Happy Thanksgiving! Soompi Is Thankful for...

This year on November 28, Americans will celebrate one of their favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. On this day family and friends will get together to watch parades and football games, and then consume thousands of calories by feasting on what will be one of the best dinners of the year. Then the tryptophan from the turkey will kick in, and everyone will unbutton a button or two as they drowsily think about all the things they are thankful for.

That’s how it’s supposed to be anyway, and that’s what the staff here at the Soompi Seoul headquarters are wistfully thinking about as we type type type away on our computers on this cold November day. We may not be able to make volcanoes out of mash potatoes and dribble down gravy like lava here in Korea, but we sure can think about all the things that we thankful for. 

At Soompi we are thankful for our loved ones, our health, and all the comfortable first world luxuries we take advantage of in our lives, but we are also thankful for K-Pop and Soompi. K-Pop brings to our lives much color and excitement with its pretty faces, slick dance moves, trendy clothes, and catchy tunes. Soompi allows us express our uncontainable feels in a safe place full of awesome and like-minded people.

So here are what some of the editors, writers, and forum mods are thankful for, whether it be first generation idols or variety shows, or even JYP’s infamous plastic pants. Let’s celebrate this holiday together and share what you are thankful for in the comments below. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

crystalcove –  I am thankful for the beautiful men and women in K-entertainment. When I’m stressed by work and my eyes are dreary from staring at the computer screen all day long, I turn my eyes to the many posters hanging on the Soompi HQ’s walls and feast on the unrealistic beauty of K-celebs. The images may be photoshopped and the celebs probably have layers of makeup on…I know it, but yeah, I marvel at those skills too. Huzzah to Adobe and Etude House!  

crystalcove finds herself staring at the poster wall more often than not lately as one of the editors at Soompi.

kimpossible – I’m thankful for entertainment agencies like YG Entertainment that value and foster creative expression and have a penchant for risk-taking in their artists! I believe the unprecedented success of artists like G-Dragon signals a new age of K-Pop – with a myriad of possibilities for diversification and growth. My favorite music video as of late is T.O.P‘s “Doom Dada” which speaks volumes more than how it presents itself.

kimpossible is a contributing writer at Soompi.

melkimx – This may be a bit unorthodox, but I’d like to thank JYP for giving us the glory of Plastic Pants. I’ve been following K-Pop probably since this photo first made its appearance, and I can promise that I’ve never seen anything else quite like what JYP delivers here. That knowing smirk, that leg pose, and all the lovingly crafted little practicalities, such as the belt loops and the pockets. I would love to see the Pants make a reappearance among the current idol set, but can’t quite see who else would pull it off. The Pants, alas, are from an era long gone. But we have the picture to enjoy for eternity, and for that, I thank JYP.

melkimx has been here for awhile.

Sylphid – I am thankful for the various live music shows (M!Countdown, Music Bank, Music Core, Inkigayo) that give us an unending supply of live performances to watch. In the US, it would be impossible to watch all the top pop acts promoting their latest songs and going head to head as they appear on the same stage every week,.

We get to watch the idols grow up with every comeback. This system also pushes them to work hard to stand out from the all the other groups; a dance track has to have amazing choreography, and a ballad song must sound beautiful, or they will be easily forgotten.

Since it is a live show, minor accidents happen every once in a while, adding in a little more excitement.

Sylphid is the (long time) US Editor at soompi. He also covers various K-Pop events throughout California.

angelangie – I am thankful for the couple shippers at Soompi because I can let my imagination for my favorite couples run wild here, while being sane and rational in the real world. If I didn’t have Soompi, I would have to bring my craziness out into the world and people would stare at me like I’m some wild lunatic.

I have found my second family here, and yes, it is a virtual family, but it is in the Couple Shipper Paradise forums that I was able to form the Michesso Families for the Taecyeon and Gui Gui couple. We really bonded in there.

It has also become the place where we can escape from the real world and release our stress. We can let our imaginations run totally at its own course, and while we are toatly michesso and crazy to the boots, we are also rational. It has become an eye opener for us, and we have found a place where we can belong in the virtual world.

angelangie is a mod at the couple & shipper paradise in Soompi forums that is responsible for some craziness going on in the TaecGui thread.

Lordbordem – I am thankful for variety shows and the many stars that appear on them. There is no other avenue of entertainment where I can watch and laugh at two fully grown male adults who are dressed up as school girls play an amazing school day game without feeling like some sort of weird fetishist. From retro shows like “Kkung Kkung Da “(As seen in my topic video) to classics like “X-men,” “Real Romance Letter” and to modern marvels like “One Night Two Days,” “Running Man” and “Infinity Challenge.” If there is one avenue of entertainment that I can rely on for constant laughs, it’s variety shows.

Lordbordem is writer that cures his boredom by occasionally writing long and snarky articles on Soompi. He also once went head to head with a Koala. He lost.

hazelnutthursdays – I am thankful for “Goong,” or as I prefer to call it by (one its many English names) “Princess Hours.” It’s not my first K-drama, but it was definitely the first one that got me obsessed enough to venture into fangirl territory. Because of “Princess Hours,” I was been moved to discover Soompi and its fan fiction, the forums and the news sites. Before long, and after hours of browsing anything and everything “Princess Hours,” I learned about Korean music, which now leads to a sometimes-dormant but still thriving interest in K-Pop. This passionate interest (mild obsession) with Korean entertainment, I believe, keeps me lighthearted enough to know how to enjoy life, despite the serious business of making a living.

 hazelnutthursdays likes hazelnuts, that beautiful tinge of flavor in coffee, and Thursdays, that day for hope, for the patron saint of the impossible. She is an introverted fangirl.

meltedd – I am thankful for 2NE1 finally releasing some new music, with “Missing You,” and announcing their 2014 World Tour. I suspect YG runs on a different timeline from the rest of the world, but at least we’re getting somewhere. It looks like we can expect YG artists to show their stuff at the end-of-year music festivals, beginning with what they had for MAMA on November 22. 2NE1’s new song, “Missing You” is a song that will evoke a sense of nostalgia whenever you hear it. It feels like a classic, one to belt out at noraebangs! Check it out if you haven’t already.

meltedd is a writer at Soompi who has recently gotten back in K-Entertainment thanks to Soompi and is still slightly overwhelmed by all the new artists.

halves in unison – I’m thankful for Korean dramas because it helps me take my mind off of work. There is a certain level of excitement and enjoyment watching dramas starring my biases, as well as amusement when watching scenes unravel just the way I’ve predicted. Due to the heavy doses of dramas watched, I believe my transition to Korea and its culture has been a tad bit smoother. I love it when I discover hidden gems like underrated artists from the OST and useful items due to PPL (product placement). Yes- those things do work! Although most of those scenes are annoying, but it’s amusing at times- it’s probably because I’ve watched too many dramas. It depends on my mood.

halves in unison is the editor who loves puns and constantly eats while working at the office.

CallMeN00NA – I am thankful to all the first generation idols who paved the way to make K-Pop what it is today. They didn’t have it easy back then. The concept of “idol” was strange and unfamiliar, so the people of Korea didn’t know what to do with these dancing and lip-syncing teenage groups with colorful hair and baggy pants. Instead of photoshop and layers of BB Cream, they had to rely on bright lights to get that clear celebrity complexion. Because they spent their better years starting the international sensation that is K-Pop, all they can do now is be MCs on variety shows or have play characters that die really early on in dramas. Your sacrifice has not gone by unnoticed by me!

CallMeN00NA is THE noona who writes “We Got Married” recaps and answers questions about Soompi through her Twitter account.

 Benightedxflame – “I am thankful for all of the Sexy, Free and Single K-Pop manly idols out there, and I admit – I have a Secret to share with Everybody!

 I’m so curious of what idols do for Thanksgiving, so I decided to visit Hoya from Infinite, and tell him Sunggyu for his hard work this year. I waited on Block B since 2PM After School that day while it was Rania! I know that this seems creepy and crazy, but I wasn’t Alone – the Paparazzi was Hyde[ing] there with me until 2AM! I Replay[ed] what I was going to say to him Again and Again Before the Dawn, since I knew I only had One Shot. My Heartbeat was pounding like Crazy!

 When I saw the Rising Sun, I Ring Ding Dong his door. I said to him: “Hello, Mister,” and gave him a Rose. I continued, “I’m a huge fan of yours! Gee, you’re so much more handsome after Chu just woke up. I’m Sorry Sorry for being such a Troublemaker, but I think you’re Fantastic Baby! Out of all of The Boys in Infinite, you’re the Only One for me. You’re a BEAST at dancing, and So Cool on stage wearing a SHINee T-ARA! Your performances make me feel like I’m in Paradise!”

 He was in Shock, and his face turned into A Pink shade, but I thought he was just embarrassed. He started stammering, and I said, “Oh! Hush! Truthfully, I Don’t Need a Man, but I know on some days you tell yourself I Need a Girl. Don’t worry, I’m your Dream Girl at the end of the Rainbow. So Tell Me, can I be your Juliette, and you my Boyfriend? If not, I’ll be so happy just being your SISTAR!”

 To my surprise, he started running away. I shouted after him, “Wait! Come back! I’ll be so Lonely without you! Don’t be such a Heartbreaker!”

 I chased him towards the INFINITE sunset. I was so thankful to have this Very Good moment with him!”*

 Benightedxflame is known for her wordy, loquacious and dramatic concert recaps that she writes like little novels, and she’s also dabbling in some movie reviews that she tries hard not to spoil too much in, and oh god she’s ranting now isn’t she?

*Disclaimer: This is just a hypothetical situation. As much as I would have liked to stalk Infinite’s Hoya, I did not.

nanasung – I am thankful for Taecyeon from 2PM. He always puts a smile on my face with his many charms!

Although he debuted as a wild-image idol, he also has a gentleman side and just melts us with that cute smile.

He is now a good actor and also the CEO of his own Okcat business which was originally just a random drawing of 2PM members. Isn’t it also amazing that he is managing his busy calendar very well and juggling many things at once out of his hard schedule as a super-idol?

People like you give me the positive energy to tackle the challenges coming with every day. You’ve helped fans get/feel closer to you.Thank you for always being so creative!

nanasung is the Japanese writer at Soompi who wrote to Santa that she wanted the biggest Okcat doll for christmas.

soomp – I am thankful for “Heartless City” (a.k.a. “Cruel City“) for ruining K-Drama for me forever. I’m thankful to the Internet for allowing me to discover so many great K-Drama blogs I’d never heard of while searching for coverage of this criminally underrated cable show. I’m thankful to have discovered the glory that is Jung Kyung Ho.

 In all seriousness, I’m very grateful for the awesome Soompi staff and volunteers that keep this site going day in and day out. Thanks to all the “old school” Soompiers with October 2005 join dates who are still around, and to everyone who has ever considered Soompi to be their home.

soomp is the founder and ambassador of awesome at Soompi.

What are you thankful for?