Double Date with ATEEZ, Episode 8 (FINALE): Turbulence

(Written September 28, 2025)

Back to Site Table of Contents

We’ve reached the final episode, and I’m really going to miss this show.  It’s been worth getting up early on Sunday mornings to get to know ATEEZ better and wonder why more companies aren’t like KQ Entertainment. 

When we last left our boys, Mingi was staring Father Time in the face, Jongho was serenading Yeosang, and the whole group was denying they drank too much while San was getting drunk off his ass.  I live for the chaos of this group.  Let’s do this!

We begin with Jongho in a confessional.  He’s asked for the hardest moment in his life, and he says it’s right now.  As this is being filmed, the group is promoting while learning new songs and the choreography.  Preparing is always the hardest part for him because it’s never just preparing.  It’s also doing the interviews, promo appearances, and everything else that goes with being an idol.  He feels overwhelmed sometimes. 

As all the members have been doing, he’s quick to say it’s worth it when they perform for their fans.  This is probably the most serious I’ve seen him on this show.  

We cut to him on his date with Yeosang, driving their Porsche through the mountains.  The group is driving different versions of the new 718 Boxster model, which starts at around $74,000 USD, but with all the extras we’re seeing on the dashboard and the fact that Porsche will want to show off the best version of their car on this show, we’re looking at about $160,000 USD per car.  I’d be way too nervous to drive a car that expensive.  I’d be crawling along at 20 mph in the slow lane, waving for all the other impatient, honking drivers to just pass me and shut up already.    

As Jongho zips along like he’s driving my 2009 Chevy Cobalt with several dents and a left rear speaker that no longer works, he and Yeosang talk about favorite memories.  Jongho talks about his audition for KQ, which he almost passed on.  He had just left Big Hit Entertainment and wanted to take some time off.  A friend convinced him to get back in the game.  I hope he got that friend something nice.

Yeosang talks about their busy schedule and how they also have to prepare their solo material.  “If I had two or three bodies, it wouldn’t be enough,” he says.  He says doing this show gave him a chance to relax for a while.  But I know that can’t be true.  This show is still part of the job.  Yeosang still had to get up early, do the hair and wardrobe thing, and spend several hours on camera not catching fish.  Not to mention the hours he probably had to spend on his skincare routine.  The man’s face is flawless.

We spend a couple of minutes watching Jongho and Yeosang eating, and I remember something from my notes.  According to Reddit users, KQ Entertainment doesn’t limit their groups’ eating expenses.  I guess they’re making that point by showing tables full of food on these dates.  I’m still mentally scarred from my other show recaps where idols talk about having to train while eating just half an apple a day.

We now check in on Seonghwa and San on their glamping date under the stars.  I like that San is a happy drunk.  Look at that face.  Someone please make sure to take his keys away.

San keeps repeating how blessed and happy he is, and a very annoyed Seonghwa keeps telling him to stop.  How is Seonghwa also not drunk at this point?  He’s throwing back Macallans, too.  Maybe he’s just waiting until he’s off camera and tossing his drinks into the bushes. 

“I’m so happy, I’m crying in my heart right now,” San slurs.  Okay, forget getting him home at this point.  Just take off his shoes, put him in a sleeping bag, and let him glamp it off in the tent.  I know drinking is kind of a sport in Korea, but he’s clearly had enough.

Then we get a flashback to a concert where ATEEZ was caught off guard by a gift from their fans.  We don’t get to see it, but it looks like the fans have collected photos that are being flashed on the screen.  The members break down in tears.  I’m not sure I could handle that much love from so many people.  I think I’m understanding San a bit more now.  He says he’s cried so much, his tear glands are broken, and I get it.

We cut to Hongjoong and Wooyoung at the hotel lounge, talking about the future and how they want to be role models for the idols coming up behind them.  Hongjoong also says he’s trying to find out who he truly is, as opposed to the idol he plays onstage.  I imagine that must be hard for everyone in show business, and it says a lot about Hongjoong’s character that he knows there’s a difference.  He doesn’t seem to be buying into the idea that he is the idol everyone worships.  He knows his true self is something else, and he doesn’t want to lose it.

Now we get a montage of all the dates from the previous episodes.  The nature walks, pottery, paragliding, kite flying, roller coaster riding, fishing, losing hats in the Han River, enjoying good food, and getting drunk.  You know, despite this show being a lot of work for these guys, maybe this was relaxing and fun for them on some level. 

We get our opening credits and then join Mingi and Yunho at their restaurant, where they talk about how they want to be remembered.  I think the show is trying to wrap up all the Hidden Ask questions.  They talk for a while, but one thing really jumps out at me.  Mingi talks about how he takes care of his family, but he’s at the age where he should have his own family.  At least that’s how I’m understanding him.  Yunho says he’s not ready for that kind of life yet, so I think I have it right.  

The reason Mingi’s words stand out to me is because idols usually aren’t allowed to talk about getting married and having kids.  They’re supposed give the impression they are living eternally for their fans.  KQ doesn’t seem to force their artists to pretend like that.

One of my favorite Monsta X clips is Hyungwon bonding with a small child at a day care center.  He’s clearly great with kids.  He later says in a confessional the experience made him want to be a dad someday, and then he very quickly corrects himself, realizing he shouldn’t have said that.  Here, Mingi and Yungo talk casually about having families someday, like normal people do.  Again, I wish all entertainment companies ran like KQ.  I’m sure ATEEZ has their conflicts with the company, but I’ve never seen a group with so much freedom.

Our boys then lighten the mood by wondering if the other members are having such serious conversations on their dates.  They decide most of them are, except for Jongho.  Mingi says, “Jongho would say ‘we need to drink.’”  Okay, first of all, they clearly know their maknae very well.  Secondly, I am once again getting a little worried about Jongho. 

Sure enough, the editing team immediately cuts to Jongho and Yeosang at the restaurant just in time to hear our maknae say, “We had a great day, so we have to drink.  We have to toast.” 

The whole group watching the footage in the studio gets a huge kick out of this, while I Google Alcoholics Anonymous and find they have 200 groups in 11 districts in South Korea.  Just putting that out there.

We get one last Hidden Ask question, telling the guys to share any unsaid feelings.  Yunho accuses the crew of giving them makgeolli to get them drunk for these questions.  We get a sweet moment where these two basically tell each other that they will always support each other in life.  Back in the studio, an embarrassed Yunho says, “Did I really say that?”

Don’t worry, Yunho.  San understands.  

San: I love you, Yunho!    Yunho: Get off me.

Mingi and Yunho end their date with a toast to “Twin Towers friendship.”  I raise my root beer in agreement.  Cheers. 

Back to Jongho and Yeosang on their date, and they get the same question about unspoken feelings.  Yeosang knows right away that Jongho is the one who submitted this question and tells him to answer first.  I’m expecting a smartass reply, but Jongho simply says, “Thank you, and thank you, and thank you.”

I never thought I’d say this, but Jongho should drink more often.

Jongho says Yeosang is 100% his friend.  “Is there anyone below 100%?” Yeosang asks.  Back in the studio, everyone leans forward while Jongho pretends to think about his answer and then says, “I’ll decide later.”

Jongho then asks Yeosang, “If we do this again, will you choose me next time?”  Back in the studio, San actually gasps as he waits for the answer.

“He’s asking for another date!” Hongjoong laughs.

“Of course I’ll choose you!” Yeosang tells Jongho.  That crash you hear is San’s heart breaking into a thousand pieces.  But then Jongho flips, saying he’d choose another member.  OOF.  Yeosang turns around and tells the crew that shooting is over.

Jongho does say something really sweet.  “Even if we didn’t catch the fish, we caught our friendship.”  Awww, that’s sweet.  But based on that smirk as he says it, I’m not buying it for a minute.

This conversation goes on for a while.  This final episode mainly consists of deep conversations between the members that I’m sure the fans love, but it’s hard for me to take these heart-to-hearts seriously when they’re happening on camera.  I don’t think these guys are being insincere.  It’s just that they know they’re on camera, and I want to get back to the fun stuff the show was supposed to be about.  This show has gone from double dates to couples counseling.  Weren’t we supposed to be voting on the best date by now?

I think the members are a little uncomfortable as well.  Yeosang tells Jongho he’d like to have more conversations like this off camera.  I’d be fine with that.  I know an idol’s life is supposed to be on display constantly, but there has to be a line.  

Hongjoong and Wooyoung wrap up their date.  Hongjoong says he appreciates how the other members respect him as the group’s leader, even when it’s not always easy.  Like Yeosang, he wants to have outings like this more often, but away from the cameras. 

We do get a great moment when they talk about their misadventures on the Han River.  That was one of my favorite moments from this series.  Wooyoung frets about all the memes that will come from that footage.  Don’t worry, Wooyoung.  Those new memes will be hard to find among the billions of other memes of you and Hongjoong already online.

There.  Feel better?

Wooyoung tells his date that when Season Two is released, he should be paired up with someone else.  Please tell me we’re getting another season of this show. 

Now we go to Seonghwa and San, the latter of whom really shouldn’t be talking anymore.  I think more memes will come out of San’s participation on this show than any other member.  

We get another heart-to-heart, and they make a final toast to their date, their fans, and the future.  Then they go stargazing with two telescopes set up for them.  San is really setting himself up for those memes.

With that, all the dates come to an end, and we rejoin all the members in the studio.  Jongho is proud of himself, saying that if he hadn’t written such a great Hidden Ask question, the members would not have shared such honest feelings.  Sure, but I kind of miss the trouble-stirring questions.

It’s finally time to vote for the Best Date Mate, and now I understand why they call it that.  They’re not going to vote for the best date couple.  They’re voting for the one they’d most like to be on a date with, based on this show.  I actually had to think about this.  I’d either want to go paragliding with Mingi, or jet skiing with Hongjoong, or amusement park riding with San (as long as we took my car, and I was the designated driver).

Our boys get whiteboards and angonize over their choices.  Then, on the count of three, they reveal their whiteboards.  The results are:

Hongjoong votes for Yeosang.
Wooyoung and Mingi vote for Yunho.
Yunho votes for Wooyoung.
Seonghwa votes for Hongjoong.
San votes for Seonghwa.  (I’m shocked he didn’t vote for Yeosang.)
Yeosang votes for … this.  The translation tells us it’s a vote for San, but we’ll come back to this.  

And finally, Jongho votes for San.  That puts San and Yunho in a tie with two votes each.  Only Mingi and San voted for the ones they actually went on dates with.  This, of course, starts some arguments.

Turns out Yeosang actually voted for two people.  Those of us who don’t read Korean aren’t told which one he finally erases, but I think it’s Jongho.  His final vote remains for San.  Why?  Because all during the show, San has acted so sad and rejected about Yeosang being on a date with someone else, so he wants to show some love for his smitten bandmate.

ATINY, what exactly is going on between those two?  

Jongho chose San because he likes the way he drinks.  That maknae is a menace.  “Let’s drink a lot together later,” San tells him.  So much for Yeosang, who now just got dumped by his date and his date mate.  Seriously, ATINY, what the hell is going on here?!

Jongho reminds San that in Episode One, Yeosang was asked for his top three date picks, and San wasn’t one of them.  San replies confidently, “I don’t care about numbers.  I know that Yeosang will come to me.”  SERIOUSLY, ATINY, WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

Hongjoong says he voted for Yeosang because Yeosang didn’t put him on a banana boat in the Han River.  “Don’t be greedy.  He’s mine,” warns San, who just agreed to ditch Yeosang and go drinking with Jongho. 

We’re reminded that Mingi and Jongho didn’t get any votes.  I’d go paragliding and nature walking with Mingi any day.  As for Jongho, if I ever wanted to look right into the soul of a supervillain, I’d go drinking with him.  That would be more dangerous than paragliding.

Jongho invites Mingi to go drinking after they finish taping.  He gets, “No thanks, I’m fine,” as a response.

Hongjoong announces there is a prize for our two date mate winners and gives envelopes to San and Yunho.  It’s … oh my God … a confirmation that we’re getting a Season 2, along with a blank check and the privilege of choosing their date locations and date partners next time. 

Hear that, San?  You get to choose Yeosang as your date!  Hear that, Yeosang?  RUN.

The group is super excited and ask if they can go overseas next time.  I don’t see why not.  I’m currently recapping Season 2 of RIIZE’s show, and they’re filming in Shanghai.  Let’s go nuts and take ATEEZ to Las Vegas!

Yunho talks excitedly about Morocco.  Everyone seems set on Morocco.  At least seven of them are.  San is staring intently at Yeosang.  I’m not kidding.  This whole time, while everyone else is talking about the possibilities for Season 2, San is staring, unblinking, across the room at Yeosang, who is looking nervously around the room.  WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

Hongjoong promises us a Season 2, and I learn that the actual name of this show is ATEEZ Plus, which means I’ve been calling this show by the wrong title all this time.  Oh well.  I’ll fix it in the Season 2 recaps, which I am VERY excited about.  I will happily get up early on Sunday mornings to do this all again.

ATEEZ waves goodbye, for now.  Well, seven of them do.  San is STILL staring at Yeosang.

Well, ATINY, this has been one of my favorite recaps yet, and I’ve been recapping Kpop shows for a year and a half.  Thanks to the Tumblr users for their comments and background on this great band.  Join me for my BOSS RIIZE Season 2 recaps, already in progress, and feel free to check out all my recaps on my website. 

Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you all again in Morocco.  For now, that’s a wrap!

Back to Site Table of Contents

Double Date with ATEEZ, Episode 5: Wonderland

Back to Site Table of Contents

(Written September 7, 2025)

A true sign of how invested I am in this show is the fact that I really hope Jongho and Yeosang catch a fish today.  Yes, we’ll be going back to the amusement park and possibly learning more about San’s obsessive deal with Yeosang, but I’m looking forward to justice for these two.  They’ve lost a metric ton of bait.  I just know those fish are laughing at them.  And I’ve got a weird feeling that Jongho will turn out to be my bias in this group.  Welcome to Episode 5, ATINY!

We open with Seonghwa telling us ATEEZ has been on six world tours, which sounds insane.  They debuted barely six years ago.  I can’t imagine the physical toll that takes on them.  Seonghwa tells us, “This is my first time saying this.  I don’t have any religion, but I pray before going onstage.  I pray that nobody gets hurt that day, and that for those who came to the show, it wasn’t for nothing.”  He’s a little embarrassed admitting this, but as an agnostic, I find him relatable.

Back at the food court, he and San get another Hidden Ask question on their phones while munching on their churros.  (In the studio, Mingi says it would be more romantic if they ate one churro together, Lady and the Tramp-style.)  This question is one I was just thinking about while watching the clips of their concert footage:  “What was the hardest time for you, when you felt like collapsing?”

Both agree it’s when they’re on tour.  Each show runs about three hours.  I looked up the dates for their most recent tour and was glad to see there’s been a minimum of three days between each concert.  

In a confessional, San says they’ve done 44 shows on this most recent tour.  They perform every show like it’s their last, keeping in mind that for some audience members, it’s their first.  Keep eating those churros, boys.  You need the carbs.

They get another text.  I’m expecting another Hidden Ask, but no.  Something’s up.  One more ride has been added to their amusement park date, and it’s the haunted house.  Neither one is thrilled about this.  I’m not a fan of those either, but it should make for some great screenshots.  Come on, boys.  Put on your big boy boxers and let’s do this.

San is not going without a fight.  “I don’t want to!” he wails.  “Last time, I hit a staff member in the stomach and had to apologize!”  San has some serious arm muscles.  I hope that staffer didn’t wind up in the hospital.  Then we find out the staffer was actually one of the ghost actors.  Please tell me there’s footage of this somewhere.

San really doesn’t want to do this.  He’s actually pouting.  It’s so funny how this muscle-bound jimseung-dol is the cutest little thing right now.  

Another text notification.  No haunted house – the staff was just kidding.  I’m guessing they don’t want us to see San beat up another staff member.  Instead, it’s off to the Spanish Pirate Ship.  The boys are so relieved, they need to take a break for a few minutes to recover from the stress. 

I totally get it.  As a kid, my sister made me go on the haunted house ride at the Myrtle Beach Pavilion with her.  This is what the outside of that ride looked like:

I spent that entire ride with my eyes tightly shut.  My sister says I tried to punch her when the ride was over.  If that’s true, it served her right.

Just when we think we’re safe from any potential violence, San finds out that Mingi is the one who told the production crew to have him do the haunted house.  We cut to Mingi waiting to go paragliding, and he’s telling the crew, “San’s a real scaredy-cat.  He’d be acting all cute.”  Then both Mingi and Yunho do an impression of San’s cute act, and I’m dying because it is so spot-on.

Mingi isn’t done.  “Jongho has a lot of expectations,” he tells the staff, explaining that Jungho likes extreme things like haunted houses.  “Don’t make him do extreme stuff.  Just seated activities.”

We then cut to Jungho’s pottery date, and Mingi is so MEAN.

Jongho, seen here making a bat to clobber Mingi with

 
Moving on.  We join Hongjoong and Wooyoung on their shopping date for vintage clothes.  Wooyoung is clearly worn out after all the water sports, and on top of that, we learned in the last episode that he doesn’t like vintage clothes OR Hongjoong’s driving.  He then has a sneezing fit in the shop.  These two have gone from potential Best Date winners to possibly needing to call an ambulance.

Hongjoong, on the other hand, is having a great time finding clothes for Wooyoung, dressing him like a mannequin.  As soon as Wooyoung puts something on, Hongjoong has him take it off and try something else.  Clothes fly through the air.  Finally, they settle on outfits and take pictures for the other members to vote on.   

For me, it’s Hongjoong, hands-down.  He looks great in jackets.

It’s already dark out when they leave the shop.  Because of the earlier trying-on frenzy, Wooyoung isn’t even sure what he has in his shopping bag but is pretty sure he doesn’t like any of it.  “Whatever, just wear what I give you,” Hongjoong responds.  I like this bossy look on our captain.

They post the photos to the group chat for voting.  As they prepare to drive away, they get another text notification.  Their day isn’t over yet.  They’re getting a Hidden Date.  Off they go, following the map coordinates.  We’re only halfway through the series, so I was wondering how they were going to keep these dates going.

On the way, they get the Hidden Ask question about when they felt like they were going to collapse.  Right away, Wooyoung says, “Summer Sonic.”  This was a festival in Japan they played in 2024.  I looked it up, and what a wildly varying group of performers.  Along with ATEEZ, they had American rock band Hoobastank, Scottish indie pop group Belle and Sebastian, rapper Lil Yachty, and the heavenly, soulful vocalist Olivia Dean.  (Olivia Dean has a new album coming out later this month, and I’m desperately hoping the song “Keep On” is on it.  That song has been featured on some television show soundtracks but hasn’t been released as a single yet, and I love it so much.)

Sorry.  Got off track there.  The Summer Sonic festival was held in August, one of the hottest, muggiest months of the year in Japan.  Hongjoong says he actually fainted from the heat, and Wooyoung got hives.  Add that kind of stress to the physical demands they’re already making of their bodies when they tour, and I don’t know how they survive it.

ATEEZ at Summer Sonic

 
We now cut to our Twin Towers, Mingi and Yunho, fresh from their landing after paragliding.  They get a new Hidden Ask.  “Was there a time when you felt like you were connected with your bandmates, even if you didn’t say it?”

Yunho says this happens onstage all the time, and I believe it.  Six years of performing together through exhaustion and extreme weather and hives and fainting will create a strong bond.  It must be like a marriage forged in fire, with eight spouses.

They get another question about their best days.  Yonho is still on a high from the paragliding.  For Mingi, it was after the performance at Coachella, when they got to meet other famous artists, like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.  Being able to meet artists he’d looked up to for years was a surreal experience.  As he’s talking, I remember that KPOPPED is currently airing on Apple TV, and ATEEZ is meeting even more legendary artists.  I’ve always thought it would be cool to meet Kylie Minogue.  ATEEZ got to perform with her.

Their phones buzz again with notifications of their Hidden Date, and they hop back into their yellow Porsche.  Mingi’s driving this time.  We get a great shot of one of the camera drones floating in front of the car as they pull out of the parking space.

On the way, they get a Hidden Ask question about favorite memories.  Yunho talks about winning their first M Countdown award in 2019. Back in the studio, Wooyoung tells us that after that win, the CEO of KQ Entertainment had special trophies made and sent them to their parents.  Everything I learn about KQ makes me like them more.  Especially after I see the footage of the boys being presented with a cake after the win.  Cake is the best.  I love cake.  I wish I were eating it right now.

Sorry, where was I?  Right, this episode.  We cut to Jongho and Yeosang, fishing lines still in the water, where I assume the fish are lying at the bottom of the river in food comas and asking for to-go boxes.  They get notifications of their Hidden Date.  They pack up the rest of Yeosang’s chocolate birthday cake with strawberries (GOD I LOVE CAKE) and drive off in their Porsche. 

As they drive through the night, all the group members back in the studio talk about when they first debuted, their first performances, their first videos.  We learn that they shot their first videos on location in the Sahara Desert because KQ didn’t have the budget to use CGI instead.  It was actually cheaper to send them and the crew on a 30-hour journey to the desert.   They have come a long way in a short time.  Now they can probably afford to have the Sahara packed up and brought to them.

ATEEZ filming in the Sahara

 
Back to the amusement park and the pirate ship ride.  As great as it is to have the entire park to themselves, I think they’re missing out by going on this ride without other people.  Part of the thrill of rides like this is everyone screaming at once. It’s a shared adrenaline rush. 

Still, this should be fun.  Strap on those glowing armbands and let’s go!

I swear, they’re screaming in harmony.  And San can really hold a note.  As the ride slows down, they start dancing, and the other members in the studio scold them for spoiling some of the choreo for their single “Shaboom.”

Back to Hongjoong and Wooyoung as they arrive at the Hidden Date destination.  It’s the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, a 5-star luxury resort.  Wow.  Princess Mingi’s gonna be so jealous.

They settle into the 16^th floor lounge overlooking the city.  Watching the footage, Mingi says it’s the perfect spot for a marriage proposal.  For all his swagger, Mingi is going to be a very romantic husband someday.

Hongjoong points out the window to the Han River and says, “Just six hours ago, we were drowning over there.” 

The wait staff brings them platters of amazing-looking food, rivaling the menu from San and Seonghwa’s omakase date.  

It all looks so good.  Will they be getting cake afterward?  Cake would make it perfect.

They order two Old Fashioneds instead of cake, which I guess is almost as good.  They find out the lobster alone at this meal costs 400,000 won (about $288 USD).  Wow.  Thanks to ATEEZ’s success, KQ Entertainment has CGI money now.

Now back to Jongho and Yeosang en route to their Hidden Date.  Jongho says he really needs a drink.  Good thing, because they pull up at a playfully-decorated restaurant with a SERIOUS bar.  It’s called Yangpyeong old-style raw fish place, according to the translation.

I find it really funny that the show is sending them to a place where they can eat fish caught by people who actually succeeded in catching fish.  After several hours of fruitlessly baiting hooks, I don’t think I’d be in the mood for seafood.  And didn’t they just finish eating a ton of ramyeon and birthday cake?  Where are they putting it all?

The food does look amazing, though.  I’d make room.

The food looks so good, our boys in the studio are jumping out of their seats and yelling.  San demands to know where this restaurant is.  Please tell him before he punches someone.

Jongho does some Soju shots between bites of fish, and his bandmates in the studio are in jealous agony, demanding that he describe the taste of every bite.  They are writhing and moaning in their seats.  Is this what Koreans consider porn?

As they savor the food, Jongho and Yeosang talk about the last time they went out with Wooyoung and got plastered.  “That was a pork belly place?” Yeosang asks, trying to remember.

“You don’t remember?” Jongho asks incredulously. 

“I only remember the alcohol,” Yeosang admits.  Jongho says they drank 21-degree Soju that day.  I looked it up.  That kind of Soju is 21% alcohol by volume.  American beer has between four and eight percent.  

“You, me, and Wooyoung drank six bottles,” Jongho says.  “Wooyoung and I carried you out of there, laid you down in your hotel room, took off your clothes, covered you with a blanket, and left.” 

God bless KQ Entertainment for not muzzling their artists during interviews. 

Back to the amusement park, where San and Seonghwa are drunk on dopamine after the Pirate Ship ride.  Now they’re gearing up for the ultimate ride, the French Revolution, where they will put their heads in actual guillotines.  I think.  I have no idea what that ride is.

Turns out, it’s an indoor roller coaster that makes the Atlantis ride look like a snooze on the merry-go-round.

At first, I couldn’t tell if Seonghwa was screaming, but then all the neighborhood dogs started gathering around my window and howling.  That man has some serious pipes.

Of course, they get to ride a second time, and the episode ends here.  That was fun.  Next week, we’ll find out what our other two Hidden Dates are and hopefully hear more tales of drunken debauchery about our Pirate Kings.  And cake. Hopefully, we’ll get more cake.  See you then!

Episode 6:  Say My Name

Back to Site Table of Contents

Double Date with ATEEZ, Episode 4: Dreamy Day

Back to Site Table of Contents

(Written August 31, 2025)

We are back with ATEEZ!  Four of them are taking us paragliding and amusement park riding today.  Two of them are still night fishing, and we never figured out where Hongjoong and Wooyoung are headed.  Tumblr users have informed me that there’s no age restriction on ATEEZ concerts and that they’ve even seen toddlers at the shows.  You’re now up to speed.  Let’s do this!

I’ve mentioned in my other show recaps that I’m new to K-pop.  I became a K-pop fan about two years ago, and as we open the show with our night fishermen Jongho and Yeosang talking about how much they love ATINY, I’m having a K-pop epiphany.  A popiphany, if you will.  I’ve always thought it was cute that K-pop groups not only had fan group names but talked about them like they were a person, an actual loved one.  But listening to Jongho and Yeosang now, I’m starting to realize more about what that bond is.  If you have taken the name ATINY, then ATEEZ is talking about you when they talk about how much they love ATINY, and how grateful they are to ATINY, and how they can’t wait to see ATINY again.  To an actual ATINY, it might seem like they’re not just referring to their fan base.  It might seem like they are referring to you personally.

This might explain why some K-pop fans lose their minds when their favorite idols are caught dating.  If you call yourself Monbebe and start reading rumors that Minhyuk might have a girlfriend, it might actually feel like your boyfriend is cheating on you.  The motivation to threaten and harass is not all all justified, but I’m starting to understand the motivation.   Giving your fan base a unifying name is a great way to bring those fans together, but the downside is that some unwell fans see it as a parasocial relationship.

By the way, I didn’t just pull that Minhyuk example out of thin air.  About three months ago, he was rumored to have a girlfriend, and instead of being happy that a 31 year-old man might be finding a real human connection in the chaos of show business, the poor guy had to go on Bubble and write an apology that included sentences like, “I believe I deserve the criticism and blame from Monbebe for the things I did wrong.  I’m really sorry for making your hearts ache.” 

Oof.  I didn’t mean to start on such a downer.  To lighten things up, here’s a screenshot from a YouTube video of Wooyoung and Yeosang playing with a baby named Yuchan.

Feeling better?  Okay!  Back to our dates.  Jongho and Yeosang get a Hidden Ask question on their phones.  It’s the one Wooyang and Hongjoong were talking about last week.  “What is a trophy or honor that you want the most?”

Yeosang says being in ATEEZ is already his best honor.  His only goal is for them to rise higher in the industry, leaving a legacy that all music fans will remember.  Meanwhile, the ever-practical Jongho’s goal is for everyone to stay healthy.  That goal is about to be challenged by his bandmates Yunho and Mingi, who are about to jump off a mountain with selfie sticks. 

We cut to our paragliding team, still waiting for the wind to die down.  They’re pondering the Hidden Ask question, and Yunho echoes Hongjoong’s desire for a Grammy.  He also wants to stay in ATEEZ until he’s eighty and be remembered as someone who was chill, loved, and true to himself.     

Now over to San and Seonghwa.  We’re rewinding a bit – when we left them, they were at the amusement park, but now we go back to them still getting there.  As they drive their open-top convertible through the city streets at night, people are starting to notice.  I’m surprised no one tries to jump into their car at a stop light.

“Do they still sell churros at the amusement park?” asks Seonghwa. 

“Of course.  I need at least two,” San replies. 

I’d like to remind our viewing audience that these boys have just finished a 52,000-course gourmet meal that was mostly beef.  

Back to our paragliders.  They get another Hidden Ask about a day they felt so exhausted, they thought they might collapse.  Given Mingi’s ability to nap at will, I can imagine he stays pretty well-rested. 

Yunho remembers the physical toll of performing at Morocco’s Mawazine Music Festival in 2024.  COVID had forced the festival to close for three years, and not only did ATEEZ help bring it back, they were also the first K-pop group ever to perform there.  Yunho also says that some group members passed out during their Summer Sonic performance in Japan that same year.  They played both festivals on outdoor stages in scorching heat.  Yet both Mingi and Yunho agree that the mental stresses are worse than the physical ones.

Back to Jongho and Yeosang.  They’re still enjoying their dinner by the lake, giving us ASMR slurping.  

They discuss the question from last week about a moment that they couldn’t avoid, so they just pushed through and enjoyed it.  For Jongho, it was his solo performance on the show Immortal Songs.  Back in the studio, Jongho’s bandmates talk about how proud they were of him, and Seonghwa tells him he saved the video and still goes back and watches it.  I love when maknaes get a chance to shine.

They discuss some of the other Hidden Ask questions, and my takeaway is how physically and mentally demanding their lives are.  Even now, on these dates that are supposed to be fun and relaxing, they’re working.  They’re filming these dates for a show and have to stay in Idol Mode.  They can’t just switch off.  This isn’t even the only show they have going on right now.  As I write this, ATEEZ is also being featured on an Apple TV show called KPOPPED.  It never ends.

The fact that they’re still in Idol Mode is making this Hidden Ask segment start to drag a bit for me.  I believe they’re being sincere in their answers, but they’re also careful to promote their activities and include ATINY, and I’m here for the moments that force them to be more spontaneous. 

Finally, we get one of those moments.  The winds have died down, and Yunho and Mingi are ready to fly.  I just now realize that our boys are using stuffed animals as kneepads.

I feel my heart pounding faster as they position themselves for the jump, selfie sticks in hand.  I mentioned back in Episode 1 that some idols are banned from driving, and now we have two idols about to jump off a mountaintop.  (I’ve since learned that the driving ban mostly applies to YG Entertainment idols, and after recapping YG Treasure Box, I’m really not surprised.  Founder Yang Hyun-suk is certifiably nuts.)

Yunho makes the jump first, and he loves it.  He gets up so high, his ears actually start popping.

Back on the mountain, Mingi is very nervous.  He looks like it just occurred to him that he’s going to have to do this too.  I’d like to remind our viewing audience that this date was HIS idea.

He gathers his courage and makes the jump.  What we see next is just gorgeous.  “So this must be how birds feel,” Yunho says breathlessly as he marvels at the scenery from hundreds of feet up.

Feeling emboldened, they let the instructors pull some steep turns, spins, and free falls.  Back in the studio, their bandmates can only stare in amazement.

They can only stay up there for about ten minutes.  The winds are still too strong for a longer ride.  But the instructors make every second count, and our Twin Towers are still dizzy with excitement when they land.  The rest of their bandmates agree they all want to try it.

Now that we’ve returned to solid ground, it’s time to catch up with Seonghwa and San.  They’ve reached the amusement park, they’re in their school uniforms for some reason (including stuffed animal backpacks), and it’s time for more thrills and adventure. 

After taking pictures in front of the fairy tale castle, they head for the rides.  Now I think I understand why San wanted to wear the school uniforms.  They really are like big kids right now, reliving their childhoods.  While on the rides, they’re screaming so loudly, their bandmates back in the studio have to yank out their earpieces.

We cut back to Hongjoong and Wooyoung and finally get to see the second part of their date.  They’re headed for Dongmyo, a huge flea market in the Jongno District of Seoul.  (Wikipedia tells me the merchants donate a portion of their profits to underprivileged people in the area.)

“This car feels really out of place here,” Wooyoung says.

Everyone is staring, so they put the top up.  Hongjoong finds a parking space, runs around to the passenger side, and escorts his date out of the car.  We get a great moment in a confessional when Wooyoung criticizes his date’s driving skills.  He says, “Other than composing, dancing, singing, and rapping, Hongjoong can’t do anything else.” 

Our boys spend the day shopping.  I would totally love this date.  Especially since Hongjoong says he’ll buy anything Wooyoung wants.  He clearly hasn’t seen his date’s confessional footage yet.

We get the funniest moment yet when Hongjoong takes him to a vintage clothing stall, saying he knows how much Wooyoung loves that style, and then we get a confessional clip of Wooyoung saying, “Actually, I don’t like vintage clothes.”  The other bandmates in the studio get a huge kick out of this.

Back in the shop, our boys decide to pick clothes for each other and let the other bandmates vote on their favorite looks.  The loser has to wear the least favorite outfit to the band’s next Music Bank performance.  This date just took a dark turn.  Although it is fun watching them try on clothes.  These guys can pretty much wear anything.

Now back to the amusement park.  San and Seonghwa get on a ride called the Atlantis.  That sounds like a peaceful water ride.  Maybe it’s a relaxing sail along a river with pretty views of the park.  

I had no idea Seonghwa could hit notes that high.  I know he’s a tenor, but wow.

Back in the studio, San gets the provocative question of whether he’d rather rent out the amusement park again, or … rent Yeosang.  Come on, guys.  We finally get an episode where San isn’t complaining about not being Yeosang’s date, and you just had to go there. 

San thinks about it for a minute while Yeosang protests, “What about my opinion?!  I became a choice all of a sudden!”  Sorry, Yeosang.  This episode hasn’t had a lot of fan service, so it’s time to serve you up on a platter.  Of course, San chooses Yeosang, who looks like he’d like to choose his own security guard.

Back at the amusement park, San and Seonghwa move to the indoor part, and I desperately want to go there.

It’s not just an indoor mall.  It’s a full-on indoor city.  I’m surprised that so many of the signs are in English.  

Our boys enjoy a tray full of junk food and neon-colored drinks.  This date has taken them from the gourmet end of the food spectrum to churros and soda. 

Back to Jongho and Yeosang at the lake.  They’ve finished dinner and decide to try fishing again.  Their egos are deflated when they see fish scales at the end of their lines, meaning the fish have been enjoying the bait and swimming safely away.  They may as well be dumping the bait right into the water. 

“The fish are getting a fish bait omakase!” Wooyoung teases them in the studio.

But they are determined to catch at least one fish.  They throw out their lines again.  While they wait for the already-full fish to bite, Jongho has a surprise for his date.  He excuses himself, pretending he has to go to the bathroom, and comes back with dessert.  It’s a birthday cake for Yeosang!

In a confessional, Yeosang says he should remember to celebrate Jongho’s birthday as well.   A producer asks if he knows when Jongho’s birthday is, and he clearly does not.  “Jongho’s birthday?  Jongho’s birthday is … that time.  That time is when … it’s a good day.  Jongho was born on a good day.”

Yeosang will NEVER live this down.

The only other bandmate whose birthday he knows is San.  Hearing this, San is even happier than he was on the roller coaster. 

Jongho checks the fishing lines, and the fish have stolen the bait again.  Aren’t these guys using hooks?  They’re not just scotch-taping worms to the lines, are they?

Maybe our fishermen will get lucky next time.  The episode ends here.  It looks like next week we’ll have more adventures at the amusement park, and the members will vote on the winning outfit on the vintage clothing date.  In the meantime, as a birthday present for Yeosang, I’m giving him this handy chart.  See you next time, ATINY!

Episode 5:  Wonderland

Back to Site Table of Contents