The following is something I posted on SSF, and I think it fits well with this (though not as detailed as Proctie’s OP). I struggled with the WHY and HOW of Yoona. I KNEW I liked her, more and more as the days went by, but I couldn’t put a finger on it. If SONES know the struggle that Tiffany went through to overcome the culture shock, then SONES need to appreciate what having an Yoona at the forefront does for SNSD. She’s gorgeously complex and at the same time utterly honest. If you can set down your prejudices for one minute and just look at the kid, she’ll break your heart with who she is. She is the spirit of SNSD, the core, she embodies the elan and joy of what SNSD is.

Just down the jaded glasses and LOOK at her, feel her emotion, her heart. I did, and now I can appreciate 1000 fold better the gestalt of nine.

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I’ve wanted to express my opinion about Yoona for quite sometime, but it’s difficult. No matter how much I’ve been thinking about the ‘face’ of Soshi, she’s really tough to conceptualize. It’s like trying to read a forest and realizing I’m standing too close. Take a step back. Another, another, another. No matter how far back I step, I still can’t see all of her.

I do know that Yoona is as close to the complete package as exists in idolhood.

But no matter how much I’ve studied her, for me Yoona is still very much a mystery. I know her members know the real her, because she’s loved so much within the group, but she’s either REALLY good at hiding the real Yoona, or we’re seeing the real Yoona every time the cameras roll. She either hides everything or nothing. I have to believe it’s the latter. She’s probably the most photographed and filmed member, but the dumbfounding thing about her is that no matter how much we’ve seen of her to date, I think we’ve only scratched the surface. This girl is deep.

So many idols cultivate one facet, one view that they present to the public, but Yoona is a constantly moving target. She’s a CF model, an actress, a dancer, a dongsaeng, an unnie, a student, an utter beauty, y or goofy, a total prankster, awkward and graceful, naturally thin, but with an incredible s-line (the result of endless hard work in a gym, you can be sure), delicate and strong, playful, moody, angel and brat, self-aware, self-deprecating, prideful, humble, quiet and loud. She’s killer in the signature Soshi tight jeans. She rivals Yuri in that respect. She can laugh with her whole body like Sunny, and then shut it off by main will alone and do the job.

And about that job. She’s dead serious about work. Professional enough to humble most professionals. She’s a girl who’s never dated, but can pull off acting like a married woman. Get this. She practiced her emotions by recording herself making faces in the mirror. What does that say about her skill and natural talent? Simply mind blowing? Yeah. I’ll go with that. When she was filming her daily drama, she worked incredible hours, went to highschool, and did the Soshi schedule. Yes, SM cut her a lot of slack when there were conflicts, but that just meant there was rarely a free moment in her life. The others knew that, and while the impulse for jealousy might be a natural reaction considering her success, knowing what she was going through, I seriously doubt any of them envied her the sheer amount of work it required. The award for best newcomer? Icing. Sheer icing.

Another thing I can’t get a handle on is her beauty. Without a doubt, she is. But HOW? Really, eggs and foreheads don’t have anything to do with this. It’s all internal. Many people who are used to being photographed know they have certain angles that appeal more than others. That’s why you only see one angle in numerous photographs, because the person being photographed is trying to present their best side. They’ve studied themselves.

Yoona doesn’t do this. Browse the interwebs. The pictures of her are left facing, right facing, chin up, chin down, straight on. Endless variety. She’s one of those people that can be beautiful from almost any angle, and at the SAME time, not be. It’s like she has a beauty switch she can throw on and off at will. IF she wants, she’s heartbreakingly beautiful. If she doesn’t she can be plain, or just plain odd. It’s not a matter of camera angles, hair styles, make up, or any of the typical methods idols use. She IS or ISN’T depending on what she wants to show.

Watch any Soshi video, and if Yoona is present, she’s usually front and center. I thought for a long time about why that is. She isn’t like Jessica or Yuri with their cool or hot in-your-face appeal. Sorry, she’s not. But there is something there. Is it her doe eyes with their soft and innocent appeal? Perhaps. But contrast that with . She’s got a way of holding , slightly crooked, which is more evident when she smiles or laughs. And her laugh is genuine in that it’s utterly hers, not designed but natural. There’s nothing ladylike about it and falls outside of the classic definition of beauty. Alligator. That’s Yoona. No, the reason I think she’s the center of any Soshi formation is because she’s at that crux, between girl and woman. She’s innocent and alluring, non-threatening, promising but never a temptress. She embodies that perfectly. That’s WHO she is.

Maybe that’s my issue. I’m comfortable when I can classify things. This belongs here, that belongs there. Yoona belongs everywhere. She’s comfortable anywhere, in any crowd. She’s the ideal type for a lot of celebrities, but nothing is overwhelming for her. She has no spazz button, no thing or person that causes her to lose herself. It’s always self-possession. A centeredness that is way beyond her years.

Without a doubt she is treasured by her members, no matter how she’s always picked out as the ‘face’ of Soshi. And the pressure of always being under the gun? Always a camera pointing at her? It doesn’t faze her. She just shines and lets us see who she is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her embarrassed. Frankly, at this point, I have to believe that nothing is beyond her strength or depth.

She’s simply incredible.