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).

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!

Lovelyz: Lovelyz8 1st Mini Album Review

Lovelyz came back with their first mini album, Lovelyz8, in October 2015. This album is so special with the return of Jisoo into the group, showing the significance of the album title.

The design is absolutely gorgeous. The overall theme is very innocent and fairytale-esque, with pastel doodles of plants and butterflies throughout the album. It is 6.5 inches by 6.5 inches and just over half an inch thick. The sides are also really pretty; the top side continues the white design while the remaining three sides are the pastel green (which my photos don't do justice). It's interesting how the right and left sides also say "Woollim" and "Lovelyz" but not the album title.

The packaging is just as beautiful, following an envelope design. There's a clear sticker holding together the flap, so I used the edge of my scissors to carefully cut it.

The two side flaps are tightly intertwined together, so I suggest first sliding out the photobook and then undoing the flaps to avoid damaging them.

The inside of the envelope and CD are just as pretty with the pastel doodles.

The CD is secured in a plastic bedding. Underneath has the beautiful doodles as well.

The photobook has 74 gorgeous photos, containing three sets of photos. Each set includes several group photos and two individual photos per member, in order from oldest to youngest. All the photos are so elegant and portray the classic Lovelyz girly and innocent concept.

The back cover reveals Lovelyz' logo.

The first page includes the tracklist and the photocard.

The first set of photos includes the pretty doodles. Kei is so gorgeous~

The second set of photos is my absolute favorite! They're from the same photoshoot used for the teaser photos.

Within this set is one of my favorite group photos; the outfits are just so pure and beautiful.

Next are the lyrics, followed by the "thanks to" section.

Lastly are the last set of photos, which are more fun with the bright backgrounds.

The album comes with one photocard. There are eight types of photocards, one per each member. They're all from the same photoshoot, and I love how they make what could have been a sexy concept be really adorable and innocent. I got Mijoo's~! She is so gorgeous and her pose is so playful and adorable; I love it so much~

The backside of the photocard is simple, with the Lovelyz logo and Woollim logo.

Here is a closeup of the tracklist. This mini album includes seven tracks that have that classic Lovelyz sound. They're all so soothing and beautiful, it's hard to choose a favorite!

There are also two exterior posters for this album, 28.75" by 20.75". I love the one I have, they all look so pure and beautiful, and I love the floral doodles bordering the poster. The other poster is similar to the photobook cover, with just slightly different poses.

Overall, I absolutely love Lovelyz8! I like how Lovelyz has a defined sound and concept that is consistent throughout their releases. I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us in the future~

My Korean Haul from Hong Kong and Taiwan!

November has been a month of glorious Kpop surprises for me. I'm beyond ecstatic for the much anticipated second announcement to Infinite's second world tour, as well as the recent announcement of Apink's North American tour! I'm making plans to see Infinite in Vancouver on January 7th, followed by Apink in LA on January 9th, and ending with Infinite in LA on January 10th. As this will probably be the last time I see Infinite (as I always say after I see Infinite), I have to make it the most memorable!

Besides the news of these concerts, my family also brought back some goodies for me from Asia! In Hong Kong, namely Sino Centre, my family got me a lot of Infinite-related merchandise: Paradise and Be Back LPs, 24 Hours Limited Version and all seven member versions, Infinite F Koi No Sign Normal Edition, Grow DVD, Collection Cards Vol.2 binder, The Time We Were Not In Love OST, and Lovelyz Lovelyz8 album. Included were a Lovelyz poster, a Collection Cards Vol.2 poster, a Japanese Dilemma DVD poster, and a Japanese double-sided Infinite F poster!

In Taiwan, my family got me some Korean socks, a random Taiwanese sample, and some Tony Moly products (Strawberry Mushroom Sugar Scrub, Golden Mushroom Mask Sheet, and Banana Hand Cream samples).

In the next couple of months, I'll be doing unboxing posts of all the Kpop items and Tony Moly items. I also plan to create a series of posts showing my entire Infinite collection. And of course, in January, I'll be writing my concert experiences!

"Somewhere Only We Know" Bluray Movie Review

Chinese movie "Somewhere Only We Know" was released in theaters around the world in February 2015, and has finally been released on DVD and bluray in September! I first saw the movie in theater, and blogged about the storyline and my love for everything about the movie here. In this post, I'll just be doing a quick unboxing of the bluray version.

I pre-ordered the bluray Region A version on YesAsia.com for roughly $22USD from this webpage. I ordered a few other items to reach past $39USD, which is when YesAsia offers free shipping with tracking. I had received damaged goods from YesAsia before due to poor packaging, so I specified to be especially careful this time, which they were. My packaged shipped 2.5 days after I placed the order, and arrived about 13 days later, all in perfect condition.

There is an exterior slipcase that is the exact same as the bluray case cover, excepted printed in low quality (as in, the backside is a bit fuzzy to read).

Here is the backside of the bluray case cover, which is much clearer to read.

Here is a closeup of the backside, which is probably too small to read. The backside has the summary in both Chinese and in pretty good English. The movie is in Mandarin (and some lines in English), and has subtitles in Chinese (both traditional and simplified) and in English. The movie is 110 minutes long. A warning about playing this disc, I believe you need to have the most updated system for your bluray player or PS4. The disc itself only contains the movie, no special features.

The inside is very simple, with just the disc and two stills from the movie.

Here are both images.

Overall, because I love this movie, I also love this bluray. It would be nice if there was more thought put into the packaging and if there were included special features, but I'm still quite happy with this.