SJM Interview Stirs Up Semi-Scandal May 6, 2008

If you take a look at this video and the comments below it, you’ll know what I’m talking about:

 

 

A basic summary is: Zhou Mi mentioned in the interview that when Leehom was having contract problems, he had to shorten his performance and so Zhou Mi sang for him. However, his wording made is sound as though he was singing backstage while Leehom lip-synched on stage to Zhou Mi’s voice. Of course, Zhou Mi fans were slightly shocked that Leehom would “take credit” for a voice that wasn’t his. Next to that, they were excited because their ZM is comparable to Leehom. In response, long-term Leehom fans got enraged because now Leehom looks like a cheater despite his fourteen years of hard work in the music industry.

 

To clarify things, it was a misunderstanding, period.

 

First of all, Zhou Mi sounds nothing like Leehom. He’s a good singer but he doesn’t sound like Leehom. 

 

Second of all, what really happened was that Leehom had contract problems and had to cut his performance short so he invited Zhou Mi to sing. Nowhere did Zhou Mi mention lip-synching. In fact, some fan accounts say that both of them were standing on stage together. Others say Zhou Mi was on stage while Leehom was backstage. If what the scandal-starters assumed was true, it wouldn’t make sense. Leehom would still have the contract problem, and if it were his face lip-synching on stage, that would probably still violate his contract.

 

And most importantly, Leehom fans like me know that he would never do that. It’s not like I know him personally but all the news articles about him and his activities show me that he has a lot of professional integrity. My favorite story was when he rejected a spot in Madame Tussaud’s wax museum because he felt he wasn’t accomplished enough. He’s diligent and he doesn’t stand on people to get ahead in life, even if it’s just for a moment. Besides, the only times I’ve ever heard of him lip-synching was when he had to do dancing on stage. He rarely dances, he’s no SE7EN, so of course it’ll be hard for him to sing and dance simultaneously. But it’s always his voice, no one else’s. Other than those circumstances, he doesn’t lip-synch.

 

I suppose that this is either due to someone’s carelessness in translating Zhou Mi’s words, or Zhou Mi didn’t word his answer correctly. This little mix up put Leehom fans and Zhou Mi fans against each other for a few hours, but I’m sure Leehom can forgive and forget, so let’s do that.

 

Video Credit: symbelmyn @ YouTube

 

Album Review: Super Junior M 迷 April 26, 2008

Yes, 迷/Me is out. Apparently, in China, their release dates vary depending on the province. Only Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea have official release dates. So I really didn’t know when to expect it. But yes, I managed to get a hold of it and I listened to it.  It consists of six Super Junior remakes, one Sandy Lam remake, and five brand new songs. The album goes by Super Junior’s original style – except it’s in Chinese.

 

The title song, 迷/Me, is a charming, upbeat start to the album. It leaves the listener eager to hear what’s next. The U remake, as I’ve said in a past post, is a big improvement on the song. The song is more mature than its original and makes us feel as though Super Junior is only maturing and improving. 至少還有你/At Least There’s Still You is a lovely remake of Sandy Lam’s song, reinterpreted to fit the image of these seven handsome young men.

 

However, there are a few down sides. 愛你愛你/Love Song didn’t stand out. It sounded too much like Miracle and Happiness. I didn’t even notice that the song changed from Miracle to Love Song. 我抱着我/In My Arms has a different, unusual style. I’m not too sure what to think of it, but it may be a good guinea pig for something new. As for the Super Junior remakes, some were slightly awkward to hear in Chinese. Vocals from Han Geng and Henry aren’t very strong. Han Geng should probably stick with dancing, and Henry may have a blooming voice and needs more time to grow and gain experience. Zhou Mi, although he sings well, doesn’t stand out at all. Forgetting that Zhou Mi is there seems to be a growing pattern in not only the album but in public appearances as well. That’s something they should work on. Next to that, the mixture of various Chinese accents – Han Geng’s Northern accent, Henry’s Taiwanese-Canadian accent, and the many Korean accents – is unusual but not really a major setback.

 

Overall, the album is alright. It is definitely a huge step up for Super Junior. I hope to see them improve and release more in the future.

 

Track listing:

1. 迷/Mi/Me

2. U

3. 至少還有你/Zhi Xiao Hai You Ni/At Least There’s Still You

4. 你是我的奇蹟/Ni Shi Wo De Qi Ji/Miracle

5. 愛你愛你/Ai Ni Ai Ni/Love Song

6. 我抱著我/Wo Bao Zhe Wo/In My Arms

7. Don’t Don

8. Marry U

9. 我的二分之一/Wo De Er Fen Zhi Yi/Full of Happiness

10. 渴望/Ke Wang/Man in Love

11. 這一秒/Zhe Yi Miao/The Moment

12. The One

 

Personal highlights:

1. Ryeowooks singing. I do believe that Kyuhyun has the strongest vocals, as do most people. But I really love Ryeowook’s voice because it’s very stimulating and spirited. Even though he’s singing in a foreign language, he enunciates the words as though he understands them.

2. Donghae’s Chinese rapping. It’s a wonderful effort indeed. I really want to applaud him for taking that risk and succeeding.

3. Henry’s English rap in 這一秒. Despite being Canadian, we’ve never heard him speak English before. It was about time.

4. Henry’s Chinese rap in 我的二分之一. It gave the song a sweet boyish feel. In my mind, I’ve always referred to Happiness as “the queer song.” But with Henry’s youthful voice, it’s feels more boyish than gay. So I suppose that’s an improvement.

 

Miss Chiu’s Rating: 3

 

Since this is my first review, I’ll explain my scale:

5 – Amazing

4 – Pretty good

3 – Moderate

2 – Okay

1- Not too great

0 – Fail

I’m pretty tough with music, especially if it is mainstream pop, so don’t go into a tantrum if you don’t like my ratings.

 

Picture Credit: superjunior-m.iple.com

Han Geng is withering away; Losing 4.5kg April 20, 2008

Recently, Han Geng lost 4.5kg and he’s getting skinner by the minute. While everyone sees that picture on the right as hot, I see a man who’s falling out of his clothes. I’ve heard that he’s been working himself to the bone and when SJM started, they’ve been relying on fast food (i.e. McDonald’s and pizza). Don’t they have a nutritionist? If not, I’m sure SM can pull a little money out of his pocket to give his money makers some good food.

But meanwhile, Geng says:

 

大家最近好吗?回来以后虽然很累,但是非常开心呵呵~~~趁休息的时间我和妈妈还有孙乐一起办了体检卡,进行了比较全面的体检.我们都很健康.希望我大家不要担心我的身体.我会好好爱惜自己的身体,为了自己为了你们嫩。希望你们也能健康开心~~~~!我会经常来的.回见呵呵~~~!

                                                                 我爱你们~~~~!

He tells us not to worry about him because he went for a physical with his mother and friend, and they’re healthy. Let’s just hope it stays that way despite all the burgers and pizza.

Sources: Han Geng’s Cyworld
Photo credit: on photos

Asian Ent. Gossip April 18, 2008

So here’s the latest Asian entertainment gossip that I would like to respond to since I haven’t had the chance to this past week.

1. Heechul of Super Junior got a new nose after his laser-surgery-induced fall. He also decided to grow some facial hair.

Well, whatever he wants.

2. SNSD finished their first set of promos. Honestly, I have to say I’m relieved. I’m tired of looking at their attire whenever I go online. They need to get a new stylist. Yeah, I’m not really a fan, although, I quite like Yoona.

3. Han Geng of Super Junior asked He Jiong to introduce him to a girl. Apparently, he’s been massively busy, lonely, and in need of someone who can understand him at a level that his mother or his friends can’t be at. After a trip to a bar, Han Geng discussed looking for a girlfriend with He Jiong, asking him “Can you introduce me to a girl? If it’s okay, I still wish to find a Chinese girl.” He isn’t picky either. “[It is fine] as long as we’re happy when we’re together [and living comfortably, and I have feelings for her] (sorry, the grammar there really sucked ass),” he says, “And also [she] must be respectful to [her] parents, and kind-hearted (Grammar 411, it should be “she,” not “they,” because I’m sure Han Geng isn’t into polygamy).”

I’m not gonna go and say that I’m the girl for him. It would never work out between us because he’s a dog lover. I assume he would want a dog. I’m allergic. I prefer rabbits. They’re playful like dogs, but quieter and a lot easier to train. Anyways, this makes me feel the desire to get a nice Chinese boyfriend. Damn.

4. The mother of the late Chinese pop idol, Anita Mui, claims that her daughter was mentally impaired when she signed her will; thus, it makes the will invalid and all of Mui’s possessions would go to her mother even though she is already receiving 70,000 HKD (9,000 USD) In response, people are calling her selfish and greedy. Peter Teo, a doctor and witness to the signing of her will said that she did not seem incapable of thinking clearly. In fact, he felt that she was mentally capable even right before falling into a coma.

Hmm I think this is old news. Whatever. When Anita Mui died in 2003, I was hoping people would let her rest in peace. Especially since not too long before, her good friend Leslie Cheung committed suicide. Also, the two women didn’t seem to have a good relationship, and her mother has only been relying on her for money. It sucks that her mom’s still picking on her even after her passing.

Then again, I have some sympathy for her mother. Their family history varies for some reason, but in every story, her husband isn’t there for the family (most sources say that he died before or right after Anita was born). With four kids to take care of, I would be pretty bitter and selfish too.

5. Chaeyeon came out with new photos. When I first saw Chaeyeon, I thought she was really pretty. But then I realized that she’s one of the artists out there that uses the “sexy image.”

There’s not much sexy about that picture though. I think she might be getting a bit too old. You can see the veins in her hands. And that position she’s in doesn’t seem very appealing. Maybe the photographer just sucks majorly, ’cause seriously, that photo sucks.

That’s all I feel like doing now.

Sources: Sohu, Lucy@FLAWLESS (translation), Hannie’s_Wife @ Sujunesia, Check out my blogroll for the rest ’cause I’m lazy.

Super Junior M: Cantonese April 13, 2008

I’m a frequent stalker on the Super Junior M thread on Soompi. I have left a few posts which normally go unnoticed. But I read a couple days ago that the new Super Junior sub-group, SJM, may aim for a Cantonese track in a future album. I’m not sure whether that information is legitimate, though. I searched all over that thread for that post. But with all the arguing between pro-SJMs and anti-SJMs and the random useless posts about how cute Henry’s cheeks are, I couldn’t find it. When I do, I will credit it. If you guys know where the article is, please link me.

 

 

Anyways, I found it to be pretty awesome but sort of weird. Cantonese is fairly hard to learn without any experience in your developing years. I’m sure Henry won’t have much trouble with pronunciation after hearing him say “Ngo oi lei (I love you)” on a fancam (above). Haha I would like to add that I love his expression. He has that lost in sauce expression. Anyways, I’m a little worried about Han Geng and the other’s ’cause of past attempts (although they were cute) listed below:

 

Han Geng –
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=vd_6cCwFyic …towards the end.
“Lei hou…dai ga hou…ngo dei hai Super Junior! (Hello…hello everybody…we are SJ!)” 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmGOO3QAiBU
“Lei sik jo fan mei ah? (Have you eaten yet? Counterpart to popular line: Ni chi fan le ma?)”
Siwon –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rADv2zBPrzg
“Dai ga hou, ngo hai Chui See Yun. (Hello everybody, I’m Choi Siwon.)”

 

They could try it, there’s no problem with that. I just think it’s awkward. Plus, they called themselves Super Junior M(andarin). They should just call themselves Super Junior Chinese (as opposed to China).

 

Oh, and I would like to briefly educate a couple people on Cantonese because some people on the Soompi Super Junior M thread seemed a tad uneducated on the Chinese language:

1. Cantonese is older than Mandarin. It’s about 4 and a half thousand years older.
2. Cantonese is not slang. All dialects and regions have their own form of slang or colloquial/informal speech. Therefore, Cantonese itself is not slang. Again, it’s older than Mandarin.
3. Mandarin is not a language. Chinese is a language. Mandarin is a dialect. It’s the official dialect, but it’s still a dialect nonetheless.

I would also like to add that people shouldn’t be saying that Mandarin is superior. That’s offensive to me and other Cantonese speakers/enthusiasts. I’m not saying that people on Soompi said that (’cause you pro-SJM gals are pretty awesome), but I hear it all the time. I say, if Mandarin is more superior than Cantonese, why can Cantonese flourish without being made official (at least in a super huge area)? That’s right. But really, there’s no reason to say that one’s more superior than the other. All dialects are cool, otherwise I wouldn’t want to learn them.

 

By the way, I learned how to say “I can’t understand” in Taiwanese…tia bo la! I hope that’s right. Haha.

 

Video Credit: fallenframes @ YouTube

Super Junior M: “U” Lyrics April 8, 2008

Here are the Mandarin lyrics for “U” by Super Junior M – complete with Traditional Chinese characters, pinyin, and a really awful translation!!

Disclaimer: Mandarin Chinese is my 3rd language. In other words, I suck. I did this purely for fun. So my translations will surely suck and you will not like them. But maybe you can laugh at my noob skills with me.

With my poor Chinese, maybe it could be a good template for whoever’s going to translate it for real. Also, if you notice any mistakes, please tell me as nicely as possible. Click “more” to continue.

Music Recommendation: Super Junior M

Rumors of a Super Junior China division started in late 2007 after the guest appearance of Chinese-Canadian violinist and dancer, Henry Lau, in Super Junior’s music video Don’t Don. SM and Henry received a lot of backlash because of the rumors. Fans conducted several protests and harassed Henry on stage. (And yes,it is harassment no matter how much you deny it. Freedom of speech is fine, but show the guy some respect because he never wronged you.)

When March 2008 came around, Super Junior China’s debut was confirmed and it was renamed Super Junior M so that it would not limit itself just to China. Another member was added named Zhou Mi, a native Chinese talented in singing and MCing. On March 4th, a Sohu blog was opened to the public and each day a new member or two was revealed with a short promotional video and a photo. The official lineup revealed itself to be: Han Geng (leader), Choi Siwon, Lee Donghae, Cho Kyuhyun, Kim Ryeowook, Zhou Mi, and Henry Lau.

On March 8th, Sohu released the group’s first music video, the Chinese remake of “U.” The video showed a more mature image than the original. The video consisted of their trademark hip thrusts and a female lead who’s image contrasted that of innocently-faced Yoona (from the original MV).

Here is an HQ YouTube video without the Sohu logo:

Releases: Super Junior M April 7, 2008

Until the music video for their version of U comes out on YouTube, watch it here or here.

And refer to this Soompi post for a little info on their upcoming album!

Here is also an extra promo video released right before the music video. Way to push Ryeowook out of the way Kyuhyun! xD Great slice of humor right in the middle of something really dramatic.

About the music video, I’m still catching my breath, and gosh, I think I’m sweating for the first time in my life. Honestly, this is the best I’ve ever seen Super Junior do. Yeah, kill me, but that’s my opinion. I was really nervous about how Henry was going to do because, before this, the only thing I ever heard come out of his mouth was “Chua.” But holy f&$#, his voice is hot! You know, I may actually consider buying their album and writing a music recommendation entry for them.

Other things I LOVED were:
Donghae’s rap IN CHINESE…propz Donghae!!
Han Geng’s dance solo…sexy.
Henry’s violin solo…nice nice nice.
The hip thrusting…who doesn’t love that?

Oh gosh. I’m at the brink of an orgasm…haha!

Picture Credit: http://sj-msmtown.blog.sohu.com/

Top 10 Potential Son-in-laws April 6, 2008

Here are the top ten Korean male celebrities that parent would prefer as their son-in-laws taken from an online poll. I thought it’d be fun to share what I thought, in red, of the top ten based on what I want from a man.

1. Siwon (rich, gentleman, reliable) — Yes…I suppose he is generally the perfect man. Tall, handsome, wealthy, diligent, intelligent, kind, sophistocated…but if you’re okay with your husband touching other men more than he touches you, fine. Also for me, I’m not Christian, and he’s really religious. I think that’d be a problem too, but not a big one.
2. Jeong Kyungho (down-to-earth, capable, persevering) — Don’t know him.
3. Xiah (Kim) Junsu (gentle, warm smile, friendly) — His voice is awesome, but I think he acts like a kid sometimes. It’s fine for some people, but not me.
4. Shindong (usually the chubby ones are very kind-hearted) — I don’t know, I haven’t met many “kind-hearted” chubby people. In fact, a lot of them are pretty rude to me. Also, I’m probably the only person who doesn’t really find him funny. I heard he’s cheated before. I can’t trust people like that, even if they’ve redeemed themselves. I’d explain myself more but let’s not get into my personal history.
5. U-know (Jeong) Yunho (caring, responsible, hard-working) — I suppose he’s okay. I hear he likes his women to be controlling at home but not in public. That’s pretty demanding for me ’cause I’m a b!tch girlfriend. POW!
6. Max (Shim) Changmin (adaptive/good at school, can’t become a bad guy) — Next to Siwon, I like him. But he’s never had a girlfriend. Some experience is a plus. Flame me now, but once you kiddies start dating innocent/immature boys, you’ll know what I mean.
7. Goong Yoo (very elegant, very cute) — Hmm…he is cute.
8. Kim Junghoon (very prince-like, very pretty, charming) — Well, he did act in Goong.
9. Hero (Kim) Jaejoong (good cook, helpful/warm-hearted) — I like him, too. I think I like him the most because I can’t cook.
10. Kangin (capacity to keep house, is able to do the chores) — I guess keeping the household together is something I need. But I dislike men that are too manly. I don’t know, maybe he just doesn’t appeal to me.

The fact that parents are surfing the net and doing polls is odd to me since I come from a place where most adults are inept at computer use. But whatever, it’s was quite fun.

Source: kuro @ AsianFanatics, Sina

Sohu Blog

I mentioned that I made a Sohu blog. It’s misschiu.blog.sohu.com. As you know, I did it because I didn’t know any other way to comment SJM’s blog. I’m sure there is a way without having to join, I just can’t read enough Simplified Chinese to find out. I would like to add that I wish Sohu wouldn’t open up a new window everytime I clicked something. It’s sort of a nuisance.

Anyways, I found that there’s other fellow foreigners who joined as well, so let’s be friends!

That’s a picture of my blog. Sexy ain’t it?

Those pictures above are the comments I left on SJM’s blog. I was trying to be supportive and positive. Haha. And yes, I know what orz is. I’m Asian Internet savvy!! 🙂

Despite me being cheery and crap, people are still directly leaving Only13 messages on the blog…even on Han Geng’s entry. So sad. You know why it’s sad? Check it:

04.04.08

但这2个月没有白忙，终于可以看到结果了，我一直都期待这一天，这一天不光光代表发行新专辑，也代表我能够回家了。

But I didn’t waste my efforts these 2 months, can finally see the outcome, and I’ve been anticipating this day, This day does not only mean I’ll be representative to distribute this new album, but also mean that I’ll be going home.

There you have it…straight from Han Geng’s Cyworld. Yeah, feel the guilt! And at the end, he STILL tells you all that he loves you. Ouch!

I don’t mind people being against the addition of 2 members, but don’t harrass them or the people who actually don’t mind the idea. It’s annoying.

Source: Han Geng’s Cyworld
Translation: http://for-hankyung.blogspot.com/