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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: A Kai Pimp Post (Part 2/3)

May 24, 2013 11:31









The boy next door. The really super adorable and hot boy next door.

It's easy to forget that although Jongin is not the maknae of EXO, he’s only the second youngest, older than Sehun by a mere three months. Fans see the stoney-faced, gloomy-looking boy he becomes when he’s off-stage and look over the fact that he is only 19 years old and just like any normal teenage boy. So here we present: the sides of Jongin you might have never known existed!

» You are my shy, shy, shy boy; oh oh oh, my boy

❝If you stay with me for a long time, you will learn that I’m a man with a pattern easy to know. It’s simple.❞ 24
For somebody who is arguably the face of EXO-K, Jongin is adorably shy and a little bit introverted. He calls himself “the taciturn type.” 25 When it’s not time for him to perform, he has the tendency to melt into the background, never talking much and letting the other more boisterous EXO members take the spotlight. The only time he’s not awkward in front of the camera is when he’s dancing on stage; he can, in fact, be so awkward in front of the camera that it becomes endearingly precious. Who could believe that this is the same guy who owns the stage with his dancing with charismatic confidence?! He gets amazingly easily embarrassed too, especially after he does something he's not comfortable with, and reacts by hiding his face with his hands or by his lips curving into a little downturned, embarrassed smile - isn't that downturned smile the cutest thing you've ever seen?? His embarrassment is so sweet and innocently charming that you could fall in love with him the second he hides his shy smile.

His shy personality is definitely at odds with the fact that SM gave him the sexy image to portray. At first, he was very opposed to acting sexy as part of his image as EXO’s Kai, but he soon adapted to it (Again! He really faces his obstacles head-on) and now it seems like he has little trouble at all being the EXO member in charge of sexiness, as he often introduces himself. 26 But that's not to say that he's still not embarrassed by it, sometimes even too shy to dance!

It’s like the second the music stops, Kai becomes just Jongin.At first, this difference between his on-stage image and his off-stage personality can throw fans off; fans sometimes misinterpret his introvertedness as an aloof and haughty attitude or even a boring personality, but that’s definitely not the case. He’s just the type of person who needs time to warm up to you before being comfortable to act himself around you. He's a natural performer, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a natural idol, which brings us to...

» 100% genuine

❝Even though I’m a bit brusque, I am warm-hearted. Also, I want to treat others well but I am awkward when it comes to expressing myself.❞ 27
Jongin seems like the type of person who can’t hide what he’s feeling at all. Even if he doesn’t say anything, he’ll definitely show it, be it his facial expression or his body language. Combine that with a bit of social awkwardness and you can probably understand why Jongin doesn’t often do fanservice even though it’s something that is expected of idols to do. He’s a very genuine person. If he’s sleepy and jetlagged (and he’s not performing at the moment), he’ll show it. If he doesn’t find something funny, he won’t laugh and he won’t have a fake smile on his face. If he doesn’t feel comfortable doing something (like smiling for the fans, giving hearts, or entertaining the fans in general), he won’t do it. At the beginning of his career, it seems like he found it extremely difficult to even say “I love you” to fans, which is in sharp contrast with the majority of other idols who dish out “I love you”s easily. He opted to say “I like you all” instead of “I love you;" even the back of his photocard in the MAMA mini album says, “Everyone!! I lo..lov...lov...like you~” 28 His awkwardness doesn’t help his inhibition to perform fanservice either. He (adorably!) has trouble making hearts with his hands sometimes (although other times, he finally gets it right), and he would probably rather do anything but perform even the tiniest bit of aegyo.



How to Make a Heart, a manual by Kim Jongin: "Step 1: Bring your arms like this...
jk lol never mind, maybe like this? Ah, no, the key point are the fingers!! ...Why does it
look like a circle instead... OTL I give up"

But that doesn’t mean Jongin doesn’t care about his fans or that he’s a cold person. A fan who had been following him since his trainee days tells the story of how she thought Jongin didn’t care about her because he didn't treat her like how Suho treated his predebut fans, warm and inviting; but in reality, trainee Jongin noticed every fan of his, could recognize their faces, and call them by name. 29 And when you catch Jongin in a good mood, he gives fanservice galore, from giving out the cutest little hearts to calling a fan’s name multiple times with a bonus “I love you~”. He says that he's “a blunt person by nature. Might it be during shows or during fansigns, I don’t really do fanservice. The fans ask me if I’m in a bad mood but in reality, I’m a really warm-hearted person. I want to do fanservice... so I’m putting in a lot of effort.” 30 This doesn't only apply to fans either; he loves his hyungs as much as they love him.

» Forever five-year-old Jongin

❝Q: Which member is the most different on and off stage?
A: Kai is always powerful and charismatic on stage. But when he’s off stage, he’s like a little brother. He’s very cute.❞ - Chanyeol 31
He has a playful, sometimes immature personality that's apparent when his dorky side starts to show. He’s known to crack really bad (that, or really genius) jokes and puns that only he understands and he even calls himself “a humourous man” OTL. 32 He’s also apparently the most competitive among the EXO-K members, “like a sniper. He’s good at just about any game.” 33 He likes to play lame tricks where he taps another person’s shoulder and pretends it wasn’t him (he did this very often to his high school classmates, even though everybody knew it was him). 34 Sometimes he’ll play around with the fans, like lifting his hands too high for the fan to high-five, or with his fellow EXO members, like riding on the luggage cart (“Hyung! Push me!”). His classmates described him as “crazily weird and funny,” often finding him busy with drawing One Piece and Digimon characters and his own comic strips. 35 Jongin seems to be a very avid manga reader, having been caught several times reading manga on his phone and he has mentioned that he likes the name Kai because a character in the manhwa Top Blade has the same name. Some things never change.

And Chanyeol's right; if you look up "cute" in the dictionary, there's a picture of Jongin right next to the definition. From the way he waves hello (look at him flapping around his hands like a seal awwww) to the special way he claps his hands, he's adorable. Have you ever seen such a wonderful laugh? That shoulder-shaking laugh? Sometimes he gets so enthusiastic and excited about things that his entire face scrunches up with joy like a little boy in a candy shop with plenty of pocket money to spend. A little boy who needs to cling on his hyungs sometimes! ("Attention please! Somebody's young son lost in aisle 5!")



Jongin, why do you look so guilty? and why is your jacket half off already

But one of the most adorable things about Jongin is how he gets scared so easily. The unexpected noise coming from the microphone, confetti - it seems like any small thing can make him jump, haha. (Even cuter is his embarrassed reaction right after he gets spooked.)

Growing boys need their sleep, and Jongin is infamous among fans for being able to catch up on his z’s just about anywhere, especially during car rides. When asked about what he has improved on since debut, Jongin jokingly said, “There have been improvements in sleeping too, no matter where I am I can sleep immediately.” 36 We’re not really sure why he’s so sleepy all the time (although it’s probably at least partially because of EXO’s demanding schedule) but we do know that he’s incredibly adorable when he’s sleepy. He was also, unsurprisingly, quite infamous among his classmates and teachers for always sleeping in class (though his grades were still good!!). 37 “Don’t touch me when I’m sleeping please - except when the fried chicken delivery is here.” 38

» Secret ingredient: love

❝The only thing I had going for me at the time was dancing. Dance was something I enjoyed, not worked hard at. It was fun learning something new besides ballet and it was fun feeling my body learn and adjust to it. I think one of the main reasons I was able to debut in EXO-K was because I thoroughly enjoy what I do as opposed to just work hard at it.❞ 39
Jongin’s passion is what essentially makes Jongin, Jongin. This, to many of his stans, is what separates him from the rest.

Jongin has been asked multiple times what the “secret” is to dancing so well. His answer? “Enjoying it is the most important. It’s not about practicing the cool moves first, it’s important to start from the basics and learn little by little. I’m not someone who dances well as well but I learnt the basics of various dances from ballet, to jazz, etc.” 40 And: “My secret would be to happily enjoy it for a long time. Calling it a secret might be a bit too much but I don’t think there’s anything more important than enjoying it. No matter what you do, it’s easy to get scared if you don’t sincerely like it but you have to find the passion to enjoy it, and then you’ll be able to do it happily. Moreover it became my specialty because I worked hard for a long time. Rather than working hard blindly, enjoying it happily is better.” 41 No matter how the question is worded, his message is always the same: there is no secret to dancing well. You just have to love it. Working hard at something without passion is meaningless; you have to love what you do. That he has learned such a life lesson at such a young age seems to reflect his maturity.

Perhaps this is why Jongin has had such an important impact on his fans: he’s inspiring.

Jongin’s road to debut has not been an easy one; he was the first member introduced, and it’s true that Jongin was pushed into the spotlight by SM quite frequently - thus, he was the one who had to set the pace and tone for EXO’s debut. During EXO’s teaser era, Jongin was at the brunt end of much backlash and complaints about there being too much Kai and not enough of the other members.

Nevertheless, Jongin forged on. He’s doing what he loves. He’s following his dreams. There are times when Jongin has been caught just standing and zoning out, staring out into the audience with tears in his eyes, a look of magical wonder in his face, a smile playing on his lips. It’s not hard to guess what’s on his mind: perhaps he’s thinking, wow, look at where I am now. From the moment he was inspired by The Nutcracker in the second grade to the very moment that brought him standing in front of so many fans at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards receiving the Asia New Best Artist Award with his fellow EXO members and another award at the Golden Disk Awards (just a few days after his nineteenth birthday!) - it’s no wonder he’s caught with pure awe. He’s not watching Shinhwa on his TV at home anymore; he’s standing on stage with them. He’s put hard work and love into everything he does and he’s achieving his dreams.

It’s really no wonder, then, why his fans love him so much.

❝Fan: Kai hyung! Are you okay with male fans?
Hyung, I saw you dancing and found it admirable so I became a fan!
You are really cool
I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance so starting from next month I’ll learn jazz
I want to see you on stage for a long time so always be healthy!!!
EXO Fighting!1!
Kai: Thank you!
I wanted to become a singer after seeing the Shinhwa seniors
So this is a honor!! Fightiiing❞ 42
At the end of the day, behind the passion and determination that has driven him to where he is today, Jongin is just a boy. He may be a little quiet and therefore “boring” to some fans, but this is just how Jongin is. Look closely enough and you’ll see he has his quirky, dorky, and adorable, and weird moments too, but Jongin is definitely most at home dancing on the stage. This is why many of his fans draw the distinction between Jongin the boy off stage and Kai the performer on stage. Even his own family members sometimes complain how different he is when they see him on TV: they tell him that “It’s the first time I see you this happy” and “Why aren’t you like this when you’re with me?” 43 But neither persona is “realer” than the other; both are just two sides of Kim Jongin.





What else do you need to know about Kim Jongin? There are so many random and quirky things to know about this boy that simply can't fit anywhere else, so here they are!

  • In addition to manga, it seems like he also loves reading mystery novels, because he recommended the author Keigo Higashino in a book recommendation to a fan on the fanboard. 44
  • He can do (an apparently pretty poor) “krong~” (from the Pororo cartoon) voice impersonation. (Jonginnie, how old are you, why are you still watching cartoons... lol)
  • He has a very ...interesting... habit of making a boob-grabbing hand pose as a way of greeting fans.
  • His favorite song to practice to when he was a trainee was Ne-Yo’s “Part of the List.” (Just thinking of Jongin smoothly dancing to this is enough to make any girl’s ovaries go *BOOM*!)
  • His ideal type is Han Yeseul 45 (this was his reaction to seeing her MCing on stage at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards, this cutie), or “a woman pale like snow. I want her to have pride and passion in what she’s doing even if she’s not the best in her field.” 46 Sounds very fitting for a man whose life is built around passion!
  • Jongin really likes being called “oppa,” even if the fan addressing him is the same age as him 47 or even if she is up to 5 years older than him! (Noona fans, do not despair!! lmao)
  • He's a sweetie who would stop to smell the flowers ;~;
  • He once taught his middle school class how to dance to Wonder Girl’s “Tell Me.” 48 (Jongin!!! We demand a Wonder Girls showdown between you and Lay! We all know you have a secret longing to dance to girl group songs, anyway.)
  • His parents gave him a beaded bracelet which he always wears for good luck. Another bracelet that he always wears is a rubber one that has the words “fearfully and wonderfully made” written on it.
  • His favorite colors are red, black, sky blue; his favorite movie is Billy Elliot (a ballet movie, of course!!); and his favorite food is fried chicken. 49 (Remember, don't disturb his sleep unless the fried chicken delivery is here! And don't try to come in between Jongin and his food either lmao.)
  • Jongin is a huge fan of the Chelsea football team, and his favorite football player is Fernando Torres. He’s a total fanboy; when fans gave him a football signed by Torres for his birthday, Jongin said, “hearts kept coming out of my eyes I couldn’t stop them.” 50 ;~; His cell phone wallpaper is a picture of him and Luhan watching the Chelsea vs Manchester United game! 51
  • Apparently, Kai’s level of Chinese understanding is “中” (middle), as judged by none other than... himself, haha. Here’s a snippet of him speaking Chinese (“我很帅” - yes, Jongin, we know you’re very handsome OTL) and here’s him introducing himself in Chinese. He also sometimes cutely attempts to write Chinese at fansigns. (Also take note of the adorable doodles that he sometimes draws next to his autograph. The bear face in the pimp post's header is his drawing too!)
  • It seems like Jongin is not much of a romantic, since his ideal of a good proposal to the love of his life is to scare her. (Oh, Jongin. lol.) He says, “If I proposed: Proposing with flowers at a meaningful time she wouldn’t expect. Very unexpectedly! Pak!” 52
  • He's simply adorable and cute. (Yes, this is a fact.) Cute with kids, cute voice crack, cute cute cute :3




❝I like everything about the person called Kim Jongin. It’s hard to find something I don’t like. 훗.❞ 53
Jongin often says that he’s in charge of sexiness in EXO and he doesn’t take that job lightly! Despite him being so shy about it, it's clear that he can do this job effortlessly and flawlessly~









Jongin has a certain frank and extremely genuine (but still a little poetic?) way with words that often comes out in interviews. His quotes sometimes sound like they come from a person much older than he is. Perhaps it’s not so surprising, then, that Jongin once won an essay contest before in high school. 55 In addition to the quotes at the beginning of some of the sections of this pimp post, below are more quotes Jongin has said:

  • “People always think that I look sexy on stage, but basically, I’m just like a kid. And they also say that I’m a dancing machine. Maybe dancing is a part of me, but the real person that I was born to be is being one of the members in EXO’s family.”
  • “Everyday is a good one to better yourself.” 56
  • About EXO’s group dynamics: “Each of us has a different character, but we always try to have mutual respect, it’s the most important thing.” 56
  • Q: What 3 words would you use to describe your attitude to life?
    A: “Passion, not just for music. I try to be passionate about everything I do in my life. Determination. Gratitude. I try to be grateful to others and the world for everything that I have had, that I have, and that I will have in the future!” 56
  • Q: 3 things you could not live without?
    A: “The bracelets my parents gave me. MP3 player; I can’t live without music. Headphones.” 56
  • Jongin’s replies to fan’s messages on the official fanboard are an adorable mix of his blunt honesty, his weird sense of humor, and his dorky cheesiness with a dash of grease. (So much grease.) Make sure to read all of his fanboard replies to fully appreciate just how weird he can be, but here are a few favorites!
    • Fan: SEXY Jongin!! READ! ^^ Please make sure to take my hand tonight. It’s really cold outside
      Kai: I will hold it tight~ Hee 57
    • Fan: Jongin-ah can you feel my love!!!!! Listen!!! Can you feel it!! Jonginnie since you’re not replying to me, my heart isn’t beating
      Kai: Nurse Kim, call the doctor
      Yes, Doctor Kim Kai has come 57
      (Can we just. Take a moment to appreciate that he called himself DOCTOR KIM KAI!!!)
    • Fan: Jongin-ah are your abs doing well? Will we be able to see them when you’ll come back?
      Kai: Abs are you doing well? Yes!! I asked them, they said they were doing good ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 58
    • Fan: Jongina I drew you, look at it just once please….ㅠ
      Jongina noona wants to receive a compliment ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
      Do your comeback quickly please!!1
      Kai: I also drew myself: -_- ← How is it 58
    • Fan: I love you I like you a lot
      Kai: How much? :P 59
    • Fan: Do you want to teleport to my house?
      Kai: I have already finished drinking the milk in your house... The milk in the fridge is really cold... Kim Jongin is really cold too... It takes a few steps to put Kim Jongin into the fridge... 58 (We know what you’re thinking: “wtf goes on in Kim Jongin’s head??” Quite frankly, we're not sure.)
  • Messages he’s written on EXO’s official website:
    • 120418: “Today, the seats were close to the scene and I liked it because we were able to communicate with the fans more hehe”
    • 120601: “Everyone, I like you~~~><”
    • 121026: “Love EXO a lot, we will become KAI and EXO who always work hard.”
    • 121223: “From the first time until now, without changing. I’m very thankful for all of the fans’ love.”
    • 130114: “Mm…It’s been 1 year since I debuted at age 19 and since then, time has passed and I am now 20. Rather than telling you all that I will immediately show myself with a more adult-like image, I’d like to say I will put in effort and grow everyday. Please anticipate seeing a gradually maturing Kai!”
    • 130408: “Since today is our first anniversary, I watched our debut performance for the first time in a while. Memories started flowing and I smiled without me knowing while thinking of that day.”




24. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
25. RCY Magazine interview (September 2012 issue) ↩
26. 120605 JoyNews24 interview ↩
27. 120508 The Star profile ↩
28. MAMA mini album photocard messages ↩
29. thekaisoo ↩
30. 120511 Newsen interview ↩
31. 121005 Music Billboard interview ↩
32. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
33. High Cut magazine interview (Volume 73, March 15 2012 issue) ↩
34. thekaisoo ↩
35. Jongin's middle school classmate ↩
36. 121207 Sina Entertainment interview ↩
37. 130207 Kai at Sehun’s high school graduation fanaccount ↩
38. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
39. 120509 MK News interview ↩
40. 121102 Ivy Club magazine ↩
41. RCY Magazine interview (September 2012 issue) ↩
42. 120601 fanboard replies ↩
43. 120502 10Asia interview ↩
44. 120601 fanboard replies ↩
45. 120507 KBS Cool FM Kiss The Radio ↩
46. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
47. thekaisoo ↩
48. Jongin's middle school classmate ↩
49. 120508 The Star profile ↩
50. 130408 fanboard replies ↩
51. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
52. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
53. Ceci Korea magazine (June 2013 issue) ↩
54. 120514 Hong Jin Kyung's 2PM Radio ↩
55. 130207 Kai at Sehun’s high school graduation fanaccount ↩
56. 121218 Swide interview ↩
57. 130408 fanboard replies ↩
58. 121026 fanboard replies ( more here) ↩
59. 120601 fanboard replies ↩

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▲ member: kai, ★ pimp post

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