I promised
aegistheia that I'd make a post explaining 2PM for her! Thus!
I. Who exactly is 2PM?
2PM is the acrobatic younger brother to the ballad group, 2AM. With their intensive and powerful performances, 2PM are called the "beastly idols" (짐승돌) by fans, a term which the media lapped up with much enthusiasm. In contrast to this beastly image, 2PM tends to show a cuter, more dorky side on variety shows, the side that reminds us that these masculine men are really just young boys who genuinely enjoy fooling around with each other.
Before their debut, the boys were originally mixed and matched with the 2AM members and other trainees at the time for the best match-up. As a result, they're very close to 2AM and occasionally exchange tweets with the members over Twitter.
Originally a 7-member group, 2PM's former leader Jay Park left the group in 2010 after his Myspace controversy in 2009. Although this caused a large rift in Hottests worldwide, both Jay and 2PM have risen from the ashes to succeed in their own way.
Now, 2PM is going on strong. Besides winning awards with their latest releases, they have also debuted in Japan with the ending song "Take Off" for the anime, "Ao no Exorcist". They have proven themselves to be a close-knit and hardworking group that exudes testosterone on stage, while messing around like a chaotic family of brothers off stage.
II. So, let's talk about the boys!
((Note: profiles taken from
W2D forum, with some additions))
Kim Junsu 김준수 -- The talented musician & affectionate Daegu man
Date of Birth: 1988-01-15
Height: 180cm
Weight: 68kg
Education: Donga Institute of Media and Arts
Blood type: A
Hobbies: Composing, fashion, collecting accessories and shoes
Talents: Singing, writing
Nickname: jun.K, panda
Ideal type: A person who looks pretty when they laugh
Favorite food: "Sour Patch Kids, sushi (ootoro)"
Religion: Buddhist
Random fact: Junsu has a friend in Osaka who teaches him Japanese.
The oldest member of 2PM may share the same name as a certain member of JYJ, but this Junsu is an entirely different species of hot.
Having won various singing competitions way before debut, Junsu is in charge of the main vocals of 2PM. Jo Kwon from 2AM once made a jibe on "Win Win" that Junsu, who was originally slated to be a member of 2AM, was transferred to 2PM because the group needed a good singer. While I believe that the other two vocals in 2PM can hold their own, with his
rich, vibrant voice and fantastic range - spanning from
Korean trot to
English R&B - Junsu really is an invaluable addition to the group.
But singing is not his only musical talent! This boy can write songs, and he has since written and sung a song with Lim Jeong Hee called
"가시마" (Don't Go) for the drama "Dream High", as well as the song
"Hot", which he composed for 2PM's latest Hands Up album, and is now being used in an MV for the movie, "블라인드" (Blind).
What also makes Junsu stand out from the rest is the fact that he's from Daegu and proud of it, happily showing off his
dialect (@ 04:23) whenever he has the chance - unless he's on a variety show! That's when he'll be on his best behaviour, which in turn, prompts the other members to point out that he's holding back. (Watch "2PM on Happy Together"!)
He can also be
ridiculously affectionate (@ 4:04) sometimes, which, coupled with his strong dialect, makes him really endearing.
Ok Taecyeon 옥택연 -- The irresistible dork & beastly rapper
Date of Birth: 1988-12-27
Height: 185cm
Weight: 76kg
Education: Dankook University, Management studies
Blood type: AB
Hobbies: Listening to music, Wakeboarding, Skiing
Talents: Cooking
Nickname: Okcat, Beast, Jjit Taecyeon
Ideal type: A person who is good at what she does
Favorite food: "Has there ever been a food I didn't like? None."
Religion: Christian
Random fact: Taecyeon's family lives in Bedford, Massachusetts (USA).
When you think of beastly 2PM, you can never forget its most beastly member, Ok Taecyeon. He's the very essence of an aggressive carnivore on stage, so much so that he coined the term
"Jjit (Rip) Taecyeon" on his own. As one of the sexy
rappers of 2PM, Taecyeon has also filled in the rap portion for a duet with Baek Ji Young, called
"My Ear's Candy". He has also established himself as an actor, playing leading roles in the drama,
"Cinderella's Sister", and the largely popular
"Dream High".
However, beneath that gigantic body of growing talent, lies one of the dorkiest boys you can find. Taecyeon reads manga,
self-learns girl group dances, dresses like a
fashion terrorist, and regularly engages in
a lot of aegyo. He even created a cat doodle he calls
"Okcats", which eventually led to the rest of 2PM merrily
playing with the idea backstage. Having lived in Boston for 6 years, he also
speaks English. Check it out; he sounds so adorably fobbish. ♥
If you're at all into bromance, Taecyeon has a rather close relationship with 2AM's Seulong. They regularly tweet to each other,
take pictures,
go to performances and movies together... and of course, there's
this. 8D
Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul นิชคุณ หรเวชกุล, 닉쿤 -- The Thai angel & hopeless romantic
Date of Birth: 1988-06-24
Height: 180cm
Weight: 64kg
Education: Los Osos High School (USA)
Blood type: O
Hobbies: Piano, working out, listening to music, watching movies, taking pictures
Talents: Piano, acrobatics
Nicknames: Khunnie Boy, Khunnio Boo, Khunddeng, Thai Prince
Ideal type: A kind, cute, and good person
Favorite food: "There is no food I don't like."
Religion: Buddhist
Random fact: Nichkhun's mother is Thai-Chinese.
Prior to his idol training in Korea, Nichkhun was already quite famous in his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand. He (and his brother and sisters) had been modelling and participating in commercials long before he was scouted in Los Angeles by a JYP agent. And it's no wonder; with that
angelic face and
sweet voice, he's not called the "Thai Prince" without reason.
Still not convinced?
Watch this
8eight MV "The End is Coming" featuring Nichkhun.
Don't be fooled by those wide, wide eyes though; this pretty boy does have his
sexy moments. He is, after all, a beastly member of 2PM!
Because of his Thai background, Nichkhun still continues individual activities in Thailand sometimes, and he has even officially been appointed
Thailand's Goodwill Ambassador. 2PM has candidly stated a few times that they enjoy visiting Thailand as a group too, as they apparently receive the "royal treatment" thanks to Nichkhun.
Currently, Khunnie plays the husband of f(x)'s Victoria in "We Got Married", the reality show where celebrities are paired together in fake matrimony. With Victoria's natural aegyo and Nichkhun's many attempts at romantic events, Khuntoria is known as the gorgeous,
sugar sweet couple that constantly frustrates the studio hosts of WGM for their
teasing naivete.
You can find subbed WGM Khuntoria episodes on
W2D's Dailymotion.
Jang Wooyoung 장우영 -- The cheerful moodmaker & Ssanti king
Date of Birth: 1989-04-30
Height: 178cm
Weight: 65kg
Education: Howon University, Broadcast Acting studies
Blood type: B
Hobbies: Listening to music, surfing the web
Talents: Dance ^^
Nickname: Booyoungee, AngAng, Mandoo, Woodong, Toshio
Ideal type: Someone who appeals to me right away
Favorite food: "I love all food in this world."
Religion: Buddhist
Random fact: Wooyoung had the shortest period as a trainee amongst the 2PM members.
First, to understand the concept of "Ssanti", you have to watch
this,
this and
this.
Got it?
You
sure? Let's go!
"Ssanti" means "cheap" in Korean slang, and a ssanti dance refers to the kind of silly dancing that a comedian may pull off for entertainment. Although Wooyoung's dance idol is the one and only pop king, Michael Jackson, he got the idea of ssanti dance from YG Entertainment's very own unique performer, Psy. Of course, you've got to have the beat in your soul to manage ssanti, and Wooyoung proves he can feel it perfectly with the b-boy moves in his
JYP audition. It's not much of a surprise, considering that he secretly went for dance practices in his high school years against his father's wishes - an indication of his love for dancing.
With his round face and cheeky smile, Wooyoung easily charms fans and even his own members with his
natural comedic sense. He also makes the best
"Oh mommy why is the world so cruel" sad face that coined him the term, "AngAng/JjingJjing Wooyoung".
Wooyoung's ability to speak well on camera is recognized in his position as MC for
"Win Win" with SNSD's Taeyeon, and the music show "Inkigayo" with fellow 2PM member, Taecyeon. Moreover, he has debuted as an actor in the drama "Dream High", playing the role of a genius American exchange student who excels at the performing arts,
especially in dancing. His character hooks up with IU's character, Pil-sook, and the couple have become so popular that fans have dubbed them the
"Milky Couple", going so far as to keenly observe every interaction Wooyoung has with IU in real life.
Lee Junho 이준호 -- The charismatic dancer & adorable emperor
Date of Birth: 1990-01-25
Height: 178cm
Weight: 67kg
Education: Howon University, Broadcast Acting studies
Blood type: A
Hobbies: Listening to music, watching dance videos, studying composition, reading, fashion magazines
Talents: Beatbox, dancing, singing
Nickname: Emperor, Nuneo, Speed Bump (3 guesses why 8D)
Ideal type: Somebody good with a 2-year-old
Favorite food: "I like all~ food."
Religion: Christian
Random fact: Junho owns a cat called Gomengi (Little One), which is the same breed as Chansung's cat, Jeonggam.
Junho loses the maknae position to Chansung by a mere 17 days, but despite his age, he's one of the calmer members of the group. Although he often throws himself headlong into the pandemonium stirred up by his crazy 2PM brothers - complete with
adorable aegyo and
darling eye-smile - he can sometimes be found in the background instead, watching the others with a stoic expression. It's because of this
composed mannerism that the fans dubbed him the "Emperor".
Speaking of which, this multi-talented emperor has a number of tricks up his sleeve. Although he's officially one of the vocals in 2PM, he has mentioned in interviews that he does everything in the group and it's not far from the truth; he
sings beautifully,
raps decently,
dances oh-so fabulously, and is
acrobatic to
boot. Morever, after showing his budding skill as a songwriter with the quiet release of
an untitled song on Maybee Radio, he has successfully produced a song called
"Give it to Me" for 2PM's Hands Up album, which is also used for a "블라인드" (Blind) MV.
Junho likes to claim that English is another one of his talents, but well. I-It's
cute how he tries. What he absolutely can do - besides everything else already listed - and is renowned for, is his mesmerizing
"butt-popping". Junho has a
delicious rear end that's just asking for a squeeze, and every once in a while, his members would take the chance to slap that fine thang.
For a lengthy period, Junho was a regular on "Dream Team Season 2", and that was where he really shone. His competitive nature motivated him to
train hard and
excel in the games, as well as to
never give up no matter what.
Find subbed episodes of Dream Team 2
here.
Hwang Chansung 황찬성 -- The overgrown maknae & eating machine
Date of Birth: 1990-02-11
Height: 184cm
Weight: 75kg
Education: Howon University
Blood type: B
Hobbies: Listening to music, games, working out
Talents: Taekwondo, Kumdo (Korean word for Kendo)
Nickname: Perry, Pwang-ga, General Hwang, (Old) maknae
Ideal type: A girl with kind eyes
Favorite food: "I don't discriminate between food."
Religion: Buddhist
Random fact: Chansung loves bananas is the loving owner of a cat called Jeonggam, which he sometimes
brings on set.
Sexy
dance. Violent
aegyo. Cute
kid. Eating
machine. Manly
beast.
There's so many ways to describe this boy I don't even know where to start.
Chansung is the giant baby of 2PM who can take in 40 servings of shabu shabu in one meal, has a contagious barking laughter of high-pitched snorts, and loves to
lick (@ 2:03 & 3:15),
bite (@ 2:27) and smother his brothers with love. A big goof ball, he sometimes doesn't appear to be the
brightest crayon in the box. On the other hand, he not only looks much older than his actual age, but also has an on-stage persona of an incredibly gorgeous, smoldering man. Seriously, this boy could lure a rock into his bed; one look into his eyes is more than enough.
Chansung initially entered JYPE to work on his acting, but later decided that music lessons were far more interesting. However, until recently, Chansung didn't do much singing in 2PM; he shares the rap with Taecyeon. And, honestly, watching him attempt that
high note challenge on "Wild Bunny" (@ 8:13, where he misses the next note not once, but twice) makes me wonder if he may actually have started out tone deaf. ^^; If he did, then this boy has come a long, long way, because he can now accurately identify notes without looking at the keys. You go, Chansung!
Music activities aside, he has done two acting roles: a student in the drama "Unstoppable High Kick", as well as a lady's
drunken hallucination of a handsome young man in "Dream High".
III. 2PM = intense, powerful, sexy performances...?
Single/Album MVs
--
10 out of 10--
Again & Again--
Heartbeat--
I'll Be Back--
Without You--
Thank You (a song to their Hottests)
--
Take Off (Japanese) --
Hands Up--
Hands Up East4A Mix--
I'm Your Man (Japanese) Commercial MVs
--
Follow Your Soul---
Fly to Seoul--
My Color--
Spris Spring 2010--
Spris Fall 2010--
Samsung Anycall "Nori F" Performances
--
Heartbeat (the members all take turns to "die" at the end, so there's different
ending variations)
--
Don't Stop Can't Stop (Nichkhun's part is cut out for the controversial message in the lyrics)
--
I Hate You--
Without You--
Tired of Waiting--
I'll Be Back Misc
--
Paris Baguette CF with Kim Tae Hee IV. Or was it crazy, bored teenaged boys...?
((Note: Watch these videos while they last, especially the YT ones!))
--Real 2PM:
official YT channel No worries about this one ever disappearing; this is 2PM's official Youtube channel. Here you can watch not only their latest MVs, but also - and more importantly! - behind-the-scenes footage of the group's CF promotions, individual projects, and stage performances. They are such boys when they're not working.
--2PM on MC Mong Haha Show:
1,
2,
3,
4 This is a segment on "MC Mong's Show" where the two MCs dress up as mothers and visit idol dormitories (without their knowledge) to wake them up and perform various motherly tasks for them. Watch the boys get dragged out of bed in total confusion and join the MCs as they find evidence of scandalous information hidden within 2PM's dorm rooms. (If this looks familiar, y-yes, I copy-pasta'd from my own description in another pimp post lol.)
--2PM Show ep 01:
1,
2,
3 On 9 July, 2011, 2PM began their very own variety show called "2PM Show", where the show's content is controlled mainly by the viewers. Questionnaires were put up on the official show website and Twitter to ask fans what they would like to see on the show, as well as who they thought was "The Most XXX Member". So far, the show has been absolute comedic gold because the boys are allowed to be themselves, which is the very best way for 2PM to shine. Check it out as the boys take on the challenge of breaking records in this episode -- and fail miserably.
--2PM on Happy Together:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7 Happy Together is a show where the hosts and guests sit in a bathhouse and chat about various things in bath clothes (pink for the ladies, blue for the men). 2PM has, thus far, guested twice, and this is their first appearance. This has a huge focus on Junsu because the boys couldn't stop making fun of him, but that's all the more reason to watch it, both for Junsu's awesome sense of humour and nasal Daegu dialect.
--2PM's parody of "Cinderella's Sister" in their Seoul concert:
subbed HD clip You don't have to watch the original drama to enjoy just how spastic this parody is. I've rewatched it at least 5 times and it still cracks me up. Taecyeon returns to reprise his role of Jung-Woo, while Nichkhun plays Eun-Jo, Chansung takes Ki-Hoon, Wooyoung is Hyo-seon, and Junsu and Junho pretty much play everyone else. XD I know the focus should probably be on the romantic triangle, but I think the Junbros stole the show for me.
--2PM on Idol Army ep 10:
1,
2,
3,
4 This show was back when 2PM was a 7-member group, but it's totally worth a watch. "Idol Army" is the first variety show that 2PM ever hosted. However, this episode holds a special place in my heart because the boys go on a field trip together - a wonderful chance to see them interact with each other, as opposed to fighting over the female guests, as they usually do in the regular episodes. Imagine a group of rowdy frat boys going on a road trip: that's 2PM right there.
--2PM on Idol Army ep 11:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5 A continuation of the field trip above. There are female guests this time, but it's a bunch of whacky high school girls. Watch this for the boys' sleeping habits and their drowsy expressions as they play a game in the morning to determine who gets to cook breakfast ala "Family Outing".
--2PM on Idol Army ep 12:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
The last part of the field trip. In this part, the boys had to go invite some college girls next door to join them in some winter games outside. It's so obviously rigged and the girls clearly knew what was going on, but it's pretty hilarious to see how awkward the beastly idols get in their fail attempts. Pay attention to how they treat their partners during the games later, too!
V. One last thing
If you're a Hottest and you have no idea who this man is - shame on you. >( This is the man who lives with 2PM, follows them wherever they go, and even takes pictures with them to put on his Twitter.
... no, he's not so much a stalker, as he is their fabulously indispensible, 'would-probably-starve-in-a-street-corner-without-him' manager, Minjae.
Minjae shows up in more pictures of 2PM than you'd imagine, and Junho even complained on an episode of "Win Win" that Minjae appeared on the first episode of 2PM's show "Wild Bunny" far more than he did. Nevertheless, it's clear that the boys adore him, and he, them, so it just felt right to include him in this pimp post. *nods*
VI. Links
--For more videos, go to
2OD forums or
W2D forums. For 2OD, you'll need 20 posts to access the video section and 74 posts for the subbed video section. For W2D, you'll need 20 posts for the video section; 30 posts for the subbed video section. Each subbing team tends to take on projects the other hasn't/isn't working on, so it's best to join both.
--For information and pictures,
Soompi 2PM Fanclub has chockful of stuff for you to grab and learn more about the boys.
2PM Always is another amazing site that has constant updates of news, pictures, and even translations.
--Livejournal, as it goes for idol groups, has a ton of communities you can follow.
omonatheydidnt is the place to get up-to-date news on 2PM, as well as any and all K-entertainment information
iam_hottest is the One Day fan community
love2ad is a graphics community for One Day
inorae is the fanfic community for One Day
2pm_timeless is a media sharing community for 2PM
2pmfansites has an extensive list of Korean fansites for 2PM
sexybitchaday for Junho pretties
chansungaday for Chansung pretties
2pmjunsu_love for Junsu pretties
wooaday for Wooyoung pretties
--Tumblr is something I've only just discovered (hi I'm an old fuddy duddy what), and there's tons of gorgeous pictures, both official and unofficial. In general, just search for "Fuck Yeah (insert name)" and you'll find what you're looking for!
Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful in some way. ♥
Also, if this group of dorky Korean boys has piqued your interest, might I also suggest their beautiful and vocally-talented brother group,
2AM? *waggles eyebrows*
Let's share the One Day love!