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FacebookWriters' Review June 2012: 'So Nyuh' and 'Holiday' Photobooks
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 It’s summer, and with the season comes rain. When it rains you get stuck inside, and what better way to pass the time than by perusing the beautiful pictures of Girls’ Generation in their photobooks? This month we will take a look at two of Girls’ Generation’s photobooks, the Tokyo photobook, “So Nyuh: Girls’ Generation The First Photobook”, as well as “Holiday”.  So Nyuh: Girls’ Generation The First Photobook I had some trouble reviewing this particular book. As I told some friends I was talking to while preparing this review, “I can’t think of anything to write for this review, because I’m flipping through the photobook, and I can’t stop staring.”
“So Nyuh” is a 354 page behemoth of a book that would crush a coffee table if accidentally dropped on it. It was originally released back in June of 2010 but went out of print until a very short re-release in December of 2011. It comes with a DVD with various behind-the-scenes footage of the girls during the photo shoots for the book, which are actually really nice to watch, because all of the members have a lot of fun with each other while at the different locations for the shoots.
The photographs in this book are nothing short of stunning. The girls traveled to Tokyo, and there are so many different sets, from hanging out in a cabin, playing in the rain with a clear umbrella, partying together, playing random sports in a gymnasium, and a beautiful scene at the beach. The variety of the pictures is really remarkable, and each member has exceptionally beautiful three page fold-outs that really show off their individual beauty. Now, keep in mind the size of this book. At 235 x 330 mm, it’s huge, so the fold-outs are almost like mini-posters rather than a page in a book. It’s a shame you can’t just hang these up without the book bringing the wall down.
I never thought I would really enjoy a photobook, but the Tokyo photobook is truly amazing. Unfortunately the book is out of print right now, but hopefully it will have another re-release in the future. If you can manage to find one, do not hesitate to get it. ”So Nyuh” is my second most prized Girls’ Generation possession after my “Into The New World” album. Overall: 999/9
Holiday If “So Nyuh” is the big momma of Girls’ Generation photobooks, “Holiday” is the runt of the litter. Released back in November of 2011 in Japan, it’s 190 pages and measures 148 x 210 mm, making it a fairly small book. However, the small size doesn’t take away from the fact that the book has great pictures of the girls having fun together on a vacation to Guam. “Holiday” is split up into eight chapters, and the first kicks off the fun theme of the book: “At the crib on a day off just kickin’ it with the girls”. It’s a party as the girls just mess around with each other and eat junk food. This style of a more personal approach to the photos continues throughout much of the book, especially in the chapter where they go grocery shopping. Another chapter is an entire Q&A session where each member answers thirteen questions along with beautiful profile shots. The translations for this section can be found in Soshified’s Translated Goodies section.
My only complaint with “Holiday”, aside from the size, is that there are more than just a few photos of random things, like a dog in the street or houses in Guam. It’s nice in the fact that it sets the scene for the girls’ vacation, but I’d much rather have these be replaced with more pictures of the girls themselves. The “Holiday” photobook was actually my first Girls’ Generation photobook purchase, so I wasn’t exactly disappointed when I first got it, but that’s mostly because I had no frame of reference. The fact is that it’s small, both in size and quantity of Girls’ Generation pictures. The photos are great for the most part, especially the ones from the beach, but the overall quality lacks compared to the Tokyo photobook. Overall: 5/9
Images: Soshified Photo Gallery Have a news item that you think Soshified should know about? E-mail us at tip@soshified.com. |
