Being a Man: Rain covers Esquire Magazine’s March 2011 issue.
[*ETA 2/17: As we recall, Rain also covered Esquire back in November of 2008. You can revisit that cover and some of the spread in our previous post HERE. ^@@^]
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As tweeted by Min Heesik, Editor in Chief of Esquire Magazine (Korea), at about 1PM today, February 16:
3월호 에스콰이어 표지. 모델은 비, 정지훈. 새벽 3시에 표지마감했다. 별책부록은 big black book 성공한 남자들을 위한 스타일 가이드 북.
Esquire cover in March. Model, rain, Bi. Ended at 3 am, cover. Separate appendices, Big Black Book style guide book for successful men.
(image credit: euimin10 @Twitpic / tip: rain-cloud / trans: Google)
— ^@@^
Cloud USA 
I think Rain looks mature in the Enquire photo shoot coz he wanted to look like that. The Man is brilliant; he directed that photo shoot himself!! Everything he does have a purpose and he wants to appear manly and older for some reason. What it is? Don’t know but just wait for it. Rain is a master in facial expressions; we saw his potential in Fugitive and in this photo shoot they used lights and shadows to give him a mature image. That with the short hair, clothes and his facial expression gave him an edge of maturity and adventure. I can’t wait to know what he has up on his sleeve but he is the talk of the town right now so he cause a big impression. I love the picts. He looks very handsome and I am melting not only coz he is delicious but also coz he has a brilliant mind.
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Totally agree. I’m sure he has final say in everything he does so he wanted to look all mature and manly for a definite reason. Maybe it has to do w/ his new movie? Maybe he just wants people to realize he’s a grown a*s man? I’m sure he’ll let us know in due time.
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Diva, I haven’t read the interview in esquire I’m going by all he has said since he has turned 30(Korean). I’m looking forward to hear what he’s said in this interview I always try to remember what JiHoon says, he intrigues me very much.
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@ Flower, Girl you said a mouth full and you said it beautifully! I love what you said and agree with ever word. And just one note to others according to JiHoons interview he is loving and has embraced his aging. And excuse me but he looks DAMN GOOD!! He was a beautiful child,young man and not he’s still a very beautiful grown A** MAN!
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Jealous that u read the interview! Someone translate it pleeezzzee!
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Thanks, I am just reading your reply. I just love this cover he look so hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I think Rain just like anybody look different depending on the hair style. I do feel Rain still looks young and is aging very well. I feel with this hair style and with this facial expression he looks so sexy, handsome, and mature. To me his facial expression is saying he means business. Like he is focused on what he wants to accomplish. It is like he is looking at you and saying are you ready because here I come. The look is a direct turn on to me. I personally think Rain still has it going on. He still looks just as hot and better than some artists that are younger then him. You know how it goes different strokes for different folks. I just love the cover and cannot stop looking at it!!!
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SNAP!!! 😦
it sad that i know how much the prize cost 6 round $7dollors
and i could even order it wwawaaaww!! i going to CRY SAK!! T__T why are make a sale out not having any ENGLISH order lineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee WGYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!
i want the magainze here can some help with korean oder is sombody here can help i want a copy !!
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Contrasting the pic of him that you have on the left at the MTV Movie Awards with this one, he looks like he’s quite a bit older here, and it’s only been less than a year. Not that there’s anything wrong w/ that and we all know he still looks young. I think this hair style does make him look older though. He looks like a high powered business man in this pic. I do think it’s the forehead reveal that does the trick… lol.
I do still miss the Ji Woo sideswept bang look… sigh… But he does look all grown up here. Didn’t he say that he’s happy to be older and all that?? Good for him… I know when I hit the big 3-0, I was NOT a happy camper. I’m highly curious to see how the other pics in the magazine will look.
I wonder how he feels about this pic…
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@Diva,
I here ya lady……but the one thing I can say about aging (and gracefully, I hope….SMILE) is when you get to my age….all the “Shiggity” that USED TO bother you just doesn’t anymore. “Ok, so YOU don’t like my thighs, well some other guy will think they feel like soft, fluffy flower petals” (No NOT talking about my MR. here…just making a point).
I may wake up with an ache or two sometimes, but I wouldn’t go back to my twenties for NUTIN’ HONEY!….(SMILES) There’s a certain level of confidence that comes with age, I can’t describe it. Now I’m not saying that I don’t still have some insecurities (that’s just human) but for the most part, I REALLY Love “the skin I’m in” (not talking race here either).
Hopefully, this is the place where Ji-Hoon is getting to and everybody for that matter. (SMILES)
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Boy my grammar “sucks” today. I meant “hear” ya lady.
Goodness, these Esquire photos have fried my brain.
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whoop, whoop!! there it is!!! hahaha
right there with you on every one of your post. it’s like
‘COME TO MOMMA” baby….we don’t have to ask for spending money. we make our own and spend it on what and how we like. and we are liking Jihoon even more now as he grows. stunning MALE, you feeling me? just plain STUNNING.
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and can i please add this? once you move out of your 20’s you realize those years were the most confusing of your life. Rain put it nicely in an interview.
they were troubled years for him. they exposed him to real life people (some good and some not so good), they were hurtful years for him and he had to rely on advise from older people.
but now, with this experience under his belt, with this forsight and knowledge as apart of his life this pic shows me that he has become even more of a calculating person when it comes to where he wants to go with his life and his career. like i said before BRING IT, Jihoon. me, i may have a melt down every now and then, BUT, i’m coming back for for and for. i’ll be darn if i’m gonna let this man whip me into unconsiousness without a struggle. nope, not going to allow it to happen. hahahaha lastly, i would never, ever want to be in my 20s again, ever.
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Amen, and AMEN.
Stephe ^@@^
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Shoot… I’d go for being 28 again w/ a quickness! Lol… not that there’s anything wrong w/ being close to the other dreaded milestone that comes after 30.
Gah! Change of subject…
Boy… Rain sure does look hot there. 😉
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As for aging gracefully… You got that right! We all know that saying about ____ don’t crack. Hahaaa…
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He probably feels….”I’m a BAD Mofo NOW! Shoot….he’s like fine wine and he’s not old. In “teeny bopdom”, he’s maturing, but in “everywhere else land” he’s just getting started. I figure we got 2 choices in life ….1) Keep getting older or 2) Don’t
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BiAlamode, hahahahaha yes my sister you are so right! 🙂
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@Lotus,
I hear what you’re saying, but Bi’s true fans know what he knows and see where he’s trying to go. In order to have a life long career in the entertainment industry it is IMPERATIVE that you evolve. This magazine cover is what I call “Grown Man Sexy.” Teeny bops don’t get Grown Man Sexy……but Noonas do!! Noonas (who have considerably more disposable cash than Teeny bops) will help him take his career to the next level. We’ll take it from here, fangirls! (SMILES) If he was to still wear those boxing gloves while performing “Instead of Saying Goodbye”…..we Really Would be saying goodbye….to his career! He would be stuck in Teeny bop/K-pop Never, Never land. Ji-Hoon is a visionary. People who are visionaries have a crystal clear idea of what they are trying to achieve and the path they must take to get there, even if others don’t necessarily understand where they want to go….they know. I will be on the Ji-Hoon train……Next Stop…..USA, Baby!!
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Oh yeaaaah, I am in that train too!! Lol!! Yes, I notice that his fans are not teenage girls anymore but that’s the way it is. On the other hand, I know that he is getting recognize in more places other than Asia. By the time he comes back from MS he is gonna have an extended fan base coz the fans in the USA are growing fast. Ahem, with our little help of course. So I think there are gonna be more than enough fans for our Baby Boo.
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Stephe, sister I so agree I just can’t stop looking at it myself, this MAN is just so dang FINE!!! I love the new look and from his interview he’s good with it. JiHoon is now graduating into the more mature self that his has been for awhile, and he’ll just get more fans but on a more mature level.
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@ lotus
And that very thing has been simmering for at least the past two years, ever since the Legend of Rainism tour, in my opinion. Yeah, you’re right. Like the man can stop aging or something. Sheesh. And a 29-30 year old star still made up the way he was as a 20-something idol would look godawful ridiculous. Thank god he’s evolving his look. LOL!
(man, he looks so good, I have GOT to stop staring at this danged cover)
Stephe ^@@^
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@ Stephe, I’m not on the net but I can guess what’s happening, JiHoon’s main audience base is very young and he looks like a serious mature man in this picture and they are gonna have a hard time separating the teen idol JiHoon with the man he is becoming. You know how that goes? He’s playing a very mature very serious roll this will show were the true fans are? Because shortly after this movie and his retro CD release he’ll be in the service for two years. And let’s face it he’s gonna lose a big amount of his fans, I’m really hating that! But I along with his true admires we’re here for the long haul!!! LOVE YOU SWEET FRIEND JIHOON Muah! By the way I realize he hasn’t been a teen for awhile but that’s his main fan base.
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He looks so Manly and mature. He doesn’t look like a kid anymore and those hands and sealing the business. Like if you have any doubts that i’m the MAN think again. Ohhhhhh Rainy Man. SeXyyyyyyyyy!!!!!
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It’s Raining Men! Hallelujah! – It’s Raining Men! Amen!
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@lluviakoreana,
“Absolutely soaking WEEEETTTTT!!!…It’s Raining Men Yeah!!!
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Why are some people on the Internet (I’m NOT talking about HERE) being so weird about JiHoon’s expression?
It’s so handsome, and different than ANY other cover expression I’ve ever seen him do before. Can’t the man freshen stuff up and change up sometimes? Does he have to stay the exact same throughout eternity? WTH?
Stephe ^@@^
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i think some folks just love to complain about stuff. everything on this planet changes and we better change with it or get left in the dust (know what i mean?), that’s to those who complain about Jihoon and his changes. frankly, if this guy stayed the same, i would have moved on long ago. but it is exactly his ability to stir folks emotions with hair change, photo expressions, clotheing, music and all that goes into holding the interest of the people, that has kept me plastered to Rain’s continuing evolution. and to be quite honest i think Jihoon does this because he has already asked himself “what should i do this time that will get the people talking?” he’s super smart like that. and hey, they fall right into his trap and he’s probably snapping that finger, going BINGO!!! hahahahha
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@busybee1982
now that u mention that ahhahah right i remeber he did say that before this mag must be a cule for his fan like us to smart enough to know rain are giing to dran now i see…. that expression and u know what he look just hot and all ready to play that pilot rred scarf to reveal his gilm in their i could amagine rain can be a fighter and then a pilot same time wooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh well., to me i think rain suit his character just like Jiwoo intenses… and man that right we are looking at rain comon rain BRING it! and have that uniforum on we would love to se how handsome he can get ahahah !1
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@busybee1982 I think you’re right – he did mention that his next album would be retro, but I wasn’t sure what he meant. Maybe this cover is a clue! Either way he’s HAWT on the trail….
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i see “Pilot, Jung Tae-hoon” written all over this one. serious look here like saying “i’m not playing”, hahahha
ok Ji-hoon, BRING IT!! (put on the uniform first, ok?)
i must admit when i first saw this pic, i was surprised at the immediate transformation from being one of the boys to this ready for business look. but the more i look at this pic, it feels like he is taking fans along while he transforms into his character (remember the (was it COSMO shoot, just before Back to the Basic?)
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Yes! Exactly, Busybee!
I’m looking at you… are you ready for this?
Stephe ^@@^
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Oh, JiHoon looks sooo manly. Gorgeously handsome! He is the perfect person to have on their magazine cover.
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Uhhhh… The hand, so manly; those looong tapered fingers. Stephe are you feeling alright or do you need CPR? I know I am feeling it and that’s not my main fetish with The Man. Lol!!! 😀
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I need CPR.
Those hands… *THUD*
Stephe ^@@^
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Rain looks georgeous!!! The suit, the shirt, THE HAIR, the watch; everything is well done!!! Love it!!! His expression looks to me that is on purpose and it means “I am in charge of my destiny and what I want in life” I would like to know the approach of the interview to see where they are going with it. Oh, but is a cover on a well recognize magazine. It’s gooood!!! 😀
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GOOD MERCY…….Wham Bam Thank You……Yes M’am!!!!!
I am SOOOOO READY “FA” ALLLL THIS and then some!!!!!……(SMILES)
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ROFL! The forests of Korea were probably completely devoid of small woodland creatures by then, but lawd… all that flickin’ had me craving a cigarette when I DON’T EVEN SMOKE.
Stephe ^@@^
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Hot! He looks pensive. Wish we could get ahold of these magazines…
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So handsome and no sunglasses finally. I really love his new hairstyle too, definetely 1000x better than poodle hair.
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Come to think of it… it should say what’s with all the ab rolling. Heh.
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ROFL! Pant rolling. hahaha
As far as that expression goes, he’s contemplating his next move, I think. I remember seeing a similar expression once before, WAY back during that 2003 Cosmopolitan photo shoot, after he’d been in front of the camera for a LONG time, he scrunched up his forehead and looked like *sigh* What’s my next move…
Only this time, he’s thinking more on a worldwide scale and he already knows what it is. You can tell. Ha. 🙂
And he’s like, are they ready for this? Just my take on it…
Stephe ^@@^
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I love this look on Rain, very sexy.
On a side note that caption made me laugh…”What’s with all the pant rolling?”
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OMG!!!!! I love the cover!!!! He look so handsome and very GQ. I have loved alot of his hair styles. I really, really am in love with this hair style. Rain look so hot in a suite!!!
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Woohoo!! I ‘ll ask my mom to get me a copy on her stopover at Incheon Int’l by end of March. Hopefully she can still get one.
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he handsome as alway but i wondering what is that expression on him what is in rain mind at that monent looking to serious here mmy ahahah hmmmmmmmmm????????? any clue what rain thinking at all?
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wwoow que foto pero por que esta con la cara de preocupado ? igual me gusta !!
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Wow that’s a great shot! So handsome, very GQ.
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