moving on but staying strong
i started writing this as a response to someone's post in dbsg@lj regarding the current situation and i got carried on. but it got waaaay too long, so i cut off early as to not spam the comm and decided to just post the rest here.
some people might say that being a fan (of a boyband group, nonetheless) is being childish. but personally i think that we are much more than what outsiders take us for. it's not easy being a fan. it's not easy to be mature and deal with our idols problems with a cool head and to be not selfish, demanding what we want instead of considering their personal space and need. and it's especially not easy to be strong in our faith when troubles hit them and sway the fandom.
i'm not saying that if you're swayed then you're not a fan, i'm saying that if you're a fan, a true fan, then you will, eventually, come out strong for them. if you're a true fan, then you will, sooner or later, realised that your love for them will withstand everything. everything might not work out well, everything might disappoint you, hurt you, break your heart, but at the end of the day you will realise that your feeling towards them stays the same: you still admire them, you still support them in whatever they do, you still get hurt and defend them when someone talk bad about them, and you still thank them for being what they are, no matter what they decide to do later their lives. only time can tell the truth. and at the end of the day, if you're still standing strong for them, you know that you are a true fan.
i find the phrase "if you don't like them and decide to jump ship, then don't like them in the first place" a little bit selfish. it kinda surprised me that even yamapi himself said it, and it kinda hurt me. we can't control who we like, and the idols themselves can't control whom they would like to like them. fans come and go, it is a natural thing. some of them are in it because of superficial feeling, the "oooh he's so cuteee, i like him, please-be-a-perfect-guy-like-in-my-dream-then-i'll-love-you-forever" kind of fans are abundant. are we saying that it's wrong for them to be in the fandom? who are we to judge who should be fans and who should not?
we can't control the kind of people who would like the boys. considering their talent, it's inevitable that they attract numerous fans from all sorts of background, due to all sorts of reasons. what's important is that, at the end of the day, those who stayed are those who are truly strong, who truly believe in them and still support them in whatever condition they're in. as for those who jumped ship, it's always heartbreaking to see them go, but that's their decision, let them go. if they can't stand being in the fandom, if they can't stand things going in a way that they don't like, then that's their problem. they gave up on their status as fans. if they can so easily give up on the fandom, then the fandom has no need for them. it might sound harsh, but the fact remains that a fandom consist of fans, and we are strong in our faith in them; those who are not strong enough leave, it's as simple as that.
having said that, i think it's best for us to prepare ourselves realistically. the boys are humans too, they can make mistakes and their decision might not be the best, but that's their lives, yea? considering the current situation, i wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow SME release a press conference stating the disbandment of TVXQ and the plan to release changmin and yunho as solo artists EACH, or even a duet. i wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the year JCS release an album, if they got even more popular and be invited to NHK Utagassen, if in the next 5 years JCS broke into US with their trio activities and fly further and further away into the sky that reconciliation with homin never be brought up in discussions anymore.
i wouldn't be surprised, but it doesn't meant that i won't be heartbroken by it.
still, i will support them. all 5 of them. i don't know how, but i know that i will not let go of the belief that they will come back together again, one day, as 5 of them. if there's anything the x japan fandom had taught me is that not to underestimate our heroes. X Japan had disbanded OFFICIALLY for nearly 10 years, with one of the member passing away nonetheless, before yoshiki and toshi reconciled and re-unite x japan once again. i wasn't there during their breakup, and with hide gone i wasn't really expecting for X Japan to come back together again. but still i supported them, despite the kind of looks i get when people know the meaning behind the X necklace that i wear every single day. they can ridicule me and my belief, but it doesn't mean that i have to bow down to them and THEIR way of life. this is my life, and if i choose to continue supporting my idols, who are they to say what i'm doing is wrong?
similarly, i've been wearing my AKTF wristband since i got them. just recently one of the chinese friends i got to know from the Chinese corner class recognised it and talked to me about it. she asked how long have i been a fan? and i told her that i've been a fan for more than a year, and she scoffed. she said, "i've been fans since 6 years ago," then proceeded to tell me how she bought their magazines and followed their news everyday. but after that i got sad when she told me that she's stopped following them, talking about it as though it was a childish thing to do, supporting a boyband. she even asked me, "haven't they broken up?"
we see this kind of people everywhere. they might not be fans, they might be a follower of the kpop scene but didn't really delve deep into each fandom, but we would encounter casual random remark being thrown off like that. they might think that it's a non-offensive question, but we know how fans get hurt when we hear things like that. then again, they don't know the truth. they don't know what's happening, so pardon them and enlighten them instead. "no, they've not disbanded yet, but it's true that the three have just held concert in Japan recently." be strong. be strong not only for the fandom, but also for them, whom you are speaking for.
regarding the chinese fan that i was talking about, i saluted her off for being a fan since the start (after i thought about it, yea, she had been a fan since the boys debuted). but while she might think that she has a right to scoff at me, to show some superiority that she's been a fan far longer than i do, i'd beg to differ. she'd been a fan for 6 years, but she had left. she had simply gotten bored and left. while i've only been a fan less than 2 years, i was there when my favourite trio decided to sue SME. i was there when SME and JCS fought through their press-statement, causing me to be swayed, "i like JCS the most, but no, this is not what i would like to happen!" i was there when things got tense during the end-of-year Japanese activities. my heart chipped a little when JCS was announced to hold a concert as a trio. i was there when they continue planning activities as a trio, leaving homin further and further behind. and i'm still here.
i'm not deluded. i know what might happen in the future. and i've entertained the thoughts of what had happened in the past that might have lead to all of this, and those weren't good thoughts. they're ugly. they speak of human nature. they expose the boys as another fellow human beings, not noble heroes full of perfection, but ordinary human beings, striving for their own survival, for their own happiness. but still i can't bring myself to blame them and leave.
i might not agree with their decision, but i agree with them fighting for what they believe is right! at the end of the day, we are living our own lives and they are living theirs. isn't it just screwed up if the boys try to live their lives according to what the fans wanted, just so that they could keep us happy, while the fans themselves can live their lives without anyone to tell them what to do?
what they need are fans who like them for what they are, no matter what they are. sure, they can do with fans who like them for their voices, charisma and personality. but they can also do without fans who don't support their decision to fight for their own lives and future, to pursue their own happiness. and we, fans, can do without those who don't support them. in fact, it would be better if they go. they won't lose anything by going away, but they would bring sadness and sorrow to the boys and to the fandom if they stay and keep on saying hurtful things against the boys.
it's not like as though we don't have enough to think about without them saying bad things about the boys. with every new development in the case, there's always something to think about. with each new development a new shock is being delivered into the fandom. there would be more leavers, but at the same time, can we say that those who stay are getting stronger? unfair it might sound, but no it doesn't. at least, not really, coz at the next shocking event, there are bound to be more leavers. still, at the very least we know that, at this point of time, those who are still in the fandom are those who have withstood the past shocks. we have stayed strong, and hopefully we will continue staying strong in the future.
there's no confirmation that the future will be better. yet, there's equal chance that there would be good news that will render everything that happened in the past year as a passing tidal-storm. even as of now, everyday i pray for their happiness. what's the use if they're doing things that make the fans happy but make themselves unhappy?
as of now, i'm taking this as a chance for them to go beyond what they're already good in. boyband? come on, they're so good already that they're up there with very little people left to compete with. what's the fun in that? they're a success in TWO countries, one of which is the world's second biggest music industry. they've created and broken so many records. heartbreaking as it may be, the boys had achieved almost everything that they could possibly achieve as a boyband, and that's within, what, 6 years? and they're still so young, 23 years old and changminnie was just a 21-year-old when the lawsuit happened, with already so much achievements under their names. they're awesome, yes. they've achieved amazing feat, yes. it's time to move on to the next big goal. time to aim for even greater things.
let them go out of their safe zone, throw them into weird projects and see how they deal with those. musicals? of course. dramas? most certainly. modeling? heck, why not? these boys are the kind that will strive hard to excel in whatever they do, and with the kind of training and lifestyle they've been leading so far, they have the necessary experience and attitude to be successful too. if they're always together, doing nothing but group activities, when are they going to gather sharper skills of their own? don't forget we're talking about the rising gods of the east here, a group that is highly praised for having talented individuals worthy to become lead singer on their own. they're a group that defies a lot of stereotypes of a boyband in general. so, let them break ALL of those stereotypes to pieces. let them show the world what they've got INDIVIDUALLY.
they HAVE had risen as gods of the east. time for the next big thing. time to take a break and explore things on their own, indulge in their own interest, strengthen their own unique talent, search for answers in life and be as daring and reckless as youths their age can be.
then, when they've come back together as 5 again, they will be even more phenomenal than what they have been.
aktf, cassies. that's the least we can do for them. aktf.
some people might say that being a fan (of a boyband group, nonetheless) is being childish. but personally i think that we are much more than what outsiders take us for. it's not easy being a fan. it's not easy to be mature and deal with our idols problems with a cool head and to be not selfish, demanding what we want instead of considering their personal space and need. and it's especially not easy to be strong in our faith when troubles hit them and sway the fandom.
i'm not saying that if you're swayed then you're not a fan, i'm saying that if you're a fan, a true fan, then you will, eventually, come out strong for them. if you're a true fan, then you will, sooner or later, realised that your love for them will withstand everything. everything might not work out well, everything might disappoint you, hurt you, break your heart, but at the end of the day you will realise that your feeling towards them stays the same: you still admire them, you still support them in whatever they do, you still get hurt and defend them when someone talk bad about them, and you still thank them for being what they are, no matter what they decide to do later their lives. only time can tell the truth. and at the end of the day, if you're still standing strong for them, you know that you are a true fan.
i find the phrase "if you don't like them and decide to jump ship, then don't like them in the first place" a little bit selfish. it kinda surprised me that even yamapi himself said it, and it kinda hurt me. we can't control who we like, and the idols themselves can't control whom they would like to like them. fans come and go, it is a natural thing. some of them are in it because of superficial feeling, the "oooh he's so cuteee, i like him, please-be-a-perfect-guy-like-in-my-dream-then-i'll-love-you-forever" kind of fans are abundant. are we saying that it's wrong for them to be in the fandom? who are we to judge who should be fans and who should not?
we can't control the kind of people who would like the boys. considering their talent, it's inevitable that they attract numerous fans from all sorts of background, due to all sorts of reasons. what's important is that, at the end of the day, those who stayed are those who are truly strong, who truly believe in them and still support them in whatever condition they're in. as for those who jumped ship, it's always heartbreaking to see them go, but that's their decision, let them go. if they can't stand being in the fandom, if they can't stand things going in a way that they don't like, then that's their problem. they gave up on their status as fans. if they can so easily give up on the fandom, then the fandom has no need for them. it might sound harsh, but the fact remains that a fandom consist of fans, and we are strong in our faith in them; those who are not strong enough leave, it's as simple as that.
having said that, i think it's best for us to prepare ourselves realistically. the boys are humans too, they can make mistakes and their decision might not be the best, but that's their lives, yea? considering the current situation, i wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow SME release a press conference stating the disbandment of TVXQ and the plan to release changmin and yunho as solo artists EACH, or even a duet. i wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the year JCS release an album, if they got even more popular and be invited to NHK Utagassen, if in the next 5 years JCS broke into US with their trio activities and fly further and further away into the sky that reconciliation with homin never be brought up in discussions anymore.
i wouldn't be surprised, but it doesn't meant that i won't be heartbroken by it.
still, i will support them. all 5 of them. i don't know how, but i know that i will not let go of the belief that they will come back together again, one day, as 5 of them. if there's anything the x japan fandom had taught me is that not to underestimate our heroes. X Japan had disbanded OFFICIALLY for nearly 10 years, with one of the member passing away nonetheless, before yoshiki and toshi reconciled and re-unite x japan once again. i wasn't there during their breakup, and with hide gone i wasn't really expecting for X Japan to come back together again. but still i supported them, despite the kind of looks i get when people know the meaning behind the X necklace that i wear every single day. they can ridicule me and my belief, but it doesn't mean that i have to bow down to them and THEIR way of life. this is my life, and if i choose to continue supporting my idols, who are they to say what i'm doing is wrong?
similarly, i've been wearing my AKTF wristband since i got them. just recently one of the chinese friends i got to know from the Chinese corner class recognised it and talked to me about it. she asked how long have i been a fan? and i told her that i've been a fan for more than a year, and she scoffed. she said, "i've been fans since 6 years ago," then proceeded to tell me how she bought their magazines and followed their news everyday. but after that i got sad when she told me that she's stopped following them, talking about it as though it was a childish thing to do, supporting a boyband. she even asked me, "haven't they broken up?"
we see this kind of people everywhere. they might not be fans, they might be a follower of the kpop scene but didn't really delve deep into each fandom, but we would encounter casual random remark being thrown off like that. they might think that it's a non-offensive question, but we know how fans get hurt when we hear things like that. then again, they don't know the truth. they don't know what's happening, so pardon them and enlighten them instead. "no, they've not disbanded yet, but it's true that the three have just held concert in Japan recently." be strong. be strong not only for the fandom, but also for them, whom you are speaking for.
regarding the chinese fan that i was talking about, i saluted her off for being a fan since the start (after i thought about it, yea, she had been a fan since the boys debuted). but while she might think that she has a right to scoff at me, to show some superiority that she's been a fan far longer than i do, i'd beg to differ. she'd been a fan for 6 years, but she had left. she had simply gotten bored and left. while i've only been a fan less than 2 years, i was there when my favourite trio decided to sue SME. i was there when SME and JCS fought through their press-statement, causing me to be swayed, "i like JCS the most, but no, this is not what i would like to happen!" i was there when things got tense during the end-of-year Japanese activities. my heart chipped a little when JCS was announced to hold a concert as a trio. i was there when they continue planning activities as a trio, leaving homin further and further behind. and i'm still here.
i'm not deluded. i know what might happen in the future. and i've entertained the thoughts of what had happened in the past that might have lead to all of this, and those weren't good thoughts. they're ugly. they speak of human nature. they expose the boys as another fellow human beings, not noble heroes full of perfection, but ordinary human beings, striving for their own survival, for their own happiness. but still i can't bring myself to blame them and leave.
i might not agree with their decision, but i agree with them fighting for what they believe is right! at the end of the day, we are living our own lives and they are living theirs. isn't it just screwed up if the boys try to live their lives according to what the fans wanted, just so that they could keep us happy, while the fans themselves can live their lives without anyone to tell them what to do?
what they need are fans who like them for what they are, no matter what they are. sure, they can do with fans who like them for their voices, charisma and personality. but they can also do without fans who don't support their decision to fight for their own lives and future, to pursue their own happiness. and we, fans, can do without those who don't support them. in fact, it would be better if they go. they won't lose anything by going away, but they would bring sadness and sorrow to the boys and to the fandom if they stay and keep on saying hurtful things against the boys.
it's not like as though we don't have enough to think about without them saying bad things about the boys. with every new development in the case, there's always something to think about. with each new development a new shock is being delivered into the fandom. there would be more leavers, but at the same time, can we say that those who stay are getting stronger? unfair it might sound, but no it doesn't. at least, not really, coz at the next shocking event, there are bound to be more leavers. still, at the very least we know that, at this point of time, those who are still in the fandom are those who have withstood the past shocks. we have stayed strong, and hopefully we will continue staying strong in the future.
there's no confirmation that the future will be better. yet, there's equal chance that there would be good news that will render everything that happened in the past year as a passing tidal-storm. even as of now, everyday i pray for their happiness. what's the use if they're doing things that make the fans happy but make themselves unhappy?
as of now, i'm taking this as a chance for them to go beyond what they're already good in. boyband? come on, they're so good already that they're up there with very little people left to compete with. what's the fun in that? they're a success in TWO countries, one of which is the world's second biggest music industry. they've created and broken so many records. heartbreaking as it may be, the boys had achieved almost everything that they could possibly achieve as a boyband, and that's within, what, 6 years? and they're still so young, 23 years old and changminnie was just a 21-year-old when the lawsuit happened, with already so much achievements under their names. they're awesome, yes. they've achieved amazing feat, yes. it's time to move on to the next big goal. time to aim for even greater things.
let them go out of their safe zone, throw them into weird projects and see how they deal with those. musicals? of course. dramas? most certainly. modeling? heck, why not? these boys are the kind that will strive hard to excel in whatever they do, and with the kind of training and lifestyle they've been leading so far, they have the necessary experience and attitude to be successful too. if they're always together, doing nothing but group activities, when are they going to gather sharper skills of their own? don't forget we're talking about the rising gods of the east here, a group that is highly praised for having talented individuals worthy to become lead singer on their own. they're a group that defies a lot of stereotypes of a boyband in general. so, let them break ALL of those stereotypes to pieces. let them show the world what they've got INDIVIDUALLY.
they HAVE had risen as gods of the east. time for the next big thing. time to take a break and explore things on their own, indulge in their own interest, strengthen their own unique talent, search for answers in life and be as daring and reckless as youths their age can be.
then, when they've come back together as 5 again, they will be even more phenomenal than what they have been.
aktf, cassies. that's the least we can do for them. aktf.