Special Charms Of The Teams Heading Into The Finals Of "Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival"
"Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival" is heading into the finals, where everything is on the line. We briefly go over some of the charms from the remaining 3 groups and why you should vote for them!
Dyllan Mykel, Kpopmap Editor 2 min to read ·
Published : Mar 28, 2024
Mnet
After a long, arduous road, Mnet's "Build Up: Vocal Boy Group Survival" ("Build Up") is set to head into its final round to determine the winner. With the one teams set, fans are fervently sending in their votes to ensure their favorite group gets a chance at debut.
Coming up to this point, they've shown tremendous growth, as both a group and individuals. It's difficult to pick just one, but in honor of competition, it's an unavoidable act that must be carried out.
Now, while some are set on their one pick, many others are still wondering who they should wholeheartedly support. If this sounds familiar, look down below to figure out which "Build Up" team you should vote for.
WATERFIRE
WATERFIRE's entire vibe is probably the closest to representing the season we're in: spring. Behind their refreshing, innocent visuals, their voices manage to carry you through wave after wave of heartache and relief. From UP10TION's SunYoul as a walking example of pure innocence, Kang HaYoon's reversal of charms that will shock the world, Wumuti's cotton candy-like personality, and Choi SuHwan's allrounder qualities, WATERFIRE could be the next OST kings if they make it past the finish line.
HunMinJayBit
The moment this team was formed, audiences were thinking this could be a winning combination. While not always a smooth ride, their alluring voices carried them through every hardship, earning praise from judges and fellow contestants. There's ONE PACT Jay Chang's groovy soul, CIX SeungHun's unrelenting vocal prowess, Kim MinSeo's moments of sheer surprise, and M.O.N.T Bitsaeon's leadership capabilities that create a perfect harmony of individuals that fans can't help but root for.
The Partners
Every member of The Partners has made a resounding statement across various performances. Some was met with the sweet taste of victory, while other times they were met with the bitterness of defeat. Park JeUp's survival show experience, A.C.E Lee DongHun's amazing high notes, JUST B Bain's alluringly sexy voice, and AB6IX Jeon Woong's unrelenting desire to prove himself has all led to this moment. The Partners stand just outside the door to victory, hoping their efforts have reached enough people to push them to the next level.
Who do you hope will win survival program "Build Up"?
At The Halfway Point Of "Love Is Like A Cat" - An Analysis Of Expectations And Positive Netizen Sentiment
Now that we're at the halfway point for "Love Is Like A Cat" let's do a mid-series check and look at expectations and current netizen sentiment.
Dyllan Mykel, Kpopmap Editor 5 min to read ·
Published : Apr 17, 2024
Heavenly
The BL scene in 2024 started off with an absolute hit of a series, "Love For Love's Sake". Outside of this, however, it's been a slow start for Korean BL lovers. But it seems fans' patience have finally been rewarded, as the start of April signaled a rush of BL series. This includes titles like "Gray Shelter" and soon-to-be-premiered "Boys Be Brave". But the very first drama to kick off April's Korean BL extravaganza was "Love Is Like A Cat".
Coming as a joint venture between Korea and Thailand production companies, the BL series features Mew Suppasit, JUST B's GeonU and JM and Kim KyoungSeok. Split up into 12 episodes, "Love Is Like A Cat" follows renowned Thai star, Piuno (Mew Suppasit) and his meeting with a dog daycare director, Lee DaeByeol (JM). Piuno starts off cold and distant, but eventually something special blossoms between Lee DaeByeol that changes the two for the better.
"Love Is Like A Cat" is a comforting BL series that will pluck on your heartstrings, making it easy to become completely vulnerable and soft. It has officially reached its halfway point, transforming into the highlight of many people's week. With six episodes left, it seems like the perfect time to do a mid-series evaluation and see if the highly anticipated BL series is living up to expectations.
Pre-Release Expectations
Mew Suppasit's Instagram
News of the BL series first broke out in 2022. At this time, both JM and GeonU were still considered rookies and Mew Suppasit already had an established career as an actor. While their casting came as a surprise, netizens still voiced their excitement for the upcoming BL series. They took to social media sites, forums like Reddit, and various comment sections to express their thoughts on the announcement.
Reddit Comments Screenshot
Afterwards, however, "Love Is Like A Cat" would stay in post-production for a while. They would take this time to polish up the various scenes and edit it in a way that the staff, cast, and fans could be proud of. While there were some wonderings on when exactly the BL series would release, production company, Hanyang Studio, kept fans fed through the reveal of an official trailer. Uploaded onto their official YouTube channel, the short glimpse of the BL made audiences' hearts race and expectations continued to grow higher than before.
YouTube Comments Screenshot
Despite having to wait a few more months, fans were extremely patient, confident that "Love Is Like A Cat" would premiere sooner rather than later. With a glimpse of the two main couple's fantastic chemistry and Mew Suppasit's talent in acting and experience in BL, netizen sentiment towards the BL series was quite positive and would continue to remain this way for weeks to come.
Official Announcement And Premiere
Hanyang Studio
At the beginning of this year in 2024, Hanyang Studio released new promotional posters for the drama, raising excitement even further. Seeing this, we at Kpopmap saw it as a sign that "Love Is Like A Cat" would finally be making its highly anticipated premiere, prompting us to put together an article on why fans should get excited for the BL series. The tweet of the article itself brought in a total of 676 likes, 862 retweets, and 20 replies, representing the arduous support from fans across the globe.
And once the official release date was announced for April 1st, support couldn't stop flowing in. The drama was set to be made available through Rakuten Viki, Heavenly, and GagaOOLala, leaving audiences with a variety of different streaming options to choose from. To many, it seemed like a dream come true to have something tangible and set in stone. And as the Korean BL scene had yet to go into full swing, it was something to look forward to for the entire community.
Current Netizen Response
Kpopmap
The moment the first episodes started to roll, viewers quickly began sharing their thoughts on the drama. According to Google Trends, interest in "Love Is Like A Cat" over time remained afloat throughout the year, despite nothing official being announced or shared with the public. Then, in the week of March 31st to April 6th, interest reached a record high for the BL drama. This makes complete sense due to the fact that netizens were patiently waiting for its release. And while it had a small dip, there were many people still showing "Love Is Like A Cat" immense love and interest. This is important to note as despite only being released two years after its filming, the BL community has still chosen to avidly follow the series, excited to see how the story unfolds.
Kpopmap
Currently, as of April 17th at 1:30PM KST, netizens continue to show a positive reaction towards the BL drama. This warm response only seems to grow as the drama moves forward, increasing week by week. As it stands, 96.4% of netizens look upon "Love Is Like A Cat" favorably and hope to stay with the series until the very end.
Kpopmap
In correspondence to this, the more the BL series is mentioned, the bigger and wider its reach has become. With a reach of over 2 million, it's no wonder why so many individuals have been raving about the web series. As clips of the drama circulate throughout social media, more people gradually come to know the beauty of "Love Is Like A Cat" and the heartwarming story it tells. The BL community is understandably hooked, and while there are some criticisms, the chemistry and plot convince its viewers to remain.
The Verdict
There was an enormous amount of hype coming into the series, mainly in part due to Mew Suppasit's fame and experience as an actor. However, looking across at his acting partner, JUST B's JM, along with GeonU and Kim KyoungSeok rounding out the cast, despite the episodes' short runtime of 15 minutes, netizens are more than happy with the way its turned out. At its halfway mark, "Love Is Like A Cat" is doing a good job, and while it does have areas where it falls short, audiences remain hopeful that these faults will be rectified by the drama's end.
The verdict: "Love Is Like A Cat" should absolutely be on your watchlist, whether you follow along as the episodes are released, or decide to binge it all at once the moment it's done. The fact remains that you definitely should not miss out on this wonderful gem of a series.
We're excited to see how the rest of "Love Is Like A Cat" plays out. What are your thoughts on the BL series?
100+ K-Pop Boyfriend Quizzes To Help You Find Out Your Fate With Your Bias
Check out Kpopmap's library of K-Pop boyfriend quizzes and get playing!
Kay Sesoko, Kpopmap Editor 3 min to read ·
Published : Nov 10, 2023
· Updated : Apr 15, 2024
ZEROBASEONE Official / Stray Kids Official
Every K-Pop fan chooses a bias, yet every K-Pop fan knows that sometimes having a particular bias is not a choice. Sometimes your bias chooses you. There's just a special charm that they have that grabs a hold of you.
It is always fun to imagine how compatible you and your bias are, or if your biaswrecker is going to come in and steal their spotlight.
At Kpopmap, we have an extensive library of K-Pop boyfriend quizzes where you can test the power of fate when it comes to you and your bias/biaswrecker. You can see if you'll choose your bias or if a biaswrecker will choose you.
Here is a list of all of the boyfriend quizzes on the Kpopmap website. We have a number of other quizzes on the site too, so make sure to check them out here!
If you are interested in girl group quizzes, check them out in this article, too.
Top 4 Korean Web Dramas To Have On Your Watchlist This April 2024
Find out the Korean web dramas you should be watching this April 2024. Which one will you add to your watchlist?
Kay Sesoko, Kpopmap Editor 3 min to read ·
Published : Mar 28, 2024
· Updated : Apr 5, 2024
Heavenly / Hanyang Studio
Is your drama watchlist ready for April? If not, don't worry. We are here to help you make your selection for the new month.
Make sure to check out our K-Drama recommendations list, as well. Let's have a look at the web dramas streaming this month.
Here is a selection of 4 web dramas streaming in April not to forget to watch. (This list only includes web dramas).
Note: Web dramas starting on the final days of March have been included as they will air throughout April.
1. "Please Teach Me"
TopReels
When: From March 29
Cast: Lee SangMin, Park HyeongSeop
Genre: BL, Romance
Summary: The lovely story of DoYoon, an ace acting student, and SiWoo, a famous idol actor, who cross paths in an acting workshop class.
Why look forward to it?: This drama stands out from other BLs because it takes on a unique format. The drama will be made up of multiple episodes in vertical format (in the format of reels) and thus be that much more accessible to K-BL fans as they can watch the drama more easily on their phones. On top of the unique format, fans are also looking forward to seeing Park HyeongSeop on screen again after the success of "Jun & Jun" and Lee SangMin after his last drama "Why R U?", too.
2. "Love Is Like A Cat"
Hanyang Studio
When: From April 1
Cast: Mew Suppasit, JUST B's GeonU, JUST B's JM, Kim KyoungSeok
Genre: BL, Romance, Comedy
Summary: "Love Is Like A Cat" is a Thai-Korean romance between P'Uno, who has trauma because of dogs and is now scared of animals, and Lee DaeByeol, who is working as the director of a dog kindergarten and his employee JiMin.
Why look forward to it?: Not only are BL fans looking forward to the crossover between K-BL and Thai BL, especially with this star-studded cast, but fans have been raving about how unique the storyline is, too. Many are ready to get their cheeks hurting from laughing and smiling too hard whilst watching this comedy.
3. "Gray Shelter"
Heavenly
When: From April 11
Cast: Lee JaeBin, Jang WooYoung
Genre: BL, Romance
Summary: Cha SooHyuk is focused only on his survival, without any grand goal. He reunites with Lee YoonDae, who he was very close with. YoonDae was living with his girlfriend but now has nowhere to go. They end up living together.
Why look forward to it?: Many are looking forward to seeing Lee JaeBin on screen again after his successful acting in "Choco Milk Shake". The behind-the-scenes stills of the drama have also shown a lot of chemistry between the characters even ahead of the drama's release, raising anticipation.
4. "Boys Be Brave"
PAGE ONE FILM
When: From April 25
Cast: Kim SungHyen, Nam SiAn, Jung YeoJun, Ahn SeMin
Genre: BL, Romance, Youth
Summary: JinWoo, is a young man who finds himself living with his crush, KiSub, who entered his home uninvited and crashed on his couch for a little too long. The narrative also explores the relationship between Sunny and InHo, who hold onto a secret from their high school days.
Why look forward to it?: Not only is the cast of this BL drama being praised for their all-around handsome visuals and visual chemistry, but the drama is being highly anticipated by fans of the webtoon it is based on. Not to mention that the director, Lim HyunHee, is also the director of the hit K-BL drama "Our Dating Sim" which guarantees the entertainment factor of this drama.
Which web drama will you be adding to your Korean web drama watchlist for April?
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