Where did Sarah go? aka Why I am Suddenly a Fangirl

[eggchan]

Arashi


DBSK

This entry is for anyone who has read/been reading my entries lately and thought to themselves, what in the world happened to Sarah and why the dramatic change?

It's also my way of showing the world (or my friend list world) why I love these two groups as much as I do. I've had this entry stuck in my head for a while.. kind of sitting there going, "You know, you should write about this.. a lot of your friends who aren't into this fandom are probably wondering what the hell happened."

Obviously this won't appeal to everyone, but seriously, if anything on here gives you even the slightest bit of curiosity, I would be happy to introduce you a little. :)

So... here it is. >_> The longest LJ post I've ever made. If you (you who don't know about this fandom) actually read this, thank you.

I've had this LiveJournal for a very long time. Since 2001. That's my freshmen year of High School. There's a LOT of weird, strange memories in here, and lots of things I can look back on. So, I have a lot of friends from High School and friends I met during High School on my friends list here. That being said, I didn't want to get a new LiveJournal like many other people who converted to this fandom because they felt the friends on their old LJ "wouldn't understand". I just felt there were too many memories on this journal, and I wasn't quite sure I cared enough if everyone on my friends list cared about what I wrote either lol.

Anyway, everyone I've known I'm sure has always known I've been into the Asian culture my entire life. Loved the music, the fashion, the television, the anime, the manga, and more.

Well, it started in 2006. Actually it probably started when TJ said to me one day, "I found this Korean show I think you might like. It's called "Winter Sonata". Let's watch it together some day!" So, if you had anyone to blame, it would be TJ. Anyway, we watched a couple episodes of it, and stopped watching. We also watched half of the Taiwanese drama MARS.

A year and a half later... for some strange reason, a thought popped into my head. "Whatever happened to that one show we were watching? Winter Sonata I think it was called?". I really don't know why I suddenly thought of that, but in some ways, that was my path down the spiral of what is known as JE fandom.

I searched down Winter Sonata and finished it. I enjoyed it, so I looked for some more shows I could watch. I remember after Winter Sonata came the Taiwanese (I think it was TW?) drama The Prince Who Turned Into a Frog. After that I finished MARS and continued finding new shows to watch by linking actors and actresses. One thing led to another and I slowly became acquainted with many Korean and Taiwanese dramas. I think while trying to watch the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden, I stumbled across many comments saying that the Japanese version Hana Yori Dango was much better.

So I decided to try it out. Now, for most JE fans that I've heard of, this is the show that lured them. Matsumoto Jun, of course being the main lead, who acted his character Domyouji very well, was also one of the more popular members of the boy band Arashi.

Unlike most people, I was not lured into JE, but I was definitely hooked on J-dramas.

Now before I go any further, I'll explain what JE is.. JE is short for Johnny's Entertainment. It's owned by a (what I believe to be) pedophiliac nightmare-looking man Johnny Kitagawa (old man on the left). Despite his... boy loving tendencies, the man has an eye for talent. So what does a pedophile old man with an eye for talent do? Why, create a multi-million yen talent agency for budding young boys.

Anyway, after Hana Yori Dango, I somehow ended up on watching Suppli starring sometimes-extremely-scary-looking Kamenashi Kazuya. Don't get me wrong, the boy can act, but there are some times I find him a bit scary. ^^;

From Suppli, I was then drawn to Nobuta wo Produce starring Kamenashi again and also a slightly retarded looking Yamashita Tomohisa (herein called Yamapi). Now at this point I'm thinking to myself, "Who IS this guy in all these shows?", so I look up Kame and find out he is not only an actor, but in the ever-popular boy band KAT-TUN.

I started listening to some of their music...

After that it was kind of a giant spiral of linking groups to other groups and going from there. I learned that the slightly retarded-looking Yamapi also in Nobuta wo Produce was in the JE group NEWS and got further pulled in from their music.

What exactly was it that enticed me into this boy band world? 3 years ago I would have laughed at the thought of me being remotely interested in a boy band. In High School I would have rather thrown up on myself than been into the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, or 98 Degrees. I dispised them with a passion.

Well... I'm sure the kick start of it was my expansion in interest of music. Without that, I don't think I would have given them a chance.

First of all, boy bands in America and many other parts of the world just don't exist anymore. Everyone wants to go solo, or are going solo. Boy bands in Japan, Korea, and China are still very much alive.

Why do you ask? Asian boy bands are so much different than any other boy bands.

Asian music has already held an important place in my heart. Even though J-pop has the word "pop" in it, there are many things I feel where it differs in American pop. Unfortunately it's not really something that I can explain, but when I listen to them, although the underlying roots are going for the same idea, they sound completely different.

What I heard a LONG time ago, is that in Japan at least, artists are encouraged to write happy and uplifting songs to lift the morale of Japan. (Of course... this is what I remember hearing.. probably 7 years ago) With that being said, if that's true or not, their songs are so much more uplifting to me than any other American band I have listened to.

I can listen to (or watch) Arashi's "Happiness", "We Can Make It", or DBSK's "Balloons". and it just warms my heart. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, I think anyone can understand and feel the same thing that I (and the other fans) feel.

Another thing that draws me to these Asian sensations: They are not stuck to one genre.

Seriously. You'll find just about everything. Pop, techno, rap, hip hop, rock, soul, acapella, you name it.

And their voices are amazing. I would have to say that Junsu from DBSK has about the greatest voice I've ever heard and I worship it with every being of my soul. I really am moved by the amazing music he can make with his voice.

And probably, even more than their huge variety in genres, the groups themselves are AMAZING. The comradery and love between their members is just astounding. It makes you just want to be their friend because it seems so amazing to be around them.

THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER SO FUCKING MUCH.

Obviously, since I'm not them, I can't say this for sure, but from watching these groups for a year or so now, I can probably say that if they were offered a solo career, none of them would take it. They are just too attached to each other, and love each other too much to leave. Nino from Arashi left to make Letters from Iwo Jima with Clint Eastwood, and was so homesick to be back with Arashi, I don't think he wants to do another Hollywood film again. (Unless of course the other members can come with.)

AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF... These boys have no shame in being dorky or weird in public. In fact, that's one of the BEST parts!! I mean, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU SAY YOU'VE SEEN THE BACKSTREET BOYS DO THIS?

There is NO END to it... and watching these guys go out with their hearts in what they're doing and with the people around them, seeing them interact with each other as they were their 2nd family, seeing them succeed at what they love to do, being able to laugh and have tons of fun while they work, and being overall great entertainers despite their extremely hectic schedule, it really puts a smile on my face.

I don't even think I've really done that well of a job summing up these boys.. I really don't think I've done them justice. There is so much out there, and yet I feel I've already written way too much for my own good.

So I will end this with a thank you. Thank you Arashi and DBSK, for the laughs, the tears, the smiles, and the friends.

Comments

[xumiie.livejournal.com]

I AGREE WITH SO MUCH OF THIS POT IT'S SCARY. LOL.
the part especially about their silliness...
and the uplifting factor. jeeez.<3

"And their voices are amazing. I would have to say that Junsu from DBSK has about the greatest voice I've ever heard and I worship it with every being of my soul."


^^;;;;

[xumiie.livejournal.com]

POT LOL ASHJ ARGH DAMMIT

[whoompah.livejournal.com]

OMG you have like the same thoughts as me! I HATED boy bands so much like Nsync but I SPAZZ over Asian bands XD

and I remember Meteor Garden! I was like 'meh' about it... and after Hana Yori Dango I never realised how awesome the stoyline and characters are! XD

and YES JUNSU'S VOICE... ASDFGHWRSDETRFGTBHJKML ♥

[papercloud.livejournal.com]

Asian boy bands are so much different than any other boy bands.

Couldn't sum it up better *laugh* I think that's why everyone who's in this fandom loves the bands so much - they're just different, different from every other band you've seen before. They're so much more fun, they're so dorky, but on the other hand so serious about what they're doing.

In short, I agree with almost everything you've said here <3 I just have another favourite vocalist *laugh* (because no matter how much I may love some voices in the j-/k-pop-genre, my nr.1-idol will always be Satoshi from girugämesh (♥)) But thank you for the link to the song from Junsu, it's amazing! It has some kind of "mysterious" feeling that I really like *laugh* (♥)

[sapah-fu.livejournal.com]

"HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU SAY YOU'VE SEEN THE BACKSTREET BOYS DO THIS?"

this was the best part XD I'm in a hurry... but I'll comment more about this entry later!

[woelvs.livejournal.com]

I feel as if I wrote this post because that's basically exactly what happened to me and exactly how I feel! lol

Watching and listening to these groups I am simply full of happiness and there's no rhyme or reason to it, but I feel as if I will always love them and there is no limit to how amazing I think they are.

I love my fandomzzzzzzzz

[yuji.livejournal.com]

There is something going on here I think you would enjoy if you can make it out here. (Not sure with your school schedule)

EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES & CIVILIZATIONS
Michael Bourdaghs
WHAT DOES THE J IN J-POP STAND FOR?
Stuart 101
Over the last hundred years, Japanese musicians performing popular songs in genres commonly identified as being American - including jazz, blues, country, folk, rock, and hip hop, among others - have confronted a variety of demands for "authenticity." Should the real thing sound American, or should it sound Japanese? This talk will explore some of the creative responses Japanese musicians have made to these impossibly contradictory demands.

There is something called Humanities Day here on campus and this is one of the seminars available to attend. It's free and open to the public but you do need to register to attend. It's on Oct 25th 2008 and this particular seminar is from 9:30 am - 10:30 am.

Let me know if you are interested in going to this and hanging out in chicago for a while and we'll plan stuff.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aww it sounds really interesting, but I really can't afford another trip at the moment T_T

[nufapopolopugus.livejournal.com]

Well this clears things up a little. You never seemed the type to be a fangirl, but I think I now understand why you like this group so much.

And so I say, rock on my friend, rock on.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

Hey, first of all I'm gonna say, thank you for taking the time to read this mammoth of a post...

second of all, you rock for understanding :D

[sujaeya.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree that I would never have suspected either of us to be the way we are now about boy bands of any sort. Crazy, isn't it?

Let's be fangirl-y together. Haha.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI

[inoueageha.livejournal.com]

I could LMAO and crying at the same time, both of happyness.
Thank you so much for posting this entry, for writing it all down and sharing it.
I can identify myself with it.
It's always a good feeling there are people around the world feeling the same.
Thanks so much. xD

'Asian boy bands are so much different than any other boy bands.'
Indeed. Thanks! lol

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aww thank you so much for taking the time to read this.. :) It makes me happy that I can connect with other Arashi/DBSK fans ^_^

I wonder, was it really enjoyable to read? Maybe I should try posting it on some communities..

[inoueageha.livejournal.com]

You're welcome and yes, it was really enjoyable to read. Even more because of the links to vids and pics. Haha. You absolutely should post it in some comms. I think there are much more fan(girl)s out there who'd like to be affirmed (some more - because you can never get enough of it lol).
Even if you are confronted with the fangirlism of thousends of other people at LJ and even other comms every freaking day, it still is in the internet, too far away from real life and that's why it more seems like fiction, it don't helps you to think 'Yes, I'm not the only one' or 'I'm not, maybe, a pathetic freak with a mentally illness because something went wrong in my childhood' or something. o_ô
At least to me. Reading a personal story like this, maybe, does reach the people by the heart and tells 'Hey, this is what happened to me because of that fucking lovable asian pop-music business' and others - like me - can identify with it and they get a warm giggling feeling inside that smoothes out the light preasure of concerns and doubt about their own sanity that (secretly) is bothering them from inside - at leaset a bit. lol

Oh mah gawd, I'm babbling.... sorry. xD

It's awesome, post it to a comm, dear!
More people should tell their 'how-I-became-an-asian-pop-/music-fangirl' stories! It always is SO damn much fun! lol

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

awww hun thank you so much X3 I'll try posting on arashi_on and see if anyone is interested. Thanks for giving me the extra push of confidence, dearie~ XD

[inoueageha.livejournal.com]

Welcome, dear, welcome. xD
Will see this post soon, will I? ;D

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahaha yes I will post it shortly hehe btw, your icon is awesome huhu I love that picture.. *scared of Changmin slightly* xDD

oh and... um.. do you mind if I add you? >_>

[inoueageha.livejournal.com]

Ha, I did first! ;D
Thanks! And, ah ma gawd! I so love ALL of your icons.... esp. HURR. xD
(I can't look at it without dieing everytime again)

Yes, I like Minne being like this. Haha.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahaha thank you xDD spazzy/cracky boys are the best XDD

and yay~ *new friend*~~ ^^

ahaaha and I already got yelled at for posting on arashi_on lmao ;_;

[inoueageha.livejournal.com]

Yay!~ x3

spazzy/cracky boys - yep, ftw! xD

Wut? wtf?! I have to take a look now at arashi_on.

But take a look at the comment below! 8D

[wendy138.livejournal.com]

Thank you for putting my own feelings into words. I completely understand how you feel. Cheers!

[missmomoko.livejournal.com]

I think you pretty much have written how I feel about Arashi and why I love them so much (well I got Junbaited in Hani Yori Dango). :D I never thought I'd come to REALLY fanatically like a boyband. I was so adverse to pop before, going for indie pop and alternative stuff. And now I just can't enough. I've always liked happy songs and their kind of uplifting pop is what I need!

But you know the good thing for me is that I'm not embarrassed about liking them at all. Well I only like Arashi lol but...seriously not a typical boyband. One reads the news, the other stars in Clint Eastwood movies e.t.c. Variety shows whatever, they always entertain me! I also like following their friendship cos they're funny too! eh I'm rambling. Anyway it's nice to read about other people who got sucked into the fandom! my lj friends pre Arashi must think I'm strange!

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahaha yes~ they really are not like anything else ^^ and yeah, I'm pretty sure my pre-Arashi LJ friends think I'm bonkers.

[genki-grandma.livejournal.com]

When my daughters were gaga over Nsync, Backstreet Boys, et al I just rolled my eyes in disgust. Now they roll their eyes when they come to visit and Arashi is being played VERY loudly while Grandma dances around the room with the grandbabies! I stopped listening to American popular music because it was boring and dumb. Arashi is fun! It's enthusiastic, energizing, and uplifting. I don't care if my family doesn't understand or if my old lady friends don't understand. I'm proud to say that I'm an ARASHI fan-girl! Keep posting the good news that there are rainbows on the horizon for anyone who cares to look up!

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

it's really nice to hear about a wide range of age groups who love Arashi.. they really appeal to everyone, don't they! ^_^

[booksandsarcasm.livejournal.com]

I'd really have to say... that is the coolest things I have ever read. xD So cool...

[theahhmoment.livejournal.com]

I like how you linked those pictures and videos w/ the all those sentences. XD It's funny.

I dont really know who DBSK is... but I know Arashi is love. I enjoyed reading your post. =)

[lpgranger.livejournal.com]

Everything in that post is soooo much like what I feel. Thanks for sharing and making me feel like I'm not so much alone. I first started watching anime a couple of years ago and then last year I suddenly discovered Gokusen and I was like "WTF a live action show based on the anime!! I'm soooo watching this!!" And I did, and then went on to watch Yamada Taro and Kimi wa Petto and I was looking up the info on the boys in the shows and I was like "Wow! They're from the same group and they sing!!" So I immediately found all their albums and pvs and went on a dl'ing spree and have been in love with them ever since. I think I discovered DBSK through a yaoi sight! XD I was looking up boys love movies and I saw the episode Dangerous Love posted. I watched it and immediately fell in love with them too! Which then led to another dl'ing spree. I discovered most of my boyband fandoms through dramas, NEWS, KAT-TUN, and Kanjani8 also. I discovered Super Junior through Arashi though. I looked up Arashi's Happiness pv on youtube and discovered their song Happiness.

My friends think I'm weird because I have apparently gone back into my boyband phase. I always loved Hanson, the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. But asian boybands are different from american ones and I'm glad to meet someone who thinks so too.

My sister just comes into the room and asks what I'm doing when I'm watching dramas or listening to music and when I tell her she says it's stupid because you can't understand the words and then leaves. It makes me soooo mad.

Anyways, again, that was really awesome! Thanks for sharing, it makes me not feel so much like a loser anymore. Not that I care either way. Nobody can take my fandoms away from me now! XD

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

It is really good for me too to hear so many people also have the same experience I did ^_^ So in a way, I don't feel so alone either! Unfortunately, for those of us not in Japan/Korea etc we have to kind of "discover" these guys by "accident" or "luck" or whatever you want to call it, and usually you are by yourself, wondering if you've really gone crazy or if you're the only one squealing about some 25+ year old boys pulling each other's pants down in the middle of a concert.

Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience too! ^^

[lpgranger.livejournal.com]

I know! What's sad though is that I hardly listen to the radio anymore and I don't really watch tv that much either. I'm too busy watching dramas and listening to asian music. I feel so out of place when others start talking about what they're watching on tv now and the latest songs when all I want to do is spazz about the little hip thingy Koyama did in the pacific concert or some such thing.

You're welcome, *blushes* that was a really long and lengthy reply from me. Sorry, I like to do that. XD I get off track.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aww I'm actually the same though~ I don't watch American TV at ALL anymore.. just Japanese/Korean and some Chinese xDD and my school is just completely into all the shows on TV, so everyone is talking about Lost or Project Runway and whatnot.. I'm just so not into it and can't really put my own opinion out since I don't watch the shows xDD

Also, since it's art school everyone is into comics, and it's the same as well with that, everyone reads American comics and, while I do enjoy some American comics, I find a lot of manga to be highly more entertaining.. and more often than not they are talking about superhero comics, which I am not into at all xDD;;

Anyway yeah *lengthy reply as well*.. I'm lucky that I do know some Arashi and DBSK fans in person, but unfortunately I can't get together with them super often, just because of the fact that I don't have much time for anything at the moment xDD but yeah in that aspect I do feel that I'm pretty lucky~

[lpgranger.livejournal.com]

My dad actually got like a hundred foot cable cord to hook up the the tv in my room upstairs in the townhouse I live in on campus and basically my roommate (who is also my best friend) and I have not even used it once. We only really go to the movies or rent them. That's about the only american thing I watch right now and even then I get far behind on what's out because I don't watch tv to see the trailers.

I get to talk about manga and anime quite a bit because I'm part of the anime club at my college. But, even now I'm falling behind on that because I have been watching too many dramas and concerts and stuff. I used to be the one to discover new stuff.

Dang it! I can't stop! *too long again*

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aw~ wow a 100-foot cable o_o;; that's crazy lol..

and don't worry about the long comments dearie, I love talking with other fans and just learning about each other! It seems we have so much a like, you know XD

We have an anime club here but no manga club... and I'm attempting to get our anime club to play j-dramas, even though I never have time to actually go to their meetings LOL >_>;;

[lpgranger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that is crazy, but it's stupid that cable hook up is only downstairs. Same with phone hook up.

Hehe, thanks. I like meeting new people too!

I'm one of the officers of our anime club. I'm the forum manager and do public advertising and such. XD Hehe, gives me more reason to spam the forum. I've been given permission by the anime club president that I can show the anime Gokusen next semester. Maybe I can sneak in a few eps of the drama for comparison. XD I'm pretty sure that she's seen it already because I told her about it.

[shaneen.livejournal.com]

EXCUSE MY WHILE I CRY TEARS OF JOY.
i agree with like everything, it was really well put together.
oh and lol at the johnny picture, everytime i see that i cringe. especially when he's right next to jin akanishi xD
except i JUST got into the whole DBSK thing xD

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aw dearie, thanks for reading! ^^ And yes.. I am slightly terrified of Johnny-san, but you know.. xDD

And ahhaaaa there are so many new DBSK fans~ It's really exciting to see so many people getting to know these lovable boys ^^ If you haven't already, I TOTALLY recommend seeing their MV Balloons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcdwauRn394).. it's what solidified the baiting process for pretty much all DBSK fans xDD

[truesalcove.livejournal.com]

Wow. This really sums up a lot of my own feelings. I know people on my Friends List think I'm nuts for going down the same road, and this explains everything perfectly! You captured what I think happened to a lot of us that fell for the JE boys. I hated all the American boy bands. Could not stand them. Was one of the few throughout school that didn't go crazy for them. But it's different with the Asian boy bands. You are totally right on everything. It's a different deal altogether. They are nothing like American groups.

If you don't mind, I'd love to friend you, as well as link to this post in my journals as one that explains exactly how I feel perfectly.

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

aww~ I'm so glad you enjoyed reading this ^_^ And I don't mind if you friend me and link and whatnot! I'll add you back <3

[shfifty--five.livejournal.com]

It's not even funny how much your spiral into the JE fandom sounds like mine. This sentence "In High School I would have rather thrown up on myself than been into the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, or 98 Degrees. I dispised them with a passion." describes me so well too.

Only I started with NEWS, was led to dramas through looking up shows they were in, finally ended up with Maou which made me obsessed with truth, which led me to Arashi, who now owns my soul.

Oh man...I love these guys so much. ♥

[eggchan.livejournal.com]

ahaha, it's amazing how the connections between each group is so easy to fall into different bands.. I think Johnny has it all planned out and down to a T by now xDD

[tartaruga139.livejournal.com]

I know! It's crazy. All the dramas really help with that. I just finished watching Yasuko to Kenji for Ohkura and now I am starting to like TOKIO as well because of Matsuoka Masahiro and the opening song.

Damn you Johnny! You are a genius who knows how to steal the souls and money of fangirls around the world!

[tartaruga139.livejournal.com]

Oh, haha. This is the same person as shfifty__five. Didn't notice which one I was signed in with.