UPDATED: SHINee is Grown And Sexy For Arena Homme+'s October Issue

The boys men of SHINee are set to cover the October issue of Korea's Arena Homme+ magazine.  They've been featured in many magazines over the years, but this time they're special enough to warrant 5 separate covers for each member.  How fabulous is that?  I'm crossing my fingers that this dark and sexy editorial is a foreshadowing of the concept for their rumored Korean comeback, because this One Direction-ish "Boys Meet U" nonsense has got to go.

UPDATED: With official HQ cover scans and all interviews except Key's.

(Key's pic goes first because it's still his birthday in the U.S.  Happy Birthday Key!)

The following are all the images and interviews that are available so far. 

(All interviews have been compiled from various sources so there will be differences in format and quality of translation)

Taemin's Interview:

I watched your audition video. You said “I’ll do my best to death” with a baby face. How old were you?

I was a sixth grader. I liked dancing so much I was practicing without any plan or a role model before the audition. At that time I was really firmly determined even as I look back. To the extent it made people uncomfortable from my trainee days to early debut days.

You must have had an intense desire of something.

I got hurt a lot at that time. I thought a singer should sing well but I didn’t have much vocal training because I was going through a pubescent break of voice. Since I debuted in such a state, all my mind was filled with the thought of catching up as soon as possible. My pride got hurt since a singer was only dancing. I was tormented even by a joking comment which I took seriously. But I think I’m the type of person who gets better with criticism.

Trainees compete with each other and get hurt. Since you debuted in middle school days, it must have been more pungent.

In fact I said I needed more time to think the first time my company suggested debut. I thought I wasn’t ready to debut at that time. It could be an excuse as I now look back. There’s nothing you can do if you start to excuse yourself for circumstances in which you can’t practice. You can make it possible. If there’s no time, you can practice in a vehicle on transit. When I had 3 or 4 hours for sleep after finishing our daily schedule in our early debut days, I went to the practice room to sing and dance by myself. As I practiced so crazily, I was able to see slow progress. Then my heart was somewhat relieved.

You came of age this year. SHINee is in 6th year after debut. Have you ever felt sorry for being seen only as ‘maknae’ since debut?

I don’t mind it much usually. And I’m now clever enough to sometimes use my image as maknae (laugh). While I get the way many times as maknae, I also get to think more. It won’t look good for a maknae to be too greedy. So I tend to save words and follow rather than voice my position.

You are mature. A 20-year old doesn’t think like that. One needs to spit out what one wants to say and make some trouble.


I had such a period a bit early. I was like that in our early debut days. Puberty came early to me. Around the 6th grade time? At that time I was really like a fiend. I was negative at everything and cynical.

You spent your school time through SHINee. You must have become mature early as you started your social life early.

Seems so. I debuted underage and have come of age. Time flies by. Being mature means internal growth, but I think I’m now only learning how to cope with certain situations through social life. In 6th year after debut, I become more aware of reality.

You lived half of your life in the eyes of the public. No regrets on missing a common school day life?

I couldn’t go on a school trip with friends in my school days. When I hear of it indirectly, my heart gets touched. Envious. However, I gained something else. I’m satisfied with my current life. Living a different life, being an entertainer is unique. By the way, becoming unique seems to be important in the entertainment world. Entertainers also follow other entertainers. A trend-setter looks cool. Not only in music but also in the general area including fashion and entertainment.

You add ‘contemporary band’ title before your name in greeting. You look like you want to be differentiated from other boy groups.

Musically we receive diverse songs from Denmark, Sweden, England, etc. We try a variety of genres and concepts, and the same with styling. Generally SHINee’s team color feels more colorful than other teams’. Our members have different personalities and colors. I think SHINee’s style got into shape through Juliette and with our performance getting stronger and band aspect added during Dream Girl time we established ‘refreshing and cool’ as SHINee’s unique image.

SHINee is still experimenting. Is there any image you want to try in the future?

I hope we could have such an image that makes people curious ‘What kind of boys are they?” As mysterious as we can be. Being rare.

Vague as it may be, what will Taemin’s future be like?

I would like to keep an artistic feel. A proper time should come to anyone, so I’m studying composition and practicing in preparation of it. Since I don’t know when it will be, I get to save energy. Maybe that’s why I get to hide rather than reveal as I turn 20.

You look like saving energy inside continuously. How big will the blow-up be?

Blowing it up or not, I think I’d better save it.

You are only 20 in your 6th year. This is a real advantage.

Other teams’ hyungs say so too, that they are envious. (laugh)

How do you recover from fatigue from your busy schedule?

I’m still young, so it’s ok if I can sleep well. But there’s mental fatigue. I think it’s time to get some healing. So I’m forcing myself to have a personal time and take some hobby.

What kind of hobby?

I’m into skateboarding these days. It’s early morning after finishing our schedule, and there are few people. I go to the park at the Han River and skateboard by myself. (Showing his elbow) see I got skinned here. (laugh)

Trans: jujugal

Onew's Interview:

Q1: Usually when there is no schedule, what do you do?

A: Usually sleep, sleep, sleep or go outside. I like playing darts so I’ll go out alone.

Q2: You go there alone? Don’t you feel uncomfortable when people recognize you, say hello, or ask you for autograph?

A: Is there any problem with going out alone? I have no discomfort going out alone. I don’t care much about such things.

Q3: There are many games to play, but why specifically do you play darts?

A: I tried playing billiards and bowling, then I moved to playing darts. It is attractive. These days, darts machine developed so that you can play it with stranger on line. It is totally fine to play it alone.

Q4: not long ago, the sitcom ended. You set your foot on the field of acting.

A: at first, it was a bit burdensome. Being a singer, the thought of ‘how should I act?’ kept arising in my head. Actors are people who are trained for acting from the beginning. There are people like them, but I just got the good chance; I didn’t want to be a harm to them.

Q5: Have you fallen in to the attraction of acting?

A: I had fun, but it was hard for me not to express at the same time as I express.

Q6: huh? What do you mean?

A: As a singer, I always try to find the camera. Not looking into camera and do something is very difficult. Furthermore, the shooting of the sitcom was done in a theatrical way. It was taken straight uncut from the beginning to end. If I forgot the lines, I had to do ad-libs but I have acted in musicals before so I could overcome the mistakes naturally.

Q7: You are the leader of the group as well as the eldest. What is the privileges of being a leader?

A: A privileged leader? For example, when I go (abroad<- not written in the korean script, but bc of the context we can assume that he goes abroad) to Hotels for performances, I get to use the room by myself. Usually we are divided into groups of two, two and one, so I get to use the room alone.

Q8: If so, what type of elder brother you are, aside from being leader?

A: It seems like I just embrace everything. In the past, I wasn’t that sort of person, but at some point I changed. Or else, I get stressed out. But it does not mean that I compel them to follow my directions.

Q9: Do you hang out with your group members?

A: I see them 24/7, why should I see them for another occasion again? What kind of topic do I have to talk about with them? I should make topics to talk about outside the group. Each group members have their own friends.. I hang out with my friends from elementary, middle, and high school.

Q10: Do you open purse when you play with friends?

A: Yes, our rule is whoever is able to pay pays.

Q11: Then Onew, you must be a great friend among friends.

A: When I could not visit my parents for 2 to 3 years after the debut, my friends even postponed the serving in the military duty to behave like sons to my parents. They were very considerate, and they visited my parents’ shop and they even visited my parents in holidays because they were worried about my parents who must have felt lonely. That’s why I do not feel any wasted (when I open my wallet for them).

Q12: They are such amazing friends. Are your friends nice or did you just maintain good relationship with them?

A: It’s because they are nice so that I can maintain a good relationship. Hmm. Because they got their girl friends, they are starting to neglect me than before.. When a friend brings his girl friend with him, we hang out together with her. I sit next to them saying “Are you feeling happy?”. To my real friends or close acquaintances I tell them “do not think of me as a celebrity.” I don’t have to meet my riends feeling awkward.

Q13: You changed your hair color. Even such a thing is a hot topic among fans. Your every little move attracts attention and don’t you feel as if you are the center of the universe?

A: Not at all. Before I became a celebrity I thought like that but not anymore. I am only a small part of this world. The place I’m sitting now, is not visible from a far. Performing in front of thousands of audiences? It will also look like nothing and can’t be seen from the far; it’s nothing.

Q14: It has been five years since you debuted. What do you think has changed?

A: I became bold. At first everything was hard and awkward. But now when I work, I think “Oh, I have done that before.” Then now though I have something I have never done before, I think ‘If I do this now, I would do it better next time.’

Q15: You have become more handsome, don’t you feel it?

A: Not long ago, I looked at the photos from my elementary school. There was a picture of myself laughing, and it was the same as the present. It was highly amazing because I could tell that the structure of my bones were the only thing changed. My look, it’s because the staff members take a good care of my hair and make-ups. Everyone can be handsome if you make your mind and get cared of.

Q16: Does it mean that you don’t feel proud of yourself when you look into the mirror?

A: To feel proud of myself, I take care of my fashion these days. I’m aging- it doesn’t mean that I became old- I wanted to dress myself up a little since I am of an age that can bloom. In the past all I did was to think about it, but now I am trying to take action. I ask this and that, and I try them on.

Q17: Idol’s necessity, the good shaped body. Do you build up your body?

A: You mean, training? Yes, these days I do a bit.

Q18: Do you have good body shape?

A: no.

Q19: Come to think of it, never saw you naked.
A: I don’t take my clothes off. Even my body becomes more masculine, I don’t think I will show it to other people. It does not always feel great when other people see my body.. well if I like my body myself and be pleased, that is a different story. Thus I think now a days people have good body shape but they look alike too much. I have the body of my own.

Cr:  Elisa, 꼬잉봇, Rengnim

Jonghyun's Interview:

Q: What music does SHINee’s main vocalist listens to?

J: Listening to Robin Thicke and Pharrell recently. I will try to look for music which are beneficial in recording. Example the songs which Korean idols need to practice the most to are Justin Timberlake’s songs. It’s textbook for idol’s music.

Q: There’s idol music this stand-alone genre?
J: Of course there is. It’s music which needs to be showcase, so stimulating rhythm are often used. It’s music which requires performance and visual decisions.

Q: Have you considered composing your songs directly?

J: I’m a voluntary composer. I decided I should compose songs when I was in a band during high school. Then I became a singer after joining the company.

Q: Were there any prejudice towards idol music when you were in the band?

J: When I was young, I only felt that only my idol’s music is the best and inclined to ignoring the others. This was when I was very young. There was even a story about thirst for music, which was like due to the era’s background. Now the market has already changed. The audience’s visual and audio senses are different from the past too. The idols can also produce all kinds of music now.

Q: Idol is a kind of job occupation too, surely there are frustrated moments.

J: There is pressure being an artiste. Even though you have to bear with the point of having less freedom, but there’s even people whom used my information for ID usage. Felt invaded because of these illegal actions but I’m already used to it now.

Q: Because you are under this company, actually you can be regarded as a company’s employee too. Then are there moments where you don’t wish to work too?

J: The most crucial problem is my condition. If my body condition is poor, recordings and practices won’t progress smoothly. If you are not efficient while doing tasks, the pressure will be very big. In that way, the outcome too will be very sad but there’s no way to manage my own body condition everyday according to the schedule, so sometimes have to do it too no matter what.

Q: This is the pressure that working adults basically face.

J: Even though you are an idol but actually there’s nothing special. While chatting with friends, it’s like the same pressure they face in their daily lives but we have a benefit too, that is our social lives started early. Mine has already been 6 years.

Q: You are already at an agent level.

J: Haha. Because it has been 6 years, it’s not bad to be able to communicate well in the society. My friends are still being ignored by the society.

Q: That is indeed very tiring.

J: The pressure that I feel from the society, even though I would complain to friends but friends whom haven’t started their lives in the society are unable to feel the same, so we just simply don’t talk about work. Friends are unable to feel the same and are also busy with preparations for working life, so there might be a possibility of feeling detachment. We would mainly chat about things in the past. There was once in junior high when a senior pulled me over and nearly beat me up, a friend whom was quick on his feet rescued me. We would always talk about this incident every time we meet, very meaningful every time. Compared to talking about the current status, it seems even more meaningful to dig up the past memories.

Q: Men will reminisce about the past with their close friends; will talk about women and football with friends.

J: Correct. We will only talk about interests during the stage of getting closer because close friends will know about each other’s interests.

Q: To drink and have fun is the rhythm of youth.

J: I only don’t drink and smoke but will often go to pubs/clubs. I don’t care about the others’ opinions, just really like to chat with friends at good places, nothing different from people our age. Sometimes I would go to internet cafes too. It’s a very exciting moment when you open the internet cafe’s door and walk in. It’s also very interesting when you collected the non-member’s card at the counter. I find this side of me very amusing. Because I couldn’t play games so I go to enjoy the atmosphere.

Q: But friends’ attention will probably change when hit mid 20s.

J: Some friends were very envious when I attended music school but as age increases, they too gradually stepped back into reality. They understand an idol’s hardship. Now there are no longer any friends whom envy me because they have their own paths. If I complain about being very tired, they too will accept my grouses and said this is how life is.

Q: There’s politics no matter in which organisation. How is politics like in the idol world?

J: It should be the same as other company. There are tips. Because knowing the efficiency will be the highest when 5 are practising together so will practice together even though it’s late. Also because know which timing is the most suitable for recording, thus will choose that timing for recording.

Q: There’s a perspective that idols are a company’s product.

J: SHINee is slightly different. The company gave us a framework, the members will participate in the production stage, gave a lot of input, when there’s problems, the members will often solve it on the spot too. Need to control the production process in order to make use of the company’s top resources and help, the members will enter production as player. Can consider it a kind of collaboration.

Q: Are there any benefits being in SM, this kind of enormous establishment company?

J: There will be a lot of unexpected parts being shown. This point is a very huge benefit. Because in order to showcase our forte, there will be hundreds brainstorming together and packaging to present a better product.

Q: SHINee is currently at the peak but no matter what the company will have an expiry date shelf life.

J: Singers are story tellers. Because I’m very interested in producing and composing so I hope to produce more music. I’m working towards becoming a composer in accordance with my age. Those 24 years old composers too are also like me composing, practising, penning lyrics and selling their compositions. I’m preparing at a comfortable pace according to my age.

Cr.: Chinese translation: yoyoyuan
English translation: eimanjjong

Minho's Interview:

(a compilation of translations by a few different people.  I will update if I find a better one)

Q: As a fan of soccer, which group do you think will win for this year’s English Premiere League?

Minho: Chealsea. Hazard and Oscar are crazy - they really did very well. 2nd will probably be Machester City?.

Q: Do you watch all the matches on weekends?

Minho: I’ve watched almost all the live. Because I can watch it on my phone. I watch the highlights too.

Q: The general public will always say: Minho is the one in SHINee who raps. Have you ever thought of changing roles? Like to become the lead singer, to become more influential.. have you?

Minho: I have ambitions. I currently have not been able to fully present myself… to sum it up, I have not been fully prepared when I have debuted. I felt that it is a pity (I could have done more) for the 1-2years, like a pabo who doesn’t know what is happening, just following orders. Forming a group with these 5 people wasn’t easy.

Q: There will be times where opinions will differ, things you want to do will be different as well.
Minho: We will tell one another (our views), and find the best (option/solution).

Q: Among idols, SHINee is one of the group with high perfection. But being bound to the title as ‘idols’, there are negative impacts.

Minho: No. Because it is a circle (of idols), in this circle, (groups) can become leaders and (groups) can break through this circle as well. Many people say: All of you are the best amongst others, all of you are really great. Every time (we) hear such praises, we will want to move forward to reach another level. Will think, we have already done so much, we have to continue moving forward together.

Q: There are really a lot of idols out there. Seeing new idols coming up and receiving attention, what thought do you have about that?

Minho: TVXQ and Super Junior hyungs have told us ‘Seeing what all of you have done, we are motivated’. Same goes for me as well, I will be motivated, I will want to do even better.

Q: The 3rd album(s) have received rather good response. But there are fans who felt there is a pity - a pity that despite having such well-produced album, you were not able to gain more attention for it.

Minho: Fans really love it. But from an idol point of view, idol’s fans are ‘mobile’, fleeting. We have no control of that, Our members are clear on this point as well. Perhaps all idols know this well. With this in mind, compared to what we have accomplished, we have garenered more love. Same goes for our 3rd album.

Q: Which idols have motivated you recently?

Minho: Our company’s EXO. But (all) newbie groups are all eye-catching. As a person who has experience on stage, watching those performance will understand and know that it takes a lot of hard work to be able to do that/reach there.

Q: Amongst the members, only Minho is having a more active role in acting, seems like it’s because you are the most handsome.

Minho: If you really have probe, it’s me, hahahha, I am probably the most well-liked face by the public amongst us.

Q: Medical Top Team” has begin filming. How’s is it?


Minho: With activities related to the albums, I didn’t have much time to prepare.

Q: Do you monitor (acting)?

Minho: I do. If I’m busy, I’ll just watch the parts I appeared on. It helps a lot by monitoring. I’ll watch it again and again, I’ll watch again after some time has passed.

Q: The acting of idols are perpetually being discussed, comments by others on Minho’s acting doesn’t seem bad.


Minho: It’s over-praising. (T/N: Minho means he doesn’t deserve all that praise. He thinks they are exaggerated.)

Q: Fans ask for idols to be more free-spirited and not always abide by the company’s rules, do you know fans have such wishes?

Minho: Yes, I know. When I hear things like that, my first thought would be “If so, SM can’t exist.”, we should go to somewhere we can better express our views and thoughts. There are producers in the company, and also the people who give us help, first we have to listen to what these people tell us, then we can raise questions and express ourselves. It doesn't mean that we have to leave the company if we dont like this process.

Trans: Personal_Minho, thpapergangster, Mrminho, laetitia_aw, MissPhotoSlut.

More to come, so check back soon!

Leave me all your Dark SHINee Arena Homme+ feels in the comments below!

Source: ArenaKorea,  Reminiscense via forever_shinee, jujugal, fybottomho, eimanjjong, sunshineeonew.  Take out with full credit.

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