When you’re busy creating fabulously good music in Japan and the US, a five year absence from the kpop scene is almost excusable. Almost.

BoA (보아) actually suggested the concept of the music video for Game (게임) herself, mixing her personal and professional worlds. The only thing missing is her usual dope dancing. I guess we’ll have to wait for the second single.

Also in BoA news, Super Junior’s Siwon posted a picture of him and BoA watching a movie with 3D glasses on his twitter account. Jealous much?

Excuse me while I have a fan girl moment of elation. A couple of years ago, when I first got into kpop, SE7EN (세븐) was the vehicle of my conversion. I <3 him indomitably!!

SE7EN’s now making a comeback after 3 years of absence from the public eye. I do not speak alone in expressing the viewpoint that it was 3 years too long ^^

He’s back with the mini-album Digital Bounce, which contains an incredibly appropriate 7 tracks.

Imagine a happy place. Believe me, I’m in it.

And here’s the MV for Better Together:

Yay for good Japanese pop! 20 year old Yuya (松下優也) is breaking out some dance moves for his single “You”. From what I’ve read, he’s all about NYC and most of his favorite artists are western hip hop and pop singers.

He’s got some developing to do, and I think he’s gonna have to bulk up a bit and take off his shirt to compete with the kpop acts, but I’m pretty sure that in a couple of years he’ll be seriously big stuff! Watch out!

I’m a newbie to jpop/jrock, but I swear this music video for “Hikari To Yami No Douwa” (光と闇の童話) is mind-blowing. Sound Horizon has channeled the original spirit of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales for this song. You know, the kind of fairy tales where Cinderella’s stepsisters chop off their heels to fit into the glass slipper? Or the kind where everyone dies of plague in the town and then little kid princes get defenestrated?

Apparently Sound Horizon calls themselves the “Fantasy Band” and they’re led by Revo (レヴォ), who is all about using however many artists he needs to express his visions and “question fundamental elements of human nature that have a contradictory dual aspect” (according to the official website). Well, they certainly live up to their name “the fantasy band” with this unique song and PV.

B2Y (비투와이) is a fun, coed, Korean pop group that likes to get down and crazy ^_^ Personally, I can definitely get down to this song. It’s super-fun. “Be Crazy” (미쳐버리게) is one of those delightful pop ditties.

I’m a little worried though. I’ve started to see so much bleached blonde hair on asian boys that it’s not even registering as a fashion choice I used to censure! I might actually start to like it soon.

O tempora! O mores!

After School (애프터 스쿨) is pulling a Super Junior and has spawned a subgroup: Orange Caramel (오렌지 캬라멜 )!

The group is composed of Raina (레이나), Nana (나나), and Lizzy (리지), the three youngest members of After School.

Remember that behemoth of an SAT word, “cloying”? It’s the perfect descriptor for these girls and their cutesy cutesy candy dance style. If you’re into it, more power to you! Actually, I see this doing very well in an anime OST and on the Japanese charts. In fact, there’s some talk on the blogosphere about Orange Caramel being a plagiarism of a Japanese song!

PS: Is it just me, or are those American Girl dolls in their promo pictures?

I think I’m going to stick to After School on my playlists.

BTW, if you’re wondering who that boy in the video is, it’s CNBlue’s Minhyuk.

So, I think someone forgot to mention to D-NA that the basis of American Football is that ridiculously LARGE, muscular men tackle each other, for glory and fame and maybe a little bit for the exciting rush that comes with grabbing another man’s butt?

Granted, the oldest member of the group is only turning 20 in a couple of days, but still, if they’re gonna deck themselves in the stars and stripes a la Rex-Kwon-Do and proceed to pretend to play football, they should maybe consider donning a muscle suit like George Michael did in Arrested Development.

I just can’t believe for a second that these boys smell nearly as bad as the football players at my high school did. I don’t want them to smell that bad either. I guess it’s a win-win situation here.

Watch the MV for yourself here: