Konnichiwa, bitches!

2PM CD Contest

feelin_blu — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:17:39 GMT

Whoohoo! I make a chance to win this cd!

Would you also like to try to win this cd?
Check out this post @ kpop_groups

DBSK Break Out CD contest

feelin_blu — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:16:25 GMT

Whoohoo! I make a chance to win this cd!

Would you also like to try to win this cd?
Check out this post @ kpop_groups

SUPPORT PARK JAEBUM!

feelin_blu — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:59:16 GMT

1000cranes4jay 1000cranes4jay 1000cranes4jay

My friend Danielle came up with an awesome (and adorable) idea to show Jay that Hottests will always believe in him, and it's as simple as folding a paper crane and taking a picture. For all of you 2PM fans out there (or even those who don't care about 2PM but heard about the scandal and want to help out), check out the community. The deadline for pictures is tomorrow, but chances are it will be extended.

GET ON THAT SHIT, YO.

America's Best Dance Crew

feelin_blu — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:20:24 GMT

TWO MORE DAYS!

</div>

Real entry to come soon

feelin_blu — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:22:23 GMT

Princes of the Universe by Queen always makes me wanna go out and kick some ass. :D

Writer's Block: Sounds Good to Me

feelin_blu — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:22:17 GMT

Flapdoodle

Thank you, Women's Literature of the 19th Century! Godawful class, but damn do I love that word.

feelin_blu — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:49:10 GMT

DBSK REALLY needs to stop singing in Chinese. Leave Chinese to SuJu, and SuJu, leave Japanese to DBSK. Please. PLEASE.

Chinese version of Mirotic is made of lulz. Micky and Yunho just sound so GREASY during the rap. And yes, it's all in English. Or Engrish. You know what I mean. FAILURE.

I love it when you got no shame
do them thing, so insane?
You love it when I play your game
work that frame, I'm in your aim?
Yeah~ I'm in your aim

You know you got it

YEAH!

Spazz attack

feelin_blu — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:52:15 GMT

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. BIG BANG AND DBSK ARE GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL STAGE TOGETHER! HOSHIT SON!

Do you have any idea how badly I've wanted this?! I've been picturing this match-up ever since I found out that they do special stages! Not only are they my two favoritest bands EVER, it has my two favorite guys in it too! And not only that, but in the promotional video, guess who's sitting next to each other and posing together? YUNHO AND TOP, SON! ♥

Don't know bout you, but this is the greatest Christmas Eve ever. Now to play the waiting game....

People fucking disgust me

feelin_blu — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:25:47 GMT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081128/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death

Basically a Wal-mart employee was trampled to death because of Black Friday. I would say more about it, but I'd get too upset. Bunch of savages.

I don't have a lot of friends on LJ, but wth

feelin_blu — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:09:48 GMT

Comment and I will....

a) Tell you why I friended you.
b) Associate you with something -- a fandom, song, color, photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you.
e) Ask you something I've wanted to know about you
f) Tell you my favorite userpic from your list
g) In return, you need to post this on your own LJ.

Big Bang 2nd Album "Remember" Review

feelin_blu — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:26:12 GMT

I have like, 3 papers I gotta write this weekend, so what do I do instead? Write up a review for Big Bang's new album, of course! It's just not me if I don't procrastinate my ass off, ya know?

Let me just start off by saying that I'm slightly disappointed with this album. 4 of the 11 tracks are basically remixes of their previous songs and, while they're good, it'd be nice for a full album of brand new songs, especially considering how long it's been since they released a full album. Plus a few of the songs sound the same to me, almost as if it's one continuous beat, and that's pretty rare for Big Bang who are all about experimenting with new sounds. Once again, I suck at reviews because I don't know any real music terminology; I just like rambling and procrastinating. :D

Intro ~ Everybody Scream - I tend to skip intros, but Big Bang’s are always interesting. This song isn't as good as the Always intro (which is freakin awesome and should've been made a full song), but still worth a listen.
Oh, Ah, Oh - I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this song yet. I've listened to the entire album at least 4 times, but whenever this song comes on, all I can think is, "That is a WEIRD ass beginning". It has a very 80s feel to it, and is bouncy and dance-y, and I do like it, but something about the opening and chorus just kind of throws me off.
Sunset Glow - The featured track on the album, it's a remake of an old popular Korean song. It's such a happy song and I like it a lot. I especially like that it feels very different than what they've released in the past, but, that being said, I don't think it stacks up to their previous hits. Very fun song and video though.
Sparkling - This is one of those songs I was complaining about earlier. It sounds good and the actual singing and rapping is great, but the beat feels kind of generic to me; I could swear I've heard it like, 5 times on this one album.
Strong Baby - Seung Ri's solo written by G-Dragon! Come on, you know that has to be awesome. Damn good dance song. Baby has matured and grown so much and his voice has gotten a lot better, I'm so proud of him.
Wonderful - Idk if it's just me, but a lot of the tracks on this album have an updated retro sound to them, and this is one of them. Another happy, synthesizer heavy song that is worth a listen, but suffers from the same problem as Sparkling: it's good but not great. Why so many generic synthesizer dance beats, YG?
Foolish Love – Now this song I really enjoy. The only way I can describe it is an uptempo R&B song. Just when I was feeling really disappointed with the album, I heard this song and was like, “Hell yeah! Now THIS is more like it.” It’s nice and smooth, with a pretty piano melody playing in the background, but it’s not slow like a ballad at all. Very solid song in a sea of mediocrity.
Haru Haru (Acoustic Version) – Amazing! I love both versions so much that I can’t even choose between them. The original is so good and catchy and hard, while the acoustic version is just so pretty with a sort of bittersweet melancholy. Listening to this song makes me wish I could play the guitar and/or piano because it just sounds great. Hopeful and plaintive at the same time. My favorite song on the album, easily.
Lies Remix – I love the original Lies, so when I saw that there was going to be a remix, I was wary, but willing to see how they could possibly improve it. It started off great, with the piano adding an extra level of sadness to the song, which I really liked. But then the chorus kicked in, and I was like, “Damn it, never mind”. It was already an upbeat dance song; this was their chance to do something different with it, but when it came time for the chorus, they decided to just toss in a generic dance beat yet again. Sigh.
Last Farewell Remix – I am so indifferent to this song. Same style, same lyrics, different dance beat. The original wins so easily, this remix didn’t even put up a fight.
Remember - This is the Korean version of a song off their Japanese/English album. Both songs are damn good, but I think I like the English version better since I heard it first.

It’s kind of sad that my two favorite songs off this album are basically just remixes of songs they had already released. Big Bang, I am SO disappointed in you guys. I was looking forward to this album so much, and I’m still gonna buy it (cuz I’m a sucker), but with artists of this caliber, I was expecting so much more. Let’s hope SuJu doesn’t have the same problem whenever the hell they release their new album (some time within the next decade would be nice, btw); their music is already so hit or miss for me that waiting for over a year for a crap album would just suck.

Mirotic Album Review

feelin_blu — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:41:38 GMT

As we all know, DBSK is my absolute FAVORITE band ever, so of course there might be a slight bias in my review. HOWEVER, while I might forgive them for a lot, I am truthful when it comes to whether or not I like a song, so while I don't really know any critical terminology, this will be a real review, not some random fangirl spazzing (for the most part >_>)

1. Mirotic - Damn good song. They were really smart to make their comeback with a song as strong as this, because it really highlights all the changes they've made physically and professionally. It's a bit slower than you would expect, but a solid dance song with a good hard beat and a catchy hook. A lot of people were disappointed that they didn't go with an SMP song (SM's production team that wrote hits like O, Rising Sun, Purple Line, Tri-Angle, plus SuJu's Don't Don, Man in Love, etc.), but not only is this a great song, I believe it's their best PV to date.

2. Wrong Number - HOSHIT. I LOVE THIS FREAKIN SONG. Best song of the album, hands down. It's got an interesting R&B sound, nice and slow, but the beat is smooth enough that makes you want to move to it, with a dark feel that reminds me of DARKNESS EYES. This song is HAWT. Plus it features Jaejoong's first attempt at rapping, and not only is he surprisingly good, he also penned the rap lyrics. Jae actually has talent. Huh. Listen to it. NOW. ♥♥♥

3. Afterglow - Junsu wrote the lyrics to this song, and although I like giving him a hard time, this is actually a really pretty song. It might take you a few listens before you get into it, because although it's a ballad, it's not one of their amazing trademark ballads, which is something this album is sorely lacking. More on that later. Would I say it's a great song? Well, their vocals are as solid as ever and the melody is pretty. Personally, I really like it, but I'd say ultimately, it depends on the listener.

4. CRAZY LOVE - Cute, catchy, bouncy with an electronic sound. Not one of my favorites, but worth a listen.

5. Hey! Don't Bring Me Down - Sweet Jebus. Very hard-hitting, catchy, and whenever it comes on, I can't help but start moving. I love this song. I especially love how YunHo has gotten a lot more singing roles (I noticed this during the live perf of this song), and hot damn has he improved. He used to be the worst singer; not bad at all, but DEFINITELY not the same caliber as the others, but now he can definitely hold his own. Oh, and if you haven't watched their comeback performances yet, DO IT NOW. The choreography to this song was HAWT. ♥

6. You're My Melody - I really like this song. It's not exactly a ballad, but more of a slow pop song, like Rainbow (from their T album). And like Rainbow, it's very sweet and just enjoyable. Plus YunHo hits this one note that is just...love. If you don't believe that he has improved, just listen to this song. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

7. Rainbow - Highly forgettable. Not to be confused with the song Rainbow off of T, their 3rd Japanese album, this song is very disappointing. In all honesty, I can't pinpoint exactly what is wrong with this song. The vocals are fine, the music is fine....maybe that's the problem. Very bland and generic, with nothing to really make it stand out. Can you listen to it w/o cringing or wanting to hurt someone? Sure. But....why would you want to?

8. Paradise - Highly mediocre. Once again, pretty music and solid vocals, but totally lacking any real originality. However, it is a likeable song. While I don't even bother listening to Rainbow, I feel that Paradise is worth a few plays. It has its moments, but that's about it.

9. Are You A Good Girl? - Very dance-y electronic-y, reminiscent of H.O.T or possibly even Big Bang. I have mixed feelings on this song. It's definitely catchy and dance-able and I like it, but I was kind of expecting more from it. Definitely worth checking out though, as I'm one of the few who is NOT in love with this song.

10. Flower Lady - Surprisingly enjoyable. Whenever this song plays, I think of Aeris from FF7 because of the title, LOL. Which is weird, considering I don't much care for her, but moving on. It's not quite a ballad, but it's definitely got a similar feel, with a slight bounce. I can't really pinpoint why I like this song so much, but it has a certain charm to it that just makes me smile. Definitely recommended.

11. Forgotten Season - Jaejoong's solo. BEAUTIFUL. Jae's voice always amazes me because it's just so...lovely. The song itself is nothing special, a typical ballad, but what it lacks in originality, Jae more than makes up with his amazing vocals. Ballad lovers should definitely check it out.

12. Love in the Ice (Korean version) - Love in the Ice is one of my favorite songs EVER. Not just from DBSK, not just from Asia....EVER. The song not only highlights each members vocals, but it also showcases their strength as a group, with their voices just blending beautifully together. I can't even explain the feeling I got the first time I saw the Japanese version performed live; I literally had tears in my eyes. It always reminds me of why I love these guys so much. Granted, I prefer the Japanese version because I feel it flows better, but since Changmin penned the Korean lyrics, this version also has a special place in my heart. Besides, watching them perform this song during their comeback perf....AMAZING. The passion they put into this song every time they sing it live is just ♥.

So how do I feel about the album as a whole? I have mixed feelings. Overall, it's an extremely solid album, with some amazing standouts, but the lack of at least one of their trademark ballads (I'm not counting Love in the Ice since it's just a remake of their Japanese song) is a huge disappointment, plus a few of the songs are just a little too generic for my taste. Is it worth a buy? DEFINITELY. Mirotic, Wrong Number, and Hey! Don't Bring Me Down are definitely worth the $20, and then some. SUPPORT OUR GUYS, BUY THEIR ALBUMS!

feelin_blu — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:17:03 GMT

Why haven't we created technology that scans info directly into your brain? This is bullshit.

Crazy amazing performance

feelin_blu — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:56:58 GMT

The Wonderboys perf for Inkigayo's 500th ep was freakin EPIK. Shindong and Sungmin from SuJu, Taemin from SHINee, Seung Ri from Big Bang, and some dude from 2AM performing an SNSD song and So Hot? AWESOME.

Stop being so damn adorable Taemin, it makes me feel creepy. The only way the perf could've been better was if they replaced the 2AM guy with Heechul. Nothing against 2AM, but they're a new group that I know nothing about, other than their ballads, and if I had a choice b/t them and Heechul, you better believe I'mma choose Heechul. Besides, Taemin and Heechul performing So Hot together? COME ON!

EDIT: Ok, I can't stop watching this damn performance. Anyways, the guy from 2AM is Jo Kwon, and he's actually damn good. He's almost disturbingly good at being girly, though nowhere near as good as Sungmin. Stop it, Sungmin. You're already unbearably adorable. It's not fair that you're also better at being a chick than I am. D:

GET CRUNK

feelin_blu — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:28:10 GMT

So JYP....a single dedicated to 6 different remixes of So Hot? For srs? Though I gotta tell ya, it's totally worth it for the ridiculousness of the South Crunk remix alone. That's right. I said CRUNK. Not gonna lie, I ♥ it.

I love you JYP. You silly yet oddly amazing bastard.

feelin_blu — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:57:36 GMT

Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than listening to Junno's solo Natsu no Basho. ♥

America's Best Dance Crew 2 Finale

feelin_blu — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:08:24 GMT

I only know of 2 people on my f-list that actually watch this show and I've already discussed this w/ them, but just in case, I'll put this behind a cut so that there's no spoilers for people who haven't watched the finale yet:

I'm so happy that Super Crew won! I was a little torn b/t them and So Real Cru cuz, while So Real are all goofy cute and dorky and I liked them more personality-wise, Super Crew were obviously the better dancers. Plus Pat, the Viet dude, and Brian P. were so cute! But Ronnie and RJ from Super Crew were pretty cute too, so I was happy either way. It was pretty obvious who should win, cuz even if you look at the stands, all the famous people there were doing the Super Crew symbol, including the Jabbawockeez, who are actually their friends and fellow crew members. Members of both crews are also in other crews together such as Full Force and whatnot, plus they're from the same area, so it makes sense that they're all tight, which I think is awesome.

The finale was cool cuz not only were there a few shout outs from them to the Filipinos, Super Crew wore hoodies that represented the Filipino flag, and RJ actually carried one around in the after show. I guess this is the Filipinos' time to shine, since the majority of ABDC were Filipino. Hell, 5/7 of So Real and 3/6 of Super Crew were Filipino, so yay, we kick ass.

Finally, Filipinos can be in the spotlight and be known for something, since most people have no idea what/where the Philippines is. To me, ABDC is to the Philippines what Angelina Jolie is to Cambodia and King of the Hill is to Laos; if it weren't for them, the world would probably never know of them. :p

I was so happy to see ASIID again, especially Joey, the deaf kid, cuz he was ADORABLE. Supposedly they're gonna be on the ABDC tour, but I REFUSE to kidnap him for you Amber! Sicko.

Gah, so many ABDC shirts I have to buy. My brothers and I are all getting Jabbawockeez shirts in different colors, but we also want a Kaba Modern shirt, and this awesome purple So Real shirt that said EXPLOSION! on the front. And I definitely need to have the Jabbawockeez one before the tour comes to Chicago, which I wanna go to, but it's about $52-57 for the tickets, and I am oh so broke. Sigh, my moneys....
</div>

WANT

feelin_blu — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:38:48 GMT

Two things:

1) Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is an awesome movie

and

2) I MUST have the leather jacket she wears in that movie, with the awesome face-covering, ninja-esque collar. Have yet to find a good screencap of it though.

With that being said, now I have to watch the other two movies in the Revenge trilogy: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy. Soon....

Oh noes, double post

feelin_blu — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:56:00 GMT

To make a damn good day even better, someone finally upped the entire season of America's Best Dance Crew! It's almost 4 GB, but I don't care, I want it!

Yay Jabbawockeez, boo stupid America!

The Greatest Dance Battle of All Time

feelin_blu — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:11:19 GMT

Stephen Colbert vs. Rain

Freakin EPIK. That's right. It was so good, you have to spell epic with a "k". I'm not even a Rain fan and I was spazzing like CRAZY. The best part? I had called it months ago. I always said that they should have a dance off, and since Rain is in the Speed Racer movie, now's the perfect oppurtunity to take advantage of it. Hell, I should start predicting awesome collaborations more often. My next hope? DBSK/Tohoshinki on Cartoon KAT-TUN....^_~

P.S. My semester is over so I'll actually be around more often. Can't wait to see everybody at ACen!

Angry with anger!

feelin_blu — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:37:35 GMT

Ok, USUALLY I don't get all caught up in TV shows and let them effect how I feel. But srsly America, what the FUCK?! Status Quo got more votes than Kaba Modern AND the Jabbawockeez? Kaba Modern and the Jabbawockeez were in the bottom? Do you guys have any idea how ridiculously PISSED I was watching America's Best Dance Crew last night? I was yelling and cussing up a storm. UGH. I felt bad cuz I was watching it at Jasmine's house and they all had to put up with me simultaneously yelling at the TV and complaining to Linna and Nolan on the phone. It makes no sense, EVERYBODY loves Kaba and Jabba. I really don't get it. The only thing that makes sense is that everybody assumed that Kaba and Jabba would get tons of votes, so they tried helping Status by voting for them. Either that or the black community banded together and voted for them. Way to fail, Asian community. Way to fail.

I know this is stupid, but I LOVED those two crews. Loved them. They were amazing. And I always wanted to see them battle each other, but not til the finale. But Kaba went bye bye. *tear* Luckily Jabba made it and they're my absolute favorite. If you guys have unlimited texting or you just feel like helping an awesome crew, text 2 to 23882. 2 is for Jabbawockeez, 23882 is the number you have to text. Me and Nolan have already texted about 70 times each, but judging by this week, it's just not enough so please PLEASE help us out.

Ok, ok. I'm done. To sum up this whole post....RAWR.

The Marketing of Male Homosocial and Homoerotic Behavior in Japan

feelin_blu — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:14:16 GMT

So yeah....my long awaited paper for my Anthropology of Gender, Sexuality, and the Body. Before I say anything else, I just want to thank everybody who helped out, no matter how small their contribution. You guys saved me and my grade! My professor loved it and gave me an A. Unfortunately, it's not as good as it could've been. Since I'm a huge procastinator, I waited til the day before to write it, leaving a lot of embarassing grammatical errors (I'm an English major for God's sake! Ugh, how could I have missed some of those?!).

I also had to cut out the section about South Korea, which sucks since I've been obsessed with them lately and it involved some of my favorite artists. Since it was only 15 pages long, I had to edit carefully and if I had left the parts about South Korea in there, it would have just diluted my paper. I'll make sure to include them next time I do a paper like this, on a much grander scale.

For those of you who want to read it on Word or print it out, here's the dl link:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C7NK0HOY

For people who'd rather just read it here:

The Marketing of Male Homosocial and Homoerotic Behavior in Japan

And the reception of this phenomenon by English-speaking fans

By: Mia Manansala

Introduction

Men wearing dresses, wigs, and heavy makeup play rock music in front of a huge crowd of screaming girls that go crazy when the singer and guitarist start kissing on stage. Teenage boys in pink-sequined suits dance around, while doing suggestive hip swivels and pelvic thrusts to the crowd and each other. After performing a particularly sexy song, a blonde woman comes out and not only dances extremely suggestively with the singer, but also performs a series of implied sexual acts. Suddenly the singer whips off the woman’s wig and she is revealed to be a man in drag. Extremely confused? Welcome to the world of Japanese entertainment.

I am a huge fan of Asian culture and pop culture, so when the opportunity came to research an aspect of gender, sexuality, and the body, I decided to go with a subject that I have always been curious about: The marketing of male homosocial and homoerotic behavior in Japan, and the reception of this phenomenon by its English-speaking fans. The main two points I plan on answering are 1) What is its appeal and 2) Is it a marketing ploy, a cultural misunderstanding from a Western viewpoint, or a combination of both? Due to the short nature of this paper, I chose to focus on an all-male talent agency that I feel is representative of contemporary Japanese media and the aspects that I believe play the largest role in shaping this subculture.

Methodology

Although I am not a fan of this particular aspect of Japanese entertainment, I am familiar with many of the terms and ideas due to my involvement in the general fandom (a subset of fans characterized by a particular subject of similar interest; in this case, Japanese entertainment). This involvement includes an extensive knowledge of the terminology, so trying to convey all this in terms that anyone would understand is extremely difficult. It not only includes an understanding of the people involved, but also its cultural trappings. Because of this, not only do I define all the terms used in the paper, but I have also enclosed a glossary that you can easily refer to while reading.

For my main source of data collection, I turned to the online blogging site known as Livejournal, where I am a member of several fandom communities. I posted an abstract regarding my research paper and what kind of information I was seeking, and then constructed a short questionnaire with some very general questions about their thoughts on the subject. Within a few days, I received 400+ responses from people from many different countries and of varied ages, backgrounds, genders, and sexualities.

I also conducted six interviews, one of which was with a Japanese man (who I will refer to as Zoro) that is currently studying abroad here to gather research for his psychology thesis. The opportunity to speak to someone who could not only provide firsthand testimony to observations I have made, but also give me the opinions of a heterosexual male fan who has grown up with this imagery was not something I could pass up. There was a slight problem with the language barrier because, while he speaks conversational English quite well, there was several times where he found it hard to express exactly what he meant, either because he did not know the English equivalent or because there was none. Due to the nature of his research here and the fact that he is a fan of the agency this paper focuses on, he took great interest in my research and provided me with a few interesting insights.

For my scholarly sources, I have six articles, several of them having been recommended to me either through the questionnaire or through interviews. My style of observation might be slightly unorthodox, but, due to the nature of my subject, I felt it was entirely appropriate. When my friends and I got together to watch or discuss media pertaining to my research (Japanese music videos, TV shows, movies, etc.), I made sure to pay extra attention to the interactions between my friends/subjects and the topics discussed.

The dangers of generalizing

When I first formulated a thesis for this paper, my original title was “The Marketing of Male Homosexuality in Asia”. However, through my research, interviews, and data collection, I realized the error of that title. My interview with a woman known as halcyn_morn proved especially enlightening when she stated,

Male homosexuality is not being marketed—that is, no people who are "homosexual" are involved in this marketing, except perhaps as secondary targets of it. Rather what is being marketed is male homosocial and homoerotic behavior. Failing to distinguish between homosexuality and homosocial/homoerotic behavior in this case downplays the fact that there are men in Japan who identify as homosexual and that they are not a part of this marketing.

She also pointed out that I used terms like "straight," "gay," "masculine," "feminine," "homosexuality," etc., with their Western meanings when talking about Japanese phenomena. I had failed to address the fact that these terms are constructed and construed differently in Japan and than they are in the United States, and, in reality, what I am studying is the reception of, and reaction to, this marketing by English-speaking fans of Japanese pop culture and not that pop culture in and of itself.

Another strike against my original title that halcyn_morn pointed out was my use of the word "Asia". She felt that it might have an Orientalizing effect that could potentially serve to exotify, homogenize, and otherize the objects of my research. Because of this, I feel that it is important to acknowledge that this is not a phenomenon particular to Asia, nor is it one accepted by Asia as a whole.

Impact of anime and manga on the subculture

Although my main focus is on real life entertainers, ignoring the impact that anime (Japanese animation) and manga (Japanese comics) have had on the subculture would leave you with an incomplete history and understanding of the subject. In trying to understand the how’s and why’s of this particular fandom, my questionnaire asked what it was that originally brought this form of entertainment to their attention, and the overwhelming majority said anime and manga.

According to Mark McLelland in “Why are Japanese Girls’ Comics Full of Boys Bonking?”, the boom in manga focusing on male homosexual love started in the early 1970s, when female manga-ka (comic writers) began to get popular. They began to describe love stories between bishounen (beautiful boys), ultimately leading to a genre known as yaoi, an acronym of the Japanese phrase YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi, meaning ‘No climax, no point, no meaning’. (McLelland 2006/2007)

There were earlier works written by men and for men, but it focused mainly on things like samurai culture and the virtues of said relationships, which many feel are similar to how the Greeks and Romans viewed homosexuality. When it comes to yaoi, however, keep in mind that this genre is written by women and, typically, for women, despite the homosexual themes. As popular as this genre is, Vanessa E. Jones feels that it is also important to note that the relationships portrayed are not typical of male homosexuality in Japan. Rather, they are carefully constructed bits of female fantasy, and its popularity is attributed to the romanticized female viewpoint of male homosexual relationships. (Jones 2005)

This fantasy even spills over to real life expectations of male beauty. When asked about the impact anime and manga have on fans’ perceptions of male attractiveness, Hydette-Alice replied,

I'm pretty sure that it's all stemmed from yaoi manga and anime. In the manga the males are drawn EXTREMELY feminine, which is very attractive to young hetero girls as well. Agencies hire pretty boys (or ugly boys and make them pretty, whatever) so that the girls can feel like they're experiencing real life yaoi. Everyone wins.

Later on in this paper, I will examine one of these agencies and talk about the impact it has had on the entertainment world and its marketing practices.

Fan involvement and terminology

When questioned about yaoi fandom, Hydette-Alice and Abigail provided me with a list of terms and their general definitions. Slash is the basic act of putting two male characters together. Apparently, the Yuri subgenre (Girl/Girl love) also has this term but they call it FemSlash. In slash, yaoi fangirls (girls that are fans of yaoi) tend to pair up two male characters that are exact opposites or hate each other. One really popular non-anime slash is the Harry/Draco slash from the Harry Potter series. Shipping basically means, "I support this couple." When people say "I ship A and B" they are pretty much just saying that they support the coupling. An acronym that you will find everywhere within this fandom is OTP, or One True Pair. It does not have to just be for yaoi, but a lot of girls claim that so and so are their OTP. Usually these are the matches made in heaven, couples that are so cute together that it is impossible to NOT imagine them together. Fanfiction is when fans use characters from an original work and create their own stories, but sometimes they will use real life people, usually entertainers. She also notes that fans do not stop at simply writing about their favorite coupling; there is also fanart (drawings based off already existing characters or people), doujinshi (fan-made comics based on pre-existing characters or people), and photo manipulations (photos that are changed through programs such as Photoshop).

The most important term, at least for the purposes of this paper, is fanservice. Fanservice is technically a universal term; usually fanservice is used in anime when you can see the female character's underwear, but in this particular fandom, fanservice almost always consists of male homosexual activity. If a group of girls want to see two guys make out, more than likely the two guys will kiss and touch each other, or do whatever gets a response from the girls. It is a mutual agreement between two or more idols that puts them into a slightly homosexual position, and shows off or just basically excites the audience.

Aesthetic

After going through countless images of popular male Japanese entertainers, various yaoi and shounen-ai manga, and several articles, the defining characteristic seems to be androgyny. According to Shoko Takizawa, the gender lines defining men and women in Japan have started to blur, creating a new unisex image. Due to this movement, the marketplace has become flooded with beauty products, services, and fragrances especially for men. There are also male fashion magazines telling them that they need to start having manicures, getting their hair done, and generally making sure that their appearance is aesthetically pleasing. Because of this shift, it seems that

women have become more open with their sexual activity and in return, feel comfortable remaking men as sex objects. Suddenly male bodies have become “something to be ogled at.” The sexual objectification of the male body recasts androgyny because women prefer “soft-macho” men who have hairless bodies, smooth skin, and physical toughness. (Takizawa 2005)

The portrayal of beautifully androgynous men in media is a topic covered in Pan’s “The Use of Gender and Sexuality in the Marketing of w-inds.”. w-inds. is a popular Japanese boy band that follows the trend of being marketed as gender ambiguous, feminine men. Like the other entertainers involved in this marketing tact, it is important to note that the members of w-inds. do not represent typical Japanese males, but a beautiful feminized ideal.

Pan notes that these men typically strike passive, non-threatening poses that are similar to the way women appear in Western magazines, and tend to exude an aura of beauty and sex with an air of innocence. The non-threatening feminine image appeals to a wide-range of people since it serves to create a sense of comfort with female fans, and, on some level, seem to give the impression that they can relate to and understand women’s experiences. (Pan2005)

However, it is not just perceptions of male beauty that are changing, but also their attitudes towards masculinity as a whole. Japan looks to Hollywood for ideals of manliness and beauty, and then shapes them to conform to their ideas. Takizawa and SujuLover, one of my interviewees, both name David Beckham as a major force in this ideal, both aesthetically and mentally. The image of a stunning, sensitive guy that cares about a woman’s feelings yet is still very strong and masculine is the façade that men are now trying to replicate.

Takizawa credits Takuya Kimura, a famous entertainer from the talent agency, Johnny’s Jimusho, as a representative of the dual images garnered from Japanese and Western cultures. Unlike roles of the past where men were dominant and women remained subservient, Kimura is often portrayed as a sensitive, emotional guy that cares greatly about the welfare of his girlfriend. This sensitivity to a woman’s needs changed the way men viewed and ultimately treated women. Since Kimura’s roles are so popular with female viewers, many dramas have started to show this type of Westernized man. (Takizawa 2005)

This shift in the ideas of what constitutes an ideal man put me in mind of the Gutmann article, “the ethnographic (g)ambit: women and the negotiation of masculinity in Mexico City”. Gutmann mentions that in Mexico City, older men and women feel the term macho is a positive one that is indicative of a man who consistently provides for the economic well being of his family. However, he notes that

younger men are far more reluctant to accept this label for themselves, although they will freely apply it to friends, and the fact that “to be macho” is used insultingly by men in their thirties and forties is also closely connected to the recent history of relations between men and women in Mexico. (Gutmann 1997)

Whether the changing idea of what masculinity stands for is specific to Japan and Mexico City, or if it is actually a worldwide movement, I do not know.

Johnny’s Jimusho

Due to the short nature of this paper, I have chosen to focus on the talent agency that I feel best represents the phenomena that I am researching. Johnny’s Jimusho (Known as Johnny’s & Associates or Johnny’s Entertainment to English-speaking fans) is what originally brought my attention to the marketing of male homosocial and homoerotic behavior, so a little background information on the agency seems important. Johnny’s Entertainment is an all-male talent agency that was formed in the 1950s by Johnny Kitagawa. The agency is known for taking in young boys and training them in song, dance, acrobatics, and oftentimes, sex appeal. They are especially famous for pretty boys, flashy stage costumes, and for giving fangirls exactly what they want: a big dose of fanservice. Johnny seems to understand the wants and demands of the fan base, so not only does each member and band have their own niche (cute, sweet, sexy, boy-next-door, etc.), he also pushes fanservice, flamboyant costumes, suggestive photoshoots, and carefully markets how each band and member is perceived. Because of this, Johnny’s (members of Johnny’s Entertainment) have always dominated the charts.

One of the most successful bands in Johnny’s is SMAP, a group that will be celebrating their 20^th anniversary next year and is still one of the dominating forces in Japanese media. A vital aspect to being a Johnny’s is that you are not a singer or a dancer; you are an entertainer. In fact, SMAP’s leader, Nakai Masahiro, is infamous for being a bad singer, yet an extremely entertaining host with a crazy sense of humor. This is why it is not uncommon for there to be a few group members who cannot sing or dance. Rather, they are there to promote a certain image and charm, a charisma that female fans adore and young men want to emulate.

In her study of SMAP and their effect on Japanese culture and media, Darling-Wolf has attributed them with starting a cultural shift that made young men and women start questioning traditional gender roles that were defined by the image of the overworked male worker and full-time housewife. She believes that “SMAP members’ characters—and those of a horde of similarly portrayed young Japanese male celebrities—offer viewers the possibility to redefine such roles symbolically, at least on the popular cultural scene, if not in their daily lives.” (Darling-Wolf 2004) As you can see in the Takizawa article, SMAP member Takuya Kimura not only altered the image of the dominant man, but he has also changed the face of media and the type of roles offered. Darling-Wolf also credits Kimura with leading this shift by changing men and women’s attitudes towards masculinity with his character roles.

SujuLove is the person that got me into the bands from Johnny’s Entertainment, but I had a hard time accepting them in the beginning. Their homosocial behavior behind the scenes (close friendships with lots of hugging and touching) and their homoerotic stage behavior was a complete shock to me. It was not until I started doing research on the band members and the agency itself did I start to understand what was going on.

Most Johnny’s Entertainment members are childhood friends; Johnny takes you in when you are young, trains you for years, and you do not debut (that is, IF you debut) until he feels you are absolutely ready. Therefore, a lot of these young men have been training for 6+ years together before they get their big break. The hours are long and rigorous, so it is natural to develop close friendships and strong bonds to the other trainees. I also had to remind myself that this is a different country with a completely different set of cultural values.

A group that prides itself on this closeness is NewS. The oldest member, Keiichiro Koyama, has even coined the term member-ai (literally, member love) for the title of his online blog that describes the activities that he and the other members do. When you read his entries, you can see just how close him and the other members are, as he describes shopping trips, going out to eat and karaoke, and even little vacations to Hawaii together. Johnny encourages this closeness because he knows that fans will eat it up.

This closeness is actually what got SujuLove into Japanese pop music and the bands from Johnny’s Entertainment. Since Johnny knows the effect that fanservice has in bringing in and keeping fans, he will pair up two guys within the group so that fans will get more into them, thus making the two more popular. The pairing that originally caught her attention was Ryo and Uchi (RyoUchi), who are members of two Johnny’s bands, Kanjani8 and NewS. However, Uchi was suspended in late 2006 for underage drinking and has not been allowed to join either group in any of their activities. Because of this, SujuLove’s focus has shifted from the relationship between Ryo and Uchi to that of Ryo and his bandmate Yamapi (RyoPi), who is the leader of NewS. When I asked her what it was about these pairings that she likes so much, and what the difference between the two was, she replied

The difference between RyoUchi and RyoPi is that RyoUchi was paired up by Johnny. I like their relationship because they actually became really close through Johnny pairing them up, but what really makes me like RyoPi is that they’re childhood friends and have known each other a long time. Usually when they talk about each other and hug each other and have physical contact, it’s more natural and more real.

Getting into a band strictly because of the pairings may seem silly, but it is a marketing ploy that has worked time and time again. For instance, due to the lack of what SujuLove feels are “natural and real” pairings within the group KAT-TUN, she cannot get into them. She likes the individual members, but feels that they do not share the same kind of closeness that NewS does, and that any public displays of affection are strictly fanservice. However, this has not stopped KAT-TUN from becoming the most popular group of this generation of Johnny’s bands (since Johnny’s Entertainment has been around so long, there are different shifts in popularity through time), and the artificial pairing of band members Kazuya Kamenashi and Jin Akanishi (Akame) from becoming one of the most popular “couples” in Japanese pop music.

The secret to their popularity is that they are marketed differently from most of Johnny’s. While most focus on charm, humor, innocence, or just an overall cute factor, KAT-TUN’s tagline is “Wild and Sexy”. This wild and sexy concept includes sexually suggestive lyrics and dance moves, high-energy performances, and impressive acrobatics. Much of this group’s sex appeal is attributed to group member Jin Akanishi, arguably the most popular member of KAT-TUN, and definitely one of the leading figures in Japanese pop music. Over the years, he has consistently been in the top magazine and online polls for subjects such as “Sexiest Man”, “Who Would You Want as Your Boyfriend”, and “Who Would You Want as Your Lover”.

In fact, one of the most talked about instances of fanservice from 2006 is the performance Jin Akanishi put on at the end of his solo song Pinky during their Real Face concert. After the song ended, the music started up again, and a slender blonde woman wearing a sweater set, miniskirt, and heels steps out, with a large hat covering her face. They put on quite a provocative dance performance, complete with implications of fellatio and French kissing. Suddenly Jin rips off the wig and the “woman” is revealed to be his band member, Koki Tanaka. The screams of pleasure, even through the computer screen, were almost deafening.

The appeal

So what is it about male homoerotic behavior and homosexual-themed fiction that has amassed such a large fanbase? According to my results, forbidden love is the number one draw. Many of the people who answered my questionnaire felt that, since homosexuality is not a widely accepted practice in Japan and most of Asia, boy’s love has a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque feel to it; star-crossed lovers, intense drama, and original storylines. The next line of reasoning given was the aesthetic of two gorgeous men together. As one woman commented on my Livejournal, “What’s better than one extremely beautiful man? Two beautiful men naked together.”

Moving away from the reasoning that has to do with fantasy, the next few answers have to do with their feelings towards the male entertainers. The number one reason that fans would prefer that the men date each other rather than other women is jealousy. The feeling seems to be split between, “Well, if he’s with another guy, I didn’t have a chance anyway, so I don’t have to worry about it as much” and “Well, if he can’t be with me, then I don’t want to see him with any other woman”. A few tried to defend themselves by saying, “It’s not jealousy that I feel. It’s just that I think so highly of them that I don’t believe that there’s a woman good enough out there for them. I would support them having a girlfriend, but not if I think that they’re not on the same level”.

I would also have to agree with Takizawa and Pan’s findings regarding this subject. The image of an effeminate, non-aggressive man who will listen to you and care for your needs is a welcome change after a long history of subservience, and one that I believe these male entertainers embody. Women are finally able to break out of their preconditioned gender roles, even if for just a moment of fantasy love.

Marketing ploy or cultural misconception?

This question proved to be a much more difficult one to answer since my research is all conducted with English-speaking fans in mind. While I believe fanservice is a mixture of both marketing practices and cultural misconceptions from English-speaking fans, trying to figure out how much of each is involved is almost impossible from a strictly Westernized viewpoint. Because of this, I had to rely on my interviews with those more familiar with the subject and also on articles from more involved sources.

During our interview, I mentioned to Zoro that I noticed that Japanese men seem to be much more affectionate with their male friends than what you tend to see here in the United States. I also showed him pictures of Johnny’s hugging, holding hands, and going to public baths. He commented that some of it is true and some of it is not. Public bathing is a very common occurrence, and there is nothing odd about two men being seen there together. An occasional hug or arm around the shoulder also seems to be within the sphere of normality. However, depictions of hand holding and kissing are NOT the norm. When shown a picture of two members of a Johnny’s band known as Arashi kissing at a recent concert, he said that it was obviously staged. He is a big fan of the band and such explicit fanservice is not something they would normally do. According to him, close friendships are one thing, but actual participation in homoerotic activity is strictly fanservice.

Since the topic of fanservice has been brought up, let us examine the marketing portion of this phenomenon. Something worth noting is the complete absence of women. Unless they are on a show with female entertainers and hosts, or they are acting in a stage play or drama, Johnny’s and other such bands have very little interaction with women. In fact, Johnny has a strict policy against dating. There is more leeway for older members of the company, but they still have to get special permission from him.

From a marketing perspective, without women around them, these groups are marketed as forever single. Moreover, the absence of women signals that the perfect girl for them could be anyone at all. With no image ever presented, female fans (and homosexual men) are easily and comfortably able to imagine themselves withtheir favorite entertainer. In terms of romantic relationships with these entertainers, any person could be the “one”. (Pan 2005)

Conclusion

The world of Japanese fandom and the subculture based on boy’s love is much too large to condense into a fifteen-page paper. However, I believe that by focusing on the trends that shape the market, I have provided a generous overview of the subject, and, hopefully, some interesting insights regarding this matter. Through my research, I have found the thin line that blurs a cultural difference regarding male displays of affection and the marketing tool that makes use of fangirl fantasies. In the future, I hope to explore this subject even further by doing ethnographic research in Japan and South Korea.

Works Cited

Darling-Wolf, Fabienne.

2004 SMAP, Sex, and Masculinity: Constructing the Perfect Female Fantasy in Japanese Popular Music. Popular Music and Society, Vol. 27, No. 3. 2004. (pg 357-370)

Gutmann, Matthew C.

1997 The Ethnographic (g)ambit: Women and the Negotiation of Masculinity in Mexico City. American Ethnologist, 24(4):833-855.

Jones, Vanessa E.

2005 He Loves Him, She Loves Them: Japanese comics about gay men are increasingly popular among women. The Boston Globe, April 25: Boston.com

McLelland, Mark.

2006/2007 Why are Japanese Girls’ Comics full of Boys Bonking? Refractory: A Journal of Entertainment Media Vol.10

Pan.

2005 The Use of Gender and Sexuality in the Marketing of w-inds. Unpublished, NEW271: Gender, Race and Class in Contemporary Popular Culture at the University of Toronto http://www.lelola.net/wings/written/misc/w-indsessay/

Takizawa, Shoko.

2005 The Cultural Feminization of Japanese Men. Unpublished, SUNY Albany’s Women Studies Program http://www.albany.edu/ws/journal/journal_05/takizawa3.html

Glossary

*Note: Many of these terms have Japanese origins, but fans tend to use them for all aspects of the fandom, regardless of place of origin

Anime—Japanese animation
Doujinshi—Collections of manga or short stories produced by fans of a series using the characters from that series.
Dramas—In Asia, most series are referred to as dramas, regardless of genre. For example, there are many dramas that are comedies.
Fanart—Fan-made works based on pre-existing characters.
Fandom—A subset of fans characterized by a particular subject of similar interest. In this case, Asian entertainment
Fanfiction—Work of fiction written by fans that use characters from an original work to create their own stories. It can also include real people, usually celebrities.
Fangirl—A female fan. Used to describe those that are rather hardcore about their fandom.
Fanservice—Technically a universal term; usually fanservice is used in anime when you can see the female character's underwear, but in this particular fandom, fanservice almost always consists of male homosexual activity.
FemSlash—Female version of slash, in which two females are paired up together. FemSlash and yuri exist, but does not even compare to the yaoi fanbase.
Jaeho/Yunjae—The name used to refer to the coupling of Jaejoong and Yunho from the band DBSK. The most popular pairing that I know of, and showcases the popular use of combining the names to form one. Other famous pairing names: Akame (Jin Akanishi and Kazuya Kamenashi from KAT-TUN), Ryopi (Ryo and Yamapi from NewS), KoyaShige (Koyama and Shige from NewS), Yoosu (Yoochun and Junsu from DBSK), and many, many more.
Johnny’s Entertainment—Slightly controversial, yet extremely popular. An all-male Japanese talent agency that was formed in the 1960s by Johnny Kitagawa. Is also known as Johnny’s Jimusho, Johnny & Associates, or simply abbreviated as JE.
Johnny’s—Term used to refer to members of the talent agency known as Johnny’s Entertainment. Sometimes called JE boys.
Lemon—A classification of fanfiction with explicit sex scenes; NC-17
Lime—A classification of fanfiction with implied sex scenes; PG 13-R
Manga—Japanese comics/graphic novels
OTP—One True Pairing. Used to refer to a couple (usually two males) that is so perfect for each other, it is hard to imagine them NOT being together.
Photo manipulations—Photos that have been altered through programs such as Photoshop to depict scenes that never happened. Also used to Photoshop the men onto women’s bodies or to create a hybrid of two men’s features to see what their children would look like.
Seme—Usually means the character of the yaoi that is the "Top." Top in a sexual sense. Usually in the manga/anime he's the "manly man" and very dominating.
Shipping—Term used to show support for a particular couple/pairing.
Shounen-ai—Literally translated, boy love. An aspect of yaoi, but while yaoi has more sexual connotations, shounen-ai is viewed in a more romantic light.
Skinship—Term used to describe affection between those you are close to. Things such as hugging, kissing, holding hands, and just touching in general fall under skinship.
Slash—The act of taking two (usually straight) men and pairing them together.
SM Entertainment—One of the top talent agencies in South Korea. Unlike JE, they employ both men and women. Was established in the early 1990s by Lee Soo Man. Originally SM was named for him, but was later changed to stand for Star Museum. The name change was used to showcase the fact that many of South Korea’s biggest stars come from SM.
Uke— The "bottom" (again, sexual reference) and is usually portrayed as an innocent, naive boy who may still be curious about his sexuality. Ukes tend to be younger than semes too.
Yaoi—The general term used in referring to male homosexual love, and tends to apply to more sexual situations. Term is more popular internationally, while Japan refers to it as BL (Boys Love).
Yuri—Female homosexual love

</div>
For some reason, the font and spacing went all wacky when I tried to paste it here, so uh....please ignore that. I assure you that the paper I turned in is nothing like that. O_o

feelin_blu — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:27:35 GMT

Son of a bitch. I didn't wanna believe Jasmine when she told me, but Rain's gonna be in the Speed Racer movie. FUCKING RAIN! No matter how hard I try to avoid this guy, this fucker is EVERYWHERE. ><

What should I name my iPod?

feelin_blu — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:53:46 GMT

Yay, my new 80 GB iPod arrived today! Now the question is....wth should I name it? I gave my trusty ol 30 GB YunKiShiHae (Yunho, Koki, Shige, Donghae) to James. I suppose I could do the same thing with this one and toss in TOP and Tablo too, but it's just too much. You guys tend to be pretty creative, so toss some ideas my way. It doesn't have to be fangirly, although that's a plus. Something cute and fun that kind of seems like me. I almost thought Pantalaimon, after Lyra's daemon, but am I really that geeky? Eh....

In other news, my AADBSK2 posters arrived today! Friggin HAWT! I have to rearrange an entire wall to fit them in, but I don't care! Totally worth buying it twice. Although I'm annoyed cuz even though I bought my DBSK calendar at least a week before Linna's SuJu one, I got an email today saying they shipped hers out but mine's been delayed til the 16th! Stupid Linna.

I feel like there's something I should be adding here but I'm too eager to go downstairs and finish filling up my new iPod, so for now, peace out, bitches!

EDIT: What's this I hear about a Super Junior concert in the Philippines?! Shit, sounds like it's time for me to visit my beloved family....:D

w00t, I had a fangirl dream!

feelin_blu — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:47:56 GMT

It's so weird, I NEVER used to have fangirl dreams. Amber, JJ, and Linna were having crazy ass ones left and right, but me? Nothin. In fact, Linna's first few fangirl dreams were all about MY favorite guys. That hussy. Anyhoo, I finally had two a few weeks ago and they were both about Koki. The first one was DAMN good, but I don't remember much about the 2nd one. I just woke up from a long ass nap and probably the best dream that I've ever had. I know that seems sad as hell, but honestly, I dream very rarely. And if I do, I almost never remember them. I'm more prone to daydreams since I'm always spacing out. But I digress.

There was a crapload of people in my dream. Apparently, I had gone online and saw that Big Bang and Epik High were touring together in the U.S. and were stopping in Chicago. So of course I had to text all my fangirl friends right away, letting them know their asses are coming with me and we are gonna be FIRST FRIGGIN ROW. La di da, time goes by, and we're at the concert. It's me, Linna, Jacqui, Amber, JJ, Danielle, and I think I even dragged along Orouge, Kim, and Sam (the last 3 are recent fangirl converts from school) and we're all front row. The concert was awesome, and TOP had wiped himself with his Big Bang bandana and gave it to me with a wink. HAWT.

After the concert, both bands were out there signing autographs and whatnot, and when I reached Tablo, I told him, "I know you probably hear this all the time, but you're my hero and I think you're amazing." Apparently flattery is the trick, cuz he then invited me and the girls backstage to hang out with them all. I don't remember much after that except that they invited us to their New York concert, all expenses paid, and that me and TOP were together a lot and he was F'IN HAWT. I mean like, DAMN kind of hot. It was weird cuz I mean, I really like him, but I have never thought of him as that hot until this dream. Oh yeah, we also all exchanged phone numbers/emails since they were gonna be in Chicago for a week and I think we went shopping downtown. O_o But yeah....good times, yo.

P.S. I don't think I wanna go into detail about what it was that made TOP so damn hot, but uh, yeah....once again, best dream ever. ^_~