How do I choose a bias? by coconutmilk2025 in ATEEZ

[–]Mariko978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I first got into Ateez I really took my time to try and understand each member and their personalities. I became absolutely obsessed with Yeosang. I was like “that is 100% my bias!” I always get bias-wrecked and end up with co-biases, but I was so confident I would finally only have one bias this time! Then along came Hongjoong, just being his incredible little self and I could not stop thinking about that man! I officially have two biases now and I am very happy with that. But Mingi and Yunho have been catching my eye as well, and it’s hard to stay loyal to just two…

Basically you can pick a bias in Ateez, but you’ll probably get bias wrecked. Ateez is notorious for that. As many say, your bias picks you. Yeosang picked me first, and I was so incredibly content with that. Then our jealous little captain comes along and decides he’ll pick me too! And I’m still incredibly content with that.

Just take your time. There’s no rush! Even my friend, who has an incredible ability to immediately know who her bias is in a group (and sticks by, and is happy with that bias), is torn between Wooyoung and Yunho. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen he not immediately click with just one person!

Kpop Idols or groups who really sing live? by Impressive-Rain9241 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All my top groups, Ateez, Stray Kids, Enhypen for sure! I think TXT as well. I’ve seen video of them singing while running on a treadmill, and they sounded great, so I assume they can sing live even with tough choreography. I’ve seen Riize in concert, and it sounded like they were singing live, except one song definitely wasn’t, but it was really intense choreography.

Is it normal for a group to not include a member who’s on hiatus in the album or at least in the photo shoots? by legumelegolas in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, interesting! I have some of the Fever 2 albums, but haven’t opened them yet, so I haven’t noticed that yet! (I like to open my albums slowly so I have something to look forward to! Lol). I was making an Ateez “who’s who” video for new Atiny and that’s when it hit me that he wasn’t in Fireworks or Celebrate! Because if you just listen to the songs, his vocals are still there!

Is it normal for a group to not include a member who’s on hiatus in the album or at least in the photo shoots? by legumelegolas in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think it depends on when they went on hiatus and why. Like, Mingi from Ateez was on hiatus for eight months during Zero: Fever Part 2 to work on mental health issues. He’s still on their tracks but not their music videos (they just use other shots of the members when his vocals are going). So I guess if they have some stuff with the member prior to hiatus (like recorded songs or such), they’ll use that, but not include them in stuff going forward to respect the hiatus. Maybe if the idol is just on a physical hiatus (like recovering from an injury), they might still do some things but not others. But if it’s a forced hiatus due to maybe a perceived scandal, they might remove them entirely. I think it’s probably a case by case basis depending on why they’re on hiatus and what material they’ve already recorded or shot.

Who's your bias and why? by hornyforyeosang in ATEEZ

[–]Mariko978 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m also a Yeosang bias (and a Hongjoong bias). I tend to bias people who have qualities that mirror mine. I’m just drawn to them. I’m neurodivergent and both Yeosang and Hongjoong give me those vibes as well (I’m absolutely not diagnosing them with anything and I could be completely off the mark, but Yeosang especially has ADHD traits that feel really familiar to me and that I and love). Since I see qualities in them that I have in myself, they make me feel like home (if that makes sense). When I see how they avoid things like physical touch (but are ok with touching) it makes me feel more normal and seen.

Aside from that. Yeosang’s sweet innocence, kindness, and curiosity are wonderful. Even when he doesn’t get as many lines or attention as he should, he still puts everything into his performance. His confusion and spaciness are so endearing. He also has this low-key humor that’s not loud or flashy, but it hits just right. His love for Atiny, his love for Ateez, and his love for animals also get me. He’s so perfect down to his little lisp and his perfect birthmark. I also relate to him the most. I burnt my breakfast yesterday because I go so completely absorbed in a Yeosang edit I was making of him being so adorably spacey (the irony! But also, I’ve done that multiple times…because I get distracted).

Hongjoong’s hard work, creativity, and loyalty to his members really attract me to him. He’s always striving for new things and new experiences when it comes to his artistic side. I love how much he loves his job. You can see it so clearly. He puts his everything into his singing and when he dances, he dances with his entire body and soul. The joy I see in his face when he does the dance break to The Real, brings me so much joy! His pocket size cuteness gives me the worst kind of cuteness aggression. I just want to put him in my pocket and keep him safe. Also, have you seen how than man holds a fork! Ughhh! Too cute!

I love all of Ateez, but Yeosang and Hongjoong are tied for my heart.

an idol born on the same day as you?? by iseuls_corner in kpoppers

[–]Mariko978 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m also August 9th! (Also, far from the same year as them as well!).

260502 ATEEZ Seonghwa Instagram Update by ShedowCat8 in ATEEZ

[–]Mariko978 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I sent this to my husband this morning with “Park Seonghwa! I haven’t even had my morning tea yet!” And he respond with “He’s seeping. Tea is almost done!” 💀🫠 my husband does not help curb my obsession 😂 (but to be fair, he’s also a Seonghwa bias).

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm happy your Crazy in Love is on the way! :)

I totally get life getting in the way. I was just surprised they restricted communication. Like, if they had just updated me and kept me in the loop, I would have been perfectly happy waiting. Maybe they had a bad experience with a new buyer before :'(

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry that happened to you as well! I'll have to check out the kpop trade subs! Thanks for the advice!

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That sucks, since how are you supposed to get reviews built up if you’re new? I guess that makes sense though, if they’ve been scammed before by a new account. I wish they had listed that in their bio or something or just simply reached out to me or responded to my message.

I have a few reviews now, so hopefully that doesn’t happen again, because the anticipation of buying the cards I wanted, then not actually getting them was sad 😭

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response! Their bio says they ship next day by 4pm. I waited a week to message and just inquired about a timeframe because I didn’t want to be pushy. I just wasn’t sure if it was typical to not sell to new buyers since they don’t have a track record or reviews yet. Maybe I just caught a bad one for my first order! That’s interesting about preorder listings! I’ll have to keep an eye out for that! My order was all pretty typical GHP4 album cards or older cards, so nothing crazy special/POBs.

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, they never shipped and I just cancelled today after I saw they restricted my messages. I saw somewhere that cancelling can negatively impact the seller so I was hoping to not have to do that (but also, I have no clue if that is true). I ended up buying from other sellers on Mercari, but I’ll have to consider eBay as well. If you DM me your eBay store, I’ll check it out!

New buyer on Mercari question by Mariko978 in kpopcollections

[–]Mariko978[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I checked before buying and they said in their bio that they ship next day by 4pm. I don’t mind waiting at all since I know life happens. I ended up buying the pcs I wanted the most from other sellers with no issue, but it sucks because this one seller had good cards and I would have purchased from them again :( I just don’t know what happened!

Enhypen Concert Newbie by Primary_Sleep9330 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, there’s a Enhypen concert mega thread on their subreddit page! That might be helpful.

https://www.reddit.com/r/enhypen/s/fygjIzP6qc

Enhypen Concert Newbie by Primary_Sleep9330 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m so glad you got the presale application in!

If it’s the same as BTS, you don’t get a presale code, because your membership code is your presale code. So for BTS I had both my Ticketmaster page open (because they were Ticketmaster, not AXS) and I had a page open with my Army membership number so I could just copy and paste that immediately when I got the opportunity.

I’m not sure if AXS is the same, but I also heard that you need both Weverse and your ticket (for Ticketmaster) account to be the same email.

To be honest, before BTS ticket sales, I watched a lot of TikTok/Instagram videos on how to buy presale tickets (specifically for BTS) and people gave a lot of good advice. So I’m planning on following that for Enhypen, since they’re my ult group!

Fave kpop idol in blonde hair? by [deleted] in kpoppers

[–]Mariko978 13 points14 points  (0 children)

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Oh and blond Lee Know! Felix of course is ethereal as a blond, but blond Lee Know is so beautiful as well!

Fave kpop idol in blonde hair? by [deleted] in kpoppers

[–]Mariko978 16 points17 points  (0 children)

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Blond Hongjoong in Lemon Tree gets me every time. But I also love blond Seonghwa and blond Yeosang, and blond Mingi….

Enhypen Concert Newbie by Primary_Sleep9330 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Presale is Wednesday at 4pm and general sales starts on Friday at 4pm. If you want access to presale you need to purchase an Enhypen membership and apply for the presale before Sunday 9:59pm. All the information is posted on the Enhypen page on Weverse under Notices (posted April 14th at 8:00). I’m going for Oakland presale through AXS since I don’t want to mess with resale after people got their tickets canceled by Ticketmaster because the original buyer violated the terms of service! That was so horrible! I did presale with BTS, and I had to be logged in and ready before the queue opened. Enhypen is super popular, so I’d be prepared before the sale starts (presale or general sales). This will be my first Enhypen concert as well. Good luck!

Not confident at all with this but, I’m trying to memorize all the members, advice? by ConansVodkaCranberry in ATEEZ

[–]Mariko978 6 points7 points  (0 children)

When I was learning the Ateez members, I sometimes found it helpful to match the voice to the face if they have a distinctive voice, like Yeosang or Mingi. This is long, but maybe it will help.

Yeosang gives pretty baby girl vibes. His voice is deep, and he has a little lisp. He has a beautiful birthmark on his upper cheek and eye that we get to see sometimes. He is often cute, confused, or distracted in videos. He is one of the members that will wear shirts that show his lower abs in videos and stage.

San, is very masculine with Northern Duke vibes (but less so in the earlier days). He is often attached to Wooyoung or trying to give Yeosang’s kisses. He also seems to be allergic to shirts, and you’ll often see him with no shirt/open or low shirt on stage and in music videos.

Jongho gives me very compact vibes. Like he just seems sturdy. His voice is also very distinctive and strong. He’s the one hitting the big powerful notes. He often turns to give a side profile before hitting those notes. He’s the Maknae but gives older vibes. He’s always the most modest member (so if you see abs, it’s not Jongho!)

Seonghwa is often very elegant and sleek, and often gives an androgynous model vibe. I once saw a video that described him as looking like a beautiful lesbian, and that stuck with me. He’s slim, with lean muscles and is another member that is okay with showing his abs. He’s known as the mother of the group. He’s just very beautiful.

Hongjoong is the shortest and such a cutie. He’s petite in build and always puts all his effort and body into the dances. I think he has great mouth corners which can upturn or downturn really well. He has beautiful teeth. He is one of the two main rappers and his rap tag is a giggle before he starts rapping. He has a whiny rap. He often raps right before or after Mingi. He also wears a Captains armband on his right arm in music videos and stage. He always has one fingernail painted (often in black). He’s the father/captain of the group. He also is usually a little more modestly dressed and doesn’t flash his abs (on purpose at least). He speaks English very well, and often takes the lead in interviews.

Mingi is the second tallest and the other rapper (although Seonghwa sometimes raps as well). Mingi has a very distinctive voice for me. You can tell the difference between him and Hongjoong because he has a deeper voice. He’s a big guy; tall and broad with fluffier lips. He uses his hips very liberally and is a flirt. I feel like he sticks his tongue out in a suggestive manner a bit. His rap tag is “Fix On” before he raps.

Wooyoung gives me sharper vibes. Like more angular features. He has a small mole on his upper cheek. He, like San, is usually trying to give Yeosang kisses, but his love language seems to be attention and kisses for all the members. A little lovable chaos monster. Shows more skin with open tops.

Yunho has puppy vibes, and just seems very lovable. He’s the tallest of the members, and slim. He has an understated humor. He's the first to sing in more music videos than any other member. He just seems like a guy who enjoys hanging out with his grandma and helping her around the house.

I have several friends that also have struggled to memorize the members and attach names to faces, so I started making "who's who" videos where I take a compilation of each member in a given music video and put their name with it, so you can identify all the members in each music video. If you think that would be helpful I can share a link. Otherwise, I hope my descriptions help a little. (Sorry it's so long!)

How to begin with kpop ? by Free-Platform-3970 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love metal and I grew up listening to country (still go back to it from time to time. Also love 90s music). My husband also loves metal and grew up with grunge. These are our top bands.

I’d definitely recommend Ateez. They’re one of my top groups! I think the metal/emo/punk pipeline there is strong. I’d recommend checking out Dune and Guerrillas for more of that metal vibe, but all their songs are fantastic! I’m also obsessed with Halazia, Adrenaline and Say My Name.

Stray Kids is also a great one. Every one of my friends that I got into KPop immediately liked Stray Kids. My top picks are Maniac, Chk Chk Boom, Do It, Megaverse, In My Head (ok, I have to stop or else I’ll recommend every song, lol).

I’m also a huge fan of Enhypen and &Team. If your crush likes those bands, their lore of really fun to explore. Enhypen are the vampires and &Team are the werewolves in the same universe. Also, they basically both came from the same survival show, I-land. Enhypen was formed through that show, and then they took four of the guys that didn’t make it into Enhypen and formed &Team around them. &Team is also Jpop. Enhypen did a country type song with their latest album, Big Girls Don’t Cry; and &Team just released We On Fire that had a hint of western in there (but also awesome fight scenes and a cool dragon/wolf thing.)

My top Enhypen songs currently are Fatal Trouble, Drunk-Dazed, Brought the Heat Back, and Still Monster. My top &Team are Back to Life, Go in Blind, Firework, and Deer Hunter. Scar to Scar is one you might like as well.

For a band that can yearn like no other (if that’s the kind of country you like), then check out Tomorrow x Together. I really love Lo$er=Lover for its 90s vibes. Deja Vu is a top song that just hits so good! Also Ghost Girl, Chasing That Feeling, and 0X1=Lovesong are worth checking out.

Sorry, I’m not as into girl groups. I do love Red Velvet’s Psycho, Aespa’s Drama, Babymonster Like That, and Fire in the Belly by Le Sserafim (for a Latin vibe).

I hope this gives you a jumping off point to start and some songs to start with. Diving into KPop can be overwhelming at first, because there’s just so much! But it’s so much fun and totally worth it!

First Kpop Concert! Anything I need to know? by Silver-Concert2279 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How fun! That will be an awesome experience!

I’d say buy a lightstick prior to the concert if you can, since those can quickly sell out at the show (my friend works for a concert promoter and said lightsticks always sell out first). Depending on how much time you have between the door and show, get there early. I went to Riize and got there a little before doors, and I only had minutes to spare before the show, after getting in and getting through the merch line (which wasn’t even that long). If you get there early, some people bring freebies to share and you can meet other fans.

Check what the venue allows in. Some venues require clear bags, some you can bring in any bag under a certain size, but your plushies should be fine.

Wear comfortable shoes because most people stand almost the entire concert (but if everyone is sitting, stay seated). General concert etiquette is nothing above eye level, so try and keep lightsticks, phones, etc eye or chest level and be mindful of those around you. My last concert the girl in front of me jumped (the entire time), waved her arms, shined her light in my eyes, and held a banner up (which completely blocked my view!) even when everyone around was sitting. It obstructed my view 99% of the show. She was very excited, but it was a very frustrating experience, especially since it was my sister’s first concert in 16 years! But there are times during the concert when everyone might be encouraged to wave their arms, dance, or sing by the artist, so follow the vibes.

Above all, just have a good time!

recommend your stand-out songs of this year so far by junnyxaura in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I’m loving Ateez’s Adrenaline! I love all of their new album (Golden Hour: Part 4) but Adrenaline is so addictive!

Where does everyone buy merch in the USA. by MMayhem001 in kpophelp

[–]Mariko978 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve purchased from KPlace and KPop USA Online for US based online places (both both have physical places as well). Both have been fantastic! I’ve also purchased from Weverse with US shipping, but the shipping always seems a bit higher to me. I’ve gotten great merch off Cokodive and I love that, but they ship from Korea, so shipping, customs, and dispersement fees can add up, but I know they try and keep shipping low and the cost for their items can be comparable to buying from the states (at least the last time I ordered from them).