ATEEZ: ‘ZERO: FEVER Part.3’

Promotional image of Jeong Yunho, Choi San, Kang Yeosang, Kim Hongjoong, Choi Jongho, Jung Wooyoung, and Park Seonghwa. Copyright goes to KQ Entertainment.

Hey! Hallie here!

ATEEZ’s next album was just released! ‘ZERO: FEVER Part.3’ is a really strong entry in this connecting line of albums. Stronger than I expected, and I had very high expectations. There isn’t one weak song on the album. From peppy songs that bring instant serotonin to songs that hit so hard they’ve become some of my new favorites, we have tons to talk about. Especially now that Mingi’s back and all the members are being given plenty of time to show off their incredible skills! Let’s talk about these new songs! (As a warning: Consensus is still out on who sings which part of each song. I’m going by what I see on a few websites and I’m being a little vague, but I could absolutely be wrong about who sings what. I’m only completely confident in what parts I ascribe to Mingi, Hongjoong, and Jongho.)

“Eternal Sunshine”:

This track is an absolute serotonin provider. It definitely has the feeling of a Summer song, despite the fact that Summer’s over. It’s fun beat and smooth chorus instantly put the listener in a good mood. Once again, the lighter register of Yunho blows me away in this song. He switches off parts of the chorus with San, and at times their tones are so similar I forget which verse I’m listening to. Meanwhile, Jongho rightfully takes the last part of the chorus to hit all of us harder with his incredible voice. I love the rap verses in this song. Mingi’s captures the light, lovesick feel of the song while Hongjoong’s picks up the beat a little more and gives us a Peter Pan reference that is absolutely on brand for him. Wooyoung, Yeosang, and Seonghwa are all spaced throughout the song with a little less than the rest, but they all do amazing jobs. Seonghwa’s opening is addictive, as is Wooyoung’s closing, and no one can deny how strong Yeosang comes through during the chanting. It isn’t perfect in showing off all of the members, but it still gives us some excellent moments for all of them and it’ll definitely get stuck in your head.

“Feeling Like I Do”:

This song very much has a similar feel to “Eternal Sunshine”. Right from the beginning, though, it’s faster and softer. There’s almost a whispery sound to the pre-chorus, which is a direct contrast to the energy of the chorus. Instead of the more “lovesick and devoted” feel of the last song, this one’s more of a “lovesick and determined to prove their worth” song. Yunho comes into this song with his deeper register, which definitely adds a satisfying layer to the song. Yeosang adds to this very well on his own and it’s nice to hear him get a lengthier piece of the opening. Our whispery pre-chorus is unsurprisingly provided by San, who’s very good at the soft and seductive sound, while Seonghwa builds up to the chorus with some higher notes that I’m absolutely in love with. Jongho and Wooyoung absolutely kill it during the chorus and neither overshadow the other. The raps in this song are really adorable. Once again, Mingi captures the main themes of the song while Hongjoong’s rap sounds exactly like what you’d expect an adorable crush to sound like. As someone who likes faster, upbeat tracks, this one really grabbed me.

“Deja Vu”:

The title track and my favorite song on the album. There was a competition between “Eternal Sunshine” and “Deja Vu” to see which one would be the title track, but this one absolutely wins for me. It’s not that I don’t enjoy “Eternal Sunshine”, but “Deja Vu” is a different sound for ATEEZ and it works so well. We also have a music video for this one! This music video is so good. Right from the beginning we get to see all of them dressed in formal black and white attire while a storm goes on in the background. It sets the mood for the entire video. In other scenes we get black leather and fluid, mesmerizing dancing. About halfway through we also get to see them hanging around what looks like a junkyard. It all really adds to the darker, badass feel. Plus we get to see Hongjoong in his black suit and fedora! Tying into past music videos, maybe? Yunho is insane in both the song and the music video. He looks incredible and his voice hooks you immediately. Also, can we talk about how much time Yeosang got for this song? Just like Yunho, his voice can get very deep, and I think he uses it even more to his advantage than Yunho does here. Seonghwa and San’s voices once again lend to the more addictive parts of the chorus and pre-chorus. They’re so good at hitting the crazy notes leading up to Jongho. Plus, both of them have perfected that seductive tone I can’t stop listening to. Once again, Jongho’s voice packs a punch during the chorus. His voice is a highlight of every song. Hongjoong messes around with a whispery opening to his rap before going into something more teasing and fun, which was refreshing and amazing. Mingi starts out with something a bit lower and ends it all at a whisper, which pairs with his deep voice so well. Also Mingi singing at the end? Perfection. Can we also talk about the switch between San and Wooyoung? Wooyoung’s voice is perfect, as is that shirt grab. Oof. Everything about this song is perfect. Everything.

“ROCKY”:

This one is a more classic sound for ATEEZ when it comes to their epic hype songs. This song gives off the “we’re the shit” message that ATEEZ has absolutely earned. Hongjoong and Mingi are really active in the song. They both get awesome verses that build it up well, and their contributions continue throughout the entire song to add to its structure. Meanwhile, you get a lot of harmonization from the other members. As usual, Jongho gets his moments to stand out. You also get plenty of really excellent vocals from San, Wooyoung and Seonghwa, and some deeper vocals from Yunho and Yeosang. All of it combines really well and makes for a song that makes you want to get up and kick ass.

“All About You”:

This is another really cute song, although it falls into a slower category than everything we’ve discussed so far. It’s a really heartfelt love song. This song also does a really good job in particular at letting all of the members stand out. Hongjoong and Mingi have some more singsong parts of their verses to add to the feel. Seonghwa’s voice is deeper in this song, which he doesn’t utilize too often, to contrast the lighter voices of Wooyoung and San. Yeosang also plays with a lighter tone that Yunho contrasts with his deeper voice. And Jongho hits some crazy notes that play as sweet and soothing here. I love the sound of this one so much. It’s definitely the most calming on the album.

“Not Too Late”:

Most of the other songs on this album are love songs with the exception of “Rocky”. This one is straight up about depression. I love when artists get candid about these types of feelings all of us have struggled with. Especially when times are as hard as they are now. Seonghwa’s voice really gets deeper on these soothing songs and I appreciate it every time. He seriously has amazing range. Hongjoong and Mingi also keep their verses here more melodic which I always love to hear. Both have amazing singing voices. You won’t find much Yeosang in this song, but his deep voice is appreciated. Yunho’s voice once again reaches the range of Wooyoung and San and the three of them do really well in this range for this song. And Jongho stands out with a few really nice notes, especially towards the end of the song. This is my favorite song in terms of lyrics on this album. I’m a sucker for artists addressing real world problems I can relate to, and I love when ATEEZ does it in particular.

That’s it! We got a bit more of an even amount of the members this time around. Although, I will say that Wooyoung is heard a bit less in this album than he has been in the past. I really don’t want this to be the type of situation where we’re trading off Yeosang’s underutilization for Wooyoung’s. This album is a step in the right direction in sharing the focus, but I think we still have to wait for a day when all of them get equal time. Still, I loved this album. I enjoy listening to all these songs and I will absolutely have them on repeat for the next few days. Especially “Deja Vu”.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

BTS: Happy Namjoon Day!

Photoshoot image of RM (Kim Namjoon). Copyright goes to the Hybe Corporation and BTS.

Hi! It’s Annie!

Obviously, Namjoon’s birthday was something we had to cover. Specifically for me, he is my bias wrecker and he’s actually been wrecking me more and more recently. But more than any of that, he’s our leader, president, and deserving of all our praise and more. Especially because he doesn’t think he does. And ARMY’s behavior yesterday and today for his birthday was, frankly, disappointing. Just a couple weeks ago on Jungkook’s birthday we had several different hashtags trending on Twitter for several days, video ads absolutely everywhere, and several projects running at once. Namjoon’s birthday only trended on Twitter yesterday and was buried under everyone concerning themselves about the maknae line. Namjoon deserves just as much as everyone else without his trends being blocked by our own fandom. (‘Plants for Namjoon’ was an amazing effort though!) So, this will be dedicated to who is possibly the biggest comfort person in my life (both literally and figuratively)! These are some of my favorite comfort moments from Namjoon.

Persona:

One of my favorite performances from Namjoon is in his own personal music video to this song, which I have used to get me through a lot. The promise of giving us all the shoulders when we cry is comforting and Namjoon doesn’t stop there with the comfort. The entire song Namjoon talks about the struggle of figuring out who you are as a person and the way fame has affected that journey for him. But though the song comforts mainly through its relatability, Namjoon never passes up the opportunity to directly comfort as well.

Mono:

This is an entire album made of comfort songs directly from Namjoon. His mixtape is one that I use often for multiple different reasons. I have used some songs for falling asleep such “seoul” and “forever rain”. I use the songs as alarms to wake me up in the morning because they are soft enough to lull me from my slumber without making me annoyed. And I swear these are the firsts songs I’ve found that have been able to do that. This is also an amazing album for if you have bad anxiety or even panic attacks. I don’t think I’ve found an album as soothing as this one before and I doubt any album will ever be like this after. No song is quite as comforting to me as “moonchild”, where he discusses his own struggles and then encourages both himself and his listeners through the song. But “forever rain” is the song that probably calms me down the most. It even begins with soothing rain sounds. Definitely an entire album that will be on my regular playlist forever.

Dionysus:

I know this sounds a little odd for comfort Namjoon moments, but his moments during the choreography for this song in particular are ones that I’ll never get over. Namjoon with the staff gives off the entire feeling of “leader” and I legitimately cried when he walked out with the staff for the 2019 MMAs. Because I couldn’t help but think how powerful our leader looked there. I seriously go back to that moment in the performance all the time. It was too amazing.

Awareness and Diplomacy:

One of the main things that I love about Namjoon is how seriously he takes the leader position. Taking care of the rest of the boys is important to him. So much so that before debut, Namjoon and Jin made a point to discuss together how they were going to take care of the rest of the group. Namjoon is Jin’s comedic partner, Yoongi’s respect, Hobi’s best friend, Jimin’s pillow, Tae’s caretaker, and Jungkook’s big hug. We’ve seen his moments of caring so many times. He’s generally one of the first to notice if a member of the group is hurt and when Jungkook started dancing during his solo song in concert when he should have been sitting, Namjoon was the first to report this to Hobi. Namjoon grabbed an ill Jungkook to remind him not to be too hard on himself. He comforted a crying Taehyung and took equal blame for an argument he wasn’t a part of. He teaches the others English and tries to get each of them heard in any interview they participate in. Namjoon is everything a leader should be. And much of that comes from his natural caring side. If anyone was going to be the leader, the giant teddy bear who’s always there for everyone else was definitely going to be that.

Namjooning:

One of the best parts of Namjoon, is his Namjooning. This was a verb coined by fans to describe Namjoon just doing regular Namjoon things. Usually having to do with nature. Always loved how much Namjoon loves being a plant Dad? Me too! That’s just Namjoon Namjooning. What about him ankle deep in water looking for crabs? Or riding his bicycle along the Han River? Or visiting countless art museums? That’s all Namjoon Namjooning. I recently saw a video of him apologizing to frogs and asking if they were the only ones there while looking for crabs. The video was so cute I just about died. Namjoon’s love for nature and art is unmatched and some of the things he cites as keeping him so down to earth.

No Benefits:

I think we’ve all seen moments of Namjoon in various BTS content when they’re supposed to be taking a break, working instead. This was most prevalent in ‘Bon Voyage’. Namjoon felt bad that the others were driving and cooking, both things that he cannot do well, and took out his frustration by trying to get some work done. And sometimes he doesn’t have a choice but to do the extra work. He talked to Jimin once about how stressed he was to do work during a time where he wished he could be relaxing. Yoongi has said several times that being the leader of BTS comes with no benefits and a lot of extra work. And Namjoon being the main lyricist of the group only adds onto his plate. Namjoon feels immature for not being able to cook or drive, but I think he’s incredibly mature for all the work he has to do instead of those things. How many times have we seen Namjoon leading interviews? And for every single time we’ve seen that we’ve also seen footage of him behind the scenes trying to quiet his nerves. Many people forget that both Yoongi and Namjoon have suffered with anxiety. This man is without a doubt one of the hardest working people in his industry. Not to mention he was given the choice between a solo career and BTS and he chose the group without hesitation.

Bicycle:

This song flew completely under the radar when it came out. And it’s one of my favorites from him. Some of his other soothing songs have a more somber note to them, but this one is more upbeat. It really makes you want to go on a bike ride with Namjoon, whether you know how to ride a bike or not. More people need to listen to this song. Seriously, if you haven’t, go listen to this immediately. It needs more listens because it’s truly a masterpiece and Namjoon deserves for his solo pieces to be heard as much as the rest of them. I swear your life will be better for listening to it.

Namjoon is one of my favorite people on the planet. I’m so glad that we got both “Fake Love” and “Idol” to a billion for his birthday, but actually celebrating his birthday is also important. We need more people to respect Namjoon in the way that he deserves. He does so much for this group and I hope that we all are much better at celebrating his birthday next year than we were this year. Namjoon deserved better than all of us freaking out over other issues and trending other members on his birthday. So let’s look at how amazing and comforting this man is and at least try and give him some of that comfort back. He told us all to use him to learn to love ourselves, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t take him up on that offer. But I hope that myself and other ARMY can eventually be there for him in a similar way. He has been there for us, and we should be there for him too. Our leader. Our comfort. Happy Birthday, Namjoon!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

BTS: ARMY Etiquette for Namjoon’s Birthday

Screenshot of Kim Namjoon (RM) in the “Black Swan” music video. Copyright goes to BTS and the Hybe Corporation.

Hey! Hallie here!

It’s Namjoon’s birthday today! Or tomorrow, depending on which time zone you’re focusing on. Either way, ARMY usually spends both days celebrating BTS birthdays and Namjoon’s is no different. Tomorrow our official happy birthday post is coming, so watch out for that, but today I want to focus on what I’ve seen coming from ARMY on social media today. All the amazing birthday wishes are lovely. I also love that ARMY has been posting pictures of plants as a gift to Namjoon! But I’ve seen a ton of inappropriate behavior and it isn’t exclusively directed at Namjoon either. We want this to be a happy celebration for Namjoon, not a frustrating one. So let’s look at what needs to stop both for Namjoon’s birthday and other BTS events coming up.

Shipping:

Shipping ruins a lot of things. It can make relationships between BTS members awkward, it can start ARMY wars on inopportune days, and it can lead to disturbingly toxic fan behavior. Today the Jimin/Jungkook ship was trending on Twitter because of released behind the scenes footage of BTS. Essentially, Jungkook and Jimin were drinking, Jungkook decided to uncontrollably spin Jimin around, and Jimin bit him to make him stop. The bite wound up on his neck, leading shippers to freak out about the “hickey”. I do understand that some shippers just had a quick laugh about it and moved on, but too many used this opportunity to prove just how bad shippers can be. A large group decided to claim that this was proof that Jungkook and Jimin were dating. They became angry at everyone who told them otherwise and a few of them decided to throw around the term “homophobia” to describe those who denied that Jungkook and Jimin are a couple. Gross. A situation where two friends go out drinking and wind up doing something crazy doesn’t in the least imply that they’re dating. Especially because the closeness between male friends is much different in South Korea than in America. We can’t push American standards onto two men who grew up in a completely different culture. Jungkook and Jimin have also never said they’re dating. They’ve never even said what their sexualities are. That is personal information none of us are entitled to. Because of this, assuming their sexualities, whether that be gay, straight, or anything else, or making guesses at who they’re dating, is inappropriate. And those who do take pleasure in these assumptions too often find themselves trying to force their delusions on real people with real lives. That’s not even mentioning all the shippers that used this situation to over sexualize Jungkook to a disgusting degree or tried to paint Jimin as a more feminine figure. These two are real people. Not your toys. Not your weird fantasies. Real people who deserve your respect. If you can’t respect them and their privacy, you aren’t ARMY. And please stop with these ship wars when we’re trying to celebrate someone’s birthday.

Missing Taehyung:

This has been trending for a while but it’s even more frustrating that it was trending on Namjoon’s birthday. Taehyung has been completely silent on social media for a while now. This isn’t the first time he’s done it, but we wouldn’t be ARMY if we didn’t feel his absence. Some have even been surprised by his continued absence on other member’s birthdays. Quite a few ARMYs are concerned about him and that’s completely fine. We all want the best for Taehyung. But constantly getting this sentiment on trending sends the exact opposite message. In fact, a lot of people seem to have the goal of getting Taehyung back on social media. That isn’t ARMYs decision. We can miss him and hope he’s well, but we should also acknowledge that Taehyung is a busy man and social media can be extremely detrimental to your mental health. If Taehyung feels he needs the time off, that’s his decision. Sometimes I need to take a break from social media too. I’m sure he’s spending lots of time with the BTS members and wishing them happiness on their birthdays in private. I’m sure there will be a time when he comes back. But until then, let’s not bug him. And let’s not center a member who’s been absent in the middle of another member’s birthday. It’s Namjoon’s day! Let’s celebrate him!

NAMJOON!:

I keep bringing every topic back to Namjoon. That’s for a purpose. Namjoon doesn’t get as much attention as members like Jungkook or Jimin on their birthdays. And that sucks. Today isn’t the day to talk about Jungkook and Jimin’s personal lives or about how much you miss Taehyung. We should be focusing on Namjoon. He’s a wonderful leader! He’s inspired so many people! He’s absolutely helped me sort through some of the darker parts of my life. He deserves the praise today. Not all of this other drama I’ve seen many ARMYs putting a focus on. He deserves better than that. All of us should be there to support all of the members when they need us. And for both today and tomorrow in particular, ARMYs should be supporting Namjoon.

So now that we’ve gone over what ARMYs shouldn’t be doing for Namjoon’s birthday, what should ARMYS do? Celebrate, of course! Send Namjoon a positive message. If you do so, please be respectful of his boundaries and be polite! Look up the projects ARMY has started as gifts to Namjoon. If you want to post a picture of a plant you’re taking care of, do so! Plant a tree for Namjoon! Stream his solo work! And if none of these appeal to you, there are plenty more projects you can find to gift Namjoon something great for his birthday. I know this post was more of a downer, but we’ll have more of a celebratory post for his birthday tomorrow. In any case, Happy Birthday Namjoon!

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Comfort Entertainment: Merlin Rewatch

Promotional image of (left) Angel Coulby and (right) Eoin Macken for ‘Merlin’. Copyright goes to BBC.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I did a post on ‘Merlin’ not that long ago, mainly because I am currently rewatching it for the first time in years. In my last post on this show I did a quick introduction and review of some of my favorite characters. But I have to say, some of my opinions actually have changed since I’ve gotten further into the series. Or at least, I’ve gotten a clearer view that I didn’t necessarily have before. I started watching this series when I was pretty young, so I feel as though my opinions on the series change every single time I watch it. There’s always a new character nuance that I discover or a different way that I view a specific situation. So I guess this will be more of a review of the characters than the show itself. And I know some of these are going to be unpopular opinions so just bear with me. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Merlin:

Still one of my favorite characters through the rewatch. But this time I feel like his actions are more understandable. Throughout the series Merlin has to make a series of difficult decisions; mainly on whether or not he should help Morgana, Uther, and Mordred after knowing what they each mean to his destiny. There were several moments the first time I watched this when Merlin going against the advice of Kilhgarrah frustrated me. But Merlin’s compassion is always what prevented him from going against this advice, and he never went against it when it mattered most. With some of the situations I even wondered if things would have been made even worse if Merlin had a lack of compassion in that situation. So, if anything, this rewatch has only made me like Merlin even more than before. And nothing beats Dragoon the Great.

Arthur:

I feel like this is the character who my opinion of has changed the most. In the first season of Merlin, Arthur is a bit of a bully. But more importantly he has a pure heart and treats most of the people around him as equals. This treatment of others doesn’t seem to continue into the following seasons of Merlin. Arthur acts more arrogantly towards Merlin than he does in the first season and often makes selfish decisions. Such as continuously letting Merlin take the fall for things that Arthur does. He often doesn’t listen to Merlin and becomes angry at Merlin’s advice instead, despite how much Merlin has been there for him. This is even more prevalent when Agravaine becomes an advisor to Arthur. What sticks out to me here, is that Arthur never seems to lose his sense of arrogance. Even after he learns not to be so prideful in the unicorn situation. And his continuance of his attack on magic as his rule begins after the death of his father is both not understandable and wholly against what Arthur had promised so many people before in the series. Arthur has his good points, but not as many as I remember. I honestly didn’t like this character all that much while watching this through the second time. And sometimes it’s difficult to see his friendship with Merlin through his dismissal of him and him not knowing who Merlin is. Which is more of a writing issue and a season five issue than an Arthur issue.

Morgana:

I don’t think I have ever really thought that Morgana’s writing was consistent. But her turn to villainy feels even more rushed this time around. Morgana immediately trusts Morgause for some unknown reason, and even reverts back to hating Uther without a real catalyst for it. But when Morgana is good…I still didn’t like her. I remembered liking Morgana at first when I first watched this series. But this time around she never seems to understand the plight of other characters, even when she is good. Her compassion certainly stretches to those in need, but she becomes angry at anyone who can’t immediately do something about any issue. And often times it is Morgana requesting that Arthur do something rather than doing it herself. Morgana’s compassion seems to be choosy even before she is evil.

Gwen:

Another character that I like even more the second time around! I always loved Gwen, but I don’t think I listed Gwen among my very favorite characters before and after this time watching it I have no idea why. I honestly think it’s because her character wasn’t involved in many action scenes, which I still think that she should have been included as a fighter in more than one episode. But Gwen is definitely the heart of the series. She’s not only compassionate but she’s also fiercely intelligent. Some of my favorite episodes of Merlin ended up being episodes where Gwen and Merlin are in league with each other to solve some sort of issue. Unfortunately her amazing personality isn’t focused on as much when she becomes Queen. Part of that is how many times she has to be imprisoned or enchanted by Morgana. But that doesn’t demean Gwen’s character in the rest of the series. Gwen is one of the delights of the show and definitely one of the best characters.

Leon:

Leon gets better and better every time I watch Merlin. From the moment he was introduced, he became one of my favorite characters. Even though Leon was only supposed to be a one-time character in that episode. He shows that he’s one of the only knights that will stick up for himself in front of Arthur. And later he becomes the most trusted knight of Arthur’s and definitely the most loyal. I completely forgot how many badass fight scenes that Leon got to himself. Not to mention the fact that he sticks up for himself in front of more royals than Arthur; like Morgana for example. I’ve always liked Leon, but this rewatch bumped him up to my favorite characters list. Leon is responsible, noble, and an immediate comfort every time he’s on screen. He’s also damn good at sword fighting.

Gwaine:

One of the best parts of Merlin hands down. Not many people in this show serve it to Arthur without caring that he’s a royal. Gwaine treats Arthur like just another guy. But more than that; that is not how he treats Merlin. Gwaine is one of the dearest friends of Merlin. When Arthur shows his friendship to Merlin by tapping him on the shoulder, Gwaine shows his friendship by pulling Merlin into a giant hug. When Arthur won’t believe Merlin, Gwaine will lay down his life to help Merlin instead. Gwaine is a great knight, not only because he’s comedic and fun to watch. He’s great because he never wanted to be a knight and only uses his power for a sense of goodness and compassion. Gwaine never shows too much pride because he never wanted the power to begin with (though he does have a temper). And his continual trust of Merlin at least ensures that Merlin will always have a peer who will trust him and be there for him no matter what. Even on those occasions where Arthur won’t. He also dreamed he was eating a cheese that tasted of apple pie. We’re all missing out.

Lancelot:

This is a character that I like, but he confuses me. He’s not one of my favorites and part of that might be because of lack of frequency of his appearances. But another part of that might be because he isn’t really fleshed out until the episodes right before his death and the episode of his death. Before that he is kind and noble but not much else. But those few episodes that flesh him out show just how good of a friend he is to Merlin. And it also gives him an amazing sense of humor. It’s just a shame that he had to die right as his character was given development. But I like him nonetheless and he deserved so much better.

Elyan and Percival:

Also definitely deserved better. Elyan and Leon are definitely the smartest of the knights and Elyan should have been given more time. He also speaks on behalf of the knights more than I remembered. I love Elyan every time he’s on screen. I just wish we would have gotten more of him. Percival is similar, though at least he isn’t killed off brutally. And can we talk about that scene with the kids? Percival is such a teddy bear. Also, his friendship with Gwaine is one of the best in the series.

There are plenty of other characters in Merlin, but these are the ones that I had the most opinions about when rewatching this. Obviously, Gaius and Kilgharrah are just as great as they always are. But I was surprised at how much I loved some of the characters more than I had, and also how much I disliked Arthur. And while I don’t hate him, I almost wish he would have been a character more like Leon. Leon is a great example for me of what I wish Arthur could have been. And maybe he would have been more like that if the series had been given more time. But even so, there are plenty of other characters to love and I always love my rewatches of this amazing show.

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

BTS: News Update

Promotional image of Min Yoongi (Suga), Kim Taehyung (V), Jeon Jungkook, Kim Namjoon (RM), Park Jimin, Kim Seokjin (Jin), and Jung Hoseok (J-Hope) at the 2019 ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’. Copyright goes to BTS and the Hybe Corporation.

Hey! Hallie here!

Within just the last couple of days we’ve gotten tons of BTS content worth discussing. They’ve been blowing up social media in the best way possible. It feels like the members get more impressive every time we see them. Although, I did see one piece of very important information slide under the radar. Or rather, under Twitter’s trending list. So with all of the new footage to watch over and over again, and all of the important news we still have to keep an ear out for, let’s get into this!

Seoul Travel Promo:

BTS, as part of their position as honorary tourism ambassadors for South Korea, released a video for this year’s promotional efforts. The promotional content will continue throughout the entire month of September and all of it seems to be going under the name “Eo-Gi-Young-Cha” which is an expression shouted in unison to give each other strength. This sentiment is meant to support everyone struggling under the effects of the pandemic. Amongst the content is behind the scenes footage for the official video and other extras featuring BTS. We’ll have to wait for those, however. What we do have, is the official video and all of the amazing shots of BTS that came with it. Throughout the video we see all of the members chant the name of the project dressed in gorgeous outfits. From Taehyung and Namjoon we can see simpler and more classic suits, Namjoon’s with tighter black pants and a more fitted jacket whereas Taehyung’s brown suit lays looser. Yoongi’s suit has some added character with large flower designs decorating the bottom half of his jacket and sleeves. Jimin and Hoseok have matching blue feather designs, Hoseok’s taking up his entire suit design whereas Jimin matches his pants with a black, loosely fitting shirt and connecting scarf. Jungkook’s suit has beautiful gold detailing and a striking red undershirt and Jin is dressed in a blue robe that gorgeously accentuates his movements. There’s a traditional feel to all of these outfits that very much reflects the traditional places advertised in the video. Between all of the individual shots of BTS, and an epic few seconds of Jungkook playing some traditional drums, we see others walking around famous places in Seoul and joining in on the chant. It definitely succeeds in making me want to go. Though maybe not during the pandemic. In any case, I really love the message of togetherness this video sends to every viewer.

Megan Thee Stallion “Butter” Remix Dance:

This is probably my favorite thing I’m talking about in this post. It’s always a pleasure to watch J-Hope, Jimin, and Jungkook dance. But having just the three of them do an insanely intense and impressive dance to one of the best collaborations BTS has ever done? Perfection. This video feels very casual. They’re dancing in their studio and they move so fluidly that they make the dance look easy. But the quick pace of every single move betrays how difficult it is and makes it addictive to watch. I love how they incorporated moves that not only show how well they move in sync but also how well they move as extensions of one another. Other things worth pointing out are J-Hope’s unnaturally flexible ankles and how adorable all of them looked sticking their tongues out. Just go watch this one. Right now.

BTS Interview With Chris Martin:

Just around an hour ago as I’m writing this, BTS released a reaction to the “Permission to Dance” challenge that’s been going on for the past few weeks. In between the group viewing select entries from the challenge, they were interviewed by Chris Martin of Coldplay fame! It was impressive enough that they got Chris Martin to agree to let them cover “Fix You”. He’s famously protective of his work. But now he’s interviewing them as well! It shows the power of BTS’s message that even the cautious want to join in to support them. In the video the members watched videos from all over the world, including a dancing video by two Russians who made their crazy reflective costumes themselves, and a video made by a blind woman and a deaf woman who spoke about what the song meant to them. They also answered questions about what it felt like to have such a huge cultural impact and how seeing the challenge videos effected them. They were humble as always and frequently managed to turn the conversation back to praising ARMY. There was even a cute moment where Namjoon and Chris Martin got into a bit of a complement war. It wasn’t as natural as most interviews are, but it was still very enjoyable.

BTS’s Military Service:

This is less fun news but still important to talk about. Yesterday was supposed to be the day that BTS’s military service was discussed by the National Defense Commission. They were even supposed to come to a final decision. As most probably know considering how little everyone has been talking about this, there was no decision announced. Evidently the National Defense Commission didn’t get to this matter as discussions for other matters of more importance went longer than expected. The discussion of BTS’s military service is now expected to happen later in the year. I’ve seen a lot of people comment on this subject. Antis have yelled about how unfair it would be if BTS didn’t serve. ARMYs have yelled about how unfair it would be if BTS had to serve. What I will say here is, this isn’t a matter of a K-Pop group getting exemptions. This is a matter of a K-Pop group who contributes to a large portion of South Korea’s economy and now represents South Korea officially as Presidential Envoys, getting exemptions. This will not, and can not, apply to every K-Pop group if it’s enacted. But I’m not from South Korea, so my say on this matter isn’t important. Either way, ARMY should keep their eye out for more information and support the members regardless of what happens.

This is only the news from the last few days. It feels like we’re always getting more BTS content and I love all of it! I enjoy talking about BTS and they definitely gave me tons to talk about this week. Sometimes it feels like the more serious news surrounding BTS can be overwhelming, but they always come out with wholesome and entertaining content to balance it out. They’ve made the entire pandemic better and I’m grateful that they continue to spread so much positivity.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Theme Parks: Oogie Boogie Bash

Professional image of the ‘Oogie Boogie Bash’ overlay to California Adventure’s exterior. Copyright goes to Disney, Disney Parks, and professional reviewer photographers..

Hi! It’s Annie!

I feel like most will either think that it’s too early to talk about this or too late to talk about it. After all, it’s only September and the tickets for this event have already long sold out. But, right before quarantine hit, I actually was able to attend this event. Just the once of course and I’m not planning on going back this year. Personally, I am still extremely wary of large events. Especially ones that sell out completely, such as this one. But I did still want to talk about it because there was a lot that I loved about it when I went. People are well aware at this point that this involves trick or treating in a more safe environment than what you could usually find and special interactions with characters. But there’s even more to it than that and even more details to talk about. So I’m going to talk about my own experiences with the event and some of my favorite parts of it!

Character Meet and Greets:

A lot of people expect character meet and greets to mostly happen with villains at these types of events, but that’s something that unfortunately doesn’t happen much anymore. The lines for villains, especially if they are rare characters, became so unmanageable that Disney decided on an alternative for the regular meet and greets. I’ll get back to that later, because this is about the characters that you can actually meet. Or at least, the characters that were available to meet. If you are a video game fan, specifically a fan of ‘Kingdom Hearts’, I’m sure you’ll love this one. At one station, that probably has the longest line of any character meet and greet, you can meet ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Goofy and Donald who switch shifts throughout the night. I personally met Goofy, which is exactly what I wanted. Goofy is one of my favorite Disney characters. And Goofy’s shield does not prevent him from giving you giant warm hugs. You can also spot rare characters such as Baloo in his ‘Talespin’ outfit. I will say, that actual meets are not part of this year’s Bash. You can see the characters but you can’t actually approach them as you were able to before.

Trick or Treat Trails:

This is one of the highlights of the night, so this was a must do. Because these trails are not only about candy. Each trail is themed after a popular Disney Halloween character or Disney villain. And that means that each villain is present at their own trail on a themed stage, where they are talking to guests below. The major villains are all present, such as the Evil Queen and Maleficent. But you also have ones you don’t usually see. My sister and I had an entire conversation with Dr. Facilier that made my night and Ooogie Boogie with his giant gambling wheel is an event in itself. But quite possibly my favorite trail was the Mad Hatter’s from Tim Burton’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The Mad Hatter sat elegantly at a tea table, often babbling cheerfully. But every once in a while, his tone and demeanor would darken completely and he would begin talking in a Scottish accent while only speaking in riddles, truly taken over by his madness. I’m a giant ‘Alice in Wonderland’ fan, so I absolutely loved this unexpected addition. Either way, you’ll find more treats than just candy on these trails.

Rides and Events:

Most of the rides remain open for the time that you’re there and there are plenty of shows for you to watch as well. The last year this event took place the parade was the ‘Boo to You!’ parade, which I am very familiar with. So I skipped it. I had other priorities, so I can’t say I am very familiar with the events at this Bash specifically. But I know the parade this year will be the ‘Frightfully Fun Parade’, and there are sure to be differences! Though the addition of Disney villains and ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ characters will definitely still be part of the show. Most of the rides stay the way they are, with a couple exceptions. Namely, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout’ becomes a ‘Monsters After Dark’ version of the ride. It’s a more silent (though there’s still a fun song) and a more thrilling version of the ride. I would say that this overlay for Halloween is just as good as ‘Ghost Galaxy’ is as an overlay on ‘Space Mountain’. While most of the other rides remain the same, you have the added thrill of riding all of them at night.

Villain’s Grove:

This was my favorite part of ‘Oogie Boogie Bash’. In the redwood area of ‘California Adventure’, there is walkthrough attraction for the Bash. It has been completely remade to be the ‘Villain’s Grove’. It’s still family friendly but slightly creepy all the same. But more than that, it is wonderfully immersive. The trail begins with a walk through dimly lit candles, and the reflection of stained glass on the ground. As you make your way through this you hear the unmistakeable whispers of “guilty”. An amazing start to the grove and an amazing nod to Judge Claude Frollo. Throughout the grove you find more nods to villains. Some of my favorites included the vibrantly lit garden that reflected the tastes of the Queen of Hearts. This also included the eerily disappearing smile of the Cheshire Cat. The green lit stone reflecting hyenas marching to an instrumental of ‘Be Prepared’ for Scar was also another favorite of mine. If you pay attention you may be able to spot some of Dr Facilier’s “friends”. But the in between for these sections is also amazing. In between each of these sections is star lighting with small whispers, and only after watching this for a while will you be able to realize that among the stars are the whisps from the Pixar movie “Brave”, guiding you to your fate. The immersive nature of this attraction is really what made it a stand out for me.

While I’m not going to recommend going to this now (I’m certainly not) maybe it would be something to look forward to in the future. The detail that went into this event is amazing and beyond what I originally expected. Especially ‘Villain’s Grove’ which I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I ended up liking it. And recalling these events is getting me more into the Fall spirit. So happy Fall everyone!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

K-Pop: China’s Ban

Promotional photo of Park Jimin for “Butter”. Copyright goes to BTS and the Hybe Corporation.

Hey! Hallie here!

I’m not usually one to talk about politics or world news on this blog. That isn’t really what this blog is for. But China’s recent decision to ban “pretty boys” is definitely worth talking about, both because of K-Pop and because of K-Dramas and C-Dramas. This ban has the potential to influence quite a bit of the things we talk about on this blog, though not in the ways some people are theorizing. Also of note here, we don’t know exactly what things are going to change or how they’re going to change. A ban on “pretty boys” doesn’t offer much specificity, especially when it’s evidently up to the president to decide what’s “pretty”. But let’s look at what actually has been said about the ban so far.

BTS and Idol Groups:

This is the main thing most news pages are focusing on. The ban on “pretty boys” is absolutely partly targeted at K-Pop and we already have proof of that. Idol shows, most of which come from Korea, are being banned in China. And one of their first specific crackdowns was on BTS. Or more specifically, a Jimin fan page. Fans of Jimin were raising money to get him a birthday present, his image on a plane, when the page was taken down by the Chinese government. That’s proof enough that BTS isn’t welcome in Chinese media. Some have speculated on the impact this will have on BTS themselves, but it’s not likely it will have much of an impact on them at all. BTS hasn’t performed in China or done any major promotional content in or for China. Who it will affect is ARMY in China, who will now have to be unfairly careful about expressing their love for BTS. It can be expected other K-Pop groups will be targeted as well and some of them may not have the luxury of being as lightly affected. How groups like NCT will be affected (NCT famously has members from various places including China,) is unclear at the moment. Is this just a matter of banning them from Chinese media? Or will China pull full support from the members? And will China make some exceptions based off of monetary gain? All uncertain. Frighteningly uncertain. Just as uncertain as how China will deal with their own idol groups who fall under the “pretty boy” description. As of now the only idol groups they’re promoting are groups that fit the new beauty standard being enforced. Groups with facial hair and bigger builds. This seems like it might lead to the phasing out of their own idol groups, but then again, these groups make them money. So we don’t know much about what’s going to happen here at this point.

K-Dramas and C-Dramas:

Various areas of media are already being affected. I already mentioned the ban on idol shows and even social media influencers who are deemed too “pretty” are being banned from mentions in larger forms of media or threatened with entire account takedowns. Additionally, the president noted that he wanted a return to “traditional” shows. That probably means a bigger crackdown on K-Dramas overall. Especially K-Dramas starring lead male actors considered to be too “pretty”. But it also might affect C-Dramas as well. There’s no telling whether or not actors in China are going to be affected by the “pretty boy” ban, but there’s a clear attack on feminine traits seen in men happening here. Which may affect shows that have become increasingly more popular, like “The Untamed”. “The Untamed” and shows like it are screen adaptations of LGBTQ+ centered stories that try to skirt around the Chinese censorship laws as much as possible. This ban may have made these shows even more difficult to make. Considering the fact that the men hired for these roles are definitely not of the more “masculine” beauty standards China is trying to push right now, that alone could be a danger. Also, the fact that these LGBTQ+ themes are already challenging China’s ideas on masculinity could make the whole thing even worse. But internationally, shows like “The Untamed” are getting some of the most attention of the media coming from China. With the money they get from these shows I have to ask again, will monetary reasons keep them from completely banning things like this?

Toxic Masculinity:

Now we’re onto what this entire ban is really enforcing. Toxic masculinity. The phrasing of “pretty boys”, which apparently was even more insulting in its original language, already blatantly states an effort to attack feminine traits in men. But the government’s insistence to only push musical groups and stars with facial hair and bigger builds only further proves it. To be clear, everyone has both feminine and masculine traits. And everyone should be allowed to embrace these things. This new ban on all things that allow men to express themselves in this way is textbook toxic masculinity. And it will result in brutal bullying and hardships for many people. Especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, who already experience unfair hatred and violence due to their connections to more feminine traits. This has the potential to be more horrifying to everyday people than a lot of people seem to be considering.

So what does all of this mean? As I said, we don’t know. We know they’re going to crack down largely on things from countries like Korea and Japan, but we don’t know exactly what they’re going to do with content that comes from China itself. We also don’t know exactly what they can enforce. It seems to me that this is an effort made by the Chinese President to fit himself into the beauty standard. He’s basically banning conventionally attractive men from appearing too often in the media, which makes it hard to imagine that this type of thing could come from anywhere but jealousy. There’s even word that conventionally attractive men by American standards, like those with abs and muscular builds, might also get a ban. But there’s also a clear sign of homophobia in there too. It’s just another reminder that China is a communist country. There isn’t reason to worry about BTS here, but there is most definitely reason to worry about Chinese fans and men who don’t know what this ban is going to mean for them.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie.

BTS: The ‘Run’ and ‘I Need U’ Story

Screenshot of Jung Hoseok (J-Hope) and Park Jimin in the ‘Run’ music video. Copyright goes to the Hybe Corporation and BTS.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I’ve talked quite a bit recently about ‘Youth’ and the way that music videos such as ‘I Need U’ and ‘Run’ will be used for reference to the story being told. But, if you actually look at the two videos, they feel very connected. There are similar themes that run throughout both, almost to the point where it feels like ‘Run’ was made to be a prequel of ‘I Need U’. And though we have no idea if ‘Youth’ will ever even air at this point, I think it’s worth looking back at this storyline. Because very few artists spend time on a story the way BTS does and the themes in these stories are pretty deep. And rather dark. I don’t think I necessarily need a spoiler warning for this, but I’ll definitely need a TRIGGER WARNING to talk about ‘I Need U’ specifically. Considering how the usage of some of these themes has become more controversial and rightly more monitored to be more helpful, I can only assume that the television show would not end as sadly as ‘I Need U’. Especially with the current BTS brand. But I think some of that stuff still should be mentioned. If you are currently unable to handle those themes, reconsider reading further and definitely don’t watch the ‘I Need U’ MV. Trust me, I’ve been there and triggering yourself isn’t worth it. I’m going to go through everyone’s story individually in fan chant order. So let’s go through this!

Namjoon:

Namjoon is depicted to be poor enough to be working shabby jobs in both music videos. But there is a discrepancy in the way that he’s portrayed. For one, the actions of all the boys when they are together seem much more reckless in the ‘Run’ music video. But that aside, Namjoon is shown in ‘I Need U’ to be bored as he’s working a fairly usual gas station job. But nothing much more is seen of Namjoon in that particular music video. Other than a couple of singular shots with Taehyung. And that’s what we see more of in ‘Run’. In this particular MV, Namjoon seems to be portrayed as some sort of delinquent whose best friend is Taehyung. Namjoon hides with Tae as they are being chased by the cops, also runs away with him, and smiles at him as they’re both being arrested. Because the story for ‘Youth’ is pretty particular about mentioning that Yoongi and Jungkook are friends, I completely forgot about the different configurations we might see. Because there are actually a few who are portrayed as best friends that we might see more of if ‘Youth’ ever comes out. Namjoon smiling at Tae when they are arrested does make me think that they did something more enjoyable, like graffiti. But the crime theme only goes forward with Tae.

Jin:

A commonality between the two music videos for Jin is that he always seems to be portrayed alone in more singular shots. He’s the member who’s always portrayed with the group but is not really portrayed singularly with anyone else. In a way, Jin seems like the overseer. When the newest BTS game tackled the ‘I Need U’ storyline, that’s exactly what Jin was. The role of the overseer has been tackled many times (such as in Monsta X’s music video for ‘Dramarama’ where it was usually either Minhyuk or Hyungwon) and especially in time travel kinds of story lines. In the game Jin actually does time travel. I’m doubtful that would be part of ‘Youth’ though. But in both music videos the role of Jin does seem a little eery. He often stares at other members as if he knows what’s about to happen to them. And in the ‘Run’ MV he’s also the one who always drives the get away car. Either way, Jin’s the caretaker of the group and his knowledge seems to exceed anyone else’s. He’s always portrayed as the one who’s the most capable and the one with the most agency.

Yoongi:

By far, Yoongi and Tae are the ones who come off as the most delinquent-like. Yoongi consistently messes with dangerous things in both music videos. And in both it is clear that this character is in a lot of pain. But the other standout of his character is his bond with Jungkook. In ‘I Need U’, Yoongi spends most of the time in bed at home until the end of the video when he sets the house he’s in on fire. We see a couple of shots of him and Jungkook in this one, but mostly when they’re in group shots. Though the best friendship still seems to track here. In ‘Run’ this friendship is even more prominent. We see several shots of just the two of them. And then we see a longer scene between only them where it’s clear that Yoongi is very upset. Jungkook tries to hold him back and he swings at everything in the room, including Jungkook. He even throws things around. We don’t know why he’s doing this, but we can see how upset it makes Jungkook. And in the group shots, Yoongi is portrayed as one of the most reckless presences there. He is not portrayed as a caretaker for the group in any form.

Hoseok:

Hobi’s story is one of the most disturbing of all of them. Which is odd considering this role is played by our hope, J-Hope. In the ‘I Need You’ MV, Hobi’s struggle with his mental health is what his entire arc is about. There isn’t really any action shots with him unless it’s a group shot. Everything else depicts Hobi in a state I really never want to see him in again. Though I think that can be said for literally all of them. ‘I Need U’ depicts the deaths of many of the members of BTS, and Hobi’s death is one of them. Just as a refresher; Jungkook, Jin, Tae, and Namjoon all survive ‘I Need U’ while Hobi, Jimin, and Yoongi do not seem to. And the deaths are caused by themselves. Which is why I’m not being too descriptive. In ‘Run’, Hobi is often depicted in some sort of hospital. Which could be why he is struggling so much in ‘I Need U’. In most of the group shots Hobi is depicted with Jimin. Jimin and Hobi are constantly together. They fall down together during a pillow fight and Hobi lays on Jimin’s lap in another scene. In a separate scene we see Jimin visit Hobi in this hospital, and the feeling of this is much more somber. But through each, it’s clear that Hobi is ill in some way.

Jimin:

Jimin’s best friend Hobi isn’t doing well, and in these music videos neither is Jimin. Jimin is the first to greet many of the boys as they enter parties, he’s often depicted with the biggest smile on his face (though it sometimes looks mischievous), and it’s clear that he likes to have fun. And I guess it’s the fact that Jimin always has so much fun with his friends that causes him to struggle so much when he does. Jimin’s sadness in ‘Run’ comes from Hobi’s sadness and struggles. In an after credits scene for ‘Run’, we see Jimin sadly holding a Polaroid picture of his friend group and burning it. This is actually the image that directly ties ‘Run’ to ‘I Need U’. In ‘Run’, Jimin is shoved into a bathtub by the rest of the boys in a party scene where he’s shown laughing. In ‘I Need U’ Jimin sits fully clothed in what appears to be the same bathtub; reminiscing on his friends and appearing to become more and more depressed as he does so. It’s not actually fully clear if Jimin does die, but that implication feels there. It feels as though Jimin’s story line comes last; as if all of the other bad things have already happened.

Taehyung:

This is where the story gets a little bit more complicated. And that’s mostly because of Tae’s singular shots in ‘Run’. Throughout this I’ve been treating it as though ‘Run’ comes before ‘I Need U’ story wise, but Tae appears to be drowning in his singular shots for ‘Run’. I think I’m going to take this as more of a figurative message than a literal one. In ‘Run’, Tae dresses in dark colors and appears to commit several crimes. Some of them with Namjoon. He and Namjoon get arrested. This illegality continues in ‘I Need U’ when we see that Tae doesn’t look like he’s doing the most savory of activities. He visits Namjoon at the gas station at some point, and we also know he goes home to see what some assume to be his parents having an argument. ‘Youth’ says that Tae comes from an abusive household, which would confirm this theory. And we end this story in ‘I Need U’ with him killing his father in defense of his mother who his father was hitting at the beginning of the scene. The one crime that Tae doesn’t seem to have had a choice in committing.

Jungkook:

Jungkook spends a lot of his time getting beat up. And I mean a lot. When we see Jungkook in ‘Run’ he’s getting attacked by Yoongi. We don’t see much of Jungkook singularly in that one. Instead we see him launch himself at Yoongi and try to hold him back, which prompts Yoongi to punch him. Jungkook doesn’t take that lying down because he also punches Yoongi, who only seems to find Jungkook’s efforts amusing. In ‘I Need U’ we see Jungkook alone. This time he’s in an alley surrounded by several figures in black. And they are also severely beating up Jungkook. There have been a few theories about a fall out between Yoongi and Jungkook causing Jungkook’s turn to crime and Yoongi’s loneliness followed by his death in ‘I Need U’. Either way, their close friendship seems to be one of the closest and also one of the most explosive of the best friendships these music videos explore. And if the storyline in ‘Youth’ is to be believed; Jungkook is all Yoongi has left after the death of his mother. So the theories might not be too far off.

It can honestly be a little difficult for me to talk about these particular music videos sometimes. They deal with extremely dark content and it’s difficult to see anyone, never mind our boys, portraying these scenarios. As I’ve said several times, it’s difficult to imagine that ‘Youth’ would go with all the original plot points and the original dark theme. The summary for the show even has a more positive edge to it, by saying that the boys use each other to get through their struggles. It already sounds like a light at the end of the tunnel. But, if they are going with these themes, these depictions definitely need to be handled with more care now that our understanding of mental health has improved since these music videos originally came out. I don’t mind them dealing with these themes as long as they deal with them in a helpful and heavily researched manner. Dark themes aside, it was nice to brush up on the friendship aspects of these videos. I think we might be able to look forward to a Hoseok and Jimin pairing and a Namjoon and Taehyung pairing as well as the Jungkook and Yoongi pairing. And hopefully we’ll be able to see Jin taking care of all of them in the mix as well. While I would appreciate if they are more careful with some of the theming, I definitely don’t want them to change those dynamics if possible. But I guess we’ll just have to see when or if ‘Youth’ comes out!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie

Halloween: “Shia LaBeouf”

Screenshot of one of the interpretive dancers lead by Stacy Tookey from the “Shia LaBeouf” music video. All rights go to Rob Cantor.

Hey! Hallie here!

I know it isn’t Halloween yet, but none of us can REALLY say we aren’t already halfway into Halloween. Once Fall hits it’s all anyone can talk about. As for this early Halloween post, I felt it was only fitting to follow up a post praising an incredibly heartfelt performance from Shia LaBeouf with a post praising a song about killing hermit/cannibal Shia LaBeouf. You know. Wholesome content. Before I get into all the nuances in a music video where dancers wear disturbing Shia LaBeouf heads that took eighty hours to assemble, I want to talk about the unmistakable talent that went into this song. Rob Cantor is truly a genius and he created a timeless classic. I won’t be taking any criticisms at this time.

Background:

It only took Rob Cantor hearing a friend of his ominously whisper “Shia LaBeouf” likely too many times for him to decide it would make a good comedic horror song. After a year of releasing the song, Cantor decided to extend it and shoot an entire music video for it only about a week before Halloween. You thought this post was labeled ‘Halloween’ only because of how frightening Shia LaBeouf is? You thought wrong. Among those who worked on this extended song and its artistically sophisticated music video were the Argus Quartet, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir. Those poor kids. The symphonic arrangement was done by Greg Nicolett, who had the idea for the string quartet used in the song. As for the dancing, Stacy Tookey choreographed the piece and began rehearsals only three days before the music video was shot. The aerialists had only two days of rehearsal. And all of them were directed by Cantor’s friend Scott Ulfhelder. I’m realizing now that if you’ve never seen this video it sounds like I’m joking. I’m not. Nor am I joking about the fact that Shia LaBeouf agreed to cameo in the video only two days after he was sent an email. Apparently he was a fan of the song when the original 2013 version was released. I’m not sure if that makes me more uncomfortable or amused. Probably both. Onto the video!

The MV:

This video starts out with Rob Cantor center stage in the dark, setting the scene for us viewers. And if you weren’t tipped off by the fact that the song is called “Shia LaBeouf”, thankfully various other people whisper Shia LaBeouf’s name ominously until you get the picture. You, the viewer, are the main character who is lost in the woods after your car and phone conveniently go down at the same time. Rob Cantor informs you that there’s no one around in this forest, but Rob Cantor can’t be trusted. And neither can Shia LaBeouf, who stalks you from thirty feet away for maybe two seconds before deciding it isn’t worth his time. At which point he sprints at you on all fours. We’re not even a minute into this song and it’s already going to give me nightmares. At this point the string quartet picks up and you could almost lose yourself in how pretty it sounds if not for the fact that Rob Cantor is explaining how much blood Shia LaBeouf is covered in. Finally the lights come up and we get some dancers! It’s definitely a contemporary/ballet style. My favorite part is when the two dancers act out Shia LaBeouf stabbing you with a knife. Beautiful. Meanwhile the choir in the back sing about Shia LaBeouf living in the woods and killing for sport with straight faces. Give them all Oscars. They finish up with describing Shia LaBeouf’s cannibalism meanwhile one of the dancers mimes biting the other one’s leg. I’m suddenly reminded of all the times someone tried to convince the general public that cannibalism is too stigmatized. The dancers make me want to disagree.

In comes the Children’s Choir! You can’t have a creepy song without at least one kid! At this point the audience has escaped from Shia LaBeouf. It’s not clear how but be grateful! You got out unscathed! Some of the dancers mimic creeping through the woods while Rob Cantor describes your dire situation. You see a cottage in the distance, which might be helpful, but then you manage to do more harm to yourself than Shia does in the entire song. You get your leg caught in a bear trap. Good job. While you gnaw off your leg, one of the kids in the Children’s Choir gets up to repeat the word “quiet” a bunch of times. His wide, unblinking eyes really sell it. A true star. You somehow manage to hobble to the cottage but, unsurprisingly, it’s Shia LaBeouf’s cottage. He has to live somewhere, right? For some reason Shia LaBeouf has decided you aren’t worth it anymore because he’s completely vulnerable. He’s sharpening an axe, sure, but he doesn’t even hear you come in. It’s just the perfect sort of situation to start strangling him. And then, my favorite performers arrive. The shirtless dancers with the Shia LaBeouf heads! The way the dancers move these giant heads is so mesmerizing it’s easy to miss the fact that you’re in a deadly fight with Shia LaBeouf. But don’t worry! One of the guys in the choir sings “stab him in his kidneys” with such feeling that you can’t help but come back to the story. So you stabbed Shia LaBeouf and you’re safe. But wait! Shia surprise! He’s alive. The aerialists come down for an epic final showdown where the choir reveals you can do Jiu Jitsu! I swear I couldn’t do it before I listened to this song but evidently I can now! So you bodyslam Shia LaBeouf with your amazing Jiu Jitsu skills and finally manage to cut his head off with an axe. To accentuate your victory, glitter comes down from the ceiling and the words “Shia LaBeouf” flash across the stage.

So where’s the Shia LaBeouf cameo? It’s left for last. So I’ll leave it for last here too. All the performers have done their bit. The string quartet has played beautifully. The dancers and aerialists have amazed with their skills. The various choirs have sold the urgency of the situation. Even Rob Cantor has given it his all. And in the back of the theater Shia LaBeouf rises from his seat and begins violently clapping. They’ve pleased him. For now. I swear, one of these days I’m going to prank my friends with a D&D one-shot that is just this song exactly. I’m evil like that. I’ll be back to write more Halloween things in a month, but for those of you who are already in the spirit, this is what I offer you. A long post about a meme song that came out seven years ago. Enjoy.

Don’t do anything fun until I get back!

Hallie

Comfort Entertainment: Merlin

Promotional image of (left) Colin Morgan and (right) Bradley James. Copyright goes to BBC.

Hi! It’s Annie!

I have no idea why I haven’t talked about this show on the blog yet. BBC’s ‘Merlin’ is one of my favorite shows of all time if not my favorite. This show has so much heart and completely feeds all of my medieval fantasy dreams while keeping a certain wholesomeness to it. Well, up until the last couple seasons. But the first three (and some of four) seasons of this show are without a doubt some of the best television you will ever see. And if you’re scared, for obvious reasons, that the show might be too inappropriate for younger viewers, don’t be. Though some of the episodes might be scary for younger viewers, largely this show is pretty family friendly. And I guarantee you the show will draw you in from the opening music. But my absolute favorite part of this show are the characters. So, I’m going to go over some of my favorite characters and the very different way they are portrayed in this show in comparison to the original legends of King Arthur. There are SPOILERS for the show below, but only for if you are not familiar with the original tales of King Arthur. If you are, you were probably expecting these spoilers to be in the show in the first place.

Merlin:

Merlin in most adaptations of the legends of King Arthur is portrayed as a wizened old man with a beard miles long and years of experience already under his belt. Merlin, who is the main character of this portrayal, begins the series as nothing but a young man who doesn’t know how to control his powers. Everyone around him knows that he has the potential to be something great, but you know as an audience member that he still has so much to learn. Merlin is quite possibly the most sassy and sarcastic character on the show despite his adorable appearance and attitude. It’s his smart mouth and bravery to stand up to Arthur that gains (the equally as young) Arthur’s respect. In the end, this is a show not only about Merlin learning to master his powers. This show is fundamentally about the relationship between Merlin and Arthur. A relationship that begins as hatred peppered with respect, to a start of a friendship, to a bond stronger than anything else in the show. And to top off all of this, Camelot in this version has outlawed magic. So Merlin has to hide his magic from everyone, including Arthur. Despite the fact that he often has to use magic to help Arthur. This complicated mess makes for an amazing show, and a twist on the legends that is different enough that you can be sure you’ve never seen anything like it. No matter how many adaptations of Arthurian legend you’ve watched before this.

Arthur:

Arthur is just as young as Merlin starting out, but his journey is rather different. While Merlin learns to become wiser in knowledge and in his powers, Arthur must become wise in a different way. Arthur starts the show as a bully who delights in picking on servants and whose ego is unmatched. Though through this you can see the glimmer of respect he has for the people around him. Throughout the series his capacity for respect and kindness grows until he becomes the kind and noble leader Arthur is well acclaimed to be. Much of his journey to learning to respect anyone despite their position comes from his relationship with Merlin. Merlin is the manservant to Arthur and over time Arthur sees Merlin as less of a manservant and more like an advisor, confidante, friend, and his closest companion. Arthur is discovered, as the series goes on, to be one of the kindest presences in the show. Just like Merlin, Arthur differs from the legend by starting out much younger and less experienced.

Gwen:

Another one of the most changed from the original legends. Gwen is actually Guinevere, the famous Queen of Camelot. But in this she, like Merlin, starts out as a servant. Gwen’s innocence, kindness, and bravery makes her stand out from the rest. She’s often one of the only ones, along with Merlin, who will stand up to Arthur’s ego. This is also one of the only portrayals you’ll see of this character played by a Black woman. Which we need to see so much more of. Though many would argue that her connection with Arthur is not as strong as Merlin’s (which they’re right), that doesn’t make Gwen unlikeable or a useless character. She’s often the heart of the show and one of the warmest and smartest presences in it. Gwen is integral and a lovely character I fall in love with more every time I rewatch the show.

Morgana:

Morgana, if you know anything about the legends of King Arthur, is one of the two major villains. And while this show does eventually get to her villainy, Morgana definitely doesn’t start out that way. Just like everyone else, she too starts out much younger than she is depicted in the legends. Not only that, she is the ward of King Uther and often treated as a kind of princess with that. But her compassion at the beginning causes her to constantly clash with the evil Uther and it is this that eventually blinds her to everything else. Seeing her compassion fall into a blind hatred is a dramatic plot change. And maybe this show doesn’t handle this particular story arc the best; but you’ll go from loving Morgana to absolutely hating her. Which is a feat in itself.

Gwaine:

There are many knights depicted in this show. And many would automatically assume that Lancelot is probably the best. But even growing up, for me my favorite knight was always Gwaine. Gawaine and the Green Knight is a popular story from legend, and one that recently has gotten even more popular. But Gwaine in this show is my favorite I’ve ever seen him portrayed. Have you ever wanted to see a rogue commoner become a knight after being one of the smoothest and funniest characters in the show? Then here’s Gwaine! Who is also very attractive because he’s played by the amazing Eoin Macken. If there’s any character that’s bound to make you laugh in this show, it’s Gwaine. I had a real problem the first time I watched ‘Merlin’, because he almost became my favorite character after his very first episode. Which is in season three.

Lancelot:

It is difficult to talk about this character without discussing spoilers, but he’s very kind. I only wish his kindness was better utilized. Another commoner turned knight.

Percival:

Another commoner turned knight. He doesn’t speak much, but he’s got a soft spot for kids and Gwaine.

Elyan:

Gwen’s brother and another commoner. Unfortunately, he’s given just as much time in this series as he is in the legends. Which is not much.

Leon:

The only one of Arthur’s knights to have started out as a nobleman. He is also close with Gwen, as her family used to serve his. Leon is frequently treated as the leader of the knights and is possibly the smartest member. Leon is not the name of a knight in most legends.

Gaius:

This is a character I had to mention, even though he also is not in the original legends. He’s the kindhearted healer of Camelot, often the only one to know Merlin’s secret, and Merlin’s father figure. He’s probably what you expect when you think of Merlin as a character in the legends. He is kind and wise and makes Merlin sandwiches. What more is there to love?

Sword fighting, amazing characters, and filming on location all at a real castle are all pieces of this show that are sure to wrap you in this world immediately. That and the music. If you haven’t watched this show, you are seriously missing out. And you should also watch the behind the scenes if you get the chance. Part of what also makes this show so great is the chemistry between all of the actors. And only then will you fully appreciate the song ‘The Voice’ by John Farnham. And trust me, that bit is also important. This is definitely one of my comfort shows and by introducing it to someone who hasn’t seen it, I hope that this might become a comfort for you too. And if you’re looking for where to watch this, thankfully it’s all on Netflix!

See you across the pond!

Sincerely, Annie