Musing While Cruising the Hallyu Highway
I knew our patience would be rewarded. On the eve of his 60th day of service, our beloved main vocal updated his Instagram account. What is so nice about public service is the tiny bit of leniency enlistees get when it comes to using their SNS accounts. True, Donghun can’t be posting those multiple selcas on the various A.C.E SNS accounts, but his personal one is where he can quietly stay in touch. On November 20, he updated with a series of pictures which included ones of himself.
I have a simple mission with the DH One Shots and that is to quickly with great economy offer a variety of Donghun looks, attitudes, moods, styles and fashion. He hit all five of those nouns gloriously during the HJZM:The Butterfly Phantasy era. And with lethal acuity I might add. So for this Day 59 One Shot gif, one of my absolute favorite look, attitude, mood, style and fashion.
Back on Day 9 I was all swoony, hearts-in-eyes over producer Donghun and his self-composed track, Story from the Siren:Dawn EP. I am revisiting the swoon today to share more about the story behind Story. On July 4, 2021, Donghun fired up A.C.E’s VLive channel to chat with fans. During that broadcast, he talked about about Story.
Competition shows are not my favorite subject to write about but seeing how the focal point of this countdown has participated in two, I would be remiss to ignore these important moments of Donghun’s artistic journey. I have already introduced Donghun’s pre-debut participation in Superstar K5 where he may not have taken home the winning trophy, but did become a trainee which of course led to his ultimate and inevitable debut. But what of competing after debut? What purpose could this serve and why be subjected to more intense scrutiny, evaluation and criticism, especially by YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk?😬 Well, I actually do understand; so I am adding another little sub-series within the countdown I am going to call In The Mix which will take us back to Donghun’s time on the JTBC survival reality show, Mix Nine.
A.C.E busking in the streets of Yeouido covering Adele? I’d say that is a good way to usher in this 55th day of Donghun’s military service. And, another great way to hear Donghun flex his vocal chops. A.C.E debuted on May 23, 2017 and have remained on the busking circuit since. On September 15, 2017 they were in Yeouido, performing, singing and doing what they do best, connecting with fans.
I would totally be on board if Donghun and Sonnet teamed up for a full length album. That is how much I love the way they sound together. Their duet work on the YOLO-OAH live broadcast simply whets the appetite. Back on Day 13, I shared their cover of Shallow, and I am so pleased they collaborated on more than one song for the broadcast and get to share another beautiful cover. This time Alex & Sierra’s Little Do You Know.
Ok, I will agree that Donghun in white is quite angelic. And this look is just on point. The beret, the jewels, the overall style, everything. He is just working this fit gloriously. This is how he showed up to an A.C.E fan sign on November 15, 2019. In fact, everyone in the group was a vision in white. If you are not familiar with A.C.E’s Slow Dive, then perhaps a nice introduction will be this focused Donghun cam from the fan sign.
Back in May 2020, XSports News in Korea ran a fantastic article about A.C.E after they attended and performed at the after party following the 2020 Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. It was an in depth look at the group accompanied by a thoughtful interview along with a gorgeous photoshoot. It is from this shoot that I share a serene capture for this DH One Shot post.
Is it really Day 50?! Well, I am sure there are many Choice out there who might think . . . is it only Day 50?! Either way one thing is certain, time continues to move and Donghun has completed 50 days, so I am going to continue to glass half full this as we make our way to discharge! Today, on this 50th day, the second installment of The ABC’s of Donghun. The letter B can take me in many directions but I am choosing Blue as that is Donghun’s signature and representative color as a member of A.C.E.
It has been quite interesting watching our favorite idols navigate these strange days of having to connect with fans remotely. Online concerts where audiences were broadcast on jumbotron-like screens that served as a backdrop to the empty studio and/or venue stages, their only interaction coming via a live chatroom the hosting platform provided to both artists and fans. Sure, they adjusted. We adjusted. Uploading pictures on various sns accounts available seemed to ramp up and so did live broadcasts. It’s true our favorite artists had to work extra special hard to stay in touch. A.C.E, who have always worked hard to maintain a steady connection with their Choice, are by far perhaps one of the most entertaining while doing so. Take for example, a quiet night of sharing a dessert that turned into an arm wrestling match between Donghun, Jun and Chan.
The Fangirl Lane 