Super Junior

The primary 13 members of Super Junior.

Initially formed by SM Entertainment in 2005 as a rotational twelve member Boy Band named Super Junior '05, Super Junior is a popular Korean boy band whose number now ranges between ten and fifteen depending on who you ask.

They're notable for being the first large South Korean idol group, splitting into sub-units (and entering the Chinese popular music industry with one such sub-unit), and making forays into acting and hosting on television programs, concerts, and radio shows. All of which are now common practices in the South Korean popular music industry.

Subgroups:

• Super Junior-K.R.Y.: Trio formed in 2006; aimed at a more mature audience.
• Super Junior-T: Six-member sub-unit formed in 2007; the music genre is 'trot'.
• Super Junior-M: Eight-member sub-unit (including two members, Zhou Mi and Henry, who are exclusively in this sub-group) formed in 2008. The most successful sub-unit.
• Super Junior-H: Six-member sub-unit creating bubblegum pop. Formed in 2008; it was also the last year they were active.
• Super Junior-D&E: Two-member sub-unit formed in 2011. They went on hiatus when one member went on his mandatory military service.

Discography:

• Super Junior 05 (TWINS) 2005
• Show Me Your Love 2005 (with Dong Bang Shin Ki )
• U 2006
• Rokkugo 2007 (Super Junior-T)
• Don't Don 2007
  • Marry U 2007
• Me 2008 (Super Junior-T)
• Cooking? Cooking! 2008 (Super Junior-H)
• Sorry, Sorry 2009
  • It's You 2009
• Super Girl 2009 (Super Junior-M)
• Bonamana 2010
  • No Other 2010
• VICTORY KOREA 2010
• Perfection 2011 (Super Junior-M)
• Mr. Simple 2011
  • A-Cha 2011
• Sexy, Free & Single 2012
  • Spy 2012
• Break Down 2013 (Super Junior-M)
• Mamacita 2014
  • This is Love 2014
• Ride Me 2014 (Super Junior-D&E)
• Swing 2014 (Super Junior-M)
• Devil 2015
  • Magic 2015 (to mark their ten-year anniversary)
• The Beat Goes On 2015 (Super Junior-D&E)

Super Junior provides examples of the following tropes:

• Adorkable: They may be serious Mr. Fanservice one moment, and as goofy and hyped-up as five-year-olds who've had too much sugar the next.
  • Leeteuk becomes the epitome of this in We Got Married. Despite being the eldest he has no idea how to react to his pretty new wife.
• Aerith and Bob: Eeteuk, Heechul, Han Geng, Yesung, Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook, Kibum, Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi, and Henry. While Han Geng and Zhou Mi's names are obviously not Korean, Henry's just sticks out.
• Affectionate Parody: Their movie "Attack on the Pin-Up Boys" was a parody of the idol culture, obsessions with passing fads, and the life of a teenager set in a High School AU. The second half of the film dips into Deconstructive Parody territory though as it becomes more introspective than the first half.
• Anime Hair: Especially during their second album promotions.
• Attention Deficit... Ooh Shiny!: Donghae, according to fanon.
• Attention Whore: Eeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Kangin.
  • Averted hard by Kyuhyun and Ryeowook, however, and even harder by Kibum.
• Badass Adorable: Sungmin is widely regarded as cute, but he also knows martial arts.
• Big Eater: Shindong, but they all can eat a lot.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: Siwon. At least partly responsible for his... interesting facial expressions.
• Bishonen: Most if not all of the boys.
• Boy Band: Obviously. One of the biggest too.
• But Not Too Foreign: Kibum is a natural-born Korean who spent a few years in California. He admits that he pretty much never left the Koreatown area though.
• Butt Monkey: Eunhyuk, who is sometimes compared to a monkey. He is pranked the most often and cries the easiest. Also, Yesung.
• Canada, Eh?: Henry.
• Catch Phrase: "Approach and Worship" - Heechul
• Cats Are Mean: Heechul's cat, Hanjayheebum -- or Heebum for short. Also, his original cat hated everyone but him.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Donghae. He's talked about aliens before and is now seen as an space cadet.
  • Kyuhyun as well. He may usually seem like one of the more level-headed members of the group, but there's a good reason Zhou Mi has called him his "little space case" more than once.
• Crazy Cat Lady: Heechul, who has owned four cats. He only has two now, but he posts videos of them both and even let one take over his personal webpage.
  • Sungmin may also count, having had two cats before having to get rid of one around the time of Bonamana promotions.
• The Cutie: Sungmin, Donghae and Ryeowook to many people. Although they're all cute.
• The Danza: Sungmin plays the character Sungmin in his new drama "President".
  • Additionally, in their mini-drama series, the members usually went by their names instead of creating names for the characters.
• Darker and Edgier: The MV for their song "Don't Don" was essentially this.
  • The "Bonamana" MV was just a Darker and Edgier version of the "Sorry Sorry" MV.
    • Same with A-Cha and Mr. Simple.
• Dawson Casting: Their roles in their Affectionate Parody movie, although not by too much. The worst case was Heechul who was twenty-four at the time.
• Deadpan Snarker: Kyuhyun has his moments. Heechul as well. Kibum used to be seen as this before he was Put on a Bus.
• Deliberately Cute Child: Some see Sungmin's cuteness as this.
  • Kyuhyun may also be seen as this, although he tends to utilise the role of team brat to create this effect. Also, he gets automatic points for being the maknae (youngest).
• Driven to Suicide: Their fans were a factor in a girl's suicide after she took a picture with Kangin.
• Dude Looks Like a Lady: Heechul, who has been mistaken for his friend U-Know Yunho's girlfriend before -- which caused Yunho's real girlfriend to break up with him. It doesn't help that he has a tendency to crossdress.
• Dumb Muscle: Kangin's character in their movie.
• Dye Hard: They've all done it at some point. Though most of them go for lighter shades of brown, several have been blond or red, and a few even multicoloured.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Heechul has nicknamed Siwon "Simba", Donghae "Pinocchio", Kibum "Snow White". He calls himself "Cinderella", but that's not embarrassing -- just theme naming.
  • He's extended this to Eunhyuk and Shindong as well. He's labeled them "Timon and Pumbaa".
• Embarrassing Tattoo: Kangin's back tattoo reads "Actions are more prection than words". Prection has since become a Memetic Mutation.
• Even the Guys Want Him: There are fanboys for a reason.
• Everyone Is Gay: Or as close to gay as anyone can get in South Korea.
• Fat Bastard: Some see Shindong as this, especially after making comments about how women should be skinny.
• Fan Nickname: Every member has one. Special mention goes to Kyuhyun who ridiculously has over FIFTY nicknames.
• Fan Service: Why Super Junior is so popular. They're masters of it.
• Fiery Redhead: Heechul's known for both, although the red isn't natural -- just his favorite color.
• Flanderization: Heechul and Kyuhyun being jerkasses, Sungmin being a Kawaiiko who Tastes Like Diabetes, and Donghae being a Cloudcuckoolander amongst other traits.
• Follow the Leader: The first boy band of its size, the South Korean idol industry has recently taken to churning out similarly large groups.
• Football Fight Song: VICTORY KOREA for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
• Friend to All Children: Siwon loves children and loves taking pictures with them.
  • Although most of them fit this trope, another standout is Donghae, who was close to his father and misses him terribly.
• Fun with Acronyms: Super Junior K.R.Y. = Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Yesung. Additional letters are added sometimes, like K.R.Y.S. (+ Sungmin), K.R.Y.E.D. (+ Eunhyuk and Donghae), and K.R.Y.D. (+ Donghae).
  • Also, L.S.D. = unofficial trio of Leeteuk, Sungmin, and Donghae.
  • There's the fanclub too. EverLasting Friends is more widely known as E.L.F.
• Fun with Foreign Languages: Aside from the obvious Engrish abuse from their shows like 'Full House', Heechul also had fun teaching Hankyung many Korean swear words.
  • Everyone apparently had fun teaching Henry ridiculous pick-up lines.
• Funny Foreigner: Originally Hankyung. Then Henry and Zhou Mi.
• Game Show Appearance: Used to happen quite often when game shows were more popular in Korea. Talk shows are more popular now.
• Gentle Giant: Zhou Mi. The man honestly would not, could not hurt a fly.
• Gratuitous English: On their show 'Full House'. It used to be more prevalent in their raps, but seems to be on the decline.
  • "Hey baby, love crash".
• Hates Being Touched: Subverted. They are always all over each other.
• Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Heechul. When called out about it on Strong Heart, he began to rant about how he "really likes girls."
• He's Got Legs: Zhou Mi. They're very skinny, and VERY long.
  • Sungmin and Kyuhyun may also count; fans tend to pay special attention to their 'honey thighs'.
• Heterosexual Life Partners: Eeteuk and Kangin, Heechul and Hankyung, Eunhyuk and Donghae, Kyuhyun and Zhou Mi, etc. Some of these are seen as pure Ho Yay while others are seen as a case of Blood Brothers. Your Mileage May Vary.
• Hidden Depths: Many of the members, with special mention going to Heechul and Kyuhyun.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: Heechul.
• Ho Yay: Inevitable.
• Hot-Blooded: Kangin.
• Idol Singer: Well, all of them.
• Idols Are Innocent: Subverted. Super Junior can actually get pretty wild, with members being outed as porn fanatics, teaching innocent foreigners curse words and pick up lines, drinking, smoking, getting into bar fights and hit-and-runs...
• Intelligence Equals Isolation: Kibum, according to the fandom. Sometimes Kyuhyun as well.
• Intellectual Animal: How Heechul portrayed Heebum on his Cyworld.
• Jack of All Trades: Sungmin. Forever the outsider, not quite entering the ranks of the main vocalists or dancers (considered to be ranked fourth best for each, just after the respective Spotlight Stealing Squads (see below)). Also has an innate talent to pick things up far quicker than others on variety shows (ranging from bubble-blowing, to flairtending, to magic tricks... the list goes on).
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Heechul, Kangin, and arguably Kyuhyun.
• Jerkass: Some see members of Super Junior as this for their sexist remarks.
• Korean Drama: Several of them have played roles in different dramas. Most popular perhaps is Rainbow Romance, which featured six of the boys in its last season (although only Kibum and Heechul were members of the main cast).
• Landslide Election: Their FIFA World Cup 2010 song: Victory Korea. Even the official song didn't stand a chance.
• Loads and Loads of Members: For a boy band. They're currently the largest boy band in the world and can be seen as the origin of the growing trend of larger singing groups.
  • No longer the largest boy band in the world - there's a group out there with 21 members, but the fact that there are such large groups around is still attributed to their success.
• Lolicon: Heechul, if one considers his enthusiastic obsession with Wonder Girls' Sohee, who is almost nine years younger, as well as his close friendship with labelmate f(x)'s Sulli.
• Man Child: Donghae, particularly in the early years, though every member has had and still has moments of childishness.
• Meaningful Name: Eeteuk means 'Special', Yesung means 'Art of Voice', Kangin means 'Strong Man', and Shindong means 'Child Prodigy'.
  • Subverted as these are all stage names given by their company.
• Meganekko: Eeteuk in particular used to wear lenseless glasses. Several of the others have done this as well; Zhou Mi seems particularly fond of them.
• Mouthy Kid: Kyuhyun to his hyungs.
  • Kyuhyun to most people in general.
• Momma's Boy: Yesung. Also, Hankyung.
• Mr. Fanservice: All of them.
• Name's the Same: Yesung's real name can either be spelt "Kim Jongwoon or "Kim Jongun." Unfortunately, Kim Jongil's heir apparent is also named "Kim Jongun". In 2009, a Swedish tabloid Did Not Do the Research properly and used Yesung's photo in an article about the future dictator of North Korea and the jokes about it still haven't completely died down.
  • There's a Korean comedian also called Lee Hyukjae, Eunhyuk's real name. They made a joke out of it when the two were on the same variety show once, by jokingly snubbing the comedian and pretending all queries towards him are meant for Eunhyuk.
• No Export for You: This is pretty much the condition of any place that is not East or Southeast Asia and California.
• No Sense of Personal Space: A majority of the members, but the one who gets called out for it is Yesung who sneaks into the others' bedrooms at night and touches their philtrums because he likes the feel of it.
  • Siwon. He likes exchanging hugs and kisses with the other members so much that he has been hit for it.
• Not a Morning Person: Eeteuk. Despite being leader, the others mention him as the last and hardest to wake up.
• Not So Above It All: Kibum is quiet, calm, collected -- and yet is perfectly happy to make a fool out of himself on TV.
• Odd Couple: Leeteuk and Kangin.
• Older Than They Look: Most of the boys haven't physically aged since their debut in 2005. Especially Leeteuk and Heechul who are almost 30.
• One of Us: Aside from the fact that some members are techies and gamers (most notably Kyuhyun), there's their love for Disney and Eunhyuk's interest in manga, particularly One Piece.
• Pet the Dog: When their Chinese member Hankyung was insulted with racist remarks by people outside of their dorms, Heechul and several of the others went out to beat the guys up.
• Precision F-Strike: While in the middle of a mob of Chinese fans at an airport, Donghae let out a frustrated "Move, fuck!" and was immediately attacked for it.
  • An incident in December 2011 during which SM Entertainment's mistreatment of them affected their fans as well pushed some of the boys too far, leading to a series of outbursts on Twitter--including religious, gentlemanly Siwon.
• Prince Charming: How Siwon, a rich pretty-boy actor-singer-model with impeccable manners, is perceived.
• Promoted Fanboy: Kyuhyun, who was the last main member to join.
• Put on a Bus: Kibum, for unknown reasons.
  • Kangin after his Bar Brawl and DUI hit and run. He later joined the South Korean military for his two years of mandatory service instead of returning to the group.
• Real Men Wear Pink: Heechul and Sungmin especially, but all have done so at some point.
• Reformed but Rejected: Possibly Kangin.
• Refuge in Audacity: The premise of their movie is that popular school idols have been receiving national recognition after being attacked with bags of shit, thus leading to three of the main characters competing to become the next victim.
• Rummage Sale Reject: Pretty much everybody in the fifth album concept photos, with Eeteuk being one of the worst.
• Schedule Fanatic: But as one of the top idol groups in South Korea, they don't really have a choice.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Eeteuk and Kangin.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Played straight by the Eunhyuk+Donghae and Yesung+Ryeowook pairs when the boys wrote, directed, and starred in their own mini-drama about being Yaoi Guys with a Twist Ending.
• Signature Song: "Sorry, Sorry"
• Sir Not Appearing In This Group: Kim Kibum, who has been MIA since 2008.
• Smoking Is Cool: How some fans see some of the members' smoking habits. Others are dismayed because of the potential vocal damage.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Leeteuk/Eeteuk, Hankyung/Han Geng, Yesung/Yehsung, Shiwon/Siwon, Gyuhyun/Kyuhyun.
• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Yesung-Ryeowook-Kyuhyun for singing, Shindong-Eunhyuk-Donghae for dancing, and Eeteuk-Heechul-Kangin for variety shows.
• Stage Names: Eeteuk's real name is Park Jungsu, Yesung's real name is Kim Jongwoon, Kangin's real name is Kim Youngwoon, Eunhyuk's real name is Lee Hyukjae and Shindong's real name is Shin Donghee.
• Stalker with a Crush: Their fanclub.
• StarCraft: Kyuhyun's obsession, to the point where he is known as Gamekyu and his Twitter account is partially dedicated to keeping in contact with his real life Starcraft buddies.
  • Heechul plays too.
  • So does Kibum.
• Talkative Loons: Eeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Kangin. Actually, most of them.
• Team Dad: Kangin, who backs Eeteuk up.
• Team Mom: Eeteuk, to the point where the fics have the others referring to him as "Umma", which means "Mother".
• Took a Level in Badass: How they all appeared in the "Don't Don" MV, especially Kyuhyun who had just recovered from a major accident months prior.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Heechul in regards to Hankyung's Beijing Fried Rice, Sungmin with sweet pumpkins, and Eunhyuk with strawberries.
• Turtle Power: Yesung has three turtles, who are considered his kids.
• Ungrateful Bastard: How some fans see Hankyung's actions of sueing SM Entertainment, leaving Super Junior, and almost immediately starting up solo activities in his homeland China.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Heechul, Kangin, and sometimes Yesung. Yesung usually ends up the Butt Monkey though.
• Volleying Insults: Heechul has proven very good at this.
• Wacky Marriage Proposal: Shindong proposed to his not-so-secret girlfriend in the Thanks To notes for their fourth album. In a number code, that was cracked by fans before it was cracked by any of the other members or his girlfriend. There's been no word on whether she accepted though.
  • Word is that she's accepted, but there's no marriage date set yet. (Shindong has actually asked people to stop asking him about it.)
  • Leeteuk dragged his "wife" Kang Sora on-stage to propose at a concert, serenading her while handing her a rose then presenting the ring. Which turned out to be too big. So he hugged her to make up for it.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Donghae, who became a singer not just because of his own dream but because it was his father's dream as well.
• What Could Have Been: Eunhyuk and Sungmin were supposed to be in an R&B trio with Xiah Junsu, but he debuted first. Heechul and Kangin were supposed to debut in a group called Four Seasons with U-Know Yunho and Hero Jaejoong.
  • Probably for the best since a group would never have survived both Heechul and Jaejoong together.
• When He Smiles: Kyuhyun and Kibum. Both are attractive when they aren't smiling, but the fans really love how they look when they're genuinely smiling or laughing.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: Many of the boys have had their turns, although Heechul does it not only for performances and shows but to disguise himself while out on dates.
  • Most spectacular example to date: Lady HeeHee, from the boys' Super Show 3 concert series. Approved by Mother Monster herself.
• With Friends Like These...: Again, Heechul, Kangin, and Yesung.