K-Poppie

This was discussed a few pages back, but it really does look like Wake One Entertainment is going forward in pushing the Haobin ship pairing to the fans. One might think it is risky to do so with idols that have allegedly queer pasts, but remember that shipping is a large part of K-pop fandom culture, and Mnet heavily pushed these two as a dynamic duo throughout Boys Planet. Not to mention these two are the most popular members of ZB1(both in South Korea and internationally), and their joint dual fandom is just as big and strong as their individual solo ones, so I definitely think the company is going to capitalize on that. That being said, I also do not really find their interactions or friendship/relationship to be forced or fake either? Like, they feel very natural, genuine, and believable to me? Of course, we do not know what happens behind the scenes, but I have definitely seen popular K-pop ship pairings play up and exaggerate their interactions and relationships/friendships in order to feed and appease shippers, but I do not really get these kinds of vibes from either Han Bin or Zhang Hao, especially when you compare them to Thai BL couple ship pairings(and also the fact that actual gay men would probably not be comfortable doing that kind of stuff on camera). Plenty of eliminated Boys Planets contestants have said that they are that close offscreen/off camera as well. Also, the two of them were caught holding hands together backstage where no cameras were supposed to be, so take that as you will. But honestly, most Haobin shippers I have come across are not really delusional or toxic(like Taekook levels), they take their interactions very lightheartedly and in good fun. No one is really making conspiracy theories on how these two are actually dating or overanalyzing their relationship, they just simply enjoy their friendship and want to support them as fans in the long run.

Also, don’t know how accurate this is, but these are reportedly the most popular gay idol ships in South Korea. Did Semantic Error really have that much of an impact in Korean pop culture? I remember reading somewhere that it was one of the most talked about Korean dramas in 2022(which is pretty impressive for a low-budget web drama), and that it helped popularize the BL genre in Korea overall. Seungseok is a surprise since they haven’t really interacted since X1’s disbandment and Nomin is not too surprising, considering NCT and those individual members’ popularity. The Haobin ship was definitely pushed by Mnet, and even their individual solo fandoms mostly get along, while their dual fandom is just as big and strong, so I wouldn’t really worry about fanwars in the future. It will be interesting to see if they are still pushed as a pair in future ZB1 activities.

This video went viral with international fans and K-fans, but there seems to be this general consensus that Sung Han Bin is some kind of “straight for pay/het for check” with his idol image. We haven’t really seen him express himself like this on the show, but from past videos and what people who know him personally have said about him, I’d say his personality is generally still the same? He always seemed to be a kind, humble, and hardworking person, so I guess the only thing we don’t see nowadays is his flamboyant self-expression through dance? The dance groups he was a part of and associated with seemed to be queer subcircles, so it’s funny he’s being pushed with the “ideal perfect idol” image nowadays…

Despite the antis, Zhang Hao is actually still pretty well-liked and loved in South Korea. Some K-fans have clarified that those online discussion forums are full of chronically online incels, haters, and trolls(most of whom did not really watch or actually follow Boys Planet), and are not necessarily reflective of what the Korean general public thinks of him. Even now, he gets tons of trending articles on Pann, many of which are surprisingly positive(just search “Zhanghao Pann” on Twitter and you’ll see). Even those who are not fans of him acknowledge his talents and skills as an idol, and that he truly proved, earned, and deserved winning first place and center in the competition. His popularity and fanbase in Korea should not be underestimated(he ranked fourth in Korean votes overall), so I would not really worry about him in the long run, I believe he will be just fine.

Honestly, now that Ji-woong is an official K-pop idol in what is most likely to become a popular and successful group, Wake One Entertainment or Mnet most likely wants to scrub him clean of his BL image. Which is strange, considering how he grew most of his fanbase from those projects and that he was pretty open about it during the beginning of Boys Planet(they even highlighted and spotlighted it during his introduction segment). Most, if not almost all of his international and Korean fans know about his past works, so it is weird of his management to try ignoring it now. Of course, it is important for him to not be solely defined or tied down to simply being a BL actor, nor does he have to be associated with Seo Bin all the time, but it is kind of sad to see these things happen. Hopefully, they are still close friends behind the scenes and in private. Also, this information is most likely fake, but it is interesting and kind of believable if Mnet had to cut out Haobin content that was deemed “too much” for broadcast(still cannot believe they aired Han Bin massaging Zhang Hao’s back in his bed on South Korean national television)…

The mothers of Boys Planet serving us some cunt. Probably some of the only queer contestants left, now that I think about it…

It is interesting to see so many contestants like Seo Won and Cha Woong Ki being their unapologetic queer selves on camera, while contestants like Sung Han Bin and Zhang Hao seem to be much more composed/controlled in terms of their images and self-expression. I am not saying the latter two are fake or anything, but they definitely know how to appeal to the Korean general public with the ideal idol characteristics/traits. A bunch of eliminated contestants have revealed that none of the trainees are being forced to put on a character or play up a fake personality, but there are definitely trainees who are calculated and careful in how they present themselves on camera. Just some food for thought…

Man, who isn’t gay on this show…

Not to sound delusional, but what are the odds/chances/possibilities of these two dating/having a thing with each other? I mean, it would not be too surprising considering the rumors of Produce 101’s second season male contestants hooking up/having flings with each other, and that being allegedly one of the reasons that skinship was banned in later seasons. They have been pretty touchy/clingy with each other in recent content as well. Some eliminated contestants have also said that they are very close to one another, and even Han Bin’s mother is re-posting fan edits of them together on her Instagram stories with their ship name(#Haobin) tagged(she has not done this with any other contestants, as far as I know). She has also mentioned that Han Bin is very close to a Chinese trainee, which may be referring to Zhang Hao. Of course, it could just be fanservice and they could totally just be platonic gay besties at the end of the day, but you never know…

@Tixy I mean, if you’ve paid close attention to him in the show, as well as look at side content(behind the scenes/extras on Mnet’s YouTube channel), he is pretty “GirlyPop” if you ask me and very much pings. He does seem mature and has natural leadership qualities, but he also appears to be pretty comfortable with himself and his self-expression(he screams in a high-pitched voice pretty often). He also doesn’t seem to hold back or switch on some kind of straight-passing image the way Sung Hanbin and Zhang Hao do. I personally think he is in touch with both his masculine and feminine sides.

We’ve been knew, our two queer Boys Planet centers are really going to become 5th gen It boys. Also, K-netz have seen Hanbin’s past dance videos and have had a pretty positive reaction. K-fans have even nicknamed him “Queen”. In all seriousness though, these two feel like a breath of fresh air in the K-pop industry. They have both already attended college/university, know how to live/function as real adults, and have an air of maturity to them. It’s especially refreshing knowing K-pop companies are debuting more and more minors these days. If you’ve looked into Park Hanbin and past as well as current videos of him(behind the scenes videos on Mnet’s YouTube channel), he definitely pings as well.

Not to sound overly optimistic, but the way these young male trainees are reacting positively to and cheering on their fellow contestants who are dancing in an feminine way likes to make me think that the youth and young people in Korea are genuinely more open-minded and accepting(not to mention these boys are training to be in the entertainment industry and the arts, which many queer people gravitate to). It gives me hope for the future generations of Korea.

Well, in that case… What a cap on this tweet(except the bottom right guy).

No offense, but why are we talking about Thai celebrities on a K-pop forum website? Let’s go back to talking about Korean celebrities please.

Woonggi being Woonggi, what else is new?

…

..

.

…When you’re the only straight guy in a room full of gays: Speaking of which, any NINE.i fans here? If so, do any of them ping for you? Seowon is a contestant on the show, and he’s literally being shown thirsting all over Jiwoong’s visuals.

On another note, this was Hanbin’s song he chose for his demo stage performance:

Been a boy kisser since day one: Still associates with his BL co-star, and is now collecting men left and right on Boys Planet like Pokémon, good for him, good for him. In all seriousness though, he’s one of the most popular contestants with Korean and international fans, so he has a high chance of making the debut lineup overall. His haters and homophobes are trying to use his BL past against him, saying someone like him shouldn’t debut in a K-Pop group, disregarding the fact that DKZ’s Jaechan starred in a BL, gained popularity through it, and literally brought his group out of nugudom. On the other hand, Jiwoong’s fans and supporters are worried that Mnet is just going to portray, use, and reduce him to as simply the BL guy, especially judging by the preview clip Mnet just posted. While it’s true that a large part of his fanbase came from his BL works, it’s important to note that both his newer and older fans(from before BL) do acknowledge his skills and talents as an idol, aside from his BL projects. He’s been going viral on Twitter lately, with mostly positive reactions, so he’ll be fine.

Went through the same straightification process as the NCT members did, SMH…

They said “Show us how you whack and tut”, but Sung Hanbin heard “Serve bussy and cunt.” As he should! I don’t mean to stereotype or generalize, but I’m pretty sure this guy is queer in some shape or form, especially judging from his past videos. What straight guy do you know or can think of that specializes in waacking, voguing, and tutting? No, but seriously. It’s amazing that we could potentially have an idol who specializes in queer dance styles. That being said, he does seem to have more of a reserved and “straight-passing” image nowadays, in a sense that it seems like he’s holding back a little. It almost makes me wonder if he was told or made to tone down his personality, self-expression, or sassiness in order to fit into the standard idol image…

…Kim Jiwoong’s really going to do this on Korean national TV next week, I- I mean, it’s pretty crazy and brave of him to engage in these kinds of acts considering some of the homophobic backlash he’s received ever since being revealed as a contestant due to his BL works(the fact that Mnet is using this kind of footage for the first teaser promotion of the show is a surprise in of itself). Despite this, he’s still actually one of the most popular contestants on the show, both with Korean and international fans. His pre-show audition emphasizes his acting profession, so I wonder if the show will dare mention his BL projects. I also read that he’s pretty popular and well-liked by the other contestants. Anyways, good for him that he already has the queerbaiting gay idol fanservice skillset under his belt.

Hey bitches and bros and non-binary hoes! For those of you who are planning to watch Boys Planet, who are y’all voting for? We’ve got a whole entire alphabet mafia to choose from: When K-Pop stans decide to vote to make the final group the fruitiest one in all of K-Pop history… In conclusion, Mnet knows what they’re doing: Make sure to stream Gays Planet this February 2nd, 2023!!!