I wonder why Yunho can let go in short form content like Tiktoks and Reels but he can't do that in seemingly any other area of performance (other than on stage, of course). Is it because it's short, and he doesn't have to reveal too much for too long? Is it because it's just challenges/trends that he can hide behind and continue with his demure gaslighting (affectionate) persona? Or is this his way of slowly building up the confidence to be more open across all content and performances?
You sent this ask in response to my post a few weeks ago about Yunho and Seonghwa's reels together. I wrote:
There is also something unabashedly queer happening in these YunHwa reels. Yes, they are both well aware of how we, the fandom, perceives and plays with the imagery of two men engaged in a simulation of intimate, physical flirtation, but I also wonder at Yunho allowing himself to be guided by Seonghwa, for whom he regards as a mentor (and affectionately refers to as "mother"). It's like he knows he's in safe hands to explore parts of himself he might otherwise suppress.
I think all of your interpretations are valid, and I'm happy to muse a bit more about Yunho's penchant for short-form content.
My theory about short-form videos like reels/tiktoks is that they are these little worlds of play where idols can momentarily slip free from the confines of their assigned personas. Beyond the normal dance challenges you get during an album promotion cycle, you'll see idols recreate popular memes, dance to risquΓ© songs, and perform sketch comedy, among other concepts. In these videos, role-play is encouraged and subversion is celebrated. They are largely made with the aim to go viral, but idols (or at least Ateez) have the freedom to select the content they make.
Yunho's current idol persona is an extension and amplification of the traits that the members and atiny admire about him: his affability, his cheerfulness, his looks, his skills, his charms... he's practically perfect.
As San said, he wants to be reborn as Yunho in his next life.
But as we've learned, perfection is not always a good thing in this business. In fact, I think Yunho feels creatively stifled by it. I've even argued that the Slide To Me mv was a commentary on how exhausting it is to constantly perform for fans' expectations.
This past year, we've seen Yunho attempt to pivot away from the "golden retriever boyfriend" persona and challenge himself with new roles:
While his acting and magazine shoots can be considered part of the "official" Ateez apparatus, his short-form content can be classified as "unofficial" content that made with the permission of the company but which exists somewhat apart from the polished products released by KQ. They're ephemeral, liminal, whatever you want to call it.
Yunho uses reels to experiment with showing different parts of himself. His videos, solo or with members, are silly, weird, camp, and irreverent, but also distinctly queer. This is not necessarily me speculating on his (or anyone's) sexuality, but I mean that Yunho seems to relish in the opportunity play against type. His "characters" are coquettish, flirtatious, provocative, and/or non-normative in their presentation.
He totally commits, which makes them even better. A perfectionist, even in this mode.
Seonghwa certainly plays an important role in these videos, as I previously observed:
Whereas Segonwha has mastered the ability to surrender himself to a higher artistic vision, enabling him to achieve true freedom of creative expression on stage and in his solo endeavors, I think Yunho has struggled to let himself be that free and uninhibited when the performance calls for it -- even (and especially) when his performance calls for it. Control has always been his brand, so how do you let go in order to evolve? I get the sense Seonghwa is helping Yunho on his journey of unlearning. Together, they create these little worlds of intrigue, subversion, provocation, and delight...When he works with Seonghwa, it's like he's given himself permission to expose and rejoice in his desires and desirability. They seem a bit more liberatory, for all that it's still fan service.
I'm also going to refer you to the great @makesoneteam whose divine powers of perception have yielded excellent meta on Yunho and Seonghwa's relationship, in that they are both highly refined and polished performers who are also not-so-secretly weird freaks.
I don't want to overlook Yunho's solo dancing reels in this analysis. Yunho loves to show off his dancing, and in these reels he can be the center of attention the way he often is not when performing on stage, where as Dance Leader he must control the group's choreography and synchronization. He only really gets to let loose during controlled moments of spontaneity, like during their codas.
In his solo reels, Yunho dances in a noticeably looser, sexier style, sometimes picking dances that call for very provocative staging. In most cases, he's covering his face to redirect attention to his body lines and movements (something Yeosang does as well).
These dance reels remind me of Mingi, who films a ton of solo dance content. Mingi's style leans into his established "fix on" persona, which is like a hyper-masculine drag performance, more comic than threatening. Yet, he's also confident and sexy and seems to really enjoy the attention he receives for doing this content. I find it interesting that Yunho can match his level of freak only when he's hiding his face.
And this is where I want to extend my reading to include Mingi and Yunho's duo reels, because Mingi is another important partner for Yunho, not only as a dancer who can meet him at his level, but who also takes his direction. Whereas Seonghwa often leads, Mingi follows ("Yunho-senpai").
There is something thrilling (and yes, a little erotic) watching them dance together. It's not just that they're the two best dancers in Ateez, or that they trained together and have known each other since middle school. Dancing with Mingi brings out something raw, something real about Yunho's personality: his competitiveness, his drive, his arrogance, his swagger, his ability to make challenging choreo appear effortless.
But there's also that element of play! Going back to my original thesis, Yunho seems to take genuine delight in getting to "be" Mingi for those 10-15 seconds. Sexy and alluring, but in a knowing-winking way, exposing the artifice while relishing it its conventions. These reels end up being more comical than serious, but that's part of their appeal.
Sometimes, when we get a peek behind the scenes, we see how shy it makes Yunho to adopt that "sexy" persona.
But we've also learned that Yunho often helps Mingi with his "sexy" solo dance challenges by teaching him choreo.
I could write a separate post about how Mingi gets publicly jealous of the content Yunho films with Seongwha, but I would argue that what Yunho does with Mingi in these reels, he does with no one else.
To wrap up my post, I'll observe that so many of my mutuals have become intrigued/obsessed with Yunho over the past few months. Atinyblr is infected with hotteokism! But I wonder if some small part of that is us recognizing something in Yunho, something familiar in how he's changing, becoming something other than what we've come to expect from him. His journey has been fascinating to witness, and we'll continue to follow him to see where he goes, one reel at a time.
