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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Infinite: Be Back LP Review

Here I'll be unboxing Infinite's Be Back LP. This post will be mostly pictures and less text as I wrote in more detail about Infinite's other LP, Paradise, and more information about these two products in general in my previous post here.
The exterior of this LP has the same monochromatic, matte feel as the Be Back CD album. This one also includes a large imprint of the logo. This image is different from the original cover art, but it is one of the group images included in the original photobook.

The backside has the tracklist for both sides of the record. I don't know why the record is so engrained into the back cover, as I didn't have this problem with my Paradise LP.
The inside has a folder design, with a flap on the left containing the number card, lyrics pamphlet, and eight photo pages. The right side contains the record; the logo here isn't printed onto the flap but rather is another layer on top, showing the nice thought and quality put into every detail.

This is the envelope containing the number card, which is like a standard credit card size. The envelope looks very elegant and matches the LP cover.
I like how the back of the envelope has the logo continuing from the front. The top flap is slipped into the bottom flap, so you have to carefully undo it.

The card is plastic and has a silver shimmer to it, with the logo and names of the members in gold metallic.
The backside has the number; I'm #03784 out of #10000.
Here is the front cover of the lyrics pamphlet. I really like how they present the logo like this throughout the packaging. Like the design on the right flap of the folder holding the record, the logo on this cover is embossed on it.
I really like how the back cover of the pamphlet matches the back cover of the original album photobook. The font is printed in shiny black.
The photo pages are inside the lyrics pamphlet and are facing down, with the backside displaying the logo. From top to bottom is Sungjong to Sungku, then a group photo.
The left side includes the eight lyrics and song credits of the tracks on Side A while the right side has the respective information for the remaining seven tracks on Side B.
There photos are so big and beautiful~ None of these photos were included in the CD album.
The record comes inside a paper envelope.
Here is how Side A looks like.
And here is Side B. Each side contains the tracklist and play length.
Here is the LP on my record player. This album is definitely one of my most favorites, so I'm very happy to be able to listen to it as a record. The strong sounds of these songs, especially from "Last Romeo" and "Back" should sound especially amazing on a good stereo system.

Overall, I really love how the packaging of this LP matches so well with the CD version, yet still has its own upgraded look. While I was at first hesitant about getting records, I'm now so happy to have both Paradise and Be Back and to be able to play them on a record player.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Infinite: Paradise LP Review

In September 2015, Woollim released Infinite's two Korean repackaged full albums as LPs for roughly $35USD each. The Paradise and Be Back LPs are limited with only 10,000 copies each. While at first I was annoyed that Woollim was releasing yet another product that I really didn't need, I of course ended up getting a copy of each repackaged album and am really glad I did. It's really cool to be going old-school and playing records! Here I'll be unboxing the Paradise LP, and in the next one I'll be unboxing the Be Back LP.
The exterior is matte, like the original CD album cover (the pink paper part, not the cardboard). This cover photo is one of the group images in the original CD photobook, however it's not the original cover art of that album.
The back is elegant with its simplistic, metallic lines.
The case is like a folder, with all the paper goods on the left, and the record on the right. The contents include a number card, a lyrics pamphlet, and eight photo pages.
The number card comes in a beautiful metallic paper envelope.
The backside of the envelope is just as pretty.
It's a bit to open the envelope (I honestly thought I was supposed to tear it open...). The top flap is tucked underneath, so you might have to bend it a bit to open the envelope. You can see the crease in both photos above.
The card is made of plastic (I thought it'd be a nice metal card like the one from the Sennheiser headphone set). The front has the members' names.
The backside has the number. I can't believe I'm #09320 out of #10000.
This is the front cover of the lyrics pamphlet; it resembles the original CD album design. I like how the logo is reflective but as that overall pink tone to match.
The back cover also has that pink reflective logo.
The photo pages are inside the lyrics pamphlet. There are eight pieces of paper, facing downward, with one for each member from Sungjong to Sungkyu, and then a group photo.
The inside of the lyrics pamphlet has the song credits and lyrics for all 13 tracks. There are seven tracks on Side A and the remaining six tracks are on Side B.
The photo pages are practically the same size as the LP. None of these photos are included in the CD album, which is nice that we get these additional photos.
The record comes inside a nice paper envelope.
It's really cool to see the distinct lines on the record; each section constitutes for one track, with the first track on the outer most rim and the last track in the center.
Here is the center of the top side, Side A.
And this is the center of the bottom side, Side B. Sadly this doesn't include the hidden track.
Here is the record in motion. It's so cool being able to listen to new music on such an old machine. I hope others who do get these LPs will also be able to play them.

Overall, I am really happy I got this LP! It is really high quality from its packaging to its contents, especially compared to my parents' old records from the '80s. I also love how these Kpop LPs are reviving records in younger generations.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Infinite Official Collection Card Vol. 2 Binder Review

Infinite released their second set of official collection cards, "Space: The Arts," on June 26th, 2015, which I reviewed here. Almost six months later, I finally got the accompanying official binder. The format of this binder is very similar to Infinite's official binder from their first collection card set, which I reviewed here.
This binder has a canvas-like matte texture and a gorgeous, monochromatic image of space to match its theme. This time they use the "Last Romeo" logo instead of creating a new logo, unlike last time. There is also a nice exterior slip, shown in the first picture. The backside of the slip just has the product information.
Here is back of the binder. The silver lettering looks really pretty against the matte black background.
The silver lettering also looks really pretty on the sides; they're a lot more visible than the first binder. It's just weird how the right side's lettering is upside down though, whereas the right side's lettering on the first binder is right side up.
The dimensions are about 10.25" x 8.5" x 1.5." It is about 2/16" thinner than the "Lucky Guys" binder, which is an upgrade because it minimizes the dead space inside. The contents of the binder are separated into three parts; you can see the clear sleeves on top and the white pieces of paper on the bottom inside the binder.
The binder is really sturdy and held together with two strong magnets on the right to keep the front cover closed. This is a 3-ring binder, with the rings 1" in diameter. The top includes a card stock cover of Infinite, the first of the three contents inside the binder.
Here are the sleeves.
The sleeve margins include "OFFICIAL COLLECTION CARD VOL 2" and "INFINITE," just like in the first set; this time the "N" in "INFINITE" are printed the correct way though.
The last section has all the black-and-white sheets of paper revealing all the cards in order, so you have to put all the sleeves in between each sheet yourself. I really like how they includes these sheets, so you can clearly see all the cards you're missing (making you want to buy more cards...), and especially to see cards that you'd probably never get, like these fabric cards.
Here are how the pages look after putting my cards into the sleeves. These eye cards are so pretty~ And the empty spots are just begging to be filled...

Overall, I really like the binder and its upgraded quality. If you're planning on collecting all or majority of the cards, I definitely recommend getting this binder so you can organize your collection well and know which ones you're missing. But if you're more focused on collecting all the cards and have a tight budget, I'd suggest getting two boxes of cards first instead of buying one box and one binder, just so you can trade cards while people are still trading (this is advice more for future star card releases).

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Infinite F: Koi No Sign (First Press Normal) Review

Infinite F debuted with its Japanese single, Koi No Sign, on November 19th, 2014. For this album, Woollim released three versions: normal, Type A, and Type B. I wrote more about Infinite F and the various releases in my Type A post (linked above). Here I'll review the first press normal edition.
Here is the exterior sticker. To guarantee that it is first press, I think it's important to check the first two lines of this label (though I don't read Japanese, so I'm not sure...). The first press edition comes with a 16-page photobooklet and a photocard.
This single is a regular jewel case, with an exterior slip.
The backside (which is upside down) is same anime cover as Type A.
Here is the front cover of the jewel case.
And here is the back cover of the jewel case.
Here are the backside of the booklet and the CD. Underneath the CD is pretty plain, with just the "Infinite F" font printed on the top.
The photobooklet has 16 pages, including the covers. Slipped inside the first page are the photocard and event slip.
Each version (excluding the non-first press normal) comes with a random photocard out of five different designs: one of each member, one group, and one of the anime group. And here comes the exciting part: I got L's photocard!!!!!! (This is one of those rare times that I'm going to let my inner fangirling fill the post). I have many Infinite items and have never pulled a Myungsoo random item (except in my second box of Lucky Guys collection cards where I miraculously got two Myungsoo rare cards; as for normal cards, I managed to get a few as well). I had always wondered if I'd ever get Myungsoo, and it has finally, FINALLY happened. I will most definitely treasure this card so much. I had already pulled Sungjong and the group card, so I'm also really thankful to have pulled a different one.
Here is the backside of the photocard.
Four pages are dedicated to the lyrics and credits in the first two and last two pages of the booklet. All the photos inside are in black and white. The first set of photos include two pages per member, one photo from the indoor shoot (the same one as the slip cover photos) and one photo from the outdoor shoot (the same one as the photobooklet front cover photos).
Then there is one group photo, followed by one page per member that includes three individual shots.
My album also came with a gorgeous exterior poster! It is a promotional, double-sided poster of this album release, about 20.25" x 28.5". I absolutely love this poster, and even more so because not many people have it.
The backside has the anime image of the subunit.

Overall, I love this album and I'm happy to have all the versions now. I can't wait to see what else Infinite F will release in the future!