K-pop Wrap-up: August 2013

Here I am again for this month's K-pop wrap up. This month was a very hard month and I didn't have much time. September will probably be the same, so I won't blog that much. Still, I want to talk about the songs that were released this month (of course not all, but some of the best). I will do the same for Jpop when I get into that a bit more (it's very much H!P and ALL48 until now, and the releases are pretty exciting so I can talk about them). But back to Kpop for now. I though about not ranking them anymore but rather ordering them chronological.

05.08.
EXO - Growl

Growl is the title song for EXO's repackage version of their XOXO album. I think it's pretty cool that their first title song of this album was called Wolf and now comes Growl. Well song-wise it's totally different from Wolf. While Wolf was a strong rap-dance song, Growl is more rhytmic and slow. It shows us great vocal skills from all the members and is really catchy. The dance is also very cool and it's even more impressive that the first version of the music video was shot in one shot!!

Look at how beautiful this is!
This is now on my list of: Eventually buying if I have enough money left over/ it's such a great song but I'm not too sure about the whole album/ I WANT MONEY!!

06.08:
B.A.P. - BADMAN

B.A.P. is back with their song Batman.. err, I mean BADMAN! (What's great about being a bad man?)
The song is good. Yes, it really is. It's catchy, it's cool, it's better than their last song!! BUT it is still not as amazing as many of their other songs (like One Shot).
The chorus is AMAZING. I would really like this if it only were the chorus. Sadly there are other parts and even though they aren't actually bad, they don't really fit with the rest and don't have the epic feeling of the chorus.
Luckily the video shows the epicness:

There is some fighting, the boys look pretty interesting and the dance is really cool. The storyline is a bit unnessecary, but it's okay.

07.08:
2NE1 - Do you love me

This song is finally like their old songs again!!
It's catchy and funny and very interesting but luckily not as random as Falling in love. Everything works really good together. WIth this, 2NE1 can somehow make sure they are still one of the top groups!

The video is self-made and that's so cool!! I guess they still don't actually filmed this alone, but it's still a great idea and shows the personalities of the group so much more!!

12.08:
MBLAQ - No Love

Another repackage song.
No Love is our typical cutesy love song. I'm not too found of it, but I love MBLAQ soo I at least enjoy it. The voices are very beautiful and I like the personality everyone brings into this song, expecially through the video:

Yep, the video is really good. It shows us the fun side of MBLAQ and is way more personal than a real high quality video.

22.08:
Sunmi - 24 hours

FINALLY!! Finally we hear something from Sunmi. I'm serious, she was my favourite Wonder Girls member and I was really sad when I learnt that she wasn't in the group anymore.. Post Sunmi WG songs didn't grab me as much as the songs WITH her. For me, her voice is very special so I'm happy she still wants to sing. 24 Hours is a typical sexy JYP (Miss A etc..) but since this is the first one this year, I'm very happy. Ooookay, of course it's different from other songs, but you can hear it's from JYP..
It's very catchy and danceable so I really like it!!

The video is cool! Amazing dance and she looks awesome. The hair colour isn't my favourite, though. Oh, and she's soooo skinny.. o.O Okay, she has always been, but I hope she will gain a bit wight.

23.08:
Henry - 1-4-3 (I love you)

Another song from Henry, wow. Even though 1-4-3 (I love you) is a pretty typical K-pop song, it's cute and funny. Henry is cool!! Still, it didn't impress me THAT much (sorry Henry)..

The video only shows how Henry worked on the song and of course also on the dance that is shown most of the times.
Amber appears for a short time but it diesn't make the video that much more interesting.. Well, at least Henry is very cute.. *-*

26.08:
Teen Top - Rocking

Tenn Top always has these odd songs that I somehow like. They have these songs that I find so typical but they add something childish to it and make it very special. I also like their concepts. They always have very colourful hair and clothes (I wonder if their hair will fall out from all this dying) and that's very interesting.
This song and video isn't any different. It's funny and I really enjoy listening to it!!

The dance is sooooo GOOD!! Then there are some random fighting scenes, but the video is cool. I also really like C.A.P and L.Joe very much here.. ;)

So that's it from me. This was August!!!! xD

Graduation time.. See you in the future..

Hey..
There have been quite a few important graduations of AKB48 lately.
Mariko graduated in July and now also Tomochin and Sayaka officially graduated from the group.
It's especially sad, because all of them were in the group for a very, very long time and were key members for a certain time or part of the group. Mariko is the only member that ever came in without an audition. Tomochin is a 1st gen. member, so she's been there since the beginning. Sayaka is from the 2nd genereation, original Team K and has been the captain of that team for a long time. I am very sad about their graduations, especially Sayaka's, because she's one of my top 3 members!
Sadly, she's the only one out of the three to NOT get a graduation song/ video (she somehow had a song at the dome concert..). This also means, I can't review any official graduation song/video, like for the other two.. :(

Well, I will spam ''Mushi no Ballad'', which is her only solo song and which she absolutely nailed at Tokyo Dome!! She has a more deep and powerful voice than many other members and this song totally fits that type of voice! No one can sing it like Sayaka (even though there are many other good versions... I have yet to hear Jurina's and Sae's version.. so excited..).
But the best thing about it is, that she ALWAYS sings it live!!! Yep, at least every performance I've found was live, and I don't think there are many AKB48 members that accomplished that. (right?)
Anyways, here's the song:

Now this makes me even moren sad...
We will always remember you, strong Sayaka!!!!

Let's talk about Mariko-sama now, who was the first and the fastest to graduate of the three.
But they still had the time to record a graduation song for her. Yeay!!
The song is called ''Namida no Sei Janai'' and is a slow ballad.
Honestly, I have to say the song is a bit bland. I'm not the biggest fan of ballads and I think they need something SPECIAL. Mariko's song is sad and all, but it doesn't have IT, the special thing that would make me remember it!
But still, let's look at the video and see if at least that is memorable..

The video starts with a video roll, and written on is Mariko Roll 1

Video, START!

Then we see sad Mariko, who starts to sing..

.. together with Minami. Wow, they are in a cinema!!!

Wow, there's even Mii-chan!!! So happy! Well, it would be mean if she wasn't in Mariko's graduation video, right?
Nyan Nyan.. :)

Sad Mariko is sad..

Nyan Nyan centering.. ouh yeahh!! ;)

2nd generation!!!!! Sadly, only two of them are represented here..
Sae: There's a light!! :3
Yuko: Sae-chan! This is sad! Stop fooling around!!

3rd Generation..

Old Mariko footage.. so cute!! *-*

When she won the Janken tournment..
Ue kara Mariko!!

Am I seeing right???? Is Jurina really sitting next to Sae-chan??? OMG, it's true!! Waaaah!!
My oshi's unite!!

Everyone's happy about Mariko winning the Janken..

Nyan, Mii-chan and Yuko seem to be amused about Tomochin's face in the picture before..
Tomochin: *bored* Eh? What's funny about this?
TakaMina: I don't know them.. I don't know them...
Mariko: What's everyone doing behind me?

Solo shots!!! And of course, Minami starts!

Sae-chan!!!

Tomochin smiles! Wow!

Miichan!!

Yui! Peace!

Yukirin, why are you changing your shoes now?? o.O

Sasshi: I guess it's her time to graduate now..

Yuko: I bought this beautiful dress for this special event!

Paruru: Let me kill you with my soulless eyes!!
Wait.. Paruru? What is she doing here??

Jurina.. Marikos little (big) sister.. So sad -.-

Beautiful Haruna..

Oh and Mayuyu..

Mariko cries.. :(

Sae: A hand??

Acchan!!!! Acchan appeared!! (she even did before I think.. but only in the flashbacks..)

Mariko's graduation announcement.. Uwaah.. that was sooo sad..

And she's away..

Jurina stands up.. so sad :(

Mariko Roll 2... her new life begins..

Bye, bye Mariko-sama.. We will miss you!

So good to see Mii-chan..

Mariko: Sayonara~

 And there she goes...

Wow, this was pretty sad. Okay, the video is simple and not very exciting, but it's still very beautiful and shows how Mariko was in AKB and how much she loves this group!

I will miss this beautiful troll..

Next up is ''Saigo no Door'', which is Tomochin's graduation song. This is Tomochin style, oh yes. It isn't as danceable as many of her solo songs, but it's more r'n'b than any AKB48 song. It's a really interesting song and not as bland as Mariko's (sorry Mari-chan).

As for the video.. Well, let's see, right?

Tomochin appears as a nun.. wait, a nun?? xD

And here's a door.. Is it the last?

Okay, so someone doesn't want her to go..

The song starts..
Takamina and Yuko want Tomochin to stay with them..

Nice hand movements... Reminds me a bit of Perfume ;)

She may be far away from being one of my favourites, but she is really beautiful.
But her eyes are soo big o.O

I guess Tomochin is lost now.. But this scene looks beautiful!!

Hand dance.. And Miichan is here, too.. YEAY!!

Cute Tomochin..

Everyone: Ganbatte ne!!

A shadow hand? Wow, this video is interesting!

OMG, Tomochin is invisible!!

Yuko can't believe it, too!

Miichan: Wait!
Nyan: Whut?
Tomochin: I don't care.. Bye, bye..

But then Paruru steps into her way.. with some expression on her face..

But even this SAD look can't stop Tomochin..
Paruru: I tried to feel something! Just for you!

Once again, Tomochin runs away..

But there's still Takamina left..

Yeay, a random Jurina scene..

And Mariko-sama..

And a Sae nun xD

Tomochin: Sorry Minami, but I have to go!

And the door to her new world opens..

Wow, it's a pink paradise!! *-*

And now, Tomochin looks even more beautiful..

Aw.. this is sooo cool!! I wanna go there!!

Yuko's smile is really something special!
It makes me so happy.. even though this is a sad song..

And that dance scene is soo beautiful!! They both love dancing, right?

And Miichan, too?
But sadly she has a wig now..

Mariko-sama!!
Tomochin looks so happy.. Not bored like she always is..

Everyone is so beautiful!! Why isn't the whole video like this??

Nyan Nyan!!

The group scenes are seriously cute..

Takamina and Tomochin..

Yuko.. Waaah, it's so cool!!

Mirai de... matte ne ;)

.. and she left..

Okay, I have to admit, Paruru looks really cute here. And she was best friends with Tomochin, so it's good she's in this video..

Yukirin is also very beautiful..

And we can't forget about Jurina puppy..

And our new Ichi-sama.

Bye, bye Tomo

She flies away now...

Wow.. this video was really touching. The nun thing wasn't that great, but it showed how Tomochin feeles, and that she wanted to be free.. Takamina, Paruru and the others were in her way and they were the reasons she stayed longer but finally she couldn't do it anymore and freed herself. :) I also really love the dancing scenes. It's so beautiful.. *.*

I actually think Tomochin's graduation song was better than Mariko's. But I like to listen to both songs and they are both really sad.. And I even think Tomochin's song could be a rival to ''Yume no Kawa''. xD
No, I don't think anyone will surpass Acchan, right? ;)

But that's it.. All of them now graduated and even though I'm really sad about that (especially about Mariko and Sayaka), I accepted it and I think they will do even better in the future!
I wish them all the best of luck!

Kiss monster strikes again!!!