What K-Pop Acts From My Golden Era are Still Intact?

With the news of Rainbow's dissolution, I thought it was time to double check to see which (if any) of the original groups I loved from the first few years of my K-pop Fandom were still around and intact!

1. Girls' Generation

The biggest hit of them all for me was when Jessica was removed from Girls Generation. This group, while still a big favorite of mine, will NEVER be the same without her. She was just that darn important to me.

 2. f(x)

I was shocked when Sulli departed from f(x), thankfully this is one group that has managed to remain just as great as they ever were, thanks to the strengths of the remaining members Luna, Krystal, Amber and Victoria! With their latest album 4Walls reminding me just why I love K-pop so much,  at this moment, f(x) are at the top of my favorite K-pop artists!

3. APink

★★★STILL TOGETHER!!!★★★

Though technically even this group has lost a member, I didn't discover the wonder of these girls until Yookyung had already left the group, and so, for, me, APink are the lineup of  Chorong, Bomi, Naeun, Eunji, Namjoo and Hayoung, and I'm gonna call this one  "Unchanged"!!!

4. Dal Shabet

Another big blow for me as not only my bias Jiyul left the group, but my second favorite member Kaeun as well! I admit to having a hard time dealing with this loss and my fandom of Dal Shabet has never really recovered, sad to say.

5. 4Minute

Another of one my vey FIRST K-pop acts I fell in love with (I My Me Mine may be the very FIRST k-pop song I ever heard!), It's hard to believe 4Minute are gone.

But with HyunA still up and about and a Jiyoon solo project on the horizon it looks like I'll still be able to see these girls in some capacity!

6. 2NE1

I don't know WHAT YG has on his mind lately, but shame on him for letting this seemingly indestructible unit fall apart. People blame Bom for the group's status but in my opinion it was just plain old neglect. How could he just let a group this powerful fester on the sidelines?! Minzy was wise to leave when she did.

7.Kara

Kara, the group that unlocked the door to my K-pop passion. Their first few albums are still some of the best albums out there, ones that I listen to all the time. Gone, but their impact (on me) cannot be measured! Plus, I can still hear Jiyoung grooving it up in the J-pop world! That's reassuring.

 8. T-ara

★★★STILL TOGETHER!!!★★★

Unbelievably, even with all the add-on members, fired members and dropped members and a HELL of a lot of controversy, T-ara have managed to come out (so far) unscathed with ALL SIX of their ORIGINAL members intact! This is the line-up I fell in love with, the ones that did "Bo Peep Bo Peep" and "I'm Really Hurt", and it's amazing they're still together and functioning as well-oiled as ever!

 9. Rainbow

Don't feel right labeling them as disbanded when their contracts don't expire for another couple of weeks, but let's be honest, there's no real chance of anything new coming out from them soon, is there? Good luck, girls, you stuck it out as long as you could!

10. Sistar

★★★STILL TOGETHER!!!★★★

Now HERE'S something to marvel at- Sistar may be the sole group here that are not only still around and knocking the hits outta the ballpark as regular as clockwork, but they're one of the few that have NEVER had any changes done to their line-up. Hyolyn, Bora, Dasom and Soyou were the first and ONLY members of this terrific outfit!

11. Secret

Though Hyosung is my bias in Secret and I think Jiyeon is the voice that holds the group together, I just don't know if I can appreciate Secret without Sunhwa, who was and will always be the "heart" of the group. 

 12. AOA

While it's true that AOA's lineup  of Jimin, ChoA, Yuna, Mina, Seolhyun, Hyejeong and Chanmi can technically be considered "Still Together", it was their harder-rocking Musician side "AOA Black" that I first fell in love with, and with the recent departure of Drummer Youkyung, it looks like that avenue is closed for them. That's a Damn shame, the five member unit was so darn talented. But of course, their sexy, idol side was the one that won out in the end, and I guess it was the right path as they're finally getting the recognition they deserve.

13. Nine Muses

Man, what a mess this group has become. Granted, their  history of rotating members out has always led to a rather tumultuous roster, but the loss of the "heavyweights" of the group: Lee Sem, Euaerin, Eunji, HyunA, Minha and my beloved Sera have rocked this group so much that I can scarcely call the new group with their new members "Nine Muses"anymore.

14. Afterschool

Because of their silly "Graduation" system, Jooyeon and Jungah's departure from Afterschool was expected, but after that, what the heck happened? We have not heard a PEEP out of this group ever since, and it frustrates me to no end thinking that they're just SITTING on the group and letting them fade away!!!! COME ON PLEDIS!!!!

15. Brown Eyed Girls

★★★STILL TOGETHER!!!★★★

 Well, at least I can end this list on a positive note: Jea, Miryo, Narsha, and Ga-In are THE quintessential K-pop Diva act, and they've happily JUST celebrated their 10th annniversary!!!

Congrats for staying around so long, girls!!!! Hope to continue to hear from you in the future as well!!!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Rainbow To Disband

Well,  I can't say I didn't see this coming but it's still very sad to hear that DSP Media's cool seven membered group RAINBOW are going to be calling it quits when their contracts expire in November.
 After KARA introduced me to the world of K-pop back in 2012, it was Rainbow's "A" (and T-ara's I'm Really Hurt) that became the first new songs I discovered on my own and fell in love with and purchased (yes, this was even before I fell in love with Girl's Generation!) along with my KARA goods.
Through the years Rainbow have been one group that I've continued to support even though I could feel their popularity waning with the general public and despite terrific songs, never seemed to break  to the top of the charts.
Whne it was announced only a few days ago that leaeder Jaekyung and Jisook were opting out of renewing their contracts and then shortly after announced that even Woori and Noeul weren't re-signing,  all Rainnous felt already that it was time, and sure enough the official announcement of the group's dissolution came quickly thereafter.
Rainbow will always hold a very special place in my heart for sure, and I hope to still see the individual members like Jaekyung and my fave girl Woori in the business in the future!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

A Wild Anne Nakamura Appeared!

Anne Nakamura in Suizokukan Girl

Despite my reservations with the drama Suizokukan Girl, I have found it to be a rather charming show, this is, of course, all to do with actress Mayu Matsuoka who projects a very sweet and sincere character whom you end up rooting for no matter what, Throw in pretty Rika Adachi as her best friend (and a REAL best friend, not one of those "betray you later" cliche kind) and you've got an all around feel-good show.

In Episode 5, just as Yuka is discovering she is in love with mean main lead Ryohei, of course it's time to introduce the stylish and pretty girl whom is suspected of being his girlfriend...

...and WOW oh WOW, whom did they get to play Ryohei's (supposed) girlfriend, but STUNNING actress/model Anne Nakamura who has been DAZZLING me with her exotic good looks and sassy personality ever since seeing her in Satomi Ishihara drama 5 Ji Kara 9 Ji Made back in 2015!

There's a new threat in town and it's Anne!

Strict to the T....

She makes poor Yuka really work!

Ooooh MAN, does Anne look freaking FINE here! And as she's MEANT to be a stunning beauty, the camera does all it can to bring out the very best in her, oh my, my heart can barely take it!

Telling Yuka that she expects a Great Program

..or she'll walk out!

Very bossy girl knows what she wants!

Finally having a talk...

...and becoming friends of sorts

Aw YESS! I'm so very glad I stuck around to watch this show, LOLOLOL

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Into the Dark With Keiko Kitagawa in "The Hippocratic Oath"

Keiko Kitagawa in The Hippocratic Oath

After seeing Keiko Kitagawas in the winsome and lighthearted Ie Uru Onna, it’s quite a shock seeing her in a more serious drama, and believe me, her new show Hippocrates No Chikai, is very, very serious indeed! A drama centered around the medical Field of Criminal Forensics, this show reminds me a lot of the Showtime Clive Owen drama The Knick, very bloodily graphic in its procedures and just as desperate in its storylines.

Keiko Kitagawa as Makoto Tsugano

Keiko Kitagawa stars as Makoto Tsugano, a bright and optimistic doctor training in the field of Internal Medicine when she is instructed by her superior (Ikko Furuya) to train under a colleague of his, Tojiro Mitsuzaki (Kyohei Shibata), a doctor known for his mastery of Autopsies. Makoto is puzzled by this sudden placement, but he tells her to think of it as a final training of sorts.

When she arrives, she meets Mitsuzaki who turns out to be a very gruff and cantankerous doctor who makes light of Makoto and tells her in no small words that he doesn’t need her. This takes Makoto aback and she wonders just WHY her Superior would tell her to come here. Mitsuzaki’s capable assistant Kashiyama (Mari Hamada) steps in and says they COULD use the help since they are shorthanded, and he relents, dropping the subject as they are on their way out.

While exploring the ramshackle Building housing Mitsuzaki’s Offices and Autopsy Room, she answers a call from a young girl at a Police Station pleading with her to come and do an autopsy on a woman for her.

Concerned for the girl’s safety, Makoto makes a beeline to the station, where she is met by the small girl and a Detective who is concerned about the case, Onoe Matsuya (Kazuya Kotegawa). He explains that the girls’ father is charged with hitting and killing a woman on a bicycle who rode into his car head-on, but the father insists he braked and didn’t hit her that hard, and thinks she may have been dying even before he struck her.

Only an Autopsy can determine such statements, but the police consider it an open and shut case, and the grieving dead woman’s parents refuse to permit it. Seems Matsuya is a bit of an outsider in the station and though he wants to investigate things more, the others want him to drop it.

Matsuya is revealed to be working on the side with Mitsuzaki trying to  get to the truth of the matter, and it’s here that Makoto finds out just how serious this Doctor Mitsuzaki is about  autopsies. He insists on performing one even if the Police department and Victim’s family are vehemently against it!

Makoto is a Pure hearted doctor. She believes in the healing power of medicine adn one of the main reasons she took the path she is on is so she can cure people like her friend Yuko (Megumi Sato) who is suffering from an illness.

One of the reasons she chose to intern at the hospital she is at is because it was the only one who recited the Hippocratic Oath at the beginning of its opening, the oath being the promise that you will uphold what is truthful and never betray the patients you are there to serve.

She believes in this strongly, and is torn apart inside when she sees the adamant and sometimes diabolical way Dr. Mitsuzaki and detective Matsuya work to get the ball rolling on things they need. But something in her heart knows they are ultimately striving for the truth, the truth that only the victim’s body can tell them.

MAN, this was SUCH a dark show to watch! With A Romance Drama from Emi Takei and Comedy Dramas from both Yui Aragaki and Satomi Ishihara, Hippocrates no Chikai is the lone serious drama on my J-drama watching list since I wrapped up the Haru crime drama ON.

And remember how I said the Ayase Haruka drama “Never Let me Go” seemed more like a movie than a TV show, well, Hippocratic Oath is just like that. Even the ending credits aren’t like a regular show, instead, it fades to black and just has a sombre credit scroll.

I do have one worry, and it’s that fact that Hippocrates No Chikai is so medically dense with its terminology, I’m worried that the subtitling team might give up on it if it becomes to hard, facing the same fate that equally Terminology-heavy drama FRAGILE did! Ah, but hopefully since  Hippocrates No Chikai is only 5 episodes, they can hang on!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com