Image taken from 1 Night 2 Days official Instagram account @kbs_unicorn
A lot has happened since the start of 1 Night 2 Days’ Season 4 in December of 2019. Again, just like every other seasons, controversy and drama followed this season’s cast of members. The wrongful ending of Kim Son Ho is something that many will always regret, as it turns out that he wasn’t the villain in his real-life drama; The criminal case of Ravi, a former beloved member, that adds another blurred face and erased episodes to the show’s archive; And the departure of the amazing Bang Geul Yi that a lot of us was, and some still, very sad about. There was a dread, a fear, that Season 4 is coming to an end. I know we all felt that way at one point. However, as Arsenal fanbase said, I trust the process and keep watching. Now, I can confidently say that I have found my weekly dose of happiness back. Gone are the ghost and fears of the past. This Season 4 is staying in my watch list.
When they announced that Na In Woo is joining the team, I was excited. One particular video about how he wanted Kim Jong Min to invite him to the show that was spreading like wildfire had fueled my excitement. You can see that he’s a real fan and genuinely wanted to be a part of the show. And, honestly, he’s not disappointing at all. He was a little awkward at first, but I can see a lot of variety show potential in him. Then Lee Jeong Gyu came along. As he is someone who’s not new to 1 Night 2 Days, I put my trust in him to keep the show running and he, too, is a great addition. However, when I heard about Yoo Seon Ho, I was puzzled. First of all, he’s way younger than the members. I was doubtful of how he could match the older members. I was also not familiar with him as I didn’t watch his popular drama. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when he was funny from the get go. Maybe having Na In Woo as a senior in the same company made him a little more comfortable filling the maknae role. But, I think, it was his personality that blend in seamlessly with the older members. He’s not afraid to challenge them, not shy to went up against everyone, and very competitive. One thing I do enjoy from these cast members is that Kim Jong Min often really took the role as the experienced senior of the show. His know-hows, as silly as they may seem, put him in the spotlight and earn him respect from the other members. I like this Kim Jong Min better.
I know a lot of fans still yearning for former members, previous seasons dynamic, but I personally think that it’s unfair to the show if we keep on comparing this seasons with its predecessors. This brand new Season 4 has its own unique OB v. YB dynamic, Married Men v. Bachelor competition, Dindin versus everyone, even Yeon Jung Hoon and Kim Jong Min war. It may not be the same with Jong Min – Jun Ho silliness or Adequate v. Less Adequate team competition, but it definitely has its own charm. For me, I love how the younger members are more comfortable in engaging with the older ones, but not to the point of disrespect. Team YB has evoke the competitiveness of team OB and made games a lot more challenging and fun. I admit, sometimes Dindin went a little overboard in his little boy tantrum, but it’s just a character that he’s portraying in the show and not his real self. Their brotherhood isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. At the end of the day, they managed to patch things up and it even strengthen their bonds. Oh, how dramatic I am. But it’s true, and you know it. My point is, this brand new Season 4 is still 1 Night 2 Days. There are still beautiful places, fun games, funny twists, heart-warming brotherhood, and nerve-racking bokbulbok. Kim Jong Min is still the main babo of the show. Watch it, laugh and enjoy it, but don’t take it seriously. It is a variety show after all.
Image taken from 1 Night 2 Days official Instagram account @kbs_unicorn
The long-awaited 1 Night 2 Days Season 4 first anniversary special project is finally completed! 1 Night 2 Days fans have been waiting patiently since the very first time we learn about this project. We knew how they kick-started it with that competition between Incheon and Gyeongju. We witnessed how the two teams work hard in presenting their respective cities to be the last city of the series. We were given a sneak peek of how the member practiced hard to learn the dance coreography. And then… nothing.
How we waited to see the entire episode of them practicing. And last weekend, at long last, they revealed all the process to us. How much fun did we have watching it? Tons of fun, no doubt. Here’s what I love about the members, staff & crew, plus the Ambiguous Dance Company trainers hard work I saw on the episode
Hilarious First Training Session~ Be honest, we all expected this, right? Between the six members, only two dance professionally. We can give Moon Se Yoon more credit because he’s a natural in dancing. (Btw, have you seen his dancing videos on YouTube? The one where he learned BTS’s coreography? If you haven’t, then you should.) The others were… just very bad at dancing. Seon Ho even had Paper Doll as a nickname due to how bad he dance. Yeon Jung Hoon, Kim Seon Ho, and DinDin’s group session had me rolling on the flour laughing. That robotic body edit made me watch that particular part with creaking noises in my head. And the trainers were really patient with them. Encouraging them to just pour their energy into the dance. On the other group, Kim Jong Min didn’t disappoint either. He’s an amazing dancer, only a little bit rusty.
Practice Makes Perfect ~ We’ve seen snippets of how hard they practiced to perfected their dance moves. And then audition day arrived. Their costumes were amazing. They put a lot of thought in it. Though DinDin’s was just a football uniform sans jacket, but he’s DinDin so he looked super cute in it. We all know all along that Ravi would kill it. We all know that Kim Jong Min would nail it too. But we were surprised by how far Yeon Jung Hoon and Kim Seon Ho have come since that first training session. Gone was the paper doll that we all laughed at. Gone was that stiff-dancing Appa. They both showed a huge improvement and impressed everyone. Oh, and that comment about Kim Jong Min is blessed by the god of variety show? Nothing proved it better than when he ripped his pants while passionately dancing on stage.
Disco Pang Pang Scene ~ Of all the scenes in the video, this must be the highlight. Moon Se Yoon, DinDin, International Referee, and a few other staff and crew got on the disco pang pang and ride it a handful of times. It was really, really funny. The International Referee played his part really well, holding on to Se Yoon’s leg. And Dindin screaming “Abeoji! Abeoji!” made me laugh hard. They suffer a lot during the shoot because the dancer (read: the Pandemonic Dance Company members) kept making mistakes, but the scene came out beautifully. Job well done!
Guys, if you are a fan of 1 Night 2 Days I’m sure that right know you are feeling super proud of our members. As I’ve said in my previous post, this project goes to show how far this season have come, how their popularity has risen rapidly, how they are loved by viewers globally. Witnessing their journey and enjoying the completed project gave me a certain feeling of pride and satisfaction. I stand this show, I stand these members, I stand the staff and crew.
If you haven’t watch the completed video yet, where have you been? What have you been doing? You need to watch it, like, RIGHT NOW!
This video is courtesy of Imagine Your Korea YouTube channel
P.S. Don’t forget to watch a short video of Moon Se Yoon dancing to the choreography as well. He might not be chosen to be the dancer, but he’s always fun to watch.
Has a whole year really gone by since my first post about 1 Night 2 Days Season 4? Since the day I expressed my first impression and my hopes for the show? Time flies when you’re having fun, they said. And I have been thoroughly enjoying my weekly dose of happiness since then that I was really surprised to realize that it’s time for the first anniversary already.
In this post I’m going to write down my latest opinion of 1 Night 2 Days Season 4. One year later, what has changed? Have I been enjoying it? Has there anything I’ve been disappointed with? Let’s get started.
Image copied and edited from 1 Night 2 Days official Instagram account @kbs_unicorn
Goodbye Slapstick Comedy. I’m not a huge fan of slapstick comedy. It may be funny most of the times, but there’s just something about it that bothers me a little. In season 3 we saw slapstick comedy between Kim Jong Min and Kim Jun Ho a lot. Those were funny, but didn’t really sit right for me. This season 4 that type of comedy were cut down to very minimum. Sure, there were times the member get a little “violent.” At the back to school episode for example. Se Yoon acted as a vocal coach and made members who failed the high-pitch game to pulled other members hair so that they can reach the pitch required. But that’s just as violent as it gets. This season they’re relying the comedy more to honest reactions. And, uhm, in-adequateness? I laughed so hard at the episodes when they were put into team adequate and in-adequate, and team traitor. Before there’s team Han Ji Pyeong, there were these teams. There’s also Moon Se Yoon who became the unofficial captain comedy of the show. He’s able to produce hilarious comedy skits and comical reactions on the spot but also lead and steer the other members to do just the same.
Brotherhood At Its Best. I don’t know if it’s just me or are the relationship between the members in this season are closer than their predecessors (A lot say that season 1 members were the best, but I only watch a few of that season so I couldn’t say the same). I feel that their bond is really strong. Their friendship is really strong. Their brotherhood is stronger than ever. There is no one or more dominant figure in this membership. They are all one of the same. There were times, in the previous seasons, when I feel some uncomfortable moments, whether because of their fierce competitions or slapstick comedies gone too far. They undermine weaker members and often tangled in fierce physical battle against each other. In season 4, there is this vibe that the members always truly enjoy their time together on the set. They’re fascinated about the town they’re visiting, the new games they’re playing, and still fascinated about each other. Yeon Jung Hoon, Kim Seon Ho, and Ravi’s honest reactions about everything are the best. There’s still competition, of course, but in a fun way. There were a lot of times they really got together and support each other. Remember that athletic championship episode? When Kim Seon Ho couldn’t get to the finish line at the swimming competition? They didn’t trampled on him for being a loser, but they support him and help him finish the race. Granted, it was just a comedy skit but it’s heartwarming as well as hilarious.
Image copied from 1 Night 2 Days official Instagram account @kbs_unicorn
You Bring Out The Best in Me. Season 4 members are unique in their own way. Each week we discover their unique characteristics that brings a new color to the show. Yeon Jung Hoon with his explosive spirit that died down as quickly as it came. DinDin with his naughty little kid character when teasing other members or being teased by them. Ravi with his exceptional quality but tragically lacking executions. Moon Se Yoon with his confident that often betrayed him in games. Kim Seon Ho with honest reaction towards everything. And, last but not least, Kim Jong Min with his surprising genius side popping up every now and then. He’s doing pretty good, if not better, this season. Though, with Kim Jong Min being Kim Jong Min, no one but himself seems more surprised when he’s doing well. If I can say so myself, they complement each other. Even when they’re being lacking they could be very funny.
Creative Themes and Games. Hats off to this season’s crew. Smiley PD has took the helm of the sinking ship and made it sailing proudly again. The concept and themes they came up with are refreshing. The one that really hit the spot is that BangTopia episode. They managed to pull off a minimal contact filming, cooked up the concept really well, and nailed it. Yes, the members, mainly DinDin, gave them quite a shock with their resilience in trying to open that locked room, but the little surprise just made the show more real and less scripted. There are plenty of new games in that is really fun to watch and it looks like the members are enjoying it. In “Travel Around Korea” episode I love all the games. Indeed, it was a 13 hours exhausting game marathon, but everything were fun.
I sincerely hope this season will outlast all the previous seasons. Everything is too good and I would be really sad if this ended or one of the members left and is replaced with another. This setting is great. These members are amazing. And you don’t fix what’s not broken, especially when it’s working this well. And I hope they will win big at the end of year awards. I can’t wait for the anniversary project, Feel the Rhythm of Korea, with the Korean Tourism Board. It’s 1 Night 2 Days Season 4’s first huge project that marked the recognition their journey has received so far. There’s plenty more to come from Bang PD’s crew and the members. And I’d gladly wait for it every week. To 1 Night 2 Days Season 4, my weekly dose of happiness, HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY! Here’s to more laughter and love to come. CHEERS!
New album, new stress, but new excitement. Lim Cheol, also known by his stage name DinDin, sat on a big mustard-colored sofa in his living room holding his guitar. His hand fluently playing the melody of his newly composed song. But his mind wasn’t exactly there. It wanders to the image of a certain woman, petite figure and long silky hair.
Grace….
His phone buzzed. Cheol peeked at the screen. It was his manager. It’s time for him to go to his studio and continue working on his new album. Putting down his guitar, Cheol picked up his phone, took out his shoes from the wardrobe room then head out.
*
“Oh, Nuna,” Cheol’s second sister, Seol, called him in the midst of his studio session.
“Cheora, I’m near your studio right now. You’re still there?” she asked.
“Yeah. Come on over, Nuna.”
“Is it okay? I’ll bring some snacks then.”
“I can’t wait.”
An hour later, Cheol open the door to his sister holding an armful of paper bags. When he saw the person standing behind her, his heart skipped a beat.
Grace….
Grace, the petit woman with long silky hair smiled at him, waving. Cheol smiled nervously, caught himself, then tried hard to conceal his nerve with a cheerful hello.
“Grace! You guys hang out today?”
Both women entered the recording room.
“Yeah. Work finished early for both of us, so we thought we’d just have coffee and come by to say hi.” Grace’s voice were like honey in Cheol’s ears. Sweet and delightful.
Seol and Grace ended up staying for half an hour. As they were saying goodbye, Grace shook Cheol’s hand and complimented him.
“This is my first time seeing you in your workplace, doing your music. I can’t say how much I’m in awe. You grew up well, Cheora. I’m proud of you.”
Cheol’s heart beat ten times faster. He’s pretty sure his whole face is lobster-red. Even his hands were sweaty.
“Gee, Grace. Thanks. It’s a lot hearing that from you.”
The look on Grace’s eyes when she said that stays with Cheol for the rest of the day, fueling him. Lyrics and melodies ran wild through his vein.
Grace….
*
Grace Park was a family friend. Cheol met her when he was studying in Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver, Canada. She was his sister’s friend. Back then, Cheol fell head over heals for Grace since the first glance. Being the only foreign student in his school, the sight of a pretty Asian girl was like a breath of fresh air for him. Having a friend who speaks Korean was like a blessing. Grace was easy going, cheerful, and kind. Cheol spent his days with Grace and his sister a lot. Needless to say it doesn’t take long for his feelings grow deeper. Even after Cheol and Seol moved back to Korea their friendship, and Cheol’s love, withstand time and distance.
A year ago, Grace were sent to work in Korea. She was the general manager of a huge international company based in Canada that were set to open a new branch in Korea. And so they’re united once again. All those years, Cheol’s feeling never wavered. He told no one of his feeling, not even his sister. Especially not his sister. His hunch told him that Seol knew, but for some unknown reason she never say a word. Considering how often they teased him, this is really weird. But it works for the best. And now that Grace is nearby, Cheol got into a dilemma of whether it’s time to act upon his feeling or it’s better to hide it forever.
*
“That’s a great song, man,” Sleepy, one of Cheol’s best friend, commented. “I can feel the emotion behind it, the dilemma. Goosebumps all over!”
“That’s what my music is all about, Hyung. Emotion, meaningful lyrics,” Cheol smacked Sleepy’s back.
“I wonder… Is it a true story?”
When Cheol failed to deny it right away, Sleppy’s sleepy eyes widened.
“No way!”
“Sssh, Hyung!” Cheol pulled Sleepy aside. “Keep it to yourself, okay? Please.”
Sleepy eyed his friend. The Cheol he knew is usually very straightforward. If he wanted this to be a secret then there must be a strong reason behind it. So he just nod and put a zipping motion in front of his lips.
“Thank you,” said Cheol.
*
I shouldn’t love you. I shouldn’t love you. You’re so perfect, and I lack so much.
You are perfect. And I do lack so much.
It’s crazy, I think of you all day.
But I do still think of you all day. It’s crazy.
This is problematic. This is problematic.
I shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t be like this.
The song was really good, Grace thought. It pulled her heartstrings in different directions, though. The first verse and the chorus was spot on. She knew it’s a feeling she shouldn’t have. But she couldn’t help it. It’s getting stronger and harder to hide. But she really shouldn’t. She really shouldn’t.
*
Hey, Cheora. I’ve listen to ur new song. LOVE IT! Can’t believe u just learn guitar on this. It’s perfect! I’m proud of u. Congrats.
Cheol smiled somewhat sadly. Even after all these years, even after he released his latest song, he’s yet able to decide. His doubt just won’t go away. First of all, Grace is his sister’s friend. Indeed, she’s younger than Seol, just a year older than him, but still. Then there’s the matter of his profession. Cheol loved his job. His life was about his music and family. But did he really want to drag Grace into his world, where she could be forced to be in the spotlight and her life might change forever? Should he risk it?
A couple of years ago, Cheol got swept into a dating rumor. With his sister, of all people. Several people recognized him, though he was masked up, when he was out shopping with Seol. Seol took it lightly, even pretended to be the obnoxiously over-confident girlfriend. But the amount of attention, news, and comments his sister got made him uncomfortable. And that’s why he didn’t want Grace to go through the same thing.
But couldn’t he be selfish for once? Now that his career has taken off very well, couldn’t he think only about himself?
Cheol hit the reply button on his phone and typed:
Thanks, Grace. I know how much you like guys that’s good at playing guitar, that’s why I tried so hard. Cook me dinner at your place next Tuesday?
*
Cheol just stood there, in front of Grace’s apartement door. After a few deep breaths, he rang the doorbell.
Once a month, on Tuesdays, Seol and Grace scheduled a get together dinner. They used to do it every week back in Vancouver and they wanted to keep the tradition alive in Seoul too. But this time, for obvious reason, Cheol wished his sister wouldn’t be there with them. Just for this once he wished there would only be the two of them.
“It’s open,” Grace’s voice came through the intercom speaker.
The aroma of sizzling steak welcomed Cheol when he opened the door. Grace was always a great cook. She even taught him most of the dishes he cooks. But right then Cheol’s feelings was too chaotic to feel hungry.
There she was. His angel. Grace stood in front of the stove, sauteeing some mushroom. With apron and her short hair in a pony tail, she looked out of this world.
Wait a minute. Short hair?
Cheol’s eyes widened. That short hair brought back their old memory. Grace’s hair used to be that short. And Cheol was obsessed with it. He thought she looks more beautiful with the short hair framing her face. When he saw her again in Korea and realized that she grew her hair, he was a little disappointed. There’s something missing. But seeing that style again know has woken up such a strong feeling inside of his heart that for a couple of minutes he just stood there. In awe.
“You okay there, Cheol?”
The question brought him back to the present.
“You cut your hair.”
“Yup. I’m done with long hair. I like it short like this.” She brushed the bang from her forehead.
“It suits you. I like it better this way,” he said, putting the bottle of wine he brought on the counter.
Grace tried to hide her blush. She focused hard on cooking so he’d think it’s the heat that made her face redden.
“I’m serious.” When Grace didn’t answer, Cheol came up next to her and what he saw took him by surprise for a second. She can’t be blushing, can’t she?
“Where’s Nuna?” he changed the topic.
“Oh, she didn’t text you?” Grace looked up from her pan.
Cheol shook his head.
“She couldn’t make it today. Something urgent came up at work.”
It’s as if heaven was on his side today. This past year, Seol never missed their monthly dinner. Yet today, when he really needed to get Grace alone, she couldn’t come. This has got to be a sign.
*
A plate of steak dinner and a bowl of ice cream later, they sat on the sofa drinking wine. Grace eyes landed on her guitar resting on the side of the sofa. She took it.
“Here,” she gave the guitar to Cheol.
“What?” he faked cluelessness.
“Sing it for me. I want to hear it live.” The twinkle in her eyes were challenging him. But there’s more. Cheol didn’t want to get ahead of himself but in a brief couple of seconds, he saw something more in her eyes. It seems as if he could see behind the shade she always closed so tight. There’s softness there that he’d never seen before.
With a new determination, he took the guitar and started singing wholeheartedly the song that he wrote with her in mind.
I shouldn’t love you. I shouldn’t love you. You’re so perfect, and I lack so much.
Right after the song ended, Cheol put down the guitar and gently took Grace’s hands in his.
“Grace, I don’t know when is the right time. But if there is such thing, then the time is now.”
He took a deep breath. “I know I shouldn’t love you. I shouldn’t. But I’m going to.”
He searched her eyes for any sign of that softness he saw before. He saw the shock there. But he also recognize the relieve that suddenly also gushed through him. And there it was. That softness of love.
“What…” Grace was speechless.
“The moment Nuna introduced you to me, this feeling started to grow. I’ve nourished it, I’ve hidden it, I’ve tried to forget it, but nothing works anymore. Back then I shouldn’t love you because I’m just a nobody. I was not someone who you could be proud of.”
“Cheora…” He cut her right off.
“Just listen to me first, okay?” His thumb caressed the back of her hands.
“Now it’s different. You said it yourself that you’re proud of me. However, one thing kept bothering me.”
“I… I don’t want to drag you into the spotlight. But I also don’t want to hide, cower like a coward. Hiding as if this is a mistake.”
“But the more I think of it, the more I realize that I can no longer be in this situation. Not knowing how you feel. Not knowing what we could have. Not being able to hold you and love you straightforwardly. Not knowing how would it feels to be love by you.”
Cheol’s hands traced her arms and rested on her shoulder.
“Right now, I really want you to know that I love you. I have always love you all these years. And I want to know how you feel about me.”
He could feel Grace trembled a little. She was holding a sob.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I used to… I used to think the same. That I shouldn’t love you. I thought that I’m just your sister’s friend to you. We couldn’t be more than that. And with you being famous now, the chance of us being together got even slimmer. You’d be surrounded by girls that are better than me. I shouldn’t love you.”
Cheol felt all the air in his lung disappeared. All of his doubts were cleared that instant.
“Does that mean you… love me?” he put all of his hopes and dream into that one question.
A tear fell from Grace’s eyes. “I do, Cheol. I do.”
Hearing her answer, he smiled his signature smile, baring his upper set of teeth.
For ten minutes after that, both of them laughed and cried at the same time. Holding each other so tight.
*
“This is Moon Se Yoon reporting live from DinDin’s apartment for Two Days One Night. Today I will be investigating this place. Is DinDin hiding something or someone, to be exact? What can we discover as prove? Let’s find out.”
“Hyung, why are you doing this? Don’t. Don’t.”
“We’re here in the living room. Nothing suspicious. Everything’s clean and tidy. Let’s move to the bedroom.”
“There’s nothing to see. Nothing, Hyung.”
“We’ll be the judge of that. Wait, what’s this? Ladies and gentlemen, I found a cherry chapstick and a woman’s perfume! Wait, wait, wait… This is a lip tint! We hit the jackpot!”
“Se Yoon Hyung!”
“Now, Dindin, these can’t be yours. So, will you admit it?”
“Admit what?”
“Wow, what’s that shy smile about? Admit that you’re no longer alone. Will you admit it?”
“Hyung…”
“That’s a shy smile right there, for sure. For the last time, look at the camera and admit it. Say: I, DinDin, am no longer alone.”
“Ow, Hyung.”
“Go on.”
“ Okay, okay. Here it is.”
“I, DinDin, am no longer alone.”
***
Listen to DinDin’s latest song Should Not Love You on Spotify
They are back! After around eight months of hiatus and layer after layer of controversy regarding some of the former members, my beloved variety show is finally starting its fourth season.
Image copied from Kocowa blog
When I first saw the list of the new members, I was like: (1) Thank God Kim Jong Min is still one of them! (2) Yeon Jung Hoon? Isn’t he the actor who starred in serious non-comedy dramas? (3) Moon Se Yoon? That Tasty Guys member? (4) A variety rookie Kim Seon Ho? (5) Ravi? Who is that? (Sorry, not to offend Vixx’s fans, but I literally didn’t know who he was prior to this.), and (5) Yay for DinDin!!!!
I didn’t really get my hopes up when the first episode’s airing. BUT, with such an odd selection of members, I find they are actually pretty charming and cute. Yeon Jung Hoon isn’t actually new to variety shows, because I think I’ve seen him as a guest of something, but he claimed to be a 1 Night 2 Days fan and his reaction to his first experience was right of the bat super cute. Kim Seon Ho is truly a rookie, clueless, wide-eyed, a bit helpless. While the other two new members, the so-called Tom and Jerry of the show, have some experience and just entertaining to watch. I actually have been a fan of DinDin in variety programs, so I was pretty excited to see him as one of the members.
First episode was very promising. All of them tried hard in everything, didn’t shy from anything. And what startled me the most was, they clicked right away. No one was too timid when they were introduced to each other, though they were pretty awkward at first but it was awkward-cute. That first bok-bul-bok with the ganari-cano! I laughed so much when they actually drink that horrible stuff. But it goes to show how determined they are in doing the show.
And one huge thing about this season is that the new members actually consider Kim Jong Min is the most genius out of them all. No offence, but this is the first time he is seen that way. He’s always the foolish one, but apparently the table has turned now :D. I kinda like this, to be honest. It’s nice to see all of them look up to him as their senior on the show, and as someone who knows the name of a lot of capital cities (hahaha!).
Image copied from mydramalist.com
My hope for this season is to reach the same, if not, better popularity and ratings than its three previous seasons. To, once again, be the number one Sunday variety program. To have people stop talking about the past scandals and enjoy this show for what it is, a new show, a new clean sheet. I will definitely be enjoying this season very much.
Aiko Takes Notes 