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(Written May 16, 2024)
We see the elimination scene again. Our three cut trainees, fighting back tears, look into the camera and tell the fans they will work harder in the future and to please support the Hot Blood Boys. I can’t wait until they change that group name.
Moving forward to the next day at the dorm. A writer has shown up unexpectedly. A lot of people have been barging in unexpectedly on these trainees over the course of the show. These people need to make appointments, and our trainees need to lock their doors.
The writer asks why only six
of the trainees are here talking to her.
Lady, call ahead next time. The
six trainees tell her it’s because the others are in school. They are university students now. Okay, this is what I want a documentary
about. How trainees balance school and
the demands of being a trainee.
We get a title card for Episode 9, “Hot Blood Boys’ Personal Life.” Maybe we’ll get some answers here. The trainees will be recorded going about their daily lives so the fans can learn more about them. They are all given camcorders.
The camera work for the rest
of this episode is all done by the trainees with the camcorders, and honestly,
they do a better job than the Mnet crew.
We are getting regular daily life for these boys. For example, we start with some of the
trainees showing us a jar full of coins they’ve been saving. They take them to the bank and learn they’ve
saved six million won. That’s $4,447.77
USD, which I’ll admit is impressive.
That’s about four months’ rent for me.
We don’t find out what they do with the money, although they do talk
about ordering pizza. Dream big, guys.
Next, we get a glimpse into Junho’s university life. I’m struggling with the translation, but I think it says he only goes once a week. He had to miss orientation because he was rehearsing for the concert. We see him in the break room, hanging out with his friends. I Googled Junho, and he went to Howon University with Chansung and Wooyoung. In fact, he and Chansung went on to get their masters degrees in cinematography from Sejong University. While being trainees. That’s amazing.
Back at the dorm, we see many, many pairs of sneakers stacked up in the entrance hall. The shoes fill shelves, the storage space above the closet, and the floor. We also see all the pictures on the wall of the selfies the trainees been taking, as well as a stuffed doll that Junsu sleeps with.
We switch to Kwon’s camera. He hasn’t been home in a long time, so we go with him to meet his mom and his cute dog, Lucky. It’s really sweet. Now to Jay Park, who tells us he’s been going to the gym every day for three years. He shows us his workout routine. I’m jolted awake when my forehead hits the keyboard.
Chansung and Taecyeon go to
the movies after taking an acrobatics lesson.
Seulong and Kwon meet up with a rookie artist named Joo, surprising her
in a practice room. She has a lovely
voice. Junsu meets a fellow musician
friend for dinner.
Back at the dorm, Taecyeon Googles the Hot Blood Boys to see what people are saying. He says he’s shy and awkward when talking to fans. I’ve already talked about how trainees are isolated from women, but I don’t think that’s the only problem. It’s got to be hard to have a conversation with a female fan when the fan’s half of the conversation is them hyperventilating and saying, “Oh my God I love you so much you are so wonderful and so cute and I’ve been to all of your concerts because I follow you everywhere and do you have a girlfriend?” That’s not normal human interaction. I’m watching these guys have normal human interactions with other people through their camcorders, and they’re doing fine.
We move over to Wooyoung, who
is watching the popular Korean TV show Infinite Challenge. He says he’s not able to do any of the
challenges. Meanwhile, Seulong swipes two cartons of milk from another
dorm. (Guys, when you commit a crime,
maybe don’t film it and put it on TV.)
Khun’s turn. His Korean sounds more confident now. We watch him play basketball with his fellow trainees.
Finally, we get the whole group, thanking us for watching. The episode ends.
Okay, that was a bit of a detour, but it gave us the chance to get to know these guys better. In the spirit of this episode, I’ll finish this recap with the story of our handsome prince, Nichkhun (Khun).
Khun was born to Thai Chinese
parents. His mom is the CEO of Union
Medical, making his family quite wealthy.
His dreamy looks, upper class background, and success as one of the
first foreigners in the K-pop industry earned him the nickname “Thai Prince” in
South Korea.
He’s had a really charmed life. We already know he had no musical experience when he was scouted in California. He was a competitive badminton player and thought he would do that for a living. Over the course of his childhood, he lived in the US, Thailand, and New Zealand. And now, he’s a K-pop idol, model, and actor. He’s the first Thai national to be part of a successful K-pop group.
His luck extended to military service. As a Thai citizen, he was put in the military draft lottery in 2009. When his name came up, his home district had already met the required quota, so he didn’t have to serve.
His luck came to a temporary halt in 2012 when he drove while intoxicated and crashed into a motorcyclist. His license was suspended. He took accountability, apologized, and went on a hiatus from the industry. He’s now back at work in music and acting.
His first Hollywood film, The Modelizer, was released last year. He has a racy sex scene in the movie, which upset some of his K-pop fans. The movie didn’t seem to do well in theaters, from what I can find about it, but it’s available for streaming. Regardless of the film’s lack of success, he’s still the dashing prince. Single, available, and dreamy.
Stay tuned for the final
episode, where we will hopefully see our two groups formed. We’ll also learn
about the mistake that nearly ended the dream for one of the members of
2pm. See you then.
Episode 10: The real Hot Blood was the friends we made along the way.
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