Prior to this week I only knew two things about the currently hottest K-pop guy group EXO: (1) it released the most unintentionally hilarious (i.e. awful) music video I had the pleasure of watching in years in “Wolf”, and (2) it has allegedly the most crazy/scary/absurd fandom since the heyday of DBSK and Super Junior. I didn’t care to learn more until my C-entertainment news feed exploded this week with some sort of K-popalypse happening that apparently was way more interesting than any currently K-drama airing. Turns out I have been following K-ent for way too long if I’m actually living through the third coming of “sue SM to get the shit out of dodge!” Following in the sage footsteps of Han Geng who sued to leave Super Junior and more than half of DBSK who sued to leave the group because it was managed by SM and then formed their own group called JYJ, a newbie Chinese-Canadian member of EXO by the name of Kris (Chinese name Wu Yi Fan) has filed a lawsuit in the Seoul district court to terminate his contract with SM.
That is what I call a booyah move, especially since the group just launched its comeback last week with a new track called “Overdose” and has scheduled its first concert tour since the group’s inception. The C-media is ALL over it (probably as much as the K-media) since Kris is of Chinese descent and clearly is heading back to the C-market like Han Geng did when he successfully exited SM. I have no clue how the EXO fandom is behaving other than the logical assumption that a collective freak out is going on, though I’m not sure how a 11-member group will be substantially worse off than a 12-member group. I’m happy to have EXO fans educate me on the while brouhaha from how it happened to what the current on-dit is since I actually lived through the Han Geng mess and JYJ insanity but am too weary these days to follow along. I’d be more interested if EXO is any good but after the LOL-shit that was “Wolf” their latest MV for “Overdose” may be less lame but is pretty spastic and hard to listen to as well. What’s the allure of this group anyway?
SM is apparently wielding a giant hammer in this fracas and threatening to sue spurious rumormongers as well as fight the lawsuit. Not sure if Korea has specific performance verdicts like in common law contracts (forcing someone to perform according to the terms of a contract if found valid), but I’ll predict the contract is voided in the end no matter if it is litigated all the way and SM ultimately ends up with a 11-member EXO group. It’s just silly to force a kid to be part of an idol group he wants out from regardless of the reason he wants to book it. I am pretty perturbed (okay, a lot perturbed) when I heard K-netizens going racist on the Kris’ decision to leave EXO as his “poor work ethic due to being Chinese” or some shit like that. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Did everyone in Korea conveniently forget Junsu, Yoochun, and Jaejoong, yunno, three Korean dudes who sued SM to leave most likely because it sucked donkey balls to work for the overlord Soo Man. Then I read the C-netizens going all racists back railing on the Korean entertainment companies like SM when the contracts with the C-companies are no better. Sigh, stop pointing fingers when it pretty much sucks to give a part of one’s soul to become an entertainer, unless one starts off owning the company itself. When I watched the “Overdose” MV, and even after staring for a long time at Kris’ picture, I still couldn’t pick him out of the MV if I zoomed in using a microscope. These boys look literally identical.
EXO’s latest video “Overdose”:
It's still crazy that the two biggest K-dramas of this year 2024 aired basically at…
So there are new posters, stills, and a first teaser out already for modern C-drama…
This is an interesting twist on what sounds like a standard legal K-drama, the male…
So Xu Kai is back in period drama land and has a new actress costar…
So Kim Soo Hyun recently became the new face of fragrance house Jo Malone in…
The big name C-dramas that was rumored for December seems to have all moved into…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
He's actually 1 of the 3 members of Exo I can recognize. I really find him strikingly beautiful, but I don't really care about his lawsuit.
I think the allure of this group is that all 12 boys look like they came straight out of a shojo manga. There isn't a single boy I'd point to and say "oy, he's a bit ugly". Otherwise, their songs are mostly hilariously bad. With the exception of Growl, I liked that one. Although I think I liked the choreography more than the actual song.
I disregarded them with their debut album, but i've liked a fair amount of their music since then. Wolf is pretty much a joke.
yeah...those EXO members looks almost identical, I had to search Kris pic specifically...and like you, Growl is the only song that I enjoy from them. (and the choreo~)
Reading this news brings back all the HanGeng memories. It was sad for everybody, SuJu members and fans all around. I was happy though that we got closure after all that mess, and everybody moved on. Hopefully, this case with EXO will also bring another closure to everyone involved.
"poor work ethic due to being Chinese”
That a sentence only someone in Korea could say with a straight face. Lol
I like korean dramas, but I have to admit that korean people need to get their s$@t together when it comes to saying racist stuff toward other Asian countries. I have seen Philippinos get it, Indonesians, Japanese.
Koreans artists are stumping over each other trying to get to the Japanese market, but to hear Koreans netizens talk about it, you would think they are doing japan a favor by sending their idols over there.
If Koreans don't stop saying nonsense about Chinese people because a kid wants out of a contract, all that goodwill in China toward Korean artists might just vanish.
Eh. I read the translated Korean comments on Netizenbuzz. Exactly one comment criticized Kris's work ethic. Lots of comments criticized SM. Let's not blow things out of proportion.
There are tons of xenophobic comments about kris and chinese people, nothing is blown out of proportion.
Saying that chinese people are lazy and ungrateful, that this is what happens when you take in chinese kids, etc. etc.
I've only seen a few clips of them on realty shows and he seems quiet in a mature way. All I know is that they are devided in 2 groups. 6 aim at a Chinese audience & 6 aim to Korean audience. That's ALL I know,
Ms Koala Goddess :)
LOL
12? That's just immoderate. Five identikit young man would be more than enough, coming in five different flavours to suit every fangirl. Six, even. 12 is just going over the top. Lol.
Obviously you haven't heard of AKB48.
yeah, search AKB48 xD
If you looking for him in the video you link to (exo-k version), then you won't find him. He's a member of exo-m, so he's in the chinese version. Check out Growl, nice song and simple video that works well.
I just learned yesterday Luhan and Sehun are two different guys. They are still too many member for me.
All the 12 members are in the vid. Both MVs have all 12 members just in two different languages.
But the focus of that version is the K group. The M video opens with Kris
What is sad and deplorable is the way they make this ppl live, when they're bringing all that revenue! And on top of that their consider rude for asking how much they're going to get paid?! That new show Roommates, shows young Seo Kang Joon lives in that cramped little apartment with 2
others. And he said it's only been 6months since he debuted!! I can only imagine how long is going to take for him to pay his dues. Ugh
Am I being unrealistic!? Is that how the entertainment business works!?
I knew Seo Kang Joon from the suspicious housekeeper. I think you are right those celebrities in Korea are so pitiful. No bed to sleep in just sleeping on the floor. I think after school dorm is also cramped. there even no proper place to put their stuff such as clothes and shoes.
Those are trainies and newbies.
I watch roommate too.
That entire bit in re to SKJ's living conditions (n having ramyun for all his meals) left me embittered and the fact that he teared up thinking he'd offend his "CEO" in getting a smartphone irked me even more. Even Nana's gp has been around for a bit and yet they don't have basic furniture in their apartment. The laugh track played during these situations just irritated me even more.
@ThePrima: if I'm not mistaken SKJ shares his apt with 4 of of his group/band mates.
I think sleeping on the floor it might be a culture thing. (Am probably going to get creamed for saying that)!
@ Saima, I know that part made me teary eye too ;(
But than I laugh seeing as LDW was pretty funny about the phone ordeal too!!
I have seen Shinee's dorm they have bed and room to themselves.
CNblue also have room to themselves.
Anyway I really glad I love variety shows so much that I learnt the fact of live of the celebrities in Korea for once.
I've seen a live performance clip on YT and was disappointed that they lipvsync. I understand that at that time, they were newbies. But lip syncing for a live performance is a turn off for me, especially if you're new. I've stopped listening to them ever since. If you're an artist, despite being new, just sing even if it sounds horribly live. At least you sang and gave it your best shot. That's better than lip syncing.
As for Kris, I hope he wins the case. His health is way more important.
That's something that turned me off as well! But I think it's ultimately SM's decision to not let the boys sing live. As for EXO-M when they're in China, I've heard that they sing live, but because the audio quality is low they have to dub over it with the CD version. Don't know how legit that is since I don't really follow Cpop that closely.
12 people and yet, lip sync. it's not like they have to sing 5,6 lines each, continuously. but yes, SM the one who decide if they sing lip sync or live.
I was surprised to see this article in your blog since I thought you don't have time to even care about Korean boybands ... Haha. He is one of the most popular members as he is the leader of the EXO-M, another half of EXO-K. He is Canadian-Chinese, so I think his background is definitely different from other EXO members and HanGeng. So he maybe understand the ent. exploitation and more outspoke in term of that than other foreign members/ trainees? I think he is gorgeous, very different (4D personality), laidback and quiet but he has the aura and good leadership. From what I heard his health is not so good, probably heart issue, so the gruelling schedule may take toll on him. It probably causes him to call a quit :)
Yes he was diagnosed with myocarditis, something about heart inflammatory. I like him the most among the EXO members. I presume his family background is not bad.
I agree with your pov on his thinking when you grown up western country your way of thinking will be different from Korean. The EXO members even the chinese members are not supportive of his lawsuit. In fact most of his members unfollowed his instagram and weibo. The funny thing is their slogan is we are one. They badmouth him in interviews and their blogs.
rumors said, EXO member's social net working sites are controlled by their manager and company, so the truth about the whole unfollowed and unsupportive things are to be question. Kris wants to leave SM Ent. I agree. Kris's culture value, philosophy and principles are just so different compare to his member fellows.
You should listen to their albums, their songs are amazing. Their title tracks however...
(I'd personally recommend Baby Don't Cry)
Don't Go nd Thunder also :D Love it, along with Growl of course :D