#SO HES BEING REPRESENTED BY HYUNBIN ^_^

[onlyoneofyongsoo]

Why BUB actually fits into OOO's catalogue

Bump Up Business has been criticised for many things, and don’t get me wrong, it’s far from perfect, but there is one question I have heard a lot: “Why did OnlyOneOf of all people choose to do this? Doesn’t this show play exactly into the thing we have been defending them of?”

My own answer to this is yes and no. But let me explain. 

In this I will not be discussing what the writers had in mind, because I don’t know them. But I’ll talk about why I think it makes sense OnlyOneOf would tell this kind of story, whether they actually had any say in choosing this drama or not.

The main argument for most peoples' criticism I’ve seen is “This show is about/glorifying queerbaiting.” But is it really? Both of the characters are already queer. Jihoon has dated at least one man and is very aware of his own sexuality. Eden is quickly established as being very insecure in his own sexuality, not because he’s straight, but because he’s queer and finds that hard to accept. So the show is about queer characters. 

Okay, so how does the queerbaiting fall into this? Obviously there is queerbaiting present. Their company practically forces them to do it. Eden is very reluctant, but agrees after the company gives him an ultimatum. Jihoon is less reluctant, but also in a tight spot. He has fallen off and this is seemingly his last chance to save his career, something he wouldn’t give up even for the man he loved. So the characters take no pleasure in the queerbaiting, but is it a problem to them? Yes, actually. It is made clear that they have trouble telling apart what is real feelings and what’s just work. In episode 4 for example Jihoon asks Eden if he is struggling with their concept after Eden revealed how insecure he is in his sexuality. The question comes from a place of caring and honesty. Eden then answers that he is okay because it’s "just work". Since emotions and their hidden identities are now part of their work it gets all muddled and confusing for them. 

You might say now “But that’s not the problem with queerbaiting! They’re leading their fans on!” And from a fan’s perspective I agree. They are leading them on. But this isn’t about fans, this show is about idols. What would it be like for a queer idol to work in an industry where you are urged to act queer but to never be queer? How would that affect your personal life?

In the drama the queer characters hide their identity. Even after Hyunbin spread these awful rumours about Jihoon, they don’t reveal their relationship. Evidently having rumours about being with women is still better than revealing that you’re gay. The entire time they keep any real relationships under wraps. 

On top of that, in a way Eden has to out himself for his job. Even though he of course isn’t allowed to be actually queer, acting this lovey-dovey with another man in public sure must feel like he’s coming out and he is clearly uncomfortable with that. Interviewers and netizens are constantly questioning their relationship as well. Are they gay? Are they straight? Do they naturally act that way? Is the company forcing them? Having all your actions be scrutinised and dissected like this, especially as a closeted queer person is terrifying. 

Once again I’m not claiming that the writers wanted to represent queer idols’ struggles, but I think you can understand how this might be able to be read that way, especially by idols themselves. 

Now how does this fit in with OnlyOneOf’s usual work, besides the obvious queer element? For that I’d like to remind you of June 2022. That is the month we started off the undergrOund idOl project. If you’re like me, then that name probably made you question it. What does it mean? I remember theories about it being about struggling as a relatively unknown group and things along those lines. Luckily they gave us hints in several articles by letting us know that the series is about “the inner side of idols who shine on stage”. Okay, cool! So is it about struggles with fame? Like a glimpse behind the mask? Let’s look at the videos! Hm… Not much about idol life here actually… They’re all just.. queer? How curious. Almost as if they want to highlight the queerness so many idols or celebrities have to hide?

So OnlyOneOf, a group whose behaviours and sexualities are constantly being dissected and who is famous for telling and highlighting genuine queer stories, even connecting those stories to what idols have to hide, choose a drama that is about queer idols who have to navigate their queerness in an industry that demands “fake queerness” but has no room for real queer people. This doesn’t actually seem that surprising to me. Does it to you?

Last comments:

I don’t think that BUB is a critical masterpiece tastefully portraying the harsh reality of queer celebrities. I think that the producers and writers did not do a good job and that OnlyOneOf’s own work is a lot better. But I can absolutely see how this story fits into the larger picture and why this could be appealing to them. I don’t know if they even had any say in doing the drama to begin with. But I just wanted to provide a different point of view. Maybe someone found this interesting at least <3

[hadleysmis]

Well I didn't know there was such rarity of Koreans on tumblr, I would've thought, at least with anglophone based diaspora, there would be more on this app of this fandom ㅜㅜ

I think I did write a response perhaps months ago, so I'll replay it back. I'm guessing the question popping up again meant that these names were not favourable alas. But, this was what I suggested:

- Taeyang

Unisex, means literally the sun. Quite rare tho since it literally phonetically means the Sun (stats say there's around about only 5000-6000 babies named this currently).

The hanja can be different or exactly the same to the Sun, e.g. you can change the characters to be like 'gigantic sheep' if you wanted to. As long as the phonetics line up.

- Oobin/Ubin (禹斌)

Literally just means to shine. The name can be female, but it's mainly male. If it's bin in this case and you're a girl, they might think the bin is the 'princess' bin.

- Hyunbin 😏 (賢彬)

Means 'wise shine'. It is also the name of a very famous actor. If you just use bin here, it means handsome. So the nickname can just be Bin.

-

In Korea, Chinese characters as name etymology is important, to the extent that it does influence how we see each other.

So saying "You are Bin as in princess bc you're so pretty" to be replied with "No, why do ppl say that, it's because I represent the dawn of the future." Can be a possible conversation, for example.

As @the-reynolds-pamphlet already said, names can be pure Korean in its etymology.

Although I do want to say that this apparently 'gives off a vibe'. Like for example, when I chose for another Korean name for myself (for trans reasons), I was told to change it from my chosen pure-hangeul name to a hanja one, bc apparently in pure hangeul, I gave off an egotistical vibe lmaoo

People can often go by one syllable of their name. So even if his name is like Hyunbin, he can go through his life being called Bin.

The characters @the-reynolds-pamphlet suggested are also very good for name etymology.

OP is more than welcome to search and jigsaw any characters to her choosing, too.

Lastly, sometimes ppl just add a syllable bc it's the familial generational fortune cycle rota. So not every syllable carries meaning.

So if you liked the sound, but didn't know why he would have a certain character, you can use the reasoning above to make you feel better 😂

My dear Korean and Korean-speaking Les Mis friends!! I'm crafting a simple character sheet for the LM characters featured in my teacher AU, and I'm honestly stuck at coming up with Enjolras' Korean name 😔 Does anyone have any names they'd like to donate to this poor guy right here? 😢

I'm looking for a unisex name for him, though one with feminine characters could work too, and any names that could mean bright/light/sun/angelic etc., as per his Enjolrasian nature!

Feel free to donate any names to this lil guy in the tags or in dms!! Or just use this post to bounce off Korean/Asian headcanons of LM characters in general :p I love seeing them all

[sevencentral]

heather michelle ophelia jolene for the eldest !

HEATHER <3

JOLENE <3

OPHELIA <3

[lgcmanager]

SEASON 001, PART 001

The word is out; starting from OCTOBER 31ST, tvM will be airing LEGACY PROJECT: FUTURE DREAMS, a nine-week survival show based around Legacy Entertainment’s trainees.

                                   PARTICIPANTS LIST && READ MORE HERE

Early morning, on OCTOBER 7TH, trainees who signed up for the show are picked up at the the dorms to head to the hair salon. After getting their hair and makeup done, they are taken to a CJ ENM studio. Before they can head to the main studio, the staff has set up three rooms where trainees are taken individually and asked to introduce themselves and talk about their feelings towards taking on this new adventure. They are then instructed to either go in on their own or in small groups (same gender only). 

Once they enter the main studio, they can see that not one but TWO PYRAMIDS of chairs facing each other await the trainees –– one with blue lighting for the boys, and one with pink lighting for the girls. Unlike the produce series, trainees learn, upon entering the room, that legacy has already assigned them a number. They are tasked to find their place and initial ranking for the beginning of the show. 

Once all trainees are seated, Bae Siwoo makes his grand entrance. He takes the time to engage with the trainees to make them laugh and relax a little bit before before going back to his script. His first announcement is that, this season, the show is not a survival but a competition for a SOLO TRACK. Although this doesn't guarantee a solo career under Legacy, the winners will both, one guy and one girl, receive a solo song. Participation in this season also doesn’t mean an official debut; contestants will still be considered trainees at the end of it.

The second announcement is that, in addition to this, they will have to prepare for the 'trademark songs' of the Legacy trainees –– their own versions of ‘Pick Me' songs.

The last announcement is revealed after a short pause in order to keep the suspense going during the broadcast; training groups will also all receive their own song. Even though each training group will receive a song, they are tasked to also learn the two others in case of any group switches. 

LEGACY BOYS 

Main song: Hit (Produced by guest producers) 

Senior Group: Movie Star (Produced by Yang Joshua) 

Junior Day Group: Side Effects (Produced by guest producers) 

Junior Evening Group: Boom (Produced by Choi Daehyun) 

Solo: TBD (Produced by Kim Hyunbin)

LEGACY GIRLS 

Main song: Adios (Produced by guest producers)

Senior Group: Latata (Produced by guest producers) 

Junior Day Group: Bim Bam Bum (Produced by guest producers) 

Junior Evening Group: Dalla Dalla (Produced by Seo Haneul) 

Solo: TBD (Produced by Kim Youngim) 

Trainees are then introduced to the guest coaches who will be in charge of them for the next two months. Filming for the day ends on that note and, after another comment session where trainees are asked about how they feel about their current ranking and the mission, they are sent back to the dorms. They will not be returning to the studio before November 18 when parts will be officially distributed and winners of the solos will be revealed. Until then, they will go back to training at Legacy Entertainment's main building, although on a different floor, in more modern and bigger training rooms. 

Their official working hours are from Monday to Friday, from 2PM until 10PM. Cameras will roll from 12PM to 12AM on those days. They are paid weekly 500,000 won. When coaches are around, usually, the first 3.5 hours are dedicated to dancing and the last 3.5 hours are dedicated to singing with a one hour break. 

WEEK 1: Main song 

WEEK 2: Assigned training group song 

WEEK 3: Other training group songs 

WEEK 4: Free practice 

WEEK 5: Free practice

Throughout week 5, trainees will be reviewed individually by the coaches for the main song, assigned training group song and solo performance. On NOVEMBER 10, trainees must submit a video of them, alone, performing their main song, assigned training group song and the solo song they will have prepared.

While the event will last for a period of THREE MONTHS, a second part will be posted on NOVEMBER 17TH. Line distributions, solo winners, official recording schedules (expect last weeks of November), MV filming schedules (expect first weeks of December) and more will be revealed at that time.

There are a total of FIVE REQUIREMENTS for this event, three of which will be revealed tonight. Mandatory requirements are marked by stars (**). Except for one requirement in PART 002, fulfilling a requirement equals to appearing in 2 episodes. Therefore, by meeting all 5 requirements, a trainee will have appeared in all 9 episodes of this season. Use the hashtag lgc:futuredreams for everything related to this event.

IMPORTANT: in order for your requirements to be valid, for each first post/solo posted, a READ MORE with a small INTERVIEW must be added. the interview can be just one question/answer, most likely about the thoughts or feelings of the trainee at that moment. For a thread, the interview section can also be done just once. This part has no minimum word requirement, but the number of words written in this part isn’t counted with the rest of your post (i.e; if you write a 300 words solo + 125 words for the interview, we only count 300 words)

REQUIREMENTS DUE FOR NOVEMBER 10, 11:59EST:

**TRAINEE ENTRANCE AND RANKING: Write a 300+ words solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with another same gender trainee about your muse’s entrance in the main filming room and finding their assigned chair/number. ** we know that people will be added in, or even erased, but keep in mind that ranks won’t change that much (more or less 5 at most). Example of interview questions: How are you feeling about being here? What worries you the most coming here? How did you feel about the rank the company gave you? Which rank do you think you should’ve been? REWARD: +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE, +4 NOTORIETY !

**SOLO PERFORMANCE: Write a 300 words solo about the solo performance your muse has prepared. This performance will be recorded and submitted to the company and will determine who will receive the solo songs. Trainees are instructed to pick a song that represents them or the type of music they would like to do. Mistakes and bad choices will be cost the muse the solo, so stakes are high. You may safely pick any song of 2017 and older. If you wish to use a more recent song, please ask the staff, just in case a song is planned to be used in the future! REWARD: +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE, +4 NOTORIETY !

REQUIREMENT DUE FOR DECEMBER 29, 11:59EST:

PREPARATION PROCESS: Write a 300+ words solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with another same gender trainee about a moment that could’ve been caught on camera during those 5 first weeks. REWARD:  +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE, +4 NOTORIETY !

to validate your skill points and collect your notoriety points, please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog following previously mentioned due dates.

TITLE: MUSE NAME ∙ FUTURE DREAMS PART 1

- ENTRANCE/RANKING: +5 ( skill points distribution ) + 4 notoriety [ LINK ] - PERFORMANCE SOLO: +5 ( skill points distribution ) + 4 notoriety [ LINK ] - PREPARATION PROCESS: +5 ( skill points distribution ) + 4 notoriety [ LINK ] ** can be submitted with part 2

[rkhongjoong]

this is a compilation of hongjoong’s PUBLICLY KNOWN INFORMATION - after seeing what kingsoo wrote about hongjoong and it being not quite correct ( which i’m just taking as an ic thing since he hates the boys oof ) i decided to post this so that any netizens in the future will have it to reference if they wish to talk about him ... with the right info.  y’all can post wrong info about him ofc if that’s more in line with what your muse does, though!

KNOWN VISUAL APPEARANCE + BASIC INFO

birthday    january 7, 1996 eye color    dark brown hair color    dirty blonde, lengthy piercings    right ear: two lobe, helix left ear: two upper rim, one lobe, helix skillset   rapping + dancing + charm

notable traits    piercings  /  big smile

style    hongjoong is known for having an odd sense of fashion.  he enjoys clothing that’s really out there for most people, and wants to be considered a trendsetter or finds clothes that he thinks will be trendy at some point in the future even if they’d be considered outlandish in current times.  while at practice though, he mostly sticks to sweats just because they’re comfortable but he’ll still wear vibrant colours or do something to the outfit to make himself stand out a little.

NOTE *    the visuals are known through his public appearances + social media presence only.  skillset was released by kingsoo.  height, blood type, and weight have not been publicly released.

KNOWN BACKGROUND

he’s the son of two small time celebrities, so that means he has money!  and also, that he’s not as unknown as he tries to act like.  ( he’s trying hard not to rely on his parents money because he wants to be more adult... ) his parents were on a dating show way back when and after a bunch of drama ( as all of those dating shows go ), they fell in love and turned out to be the only success story from it.  they both ended up in fairly prominent positions - his dad is a really popular sports radio host who later moved into a dual role and does commentary on sports television, while his mom is a writer / producer on some big name kdramas.  their influence in the industry doesn’t really have an impact on music entertainment though, so they couldn’t have really gotten him his position as a trainee using that.

has a fraternal twin brother, yes, but they’re a big family ( his parents were and are still bunnies ok, sue him ).  he also has an older sister, the younger twin brother, an adopted little sister, and then the youngest sister as well.  his family is very important to him, especially his mom.  they all feature prominently on the shared instagram he has with his brother.

has six pet cats.  yes, six.  everyone knows hongjoong and his love for cats ........  all of them are named after characters from different anime he’s seen, so yes friends! we have a nerd on our hands.

SIGNING INFO

hongjoong performed at the HONGDAE TALENT SHOW, which is what led to his audition at nova.  though he obviously wasn’t one of the placed contestants, he was snatched from under hyunbin’s nose by seo jisub via a samsung representative.  this isn’t too widely known, but it’s not like it’s a huge secret either so chances are, someone could find out about it if they dug around enough.  it’ll probably be a story he tells if he ever debuts.

PUBLIC APPEARANCES

hongdae talent show

seoul plaza christmas event + special boy’s stage

samsung new year’s special

KNOWN CONNECTIONS

HYUN OF CONVEX  -  best friends; previously lived together along with his twin brother.  the promise referred to in this instagram post is the one they made to stand on the same stage together

JINWOOK OF CONVEX  -  met when hongjoong stayed in jeju back when he was a teenager ( and had a summertime romance, but that’s private! ) they’re good friends now; jinwook featured in his youtube cover of secret along with sia kim.

SIA KIM  -  the beauty guru; they know each other through jinwook mostly.  hongjoong asked her to cover a song with him because he saw her singing vlogs and liked her voice.

ZOE OF LUXE  -  zoe and hongjoong have been friends for a long time.  they were introduced via one of his good friends and former royal trainee woong ( the npc namwoo ) and they became fast friends that way.  ( privately, he’s one of the few who knows she’s engaged. )

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

instagram  /  @/thebrotherskim ;   public, sporadically updated ( by hongjoong ) shared with his twin brother.  though it is correct that he himself seldom updates due to his scheduling conflicts, there was once upon a time when he uploaded almost every day.  oftentimes, his friends / fans from his youtube will ask where he went ( but now they know ).  the account is used more often by his twin brother, who shows off pictures of his baby and his future wife so it’s not like the account is just dead.  his brother often answers questions / does insta lives and talks about hongjoong too, so there’s that !

youtube   /  @/thebrotherskim ;   public, sporadically updated though the channel was once a place to show off the twin brothers’ talents, it’s now almost abandoned due to the changes in their lives what with hongjoong being signed to royal and his brother having a baby.  they’ve had vlogs where they mentioned wanting to get signed together ( though it’s unwritten, it’s still canon ok ) so it’s obvious that their paths have diverged but they’re still close.  you can find examples of hongjoong’s uploads here and here

BONUS PRIVATE BG INFO

please note that this is information that shouldn’t be dug up unless the mun is asked!

attended kyunghee university - graduated in february 2019.

recently broke up with his year -long boyfriend, yeosang.  he’s pretty bummed out and quiet rn because of it.  he’s had bad luck with his girlfriends and boyfriends tbh .. that being said, he’s very much bisexual and knows it / accepts it.  he is not out of the closet though; no one except his brother, hyun, and the boys he’s dated know that he’s been with boys.  his mother has suspicions, but she’s waiting for hongjoong to tell her.

living in hongdae in the apartment that previously housed hyun with his brother, his brother’s fiancee, and their recently born daughter.  as well as his six cats.  it’s a pretty full place.

[kpopboysreact]

I really really want to get into bap pls help me 👌🏻👌🏻

I ABSOLUTELY WILL LET’S GET STARTED

First is the humble leader, Bang Yongguk

Yongguk means a lot to me for reasons you can read about here~he’s such a real person and he’s one of the most charitable idols in Kpop. He donates to so many charities that there’s literally an ongoing list. He said that he thinks idols have to be role models for everyone else, and he’s followed his words by setting examples that should be followed by everyone, whether you love him or not. THIS is a long post about what an amazing person Yongguk is, and though long, I suggest you read it because even if he isn’t your bias, the things he’s done for the world will help restore your faith in humanity. He’s incredibly selfless and would do anything for his members. He’s known for giving up lines, even whole songs for his members so that they can shine. A couple of years ago, he took a hiatus from BAP because he was diagnosed with a panic disorder, but he’s back and stronger than ever. He’s a really deep person, and we’ve been blessed with some solo releases lately such as Portrait and Drunkenness that really let us see just how deep he is. He’s the type to contemplate life at 3 am. His voice is about as deep as he is and that’s just another reason to love him~❤️❤️ His members respect him so much and when he starts talking everyone shuts up so fast 😂 but yeah, he deserves so much love and respectLol sorry, I could talk about Yongguk for days

Now the mother of the group, Himchan

Himchan is probably the most underrated member of this highly underrated group. He’s gotten a lot of shit about his weight but he’s proven that he’s a force to be reckoned with and he’s clapped back at haters by showing them that he will continue on despite their harsh words. He’s considered the mother because he takes care of not just his other members, but all of his fans. He’s really stoic but also a complete diva at times. You really never know what you’re going to get with him and that’s one of the things that makes him so exciting. His voice is low, not as low as Yongguk’s, but like if you’ve listened to Young Wild and Free, you can see that Yongguk better watch his back 😂

Next is the face of the group, Daehyun

Daehyun is such a unique individual and he’s my bias wrecker and I love him so much. He’s an actual fluffy bunny and needs protecting. He’s really outgoing, but he also has this shy side to him that’s absolutely adorable. I love his voice so much, he can really kill those high notes and all his fans and really any note because he’s so dedicated to BAP and to their music. He even got a tattoo that says HOLD, which he says is to represent him holding BAP’s fans close to his heart. He has a lot of friends in the industry, namely Kang Daniel, Seungkwan, and Hyunbin, because he’s such a kind and caring person and that comes out in pretty much everything he does. He’s like the unofficial low-key mom of BAP in my opinion because he’s always watching over the other members when they don’t even realise it.

Now we have the firecracker, Youngjae

I call him a firecracker because literally watch one video of BAP just living and you’ll see…he’s always shouting and being extra and that’s just one of the reasons why we love him. He’s the true visual in my opinion (but that’s literally just my opinion please no one kill me) because he’s constantly trying new things that make him look fly as hell. He’s the sassiest member sorry Himchan and gives his members a hard time, but in a way that’s so cute they can’t help but love him and laugh at his playful antics. He’s smiling 99% of the time and if he’s not smiling it’s because he’s off being a meme. He has so much energy it’s insane, and is constantly pumping up his members and their fans. He has a sensitive side to him also, but he’s known for constant smiles and endless love.

Onto the dancing machine, Jongup

Did I say Daehyun is my bias wrecker? I meant Jongup. Did I say Youngjae is the true visual of BAP? I meant Jongup. This guy makes me question all of my life choices. He’s the best dancer in BAP, and when he gets solo dance breaks it literally drives the whole fandom insane. Start this video at 2:57 (he’s the sexy dude with blue hair) He’s also a really good singer, but he’s mainly seen in BAP for his dancing which also neglects his personality which I think is sad. He’s not exactly underrated because everyone is drooling over him, but they don’t really take the time to get to know his personality which I think is also sad. He looks like a total badass, but he could not be further from that. He’s a cuddle bunny who wants nothing but happiness and love shown towards him, his members, and his fans. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he makes everyone laugh by saying something dumb or goofy, something that just makes everyone smile.

And finally the rude maknae, Zelo

If you’re a BABY (BAP’s fan club), you probably cried reading “rude maknae”, because he started out as this little teenager who could do no harm to the world and just blessed us with his super fast killing raps, but he turned into this sexy deep-voiced rapper that half the fandom refuses to accept is no longer a teenager 😂 he still behaves like a cute maknae though, which is good. If you can’t find one of the other members, chances are they’re off feeding Zelo because he isn’t tall enough?! He’s fucking 6′2″ or taking care of him in some way because he’s so precious. He’s right after Jongup in terms of the best dancers in BAP same video, start it at 1:39. And he’s just really innocent but at the same time knows exactly what he’s doing to his fans when he grinds on the floor and I’m sorry but that was totally unnecessary and you get the point. He’s grown a lot in his years in BAP and though he’s still shy, he’s shown us his true colours and I can’t wait to see him grow in the future 😊

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

[ericmun]

180629 "From Hyunbin to Park Seojun".. Who's the best tough boyfriend? Shinhwa’s Eric mentioned

'Good guy' Song Joong-ki was popular but some other male leads in dramas charmed the viewers with their tough and cold characters. The gap between being the sweetest guy to his girl and being difficult, mean sometimes, had certain appeals. We gathered these representatives who charmed the viewers through their 'Tsundere' drama characters.

◆ 'Whatever Eric does' Eric

Eric in tvN '3 Meals a Day' was a warm and generous guy ever but in the dramas he was indifferent and cold. The Kang Taeha was so attractive in KBS 2TV 'Discovery of Love' who was rushing into Han Yeorum (Jung Yumi) and Park Dokyung of tvN 'Again Miss Oh Haeyoung' who opened up to love again with Oh Haeyoung (Seo Hyunjin) made your heart pound.

(omit the rest)

Source: OSEN Translation: EricMun.tumblr

[daehwi]

Just read your analysis on haknyeon, and I agree with what you're saying. But still, after Right Round and the centre picking disaster between him and eunki, does it not strike you as weird that he got almost no hate and manage to not drop a single place considering how much hate some other trainees got for doing the exact same thing? I'm not saying it's ok to hate on anyone, but I'm curious, just how much do you think visuals alone can pull someone through?

I have a ton of backlogged asks to get to but since this is a follow up I felt the need to answer quickly, haha. 

Disclaimer: I will be linking to evidence that his fans use, this is not intended to defend or dismiss claims against him and does not represent my own opinion. I am presenting them in order to be objective. 

One thing we have to keep in mind about his “controversy” is that it happened after other “controversies” regarding attitude and editing had happened, so at that point there were more Knetz who were willing to believe that it might just be evil editing. There were also more posts being created/circulated at that time pointing out blatant editing (ex. Mnet forcing Daniel/Woojin; Mnet making Hyunbin lazy, Daehwi editing, Sewoon/Dongho tension, Dongho editing in general, etc.). 

Here is one pann post that got really popular because of how thorough the poster was in laying out the evidence for Haknyeon’s evil editing. Almost all the top comments viewed both Eunki and Haknyeon more positively after reading the post. Here is a translation of the post. Here’s another pann post and a translation (this one even had 1,322 upvotes)

In addition people brought up the fact that Mnet informed his company that they had accepted Haknyeon as a contestant 3 days before the audition day and people found footage of stuff that hadn’t been included in the show (like him crying after the first battle and him talking about his father who passed away).

Keep in mind what I mentioned in my analysis about the halo effect- the general Korean public tends to already think of attractive people as being more trustworthy, etc. So combine that with the evidence in that post (and there were others, too) and on twitter and you have a more sympathetic public that is willing to overlook how he was presented on the show.

In addition to this, he had barely any screentime before that segment aired so the general public didn’t have many preconceived perceptions about him yet other than what they saw on SNS- which was obviously his fans promoting him as being cute and charming. 

So yes, part of it was his visuals (through the halo effect), but it was also partly because people were becoming more critical of Mnet’s editing, and because of how his fans really organized themselves and collected enough evidence to influence the public’s opinion of him.

Edit: I noticed I didn’t answer your final question. I think visuals can only pull you so far. Hyunbin had visuals the public loved and a large fandom (which is why he was so high up at first) but the timing of his “controversy” was too much for his popularity and visuals to help him. He had also gotten what some people called “unfair” (because he was F ranked) screentime in the first couple of episodes so the public already had opinions about him that made it easier for the “controversy” to turn into hate. Haknyeon was lucky that his “controversy” didn’t happen earlier. 

[naufalyazid]

I swear, I hate watching ranking evaluation a.k.a. elimination. I can’t bear watching my poor trainees crying ;-;

Okay. So, I can’t even determine whether I was happy or sad after watching 10th episode.

The reason I was happy, composition of Top 11. All my favourites are there, I mean ALL 6 OF THEM (the ones that I was sure will be safe). I screamed and run and almost cried and...I don’t even know what I did when they were called one by one as the part of Top 11. Jisung, Ong, Woojin, Samuel, Jinyoung, Daniel, please maintain your position as Top 11 for one more episode, like jeongmal jeongmal jinja daebak lieol heol wanjeon please. I don’t know how I’ll feel if one (or worse, more than one) of you don’t make it when it’s so freaking close to your dream, to debut. I know the debut group is not permanent and will disband sometime in the future, but watching them without those six will hurt me.

And then, after all those happy moments, the elimination came. Again, I almost cried here, but for the exact opposite reasons. Ugh, I hate talking about it. But, let’s review the result of 3rd elimination.

Woodam, Gunhee, Sunghyuk, Taedong, Donghan. I hope they’ll get more chance with their respective agencies, fighting!

Our maknae Woojin. I can’t bear watching his farewell with Daniel, especially when people post their first and last hug ;-;

Yehyun, class C last representative...has been eliminated.

Brand New Music is incomplete without Donghyun.

Moonbok, I hope he’ll always be a bright person. I like his personality so much!

Sanggyun is so cute in episode 10 and then he’s eliminated :(

Taehyun, I won’t forget your legendary Shape of You performance. Seriously, it’s so lit.

Kenta! You almost made it, please continue pursuing your dream in Korea.

Euiwoong, my swaggy cutie rapper, I’m sure you’ll shine in the future! Please keep being the Eric we know :)

I don’t really like Hyunbin in the beginning, but his progress is so amazing, I was amazed. Don’t blame yourself, you’ve been a great leader for I Know You Know team!

Yongguk, you are practically invisible to me until the 2nd elimination when you ranked 18th. I was so shocked at that time LOL. And then I saw you as the center of Open Up, it’s so charming (?) It’s so close, yet so far...

Woah, Guanlin. Now Guanlin’s fans face the same problem as Samuel’s after the 2nd elimination. The difference? Guanlin is practically the last trainee to pass into debut evaluation, so the shock is more real.

Sewoon almost didn’t make it. He deserved a better position, same with Jaehwan. They’re amazing vocalists :(

And then the trio from Open Up, Haknyeon-Youngmin-Seonho. Haknyeon and Youngmin suffered from controversies, so their drops aren’t that shocking. Meanwhile, I thought Seonho would have ranked higher.

Minki~ It’s good to see him catching up with the rest of NU’EST, but it sacrificed both Jonghyun’s and Minhyun’s rank, as well as Dongho’s chance to climb up.

Hyeongseop made it to the final and Euiwoong didn’t. I’m crying.

Daehwi’s rank is so unstable, it makes me worry for the final elimination.

Jisung is back in the Top 11! I’m so happy, I don’t even know what to write anymore... I hope he can debut as the Top 11!

Unlike the rumours, Ong is still in Top 11. Please, we need him and Jisung as the ultimate memes of the debut group LOL. But, don’t forget that they also have the talent and spirit!

Big Woojin, get well really really soon and so happy for your rank increase. He went up from 72nd to 6th, how can you not amazed?

Samuel!!! Ah, I was so anxious when your name wasn’t being called by the time they started announcing the Top 11. But, there you are, ranked in the position where you should be :)

After ranked 12th twice at the ranking evaluation, finally you break into the Top 11, Jinyoung!

Taehyun’s screaming is definitely me when I watched the Top 4 announcement. Sungwoon, out of nowhere, was suddenly there. Please don’t hate him for his reaction, I mean who wasn’t shocked, right?

Finally, Jihoon and Daniel. I like how mature both of them are, even though Jihoon isn’t my pick. Congrats for your 1st position, Daniel, and also your increase, Jihoon!

I just realized, it’s so long. And also, my language skill. Sorry if your eyes hurt when reading those comments :(

So, you might ask if the picture tagged is my prediction for the final episode (who will, actually). Well, it’s not actually. Seeing how drastic the rank changes happened last week, it means we can’t ignore the 11-picks-to-2-picks-vote change factor. And because MNet changed it again to 1 pick for the final week, it’s too risky to post a prediction (I only got 4 predictions right from the prediction I posted last week).

So...the picture above is my favourites during Produce 101 season 2 >< I hope I can just debut all of them into one group (it’s just my imagination LOL).

My main picks are Samuel and Jisung. I’ve known Samuel since Seventeen TV (how many years has passed since then...) and during the first performance of Naya Na, I realized a familiar face near the center position. Of course it’s Samuel. This boy has grown so much ;-; He’s two and half years younger than me and already has abs _-_ He’s my first pick for the show, definitely. And then, there’s Jisung. The first time I knew him was during the 1st elimination because there’s Samuel too LOL. My first impression of him, “Ah, so he’s the meme guy everyone has been talking about.” LOL. But, I like him more and more after saw how he took care of Hyunbin as the Downpour team leader. Sometimes I forgot that he’s already 27 years old :))))) But, it also makes me sad because if he can’t debut from Produce 101, it will be hard for him to become an idol... So, everyone please support these two trainees!

And then, the 2nd tier of my picks (?). There are Ong, Daniel, Kenta, and Euiwoong. I knew all of them from Naya Na performance, even though there were times when I got Euiwoong confused with Ong (I know it’s hard to believe, but it really happened). Daniel? Of course it’s his pink hair that drew my attention, what else. Hehe. Kenta also got a few screentimes that drew my attention. Ah, don’t forget Yuehua trainees’ Just Right performance, the cutest performance I’ve seen so far in Produce 101. It actually took me seven episodes to realize that Euiwoong’s position is rapper o.o (I didn’t really pay attention to Boy in Luv’s group 1 performance). Ah but, Kenta’s screentime is really... ;-; Should I explain how extra Ong is? It’s unnecessary, right?

And then, the last tier (?). The Woojins are there! I like Baby Woojin first, he came in a package with Ong and Daniel (you know right, happy bear family). I just liked Big Woojin recently, I think after Get Ugly performance. He has that charisma when performing on stage, but is actually a funny guy (VJ Woojin is the best). There’s also Dongbin, of course I know him from Chewing Gum performance hehe. The moment he cried because of the judge’s gesture, I thought, “Ah, this one should be protected,” and therefore, he became my pick. Moonbok, I don’t know. I think I got interested because of the story of his past. Maybe, my mindset is “I want to support him so this time he can achieve his dream.” Please continue pursuing it, Moonbok! Taemin... Actually the moment I realized his existence was when the news about his withdrawal from the show came up. And then I just learned that he’s also a funny guy, also a pure one. Can’t believe that he’s 23 years old already, don’t people in Korea age? The last, Jinyoung. He has that gloomy personality, so he didn’t really catch my attention. Then, Spring Day performance and woah. He got into my list, LOL.

That’s all. I just wanna share it all because in two days, we will find out who’s gonna debut as the Top 11. Watching this show will soon become a memory, let’s make it a good one. I hope all my remaining picks will get into the Top 11. But, the most important thing is to support all trainees. Because no matter how the result is going to be, they all have worked really hard to reach their dream, even if we don’t see it enough through the broadcast. Produce 101 season 2, fighting!

[ong-seong-wu]

A summary of Ong Seongwoo + his progress in Produce 101 Episodes 1-3 for any of you who want to know what’s up with Fantagio’s only trainee on the show

literally everything ahead is a spoiler so if you actually want to the watch the show and not know any info beforehand then don’t clickity click

basically i tried to summarize it with words and i threw in the videos if you want to watch those too but its written out so you can read what happened if you don’t feel like watching

Preshow:

Self introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMmMSfkg-ZU

mnet released self introductions in batches, and seongwoo’s was the most viewed from his batch. I think people were shook by the visuals. 

Countdown 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzWWGg8DYW4

some of the ioi girls watched these lil clips and talked about trainees. They were amazed that ong seongwoo could dance so well because he had such good visuals they weren’t expecting it

Eye Contact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT-TQBSk3ck

Hidden box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZesmaOuM2eE

Meringue Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZKxtBqyv1g&t=54s

Overall preshow he didn’t seem to have overwhelming hype. There were lots of fans who knew of him and were hyped about him, but it wasn’t super widespread. Most of the people who knew him were probably Fantagio fans. 

He had a few fansites pre-show (maybe like 3-5) so he wasn’t an unknown trainee (perks being from fantagio prob) but he wasn’t a hot topic talked about trainee like daehwi or samuel. 

Episode 1: 

In produce 101, trainees walk in to the audition room by company, and choose seats where they think they’ll be ranked. (From 101 - 1). The top 11 seats are special looking because the top 11 at the end of the show debut. It takes guts to sit on the top 1 spot because that’s saying you think you’ll be number 1 in the end. 

Ong Seongwoo was from the second company to walk in, and he sat down at the #2 seat. Later on, when no one was sitting in the #1 seat, some of the trainees sitting a few rows below him asked why he didn’t sit in the #1 seat, and he said because he thought someone else might sit there.

The rule for the #1 seat is that whoever is sitting there can be kicked out of the seat by another trainee. The method of how to fight over the seat is chosen by the trainees (i.e. one time it was arm wrestling, playing word games, etc.) Seongwoo thought someone might want to fight him for #1 if he sat there, so he sat #2. Also when Ju Haknyeon came to sit #3, they chatted together. 

Seongwoo got a huge chunk of the episode dedicated to his audition.

Audition clip from episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWlUt0CHjvo

Eng Sub, grade A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6z2xImb8NE&t=25s

Seongwoo did his audition sometime after the break. During break, BoA (national produce representative aka the MC) asked the trainees who hadn’t gone yet, and lots of trainees raised their hands. Then she asked who thought they could receive an A grade an hands started going down. Ong Seongwoo was the only trainee to keep his hand up and he felt awkward. 

When he went down to audition, she asked him about it and he said it’s not that he has confidence to be A, but that he wants to have that confidence. He lost a lot of confidence in the past, so he’s trying to have confidence. 

They asked if his last name was actually ‘Ong’, since it is an extremely uncommon surname in Korea. 

The judges also talked alot about his visuals, saying he looked really good on screen + that he looked like an actor. He also has three dots on his cheek that one of them said looked like he had a constellation on his face. (basically all the judges were shook @ his visuals, i mean me too honey) 

Then he did his audition, a lot of the trainees were amazed at his dancing and popping. 

(That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars) 

After his audition the judges said that he danced like a professional, and he said that his specialty was popping. They asked to see a freestyle dance. 

Uptown Funk started playing and he started doing his popping style. During one part of the song he did this really smooth blowing a kiss and the entire room roared. Kim Samuel commented that at that blowing a kiss part he thought ‘Wow it’s really game over” 

Afterwards the judges commented that he was really good at dance, but there was some singing techniques he needed to work on. In the end, they gave him an A, commenting that they really look forward to seeing more from him. 

Full audition no cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYLT6nLElig

Some fans afterward commented that they didn’t think he deserved an A, as his singing was less than some of the other trainees who were ranked lower. In the full audition with no cuts, his voice is more stable than the episode shows, but his dancing lacks more. 

As he was walking away a judge stopped him and asked if his last name was really Ong and he said yes it is and then the judges started making cute puns with it saying like ‘you did well’ and stuff using his last name. 

Rank for episode 1: #8

non episode stuff: there were a lot of fan taken photos of the produce 101 boys leaving things like the baseball event + press conference and Kang Daniel and Ong Seongwoo were together a lot. 

Episode 2: 

This was the second half of reevaluations, getting put into dorm rooms, and beginning to practice for the Me its Me reevaluation. 

Seongwoo was placed in a dorm room with 

Jeong Dongsu (Show) - B

Kim Namhyun (Show) - A

Ha Minho (Vibe) - B

Yoon Jae-chan (Vibe) - B

(there might be more but those were at least the members I saw) 

He said that he was really proud that the shirt he got said “A” on it. (contestants received shirts based on ranks, A in pink, B in orange, C in yellow, D in green, and F in grey.) 

He also said that when a girl younger than him speaks informally to him he’d say thats okay, but when a guy younger than him speaks informally he’s think “what’s with this punk” 

Dance practice, seongwoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d16kqHD_qs

In the clips of practicing for Me It’s Me, Seongwoo seemed to really be struggling with picking up the dance moves, and he expressed his frustration with himself. He really wanted to show people what he could do. The trainer expressed his shock and disappointment with Seongwoo’s inability to learn choreo quickly since his freestyle was so good. 

Singing practice, seongwoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2dlwepm37c

During singing practice, he was one of the only 3 A members to sing the high note right. The singing trainer asked him what he thought of singing high notes and he said It’s not too bad/I can do it. I believe that from this clip he likely sings the main part for the chorus in Me its Me. 

He’s very blunt, which could be evil edited by mnet but hasn’t so far, which leads me to believe mnet really likes him and wants to edit him well.

Rank for episode 2: #4

non episode stuff: there was a behind the scenes clip of all the boys watching episode 1 together. Ong sat with Jang Moonbok while watching the episode, and then later switched seats to sit next to Kang Daniel during the group photo. there was also a twitter video of him being friendly with Ju Haknyeon in the produce 101 store. 

Episode 3: 

Reevaluation clip from episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGa-nPg656I

During his reevaluation the dance trainer told the other judges that he struggled with learning the dance. But from his reevaluation he knew it all and so they said he must have really practiced hard to get there. In the end, he remained as an A Rank. 

Next there was a battle for Me its Me center, where A ranks did some freestyle dance/rap/singing in the middle to show off and the trainees voted for who they thought should be center. Ong did some freestyle popping but was not chosen to be center. 

Then it moved to song cover missions. First teams were picked. Since daehwi  was center for me its me, he got to pick his team first, picking popular members and saying he wanted to create an ‘avengers’ team. Then, he picked a random trainee out of a box to choose their team next. Hwang Minhyun was next, and he chose Kim Jaehwan, Kwon Hyunbin, Kang Daniel, Ong Seongwoo, and Kim Jonghyun to be on his team. 

Hwang Minhyun’s team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaFEPnUORb4

Then teams raced for songs, the first teams to choose songs got to pick what team they would face. Ong Seongwoo’s team was not one of the first teams to grab a song, and so they were one of the teams that other teams were allowed to pick if they wanted to go against, they had no say in what song they did or who they faced. 

However no team wanted to face their team, since it was full of strong talented members. Even Daehwi’s team, the Avengers team, said they wanted to face anyone but Minhyun’s team. 

Team practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrntw1C4Kx4

The team chose Kim Jonghyun as their leader. (JR aka Nu’ests leader) and Ong Seongwoo as their center. When they were putting the leader sticker on Jonghyun’s shirt they were all singing that song you sing when people walk down the aisle for marriage.  Kwon Hyunbin said since they were doing the song “sorry sorry” which is manly, Kang Daniel or Ong Seongwoo should be center. Kang Daniel responded that he things Seongwoo should be center. Then they all voted if they wanted Seongwoo center and everyone raised their hand. They put the crown ‘center’ sticker on Seongwoo’s shirt and he fake cried out of happiness and everyone laughed. 

tldr; minhyun’s team is unproblematic fave they are so pure and cute

right now that team is being called the ‘real avengers’ by fans since its full of talented members and the other trainees were really scared of their group. 

Rank for episode 3: #4

[19990417-blog1]

[ENG TRANS] 170704 Kim Donghan's Interview with Tenasia

Q: After finishing Produce 101, you’ve done many interviews. Are you more used to it now? Donghan: I’m thankful that I’m being called to many places for an interview. At first it was awkward, but now I think I’m more natural.

Q: Did you remember the first time you sent in the application to join Produce 101? Donghan: It didn’t feel real when I was applying. As for Season 1, I enjoyed watching it as a viewer, so I didn’t expect myself to be the one participating in Season 2. I was half expectant, and half worried.

Q: What were you worried about? Donghan: The biggest worry was none other than “What will happen if I get eliminated early?” If I get eliminated early, I’d be a disgrace to my own neighborhood. [Laughs]

Q: During the middle ranking announcement, you were at the cutline of the 35th place and barely survived. You even shed tears, so how did you feel at that time? Donghan: Rather than feeling happy that I made it, I felt more sad that I had to separate ways with my trainee friends.

Q: In the middle of the program, you transformed from black hair to blonde hair. Was it on your own will? Donghan: At first, the company told me to have a young boy image so they didn’t tell me to dye my hair. So I strongly appealed then. [Laughs] Among the bunch of trainees, you need to be eye-catching so I intended to attract attention to a certain level. So decided to dye my hair in the end because my parents said that while watching the broadcast, it was hard for them to find me.

Q: You didn’t have much screen time during Produce 101, but you appealed your charms through the focus cams, and that was enough to call you a focus cam pro. (T/N: the literal meaning was craftsman/artisan which basically means someone skilled in an area lol) Did you expect that kind of reaction? Donghan: Although I didn’t have much screen time during broadcast, I still receive lots of love through my focus cans so I’m thankful. I think it was only possible for me to keep advancing to the next round because many people paid attention to my focus cams and liked them. I’m really thankful.

Q: The last stage that you performed, I Know You Know, is a stage of your own song and not other people’s song. Your emotions must’ve felt different? Donghan: These days, I still find it fascinating when I walk on the streets and my own song comes out. Honestly speaking, I don’t listen to it on music charts often. It’s still awkward, and cringy to listen to my own voice. [Laughs] I also couldn’t monitor myself during the broadcast except for once or twice. I still can’t see the image of me flirting when standing on stage.

Q: While doing the program, you haven’t been a leader once. How do you think it would be if you were to be in charge of being a leader? Donghan: Personally speaking, rather than being a leader, I’m someone who fits the role of an assistant. It’s like the vice-president helping out the president. [Laughs] Even in the IKYK team, me and Taedong hyung both helped the team members with the choreography so I felt like I was playing the assistant role then.

Q: Your final rank was 29th. What was the rank you had as your goal at the start? Donghan: At first, I just wanted to be in 1/3 of the 101 people. So the 33rd place would be my goal. But since I entered the 33rd place, I’m happy but there’s also many regrets left.

Q: If we were to go back to 4 months ago, and be told to participate in Produce 101 again, would you? Donghan: I think I would. This kind of opportunity doesn’t come easy to trainees. Even before debut, you are able to learn about camera working and stage manners, and even completing missions under a short period of time, it allows us to improve on our skills. And as compared to anything else, the best part of it all was to be able to meet trainee hyungs, dongsaengs and friends through the show.

Q: Was there an episode you remember most during the campus life of Produce 101? Donghan: I think everyone will be curious about the hidden camera. At that time, while practicing, I wanted to boil ramyeon and eat but there wasn’t any hot water so I went to borrow one from Ong Seongwoo hyung. From then, they started to execute the hidden camera on me, I don’t know how I entered (the room), but they said it was funny. [Laughs] I remember the hidden camera most, in the dorm too sometimes there are cameras and sometimes there aren’t, but regardless, it was nice to talk with the other trainees about this and that. I also remember lying on the bed and sharing stories with each other.

Q: You’ve watched the skills of other trainees from the side, so is there a trainee that you’re especially envious of? Donghan: Jaehwan hyung sings really well, I’m envious of that. When I hear him practice beside me, I always thought that he sings really well. Also, I’m envious of Minhyun hyung’s looks. It’s really my first time seeing someone so handsome without double eyelids. (Minhyun = single eyelid)

Q: Not long ago, you had a fanmeeting. Despite it being even before your debut, many fans were present? Donghan: I haven’t made my debut and already had a fanmeeting so I’m very honored. Next time too, I hope I can look forward to another good opportunity like this.

Q: I heard that you originally did Hapkido. How did you switch from that to an idol path? Donghan: I did sports/exercise until I was in 1~2nd grade of middle school, but I injured myself so I had to quit. But when I was in year 1 of high school, a hyung of mine who did Hapkido with me did B-boying and introduced me to a dance team. That’s how I promoted in a dance team for around a year, I performed on streets too, went on competitions as well, and even met my current company’s representative at a competition.

Q: Recently JBJ (Kim Donghan, Kwon Hyunbin, Kim Sanggyun, Kim Yongguk, Kim Taedong, Noh Taehyun, Takada Kenta), a combination made by national producers) is gaining the fan’s interest. Donghan: I’m thankful that I was included in the combination. The people who regretfully couldn’t debut were picked, and even I was included in there, it makes me happy and it’ll be nice if we could debut for real.

Q: If so, what kind of concept would you like to try after debuting? Have you ever thought of it? Donghan: I’d like to try a strong concept. An exciting concept like BTS sumbaenims Boy In Luv or Fire, or a concept like Blood Sweat & Tears would be cool too.

Q: Is there a particular reason why you like BTS? Donghan: I especially like EXO, BTS and SEVENTEEN sunbaenims. Firstly their songs are great, and their performance are cool. They’re really popular and are people who have all 3 aspects (singing, rap, dance) so you can’t help but like them.

Q: In your application form for Produce 101, you wrote that your hobby is to watch movies, variety shows and dramas. Is there any fun program or movie that you’ve watched? Donghan: Lately, I enjoy watching “New Journey To The West”. I usually watch dramas a lot but lately I haven’t been able to. Instead, I often watch movies alone. Honestly, watching movies alone feels lonely too but I get to focus on the movie well. I often watch movies when there’s almost nobody in the theatre.

Q: If so, is there a variety program that you would like to appear in in the future? Donghan: Since young, I did Hapkido and enjoyed sports/exercise. There’s almost no exercise that I can’t do, so I’d like to appear in a game program that uses my body.

Q: Your goals for the future are? Donghan: To work hard in practice so that I can debut as soon as possible. Once I debut, I want to hurry and find my fans. I will show you a good image of me, so it’ll be nice if you could continue giving me the love and support in the future.

+ http://m.entertain.naver.com/read?oid=312&aid=0000268685 + http://m.entertain.naver.com/read?oid=312&aid=0000268684 + Translated by kimsdonghan on Twitter. May contain inaccuracies or rephrased for a better understanding. + Do not repost without credits, DM me first if re-translating to another language.