OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: maey.

Pronouns: she/her.

Timezone: +1.

Other muses: none.

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: choi jinri.

Name: kang yoohwa.

Stage name (if applicable): n/a, as she was set to use her real name while in the former silverbeat line-up.

Idol concept: This actress is renown for her flexibility for nearly any role. She had been in the original lineup for silverBEAT, but changed trajectory three years before debut. Instead, she became an actress, and starred as leading lady Go Eunchan in Coffee Prince. Unfortunately, due to the boyishness of this role, she suffered a few harsh rumors and criticisms of her appearance. BKB only made matters worse by casting her as Go Minam, another girl-disguised-as-boy role in 2009’s You’re Beautiful. Her image quickly turned on its head, however, when she portrayed the sweet, dense-but-well-meaning Oh Hani in Playful Kiss. She quickly became beloved for this portrayal. After a few rumors that almost got out of hand, BKB realized that they probably should quit casting her as the lover to their male actor in all their dramas. Her first drama separate from BKB’s male actor was in 2013’s Good Doctor as leading lady Cha Yoon-seo. at first, she was eager to be able to take on such a role so early into her career, but as time went on—the trope lines and characteristics of her roles bored her. the latter led to yoohwa constantly trying to diversify her everything. from her tone, to her visage, and even to her morals. in acting, of course. though, now that she’s practically dedicated to picturesquely portray each role she takes on, her social standing’s taken a blow. withdrawing herself from others to be fully immersed—a casualty from that habit, is that whenever someone responds to her, and it isn’t following the script she has premade for the conversation, she doesn’t get angry per se. but exhibits emotions of rudeness, and the sort.

Points Sorting: acting - 5, dancing - 1, singing - 2, concept - 2.

Birth date and age: march 29th 1989. twenty eight.

Company name: bkb.

Group Name (if applicable): n/a.

Group Position (if applicable): actress 1.

Strengths: her ability to adapt—something she considered her very own silver spoon—was always jutting out, in one way or another. whether it be a white lie she would tell her parents, or a way of living different from hers that she would be thrust into. having spent a decade in her department comes into play, too. it’s given her both new and old-school views on technique. not to mention, her patience has thrived even since her rookie days, something yoohwa has been proud of herself for.

Weaknesses: a more subjective dislike of hers is that she was basically born with both left feet and just cannot dance—hindering her from appearing in any musicals. yoohwa’s biggest insecurity is her individuality. she fears that she has no true self and that her career is making her lose it due to constantly putting up fake faces to the general public.

Positive traits: practical, charismatic, introspective, patient.

Negative traits: temperamental, perfectionist, stubborn, macchiavellian.

PERSONAL HISTORY

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: jemi

Pronouns: she/her

Timezone: gmt+8

Other muses: N/A

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: NCT’s lee jeno

Name: im rihwan

Stage name (if applicable): N/A

Idol concept: rihwan is a-team’s “evil maknae” who’s known for being the older members’ favorite to “playfully” smack. with that he’s also considered the “maknae on top,” the youngest who could probably rule the entirety of south korea if he wanted to. rihwan’s playfulness certainly makes him fit for the part, but what most people overlook is his subdued maturity. in the way he speaks, the way he interacts with his members, he always knows he is accountable for whatever he does— that’s probably why he’s settled with his image— and whatever he does to the annoyance of his members he always apologizes for it at the end of the day. he usually uses this concept to his advantage to make the other members do his bidding, but rest assured, only up to a certain level.

Birth date and age: february 1, 2000 (17 years old)

Company name: kaleidoscope records

Group Name: a-team

Group Position: maknae

Strengths: dancing is his main strength, and he is also able to choreograph and teach choreography. he also raps quite a bit in their songs, and is trying to develop that skill as much as he can. having done several commercials as a child, he is also experienced in front of the camera and is capable (and wants to do more) of acting. within the group, he is also capable of cheering the other members on, a role even an “evil” maknae has to possess. with that, he’s also a very good listener and confidant.

Weaknesses: he isn’t much of a singer yet, and is very aware of that. rihwan’s insecure of his singing voice, but he’s able to carry a tune, at least. he also has a bad habit of comparing himself to others, which can make him feel very down about what he lacks. of course, as the youngest of his team he is also quite whiny—this goes for when his members don’t follow him or when he finally gets bossed around—but it isn’t overbearing.

Positive traits: committed, diligent, cunning, dependable

Negative traits: impatient, manipulative, insecure

PERSONAL HISTORY

bright lights and big cameras have stopped fazing him years ago. no stranger to the entertainment world, rihwan has almost never stopped working since he was four years old. people who know him say his mother’s to blame for this, and some other people also say he’s overworked. honestly, rihwan just wants to keep going. rihwan is far from tired, and believes that his real work is only beginning.

despite being a rookie in the idol world, rihwan isn’t an unknown face to many. a lot of people know him as the “angpang boy,” a little boy from that one seoul milk commercial for their kids’ variant called angpang. four-year-old rihwan made his mark as a korean household name, and has since then been working as a commercial actor. he still remembers his first shoot— the director loudly calls out a word he can barely understand as the lights are switched on. scanning the small crowd around him for a familiar face as he squints to adjust to the light, he finds his mother standing off to the side, giving him a reassuring smile and nod while mouthing, “rihwan, good luck.”

at four years old, he isn’t sure if he finds comfort in that. before he could respond to her, someone kneels down in front of him, speaking slowly and simply. instructions are fed to him, he nods, and everyone gets out of his way. when he gets asked if he’s ready, he replies with a loud yes, just like what he was told to do by his mom when she told him he would be on television. the cameras start rolling and he starts waddling with his bedroom slippers across the wooden floor like how they rehearsed at home, recalling hearing his little sister crying for food in the background. it’s honestly easy for him, despite his young age, to follow the script and everyone’s instructions. he knows what to do, but needs a little help on how to do it. multiple takes are spent redoing shots to get the right one, and as soon as they got that shot of him gulping down milk and wiping his lips on his sweater sleeve before showcasing a picture perfect smile, the lights go off as everyone claps and he’s brought back home holding his mother’s hand.

when he gets home he asks his mother if it would always be like this. his mother sets down his dinner plate in front of him as she sits beside him, and she replies with something along the lines of “if you want to.”

at five years old, a year later, he finds himself in a similar situation. in front of a couple cameras, given a few instructions—same old. after his first shoot, the kids at his kindergarten ask if that was him in that one milk commercial on TV. he just replies with, “maybe,” coyly but at the same time obviously flattered. this time it’s a shoot for some sort of food? rice? he doesn’t really know. all he knows was that he needs to whine and cry. he goes through with filming and when it finishes his mother wipes the tears he cried for the shoot away. “you did well today,” she says, and he responds with a nod.

it’s difficult to understand everything happening around you at just five years, and rihwan was feeling that insecurity and detachment from everything around him. for some weird reason, though, he enjoys it. being in the limelight feels right for him.

still, his life in show business wasn’t free of struggle. being the son of a working mother and a father working abroad he had to take care of his siblings growing up as well. this doesn’t mean his mother didn’t take care of all of them well—but he always knew he’s his mother’s favorite, being the firstborn. so he constantly figures he should spend time while he can with his sister who’s two years younger than him and his brother who’s three years younger.

at seven years old, when he isn’t at shoots, young rihwan spends time with his siblings, and the family dog, of course. their time is often spent by the pond at the park near their house, which doubles as a wishing well despite all the agitated koi fish. rihwan firmly believes in the power of his hundred-won wishes, holding his sister’s hand with his left and using his right to throw coins. the year he spent off working has a year of him studying, given, but it was also the year he started to frequent the wishing pond. now back into work, rihwan wishes he could do more cool things on camera to make his family (pet dog included) proud.

at almost ten years old, he realizes he’s gotten more than he bargained for. after seeing his face on so many CFs, entertainment companies have taken notice of his potential as a future idol visual. his second disappearance from commercials was short-lived, and soon he gets plunged into more auditions for more commercials after his mother gets her work life back together and rihwan does well enough in school. initially reluctant to accept offers to take rihwan in from companies, his mother figures it would be better to leave his management to people who, in her opinion, know better than her about managing kids. and so begins rihwan’s journey as a kaleidoscope trainee, the company out of the handful whose name mrs. im has heard about the most.

at eleven years old, he realizes that maybe his hundred won coins were well spent. half a year he has spent so far under kaleidoscope records has been tiring, to say the least, but hey, he’s been learning how to dance and he finds that a lot of fun. he’s still doing commercials, and also, he’s sure to get into that performing arts high school when he gets older. he does miss his family though, and wonders if his siblings are taken care of. living away from home is rough, but he trusts in the people around him enough to carry on. at that age he has started to process how things work in the industry. he realizes he can’t succeed if he doesn’t put in the work. so he works, and he works hard.

at twelve he finds that his passion for dancing has grown. the initial plan of him being a visual was overthrown by his rapid grasp of dance. after being surrounded by people who genuinely think “dance is life” he’s grown to love dance, and even performing in general. he misses filming for commercials, but then he also wants to focus on what his life is hopefully going to lead up to: becoming an idol. it was never in his plans—acting might have been, but never singing and becoming an idol. he finds the serendipity slightly funny. who knew he could actually make it? not his siblings, for sure, the ones who often joked about him ending up like the idols they saw on sunday afternoon music shows when they were young. well, even younger.

however, at fourteen years old, he gets tired. tired of waiting. he knows he’s still too young to debut, but at the same time, his almost three and a half years of training have been all too long for him. he still loves performing, and in fact has been dabbling in different dance styles and trying his hand and creating his own dances. his hunger to debut is strong, although he’s held back by his insecurity in singing. typically he skips intensive vocal training by chatting up his instructors or using dance practice as an excuse, but never does it on purpose. or so he likes to think. he’s secure in his dancing ability, and often resorts to avoiding singing by learning rapping and immersing in hip hop, which is useful in dancing, too. lately he’s been hearing talks of a new boy group being formed, and all his fingers are crossed.

he sends his sister text messages regularly, reminding her to toss at least three coins into the wishing pond for his speedy debut.

at fifteen, he finds himself being selected to debut as one of the members of “a-team,” kaleidoscope’s newest fresh-concept boy band. ecstatic, rihwan sure is, but just as scared. he’s trained with a lot of them before, but now being in a team with all of them is different. as the youngest of the bunch, he has to be taken care of but at the same time he has to be reliable. after all, he can’t be the weakest link. he doesn’t want to be.

OOC INFORMATION

preferred name › sylv

pronouns › she/her

timezone › gmt -5

IC INFORMATION

faceclaim › bona, wjsn name › lee si-won

idol concept › siwon’s gained attention for her easygoing, girl-next-door personality — that, coupled with her slew of wisecracks and her no-nonsense attitude when it comes to her group members, has compounded into her title as the ‘father of the group’.

birth date & age › february 13, 1996 (21) company name › kaleidoscope records group name › bliss group position › leader

strengths ›

VOCAL RANGE & TECHNIQUE — siwon’s vocal abilities are profound. with a vast range and the ability to carry a song all the way through, she’s always been confident that her raw musical talent would get her somewhere in life. years of training have only upgraded what was a diamond in the rough; both her companies have given her the technical skills to achieve a mastery of her art form.

CHARISMA — a compelling person, siwon has the uncanny ability of being able to make a room glow with her presence. there’s an effortlessness to everything she does that makes others drawn to her, beyond just her powerful vocals; a personality that causes people to look twice.

weaknesses ›

PHYSICALITY — she’s not made for strenuous activity. a family history of asthma and a pampered youth means that she’s barely lifted a finger in her entire life, and that’s not about to start now.

DANCE — her years of training have given her what it takes to keep up with the rest of her group, but siwon is both lazy and slow to learn; it was not unheard of for her to be lectured by the dance teachers for performing half-heartedly. upon being sorted into bliss, she’s made some efforts to better herself, but her own physical ailments prove deterrents to great leaps of improvement.

positive traits › clever, imaginative, vivacious negative traits › blunt, detached, haughty

PERSONAL HISTORY

4)

Summer comes like a tide. One minute it’s pinks and greens and soft sun-kisses on her skin, and then the next moment it’s an insatiable heat that swallows her whole. Mother says the season is like her smile — unstoppable, untameable, wholly beautiful. That’s why they bend to her, bend like branches in the June monsoons. Never no, always yes, always you’re our perfect little darling.

She grows like this: brimming with love, humility on the side.

7)

Rinse, repeat.

The occupants of room 101 tell her that her voice is lovely when she runs through list of morning songs; they ask for more trot, and buy her their favourite singer’s album when she replies that she’s got no idea who he is. Every night during the warm season, the ahjummas that sprawl out by the beach to watch the sunset teach her the love songs of their youth. It makes Siwon a certain kind of happy to see the smiles on their faces when her voice makes them remember fonder times. She did that, with the song they call pretty, the song they call beautiful.

Her grandmother is a different story.

Grandmother sings her old folk melodies when she visits their village from time to time. Aging hands guide her own as she teases gayageum strings with clumsy eagerness; grandmother leads, Siwon follows. On the days grandmother can’t sing — when she’s too tired, too bed-ridden — grandfather tells her stories. How grandma used to stand on a stage and hearts would bleed for her. How she could make men cry with her song alone. How she mended wounds, lifted spirits, crafted new world with song. And she is more than fascinated: she is awed.

I want to be like you, grandma, she says one day. I want the world to love me like they loved you. I want them to be happy because of me. And grandmother smiles, presses a palm to her granddaughter’s dimpled cheek, looks at her with a something in her eyes undecipherable.

If it makes you happy, Siwon.

For now, it does.

11)

Future beckons, white and cutting in her hand.

The man doesn’t sugarcoat like mother does — calls her a little rudimentary, but overflowing with potential. Diamond-in-the-sand, the hidden gem of Haeundae. She takes the slip he gives her with shaking fingers, mouths B and K and B as she sees them on the paper.

Seoul calls, she answers.

12)

It’s not what she thought it would be.

All she’d wanted was to sing — to see a sea of faces smiling at her, hearts in their mouths and feeling changed because of her. But they make her move till her heels are calloused from the bruising, take the Busan dialect from her tone with sharp reprimands. Yet she’s anything but flimsy; she’s anything but her own will.

They say: you follow us, or we’ll end you.

She responds: you can’t end me when I can give you everything.

(They say nothing after, because it’s true. Twelve is an age of shifting bones, an ebb and flow of emotion. And she’s difficult and petulant and untameable like her smile, but there’s a something to her that’s unforgettable. There’s something to her voice that’s meant to be heard.)

14)

They tell her she wasn’t good enough. Not yet, not now. She tells them they’ve made a mistake. That she’s got talent boundless, that they’re wrong to think any different.

She leaves two months later.

15)

Busan, with her family’s praise and the ahjummas on the beach and the inn-goers that call her a songbird — all of it bores her. Mundane isn’t palatable after she’s had a taste of what could be, what should be.

One morning, she uses the last of her allowance on a ticket to Seoul; waits in line for hours in a February chill so cold her fingers turn blue. They still feel numb even after the audition, but she feels nothing save for the feeling of starting anew.

19)

“What’s ‘Bliss’?”

“Don’t you pay attention, Siwon? It’s the name of the girl group the company’s starting to pick members for!”

The viewers say they’ve never seen anyone so talented before — that she’s got such a voice for someone so young. She knows that, of course; knows that she’s better than the rest unequivocally. But they’re wrong — she’s not so young anymore, not so stupid as to forget past mistakes.

She thinks of Busan. Thinks of the apathy.

Thinks about being nothing.

.

They name her Bliss’ leader two weeks after the competition ends.

21)

Summer comes like a tide. One day it’s performing for thousands, and then she wakes up the next day and thinks: I feel different. She’s forgotten something in the midst of it all — she can’t figure out what. Looks into a mirror and wonders if it’s a part of herself, somewhere in the pull of the tide. But her smile is still there, bright like the sun — unstoppable, untameable, wholly beautiful.

She thinks of her grandmother. Thinks of her words.

If it makes you happy, Siwon.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Jon

Pronouns: She/her

Timezone: -7 PDT

Other muses: nope

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Mikako

Name: Yamashita Eriko

Stage name (if applicable): Cho

Idol concept: Soloist. Her main concept is kind of Ballad and Soul feel. She has a kind of soft, vulnerable sound to her that helps with any sound she tries out.  If asked about her own image, Cho would reply with: “That girl who cries a lot. My music, my image is all about trying to make everyone feel. Happiness….sadness and everything in between. “

Points Sorting: singing +4, dancing +4, rapping +1, concept +1

Birth date and age: August 8, 1994 / 22 years old

Company name: Kaleidoscope Records

Group Name (if applicable): n/a

Group Position (if applicable): n/a

Strengths: Dancing only. Has a dance history prior to joining Kal Recs

Weaknesses: Her acting skills are lacking in every area.  While she may be a soloist, there are days when her voice isn’t hitting ever note at the right time or in the right key. She struggles with taking orders which causes her to get in trouble.

Positive traits: analytical, excitable, curious,

Negative traits: blunt, ungrateful, poor planner

PERSONAL HISTORY

“My family? Uhm, it’s just my mom, me and my step-dad. They moved back to Japan a few years back. My mom is a teacher and my dad…he’s trying to be a lawyer. Go figure, right? They’re okay people, you know. Neither of them wanted me to do any of this. They tried to talk me out it several times. It almost took; you see- my mom is paranoid. Of life, of people and the music biz - everything.  She sat me down one day and asked me to wait. Go back to school, get a normal job and wait on it. Yeah, it was after my first group got trashed but I couldn’t. Ask a man to stop talking for 24 hours, or for a child not to play around and what will happen? They might try for a few minutes but it gets hard. The little itch in the back of their neck comes back and they have to cave.

I had a few friends back home: Sam and Kaya who I met before TRI-COLOR happened and failed. We don’t talk much anymore these days.  I wasn’t really sociable back then. Between school and practice, I was barely sleeping, never mind having lunch with other kids.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Erika

Pronouns: She/her

Timezone: GMT+1

Other muses: None

Skype (this is optional, but if you would like to join the RHYTHMSgc please leave your skype username here): N/A

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Choi Junhong (Zelo)

Name: Yong Hanbyul

Stage name (if applicable): Loki

Idol concept: Just a mere fifteen years old upon his debut and as the youngest member of G-Zero, it had been more or less officially decided that Hanbyul should be portrayed as the most innocent amongst his peers regardless of the situation. His remarks and suggestions were to always be downplayed, his reactions exaggerated and his intelligence almost if not questioned – after all, he was just a kid.

To play the pure and oblivious member in a team of fierce colleagues was a role that Hanbyul had taken without much protest only for the simple fact that, at just fifteen, there was little that he could say against the image that he had been given and needless to say, nor did he think much of it. He would often put a smile on his face and laughed the loudest laughter, filled with genuine happiness as he would often take advantage of the maknae position to spill information regarding the older members and also receive what he wished for. After all, he was to be taken care of by those older around him.

But as he transitioned from a kid that had just entered his teenage years and moved with slow yet sure steps towards adulthood, Hanbyul had steadily become fed up with being brushed off as ‘just the maknae’ and having his words rarely if ever taken into consideration. Taking advantage of the upper hand that he had and namely the public that was on his side, Hanbyul had shed off the ‘innocent’ persona that he had been given and had instead begun showing his true colours – a boy that was growing into a man, who had a mind to speak out, several interests that contradicted his idol life, and a sharp tongue to go with it all.

Points Sorting: +3 singing, +3 dancing, +4 rapping, +0 acting

Birth date and age: 1998.08.01

Company name: Mirage

Group Name (if applicable): G-Zero

Group Position (if applicable): Maknae

Strengths: One would argue that Hanbyul’s strength would be his versatility. The most loyal of fans would even go as far as to say that Hanbyul might as well just be the one maknae in the industry that holds a position in each and every field that exists in a group. While holding the title of the ‘main vocalist’, he himself would tend to argue and attempt to explain that he considers himself much better in the rapping department.

Weaknesses: While Hanbyul could, without a doubt, be named a jack of all trades, he does not excel at any department – none of his talents would be enough to be considered anywhere near amazing. And one would have to consider the fact that while he had managed to keep appearances and stick to the image that he had been given, Hanbyul would not be able to take up professional acting. His versatility and capacity of passing off as decent in the fields required to break into the entertainment industry have also kept Hanbyul from developing his talent – he considers his level as enough and refuses to improve for the simple fact that he is just plain lazy.

Positive traits: Passionate, generous, humourous, warm-hearted

Negative traits: Arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy

PERSONAL HISTORY

1998 – Hanbyul was born as the only child in a family of medical tradition. With the last five generations having occupied some type of position in the field of medicine, the boy’s future had been written from the moment that he had been born – that was what the joyful parents had thought to themselves once they had laid their sight on their newborn son. He was to follow in their steps.

2002 – He is just four years old and already a troublemaker, as he has been called. Just an average child in his beginning years in kindergarten, he is a boy who does not hesitate to take whichever toy he had deemed as his own, to pull on a girl’s hair as a sign of affection that would mistakenly be interpreted as malicious, and to get into fights over whose superhero is better. He is already opinionated and does not hold back from showcasing it.

2008 – Having moved into fourth grade, his parents had deemed it a moment fit of beginning to insert their aspirations for their son into him, to be already more or less implementing the path that he is to take as he grows older. A path that Hanbyul himself refuses without further thought – suffering unbeknownst to his parents of haemophobia, he is quick to deem a career in the medical field as unfit for him. He avoids any further conversation and brushes the topic off much to the dismay of his parents who were rather blatantly disappointed to say the least, not missing an opportunity to voice their displeasure.

2011 – Constantly faced with words of dissatisfaction from the two people he faces first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening each and every single day, Hanbyul finds himself doing the unthinkable – he auditions for an entertainment company, paving his path towards a career opposite to the rational world that he had lost himself in for the last couple of years. And moreso, he does it by auditioning for a company that had just been founded. He does it without any hope of being accepted, he does it only to spite the parents that had not allowed him to build his own dreams. And yet, he receives a call informing him that he had made it and would be formally invited to sign the contract prior to his training. Finding himself in shock yet enjoying the delusion of a future in the spotlight, Hanbyul had done possibly the most selfish deed of his life thus far – he had fooled his parents into signing the contract, having fabricated a story behind the reason.

And, at just thirteen and having just entered the company, Hanbyul is more than just taken aback to be informed of the upcoming survival show. A show that he would be taking part in. He finds himself to be a natural in fields that he had never even thought he could be even at least mediocre at and thus advances through the rounds with the help of the fans that had found a liking to him. He finds refuge in the adoration that they show him and the hope of already making his debut albeit even he himself considering that the events were unfolding at an incredible speed.

And then it comes crashing down on him that he had been cut from the final line-up for Mirage’s first group with no explanation whatsoever much to the dismay of the public. Yet if he were to be honest, he was much less disappointed.

2013 – He is diligent and continues working towards his newfound dream, and the effort that he had put pays off once he steps on the stage as an official member of Mirage’s G-Zero for the first time. His ears perk and bumps appear on his flesh at the sound that engulfs the room – a public who has learnt the words to their debut song by heart and who, in his mind, seems to be screaming his name the loudest. He is just fifteen, yet he often repeats to himself that he has thus yet achieved more than people twice his age with much less effort.

2016 – Three years into his career, Hanbyul is given the type of attention that he considered lacked as a child. He observes the attention that he is given from the company, the way they seem to pamper him with an abundance of lines in their songs and screen time that would possibly amount to more than that of the other six members combined. ‘Maybe their way of making up for it’, he says to himself in reminiscence of how he had been cut from Mystery6 without any explanation whatsoever, and honestly, he does not mind it one bit. In the contrary, he adores the spotlight he is given, but in the same time, he seems to have one complaint.

For three years, he is the maknae of G-Zero. His remarks during variety appearances are not given much thought, he is being cut off mid-sentence every now and then and he is rarely given the opportunity to talk during interviews and speeches. He has to laugh it off, he has to appear as the most innocent among the team consisting of what seems to be six men and one boy. But as his eighteenth birthday approaches, Hanbyul takes a risk. Without consulting his management and with the risk that it might backfire, Hanbyul decides to begin showing more of his true colours.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Veronica

Pronouns: She / her

Timezone: Currently GMT+2, soon back to GMT+1

Other muses: n/a

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Hong Jinyoung

Name: Kim Jihye

Stage name (if applicable): Kim Nari

Idol concept: When Jihye made her debut as a singer, it was decided that she should play on her strengths as Kim Nari, the young and pretty trot singer. She was to be upbeat and outgoing, laugh loudly and smile brightly – and in every way try to as much of a contrast to the rather dull and oldish world of trot as she possibly could. Nari’s image was shaped into one of ”the nation’s flower”: beauty, youth and a bit of flirty fun.

At first, it was the easiest thing in the world. She faced her new career bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, excited to meet new people, appear on TV-shows and perform her music. Her concept as an artist was shaped around her and she thrived for the first couple of years.

Then, slowly, the novelty of idol life wore off. Jihye’s personality had shifted, turning colder and more cynic with the realization that her life would forever be scrutinized by the media. Her wide smiles turned stiff, the winks she had always been so generous with became forced, and her bright and bubbly laugh morphed into something high-pitched and fake. Instead of mirroring the happy-go-lucky person she was at debut, it all turned into an act, and Jihye grew to hate the exaggeratedly cheery Kim Nari that she had to be in front of the cameras.

Points Sorting: +1 acting, +6 singing, +1 rapping +2 dancing

Birth date and age: August 9, 1990 – currently 26 years old

Company name: Prime Records

Group Name (if applicable): n/a

Group Position (if applicable): soloist

Strengths: Jihye’s main strengths are her singing and her versatility. She knows how to adapt her style and technique to easily fit the song, and is decent both at trot and pop music. Although not an excellent dancer, she is still very quick at picking up choreography and as she is good at capturing an audience, she is a great performer.

Weaknesses: Jihye tends to cave in under pressure, no matter if it is judgement and criticism from others, or if it is  her own ambition and perfectionism that makes her struggle with a task. Neither her vocal range or her dancing abilities could be described as impressive. Recently, she has also been struggling slightly to keep up her image in shows and in front of fans.

Positive traits: Ambitious, Intelligent, Loyal

Negative traits: Pessimistic, Selfish, Harsh

PERSONAL HISTORY

• 1990 She is her parents’ first (and will end up being their only) child. They name her Jihye, meaning wisdom, thinking that intelligence and wisdom might be the only thing that could bring their child good fortune. The couple might not be rich nor live in a grand house, but they have their daughter and they love her and that is all that counts.

For as long as Jihye can remember, both her house and the family restaurant have been filled with music. Her mother seems to have a different soundtrack for every house chore and only turns the volume down when Jihye needs to concentrate on her homework, rather than on humming along. And every time the girl walks into her parents naengmyeon restaurant, she ends up sitting by the counter singing duets with her father, the repertoire ranging from nursery rhymes to the latest songs by her parents favourite singers.

• 2002 Jihye has just turned twelve years old, and she has found out that she likes nothing as much as she likes being in the spotlight. In school she’s loud and talkative, and she surrounds herself with quite a big group of friends, all of them as thick as thieves. Together they put on elaborate plays and concerts in the school yard, forcing all their class mates to watch them perform. The quality of the acts may vary (and the songs Jihye sings always sound a bit dated compared to the h.o.t. and fin.k.l. songs performed by her friends), but they all have a lot of fun. Jihye has started to dream about a life where she could do this every day – being famous and able to sing and act for work sounds like the most amazing thing one could do!

• 2005 For the first time in her life, Jihye feels almost lonely. Her closest friends have all found themselves boyfriends, and somehow they no longer have any time for her. Her mother’s well-meant pep talks don’t manage to cheer her up very much either (”You will find a boyfriend too soon” – well maybe she didn’t want to!). And what do you say when your friends ask you if there’s someone you like, when you can’t tell them the truth without risking them finding you weird or disgusting? Jihye finds support and comfort in music instead, hiding in a corner of their restaurant with headphones on, letting the songs wash away all of her troubles.

• 2008 Jihye did surprisingly well on the college entrance exams, and managed to get into a rather good university. She plans to major in chemical engineering, although she struggles to see herself actually working with anything related to chemistry in the future. She still hasn’t quite managed to let go of her childhood dream though, still wishing for a life where performing could take center stage. It just won’t work out, not with the hours she has to put into studying, or helping out at her parents’ restaurant.

•2011 At last she takes the big step and auditions for an entertainment company. Mirage is a new company and, to be quite honest, Jihye isn’t exactly sure of what she is getting herself into. She auditions as an actress, knowing that there has been rumors of idol groups in the making. She figures that if acting isn’t right for her, they might turn her into an idol trainee instead – she will trust their judgement as doesn’t know herself what she is best suited for. After only two months of training she is casted in a supporting role in her first drama. Despite doing her very best, her high hopes of excellent critiques take a plunge as her performance passes by almost unnoticed by the press. Following that drama, it almost seems as if Mirage has forgotten about her, and after months of being sent to no castings at all, she manages to terminate her contract.

Deciding that acting might not have been her destiny, Jihye goes on to audition for another company only weeks later. Surprisingly, Prime Records take her on, despite her singing one of her mother’s favourite old trot songs for her audition. The contrast between her age and the music she sings so very well is what ultimately lands her the contract, and she has never been happier than now – holding in her hands a ticket to a life of music and fame.

• 2012 There is much for her to learn, never having received proper training before. That doesn’t prove much of an issue though, as she is a quick learner and easily follows both the instructions of her vocal coach and the simple choreographies she is set to practice. Jihye doesn’t blend too well with the other trainees, but that doesn’t bother her too much. She is set to debut as a soloist after all, and with all the training that has do be done, she doesn’t exactly have the time to be nice and friendly to everyone all the time.

Come late 2012, she is finally ready to debut. The song is recorded and the music video planned out – there is only one thing left for her to do. She needs a stage name, something that stands out more to the public than her own name. Having the most popular name of your age group is not a sure way to get remembered, let’s be honest. She settles on Kim Nari, naming herself after her favourite flower – the lily.

• 2014 The debut of Kim Nari two years ago had been a bigger success than Jihye could ever have imagined. At first it had all been great fun – everything was new, shiny and exciting. Then, as she got used to it all, she started to realize that everything wasn’t glitz and glamour. She is completely exhausted, sick and tired of performing the same song more times in one week than she can count, and fed up with having to be careful at all times not to cause negative headlines. The straw to break the donkey’s back is Jihye falling head over heals in love with one of her stylists, only to realize that even if the feelings were to be mutual, she could never act on them. There is too much to lose, and if it would be leaked to the press it would all be far worse than a simple dating scandal.

She turns to her work to try and distract herself, but it is rumored among staff both at Prime and and various television companies that the once so easy-going Kim Nari has turned rather hars and difficult to work with.

• 2016 Although she knows she has been lucky, being signed at a company that doesn’t try to work her until she collapses, it all becomes too much for Jihye. She goes on a hiatus (although nothing is announced officially), only releasing the occasional collaboration with company friends along the way. It was very much needed, as she struggles to paint on her cheery image as Kim Nari even for short periods of time. Most of her time is still spent working on new projects at the company building, but she is allowing herself to relax for once and not beat herself up for not working hard enough, being good enough. She finally finishes her studies and graduates as a chemical engineer – she didn’t want to leave it unfinished. For the first time in a couple of years, there is a spring to her step and a smile on her face on the regular.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: rae

Pronouns: she/hers

Timezone: cst

Other muses: n/a

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: nakamoto yuta

Name: makiyama hibiki

Stage name (if applicable): echo

Idol concept: there are two parts to echo’s image: part one and the part hibiki hates is generally being considered the foreign one. mirage likes to push the fact he’s from a different country though hibiki himself tries very hard to not play into the “silly foreigner” stereotype because knows it’s a hard image to escape from. the second part and the part that hibiki generally likes is playing up to his skill in dancing. if there’s a dance cover to be done he’s on it, boy or girl group it doesn’t really matter to him. he has no issues being labeled the dancing machine of the group because it’s something that he enjoys doing.

Points Sorting: acting - 00, singing - 01, dancing - 07, rapping - 02, concept - 00

Birth date and age: october 31, 1996 (20)

Company name: mirage

Group Name (if applicable): G-ZER0

Group Position (if applicable): main dancer

Strengths: 01. DANCE/CHOREOGRAPHING - when it comes to dance in any form hibiki is usually the go-to person. he’s usually the one who catches on to the choreography fastest if he’s not the one choreographing. if he is the one behind the choreography he’s known for pushing boundaries with creative and memorable choreography. he is also a patient teacher, someone who’s willing and able to help the other members when they’re struggling with a certain point. 02. COMPOSING - truthfully composing is never something that hibiki thought he’d find himself doing. he was happy just being the main dancer, however, once he started dipping his toes into the composing world he found that it was something he both enjoyed doing and something that he was fairly talented at. 03. RAPPING - while his skill in rapping isn’t quite as developed as it could be he’s passable enough at it. hibiki isn’t going to be taking on the korean underground any time soon but his rapping is acceptable enough for a few bars in a song here and there. truthfully speaking his biggest strength where it comes to rap is lyricism.

Weaknesses: 01. SINGING - hibiki certainly isn’t tone deaf, and he’s capable of singing a line or two here and there, however, his vocal range is rather pitiful and he tends to start sounding unsteady and breathy if he sings too much at once. his voice is more suited for harmonizing than holding down a lead vocal for an extended period of time. 02. PRONOUNCIATION - although he’s fluent in korean he still tends to struggle with pronounciations here and there, which is something that clearly marks him as a foreigner. however his struggles with the language mean that he’s often having to re-record his parts in the studio so that the lyrics actually sound the way that they’re supposed to. 03. VARIETY - most of hibiki’s parts in variety shows consist of him near-perfectly reproducing other idols choreography. and while that talent is certainly entertaining it’s really the only thing he can show off on variety shows because the rest of his parts tend to get cut because he’s extremely resistant to playing into the oblivious foreigner stereotype. hibiki’s reluctance to accept that and play into it sometimes gets him in trouble with the company as well.

Positive traits: affectionate, optimistic, passionate

Negative traits: indecisive, moody, competitive

PERSONAL HISTORY

hibiki watches as okasan dotes on his elder siblings. with them she is kind and gentle. however, whenever hibiki approaches her she is replaced by a cold and cruel woman. if he scratches his knee and comes to her in tears she sneers at him and tells him that boys shouldn’t cry. if he has a nightmare and finds his way to his parents’ bedroom in the middle of the night she tells him to go back to his own room and stop bothering her. then hibiki watches as okasan cares for the smallest of bruises on his brother’s leg or he wakes up only to find that his sister slept in his parent’s room last night. otosan is not much better, he seemingly forgets that hibiki even exists.

when hibiki is nine he overhears an argument between his parents. it is then that he learns the truth. okasan hates him because he is not her child. he walks away from the wall where he had been hiding and goes to his room. the knowledge that okasan is not his real mother sits heavy in his small chest. the next day he goes to his otosan and asks who his real mother is. he gets hit for his trouble.

hibiki learns the answer to his question when he is twelve. his real mother is a porn actress. and she abandoned him on his father’s doorstep almost as soon as he was born. any fantasies he has of his mother loving and caring for him are shattered by cruel callous words from his adoptive mother (by now he no longer calls her okasan, she is not his mother after all). “your mother left you here with us,” she says, “you’re here only by the kindness of our hearts.” the words weigh down on him weeks, months, years after they’ve left his adoptive mother’s lips.

he learns to dance from an older classmate at school. whenever things at home become too much for him hibiki finds himself practicing dancing with his friend. dancing soon becomes an escape from the constant storm that is his home life.

at fourteen hibiki is street-casted by an agent from a company called mirage. and his parents are pushing him to accept the offer. suddenly his parents are interested in him when they never have been before. hibiki accepts the offer purely because it offers an escape from his house. it’s harder than he expects at first. he is the foreigner trainee, the one who makes amusing mispronounciations. but dance is the same in any language and soon enough the other trainees take note of his skill as a dancer.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Gee

Pronouns: She/Her, They

Timezone: PST

Other muses: N/A

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Jung Jaewon (ONE)

Name: Jung Woo Seung

Stage name (if applicable): Seung, Orion, sikflo

Points Sorting: +5 rap, +4 dancing, +1 singing

Birth date and age: October 4, 1993 (International age: 23, Korean age: 25)

Company name: Prime

Group Name (if applicable): Aeon

Group Position (if applicable): Main rapper, lead dancer, and vocalist

Strengths: Woo Seung is an amazing rapper. After training, he has developed into a well-rounded performer who can support the group. When he’s on stage, he exudes confidence and charisma. When it comes to training, he’s disciplined. He’s usually the last to leave the practices. Overall, he’s a chill dude.          

Weaknesses: In public, he can come off a little shy and quiet. Some fans who have met him think he’s aloof. His public image can use a bit more work. He also tends to be a perfectionist. He’s also overcritical of himself, which can cause him to become nervous or anxious.

Positive traits: hardworking, disciplined, charismatic

Negative traits: harsh / critical, timid / shy, perfectionist to a fault

PERSONAL HISTORY

Woo Seung grew up in a fairly normal family consisting of his father, his mother, and his older sister. For the most part, he was born and raised in Seoul. He has always loved hip hop music. When he entered high school, he studied abroad in New York for a couple of years. He lived in New York as an exchange student under his host family. His love for rap only blossomed while studying in Amerca. He regularly participated in freestyle rap competitions held on the streets. He started out as an underground rapper at the tender age of fifteen. He frequently posted his mixtapes online and collaborated with his friends. He adopted the artist name “sikflo”, which was suggested to him by his friends.  

After finishing high school, he moved back to Korea. His parents wanted him to go to college, but he wanted to pursue his music career. He decided that the best way to move forward was to audition at an entertainment company. His parents made a deal with him: if he passes the auditions, he can pursue his rap career. He sent some of his music to well-known hip-hop entertainment labels, but he was later sent multiple rejection emails. As a last resort, his sister suggested that he should audition for Prime Records.  

He passed the auditions and was made a trainee. He wasn’t just rapping. Prime also put him through dance and vocal training just like all the other trainees. During his free time, he still experimented with new beats and rhymes. Just before he debuted, he went on a popular hip hop variety show, called Show Me the Money. During the individual stage auditions, the judges recognized Woo Seung as a force to be reckoned with. He made it pretty far into the competition, performing on the big stage once. The song he promoted with the show hit the top of the charts as soon as it became available to stream.