SpeXial
This post is dedicated to SpeXial, a Taiwanese boy band under Comic International Productions. I noticed that many up and coming idols, actors, and MC's are all members or past members of this group. With so many talented and handsome boys, it is such a shame that SpeXial is so underrated internationally. This group had a lot going for them. Their company is the management company of Fahrenheit, a popular Taiwanese boy group. Their company works with GTV Variety Show, a major television channel, to produce the KO series, a very popular Taiwanese drama series. Comic Productions also has many relations with other channels/drama producers so the members of SpeXial are all actors. Despite all of this, they remain fairly unknown outside of Taiwan. As one of the most popular Taiwanese boy bands during their prime, their future seems very blurry. With their last music comeback being 2 years ago and over half of their members having left the group, many are speculating that SpeXial has disbanded. I am writing this article to hopefully help more people get to know this Tawainese boyband, and also to state some of my thoughts on the shitty management of this amazing group. Also, warning, this post is super long and is essentially my brain dump about SpeXial.
Without further ado, here is a guide to SpeXial.
Without further ado, here is a guide to SpeXial.
Basic Information:
SpeXial debuted in December 2012 with 4 members. SpeXial did not stay a 4 member group for long as their company continued to add members almost every year. They sort these member changes into periods. Currently, there are 4 periods. At their peak, there were 12 members in the group. The group is based in Taiwan but the members often participate in Mainland Chinese dramas and shows. The group is active in many fields such as music, acting, modeling, and variety shows.
Here is the history of SpeXial. I got lots of this information on their Wikipedia page. If there are any errors in the information, I apologize. I really tried to fact check everything. I also added some of my personal opinions.
2012-2013
This group debuted on December 7, 2012 with the album, SpeXial, and had 4 members, Wes, Wayne, Brent, and Sam. Their debut album had 3 promotional singles. The first promotional single is a lyric song "Celebrate Loneliness" (慶祝寂寞). The second promotional single is "Gone Mad" (發飆), which is also the theme song of KO One 2. The third promotional single is "Super Style" which is the theme song of KO One Re-act. Their debut was very successful. In a video even they were surprised that their first album actually earned a profit. This was mainly due to the success of the drama, KO One 2 where Brent and Sam starred in, and also this song was its theme song. Wes and Wayne also brought the group some attention from their pre-debut days. Over the years, the members of SpeXial continued to star in sequels of the KO Series. They also participated in OSTs for the drama.
Period 1 members of SpeXial
宏正 (Wes)
Period 1 members of SpeXial
宏正 (Wes)
Position: Leader, Vocalist, Main Dancer
Fun Facts:
1. He starred in K.O.3anguo as Huang Zhong and was a member of the group Five Tiger Generals which comprised of 5 main cast members in the drama. They only came out with one song, Opponent, for the drama and were inactive, due to Comic's mismanagement and the members' individual activities, until their disbandment a year later. This is a foreshadow of Comic's mismanagement of SpeXial. Opponent is a collaboration with other bands in the drama, Dong Cheng Wei and Champion. I really recommend everyone to watch this drama. Though old and a bit cringy at times, this drama is super funny and also there is a lot of bromance in this.
2. He went on to star in many sequels in the KO Series. His most well-known role is Gu Zhan in Ko One 3,4, and 5.
3. He also had many cameo roles in other Taiwanese dramas such as Gloomy Salad Days, Love Buffet, Hayate the Combat Butler, etc, prior to his debut with SpeXial. His more recent drama is High5, a drama about a high school basketball team. He is also starred in the 2020 drama, The Wonder Woman.
4. He suffered a leg injury in 2015 when he was filming High5 and never completely recovered from it. As a result, he left the group in 2018 due to his inability to dance.
5. As the oldest member in the group, leader, and Period 1 member, he is definitely the soul of the group. The members all seem to love him and have so much respect for him. You can also see that he truly cares about all of his members and their well-being. To see him leave, or in his words "graduate," from the group, it was a bit disheartening. After he left, the group never felt the same. For me, it seemed hard for SpeXial to continue on without their strong leader. However, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
5. As the oldest member in the group, leader, and Period 1 member, he is definitely the soul of the group. The members all seem to love him and have so much respect for him. You can also see that he truly cares about all of his members and their well-being. To see him leave, or in his words "graduate," from the group, it was a bit disheartening. After he left, the group never felt the same. For me, it seemed hard for SpeXial to continue on without their strong leader. However, I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
偉晉 (Wayne)
Position: Main Vocalist
1. One of my two favorite members during Period 1. I just thought he was really cute and his vocals stood out to me. His vocals are soooo stable live!
2. He was once a participant on One Million Star, a popular Taiwanese singing competition, and placed 8th on the show. Many popular singers such as Yoga Lin, James Hsiao, Aska Yang, Hu Xia, and Lala Hsu, were once participants of this show.
3. He acted in dramas, mainly in dramas in the KO Series. My two favorite roles that he starred as are Huang Hongwei in PM10-AM03 and Zhi Ge in KO One Re-act. His character, Zhi Ge, is just too cute and innocent.
4. In late 2019, he left SpeXial. Once again, his departure from the group really shocked me. Most members acknowledge him as the best singer in the group. He ties in the whole group's vocals. Since his departure, the group has yet to release any music so I do not know how SpeXial will sound like without him, but I do know it will never be the same :(
5. He is currently a host at 100% Entertainment and often participates in the 凹嗚狼人殺 or One Night Werewolf segment. The show is extremely popular in Taiwan, so he and many other regulars on the segment have gained much popularity. Some of these regulars such as Chen Ling Jiu, Feng Ze, Xiao Lai, Luo Jun Shuo, and Wei Jin, often collab on songs that are all related to the game. They formed a group named W0LF四堅情. This song, Betrayal, is based on a joke Wei Jin made on the show. Wei Jin is one of my favorite participants on the show. He is soo funny and extra but also a good player.
6. He is now a solo artist. Here is one of his songs, 北極光. Not gonna lie, I am actually kind of glad Wayne left SpeXial. I loved him in SpeXial but I just felt like he has so much potential. He could easily sing songs that require more difficult techniques and try out different genres. If he continued to stay in SpeXial, it would be hard for him to do so.
7. He is known to be an Aunty for his exaggerated reactions as seen on variety shows, most notably on 100% Entertainment.
明杰 or Brent
Position: Main Vocalist
1. He is most well known for his role as Hua Ling Long in KO One 2. This was his acting debut and his participation in this drama along with his bandmate, Sam, helped SpeXial gain much recognition. However, he was actually mocked for this role due to his crazy hairdo. Though I agree that his hair was very over the top and affected his overall visuals, I think the internet was too cruel to him. His pictures and clips are still being mocked to date. He stated in an interview that this haunted him for many years. Please be respectful of others when posting online! Celebrities are also human. Brent did not have a choice. He did what he had to do as a professional actor.
Here is part 1 of where he and Sam talked about the behind the scenes of filming the KO Series.
2. In 2020, he officially left the group.
3. I always knew him as Matthew but it seems that he changed his English name to Brent.
4. Currently, he has some solo songs and has a Youtube channel with Sam. He is also acting and MCing. You can check his Wikipedia page for more information.
His YouTube Channel with Sam:
His YouTube Channel with Sam:
He is one of SpeXial's main vocalists. Contrary to Wayne who sounds like he ate the CD, Ming Jie sings with a lot of flavor (idk how to explain it) so all his live performances are different. He tends to have more parts with high notes so he can show off his range more. Here is one of the solo songs that he wrote the lyrics for.
5. If you watch SpeXial on variety shows, which you should because this group is hilarious, one of the first members you will notice is Brent. He is very well-spoken and also super funny.
子閎 or Sam
Position: Main Rapper, Visual, Vocalist
1. Sam is my other favorite member when SpeXial first debuted. He is just so handsome. He also has a deep voice so I love listening to his rap.
2. He also acted in KO One 2 where he plays the 2nd male lead, Zhong Wan Jun, a quiet student that has a huge crush on the female lead. His handsome looks immediately caught the viewers' attention.
3. As one of the visuals of SpeXial and due to his popularity after starring in KO One 2, Sam continued to act in many other dramas. Most notably, he starred in many sequels of the KO series and was the male lead in Moon River. One of his more recent dramas is Between from 2018.
5. Though he seems like a quiet, hard to approach guy, he is actually super funny. I love watching him on variety shows.
5. Though he seems like a quiet, hard to approach guy, he is actually super funny. I love watching him on variety shows.
5. As of April 2020, Sam is the only member of Period 1 still in the group :(
6. Currently, he has some solo songs and has a Youtube channel with Brent. He is also acting and MCing.
Here is one of the covers on their Youtube page.
病變
7. He is dating Joyce Chu, a Malaysian singer and actress. The two seem very cute and I hope they stay together for a very long time.
As a four-member group, the group released many songs. Their most well-known songs are OSTs for the KO series.
發飆
the title track of KO One 2 and their debut song
Super Style
the title track of KO One 3
慶祝寂寞
This is one of their ballads. Here, you can hear more of their vocals. This is also one of my favorite SpeXial songs.
2014
In 2014, the group underwent its first member change. 3 new members were added to the group.
Period 2 members
Period 2 members
Teddy
Position: Vocalist
1. His first acting role was one of the male leads in Angel 'N' Devil, a sequel in the KO series.
2. In late 2019, he officially left the group.
3. Currently, he is a MC/host for 綜藝3國智 and 完全娛樂.
4. He also acted in dramas such as Intern Doctor and Little Brother Has a Demon.
Evan
Position: Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper
1. He is Canadian so he speaks English. He often raps in English.
2. After promoting their song, Break It Down, he returned to Canada to finish his studies. He graduated from the University of British Columbia majoring in Finance.
3. As an actor, he participated in sequels in the KO series and was the second male lead in Moon River. He also acted in the popular Mainland Chinese web drama, Men With Sword, with many other SpeXial members. Men With Sword is an all male cast drama where the focus is on the friendship between the characters. This is often considered a BL drama but I feel like it's more like bromance. He was paired with Ian so they are a popular shipping.
4. I think Evan is actually a really great singer. He has nice range, very stable on stage. His rap also has nice flow and enunciation. I consider him SpeXial's third main vocalist.
4. I think Evan is actually a really great singer. He has nice range, very stable on stage. His rap also has nice flow and enunciation. I consider him SpeXial's third main vocalist.
晨翔 or Simon
Position: Visual, Vocalist
1. My personal favorite of the three new members of Period 2. He's so handsome.
2. SpeXial went on 大学生了没 with the members of SpeXial and I fell in love with Simon's personality and looks.
3. He starred in LION's music video for 最後的請求 (Please). His acting here was amazing. I cried mainly because of the sad nature of the song but also because of his convincing acting. This is one of my favorite songs and I wish this music video had English subtitles so more people could understand the lyrics. This song talks about a person's dying wish.
4. He was known as the most popular member in SpeXial.
5. He officially left the group in 2017. He is the first member to leave the group.
6. Since his departure, he has acted in a few dramas, such as Youth in 2018. He also recently started singing.
As a 7 member group, they came out with the title track, Break It Down. This is the title track for X-Dormitory, a sequel in the KO series. This is one of my favorite SpeXial songs. The music video is also one of the best in my opinion. The choreo for this song is my favorite after Super Style. All the members look great here and Sam with platinum hair is so hot.
They also came out with 愛這種離譜感覺 or Subtle Love. This is the title track for Moon River which stars Sam and Evan. I quite like this song. It is super cute and catchy. My biggest problem with this song is the cringy English. This reminds me so much of 2000s Kpop where they randomly add an obnoxious amount of English throughout the song.
Their company also produced a variety show documenting the addition of the three new members and the original members getting to know each other. This literally starts with a staff member breaking the news to the original four members that three new members will be added. In the variety show, they play games, go to night markets, etc.
2015
They added 3 more members making SpeXial a 10 member group.
Period 3 members
以綸 or Riley
Position: Lead Rapper
1. He is Taiwanese-Canadian so he can also speak English.
2. He has super cute dimples and eye smile.
3. In 2016, he participated in Day Day Up, a popular Chinese variety show, as a member of 小兄弟, in which one member of the group will ultimately stay as a host on the show.
4. He left the group in 2017. Currently, he is mainly active in Mainland China and is participating in many dramas. He has acted in many dramas such as Attention Love, Long For You, I Hear You, etc.
5. He dated popular Taiwanese singer Guo Shu Yao after filming 稍息立正我愛你 together. The two broke up after around a year of dating. This was super big news in Taiwan and to date, people continue to talk about their past relationship.
風田 or Win
Position: Vocalist
1. He is Japanese.
2. He was a host on 100% Entertainment. He also participated in One Night Werewolf often. All the members of SpeXial are great on variety shows and most are MCs but Win is definitely one of the funniest and craziest. When he first debuted, he spoke softly and very little due to the language barrier. Initially, people remembered him as the cute Japanese member. However, as his Mandarin improved, my oh my, this man is CRAZY. He started hosting 100% Entertainment and became one of the most popular MCs. I love watching Taiwanese shows because they have less filter compared to Mainland China and South Korea. The hosts often crack funny jokes that are sometimes borderline sexual. Win often crosses that line and makes very sexual jokes. His expressions are also super exaggerated. Here is a variety show that he and other members of SpeXial appeared on. I wish I could find an English subbed version.
3. In mid-2019, he temporarily left 100% Entertainment. He now hosts new shows such as 國光幫幫忙 and 食尚玩家熱血48小時. He also often appears as a guest on 綜藝玩很大. He is sooo funny on the show so I just had to include a clip of him.
4. Even though he seems like he is only good at variety shows, he is actually a very good singer. I wish he has more chances to show off his singing skills.
易恩 or Ian
Position: Vocalist
1. He is the maknae or youngest member of the group.
2. He is also an actor who is quickly rising in popularity. One of his more notable roles is Chu Yan in the popular web-drama Well Intended Love 1 and 2. Currently, he is active in Mainland China participating in many dramas. He also won Most Promising Actor at the Golden Bud - The Third Network Film And Television Festival in 2018.
3. He is one of the shyer members of the group so he does not talk much on variety shows. I wish to see him talk more on variety shows if he is comfortable with it.
4. This man has no lines. I don't understand what the company is thinking to be honest. Listen to his solo song. This man can sing and rap. He has a husky voice which makes his voice stand out among other members. I feel like he could even try a pop rock song. Please Comic, don't sleep on this man's talent!!!
Little Star:
5. He can beatbox.
This is the year where the group released the most music. For the first time, they had 2 comebacks in a year!
Dangerous
They also came back with Love Guardian
and... Love Killah
They also released The Sweet Boys (暖男製造機) and Silly Girl (犀利Girl). I feel like in 2015, the company was pretty active in promoting them as seen through their many songs and variety show appearances.
2016
They finally had their first major concert, "SpeXial the 1st concert - SpeXial Land 2016," four years after their debut.
In mid-2016, 2 new members were added to the group making SpeXial a 12 member group.
熊梓淇 or Dylan
1. He is very popular in Mainland China.
2. He acted in many dramas, most notably My Mr. Mermaid, Pretty Man, etc.
3. He is also a guest MC on a popular Chinese variety show, Happy Camp.
赵志伟 or Zhiwei
1. He graduated from Shanghai Theater Academy and was a dancer for over 10 years. He stopped dancing due to a severe injury.
2. He left the group in 2017. He was in the group for only a year.
3. Now he is an actor in Mainland China. My favorite of his roles is Zhao Guan Chao in the popular drama, Le Coup de Foudre. Hsi character is honestly perfect boyfriend material as well as every girl's dream of an ideal older brother (he plays the female lead's older brother).
They came back as a 12 member group with the song, Boyz On Fire. This is the only song with all 12 members because soon after members started leaving the group.
2017
This was a rough year for SpeXial because 3 members, Simon, Zhiwei, and Riley, left the group.
They came back with Buddy Buddy in late 2017.
This is one of the worst music videos I have ever seen. Shitty editing and the singing doesn't even match with the movement of their lips. The lighting was also terrible. My eyes hurt after watching just a few seconds of the music video. When it was released, the music video's poor quality made it go viral before the group even started promoting the song. The dancing was also not in-sync at all. The members' barely had time to practice the choreo because they were all extremely busy acting, with many of them acting in Mainland China. On a variety show, the members said that some members would fly in from Mainland China and film the music videos for 5 hours and would have to rush back to Mainland China to continue filming. Maybe the shitty editing was to cover up the mistakes in the choreo. It could also be to make the MV seem more extravagant than it really is. The music video had one set/background and each member had one outfit. I regret complaining about 發飆. Even though it only had a black background and the members had only one outfit, it was wayyy better than this.
After Buddy Buddy, the group has yet to release any more songs as of April 2020. As of April 2020, only 5 members are left (Sam, Dylan, Win, Evan, and Ian). But as for how long this will last, who knows? Sam hinted in an interview that he is also thinking of leaving the group. Dylan and Ian are very popular in Mainland China so there is no point in coming back to promote with SpeXial. Evan is also active in Mainland China. Win is doing great in the MCing/variety show world. The future of SpeXial is definitely very blurry.
As of 2020, SpeXial remains to be one of the most well-known "active" boy bands in Taiwan due to their participation in many dramas, especially in the sequels of the KO series (I'm pretty sure you are sick of hearing this by now). However, they have the potential to be so much more. Though popular in Taiwan, they are not very popular overseas. Also, they are often more well-known for acting than for singing, which is supposed to be their main focus as an idol. I thought long and hard about SpeXial and I came up with a list of pros and cons of the group, mainly regarding their management company, Comic. Warning: I will be very blunt when I talk about their cons.
PROS
a handsome group of boys
One of SpeXial's main appeals is probably the members' visuals. Not gonna lie, as a fan even I think SpeXial lacks in the skills department. Before anyone gets offended, please hear me out. I will go in-depth about this in the cons. Though SpeXial is not the most skilled group out there, SpeXial definitely has a group of very handsome boys. Not to be shallow but visuals sell. One of the main qualities of a boy band is its visuals. At their peak, SpeXial had 12 members. All of which are handsome, tall, young boys, which is exactly what the public likes. With proper marketing, SpeXial was bound to succeed. Their handsome looks also meant that they will have more offers as models and actors.
variety skills
In Asia, one important skill is to have "variety skills" which means to do well on variety shows. This includes being well-spoken, funny, charismatic, etc. Nearly all SpeXial members are extremely talented in the variety skills department. Most of the members are MCs and the group often goes on various variety shows to promote their songs and dramas. The groups' humor has helped SpeXial garner many fans. In my opinion, Brent, Win, Wayne, Sam, and Wes are the funniest. The other members are funny too but lack opportunities to show off their personalities due to their busy schedules filming dramas which makes them unable to appear on variety shows. Also, by being a large group, the members often do not have much chance of talking on variety shows. *large group problems, sob*
Acting
All the members of SpeXial are actors, with some acting more than others. Of the members, Win acts the least, probably due to the language barrier. He is now pretty good at Mandarin but he still has an accent. The participation in many dramas has helped SpeXial gain many fans. Since I mentioned their acting a lot in their profiles, I will not go in-depth about it here.
Comic International Productions
Their company is a pro and a con.
- Since debut to 2017, the company gave SpeXial consistent comebacks with one album per year except in 2013 when they were busy promoting KO One 2 and KO One 3. For every album, a few songs had their own music videos. In comparison to Kpop groups, most groups only have a music video for their title track. I would say, every comeback, I do see Comic trying to promote the boys by filming multiple music videos. Now as for the quality of these music videos... please stay tuned for more in the Cons section.
- The company had connections with GTV Variety Show and many other drama producers so SpeXial was always acting. The company was also able to produce dramas especially for SpeXial and had the members star in them. I know I have mentioned "KO series" way too many times but this is one of their most important works. The KO series was able to kickstart SpeXial's career immediately after debut. Their company co-produced this series so SpeXial is sure to partake in at least 1-2 dramas per year.
- The company has connections with Mainland Chinese channels and producers so the members were given opportunities to act in Mainland Chinese dramas and possibly expand into the Mainland Chinese market.
CONS
This group has so much potential. All the members are handsome, tall, and funny. They sing, dance, rap, act, MC, model, etc. They are not the most skilled but I believe with more training, their skills will definitely improve. However, their company is holding them back.
This group has so much potential. All the members are handsome, tall, and funny. They sing, dance, rap, act, MC, model, etc. They are not the most skilled but I believe with more training, their skills will definitely improve. However, their company is holding them back.
Comic International Productions
Ugh... this company is just terrible. Not gonna lie, Comic really ruined SpeXial. If Comic tried, they could have helped SpeXial become way more successful. As I said in the intro and the pros, Comic has lots of resources. The company co-produces many Taiwanese dramas, it has connections with many channels and producers, produced many of Taiwan's most popular dramas such as It Started With a Kiss, it is one of the producers of the popular KO series, and has/had many talents under its company (most of them left the company to which I say GREAT DECISION). Despite all of these resources, the company is still terrible. Here is a list of complaints I have against Comic.
1. Dispersing Its Resources
One of Comic's main problem is the disbursement of its resources. I should actually rephrase. One of Comic's main problems is its LACK of disbursement of its resources. I could go on about this company but one of Comic's main problems is that it has way too many artists under its company. Aside from SpeXial, Comic has/had artists such as A'N'D, Peng Yu Chang, Dong Cheng Wei (RIP), Pets Tseng, Han, and etc. The CEO once said that Comic has over 200 trainees and artists. BRUH No wonder each artist has barely any resources. Instead of signing so many artists, the company should be more selective and focus on promoting a few groups and artists.
Not gonna lie, SpeXial is probably the company's most promoted group. A'N'D doesn't even have a real music video for god's sake and it's been 6 years. Despite being the company's most promoted group, the company is not giving SpeXial the resources they need to succeed. I will continue this point in points 2 and 3 of this list.
2. Music/Choreography
To be brutally honest, Taiwanese boy bands, in general, are extremely lacking in comparison to Korean boy bands. I swear I am not hating. Even Taiwanese artists and companies agree with this point. Taiwanese companies, such as Comic, send their trainees/artists to train in South Korea. They often regard Korean bands as a standard that they are working towards. However, of all the newer Taiwanese boy bands, SpeXial probably has some of the worst choreographies.
Music
Their music is better than their choreographies. Their albums usually consist of one catchy song with dance choreography and some ballads and other songs of other genres such as pop rock. Their catchy title tracks are pretty catchy which makes it easy for them to gain new fans. They usually serve as the title track of the newest KO Series drama. However, their other songs are also really good. I recommend you to listen to all the songs in the albums. I recommend Like Superman, Knight, Break It Down 11.11, and etc. Sadly, some members (mainly Ian, Dylan, and Zhi) barely have any parts which is a bummer. Here is a playlist of many SpeXial songs that someone compiled on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psekhnjdo4Q&list=PL3GDogpUzc2B2mbQHbEJqxBsu4xhPFYkr
Music Videos
SpeXial's music videos vary in quality. Some of their music videos are pretty well made. For example, music videos for 慶祝寂寞, Can't Breathe Without You, and Dangerous, just to name a few, are pretty good. However, we get extremely simple music videos such as 發飆 which is just the members standing in front of a black background with some lights and some cuts from the drama, KO One 2. I thought that was bad. Oh boy was I surprised. I mentioned their earlier but Buddy Buddy is literally the shittiest music video ever made. Just watch it to see for yourself. Can the company try just a little harder, pls!!!
3. Dramas
As I mentioned countless times previously, one of the main ways SpeXial gains new fans is through acting, usually in company dramas. From the early 2000s to 2010, Comic has co-produced some of the most popular Taiwanese dramas, with many of them starring members of Fahrenheit. Dramas such as KO One, X-family, K.O.3anguo, It Started With a Kiss, Romantic Princess, Momo Love, M Riders, and many more, were all extremely popular during its run and are now considered Taiwan classics. However, after the debut of SpeXial, that all changed. Of the 12 TV dramas (there might be more but this is all I could find) that Comic co-produced, 6 of these dramas are part of the KO Series. Of the remaining 6, only 1 of them starred a member of SpeXial (i only count the drama if the member was a main cast member). Though SpeXial is a boy band so their focus should be on music, it is easier for them to achieve popularity through acting. For example, Fahrenheit was shot to fame due to KO One and remained extremely popular due to their music but more importantly, due to their many popular drama roles. During Fahrenheit's prime, the members appeared in dramas as a group in the KO series, often starred in dramas in pairs usually as the male lead and second male lead, or starred in dramas individually. The dramas they starred in were not limited to only dramas in the KO Series. This increased the group's chance of being popular. What I am trying to say is they did not put all their eggs into one basket. On the other hand, for SpeXial, before 2017, the members' main dramas were dramas in the KO Series. They only acted in a few dramas outside of Comic produced dramas between 2012-2017. There are 2 reasons why this is bad. First, the obvious reason is that those who are not fans of the series won't watch the dramas in the series and will thus never get to see SpeXial act. Secondly, the sequels drove away many long-time fans of the series. The first three dramas in the series are AMAZING and were insanely popular during their run. As a result, the series has lots of long-time hardcore fans, such as myself. However, after the 3rd drama, the series started going downhill. For example, it does a terrible job of remaining consistent. In every sequel, the main cast changes. This leads to confusion for fans of the series. In conclusion, from 2012-2017, the company kept all its eggs in one basket by letting the members mainly act in the KO Series and barely in other dramas. P.S. I will be writing about the KO series in another post so stay tuned if you want to learn more.
Another thing I want to add is that SpeXial has received hate all throughout the years for starring in the KO Series. Most longtime fans of the series were used to Fahrenheit being the main cast of the series. Many fans were able to neglect this during KO3anguo due to its amazing plot, but fans were very merciless against SpeXial for replacing Fahrenheit as the new stars of the series. Personally, I understood that this is inevitable as Fahrenheit is on indefinite hiatus as a group and the members want to focus on their individual activities. I feel like the public was too harsh against SpeXial for starring in the KO Series. This is not their decision, it is the company's. I feel that the company is to blame for this. One of the biggest problems with the KO Series is that these dramas do not feel like they are a part of a series. The connection between each sequel seems so forced and poorly done. The sudden disappearance of members and the sudden addition of new members has always been a complaint against the series. SpeXial was suddenly added to the cast and the members of Fahrenheit never truly "left." Fahrenheit's characters never make an appearance but are always mentioned and have roles in the drama. Ex. Aaron Yan's character, Meng Zhu, never appeared after X-Family, but in each sequel, the characters always talk about how he is leading the war. Had the series had the members of Fahrenheit graduate from the series or the transition from Fahrenheit to SpeXial been done smoother or the plot of the sequels was at the level of KO3anguo, fans would have been more lenient on SpeXial.
Also, not too sure what is up with their company but their company has not been active in producing dramas nor has had SpeXial release any music as a group from 2018-2020. All the members are scattered across Taiwan and Mainland China acting in dramas. Many of the members are gaining popularity from acting but they are members of a boy band so their main focus should be music. Comic is wasting time by not giving them a comeback in 2 years.
Edit: As I was editing this, I had a sudden epiphany. SpeXial basically only comes out with an album in conjunction with the airing of a new sequel of the KO Series. All their title tracks are the theme songs for some drama (almost always for a sequel in the KO Series). SpeXial almost seems like a project group for the KO Series. Aside from seeing them act, we also get to see the leads sings and perform. This makes SpeXial more of an acting group that also produces music on the side. I don't know. Tell me what you think of my theory in the comments below.
1. Dispersing Its Resources
One of Comic's main problem is the disbursement of its resources. I should actually rephrase. One of Comic's main problems is its LACK of disbursement of its resources. I could go on about this company but one of Comic's main problems is that it has way too many artists under its company. Aside from SpeXial, Comic has/had artists such as A'N'D, Peng Yu Chang, Dong Cheng Wei (RIP), Pets Tseng, Han, and etc. The CEO once said that Comic has over 200 trainees and artists. BRUH No wonder each artist has barely any resources. Instead of signing so many artists, the company should be more selective and focus on promoting a few groups and artists.
Not gonna lie, SpeXial is probably the company's most promoted group. A'N'D doesn't even have a real music video for god's sake and it's been 6 years. Despite being the company's most promoted group, the company is not giving SpeXial the resources they need to succeed. I will continue this point in points 2 and 3 of this list.
2. Music/Choreography
To be brutally honest, Taiwanese boy bands, in general, are extremely lacking in comparison to Korean boy bands. I swear I am not hating. Even Taiwanese artists and companies agree with this point. Taiwanese companies, such as Comic, send their trainees/artists to train in South Korea. They often regard Korean bands as a standard that they are working towards. However, of all the newer Taiwanese boy bands, SpeXial probably has some of the worst choreographies.
Disclaimer: once again, I am no professional singer, dancer, or rapper, so this is all my personal opinion. This is just my observation from watching many of their live performances.
There are 3 main skills that boy band members usually are expected to possess: singing, dancing, and rapping. I say "usually" because not every country's boy bands focus on the same skills. There are also different types of boy bands that focus on certain skills more than others.
Singing
This is just about their live performances. In their albums, they are all pretty good singers.
I think SpeXial has lots of potential in singing. I say this because their live stages are not the most stable. However, this is because they almost always sing live. It is common for idol groups to perform with recorded vocals in the background or just perform with only the background vocals. SpeXial almost always performs live with very little background vocals. My favorite vocalist in SpeXial is definitely Wayne. He is extremely stable and has a nice voice. His range is also pretty good. Brent is the other main vocalist in the group. Brent voice is a bit deeper and he tends to have more parts that show off his vocal range. In comparison to Wayne, Brent was less stable live but throughout the years he has become more and more stable. Wayne and Brent tend to have the most lines. As for the rest of the parts, due to the large number of members, some members barely have a solo line in the entire song (my poor Ian). This unfair distribution of lines makes it hard to tell how good some of the members are at singing. For example, Ian barely has any lines; however, in his solo songs (Little Star), you can see that he has nice vocals. From what I can observe, I think Win, Simon, Wes, and Evan have great vocals and are pretty stable on stage. I want to especially talk about Evan. He is pretty stable on stage, has very clear enunciation, a more powerful voice, and has range. As for the other members, in my opinion, they are less stable live. However, they all have a lot of potential because they all sound great in the album. I think if the company actually gave them time to practice and hired more vocal coaches for them, they would be way more stable live.
Dancing
Not gonna lie, this is the department that SpeXial lacks in the most. I think nowadays, most people are pretty strict when it comes to the boy band's dance skills due to the success of Kpop idols and their in-sync choreographies. (I mention Kpop idols so much because comparatively, they are more successful in their home nation as a mainstream genre of music, as well as, internationally as an up and rising genre. This is not to say that other bands from other countries are not good. Kpop groups are just often used as a standard to compare with other groups from other countries due to their success.) In terms of dance, the company does not really give the members many opportunities to showcase their dancing skills.
Choreography
Let's rewind back to 2012 when SpeXial first debuted. The company really tried to promote them as a group and help the group succeed. Before they debuted, the company sent the 4 members to South Korea to receive training for a month. One month isn't much but it's better than nothing. As 4 people who have little to no background in dancing and limited singing experience (Brent and Sam were street-casted and previously had no experience singing, dancing, or acting), you can tell that the members worked hard to improve their skills. Though Super Style's choreography is simple compared to Kpop, the choreography is one of the harder choreographies I have seen performed by SpeXial. Their dancing was clean, in-sync, and relaxed. They even tackled EXO's Mama which is pretty difficult. Now fast forward to 2018 for Buddy Buddy. OMG Their choreography is sooooo simple. I feel like the company doesn't really care about their choreographies. Most of their choreographies are super simple. Not only are their choreographies super simple, but also the members also are not very in-sync. You can watch in their live performances, which I will include a few down below, and you be the judge. Also, due to the members' busy schedules, they do not have time to practice. Dancing is a skill that can be improved over time. If the company gave them more time to practice rather than constantly filling their schedules with dramas or hosting gigs, they could definitely improve.
I am not saying SpeXial members can't dance. I am merely saying the company is not giving them good choreographies and is not giving them time to practice. As for the members' dancing skills, I have not seen too many solos from them, so I will not comment too much about their dancing. However, I want to especially talk about Ian. I have definitely seen him improve. When he first debuted his dancing was just average compared to the other members. However, during Boyz On Fire, his moves were very sharp and clean. He is also learning basic locking so he is tapping into different genres of dance and is trying to improve his dancing behind the scenes.
This is a dance practice version of Super Style, or their very first choreography. You can see that the choreography is medium difficulty but the members are all very in-sync and their moves are sharp and clean.
Sorry for the screaming from the fans. Due to the members' busy schedules, they almost never perform as 12 members. This is one of the few performances with all 12 members present.
This is their showcase for the latest song, Buddy Buddy. This dance is so simple, even for SpeXial.
I would also like to add that despite the simplicity of their choreographies, their choreographies are still very physically demanding due to the many changes in dance formations, so I am not trying to say that just because the choreographies are simple that SpeXial is not trying.
Here is one of their live performances where they performed many songs.
Choreography
Let's rewind back to 2012 when SpeXial first debuted. The company really tried to promote them as a group and help the group succeed. Before they debuted, the company sent the 4 members to South Korea to receive training for a month. One month isn't much but it's better than nothing. As 4 people who have little to no background in dancing and limited singing experience (Brent and Sam were street-casted and previously had no experience singing, dancing, or acting), you can tell that the members worked hard to improve their skills. Though Super Style's choreography is simple compared to Kpop, the choreography is one of the harder choreographies I have seen performed by SpeXial. Their dancing was clean, in-sync, and relaxed. They even tackled EXO's Mama which is pretty difficult. Now fast forward to 2018 for Buddy Buddy. OMG Their choreography is sooooo simple. I feel like the company doesn't really care about their choreographies. Most of their choreographies are super simple. Not only are their choreographies super simple, but also the members also are not very in-sync. You can watch in their live performances, which I will include a few down below, and you be the judge. Also, due to the members' busy schedules, they do not have time to practice. Dancing is a skill that can be improved over time. If the company gave them more time to practice rather than constantly filling their schedules with dramas or hosting gigs, they could definitely improve.
I am not saying SpeXial members can't dance. I am merely saying the company is not giving them good choreographies and is not giving them time to practice. As for the members' dancing skills, I have not seen too many solos from them, so I will not comment too much about their dancing. However, I want to especially talk about Ian. I have definitely seen him improve. When he first debuted his dancing was just average compared to the other members. However, during Boyz On Fire, his moves were very sharp and clean. He is also learning basic locking so he is tapping into different genres of dance and is trying to improve his dancing behind the scenes.
This is a dance practice version of Super Style, or their very first choreography. You can see that the choreography is medium difficulty but the members are all very in-sync and their moves are sharp and clean.
Sorry for the screaming from the fans. Due to the members' busy schedules, they almost never perform as 12 members. This is one of the few performances with all 12 members present.
This is their showcase for the latest song, Buddy Buddy. This dance is so simple, even for SpeXial.
I would also like to add that despite the simplicity of their choreographies, their choreographies are still very physically demanding due to the many changes in dance formations, so I am not trying to say that just because the choreographies are simple that SpeXial is not trying.
Here is one of their live performances where they performed many songs.
Rapping:
The main rappers in the group are Sam, Evan, and Riley. My favorites of the three are Sam and Evan. I think Evan is the most stable on stage. Also, he is fluent in English so his English enunciation is extremely clean. I love Sam's voice. He has a deeper, huskier voice that is really suited for rapping. However, sometimes he is not very stable live which is such a shame. Riley is also fluent in English so his rap tends to be in English as well. Different than Evan, Riley's raps are usually at the beginning where he hypes up the crowd. Because he is kind of a hype man, his rap tends to be a bit too forceful. I think if he rapped with less force, he would be more stable on stage. But he does act as a great hypeman. Evan and Riley often participate in writing raps for their song. Other members such as Wes, Wayne, and Simon also often rap in songs.
Music
Their music is better than their choreographies. Their albums usually consist of one catchy song with dance choreography and some ballads and other songs of other genres such as pop rock. Their catchy title tracks are pretty catchy which makes it easy for them to gain new fans. They usually serve as the title track of the newest KO Series drama. However, their other songs are also really good. I recommend you to listen to all the songs in the albums. I recommend Like Superman, Knight, Break It Down 11.11, and etc. Sadly, some members (mainly Ian, Dylan, and Zhi) barely have any parts which is a bummer. Here is a playlist of many SpeXial songs that someone compiled on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psekhnjdo4Q&list=PL3GDogpUzc2B2mbQHbEJqxBsu4xhPFYkr
Music Videos
SpeXial's music videos vary in quality. Some of their music videos are pretty well made. For example, music videos for 慶祝寂寞, Can't Breathe Without You, and Dangerous, just to name a few, are pretty good. However, we get extremely simple music videos such as 發飆 which is just the members standing in front of a black background with some lights and some cuts from the drama, KO One 2. I thought that was bad. Oh boy was I surprised. I mentioned their earlier but Buddy Buddy is literally the shittiest music video ever made. Just watch it to see for yourself. Can the company try just a little harder, pls!!!
3. Dramas
As I mentioned countless times previously, one of the main ways SpeXial gains new fans is through acting, usually in company dramas. From the early 2000s to 2010, Comic has co-produced some of the most popular Taiwanese dramas, with many of them starring members of Fahrenheit. Dramas such as KO One, X-family, K.O.3anguo, It Started With a Kiss, Romantic Princess, Momo Love, M Riders, and many more, were all extremely popular during its run and are now considered Taiwan classics. However, after the debut of SpeXial, that all changed. Of the 12 TV dramas (there might be more but this is all I could find) that Comic co-produced, 6 of these dramas are part of the KO Series. Of the remaining 6, only 1 of them starred a member of SpeXial (i only count the drama if the member was a main cast member). Though SpeXial is a boy band so their focus should be on music, it is easier for them to achieve popularity through acting. For example, Fahrenheit was shot to fame due to KO One and remained extremely popular due to their music but more importantly, due to their many popular drama roles. During Fahrenheit's prime, the members appeared in dramas as a group in the KO series, often starred in dramas in pairs usually as the male lead and second male lead, or starred in dramas individually. The dramas they starred in were not limited to only dramas in the KO Series. This increased the group's chance of being popular. What I am trying to say is they did not put all their eggs into one basket. On the other hand, for SpeXial, before 2017, the members' main dramas were dramas in the KO Series. They only acted in a few dramas outside of Comic produced dramas between 2012-2017. There are 2 reasons why this is bad. First, the obvious reason is that those who are not fans of the series won't watch the dramas in the series and will thus never get to see SpeXial act. Secondly, the sequels drove away many long-time fans of the series. The first three dramas in the series are AMAZING and were insanely popular during their run. As a result, the series has lots of long-time hardcore fans, such as myself. However, after the 3rd drama, the series started going downhill. For example, it does a terrible job of remaining consistent. In every sequel, the main cast changes. This leads to confusion for fans of the series. In conclusion, from 2012-2017, the company kept all its eggs in one basket by letting the members mainly act in the KO Series and barely in other dramas. P.S. I will be writing about the KO series in another post so stay tuned if you want to learn more.
Another thing I want to add is that SpeXial has received hate all throughout the years for starring in the KO Series. Most longtime fans of the series were used to Fahrenheit being the main cast of the series. Many fans were able to neglect this during KO3anguo due to its amazing plot, but fans were very merciless against SpeXial for replacing Fahrenheit as the new stars of the series. Personally, I understood that this is inevitable as Fahrenheit is on indefinite hiatus as a group and the members want to focus on their individual activities. I feel like the public was too harsh against SpeXial for starring in the KO Series. This is not their decision, it is the company's. I feel that the company is to blame for this. One of the biggest problems with the KO Series is that these dramas do not feel like they are a part of a series. The connection between each sequel seems so forced and poorly done. The sudden disappearance of members and the sudden addition of new members has always been a complaint against the series. SpeXial was suddenly added to the cast and the members of Fahrenheit never truly "left." Fahrenheit's characters never make an appearance but are always mentioned and have roles in the drama. Ex. Aaron Yan's character, Meng Zhu, never appeared after X-Family, but in each sequel, the characters always talk about how he is leading the war. Had the series had the members of Fahrenheit graduate from the series or the transition from Fahrenheit to SpeXial been done smoother or the plot of the sequels was at the level of KO3anguo, fans would have been more lenient on SpeXial.
Also, not too sure what is up with their company but their company has not been active in producing dramas nor has had SpeXial release any music as a group from 2018-2020. All the members are scattered across Taiwan and Mainland China acting in dramas. Many of the members are gaining popularity from acting but they are members of a boy band so their main focus should be music. Comic is wasting time by not giving them a comeback in 2 years.
Edit: As I was editing this, I had a sudden epiphany. SpeXial basically only comes out with an album in conjunction with the airing of a new sequel of the KO Series. All their title tracks are the theme songs for some drama (almost always for a sequel in the KO Series). SpeXial almost seems like a project group for the KO Series. Aside from seeing them act, we also get to see the leads sings and perform. This makes SpeXial more of an acting group that also produces music on the side. I don't know. Tell me what you think of my theory in the comments below.
too many member changes
This is one of the biggest complaints I have heard from fans of SpeXial.
I was like "Is Comic trying to create a NCT 2.0?" The addition of new members concerned me because members got fewer and fewer lines and fans might be turned away due to the constant changes. I love NCT's concept. Why I think NCT's concept works and SpeXial's constant sudden addition of members doesn't work is because we know from the start that NCT's concept is that there will always be new members added into the group. However, for SpeXial, the company never stated that SpeXial will constantly be adding new members and we never get any prior notice about new members joining. Everything comes at a surprise. The fans have no time to prepare for the new members' addition. Sometimes the addition of new members is pointless because the company doesn't even give them lines. Here are more of my thoughts about the constant line up changes.
This is one of the biggest complaints I have heard from fans of SpeXial.
I was like "Is Comic trying to create a NCT 2.0?" The addition of new members concerned me because members got fewer and fewer lines and fans might be turned away due to the constant changes. I love NCT's concept. Why I think NCT's concept works and SpeXial's constant sudden addition of members doesn't work is because we know from the start that NCT's concept is that there will always be new members added into the group. However, for SpeXial, the company never stated that SpeXial will constantly be adding new members and we never get any prior notice about new members joining. Everything comes at a surprise. The fans have no time to prepare for the new members' addition. Sometimes the addition of new members is pointless because the company doesn't even give them lines. Here are more of my thoughts about the constant line up changes.
- Almost every year, there is a lineup change. The constant change in lineup not only turns some fans away due to the sudden addition of new members but also causes conflict between members. There is a constant need for the group to adjust and build up teamwork with the members.
- Trying to play devil's advocate, I do see how this could be a pro. By adding more and more members, they might be able to attract new fans who like the new members. Here is my opinion about the addition of new members: I actually liked the addition of period 2 members. It made the group larger and the choreographies had better formations. All three members had many parts in the song. Evan can sing and rap pretty well which meant better vocals. Simon also helped the group gain lots of popularity. I do not know much about Teddy. I am pretty neutral about him. I cannot bring myself to hate Period 3 because I really like Ian and Win. In terms of period 3, my biggest complaint is how the company does not give Ian any fucking lines. Why add him if you aren't gonna give him lines?! It is not like Ian cannot sing or rap. They even gave Win lines and he's Japanese and barely spoke any Mandarin when he first debuted. Why didn't Comic just debut him as an actor instead? I honestly do not understand period 4 when Dylan and Zhi were added. At least Zhi acted in KO One 4. Dylan has never acted in any dramas in the KO series. Both Dylan and Zhi barely have lines. Dylan's main focus is in Mainland China. During the promotions of Buddy Buddy, he was absent; he only appeared in the music video and on the poster. Both Zhi and Dylan's focus is on acting rather than singing. I feel like Comic could have debuted them as actors rather than adding them to SpeXial. This way the two of them could better focus on acting.
individual activity
The company seems to prioritize the members' individual activities over their group activities. Members are always absent from promotions due to individual activities. Once again, as I mentioned above, this leads to members not having enough time to practice.
CONCLUSION
To wrap up this lengthy post, I would just like to say that I really like SpeXial but their company did them dirty. It has been 2 years since they have had any music. The members are now focusing on their own individual activities. Over half of the members have already left the group. Though I do not want to believe this, but I think SpeXial is on an indefinite hiatus and the members are just waiting for their contracts to expire so they can officially leave the group. Either that or the group will add new members if there is a new sequel to the KO Series. I wish Comic can finally stop wasting these boys' talents and try to manage them better. To be honest, leaving Comic might even be a good decision for the remaining members.
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