Hello everyone, this is SeraphKY and welcome to the new edition of Soshified Spotlight. The previous author, residentbenchwarmer, left me in charge of this column, so I hope everyone continues to enjoy reading it. A couple of notes on the side, the column will be a bit different as I change it up a bit here and there. If anyone has any questions or suggestions for what they would like to see in future editions, feel free to leave it in the comments and I’ll try to add it in.

Now that the administrative stuff is out of the way, we’ll start off with this month’s regular member from Soshified. This month features wenxuan85, a SONE from Malaysia, who was nominated by a friend that became a SONE because of wenxuan85’s influence. Nice job on spreading the Soshi virus.

What is your first name?

– My real name is actually my profile name, Wen Xuan. But I got myself an English name, ’cause people would tend to mispronounce my name. So many people would know me as Derrin.

How did you first become a fan of Girls’ Generation?

– Well…it’s a REALLY long story to begin with. I’ve heard “Kissing You” and “Baby Baby” played on local radio back then, thought it was cutesy, but didn’t catch my eye. Then one day, I was watching a re-run of “Star Golden Bell” on TV, and this girl with straight, long hair was one of the guests. She did an imitation of comedian Jung Juri like a pro, and that cracked me up so hard! I started to check her profile and stuff (while my brother and a friend kept recommending me K-Pop music), turns out that pretty girl with the awesome imitation skill was Sooyoung.

Who is your favorite member and why?

– My favorite member? Haha~I’d probably get so much flak from people who know me, because I tend to alternate at times. Whoever catches my eye becomes my bias. But nonetheless, it started with Sooyoung, who brought me into this fandom, and now Taeyeon has become my favorite member. Why do I like Taeyeon? What’s not to like about her? She’s fun-sized, baby-faced, witty, sings incredibly well, responsible…but what I like most about her, is that she’s amazingly dorky. I like people who are not afraid to show their fun side, and Taeyeon cracks me up so much! But deep inside, she holds many things close to her heart, and I can relate to that.

What is your favorite song and MV, and why?

– Besides the latest song “I Got A Boy” or “Lost In Love”…I’d have to say “Baby Baby”. I don’t know why, I just love that song so much. It’s fun and light. And I got the chance to watch it live in Taipei for their 1st Asia Tour. I cried when I heard that song in the concert. As for MV, I love “I Got A Boy”, the whole concept is just…”jjang”! No words can describe how proud I am with their latest concept.

What moment made you realize that you had become a SONE?

– Probably when I went for my very first overseas concert in Taipei. I’ve never been out of the country just to watch a concert. Truth be told, I’m a fan of Taiwanese girl group S.H.E for over 10 years, but I’ve never thought of flying overseas just to catch their concert. That kinda made me think, “Wow, I’m in this fandom full time now.” Haha~

How has Girls’ Generation impacted your life, in specific areas or as a whole?

– For starters, I’ve started taking Korean language classes since early 2012. That’s quite an impact, judging on how reluctant of me to learn new skills, let alone taking language classes. As a whole, I’ve learnt how to strive hard in everything I do; I used to give up whenever I feel bored or tired of something, but the girls have taught me that one should persevere in their dreams, not matter how hard it is.

If Girls’ Generation were to visit you for a day, where would you take them and why are these places significant?

– Hmmm…that’s a tough question. I once read that the girls love beaches? Maybe a trip to Sabah’s beautiful islands would be nice. It’s not significant, but I’d want them to rest and have fun in private. Because I know how much they’d want to kick back, and just enjoy some good ol’ Soshi bonding time.

Have you ever been to an event involving Girls’ Generation, and what was the most interesting or impressionable moment that happened?

– Yes! And plenty! Haha~Wow, I don’t even know where to start…But I guess the most memorable one was 2011 2nd Asia Tour in Seoul, where they did the very first “paper project”. I remember myself standing among people who held up that piece of paper (well it’s made of cloth, really), and seeing the girls crying so hard on stage. I’ve never seen them cry so badly, besides winning Daesang during the Golden Disk Awards. It was surreal, and I cried with them as well. Those are precious memories. Oh, and I remember the pink ribbons Taiwanese Sones did for both tours as well!

How did you find out about Soshified and why did you decide to join?

– I can’t remember exactly how I found out about it, but I think it was because of Soy. I’ve read things about her and it just made me think, “to build an international site isn’t easy, but she made it happen”. So I kinda checked out Soshified, liked how they did subs, and just joined. I still trust SSFsubs till now, even for lyrics.

How did you come up with your screen name?
Well it’s boring, I’d just joined and I didn’t know what other names I’d put. So I went with my real name, and 85 is actually the year I was born in.

What is one characteristic of Soshified that you like and one that you could change if you could?

– I love the translations done! They’re so quick and accurate! Major props to the translators! And one more thing: Soshified Style. I’d frequent there whenever I see something I like on Soshi~There’s nothing I’d like to change, really. SSF has improved so much, so no major gripes from me.

If you could become a staff member, which section would you choose to join?

– Maybe a writer? I think that’s the only thing I could help out, really. I don’t really have time to help moderate, and my translation skills are poor. I write for a living, so writer seems like a suitable post for me.

The person who nominated you mentioned that you got them into the fandom. How do you go about showing others why you like Girls’ Generation?

– I try to promote their songs and shows that their on, and I write in a magazine, so I’d have a weekly, bi-weekly and a monthly column to myself. I’d just share my thoughts on recent Soshi things I’ve encountered, read or heard.

Outside of Girls’ Generation, what other interests do you have?

– I love photography! But due to my nature of work, it’s becoming a job/duty for me…T_T Besides that, I love singing, haha! No one knows, and now that I’ve given my “secret” away, I hope no one would ask me to burst into song should they meet in next time…

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

– I’d like to thank the person who had nominated me for Soshified Spotlight! It’s a surprise and a HUGE honor for me to be doing this, because I’ve read almost every single SSF Spotlight feature. And shoutouts to ALL the Sones on Twitter (you know who you are!), thanks for being awesome friends, online and in real life ^^

Also, you can submit nominations for future Soshified Spotlights if you’d like to participate or if you’d like to get to know a fellow member better. Instructions on how to do so can be viewed at the Soshified Spotlight Solicitation announcement.

Video sources: [email protected], [email protected]
Written by: SeraphKY@soshified
Edited by: MoonSoshi9@soshified
Banner by: jss@soshified

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