I think I got into kpop with Shinhwa. Yeah, I'm THAT old ^^. I don't really remember, because nobody called it kpop then. I only knew about it through my husband and it was already early 2000s. I didn't follow it closely. My husband is Korean but he's more into ballads and stuff and well, more into female artists ^^.

But then DBSK were really successful. I didn't even like their early songs very much but they still had a great impact. Possibly because people became aware that kpop existed and was even likely to become popular not just in Korea and Japan. I thought Jaejjong was gorgeous and I liked Junsu who looked the most Korean to me. I never was much into the others though as far as the outer appearance was concerned.

I was never a Cassiopeia it was rather that I thought there was something really interesting going on especially when they made appearances in variety shows. It was only then that I became aware of the concept behind idol-groups.

The funny thing is, that DBSK in old non-Korean articles and stuff is never referred to as a dance-group although many western people were more impressed by "Mirotic" because of the choreography than because of the song. But I think the importance of dancing for kpop-artists is something that SM realized much earlier than other companies who then followed.

However, I began to like the concept, the variety shows the deliberate coupling but I never thought it was anything other then friendship among them and even that not quite as strong as the real fans thought. I mean, I was used to boy-bands of the western hemisphere who weren't even "in" anymore and who I had looked upon as people who worked together in the first place, like in a rock-band. 

But there was something endearing and exciting in the "possibilities" and apart from that it's not coincidence that I'm married to a Korean. I always liked the way my husband and his friends treated each other with a lot of physical contact that has nothing to do with gay feelings and instead serves as ... hm ... a kind of substitute family whereever you go. My husband is of the generation where South-Korean men still had to serve in the military for THREE years. And that was three years pretty much constantly away from everythin and everybody and hardly any free time. And it's similar at schools and everywhere else. Your family has to be the people who are around you or you'll get really lonely and deprived. 

This rather common closeness  though when it became evident among idols provided an almost unlimited source for fan-girls' fantasies. I admit that I enjoyed watching them being that way among each other although, since I'm familiar with Korean customs, I never thought it was about real-life-relationships or and I'm still sure that it isn't.

When DBSK broke up at THAT time people were aware that they had already been on the brink of disbanding. It wasn't something that was immediately blamed on SM entertainment. The context was different. I mean, if a group publishes a "best of"-album it is a bit of an indicator I think. And to be honest, I believe that like it is so many times, the fans are to a great extend a reason why groups disband. Let me explain:

DBSK had lots of potential in my opinion but the fans were a bit stuck in the "Mirotic"-era (understandibly so). And although they had an overwhelming general fandom I believe that the individual fandoms were split between Jaejjong and Yunho, meaning they were the two most popular. Despite the fact that many fans were shipping them their musical potential and their looks were (I believe) an issue between them. They were rivals. 

This is just what I believe was going on of course. I don't know any of them personally. But to me the driving force that resulted in splitting up from within the group was this rivalry. That's neither surprising nor uncommon. It happens all the time.

The role SM played in this scenario to me isn't as clear as it seemingly is to many younger people. But it certainly wasn't just the lawsuit filed with the company that led to the situation. That only ended the contracts for JYJ members with SM and caused them huge problems afterwards. But the breaking up was already evident and probably planned for before that. So that was not due to SM-entertainment in the first place. But the fans needed a scapegoat to be able to dream on their dream of eternal love in DBSK so SM entertainment became the anti-christ.

But let's talk about SHINee instead ^^.

Many people think that SHINee was supposed to become a second DBSK. But seriously ... they looked so YOUNG! I mean yeah, I've gotten older too but compared to early DBSK SHINee did look their age when they started. I never looked upon DBSK-members as teenagers although Changmin I believe was 17 at their official debut. But they were presented differently. 

SHINee were introduced as a "contemporary band" which I believe was a good concept and the dancing was a central element from the very beginning. That's why many people (including me) didn't even pay as much attention to the singing at first. It took me years to appreciate "Noona neomu yeppeo" for what it is: a many layered very melodical and interesting song. One of my favorites nowadays.

But even when they got older they still seemed younger to me than DBSK ever were which is kind of weird. 

I've already compared SHINee to EXO before but this is even more interesting I think. DBSK as I see them started with a good singer, a good rapper and dancer, a visual, an allrounder and a maknae of unknown potential. Of course everybody in DBSK could sing well and dance decently but this is what I see as their main points. The maknae became a good singer, the allrounder a good everything, the visual stayed the visual and the two main characters didn't really change a lot.

I believe that Changmin's singing as well as Junsu's singing and dancing tilted the scale within the group. And while Jaejjong could still rely on his superior popularity Yunho was the one that was a bit left behind. The balance, if there had been any in the first place, was seriously disturbed.

SHINee started with two good singers, one good dancer, a visual and an allrounder. Same here of course, everybody could sing and everybody could dance too. But here the good singers especially the main one became an outstanding singer, the good dancer one of the best AND a good singer, the visual improved in every respect and seriously so, the allrounder, well, he can do anything today. I think the improvement in SHINee is evenly distributed, and, which is even more important, they are no competition for each other. They're too different. 

I've said this before: I really believe that SHINee members have an almost equal share of individual fans and like myself pretty much all individual fans are every once in a while in trouble to decide who their bias in SHINee is. Although Minho e.g. is not my favorite member I like to see if someone likes him especially. That makes me feel better because I don't give him enough love ^^. 

If there ever was a point when I definitely decided I liked SHINee better than DBSK it was probably during "Hello Baby". I know I'm not the only one there ^^. And that's where it comes back to the chemistry within the group. I'm deliberately not comparing their music because I believe that's a different matter. 

Reading comments on Youtube concerning "SHINee's Hello Baby" I often find that people learned to distinguish the members during that time or due to watching the episodes later. I never had all that much trouble to single them out though but one thing is true for me as well: "Hello Baby" although scripted of course shows a lot of characteristics in each member. And that is very important. While in DBSK I'm still, up to this day, not sure about Yoochun and what kind of person he is and I still don't really get Yunho (or Changmin at that) to the point that I would think I'm familiar with his personality, SHINee members are almost like people I personally know. 

Of course that is just a feeling and I'd be delusional if I believed I know them really. But each and every one of them has a clearly distinguishable character in my mind and they are all very dear to me. This is what these shows can do with the right kind of people.

Uuh, I better end it here for now although I haven't really finished. I don't think many people will read it anyway ^^.

Oh, but one more thing. Since I started with Shinhwa. If you haven't yet, check out their latest song "Sniper". I was really happy to see them back with something really really good. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_VJHT6y-NI