K-Star Grandprix November 2013 Vol.11 Review

K-Star Grandprix is a monthly Japanese Hallyu magazine.  The magazine is very high quality with thick, glossy pages and covers the latest Kpop stars and actors.  I bought this magazine at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle for $15.35, a fair price for gorgeous pieces of paper that make me so happy!

The front cover is of Infinite during their "Man in Love" era, with Infinite logos in the background.  The blue and yellow pastel palette shows a softer side to the usual darker eras, and really stands out against the pink background.

Here is the back cover and the thick spine.  I love that it says "Infinite" on the binding, so it'll look beautiful while stacked on my bookshelf.  The back cover is of a man performing...I believe it's Xia/Junsu of JYJ?

Along with snagging the cover position, Infinite also has a 23 page spread in this issue.  This is the table of contents with six different sections of Infinite.  Also the photo on the right is of Exo in their signature "Wolf" stance on June 13th's M Countdown.

Infinite's spread has many different photos, many of them being performance shots.  The magazine also includes a comprehensive Korean and Japanese discography.

There are also photos showing the progression of the members and the eras from 2011 to 2013.  It's interesting to see how their styles have changed from era to era, year to year!

There are also several pages covering each member.  I love L's pose in this photo; he looks so chic and charming!

Following is a 20 page spread on Exo, which includes performance photos, their discography and member profiles.  There are also small spreads on Shinhwa and Kim Hyun Joong.

The second half of the magazine focuses on a page or so on several Korean actors, including Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Sung Gi, Lee Jong Suk, and more.  Above are Kim Bum (from his latest drama Goddess of Fire) and Lee Hyun Woo.  The last part of the magazine covers more Kpop, such as latest concert reports in Japan, as well as snippets of groups like BTS, 2AM, MBLAQ and Kara.

In the back of the magazine is a folded poster! There was no indication that there is an included poster, so this was a nice surprise. The poster was attached to the spine with a white margin (the jagged white paper on the left of the poster), but there was no perforation so my poster tore a bit while I was turning the poster. The poster is of Infinite performing at SGC Super Live 2013 on June 1st during their lovely Man in Love era. I absolutely love this poster because it's of Infinite in action, performing on stage, which is different from their promotional concept posters.

Though Infinite doesn't actually have a special photoshoot for this magazine issue, I'm still super happy with this purchase. The photos are high quality and gorgeous, and the poster is a delightful bonus!  As seen in the photo, my poster is framed and looking lovely in my room.  Overall, the contents of this magazine are amazing.

A Werewolf Boy Movie Review

The 2012 Korean movie "A Werewolf Boy" received many praises, awards and high hopes and even broke the Korean box office record for number of tickets sold to a romantic movie.  This piece is Song Joong Ki's last starring role (along with drama Nice Guy) before he left for his military duties in August of this year. With all the hype going around, and to have Song Joong Ki's latest work to last me the two years while he's away, I had to have a copy for myself!

I bought the English version of this movie on DVD through Amazon.com directly.  It arrived safely just 5 days after I had ordered it!  Here is the front cover of the English version DVD.  Other countries' versions have different images.  This version comes with pretty good English subtitles (though I found one grammatical mistake).

The casing itself is very simple, providing a cover design but no paper excerpt inside the case.

Here is the back, with the summary, list of special features, and credits.  This movie is classified as a fantasy romance, but it's more of a coming-of-age story that does a the fantasy aspect of a human befriending a wolf-like man.  I suggest not reading the summary because it kind of gives the entire storyline away.  For a quick overview, it's about a teenage girl  (Park Bo Young) and her family living in the countryside when they encounter and adopt a feral boy (Song Joong Ki).

Here is a close up of the special features.  This DVD comes with seven different features (and a trailer for SM's I Am...)!  These features were all worth watching, because you get to experience various aspects used in the film as well as the process of making the film and all the dedication put into it.  "The Language of Cheol-Su" was especially intriguing, showing the viewer how Song Joong Ki learned to take on the characteristics of a wolf.  "Beautiful Wolf" was also interesting, demonstrating the involvement in physically transforming Song Joong Ki from a human to a wolf.  The "Making of A WEREWOLF BOY" was the most elaborate special feature, lasting 55 minutes long.  This segment shows clips of the main cast and director speaking about various aspects including their roles, concerns about specific scenes and working in the harsh, cold weather.  This behind-the-scenes footage also revealed the mechanics of the wolf's actions with the use of wires, as well as the filming of certain scenes and the interactions between co-stars off screen.

Here are my thoughts on this movie: "A Werewolf Boy" definitely lives up to its hype, and then some!  The storyline is very intricate and is intriguing and suspenseful throughout the entire movie.  All of the actors did a tremendously well done job portraying their roles.  I really commend Song Joong Ki for portraying a character with wolf-like characteristics.  Because of his very limited speaking role, Song Joong Ki's outstanding acting really stood out.  Park Bo Young also acted well and her character really came to life.  I instantly gained an emotional attachment to both of these characters and because of their wonderful acting, I cried so much in sympathy of these characters.  I've honestly never cried so much from a movie before; this is a serious tear jerker!  Overall, it's such a conceptual and well made movie, with a strong and well chosen cast and crew.  Even hours after watching the movie, I still get pangs in my stomach from missing the characters and longing for a sequel.

Infinite: Koi Ni Ochiru Toki 1st Full Japanese Album Review

On June 5th, Infinite released their first full Japanese album, entitled Koi Ni Ochiru Toki (When You Fall in Love), with a normal edition and a limited edition.  The normal edition contains a photobook and a photocard, while the limited edition comes with a DVD, a larger photobook and a random photobooklet.  I originally didn't consider buying this album because of how Infinite's outfits gravely clashed with the background of the album cover washing them out and because I didn't see a point in having Japanese versions of already amazing Korean songs, but my love for Infinite overtook those feelings while I was in Japan and so now I have this album, with no regrets!

Here is the album cover, with and without the cardboard slip.  The Infinite font and logo, as well as the black dots and black circle cutouts, are raised, creating three dimensional texture to the exterior. On the slip includes a photo of the normal edition's album cover, which is a group photo of Infinite wearing their pattern-filled clothing that blends into the equally clashing background.  The casing is thick, sturdy and really well made. There is even a semicircle indent in the middle, allowing to more easily take out the contents.  The Infinite font and logo are the same as its predecessor album, New Challenge.

The back cover continues the patterns and raised dots.  I like how that when the slip is on (like the top of both photos above), "Infinite" still shows nicely.

The back of this cardboard wrap has lots of information.  It has the tracklist, which includes all of Infinite's Japanese songs from their three singles, as well as the Japanese versions of Woohyun's, Sunggyu's and Infinite H's solo and duet tracks from Over the Top, as well as "Welcome To Our Dream," "Man In Love," and "Wings."  It also lists the DVD contents, which include all of Infinite's Japanese teasers and full music videos.  Lastly it reveals the cover of each of the random photobooklets.

The album cover is very loud, with lots of contrasting patterns in a striking black and white color scheme. The contents come out of the case from the left.  Starting at the top is the random photobooklet, followed by the photobook and then the disc folder.

This is the disc folder.  The top image shows the back and front covers.  The black dots on the front and Infinite font and logo on the back are also raised.  The back cover faintly lists the tracklist and contents of the DVD.  Both discs are secured with a clear plastic casing, like most of their albums (meaning it's not the foam center kind).  The CD is on the left while the DVD is on the right.  The DVD is region 2, so only region 2 or all/no region DVD players can play it.  I personally didn't think the songs selected fit into one album. Because these are all translations from various Korean albums, the concepts are all very different and therefore don't flow well together.  There are so many main Korean tracks that stand out on their own that it seems weird seeing them all placed together. However, I understand that Infinite doesn't have original Japanese songs and therefore simply compiled all of their Japanese singles together.  Now onto the DVD.  The main screen has a group shot of the members in their white suits with the Korean version of the "Man in Love" chorus running in the background.  The BTD music video is exactly the Korean music video, just with the Japanese track.  All the other music videos and teasers are the original Japanese versions.  I love this DVD; it's a beautiful compilation of their Japanese music videos thus far.

Inside the disc folder is a slip of paper listing Infinite's full Japanese discography, including all versions of their singles, concert DVDs, variety show DVDs, both dramas of which starred Myungsoo and Hoya, and the first part of L's Bravo Viewtiful.

The main photobook is 52 pages of absolute gorgeousness.  Like New Challenge's theme, this album's concept shows Infinite as fresh, charming and romantic guys contrasting their usual dark eras.  The front cover (left image) fits this darling concept well, with the boys radiating cheerful smiles and wearing soft pastels and light patterns.  The back cover (right image) has a more hipster flare, with the boys in white suits, slanted and a bit hazy.  This photobook includes three different photoshoots: the first, like the front cover of this photobook, the second, like the normal edition album cover, and the third, like the back cover of the photobook.  There are only a handful of group shots, three from the first photoshoot (including the front cover), one from the second shoot, and two from the third (including the back cover); majority are individual photos.  Within each photoshoot, each member gets one to two individual photos.  Throughout the photobook, the lyrics and credits are listed.

Here are a few pages from the first photoshoot. Sungyeol's two pages include the credits and lyrics of Man in Love.  This photoshoot is my favorite out of the three because it shows the members being so lovely and charming...except for L's photos.  I'm upset that he looks so bored and tired; these emotions don't fit the concept at all!

Here are Sungjong's two pages from the second photoshoot.  Again, there's a lot of drama with the striking black and white background clashing with Sungjong's outfit.

And here's the last photoshoot.  I really like the soft filter effect and the charming white suits.  Again, L looks more on the downside, but nonetheless still as handsome as ever.

There was also this slip inside the photobook.  I'm not sure what it's for, but there's an ID, so I think it may be for some type of lottery.  I tried going to the URL, but it says 'page not found.'  This slip was also in the She's Back single, so I guess it's more of a Japanese thing?

And lastly, the random photobooklet!  Each album comes with one of seven random photobooklets, one of each member.  I received Hoya's, but I'll trade with my friend for L's (!) soon and I'll post photos for that after I get L's! [Update: I have L's and Woohyun's photobooks, which I blogged about here]! Now back to Hoya.  The covers show off Hoya with a friendly and endearing light.  He looks so charming here!

There are a total of 18 pages, all of Hoya.  The first six are of the ghostly photoshoot, followed by four of the black and white shoot.  I'm glad that there are only four of this second shoot; the other two shoots are just much classier and fit the overall romantic concept very well and much to my liking.

I'm so happy they saved eight pages for the cutesy, romantic photoshoot!  There's one page dedicated as the profile page, with Hoya's adorable copied autograph.  Having a random photobooklet is an amazing marketing strategy, since people are more inclined to truly want their bias's photobooklet rather than just a photocard!  Though Hoya isn't my bias, the photos are still very amazing and I'll be getting L anyways so I'm a happy camper.

Overall, I love this album.  The packaging is very high quality and has so many contents!  I'm shaking my head in confusion because I never considered buying this album, because now that I have it I love the album and concept so much.  Though this album is more expensive being Japanese, it's such a nice addition!

Kinokuniya Bookstore Mini Haul!

On October 18th I stopped by Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle Chinatown again and boy was I in for a lovely surprise.  The magazine section was filled with a new selection of the latest Asian magazines!  There were several copies of High Cut covering Kim Hyun Joong in a pool, as well as the Korea Billboard November 2013 issue and the K-Star Grandprix October 2013 issue.  There were also other magazines that were a few issues old, as well as many other non-Asian celebrity magazines.  Seeing Infinite and L on the covers of K-Star and Korea Billboard, I HAD to have a copy.  Plus, K-Star came with this super gorgeous poster, which was a definite surprise because there was no indication of it on the cover!  Here's what I got:

At the register, I spoke to the cashier who said magazine shipments usually come once a month.  She also asked if I was an Inspirit, and she said she was a SHINee fan!   Because she's a fangirl, I thought she'd take good care of my magazines, but she creased one of my magazine's corners while putting them in a tight paper bag.  I'm so upset because I treasure these so much.

Korea Billboard was $19.80 while K-Star was $15.35.  Though for a magazine these prices may seem high, it's worth it because 1) Japanese things always cost more and 2) the import fees play a role.  Besides, Korea Billboard comes with a behind-the-scenes DVD and K-Star comes with a regular sized poster (like it's huge-as big as the L's Bravo Viewtiful posters)!

I'll be posting up my thoughts on these two magazines soon!  I was just too excited about finding these magazines in Seattle, especially Korea Billboard (which I saw scans online thinking I'd never get my hands on this magazine).

Update: I went to exchange my bent Billboard magazine a few days later, and it was an easy swap!  The cashier (a different one) had to ask her manager first, but other than that, I was able to easily get a new, bent-free magazine.

Etude House Missing U Fairy Penguin Hand Cream Review

Etude House always has adorable packaging, and the Missing U hand cream line is no exception.  I reviewed the Seal hand cream from this line before; here's the link.  I bought the Penguin in September in one of Etude House's Hong Kong locations because I fell for its cuteness.

This Missing U Endangered Animal line offers products that bring awareness of endangered animals around the world.  One side of the box has English, explaining where the fairy penguins are located.  At the same time, this line is environmentally friendly, as made clear on the other side of the box with its labels.  This box is made entirely of recycled paper and printed using soy ink.  The hand creams from this line has also won two awards for design.

Here is the English side that states the mission of this line, an introduction of the fairy penguin, the main ingredients and the directions.  This is a hand cream, but it can also be used on arms.

You can see just how small this hand cream is, as it fits in the palm of my hand.  The arms are in different positions, showing realism and detail in creating the looks of this penguin.  In between the arms is a cotton bud, showing the scent is like cotton.

The inside packaging is more updated since nine months ago when I had bought the Seal.  There is a thin, clear film protecting the lotion from leaking to the top of the lid.  After twisting off the lid, I immediately smelled the strong baby powder scent.  This scent is really innocent and different, but smelling it for too long might overwhelm me.  The side of the box states that this cream is a blend of herbs, shea butter and olives "to moisturize, heal and soothe hands."

Here is a swatch of the cream.  It's more on the runny side so a little goes a long way.  The amount on my palm is the perfect amount to cover my hands thoroughly and the residual smell is rather pleasant and light, not overbearing at all.  I will definitely use this as a daily lotion to keep my hands from drying out.

Overall, I love this hand cream.  The packaging is to die for, and I like how Etude is spreading awareness through its products in this line.  And the lotion itself works well and leaves a pleasant scent.  I'll definitely be collecting more from Etude's Missing U line!

L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2 Review

As a fan of both Kim Myungsoo and photography, I couldn't wait for the sequel to L's Bravo Viewtiful! The official teaser revealed such an adorable and touching side of Myungsoo that shows when he has his camera.  I'd seem that Myungsoo would be very caring and detailed when putting together his photobook, so I knew the photos in his latest book would be just as beautiful and organized as the first.  Prepare yourself for a photo-heavy post!

I preordered L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2 from Kpoptown.com, and it has finally arrived!  This photo essay book was released on September 25th, and I received my copy 13 days after shipping on September 27th. I preordered this book because the first press release comes with a special notebook that I just had to have. The book and accompanying notebook arrived bundled in a plastic wrap, with a tight layer of bubble wrap, all placed snugly in a bubble wrap-lined waterproof envelope.

On the plastic wrap was a sticker of the retail price of the book, making it feel as if I really did buy a book rather than a Kpop item.

I was surprised that Kpoptown also included a Missha cream sample; all my previous purchases never came with such gifts!  This was definitely a nice incentive for me to order from Kpoptown again.

The layout of Part 2 is very similar to that of its prequel.  Myungsoo's now famous handwriting is on both the front and back covers, in a beautiful intended gold font.  Part 2 is written fancily so that the 'r' kind of blends in with the 'a' and 't' and the '2' has Myungsoo's signature swirl.  There is also a small dust jacket with a caricature of Myungsoo.  Of course it would have been cuter with an actual image of Myungsoo, but this style is more artsy and fits the book well.  The color scheme of Part 2 is also elegant and contrasts well with Part 1.  Part 2 looks glamorous as it is filled with creams and golds, whereas Part 1 was dramatic with black on black.

I love how this book was very well-thought out, with charming details that make this product extra special. For instance, the inside covers have intended golden font matching the title on the front cover.

Here is another example of the elegant color scheme and adorable layout.  At the beginning of each section are two pages like these.  The left has a cream punch tag-like design while the opposite page has an introduction written on a cream background.  The creamy color and punch tag remind me of a beautiful and timeless scrapbook.

This 205 page book is broken up into three chronological sections, similar to its prequel.  The sections are "The 1st 29 Days," "The 2nd 30 Days," and "The 3rd 30 Days," ranging from January 11, 2013 to April 10, 2013.  The first few pages include a prologue, profile of Myungsoo (an extended version from his first photo essay book), interview and essay book keyword.

L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2 has many beautiful photos that cover a variety of subjects.  Included are daily subjects (top left photo of a board game) like raindrops, furniture, toys and food.  He also has photos of tourist locations (top right photo), but shows these surroundings in a new perspective with different angles and bokeh.  Myungsoo also focuses on taking breathtaking scenic photography (bottom left photo), which are my most favorite photos from his collection.  The bottom right photo is a collection of touristy locations with some artistic bokeh.

Myungsoo also dedicates several pages to his family, making this book so much more personable.  His family looks so endearing and inviting (not to mention his brother is just as handsome...).

Besides these typical subjects that many photographers focus on, this photo essay book also includes many behind-the-scenes shots of idol L's events.  Some photos include the music video sets of "Love Blossom" (top left) and "Man in Love" (right), the New Challenge (bottom left) and Japanese full album photoshoots, as well as photos of Infinite during their Man in Love days.  Each photo is dated, documenting Myungsoo's daily travels and observations like a detailed journal.  Because there are dates for each photo, it's interesting to see the dates of filming certain music videos or commercial films and see how long it takes before they're officially released.

There are also photos of Infinite at their Rally Fan Meeting, NatuurPop CF (top left), K-Stars Wonderland photoshoot (bottom left), and the members just being themselves (right).  There is also a page of photos from the Idol Star Olympics held at the beginning of 2013!  Surprisingly there are many pages of the members just hanging out; I didn't expect so many photos of Infinite, not that I'm complaining!

Majority of the pages follow this format like in the photo above, which is of the first photo book meeting. This photo is from the coffee shop in L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 1 DVD!  Hehe, Myungsoo seems so hipster, working on photography at a coffee shop.  Most pages include a photo and a complementing essay.  Myungsoo also adds his boyish charms with cute doodles on the pages.

The Special Edition Book only comes with the first press release.  It's about half as thick as the photo essay book and just as high quality.  While this notebook is essentially a gift for buying a first press, it's such a nice product that it's well worth being a product on its own!  I'm so happy to have received this as an added bonus to L's Bravo Viewtiful.

At the first section of this notebook, Myungsoo dedicates a page or two to each member of Infinite.  He includes photos of the members during their Man in Love (Korean version) era and writes a note to each member.  I love seeing behind-the-scenes photos from the Man in Love music video!  There are other photos from the New Challenge photoshoot as well, like the photo below.

The remainder of the pages are either lined or blank, intended to be used as a notebook, and includes more photos from the Man in Love era.  I like how some of the photos are in black and white, mixing it up a bit. At the top of each page is also a header with "Special Edition," "Book," and "L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2" in Myungsoo's adorable handwriting.

In the back of the notebook are five sheets of perforated postcards.  There are three gorgeous postcards of Myungsoo, one of his cute illustrations, and six equally beautiful nature shots.  The backs of these postcards are blank and branded with the photo essay book logo.  I was surprised at how thick this extra notebook was, and seeing these postcards was an added bonus!  Though I'll never tear out these cards, it's nice to know that Myungsoo chose these photos specifically to use (if he did...).

I also ordered the matching unfolded poster, which arrived one day after the book itself.  As always from Kpoptown, my poster came rolled in a cardboard tube with metal lids and a thin layer of bubble wrap underneath each lid.  The dimensions are 53cm by 77cm (or 1.74' by 2.53').  I love the overall color scheme and Myungsoo's adorable handwriting, as well as the photos themselves.  I do believe he has some more interesting photos he could have chosen though (like the photos that were pre-released), and of course I wish his profile shot were bigger!  The dead white space to the right of Myungsoo drives me crazy, because they could have used that for another photo.  But overall, I'm happy to have another Myungsoo poster.

Overall, I love L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2!  The book and photos are high quality and I love seeing the world in Myungsoo's perspective.  I also like how this book captures the behind-the-scenes of Infinite and L, giving Inspirits a glimpse of idol life besides what fans usually see.  The special notebook is also a great supplement and I'm definitely satisfied that I capitalized on preordering to receive this first press edition! Lastly, the poster goes beautifully with my other Infinite posters and shows off my bias in an artful way.  L's Bravo Viewtiful Part 2 is very special and always makes me happy just thinking about it.