beef with super junior.

[exeunt.livejournal.com]

Well it’s not actually beef, more like my grievances with Super Junior as a music act.

They don’t really need an introduction, but Super Junior is a Kpop group under SM Entertainment and that’s really not the most important thing about them — them being a group with 13 members in it is definitely a highlight. Kind of. (Nia told me the other day that apparently, Super Junior is the biggest boy band in the world known to mothereffin’ mankind. Screw DBSK and their “highest number of fan club members” shizz, Super Junior will never leave Guinness until a 14 member group trumps them.)

And this post was brought on by their latest single/release, “너라고 (It’s You).” I freaking love this song, and this may be the first song I’ve liked this much since SHINee’s “누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay).” I like Kpop for its ridiculousness and oftentimes bland music, but I don’t ask it to be more than what it is. This song is no brilliant work of magic brought to us by the music gods, but it’s got what I want in a good Kpop song — fast beat, maintains an interesting/suspenseful melody, has good singing and some aesthetically pleasing choreography.

The music video is easily my favorite Super Junior video, but honestly, that wasn’t hard to manage. The guys are superbly styled, there’s a semi-semi-semi-decent storyline going on, the monotone of the visuals actually works to the video’s advantage, and my favorite thing: Kyuhyun attempts to act badass. Hey at least I’ll give him an “A” for effort.

But, it’s also this music video where I realized my biggest qualm with Super Junior — the size of the group — and it how it really ruins the appeal of such a nice song.

When I first got into Super Junior, my initial phase was one that went something like this: “They won’t WORK any other way but with 13 people! I love all of them! Each and every one! All of them are talented in their own way!” And I would work out in my head what would happen if you took out one member but then my brain would fry because OMG what an impossibility.

Yeah, I got over that fast.

Read full article here (includes embeds and pictures).

this is a really interesting article. it's long but definitely worth reading. i agree with a few things but other than that, i just can't see the boys apart from each other (they can't see themselves apart too) but KIBUM CAN GO DIE AND GTFO. DISCUSS!

Comments

[gehuu.livejournal.com]

i agree with her a lot. but even if yes, they do need to cut the members down a bit, *cough* kibum *whispers* i still think that it'll suck the life out of the group if they were less. i mean, just let them be? XD besides. this is super junior we're talking about. would they even want to be without each other? XDDDD

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

I think it's time that sm parted up this group like they had planned to do.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

I didnt think about the military thing.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

But heechul is more skilled with a fan than the other members will ever be.

[kawaiiairbender.livejournal.com]

If the group was smaller it would be easier on me, since half the members I never bothered to learn who they are but 13 members is what makes suju suju to me. :( And well I like them on shows, that's why I love them.

That said I never knew how great a singer Yesung was, I might have to listen to some songs where he sings longer bits.

[-ochre.livejournal.com]

I think people forgot what the original concept of SJ was? It was meant to be a rotating group but crazy ELFS were all ONLY13.

I think in this case, LSM really got stuck in this situation. I really don't think he wanted 13 people in a group forever.

[invisibelle.livejournal.com]

but I don't think SM would really complain that much as long as they are popular and raking in the dough. which, if 2008 vs 2009 is any indication, it's obvious that having them together makes more $$$.

[charzzy.livejournal.com]

What the hell happened to Kibum's face?!

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

Acting classes.

[milkshake.livejournal.com]

Hmm I can see what she's talking about.
But I don't think I've regarded Suju as a BAND for a long time. Basically ever since LSM said that he wants Suju to be a 100 members group.
I regard them as a Korean Johnny's really. With all the side groups and everything, basically Suju are the Juniors and all the side groups are the bands.
That's why I wasn't surprised at all when Henry and the other Chinese guy were added to the band either. :X

I do agree though that Kibum should leave, not because I don't like them (although he was never my favourite member), but because he's not THERE. So yeah, either be a part of it or not, but the way it's now it's just like when he was in the CSJH pv back then.

[onerainysunday.livejournal.com]

i still don't know the names of all the members. and kibum can definitely gtfo.

[kyujong.livejournal.com]

I've always thought Suju was sort of an unappealing mess. Which I don't really understand myself since I loved MoMusu something fierce back in the day. But somehow they worked for me and Super Junior doesn't, idk.

[xanderave.livejournal.com]

14 member group

*cough*EXILE*cough*

[milkshake.livejournal.com]

I don't know how much Exile counts since it's 2 or 4 singers and the rest are backup dancers promoted. :X

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

maybe he's not allowed to leave? he is under contract and everything.
Though I have no idea what's actually going on with him either. He's around less than he ever was.

[edgirl-12.livejournal.com]

I agree with this a lot.

I'm kinda still in love with them though, especially after watching a few episodes of Full House

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

YOU LOOK LIKE A NICHOLAS CAGE!

Haha, that will never stop being LMAO!Hilarious to me.*hearts SuJu, Donghae's utter lack of restraint or game when it comes to 'complimenting' girls, and Full House*

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

The music video is easily my favorite Super Junior video, but honestly, that wasn’t hard to manage.

lol suju mv's are usually epik lulz

[milkshake.livejournal.com]

my favourite is Miracle. IT WAS PERFECT OK??

[civilized-era.livejournal.com]

Uggggghhh (or, why can't people just let them be)

[proleptical.livejournal.com]

Actually, if anything, by having 13 members that excel in different areas of entertainment and of varied ages, Super Junior has cleverly been constructed to last longer than some other of their contemporary boybands. Like dragonsquee said, they are an all entertainment purpose and because of that, they have the advantage of having more exposure than any of the other boybands because even when they are on hiatus, you can bet there will be at least several of them making their rounds on variety shows and the like.

Also, the fact that their ages range from mid 20's (almost late 20's in Korean age) to early 20's, gives them a significant advantage over some of the other boybands, whose ages tend to be around the sam, take a couple of months or a year. Most of them will have to leave for military duty around the same time and, unfortunately, will have a harder time ensuring some visibility while they are gone.

With Super Junior, however, it's definitely not a coincidence that the older members are grouped together in two of the sub-groups (Super Junior-T and Super Junior Gay Happy) while the younger members, together with the one member that won't have to leave for military duty, were put in the other sub-group (Super Junior-M). Surely they've been set up in that way to ensure that once a group of them do their military service, the others continue doing activities to keep the Super Junior brand from being quickly forgotten by the fickle public that forgets easily.

[exeunt.livejournal.com]

pretty damn smart, if you ask me...about the whole sub-grouping thing.

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

YAWN, people are still bitching about how 13 members is too many? That argument is about as interesting and fresh as evolution vs. creationism to me.

Also, I couldn't possibly disagree more about how Sorry Sorry's choreo would've been better served with a smaller group, that video is what made me like Super Junior to begin with. It was the sheer visual impact of 13 guys (or maybe 12 excepting Kibum) doing a chest pop in tandem that caught my eye, the awesomeness of of seeing a virtual pop music army of pretty boys striding towards the camera on the offensive to attack and conquer my fannish heart that made me sit up and take notice more than if it were five guys and a bunch of lameass backup dancers. Some members of SuJu may fulfill the lameass backup dancer role at times, but hey, at least I know they're all actual members of the group. I also disagree about Kyuhyun, Yesung, and Ryeowook being the only good singers of the group; are they the best and most highlighted? Yup, but Leeteuk has a pretty nice voice, better than mine or your average twenty-year-old guy belting out DBSK's Doushite at a norebang, Kangin has a cool voice with an unusual and interesting tone and quality to it as does Siwon, and Sungmin sings pretty darn good too. Heechul doesn't suck at rapping at all so that along with his swagger always brightens up my day. One thing I will agree with Seoulbeats on is that members other than KRY don't get enough vocal time in most songs but I don't think that's because of the size of the group but because of SM's overemphasis on those three's voices -- bad call on SM's part, even though they do have the best voices there are other good voices in the group and the overemphasis on KRY makes it seem like they're vocally carrying everyone else in the group and all the other members are standing around picking their noses while KRY do their thing.

Basically, I like Super Junior partly because their size makes them stand out and if there's anything I like more than a food buffet, it's a boyband buffet -- thirteen courses for me to choose from, not all my favorite, but being the glutton I am I enjoy having the choice and the opportunity to sample all 13 items at the buffet table.

WHAT-EVER, Seoulbeats.*makes W sign with fingers a la Amber from Clueless*

[-ochre.livejournal.com]

12 BOYS DOING A CHEST POP. YES.

[miximel.livejournal.com]

I agree with some of it. As for me, I'll always be a bigger fan of the music from the sub-units (Super Junior-M especially, the original songs on their first album were better than most of the songs from SuJu's first 2 albums) than the main group. The songs on the 3rd album are like KRY Featuring The Other 10 Guys, and it's not fair. Most of the guys themselves think 13 is too many. They don't want to break up or anything, they can just see that when it comes time to sing and perform together as a whole, it just doesn't work as well as they would like it to. The fact is, Super Junior excels when they're on variety and radio shows doing their thing. The funniest, most entertaining members, the ones that make the news and are in-demand, aren't the most talented in the group.

I'll take my boys dancing to Gee in drag over a ~srs bsns~ 5 member group anyday, thx.

[exeunt.livejournal.com]

I'll take my boys dancing to Gee in drag over a ~srs bsns~ 5 member group anyday, thx.
*cough*DBSK*cough*

[maisoui.livejournal.com]

OK..well I think her opinions are fair and well stated..but I disagree on a few things..

1. She criticized the choreography for "It's You" for the part where they split up into groups..this really doesn't bother me. Having so many members not only necessitates that they might have to do things choreographically that otherwise wouldn't be done, but also (and this might be redundant) allows them do do things choreographically that other groups can't. Plus, I think I saw all 13 12 dancing live in a group, it'd be pretty fucking AMAZING.

2. In my opinion, each member doesn't need to have more than one solo part (or even one, for that matter) in every song. It's not that I don't want to hear everyone's voices, because I do, but there's this thing called supporting vocals. Just because all the voices aren't individually represented doesn't mean they aren't singing as a team. They're being smart to stick with their guns and have the vocal line do more solos than the others; that's how it should work.

3. I agree that Kibum should GTFO though. It's nothing personal against him, and I understand he wants to do different things, but I wish he was actually doing something. Because if he was, I wouldn't get so pissed off at his lack of enthusiasm. I don't know the guy, but like she says, it really does seem as though he's using SuJu as a springboard, and while that might not exactly be the case, it is still kind of shitty.

4. No, their Sorry Sorry performances weren't perfect, yes, their dancing can become awkward because there are just so many of them, but I wouldn't say it was circus show either. Mostly solid, in my opinion. And anyway, it's not like we could get a really good look at the choreography because the damn cameras keep making cuts and zooming everywhere (which I suppose you could also blame on the size of the group, but it wouldn't be impossible to do LESS cuts and just focus on the group as a whole for once, would it?)

A 13 member boyband isn't for everyone, but I'm going to enjoy Super Junior for as long as they last.

[ch-ar-me.livejournal.com]

not really commenting on the issue because i just came from a 16hr shift and very dead for this topic but i would just like to say.

YOUR ICON. damn i love it. i kind of want cursing text icons in tagalog now.

but come to think of it, i wouldn't mind if yesung went solo.

[exeunt.livejournal.com]

hey bb. DAMN, SIXTEEN HOUR SHIFT?! and you go here afterwards? pretty damn awesome. you should rest though. :Dv

HAHAHAHAHAAA. i have a couple more. :)

yesung has an amazing voice. i noticed it even more in "it's you".

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

lol I remember heechul saying how hard he works to get kangin on shows :P Wasnt that when kangin tried to expose how many girls heechul goes out with at night? I tried to find that video on youtube but it got erased I think.

[gabbeeee.livejournal.com]

Suju in my opinion has never been better than what it is currently with Its you and Sorry Sorry and without Kibum. Please dont come back and spoil suju with your awkward facial expressions thanks

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

I really can't bring myself to care about such arguments and debates. I love Super Junior, I loved them when they were a 12 member project group, and I love them now. I loved them still during all the stupid shit with the fans, and I loved them when they created the awesome that is SJM and gave us 2 new guys to enjoy. They're fun, and I enjoy them, and in the end isn't that the point? (did not love SJ Happy though, I will say that).

Also, analyzing 13 member boybands? nearly as ridiculous as their actual existence. They are what they are, lulzy and many.

[-ochre.livejournal.com]

Also, analyzing 13 member boybands? nearly as ridiculous as their actual existence. They are what they are, lulzy and many.

Damn girl. You got that right.

[miximel.livejournal.com]

Oh and one last thing - saying Kangin can "hold a note" and not mentioning Sungmin's singing? Bitch, please.

[goldengutgirl.livejournal.com]

I SRSLY WTF'D IRL. OMG. <333

[missjoongie.livejournal.com]

ah I read this on Seoulbeats and was like meh~ (definitely thought Seoulbeats always hated suju anyway)

The whole ONLY13 thing I rly don't care about. When Super Junior first came out yeah a 12 member boyband (awesumm), but they were also said to be an ROTATION group. Yeah SM pulls some Morning Musume shit like that.

I like the super junior sub groups. They still have the same members, and are still good and entertaining. /shrug