ODINA July 2010 Issue – Junsu Girls Award 2010 & TVXQ SPECIAL HISTORY 2004~2010

JunSu who began his solo activities, performed the grand finale at [Girls Award 2010]!
As a prelude to his solo activities, JunSu showed off his brand new look in the [Girls Award 2010]. On 22nd May, at the National Yoyogi Stadium No. 1 Gymnasium, Marie, Yona, Lena Fujii and other popular models, Natsuki Kato, IKKO, Akina Minami, Nozomi Sasaki, alongside singers Nishino Kana, Meisa Kuroki, Aoyama Teruma et cetera participated in this event (Sawajiri Erika’s debut stage performance was one of the most anticipated amongst the Japanese entertainment circle), and JunSu finally appeared at the end as XIAH junsu.

The moment his first solo track [Intoxication] played, the audience went into a frenzy and the cheerings went through the roof (it was 20 times more than what was imagined before). A lot of red-light sticks started to light up and move with the music, and it was as though all 12,000 people in the venue were JunSu’s fans.
In the intersection of the light beams, JunSu, who was in an all-black attire, focused on the sexy dance moves with his dancers. Suddenly, he removed his jacket, revealing his shiny vest and his arms, and started to dance together with a female dancer for his second track [Xiatic]. At that moment, the screamings in the venue became louder. To the fans, the six-hour wait to watch a provocative performance filled with such a mature charm was definitely worth something now!? The release of the single track on 26th May ranked second on the Oricon Chart, after AKB48.
TVXQ Special History 2004~2010
2004: TVXQ Finally Emerged! A Prelude To A Legendary Group.

Chorus, harmony, dance, these are some essentials an idol group must possess. To be an all-rounder and excel in it is no mean feat; and under such a situation whereby one needs to undertake “singing”, “rap” or “dance”, it is understandable if the members were to develop a specialization in a certain aspect. However, TVXQ is different – the group was formed with five members who could each stand on his own to take the lead in a song.
TVXQ made their glamorous debut in 14 January 2004 with their solo track [Hug]. In Korea then, where the craze for idol groups was dying off, even a debut was an arduous struggle before they could start to bear fruits of success, but [Hug] actually came out top in music programmes several times, and the name (TVXQ) quickly rose in popularity and fame. Just like the significance of their name, that period was really one where the gods of the East began rising.
Thereafter, in October that same year, TVXQ, who had became a popular group in a blink of an eye, released their first album [TRI-ANGLE], which sold around 100,000 copies. They won the award for best newcomer in a song festival held at the end of the year, and they were officially in the rankings of top stars in Korea. During this period, they held a Japan memorial press conference at the Narita Airport on 23rd November, and officially began preparations for their debut in Japan.
2005: The Hardships They Suffered As J-Pop Newcomers In Japan

Nearly a year after their debut, they were already top stars in Korea. Riding on the major success of Korean drama [Winter Sonata], there was a huge possibility for them to debut and gain popularity quickly in Japan, where people were into the Korean craze. But they decided not to take the short-cuts. In order to gain proper recognition such that their popularity would be able to enjoy longevity, at the peak of their popularity back in Korea, they decided to take the route to start out as J-Pop newcomers. The five of them officially focused their activities towards Japan, and began living together in Tokyo.
After a period of learning Japanese and practicing the different intonations, on 27th April 2005, they released their first solo track [Stay With Me Tonight] in Japanese. However, they did not enjoy the same success they had back in Korea when they had first debuted. In Korea where they were able to attract 50,000 fans for a live performance, they only had 50 in Japan. The people around them were not surprised when they walked around the streets…stunned by the humiliation they received in their popularity and fame, they even developed thoughts of wanting to give up on their activities in Japan. However, they did not stay disheartened. In order to be recognized by Japan, the first step they took was to work hard to learn Japanese so that they could have a better understanding of the lyrics and interact more fluently.
2006: Their First Live Tour – Their Persistent Efforts Finally Began To Bear Fruits

Their first Japanese album [Heart, Mind and Soul] was released on 23 March 2006. They slowly began to gain recognition and fame as their consistent and practical hard work began to show in their ongoing activities. As the good relationships amongst the five TVXQ members, their cute albeit rigid Japanese, and their individual personalities started to be expressed slowly, the number and variety of fans that they had naturally began to grow and increase.
During this time, from 13th May till 28th June, they held their first Japan tour [1st Live Tour 2006~ Heart, Mind and Soul~]. This was the mini-concert which they held at a jazz concert hall, and the tickets were all sold out. Since their first arrival in Japan, it was probably during this tour that the members finally felt that their dreams were slowly becoming reality. During summer, they participated in a music festival called [a-nation], which is owned by a major record label for the first time. There were probably many music fans who were affected by their passionate and enthusiastic performance then. In addition, that was also the year where they held a lot of live events; there was [The 1st Live Concert Rising Sun] in Korea in February and their first tour [Rising Sun 1st Asia Tour], which began in July in Malaysia and Thailand.
2007: The Moment Their Performance At Nippon Budōkan Marked The Reality of Their Peak

While TVXQ carried out activities mainly in Japan, they also maintained constant activities in Korea. They released their second album [Rising Sun] in 2005, and another mini-album in that same period. Carried out concurrently with their three tours, which had completely different settings and performances from each other, as young as they were, it is hard to imagine the fatigue that they had to put up with with such a densely packed and demanding schedule. As such, in a live dance class, an argument broke out amongst the members (this is probably what formed the plot of Vacation).
Under such circumstances, they still released seven singles and their second album [Five In The Black] in Japan in 2007. The month of May marked the beginning of their tour [2nd Live Tour 2007 – Five In The Black], and 22,000 people attended the two additional performances in Nippon Budōkan. The total attendance for the tour was 77,000, and the overwhelming response greatly surpassed their first tour. Henceforth, the release of their solo track finally appeared on the Oricon Charts for the first time. The rise of TVXQ in Japan was just around the corner.
2008: Making History As The Strongest Asia Star By Topping Oricon Charts

The good news suddenly came in 2008. The 16th solo track [Purple Line], which was released in January, realized the vision of the five members by topping the Oricon Weekly Chart. Through this opportunity, the degree of attention by the media towards TVXQ surged. After [Purple Line], [Beautiful You], [Why Did I Fall In Love With You], [Mirotic] achieved top spots in the charts consecutively, and when they began their tour [3rd Live Tour 2008 – T -] in March, it was hard to obtain a ticket even if you had joined the fanclub.
Opportunities to appear on prime-time variety shows also increased, and with their unpretentious and charming individual personalities, TVXQ’s popularity went up another level They finally appeared on Kōhaku Uta Gassen towards the end of the year, and achieved their goal of “gaining recognition in Japan based on their strengths alone”.

Along with their huge success in Japan, they returned to Korea after a two-year hiatus to release their long-awaited fourth album [Mirotic]. Due to their long absence in their activities in Korea, the five of them suffered a lot of unease and pressure but eventually sold 460,000 copies of [Mirotic]. In that year, TVXQ swept all the major music awards in Korea, especially in the unforgettable [2008MKMF]. Changmin, who is rarely seen crying, broke down uncontrollably in front of everyone. To be able to achieve success in Asia, including Korea and Japan, was definitely something extraordinary.

2009: In The Twinkling Of An Eye, The Taste And Joy Of Success …Facing The Crisis Of A Disbandment

The fast progression of TVQX did not lose momentum even in 2009 as the release of their fourth Japanese album [The Secret Code] in March achieved one of the best sales record in the history of TVXQ thus far, and was certified Platinum in Japan’s Oricon Weekly Chart. They began the [4th Live Tour 2009~ The Secret Code] in May, and during the tour, they officially announced that they will be holding additional concerts in the Tokyo Dome, achieving yet another of the goals that the five members have set.
After the tour, JeJung and YuChun released a self-composed duet under the name of “JeJung & YuChun (from THSK)”. YunHo and ChangMin were also confirmed as leads in their respective television dramas, and each member became more and more active in their solo activities. The breaking news of their possible disbandment lay in wait.
On 31st July 2009, the three members, JeJung, YuChun and JunSu submitted an injunction request to the Seoul Central District Court regarding South Korean company SM’s exclusive contracts. After this, the relationship between the trio and SM took a turn for the worst. In October, the court judge gave a verdict on the contents of the exclusive contract to be invalid, and that the three members were free to commence their own activities outside of SM’s management until the conclusion of the lawsuit. The activities of the five members in Korea became impossible. However, they continued their activities in Japan, appearing in the scheduled participation of August’s [a-nation ‘09] and [Jingu-Gaien Hanabi]. Attending the year end [Kōhaku Uta Gassen] as a start, they participated many times in the Japanese Music Festival and painfully bade goodbye to the old while welcoming in the new.

2010: TVXQ’s Activities Stopped, But The Hearts Of The Five Have Yet To Be Separated

Their 29th solo track [Break Out] was released on 27th January 2010, and achieved first place in both the Oricon Weekly and Monthly Charts. They also broke the sales record set by foreign artistes by selling a total of 256,000 copies. However, the crisis of a possible disbandment remained unchanged. On 3rd April, AVEX released an official statement to cease the activities of the five members as THSK, and Japan was no longer able to see the five members promoting activities together.
During this period, the trio, JeJung, YuChun and JunSu accepted the verdict met out on October 2010 and began their own activities. JunSu performed in a musical [Mozart!] in January while JeJung starred in a Japan drama [Sunao Ni Narenakute], which is currently on broadcast. YuChun starred in a mobile television drama [Beautiful Love~ Kimi Ga Ireba ~], which began broadcast on 4th June, and at the same time, confirmed his role in Korean drama [SungKyunKwan Scandal]. The trio then formed [JYJ], and held performances in June at Osaka and Tokyo Dome. YunHo and ChangMin, who stayed on with SM also actively began their own solo activities.
On 9th May, SM appealed against the verdict on the trio’s request, but there was no progression on both sides. The residing court judge advised that “if the contract contents are changed, there is a possibility for the five members to be active again”, but how future developments will turn out is still worrying. We hope to be able to see once again, the five of them on the same stage, cheerful and in harmony.
Source: ODINA + baiduTVXQ
Translation: kimuchi3005 @ OneTVXQ.com
Credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }