FT Island Comes Back with New Album and New Reality TV Show
Watching them grow over the years, you see them handle different issues. From the day to day annoyances a group faces as they start out together, to creative differences in establishing their own voice in their industry, to figuring out if they are going to have a future together. (This last one really scared me, let me tell you.)
Now, almost a decade later, they've come back not only with their newest Korean album "I Will", and also a new reality TV show called, "Coming Out! FT Island".
This review of the first couple of episodes is a little late. I am having a hard time finding episodes online and the most current episodes haven't been posted to Daily Motion, yet, so I apologize.
The reality show is nothing out of the ordinary. It follows the everyday lives of this group. What's interesting about this is that it's the first one the group has agreed to do in years. (Although, I must note that they were featured pretty prominently in 2014's Cheongdamdong 111 which showcased the artists of FNC Entertainment.)
As Korean groups go, they can choose to stay in a dorm room together, or branch out to live on their own. In the first episode, it shows the different homes of each of the five members. All of them, with the exception of Seung Hyun, are living on their own. Seung Hyun seems to still be at home with his parent(s) as they show him being woken up for work by his mom.
It really delves into the background lives of each of the members. Hong Ki shows off his wardrobe and his outings with friends where he finds comfort in having a few drinks with them and have a sense of normalcy. Jong Hun shows off his guitars and his love of the outdoors. Jae Jin...hmmm, not sure what he does that one. Except that he takes a long time to get ready just to go out and eat. Seung Hyun is busy with activities, but is still living at home. And Min Hwan is a full-time gamer who finds time to make ramyun.
It seems that FT Island really had taken a vacation from their promotions after they came back from Japan. And now that they have a new album, it seems difficult to wrangle them together to practice.
Jong Hun, as the leader, has the difficult task of trying to call everyone together for a rehearsal. (He does it by text of all things! Why not just use the cell to call?) One by one, each respond and accept the practice date at time....except for Hong Ki who is out drinking with his friends. He doesn't respond until everyone is at practice and kind of blows them off. Understandably, he wants to have fun. But at the same time, I worry that he really isn't upholding his role in the group. It looks like his activities have really put a strain on everyone, especially the young maknaes.
Each of the members speak about how it's been hard to keep visible since their Japan activities. Express frustration about how it really depends on how Hong Ki is doing and feeling. They really haven't been able to do much without him. (He is their lead singer, after all.) They all voice the concerns about whether they want to stay together as a group and that it's been difficult being all different places.
To fix the problem, or maybe start the healing process, the company approached the group with the opportunity to dorm together for a few days.
The dorm they are placed in is really a two bedroom condo. And quite large from what I could see. They all jockey for a sleeping spot. Hong Ki and Jong Hun, being the elders, take over the largest room for themselves. Jae Jin and Min Hwan end up in the other room, with Seung Hyun taking up the floor in Hong Ki and Jong Hun's room. Poor maknae.
In honor of their first mean, Hong Ki volunteers to cook. Eh? Really? Anyone remember his stew he served to his wife on We Got Married? It wasn't very....elaborate...just saying.
Hong Ki and Min Hwan go out grocery shopping for the necessary ingredients and it's hilarious how Min Hwan kept trying to put other things in the cart and Hong Ki puts it back. Yet when it came to alcohol, there was no debate or argument and Hong Ki put it into the cart.
Hong Ki cooks up a meal of sauteed meat and veggies which he actually really looked at ease putting together. In comparison to his bumblings in the kitchen when he made a spicy stew for his onscreen wife, he was put together this time around. He served it up to his members and they enjoy it together.
At first, the camaraderie seems to be back to normal. But annoyances surface again when everyone leaves for their activities, except for the two youngins. And Jong Hun comes home to cook seafood stew only to find that they have already eaten. Yea...you can tell he was mad. And you don't want to make your leader man. Especially when he had just bought all expensive seafood ingredients to put into his special stew. They pretty much ate without the rest of the group. Something called "consideration" wasn't there.
And that's where my video ended, with tensions arising once again in the group. I like that this show is censored, yet it still shows the more mature side of the guys. Hence, the 19+ rating.
It's nice to see what they really are thinking. It's a little unnerving that there seems to be so much tension. They don't seem to be as tight of a group as before. And they are definitely more opinionated now. (Btw, you really should check out Jae Jin's waxing ritual that he takes Min Hwan on.)
Sigh, I will need to find more english subbed versions. If anyone has a good site, let me know!
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