Chapter Text
Where do I begin with Seventeen? They have brought me so much joy, inspiration and love. Watching them, I want to work harder at my own life, I learn to be better to my friends, supporting them even when I have my own troubles. I am reminded to show my love and voice my gratitude. I dress better, I read more books, I exercise!! I am proud to stan!
Just look these 13 boys and get ready to slip into the diamond life.
Introduction
Seventeen is a South Korean Boyband under Pledis that debuted in 2015. They are divided into 3 subunits each with their own strengths but they promote together.
Hip Hop Unit: Seungcheol(L), Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon
Performance Unit: Hoshi(L), Jun, Minghao, Dino
Vocal Unit: Woozi(L), Jeonghan, Joshua, DK, Seungkwan
They’re famous for being a ‘self-producing’ idol group but tbh that came out of necessity. Stuck in training hell with their company about to declare bankruptcy, these boys clawed their way to debut. Woozi took up producing and song-writing, Hoshi (w/ PU) choreographed for THIRTEEN PEOPLE, and S.Coups argued for their rights (I’m not kidding).
If you check album credits, everyone takes a role in the production process. And the coolest thing is? They’re just quietly growing and improving on themselves. Vernon has also started producing, Dino choreographs entire sets by himself, Mingyu and Wonwoo are directing MVs, The8 took up contemporary dance. Jeonghan takes japanese lessons. DK is in a musical and is learning the guitar from Joshua? They have meetings for an entire days to go discuss tour programmes, clothing choices, concepts, content.
(They also make their own fanchants which possibly explains why carats end up suffering like HOSHI WHY IS THIS A GOOD IDEA)
Choreography
SVT is renowned for having difficult and innovative choreography. It’s not easy choreographing for 1 let along 13 and they? Pull off every song so damn well and turn a weakness into a strength, and into a defining feature. With thirteen members, every ripple, wave, jump is more powerful. When they snap together, it HITS.
Every comeback they do something new! They experiment with concepts and imagery, the formations and transitions evolve, and by the end I’m a mess and clicking for the rewatch.
What’s amazing is that they don’t just dance to impress the general public? But also their peers and themselves. Rookies like ASTRO or Golden Child or P101 talk about learning sooo much from SVT (while crying at the memory of having to learn those dances). You see them taking lessons on their down time or working on personal stuff to bring back to the group.
My favourites:
- THANKS: the sign language! Spelling out T-H-X with their bodies!
- Don’t Wanna Cry has SO MANY KILLING PARTS. THE OPENING SWAY! The street lights into the tight inter-threading! How they fall onto their knees! AHHH. Also have you seen it from high angle
- The entirety of Fallin Flower is performance #art. When the teaser came out the fandom weeped.
- HIT has crazy footwork but combined that with the energy required? They are Athletes.
- Pretty U has a musical theatre vibe which makes it so fun to watch. It’s so creative how the members themselves turn into basketball hoops, curtains, bowling pins…
Music
There is something for everyone because they are so DIVERSE. There’s happy bops like Snap Shoot and Swimming Fool, soulful ballads like Pinwheel and Lie Again, the EDM bangers Back it up and Highlight, the lofi stuff that helps me study (Our Dawn is Hotter than Day). They even have an anime opening (Run to you). And whatever ???? gentleman is.
Also most kpop groups have mediocre japanese releases but? Every single one of SVT’s have been QUALITY (See: Call Call Call).
And then you dig deeper and find their covers and concert-only songs and boyyyyy. Let me save the good stuff ;)
QUALITY CONTENT; COMEDY KINGS
My favourite part of stanning SVT right now is the CONTENT. We are so spoiled every week. Not only are there the standard vlives, selfies, photoshoots and broadcasts, they’ve turned GoingSeventeen from a standard day-in-the-life to their own tv show (with the most hilarious editors). InsideSeventeen is fascinating because we see how they work, but on top of that?? We get? A documentary??!! Dino Danceography? The8 Doodle Diary??!! GoSe Highlights? Tour vlogs? Miniseries like the 1min7sec challenge and IF? Legitimately a gift onto my soul.
On top of this the 13 boys have hilarious dynamics and it’s sooo fun to get to know them through their shows. They make me hit the roof and dig a grave at the same time. Here are some of my favourites.
- 2018 GoSe TTT Spin Off : ESPECIALLY part 3 where they play the zombie game and buzzword. They know each other so well.
- One Fine Day Japan:: HAHAHAHA it’s fun to see how they work together but also? The contrast between obedient and cooperative dongsaeng line VS Hyung Line? Who in the span of a week created a political drama involving coups and conspiracies and birthed the legendary Wonwoo-Hoshi Feud. This was one of my first SVT shows and by the end I was endeared.
- Gose Ep 24: (the playground episode) This one is pure fun to watch because these adult children are enjoying it so much and every 10 seconds we get a pure Minghao giggle or a Dino cackle or pouty S.Coups.
- Insomnia Zero: the premise of the show is to keep a low heartrate and sabotage everyone else and because it’s SVT they go EXTRA. Seungkwan digging up the dirt, Wonwoo spilling the tea, Jeonghan straight up lying. It’s a hilarious Mess.
- Logic Night: I’ve rewatched this three times because I almost collapsed a lung watching this the first time. They LOOK like serious respectable debaters but then the topics are ridiculous like? ‘Would you rather have three eyes or three arms’ and the arguments have NO LOGIC but they take it SO SERIOUSLY like their life depends on winning this lawsuit.
- SVT Club: This series is calmer and show a more reflective side of SVT. The host is great in that he really gets them to share about their lives and personalities and from this we get funny TMIs like what SVT is like when they’re mad or drunk, and then there’s the tender talks on life philosophy and the meaning of happiness.
- GoSe 2019 Ep 9: a personal favourite because a large part of my love for svt is how they are also creators. When I watched this, it was crazy to me how quickly they worked together to create the opening of Going Seventeen. Choosing a beat, writing the lyrics, composing the melody, filming the opening. They did it so seamlessly and had so much fun doing so.
- Also ANYTIME they play mafia I COLLAPSE IN LAUGHTER.
- they are addicted to this game (aka werewolf). They played it twice in one day in Camping TTT, at the christmas special, at a fansign, on vlive, after practice asdmqms and every time it’s chaotic af.
- you have the baseless accusations like ”Shua your smile is awkward hehe you haven’t been mafia in a while right” (HE DIED FOR THIS) to ”the way he chews” to ”Hoshi’s eyes are suspicious” and “He just arrived from China we must kill him”
- And then there’s the trends. Mingyu talking himself into a hole, Jeonghan for the big brain plays, Hoshi for Galaxy Brain Plays, Jun being quiet and getting away with everything, DK for having amazing intuition but getting derailed by Hoshi Logic (TM). Woozi dies in the first two turns.
- My favourite Defences:
Minghao: YOU DON’T KNOW HOW HARD I WORKED
Seungkwan: You’re drunk bro
DK: Just look into my eyes
Mingyu: I have a job
(To me they are more than just idols, they are professionals that I respect. From their impeccable choreography, famous synchronisation, powerful stage presence, beautiful MVs, killer fashion sense, hilarious dynamics, unbelievable artistry… the list grows on. Which is why this draft is already at 15k words (laughs weakly))