the name 소녀시대 (Girls' Generation)

If there is something that has been most discussed in the history of SNSD, it is nothing but the name SNSD itself. 

소녀시대 . So Nyuh Shi Dae. Girls’ Generation.

It was a pretty funny name for a Korean girl group. At a time when all other idol groups are choosing English names left and right, they are stuck with a fairly old-fashioned title that is aptly translated as ‘Era of Maidens’. Some of them didn’t like the name at first; but as they grew on to be recognized under that title, they have come to love and understood the reason why they are given that name. That perhaps, they are destined to be named such.

If you would look at it closely, Girls’ Generation does represent this generation.


Taeyeon represents the determined dreamers. Those who fought their way through the storms. Those who almost gave up but didn’t give in. The courageous girls who had a dream and worked hard to achieve it; that even if the road towards that goal was full of obstacles, suffering, pain, and failure, still braved their way and made it through. Wounded maybe, but still whole and eager. They are those who are born to succeed.

Jessica for the misjudged ones. They are those with their pretty made-up faces, nice clothes, and few friends. The kind of girls who have this certain something we cannot name but the first thoughts we would have of them is that of envy. Sometimes, the envy is too powerful that it clouds our reason and we fail to see that beneath that cold facade, she is still a girl. A girl who gets hurt, a girl who cries, a girl who fights and that amid the hate and difficulties, still made it through with her spirit whole and shining.

Sunny, for the strong and independent spirits. Those who are often underestimated; most of the time, unnoticed; but always the hardest and most skilled workers. The girls who do not give a strong impression as much as others, but when the going gets tough, you see them lasting longer than the rest. They are the brave girls who put up a smile even if they know that they’re dying, the industrious students who worked their way through college and did so in flying colors, the girls who continue to live on despite the problems. They are those who proved people wrong, who exceeded expectations, who reached for the stars but kept their feet on the ground.

Tiffany, the strong believers. The girls who believed and will continue to do so no matter what people say. Those who put faith in their dreams, in their beliefs, in themselves. They are those who, somewhere along the way, got battered with pain and suffering but still continued to fight. They are the faithful and loyal ones who even when the world has lost faith in them, still didn’t lose faith in themselves. Honed by experience and grounded by faith, their strong determination oftentimes concealed by their gentle natures.

Hyoyeon for the fierce and head strong women. Those who pride themselves in being different. Those who prove that girls can do just whatever men can. And most of the times, they can do it better. They are the girls who have defied the limits granted by society to what women can do. Those who bank on their skills, reason, and hard work to empower themselves. Despite the strong aura, these girls also know how to mellow down. They know that being a woman is not just about being strong. It’s about being who you are and being proud of it every step of the way.

Yuri can be seen anywhere and everywhere. She represents majority of girls. They are the girls who think they are average, who oftentimes lose confidence with themselves. The girls who think that they could have been prettier, fairer, skinnier, and other what-not. But despite these little insecurities, they do not lose hope. They maintain a positive outlook and do not let their flaws eat up their fighting spirit. They are those who will continue to smile even if their hearts are breaking. Those who will continue to love despite the pain because they still have that hope that everything will fall into place. They are the girls who think that they are nothing special but the truth is, they shine. They are beautiful and they deserve every love and respect in the world.

Sooyoung will always be the face of the late bloomers. The weird ones. They are the loud, boyish, crazy, and hyper girls you once met in grade school. They will care less about the pounds if it means a whole platter of chocolate cake. They are those who won’t comb their hair unless you tell them to. Those who will not give a damn about what boys might think about them because they are contented with their circle of friends. They are the girls nobody ever cared about until everything changed. These weird girls grew up. And they grew up more beautifully than the rest. People usually think that it is time which changed them. But the truth is, they have always been like that. They have always been beautiful but they just chose not to. After all, if you can’t accept them at their worst, you don’t deserve them at their best.

Yoona, the imperfect perfect girls. They are those who are loved and respected by the people around them yet you still wonder why they have people who will always think negatively of them. These are girls not exceptional in any way except for the fact that they are flawless. They are not ugly, dumb, or cruel and the fact that there exists such person makes it unfathomable for a cynical few. Nevertheless, these girls are those who no matter how the world taints a bad image of, will always remain pure. They will always be themselves. One in a million.

Seohyun for the chosen few. In this world we live in wherein people are more comfortable of what is wrong than what is right, it is a breathe of fresh air to meet someone like Seohyun. They are the girls who might have never heard of kpop as they are busy writing their book-long essays in Metaphysics. Sometimes, they are those who mingle more with people older than them than those who are of their age. The principled ones who always exceed expectations. Those who do well in everything that they do. Those who sometimes prefer the pragmatic reality than the fickle and ever-changing dictate of the heart. Despite this, they do know how to have fun. They just know their limitations and they have really good sense of control. Girls like these are rare but they exist.

And as a whole, Girls’ Generation is what their names say they are. They represent the Girls and they represent the Generation. Different girls from different walks of life. But all of them, wonderful. :)


credit/Source: bamthegreat