Korean pop idol Bi, popularly known as Rain, the winner of Asian Heartthrob 2006 is also MTV’s Artist of the month.

There were some comments in the Asian Heartthrob poll that Rain is not as good looking as Sam Milby or Piolo Pascual, so why was he declared the winner. First of all, the result of Asian Heartthrob came from the people’s votes. The people has chosen who makes their heart “throb” the fastest. The Asian Heartthrob website is visited by different people from various countries like the US, Canada and Australia and a significant number from various asian countries like Taiwan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan and not just the Philippines. Rain is very popular in these asian countries. And it’s fair to say the Sam and Piolo is only popular in the Philippines so far. Practically speaking, Rain is one of the most popular and most loved artist across Asia as well as first runner-up Jerry Yan of Taiwan and second runner-up Lee Dong Wook of Korea. Hence, they received the most number of votes among the 10 finalists. Our very own Dennis Trillo came in fourth place.

Second, being a heartthrob doesn’t necessarily require a handsome and charming face. He should have the “it” factor, the impact to the people, the mass appeal and talent. I must also add that Rain is the only Asian artist who has been included in the prestigious TIME magazine 100 Most Influential People of 2006. We’re talking about their range of influence here and Rain is definitely among the most influential all over Asia.