Rain's World Concert Tour Updated Schedule

3/10.11 Vietnam

3/31 Taiwan

4/14-5/12 China （4/14 ShangHai）

5/19-5/30 Japan

6/2.3 Thailand

6/9-6/30 US

Source: www.rainworldtour.com
credits: baidu+jinlees of soompi

Rain's Latest Movie to Open HK Film Festival

South Korean movie "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK," has been chosen as the opening movie at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival starting from 19th March.

In just half an hour, all pre-sale tickets for the movie's first screening were sold out.

"I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK," has just received an outstanding creative award in the competition session at the 57th Berlin Film Festival earlier this month.

The director Park Chan-wook, lead actor South Korean pop star Rain and actress Lim Soo-jung are expected to grace the red carpet at the movie's Hong Kong premiere.

This year's Golden Bear winner, Chinese movie "Tuya's Marriage"will also be screened during the film festival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on 30th March.

Source: CRIENGLISH.com
http://english.cri.cn/3086/2007/02/24/60@199201.htm
credits: rubie of soompi news section

Rain (Bi), "Regret that Asia's cultures can't be united"

Rain (Bi/Jung Ji Hoon) who is currently in his world tour expressed his regret in that Asian culture is not being united

In a phone interview on the 21st, Rain commented, "If Asia's cultures could all unite, it could create another market greater than that of Europe or the U.S. For Korea's music industry to grow, a larger market needs to be created. It is regretful that Asia cannot come together because of differences in traditional cultures or history."

In response to criticism that for Hallyu to spread internationally, it has to overcome nationalism, Rain commented, "The important point is to find a balance between accepting other cultures while delivering ours. Until now, we only tried to bring back something from other countries."

He also commented on the criticisms towards wearing traditional Chinese attire at his concert in China saying, "When Britney Spears came to Korea and wore a Hanbok, I was pleased. If such a thing is acceptable, I thought it wouldn't be bad for me to attempt it as well from the perspective of cultural exchange."

Rain also explained about the attendance of a majority of female fans along with criticisms of imitating Michael Jackson and other singers.

"I never officially debuted in the U.S. but was thankful to those who came to see me just by my name. Being compared to Michael Jackson who I look up to is a great honor but I believe I will have to evolve into my own style."

In response to a question asking if he purposefully selected to appear in the movie 'I'm a Cyborg, but That's Okay' because of renown Park Chan Wook, "I was only thinking of the experimental aspect of the movie and thought it would be interesting and people would like it. I had a belief that I could show a side of myself that was different from the drama series ¡®A Love to Kill.'"

Meanwhile, Rain started his world tour last December with the concert in Seoul and is touring the U.S., Japan, China, Canada, Malaysia, and others totaling twelve different countries. He also visited China recently with Song Hye Gyo to promote the drama series 'Full House.'

Source: BROASIA.com
http://www.broasia.com/lwboard/lwboard.php...pg=1&no=182
credits: rubie of soompi news thread

Natalie Portman "I wanted to meet Rain"

American Hollywood star Natalie Portman has a new-found interest in Korean superstar Rain, whose film debut, “I’m A Cyborg, But It’s Ok,” is currently being shown at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival.

After viewing the movie at the festival, it has been reported that Portman became interested in its Korean stars. Portman and Rain even talked about meeting but could not, due to tight schedules.

Rain expressed his regret at not being able to meet the Harvard graduate Natalie Portman, who made her film debut in 1994’s “Leon” and has enjoyed success in the “Star Wars Episode” series, as well as other movies like “Everyone I Says I Love You “and “V is for Vendetta.”

Rain will return home on the 14th and then leave the next day for China to promote his hit drama, “Full House,” with his co-star Song Hye-kyo.

Source: KBS World Radio
Credit: kpopkingdom.com

Love The Stare

Here's another batch of Giordano photos, love them...


credits: Giordano/fanrain | cr: azafighting/rainHK+unazai/soompi

Director Park Won An Award For Cyborg

Congratulations to director Park Chan-wook who won the Alfred Bauer Prize for a science fiction comedy at the annual Berlin film festival on Saturday for opening up new perspectives in cinema art.

The award for "I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK," is another major prize for Park since 2004, when he was honored with the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Old Boy."

I hope this will be the start of the movies winning streak in film festivals around the world.

Flying High At 6!

Just 3 weeks upon entering the Myx Weekly Countdown here in the Philippines, Rain's carrier single "I'm Coming" just got the 6th place this week up by 3 spot from last weeks No.9. I'm really hopeful that we can reach the top spot in the near future.

So please fellow filipinos out there, suppot I'm Coming by texting Myx (space) Vote (space) I'm Coming and send to 2366. You can vote up to 8 times using the same number everyday.

Rain & Hye Kyo in China - Presscon 2

photo credit: as labelled

Rain & Hye Kyo in China - Presscon

taken at 4pm today

Rain & Hye Kyo in China

Rain and Song Hye-kyo just arrived in Changsha Airport in China at 12:05pm today for the promotion of Full House. So far I got hold of the following photos to share with everyone here.

The waiting fans

Photos, Rain for New Tea CF

Just sharing two of my fave shots from his latest CF, he looks so cute in them.



source: onthepics
credits: baidu+unazai of soompi

2nd Cloud Philippines Fan Event-Video Clips

I did mention in my previous post that we had a dance contest during our event, one of our members posted a youtube link of the video she took and I just asked her to allow me to share it here so that you can see them to.

With You Perf.


Touch Ya Perf.


I'm Coming by Teen Spirits

2nd Cloud Philippines Fan Event , Hurray!

We had another successful fan event for Rain here in the Philippines last Saturday. Though some of the previous attendees weren't able to join us because of prior commitment at work and with their families we have an influx of members coming from the as far north as Bulacan and South from Cavite and Laguna. One member even came over from Davao just to join our activity.

We had an exhibit of Rain memorabilia that includes his original CD's, DVD of his drama, his Road for Rain photobook, various magazines that feature him on the cover as well as original cloud merchandise being sold in his concerts. Members were free to touch and browse through the magazines.

The program proper was started at late in the afternoon with games that we see in korean shows. I'm sure the winners loved the showcase posters they got as prizes. Then the dance contest started with Rizza, Hiroko and Charity dancing to the song With You. We were all awestruck with Hiroko's appearance when she made her entrance. She really made an effort to dress like Bi and do the moves done by Rain at the showcase last October when he first performed the song. I hope the video can be edited soon so that I can show you the clip. Then it was the turn of Rain's Angels headed by Precious, Liphaee and Rainzelle who rocked the house with Touch Ya. I heard they only met 3 times to practice but they were so into the groove of the song. It was a tough call for the judges to decide.

But the dancing is still not over, Christine gave a copy of Rain's "I'm Coming" and "With You" MV to a group of dancers that she knew and asked them to practice the moves. She invited them over to perform for us. Their dance number bought the house down, we were literally singing our hearts out as they danced the exact steps that we are so familiar with while some of us can't help but join them in dancing though we kept ourselves at the sides.

Soon two hours have passed and it was time to end the program. Rain's Angel won the dance contest. Grace went home with the grand raffle prize that night, an original Rain tumbler that was sold during the Seoul concert. But more prizes were also won by members so they all went home with a smile on their faces.

A big thank you to everyone who came and joined in the fun. Same goes to our friends who donated their Rain stuff, time and even funds to make it enjoyable for everyone. I'll post photos next time.

Park's zany cyborg romantic comedy scores in Berlin

02/10/07 - 10:35 AM
By Andrew McCathie, Dpa

Berlin (dpa) - South Korean director Park Chan-wook admits that his film I'm a cyborg, but that's Ok (Sai bo gu ji man gwen chan a), which had its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival is unlikely to make him a lot of money.

Set in a psychiatric hospital, it is an off-the-wall romantic comedy which tells the story of Park Il-soon and Cha Young-goon, who thinks she is a human robot or cyborg.

In the film, Park Chan-wook said he increasingly digressed from reality and into the surreal and non-reality.

He wanted his film to have "a different take on humanity."

But the zany humour and unconventional if not baffling storyline have so far not helped to make I'm a cyborg, but that's Ok a resounding success in Park's home country.

Speaking at a press conference following a screening of the film, the director confessed that even his young son was a little unsure of what to make of I'm a cyborg, but that's Ok.

However Park's film has already scored well with many film critics attending this year's Berlinale, which likes to celebrate movies that are edgy and pull back from the mainstream.

But Park's Cyborg with its carefree music score and host of colourful characters is by no means a Korean-style take on the American seventies film classic One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

For one in Park's film, the inmates appear to enjoy a relatively relaxed relationship with those who are charged with their welfare, including battling it out in ping-pong matches.

Featuring Korean pop star Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) as the kooky Park Il-soon, the story of cyborg is told against the backdrop of a carefree musical score and an extraordinary set of visuals.

It also represents a dramatic change from the more intense movies that Park has directed in recent years.

Traumatized after her much-beloved grandmother (who spends her days eating radishes and feeding mice) Young-goon is dispatched to the funny farm.

Convinced she is a cyborg, Young-goon also ends up in a clinic with Park Il, who has a penchant for wearing masks and is accused of stealing other people's characteristics, including developing the art of yodelling.

Instead of eating, Young-goon tries to recharge what she things are her inner batteries. Aided by her grandmother's dentures, which she uses to communicate with lights and vending machines, Young-goon embarks on a journey to discover the purpose of her existence.

Along the way, she displays the darker side of her character by hallucinating about taking revenge on those who have taken her grandmother away.

It was not easy playing Young-goon said Lim Soo-Jung. She said she did not have a real outline of the character. "It was a blank sheet of paper I had to fill in," she said.

But whatever the audiences might think about Park's cyborg, it represents a triumph for Jung Ji-hoon, which is his first feature film.

Indeed, cyborg appears to be have been a successful vehicle for Jung's transformation from Asian pop sensation Rain to serious movie star, with the 24-year-old pop star-turned-actor bringing a freshness to his role.

"Many people were surprised that I took on the character because he was a bit loony," said Jung.

"But it is a transitional phase for me, because I could move away from the image I have and become a real actor," he said. "I wanted to be reborn."

However, as is the case with Park's other movies there are political messages behind his cyborg film.

Coming of age during the 1980's, Park believes that Seoul's political clampdown on student critics was a major force in shaping his work and to develop an interest in violence which even emerges in cyborg.

The state or the system is always in the background of his movies, he said. "The force of the individual is overwhelmed by this."

But Park also wants to convey another message about the role of machinery and technology in modern life.

Park insists he not necessarily critical of the rapid development of technology.

"I am constantly pointing at technology and the overwhelming application in our lives," said Park.

"The machines have a clear purpose in their lives," he said, which is why the Young-goon character is so attracted to machines.

They have a set of instructions on how we are to live out lives, explained Park.

source: portal.tds.net/news.php?story=23007
credits to tyty6 7 of Bi's thread in soompi

(L-R) South Korean Director Park Chan-wook, pop star and actor Rain (Jung Ji-hoon), actress Lim Soo-jung pose on the red carpet as they arrive for the screening of the film 'I'm A Cyborg, But That's Ok' running in competition at the 57th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin on Friday, 09 February 2007. EPA/GERO BRELOER

Source: http://photo.media.daum.net/group1/oversea.../v15685399.html
credits to rubie of soompi's news thread

Rain's World Promotional Posters In The Philippines

Rain's 4th album Rain's World was released locally last week by Warner Music Philippines and they have started posting promotional posters a few days ago in all major record stores.


They are giving the same posters as freebies to those who are purchasing the album. To those who weren't able to get their posters kindly keep the receipt and send me a private message visit Cloud Philippines for more info.

Photo credits: Warner Music Philippines+cloudphilippines.com

Rain, Im Soo-jeong to Attend Berlin Film Festival

The two main leads of the film "I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK"--Jeong Ji-hoon, better known as singer Rain, and actress Im Soo-jeong--will attend the Berlin International Film Festival.

Im will hold a news conference and attend a red carpet event and a movie premiere on Friday. More interviews with the foreign media are scheduled for the weekend in the German capital.

Im has previously attended the Berlin festival for her 2003 film "A Tale of Two Sisters" (director Kim Ji-woon), and this is her second visit as "Cyborg" was officially invited to compete in the festival.

In "Cyborg," the 28-year-old actress plays a clueless girl who believes herself to be a cyborg, opposite singer Rain, who made his big screen debut in the film.

Source: KBS Global
http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...9056_11858.html

Giordano Spring Collection

Just sharing photos from the photoshoot of Giordano for spring.

credits to J.Lee of Rain's soompi thread

Way To Go Cloud Philippines

Just got word now that "I'm Coming" entered the Top Ten Daily Hit Countdown of MYX ranking at No.7. Yehey!!!

I'm so excited that even the album sales are picking up. One branch of Odyssey Music Store run out of copies yesterday when it was just delivered to them. Keep up the good work friends.

Where Did I Go Wrong

Seems I've created more confusion when I replied to a posting by one sister in CPH forum. The said sister was excited to know that Rain will be coming over to our country without noticing that the last posting was way back Dec. 2006 when we were still hopeful that a promoter from our country is negotiating with Star M. But it's now February and the chances of him coming over is getting dimmer as the day passes by.

I've posted the following comment "Sorry to rain on your parade but there's still no confirmation on his coming here for the concert. Now if he plans to come over for an unannounced vacation, that's another matter all together." But it seems that the word IF on my second statement was got lost in their comprehension due to their excitement. So now they are asking if he is indeed coming for a vacation and if we can find more details about it even if it unannounced so that we can prepare gifts and plan on seeing him.

Now I don't blame Agent P for wanting to smack me in the head. Lesson learned...to not just write my comments on sensitive matters in the most basic sentence construction to avoid misunderstanding and maybe do a translation in our local dialect.

We're Moving Up The Charts

To everyone who comes here and is currently residing in the Philippines, please continue to support I'm Coming in MYX. The song is now #15 from last weeks #20 ranking in the charts.

You can show your love by texting MYX (space) vote (space) I'm Coming and send it to 2366. You can send up to 8 sms messages everyday. So keep those fingers busy and make the song No. 1.

Cloudmaster's Diary: 31 Jan 07

It's a cold yet heart-warming day

I saw Rain at the office last night.
We've made a decision with regards to the fan-meeting's date.
I immediately posted a notice on it.
We've been trying to fix a date for the fan-meeting since mid-December.
But as everybody knows, it's really tough to find a date with the World Tour going on.

I'm really happy we've finally firmed a date. But ...in order to see Rain
There will be Clouds coming all the way to Korea to participate in this fan-meeting
Also, Rain himself is really looking forward to the event.
When I think about this, I know I must do a good job. The huge responsibility is starting to worry me...
All of us staff members make our promise to you again:
We will do a good job...We are Clouds, so we definitely will be able to do it well, right? Fighting~!!!!

Rain went to film a Cf today...near Coex
In Korea, our Rain's popularity...indeed, he is very popular!
During the time when he rested in the van because it was an outdoor shoot,
Our conversation drifted to the time when fellow JYPE artistes Wonder Girls made their debut.
They were cute like sisters...
"We must sing very well for our debut performance", they were saying.
He was concerned for them like an elder brother, like a senior.
This is really beautiful (Beautiful? Our Cloud members understand this, don't you?)

Rain has gone off to continue with his filming~!
It's really cold, but he still put on a really suave performance during the shoot.
A round of applause for our dear professional Rain!

Very soon, we'll be able to see our Rain in CF, right?
Please wait a little more~~~*^^*

It's really very cold today, and very windy too. But unbelievably, I feel very warm in my heart.
It's one of those days when a smile hangs by your lips...
I hope it was the same for everybody~

Credit: Biwithrain.com | RainAsia | Orengi@soompi
Kr to Ch: irbi@biwithrain
Ch to Eng: rayndrop of soompi

Rain's Message 21/1/07

Our dear Clouds~

Because of the World Tour, it has been difficult trying to leave messages.

That's why I'm only leaving a message now that I'm back in Korea (A little late, heehee)

Having successfully completed the Malaysia concert, I am now back in Korea,
and is currently taking a short break.

I am now at the filming site, and taking the opportunity of my short break to come online.

Everybody who hoped that my concert would go smoothly and have sent me plenty of well wishes.

The news of these well-wishes have travelled to faraway places. Thank you everybody.

You're World Clouds indeed, heehee!

My strength comes from everybody's existence.

Everybody in the Cloud family who has been giving me plenty of love regardless of when

I believe that doing my best is the best way to repay you.

Although I have always felt grateful...

I don't know how to express it. I believe everyone in our Cloud family understands how I feel, right?

This February, I will not let everybody worry for me. I will rest well.

All right, everybody knows that no matter what, your health is the most important, right?

Please take care not to catch a cold, I will drop by again.

Everybody, take care not to catch a cold~!!!!!!

Credit: Joyplace | Baidu.com | RainSingapore
Kr to Ch: A kind Cloud in baidu who did not leave her name
Ch to Eng: rayndrop of soompi