When I need to unwind, I pull up some soothing ASMR videos on YouTube. I know what you might be thinking. Ew, chewing and food sounds and fingernails on chalkboards? Gross! But there is more to ASMR than just scritching and chewing. In honour of Natalia’s new KSMR (Kpop ASMR) podcast, I thought I’d share some of my favourites with you. I tend to enjoy more of the whispering and pampering role play style videos, but there are so many different kinds of ASMR available, I really think there is something for everyone.
JSMR
One of the very first ASMRtists I started watching was nct’s Jeno. Available to watch on the nct Daily official YouTube channel, Jeno does a lovely job. He is a natural at ASMR and really seems to enjoy himself. Jeno experiments with a variety of different sounds using food, books and other props to create fun and relaxing videos. Sadly there hasn’t been a new JSMR video added to the channel since June 2019, but the content there is very enjoyable so I definitely recommend checking it out.
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ALB in Whisperland
One of my very favourite YouTubers is ALB from ALBinWhisperland. She has a lovely, soft style and always makes me feel like I’m hanging out with a friend. While her content doesn’t generally fall into the ‘Asian Entertainment’ category, ALB often does unboxing videos from various subscription boxes. If you are into food sounds and mukbang style videos, you should check out her snack box unboxing videos. She tries out the snacks and discusses the flavours and textures of each food. If you’ve been curious what sorts of snacks come in some of those Japanese or Korean snack box subscriptions, good unboxing videos give a great overview.
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Latte ASMR
Latte ASMR has some of the most detailed, gorgeously plotted out roleplay ASMR videos that I have ever seen. Her roleplay videos are like watching a short film or one-woman play. They mainly feature scenarios where she pampers and cares for you in various ways. Ever daydreamed about being rescued by a leather-clad secret agent woman or wanted to get your ears pierced without the pain? Latte is your girl.
One of the unique features of Latte’s channel is that she creates videos in English, Korean, and Japanese. If you want to get more familiar with some of the Asian languages that you enjoy dramas and music in, ASMR videos can be a relaxing way to do that. Latte often adds some Korean history and heritage into her videos. Two of her older videos are designed to help English speakers learn the Hangul alphabet. Her Traditional Korean Makeup video shows her wearing a hanbok and starts with her discussing a little bit of the history of makeup in the Joseon period. Latte has a lovely soft voice and a beautiful smile. If you’re looking for relaxation, this is the channel for you.
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KSMR
Our very own Natalia Ryan has dabbled into the world of ASMR with her YouTube channel and now her new podcast. The term KSMR stands for Kpop ASMR and involves Natalia reading kpop thirst tweets that she finds on the internet. Have you ever tweeted something nasty about your favourite kpop idol? Left a thirsty remark in the comment section on a music video on YouTube? Then your work might be featured in one of her KSMR episodes. The new podcast is sort of like a late night radio show. Soft jazz plays in the background while she softly reads some of the nastiest things ever said about some of your favourite men of the kpop world. Her KSMR videos on YouTube involve her unboxing cds and using props such as lightsticks and fans while reading your most inappropriate comments. Each episode is themed around a specific group or idol. I have mixed feelings about these episodes because while they are freaking hilarious and the prop ASMR is spot-on, I’m usually laughing way too hard to get any relaxation benefits from them 🤣
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Bonus ASMR Fanfiction
I wanted to close of with a little plug for a really cute Wangxian AU that I’m reading over on Twitter written by user @lanzhqn. Done in the form of a social media posts, the story features all your favourite characters from The Untamed as YouTubers with varying degrees of fame. Lan Wangji is a very popular ASMRtist who Wei Wuxian falls in love with, prompting him to start his own silly ASMR channel in the hopes of drawing the attention of his love. If you’re on Twitter, enjoyed The Untamed, and love ASMR like I do, you will probably really enjoy this fun and addictive fanfiction. I’m honestly so mad now that GusuCloudVids isn’t a real ASMR channel. I would definitely watch Wang Yibo in costume playing a zither for an hour or ten 😘
Do you enjoy ASMR? Do you have some favourite channels that you think I should check out? Let me know what they are in the comments below. Hope you enjoy checking out some of my faves when you’re looking for something new.
Natalia