I finally ordered and received my 2015 Season's Greetings, despite being a few months late. I'm always hesitant about purchasing any Season's Greetings because they're about $35USD (32,000₩) if bought in Korea, plus a $15 shipping fee for international fans. $50 just seems too ridiculous for a one-year (and one month) calendar. So last year I finally bought Infinite's 2014 Season's Greetings in July and opened it at the end of August, and this year I found a great deal and ordered it online in early March, so only three months wasted! I ordered from "vipshopkorea," a Korean seller on eBay selling it new for $34.99 with free shipping, which is practically buying it at a store in Korea. It took just 11 days to arrive since I placed my order and I noticed the shipping fee really was roughly $15 for the seller so I got a great deal. Also I'm so pleased that it arrived in perfect condition despite the large size, which restores my faith in online orders.
What makes this year's calendar even more appealing is Dongwoo's unboxing video of it on his Instagram account^^ Just to have Dongwoo endorsing this product on his own makes it so much more special. Anyways, this Season's Greetings is very similar to last year's, packaged in a cardboard box with dimensions 12.25" x 9.125" x 1.75".. Though it's hard to see, the
Season 2 logo is outlined and intended, creating a nice touch.
The backside has all the technical information. Something random I noticed, last year it was called "Season's Greeting" and this year it's called "Season's Greetings."
The contents are also similar to last year's, with the calendar on top, then underneath the DVD and scheduler on the left, and calendar photocards on the right.
Here is everything laid out. The cardboard box is especially nice and sturdier this year with the indented sections keeping the contents snug and well-packed. All four items are also nicely packed in their own sealed clear plastic bag.
This is listed as a "mini calendar," but it's more like monthly photocards. They're in this makeshift box. The size is really convenient to carry around with you, but I'm still trying to figure out how I could carry these around with me without damaging them.
Here is the backside of the box. The quality reminds me of the the box for the first press edition photocards from L's Bravo Viewtiful, because it's like a thin cardboard box that you'd make in elementary school. When you open the top flap (which is hard to do without ripping if you don't have the patience), all four flaps open to reveal the photocards.
Here are all 12 photocards, one per month, from January to December (left to right, top to bottom). All these photos are different from the calendar and scheduler. There was this black dot printed on Dongwoo's precious face and I kept scratching it to try to remove it, but it only left scratch marks...so I suggest being careful with these cards! As you can see, the photos are from both photoshoots (the cozy winter jacket one and the cute door frame one).
The backside of each card looks something like this, which is really helpful so I wouldn't mind bringing this along with me everywhere
though I just realized smartphones have calendar apps...
The DVD comes in this square paper envelope.
Here is the DVD. It states that it's for Region 3. It's weird, my Region 1 laptop and DVD player both play last year's Season's Greeting DVD (also Region 3) perfectly, but it's not working for this year's Season's Greetings...I have to find a way to see it through my own disc and not just from YouTube...I finally found a DVD player that would play my DVD! The DVD contains the behind the scenes from the photoshoots, and is 11 minutes and 30 seconds long. It begins with a focus on each member's individual shots, and a short message from each member to the camera. Then there is footage from the various group shots, including the infamous part where Dongwoo slides his hand up Sungyeol's thigh...
The scheduler is very high quality, especially because it has a very thick hard cover and the overall elegance of its simplistic design.
The front cover has the Infinite logo embedded into the cover. On the spine is the logo and "Infinite Scheduler" in gold lettering, making the whole thing so elegant. The backside is simplistic as well.
The scheduler includes a 12 month calendar, then a yearly plan, then a monthly calendar with Infinite's birthdays and anniversary, then a weekly plan, followed by pages of lined, blank, and graph paper. I love how the monthly calendar (bottom left) includes "5th Anniversary" and how the pages are filled with the beautiful
Season 2 logo.
Spread throughout the pages are two gorgeous photos of each member and one group photo. The first set of member photos are like on the left, with just the photo, and the second set is similar, and includes the logo and member's name. The only "disappointing" photo is the small, black-and-white group photo (different from the one I just mentioned previously) on the top left two photos above.
And on to the calendar! I tried to limit the pages I'd show on here, but I was so awestruck with each page that I ended up taking pictures of practically every page. This sounds weird, but I also really love the smell...like pages fresh off the press, just like Infinite's albums. Anyways, the calendar is 8.625" x 11" when it's upright.
The thing I hated the absolute most about last year's Season's Greetings was the theme of "Lovely Seven Boyfriends," and I am so truly relieved that this year the theme is "Style of the World," which is random but it's fine by me! There are several photoshoots, one being this one and another one where they're standing in the doorway, and a few more with similar outfits fitting the style.
Placed between the gap of the calendar is a sticker sheet for you to use to mark special dates throughout the year. It's the same sticker sheet SM provided in their 2012 wall calendars...
After the title page is a page displaying all 12 months and the birth dates and anniversary of Infinite, and then this simple but beautiful page. The overall theme of the calendar is very mature and professional, with the boys wearing timeless and simplistic outfits; here is now I can see the theme of "Style of the World."
Each month has two pages; the first page is a closeup in color, with the calendar as one line at the bottom and includes Infinite's birth dates and anniversary if it's on that month. The second page is of the same member or members, and the photo is more distant and in black and white, with the calendar on the side. Here is January, with Infinite H starting the year~
Each member gets one month, then there are three subgroups each with a month, Infinite H, Sunggyu and Sungyeol, and the remaining three, Woohyun, Myungsoo and Sungjong, and finally two months of group photos. I love these photos; they look like they could be in a fashion pictorial! Though Myungsoo's just being his dorky self in that photo^^
And Sungjong's black and white shot really stunned me the most; I love the vintage look, and Sungjong looks so much more mature and grownup from his photos last year, of him in preppy clothes and with frosting on his nose.
Here are two pages of the group photos. The right photo is my favorite group photo; they all look like they're having so much fun! And I love how Myungsoo's pose is so similar to the cover of Infinite F's album!
After December, there's another page for the 2016 calendar, followed by this last page of Infinite.
This time they sadly don't include a page for January 2016. The very last page has 2015 global calendars for China, the US, Taiwan, and Thailand, and includes those countries' own observed holidays. I thought it was funny how at the very bottom of the page, there's a disclaimer that states "The Global Calendar's national holidays may be different since the information was gathered in Korea."
Overall, I love the quality (everything is very thick and durable!) and the contents of this year's Season's Greetings, and especially the concept and photos. I didn't think the photos could be better than last year's, but somehow they just are! I can't wait to enjoy the remainder of the year with such a fabulous calendar.
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