And ain’t it gorgeous?
In all honesty, I like Stay much better than I do Cry. I also really like the fact that G.O is featured in the chorus. Maybe that has something to do with it. :-}
Terri :-}
[fan cams] Strictly for the visuals: Adieu, and Adieu!
•January 11, 2011 • 10 CommentsEvery time I think I’ve seen certain… ahem, things from the best point of view, someone else teaches me differently. And I have to hook our peeps up.
These are strictly for the visuals. OH. Wow. 😀
— Stephe ^@@^
101231 ADIEU 2010 with Rain – Love story(11:30pm). (Credit: gorom / courtesy of miyupy @YT)
101231 ADIEU 2010 with Rain – Fresh woman. (Credit: miyupy @YT)
Cloudy Day: Fan art, inspired by Rain.
•January 11, 2011 • 8 CommentsDo enjoy this beautiful photo-manipulated digital art wallpaper that Bulgarian art student Mittilla made not long ago, from popular photos shot during Rain’s Ninja Assassin days. You may recall… Mittilla is the talented young woman who actually hand-drew a reproduction of Rain’s FILMAX Raizo cover. And it was spectacular indeed.
Thanks for sharing this lovely digital wallpaper with us, Mittilla. We hope you continue to do well in your studies! 🙂
— Stephe ^@@^
(1200 x 752. Please credit artist if reposting. Thanks!)
[fan cam] Rain and his Countdown clock up close and personal.
•January 11, 2011 • 3 CommentsWow. That was some great Countdown footage everyone got to watch at the ADIEU Late Show! And Rain was running around happier than a pig in slop (an old Southern saying that means he was ecstatic), spreading his handsomeness from one end of the stage all the way to the other.
Sing it, boy.
*chuckle*
— Stephe ^@@^
Adieu with Rain 11:30 Show s New Year Count Down December 31,2010. (Credit: adetted @YT)
Blast from the past #48: When Japan had a Rainy Day.
•January 11, 2011 • 2 CommentsWalk along JiHoon’s path with him on the way to his Rainy Day Tour in Japan. Baby Boy was sweating bullets trying to read Japanese properly in the first video, with the fans laughing and applauding his Korean accent. LOL! Too cute. 🙂
— Stephe ^@@^
Rain 060324_LaLaTV_The Road To Japan Tour_[中文字幕] part1. (credit: LaLa TV / source: 3asian.com / courtesy of rainbialice @YT)
Rain 060324_LaLaTV_The Road To Japan Tour_[中文字幕] part2. (credit: LaLa TV / source: 3asian.com / courtesy of rainbialice @YT)
Outside of the ADIEU concerts: World Star Rain received support from a worldwide fan base.
•January 11, 2011 • 16 Comments
As well he should have. His TV appearances, music videos, fan-made videos, television dramas, movies, music CDs, and concert DVDs have spread all the way into even the most unlikely nooks and crannies across the planet. Every day, somewhere, someone new burns Rain’s name and his face upon their brain and becomes a part of the already vast Rain Nation that originates from South Korea. (We have visitors here from Malta, even. And Micronesia. And that’s just the tip of it!)
These are only some of the flowers that were on display. There were congratulatory bouquets at ADIEU! 2010 from not only the loyal Clouds in Korea and Japan, but also from Raincloud Hong Kong, Baidu Rain Bar, and many other fan groups, and even from individual Asian and European fans. Our bouquet represented ourselves, our Hawai’ian Cloud sisters, every Rain fan in the States, and all members of the Cloud USA community regardless of their location.
We were ALL there, supporting JiHoon in spirit, adding our energy to that of our Asian and European sisters, as one. And I’m sure he felt it. His energy level during the shows was through the roof! 😀
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
[Cloud USA announcements] Bi Yourself Open Thread for 1/11-1/17.
•January 11, 2011 • 72 Comments
» You can visit the previous Open Thread HERE. And of course, don’t forget that our Cloud USA Forum is a most excellent place for Rain love, fan communication, and self-expression.
By the way — have you left a message for JiHoon on The Cloud today?
(Remember, our Project page for newbies on how to access the Official Cloud Rain Fan Club in S.Korea is HERE.)
» » » [SPOILERS!] The most recent FUGITIVE: PLAN B OPEN THREAD (#3) is HERE! Just CLICK.
°
OH MY HEAVENS! I just noticed—our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY is coming up next week, on January 21st! Has it really been a year already? O.O
°
Please NOTE: The Korean Cloud‘s 8th Cloud membership drive has not yet commenced. As soon as it does, however, we’ll let you know here. (They are still having server problems. It’s proving to be tough trying to find someone who can fix it properly… and come on, we’ve all been there before with our own computers, haven’t we? As soon as the problem is behind them, the 8th membership drive will begin. They thank you for your patience.)
Have a terrific week, everyone. Long live Rain’s Nation!
— Stephe ^@@^
[article] MBLAQ releases full-length 1st album “BLAQ Style.”
•January 10, 2011 • 3 Comments
10asia 1/10/2011 — Heidi Kim, Correspondent /Jessica Kim, Editor
Boy band MBLAQ released their first full-length album “BLAQ Style” today, according to their agency J.Tune Entertainment.
According to J.Tune’s press release on Monday, the new album which comes a year and two months after the group’s debut, contains 13 songs including title tracks “Cry,” a ballad song which expresses the pain of separation.
The teaser video for another track “Stay,” an electronic-rock number with a hip-hop rhythm which is also of the same theme, was disclosed today as well….
» You can read this article in its entirety on the 10asia news site HERE.
≈
» You can order BLAQ Style from the U.S. and Canada HERE (YesAsia N.America).
» You can order BLAQ Style from the U.K. and other locations HERE (YesAsia Global).
Please support the Boys and Rain. They’ve worked so hard for this. Thanks!
— ^@@^
[clip/Eng subbed] Remember the night it suddenly Rained near Hongik U.?
•January 10, 2011 • 7 CommentsWell, KBS World global TV, bless their hearts, has released their English-subtitled version of Rain’s Entertainment Weekly Star Date guerrilla interview.
Yippee-kaaah-yay, Rain clouds!
— Stephe ^@@^
[Star Date] Rain (비). (Credit: kbsworld @YT)
[fan made] Go Rain in 2011!
•January 10, 2011 • 17 CommentsA beautiful video tribute by Brazilian cloud Lane, in anticipation of Rain’s activities in this new year. JiHoon Past and Present, leading into JiHoon Future.
Nicely done, girl! 😀
— Stephe ^@@^
Go Rain 2011! (credit and edit: lany68 @YT / song “Touch” shared by Rainrunway29)
I feel like some long- and short-haired Glam, lashes, and ATL Ice right now.
•January 10, 2011 • 4 CommentsAnd so I went and got it.
I do believe this is the third time we saw the “Love Song” comeback stage that very first week last April, and the first time it was on the Sunday afternoon competition show Inkigayo (Popular Songs).
— Stephe ^@@^
[HD] 100411 RAIN – Love Song Comeback. (credit: SBS / source site: DC Rain Gallery / courtesy of kyungee676 @YT)
Blast from the past #47: Rain removes jacket, and… bing! Meter hits 400. Tha Winna!
•January 10, 2011 • 2 CommentsEnough said. LOL! *tickled absolutely silly* So cute.
— Stephe ^@@^
[RAIN(bi)] 031220 Last Christmas ＋ 太陽を避ける方法. 12/20/2003 Music Camp “Last Christmas” ＋ “Escaping The Sun.” (Credit: MBC / courtesy of rainxsnow @YT)
[fan made] What hurts the most.
•January 10, 2011 • 6 CommentsHan JiEun and Lee YoungJae show us that what hurts the most… is being so, so close…
(pardon me, I’m having a Full House moment)
— Stephe ^@@^
Full House MV — What Hurts The Most. Set to “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts. (courtesy of lilcharmer @YT)
[fan cams] Ever seen a piece of art come to life?
•January 9, 2011 • 5 CommentsWell you have now. Lord, have mercy.
Baby Boy was definitely feeling something during “Love Story” that night, if you know what I mean. I wonder whose fault that was. Heh.
— Stephe ^@@^
Adieu with Rain December 31, 2010 6PM sings LoveSong. (Credit: adetted @YT)
Adieu with Rain December 31, 2010 6PM sings LoveStory. (Credit: adetted @YT)
Adieu with Rain December 31, 2010 6PM sings Nan. (Credit: adetted @YT)
Adieu with Rain December 31, 2010 6PM sings WithU & Fresh Woman. (Credit: adetted @YT)
Rain check.
•January 9, 2011 • 4 CommentsRain at his MBC Section TV ADIEU interview. Aaaand… during the show. Oh, his eyes. His eyes! (And the rest of him, too. That’s a given.) — ^@@^ (caps: DC Rain Gallery / source site: Soompi)
Tweets abound.
•January 9, 2011 • 3 CommentsSome of us were online last night when Rain’s recent Tweets came through. They show his sheer happiness and delight at MBLAQ’s new album and imminent reemerging. He’s such a proud hyung. Awww…♥
The Boys just had their first official fan meet, and their album drops tomorrow, so we can only imagine all the excitement in the halls of J.Tune Camp!
— Stephe ^@@^
(English translation: MBLAQATTACK @ twitter)
이번에 새롭게 선보이는 신곡 ”stay“ 많은사랑 부탁드립니다^^! 우리 블랙이들 고생했다 한번 제대로 놀아보자!!!!!!!
I ask for a lot of love for a new song “Stay”^^! Our MBLAQies have worked hard. Let’s do well this time!!!!!!
°
안녕하십니까!!!여러분 드뎌 우리 독수리 오형제 엠블랙이 담주부터 정규1집을 선보입니다 그동안 우리 다섯아이들 최선을 다했습니다
Hi!!! Everyone, finally, our 5 eagle brothers MBLAQ will show first full album at next week. My five children did their best
[clip/Eng trans] He might look like a poodle, but he’s OUR poodle: Rain on Section TV. :)
•January 9, 2011 • 10 CommentsAnd by “our,” I’m talking about every Cloud, Rain Cloud, and Rain fan across the planet. 😉
Do enjoy this entertainment news report, everyone, where you get to go behind the scenes for Rain’s ADIEU rehearsal and sit in on his one-on-one interview meal with MBC. This perky little reporter is such a hoot—she had me cracking up quite a bit. And she lost her head just like everyone else during the concert (but of course she would, she’s human!).
Have fun.
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
110109. (Credit: MBC Section TV / courtesy of ratoka)
(brief translation by rain bird @rain-eu.)
0:18
-Staffs were checking the stage before the concert began.0:31
– Rain was busy preparing for his concert, ‘Adieu 2010 with Rain’0:43
– Rain actually delivered performances even in the rehearsal.0:50~1:02
– When Rain showed up after changing his clothes, MC (Seulgi) gave him a [lunch ^@@^] box she brought for him.1:09~1:10
MC : This is my heartfelt food, so please enjoy it.
Rain : You look more beautiful than ever.1:16
Rain : It’s delicious!1:18~1:25
Rain : Try some of this!
MC : Please feed me this ‘Gimbap’!MC : This is really tender and melt in my mouth! Have you ever eaten such a good meal?
Rain : Of course.
1:27~
MC : I’m dressed as actress ‘Lee Na Young’ to cheer for you today.
Rain : (Laughing)1:34~1:36
MC : I like your new hair style!
Rain : It’s like poodle’s hair style.1:41~1:47
MC : You’ve always shown the best performances. What is the highlight of today’s concert?
Rain : There’ll be a laser performance in the concert’s beginning, and will be something of an audience participation performance.1:52
– The performance began with a laser show.1:53
– Baseball player ‘Hong Sung Heun’s family also came to see the concert.1:56~2:09
– Finally, Rain’s concert began and the concert hall was getting hot from ardor of the [audiences ^@@^] by his powerful and charismatic performances.2:12~2:23
– The aesthetic of his dance which [electrifies ^@@^] the audience.
– The crowd went mad with excitement at the concert, and the hall heated up over his sexy dance.– Rain with sexy charisma !
2:29
Rain : I think I’m so happy today.2:37
– Singer ‘Gil’ ever did a funny imitation of Rain in a TV show.
This happening could become a topic of conversation overseas!2:43
Rain : I’ve found that he (Gil) has only one pack ! (compared to my six packs) [ROFL! ^@@^]2:49~2:58
MC : Please show me how to dance.
Rain : Try to move using your chest, not your abdomen.2:59~3:08
Rain : If each of you can’t really think of what to do at office dinners at the end of the year or at the beginning of the year, pull up your shirt and show your naked upper body, dancing to my music, Love Song. [ROFLMAO! Yeah, that’d do it! LMAO! — Stephe ^@@^]3:09~3:36
MC : You’ve recently been proven to be physically in your 40s, and the news has caused quite a sensation in the country.Rain : Such a sensation has often occurred to me. (laughing)
The reason why I’m proven to be physically in my 40s, is probably that eating irregularly has broken the regular rhythm of my life because of my tight schedules. So I think my organs have been extensively damaged. On the surface, that looks like a good body, but its real functions are bad.[For God’s sake, don’t panic, y’all. He has not been kind to himself, but all he has to do is add some R&R in his activities, start eating better, regulate his biorhythms, practice some meditation, and NOT repeat his 2010 schedule, and his organs will be happy again. He’ll be fine. If he wasn’t, the military would have rejected him with a quickness. — Stephe ^@@^]
MC : You mean that all is not as it seems, right?
Rain : Yes, so I’ve felt uneasy these days. However, my skin is still very nice.
3:39~3:42
MC : Great! (touching his skin)– Rain is a handsome guy who has a nice skin! [Your skin says a LOT about you. All in all, the Man is pretty healthy. ^@@^]
3:45~4:05
MC : I’ve heard you have such great fans like you as a world star, and they’ve been doing a good things voluntarily, donating some money for needy neighbors.Rain : I inwardly push them to do so.
-When MC heard his joke, she gave a loud laugh.
4:06~4:16
MC : What do your fans mean to you?
Rain : Fans and entertainers are inseparable as water can help bring flowers into blossom.4:17~4:33
MC : It was an eventful year to you.
Rain : Yes, last year was the most eventful and exhausting year of my life.
That was the happiest time of my life, and I could look back on past events, taking time for myself.4:30~
MC : Are you planning to appear in a Hollywood film even in 2011?Rain : (I think it’ll be difficult to do so) Because I have to fulfill military in 2011, but my new album will seem to be released in the middle of the year. [So of all the activities, the Hollywood movie may have to wait… and that’s okay. His manager here in the U.S. has already said that they’re not going to rush his projects because they want to map his career out right, and that his length of time in the military is NOT a concern or a danger to that. I’m anxious for a Hollywood movie, but if I had my choice for 2011, I’d go with the upcoming concert hands down. You know? — ^@@^]
Happy New Year!, and please love both MBLAQ and me a lot.
Hope you are always healthy.
Thank you.
Success MBLAQ Style: Their First Fan Meeting
•January 9, 2011 • 8 CommentsHello everyone. Happy Sunday!
MBLAQ’s A+’s sure did their boys right as they showed up in droves at the group’s first official fan meeting yesterday (Jan 9, in Seoul).
The fan meeting was held at the Dome Art Hall in Seoul, South Korea, and from the looks of the first videos we’re seeing, it sure does look like everyone had a lot of fun!
The A+’s in the audience not only enjoyed previews of MBLAQ’s new songs Cry and Stay, but were also treated to a chat with the boys, some super individual performances, a cake-cutting ceremony, and even a special appearance by special guests!
Preview of Stay:
[Video credit to: absolutemblaqchannel and TV Daily]
Seungho’s Solo Performance to a re-mix of Flo-Rida’s Touch Me (be very glad this was a re-mix…):
[Video credit to: absolutemblaqchannel and BNT News]
G.O’s solo performance of New Birth’s Wildflower (OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG…This is real Soul, people! In English. And in pretty good English too! I’m totally impressed!):
[Video credit to: absolutemblaqchannel and BNT News]
Pieces of all of the solo performances and some super-special guests. Ha ha!:
[Video credit to: absolutemblaqchannel and SSTV]
A little bit of everything…song, chat, and cake:
[Video credit to: absolutemblaqchannel and SSTV]
Great job, guys! Cloud USA is delighted for you!
Clouds, please give MBLAQ lots of love and support by buying a copy of their first full album: BLAQ Style.
Thank you.
Terri :-}
P.S. For those of you who enjoy FYI’s, here is Nite-Liter’s/New Birth’s original version and the lyrics of Wildflower, from the 1970’s…when I was a teenager (and thought I was a dreamy wildflower myself. Ha ha.) :-}
MBLAQ’s BLAQ Style Drops on January 10th!
•January 9, 2011 • 6 CommentsAre you ready A+’s?
According to Absolutemblaq, the J.Tune announcement below:
Translates into English as THIS:
Hello.
This is J.TUNE CAMP.On January 10, Monday at 11.00am, MBLAQ’s 1st full album BLAQ Style’s title track ‘Stay’ and 12 more songs will be released in various music portal sites.
Fans please show a lot of interest.Thank you.
Like I said: ARE YOU READY A+’S??? MAKE SOME NOISE!
Terri :-}
Peruvian Clouds love Rain.
•January 9, 2011 • 5 CommentsAwww…! So sweet!
Clouds in Peru put together a very touching picture book of themselves in various projects, and sent it with a small gift to Rain on New Year’s Eve. (We have a permanent link to Rain Peru in our media blog sidebar under RAIN SITES, for anyone who may need it.)
Way to go, Peruvian sisters. You surely put a smile on his face. Thumbs up! 😀
— Stephe ^@@^
(image credit: Rain Peru Fans, South America / tip: TTEFY_2312 @rainlegend)
RAINY DAY Season 2, episode 48.
•January 8, 2011 • 2 Comments
Asia broadcast 1/8/2011.
So, two weeks ago, on Christmas Day, we returned to Rain’s adventures in ZEPP Land, particularly in Fukuoka, Japan on his birthday (June 25). And we knew, based on that, that a good hard caking was coming… just not when. Will it Bi this week, I wonder? Well let’s find out!
We start the episode with Rain fan-camming the Fukuoka fans. Now ain’t that a pip—a mercilessly fan-cammed mega-star actually fan-camming the usual fan-cammers. Heh. Never fails to make me grin, him all up in their grills. And of course he manages a bit of cute self-camming to boot. (Awww… booboo’s got a cold! Bless him. LOL)
Awww. Here comes “his woman.” You are… beautiful lady… What a silly, fun couple. So cute. ♥ (I think JiHoon must have the monopoly on Big White Teddy Bears in Asia. Just sayin’. *grin*)
(Okay, we’re going into video #2 right now and “My Girl” just ended, so I’m predicting we’re NOT going to get a caking this week. Rats. 
)
Watch Rain and the fans play 20 Questions. See how they hang onto his words and make him feel right at home in Japan with every exchange. Good for them! I think that’s why he loves going there so much—it’s human to gravitate towards places that, regardless of turmoil around you, make you feel warm and loved. I’ve seen a lot of footage for a lot of years, and I’ve never seen the Japanese people or media treat JiHoon with anything but warmth. No disdain, derision, ludicrous expectations, ambushes, weird-ass journalism, or funky attitudes as if he owed them something from the moment he stepped off the plane. What’s that old saying… you catch more flies with honey, Honey. Only dimwits use vinegar.
Anyway.
There is talk of other ZEPP venues, and Saitama, as Rain engages the crowd one on one—er, one on… several thousand. (go ahead and sneeze again if you have to, dude, LOL) The interpreter is really good, and keeps the conversation seamless. I think that would make a huge difference in Rain’s comfort level during his U.S. shows—a great interpreter who’s really attuned to him, so that speaking English in front of English-speakers is more relaxing. (I speak Spanish medium-well, but in front of Hispanics, such a thing raises my blood pressure because it simply isn’t native to me.) The one thing I want for Rain on stage here is for him to feel truly comfortable with us, which is difficult because face it, we Americans are known to be harsh. I for one would have NO problem with him switching from English to Korean as he so desired. Do your thing, JiHoon. Bring it on. 🙂
Well doggone, I’ve talked y’all into a coma. And there is no heavy-duty Rain caking yet. *sigh* Stop teasing us, RAINY DAY! 🙂
— Stephe ^@@^
(credit: Mnet / source: teamjihoon625 / courtesy of ratoka @YT)
[clip/brief Eng trans] Rain and fellow S.Koreans send encouragement to their Air Force.
•January 8, 2011 • 7 Comments
I enjoyed this entire clip. I actually clutched at my heart with my hand while watching it. As the proud daughter of a 21-year Air Force veteran, how could I not?
My father was one of the first Black men to desegregate the U.S. military, before civil rights, four years before my birth, and paid a very high price for it along the way. But making a better life for his family and protecting the lives of everyone across this earth who couldn’t do it themselves was more than worth the sacrifices he had to make, and he says that to this day. As an ammunitions expert, his time was split between the States and abroad, and his stories about falling in love with South Korea (Seoul in particular) and its people are some of my favorites. I’ve often thought I got my love of Asia from him (and from all the beautiful Asian things he was forever sending us from overseas.)
I look back on my mother’s strength with awe, because though there were many times when we didn’t know if Daddy would return alive from whatever year-long mission, she never let us see her crack. She supported my father like a lioness (and even gave the base commander a cussing-out once because the man dared telephone Daddy with new orders the day after he returned exhausted from the field. Ha.)
These are very much like a Chinese traditional dress and a Korean doll my father sent Mom and me during his tours of duty. You wouldn't believe Mom's "stash." One day it'll all be mine! Bwahahaha! 😉
I naturally feel a kinship for soldiers across the world who make protecting innocent civilians their business, regardless of nationality. Dad taught me that. “We’re all related, baby girl. You see a uniform, that man or woman is family.”
And so, it did me good to see some of the South Korean A.F. soldiers at play. It did me even better to see Rain and his fellow countrymen supporting their military for what often turns out to be a thankless job for soldiers the world over.
I think Rain will have a great time filming Air Force remake “Red Scarf.” He’ll probably be like a kid in a candy store (an actor in new and amazing territory). And there is no doubt he will bring that character completely to life.
I’m not sure when we here in the States will be able to see the movie, but I so look forward to that day.
I cannot wait!
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com
2011년 신년각오 및 새해인사. 2011 New Year’s resolutions and New Year greetings. (courtesy of rokafplay @YT / source site: rain-cloud)
(English translation by rain bird @rain-eu.)
3:38~4:08
RAIN: I wish you all the best in the coming year.Movie ‘Red Muffler’ I’m scheduled to appear in, will be remade sooner or later.
Hope to get a lot of support from you.
Please always be healthy, and I always admire all those who serve in the Air Force a great deal.
Hope you to always cheer up. (Fighting)
Thank you. Fighting !
Word on the street: March music forecast in China…Rain?
•January 7, 2011 • 1 CommentAgain, just as with our previous post out of China, this has NOT been confirmed by Rain or J.Tune as of this posting. Thanks.
*And please note: China can be a bit strict, so perhaps this reporter wasn’t allowed to say Bad “ASS.” Just give him/her the benefit of the doubt, and let it go. And if Rain does show up there in March, the name of the arena will have changed (a reference to that “naming rights deal” below).
— Stephe ^@@^
°
City Weekend Beijing (China) 1/7/2011 — Sinoscuba, Correspondent
March Music Forecast: Rain
Mastercard renames a Beijing arena? Priceless. More like terms undisclosed, but no sooner had the ink dried on a naming rights deal between the credit card provider and Beijing’s Wukesong Arena, a new act has been booked to put bottoms in them 18,000 seats: Korean music, film and TV megastar Rain, who will play the venue on March 26.
If you’ve been living in a cave or a Shunyi villa over the past few years, substitute the name Justin Timberlake and you’ll begin to understand the man’s impact on Asian pop culture. Although he’s not bringing sexy back per se, Rain has starred in the Western films Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin, winning an MTV Movie Award for Biggest Baddest Star for the latter. He’s also sold out Madison Square Garden — twice. In 2006, Time named him to their list of the “100 People Who Change Our World.”
More to the point, Rain has sold millions of albums, both legit and otherwise, around Asia, with China thought to be an even bigger market for the Korean Wave star than even his native South Korea.
Tickets aren’t on sale just yet, but watch this site for more information.
By: sinoscuba / cityweekend.com, Beijing Nightlife
MBLAQ check: Lee Joon in this week’s KBS World TV Highlights…
•January 7, 2011 • 2 Comments… for his teen drama Jungle Fish 2. KBS calls the show the most realistic teen drama ever.
For those of you out there watching this, are they right? *very curious*
— Stephe ^@@^
[This Week] KBS World TV Highlights (2011.1.10~1.16). Credit: kbsworld @YT)
Nothing does a Cloud better than the right timestamp. :-}
•January 7, 2011 • 7 Comments
New on the Block.
•January 7, 2011 • Leave a Comment
ADDED:
The second ADIEU! 2010 with Rain New Year’s Eve concert, on its own subpage over under our IN CONCERT section (under PAGES in our media blog sidebar).
So now you have not only » The Early Show… but » The Late Show, too.
Have at! And have fun.
Until next time, kiddies… 😉
— Stephe ^@@^
[clip] Rain and ADIEU covered by Y-Star.
•January 7, 2011 • 2 CommentsDo enjoy this Y-Star entertainment news clip from New Year’s Eve night, when Rain and Crew counted down to 2011 with a stadium of very lucky fans.
Y-Star’s written comments beneath the video, which go along with the on-scene reporter, seem to talk about how Rain finished Fugitive and is back again as a singer with a gala concert stage for his fans… how the thousands in attendance at ADIEU were excited, including baseball star Hong SungHeon and his family… expectations were high for a brilliant performance from Rain as he started off with “I’m Coming”…
And how Rain teased the crowd about not cheering loudly enough. That there were too many people for the cheers to be that low for that show, he claimed. Hahaha. 🙂
— Stephe @cloudusa.wordpress.com ^@@^
[music] rain, concert, The hot stage (비 콘서트, 화끈한 무대). (credit: Y-Star News / ystarchannel3 @YT)
[clip] Rain & JYP Nation Teamplay on Zhejiang TV in China.
•January 7, 2011 • 3 CommentsAs you may recall, Rain shouted out the 2010 China Feng Shang Awards on Zhejiang Satellite TV in China a few weeks ago, so it’s nice to see the station supporting him in kind.
— Stephe ^@@^
101231 Rain @ 2010 JYP NATION concert _It’s Raining. 101231 Rain @ 浙江衞視 _Rain @ 2010 JYP NATION concert. (Credit : 浙江衞視 Zhejiang TV / courtesy of ratoka @YT)
[article] Crying Independence, MBLAQ Style…
•January 7, 2011 • 9 Comments
… by Cloud USA co-founder Terri, who is now a contributing writer for K-Pop entertainment site HelloKPop.
We are very excited for her!
A most excellent read, folks. Do enjoy it! Please support Terri on the HelloKPop site with your presence and comments. Thanks!
— Stephe ^@@^
°
HelloKPop 1/7/2011 — TerriKR, Correspondent
Crying Independence, MBLAQ Style
After releasing their newest music video “Cry,” Seungho, G.O, Joon, Mir and Thunder, the members of one of K-Pop’s brightest boy-bands, MBLAQ, sat down to an interview with Star News to talk about their “second debut.”
The boys revealed that their intent with their first “full” album, called “BLAQ Style,” was to go back to the beginning of their career, when they were still “rookies” in the game.
During the album preparations, Seungho focused on his piano lessons, while G.O’s activities centered around writing and composing songs. The plan was for every track featured in the album to highlight each member’s individual strengths and talents….
» You can read Terri’s article in its entirety and share your own point of view on HelloKPop HERE. See you there!
[review] DramaFever: The Fugitive Plan B…Flawed but enjoyable, with a brilliant lead actor.
•January 6, 2011 • 11 CommentsA completely fair assessment of one writer’s view of The Fugitive: Plan B drama series, which began at the end of September and ended the second week of this past December. As far as I’m concerned, she hit the nail right on the head. And let me add that the entire Fugitive cast did a bang-up job bringing their characters to life—congrats to them all.
That’s all we’ve ever asked for when it comes to not only Rain and his projects, but all of the hard-working celebs out there—people being fair when judging their work. Thanks, DramaFever. 🙂
Enjoy this most excellent read, fans.
— Stephe ^@@^
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DramaFever Blog 1/5/2011 — Claire Hellar, Correspondent
2010 Korean Drama Year in Review, Part Three / Runaway: Plan B
Flawed but enjoyable is how I would characterize this one. I was disappointed in Runaway as a vehicle for Rain’s return to dramas -to my eternal surprise, the superstar actually is a brilliant actor, and his past two dramas, A Love to Kill and Full House, have both become classics. He delivers a fantastic performance here in the most overtly comedic role he’s done, as a zany, slightly sleazy private detective, underscoring again his incredible range. His monkey, mobile face can also switch instantaneously from over-the-top comedy to bleak longing or emotion and back again, a quality possessed by only one other actor I’ve seen, Japanese actor Kamenashi Kazuya.
The drama, however, was too taken with itself as an action comedy, spending much of the first half straining against and avoiding the darker plot elements that pointed inevitably toward romantic thriller. The action sequences were impressive and Rain successfully pulled off the zany, over-the-top hijinks (ably supported by Lee Jung Jin), but the fundamental trauma which was underlay much of the drama – the execution of all of Jin Yi’s family over the course of her childhood and her subsequent quest for revenge – was too serious to gel with the comedy of the rest of the drama.
Ironically, the drama was almost self-defeating by a)setting up a genuinely horrific tragedy – take notes, Bad Guy! The death of a dog is not that bad – the execution of first your parents and grandparents and then your foster family/adopted parents is – and b) explicating it well, showing Jin Yi’s past in a concise, black-and-white flashback which skipped straight from the initial horror of her parents and grandparents death to the much later horror of her adoptive parents death, revealing the horrific repetition that she experienced. Most dramas exhaustively explicate the past tragedies of their protaganists and reiterate them to the viewers over and over – Runaway showed simply the manner of the deaths and moved on. Jin Yi’s trauma was vastly more compelling as a result, allowing the viewers to fill in the blanks about what that must have felt like and what drives her now.
Given such a darkly compelling story at the heart of the drama, it seemed like a waste then for the plot to spend so much time focusing on chase hijinks and the missing money. Had the drama actually been about a mysterious, highly capable revenge-seeker who teams up with a PI who has his own reasons for revenge, it would have been a much more interesting story. At the least, I would wish that the main storyline from the beginning had been Jin Yi, and to a lesser extent Ji Woo’s, quest for revenge, with the cat-and-mouse games and treasure hunting the secondary storyline to add action onto this the emotional heart. As it is, the action took center stage and so for its first half Runaway was a fun but slight drama. When it got down to the serious stuff and upped the emotional and physical stakes in the second half, it became much more compelling – a change I only wish had happened sooner.
By: Claire Hellar
Watch Runaway: Plan B online at DramaFever.
» Check out Part One and Part Two [of Claire’s drama year-end review] if you missed them.
[notice] Confirmation of Rain’s upcoming K-Pop Festival appearance.
•January 6, 2011 • 1 Comment» The GFSC Charity Premim 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival/KPOP Festival 2011 site is HERE. (Japanese)
— Stephe ^@@^
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Hi, this is Cloud master.
Rain’ll attend K-POP Festival during the 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival upcoming February 11th.
Please refer to the information below for details.
Participants who want to have opportunities to attend the event through fan club, will be received on a first-come first-serve basis through e-mail (Saturday, January 15th, at around 10 pm), so please refer to the notice of rain-cloud.com.
(The 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival & KPOP Festival)
‘Sapporo Snow & KPOP Festival’ celebrating its second year, hosted by Korea’s Culture Industry Foundation (KOFICE) and Japan’s Sapporo Tourism Association ( NPO ), is an official culture event to celebrate Hokkaido’s ‘Sapporo Snow Festival’ which is considered to be one of the top three festivals in the world to support education for Asia’s poor families’ children where more than 3,000,000 people attend every year.
(Translation by rain bird @rain-eu.)
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[05-Jan-10][rain-cloud Notice] How to attend the 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival & KPOP Festival through fan club.
Hi, we’re the 7th Cloud executive.
We are really sorry to post a notice in a situation where its server is in an unexpected state, but we need you to post this notice on other Rain fan sites for those who can’t get access to this site, and we could be very thankful for that.
http://rain-jihoon.com/n2/notice_view.php?page=1&No=323&bSeq=475
1) The name of the event : The 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival & KPOP Festival (which is a charity event to support education for Asia’s poor families’ children)
2) Date : February 11th, 2011
3) Location : Sapporo Art Culture Mall ニトリ文化ホ－ル（厚生年金館）
The map : http://www.sapporo-geibun.jp/accessmap.html
4) Guests : Rain, ‘Sung Si Kyung’, ‘Teen Top’, and ‘Orange Caramel’.
5) Host : Korea’s Culture Industry Foundation (KOFICE), Japan’s Sapporo Tourism Association ( NPO )
6) Sponsor : The Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports, The Korean National Tourism Organization, The Korean Consulate General in Sapporo, and the Korean Embassy ‘s Culture Institute in Japan.
7) Ticket price : 5,800¥ (around $ 71)
-200 seats are allotted for fan club members during the event.
-Participants will be received on a first-come first-serve basis through e-mail (Saturday, January 15th, at around 10 pm)
-The first 100 participants who will qualify for the event shall make the deposit.(The selection process will be finalized within 24 days after a list is made)
-In contrast to earlier approaches, the direct transfer of money to Japan will run because of a problem due to exchange rates. Such being the case, please understand our position.
More details will be given as soon as things are set.
(translated by 화니 / source: rain-cloud)
Cloud USA 
From Stephe’s desk: I’ve got Dancer Fever. AND I think Rain should bust “One” out in the U.S.
•January 11, 2011 • 26 CommentsDo I even have to explain why he should bust “One” out? A video says a thousand words. Just watch, and listen (minutes 0:05 to 3:20). It’s got The States written all over it, even in Korean.
Can you imagine it in English?
Can you imagine what HIS voice will do to it in English?
If that were to really happen, I just might have to see a therapist.
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My FAVORITE part of ADIEU that showcased the Sexiest Dancers on the Korean Peninsula—”Only You” and “I Can’t Believe I Still Like You.”
Every time SungTak grinned or SooBong smiled, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Every time “The Cuties” KyuSang and YongDeock busted a move, I let out a squeak. Every time Gori swung that hair, I got a chill in the center of my spine. Every time Hongshi came into view, I just wanted to grab hold of that beard and—
Well, anyway, you get my drift.
Oh dear lord, these Men. These Mennnnnn!
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Well, a winter storm has hit the A.T.L., and we are snowed/iced/sleeted in for the long haul with shut-down highways and impassable roads. Oh, woe is the Dirty South! Pray for us, sistren and brethren! It’s a white-out, with more coming. Tomorrow it’s going to be 18, and then 13 degrees Fahrenheit! O_O
(Actually, so long as I’m “stuck” with plenty of food, heat, The Man and the Men, and the Internet, I’m set. Does it get any better, really? LOL!)
— Stephe ^@@^
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Posted in Bi Rain, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon, Rain Topics
Tags: 2010 Adieu Concert, bi rain fan cams, bi rain topics, Cloud commentary, Cloud USA, Jung Ji Hoon, rain bi