#it's for Japanese fan club members only not for sale

[skruttet]

ohhh he's just a sweet little boy

[necnnights]

In the years of their careers, NEON NIGHTS has built up a repository of unreleased songs, unarchived performances, and other lost media. The following are a few of the most popular examples.

PRE-ZENITH ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC VIDEOS (2016-2017). It is a well-known fact that the band had a past with a few songs released prior to Zenith Entertainment, namely their debut song YOU and follow-up single ASPHALT. While the songs are still available on streaming services, their music videos have been wiped from all official channels. It is rumored that Hwajung and her brother, former member Sungjae, both have their own copies of all of their early work. Neither of them have ever confirmed or denied the rumors.

INCHEON PENTAPORT ROCK FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE (2018). The performance that started it all, given that it led directly to their signing with Zenith Entertainment. Their set list was short and consisted mostly of pop punk covers, though they did manage to slide their own two songs in. As they were unpopular at the time, the recordings of their performance have been lost to time. 

PRE-DEBUT VARIETY SHOW (2019). Prior to their debut in Japan, the band filmed a variety show focused on the production of their album. A teaser for the show was released officially on their social media, but the rest of the show never followed. It was instead edited down into a half-hour documentary released with the deluxe version of the album. Qiuyun has been the most forward when asked about it, saying it “didn’t turn out as planned” and it’s “really regretful that it had to be that way.”

DEMOS, DEMOS, AND MORE DEMOS (2020). Their second Japanese EP, ALIGHT, released in three editions: a typical CD and booklet only offering, a deluxe edition with further behind-the-scenes content, and a collector’s edition with an extra CD full of demo versions of most of their discography thus far. The collector’s edition sold horribly, as it was for sale only in Japan for a short period of time. None of the demos were ever released digitally, and are generally known only the most dedicated of fans.

POP ROCK ALBUM (2021). Before Neon Nights’ official Korean debut, they performed at many small clubs and bars around Seoul. In addition to covering a number of other popular rock songs—fan favorites include Paramore’s “Misery Business,” Scandal’s “Shunkan Sentimental,” and Halestorm’s “Love Bites (So Do I)”—they also teased their own music. The most notable of these is the song “BAD GIRLFRIEND,” which was officially teased as a single on their Instagram before being quickly deleted. A studio version of the song was leaked shortly after their debut. It is highly suspected that the song and album were both of Eunbyul’s creation, but forgone in favor of Hwajung’s EP that aligned more closely with their Japanese discography.

SECOND HALF OF DEBUT PROMOTIONS (2021). Their debut title track, “FLY AWAY,” was meant to be promoted for four weeks. They had the shows booked. They had the schedules posted on their fancafe. In the first two weeks, everything went well. In the second two weeks, everything fell apart and nothing that was planned was ever released. It is presumed that they took the time to record everything, and the lack of official releases came from factors outside of their control. The band is surprisingly mum about the issue. They simply disappeared after their debut and reappeared months later.

LIVE-STREAMED PRACTICES (2020-2022). In attempt to market the band to young, always online kpop fans or create some sort of viral moment, Neon Nights live-streamed at least one band practice a week. This did not achieve of either of their goals, but rather provided the fuel for Twitter speculation along the lines of “why do hwajung and yumi always look at eden like she killed their dog 😭😭” and YouTube compilations of “eunbyul playing qiuyun’s parts for fifteen minutes straight.” The practice lived and died with Vlive, and the majority of the recordings in their entirety have been lost.

NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA DELETED TRACKS (2022). The band’s first full-length Korean album, NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA, contains nine tracks. According to an Instagram live hosted by Hwajung, the album was originally supposed to have twelve tracks. She even went as far as to play bits and pieces of the deleted tracks. The one that drew the most attention was "ILLUSION," though the general consensus is that it was better to keep that one in the drafts. 

ACOUSTIC REPACKAGE (2022). Hwajung and Eunbyul made no secret of the fact that they and their management wanted to milk New Island of Utopia for all its worth. This meant that in addition to the album’s promotions and its four versions, they were also planning on releasing a repackage with acoustic versions of a few of their songs. While the songs have all been performed live and unofficially released in YouTube videos, there appears to be no official studio recordings of any of the songs.

I KNOW I LOVE YOU — NEON NIGHTS VER (2023). The controversial title track of their most recent Korean release features Fable’s Andrew and Mingeun, an arrangement none of them seem to be very happy with. Eden, most notably, has voiced her disapproval of her lack of lines. She also revealed that a version of the song without the features does exist, but will probably never be officially released, for the simple and succinct reason that “Taein-nim said no.”

[banqanas]

Feel free to ignore this, but I'm not on Twitter, so I'm not fully sure what chaos is happening with the Seoul concert. Is the RMPG management doing something absolutely boneheaded like giving Japanese fans first dibs at the Seoul tickets?

unfortunately, yes, that's exactly they're doing and worse, first dibs at tickets AND confirmed first row for JP FAN CLUB members

tl;dr of rmpg's 1st fan concert in korea:

7 hours after their first announcement for seoul fan concert, rmpg also announced that there will be a "FC member only official tour from japan -> korea"

note: FC members are for japan residents only bc you need a jp address to sign up

the trip is sponsored and managed by a Korean travel agency that will help the jp fans flight-hotel-transportations to event venue when they're at korea (so this idea is not from LDH side but is offered to them by the travel agency)

and this is where the issue starts:

Based on this, there are 2 main benefits only jp FC members will get:

group photoshoot with all 16 members (which is fine honestly, this is a valid perk for FC members imo)

GUARANTEED FRONT ROW SEATS (seating arrangements below)

Despite being an overseas fan event, it blatantly favors jp fans instead

FC members application opens 13 days earlier than general sales

jp fans are given priority front seats while korean/overseas fans are being pushed back to remaining A block

in the initial post, it said "Block A is reserved for people who joins this trip." so fans were under the impression that front row is only for jp fans. only AFTER the backlash did they add the second bullet "block A is also available to general ticket sale" (refer screenshot above)

but of course that doesn't resolve the issue of overseas fans being denied fair seating in an event that's supposed to celebrate them

[yridenergyridenergy]

Ticket sale is live for the first round of lottery for "a knot" members, ahead of Tour 23 Phalaris Vol.II ! Hurry to TicketTown!

Moreover, Dir en grey is giving away* 30 "travel packages" to visit the members' home prefectures in Japan at the end of May and beginning of June, which includes one ticket to attend Dir en grey's show at Namba Hatch on May 31st! This is open to overseas fans only!

*Winners through that lottery will still have to pay for the travel package.

[kokiafans]

KOKIA updates: Nov. 23 - Dec. 1 2023

Admin note: As explained before, I am currently still not able to provide full translations within a reasonable time frame, so below follows a summary of KOKIA’s recent updates on her official channels instead. Thank you for your understanding. I will soon make a new post to explain the current situation.

In her blog entry for November 23, KOKIA announces that she's planning a regional (Japanese) tour in 2024. Her first stop will be at the Yokohama red brick warehouse in February 2024. For now, club members of fan club ancoro have been informed about the fan club only pre-sale of tickets, so no more information has been publicly shared. They can check the MEMBERS page on KOKIA's official website for more information in case they missed the mail magazine.

Also in February, KOKIA will perform at the Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall in Tokyo. In her news entry for November 27, she shares the information for Harmony for Ukraine: a gift from Japan (Nihon kara no okurimono). It's a one-time only performance with prayers for peace, featuring live artists and ballet, for the children of Ukraine, on February 25, 2024. Advance tickets are on sale via Capital Village now until December 5, operating on a lottery system for performing artists. The event will start at 16:00 and run until 18:30, and tickets are ¥ 5,800 (tax included). Children under 3 have free admission. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to UNITED24, the Ukrainian government-run fundraising platform.

The artists listed are Chikako Sawada, Keizou Nakanishi, Nataliya Gudziy and KOKIA. For ballet, Yuuichirou Takemoto, Marina Emura and others are listed, with (partial) special directing by choreographer Guy-Paul.

Via McJLing on Twitter: tickets for KOKIA's 25th anniversary concert Live in Shanghai 2023 are on sale for Chinese fans starting December 1 (previously, only Japanese fans flying in could apply for tickets directly via KOKIA's office). The concert will be held on December 17, 19:00 CST at the new North Bund AIA Grand Theatre (友邦北外滩大剧院). The ticket website is here.

The trailer for the movie of the NHK tv drama Kaze yo arashi yo (‘The wind, the storm’) has been uploaded to YouTube. KOKIA worked together with composer Yuki Kajiura to create the ending theme,  Kaze yo, fuke ('May the wind blow’), which can be heard in the background in the latter half of the trailer. The movie will debut on February 9, 2024; the song will be featured on Yuki Kajiura's upcoming album The works for soundtrack II on December 6.

[supercalloutfragilistic]

Innocence lost the dark side of Akihabara

Here’s a good article about the junior idol industry in Japan:

https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/innocence-lost-the-dark-side-of-akihabara

Pedophiles claim drawn childporn (lolicon) decreases sexualization of real children, but if that were true, why is Japan one of the only countries in the world where junior idol culture and DVD’s containing the sexualization of real children are legal? Obviously, lolicon only increases the sexualization of real children.

The crowd in the Ishimaru Soft event space in Akihabara sits anxiously awaiting the arrival of an idol, whose most recent DVD they purchased for the right to meet her. Led on by the MC, the 50 or so middle-aged men call out in unison: “Mana-chan!” After two more calls, she appears—a girl of 13, looking dazed and sheepish. As the cameras zoom in, she strips down to her bikini, which drapes on her under-developed form.

Mana is a “low teen” pursuing a career as a model. As abhorrent as it may sound, children as young as 2 who are billed as “junior idols” release photo books and DVDs. Insofar as the models do not expose their breasts or genitals, this is not against the law. But the way scantily clad kids blow on flutes and lick ice cream cones in front of the camera has raised eyebrows at home and abroad.

The idol industry in Japan in general is estimated at 60 billion yen annually, and junior idols shift some 3 million photo books and DVDs per year. There are countless websites (such as Pure Little Sister Club) and a syndicated magazine (Moecco) catering to fans.

This trend began in the ’90s, when columnist Akio Nakamori coined the term "chidol," or child idol, to describe the sudden increase of young models. The neologism fell out of favor and was replaced by “junior idol,” which shifts the emphasis from childhood and links the phenomenon with legitimate up-and-coming idols.

In Akihabara, long known for its stock of lolicon (Lolita Complex) and “little sister” movies and magazines, the number of shops advertising idol DVDs marked U-15 (under-15) has quietly increased.

“This is a gray area in Japan, but the residents of Akihabara and I find it reprehensible,” says Takaya Kobayashi, 54, a Chiyoda Ward councilman.

But at places such as Oimoya, located right on Akihabara’s main street of Chuo Dori, fans crowd around merchandise displays featuring underage girls.

“Looking at junior idols soothes me,” explains Shigure Akagi, 45, an artist who says he draws inspiration from these products. “I do not have children of my own, so seeing them makes me happy.”

He isn’t the only one. Mr, the most eccentric member of Takashi Murakami’s stable of pop artists, admits he suffers from lolicon, and recruited junior idols to star in his 2008 film, "Nobody Dies."

Ostensibly, the parents who sign their daughters to be junior idols are hoping they achieve mainstream fame like Mr’s girls. And it isn’t impossible. Saaya Irie, for example, was cast in "Hell Girl" and other TV programs after her stint as a child model.

Legally, this is a dark shade of gray. A 1999 Japanese law bans children in depictions of sex, genital touching and “arousing” nudity, but junior idols manage to skirt these issues. In 2002, Japan signed the U.N.’s Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which bans “any representation, by whatever means, of real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child for primarily sexual purposes.” Defenders say images of junior idols are not for “primarily” sexual purposes. Indeed, scenes in these DVDs can be as harmless as family travel videos. Just not always.

This may be gray, but people overseas are seeing red. In April 2008, UNICEF distributed a petition with 21,000 signatures asking Japan to curb junior idols and lolicon anime. In November, at an international meeting in Brazil, Japan was condemned as “The Nation of Child Porn.” Japan and Russia, the organizers say, are the only G8 nations that have not taken action against child exploitation.

[putschki1969]

『Wakana Botanical Land "Summer Party 〜TALK&MINI LIVE〜"』Goods Sale

■ Products for sale ・ Handy fan ¥ 3,000 ・ Pouch ¥ 2,500

▼Space Craft Online Shop▼ https://spacecraft-shop.jp/wakana

Pre-order period: ~ Tuesday, July 19 23:59 ※Items are only available for fan club members ※Items are scheduled to be shipped in early August

Tweet by Wakana staff

『Wakana Botanical Land “Summer Party ～ TALK &MINI LIVE ～”』 【Date】2022/7/18 【Day Performance】 Open 14:30 Start 15:00 【Evening Performance】 Open 17:30 Start 18:00 【Venue】Mixalive TOKYO B2F「Hall Mixa」

‖Ticket Details Ticket Seller：Bitfan Ticket Live Stream Platform：Bitfan Live Purchase Period: 7/8～7/21 ●【FC Limited】Event Viewing Ticket　 ¥3,500 per performance ※The archived version can be viewed as soon as it is ready after the broadcast has ended. You can watch it until July 25. ❗ Join her FAN CLUB NOW! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗ Japanese tutorial for BITFAN | My tutorial for BITFAN

[ofseok]

☆ welcome to infinite entertainment! it's AHN MINSEOK, who is SOLOIST 4 .i’ve heard whispers that the 25 year old is pretty OPEN-MINDED but lowkey RECKLESS. also, doesn’t she remind you of JEON JUNGKOOK?

Hello !! Esme (21+, she/her) with my baby Seok, with some changes but still a darling. He's Soloist 4 and an absolute puppy. He's seriously the most relaxed idol around, a complete opposite of Seonhwa. Although he's overworked af and could use a break, he still tries to see the good side of life. All he cares about is living his life to its fullest and without any worries. Honestly, he's really just trying to enjoy everything life throws his way. If you want to plot message me at @offleurs and we'll figure something out !!

BIO °° ABOUT °° PROFILE °° WIKIPEDIA °° PINTEREST °° DISCOGRAPHY °° PLOTS

Childhood

Son of a famous painter and a talented violinist, youngest of three brothers.

Everything was about art and hard work in the Ahn household.

Minseok loved singing and acting, yet his parents considered that him studying theatre was the only option.

So he joined a theatre club. It was fun, but Minseok didn't feel like he belonged there.

His older brother is the main dancer of the National Ballet, and the other is the youngest director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra - both of them widely known in the artistic world.

It was difficult to compete against his older brothers when they seemed to have it all.

When he got scouted at the mall, Minseok thought it was a joke or a scam. He still accepted the card, wondering if he could use it at some point.

The opportunity arrived sooner than he had thought, and tired of following what his parents wanted, he called Golden Media and landed an audition.

Training years

Barely thirteen and the youngest trainee in the company, Minseok had a hard time.

He was quiet and minding his business, a bit lost among so many older boys and girls he didn't know.

It was difficult to share his space with so many other boys, but he got used to it.

Following a schedule with school and training was easy for him, since it was something he had done his whole life.

But soon he became the baby, and everyone looked after him.

He trained as a rapper for many years, but a year before his debut, the company decided for him to become a vocalist instead.

He was added to a five-member group called ELIXIR, and he began following the leader around.

He was a baby when he debuted, barely sixteen, and absolutely not ready to become an idol.

Group Debut

He was sixteen when ELIXIR debuted, the golden maknae and main vocalist.

The young boy had a voice that many would kill for, and because of that, three of his four members didn't like how many lines he got.

So they made it difficult for him, always telling him that he wasn't as talented, that his lines ruined the songs. They gave him a hard time because of his dancing and stage presence.

But Minseok did his best to move forward, doing what it was asked of him. And it worked, of course. He became a fan favorite and people loved it.

Three members of the group left barely a few months after their debut, in the middle of the preparations for their Japanese debut.

They sued the company and made sure everyone knew they were leaving because there was favoritism in the group.

Minseok thought it was all, but Golden Media, however, knew he was talented and refused to let go.

Solo Debut

Barely a few months later, completely rushed and unexpected, Minseok debuted as a solo act.

The concept was very much like what ELIXIR had been doing. And considering how popular he already was, it did very well in sales and even got a few wins that ELIXIR had never reached.

Although he went into direct competition with Fleur, a close friend, he still put up quite a fight.

With only two members (the leader and the maknae), ELIXIR re-debuted as a duo, and surprisingly, they did better than expected.

So poor Minseok was both a solo act but also a part of a duo, which made him work hardest than others.

it didn’t last long. Soon his leader decided to go public with his relationship with a non-celebrity woman.

The dating scandal was worst than Golden Media thought, so again in a need of distraction, Minseok debuted as an actor in 2016 as the 13th Prince Wang Yoo in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

It seemed all of it was going well for him, if only too busy.

Drama roles kept landing in his hands, and his music was doing better than before. It was nice, and Minseok realized that maybe this was the way things were supposed to be.

However, when his ELIXIR member got married and Golden Media had to deal with the backlash they received, trying to protect their artist as well as the company itself.

Minseok was not surprised when another project knocked on this door.

He joined Infinite Entertainment's soloist Michelle in the three-member subunit VI3E as the main rapper.

It was his chance to prove that he could rap, even if it was the only position Golden Media could get him in such short media.

It was too much for one person, and Minseok got tired of being used as a distraction.

Sadly, just a few months later, ELIXIR was disbanded without any grace and released a goodbye single.

Minseok was now a soloist artist, and knew he had to appreciate the chance he was given. He loved being on the stage, he loved singing, and he wasn't going to give up.

Merge

If he has to be honest, the merge didn't affect him much.

When he joined Infinite Entertainment, he thought being the distraction would stop. Spoiler alert: it didn't. He was still everywhere and overworked as always.

He was happy that he got to be in the same company as many artists and friends he admires.

He filmed a drama with Tidal's Moon Danbi. He was the third lead in the first season, but thanks to their great chemistry together and because the public seemed to love them, he has become the main character for the second season.

Tour

He was actually pretty excited about this tour because he would get to work and travel with those he loves so much.

It was fun at first, but he's growing restless with how exhausting it is.

He has been pressured to release music because other artists have been doing so.

He was so interested in one concept and had to fight until he got to do it, now he's working on preparations for his comeback. He's actually pretty excited.

He has been spending a lot more time with people he thought had forgotten about him, so he's very happy about that.

If there was something he never expected, it was to realize that his feelings for his best friend Park Yunjin weren't platonic anymore. It took them a while, but the babies are dating now.

He debuted in a subunit with KAISO called KING.

Part of the REING project - the one he shares with Michelle, Fleur, and KAISO.

Present

Minseok spend the few first months after coming home to rest.

Has decided to take a break from acting to focus on his musical career.

Random Facts

Actual baby, he's just a very playful guy and is always looking for cuddles

Sweet tooth vibes. Give him all the sweets and pastries, and you'll become his best friend.

Haven't seen or spoken to his family ever since becoming a trainee, so he doesn't talk about them.

You have to be his closest friend to know about his family.

For everyone's sake, his family pretends to be proud, and he pretends to be on good terms. The public eye thinks they're the perfect family. In reality, he doesn't really consider them his family anymore.

Drama? He doesn't do that. The moment something gets too intense and awkward, he walks away. Really, no time for that.

He's a gamer, and carries everything he needs around. Like he doesn't need that many clothes anyway.

He has a vlog on youtube, the one that shows behind the scene content, sometimes it's just him playing, others he's just recording whatever happens.

Right now it has become a traveling vlog because of the tour. Tomorrow? Who knows

He's so tired all the time that it's not unusual to find him taking a nap in the weirdest places.

He still doesn't know what he's doing at all.

[ketumii]

gorillaz headcanons i’ve conjured up over the years

a little long, but i’m posting this as a ref for myself and future art/fics :) what are your headcanons?

- Murdoc quotes memes wrong all the time, unironically. This infuriates Noodle, and 2D usually has to calm her down afterwards.

- Russel competes in drag competitions in his spare time. The others like to buy him accessories for his birthday.

- Murdoc anonymously votes for Russel in these competitions whenever he can. Nobody knows about this.

- Russel and Murdoc have comforted each other during drunken stupors many, many times.

- Ace had trouble understanding 2D’s thick accent during his time in the band. It was super awkward.

- Noodle sat Ace down once and tried explaining the lore of Gorillaz to him. He didn’t understand any of it, and is still confused to this day.

- Murdoc used to be terrified of Russel, but now finds immense comfort in his company.

- Murdoc and 2D try to one-up each other all the time.

- Murdoc has always been self conscious about his eyebrows, but 2D convinces him to uncover them on occasion.

- Murdoc is also incredibly, INCREDIBLY self conscious about his height and envies 2D immensely over it. This is the reason he wears boots all the time.

- Noodle used to sneak into Murdoc’s Winnebago as a kid whenever there was a thunderstorm.

- Noodle is deathly afraid of fire, heights, and loud noises thanks to the events of Demon Days.

- Russel can list every band member’s favorite thing off the top of his head. Upon realizing this, Murdoc, 2D and Noodle came together in an effort to find out what all of Russel’s favorite things were.

- 2D is great with kids.

- Murdoc used to have to steal food and clothes out of the trash before the band was formed. He is now very possessive of these things.

- 2D hits his head on low hanging objects a lot.

- Russel and 2D like to stargaze and meditate together.

- Noodle once tried teaching 2D Japanese, but he was really bad at it.

- 2D then tried teaching himself French, but he was also really bad at that. 

- 2D’s mother has a habit of rambling, while his father is super awkward and hard to hear. 2D inherited a combination of both these traits.

- 2D has zero self awareness and will blast music and horror movies from his phone in public.

- Murdoc collects weird mugs.

- 2D collects expensive watches.

- Noodle collects creepy toys she finds at yard sales/thrift stores.

- Russel collects broken appliances.

- Noodle and 2D like to style each other’s hair. 

- 2D is a huge advocate for platonic kissing.

- 2D has tried helping Noodle go vegan, but she loves sushi and chicken nuggets too much to commit.

- Russel is a master of Monopoly, which infuriates Murdoc, who feels he should be a natural at it.

- Russel and Noodle perform an intense workout routine every week. 2D and Murdoc tried to join them once, but 2D promptly passed out and Murdoc broke his own foot with a dumbbell. 

- Murdoc took Noodle to a strip club as a birthday surprise one year. She ended up having to drive them home when Murdoc got shitfaced and threatened the bouncer.

- Murdoc still ruffles Noodle’s hair like he did when she was a kid, much to her annoyance. 

- Noodle simps for Lola Bunny.

- 2D is a monsterfucker.

- Murdoc can drive well irl but absolutely sucks at Mario Kart (and most video games, honestly).

- He really, REALLY enjoyed GTA 5 though. 2D and Noodle couldn’t pry him away from the game for a good month when he first played it.

- 2D loves moving things an inch away from their original position just to mess with Murdoc.

- 2D cracks his joints in the loudest, most obnoxious way possible, and can never seem to stop shaking his legs.

- 2D and Noodle send each other the raunchiest, most grotesque furry porn they can find. They are in an unspoken competition to find the worst of the worst.

- If Murdoc doesn’t make a conscious effort not to, he will always touch or lean on whoever is near him.

- Russel can recall animal facts on the fly.

- Russel used to be really into making taxidermy. 2D thinks this is the coolest thing ever, but would never have the heart or stomach to do it himself. 

- Russel is jealous that 2D is so good at crocheting and wishes he had the nimble fingers required to do it. 

- Russel was honestly hurt when Noodle got her first tattoo. Not that he didn’t like it, he just didn’t want to acknowledge that she was growing up.

- Murdoc and 2D have each other’s faces tattooed somewhere on their body. This was the result of a drunken bet lost on both parts.

- Russel was the first person Noodle came out to. He was also the first person Murdoc came out to.

- Murdoc tries getting Noodle a girlfriend every time they go out together. This has only ever ended horribly. 

- Murdoc got 2D hooked on chewing toothpicks instead of his nails.

- Noodle thought Murdoc’s raven Cortez was so cool she tried catching her own pet bird, a vulture she found eating the corpse of a zombie in the yard of Kong Studios. It failed horribly and she almost got dragged off the cliff. Russel got her Katsu instead.

- Noodle once tried stealing Murdoc’s porn magazines as a prank, but accidentally stumbled upon his collection of nudes and raunchy fanmail. The memory still haunts her. 

- 2D is interested in tons of things and has considered becoming a dentist, a model, a lawyer, a camp counselor, a filmmaker, a zookeeper and a teacher.

- 2D often speaks without thinking and has lost many potential romantic partners because of it.

- Noodle is a little jealous that 2D can lick his elbows.

- Russel has the most charm out of all of them, no questions asked.

- Murdoc likes to appear as if he knows a lot about cars, but Russel is always the one who fixes them.

- 2D and Murdoc have tased each other. 

- Murdoc taught Noodle how to dance. 2D and Russel have walked in on this several times, much to Murdoc’s embarrassment. 

- Murdoc unapologetically wears makeup and scoffs at anyone who calls it “girly”.

- Branching off of this, Murdoc does everyone’s makeup.

- Russel is plagued with nightmares, which is why he’s always tired.

- Russel and Noodle have had too many offscreen adventures to count, many of which involving them nearly dying or being sued (don’t even get Russel started on the time Noodle climbed into the tiger pen at the zoo and single-handedly fought them all off).

- Russel likes going to odd conventions (washing machine con, vacuum con, etc.) The others are always surprised and extremely confused whenever he mentions he’s going to one, and it’s never the same one twice.

- Murdoc has misophonia.

- 2D has dyspraxia.

- Noodle has tons of secret social media accounts she uses to mess with fans.

- Murdoc is scared of apes.

- 2D isn’t one for confrontation, but god help you if you get a horror movie fact wrong.

- 2D and Noodle stay up late and watch true crime/conspiracy documentaries together.

- Russel once sat Noodle down to give her ‘The Talk’ about drugs and alcohol, but was surprised to discover that Murdoc already had.

[chibimyumi]

So it is possible to join Yuta's fan club even if you aren't in Japan?

Dear Anon,

Yes, it is possible to become Furukawa’s FC member without living in Japan.

You do need a Japanese address, but you don’t need to ever set foot in Japan. All you need to do is apply for an address at Blackship (it’s for free.) Once you have your Japanese address, you can sign up for Furukawa’s FC.

Some people not living in Japan have shown interest in joining the FC, and I promised I’d be happy to help any Furukawa fan to become a member! Before you do decide to become a member though, there are a few things you need to know.

The yearly FC membership fee is 5100JPY at this moment

There is a one time 1050JPY entrance fee (it’s only for the very first time you join. If you renew membership this fee won’t be charged)

and a one time 720JPY payment fee. You pay this payment fee every time you renew membership.

So the FIRST time you join, it’s 6870JPY per year. If you renew your membership, it’ll be 5820JPY per year. This price is considerably lower than FC membership from other stars! (Please don’t ask me how much that is in your currency... I’ve received asks about that before =v= please Google it yourself.)

A Credit Card is REQUIRED. No Paypal etc.

If you do join, you’ll firstly receive your own Membership card PLUS a pocket mirror (which I sadly can’t find...so I can’t show you either TT^TT)

Though it is cheap, it is still money. So before you join, there are things that should be included in your consideration. Below is a chart I made to show what services the FC gives, and whether or not you can enjoy them.

✔: You can enjoy it fully

✘: You cannot enjoy it at all

△: Technically you have access... but you will need google translate.

1. Speaks for itself: you can join the pre-sales of tickets and get the best seats.

2. You will be able to attend Furukawa’s live events with fellow FC members.

3. Since corona time Furukawa has started live-streams. He really likes streams because it gives access to people who might have limitations otherwise, so this will likely stay in future too post-corona time. Some events are for free (such as his birthday event) while others are paid events. The last event (11th of January) for example was a paid event of 3500JPY per ticket. These tickets are usually sold through TicketPia or ePlus+, and they only accept JP credit cards. BUT, I know off somebody who can help you with that. (More about this later)

4. Every 6 months (ish) the FC will publish an exclusive magazine. This initiative was started in 2019, so in total there are 4 right now. This magazine is filled with pictures, behind-the-scenes pictures, exclusive interviews (like the one that contained this information), Q&A session with Furukawa (which are in Japanese though...). BUT! These magazines are 70% pictures, so you’ll at least enjoy 70% of it without knowing any Japanese.

5. Every late December the FC will send all members a New Year Greeting card. It’s just one card with a message by Furukawa wishing you a happy new year. (I blurred the face because it’s FC exclusive material. You’ll obviously receive a non-pixelated photo of him)

6. The Staff Blog is updated semi-regularly, but they always have the best pictures that are FC exclusive. The text in these blog-updates are nice, but they’re not essential to your life. The language is usually fairly simple, so it should be google-translatable.

7. Yutter is Furukawa’s “Twitter” (Yuta + Twitter) wherein he personally “tweets”. These posts never have pictures. The language is fairly simple, so it should be google-translatable too.

8. Semi-regularly Furukawa uploads video messages. His language is simple, but unless you can transcribe them, they’re of course very hard to google-translate. It’s always a feast to see him speak to you though. His messages are just cute, but usually don’t contain essential information.

9. Besides the KenON shop Furukawa also has his own FC exclusive shop. These products are all hand-designed by Furukawa himself.

10. Sometimes there will be Q&As, and before the start message prompts will be sent: All FC members can send him questions, and through lottery Furukawa will then answer about up to 40-something of them. We’re currently with 9000+ ish members......so you do need to be very lucky though. I got mine answered once! Furukawa’s English is abominable... so you do need to send him the question in Japanese (through Google translate if you can’t write Japanese.)

I hope this helps! If you do want to join, sign up for Blackship and let me know. If you don’t know any Japanese, I’ll help you fill out the application form. (Please don’t Anon me then though, otherwise I can’t help you.)

[mrsmarymorstan]

Now Furuba S2 is over, what now?

I’m already seeing a lot of people asking for recommendations now the S2 Sub is over; so this is a list of series that I think you’ll enjoy if you like Furuba! 

All platforms listed are true for the UK, but might not be for other residences. More viewing options may be available in other territories. 

Unless specified, All Manga/Comic recs are available from regular bookstores and EBook Stores. If you’re in the UK I’ll suggest checking out Hive, which is an online store where a potion of each sale goes towards a Local Independent Bookstroe of your choice! They also have flat-rate free shipping! 

Okay, so the actual recs! (I got lazy in some places and used the official synopisis) 

Romance

Convenience Store Boyfriends Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Six high school boys hang out at a local convenience store where they talk about their daily lives. Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are first year students looking forward to the high school experience. Alongside them, there’s Nasa Sanagi, the only member of the cooking research club. Natsu Asumi is a loner but has third year students, Mikado Nakajima and Masamune Sakurakoji, looking out for him.“

Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 - Crunchyroll, Funimation (Sub) S2 Funimation (Sub/Dub) 24 eps - Ongoing Manga: 18/20 volumes available in English 

“Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. And everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. Pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?”

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun Netflix (Dub/Sub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 12/12 volumes available in English 

“High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki. When she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says she wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Sakura discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shōjo manga artist working under the pen name Sakiko Yumeno. She agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga Let's Fall in Love they encounter other schoolmates, who assist them and serve as inspirations for the story.”

Snow White With the Red Hair Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total Manga: 9/22+ volumes available in English. Anime ends Vol. 8 

“In the kingdom of Tanbarun lives an independent young pharmacist named Shirayuki. Shirayuki is a plain girl, save for her shock of beautiful apple-red hair. Her stunning mane gets her noticed by the prince, but instead of romancing her, he demands she be his concubine. Shirayuki chops off her lovely locks, and runs away to the neighboring kingdom where she befriends a handsome stranger.”

Tsuruedure Children Funimation (Dub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga (Ebook only) 12/12 Volumes available in English

“Short and charming comedic vignettes offer a quick glimpse into the unique and funny situations, misunderstandings, and all around confusion that can happen in a high school romance. For starters, there’s a story about a delinquent girl and the student council president, and one about a stoic boy confused about an emotional girl. Relive the charm of high school romance!”

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Amazon Prime (Sub) 11 Eps Total Manga: 4/9 volumes available in english 

Looking for a slice of life romance but you’re an actual adult now and don’t want to read about teenagers? Try Wotakoi! It combines office romance with childhood friends-to-lovers. Narumi is a Fujoshi who doesn’t want anyone to find out the truth of her ways, Hirotaka is a Game Otaku who doesn’t care what anyone says about it, together they go about the ins-and-outs of dating as an adult. 

Coming of Age

BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt, so I’ll max out my defence Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Ongoing 

“She may be new to gaming, but Maple has found the secret to invincibility! Just put all your skill points into defense until you can't even move. That works, right? She doesn't want to experience any pain in the VRMMO game she started playing, and somehow it works better than anyone expected. Now she's got followers??”

Brand New Animal Netflix (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Set in a world where humanoid animals (known as beastmen) inhabit Earth, the series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who one day suddenly starts turning into a tanuki beastman. Running away, she seeks refuge in Anima City, a city built for beastmen to be able to live peacefully as themselves, and ends up meeting a wolf beastman named Shirou Ogami. Together, they investigate how and why Michiru became a beastman, becoming mixed up in even stranger events in the process.”

Hyouka Funimation (Dub/Sub) 23 Eps Total 

“A worthy addition to any animation fan's collection, Hyouka is a stunning masterwork that spins a charming tale of high school romance and mystery. After disenchanted student Hotaro Oreki joins his school’s Classic Lit Club, he meets Eru Chitanda, a kindhearted and inquisitive girl with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting him caught up in all sorts of trouble.”

Koto Oto Tomara! Sounds of Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total 

“Down to its last member, the koto club will accept anyone who is interested in the traditional Japanese instrument. But when a delinquent and a prodigy player sign up, finding harmony isn’t going to be easy—especially not with ensemble competitions looming around the corner. With enough time and some incredible skill at the strings, perhaps this motley crew can strike a chord with the judges.“

O Maidens in your Savage Season HIDIVE (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 7/8 volumes available in English (8th available for pre-order) 

The series follows a High School Literature club as they make their nervous first foray into the nature of sexuality. What is the difference between sexual attraction and romantic attraction? Does watching porn mean wanting to have sex? What are these strange feelings I am having down below? Why are boys so gross and girls so pretty? Each girl undergoes their own journey and finds their own destination, a brutally honest yet heart warming look at teenage female sexuality. 

CW: Sexual Assault, pedophilia (both portrayed as BAD AND TERRIBLE things) 

Our Dreams at Dusk Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English 

IF YOU ONLY CONSUME ONE THING ON THIS LIST MAKE IT THIS!!!!! The series is the VERY DEFINITION of “It Gets Better”. 

After his classmates discover some gay pornography on his phone, Tasuku Kaname contemplates committing suicide. Just as he’s about to jump, he spots a mysterious figure parkouring down a mountain. Shocked out of his moment, he decides to go and investigate what’s happening and finds an LGBT+ Drop In Centre. The series follows the lives of the people in the drop in centre, from Haruko who wishes to marry her closeted girlfriend, to Misora who is still trying to figure out what their gender is but has the threat of puberty hovering of their shoulder. 

It’s very clear that Kamatani-sensei has written this story FOR the Queer Community. It’s a truly beautiful story. Please give it your money if you can, so that Kamatani-sensei can actually earn some money, and so that Seven Seas know that there is a viable audience for these stories! So that we may get more content!

Reverse Harem 

Fruits Basket is NOT a reverse Harem, but i figure there’ll be some fan crossover. 

Kiss Him, Not Me Cruncyroll (sub) Funimation Dub available on DVD etc. 12 Eps Total Manga 14/14 volumes available in English

“Kae Serinuma believes one thing—princes belong together! As an avid boy’s love fan, she loves nothing more than fantasizing about faux relationships between the boys at her school. But when she loses weight due to the stress of her favorite anime character dying suddenly the boys want…her?! From pretty average to prettiest girl, Kae just wants these boys to date each other, not her!”

Sub uses an irritating “Silly Fat Person” voice that the Dub doesn’t. CW for Sexual Assult, though it is depicted as a BAD thing and used for Kae to question why she is so into it when reading BL, when IRL it is terrifying? 

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

A TRULY Bisexual harem! After bumping her head, young Katarina Claes awakens with all the memories of her past life... and promptly realises she’s been re-incarnated as the antagonist of her favourite Otome Game! Determined this time to live past the age of 17, Katarina starts to make plans to turn all her enemies into allies through the power of kindness and understanding! Throughout the series, she tries harder and harder to avoid her doom flags... without realising that she’s turned those doom flags into romance flags! 

Katarina lives out the fantasy of going to magic school and eating cake as all the pretty people fall head over heels for her. A pity she’s too dim to notice.

Ouran High School Host Club Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 eps total Manga: 18/18 volumes available in english 

Set in the high class elite private school of Ouran High, the Host Club exist to provide entertainment for the ladies of the school. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi Fujioka, stumbles across the Host Club and in their haste to leave they knock over an ¥8,000,000 vase. Now she must earn that money back by working for the Host Club, all the while disguising the fact that she’s a girl. Not that she ever felt much like a girl before hand anyway. Along the way, she gets to know better the Cool Kyoya, the flamboyant Tamaki, the Mischievous Hikaru & Kaoru, the Strong and Silent Mori-senpai and the adorable Honey-senpai. Comedic Hijinks ensue! 

Slice of Life

The Emperor and I Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English on Shonen Jump App 

One day Kaho returns home from school to find an Emperor Penguin in her fridge. He quickly becomes a beloved part of the family, but a secret to the rest of the world who would want to take him away from them. Hijinks ensue. 

Kakushigoto Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

Doting single father, Kakushi Goto, is determined to hide the fact that he writes echhi humour manga for a living. He couldn’t bare it if his daughter were to ever find out the truth, the shame of his profession only alienating her. A laugh out loud series that will suddenly cut you deep as it explores the nature of grief and familial love. 

My Brother’s Husband Manga: 2/2 volumes available in English 

“Yaichi, a stay-at-home single father, lives with his daughter Kana in suburban Tokyo. They are visited by Mike Flanagan, the widower of Yaichi's estranged twin brother Ryōji, who has traveled from his native Canada for three weeks to learn about Ryōji's past. Kana is fascinated by Mike and is immediately accepting of him, though Yaichi is hesitant to accept Mike as family.

While Yaichi is not overtly homophobic, Mike suggests that his tacit discomfort over his brother's sexuality drove a wedge between them that led to their estrangement. Mike's interactions with the family and neighborhood over the subsequent three weeks prompt Yaichi to confront his own prejudices around sex and sexuality, as his growing tolerance and eventual acceptance of Mike parallel his overcoming of his own homophobia.”

Whilst the trope of “the gay brother dies and the heterosexual brother learns not to be homophobic” might be over done in western media, the same is not true for Japan. It’s a heartfelt and honest look at grief and acceptance, as well as how the nature of family is changing all around the world... but attitudes are maybe conservative attitudes aren’t as quick to catch up. 

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 

So apparently everyone went “this show is undubbable! It relies too much on puns and untranslatable humour!” and then Howard Wang said “hold my beer” and did it. A bizarre comedy series set in a high school. It’s probably best known for the ongoing fight between the deer and the principal.  

Way of the Househusband Manga: 4/5+ (ongoing) volumes available in English  

After he meets and marries the career driven Miku, Tatsu AKA The Immortal Dragon decides to give up his life of crime to commit to being the worlds’ best husband. You’d be surprised at the transferable skills between a Yakuza enforcer and a house husband. From knowing how to efficiently cut up a slice of meat, to how to perfectly clean a bathroom of all evidence. Hilarious and heartwarming, Taki and Kyoko would be best bros. 

Slice of Life + Supernatural 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K S1 Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 episodes Netflix S1 (Dub/Sub) S2 & 3 (Sub) 50 episodes total 

“Saiki Kusuo is a typical 16-year-old high school student… except he has psychic powers. He can use them to get whatever he wants, but he also knows everything that people are thinking. Everything. No surprises, no secrets, no normal human experiences. He’s kept his powers in check since childhood, but with the temptations of high school now on his mind, he’s bending the rules—and spoons.“

Sabrina The Teenage Witch (2019)

Writer Kelly Thompson wears her magical girl influences on her sleeve in this new take on the Archie Classic. Sabrina is your regular teenager, except she is also a witch and so are her aunts. Hijinks (and Card Captor Sakura References) ensue. 

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 eps total Manga 13/13 Volumes available in English 

“Kamome Academy is rumored to have many mysteries, the strangest of which involves the mischievous ghost of Hanako-kun. When occult-loving high schooler Nene Yashiro accidentally becomes bonded to him, she uncovers a hidden world of supernatural beings. Now the two of them are conspiring to keep the peace between student and supernatural—that is, if they can only stay out of trouble themselves.“

Jughead (2015) 4 Volumes total

Bought to you in various parts by the creators of Squirrel Girl, Jughead combines slice of life with spy thriller, time travel and the joy of a good burger. Hilarious and heart warming, this run holds a special place in my heart as the one where Jughead was confirmed as canonically asexual and continues to express various aro/ace moods throughout the series. There’s a REASON my friends say I’m a Real Life Jughead.... 

Weathering With You - available digitally/physically 28th Sep. 2019

In June 2021, first year high schooler Hodaka Morishima leaves Kōzu-shima in order to get to Tokyo. When his ferry to the city is hit by a rainstorm, he is saved by Keisuke Suga, who runs a small occult magazine that’s looking for an assistant. As Hodaka becomes broke and struggles to find work, he meets Hina Amano, an employee of a McDonald’s restaurant. She takes pity on him and gives him food. After agreeing to work with Suga, Hodaka learns about the legend of the “sunshine girl” who can control the weather! It turns out that the newly unemployed Hina is a sunshine girl! And with her little brother, they start up their own business to bring sunshine to the never-ending rain of Tokyo. 

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Episodes Total Manga: 22/28 volumes available in English 

After tripping on the stairs, School Bad Boy Ryu Yamada and Top Student Urara Shiraishi discover they can swap bodies with a kiss! They then learn that they’re not the only ones with magic powers in the school, and with the help of the Supernatural Studies Club they begin to track down the identities of the 7 witches of Suzaku High. 

This series really stretches my limits on fan service, but at least it does proceed to get a little even in terms of gender. It’s still a really rather sweet and romantic series, once you get past the boobs and panties. 

Your Name Netflix (Dub/Sub) Spin Off Manga “Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound” - 2/2 volumes available in English 

A modern take on the Red Sting of Fate mythos, Mitsuha and Taki are two teenagers tied together. Three times a week, Mitsuha will wake up in Taki’s body and live the life of a Tokyo School boy. In turn, Taki will wake up in Mitsuha’s body and learn what it is to be a Rural Shrine Maiden. A look at the bonds that tie us, and how fate won’t let two young people fall apart before they can meet. 

Also the animation is BEAUTIFUL and it made me cry. Like a lot. There’s a spin off manga called “Your Name: Another Side” that follows the same story but from the POV of Mitsuha’s friends and family. It really brings new light to the events and made me very emotional.

Mental Health 

Green Lanterns: Rebirth (2018)

Jessica Cruz suffers from PTSD and severer anxiety, seeing her utalising her will power to overcome those problems and harness that energy to help save the universe is so incredibly powerful and moving. 

Hawkeye (2012-2015) 4 Volumes 

The Fraction/Aja/Wu/Hollingworth Hawkeye run is widely considered one of the best superhero runs of all time. Fraction and Aja perfectly capture “functional depression” at its finest, and we watch as Clint Barton slowly burns all his bridges before being forced by his friends to sort his shit out and put them back together again. There’s also a whole issue that’s primarily written in sign language too. 

My Roomate is a Cat Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 eps total 

“Mystery author Mikazuki would rather live in total isolation than deal with others. Getting a roommate is the last thing he’d ever do, until a stray cat sparks an idea for his next novel. After plucking the little killer off the streets, this four-legged muse inspires Mikazuki in ways he would have never expected. And for the street-wise cat, this human just opened the door to a whole new world.”

A Silent Voice (Manga/Movie) Movie: Netflix (Dub/Sub) 

“A former class bully reaches out to the deaf girl he’d tormented in grade school. He feels unworthy of redemption but tries to make things right.”

CW Attempted Suicide, bullying

Please watch the dub. Lexi Marman Cowden, who voices Shoko, is an ACTUAL hard-of-hearing actress. It makes for a more real and vulnerable performance that avoids the mild ableism of the Sub hiring a Hearing Actress and robot-ising her voice. 

Yuri!!! On ICE Crunchyroll (Sub) Funimation (Dub) 12 eps total 

“Yuri Katsuki makes his way to the Grand Prix ice skating competition as Japan’s top representative with his eyes on the prize. However, instead of celebrating, Yuri walks away defeated and ready to retire for good. But a run-in with champion Viktor Nikiforov and rising star Yuri Plisetsky ignites a new fire within him. With the two of them close by his side, Yuri will take to the ice once more.”

Yuri’s defeat sends him into a very relatable spiral of lack of self belief that he slowly starts to regain thanks to the help of Viktor. Part sports anime, part love story, all full of feels. 

The Dub is considered hit or miss depending on whether you like accents or not, but honestly it’s worth it for Sabat’s Christophe giacometti. Ayame walked, so Christophe could strut. 

Generic 

I’m gonna start by recommending the Shonen Jump App, it’s £1.99/month and gives you access to all their recent publications as well as their back catalogue in English! So you can read all of Boys Over Flowers, Nisekoi, Naruto, One Piece, Haikyuu, Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia etc. for a fraction of the cost of buying the physicals! SO much manga at your finger tips! No, they don’t sponsor me but i wish they would. 

Astra Lost in Space Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 5/5 volumes available in english, available on the Shonen Jump App

A group of teenagers on a school trip become Lost In Space and quickly discover a conspiracy is a foot. Part thriller, part comedy, saying anything more about this series would count as a spoiler given the number of plot twists throughout. 

Radiant Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 42 eps total Manga: 13/13+ volumes available in english (ongoing series)

A french manga turned into a Japanese Anime.

“Seth, a sorcerer destined to find Radiant, sets his sights on Caislean Merlin for answers. He’s desperate to find out what the Knight Sorcerers know, but can he trust them? In the wake of all that is unknown, he digs deep within himself for the wisdom and confidence to control his powers. And as the world around him continues to grow with more magic and power, he gains strong new allies.”

The series has BIG Saturday Morning cartoon vibes. My 12 year-old self would have been ALL OVER this.

Batman Ninja (Netflix)  

What if a Japanese animation studio asked DC if they could make a batman movie? And then just threw a Japanese history book at it? What if there was time travel? What if the main batman villains were all feudal lords in Japan? What if everyone were Samari? What if Damian had a small animal companion he could communicate with using a flue? What if Jason’s hood was made out of wicker? What if Penguin had a penguin shaped mecha? 

A wild ride from start to finish that makes no sense but really, do you care? 

[interestarticles]

Best Movies Of The Year 1980 - Top 20 Films Of 1980

What Are The Best Movies Of The Year 1980?

From New York to Los Angeles this is a question that will get a different answer from every person you ask. There were some great films in the 1980s, and 1980 started the decade off with a bang as a year full of innovation in every way throughout all of society, and it was the start of some exciting new techniques, technologies, and ideas in the film industry in particular with many movies from the year 1980 introducing revolutionary and pioneering cinematic visions. Many people think that some of the best 80s movies of the decade came out in 1980. In this article post, we will go through our top picks for the 20 best movies of 1980, you might be surprised to find out which movies made it on the list! 1) Kramer vs. Kramer In 1980, "Kramer vs. Kramer" was released and became a huge success at the box office. The movie starred Meryl Streep as Joanna Kramer, Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer, Jane Alexander as Marylin Jaffe-Jenson, and Justin Henry as Billy Kramer. This film won five Academy Awards in 1981 including Best Picture of 1979 or 1980. It also received nominations for best director (Robert Benton), best actor (Dustin Hoffman), and best-adapted screenplay based on another work (Erica Mann). It is now considered one of the most significant Hollywood films ever made about divorce because it provides nuance to both sides of an argument. 2) The Shining This iconic horror classic film directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall was released in 1980. It is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name. The film has been ranked a number of times as one of the best horror movies ever made and is now considered to be one of Kubrick's best films. It was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actor in Leading Role--Jack Nicholson) and won none at the time. The Shining also received nominations for Best Director - Stanley Kubrick), Best Adapted Screenplay--Steven Spielberg/Stanley Kubrick). Its reputation grew over time, eventually earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. 3) Being There Hal Ashby himself had been nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 with directing The Last Detail. It is a film that could be classified as both comedy and drama, but the emphasis on this 1980 release lies more on its comedic aspects. While it was not one of the most acclaimed films when it came out, many now consider Being There to be a classic film about society's relationship with television at the time. It offers commentary on economic inequality and how people are often reduced to simple archetypes who can easily fit into neat narratives for consumption purposes. 4) Time Bandits Time Bandits, a 1980 British fantasy film about adventure, was co-written by Terry Gilliam. It stars Sean Connery and John Cleese as well as Shelley Duvall and Ralph Richardson. Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm. Peter Vaughan and David Warner are also featured. It is a whimsical kids' movie with the fantasy adventure of time travel that has been ranked as one of the best movies ever made by many critics. Gilliam has referred to time bandits as first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", which includes Brazil (1985), and then The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (88). They all revolve around the "craziness and incoherence of our society, and the desire for escape through every means. These films all focus on the struggles and attempts to escape through imagination. Brazil is seen through the eyes of a young man, Time Bandits through a child's eyes, and Munchausen through an old man's eyes. Time Bandits, in particular, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. 5) Pennies from Heaven Quite a departure from his previous work, this film is much more lighthearted and comedic than the serious dramas of The Miracle Worker or Bonnie and Clyde. The plot revolves around Arthur Parker (Steve Martin), whose life becomes increasingly chaotic as he tries to juggle two jobs, an impending child custody battle for his daughter, and a demanding girlfriend who wants him to give up one job so that they can have some time together. 6) Airplane! This Leslie Nielsen instant comedy classic was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1980. The movie is about an airplane crew that must find a way to land their plane after food poisoning breaks out on board and the pilots become incapacitated, with only two inexperienced passengers who happen to be a doctor (Robert Hays) and a flight attendant (Julie Hagerty) qualified to land the plane. Airplane! was one of the most successful films at theaters in 1980 It had more than $83 million worth of ticket sales by year's end - it became one of Leslie Nielsen's most popular roles ever The film also helped launch Robert Hays' career as a leading man, though he later found greater success playing comedic supporting characters before retiring from acting. 7) The Empire Strikes Back One of the most famous of the 1980s movies, The Empire Strikes Back is remembered for its numerous plot twists and turns as well as introducing fan-favorite Yoda The film features Mark Hamill reprising his role as Luke Skywalker in this second installment of George Lucas' Star Wars series and it was the first star wars to be released on VHS. Featuring a mixture of live-action footage with high-quality animation from Japanese company Toho, it became one of the best critically acclaimed movies ever. In 1997, it won an American Film Institute award for being among the top 100 films since 1941. 8) Raging Bull 1980 was a strong year for movies, and Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull is one of the most acclaimed action films to be released that year. It stars Robert De Niro in an Academy Award-winning performance as new york boxer Jake La Motta, who has a turbulent affair with Kim Basinger's Vickie. The film depicts how new york boxing served as both his escape from domestic abuse but also led him on a self-destruction path. In addition to being nominated for ten Oscars (including best picture), it won two including best actor for Robert de Niro and best director awards respectively. Released by United Artists, the movie has ranked among the top 100 American Films ever made according to AFI rankings. This release is considered one of the best films of the 80s by many critics. 9) Kagemusha One of the most interesting and well-made movies that 1980 has to offer, Kagemusha tells the story of a warlord who is critically injured and after being buried alive. The movie was directed by Akira Kurosawa and stars Tatsuya Nakadai in one of his best performances ever as both warrior leader Katsuyori Shibata and an imposter named Shingen Yashida. Released in Japan on April 20th, 1980, it became the second-highest-grossing film at the Japanese box office just behind The Return of Godzilla (1984). Kagemusha made its international debut at Cannes Film Festival's Directors Fortnight where it won two major awards: Special Jury Prize for Best Direction and Grand Prix du Festival International du Film - Art. 10) The Gods Must Be Crazy Part comedy, part drama, The Gods Must Be Crazy is a timeless classic. Released in 1980, the film follows Xi (N!xau), an out-of-touch bushman who lives happily with his family until he encounters Coca Cola for the first time and it changes their world forever. The premise of this movie makes us laugh because we can relate to how much more comfortable life was before modern society became so intricate that things like Coke began infiltrating every aspect of our lives. We're drawn into Xi's story as he goes from living peacefully with his tribe to being thrust into a completely different reality when they start hunting down any remaining cases of coca-cola at stores all over town! It also touches on some deeper themes such as the cultural modern world where his customs and rituals mean nothing. Xi's journey is our own as we watch the culture clash of modern society, with all its good intentions and never-ending thirst for new things to consume, come into contact with a simpler time that has long since passed by. The humorous film release was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but lost out to Italy’s Cinema Paradiso (1988). 11) Caddyshack Released in 1980 this classic comedy film by Harold Ramis is widely considered one of the funniest movies ever made by fans and critics alike. It features an amazing comedic all-star ensemble cast, including Chevy Chase as a rich playboy who turns caddie in order to get girls; Ted Knight as Judge Smails, who wants to keep his country club memberships exclusive and prestigious; Rodney Dangerfield as Ty Webb, a millionaire golfer-cum-caddy who has been banned from all other golf courses for being too good. Also featuring Bill Murray as Carl Spackler, the groundskeeper at Bushwood Country Club whose only goal seems to be killing off gophers with any weapon he can devise (including explosives); Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan, a young man hired by Judge Smails's daughter (Castle) to caddy for him; and Brian Doyle-Murray as Lou Loomis, the club's ultra-snobby head professional. 12) The Blues Brothers Another instant classic 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers are best known for its 1980 car chases. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Joliet Jake & Elwood Blues respectively, the two brothers who perform a blues show before being arrested by police. They break out of jail with their friends to save an orphanage from foreclosure through satanic cult leader sheik Abdul Khadaffi's "Elvis-Is-King" rally in Chicago Illinois on Mothers Day 1980 at noon. The film has been praised by audiences and critics alike for its music, screenplay, and performances but criticized for its lack of character development (most likely due to budget constraints). This was even acknowledged during production when director John Landis told cast members not to act too much because "no one is going to see this movie." The 1980 car chases are iconic and highly regarded by film critics. One of the most memorable moments in 1980 was when Elwood Blues while driving his 1980 Chevy Malibu, spots a cat on the front fender as he's being chased by police officers from Illinois State Troopers who try to arrest him for not wearing seat belts (the law at that time). The chase ends with Jake & Elwood crashing into an old man sitting atop a 1980 Chevy Monte Carlo. After striking them, the cops then swerve quickly around their fallen comrade before continuing after our heroes. 13) 9 To 5 9 to 5 (listed in the opening credits as Nine to Five) is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Colin Higgins, who wrote the screenplay with Patricia Resnick. It stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as three working women who live out their fantasies of getting even with and overthrowing the company's autocratic, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss, played by Dabney Coleman. The film grossed over $103.9 million and is the 20th-highest-grossing comedy film. As a star vehicle for Parton—already established as a successful singer, musician, and songwriter—it launched her permanently into mainstream popular culture. A television series of the same name based on the film ran for five seasons, and a musical version of the film (also titled 9 to 5), with new songs written by Parton, opened on Broadway on April 30, 2009. 9 to 5 is number 74 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" and has an 83% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. 14) Smokey And The Bandit 2 Smokey and the Bandit 2 Is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, And Dom DeLuise. This film is a sequel to 1977's film Smokey and the Bandit. The original release of the film was in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Bo "Bandit", Darville (Burt Reynolds), and Cledus "Snowman," Snow (Jerry Reed) transport an elephant to the GOP National Convention. Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Jackie Gleason (Jackie Gleason), is once more in hot pursuit. 15) Superman 2 Superman II, a 1980 superhero movie directed by Richard Lester, is written by Mario Puzo, David, and Leslie Newman and is based on a story by Puzo about the DC Comics character Superman. It features Gene Hackman and Terence Stamp, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, and Sarah Douglas. The film was first released in Australia and Europe on December 4, 1980. It was also released in other countries during 1981. Megasound is a high-impact surround sound system that's similar to Sensurround and was used for select premiere Superman II engagements. The Salkinds decided in 1977 that they would simultaneously film Superman and its sequel. Principal photography began in March 1977 and ended in October 1978. There were tensions between Richard Donner, the original director, and the producers. It was decided to stop filming the sequel (of which 75 percent was already completed) and instead finish the first film. After the December 1978 release of Superman, Donner was fired from his post as director and was replaced by Lester. Many cast members and crew members declined to return following Donner's firing. Lester was officially acknowledged as the director. Principal photography resumed in September 1979 and ended in March 1980. Film critics gave the film positive reviews, praising the performances of Reeve, Stamp, and Hackman as well as the visual effects and humor. The film grossed $190million against a $54 million production budget. 16) Friday The 13th Friday the 13th, 1980 American slasher movie, is directed and produced by Sean S. Cunningham. Written by Victor Miller, it stars Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King. The plot centers on a group of teenager camp counselors, who are each murdered by an unknown killer as they attempt to reopen an abandoned summer camp. Cunningham, inspired by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) success, put out an advertisement in Variety to sell the film. Miller was still writing the screenplay. Filming began in New York City after casting the film. It was shot in New Jersey during summer 1979 on an estimated budget of $550,000. The finished film was the subject of a bidding war. Paramount Pictures won domestic distribution rights while Warner Bros. Pictures took European rights. Friday the 13th, which was released on May 9, 1980, was a huge box office hit, earning $59.8 million globally. The film received mixed reviews, some praised its cinematography, score, and performances while others criticized it for depicting graphic violence. It was the first independent film of its type to be distributed in the U.S. by major studios. The film's box office success led it to many sequels, a crossover film with A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a reboot of the series in 2009. 17) Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is a 1980 space opera film directed and produced by Mike Hodges. It was based on Alex Raymond's King Features comic strip. The film stars Sam J. Jones and Melody Anderson as well as Max von Sydow, Max von Sydow, Max von Sydow, and Topol. Topol is supported by Timothy Dalton and Mariangela Melato. Peter Wyngarde plays the role of Peter Wyngarde. The film features Flash Gordon (Jones), a star quarterback, and his friends Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov (Topol), as they unify the warring factions on the planet Mongo to resist the oppression by Ming the Merciless (von Sydow), a man who wants to destroy Earth. Producer Dino De Laurentiis had been involved in two comic book adaptations: Danger: Diabolik and Barbarella (both 1968). He had also previously worked on Danger. De Laurentiis declined a George Lucas directorial offer, a Star Wars version directed by Federico Fellini was also rejected. De Laurentiis hired Nicolas Roeg as director and Enter the Dragon writer Michael Allin as the lead developer on the film. They were replaced in 1977 by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and Hodges, who had written De Laurentiis’ remake of King Kong, this was due to Roeg's dissatisfaction. Flash Gordon was mostly shot in England, with several soundstages at Elstree Studios and Shepperton Studios. It uses a camp style that is similar to the 1960s TV series Batman, which Semple created. Jones quit the film before principal photography was overdue to a dispute between De Laurentiis and Jones. Much of Jones's dialogue was dubbed by Peter Marinker. The documentary Life After Flash examines the main subjects of Jones' departure and his career after it was released. It is known for its Queen-inspired musical score, which features orchestral sections by Howard Blake. Flash Gordon was a box-office success in Italy and the United Kingdom, but it did poorly in other markets. The film received generally positive reviews upon its initial release and has since developed a large cult following. There have been many attempts at sequels or reboots, but none of them have ever made it to production. 18) Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, a 1980 comedy film by Tommy Chong, is the second feature-length Cheech & Chong project, after Up in Smoke. It was released by Universal Pictures. Cheech and Chong go on a mission: siphon gasoline to their neighbor's car. They then continue their day. Cheech works at a movie theater, while Chong looks for something to smoke (a roach). Then Chong revs up his indoor motorcycle and plays loud rock music that disrupts the neighborhood. Cheech is fired and the couple goes to Donna, Cheech's girlfriend, and welfare officer. Cheech seduces Donna over her objections and gets her in trouble with her boss. 19) Coal Miner's Daughter Coal Miner's Daughter, a 1980 American musical biographical film, was directed by Michael Apted and based on a screenplay by Tom Rickman. The film follows Loretta Lynn's rise to stardom as a country singer, starting in her teen years with a poor family. The film is based on Lynn's 1976 biography by George Vecsey. Read the full article

[arashigossip]

Arashi to hold a large-scale online live concert at the New National Stadium on the day of debut?

Johnny's paid online concert makes 10 billion yen worth of money!? Is a secret  plan of Arashi to move “Beyond BTS”?

Above all, it is said that an unprecedented super big project is progressing around Arashi. 

The paid online concert "Johnny's World Happy LIVE with YOU" distributed by all the groups of Johnny's office reached the final day on the 21st, and the 6-day schedule was a great success.

"Every day, the viewing rights for concerts were 2,500 yen for members of Johnny's Family Club and 3000 yen for the general public, but on June 16th when Arashi and King & Prince appeared, It seems that more than 1 million fans were watching. On this day alone, the simple calculation indicates that the sales were over 2.5 billion yen (23 million USD).

On the final day, KinKiKids and the young group SixTONES and Snowman who are currently in the spotlight also appeared. It seems that group appeared every day and made a total of nearly 10 billion yen (93 million USD)

Since the distribution and management of the video is done by a Johnny's subsidiary, it is mostly in the pocket of Johnny's office except for overhead expenses.” (Personal broadcaster)

Most of the profits will be donated this time, but Johnny's office feels a certain "feel" to the online concert.

"Until today, Johnny's has prioritized the media exposure of television and magazines, and the internet has been secondary. However, last year Arashi opened the official YouTube channel and the music has been unsubscribed, so the flow has changed. Seeing the huge number of fans and sales that gathered at this online concert, it seems that they decided to shift to a more full-scale Internet.'' (same)

In particular, regarding to Arashi that will be suspended throughout the year, It is said that an unprecedented super big project is underway.

"In Arashi, many concerts and events that were planned for Last Year have been into blank because of the new coronavirus. Considering the social situation, it will be difficult to hold a large-scale concert this year”.

Therefore, it seems that talks are going on to hold a non-audience concert on November 3rd, the day of  Arashi's debut by pay online distribution. 

The first candidate for the venue is the newly created New National Stadium in Yoyogi, Tokyo. This kind of large-scale online concert is unprecedented in Japan and will be a big topic.” (Music person officiel)

Arashi's last online concert is unprecedented not only in scale but also in the number of people involved.

"The number of Arashi fan club members is not officially announced, but it is estimated to reach 3 million. Based on this number, Arashi's last online concert aims to mobilize 5 million people.

BTS a popular Korean group, has an online concert held on June 14 and has the highest number of simultaneous viewers. They hit a record of 756,600 viewers. But Arashi will exceed this. 

If they realized, Arashi can heald an online concert that connects 5 million people at the same time. Is that technically possible? Some gossips said “Johnny's office is currently conducting various experiments including server management." (Weekly journalist)

"Arashinomics"

In addition, the amount of rough profits of Arashi  is not limited to this. They plan to sell several kinds of limited time goods.

"Sales of concert goods are a big source of income that supports the earnings of Johnny's office, so at Arashi's online concert, we plan to partner with Rakuten and Yahoo! to sell several kinds of limited-time goods, too.

If you include online viewing tickets and sales of various goods, you will earn about 20 billion yen (186 million USD) on the debut day of Arashi alone. This is a big project to save the Japanese economy that has suffered a great deal of damage from Corona, and even the business community has come to expect it." (Weekly magazine reporter)

“They become an economic effect  can call it "Arashinomics". There is great expectation for, but also worried about Arashi members who will be abused online until the very end”. (Weekly magazine reporter)

*CyzoWoman, 2020/06/22

Author Note: 

“Arashinomics” or Aranomics aludes to the political term  “Abenomics” about the economic policies of Shinzo Abe  prime minister of Japan. In the sense that Arashi future  incomes would create a big economic hit. 

Just Awesome! Please J!  just say Yes! *By A~san

[yridenergyridenergy]

I want to support Diru members through signing up to their blogs. Is it language-friendly for non-japanese speakers? Do they update often? Do they interact with members, or international fans? I am not sure if you are signed up to all of them (or if I am asking the right person), but maybe you can help? Thank you!

Hello! Sadly, the blogs are anything but language-friendly. You really need either some basic knowledge of Japanese or a way to translate stuff through Google Translate for the first little while until you get familiar. Most of them contain pictures and videos to enjoy but anything written (e.g. blog posts) is definitely not translated.

Hm I am only consistently a member of kyo-online or sukekiyo-online. My attempt to register to Dir en grey Online was not successful despite trying an email address that is not the subject of their advisory for the past year... So as far as the first two are concerned, I really would not say that they are updated often at all. Kyo-online at least has the monthly new picture every 1st of the month, but then it depends on Kyo's mood and there might be no more than one random diary and one new gallery picture from some past time? If you got the Premium Course, then you can view some of the previous birthday videos too, at least.

My understanding is that Dir en grey Online was not updated much in the past but fans seemed to rejoice that that improved recently.

From what I heard, Die-Mobile is updated literally daily, so props to him for the consistency.

TheTheDay is regular enough but from updates I see on Twitter, it looks like once or twice a month? Not sure what exactly gets updated, but I know that Kaoru answers fans' questions often enough! Unfortunately, probably not if they are not written in Japanese though. Edit: He does answer in English sometimes! Thanks argumentl.

As for Shinya Channel, those updates seem like they happen twice a month I think, and from the one time I signed up, you can pay extra to access back-issues of posts at least (compared to kyo-online old posts that get deleted because you need to buy the aun no ari books if you want to see them). Shinya's blog posts are informative I think and he does answer a couple of questions from what I remember, but again, aaaall in Japanese.

Did I cover everything hahah? But yeah, it depends what you consider "regular", but it sounds like Die's blog is the one that's more worth your money. That being said, if your favourite member is somebody else, then whatever little extra content you can get access to even a couple of times per month is going to be worthwhile.

Plus! Being a member of those blogs does allow you to apply for tickets sometimes, like the sukekiyo-online round of lottery for sukekiyo shows, which get priority. Then it's kyo-online and after that, it goes to general sale. And I know that Die's birthday show was limited to his fan club.

[kyotakumrau]

faq

It will be updated as I see fit when I will feel something should be added or changed. /last update 2020/11/25

How do I buy tickets for concerts in Japan? There are two types of tickets: fanclub tickets and general sale (some also pre-sale). * a knot finally started accepting card payments for tickets so if you’re a fc member you can apply for tickets through the fanclub even if you don’t live in Japan (you just need to ‘borrow’ a Japanese address. some of my friends sent tickets to their hotels, you just need to remember to change your a knot address and notify your hotel). * general sale and some pre-sales like OHP pre-sale: in general artists tend to use eplus which you will most likely not be able to use without Japanese phone or bank card. * once you arrive in Japan and the show is not sold out you can buy tickets in convenience stores (until few days before the show) or at the venue (on the day).  * if you want to be on the safe side and secure tickets before your trip, you can look for fans selling tickets on twitter or ticket reselling sites. Easiest option would be to use some shopping service like White Rabbit or Buyee. Just please be aware that since 2019 reselling AND BUYING tickets for more than the actual price is a crime. 

Does a knot accept credit cards? Yes, they finally started accepting card payments for membership, renewal and tickets from 2019 onward.

Can you help me get tickets? I can help with explanation and advice, but I don’t do personal shopping service etc. Sorry, but I have a full time job and want to enjoy the free time I get.

I want to send a letter/gift to the band.

・DIR EN GREY - Official fan club “a knot” is the only way to send anything to the band, unless you can attend a concert (in Japan there are boxes for gifts at the venue, abroad you can hand your gift to the staff to pass it to the band).

Address to send your letter/gift:

〒105-8799　日本郵便 芝郵便局留 「a knot」(band member’s name) 宛

105-8799 Nippon Yuubin Shiba Yuubinkyoku tome “a knot”  for (band member’s name)

・sukekiyo - To my knowledge at the moment it is only possible to pass a letter or a present to band members at the concert.

Can I join kyo online and/or other mobile sites (DIR, sukekiyo, Die)? Currently there are two ways to do it. * If you live in Japan and have a phone with working Japanese SIM (you need to have a contract with one of main providers in Japan: docomo, AU or softbank) you can sign up using your provider and payment for the membership will be added to your monthly bill. * Another way is to register using your debit/credit card. You need to create an account first and finish the registration after receiving an email. Your card will be charged every month then. DETAILS HERE Can I join Kaoru’s and/or Shinya’s blog? Yup, coyomi accepts non Japanese bank cards.

Can you translate [...]? As I stated above I have a full time job, so my time is somewhat limited. I will definitely translate information about the band and members’ activities, I will also consider more private requests if any of you is struggling with buying tickets or if there’s something band related. I don’t translate lyrics and I will not help you with your tattoo. When choosing interviews to translate I usually focus on Kyo’s.

Can you tell me about [...]? If I know the answer I will, if I don’t and I find the question interesting I will post it and we can hope someone else will be able to answer it. I’m not interested in things like gossip about members private life and their ‘real names’.

Can you share information from Kyo/sukekiyo/DIR mobile site etc? I will translate and post any updates from the free part of the site, but I will not share any limited content. It is not mine to share.

Can you rip / upload ....? Nope. It doesn't sit right with me, also I suck at computer stuff. Please support the artist buying official releases.

Where can I buy official merchandise? The best place to check first is Galaxy Broad Shop, where you can buy goods from DIR EN GREY, sukekiyo, The Zemeckises and other related projects. The shop has English menu and shipping worldwide (a bit pricey, but easy to use; alternative is to use a forwarding service). You can use both bank cards or Paypal to pay. *COVID situation - it might be a good idea to use forwarding address in Japan so you can have bigger choice of shipping options outside of Japan. Other place worth checking would be Neotokyo in Europe. If you’re looking for older stuff and sold out items it’s probably best to use shopping services and check Mercari, Yahoo Auctions and so on.

Who are you? I started this blog because I wanted to spread and share the information about DIR EN GREY. Fans being the 6th member for me means being the part of the community. I like informative posts and try to avoid drama. Now sukekiyo and other Kyo’s projects also became a big part of this blog. Who am I has a little to do with the blog, but I keep getting asked about it. I’m just a fan and besides the fact that I currently live in Japan there’s nothing really special about me. I don’t have a personal blog on tumblr, but if you really feel like you need to know more about my life you’re welcome to check my sporadically active insta and adore my cat. My twitter is mainly retweets, sometimes translations.

Can we hang out at the concert when I come to Japan? Um, let me be honest - I am shy and awkward and talking to strangers is not really something I’m good at. Especially after the concert when I’m exhausted and drenched in sweat... I’m simply not in emotional state where I want to talk to anyone ^ ^’ If you want advice about a specific venue or dos and don’ts in Japan at concerts write to me beforehand and I will try to answer your questions. I do help if someone needs help at the venue and simply asks (with lockers, tickets, buying goods etc.).

[memoirsofrkxjiyeon]

PUBLIC INFORMATiON ♥ 

full name: joo minhee

birthday: 3rd jan 1993

birth place: seoul, south korea 

zodiac sign: capricorn 

blood type: a

company: sphere

languages can speak: korean, english & japanese

education:

Gadong Elementary School

Ilsin Girls’ Middle School

Yongsan’s International High School

Sungkyunkwan University [ Graduated with MBA ]

family:

Father ( Kim Shin-Wook : 62 ) & Mother ( Joo Mi-Sook : 60) runs gogi-jip in Songpa-dong. It is always busy due to being located near most of the schools in the neighborhood. The parents live in a small traditional home not far from their shop. Minhee has promoted their restaurant a few times on her Instagram and spent some vlogs there too.

Older Brother ( Kim Sang-Min : 43 ) lives in Gangnam in a nice apartment and works as an operational supervisor at COEX MALL  He helped her young sister land a part-time job there as a sales assistant at a clothing shop. Also, he is a happily married man to Kim Eun-jung  ( 40  ) and has a baby girl named Sang-mi ( 7 ) who actually a big fan of ECLIPSE. Minhee also posts a lot on the social media of her close relationship with her sister-in-law Eunjung.

Older Sister ( Kim Yeong-Mi  :36 ) lived in New York, working as a publisher for a book company. Now she in charge of the Seoul office for the book company, the publisher is well-known and recently gathered a lot of interested. Minhee posted a vlog about her and sister spending time together because it tends to be quite rare. She gets her mindset about working from her older sister who’s workaholic too.

Older Brother ( Kim Dong-Wook  :31 ) lives in his own apartment in Gangnam, he is the lay-back music teacher who’s friends with a few of CONVEX members. He has his own band called  The Eodum pretty much new to the music scene, they tend to do a lot of covers instead of their own material. Minhee  even performed with them once at some gig covering her seniors Royal Pirates. He is also credited with being the cameraman for most of her youtube videos as he used to have a lot of free time but not as much anymore due to this job as a music teacher.

Cousins ( Hugo & Hakyeon ) both of her cousins recently debuted in PER_SE who fully supports them even though they aren’t the closest family members. It is known to the public they are related to each other. Hakyeon is relation on her father meanwhile Hugo is from her mother side. 

social media:

@juminhee is her instagram, she loves being on instagram out of the social media platforms and she posts a lot of content on there. It tends to be family, friends, herself and food orientated. the squad is mentioned a lot too showing off her group of friends which included public trainees& idols like hyuna ( k.arma ) , kangjoon ( de:code vici ) , gray, namjoon, wendy ( and*roma gyeoul ), jongsuk, aron and others like luda, eunji, juyeon, sua, shiah and luxe’s yena. 

@asomemini is her youtube channel where she posted covers monthly at least as she quite busy training so she can’t post them as frequently as she wishes to do. on this channel, you’ll find a lot of famous faces she has collaborated with including convex’s jinki, sehun, romeo ( two covers one before and after leaving convex ) , seungcheol under their real names, not stage names as it was before they debuted. not only that if watch the monday blues cover there are even more convex members appear in it including jihoon, ten and hyun among other friends too including kaeun ( and*roma’s kaeun ) who she did pole dance cover with too. and*roma’s gyeol covering davichi together  ,   k arma’s hyuna doing sistar medley, de:code’s vici having carpool karaoke to frozen showing their brother-sister relationship,  christmas grinch cover with seulgi showing her violin skills ( who’s now and*roma’s younggi ) and many more in the christmas collaboration series which minhee did involve many of her friends.

@aboutmini  is her youtube channel where she used to posts vlogs and streams mukbang every sunday 8pm. all her videos ( including asomemini ) are subtitled in english and japanese and korean so she can speak to a broader audience, she promises to learn mandarin too so she can make fans in china too and be able to communicate with them but she still working on japanese. this channel got a few familiar faces too including junmyeon who did the boy-friend make-up challenge and youngjae with chubby bunny challenge too  ( ex-public sphere trainees ). there are many streams featuring her famous friends who debuted now and some who are public trainees where they are enjoying life even playing pranks on another showing the friendly side of minhee making more approachable. 

fun facts

she is known to have a lot of idol friends who she openly supports on social media, in particular her brosquad which includes ktrookies johnny & aron, and*roma gyeoul, de:code vici, k.arma’s hyuna ( here is squad bbq insta pics 1, 2, 3 ) other than the squad she is friends with k.arma’s yeeun, and*roma younggi & kaeun, luxe yena & ashe, eclipse's ariel, convex’s pryhme, hyun, jace, jinwook, taeyong, royal, sehun, lay & seonghwa. ( basically convex are her little & big brothers ) 

she became a public trainee when samsung commercials were aired yet she was a group with sunmi ( and*roma darae ),  hyuna ( k.arma ) and yul so she wasn’t noticed that much especially when she was wearing waitress outfit too. minhee has expressed how nerve-wracking it was during live stream when someone asked about how she was signed during samsung c&t auditions and literally throw into deep end doing this commercial as she had no experience but she was thankful for that happening as she discovered the love for acting there.

minhee is the girl in the convex music video which every other fangirl wishes to be, she felt so lucky to get that role and all the boys are wonderful to work with. she never said who’s her bias or not in convex as she didn’t want people to assume things.

she attended convex showcase with her big brother dong-wook who’s friends with rome ( minho, ex convex member )  and woohyun ( royal ).  

minhee was known for being cold-hearted through her school years due to rejecting boys who confess to her without a second thought, girls didn’t like her either cause of it. her only friends she had at school was jieun ( npc ), minsoo ( npc ), kangjoon ( vici ) and dahye ( npc ) she was a good student barely got in trouble, her grades were average she wasn’t smartest or dumbest so she had to worked hard to do well.

minhee was center in sphere trainees flower touch opening performance for She’z at the end of year special samsung concert in jeju in 2019. she didn’t felt she deserve such a role as her dancing was only okay back then nothing to sing high praises but on the other hand she felt honoured to be the center for that performance.  

she expressed sadness about CONVEX members leaving since they were her friends and they did trained together however she got into trouble for posting this message on SNS since it caught the attention of the netizens and twisted into making out Sphere isn’t such nice company after all. 

it’s known she’s Hong Jinyoung fangirl and expresses that her jinyoung sunbae hard-working attitude aspires to be just like her she would love to be on a variety show with her since they would be good friends. Minhee also can do impression of her voice too since she adores trot music and it’s fun variety trick of hers. 

she’s very open about doing charity work and the fact she volunteered at dog shelter to overcome her fears of dogs. due to her busy trainee schedule, she wasn’t able to do much charity so when SPHERE did Green Ribbon Running & Busking Festival and she got perform at charitable cause it really made her really happy. Whoever saw that performance could really see Minhee was filled with joy. 

minhee is a host on SAMSUNG STATION SHOW IQs alongside Gahyeon Shiah & Chanyeol who is lucky enough to meet other idols like K.ARMA Kil & Doyeon, BERRY GOOD’s Daye and Sehyung and ECLIPSE Blue & Haseul. networking is important so she likes to befriend them as possible and excited to see who else she will met. [ Note: It will be public information about these people when the episodes are aired nothing earlier ] 

minhee is a friendly person, it has been well-recorded how pleasant she is when meets other people especially fans of her youtube channel. by the fact she got a lot of fancy friends around her made it even more obvious what type of person she is. 

#BEKIND became her brand after samsung c&t commercial since that was the theme of it, she carried that message throughout her social media posts stating how important it supports others rather than stepping over to get where you want in life. 

she can dance to any SHE’Z choreography without thinking since she always performed their songs under sphere and she is a fangirl of their discography. minhee always wanted to debut in a similar concept to her sunbaes. 

in her youtube streams, she always expressed that she suffers from anxiety and stresses it’s completely normal then goes on to explains coping methods she uses. minhee shared that she believed that she is not the best at anything but she is a hard worker so strives to always her best no matter what. She encourages her viewers to chase after their dreams as long they are willing to work hardest and they want it 1001% otherwise there is no point of trying your heart must be in it if they wish to succeed. 

When she goes on stage now, she is more comfortable and confident due to her practice and some experience doing little odd shows at clubs on Sunday evenings. She tends to quite sensual while performing yet throws in cute love hearts during the performance too with a brilliant smile. Minhee wants to embody the meaning of cute & sexy instead of being called cute since she is a grown woman after all.