Listen. I know that you guys have been urging me – for literal years now! – to revive my fangirling posts, whether by way of a k-love post or a Pure Pretty post. And for years, I’ve just been saying vaguely that I’d think about it.

The truth is, I just wasn’t feeling inspired to do any fangirling posts. You just can’t do one of these things properly, if you’re not feeling properly inspired, y’know?

Honestly, I’d kind of thought that perhaps I’d outgrown my fangirling phase. After all, I’d been concentrating on putting out all this other more “serious” content, like reviewing shows, and answering Dear kfangurl questions, sometimes on controversial topics, even. I thought, maybe I had just become.. immune to intense fangirling..? HA.

I WAS SO WRONG, y’all. Several weeks ago, out of the blue, almost, I found myself joining the rest of the world in falling for Lee Junho’s charms. I feel like I blinked, and suddenly here I am, knee-deep in spazz.

It’s official, y’all. I am utterly and completely smitten with this man. 😍

The Road to Smitten

Clueless beginnings

Because I’ve always been a kpop noob, my introduction to Junho was when I watched Just Between Lovers.

I thought the show was very solid, and I was impressed with his acting, but.. that was about it. I moved on to other shows, and admired other male leads, and life went on as normal. I also checked out Greasy Melo, but didn’t enjoy the show all that much, and so never came around to his romantic leading man charms in that.

The Red Sleeve stirrings

AND THEN, several weeks ago, when I posted my episode 6 notes for The Red Sleeve, over on Patreon, and we basically collectively became one big spazz puddle, that’s when things started to shift, for me.

Up until that point, I’d been enjoying Junho’s smolder very much indeed, in The Red Sleeve, but it was after episode 6, when everyone on Patreon started sharing behind-the-scene snippets, that I started to sit up and pay attention.

My YouTube algorithm sat up and paid attention too (heh), and that is how I’ve had a crash course in many things Junho, in the last few weeks.

The turning point

The turning point, for me, was literally this clip of Junho’s segment in episode 397 of I Live Alone, which I posted to Patreon, to share with everyone.

I loved this clip so much – particularly of him snuggling with his (absolutely gorgeous) cat Jani (some subs say Johnny) – that I went and watched the entire episode (on Viu here), ..and whaddya know, I found myself absolutely mesmerized.

So many things to love:

Here’s a quick rundown of the various things that I find myself loving about Junho, from what I’ve learned in the last few weeks.

1. I love that he’s so talented.

He’s literally a triple-threat, as they say. He sings, he dances, and he acts, and all with equal dedication and dexterity. He even writes music! Which.. makes him a quadruple threat..?

2. I love that he loves his cats.

And all other animals, too, it seems like. I especially love how he snuggles with his kitties. 😻 The idea of Junho as a snugglebug makes my brain implode slightly, not gonna lie. 😍

3. I love that he’s so disciplined.

The fact that he has that gym installed in his apartment, and makes it a point to work out every day (except Sundays), is something that I find pretty inspiring.

Also, the more I see of his work behind the scenes, not only in terms of acting, but also, in terms of his music career, I’ve come to appreciate just how much comes down to the discipline to practice, practice, practice. Watching him, I’m inspired to practice my music more, which I think is a super cool side bonus. 🤩

4. I love the way he dances.

Guh. You guys. I have never taken an interest in kpop much, if at all, even when I’d taken an interest in actors who are also idols (like Eric, for example). Mostly, I’d check out some of their kpop performances just to satisfy my curiosity, and quickly move on.

Not this time, my friends. I find Junho spellbinding to watch, when he dances. I have never been into fan-cams, but have watched multiple fan-cams of him in the last several weeks. I’ve also watched 2PM’s “Make It” video and its multiple variations, and even the making-of videos. What can I say? Junho is art in fluid motion, and I can’t tear my eyes away, when he’s on my screen.

And the first time I glimpsed that, was when he practiced his dance moves in his living room, during episode 397 of I Live Alone.

These screenshots don’t do him justice, because he’s so beautiful in motion, but man, his body lines are so smooth and perfect, even though it’s a casual dance practice in his living room, in front of his cats.

Update: My YouTube algorithm must have known I was looking for it; here’s an actual clip from the episode, of his dance practice in his living room!

I love how precise his moves are, particularly for “I’m Your Man.” I think he makes it look better, without the belt. SUCH CLEAN, PRECISE LINES. 🤩

5. He’s really come into his own.

I don’t know Junho from before, but there is a lot of Junho content out there, since he’s been an idol for 15 years, and one of the things I’ve noticed, is that he appears to be a lot more confident in his own skin, compared to before.

I’ve pieced together from interviews, that he’s an introvert at heart, and he hadn’t liked his personality, and that had been the thing to spark his interest in acting, when he’d been in elementary school (I think it was).

Earlier video clips of him with his 2PM mates, show that he was a bundle of chaotic energy a lot of the time. Now that he’s back from military service, though, I feel like he’s got a completely different sort of energy.

To my eyes, he appears much more settled and confident in his own skin, like he’s fine with his introverted core now, and I love that, so SO MUCH. ❤️

Multiple shades of Junho

Given that Junho’s been an idol for 15 years now, there is a heckuva lot of Junho content available on the web. I’ve only picked my favorite photos for this photo gallery, and even then, it amounts to more than 200 photos (I know! 🤩).

I hope you guys enjoy. ❤️

Animal lover

This is one of my favorite things about Junho. He always seems to be so naturally drawn to animals, whether it’s his furbabies at home, or a stray cat on set. He looks so genuinely happy to snuggle with all of these furbabies; I find it incredibly appealing.

My favorite shot of this collection is this first one, where he seems to be locking gazes with a baby Jani. Ahhh!!! How precious is that?!? 😻😻😻

Boy Next Door

This section is all about Junho’s boy-next-door appeal, which I’ve sometimes seen also classified as “Junho as your boyfriend” – which is an idea that I’m very happy to indulge in, HA.

My favorite shot in this set, is this second shot, of him in the kitchen. Doesn’t he look like he’s happy to cook you something, to make your day better? 😋🤩

Ethereal

I find that Junho sometimes looks literally incandescent, in some of his photos, almost like he’s a magical creature of some sort.

My absolute favorite shot in this section, is this second photo. It looks like a normal photo of him at a train station or something – except for the fact that he looks lit up from within. Gorgeous. 🤩

Fabulous in Red

Junho’s wardrobe people know what they’re doing; they keep putting him in red, and he looks amazing in the color. 😍😍😍

My favorite outfit of his featuring the pop of red, is this first one. That deep, rich red is so beautiful, and the fabric looks so soft and cozy to the touch. 😍😍 And when he dances, it just moves with him so easily. I LOVE. It’s arguably my favorite of the various outfits I’ve seen him in, in his various music videos.

To help prove my point about how amazing Junho looks in red, here’s the fan-cam of him performing “My House,” which recently went viral, long after the song first debuted.

DANG. He’s just SO schmexy in this. 😍😅

Flail~.

Focused

I like focused Junho too, and in this small section, I like this first shot most, because.. well, there’s just something about a man concentrating on something that just gets my knees. Or at least, the sight of this man concentrating on something gets my knees. 😁

Fierce / Intent

I love me some fierce / intent Junho too, and in this section, I’m most taken by these first few shots of him at gun practice. I don’t care if it’s pretend; he looks badass and capable to me, and I love it. Even his back view looks cool. 🤩

Pensive dreamy

I think Junho looks absolutely fantastic in this section.. he just seems to fit the pensive dreamy vibe so well. Is it because I think of him as a person with many thoughts?

My favorite picture of the set is this first one, because I feel like he’s showing more of his recent maturity, in this shot.

Performer

Like I said earlier, I find Junho spellbinding on stage. He just has this focused sort of charisma about him, through all of his performances, which I really dig. And of course, it doesn’t hurt one bit, that he’s so good at what he does. His form, as he performs all of the dance moves, is completely impeccable, and I love it.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I do think I have a soft spot for the photos of him with glasses. That preppy touch somehow makes him even sexier? I don’t know how that works; it just does. 🤩

Playful happy

As much as I love me some serious, focused Junho, I also very much enjoy him being playful and happy. And my favorite picture of this set, is the one where baby-him and present-him are contrasted, both smiling that megawatt smile. CUTE~! 😍😍 And consistent, too! 😁

Relaxed

Because Junho works so hard, I love seeing him be more relaxed, too. And my favorite shot of the set, is this first one. I just like how laidback and relaxed he looks.

Plus, the jersey looking top, paired with those slightly baggy pants, looks like just the kind of outfit he could suddenly break out in dance in, and still be perfectly comfortable. 🤩

Sageuk glorious

Since Junho’s role as Yi San in The Red Sleeve is the catalyst that got me to first sit up and take a fresh interest in Junho as a romantic leading man, I thought it would be remiss of me not to have at least a small section honoring his sageuk glory.

I think Junho looks fantastic in his royal garb (and out of it too, cough – but we’ll get to that later).

My favorite shot of this set, is this first one, where he’s being helped with his blue dragon robe. This was the scene in episode 2, where I decided that Junho as Yi San is both cool – and hot. 🔥

Sensual

Sensual Junho is a force to be reckoned with; there’s just something very.. potent about it all. I love this first shot for how effortless it is, but I also love the shots of him in the green woven vest. So very alluring! 😍😍

The Sharp Suit

Junho cleans up real nice in a sharp suit, and here’s a bit of evidence. I find it even sexier when he’s in motion, but since this is the stills section of the post, these will have to do.

My favorite is this first one of him sitting in a chair, with his full profile visible. Doesn’t he look like art?? 🤩 SUCH a gorgeous profile (more later)!

The Sharp White Shirt

I tend to have a weakness for a handsome man in a crisp white shirt, and therefore, Junho in a crisp white shirt makes my eyes glaze over. 😅

I love-love-LOVE this first picture, because he looks like art come to life – while wearing a crisp white shirt. 😁 The smoldery shots of him grabbing his tie are also my faves. 😍

Shirtless

Given that 2PM are famous for being beast idols, and that they used to take off their shirts as a matter of routine, there is a LOT of shirtless Junho content out there. Out of all the shirtless pictures of Junho that I vetted for this post (the dedication and hardship! 😂), these are my favorites.

And my favorites, are, of course, the most recent ones, from his bath scene in The Red Sleeve. So lean; so sculpted; so beautiful. 😍❤️

Smoldery

Junho wears smoldery oh-so-well, and I love it – as you may have guessed, from the title picture that I chose for this post. 🤩

I love this first picture in particular, because it’s so effortlessly arresting. All the other ones are great too, of course. Because, how do you pick a favorite smoldery Junho..? 😍

Sporty relaxed

Junho’s a spokesperson for Xexymix, along with the rest of 2PM, and here are my favorite picks, of his Xexymix shots. My favorite of them all, is this first one. He looks so relaxed, and yet, so effortlessly sexy. There’s a touch of come-hither about his gaze, and I swoon, seriously. 😍😍

Also! Xexymix makes great active wear for yoga & pilates (I love their leggings!). And I didn’t even buy them because of Junho. 😉 How cool, that I already like the brand that Junho’s endorsing! 😁

Sweet

I love me some sweet and gentle Junho too, and this first pic is a fave, because he just looks so sweet and natural and cozy. 😍 Also! Doesn’t he look great in red too (further down)? 🤩

Smiley

Junho’s got a great smile, and his eye-smile is the cutest, most adorable thing. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I do think I like this first one a little more than the others. He looks so naturally, offhandedly, casually happy. 🤩

That lip bite

While doing my research for this post, I realized that Junho’s lip bite is a lethal, lethal weapon, and that I’m helpless when it’s on my screen. Particularly when he’s in motion. Then I’m toast.

Among these shots, the second one is my favorite, because it doesn’t even look like he’s doing the lip bite on purpose; it just looks like he’s trying to concentrate on studying a script or something, and was called to look at the camera. 😋 Still so schmexy tho!

That profile

Junho’s got a gorgeous profile (and gorgeous bone structure! 🤩), and I had to showcase it a little bit, with this section.

I love all of these, honestly, but if I had to choose, my two favorites would be, 1, this first one where he’s washing the car, because we get a full body profile, AND he’s wearing a beautiful crisp white shirt, AND we get to see the profile of his very cute tush. SO MUCH TO LOVE. 🤩🤩🤩

And 2, I also really love this second shot. It’s just a candid shot of him having his hair touched up for a shoot, and yet, he looks positively ethereal. GORGEOUS. 😍😍

Candids

I love candid shots because they show more of someone’s personality than posed shots. And among these ones, I love this first one the most.

Not only does Junho look amazing in that outfit, with the sharp shirt and tie, he looks spontaneously happy and a little bit cheeky. Love the finger hearts and the eye smile, even though we can’t see his whole face because of the mask. 😍

I also find the second picture, of just his back, inexplicably sexy and alluring. 🤩

Video highlights

I thought I’d also share some video highlights, since those played a big part in my recent Junho education.

I can’t share everything I watched, of course, or this post would never end – and also, this page may run into (more) loading issues. 😅 These are just my top picks, from among the videos that I watched.

Performances

I picked these few performances because:

1. This first video, of Junho performing “My House,” is a recent thing. So, older song, but performed with his new maturity. I love it.

2. I seriously love 2PM’s new song “Make It” (it lives rent-free in my head), and I think the choreography is really nice, and Junho pulls it off so effortlessly, and with such precision. 🤩

Also, for the record, I think I’m liking 2PM’s vibe now, more than when they regularly tore off their shirts onstage. They feel more grown-up now, and the sexy feels so effortless, like, they don’t even need to do the shirtless thing, to be sexy. 🔥

3. I couldn’t resist including a fancam of Junho performing “Make It” because he’s wearing that amazing red sweater in this one. 😍

4. I couldn’t resist including this fancam of Junho performing “A.D.T.O.Y.” because, well, just look at his arms. They are mesmerizing. Combined with the rest of his killer precision moves, it’s utterly spellbinding. 🤩

Photoshoots

I personally enjoyed watching these behind-the-scenes videos of a few of his photoshoots. I love how he’s able to pose so effortlessly before the camera. He makes it look easy – and that’s definitely from his years of experience in the industry.

PS: The videos have English subs, just make sure that you have cc enabled.

Other fun snippets

1. I thought this little game segment was fun, because it gives us a look at some of Junho’s personal preferences.

2. I liked this little interview because we get to hear his thoughts about a variety of things, from food, to his comeback with 2PM, to his thoughts about acting. I like the thoughtful vibe of his answers, even when it comes to lighter topics, like his cats.

3. Last but not least, this is the behind-the-scenes vlog that started it all for me, over on Patreon.

And in case you didn’t know, that’s from his own YouTube channel, which you can find here! I love the content he uploads. I’ve been happily watching his various vlogs.. all in the name of research. 🤩 HA.

Closing thoughts

Ahhh. What can I say? Junho’s got my heart, hook, line and sinker. After almost 15 years of thinking that I might possibly have kpop immunity, I am now officially ceding that kpop immunity to Junho. 😅

If you know me at all, you’d probably know that this is a Huge Deal. 😁 You know it had to take someone very special, to do this, right?

YOU are that someone special, Junho-sshi, you amazing, talented man, you. I hope you’re ready for long-term residence in my fangirl heart, because, uh, I’ve already moved you in..! ❤️

Update! I’ve got thoughts & screenshots to share from Junho’s fan meeting, here! 🤩