10 Amazing Years With 동방신기

I've been thinking how I should start and write this blog post. How can I possibly compress in one single entry all the memories of the past ten years? Be it a trial or an achievement, everything that happened makes up for TVXQ and where they stand in the KPOP world.

The boys and the fans have went through some crazy shit. Heck, we've been dubbed as the craziest and most obsessive fandom. The group has some of the wildest (glue poisoning from anti-fans! sasaengs!) and biggest controversies (breakup! hiatus!) in the industry. But it has been ten years since they made their debut, and we're still going strong. And frankly, we have more extremely high moments than lows. There's no stopping TVXQ, and there's no stopping us, fans, from supporting them and seeing them through.

I was excited and nervous for today because it's not just TVXQ's 10th year anniversary, but it also reminds me how I've been a fan for a decade. So excuse me if this post gets a little emotional, because there's no holding back in the emotion when it comes to my boys. I wept a little last night while spamming on Twitter, because it's overwhelming to look back at the roller coaster-like 10 years of my life with them. I'm no longer as obsessive as my 14-year-old self but I still love them with all my heart. I no longer save every picture, vote in every poll, panic at every controversy, and get butt hurt for every criticism thrown at them. But I can still be pretty rabid when it comes to them. I can get overly emotional at times.



It all started with Hug, of course. Wearing cute high uniforms and being obviously nervous, they started their careers as artists who aren't just pure visuals but exuding with talent as well. They started the new era of idol groups that continue to grow even now.

JaeJoong, YooChun, and JunSu may be performing under a different group name now, but it's still the anniversary of their debut. I've always been confused where I stand in this whole debacle, but I can't deny my love for these three after all these years. They're still JYJ from 東方神起 for me. I am an OT5 in the sense that I love the 5, even though I've long accepted that only two people perform under the name of DBSK now. The magic they created with their music is undeniable. Their ballad, a capellas, and SMPs are what made me the fangirl that I am right now. I can't settle for any less.

No words can express how thankful I am. I was just a kid when I first met them, and I'm now a working adult. I grew up with them, and I can't imagine them occupying a smaller space in my heart. Or even imagine any other group replacing them. A part of who I am as a person, and not just as a fan, was greatly influenced of all the life lessons I acquired from being a TVXQ fan. Because I don't just learn from them as artists, but also as individuals with really amazing virtues.

They were the ones who got me through high school, when I wanted to quit school and when no one believed in my passion (writing!). They were the ones who cheered me up in college when I was stressed from all the schoolwork. They are the ones who give me strength when I'm tired of working. They're the constant reminder that hard work pays off. And everytime they mention Cassiopeia, I have this delusion that they're directly talking  to me. I know that when they say Cassiopeia, they mean each and every fan.

"We still have parts that are lacking but when we see Cassiopeia and others who love us, cheer for us we gain a lot of strength."

- ChangMin (October 14, 2006)

But today, I specially thank YunHo and ChangMin for continuing the name of TVXQ. When they made their comeback as a duo, they gave Cassies everywhere so much hope. They had bigger shoes to fill and a bigger space to occupy. They carried so much weight in their shoulders, but they carried it so well for us. Thank you for making me so proud everytime you stand on stage.

CassPH said it well. YH and CM made TVXQ our home, where fans and JYJ alike can come back anytime. I'm actually one of the returning fans. (I came back when they came back.) It was only made possible because YH and CM made the decision to stay and to come back as the kings. They had so much to prove, and they also proved every criticism wrong. So thank you. Thank you for being our rock in this sometimes displeasing and chaotic fandom.

Cassiopeia is still a mess, but today, we all stand together to celebrate a milestone. We have reached ten years, and I have no reason to doubt that we can reach a decade or so more. You're only starting, and for the next few years, I believe that you guys will continue to grow as artists and masters of your craft. You may branch out in acting and variety, and rest assured Cassiopeia will be 100% behind you.

Cassiopeia, like for the past ten years, will travel this road with you. Just like how you've been protecting us and making us happy for the past decade, we will stay by your side, through all ups and downs. If the past ten years isn't enough proof that we can, then I don't know what is.

Thank you, 동방신기.

From the bottom of my fangirl heart, 사랑해요~ ♥(✿ฺ´∀`✿ฺ)ﾉ

YunHo and ChangMin are TVXQ. ♥

Tohoshinki's Tone Tour

I finally got to watch Tohoshinki's Tone concert last night! I first saw snippets of it during one of CassPH's gatherings, and I'd been wanting to watch the entire thing. I'm a happy banana and I want to watch it again and again and again! I've been listening to their Toho songs all day, actually.

There are many words to describe YunHo and ChangMin and one of them is earnest. You can see it in every dance, feel it in every song they sing. You can sense how earnest they are every time they step onstage. With every punch in the air and every note belt out. It's a delight to watch the two because you know how much they enjoy what they do. It's just amazing to see them achieve so much, and still appreciate all the good things, no matter how little, happening to them. Their performances are always heartfelt.

I still get a bit emotional everytime they sing an old song, any song that's originally sung by 5. But I accept it now. I now accept that Tohoshinki are YunHo and ChangMin. DBSK are YunHo and ChangMin. It's okay, I love them still. Maybe even more.

I love the new Tohoshinki and I love their new songs. Frankly, I love how we see so much growth from them. They show more range in singing now. Because it's just two of them who have to fill up the stage, they learn to compensate. Singing Rising Sun with just two people is no joke, okay! My sister wonders how I manage to stay as a big fan from the start till now. I don't know, too. But I'm glad I do.

My chances of watching a Tohoshinki concert in Japan is close to zero, and that's okay. I can settle with just watching them on my laptop screen. Or a smart TV if I'd ever get rich enough. I can just always buy the concert DVD that I'm still quite far from finished collecting. But I'll get there, I'll make sure of that. I just can't wait to get my hands on the Time Tour DVD!

I have a lot of feelings when it comes to talking about these two. I get a bit sad when I realize that I only have one friend who actually gets what I'm talking about. Though I've been in this fandom for almost ten years (I grew up with them!), I didn't really make lasting online friendships with other fans. So basically, I'd love to have more online (and real life!) Cassie friends! Hehe.

/le sigh

I love these two so much I don't know how to end this post without sounding too sappy. So I'll just end it here because it gets a tad dramatic. Good night folks. :)

WE ARE T!

9 Years of Being Gods of the East

For the past 9 years, five boys have been continuing to inspire me through their passion and music. They're the five boys who introduced me to KPOP, and they're pretty much the main reason why I stayed. They may be in two groups now, but I'll always consider the three as inactive members of TVXQ. Hee. This is such a tricky situation since I know that ChangMin and YunHo are the only ones performing as TVXQ, but I cannot not consider JaeJoong, YooChun and JunSu as TVXQ, too. I knew them as 5 and the magic that the five of them created is impossible to forget!

Being in this fandom is not easy, really not easy. People will always ask you who are you talking about when you say TVXQ. Homin or DB5K? I am often left speechless because I do not know myself. I have never seen so much war go on in a fandom. Just look at any comment section on their Youtube videos and you'd be disheartened at how the fans talk to other fans. The boys never wanted us to fight. Divided Cassiopeia is a sad sight to see especially if you know how amazing and powerful this fandom can be if united.

But these five individuals have proven time and time again why it's all worth it. Why all this hoping and waiting and believing is worth it. All the support and time and love we give them, they repay by being one of the humblest and most talented idols in the business. They will always be the gods of KPOP for me. And since the 23rd of December on 2003, they have been making their fans proud of them. I know I'll always be proud of them. Always.

It's their singing that got into this whole emotional business called fangirling. I have no regrets, though. I can never put into words why I love them so I'll just let the following videos speak for themselves. I think these are the videos that fully show their talent and color as a group.

Stand By U

The Secret Code, 2009

Love in the Ice

~T~ Tour 2008

Why Did I Fall in Love With You

A-Nation 2008

Tonight

Mirotic Concert in Seoul, 2009

Purple Line

A-Nation 2008

Hug (Acapella)

Five in the Black, 2007

Mirotic

KBS, I do not know the year, prolly 2009 

I have no idea when I'll see the five of them perform on the same stage again. Heck, just even seeing them on the same broadcast seems to be too far-fetched. But I will not lose hope. They may not come back as TVXQ and the five of them may not perform as Dong Bang Shin Ki, a fellow fan once said that they could still perform as as JYJHM and I'll take that! :)

And now, for the two people who decided to continue the name of Dong Bang Shin Ki, who proves all detractors that they can survive as two, here's a message for you:

I respect your decision and people may always give you not enough credits for what you do, but us, Cassies will support you despite it all. We believe in your passion and your talent, and some people may think otherwise, but you are strong individuals who give your 100% in everything you do, and I love you. I love you as much as my fangirl heart can possibly allow me to.

To leader-sshi and the snarky maknae, I will always, always be your fan. I might have been inactive during the hiatus but I'm back now. And I don't think I'm going anywhere else. Just be your perfect selves and I'm pretty it will be pretty easy to stay as a fan. I have easily done it all these years, and I see no reason to stop. You have grown over the past two years and I know the battles you faced (and are still facing) only toughen you and make you such strong individuals. I am pretty sure that you can take on anything and I'm also pretty sure that we, fans, will always be behind everything you do.

And to the three who I'm pretty sure still want to be TVXQ, we are waiting. The lawsuit is now over and we are waiting for you. I could only wish the very best for you. And I don't care whatever group name you perform in because you, JaeJoong, YooChun, and JunSu, will always be one of the five Koryans that will be closest to my heart. I believe in your music and I'm pretty sure that someday, you'll  one day once again stand on stage and face broadcast.

Happy 9th anniversary, TVXQ.

And when I say I am keeping my faith, I only mean I believe that you will one day perform as five, and it doesn't even matter if you call yourselves as TVXQ or just be a nameless band. It doesn't matter. I believe in your music, and most of all, I believe in your friendship.❤

TVXQ's Humanoids Performance (Music Bank) 12.07.12

AAAAAAH. I'm going crazy over this performances because of multiple reasons. I'm so proud of the boys for continually pulling strong performances week after week. But let me tell you why I love THIS:

• Because they performed it live! I know,  know. They always perform live but heck, I'm still blown away how they can sing and dance at the same time, and really, that's some demanding choreography! DBSK, blowing me away since 2003. <3   
• THEY'RE WEARING NORMAL CLOTHES OMG. I know, they don't stand out as much, but I seriously prefer these kind of performance costume over their loud colorful ones. Who's with me when I say that they look so damn hot in jeans? YES? YES? :)
• Who the heck can dance that well in skinny jeans? WHOOOO! I can't even run properly when I'm wearing skinny. But they dance wildly in it! And they make it look soooooo good.
• ChangMin's hair! OMG!!!! A really, really good one after a long long long long time. I mean, he's always cute, but his bowl cut is just ridic IDK. This one, though. *swoons* Please keep this hairstyle, oppa! :)
• But really, the outfits! If the coordi noonas could come up with sane and normal and just as lovely outfits, why are they always going for the wacky ones? Argh. So handsome. Good-looking namjas are good-looking!

HUHUHUHU. I LAB MY BOYS :)

I realized I haven't properly blog about their Humanoids MV but I'll get to it one of these days. December is a crazy month, okay. You must forgive me for not updating as much, and November was as crazy.

DBSK on Running Man

So who got excited when the news leaked out that DBSK would be a guest on Running Man? Me. Who got extremely disappointed after watching the episode? Me. Who cannot get over her disappointment? Me. Who wants DBSK to go back to Running Man and have a better nametag-ripping game? Me.

From this alone, you can see how sad I am over the episode. Haha! But for very shallow reasons, though. I love Running Man and it's the only variety show I watch regularly. (I haven't watched all episodes but I'm planning to watch all in the near future!) So when I learned that DBSK would be guesting for the second time this month, I was beyond ecstatic. I devoured every piece of information and fan-taken photos I could find weeks before it aired. Then I watched the episode and somehow, I realized that it's not up to par with other episodes. I don't blame it on the boys, though. A part of me actually feels like there's some sort of minor injustice. HAHA! Don't think I ended up hating Running Man after the DBSK episode because you're wrong! I still love the show.

There are parts I loved and parts that are meh. So let's start with the little things that made me smile and laugh.

[Disclaimer: There are tons of spoilers below the cut. Also, I'm a Cassie and a big ChangMin bias so you know what to expect.]

TVXQ's Catch Me

My thoughts on TVXQ's comeback single, Catch Me, can be summarized as follows:

ASDFGHJKLAHAJFNWOIEHFOINVSEQOCSA

Yes, I'm not very coherent when it comes to TVXQ. And before I even go and rant about it, I think I should put this out there. I'm a very, very, very biased fangirl. A very, very, very emotional one, too. I don't cry over movies and dramas but I cry over DBSK (I prefer DBSK than TVXQ, thus I'll call them DBSK from here one). So yeah. I just want to avoid anyone telling me I'm too biased because I know that already. Haha.

I've been meaning to post my thoughts on Catch Me but I waited for their comeback performance first. You have no idea how agonizing it to let the world wide web know how much ecstatic I am over all this. Well, I've ranted over it on Twitter and Tumblr but it's not complete unless I've raved about it here. I may end up parroting what everybody else have already said but I don't care.

Oh, another disclaimer. I am no music expert. I am a horrible singer, and basically, music is not my forte. Anyway.

So let's start with their single.

CATCH ME,  The Single

What is eargasm.

I played it over and over again, because it's so addicting. I know that people think it doesn't sound like TVXQ at all, and they mean it in a bad way. But I still feel as if it's very TVXQ. Sure, it's a bit more techno, and there's too much dubstep and whatever for some. But it stills feels like a song TVXQ would sing. And they sang it well, of course.

I am incredibly proud of ChangMin and YunHo because I know that they're not the best singers out of the original five members. But look at them belt out high notes and make such a stunning song. It's catchy but it's not just pop-py. if you know what I mean. I'm pretty sure that some parts of auto-tuned, but not too much that you would no longer hear their real voice. Based on this song alone, I can see how much they've improved as singers. I don't have good listening skills, but YunHo I LOVE YOU. And ChangMin, I'm so proud because your voice is no longer too shrill for my liking.

Argh. I've been listening this consistently for the past two weeks, listening to it repeatedly all throughout the entire. And I don't get tired at all.

CATCH ME, The Album

I want to cry over the gorgeousness of this album. They tried out different genres and proved to me why they remain to be my favorite KPOP group. And that probably won't change. Ever.

For the first time, I listen to their album and loved all the tracks. Sometimes, I wonder how this album would sound if JYJ is still part of TVXQ. Probably glorious. But even with just HoMin, Catch Me album is an amazing album. I bet it'll be one of my all-time favorite album of theirs. Seriously. KYHD is their first album as a duo, but Catch Me is the album that they finally make their own identity. The songs are crafted well for their voice, and I love how they were part of the production of the album. I listen to the songs and cannot help but be proud of my boys.

Besides Catch Me, my favorite tracks are Good Night and Like a Soap. According to ChangMin, Good Night is a song that will motivate you when you're tired and stressed and stuff. But I think the song is for lovers. Haha! It's a really, really good song and my second favorite track from the album. Like a Soap has a weird title but it's surprisingly really good!

ChangMin composed I Swear for Cassiopeia. I know right, the whole fandom is quite shocked that the snarky maknae is suddenly expressing his love to the fans he so dearly enjoys bullying. I shed a tear.

CATCH ME, The Music Video