored denim for the first time but fear not! Try a particular color out and see if it looks good. I feel that colored denim can give the right pop of color to a top that has a rather neutral, white, or dark/dull color. For those that are a little bit on the daring side, try color blocking, which means wearing a bright solid color top that complements the colored jeans. For example, one can wear a yellow cardigan with cobalt jeans. Whatever works for you and would look good with most of your tops! Since I like things to be different at times, I would probably add my own twist to the trend. I wish I could own all of the colored denim out there but cobalt and pink seem to be my favorite.
On a random note, it’s interesting to point out that the first time I payed attention to colored denim was back in 2009 in the hit K-Pop music video, “Gee,” by Girls’ Generation.
Colored Denim in the 2009 Hit K-Pop Music Video: "Gee" by Girls' Generation
Although I love colored denim, I would like to see some of them with a bootcut style. Most of the colored denim that is available are skinny jeans, which I don’t wear. I wish people in the fashion industry would be aware of the fact that not everyone wears skinny jeans and that there is a very limited line of colored denim for those that prefer other styles.
Last but not least, since colored polka dots and stripes are part of this season’s trends along with colored denim, I seem to always picture T-ARA’s hit “Roly Poly” music video, which incorporates a 70s concept, that you can watch here.
So that wraps up my post for today. If you love bright colors, then I’m sure colored denim may have already caught your attention 
—Moonlight
Who can possibly be a violinist, dancer, singer, beatboxer, fashionista, actor, visual director, and entertainer for variety shows at the same time?
Credit: gunsoo.tumblr.com
That’s Im Siwan!
Im Siwan aka Im Wongjae, a member of ZE:A that happens to be none other than my favorite K-pop star, is perhaps one person in the K-Pop industry that I’ve been watching out for. I started paying attention to this ambitious and competitive 23-year-old in Spring-Summer of 2011 during ZE:A’s “Here I Am” and “Watch Out” promotions and have been reading news about him ever since. However, I noticed Siwan around a year ago in a YouTube video dedicated to K-Pop stars speaking in English, but I was not aware of his name or what group he was from. It took me time to realize that Siwan was none other than the person that I had noticed in that video a long time back.
It should be noted that Siwan’s real name is Im Woongjae and Siwan is simply his stage name. His inspiration for his stage name came from the English word, “swan.” Siwan is regarded as the “brain” and “fashionista” of ZE:A and his members also recognize him as a person with a gentle personality. He studied mechanical engineering for a while at Busan National University and was also known to be a studious person with individualistic and leader-like traits. During his university studies, he decided to participate at the Chinchin Music Festival and was noticed by a representative of Star Empire Entertainment. He was a trainee for the entertainment company until ZE:A had made their debut on January 5th, 2010. From then on, he has been working with the group to reach new heights of recognition and be in the spotlight that he is in today. Although, he is great at singing, dancing, and acting, Siwan states that he still loves playing the violin whenever he gets the chance.
Check out his violin skills in the following videos:
Although his electronic violin seems to be out of tune, he still does a great job towards the second half of the video. On a random note, his violin looks like something out of “Final Fantasy” or “Kingdom Hearts” xD
Siwan’s live performance with the violin and fellow ZE:A members.
Siwan’s Violin and Kevin’s Piano Duet. Siwan is seen in this video with Kevin, a fellow ZE:A member that loves playing the piano (and is great at cooking too =P). This is such a beautiful cover of Park Hyo Shin’s “Snow Flower” What a moving piece of music!
Ever since I started paying attention to Siwan, I realized that one day his popularity would skyrocket in South Korea. This realization apparently came true this month when he starred as the child character, Heo Yeom, in the current hit sageuk (South Korean historical drama), “The Moon that Embraces the Sun.” It is no surprise that he did an amazing job in acting for the first time. His hardworking and competitive attitude always seems to display the best of his abilities.
Since his appearance in “The Moon that Embraces the Sun,” several ladies have been trying to figure out who exactly Siwan is. The curiosity from the lady viewers of the drama led him to become No. 1 and No. 3 in “most searched” sections of Korean search engines for two or so weeks. I was surprised that not many people knew him from before or were aware that he was from the K-Pop group, ZE:A. It’s funny how I, as an overseas person, knew who he was xD It should be noted that ZE:A may not be the most popular K-Pop group out there but they are slowly winning the hearts of young ladies in Japan, the Phillipines, and Taiwan with their concerts and fan meetings. Sometimes it takes a while to get the right concept and song, in addition to good marketing, advertising, and public relations, to make a K-Pop group a hit in the entertainment scene. As for now, I’m looking forward to the group’s comeback this year insAllah.
Although most people are huge fans of Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise or Bollywood stars such as Shahrukh Khan (SRK) aka the King of Bollywood…my choice tends to be very different. I often end up being a fan of someone, who is close to my age and seems more like a distant friend than a star. Such a person is none other than Siwan ^_^ In my opinion, whoever is going to marry him is going to be one lucky girl iA.
Credit: stylish-cat.tumblr.com
Credit: kpop-designs.blogspot.com
As this post on ZE:A’s fashionista comes to an end, I would like to mention that the next post will be about my favorite fashion trend this season iA
Bye *waves*
—Moonlight
Yes, I’m back with another post on EXO!
SM Entertainment released Teaser 12 of EXO today. The teaser features Kai and Lay with a song called “Two Moons” ft. Key of SHINee. I am in LOVE with the way “Two Moons” is pronounced and Key’s awesome rap in English. I want the full version! I completely lost interest in rap music several years ago when I realized that most rap songs contained nonsensical meanings, but EXO and B.A.P. have probably changed my mind now. Most of my opinion has to do with the fact that K-Pop songs are much more clean than the songs in the West =P If Western rap songs were clean, it wouldn’t have been much of an issue.
This video contains both the Korean and Chinese version of EXO‘s “Two Moons” (Note: It’s not the full song).
I seem to be paying a little too much attention to EXO lately. I love their whole concept but it’s also for the reason that 12 is my favorite number, which they keep pointing at, and they emphasize the moon a lot in their teasers. Some of you may not be aware that my actual name, in fact, has several meanings that relate to the moon. Some meanings include “Moon,” “Our Moon,” and “Moonlight” =)
I wonder what EXO‘s next teaser will be like. I hope that we will be able to hear more of their voices.
-Moonlight
Welcome to EXO Planet…
So everyone that is into K-Pop is aware that many rookie groups will be emerging in 2012 (may I add that this is the Year of the Dragon just to make things sound dramatic? xD). I think rookie K-Pop boy groups will be the big news this year. EXO seems to be one of the most anticipated groups and some of their teasers have been pretty epic so far. SM Entertainment, one of South Korea’s biggest entertainment companies that is home to several groups that are part of the Hallyu Wave, have given EXO a rather sophisticated and futuristic concept while incorporating various music styles.
So far, 11 teasers have been released. Here are my favorite ones:
Teaser 2 : Kai and Lu Han in “Time Control” (I liked this after watching it the second time)
Teaser 3 : Tao in “Metal” (This one is just epic…we’re talking about a combination of metal and martial arts skills. This teaser was enough to grab my attention and continue looking for more that the group has to offer)
Teaser 6 : Kai in “Lightsaber” (Kind of reminds me of “Fruit Ninja” xD I really like the music in this one)
Teaser 8 : Se Hun in “Black Pearl” (Kind of has that “Kingdom Hearts” atmosphere. This is where the hint is given about the number of members in the group, which is 12. Oh, and there is dubstep)
Teaser 9 : Se Hun and Lu Han in “Into Your World” (I just LOVE everything about this teaser. I’m really looking forward to this song. The whole teaser gives off this fresh feeling and not to mention, Se Hun and Lu Han look really nice in their winter attire)
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To be honest, I actually like all of the teasers but the before-mentioned ones are my favorite =P To view the rest of the teasers…here are the links:
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Now, I know that they have some competition from B.A.P. but I think both of these groups have a very different style from one another. B.A.P. had one teaser, which was interesting and caught many people’s attention and today they had finally released their music video, which was pretty epic for many viewers. I’ve been repeating their song “Warrior” several times and I love the dark yet colorful appearance of the MV. It’s like watching a piece of art. They have done a very good job for a rookie group and have surpassed many people’s expectations.
Since I’m a fan of almost every group and artist from SM Entertainment, I can surely say that EXO is one group that I’m really looking forward to iA =) Plus, I love how there are an equal number of both Chinese and Korean members in the group.
Best of luck to EXO! And a word to the members: Don’t stress! You will still get recognized for your hard work =) There is more to life than just winning in entertainment ^^
Now the question is…when exactly is EXO making their debut? The number 12 is indicated in two of the teasers. Some fans say that it may be in the middle of February iA. Hmm, could it be February 12th, which also happens to be my birthday iA? We’ll have to wait and see =)
NOTE: This post is from my Tumblr account and was published yesterday.
-Moonlight
Hello everyone!
I have decided to enter the blogging scene. Still trying to explore how WordPress and Tumblr work ^^’ Anyhow, this blog is is going to be about whatever I find intriguing. I like to talk about many things that are related to my interests so I thought, why not talk about them here? Although it would have been nice to keep a blog about a specific interest, I think that is not really possible for me as I tend to end up talking about whatever I find interesting xD Furthermore, my interests keep evolving over time as I discover new things.
So what will my blog mainly be about? Currently, I’m obsessed with Korean and Japanese dramas. What strikes me about these dramas is that they contain lessons with morals and values. Additionally, I <3 K-Pop and J-Pop but have been paying more attention to K-Pop lately. I find Korean entertainment to be rather exciting and appropriate for young people such as me. I was glad to have stumbled across it during my search for new things. It has helped me learn about a whole new culture that I can somewhat relate to. Apart from that, I love video games…particularly old school and role-playing ones such as the “Final Fantasy” series and “The Legend of Zelda” series. My favorite genre of music…well, it’s anything that is appealing to the ears. I love Nu-Jazz, Lounge, Deep House, Electronic, Techno, Rock, Heavy-Metal, and Asian Pop music. I also love music from the 60s, 80s, and 90s. As you can tell, my interests revolve around media/entertainment at times (I <3 YouTube).
Other interests of mine include traveling, learning about different cultures, fashion, food (different cuisines from around the world), reading (fantasy, science-fiction, and old classics), history, photography, design, cute and colorful things, arts and crafts, Anime/Manga, science and technology, business (marketing and management), space and sea exploration, nature, and discovering and learning about new things. I may have missed out on a few interests in the list but that’s okay…my list can be pretty endless xD
So that should sum up my interests =) My blog posts don’t intend to be a literary piece of art. Also, I would have loved to design my WordPress layout with Photoshop but I thought that it would be too time consuming so I’m keeping this blog simple and clean. However, I may think about creating a header. Sometimes less is more
Thanks for reading! Have a cupcake! ^^
-Moonlight
