Member A Week: Im Yoona
Yeah BB, gotta Yoong userpic just for this occasion.
PROFILE
Im Yoona. (임윤아)
D.O.B: May 30, 1990
Bloodtype: B
Religion: Christian
Casting: 2002 SM Saturday Open Casting Audition
Training: 7 Years, 2 Months
Education: Daeyoung High School, Dongguk University
Im Yoona.
Im Actress, Alligator Yoong, Im Cho-Ding, Axe Girl, Beauty Yoong, YoonArration, Grandma, Lid Yoona, Him Yoona, Deer Yoona. The list goes on, probably almost as long as the line of male celebrities she has lined up for her.
Probably one of my favourite things about Yoona is her complexity, and how many different faces she has. And past that; how these 'faces' are divided into what she shows her fans and what she shows the public in general.
I've found that when it comes to Yoona, many in the SNSD fandom either loved her from the get go or overlooked her until much later when they had come to see all 9 different charms. Why is this? Probably because the position Yoona holds as 'front girl' overshadows anything else she might bring to the group. Even if her popularity is rivalled and even at times surpassed by Taeyeon's, Yoona is probably one of the most well known idol faces in Korea. You think of SNSD, you think of Yoona.
This however isn't enough to explain why there are so many anti-sentiments toward Yoona sometimes, just for being frontgirl. You don't see HyunA, UEE, Siwon, Jaejoong, Sohee or Eunjung getting nearly as much criticism. It's because Yoona isn't just frontgirl of any group, she's frontgirl of SNSD, the mega-popular icon that is the front-group of all groups. Sometimes I wonder how Yoona copes with it. You can see it some times, the cracks that appear after too much pressure. Whether it's Yoona with a fear of cameras, Yoona talking about feeling weak, Yoona being disappointed about being misunderstood. It's harder still to watch her get flak because she never asked for it. From the very beginning she was popular and it was like she just sat there and accepted that that was the way things were. She even (god bless her) shows obvious desire to have other members in the spotlight if not rather than her, with her. Yoona knows she's popular, that is for certain. But she's walking a fine line, finer than any other line that any soshi girl has to walk. Yoona's beautiful, Yoona's sweet, Yoona's insanely popular - all true. But just look at the way she handles discussion of her popularity or looks in Sang Sang, Ya Shim Man Man, HaHaMong or even WinWin. She dodges, or directs focus toward another member, or she'll go right ahead with an "I'm pretty!" that's designed to make her look like she's joking.
It's actually uncomfortable when I think about it. But it's less uncomfortable because Yoona barely shows any sign of this. Laughing with her mouth open wide enough to fit a tennis ball inside, a crooked grin, weird aegyo - you feel at ease watching her because she gives you a total natural and fun-loving vibe. This is what I like about Yoona. This is what Yoona's fans like about Yoona. Interestingly enough, by letting go and not acting idol-like, she has in essence become what everyone wants in an idol. In other words, Yoona is the complete idol-package. What I like more, is that the most you will see her let go of herself only happens when she's with SNSD. Makes it real.
It's hard to distinguish with Yoona, what is measured and what is not. How much she whines around the cast of FO2? Measured. The whining in Tiffany's ear? Not measured.
Yoona is deep.
She is an onion.
Or put in terms more befitting of SoShi, she is a multilayered cake. On top there's everybody's ideal girl. Pure, clean, vibrant, friendly. Korea's sweetheart. The default setting for ideal girl in every korean man's heart. Under that, another ideal girl - fun loving, good humoured, sweet and outgoing. A hard worker.
Third layer is a girl who worries alot, and almost always seems to have something on her mind. A girl with a lack of confidence who I think tends to be a little hard on herself.
And that's not even the entire cake. This cake is like one of those scyscraper wedding cakes.
The impression I get of Yoona is that she has very clearly defined for herself how much she can show Korea at large, how much she can show SONEs, and how much is can show those she cares about and how much she keeps to herself. Not in a cunning, manipulative way but in the 'let's not get away with ourselves' way and almost to protect herself, as she is a sensitive girl. Sort of like knowing when to put down lines I guess (although all the girls do this to an extent). She even does it with SNSD and her family. With Yoona it's "My first family is my kin and my second family is SNSD" as opposed to Seohyun's "I suddenly got eight older sisters" or Sooyoung's "We live like sisters" or Tiffany's enthusiastic "I think the 9 of us are a family." Of course there are other girls in SNSD who seem to keep to have this line but this is Yoona's page right? Not that I'm saying Yoona isn't close to SNSD. On the contrary, Yoona is the most comfortable with them. It's so obvious even though us fans probably can't really see how much these girls love each other and how it is they see each other. It actually surprised me to hear that she keeps Hyoyeon up with her talks. Anyways;
Yoona is a cake. Discuss.
Since there's alot I haven't touched on, feel free to bring whatever ever Yoona-related topics in the comments. Y'know, what will Yoona be doing after SNSD, for example. Or what kind of upbringing do you think Yoona had.
Yoona the member who's not-so-good-at-talk-shows or Yoona-who-taught-herself-acting-in-a-mirror. Yoona-who-should-stop-saying-she's-surprised-when-male-celebrities-choose-her-as-their-ideal-girl. Yoona-who-wants-to-be-Seohyun's-good-unnie. Yoona-the-Kimura-Takuya-fangirl. etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
PROFILE
Im Yoona. (임윤아)
D.O.B: May 30, 1990
Bloodtype: B
Religion: Christian
Casting: 2002 SM Saturday Open Casting Audition
Training: 7 Years, 2 Months
Education: Daeyoung High School, Dongguk University
Im Yoona.
Im Actress, Alligator Yoong, Im Cho-Ding, Axe Girl, Beauty Yoong, YoonArration, Grandma, Lid Yoona, Him Yoona, Deer Yoona. The list goes on, probably almost as long as the line of male celebrities she has lined up for her.
Probably one of my favourite things about Yoona is her complexity, and how many different faces she has. And past that; how these 'faces' are divided into what she shows her fans and what she shows the public in general.
I've found that when it comes to Yoona, many in the SNSD fandom either loved her from the get go or overlooked her until much later when they had come to see all 9 different charms. Why is this? Probably because the position Yoona holds as 'front girl' overshadows anything else she might bring to the group. Even if her popularity is rivalled and even at times surpassed by Taeyeon's, Yoona is probably one of the most well known idol faces in Korea. You think of SNSD, you think of Yoona.
This however isn't enough to explain why there are so many anti-sentiments toward Yoona sometimes, just for being frontgirl. You don't see HyunA, UEE, Siwon, Jaejoong, Sohee or Eunjung getting nearly as much criticism. It's because Yoona isn't just frontgirl of any group, she's frontgirl of SNSD, the mega-popular icon that is the front-group of all groups. Sometimes I wonder how Yoona copes with it. You can see it some times, the cracks that appear after too much pressure. Whether it's Yoona with a fear of cameras, Yoona talking about feeling weak, Yoona being disappointed about being misunderstood. It's harder still to watch her get flak because she never asked for it. From the very beginning she was popular and it was like she just sat there and accepted that that was the way things were. She even (god bless her) shows obvious desire to have other members in the spotlight if not rather than her, with her. Yoona knows she's popular, that is for certain. But she's walking a fine line, finer than any other line that any soshi girl has to walk. Yoona's beautiful, Yoona's sweet, Yoona's insanely popular - all true. But just look at the way she handles discussion of her popularity or looks in Sang Sang, Ya Shim Man Man, HaHaMong or even WinWin. She dodges, or directs focus toward another member, or she'll go right ahead with an "I'm pretty!" that's designed to make her look like she's joking.
It's actually uncomfortable when I think about it. But it's less uncomfortable because Yoona barely shows any sign of this. Laughing with her mouth open wide enough to fit a tennis ball inside, a crooked grin, weird aegyo - you feel at ease watching her because she gives you a total natural and fun-loving vibe. This is what I like about Yoona. This is what Yoona's fans like about Yoona. Interestingly enough, by letting go and not acting idol-like, she has in essence become what everyone wants in an idol. In other words, Yoona is the complete idol-package. What I like more, is that the most you will see her let go of herself only happens when she's with SNSD. Makes it real.
It's hard to distinguish with Yoona, what is measured and what is not. How much she whines around the cast of FO2? Measured. The whining in Tiffany's ear? Not measured.
Yoona is deep.
She is an onion.
Or put in terms more befitting of SoShi, she is a multilayered cake. On top there's everybody's ideal girl. Pure, clean, vibrant, friendly. Korea's sweetheart. The default setting for ideal girl in every korean man's heart. Under that, another ideal girl - fun loving, good humoured, sweet and outgoing. A hard worker.
Third layer is a girl who worries alot, and almost always seems to have something on her mind. A girl with a lack of confidence who I think tends to be a little hard on herself.
And that's not even the entire cake. This cake is like one of those scyscraper wedding cakes.
The impression I get of Yoona is that she has very clearly defined for herself how much she can show Korea at large, how much she can show SONEs, and how much is can show those she cares about and how much she keeps to herself. Not in a cunning, manipulative way but in the 'let's not get away with ourselves' way and almost to protect herself, as she is a sensitive girl. Sort of like knowing when to put down lines I guess (although all the girls do this to an extent). She even does it with SNSD and her family. With Yoona it's "My first family is my kin and my second family is SNSD" as opposed to Seohyun's "I suddenly got eight older sisters" or Sooyoung's "We live like sisters" or Tiffany's enthusiastic "I think the 9 of us are a family." Of course there are other girls in SNSD who seem to keep to have this line but this is Yoona's page right? Not that I'm saying Yoona isn't close to SNSD. On the contrary, Yoona is the most comfortable with them. It's so obvious even though us fans probably can't really see how much these girls love each other and how it is they see each other. It actually surprised me to hear that she keeps Hyoyeon up with her talks. Anyways;
Yoona is a cake. Discuss.
Since there's alot I haven't touched on, feel free to bring whatever ever Yoona-related topics in the comments. Y'know, what will Yoona be doing after SNSD, for example. Or what kind of upbringing do you think Yoona had.
Yoona the member who's not-so-good-at-talk-shows or Yoona-who-taught-herself-acting-in-a-mirror. Yoona-who-should-stop-saying-she's-surprised-when-male-celebrities-choose-her-as-their-ideal-girl. Yoona-who-wants-to-be-Seohyun's-good-unnie. Yoona-the-Kimura-Takuya-fangirl. etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.