Slay!! - An 8Turn Primer
Nov. 28th, 2024 08:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
boulevarddoubleDo you like internet gays and chaos? Sincere boy group-does-girl group covers? What about intricate and evolving relationship dynamics? Do you like to slay?
Well do I have the group for you!
8Turn debuted on January 30, 2023 under smallish but well-known MNH Entertainment. I can't find the source for the name exactly, I believe it was a YouTube clip, but the 8 in 8Turn not only represents the members, but also infinity, for how long they wish to be with their fans, Turning.
Compared to many nugu groups, 8Turn has had decent commercial success, with over 200,000 copies of their three albums sold. Their EP Stunning, released in January of 2024, sold over 120,000 copies alone. However, they are still very much considered nugu by most people, as they have little cultural sway and a small international fanbase.
(The international fanbase thing being a large part of how people define nugu these days is its own post, but boy do I have thoughts.)
Despite the lack of recognition, MNH Entertainment, an actual company and not a front for the mafia, seems to be investing quite heavily in them, which is new and unusual to fans of other (former) MNH pop stars, like myself. MNH used to manage Chungha, and are absolutely the inspiration for Eenie Meenie, and they also used to manage one of the best girl groups you probably didn't listen to, Bvndit.
In fact, most of the controversy surrounding 8Turn has to do with this shift in generations specifically. While most of the boys of 8Turn had been training at MNH for a while, the company started teasing their debut as contract negotiations were breaking down with Chungha, and Bvndit, though they had released an EP in May of 2022, received very little promo for that album and were official disbanded in November of 2022.
All of this led fans of the women (self included) to wonder if the funds for their star and their other group were being diverted towards the debut of this boy group.
And if we're going to be honest, it seems like, yes, that is exactly what happened. Boy groups do traditionally sell more than girl groups, so this was probably MNH making a bet for the future, but it also does reek of sexism. MNH is very much on my "I'm watching you" list.
However, 8Turn does seem to be treated well, for now, and MNH also recently pulled out all the stops to give them an excellent showing on MNet's Road To Kingdom, which is how I overcame my doubts and became a fan. The youngest group on the show, 8Turn's efforts led to them ranking a very deserved 3rd place.
8Turn doesn't have lore or a specific concept, however they do seem to play on technology (iphones, filters, etc.) a lot in their MVs and the boys themselves are incredible tiktok users/content creators.
So far 8Turn has only had one minor scandal - an accusation of school bullying leveled at their oldest, Myungho. MNH put out a statement denying the accusation and threatening legal action against malicious rumors. Little evidence was provided by the anonymous accuser and the matter seems to have faded from memory.
As of November 28, 2024 they have 3 EPs and 1 fan song digital release. They are gearing up for their first Digital Single release on December 9, 2024 and a US Tour in April of 2025, so I expect another comeback before then.
8Turnrise (Jan 2023) with the title "Tic Tac"
Uncharted Drift (June 2023) with the title "Excel"
Stunning (Jan 2024) with the title "Ru-Pum Pum"
(Yes, it is hyphenated like that officially. Yes, it drives me insane.)
Like I mentioned, I became a fan of 8Turn because of Road To Kingdom, however I will admit I didn't watch the show itself. There is only one good survival show and it's certainly not affiliated with MNet.
8Turn's performances were good enough to make me a fan. I was particularly impressed that they were one of the only groups to consistently perform live, even if the MR was quite high. I'd also already been a big fan of one of their girl group covers - this performance of 4Minute's "Crazy".
Road to Kingdom really brought out their best, allowing their creativity to flourish. Jaeyun, their leader, did arrangements for several performances, and he and Myungho were frequently the 8Turn "Aces", and really shined in group stages.
Here are my two favorite performances from RTK, though you can obviously find them all on YouTube, and I do recommend doing so!
As always, this is in age order. As there are 8 of them, I will probably be more brief than usual.
Basic Info
Born: October 12, 2001 (Libra)
Position: Main Vocal, Main Dancer #1
Roommate: Kyungmin
Representative Emoji: Tiger
Why You Should Love Myungho
Because he's an awkward cat. He's absolutely one of the most introverted idols in 5th gen, and the group acknowledges that there's a massive gap between how he appears on-stage (cool and sexy) to how he is in real life (cute and weird). He has described himself as being "born lazy", which is hilarious given how hard he works.
In a group full of boys who scream at the top of their lungs all the time, Myungho stands out as "the quiet one". Also, even though he is the oldest, Myungho is neither mom nor dad coded. He adores the members but very much brings "Rich Auntie" vibes to their care.
Other Notable Myungho Facts
Myungho is "the body" of the group and barely wears shirts in most videos. He is also a very sweaty, sweaty boy, so he's probably not super upset about this. He loves working out and is a jump rope prodigy. More on that piece later.
Important Myungho Performance
Like I mentioned, Myungho was frequently picked as 8Turn's Ace on RTK. Here's one of his solo performances in this role.
Basic Info
Born: July 2, 2002 (Cancer)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Vocalist, Leader
Roommate: Minho
Representative Emoji: Bear/Moai (The Stone Face)
Why You Should Love Jaeyun
Jaeyun has two modes: Responsible Leader with Engineer Brain or Sass Master 3000. Most members describe him as seeming very cold when you first meet him, but loud and warm when you get to know him. One of my favorite clips, the interviewer asks "What's it like being leader of 8Turn" and Jaeyun's first response is a heavy sigh.
That's not to say he doesn't love the role and the members love him in it. They also nominated him as "best person to send to get a refund from a store" because if his boys ordered no pickles, there better not be any damn pickles. But he also likes to wear cute socks, hates working out, and lists his favorite singer as Lana Del Rey.
Take from that what you will. And if what you take from it is that he's fabulous, well you wouldn't be wrong.
Other Notable Jaeyun Facts
Jaeyun is Korean-New Zealander! This means he was raised in New Zealand when he was young and moved back to Korea at about 13/14. He's a fluent English speaker. Because he's also spent a lot of time in Korea, he has one of my favorite accents of all time. Between the hits of New Zealand, the slight Korean lilt, his deep voice, and deliberate way of speaking, he sounds like a space ship.
Listen to this and tell me you wouldn't feel calm if he was informing you of a warp core breach.
Important Jaeyun Performance
Jaeyun was the other RTK frequent 8Turn Ace, more for his dancing than his singing, however his vocal tone is my favorite in the group. Here's one of the group performances he did where he ended up ranking first among all the groups' Aces.
Basic Info
Born: October 14, 2002 (Libra)
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Jaeyun
Representative Emoji: Space Invader / Hamster
Why You Should Love Minho
Minho is simultaneously the sweetest, most caring member of 8Turn and also the most annoying and aggressive. Especially if your name is Moon Jaeyun. In pre-debut days and for a while after debut, too, he was considered the group "mom", though he has passed that torch now to Yoonsung.
Even without the title, though, Minho is clearly the Emotional Support HyungTM. He's the one the younger members go to when they're sick, or when they want to joke around, especially when it's wrestling or other boy-jock-y things. Minho is also just as clingy with them; it's rare to see him not leaning on or hugging someone.
Other Notable Minho Facts
Minho is hilarious on variety shows. He is always willing to pick a (funny) fight, whether with the hosts or his own members. He's also something of a secret weirdo, and the members are frequently bewildered by his behavior.
Important Minho Performance
Okay, while a TikTok doesn't do him justice, Minho is a) terminally online so in like every challenge, b) absolutely part of girl group line, and c) actually a really good dancer. But it's hard to find a single video that encapsulates all of that, so here's Igloo instead (ft. Yoonsung).
Basic Info
Born: November 13, 2003 (Scorpio)
Position: Vocalist, Girl Group Specialist
Roommate: Haemin, Yungyu, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Headphones
Why You Should Love Yoonsung
Yoonsung is both group boyfriend and maknae's mom. He's the kind of outgoing, joyful, thoughtful mood maker that makes everyone adore him. In high school, he was the Student Council President. He's my Beautifulest Son.
Sometime around "Excel" era responsibilities seemed to shift in the group, possibly alongside the rearrangement of the dorm. Yoonsung moved into the "big" room with the maknae and some of the other younger members. And Seungheon, the maknae, became his real child that he birthed himself. This possibly has to do with the fact that he and Seungheon are from the same city and went to the same middle and high schools. Because they are so geographically close, their families have now become close and often support the boys as a single unit.
I also have shippy thoughts about the whole dorm set up, but that's a whole different section.
Other Notable Yoonsung Facts
As I tried to make clear, 8Turn is full of great dancers, and Yoonsung is no different. Except that he also is one of the best girl group dancers I have encountered. Put him right next to Kino as one of the only boys to do Chungha justice. I am fairly confident one of the main reasons he joined MNH was Chungha.
Read into that what you will.
Important Yoonsung Performances
Technically, it's not a performance, but it does drive home my point above. Here's Yoonsung becoming Tri.be's center for a day.
Basic Info
Born: March 16, 2004 (Pisces)
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Yoonsung, Yungyu, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Whale
Why You Should Love Haemin
Haemin is peak boy. No really, the members say his "boyishness" is his most charming point. He's a big soccer fan (Manchester City is his team), definitely is one of the more jock-type turnies, having done taekwondo since 4th grade, and other sports like soccer, swimming, and handball.
He started dancing later than many members, and you can actually see him get better and better at it, starting in their Pre-Debut series. His bubble messages are some of my favorite, as they're charmingly introspective and weird.
Other Notable Haemin Facts
Haemin's "major" in high school was Video Production, so you can often find him behind the camera, filming the others. I can't remember exactly which behind the scenes it was, but he definitely nerded out with the PD about the cameras.
Important Haemin Performance
Because of his interest in filming, Haemin is basically the tiktok director for the official 8turn account. If he's not the one in the challenge, he's often the one behind the camera.
Just a little short
Basic Info
Born: October 28, 2004
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Myungho
Representative Emoji: Cat
Why You Should Love Kyungmin
If you love gangly alien types, this is the boy for you. He's roughly the size and shape of an inflatable tube man, and has the personality to match. Of all the alien-kpop types I love, Siyeon and Sehyoon to name a few, Kyungmin is the most "I have never had a corporeal body before".
And while he's three years older than the maknae, Kyungmin is absolutely the babiest of the 8turns. He gets lots of love and also lots of "oh my god". He's known to be clumsy, though he's a shockingly good dancer.
Other Notable Kyungmin Facts
Kyungmin is a former Hybe trainee. He was on I-Land, though he didn't get too far, and was initially part of the &TEAM line up in 2020, but he left the group in 2021.
Important Kyungmin Performance
I think Kyungmin is actually quite strong vocally, and he complements Myungho and Jaeyun quite well. He also has that boyish charm that I thought worked really well for this Beat Box cover.
Basic Info
Born: September 7, 2005 (Virgo)
Position: Main Rapper #1, Vocalist
Roommate: Yoonsung, Haemin, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Basketball
Why You Should Love Yungyu
He is both an overgrown puppy and a talent that really shouldn't stay nugu. In my estimation, he's probably their third best vocalist, and he's an excellent rapper and dancer to boot.
It's unusual to see an 8Turn Behind the Scenes video where he's not party to some form of mayhem. Whether it's zooming past the camera and interrupting, or playing pranks or just being annoying to his hyungs, Yungyu is a ball of energy that can't be contained.
Other Notable Yungyu Facts
Yungyu, alongside fellow rapper Seungheon, enjoy writing their own lyrics. He also wrote a rap for the "Future Perfect" RTK stage, however the rap was cut during rehearsals.
Important Yungyu Performance
The only stage where Myungho or Jaeyun wasn't the RTK Ace was their Enhypen cover of Pass the Mic. Unfortunately, they ranked last in this round, however Yungyu very much stood out as Ace and got lots of praise for his performance.
Basic Info
Born: may 15, 2007 (Taurus)
Position: Main Rapper #2
Roommate: Yoonsung, Haemin, Yungyu
Representative Emoji: Chick
Why You Should Love Seungheon
Well, before we get too far, I have to admit 8Turn should be on my shitlist, because Seungheon was 15 at debut when I had always thought he was 16. Fortunately, he seems to be surrounded by actual adults and family who are looking out for him, not just his members. So I'm still wary of the situation, but not directly concerned.
Seungheon is also the mature maknae type. Even though he's always acting like his bloodstream is half red bull, he's definitely on the quieter side. He's a great rapper and loves dancing, and has the vibe of someone who was always going to be on stage.
Other Notable Seungheon Facts
I tend to find maknaes either fall into "Golden Maknae" or "Actual Baby" and Seungheon has vibes of both. Like I said above, he enjoys writing lyrics, and his rapping brings a much needed grit to what is otherwise pure boy band vibes.
Important Seungheon Performance
Seungheon really embodied the High School Musical vibe of this RTK final performance.
One of the things MNH has really done well is prime-the-pump for the 8Turn Debut.
They have a pre-debut series from when they were Boys of MNH.
Then, they had a debut showcase variety & performance series in partnership with M2.
The fanbase is mostly younger, so alot of the fun edits are on tiktok, and not compilations on YouTube, so it's hard to link them. But they've done a ton of fun interviews, song association games, weekly idol, you name it. Frankly, put in 8Turn in the YouTube Search and you'll probably get something great.
However.
However. There is one series you must watch, and that is 8 Hunters. Like you should watch this series even if nothing else has intrigued you about this group, you have to watch this show. The premise is amazing. This rookie boy group goes and competes in real world competitions. And I'm talking like, county fair style competitions. Sometimes they play against children.
It's an utter fucking delight.
Here's the teaser:
Watch all of 8Hunters here
At this moment, there are only 43 8Turn fics on Ao3. As I mentioned earlier, 8Turn has a small international fanbase and a lot of them are very young. Not only does this mean they're less likely to be Ao3 users, but they're less likely to appreciate fanfic at all. In fact, I have already seen them go after a fanfic in a Puritanical way.
That said, there is a ton to mine here.
My two favorite ships are Yoonyunz (Yoonsung/Yungyu) and '02z (Jaeyun/Minho).
Yoonyunz have like, high school sweethearts vibes, and very much match each other's energy. Plus, for Yoonsung's birthday a week ago, Yungyu posted like 8 boyfriend pictures on the members-run account, including these, which I am slightly insane about.
Meanwhile, if you enjoy same-aged friends who bicker and used to hate each other and fght so much they stopped talking for two months pre-debut but are now super close and still argue all the time... 02z. It's almost a guarantee that when Jaeyun is on camera, Minho will come by to bother him. Same if he's on a live. This 1x1 Conversation by the River Itta Video is a good primer into their relationship.
There are also tags for Kyungmin/Haemin (again, same age friends), Yoonsung/Myungho (what if a dog and a cat fell in love), Kyungmin/Jaeyun (alien x spaceship) and a good amount of crossover with ZB1's Matthew, because he used to train with them. On tiktok I've seen stuff for Yungyu/Myungho (Oldest indulging one of the youngest) and Yoonsung/Minho (girl group specialists).
They're also a young group, so the relationships and friendships are constantly evolving. Plus, with RTK having finished up, there's room for even more crossover, because they made lots of new friends.
Have fun and go wild!
In conclusion, 8Turn is young and hungry, and improving by leaps and bounds. They're also hilarious, so be sure to check out their official TikTok and official Twitter.
Well do I have the group for you!
The Basics
8Turn debuted on January 30, 2023 under smallish but well-known MNH Entertainment. I can't find the source for the name exactly, I believe it was a YouTube clip, but the 8 in 8Turn not only represents the members, but also infinity, for how long they wish to be with their fans, Turning.
Compared to many nugu groups, 8Turn has had decent commercial success, with over 200,000 copies of their three albums sold. Their EP Stunning, released in January of 2024, sold over 120,000 copies alone. However, they are still very much considered nugu by most people, as they have little cultural sway and a small international fanbase.
(The international fanbase thing being a large part of how people define nugu these days is its own post, but boy do I have thoughts.)
Despite the lack of recognition, MNH Entertainment, an actual company and not a front for the mafia, seems to be investing quite heavily in them, which is new and unusual to fans of other (former) MNH pop stars, like myself. MNH used to manage Chungha, and are absolutely the inspiration for Eenie Meenie, and they also used to manage one of the best girl groups you probably didn't listen to, Bvndit.
In fact, most of the controversy surrounding 8Turn has to do with this shift in generations specifically. While most of the boys of 8Turn had been training at MNH for a while, the company started teasing their debut as contract negotiations were breaking down with Chungha, and Bvndit, though they had released an EP in May of 2022, received very little promo for that album and were official disbanded in November of 2022.
All of this led fans of the women (self included) to wonder if the funds for their star and their other group were being diverted towards the debut of this boy group.
And if we're going to be honest, it seems like, yes, that is exactly what happened. Boy groups do traditionally sell more than girl groups, so this was probably MNH making a bet for the future, but it also does reek of sexism. MNH is very much on my "I'm watching you" list.
However, 8Turn does seem to be treated well, for now, and MNH also recently pulled out all the stops to give them an excellent showing on MNet's Road To Kingdom, which is how I overcame my doubts and became a fan. The youngest group on the show, 8Turn's efforts led to them ranking a very deserved 3rd place.
8Turn doesn't have lore or a specific concept, however they do seem to play on technology (iphones, filters, etc.) a lot in their MVs and the boys themselves are incredible tiktok users/content creators.
So far 8Turn has only had one minor scandal - an accusation of school bullying leveled at their oldest, Myungho. MNH put out a statement denying the accusation and threatening legal action against malicious rumors. Little evidence was provided by the anonymous accuser and the matter seems to have faded from memory.
As of November 28, 2024 they have 3 EPs and 1 fan song digital release. They are gearing up for their first Digital Single release on December 9, 2024 and a US Tour in April of 2025, so I expect another comeback before then.
The Music
8Turnrise (Jan 2023) with the title "Tic Tac"
Uncharted Drift (June 2023) with the title "Excel"
Stunning (Jan 2024) with the title "Ru-Pum Pum"
(Yes, it is hyphenated like that officially. Yes, it drives me insane.)
Performance Monsters
Like I mentioned, I became a fan of 8Turn because of Road To Kingdom, however I will admit I didn't watch the show itself. There is only one good survival show and it's certainly not affiliated with MNet.
8Turn's performances were good enough to make me a fan. I was particularly impressed that they were one of the only groups to consistently perform live, even if the MR was quite high. I'd also already been a big fan of one of their girl group covers - this performance of 4Minute's "Crazy".
Road to Kingdom really brought out their best, allowing their creativity to flourish. Jaeyun, their leader, did arrangements for several performances, and he and Myungho were frequently the 8Turn "Aces", and really shined in group stages.
Here are my two favorite performances from RTK, though you can obviously find them all on YouTube, and I do recommend doing so!
Meet 8Turn
As always, this is in age order. As there are 8 of them, I will probably be more brief than usual.
Ji Myungho
Basic Info
Born: October 12, 2001 (Libra)
Position: Main Vocal, Main Dancer #1
Roommate: Kyungmin
Representative Emoji: Tiger
Why You Should Love Myungho
Because he's an awkward cat. He's absolutely one of the most introverted idols in 5th gen, and the group acknowledges that there's a massive gap between how he appears on-stage (cool and sexy) to how he is in real life (cute and weird). He has described himself as being "born lazy", which is hilarious given how hard he works.
In a group full of boys who scream at the top of their lungs all the time, Myungho stands out as "the quiet one". Also, even though he is the oldest, Myungho is neither mom nor dad coded. He adores the members but very much brings "Rich Auntie" vibes to their care.
Other Notable Myungho Facts
Myungho is "the body" of the group and barely wears shirts in most videos. He is also a very sweaty, sweaty boy, so he's probably not super upset about this. He loves working out and is a jump rope prodigy. More on that piece later.
Important Myungho Performance
Like I mentioned, Myungho was frequently picked as 8Turn's Ace on RTK. Here's one of his solo performances in this role.
Moon Jaeyun (Alex Moon)
Basic Info
Born: July 2, 2002 (Cancer)
Position: Main Dancer #2, Vocalist, Leader
Roommate: Minho
Representative Emoji: Bear/Moai (The Stone Face)
Why You Should Love Jaeyun
Jaeyun has two modes: Responsible Leader with Engineer Brain or Sass Master 3000. Most members describe him as seeming very cold when you first meet him, but loud and warm when you get to know him. One of my favorite clips, the interviewer asks "What's it like being leader of 8Turn" and Jaeyun's first response is a heavy sigh.
That's not to say he doesn't love the role and the members love him in it. They also nominated him as "best person to send to get a refund from a store" because if his boys ordered no pickles, there better not be any damn pickles. But he also likes to wear cute socks, hates working out, and lists his favorite singer as Lana Del Rey.
Take from that what you will. And if what you take from it is that he's fabulous, well you wouldn't be wrong.
Other Notable Jaeyun Facts
Jaeyun is Korean-New Zealander! This means he was raised in New Zealand when he was young and moved back to Korea at about 13/14. He's a fluent English speaker. Because he's also spent a lot of time in Korea, he has one of my favorite accents of all time. Between the hits of New Zealand, the slight Korean lilt, his deep voice, and deliberate way of speaking, he sounds like a space ship.
Listen to this and tell me you wouldn't feel calm if he was informing you of a warp core breach.
Important Jaeyun Performance
Jaeyun was the other RTK frequent 8Turn Ace, more for his dancing than his singing, however his vocal tone is my favorite in the group. Here's one of the group performances he did where he ended up ranking first among all the groups' Aces.
Yang Minho
Basic Info
Born: October 14, 2002 (Libra)
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Jaeyun
Representative Emoji: Space Invader / Hamster
Why You Should Love Minho
Minho is simultaneously the sweetest, most caring member of 8Turn and also the most annoying and aggressive. Especially if your name is Moon Jaeyun. In pre-debut days and for a while after debut, too, he was considered the group "mom", though he has passed that torch now to Yoonsung.
Even without the title, though, Minho is clearly the Emotional Support HyungTM. He's the one the younger members go to when they're sick, or when they want to joke around, especially when it's wrestling or other boy-jock-y things. Minho is also just as clingy with them; it's rare to see him not leaning on or hugging someone.
Other Notable Minho Facts
Minho is hilarious on variety shows. He is always willing to pick a (funny) fight, whether with the hosts or his own members. He's also something of a secret weirdo, and the members are frequently bewildered by his behavior.
Important Minho Performance
Okay, while a TikTok doesn't do him justice, Minho is a) terminally online so in like every challenge, b) absolutely part of girl group line, and c) actually a really good dancer. But it's hard to find a single video that encapsulates all of that, so here's Igloo instead (ft. Yoonsung).
Cho Yoonsung
Basic Info
Born: November 13, 2003 (Scorpio)
Position: Vocalist, Girl Group Specialist
Roommate: Haemin, Yungyu, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Headphones
Why You Should Love Yoonsung
Yoonsung is both group boyfriend and maknae's mom. He's the kind of outgoing, joyful, thoughtful mood maker that makes everyone adore him. In high school, he was the Student Council President. He's my Beautifulest Son.
Sometime around "Excel" era responsibilities seemed to shift in the group, possibly alongside the rearrangement of the dorm. Yoonsung moved into the "big" room with the maknae and some of the other younger members. And Seungheon, the maknae, became his real child that he birthed himself. This possibly has to do with the fact that he and Seungheon are from the same city and went to the same middle and high schools. Because they are so geographically close, their families have now become close and often support the boys as a single unit.
I also have shippy thoughts about the whole dorm set up, but that's a whole different section.
Other Notable Yoonsung Facts
As I tried to make clear, 8Turn is full of great dancers, and Yoonsung is no different. Except that he also is one of the best girl group dancers I have encountered. Put him right next to Kino as one of the only boys to do Chungha justice. I am fairly confident one of the main reasons he joined MNH was Chungha.
Read into that what you will.
Important Yoonsung Performances
Technically, it's not a performance, but it does drive home my point above. Here's Yoonsung becoming Tri.be's center for a day.
Jung Haemin
Basic Info
Born: March 16, 2004 (Pisces)
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Yoonsung, Yungyu, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Whale
Why You Should Love Haemin
Haemin is peak boy. No really, the members say his "boyishness" is his most charming point. He's a big soccer fan (Manchester City is his team), definitely is one of the more jock-type turnies, having done taekwondo since 4th grade, and other sports like soccer, swimming, and handball.
He started dancing later than many members, and you can actually see him get better and better at it, starting in their Pre-Debut series. His bubble messages are some of my favorite, as they're charmingly introspective and weird.
Other Notable Haemin Facts
Haemin's "major" in high school was Video Production, so you can often find him behind the camera, filming the others. I can't remember exactly which behind the scenes it was, but he definitely nerded out with the PD about the cameras.
Important Haemin Performance
Because of his interest in filming, Haemin is basically the tiktok director for the official 8turn account. If he's not the one in the challenge, he's often the one behind the camera.
Just a little short
Cho Kyungmin
Basic Info
Born: October 28, 2004
Position: Vocalist
Roommate: Myungho
Representative Emoji: Cat
Why You Should Love Kyungmin
If you love gangly alien types, this is the boy for you. He's roughly the size and shape of an inflatable tube man, and has the personality to match. Of all the alien-kpop types I love, Siyeon and Sehyoon to name a few, Kyungmin is the most "I have never had a corporeal body before".
And while he's three years older than the maknae, Kyungmin is absolutely the babiest of the 8turns. He gets lots of love and also lots of "oh my god". He's known to be clumsy, though he's a shockingly good dancer.
Other Notable Kyungmin Facts
Kyungmin is a former Hybe trainee. He was on I-Land, though he didn't get too far, and was initially part of the &TEAM line up in 2020, but he left the group in 2021.
Important Kyungmin Performance
I think Kyungmin is actually quite strong vocally, and he complements Myungho and Jaeyun quite well. He also has that boyish charm that I thought worked really well for this Beat Box cover.
Lee Yungyu
Basic Info
Born: September 7, 2005 (Virgo)
Position: Main Rapper #1, Vocalist
Roommate: Yoonsung, Haemin, Seungheon
Representative Emoji: Basketball
Why You Should Love Yungyu
He is both an overgrown puppy and a talent that really shouldn't stay nugu. In my estimation, he's probably their third best vocalist, and he's an excellent rapper and dancer to boot.
It's unusual to see an 8Turn Behind the Scenes video where he's not party to some form of mayhem. Whether it's zooming past the camera and interrupting, or playing pranks or just being annoying to his hyungs, Yungyu is a ball of energy that can't be contained.
Other Notable Yungyu Facts
Yungyu, alongside fellow rapper Seungheon, enjoy writing their own lyrics. He also wrote a rap for the "Future Perfect" RTK stage, however the rap was cut during rehearsals.
Important Yungyu Performance
The only stage where Myungho or Jaeyun wasn't the RTK Ace was their Enhypen cover of Pass the Mic. Unfortunately, they ranked last in this round, however Yungyu very much stood out as Ace and got lots of praise for his performance.
Lee Seungheon
Basic Info
Born: may 15, 2007 (Taurus)
Position: Main Rapper #2
Roommate: Yoonsung, Haemin, Yungyu
Representative Emoji: Chick
Why You Should Love Seungheon
Well, before we get too far, I have to admit 8Turn should be on my shitlist, because Seungheon was 15 at debut when I had always thought he was 16. Fortunately, he seems to be surrounded by actual adults and family who are looking out for him, not just his members. So I'm still wary of the situation, but not directly concerned.
Seungheon is also the mature maknae type. Even though he's always acting like his bloodstream is half red bull, he's definitely on the quieter side. He's a great rapper and loves dancing, and has the vibe of someone who was always going to be on stage.
Other Notable Seungheon Facts
I tend to find maknaes either fall into "Golden Maknae" or "Actual Baby" and Seungheon has vibes of both. Like I said above, he enjoys writing lyrics, and his rapping brings a much needed grit to what is otherwise pure boy band vibes.
Important Seungheon Performance
Seungheon really embodied the High School Musical vibe of this RTK final performance.
Boy Content
One of the things MNH has really done well is prime-the-pump for the 8Turn Debut.
They have a pre-debut series from when they were Boys of MNH.
Then, they had a debut showcase variety & performance series in partnership with M2.
The fanbase is mostly younger, so alot of the fun edits are on tiktok, and not compilations on YouTube, so it's hard to link them. But they've done a ton of fun interviews, song association games, weekly idol, you name it. Frankly, put in 8Turn in the YouTube Search and you'll probably get something great.
However.
However. There is one series you must watch, and that is 8 Hunters. Like you should watch this series even if nothing else has intrigued you about this group, you have to watch this show. The premise is amazing. This rookie boy group goes and competes in real world competitions. And I'm talking like, county fair style competitions. Sometimes they play against children.
It's an utter fucking delight.
Here's the teaser:
Watch all of 8Hunters here
The Ships
At this moment, there are only 43 8Turn fics on Ao3. As I mentioned earlier, 8Turn has a small international fanbase and a lot of them are very young. Not only does this mean they're less likely to be Ao3 users, but they're less likely to appreciate fanfic at all. In fact, I have already seen them go after a fanfic in a Puritanical way.
That said, there is a ton to mine here.
My two favorite ships are Yoonyunz (Yoonsung/Yungyu) and '02z (Jaeyun/Minho).
Yoonyunz have like, high school sweethearts vibes, and very much match each other's energy. Plus, for Yoonsung's birthday a week ago, Yungyu posted like 8 boyfriend pictures on the members-run account, including these, which I am slightly insane about.
Meanwhile, if you enjoy same-aged friends who bicker and used to hate each other and fght so much they stopped talking for two months pre-debut but are now super close and still argue all the time... 02z. It's almost a guarantee that when Jaeyun is on camera, Minho will come by to bother him. Same if he's on a live. This 1x1 Conversation by the River Itta Video is a good primer into their relationship.
There are also tags for Kyungmin/Haemin (again, same age friends), Yoonsung/Myungho (what if a dog and a cat fell in love), Kyungmin/Jaeyun (alien x spaceship) and a good amount of crossover with ZB1's Matthew, because he used to train with them. On tiktok I've seen stuff for Yungyu/Myungho (Oldest indulging one of the youngest) and Yoonsung/Minho (girl group specialists).
They're also a young group, so the relationships and friendships are constantly evolving. Plus, with RTK having finished up, there's room for even more crossover, because they made lots of new friends.
Have fun and go wild!
In conclusion, 8Turn is young and hungry, and improving by leaps and bounds. They're also hilarious, so be sure to check out their official TikTok and official Twitter.
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Date: 2024-11-29 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-29 02:01 pm (UTC)Yes! In good news, I do see a lot of official stuff reposted to their YouTube as shorts (and I'm sure instagram, but I follow YT more). Unfortunately, a lot of the fannish stuff and clips of lives and things tends to be posted to TikTok. I have found a good chunk on Twitter, too, though, so I don't think TikTok is at all necessary to understand this group. Except from like a "know they follow the trends" perspective.
I'm glad you found it helpful!