Tag: Irene

A Monumentous Day

November 3, 2026

Like any American right now, I’ve been following two things lately: the midterm elections and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I was briefly seized by the fear that the two events would fall on the same day, but it appears the highly-anticipated Zelda remake comes out on the 5th. I mean, if gamers are gonna take a day off work to roll around Hyrule field, they’re not gonna wait in line at their local polling station. Anyway, absent Zelda, this election day was nevertheless packed. First up, a new Godzilla movie?! … More A Monumentous Day

This Wasteland

April 2, 2026

On the most recent episode of QNA, Donovan and I spoke with the hosts of Comic Timing about the comics industry, which like Hyman Roth, has been dying of the same heart attack for the last twenty years. I think it’s easy to hit the panic button in situations like these, as Korean luminaries recently have with regards to the local film industry. On the press tour for No Other Choice, Director Park described a “state of great danger.” It was only the blockbuster release of The King’s Warden that would appear to course-correct from the COVID slump, but there are perhaps deeper, systemic problems. … More This Wasteland

Redefining What It Is to Be a Wendy

March 14, 2024

Last time we spoke of Wendy’s solo outing, it was her debut, 2021’s Like Water. That title track remains memorable, especially as a snapshot of a tumultuous time in Red Velvet history. Of course, I’m glad they went in a different direction with this one, “Wish You Hell” being more pop-punk — a soft Paramore, let’s say. Though for Mother Wenresa, that marks a stylistic departure (and a really good song). … More Redefining What It Is to Be a Wendy

The Big Fat Chill Kill

October 21, 2023

Red Velvet’s latest album is on its way, born into controversy as befitting any high-profile K-pop group – I suppose! With turmoil at the top of SM and a group lifespan nearing ten years, I figured Red Velvet was in the midst of an exit strategy, promoting solo acts and mixing members into other groups. This is how they always manage to surprise me. But I first heard about “the new album” from the opposite perspective: fans apparently angry that Red Velvet hasn’t released an album since 2017. Now, if you’re like me, you’re thinking, “What are you talking about?! They put out an album every year! They work themselves to death!” If anything, 2023 ought to be an exception, given they’ve been touring all over the eastern hemisphere. Guys, you know, the “globe” in “global tour” also includes America. … More The Big Fat Chill Kill

speechless.

March 21, 2022

By the third viewing, I’m beginning to see what they’re doing with “Feel My Rhythm” and perhaps The ReVe Festival 2022 altogether, as this video feels like a spiritual remix of the three lead singles from the Festival trilogy, “Umpah Umpah,” “Psycho,” and maybe especially “Zimzalabim.” I’m seeing some of the key dance moves, the costumes, similar camera work and visual motifs. … More speechless.

Kamjagiya

March 20, 2022

I can’t focus, so let me share something real quick. There are certain Korean words I’ve picked up listening to K-pop, watching K-dramas, and mostly, watching and rewatching the same Red Velvet videos (Level Up Project, behind-the-scenes, V-Lives, fan edits, you name it), and while it isn’t enough to call a starting point, I’m surprised every time I recognize anything. Some words are so specific to the people who said them that they’re indelible, like how Seulgi says “Bashta” about a beer, or Eunji with (I think) “그래” in a scene from Cheer Up, and Yeri the same in a V-Live. Wendy says “Yorubun” a very particular way at some point, but I don’t remember the context. … More Kamjagiya

Summer Red Velvet Maybe

July 19, 2021

I realize I hadn’t done even a brief write-up on Joy’s solo debut as I had Wendy’s, but that’s partly because it dropped at a busy time. See, I’d been preparing to move from Los Angeles back home, as the dream is over or what have you. The video for Joy’s “Hello” is a sweet and surprisingly emotional piece, trading the CG dreamscapes of Red Velvet past for an indie-movie feel — the earthy color palette and road trip narrative. Joy, overcoming a Wendy-approved breakup, packs up for vacation and encounters a little girl trying to get home. Here we have very human moments like the dad squeezing his daughter in the end, which is a different kind of special effect, to be terrible. “Hello” is a really big song and Joy bursts with soaring energy. However, it’s an interesting approach to a Joy debut, not only being an album of cover songs, but I thought her whole thing was “sexy dynamite.” I expected it to be closer to something like Namjoo’s “Bird,” at least in terms of visuals. So it’s a nice surprise, and very Red Velvet — refreshing, like a summer breeze. … More Summer Red Velvet Maybe

My Favorite Shots from “Wind Flower”

July 11, 2021

Mamamoo’s 2018 single “Wind Flower” is one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, and its corresponding video is a nice surprise, a Hong Kong-set mood piece with echoes of Wong Kar-wai. Although, my second thought watching the video was, “Is that true, or is it just the blue fluorescent in the noodle shop?” Maybe for Hong Kongers, Wong doesn’t solely define the city, but nevertheless, the four members of this group do their part in staring sadly across wide spaces and dancing in private. As this is the first real mention of Mamamoo on this site, I’ll introduce each member as they come and try to give you a sense of the group. … More My Favorite Shots from “Wind Flower”

The Best Red Velvet Album?

May 2, 2021

This is a tough one. For me, Red Velvet has an almost spotless discography, a blunting effect on my critical thinking, because it’s always “Wow, this song is amazing,” and “Wow, this song is amazing.” Not only that, I haven’t thought about them in terms of albums, unlike other musical acts. Best Paramore album? Easy. Pound for pound, it’s Brand New Eyes. I think it’s just the time in my life I experienced these groups. As a kid, I was getting into music (late) while CDs were being phased out for MP3s, but I still had CDs, and I’m still burning CDs today because the aux jack in my car doesn’t work anymore. I only started listening to Red Velvet in 2019, and I use Apple Music, so from my perspective, Red Velvet is just a mass of songs which I discovered bit by bit and sorted into various playlists. This had the strange consequence of “headcanon,” where songs with no real relation to one another have a strong connection in my mind, like the sequence of “Ice Cream Cake,” “Russian Roulette,” and “Peek-a-Boo.” For whatever reason, that’s how that trilogy goes, despite that “Peek-a-Boo” predates “Russian Roulette.” … More The Best Red Velvet Album?