Pure Pretty: Eric

Blame my previous indifference to Eric on the facts that:

(a) I’m technically still a complete kpop noob and know next to nothing about Shinhwa, the legendary group of which Eric is leader and rapper; and

(b) I’d never seen him in anything of significance, since I’d bailed early on Myung Wol The Spy (2011), and hadn’t been terribly impressed by his outing as second lead in Phoenix (2004). Fine. That last bit was also coz I’d been so completely distracted by Lee Seo Jin at the time, who was basically the only reason I even decided to watch that show, heh.

Now, blame my current state of spazz-puddle on Eric’s wonderful performance in Discovery of Love (2014). I mean, just, where had this manly man, oh-so-sexy version of Eric been hiding, all this while??

I likey. I likey very much.

Shinhwa – Be My Love

http://k003.kiwi6.com/hotlink/xwh80ayz9l/shinhwa-_be_my_love.mp3

THE DISCOVERY OF MANLY-MAN SEXY

Thanks to my friend Timescout who loved the show, I checked out Discovery of Love sooner than I’d originally planned, and upon checking it out, found myself very, very quickly mesmerized by Eric.

One of my immediate thoughts, on first checking out Discovery of Love, was, “Woah. Eric’s pretty hot.”

Seriously, he didn’t even need to say anything, and I found him hot.

I present to you, Major Knee-melting, Swoony Moment in episode 1:

Thud. Melt. Swoon.

And no, it’s not his shirtlessness that got me. I mean, he’s technically shirtless in this screencap, but it’s really his eyes that get me.

That is a sexy, sexy gaze if I ever saw one. Unngh.

Eric truly has the most intent, expressive gaze in Discovery of Love.

When he levels it at the camera, or in the direction of his leading lady Jung Yoo Mi, the intensity is quite spellbinding. And mesmerizing. And super sexy.

Here’s another shot of intense Eric:

When he turns on that intensity, I just find it really, really hard to look away.

Combine that intensity with the fact that over time, his features seem to have become more beautifully chiseled while taking on some strategically attractive “character lines,” and I’m toast, basically.

I find that mature, manly man vibe about Eric very attractive indeed, and I loved just looking at him on my screen. Even in the moments when he wasn’t doing anything much.

Not to say that he doesn’t deliver in the role, coz he does, and he does it so, so fabulously too. But I’ll save that for the review. Which I plan to write soon-ish.

For now, though, let’s gaze at some sexy Eric, shall we?

THE COLLECTION OF SEXY

While doing research for this post, I realized that I enjoy a very.. specific version of Eric. I like the older version of him, with the mature, sexy vibe. Which means there are only a handful of earlier pix of him in this post.

I also watched a couple of Shinhwa music videos, and found that I’m not quite used to his more flamboyant, guyliner-ed, dancing-and-rapping music persona.

This could totally change, of course. If my fangirl journey has taught me one thing, it’s to never say never! But that means I’ve also excluded most of those pix from this post.

If that sounds like I’ve excluded a lot of stuff from this post, worry not! Coz there’s still lots of awesome sexy Eric to be had. ;)

Pensive/Smoldery

I really like the pensive/smoldery vibe on Eric, coz it becomes him so well. It gives the sexy gaze a chance to come out to play, and basically take my breath away with its alluring intensity.

It’s hard to pick a favorite in this set, but I do think that I like the one with him in a striped hoodie just a little more than the others. The mesmerizing sexy gaze, the touch-me-now shadow of a goatee, and those very kissable-looking lips, all wrapped up in a cozy, offhanded sort of package. Mmph. Likey.

Laidback Sexy

I like the laidback sexy on Eric a whole lot, coz it’s so casual; it’s the I-can’t-help-it kinda sexy, which I dig.

I like this first pic coz it plausibly looks like we just happened to catch him reading the paper. The casually open-at-the-neck white shirt doesn’t hurt either.

I also really dig that pic of him in a black tank, mid-drink of water. He looks like he recently rolled out of bed and just happens to be wearing his bedroom eyes. Rawr.

Casual & Warm

Although I’m especially partial to bedroom eyes and pensive smolder on Eric, I also really like when he’s relaxed and smiling. There’s something that I find very warm about him when he lights up on camera, like he does in these shots.

I love the 3rd pic of him, he just looks so happy. And how about that 4th shot of him, just walking down the street? So casual and warm, and still so sexy. Love.

The Sharp Suit

The sharp suit is one of my favorite looks on a man, and Eric cleans up real nice.

Sure, I don’t dig the silvery looking suits they seem to keep putting him in, but he wears the sharp lines well and I like how he looks with the darker, short hair he wears in most of these pix.

My fave pic in this set, is the one of him in the dark suit, posing between the marble statues. He looks great in the black and white, and the open collar is so alluring. Plus, the sexy gaze he’s wearing is at once intent yet a touch soft. He has such expressive eyes. Swoon.

The Cosmo pic below it isn’t bad either. ;)

Shirtless

Considering that Eric’s got a fair number of shirtless pix floating around the interwebs, this post wouldn’t be complete with at least a bit of the loving spotlight on ‘em, right?

Eric’s in good shape, no doubt about it. His physique isn’t the most sculpted nor the most ripped, but when he takes off his shirt, he looks strong and manly, and matter-of-factly so. It’s not why I find him sexy, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. ;)

Cozy

I also dig it when Eric’s all snuggly and cozy. Like the 3rd pic in this set, where he looks like we just happened to catch him lounging around at home in his Calvin Kleins. Yum.

The Strong Gaze

As you might’ve gathered by now, it’s Eric’s eyes that get me the most. Which is why I thought a spotlight on his strong gaze would be fitting. It’s the smoldery gaze’s more matter-of-fact cousin, and I find it no less sexy. See? All he has to do is just be, and I think he’s hot.

I love that he rocks the glasses in the second-to-last pic, and I also really like the last pic, for the gorgeous shot of his face.

Candids

I dipped my toes into the ocean of available candids of Eric on the web, and I love what I see.

Check out this first pic; he looks so chiseled, so handsome, and so matter-of-factly intent. Gorgeous.

I also really like the second pic, of him in a beanie, all thoughtful and a little pensive. I also love the little detail, that he’s got his glasses hanging on his tee. It’s all so casual, understated and real.

And I love, love, LOVE the photos of him in the gray tee and jeans during sound checks. He looks so focused and thoughtful; he definitely looks like a man who cares about his craft, and I find that very attractive indeed.

From what I can see, Eric seems to be a passionate, dedicated sort of guy, who is as sexy as he is warm. And he seems to have a fun sense of humor to boot. Best thing is, he only seems to be getting better with age, which, Mmmm. Excellent, excellent trajectory indeed.

And now that I’ve been initiated into Eric’s brand of awesome, I’d really love to see more of him on my screen.

Bring it on, Eric-sshi. Coz I’m ready. ;)