There are K-Pop fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other’ stories and K-Pop life. Even if we are in the same fandom, it is hard to get to know each other. So at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Pop fans from different countries: more about their K-Pop life and tastes and to give them the opportunity to share with our readers about their favorite group(s) and bias. Yan is the next fan to answer our questions. She is from the Philippines and is a fan of MIRAE, and particularly of Yoo DoHyun. Check out how she entered the fandom, the songs and content she advises to new fans, and much more! Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? My name is Yan from the Philippines. How and when did you enter the fandom? I am an avid viewer of MNET’s produce series and I started having interest in the DSP Media trainees who participated in “Produce X 101”. I started to quietly support them and promote them, then I found out that other DSP trainees participated in another program called “Under Nineteen”. I naturally liked them and followed their training journey up until the introduction of their pre-debut project “DSP N”. I entered the fandom even before their debut. What are the reasons why you love your favorite group? MIRAE’s Korean name translates to “Future Boys” and the skills and genuineness of the members are proof that they are indeed the future of K-Pop. All the members have interesting pre-debut stories which shows how hardworking they are, they endured a lot for them to reach their dreams of performing and making music. They are a very sincere group who cares a lot about each other, their biological families and the fans. They are known as a respectful group as well who treats everyone around them with respect and kindness. There are multiple reasons as to why they are my favorite group. Who caught your attention at first and why? When I first saw them in a survival show, JunHyuk and DongPyo were the first members who caught my attention. I loved their audition so much, and their personalities during the first episode of the show really caught my attention. I wanted to support them from then on. Who is your bias, and why? Yoo DoHyun, despite being the last one to be added to the lineup, showed great passion and determination from the first time I saw him. He radiates this happy virus and mood maker energy, and in all honesty, when he was first introduced, I was easily attracted to his aura and charms. As time passes by, I can see how much he loves singing and how he treats everyone. He loves cooking for his family and members, takes care of his dog, Chu, cares about the environment by hiking to connect with nature, and he loves taking care of plants as well. There are many reasons why everyone should love him, which is why he is my bias. Can you recommend a title track and a B-side track for new fans? The most loved B-side by both the members of MIRAE and NOWs is the song ‘JUICE’. It is a B-side from their 3rd mini album, “Marvelous”, and they had live stages with the song after their title track promotions. Fans loved the refreshing, lively, bubble and bright performances accompanied by the cute outfits and makeup prepared by their stylists. I want to recommend this song because people often see MIRAE as the strong group because of their strong concept title tracks, but it would be nice to let people see the other side of their charms. Can you recommend a fancam, V Live, cover video, cover dance, or individual content video of your bias to our readers? Two of their dance covers that I truly enjoyed were: SHINee’s ‘View’ and SEVENTEEN’s ‘Left & Right’. It was very clear that they had so much fun filming these covers and they were smiling throughout, it also showcases their dance skills as they are a group who focuses on performances. Can you share with us one of your favorite lyrics? “You are my friend, my friend, my friend. 괜찮아 그 한마디 말이 큰 힘이 되는 걸 마지막 남은 한 페이지마저 (hey) 우린 가득히 채워 가기로 해 my friend, my friend” - ‘Dear My Friend (일곱페이지)’ Are there any words from the members you would like to share? “나이, 성별, 외모, 인종 다 상관 없어요 모두가 소중하고 뭐든 할 수 있는 사람이에요!!” (Age, gender, appearance, race doesn’t matter. Everyone is precious and can do anything!) - Yoo DoHyun from MIRAE’s Official Fancafe What is your favorite group/bias’ influence on your daily life? Since the start of the pandemic, it has been difficult to survive throughout the days and as a student, the future is very uncertain and for the longest time, I felt very lost and frustrated which led me to spending my days just laying in bed without the motivation to do anything. MIRAE is one of those groups who gives updates almost everyday and they care a lot about their fans. Another positive thing is that they treat fans as human beings who have a life outside of K-Pop. They love suggesting meals to eat, snacks to try, hobbies to discover to allow fans to grow as individuals. MIRAE has inspired me to continue dancing and to never give up on my studies. Many of the members are also studying in school/universities and seeing how they balance their student life with their idol life helped me gain the determination that I can also survive the hardships of university life. What is your favorite side of fangirling? Two of my favorite sides of fangirling are seeing my favorite groups achieve their goals as fans continue to stand by their side and being able to meet fans around the world who share the same interest and love towards K-Pop. Do you feel there are any misunderstandings, things that are not well known, or any prejudices about your favorite group from other fans (non-fans)? Non-fans tend to have this judgment that only a few members are charming, which is wrong. Each member of MIRAE has their own unique charms that you can see by watching their contents and seeing their daily updates, there are many fun and interesting stories about each member that you can unwrap once you try to know them more! It’s the fun part of being a NOW, the more time you spend on knowing more about the members, the more you fall in love with them! For you, what is your bias’ best stage outfits until now? Please share a picture or fan cam. My favorite outfit was from their 20220222 Juice performance. It’s a very simple set of clothes, but I love how it suits MIRAE very well. I love their hairstyles a lot, especially DoHyun’s rainbow streaks!!" What is your biggest dream for your favorite group/bias aside from being Happy and Healthy? Most of the members of MIRAE have experience/have studied acting. It’s been a dream of mine to see SiYoung come back as an actor (as he was a child actor) and for the other members to challenge themselves to appear in a drama or on a musical! If you go to only one, would you go to a concert, fan meeting, or fan sign? Definitely a concert. The biggest reason why I’m a NOW is because of their amazing music and performances. They’re a type of group who exerts great amount of energy when performing, I’d love to see it in real life! If you have a chance to cook for the group, what will you cook for them? Honestly, I’m not good at cooking but I know how to cook tteokbokki and the members love it so I’d love to make their favorite food for them! If you can spend a day with your bias, where will you go and what will you do? Han River. They have multiple pictures of them somewhere in Han River and it’s the best place to rest and get some fresh air. As idols, they’re always in their dance practice rooms and I’d want to give them rest and just eat their favorite snacks from the nearby convenience store. Do you have a dream subunit/unit? I want to see a sub-unit with the main position holders in MIRAE. Lien (Main vocalist), JunHyuk (Main Dancer) and Khael (Main rapper). I can imagine an amazing performance with them as they can showcase different charms. Describe them in 5 words MIRAE - The true future of K-POP. What is a random fact that you think people don’t know about them? SiYoung had appeared in different dramas and commercials when he was young. The most known drama among fans and MIRAE was 출동 케이캅!! Can you recall a moment where you cried/laughed with your bias? The most recent event was their fanmeeting. This year has been rough for everyone. DoHyun cried during his ment and expressed how thankful he was that fans stayed by their side for the past year. I cried along with the thought of how much they endured during their first year as a group. What about your bias do you relate to the most? Being a family oriented person. DoHyun once mentioned in a Vlive that one must not forget how much their family matters and how much they love us. This is something that I keep in my heart, I’m always thankful towards my family and DoHyun always expressed his love towards his family. What do you think is the most underrated song by your favourite idol group/soloist? ‘Final Cut’! This song belongs to their marvelous album and sometimes other b-sides overshadow this song because of the amount of good songs included in the album. Personally, I love the meaning and lyrics of ‘Final Cut’! If you could write a book about your bias, what would the first and last lines be? “Thinking about the future gives me shivers down my spine, what would it be like? How much effort should I put in for it to be as bright as I imagined it to be?” “And from then, I realized that the future will be bright. The future will be shining because of the efforts that were put in for it to exist.” Would you like to see your bias group in variety shows? What type of variety show would you like them to do? (Camping, Travelling, Survival in Island, Military, Food Program). Something similar to the show battle trip, I would love to see them travel and talk a lot about the place they’re in and the food they have tried. Yan’s message to MIRAE: One of the best decisions that i have made in my life was to stan MIRAE. I’m blessed and thankful to have you guys in my life, you have influenced me to become a better person and you encouraged me to take care of myself and have a great life even outside of kpop. Thank you for always making great performances and music. I’m always excited to become a part of your journey and to witness your future become the future that we are all dreaming of. 오늘까지 수고했고 항상 감사해요. 앞으로도 응원할게요!! Thank you for answering our questions, Yan. If you are interested in joining Kpopmap Fan Interview Project, please get in touch with us at [email protected] Everyone is welcome to participate.
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