Although idol group MBLAQ is the main body, this program is also a special opportunity for Kim Sae Rom and girl group Stella member Jeon Yul who participated as the managers. Especially to Jeon Yul who took on the job of her favorite artist’s manager like Siwon in the ended tvN “Reply 1997″ it feels like it was a tremendously deep gratitude to the extent that she would pinch her leg from time to time. However, it also seems like she now has more of an appearance of wearing a crown of thorns than an opportunity and only feels uncomfortable when suffering from too much criticism. Were reactions like this something unexpected? I asked everyone including the production team.
(Participants: PD Ko Byung Hyun, Park Kyung Lim, Seungho, G.O, Cheondung, Mir, Kim Sae Rom, Jeon Yul, Columnist Jung Suk Hee)
JSH: As the producer, what do you think of idol MBLAQ?
PD Ko: I’m very thankful. While they are entertainers I suppose they must have things they want to hide. When they hesitate and in the end disclose everything unreservedly, I’m really thankful. And the most important part, MBLAQ are idols who work hard especially on the musical aspect. It’s not that when a song comes out they practice as told and go on the stage, they are friends who want their own music to be seen and heard. They want to be first place in music and also first place in variety. My prejudice was also shattered because of MBLAQ.
Seungho: This program became an opportunity for us to go back to our original intention again. I think there’s no place that allows us to be comfortable while accommodating us as much as here. Because they treat us sincerely we have a sense of responsibilty, and because we are aware of our goal we feel that we have to work harder.
JSH: It’s good that G.O-gun found his character through this program.
Sae Rom: I also first knew this friend was this funny after I came here.
JSH: Sae Rom-ssi has got criticized a lot since the first episode. How is it?
Sae Rom: It’s variety. It’s a job assigned to me. But since I have some experience, now my heart doesn’t get hurt by that kind of things. It’s because it’s a character I’m familiar with. Kyung Lim noona, Jeon Yul, me, we all started with having the title of a manager, but the more we do it, the more we feel that we really became the manager. I hope our kids will do well with this program. I feel that I want to support them more. Since my thought of working hard comes before anything else, there hasn’t been a time when I feel upset yet. Even if there’s something I’m upset about I can swallow it because it’s variety.
Seungho and Sae Rom, An Unusual Relationship from the Variety Point of View
JSH: But on the first episode, didn’t you cry for real at the Japan concert site? It was scripted, but you also got attacked a lot on QTV “Ranking Women” before. Don’t you still feel a bit different about being put to shame by male idols?
Sae Rom: Yes. But I had faith in Seungho that he would accept everything as variety.
Seungho: Sae Rom-ssi and I are of the same age. It’s been a while since I had a friend of the same age, so it’s good. It’s hard to exchange blow after blow with someone similar to my age on other programs.
PKL: It’s expected to know but idols have things they are careful of. (laugh) We thought that it would be nice if there was at least one character who bickers, but when we couldn’t readily find a person to do it Sae Rom said “I’ll do it.” I’m thankful that she stands at the position of making the program.
Seungho: I want to applaud her courage. (laugh)
PD Ko: What kind of reaction would it be, we also know everthing. But Kyung Lim-ssi was like that to Sae Rom. She said, “I know the appearance you show on broadcasts is not your original appearance. Still, show your true appearance. People will understand someday and the arrows of criticism won’t come anymore.” Sae Rom doesn’t read the comments but she will for sure see them. As for Jeon Yul, it’s true that as a rookie she has the sense of having done a lot of preparation, but cutting in is a very difficult thing. To us a character was necessary. Sae Rom-ssi in particular, a character that has the element of conflicts was needed.
Seungho: Actually when I heard that there were three managers my worriness was preceding at the beginning. It’s because although Kyung Lim noona and I know each other very well, I was unfamiliar with Sae Rom and Jeon Yul. It’s good because now I found the right role and the right position for myself and I’m doing well. While there are times when Jeon Yul breaks out a shot of comment out of nowhere and Sae Rom has a style of overflowing fighting spirit so that the pace becomes too fast, but even at such moments I look cheerful without showing my emotion, lower my raised tone of voice and try hard. As not everyone in a drama can be the main lead, people who make the program together must accommodate and support each other to make a good program. If it continues and someone intends to stick out I think it will look like greediness.
JSH: After I saw Seungho-gun today I think you intend to stick out every time? (laugh)
Seungho: No, no, it’s not like that. Those moments were my attempts to bridge something softly. (laugh)
Jeon Yul who heard that her existence was not needed, is sad
JSH: I bet Jeon Yul is very worried because she is at a position where she is burdened by her first fixed casting. You’re still very green but it’s sad that you even heard the words saying that your existence is not needed.
PKL: Jeon Yul has the role of a rookie manager. An impression like an intern? It’s inevitable that there’s a clumsy rookie wherever you go, right? While performers also teach their managers professional awareness, it’s a relationship of MBLAQ and Jeon Yul learning and growing with each other as if they are developing. Because “Idol Manager” is a program that makes up MBLAQ I can’t take care of Jeon Yul much, but I believe she will definitely do well one day.
Jeon Yul: Even when I look at it I just sit quietly. I come with the thought of having to secure my screen time somehow and my firm resolution, but when the shooting starts I become passive. It’s good that I learn a lot but when I go home I always regret that “I’ll do it this way.”
JSH: You are not even a parachuted character, but I also wondered why they insisted on adding someone who was not helpful while I was watching the show. To me I thought if this was really a plus. However, after I came here and watched you the whole time I came to think if I was an outsider. It seems like you play the role of a buffer in between MBLAQ and the managers whose characters conflict with each other.
PD Ko: I wanted to find at least one person from a senior-junior group among the three manangers. Then fortuntely I heard that a Stellar member was a big fan of G.O. I became the manager of the idol member I like, isn’t it dramatic? That’s why we are doing it together. However, there’s no way that there are parts she can lead herself and it’s difficult in many ways with her manager title. I want to give her some role, but it’s not easy because she’s still a rookie.
JSH: Who is the one that helps Jeon Yul a lot? Your feeling of a fan towards G.O-gun changed on the show.
Jeon Yul: It’s true that I said that, but it’s still G.O oppa.
Our new challenge, please anticipate
JSH: By the way, the thing I’m curious about Mir-gun is, is leader hyung really scary?
(Today Mir had an acting mission of expressing his anger towards Seungho.)
Mir: No! There’s no reason to be like that. When I first met him as a trainee, I was a bit afraid of him at first, but Seungho hyung is really nice to people whom he considers his own people.
JSH: While watching the recording the whole time I thought he’s indeed a leader by nature. Off-camera he carefully takes care of many things without knowing.
Mir: It’s not a comment for show but he’s really like that. If Seungho hyung kept being scary perhaps I would’ve run away early. (laugh)
JSH: There are good points because you’re together with Kyung Lim noona, right?
Mir: Kyung Lim noona is a person who can hold us in when we are playing out of control. She’s someone whom we are grateful for completing our natural daily lives for us through the show.
PKL: These friends did their first broadcast on MBC FM “Park Kyung Lim’s Starry Night – 7 Minute Invitation” together with me. Like ducks hatching from their eggs and having attachment to the first being they encounter we also have that kind of relationship. I was able to recognize it at that time. They are really nice and honest friends. And they are friends who work really hard.
Mir: We had our start together with Kyung Lim noona and starting from our fanmeeting we do many things together with her all the time. “Idol Manager” was also something we said that we wanted to do with Kyung Lim noona. She said she was happy to do it for us so we are really thankful.
PKL: Of course you are. Since I’m married and have kids, instead of the variety programs I’m confident in I only get contacted for mainly talk shows that proceed in studios. That point was my own worry, but because I wanted to do it with “MBLAQ” I got a new goal. I also returned to the time when I was their age and tried to play with these friends like friends.
JSH: Friends? What do you mean? About looking like bearing a child you certainly have more of the feeling like a mother than when you were on “Thank You For Waking Me Up” of MBC “Highly Recommended Saturday” that you did with idols before. (laugh) There’s no excitement at all, right? From what I saw today you all are quite good at acting, but how do you see it as an acting senior?
PKL: I who was doing it with them was also surprised. They might have worked harder because they got guidance from the tough Chun Soo Kyung sunbaenim. (laugh)
G.O: All the members are very interested in acting. We have multiple talents, so when this kind of situation appears we become immersed in it. Especially when Seungho and I are preparing for the musical we learn a lot.
JSH: From when will the musical “Gwanghwamun Sonata” start?
G.O: Starting in Osaka on November 10th it is scheduled to be played in Tokyo as well. We still keep practicing but we have a feeling of going to school. It’s because it has classes like acting and vocalization at desinated times. Even though entering a new field is difficult it’s thrilling, and I feel that I myself got upgraded. I’m working hard with a learning mindset since I have the thought of wanting to manage and produce the team when I return from the army.
(At the moment when G.O continued to talk about the musical with his eyes sparkling the writer gave us a signal with a sorry expression that they had to proceed with the recording again. I could not disturb them and hurriedly wrapped things up, but I borrowed this opportunity and gave a supporting applause for Seungho-gun and G.O-gun’s new challenge.)
Epilogue
A few days after the interview was over I heard the news that Mir-gun would be participating in the South America episodes of SBS “Law of the Jungle.” He said that he wanted to take the challenge of going outside of the studio like that and now it looks like he got the opportunity. I am so happy with the appearance of my friend getting a golden opportunity. It was MBLAQ that even had members closing their eyes automatically during an interview in the midst of suffering too much from their schedules at the time of “Idol Army” alone. I have become anticipating another growth of them.
Source: Naver
TRANSLATION: mocha @AbsoluteMBLAQ