Shinhwa
Shinhwa Changjo – 2012 Shinhwa concert 'The Return'
Shinhwa fans.We all know at least one.But, compared to the fans
of other idol groups, there is something very special about them.
It’s hard to put your finger on it exactly.Is it that they are shy
about admitting their bias at first?Or that they have been dedicated
fans for over a decade?Maybe it’s the unique ways they show their love?
Admittedly, I had never really thought much about Shinhwa until this
year with their 15th anniversary.I admire that the group has had
continued success after so many years.I like that when you look at how
Shinhwa has changed over the years, it fits with the times.They may have
been around longer than any other K-Pop group, but they are still just
as relevant as when they first debuted.
But maybe what I like the most about Shinhwa are those special fans of theirs.
Go to a Shinhwa concert (if you’re lucky enough to get tickets, that
is) and you will see a very diverse crowd.Old and new fans of all ages,
shapes, and sizes – and all with one very important thing in common: the
idea that Shinhwa has always been, and will always be, the best.
I didn’t think I knew any Shinhwa fans until I was working on a piece
about the 15th anniversary concert in Seoul this past spring.
I was taking a break and skimming through Facebook when I saw a post
from a close friend of mine – she was smiling ear-to-ear and holding a
bright orange Shinhwa sign.I instantly messaged her.
This is the point in our more than three-year-long friendship when
she revealed that she is, in fact, a die-hard Shinhwa Changjo and has
been since she was very young.
“When I was in middle school, I saw Shinhwa for the first time.I was
so impressed by the fans that I wanted to join them,” she explained.”And
the Shinhwa members have so much charisma!Even now, they still continue
to make an effort.”
The same thing happened with my roommate.Knowing full well what my
job is, she didn’t tell me about her almost life-long obsession with
Shinhwa until two weeks before she moved out.
The next day, she even told me that when she confessed to some other
Shinhwa Changjo that she had revealed her bias to me, they scolded her
saying that I “wouldn’t understand.”
And this got me thinking, why are Shinhwa fans so shy about their love?
“Shinhwa and the fans believe we have a special relationship,” explained my friend.”It’s a matter of respect.”
I get that.This is probably why you don’t see girls walking around decked out in orange with ‘Shinhwa’ tattooed on their faces.
But it doesn’t mean they don’t have their own ways of infiltrating the minds of non-fans with their bias.
Recently, those clever Korean netizens have been hard at work sifting
through K-drama episodes to find evidence that the writers are closeted
Shinhwa Changjo.
Two specific television shows come to mind, 2009′s
Boys Over Flowers and the currently airing
I Hear Your Voice.
The
Boys Over Flowers writer was a bit obvious with her fan
status.The character’s attended Shinhwa High School, Goo Junpyo’s
family’s company was named Shinhwa Group and had an orange company logo.
While those examples are blatant, there are countless other hidden
clues that only Changjo would recognize – including certain phrases,
names, and locations.
The writer for
I Hear Your Voice may have tried to hide her
fan status at first, but things are now getting a little excessive.She
appears to have a really strong affection not just for Shinhwa, but for
member Shin Hye Sung especially.
Like the
Boys Over Flowers writer, naming characters or
places carefully is one way to interject with fan bias.The female lead
is Hye Sung and her mother’s restaurant is called Hye Sung Chicken.The
twins’ names resemble the singer’s given name as well.
Some clues, like names, are very obvious, while others only Shinhwa fans would understand.
The careful use of numbers – Min Jun Guk’s criminal ID number is the
same as Shin Hye Sung’s birthday – or the main character’s affinity for a
certain food – she pours sesame oil all over each meal – are more
examples.
Even written clues abound in
I Hear Your Voice – newspaper headlines including ‘Shinhwa,’ or on-screen text messages that include members’ nicknames.
The scripts themselves are even orange!
Whether they hide their participation in the fandom or sneak it in to
their work somehow, Shinhwa fans really do have a unique way of showing
the love – making them some of the most impressive fans on earth.
Don’t believe me?Here is how my former roommate described her passion
for Korea’s longest-running boy band:”I feel like they are my family
and life.I can’t explain my life except them.”
(ed’s note: Is there another fandom like this one? FTISLAND’s Primadonna perhaps?)
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