You can read it » HERE, as cited by Asian news source Newsen, in the article Rain’s Album Jacket Photo Revealed, on the KPopLive blog.
We agree that the “revolutionary” thing Rain has in store for us in April will surely be top notch, first class all the way.
— Stephe ^@@^
It was the title of Rain’s upcoming special album that first took me aback. I mean after all, the phrase in English is actually “back to the basics,” with an “s.” Basics should be pluralized. Or at least, if he is going for proper English, then it should be.
I wondered if the title was a mistranslation, or if there was there some deep, hidden meaning to the “back to the basic” without an “s”? Was there some musical, philosophical, political, or philanthropic connotation that perhaps I just wasn’t getting?
Ah well. Maybe we’ll find out when the album drops. Or maybe we won’t. Either way, it doesn’t really matter, because if that is what Rain wants to call his special album, then hey, we Clouds are up with that.
What we DO love about the cover:
• Rain close up. Rain from any angle is delicious, but close up, he’s to die for.
• His hair. There’s something visceral about that long, tousled hair, something that makes us want to run our fingers through it. Wah.
• The airbrushed eyelashes. With the touch of a brush, you are no longer his viewer. You are his prey. Très steam punk and a nice, nice touch to what would otherwise be a simple portrait in black and white.
We can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us with the music. Go Rain.
Terri :-}
P.S. And Stephe’s response to my question? She thinks that Rain is thinking that we will be turned on…and we are. :-}
°
Hello, Clouds! Stephe here with a bit of information: J.Tune has stated that massive amounts of telephone calls and flooded Internet message boards—since the announcement of the release of Rain’s 정지훈 Special Album—was what prompted them to allow fans to pre-order. Back To The Basic will be released on April 1st and captures Rain’s earliest passions and emotions, which remain from the journey he has traveled as 비. (article source: Asia Economy / original translation: rain bird @Rain Europe. Thank you, Ashes, for this information!)
There are online websites where we might be able to order the special album here in the US. We are investigating, and will bring those to you pronto.
Oh, my…! WE LOVE THIS NEW COVER, RAIN. It takes us back to your past and has a wild, uncontrollable feel, as if you are about to leap upon us. You are a very dangerous man. 😉 — ^@@^
The event is now called The GREEN PLANET MOVIE AWARDS. But everything else is still the same—the location, the venue, the website (www.movie-voters.com), the date, et cetera.
The movie-voters website states that you can return to the site the evening of March 23rd at 7:30 pm Pacific Standard Time, in fact, to watch the show on Ustream. (That will be 10:30 pm in Atlanta.) Sounds like a date. Everyone synchronize your watches so that you’re not late! And keep your fingers crossed for our Ji-Hoon.
— Stephe ^@@^
This one… because he’s just so fine. And because, again, Rain’s comments with his autograph are in perfect English. And why is that, by the way? It’s not that we mind it, not at all; it just seems that an autograph to Japanese fans would be in Japanese (which he seems to speak pretty well). We’re just curious.
(image credit: rainstorm, source: Rain-Cloud, tip: Indulging In Rain’s World)
°
And the picture below… because no one seems to know when this was taken or where Rain was flying off to. (Of course, someone knows. They’re just watching the rumor mill spin, and not telling.) The timing of this picture of Rain on a plane circulating now is perfect, what with there being a drought on Rain news, and events coming up like the Green Globe Film Awards in LA two days from now, on the 23rd. Our fellow Cloud Kongsao mentioned on her blog that Rain might be at those awards, but as of yet there has been no confirmation of that from J.Tune, so all we can do is sit tight and wonder.
Personally, I’m just happy seeing Rain sitting still and (hopefully) asleep for once.
— Stephe ^@@^
» A brief article from the Chosun Ilbo, 3/15/2010: Pop Icon Rain Showcases Photos In Exhibition HERE.
And the 3/19/2010 video “Jung Ji-Hoon’s Reality With Nikon D5000.” (Credit: thedangol.com / naver / scorpiolabibi @ YouTube.)
— ^@@^
[ *ETA: Clouds, rain bird has graciously provided brief English translation of Rain’s dialogue in this episode. Thank you, rain bird, and the Rain Legend of Rainism blog for posting it. 🙂 ]
Asia broadcast 3/20. And oh, Clouds, this is a TREAT because it takes us behind the scenes at the J.Tune Camp Japan official fan site opening show (12/6/2009). Rain is backstage, and on stage rehearsing each song, stopping when something is wrong or doesn’t feel right, until everything is exactly the way he wants it to be. And footage from the actual show is nicely interspersed with the behind-the-scenes stuff. I like the way he politely greeted people in Japanese first. (For a look at the true opening of the show, just go over to our Rain Extras page. It’s the very first video.)
Clouds across the Internet have exclaimed how lucky Japanese fans are. We certainly agree with that. — Stephe ^@@^
(Courtesy of ratoka. Japanese subtitles only; brief English translation by rain bird. )
0:55
Good afternoon. I’ll appreciate your help and encouragement.
1:22
I’m trying to rehearse for checking the sound and my first appearance on stage.
1:30
I’ll sing ‘It’s Raining’ as I first come on stage.
3:08
I seem to be in no good voice. What do you think of this?
3:22
Let’s start again from the beginning.
5:22
Excellent!
0:39
Could you turn the sound up?
1:09
The acoustics are good for me.
1:37
Let me sing the next song.
1:53
I can’t go on like this because I have to dance from the start.
2:19
You can do what you like.
2:34
We can try it again.
5:44
I’d like to thank you all.
…too many to count, but never too many to enjoy. Before Rain’s new special album (and “revolutionary” dance) hits the scene, let’s celebrate a bit more Rainism. It has brought us a long way. ^@@^
(An excellent fan made tribute by miyupy.)
Last year, around this time (March 2009), was when Rain signed a two-year modeling contract to be one with Nature. Recently, J.Tune Entertainment released a statement announcing that one full year of that contract has now been fulfilled.
March 16 of next year (2011) is when Rain’s full Nature Republic contract will come to an end. This particular job netted our mega-icon 1.5 billion Won (roughly $1.3 million US), and in our opinion, he is more than worth it.
Thank you to the Indulging In Rain’s World blog for this information. (source: asiae.co.kr / rain-cloud, Korean to Chinese translation: Cloud China, Chinese to English translation: Cuckoo)
— Stephe ^@@^
(NOT this picture…)
A Nature Republic shopper in Malaysia went home, pored over her new products and booklet and poster of Rain becoming one with nature… only to discover, to her horror, a major miss by the Nature Republic editing team.
(The guy looked quite in love with Rain, if you ask me. Heheh.)
» Enjoy this humorous tale on the Idealistic Dreamer blog HERE.
— Stephe ^@@^
…from the Rain Legend of Rainism blog. Check them out, and weep.
» Additional shots of Rain’s photo spread from inside W magazine.
» Rain doing his thing (and very well) for Six To Five.
(image credit: Rakota. She certainly knows how to deliver! ^@@^)
“I personally believe that all other Ninja movies will be compared to this one from now on.”
“Everyone does their job in the film, acting-wise, and after months of training and choreography and turning his body into a killing machine, Rain pulls it all together.”
“…I will say that the working chemistry between Rain and Naomie in this movie was relaxed and not awkward like in some movies in this genre…”
“This movie actually has great actors playing great parts, and it’s not just another wholesale movie that’s trying to make a buck by skipping quality.”
“Ninja Assassin takes the best of the Ninja action from Anime classics, such as Ninja Scroll, and brings them to life.”
°
This is what happens when you let intelligent people with the knowledge of a particular genre critique a genre movie. 🙂
And here is an extra treat for you, Clouds: A German article showing agent Mika’s poor shuriken’d automobile. Ouch. Terri spent some years in Germany, so I’m hoping she can translate…? — Stephe ^@@^
[ *Edited to Add: Terri’s translation: “Throwing star attack in Kreuzberg. A strange sight on the Oberbaum Bridge. A Volkswagen covered with throwing stars, and the other side buckling and scraped. No, it wasn’t a political thug attack, but a prop on the set of the film Ninja Assassin, produced by the Wachowski brothers (The Matrix). In the starring role: Korean singer Rain.” ]
As writers, Terri and I understand the importance of not having one’s work “ripped off” and sold for profit, all too well. It can be a demoralizing thing in an artist’s life, let me tell you. » The bootlegging and pirating of Ninja Assassin, as with the tons of other movies out there, is much too globally widespread to contain, which is quite unfortunate but very realistic. We can’t make a huge difference, but if we all just do a little, that little bit will go a long way.
Many Clouds the world over are already helping identify sources of this pirated merchandise, so let’s do our part. Rain, Rick Yune, Master Sho, Sung Kang, Naomie and McTeigue— everyone involved in the movie would certainly be appreciative.
If you run across any illegal DVDs or download sites, you know how to proceed—contact Warner Bros. with your tips and let them take it from there. It’s just the right thing to do. — ^@@^
Attack from the shadows. Annihilate your enemies. Defend your honor. Ninja Assassin, The Game. It is exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch (the small, SMALL screen), so the graphics are probably not very satisfying. But who cares? It’s Ninja Assassin THE GAME. 🙂
Courtesy of WarnerBrosOnline. — Stephe ^@@^
In two categories!
Itunes has been officially Raizo’d.
Wah.
Terri :-}
Back in July 2009, Rain and professional footballer Park Ji-Sung (Korean national team captain, and player for English club Manchester United) were opposing coaches for a three-hour youth soccer charity match organized by Seoul City. Here is TV News coverage of that event, courtesy of raineyes82.
Giving children a treasured memory always makes you a winner. — Stephe ^@@^
“Nan” fan cam, Legend of Rainism Las Vegas 2009, courtesy of sisi @RainLegend. (She has our utmost respect—security was hot and heavy on everybody that night. ^@@^)
Rain shows a sexy elegance and masculine appeal even without taking his clothes off, in this Cartier luxury brand (watches and jewelry) photo shoot that will be inside the upcoming April issue of » fashion magazine WKorea. And in case you hadn’t heard… that Cartier ring he’s been sporting for a few weeks is a symbol of Rain’s love for his family.
— Stephe ^@@^
(article and image credit: Newsen, StarNews / translation: rain bird / tip: Rain Europe)
[ *ETA2: The concert ended at 8:17 am our time. What a blast!]
[*Edited to Add: TREAT YOURSELF TO SOME KPOP, all Clouds! YouTube is streaming live from Seoul right now (6:51 am EST). Alex and Clazziquai have taken the stage. So click our link below and enjoy! Click the GO LIVE button on the viewer once you get there. ]
Are you ready for some K-Pop, Clouds?
YouTube will be hosting a concert (at the Melon AX-Hall in Seoul) featuring top Korean musicians like Epik High, 2AM, and Guckkasten on March 20, 2010, from 7 pm to 9 pm. What’s more, the concert will be shown on YouTube LIVE via » YouTube’s Music Day Channel HERE in Korea, Japan and Taiwan!
Film clips of the concert also will be available WORLDWIDE on the YouTube Music Day Channel AFTER the concert.
Wishing you many Rainy days,
Terri :-}
A few weeks ago, The Cloud (Rain’s official Korean fan club) approached J.Tune Entertainment with the question, “How can we best support Rain’s upcoming music activities? We are with him all the way, so please let us know.” Shortly afterwards, J.Tune informed them that mic stands were the key to Rain’s special album and were currently in production.
In response, The Cloud is now polling its members as to whether or not they should donate ₩14,000,000 to 15,000,000 (KRW, roughly $12,500 to $13,300) of their current membership dues ₩76,855,290 ($68,116) for the production costs of the six custom-made stands (two for Rain, four for his dancers).
Thinking back to Rain’s statement that this special album will “revolutionize the way people think about dance”, we can’t help wondering what these special mic stands will look like and what in the world he’s going to do with them. If the way he has effectively used mic stands in the past is any indication (think “Because Of You” and “Handshake” in particular), more than likely Rain is about to blow our minds. And we can’t wait!
Thank you to Rain Europe for this information. — Stephe ^@@^
Greetings lovely Clouds!
As all of you know, Ninja Assassin was released here in the United States yesterday. Some time ago, I made the decision not to pre-order the movie. I know. What was I thinking, right? Really, it was more of a personal budgeting decision than anything else. And it wasn’t a decision I thought much about after I had made it. I mean, after all, I was planning to buy my copy of the movie on the very first day of its release. So, there should still be plenty of them available. Right?
Wrong. You see, apparently being released here in the USA doesn’t actually mean that the movie will be available for purchase on that day. At least, it didn’t mean that here in Atlanta.
The first store I went to, a Target near my work (Yes, I was so anxious that I couldn’t even wait until I got to my side of town before I started looking…), had only three copies of the regular DVD on its shelves. The Blu-ray section was empty. At first, I thought, Wow. Sold out already? On day ONE? How on earth did that happen? But then a suspicious little voice popped up in my head. Hm. I wonder how many copies they ordered in the first place?
After all, the movie only stayed in our neighborhood theaters a couple of weeks before it was moved to the “select theaters” category. What that meant was that if people wanted to see it, then they had to hunt for it, because it was only playing in three theaters all across Atlanta. Was the same fickle fate about to befall the Ninja Assassin DVD sales? Hm.
Since I wanted to buy the Blu-ray version, I had no choice but to ask the attendant at the electronics department counter to see if they had any Blu-ray copies in the back. She checked. They didn’t. “You know, I don’t think we got many of those things,” she admitted. “It wasn’t a very popular movie, was it?” Grrrr.
She had a little scanner thingy in her hand, so I asked her if she could tell me how many they had actually received. She couldn’t tell for sure, but she did say that it looked like they only had ten of the regular DVDs in stock. And they hadn’t received any Blu-rays at all. Geez.
On we go to the next store, Barnes & Noble. Barnes & Noble is a book store, but it usually has a pretty good selection of new movie releases. ONE COPY. Yes, you are reading that right. They had only ONE copy of the regular DVD in stock. I’m not kidding. When I asked the counter clerk how many copies they had actually ordered, all she could say was that whatever they had ordered they weren’t in the store yet. Maybe they’d be here by tomorrow. Maybe.
I couldn’t believe it. Strike two. I trudged to my car. I was a little bummed out. My son, who commutes with me to work, was a little more optimistic. “Maybe we’d have better luck closer to home, Mom,” he said. It was very sweet of him to try to cheer me up. It was. But it wasn’t working.
My next stop was the Target in my neighborhood. Finally, the jackpot! Not only did the store have a FULL shelf of the regular DVD copies, they also had a full shelf of Blu-rays! Hooray! My son dashed to the shelf and grabbed up our copy, as if a ninja was going to swoop around a corner, scarf them all up, and vanish back into the shadows. :-}
The rest is history. We went home, had dinner, and watched the movie with unabashed delight. I must say that it was as terrific this time as it was the last time I saw it in the theater. Probably even better, because we had all of the special features to enjoy too. Two special features of note were:
Training Rain: This special feature shares the intimate details of the intense physical training Rain went through to transform himself from a singer/dancer/actor into a powerful ninja warrior. Excellent!
The Extreme Sport of Ninja: An elite group of noted freerunners, martial artists and gymnasts brings to life the breathtaking and bloody action of Ninja Assassin. All I can say is wow, what a team! No wonder the action sequences were spectacular!
I’m really hoping that my problems with purchasing this DVD were due to a few release snafus and were not an issue of stores not stocking the movie because they didn’t think it would sell well.
USA Clouds, here’s your assignment (if you should choose to accept it): Please call all of your neighborhood stores that sell movies and ask them to stock Ninja Assassin (both regular and Blu-ray versions). I mean, the least we can do is make sure that American audiences get the chance to see this wonderful movie at home. Because they sure didn’t get a chance to see it at the theaters!
°
Wishing you many Rainy days,
Terri :-}
(image credits: Warner Bros., Filmax)
In case you missed the latest announcement, here is the most recent list of artists who have signed on for the Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl on May 1, 2010 (Old School and New School):
Choi Sung-Soo
2PM *scream*
Wonder Girls
HAHA (MC)
Leessang *scream*
Kim Jong-Kook *double-scream*
Yoon Soo-Il
Kim Yun-Ja
Ju Hyun-Mi
Lee Eun-Mi
KARA
Nicole (MC)
A fourth (and final) group of artists will be announced soon, so stay tuned.
We’re glad to see that the Hollywood Bowl site has finally put the 2010 KTMF on their May schedule. — Stephe ^@@^
(image source: Hollywood Bowl.com)
(credit: DC / courtesy of rakota5) ^@@^
The countdown is over. Are you ready for Ninja Assassin‘s official DVD/Blu-ray release? Can you stand the excitement?
As far as we’re concerned, March 16th should be made a national holiday, considering the miracle of a US DVD release to begin with. (But we doubt the government will agree.)
— Stephe ^@@^
The headline: RAIN RETURNING TO KOREAN SOAP OPERA THIS FALL. Where: The SHOUTcast Radio Blog. The quote: “Most recently, I have done many roles that has been serious and intense. So hopefully, in the next drama or film, I want to show my more sympathetic and caring side for the fans.” Our reaction: Excitement! » You can read the SHOUTcast Radio Blog article HERE.
°
The headline: RAIN SPILLS THE BEANS ON HIS AND MBLAQ’S COMEBACKS. Where: Kpoplive.com… The quote: “This upcoming album…will include some special tracks that I kept secret in the past, but I would like to show them off now. MBLAQ’s new single from their second album will be coming out soon. Please give [J. Tune’s] idols a lot of love as they come back this April and May. I’d like it if we can enjoy that time happily.” Our reaction: More excitement! And a bit of confusion. All of these reports from Asian sources Naver and Newsen are back to saying Rain’s special mini-album drops on April 1st, when not two weeks ago, on the Lotte 30th Anniversary concert stage, it was quoted out of his own mouth to the audience that he said May 1st, due to unforeseen delays. So… which is it? Which translation from Hangul to English is the correct one? Or do things keep changing on J.Tune’s end? » You can read the Kpoplive article HERE.
°
The headline: RAIN WILL PARTICIPATE IN CINEMATIC 3D ANIMATION “FULL HOUSE.” Where: The sixtofive1982 Blog. Additional scoop: MBLAQ will take part in the OST (theme song and such). Our reaction: Surprise. Full House, animated. Lee YoungJae and Han JiEun as cartoons. Okay… We can’t quite picture it, but… okay. » You can read the sixtofive1982 post HERE.
^@@^
Can you imagine being the lucky winner of that auction, and glancing up from your cappuccino or your latte to see him standing there in front of you with your prize? “Hello, I’m Rain. Congratulations. Here you go, Ms. _____!” Would you: a) take the camera package from him with a huge grin, immediately move in beside him for a picture, and feel up his biceps b) accidentally spill your latte all over your lap, jump up, and take your prize with a grin of embarrassment c) scare the crap out of him by screaming at the top of your lungs because he’s standing there, or d) slam your head against the floor as you pass out?
Speculation can be fun, can’t it?
» HERE is a nice write-up on One Asian World about the Star Cafe event. This post also states that the auction took place on Sunday, at the venue.
— Stephe ^@@^
Legend of Rainism Las Vegas 2009 fan cam, courtesy of sisi @rainslegend. S-w-e-e-t. ^@@^
Dramabeans, 3/14/10—At the auction on the 14th, Rain auctioned off a special package that included the camera he used, a Nikon D5000 kit with bundle lens, as well as signed CDs and a photo collection. Nikon Imaging Korea will donate the proceeds of the auction to the international humanitarian organization Good Neighbors….
» You can read the entire post at Dramabeans HERE. (According to the wwww.realityrain.com mini-site, the camera auction was held on March 8th, and Rain would deliver the camera to the winner on the 14th, but things may have worked out differently and the auction held at Star Cafe on the 14th instead. If we run across any information that pertains to this, we will certainly bring it to you. Thank you for the information, javabeans!) ^@@^
Here is a quick fan cam of Rain leaving the event, courtesy of rakota29.
Seriously. We already blew a gasket about » this pathetic behavior during the Speed Racer era… and now, to find out that People Magazine did it too?
» Read this post on the Racialicious blog—This Is Not Rain, People—from May 2008. And shake your head in wonder. Did anyone have the Internet, or use it?
One more time: Rain and other talented people who come to the US to entertain us and spread goodwill should be given the same amount of care and consideration as American celebrities. Because they are not as well known here, or not American, is no excuse for substandard treatment.
— Stephe ^@@^
That was Lee Joon’s (MBLAQ) opinion during the Boys’ appearance on the show Shin Dong Yup’s 300 yesterday, after the group had revealed, “Rain allows us to meet girls and have contact with them. He says he’d rather us not date anyone but he asked us to tell him if we had someone we started to love.” (source: allkpop)
Usually we don’t report stories like this, because… well, to tell the truth, they tend to sound rather silly. But this one hit me a little differently.
First of all, I don’t doubt it’s true. 🙂 Anyone with a lock on Rain’s personality, temperament, and the hard work he’s done on his own career all of these years knows with absolute certainty that he is deadly serious about MBLAQ not only being a success, but respected and scandal-free. Being a boss and mentor is a lot more important to the Boys’ careers than him being their friend. Secondly, I happen to agree. Really cute Kpop girls + MBLAQ’s fresh young hormones (already in overdrive) = Disaster Waiting To Happen. The Boys have plenty of time for out of control love later—they should get their futures secured first. They’re already going to have a gazillon fake scandals pinned on them… they don’t need any that they truly caused themselves.
Just my buck-50. Do you agree? Or disagree? Why?
— Stephe ^@@^
On March 14th (yesterday if you’re over the international dateline, today if you’re on this side), Rain did arrive at Star Cafe at the Nikon Reality exhibition that is showcasing his amateur photography until the 21st. Fans began lining up two hours beforehand, and reports say there were over 500 people by 2 pm. Though we haven’t run into the information yet, we expect that Rain did deliver his D5000 camera to the lucky person who won the auction for it back on the 8th. Enjoy these visuals… and Happy White Day to all! — Stephe ^@@^
Cloud USA 
Protected: Cloud USA covers Atlanta K-pop Open Auditions: Terri’s Take.
•March 20, 2010 • Enter your password to view comments.Posted in Atlanta Kpop Auditions, Cloud USA, Korean Culture, Korean pop
Tags: Cloud commentary, cloud usa site news, Eden Entertainment/KoreaTimes/MBC, Korean Culture, Korean pop, Kpop auditions in Atlanta