Oops! All Himbos: The T.A.N. Primer
May. 12th, 2023 09:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
boulevarddoubleDo you like intense harmonies, unbelievable backstories, and solving escape rooms? Do I ever have the group for you!
T.A.N. debuted on March 10, 2022. They were formed as a project group through the world's most insane survival show, Wild Idol. TAN stands for "To All Nations", and it was, of course, voted on by the fans of the show.
They are Think Entertainment's only group, though the company has several soloists and actors under the agency. They probably aren't laundering money, however, it's clear that working in the 'idol group' space is very new to them. For instance, they don't have anyone translating their YouTube content. All of the English subs are done by a fan-run group, who does their best, but shouldn't be expected to translate official content.
Because TAN was formed through a survival show, they are technically considered a project group. However, we don't have details on the contract length, and some of them members (who are on their 2nd or 3rd or 4th debut) have mentioned this is the last group they want to join. So I hope that not knowing the contract means it's more likely to be results-bound than time-bound. Regardless, we will enjoy them while they're here.
The fandom name is SODA, which stands for Special Oxygen Dynamic Adorable, and yes, it is stupid and yes it was voted on by the fans.
TAN don't have a concept except to make really fucking good music. There's some sort of storyline about them being aliens? But it's all very loosely connected, and none of their behind stuff is about lore, they're just a bunch of goofy guys with very interesting dynamics.
As far as I know, there are no scandals involving any of these boys. However, they did change the pronunciation of TAN to T-A-N because they received a lot of backlash from bangtan fans for calling themselves 'tan'. When they didn't even pick it. Either way, the name is an SEO nightmare.
As of May 12, 2023, they have released four EPs and one single. My biggest complaint is that their back catalogue is so small, but they're literally only a year old so I guess I need to chill out. It's also important to note that two of the members (Jooan and Jaejun) produce some of the music, and several of them, especially their baby rapper Jiseong, write lyrics.
1TAN (March 2022) with the title track "Du du du"
2TAN (Wish Version) with the title "Louder"
2TAN (We Version) with the title "Walking on the Moon"
This one is my personal favorite.
Dream & Deurim with the single "Beautiful Lie"
Essege with the title "Fix You"
Okay. I honestly don't even know how to start describing Wild Idol.
Maybe we start by picturing your average survival show. 45 'trainees' show up, knowing only a select few of them - the best singers, the best dancers, the best at fan service - will make the cut. They will have to live together in the dorms and train for weeks to show what they've got on the stage.
Except there isn't a dorm. There are tents.
Except there aren't weeks - or even days - to prepare for challenges. They have hours, sometimes even as little as 30 minutes.
Except there isn't a stage. They will be performing on dirt. In the rain.
Except no one is allowed to know their name until they earn it.
And let's not forget about the 3 mile runs into the ocean, the river fording while carrying logs, and doing push ups. So, so many push ups.
Now, do it. Out-sing, out-dance, out-rap, out-visual the competition.
"Oops! All himbos" was the first joke I ever made about this group, well before I watched Wild Idol. But there was nothing "oops" about it. They very deliberately built a group of some of the buffest and (despite appearances) cleverest idols out there.
TAN were created to be the elite government agents of boy groups. And it is imperative to understand this show is how their bonds formed. Without understanding that they literally arm wrestled each other for food and points, the relationships (and the constant inside jokes) make no sense.
I watched Wild Idol on bilibili, but it recently wouldn't let me without a VPN. You can watch it on dramacool for free (but low quality) or subscribe to Kocowa (they do have a free trial).
This is, as usual, arranged by age order.
Basic Info
Born: March 17, 1996 (Pisces)
Position: Leader, Sub Vocal, Main Dancer #1
Roommate: Jooan, Jiseong
Wild Idol Rank: #1
Former Group: 24k
Pets: Cat named Mimi
Why You Should Love Changsun
He is the Best Boy!!! No like, from day one it was obvious that Changsun would not only make the final group, but that he was destined to be the leader. He's a fantastic teacher and motivator, and also... the dancing. The dancing is so good. And the smile?
It's over.
Also, he's very smart. During TAN battlegrounds, their web content series following Wild Idol (more on this later), he revealed he solves escape rooms for fun, and also used camera placement to figure out some of the clues. Working smarter not harder is a TAN theme, actually, and it drives their PD crazy.
Other Notable Changsun Facts
At the time of Wild Idol filming, he was also taking university classes. He is, technically, on hiatus from his former group 24k, though with their appearance and whole new line up for Peak Time, I have my doubts as to whether he'd ever return.
A Famous Changsun Moment from Wild Idol
"I'm Trainee 33"
Basic Info
Born: October 4, 1996 (Libra)
Position: Main Vocal
Roommate: Changsun, Jiseong
Wild Idol Rank: #7
Former Group: We in the Zone
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jooan
Because he's the Main Character of Life, obviously.
But beyond that, Jooan is a ridiculously talented, dramatic, clever, beautiful man. He knows what he wants and he will make his dreams come true, goddammit. Beyond having just a fantastic voice, Jooan is one of the two songwriters on the team. He works with Cielogroove as a composer and songwriter, and also frequently does the vocal direction for TAN's tracks.
Jooan wrote Dream of You, which is on the Essege physical version and came in second in the subunit battle "TAN Civil War".
Also, according to kpop profiles, the most trusted source on the internet, his favorite movie is Call Me By Your Name. For the soundtrack and the "atmosphere". Take that as you will.
Other Notable Jooan Facts
He trained with the Boyz. He's one of the top 50 most-credited 4th Gen idols. He likes to sing his name when he introduces himself. He is the Main Character of Life. I cannot overstate that.
A Famous Jooan Moment from Wild Idol
Team Im Jooan without Im Jooan.
Basic Info
Born: September 25, 1997 (Libra)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Sub Vocal
Roommate: Sunghyuk
Wild Idol Rank: #5
Former Groups: C-Clown (Maru), TREI, JT & Marcus (Marcus)
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jaejun
Jaejun is a gremlin for fun and profit. He's also the "visual" in a team of visuals. If you recognize that first name in his list of former groups, then you will also know that Jaejun has been an active idol since he was 14. And that TAN is his 4th group.
Yeah. Yeah.
Music is his life. Jaejun is the other producer in the group, and yes, is also in the Top 50 most credited 4th gen idols. Even though he's not... really... 4th gen. He and some friends (including JT, the 8th member of TAN) actually built their own studio, he's been wooing Jooan (professionally) since they became bandmates, and basically works 24/7. Baby, we are seriously concerned about your health.
Jaejun, and subunit Shmallow, won TAN Civil War with the lowkey bop "Would You?".
Other Notable Jaejun Facts
Jaejun can cook! Sort of! While TAN does a lot of vlogs and other content, Jaejun is the only one with a 'solo' show - Marcus Omakase. It's half cooking, half interview, and always hilarious. If you watch one that's subbed, anyway.
THINK, I swear to god.
I strongly recommend this one he does with Jooan.
A Famous Jaejun Moment from Wild Idol
Not even Jo Kwon was expecting this.
(Click the link, just trust me)
Basic Info
Born: August 26, 1999 (Virgo)
Position: Lead Vocal #1
Roommate: Jaejun
Wild Idol Rank: #4
Former Groups: Rainz
Pets: A very spoiled dog named Kkot
Why You Should Love Sunghyuk
Listen, I haven't fallen this hard for a boy in a long time. He is my bias and I am unable to be objective. Here's why:
Sunghyuk is the middlest child to ever exist, even though he's the baby of his own family. He saw BBLCS (Best Boy Lee Chang Sun) eating it up on Wild Idol and literally said "I am going to try to be like him". Every Tango voted him as the mom (except for Jiseong, who was born and raised by Jooan).
He's a tiny person (officially he is 5'7" but I have doubts) and decided to become a fucking tank. He's the founding member of the TAN bitchline. He's the group mood-maker. He's SO RIDICULOUSLY SMART. I knew he was my bias when they were playing Rock-Paper-Scissors against the PD for food, and he asked if he could play against the cafe staff instead. The first thing he says to the woman is "You know we have to win to eat here."
He looks like this, but then he also looks like this.
I'll stop now, but yeah. Him.
Other Notable Sunghyuk Facts
His nickname is "protein baby" because he loves work out so much. This is a running joke. He is frequently named as the person to take to a desert island because he's the strongest of the TANs.
A Famous Sunghyuk Moment from Wild Idol
Listen, I have been trying for a while to find the real clip of this, so if you want to see the most homoerotic wrestling match featuring Yoon "Why is he so obsessed with me" Junhyub (6'0") trying to take down a pissed off Sunghyuk (5'7") and having a gay realization on national TV you will just have to watch Episode 9 around the 1 hour mark. (Shout out to Mack who knew this off the top of their head).
Basic Info
Born: October 23, 2000 (Scorpio)
Position: Lead Vocal #2
Roommate: Taehoon
Wild Idol Rank: #6
Former Groups: None
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Hyunyeop
The better question is: How can you not love Hyunyeop? As twitter user Sinchun once said, "Hyunyeop is the emotional support puppy" of TAN but specifically one Im Jooan. Despite getting almost no screentime outside of Jooan's dramatics, Hyunyeop quickly became a fan favorite on Wild Idol because he's just a cute, nice boy.
He has a fantastic voice, and he, Jooan, and Sunghyuk are probably one of the strongest vocal lines in 4th gen.
As one of the only two TANs to be making his debut with the group he really looks up to the hyungline, which sometimes leads to them taking advantage of his sweetness. However, they all adore him and specifically, Jaejun tried to trade Changsun for Hyunyeop during TAN Civil War because he was "missing a [cute] face".
Jooan refused.
Other Notable Hyunyeop Facts
He was a Big Hit trainee for 3 years, and also trained at Brand New Music with AB6IX and BDC. According to Jiseong, Hyunyeop is a "pretty crier".
A Famous Hyunyeop Moment from Wild Idol
As I mentioned, he really got jobbed on screen time, however he won the bonus points for this performance of Answer, which is what made the other trainees sit up and take notice of him as a competitor.
Basic Info
Born: November 11, 2002 (Scorpio)
Position: Center, Sub Vocal
Roommate: Hyunyeop
Wild Idol Rank: #2
Former Groups: None
Pets: A minimum of one dog, though there may be more???
Why You Should Love Taehoon
You've heard of the phrase idiot savant? Flip that and reverse it. Taehoon is brilliant. But. But. He's just such a (big) little introverted weirdo.
Taehoon has famously bad taste in clothing and always lets the other members dress him up. He refers to himself as their favorite doll (especially Jaejun). The tallest member, he's their human selfie-stick. Taehoon (and frequently Hyunyeop) is also basically their entire TikTok team. He got some more views for Fix You by being ridiculously excited to meet his favorite idol, Kai, while doing the rover challenge.
When they went on a Filipino web variety show, he said that if he wasn't an idol, he'd either be a "Doctor or the President." Now, he says he wants to be a Farmer. I don't know that he keeps a single thought in his head for more than two minutes. Except that he's very smart, figuring out several TAN Battlegrounds puzzles on his own and is generally very good at variety games.
Other Notable Taehoon Facts
Used to live in the Greater Toronto Area. Also was a soccer goalie at one point. This took advantage of his massive hands.
A Famous Taehoon Moment from Wild Idol
Again, you are going to want to click this link.
Basic Info
Born: August 23, 2004 (Virgo)
Position: Main Rapper
Roommate: Jooan, Changsun
Wild Idol Rank: #3
Former Groups: NTX
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jiseong
So my friend has this kitten. Adorable. Tons of energy. And it adored her older cat, who mostly tolerated it. But every once in a while, the kitten's playfulness became too much and the older cat would simply sit on it until it calmed down.
That's the kind of relationship Jiseong has with his hyungs.
Beyond that, this kid is ridiculously talented. I mean, did you listen to him rap??? He writes most of his lyrics himself, and they're SO clever! "Houston, we ain't got a problem..." love it.
Jiseong will absolutely call anyone out and is generally hilarious. He makes one face during selfies so often that the rest of them have started doing it, too. He's also fantastic at impressions and the one he does here of Jooan... devastating.
Other Notable Jiseong Facts
Even though he's a 2004, this is his second debut! Jiseong was an original member of Peak Time darlings NTX, and produced and wrote on four mixtapes with those members. He also basically fought directly against Park Gunwook (now of ZB1) for his spot as the TAN main rapper.
A Famous Jiseong Moment from Wild Idol
Okay, the MOST famous moment is when he gives Jae Eok the dirtiest look known to man during another team switch up, however I couldn't even find that on twitter.
So instead, here's his final cypher performance - the one that actually catapulted him over Gunwook in the race for being the group's rapper.
Obviously, I think you should watch Wild Idol. Not only is it a great way to get to know TAN, it's just really compelling TV. I went in knowing who was in the final line up, and I was still like "oh my god, how is Hyunyeop going to make it!!!".
Outside of that, there's some really good official content even though not all of it is subbed.
TAN Battlegrounds was a pre-debut show done as a partnership with PUBG. It has escape rooms, air soft, and betrayal.
TAN in Wonderland:18-28 is another pre-debut web content series that is all about the lead up to debut.
One of my favorites is the TAN Travel Series, though the last episode is, you guessed it, not subbed.
They also have a ton of vlogs, reactions to their own videos, etc. And Marcus Omakase!!
These two clip videos (Part 1) (Part 2) are also fantastic.
Up until this point I have tried to be normal about things. But I cannot any longer.
First. Changsun is obsessed with Jooan and has been since they met on Wild Idol. He single-handedly decided to save Jooan's ass and help him make the group. Jooan, the Main Character of Life, HAS NOT NOTICED.
Second. Second. The Jagiyaz.
Who are the Jagiyaz? Well, I'll let the EDITORS OF WILD IDOL explain. Click this link for the Complicated Relationship Between Three Men.
Jaejun mentioned in the travel series that it feels more like Sunghyuk is his same-age friend. And that he's just "comfortable around him." Meanwhile, a fan recently asked Sunghyuk if Jooan was his jagiya now, and he answered "sometimes."
Sunghyuk is also slightly obsessed with being Changsun's right hand man. He's the only one to regularly respond to their group chat. In the TAN family trees, he's the mom and Changsun is always the dad.
Taehoon's main rival on the show was Changsun, and now Changsun is his father figure. Jaejun and Taehoon hang out a ton and are super close, and again, he's Jaejun's favorite doll. This is a QUOTE.
Hyunyeop is, of course, Jooan's emotional support Lead Vocal. He's also close with Sunghyuk and Jooan (vocalz), but feels like he has to be super-hyung when he's around Jiseong.
Jiseong, meanwhile, is closest to Jooan, who he considers his mother figure - mostly because Jooan will do his laundry for him and clean his room.
There are only 9 fics on Ao3, 3 of which were written by myself and the friends I conned into writing TANfic. No matter what pairing you like for this group, you're valid. You're so, so valid.
And that's all I can think of for TAN. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments or over on twitterboulevarddouble because it's impossible to get everything down in a single post.
I'll put up a poll for who should feature in my next primer, too!
Okay, first the basics
T.A.N. debuted on March 10, 2022. They were formed as a project group through the world's most insane survival show, Wild Idol. TAN stands for "To All Nations", and it was, of course, voted on by the fans of the show.
They are Think Entertainment's only group, though the company has several soloists and actors under the agency. They probably aren't laundering money, however, it's clear that working in the 'idol group' space is very new to them. For instance, they don't have anyone translating their YouTube content. All of the English subs are done by a fan-run group, who does their best, but shouldn't be expected to translate official content.
Because TAN was formed through a survival show, they are technically considered a project group. However, we don't have details on the contract length, and some of them members (who are on their 2nd or 3rd or 4th debut) have mentioned this is the last group they want to join. So I hope that not knowing the contract means it's more likely to be results-bound than time-bound. Regardless, we will enjoy them while they're here.
The fandom name is SODA, which stands for Special Oxygen Dynamic Adorable, and yes, it is stupid and yes it was voted on by the fans.
TAN don't have a concept except to make really fucking good music. There's some sort of storyline about them being aliens? But it's all very loosely connected, and none of their behind stuff is about lore, they're just a bunch of goofy guys with very interesting dynamics.
As far as I know, there are no scandals involving any of these boys. However, they did change the pronunciation of TAN to T-A-N because they received a lot of backlash from bangtan fans for calling themselves 'tan'. When they didn't even pick it. Either way, the name is an SEO nightmare.
As of May 12, 2023, they have released four EPs and one single. My biggest complaint is that their back catalogue is so small, but they're literally only a year old so I guess I need to chill out. It's also important to note that two of the members (Jooan and Jaejun) produce some of the music, and several of them, especially their baby rapper Jiseong, write lyrics.
1TAN (March 2022) with the title track "Du du du"
2TAN (Wish Version) with the title "Louder"
2TAN (We Version) with the title "Walking on the Moon"
This one is my personal favorite.
Dream & Deurim with the single "Beautiful Lie"
Essege with the title "Fix You"
We have to talk about Wild Idol
Okay. I honestly don't even know how to start describing Wild Idol.
Maybe we start by picturing your average survival show. 45 'trainees' show up, knowing only a select few of them - the best singers, the best dancers, the best at fan service - will make the cut. They will have to live together in the dorms and train for weeks to show what they've got on the stage.
Except there isn't a dorm. There are tents.
Except there aren't weeks - or even days - to prepare for challenges. They have hours, sometimes even as little as 30 minutes.
Except there isn't a stage. They will be performing on dirt. In the rain.
Except no one is allowed to know their name until they earn it.
And let's not forget about the 3 mile runs into the ocean, the river fording while carrying logs, and doing push ups. So, so many push ups.
Now, do it. Out-sing, out-dance, out-rap, out-visual the competition.
"Oops! All himbos" was the first joke I ever made about this group, well before I watched Wild Idol. But there was nothing "oops" about it. They very deliberately built a group of some of the buffest and (despite appearances) cleverest idols out there.
TAN were created to be the elite government agents of boy groups. And it is imperative to understand this show is how their bonds formed. Without understanding that they literally arm wrestled each other for food and points, the relationships (and the constant inside jokes) make no sense.
I watched Wild Idol on bilibili, but it recently wouldn't let me without a VPN. You can watch it on dramacool for free (but low quality) or subscribe to Kocowa (they do have a free trial).
Meet TAN
This is, as usual, arranged by age order.
Lee Changsun
Basic Info
Born: March 17, 1996 (Pisces)
Position: Leader, Sub Vocal, Main Dancer #1
Roommate: Jooan, Jiseong
Wild Idol Rank: #1
Former Group: 24k
Pets: Cat named Mimi
Why You Should Love Changsun
He is the Best Boy!!! No like, from day one it was obvious that Changsun would not only make the final group, but that he was destined to be the leader. He's a fantastic teacher and motivator, and also... the dancing. The dancing is so good. And the smile?
It's over.
Also, he's very smart. During TAN battlegrounds, their web content series following Wild Idol (more on this later), he revealed he solves escape rooms for fun, and also used camera placement to figure out some of the clues. Working smarter not harder is a TAN theme, actually, and it drives their PD crazy.
Other Notable Changsun Facts
At the time of Wild Idol filming, he was also taking university classes. He is, technically, on hiatus from his former group 24k, though with their appearance and whole new line up for Peak Time, I have my doubts as to whether he'd ever return.
A Famous Changsun Moment from Wild Idol
"I'm Trainee 33"
Im Jooan
Basic Info
Born: October 4, 1996 (Libra)
Position: Main Vocal
Roommate: Changsun, Jiseong
Wild Idol Rank: #7
Former Group: We in the Zone
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jooan
Because he's the Main Character of Life, obviously.
But beyond that, Jooan is a ridiculously talented, dramatic, clever, beautiful man. He knows what he wants and he will make his dreams come true, goddammit. Beyond having just a fantastic voice, Jooan is one of the two songwriters on the team. He works with Cielogroove as a composer and songwriter, and also frequently does the vocal direction for TAN's tracks.
Jooan wrote Dream of You, which is on the Essege physical version and came in second in the subunit battle "TAN Civil War".
Also, according to kpop profiles, the most trusted source on the internet, his favorite movie is Call Me By Your Name. For the soundtrack and the "atmosphere". Take that as you will.
Other Notable Jooan Facts
He trained with the Boyz. He's one of the top 50 most-credited 4th Gen idols. He likes to sing his name when he introduces himself. He is the Main Character of Life. I cannot overstate that.
A Famous Jooan Moment from Wild Idol
Team Im Jooan without Im Jooan.
Lee Jaejun
Basic Info
Born: September 25, 1997 (Libra)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Sub Vocal
Roommate: Sunghyuk
Wild Idol Rank: #5
Former Groups: C-Clown (Maru), TREI, JT & Marcus (Marcus)
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jaejun
Jaejun is a gremlin for fun and profit. He's also the "visual" in a team of visuals. If you recognize that first name in his list of former groups, then you will also know that Jaejun has been an active idol since he was 14. And that TAN is his 4th group.
Yeah. Yeah.
Music is his life. Jaejun is the other producer in the group, and yes, is also in the Top 50 most credited 4th gen idols. Even though he's not... really... 4th gen. He and some friends (including JT, the 8th member of TAN) actually built their own studio, he's been wooing Jooan (professionally) since they became bandmates, and basically works 24/7. Baby, we are seriously concerned about your health.
Jaejun, and subunit Shmallow, won TAN Civil War with the lowkey bop "Would You?".
Other Notable Jaejun Facts
Jaejun can cook! Sort of! While TAN does a lot of vlogs and other content, Jaejun is the only one with a 'solo' show - Marcus Omakase. It's half cooking, half interview, and always hilarious. If you watch one that's subbed, anyway.
THINK, I swear to god.
I strongly recommend this one he does with Jooan.
A Famous Jaejun Moment from Wild Idol
Not even Jo Kwon was expecting this.
(Click the link, just trust me)
Seo Sunghyuk
Basic Info
Born: August 26, 1999 (Virgo)
Position: Lead Vocal #1
Roommate: Jaejun
Wild Idol Rank: #4
Former Groups: Rainz
Pets: A very spoiled dog named Kkot
Why You Should Love Sunghyuk
Listen, I haven't fallen this hard for a boy in a long time. He is my bias and I am unable to be objective. Here's why:
Sunghyuk is the middlest child to ever exist, even though he's the baby of his own family. He saw BBLCS (Best Boy Lee Chang Sun) eating it up on Wild Idol and literally said "I am going to try to be like him". Every Tango voted him as the mom (except for Jiseong, who was born and raised by Jooan).
He's a tiny person (officially he is 5'7" but I have doubts) and decided to become a fucking tank. He's the founding member of the TAN bitchline. He's the group mood-maker. He's SO RIDICULOUSLY SMART. I knew he was my bias when they were playing Rock-Paper-Scissors against the PD for food, and he asked if he could play against the cafe staff instead. The first thing he says to the woman is "You know we have to win to eat here."
He looks like this, but then he also looks like this.
I'll stop now, but yeah. Him.
Other Notable Sunghyuk Facts
His nickname is "protein baby" because he loves work out so much. This is a running joke. He is frequently named as the person to take to a desert island because he's the strongest of the TANs.
A Famous Sunghyuk Moment from Wild Idol
Listen, I have been trying for a while to find the real clip of this, so if you want to see the most homoerotic wrestling match featuring Yoon "Why is he so obsessed with me" Junhyub (6'0") trying to take down a pissed off Sunghyuk (5'7") and having a gay realization on national TV you will just have to watch Episode 9 around the 1 hour mark. (Shout out to Mack who knew this off the top of their head).
Kim Hyunyeop
Basic Info
Born: October 23, 2000 (Scorpio)
Position: Lead Vocal #2
Roommate: Taehoon
Wild Idol Rank: #6
Former Groups: None
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Hyunyeop
The better question is: How can you not love Hyunyeop? As twitter user Sinchun once said, "Hyunyeop is the emotional support puppy" of TAN but specifically one Im Jooan. Despite getting almost no screentime outside of Jooan's dramatics, Hyunyeop quickly became a fan favorite on Wild Idol because he's just a cute, nice boy.
He has a fantastic voice, and he, Jooan, and Sunghyuk are probably one of the strongest vocal lines in 4th gen.
As one of the only two TANs to be making his debut with the group he really looks up to the hyungline, which sometimes leads to them taking advantage of his sweetness. However, they all adore him and specifically, Jaejun tried to trade Changsun for Hyunyeop during TAN Civil War because he was "missing a [cute] face".
Jooan refused.
Other Notable Hyunyeop Facts
He was a Big Hit trainee for 3 years, and also trained at Brand New Music with AB6IX and BDC. According to Jiseong, Hyunyeop is a "pretty crier".
A Famous Hyunyeop Moment from Wild Idol
As I mentioned, he really got jobbed on screen time, however he won the bonus points for this performance of Answer, which is what made the other trainees sit up and take notice of him as a competitor.
Bang Taehoon
Basic Info
Born: November 11, 2002 (Scorpio)
Position: Center, Sub Vocal
Roommate: Hyunyeop
Wild Idol Rank: #2
Former Groups: None
Pets: A minimum of one dog, though there may be more???
Why You Should Love Taehoon
You've heard of the phrase idiot savant? Flip that and reverse it. Taehoon is brilliant. But. But. He's just such a (big) little introverted weirdo.
Taehoon has famously bad taste in clothing and always lets the other members dress him up. He refers to himself as their favorite doll (especially Jaejun). The tallest member, he's their human selfie-stick. Taehoon (and frequently Hyunyeop) is also basically their entire TikTok team. He got some more views for Fix You by being ridiculously excited to meet his favorite idol, Kai, while doing the rover challenge.
When they went on a Filipino web variety show, he said that if he wasn't an idol, he'd either be a "Doctor or the President." Now, he says he wants to be a Farmer. I don't know that he keeps a single thought in his head for more than two minutes. Except that he's very smart, figuring out several TAN Battlegrounds puzzles on his own and is generally very good at variety games.
Other Notable Taehoon Facts
Used to live in the Greater Toronto Area. Also was a soccer goalie at one point. This took advantage of his massive hands.
A Famous Taehoon Moment from Wild Idol
Again, you are going to want to click this link.
Kim Jiseong
Basic Info
Born: August 23, 2004 (Virgo)
Position: Main Rapper
Roommate: Jooan, Changsun
Wild Idol Rank: #3
Former Groups: NTX
Pets: None
Why You Should Love Jiseong
So my friend has this kitten. Adorable. Tons of energy. And it adored her older cat, who mostly tolerated it. But every once in a while, the kitten's playfulness became too much and the older cat would simply sit on it until it calmed down.
That's the kind of relationship Jiseong has with his hyungs.
Beyond that, this kid is ridiculously talented. I mean, did you listen to him rap??? He writes most of his lyrics himself, and they're SO clever! "Houston, we ain't got a problem..." love it.
Jiseong will absolutely call anyone out and is generally hilarious. He makes one face during selfies so often that the rest of them have started doing it, too. He's also fantastic at impressions and the one he does here of Jooan... devastating.
Other Notable Jiseong Facts
Even though he's a 2004, this is his second debut! Jiseong was an original member of Peak Time darlings NTX, and produced and wrote on four mixtapes with those members. He also basically fought directly against Park Gunwook (now of ZB1) for his spot as the TAN main rapper.
A Famous Jiseong Moment from Wild Idol
Okay, the MOST famous moment is when he gives Jae Eok the dirtiest look known to man during another team switch up, however I couldn't even find that on twitter.
So instead, here's his final cypher performance - the one that actually catapulted him over Gunwook in the race for being the group's rapper.
Boy Content
Obviously, I think you should watch Wild Idol. Not only is it a great way to get to know TAN, it's just really compelling TV. I went in knowing who was in the final line up, and I was still like "oh my god, how is Hyunyeop going to make it!!!".
Outside of that, there's some really good official content even though not all of it is subbed.
TAN Battlegrounds was a pre-debut show done as a partnership with PUBG. It has escape rooms, air soft, and betrayal.
TAN in Wonderland:18-28 is another pre-debut web content series that is all about the lead up to debut.
One of my favorites is the TAN Travel Series, though the last episode is, you guessed it, not subbed.
They also have a ton of vlogs, reactions to their own videos, etc. And Marcus Omakase!!
These two clip videos (Part 1) (Part 2) are also fantastic.
And The Ships
Up until this point I have tried to be normal about things. But I cannot any longer.
First. Changsun is obsessed with Jooan and has been since they met on Wild Idol. He single-handedly decided to save Jooan's ass and help him make the group. Jooan, the Main Character of Life, HAS NOT NOTICED.
Second. Second. The Jagiyaz.
Who are the Jagiyaz? Well, I'll let the EDITORS OF WILD IDOL explain. Click this link for the Complicated Relationship Between Three Men.
Jaejun mentioned in the travel series that it feels more like Sunghyuk is his same-age friend. And that he's just "comfortable around him." Meanwhile, a fan recently asked Sunghyuk if Jooan was his jagiya now, and he answered "sometimes."
Sunghyuk is also slightly obsessed with being Changsun's right hand man. He's the only one to regularly respond to their group chat. In the TAN family trees, he's the mom and Changsun is always the dad.
Taehoon's main rival on the show was Changsun, and now Changsun is his father figure. Jaejun and Taehoon hang out a ton and are super close, and again, he's Jaejun's favorite doll. This is a QUOTE.
Hyunyeop is, of course, Jooan's emotional support Lead Vocal. He's also close with Sunghyuk and Jooan (vocalz), but feels like he has to be super-hyung when he's around Jiseong.
Jiseong, meanwhile, is closest to Jooan, who he considers his mother figure - mostly because Jooan will do his laundry for him and clean his room.
There are only 9 fics on Ao3, 3 of which were written by myself and the friends I conned into writing TANfic. No matter what pairing you like for this group, you're valid. You're so, so valid.
And that's all I can think of for TAN. Please feel free to ask me questions in the comments or over on twitter
boulevarddouble because it's impossible to get everything down in a single post. I'll put up a poll for who should feature in my next primer, too!
