A Filipino THE B Talks About Her Favorite Group THE BOYZ And Her Bias Q

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There are K-Pop fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other's stories and K-Pop life. Even if we are in the same fandom, it is hard to get to know each other.

So at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Pop fans from different countries: more about their K-Pop life and tastes and to give them the opportunity to share with our readers about their favorite group(s) and bias.

Zih is the next fan to answer our questions. She is from The Philippines and is a fan of THE BOYZ, and particularly of Q! Check out how she entered the fandom, the songs and content she advises to new fans, and much more!

THE BOYZ Official

Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from?

Hello, my name is Zih! I'm 19 years old and a Scorpio. I'm a fan of THE BOYZ, and I'm from the Philippines.

How and when did you enter the fandom?

Actually, I knew about HakNyeon first from the "Produce 101" survival show. I found him really cute and refreshing and I really wanted to see him debut so when he didn't get to the final list of members that were supposed to debut, I continued to follow and wait for HakNyeon to debut because I was really interested in what type of group he would debut in with his cute and refreshing visuals and aura. When I heard that he was going to be debuting in THE BOYZ and that they had a pre-debut show named "Flower Snack", I was really happy and immediately watched the show. That was how and when I entered the fandom.

THE BOYZ Official

What are the reasons why you love your favorite group?

From the start, I had already fallen in love with their humor, visuals, and talents. I only knew HakNyeon back then but the rest of the members were so easy to love with their own quirks and personalities. I was immediately starstruck with the way they treated their customers during "Flower Snack", how they were so nice and accommodating and how they radiated warmth and comfort to the people they served. They were so humble, smiling and spreading positive vibes and even singing! The more I got to know them over the years, the more I fell in love with them because while their visuals matured over the years, their kindness, humor, their drive to show their every best in their performance and humility stayed the same and that made me love them more. I feel like I've grown along with them since I have been with them ever since the start and they taught me lots of values by being themselves. That says a lot about their personality, that's why I love them.

Who caught your attention at first and why?

The first one who caught my attention was Hwall (Hur HyunJun). He had a chic vibe and looked really cool, cutely giggling while the members did their own thing. I saw myself in him that time, being a person who preferred to stay silent but smiled and laughed a lot to the members. At that time, I confused him with Kevin and vice versa as they looked like twins especially when they are next to each other.

Who is your bias, and why?

My bias is Q (Ji ChangMin)! I dance a lot and he is my role model in dancing and in life. Ever since debut, he was one of the members that were in my bias line, but Q is who I really love the most. I love how he smiles when he dances on stage and he looks like he enjoys every time he spends on stage. Even when there were times that he didn't feel happy when dancing, he still puts on a smiling face for The Bs not to worry. He gives his all everytime he performs on stage and it shows how passionate he is with the things he loves. He belongs on the stage, he is born to be on the stage.

THE BOYZ Official

Can you recommend a title track and a B-side track for new fans?

I would recommend 'REVEAL' for new fans. It is one of their best title tracks ever! For their B-side, I recommend 'Shake You Down'. Both of them are in their album, "REVEAL".

Can you recommend a fancam, V Live, cover video, cover dance, or individual content video of your bias to our readers?

I would recommend "[Deaser] “MAIN DANCERS 5th MEMBER_THE BOYZ” (메댄즈 : 큐)" as it shows his incredible skills as the main dancer of THE BOYZ! He was still young at that time but he showed incredible promise as one of the best dancers in K-pop and he choreographed it too! I would also recommend his '민들레' cover in "[THE SPACE]" as it shows that not only is he incredibly good at dancing, he is amazing at singing too! It shows his unique vocal color and the song matches his voice very well. I could never stop listening to his cover. And if you want to know him more as Ji ChangMin rather than Q of THE BOYZ, I suggest watching his documentary in "Fill in the Blanks," which is the third episode.

Can you also do the same type of recommendation for the group?

I would recommend watching their "REVEAL: Catching Fire" performance during "Road to Kingdom". Their choreography is insane and the concept of it is amazing too, how they got back the crown in the end.

Can you share with us one of your favorite lyrics?

One of my favorite lyrics would be, "Close eyes at night 깨지 못하게 이 꿈에서 영원히 yeah," ["Close eyes at night, forever in this dream so that I can't wake up"] which is from their song 'Wings', in their "REVEAL" album. My chosen career, the dream that I want, are all against my parents' wishes and while I'm working hard for it to come true, I am faced with many sacrifices and many things I should let go of in reality. In my dreams, all of my dreams come true without any hassle. A fantasy where my parents accept my dream to become a dancer without being disappointed, a fantasy where I am supported by them. When I close my eyes and dream, I am faced with bliss and relief and so I would sometimes wish that I won't ever wake up, to stay locked up in this dream where everything is as easy as it sounds rather than to face the harsh reality that I am not supported by them.

Are there any words from the members you would like to share?

I would like to share JuYeon's response to what Q said during the second episode of "THE B University Freshman Orientation". Q was talking about how nothing lasts forever and how this moment won't last too and that made him sad but in those moments during their concert, he felt that THE B was cheering them on and loving them so it made him emotional. JuYeon's response was, "It’s beautiful because it won’t last forever," and I agree with him. Moments like that are hard to come by and because they don't last forever, it makes us appreciate that moment even more. It may sound bittersweet because it won't last forever but we won't take those brief moments of happiness for granted. After the moment ends, it will become a memory that we will look back on in the future but the important thing is that it happened and that those memories will forever be cherished.

THE BOYZ Official

What is your favorite group/bias' influence on your daily life?

Q influenced me to bring out the best in me and pursue my dreams. He taught me that sometimes, it's okay to feel sad, to not feel happy everyday as we are humans with our own emotions and that we are allowed to feel what we feel. He is my role model in dancing and I aspire to be a dancer as great as him in the future. He also taught me that I should never give up and when things get tough, we should stop and take a breather as good things come to those who wait. The rest of the members taught me to always show your best to the people around you and to stay kind and humble to everyone around you and more importantly, to be yourself as there will always be someone out there who will love you as you are.

What are your wishes for your favorite group?

I wish that 2023 will be their year and that their sales will surpass their past comebacks sales! Let's aim higher! I am wishing for your success! Let's also stay together for many years!

Do you have any merch from your favorite group?

Yes! I actually collect their photocards, albums and even their lightstick! I really love how cute the design of their lightstick is and I always bring with me a photocard of a member everywhere I go.

Picture from Zih

If you could talk to one member, who is it and why?

If I could talk to one member, I would choose SunWoo! I feel like we'd get along really well since we both like anime, especially Studio Ghibli movies, and that our humor matches each other's. I also feel like there will be unexpected deep talks which would let me get to know him better as he is one of the members I find intriguing.

Can you describe your bias in only one word?

Selcouth.

What is a random fact that you think people don't know about them?

Q bites when he is excited or mad. Q got drunk one time when he went out with his friends. He called New and asked him if he was at the dorm but New lied and he said that he was at the company. When Q arrived back home and saw New, he got mad because he lied to him and started biting all the members in the vicinity. Eric had recorded an audio recording where Q chased him and New around while biting them and the other members were hiding and locking doors in fear that he might bite them too. JuYeon got bit and uploaded a picture in their group chat, Jacob also got bit. HyunJae locked himself in his room and stayed quiet. SunWoo stayed locked inside the bathroom for a while because of that. Everything happened at 4am.
SangYeon also got bit when they checked the charts and celebrated because Q was so happy.

If you could spend the day with them, what would you want to do together?

I'd want to go to places that have pretty sceneries so that we can take a lot of photos together like an art gallery or somewhere fun like an amusement park. I'd want to snap a lot of pictures and create a lot of memories as possible.

Zih's message for Q:

I've known you first as THE BOYZ Q before I knew you as Ji ChangMin. In your documentary, you said that the gap between THE BOYZ Q and Ji Changmin was really large but now, the gap has thinned and you realized that you can live as THE BOYZ Q and Ji ChangMin at the same time. As a THE B and a Kyubodan who has been with you for 5 years, I slowly saw you grow as a person that you are right now and all I can say is I'm proud of you. It's okay to feel disappointed, it's okay to be sad, it's okay to not feel okay, and it's okay to cry out when you feel frustrated. You are a human first before you are an idol and what matters most is for us The B is you putting yourself first. We don't want you to get hurt and your happiness is our happiness. I'm proud of the person that you have become and can't wait to see more of your sides as you grow. Let's walk on a flowery path together, alright? I hope that there will be no more days where you are hurt and I hope that everyday when you wake up, you are reminded that a lot of people love you and support you. Whether you show yourself as Ji ChangMin, THE BOYZ Q, or both at the same time, I will always support you and will always love you. I'm thankful that I got to meet you. You are my inspiration.

Thank you for answering our questions, Zih.

If you are interested in joining Kpopmap Fan Interview Project, please get in touch with us at [email protected]. Everyone is welcome to participate.

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