Unboxing #8 - Ga-In's Talk About S.

Well, hey, I survived finals...*flops*

Just barely.

I slept for 14 hours when I came home.  Blissful oblivion!


Anyway, here is Ga-In's Talk About S., released October 5th, 2012.  The tracklist for the mini-album is as follows:

1. 팅커벨, (Tinkerbell)
2. 그녀를 만나, (Tiredness)
3. 피어나, (Bloom)  --> Official music video linked
4. 시선, (The Gaze)
5. Catch me if you can

Now for the visuals:

Ordered from a different Kpop seller this time around, so different outer packaging.  It's so cute!

A hint of the album cover...

Ga-In looking gorgeous, as per usual.  The title of the album is glossy, just so you know.

I have words to say about the CD packaging...

Side view

This packaging...;~;

Folds open like so.

A closer look at the left panel.

That's hot.

Right flap folds open once more to reveal the CD and album booklet cover!

I really like the dark colors for the album's innards.  Heh.  I mean to say, the album's contents.

The front cover to the album booklet.  Held in place due to the fact that the last page is glued to the flap.

Album tracklist

Alrighty, so where to begin...

First off, I prefer the packaging of step 2/4 to Talk About S.  The case came in a sturdy, solid cardboard-y material.  You pretty much had to drop it or purposefully bend it with your hands to dent it.  Talk About S. is...not sturdy.  Not by ANY means.  It's basically made of cardstock.  This is why the thing looks flattened in the above pictures.  It's because it is.  The case is impractical for selling in music stores let alone shipping it halfway across the world.  Even with all that bubble wrap.  The pictures are hot and tasteful, but I'd prefer hot and tasteful AND NOT SQUISHED, but hey, that's just me.  I am also not a huge fan of adhering album booklets to the cases...

As for the music itself, I think I liked step 2/4 better.  That doesn't mean Talk About S. is terrible or anything like that.  I just liked her first mini-album better.  I have a friend who prefers this one over her first.  *shrugs*  Chalk it up to personal preference.

...And LOEN Entertainment, I'm still waiting on that Tinkerbell music video.  It deserves so much more than this one teaser.

Coming next: Miryo's MIRYO aka JOHONEY!

Unboxing #4 - Ga-In's step 2/4

Hello, and happy Sunday! (Or it was when I started this post...)

Oops.  I meant for this post to be out a little sooner than now, but eh.  Good enough.  Today, as I stated in an earlier post, I will be doing a photo unveiling of Ga-In's first solo album, step 2/4!  An impressive solo debut, Ga-In takes a tango-esque approach to her six track mini-album.  Along with the CD, step 2/4 also includes the music video of her title track, "돌이킬 수 없는, (Irreversible)".  I love how different this collection of songs sounds in comparison to what's popular in Korean music now.

The album wasn't packaged in the most careful of ways when the seller shipped it, so you may notice that my album has a few funky corners.  Breaks my heart, that it does. D:  But at least everything else is okay.

The flimsy packaging.  Boo.

Am I the only one who keeps those little stickers they have on shrinkwrapped items?

The lovely cover!  The cover is matte and the title and her name are in glossy print.

The back cover and track list.  Track list for the DVD not written.

Side view.  I like how the album is a cream color.

The contents!

Closer look at the discs.  The brown one with "Hate" written on it is the DVD.  The cream one with "Love" written on it is the music CD.

The photo booklet is attached the to front cover.  Photos contain still shots of the music video with the song lyrics.

I loved the passionate/sensual concept for this album, especially since Ga-In pulls it off so well!  She's also a pretty decent actress, if her 11 minute music video is anything to go by.  The music video is incredibly long, but it didn't drag and was well executed.  Won't spoil it; you'll have to watch it to get the full effect.  Also included in the DVD is a making of the video, outtakes, uncut scenes, and such.  All in all, I think it totals to about 50 minutes worth of footage.  Pretty incredible.  The music video uses "Irreversible" (obviously) and her sixth track, "진실, (Truth)" as the themes.  What's interesting is that the instrumentals of "Truth" are almost exactly like "Irreversible".  It's kind of eerie how two songs with similar arrangements and all that could produce two songs that are so different.  The songs are sort of like twins.  Very similar, but each their own individual entity.  Hm.  Anyways, I think the only thing I'm not a fan of is the packaging of the album.  And I don't mean the shipping packaging.  The foamy bits that hold the discs in place are quite tall, so it's difficult to take out the discs without bending them. D:  Also, I wish the photo booklet wasn't attached to the cover.  The booklet pages are wonderfully high quality: large, thick paper and fantastically chosen still shots of the music video.  However, because the pages are so large and thick, (please, no yo' mama jokes, thanks) they are quite heavy.  The adhesive holding the booklet to the front cover is already coming off.  Also, the pages are hard to flip through, attached the way it is, especially if you want to keep the booklet nice and crisp.  Would have made it easier to look through if the booklet could be taken out, but it's all good.  Anyways, purchase step 2/4 quickly if you can!  It's getting harder and harder to find it at a reasonable price.  As I've mentioned before in a previous post, I bought my at Amazon.com, but you are able to purchase it at other online retailers such as KpopHeaven, etc.  So don't be shy! ~_^

As I've said before, I think the next unboxing post I'll be doing is Alexz Johnson's Skipping Stone, which should be arriving shortly.  Also, her second digital album, The Basement Recordings II, is coming out on the 30th of April, so if you can, please support her and her music!

And now, I'm going to get dinner to appease my stomach (read: THE BEAST).

Follow Up

Anywho, to follow up from the previous post...

After the seller reached out to me about the damaged album, they told me they could deliver either Miryo's album or Brown Eyed Girl's second album in place of Ga-In's album.  Before choosing, I made sure to inquire about the condition of their second album.  I was surprised to learn that they had a new copy on hand.  That album has been out of print for a while.  Precisely the reason why I chose to order this album over Miryo's.  But hopefully I'll be the owner of Miryo's album one not-so-far-away day.

Hopefully my package will come soon!  I can't wait! *cue high-pitched squeak*

Also!  Alexz Johnson, whom I've mentioned a few times in this blog, has added tour dates on her website!  Please check her/it out if you can!  She's a fantastic artist.  Can't say that enough.  I think that's quite clear to anyone who's listened to her discography.  And for anyone who's backed her project, the response survey for the rewards is out!  Definitely looking forward to receiving her newest AUTOGRAPHED EP.  *¬*

AND.  AND.  I PASSED MY GENETICS CLASS.  WHOOHOO!!! \o/  I feel like I should go out and buy Ga-In's album to celebrate!  I think that's all I ever spend my money on.  Just music and books.  Worth it, I say. :D

Aish...

Aish, how disappointing.  I heard back from the seller and s/he (they?) told me that Ga-In's album was damaged when moving it from the stock room.  Poo.  I'll see how this pans out.

Anywho, two of my three grades have come out.  Happy with one, sort of resigned acceptance at the other.  All that's left to wait for now is the class that I'm SUPER worried about.  Haven't been able to sleep properly because of it.

Have to report in for jury duty tomorrow.  Hm.

A Mash of Things

Just finished my last final on Thursday!  I hope for the best...

Anywho, to sort of celebrate end of finals, I went and bought Narsha's and Ga-In's solo albums...plus, I recently received a gift card that sort of pushed me into buying them.  Yay for gift cards!  So another unboxing post soon to come~!  Always oodles of fun.

Spring break...anticipating a day with the girls, but I've got jury duty for the week, so we'll see how it goes...


I've never been, but I've heard it was EXTREMELY boring.

In other news, I've become a backer for Alexz Johnson's Kickstarter project!  She's absolutely fantastic, so if you guys so choose, you can help her along her way for her first tour in America (and possibly other countries).  Check it out!