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Korean BoA X Japanese BoA
Now I am here to talk about this two in one artist called Bo A Kwon. I don't really know much about her or any recent news because, to tell the truth, no one is here to appreciate her history of life but her music.
Main point of the article: I like the Korean songs better but I know I am almost alone in here but anyway, the article is mine, about my opinion... It is up to you to disagree or not and only that. Of course, I won't deliberately lie, but I am human and I can make mistakes. So, just for emphasis: this is an opinion.
Okay, now it is explicit, let's get it going.
BoA first released in Korea because she is Korean. But since the beginning she was made to success in all Asia and of course that includes Japan. So, she was trained to be a true Japanese girl.
One thing is for sure: the songs that are released in Korean, they almost never go to Japan later on. That affirmation wouldn't be true for beginning BoA, as she released Amazing Kiss, Id: Peace B and some others first in Korean (if I am not wrong). But the opposite always occur. I can't remember a single Japanese song by BoA (not her duos) that wasn't released in Korea.
So I won't talk about these versions a lot. I am not considering her X.5 albums.
Korean music has a different beat, they prefer ballads and cutish songs whereas Japanese prefer dance and r&b and upbeat things.
From BoA's second Japanese album (Valenti) on her producers seemed to notice it better and you can clearly see how BoA began to distinguish from her Korean songs.
Of course she still has some vestige from he origins. But I truly believe that is for selling purposes as being Korean now is a trend in Japan. You can clearly hear these vestiges in her new single Merry Chri.
In Korea she is still a Korean girl. She tries to keep a huge difference between her both versions even in her haircut. I began to notice that when she released Atlantis Princess album (the third one). Of course it existed before, and I'll talk about it in a minute. When I watched Milky Way video I was quite surprised by her new looks. She wore curled hair, bangs... And had a different hair color...
Anyway, in Japan she appeared as always in Double video - of course that hair color wasn't something she could chance from country to country) - and I began to notice more deeply those differences.
I decided to compare No. 1 album to Listen to my Heart and on and on... And then the videos. Until Atlantis Princess, BoA's looks were cutish, girlish, etc. If she didn't wear that long straight her, she wore it beautifully braided or tied behind... Atlantis Princess would be a kind of transition. For better effects, before I talk about My Name album, let me talk about Japan.
As I said, Valenti would come with a more Japanese flavor to it. If you don't know/remember, it was released in 2003, same year as Atlantis Princess. Just some months of difference. So, for comparison, let's use Valenti.
Of course, Valenti's singles are more mature that the ones from the former album. But it was a really slow change, nothing that caused an impact as far as I remember. In Valenti and in Kiseki, BoA was a cute pop dancer. In Jewel Song she was really mature in those winter clothes... But not really that they wanted to show her as a woman. It was just natural for the melody, scenario...
After those, we have Shine We Are. I am talking about it because it was released almost together with Atlantis Princess album, but I am aware that that was for Love and Honesty album.
It was kind of different, but not really... Yes, it was just different, not intentional.
After Atlantis Princess, they began releasing Korean versions for Jap singles. The videos and songs were all Japanese, so I am not analyzing them. But on the covers you can see quite different visuals. Take Rock with You... And also the 3.5 album cover... That was a kinda punk BoA wasn't it? The changes began. Then My Name video came.
A lot of people started talking about how hot the music flow was. Remember: we are talking about Korea, not USA. I don't really agree, I think those opinions were influenced by the declarations from SM Town that a new BoA would come with the new Album and as My Name has a different rhythm, they were just too excited.
Sexier and more mature photos of BoA appeared and the video... Not that it is a Lee Hyori's, which would be too much of a change. But, yeah, it is not really cutish it is more caliente... A better definition would be: it has more emotions to it. BoA's posing is more piercing and her interpretation is deeper.
That was the last Korean video I saw by her. My Prayer and Stay in Love are just some old videos and photos... But as the flow goes with her new photo shoots... I think that will keep it going.
While in Japan she released Quincy that is also a more mature song and video. But not really rhythm, it is just BoA.
I am not scared of the future. BoA is just trying to walk a path where she won't become a forty-year-old woman who wears school uniform. She is growing and it is not vulgarly.
While there is really a huge gap between both BoAs, and yeah, even the voice... they are still the same and I believe that each album and single and continue to walk straight ahead. I don't think the differences will grow with time. And it is good. For us, foreigner fans, we get to see her two sides and we can choose and get always a new thing... and, for them, well, Korean culture is different so it is normal their tastes to be also like that, they are trying to get money after all.
It is a win-win situation and while it is like, I am fine with it. If I like Korean BoA better is because my tastes are more for Korean things, hehehe. Well, choose yours and don't fear.
Anita, 2004.12.11
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