EPTMy Fellow Comrades of the KMD:
Ladies and gentlemen, mostly the latter I guess, if you would give me a moment of your time, I would be very happy.
This is my 5000th post. Now, obviously, that’s one of the most serious numbers to reach on TL, and I’d like to make it somewhat special, as tradition demands it to. However, this time, I decided to make a change of plans; instead of going the route of posting an enormous thread that nobody is going to read through anyway, I’m going to cut it way shorter this time, and instead make this more of a statement. So, in honor of the most important thread on TL, this is my speech to all of you – My story.
In 2009, I started watching professional BW for the first time. It was a totally different game compared to the childhood memories of mine, but I tried to adapt and learn. Soon enough, thanks to a certain someone known as
Tasteless, I found my way to a community known as TeamLiquid, where I’ve since resided for the last 3 years. At first I just lurked here for about 8 months, but I wanted to do more than just use it as my guide to all the top Korean leagues. Thus, I joined, and before long realized that TL was more than just StarCraft. Sure, it’s undoubtedly the reason that the website was created in the first place, and it is obviously the key aspect of it all, like the glue that binds it together. However… after a while I found my way to the Korean Music Discussion. It is now more than a thread. It is a community within a community. (Communityception!) If TeamLiquid is my virtual home, then the KMD is my virtual room in that home. Because regardless of how many threads I visit, and post in, which, I willingly admit, I do a lot, this is the place I always end up coming back to.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QxzVi.jpg)
Kpop is… different. I have always gone by a certain principal when it comes to music, and it is quite simple: Never judge an entire music genre, nor the groups/singers, only the actual songs. This means that no matter how bad a genre seems to be in general, there will always be at least one good song in it, you just have to find it. Because of this logic, my music taste has always been very broad, but even I can narrow it down to maybe 4 genres that stick out for me. I could never have believed it 5 years ago, but I would now consider Kpop to be my #2 choice out of any possible music genre in the world. First place has to go to OST’s (Epic/Instrumental); Two Steps From Hell is just too good to be true. However, unlike most other good music, the Korean scene has so much room for discussion and sheer fanboyism. Also, it contains essentially infinity cute Korean chicks, which is always nice.
Anyway, as I was saying, I first started watching Brood War professionally in early 2009. Besides relearning everything my childhood had taught me about the game and becoming a loyal, dedicated
Flash fan, I was also, thanks to the power of live stream commercial breaks, for the first time exposed to a certain, alien music genre called Kpop. Gee & Mister were played a million times a day it seemed, and not much else. In other words, I didn’t have a lot to go on other than my first impressions of those two songs. So what did I think about them then? Well, like I guess most people would react the first time, my original thought was, quite simply: “The fuck is this? >.<”. I mean, they were obviously extremely cute, and the tune was really catchy, but it was all so… so… girly, I guess you can say. Like a guilty pleasure, something that I could sort of enjoy, but never admit to anyone that I actually did. It was, however, quite obvious that the other viewers of the streams seemed quite familiar with the genre, and seemed to like it, and after a quick browsing on TL, I found that it was indeed quite well known. Despite this, I was alone in this issue. I stopped caring for Kpop, or rather I should say, I decided to not become a fan of something I could never share with someone I knew.Time changes stuff though. Eventually, you go curious, you know? Through the power of YouTube, I one day tried to search for any other songs I could find from these “Girl’s Generation”. I found, and fell in love with “Oh”. After that, things escalated. Throughout the following weeks, I looked for, and found more and more content from this charming group, whom I had slowly but surely started to adore. However after a certain number of songs from them, and maybe one or two from Kara, it sort of dulled off again.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/O2oIa.jpg)
Then it happened. In August 2010, I moved up one notch in the world, by starting what in Sweden is called “Gymnasiet” which is normally from about ages 16-19. New class, new friends, whom were awesome by the way. Also, by now, StarCraft 2 was pretty damn new, and to my joy, I found that a couple of my new classmates played it, and we quickly became friends through it. Furthermore, it spread, and eventually about 10 or so guys (and girls
) in our class had it. Now, as if this wasn’t awesome enough, I managed to do something I had never done before. I slowly tried to show them Kpop via linking stuff on Skype, and I just said it was a troll at first in case they’d laugh at me. They… kinda did, but kinda not. It was if they shared my exact thoughts behind it, as if it was a bit stupid, but enjoyable nonetheless. I pushed it. Slowly, I won several of them over. (Not all of them though ) After that, it was no longer a guilty pleasure. It was, quite simply, good music, even though it was in a very different way compared to my other favourite music genres. Now it was expansion-time. SNSD were still the queens, but after that I went to Kara, then to T-ara, and then to just about everyone at once. Today, I have my Kpop playlist chosen with very high standards, but I still have about 100 songs in it, taken from, in order of amount: SNSD, Kara, T-ara, Wonder Girls, Secret, Girl’s Day, Sistar, Orange Caramel, After School, IU, 4Minute, Hyuna, Miss A, Rainbow and Brown Eyed Girls. To put it shortly, there’s a lot of variation in there. Nowadays, they are all a key pillar in my everyday activities.So, by now I’m sure you’re asking where I’m going with this. Well, to put it bluntly, with this message, I would like to say 2 things. Primarily, to relay my story of how I found my way to this thread, my home away from home if you’d like. Secondly, I’d just like to say: “Thank you” to a lot of people for various reasons, but in general they are all part of the same overall concept of making this genre a reality.
First, I would like to thank the entire TL staff, along with the community itself. I would never have fallen in love with StarCraft in this manner of fashion if it weren’t for you. Also, perhaps more relevant to this certain topic, without you, this thread would never exist. For that, I am forever in your debt.
Second, I would like to thank the Kpop industry itself. The Korean wave is really kind of unrivaled at the moment in Asia, and I know that you are trying to expand as much as you can internationally right now, especially towards USA, and I wish you all the luck in the world with that. Just… just make sure that you’ll always keep the main focus on the genuine Korean songs
. Anyway, thank you so much for supporting and pushing the stars to fulfilling their talents. (Try not to cross the line every once in a while though )![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xiclv.gif)
Third, I would like to thank the singers themselves, both the girl groups and the boy groups, even though I only really listen to the former. (Yeah yeah, I know, I suck and shouldn’t call myself a Kpop fan if I can’t listen to the boybands as well, but I’ll just have to apologize for that; Kpop just isn’t the same without it having overly cutesy girls as the singers imo
) There are essentially countless of you that I adore. Never stop doing what you want to be doing, if that means to stop singing, then so be it. I wouldn’t really want it, but more importantly, I want you all to be happy, and do the right thing.+ Show Spoiler +
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/2cOQj.jpg)
Fourth, I would like to give a special thanks to Hyoyeon, Jessica, Seohyun, Sooyoung, Sunny, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Yoona and Yuri, namely all of the nine members of SNSD. It was you gals who were my doorway into this grand adventure, and despite of it all, you still are the best ones in this industry overall. Even though I think you all were more fit for being cutesy rather than sexy, I will love you for whomever you decide to be. That’s what it means to be a Sone. Forever Nine <3
(Oh, and stop calling Hyoyeon a troll you morons, you’re all in way over your head. -.-)
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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/y9SI1.jpg)
Fifth, I would like to personally thank Ms. Nicole Jung for being my favourite performer in the Kpop industry. I think you’re one of the most beautiful girls on this Earth, and easily the cutest one. I feel that I would do anything for you if I could, I don’t know exactly how far I would keep that promise, probably not as far as TuElite would, but I wouldn’t give her up without a fight bro’!
(Note: This statement was written before she went blonde. Seriously, why’d you change your hair, I mean I’ll stand by you if that’s what you really want, but come on, your old hair was just sex. I’m getting used to it now, and I still love you, but I still prefer the old Nicole. (You know, like the one in the picture above?) Thus, in order to force you to change back, I’m considering temporarily promoting Lindsey Stirling to my #1 most wanted woman until you change your hair back. Take that!
)Also, just before I was about to post this, I read that she’d gotten her ankle twisted or something, so let’s all hope for a speedy recovery for our princess.
Sixth, I would like to give a special shoutout to SNSD’s Im Yoona, for singing the catchiest song in the entire genre, in my opinion, named Innisfree Day. I remember the day I first found it; I had it on repeat for approximately 8 hours while I was playing SC2. It just doesn’t get any worse no matter how many times you hear it in a row. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why I find that song so addictive, but I do, so that’s that. Don’t get me wrong, this is my catchiest song, not the best one. However, my opinion of which song that is actually the best one constantly changes, so I couldn’t really name any one song in particular for that. For example, I’ve lately been living in a Girl’s Day era, thinking their songs are the best, but I know that that’s just temporary. Not sure which song has had the highest “peak” for me, so I’ll leave this unanswered.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/jENnM.jpg)
Seventh, I would like to thank GTR, Dystopia, Moonwrath, Craton, Roffles, MizU, TuElite, Kipsate, Xenocide, Unichan, etcetera, in other words all the major posters and contributors to this community that make up our little family, you all know who you are, I don’t have to name you all. (Also, I haven’t really followed this thread from the start, so I might forget some key people :/) This thread would never have been the same without you.
Eighth, and finally. I would like to take off my hat (Yes, I actually wear one on a daily basis
) to Geoff 
iNcontroL Robinson for creating this thread. Even though I’m quite sure it’s nowhere near what you intended when you created it, in the end; does it really matter? We never would have become this little family, and we never would have become friends if it weren’t for Kpop, and if it weren’t for you creating this thread Geoff. Thank you for that.Now, I guess that about sums it all up. My point is that this thread, community, call it whatever you want; it means something to me. The other major threads are great and all, but this one… the KMD actually has a personal meaning to it. I have a hard time imagining myself not checking every post in it nowadays, the same way many people think about Facebook. This thread is now not just the biggest thread on TL (The only one with over 2000 pages at the time I'm writing this), it is a sub-community. We are our own little family in here. Anyone who sticks around here for long enough knows anyone else who’s doing the same thing.
All-in-all, I am forever in your debt… to all of you. Thanks for everything. Peace out
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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Sa2ms.jpg)
In the first performances she didn't. Maybe out of breath or throat issues that keep her from hitting it.
