EPT
Source:
http://esports.dailygame.co.kr/news/view.daily?idx=24131 and http://esports.dailygame.co.kr/news/view.daily?idx=24132
Interview by Lee Sora of Daily E-sports (sora@dailyesports.com)
March 24th, 2010
Jo Byung Se, Skyhigh
I met up with Jo Byung Se on a chilly March day, with winter on its last legs. With the Winners League was nearing its finale and his individual league preliminaries over, we had a leisurely talk with Byung Se. “It’s been so long since I’ve been interviewed” he laughed as we began. I had worried that Byung Se might be feeling a bit down because of his recent dip in form, but his eager and cheerful responses showed us that they were silly concerns. Once again, I applaud his professionalism.
Saying he’d like to start to interview off on a fun note, Byung Se began by talking about Myung Woon (Zero), who had selected him to be the next player in this interview series.
Skyhigh: Usually you have to stop using respectful form to warm up to someone [Korean has respectful and casual tenses, which are used differently depending on the relationship between the speakers]. When we went to Blizzcon in the USA, it was natural to call Yoon Yul (Nada) a hyung [Older brother, a respective title in this case] but it was a little embarrassing to say that to Zero as well. Honestly, he just looks so young (laughs). The force of his youth was so powerful I always prefer to call him seonsu [Korean for “player,” a generic title for anyone participating in a professional competition. A formal and impersonal title in this case.] which created some distance between us I think. I’d like to be friends, so what should we do? Zero says he was at a loss for how to treat me as well, so as long as we’re in that situation, can you tell him it would work for me if I were the hyung in this relationship (laughs)? Jokes aside, there were three CJ players in line for interviews so thanks for letting me go first. I hope we can get to know each other in future.
Skyhigh is known as ‘The man of the Winners League.’ Last season he won his team the 08-09 Winners League title by defeating Hwaseung OZ’s Jaedong, Young, Spear, and Hiya in a finals reverse All-Kill. Naturally, he was the center of attention at the beginning of this year’s Winners League.
Unfortunately, his play this time around was mediocre at best, and his team has done poorly by finishing at 11th place.
Skyhigh: Actually, I didn’t really play that much last season (laughs). The reverse All-Kill in the finals was just a huge moment. A lot of people make the mistake and think that I got a lot of wins in the Winners League besides that.
I had high expectations of myself as well. But I performed below those expectations, and I was disappointed in myself. It might have been because of all the pressure. Last season, Jaeyoon (Savior) and Hyungtae (Iris) hyung gave us a lot of help, but this season it was like it was all on Jungwoo hyung (Effort), Younghwa hyung (Movie) and me. At first I thought it would be alright, but it was more stressful and tiring than I expected. And I wasn’t good enough. The three of us are determined to do better, so you can expect good things from us in the future.
Effort, Movie, and Skyhigh were well known as CJ’s trio of skilled young players. They’re also known to be close friends as well. We asked SkyHigh about their relationship.
Skyhigh: We’ve never fought. We wish the best for each other, and even if we have a day off, we’re always glad to help each other for the individual leagues. We go out and have fun on our days off as well. Now that we’re adults, we have a beer now and then (laughs).
Because we entered the team at the same time, we have that camaraderie of classmates, or war buddies (laughs). A lot of players joined the team then, all in the B-team house together. All that’s left is us three now. Like war buddies because we survived together, and classmates because we’ve gone through everything together until now. So I think it’s inevitable we have a special relationship that’s different from other players.
Byung Se has never had much luck with the individual leagues. While he would love to do well in the individual leagues, Byung Se lamented his wasted opportunities and called it a “depressing situation.” At the same time, the ever positive Byung Se pushed himself on saying “I just have to change little by little.”
What match does Byung Se remember the most? To no one’s surprise, Byung Se says last season’s Winners League final was the most fun he’s had.
Skyhigh: The last game of the Winners League final was the most fun. I’ve always liked TvT, and this one was a comeback victory. Once I received that title-confirming GG from my opponent, I couldn’t even begin to describe how happy I was.
Which Terran player does Byung Se aspire to be like? Most players reply Lim Yo Hwan (Boxer), Choi Yeon Sung (iloveoov), or Lee Yoon Yul (Nada), but SkyHigh had an unusual answer: “I’m busy living my life, so I haven’t had time to think about that.” Fitting, for someone who seems to enjoy life so much.
Still, when we pressed him for an answer, he replied “Seo Ji Hoon (Xellos) and Iris, and iloveoov.” As expected, his teammates had a big influence on him.
When we asked him about the present top Terran Lee Young Ho (Flash), he gave us his honest thoughts.
Skyhigh: He’s simply the best. He’s so good that I can’t even dream about trying to surpass him right now. If you want to surpass someone, you have to first get in the vicinity at least, and I’m not there yet. Trying to get close to where he is, that’s the only thing I can do right now, right? I’d like to catch up as quickly as possible. I’ll have to work harder for that.
Even for someone who always seems to be in a pleasant mood, you must have had some difficult times. Could you tell us?
Skyhigh: Right now. I want to do well at everything, Proleague or Starleague, but it’s not happening the way I want. It’s really hard when you think you’ve put him a lot of effort, but the luck just isn’t going your way. If I can’t get out of this rut, I’ll end up being just a so-so player. It’s the hardest it’s been for me at the present, but I have to think of it as an opportunity to do better so I’ll do my best.
We imagined there would be some entertaining tales from the CJ house, so we asked Byung Se to give us a little taste. What did he end up telling us?
Skyhigh: I love to give people nicknames. Regardless of whether they’reyounger or older, most of our players’ nicknames were made by me.
A while back I was watching some movies on my PMP with my headphones plugged in, when I saw Jaebum hyung (Nbs) watching videos on his MP3 player as well. Anyway, as I watched I kept hearing this puppy barking somewhere. I was wondering where the heck a dog would be, but when I took my headphones off I realized it had been the sound of Nbs laughing. So ‘Jaebum’ became ‘Gaebum.’ (laughs) [‘Gae’ means dog in Korean. This is not the nicest nickname in the world.]
Also, our captain (Kwon) Soo Hyun (Orion) has the nickname “Kwon Ji Ho.” There’s a character from the TV series ‘Choo No’ called Chun Ji Ho who is really funny. Movie and I thought it would fun to make fun of Soo Hyun hyung and call him Kwon Ji Ho.
We call Jung Woo (effort) hyung ‘Sae hyung’ (‘Bird’ hyung). His nickname is already ‘Mae’ (hawk), but it would be kind of weird to call him ‘Mae hyung.’ It’s not like he’s my sisters husband (laughs). So we ended up calling him Sae hyung.’ [Maehyung means brother-in-law in Korean].
Oh, and I also made a nickname for Young Hwa (movie). The Queen. The reason for that is a secret.
A short time ago, Byung Se arrived to play a match limping on one leg. Many of his female fans were worried at the time. It wasn’t a serious injury, but the story behind it is very amusing.
Skyhigh: It’s a little bit embarrassing (laughs). I was sitting down in my chair to begin morning practice. The chair was at kind of an angle, so I was going to be cool and tried to sit down while spinning the chair into place at the same time. And then I stubbed my toe against the desk. I didn’t think it was a big deal at first, but because I hit it while my feet were still cold it ended up being an actual injury. It hasn’t healed completely yet, so my fourth toe is still longer right now.
I have another funny injury story. It was a really snowy day, and we were going back to the team house from the convenience store. We started to feel suddenly mischievous, so we all plotted to throw snowballs at Movie. Effort was the first one to make a snowball and throw it at Movie, but as he was running away he ran into a wall and hurt himself. He really hurt himself badly then, so we didn’t know whether we should have laughed or cried.
Now that both Effort and I have been hurt, it’s Movie’s turn now. I think he’ll probably get injured soon?
Fan Q&A
Q: You seemed thin when you first joined the team, but it looks like you’ve kept gaining weight since then. Why’s that? Is the food at the CJ house that good?
A: I weighed 60kg when I started living at the house, but now I’m over 70kg so I’ve put on a lot of weight. The food is really good, so I eat a lot of it (laughs). I’m trying to eat less these days. When I look at my face on TV, it looks pretty big. If you see yourself on TV, you can’t help but be self-conscious. I’ve never liked getting make-up done, but I really hate the way I look on TV these days so I’m starting to accept the make-up now (laughs).
Q: Do you still serve Movie’s soup and pour his water for him? And when he made the finals, did you really have to sleep in the living room?
A: I’ve never done such things for him. I thought it would make for a funnier interview to exaggerate a little, but it looks like people took it for the truth. Never ever! (laughs)
The stuff about getting chased out into the living room was just a joke too. Not a baseless joke, though. I’ve never been one to do so, but after I hurt my nose I started to snore. So I try to go to sleep after everyone else has already fallen asleep. But Movie is an especially light sleeper, so he tends to wake up to my snoring. When I wake up, I see pants, socks, and boxes that have been thrown at my bed. Stuff movie threw at night. Still, it doesn’t wake me up (laughs).
Q: Why did you say that if you had a son in the future, he has to be over 180 cm in height?
A: I can’t have my son be a ‘loser.’ (laughs) Men should be taller than 180 cm. I’m over 180 cm and my dad is over 180cm, so I think my kid will be over 180 cm as well. Better than being short anyway (laughs). [Skyhigh is referring to the recent Korean internet meme know as the ‘loser girl.’ On a TV show, a female Korean college student said “Men shorter than 180cm are losers,” saying the word ‘loser’ in English for some reason. Hilarity ensued.]
Q: The team has had a legacy of handsome players since the GO days, and they say you’re the next in line. What do you think of it?[/b]
A: I think I’ve killed the legacy (laughs). Some of our past players were really good looking. I think we’ve dropped off quite a bit in that respect.
A while back there was an article comparing me to Park Yong Ha, and my friends kept texting me sarcastic messages about it. Of course, I didn’t reply. If my fans think I’m good looking then I’ll accept it with much thanks. I’m often very thankful for the magical make-up known as photoshop (laughs).
Q: Kim Guk Kun (AzAng) once wrote on your Cyworld [Korean social networking site] page “Movie <3 Skyhigh,” what do you think of that?
A: He wrote it because he was bored? He was always a prankster. I Think it’s because I’m always playing tricks on Movie and because we’re so close. Oh, did you ever wonder why his name was Guk Kun? It’s because he was born on Armed Forces Day [Guk Kun means “national soldier”].
Q: What kind of women is your type?
A: Someone over 165 cm tall. I can’t help it, since I’m tall. I like Eunjung from T-ara and Yoori from SNSD. I like girls who are active and energetic. (We asked him if he wasn’t just looking at their bodies). Definitely not (laughs)!
Q: What did you say to Zero at Blizzcon that made him like you?
A: I think we just had some fun conversations. He seemed to enjoy it a lot. He was always laughing (laughs).
Q: If you had a younger sister, any teammates you would want to introduce her to?
A: They all lack charisma, so I don’t think it’d be worth it (laughs). If I had to choose, I’d say Effort. He’s got a good personality, he’s nice, and he’s loyal. I know his girlfriend, and he treats her really well. He’s really a great guy.
Q: You’re known to hate eggplants. If someone said you could win an OSL in exchange for eating a box of eggplants, would you do it?
A: Of course I’d eat them. For real! It’s my life’s dream, so why couldn’t I eat a box? I’d eat two boxes.
Q: If Movie and Effort were drowning, who would you save? On a similar note, if Coach Cho and Movie were drowning, who would you save?
A: Can I NOT save both of them (laughs)? If I had to save them, I’d have to hear the conditions first. I’d ask them what they’d do for me if I saved them, and I’d save whoever had the better offer (laughs). To answer seriously, I couldn’t save either of them if I was given that choice. Whichever one I chose, I’d have to live with the guilt of the other. They’re both important to people to me, and I can’t compare them.
Between Coach Cho and Movie, I think I’d save Movie. Coach Cho is a very caring person and he would probably speak up first and say “Save Movie.” (laughs)
Q: Which one of your teammates can’t dress to save his life?
A: Movie. He has absolutely, positively, ultimately, irreversibly NO sense of fashion (laughs). He’s not tall, but he buys big clothes. I taken aback when I saw him wearing the kind of long coat that even I don’t wear. He’s become interested in fashion lately, but it’s only interest. I’m worried if he’ll ever learn.
Q: Can I come kiss you at a game?
A: Please redirect questions of this nature to my fanclub manager (laughs). I’ll do it if the manager allows it. It would be a bit embarrassing, but if you really want to, contact me after you’ve talked to the fanclub manager (laughs).
Q: CJ players seem to perform a lot of ceremonies. If you could set aside your modesty and perform any ceremony, what would you do?
A: There was a ceremony I promised to my fans. I was going to draw a heart in the middle of them map with turrets or mines, but I haven’t succeeded at that yet. If my fans want something cute, then I’d have to do a cute dance. A lot of people want me to do KARA’s hip dance or T-ara’s cat dance, but they’re so embarrassing that I’d rather not (laughs).
Q: What does the reverse all-kill mean to you?
A: It was my joy in life up to last year. This year, it’s something that’s makingmy life difficult (laughs).
Q: What does Movie mean to you?
A:: A queen (laughs)? Someone who plays games on the same team? Someone a year older than me? We’re just friends (laughs).
As we neared the end of the interview, Byung Se said he wished to give shout outs to the people he was grateful to. Here is Byung Se’s “Special thanks to…” section.
Skyhigh: Living the life of a progamer, you end up thinking about your family a lot. My parents were strongly against me playing games, and it was my stubbornness that saw me through. Now, I’m very sorry to them. I haven’t been able to repay their hurt feelings with good results, which has always bothered me. If they can wait a little more, I want to show them how their son has grown up. I want to ask my parents to just wait on me, and that I’m thankful that they believe in me.
Also, I’d like to thank a hyung who was the first one to approve of my becoming a progamer and always backed me up. He’s in the military now, but he always reads articles about me and calls me on the phone. I’ve been losing a lot lately so I feel bad for him, so I want to repay his support.
I want to thank head coach Cho and the other coaches for helping through life at a progamer house. While I was a practice partner Coach Kim Dong Woo scolded me a lot, and even now he’s making sure I don’t lose my focus, and that’s helped me get where I am today.
The head coach looked on silently, and he gave me his trust and chances to play, and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to repay that trust. In the future, I want to do better so I can feel thankful and not sorry.
And we come to the last official question of the interview. What kind of progamer does Byung Se want to become?
Skyhigh: It would be nice to be remembered as someone who was fun and a good speaker. I’m a little obsessed with being clever (laughs). My world view is that you should try to have a fun life, so I’d like to become known as a talented and entertaining progamer (laughs).
Another dream I have is to become a Bonjwa. It’s not a title you can earn easily. It’s a name given to those who write the history of E-sports. When people think of Jo Byung Se, I want people to think “Well he won’t have to go through the preliminaries,” and “He’s probably going to win” no matter who I go up against.
He was very humble and thought he had zero foreign fans lol. Thanks for the translation.
