I have been watching Dream High 2.
Jiyeon is starring in Dream High 2 that's why I watched. I didn't even follow Dream High 1 though Eunjung acted in it.
The fact that I'm talking about Dream High 2 is not because I am fan girling.
It's because I wonder about what goes on the minds of people.
In Dream High 2, Jiyeon's character, Rian, is an idol from a trio female group called HERSHE. She's popular because of her ravishing looks and is the undeniable flower of the group. However in terms of singing she doesn't pass the mark. On the other hand, the other two members of HERSHE, Ailee
(2012 debut singer Ailee) and Nana
(Hyorin from Sistar) are the ones with the better vocals. In the show, in order to portray her popularity, fan boys stash her gifts in school and Rian herself claims that majority of HERSHE's fans are hers. She is really interested in acting and she wants to try many things, even learning how to play the piano and taekwando so that she can land herself an acting role. But her acting skills are so bad that the entertainment company pulls her out from filming. She herself is aware of her weakness and she is worried of her future also due to the complication of family issues.
It just makes me wonder really, how and why did the director? choose Jiyeon to act as Rian. I am a T-ara fan, and I am Jiyeon biased. It is definitely true that every idol will have anti fans even the most popular ones and Jiyeon is no other. Many a time she has also cried on variety shows over the experience with anti fans. I may not know what she had experienced because she has never gone into detail but a simple scroll on a youtube comment box can tell a lot.
Leaving the true blooded Jiyeon fans aside there are the anti fans who criticize her like no tomorrow; horrible singing skills, claims she's ugly, don't understand why she is the most popular out of T-ara, hates the way she acts cute, attitude problem, can't act etc etc etc.
I wonder if the director had chosen Jiyeon to star as Rian for the exact same reason?
Because he thinks that she is most suitable for the role because she has the "qualities" for it?
How scary can that be if this is real; if the director really thinks that way.
Although Jiyeon biased but I don't deny that I used to think that she was the flower of T-ara. The visual of T-ara. She can't sing THAT well, but she can dance and she's the prettiest. Oh and the youngest.
This opinionated idea can't be helped when she gets the least lines in songs but stands in the centre of dance formations and gets the most screen time(even when she's not singing).
She gets to be the first in sequence on photo books in their albums, she has the coolest and most fanciful costume. She has more individual modeling shots than her fellow group mates. Individual advertisements, more invitations to variety shows and collaboration performances.
When their song "Why are you being like this"
(from Temptastic album) came out, I was utterly shocked to hear that Jiyeon has only one solo line. Oh I'm sorry, two words, oh my bad- it's just one word but said 8 times over. "Knock Knock Knock Knock, Knock Knock Knock Knock!"
After numerous performances, finally, they decided to cut Qri's already very short line and give a part to Jiyeon. Fans were happy of course but the decision to make Jiyeon sing
ONE word but 8 times over in the very first place is insulting to someone who is
supposed to be a singer.
Is it really true that Jiyeon is labelled only as the flower of T-ara? Just a pretty girl who can dance but can't sing? Is it so evident in the eyes of the company and even possibly the director of Dream High 2?
I think the possibility holds but I dare not say much because I will be digging my own grave.
I do hope that the distribution of lines can be more fairly done in T-ara's songs. It's infuriating to each individual's fans to see their idol getting a pathetic share of lines.
I'm just going to go on a lil' rant here.
"Cry Cry"
(from Black Eyes album) was almost Soyeon's solo performance, this time round Jiyeon fans are dancing in joy because she got to have more lines than usual. But it was only Soyeon and Jiyeon's show.
Boram and Qri hardly uttered a word. Eunjung and Hyomin acted more like harmonizers. Hwayoung only had her rapping nearing the end of the song, but it's actually fine because she's a rapper.
"Lovey Dovey"
(from Funky Town album) is a song that distracts you from noticing who gets what lines but the most noticeable is Boram. Not only does she get half a line but the moment she steps out to the centre formation for 2 seconds she slinks back to allow tall Jiyeon take the centre stage.
The only 2 seconds of limelight. Boram. Did you know she had her own album back in 2008? She's supposed to be recognised for her dancing skills as well as she was talent spotted after dancing to one of BOA's song.
"We were in love" by Davichi and T-ara is a beautiful song. But I am again speechless when Jiyeon only has 9 seconds worth of lines within the first 40 seconds of the song and after that she just stands there with a rueful expression. Even Hwayoung has 17 seconds of
RAP. Poor Jiyeon.
As a fan, my heart really goes out to Jiyeon. I am sure she has a rough idea of where she stands in T-ara in terms of looks or popularity but I find it insulting for her to appear in a song of 3minutes and 32 seconds when she only has 9 seconds worth. Does it mean that it is well approved by the company to simply chuck her a line and leave her standing there so that she can be involved in the song and garner more viewers, supporters and album sales?
"지연아, 열심해요! Fighting!"
