[2013.09.10] Image is everything / Korea's home grown cartoon celebrities

[Kyle Kim]

또다시 돌아온 킴스스피치입니다.

스터디가 조금씩 조금씩 자리잡아가는 것 같아서 살짝 뿌듯(?)하네요-

이번주에는 아주 기대할 이야기들이 있는 것 같아요, 그렇죠 스캇 형?ㅋㅋㅋ

지난주 왔던 분들 모두들 참석해주길 희망하면서, 이번 주 토픽 나갑니다.

이번주 토픽은 이미지와, 만화에 대한 토픽을 준비해봤어여.

모두들 질문에 대한 답을 한번씩 꼭 생각해보면서, 최대한 말할거리를 만들어보려는 센스!

기대할게요-

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING

 
Korea′s Gone Edgy:K-Pop Idols Go All Out with Jaw-Dropping Hairstyles

Korea is awash with a cornucopia of hair salons ranging from cozy nooks to swank upscale establishments. They are, after all,manifestations of the fact that Korea’s coiffeurs have established themselvesas the cutting edge hair designers of Asia. Elic Zhao, vice-president of one ofthe leading hair designer organizations AHA (Asia Hair Association) and hostsan annual prestigious styling competition, stated, “In China, we recognize thatKorea’s hair designers are at the fore of Asian hair design. Chinese hairdesigners want to go to Korea to study under them.”

Hair salons run by these gifted coiffeurs have sprouted up throughout Asia andKorean celebrities have shown their support by appearing at them. For example,Singapore’s famed La Coco Hair Salon (which sponsored the Sundown Festival in2009 and staffed by Koreans) has attracted such star power as the Brown EyedGirls and SHINee.

Korean hairstylists are the first in many fashion aspects and the celebrity connection isalways there. Oh Yeop Ju opened Korea’s first hair salon Hwasin Beauty Parlorin 1933. This former star was also the first Korean to publicly get the doubleeyelid surgery and the first hallyu actress to leave her mark on Japan. Thetrend continues with actresses like Kim Hye Soo, who popularized the neo-bobstyle through her hit film Tazza: The High Rollers.

Hair styles that speak volumes of one’s self-imageare getting more popular today because many Korean singers/actresses areventuring forth with striking standout hairdos. Yun Eun Hye brought the chinlength bob style into mass popularity through her role of the tomboyish Go EunChan in the successful series, Coffee Prince.

Actress Kim So Eun, who gained notoriety in her debut in BoysOver Flowers, showed off the longer hair styles while keeping italluringly sweet. These more elegant long hair looks have become mainstreamwith professional women who want to display a charmingly mature up-do and braidthat appears sharp.

The men are also in the thick of hair design expression‎. Yoo Ji Seung isconsidered the foremost pioneer of male coiffeurs and creating fashionableman’s hair-dos. Yoo was an actor wannabe who became a star hair designer and hepointed out, “Men have a growing interest in their looks and require moredetailed tailored work than the traditional barber shop can give them.”

Actor Kim Bum (also of Boys Over Flowers fame) bestrepresents the more sedate, but attractive fashion forward male style. Longhair is in and Kim’s hair styling enhances the extended hair over the ears andforehead with a natural feel and the simple boy-next-store visage. Some havelovingly called his image the ′geeky look′.

Of course, hair styles wouldn’t be fashion if there wasn’t some outrageouslooks to help create a true feast for the eyes. Girls’ Generation’s Sunny got astyling that wasn’t exactly “crazy”, but, for someone who is known for their“cute” visage, she underwent image metamorphosis when she stepped out with asexy bob for the song The Boys. However, it’s Sandara Park of 2NE1who is best known for trend setting hair styles especially with her signature ‘pineapple hair’ which involves braiding thehair and shaping it on top into a starkly rising fashion that seemingly defiesgravity.

Without question, its Big Bang’s Taeyang, G-Dragon andT.O.P. showing the way for being unafraid to have bold hair transformations.Taeyang redefined the mohawk, while G-Dragon took coloring and cutting tooutrageous proportions with his shocking ‘seaweed hair’. Still, not to be outdone, SHINee’s Key definitely showed he is not afraid to go overboard, as manyconsider his coiffure for the single Lucifer to be oneof the “most shocking in K-pop history.”

If you want to partake of the considered best shops and maybe bump into someluminaries, then go to the Cheongdam area shops such as Park Seung Chol Studio,where the clients being about half men, and France Provost’s Salon De Barbier.Like the celebrities, perhaps, you too will want to sport a new do this springfrom one of the finest coiffeurs in the business.

QUESTIONS:

1) It is said that "image is everything" especially so in Korea. Do you agree?       

 2) Is the visual presentation of someone the most important thing? Or is it only sometimes...name some situations where image is important and when it is not.                   

3) What attracts you most about someone? Is it true that "first impressions" are the most importantones?
 

4) What do you think abouttoday's hair styles? Positive/negative thoughts and reasons. Have hair stylestoday improved from the past or will hair styles always change, come and gowith the trends of the time. Are there certain cuts that
                             are considered "classics" like certain fashion designs and they will nevergo out of fashion/popularity?
 

5) What kind of hair style to youprefer? Has it changed over the years? How? Do you ever get a special treatmentof your hair for special occasions? What kind of hair saloon do you go to/ whatkind would you like to go to?                   

6) How important is it to styleyour hair to meet your wardrobe. How much work do you put into your total look?Do women have to work more on their image than men? Why?                      

7) How much influence docelebrities have on hair styles and the general image of the average person?Are hair styles becoming something that everyone looks the same as they copystars or are stars helping people to be more unique?

Korea′s Home Grown Cartoon Celebrities 

In today’s morass of imported cartoon characters promoting everything from toys to workaday items to even fashionable outfits, it is easy to overlook the fact that Korea has created some super star caliber cartoon celebrities of its own.

If you want to get up close and personal with some of these creative creations, Seoul Animation Center and Cartoon Museum (located in the Myeondong area heading toward Namsan Tower), operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is the place to go. This extensive complex is a cartoon/comics lover’s paradise for every age and taste. In its Main Hall, the Hall of Characters showcases the most popular cartoon characters of all time in Korea.

The first massively popular Korean original cartoon character was Taekwon V, an animated robot hero. This movie first appeared in 1976 and later released in America as “Voltar the Invincible” (confusing national origins even more). Around the time of its creation, the Japanese giant robot manga (Japanese comic) and anime Mazinga Z was extremely popular here. Taekwon was Kim Cheong-gi’s response to Mazinga as he proudly stated, “I wanted to create a Korean hero for Korean children.” To emphasize its native roots, the main characters and the robot itself performed the traditional Korean martial art of Taekwondo (hence its name) in the action scenes.

Still, the actual drawing style was very reminiscent of the Japanese technique. A noted Korean cartoonist privately noted, “There has always been artists here who wanted to draw in a unique Korean style, but the publishing/producing company’s said no because it ‘wouldn’t sell’.” However, in 1983, there came a uniquely drawn audacious manhwa (Korean comic) character called Dooly the Little Dinosaur by Kim Soo Jung.

This, at one time, controversial cartoon was pure Korean in style and content, and it eventually went on to become one of the nation’s most respected and commercially successful cartoon celebrities in Korea’s animation history. Dooly has actually been given his own resident registration card by the government. This little green dinosaur with his trademark protruding tongue has graced everything from children’s material to being the logo for pubs and restaurants.

The debut creation was called NudlNude which was a series of vignettes that displayed extraordinary eroticism and humor that reflected honestly the foibles of the human situation. It produced a truly memorable character named Nana who became such a hit with the mainstream public that she eventually became part of Korea’s cultural lexicon. Nana was quietly attractive, effervescent, independent minded and a self-sufficient distinctively Korean woman. What was really notable about Yang’s achievement was that this material for a mature audience was equally quite popular with both young males and females.

In the early 2000s, Pororo the Little Penguin—with his signature aviator hat and goggles—arrived. He and his friends were Choi Jong Il’s answer for the pre-schoolers’ market which, until then, had no home grown character just for them. Pororo became immensely popular, but it was another spunky female character (created by Kim Boo Kyung), Pucca, who also appeared in that decade, that would go on to capture the hearts of millions worldwide and transcend her appeal to all ages.
The Pucca franchise has intelligently created everything from greeting cards to edibles to fashion in her image.

Human celebrities have always been drawn into cartoons, but now it is time for those real flesh and blood stars to imitate cartoons! A clothing line in 2010 launched labeled “EXR Loves PUCCA” (EXR is a respected clothing company), and the equally adorable The Wonder Girls have been chosen to act as the models for the brand. Sohee was picked to play “innocent and spunky” Pucca.

Treat yourself and experience these and more glorious Korean homegrown cartoon celebrities within the only place in Seoul that is completely dedicated to showing animated films, the Seoul Animation Center’s theatre.

QUESTIONS

1) Do you like comics? Do you enjoy comic books or animation or both? Do you read them in the newspapers? Do you spend time in comic places/shops, read and hang out? Currently, what is your favorite comic? If you do not like comics, provide some reasons.
2) Do you enjoy animated cartoons? Did you watch them on television as a child? Do you still watch them? Would you encourage your children to watch them? Are there any in particular like Pororo?
3) Do you enjoy full length animated cartoons on the big screen? What are some of the more recent ones you have seen…did you enjoy it/them? Why? What do you think of cartoon features like Toy Story or the adult ones like Avatar? Are the 3D films as good as the regular animated ones? If you do not like animated features, give some reasons why such as they aren’t as good as real life films.
4) Dooly has been around for a long time. Did you like him when you were a child? What is Dooley’s appeal that makes him so iconic and long lasting? What do you think about adult places like bars using him as a logo? Or, how do you feel about a cartoon character like him being given an actual resident registration card?
5) How do you feel about non-Korean comics/characters becoming extremely popular here such as Japan’s Hello Kitty? Why is Hello Kitty so popular in Korea? Internationally?
6) What are your feelings concerning how cartoon characters are used for promoting every sort of product including many for non-children? As an Adult is there some cartoon related stuff that you have bought for yourself (like socks). Comments about real life people/celebrities portraying comic characters such as the Wonder Girls’ SoHee playing Pucca. Are such actions just another commercial push to get customers?
7)  If you could portray a comic character what character would it be? Why? Is there a character you relate to personally/could portray your personality?
8) What are your feelings concerning adult comics? There is a wide range including comics written with adult themes/plots to those with a more sexual bent to them. Have you ever read adult comics of any kind? There was one, Nudl Nude, which became so popular that it went beyond book form to videos/DVDs to stage plays to animated features. What made it so popular? Do you agree with the statement that “Comics are no longer just for children?” Why?

[Kyle Kim]

1st/Kim/In-!!

[Scott_1500]

기대하면 실망하는법 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[blair o]

2nd/blair /In~~~~~

[Kyle Kim]

고고 !

[Scott_1500]

3rd/Scott/in!

[Kyle Kim]

ㅋㅋ낼뵈여

[Rachel♥]

4th/Rachel/참석~

[Kyle Kim]

내일보아여-

[STAFF♡]

토픽 자료 준비할께요 ^*^*

[Kyle Kim]

네네 감사요 !

[Suh Jung-Wook]

5th/Francis/In.... See you later!!!!
Scott.... Do you already done.....something...? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Kyle Kim]

형님 오늘 오시는군여!!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Scott_1500]

오늘 저녁 회식이 방금 잡히는 바람에 참석하지 못합니다... 아쉽....
다음주에 뵈요~!! ㅋ

[Kyle Kim]

안돼ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ오늘주인공이신데!!!!

[adidasjam]

6th/김재명/이따봐요~ㅎㅎ

[Kyle Kim]

형님 간만이네요!! 이따뵈어여

[Ms.Nobody]

7th/김지은/참석합니다~

[Kyle Kim]

고고고ㅎㅎ

[flyer]

8th/sid/참석합니다~.

[Kyle Kim]

오 이따뵈여ㅎㅎㅎ

[Tomas7]

9th/Tomas/ in

[leejamong]

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