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blog: my hopeful yet reticent approach to tomooning
this is a vent post about my relationship with ONEUS, RBW, and how I wish I could tomoon as hard as I once did, because I have opinions and I love ONEUS but those two things don't always go well together.
(gif credit)
I have, despite my best efforts, kind of a one-track mind, especially with kpop. I may be fond of dozens of groups, but more often than not I'll be pretty intensely focused on one, maaaybe two at a time because that's mostly how my fangirling works. not the right or wrong way to do it, just my way. if that was the entire reason why I've been deobing way harder than tomooning for a long while now, it would make sense. I can't multitask, I like following daily updates and doing that for several artists is difficult, etc etc. sure, yeah.
I don't think that's the only reason I'm not as much of an active tomoon these days, though.
the way I deal with things I don't like or don't vibe with is to literally ignore it. I won't listen to a group I know I'll have negative opinions for, I don't watch shows/movies/events I know I won't have anything good to say about, and my stance is always literally:
so the real reason for my distancing from ONEUS is less to do with my inability to multistan and more to do with how disappointed I am, and have been for years, with RBW's particular way of promoting them. I love the members with all my heart and consider them some of my favorite kpop idols of all time - if I don't add seoho or keonhee to a "favorite kpop vocalists" list, that's a cry for help. even so... I can't follow their promotions too closely, or I'll turn into Complain MachineTM and make things harder for myself and for them. and for anyone unfortunate enough to hear me, too.
ok, but what's the source of my frustration? let's unpack that.
no one can say RBW didn't go all out with the debuts for MAMAMOO and ONEUS. not in terms of budget, necessarily, but in terms of trying to really get the group out there for a 2-year period between predebut and first debut anniversary: MAMAMOO got big name featurings for their predebut releases, ONEUS got to have predebut concerts and even reality shows. for some reason, though, that didn't last for either? from coming up with creative and inventive ways to promote the group regardless of budget or instant results, a year after debut (in ONEUS' case) RBW switched to what feels like plain unwillingness to put in the effort. and I could never truly understand that.
ONEUS had a rather strong first year despite a random member hiatus right after debut and maybe not the big splash RBW was expecting to happen - the pd101 hype apparently waned after the second pd101 happened (*sighs in survival shows*), and ONEUS didn't get astronomical sales in 2019 afaik. my impression is that they were like, doing okay. a sight for sore eyes for nostalgic 2nd/3rd gen fans, an amusing new development for hardcore mamamoo fans ("omg mmm has little brothers now!"), a group that was constantly getting praise for doing inspired, creative, ballerino-esque choreos and having a traditional kpop sound. "LIT" made some (minimal but not insignificant) waves, and they even got to perform at MAMA 2019! they were doing well!!!
this is my religion.
then RTK happened.
to this day I still don't understand why RBW sent them there. it was early 2020, so of course COVID was huge concern, especially for the entertainment industry. it could be that with how uncertain the future looked, banking on a broadcast felt like a smart move. but man, really? that was the only way? absolutely no alternatives aside from an MNET survival show? RIGHT AFTER "LIT" TOO, when ONEUS was primed and ready to turn their mild success into something bigger?
maybe I'd consider it a well-intentioned bet on RBW's part if that didn't feel like RBW's M.O for everything else, global pandemic notwithstanding. after MAMAMOO got their biggest nationwide success with "HIP", what did RBW plan for them? another splashy comeback about personal independence, being yourself, making trends instead of following them? maybe just a catchy song with a hook that would definitely stick with the general public regardless of content matter? (like "dingga", perhaps?) maybe a fun girlboss concept where they're just really badass?!
no, they released "AYA", a break-up song (?) with arabic music influences (?) and an unremarkable, broody MV...
it was such a jarring "huh???" moment to me. I considered the possibility that I was just being annoying, because my first reaction is always to assume I'm disliking something for personal reasons and that maybe not everyone agrees with me, that's fine! but no, MAMAMOO themselves agree that "AYA" promos kinda sucked. it wasn't just me.
that kind of whiplash has happened regularly with ONEUS. after their successful "LIT" comeback, they got sent to RTK where they weren't taken very seriously and didn't get much good press either. what followed was their conceptual, bloody, lore-heavy (?) comeback with "to be or not to be", and after that they released "no diggity", RBW's painfully obvious attempt to attract the ZZZ (TBZ/ATZ/SKZ) crowd. by then I was like oh ok, so now they're gonna lean on 4th gen bg music and heavier concepts, that's why RBW thought RTK was a good idea! ballerino days must be over. well, get that money, guys!!! BUT NOPE, they followed "no diggity" with "black mirror" - great for me, I love "black mirror" and didn't like "no diggity", but probably not very exciting for new fans who had found them with "no diggity" and wanted more of the heavy sound. after that, they went back to the "LIT" formula with "LUNA", which yay, they did it for me!!! love that song and MV. maybe they didn't sell tons, but hey, the fanbase was happy and it got nonfans talking... then RBW followed that with "bring it on", best described imo as "no diggity"'s rightful heir.
you see what I mean? it'd be dellusional of me to expect kpop groups to stick to one concept for their entire careers; changing things up is what makes kpop fun! but this is too much, throwing darts blindly and crossing your fingers hoping something sticks because there's literally no long-term plan, only "uhhhh, I think this will make us some quick money".
a rare RBW win, this was such a great comeback T___T <3
I was talking about this the other day with friends and mentioned that RBW seems to have always followed the money, one way or another. they're gonna try what's hot in hopes of a quick profit, which sure, capitalism! every company is like that. it's just so... stupidly done in RBW's case. for example, I never understood why RBW seemed to rush MAMAMOO's four colors project (started january 2018), since it felt like a good idea with a bad execution, something that could've been more well-developed with better planing... and that conversation clued me in to the fact that LOONA was doing their individual releases project from late 2016 to early 2018.
watching those performance compilations, "from debut until [HIP/AYA/ILLELLA]" etc, the change in tone starting from "starry night/egotistic" is truly perplexing to me. not music or concept-wise: they were doing sexy women music, that's cool. but the performances felt so stiff and lifeless in comparison to their fully interactive, adlib-filled performances of yore.
and the same goes for ONEUS. I was watching a compilation of choreo changes for "valkyrie", "twilight", and "LIT" (all 2019 releases, oneus' first year) the other day and wondering, bro what happened??? where did that enthusiasm go? I don't mean the members themselves, but the planning team around them, because surely even if the members had zero interest in doing something new, the planning team would take it upon themselves to make things interesting... right?
I mean, this was fun!
then you compare it to more recent comebacks and... what happened?
I try to remind myself that different companies will have different creative strategies. only RBW's seems to be the cheapest, most "do whatever, who cares" strategy of all. I complain all the time about RBW's insistence on hiring zanybros for any and all MVs (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!), but even when they change MV directors, things don't necessarily get better, either. "baila conmigo", possibly my least favorite ONEUS MV ever, was directed by the same guy who directed stayc's "teddy bear", an MV I thought was super cute and nicely done.
how and why that happens?
the zanybros thing and RBW's cheap, low-stakes MVs are two of my biggest gripes with RBW's creative direction for ONEUS. they're not the only ones, however.
I'm vocal about how much I wish RBW would step up their game in regards to styling, especially outfits and hairstyles. like, why has keonhee had the exact same haircut since ASWE? :( sometimes he'll part his hair, but it's always a variation of the same cut. it's to the point where I wonder if keonhee himself asks not to change his styling...? because even seoho and xion, whose haircuts don't change all that often either, have had some incredible stylings over the years.
make no mistake, I think his "no diggity" and "LUNA" stylings were AMAZING, and he doesn't look bad with his usual bangs down hairstyle. it suits him. it's just disappoing that the staff doesn't seem to want to do anything else with his visuals. ever. like it doesn't matter, "it's just keonhee". that's what I feel happens with sangyeon in tbz (and until recently, haknyeon). as if they're the last ones in mind when the creative/styling team is coming up with new looks, and like, who cares, right? (I DO!!!)
their outfits don't usually impress me either. I try to not care much about that because one, 5-member groups will have more of a reason not to wear matching outfits, anyway, and I'm a matchy outfits enthusiast, and two, sometimes I just disagree with fashion trends in general lol but for instance, what concept are the "baila conmigo" outfits (aside from maybe the white one) supposed to evoke? weren't they mermen? how do jeans and jackets fit with the song, concept, or MV? isn't it odd that keonxiwoong are wearing like three layers on stage while seodo wear tight, short tanktops? are they all performing the same song???
how do these outfits fit the concept or song at all, RBW? pls.
(Purple Kiss seems to have the same exact problem. I don't follow them too closely and have no idea how the fans feel about it, but I never like their outfits, except on rare occasions.)
and yeah, RBW also suffers from the same run-of-the-mill poor management issues every company suffers from. for instance, xion having few lines isn't an issue to me because xion himself has said time and time again that he prefers it that way, but then again, xion gets no opportunities to do anything else... like, ever. apparently he got cast in a webdrama with his twin this year (!), but that feels like a RBW production thingy since they're not the only RBW artists to join, and we still know very little about it.
unless I'm terribly mistaken, there's no OSTs to their name yet either. it might be a boygroup thing (is it?), but I'm like 96.5% sure RBW has the connections to make OSTs happen for their groups. leedo was the first member to appear on "king of masked singer"... and that was this year. I never see hwanwoong doing any variety appearences either, despite how witty and well-liked he is. the only member that seems to have any schedules outside of group schedules is keonhee, but they fly under the radar so often, I don't know how many people get word of it.
all of that just makes me wonder what RBW is doing, because they're not so booked and busy to the point where it's hard to go all out for comebacks, and they're not having so many group schedules either to justify them not getting even small solo opportunities. the impression is always that they're just... existing, and RBW doesn't bother trying any harder.
and with the risk of sounding biased, one of the things that saddens me the most is how little space keonhee has in official group releases. he's pretty much the support vocal at this point - not main vocal (his official role), but more of a sub vocal, there to offer support. not every main vocal needs to hog lines and not every kpop idol needs to be jonghyun or solar levels of competent, but it bugs me a little bit that keonhee IS a fantastic singer with an incredible voice and we just... rarely ever get to see it in ONEUS title tracks anymore.
with RBW being such a vocal-focused agency, I'd expect them to know how to deal with having two main vocals in a group. (hello, MAMAMOO?) and don't get me wrong here, I don't think seoho is getting preferential treatment as the other main vocal; they're *both* underutilized imo, seoho just gets a little bit more lines. (a tiny bit more. not a lot.) the issue isn't line distribution per se, but the song choices that don't seem to give them much to work with in the first place.
to this day one of my favorite covers in kpop as a whole
I really, really like the music production side of RBW. their songs are usually exactly to my taste, and for the most part, that hasn't changed. I just wish we could get *more*, you know? we know for a fact both seoho and keonhee are insanely good vocals - we don't see much of that, though. hwanwoong has tried rap and rap-inspired verses over the years, but for a while there it felt like RBW had forgotten they have him as an option.
(worth noting: for the concert I went to in february, it felt like hwanwoong and seoho had to cover the raps without much time to practice or process what was happening, and the results were still pretty remarkable. imagine if they could give it a try for real, and not just as a last resort for a rushed and emotionally taxing tour?)
and I mean, xion doesn't need to get 1 minute worth of lines in every 3-minute song, but getting the one-punch killing parts would be kinda awesome already. anything that's more than just having him be lifted during the choreo would be cool :')
you know what I mean?
for all that and more, the thought I always come back to is that RBW either gave up on ONEUS pretty early on, or they never really cared all that much to begin with. it's not a money issue, RBW has it, and ONEUS sales aren't *that* low; it's not a connections issue, they have plenty of that too. it really does feel like a lack of interest. like the company can do the bare minimum and no one else in the staff really cares all that much.
during "erase me" promotions, ONEUS explained how that was a fresh start for them. the fact that they're now a 5-member group opens up the possibility of trying different approaches, taking new roads, etc. that gave me hope, and I'm looking forward to what could still be to come in that regard. "erase me" felt like a step in the right direction; "baila conmigo" less so, but at the same time, the sort of thing I've come to expect from RBW. and isn't that kinda sad? I'm constantly oscillating between "this is a good thing, they're gonna have so much fun from now on" and "this is it, RBW is just honoring their contractual obligations until ONEUS has to enlist."
I wish I could be more excited about ONEUS comebacks in general. I wish I could see an MV and be REALLY excited to watch again and make everyone around me watch, instead of going
like it's been happening more often than not. is it unfair to expect big budget MVs and super elaborate comebacks when from a business perspective the group might not be turning a profit? maybe. but I don't care about RBW's financial departament!!! I care about seoho, leedo, keonhee, hwanwoong, and xion!!! I want them to have more opportunities to just do cool things, to have fun on stage and on camera, to be proud of their work, to have more of a chance to keep going as a group. that's what matters to me.
a CLASSIC oneus move, releasing a goofy dance practice for funsies!!!
I don't think I'll be dropping out of the fandom anytime soon (or ever lol), so I'll keep watching more from the sidelines than otherwise, not as involved, as I've been doing for over a year now. it's not the kind of proactive crazy excited stance I usually reserve for my top favorites, but that's what I got. all I wish is that I could infiltrate that planning department and start a revolution...
#ifweburnyouburnwithusRBW
(gif credit)
I have, despite my best efforts, kind of a one-track mind, especially with kpop. I may be fond of dozens of groups, but more often than not I'll be pretty intensely focused on one, maaaybe two at a time because that's mostly how my fangirling works. not the right or wrong way to do it, just my way. if that was the entire reason why I've been deobing way harder than tomooning for a long while now, it would make sense. I can't multitask, I like following daily updates and doing that for several artists is difficult, etc etc. sure, yeah.
I don't think that's the only reason I'm not as much of an active tomoon these days, though.
the way I deal with things I don't like or don't vibe with is to literally ignore it. I won't listen to a group I know I'll have negative opinions for, I don't watch shows/movies/events I know I won't have anything good to say about, and my stance is always literally:
so the real reason for my distancing from ONEUS is less to do with my inability to multistan and more to do with how disappointed I am, and have been for years, with RBW's particular way of promoting them. I love the members with all my heart and consider them some of my favorite kpop idols of all time - if I don't add seoho or keonhee to a "favorite kpop vocalists" list, that's a cry for help. even so... I can't follow their promotions too closely, or I'll turn into Complain MachineTM and make things harder for myself and for them. and for anyone unfortunate enough to hear me, too.
ok, but what's the source of my frustration? let's unpack that.
no one can say RBW didn't go all out with the debuts for MAMAMOO and ONEUS. not in terms of budget, necessarily, but in terms of trying to really get the group out there for a 2-year period between predebut and first debut anniversary: MAMAMOO got big name featurings for their predebut releases, ONEUS got to have predebut concerts and even reality shows. for some reason, though, that didn't last for either? from coming up with creative and inventive ways to promote the group regardless of budget or instant results, a year after debut (in ONEUS' case) RBW switched to what feels like plain unwillingness to put in the effort. and I could never truly understand that.
ONEUS had a rather strong first year despite a random member hiatus right after debut and maybe not the big splash RBW was expecting to happen - the pd101 hype apparently waned after the second pd101 happened (*sighs in survival shows*), and ONEUS didn't get astronomical sales in 2019 afaik. my impression is that they were like, doing okay. a sight for sore eyes for nostalgic 2nd/3rd gen fans, an amusing new development for hardcore mamamoo fans ("omg mmm has little brothers now!"), a group that was constantly getting praise for doing inspired, creative, ballerino-esque choreos and having a traditional kpop sound. "LIT" made some (minimal but not insignificant) waves, and they even got to perform at MAMA 2019! they were doing well!!!
this is my religion.
then RTK happened.
to this day I still don't understand why RBW sent them there. it was early 2020, so of course COVID was huge concern, especially for the entertainment industry. it could be that with how uncertain the future looked, banking on a broadcast felt like a smart move. but man, really? that was the only way? absolutely no alternatives aside from an MNET survival show? RIGHT AFTER "LIT" TOO, when ONEUS was primed and ready to turn their mild success into something bigger?
maybe I'd consider it a well-intentioned bet on RBW's part if that didn't feel like RBW's M.O for everything else, global pandemic notwithstanding. after MAMAMOO got their biggest nationwide success with "HIP", what did RBW plan for them? another splashy comeback about personal independence, being yourself, making trends instead of following them? maybe just a catchy song with a hook that would definitely stick with the general public regardless of content matter? (like "dingga", perhaps?) maybe a fun girlboss concept where they're just really badass?!
no, they released "AYA", a break-up song (?) with arabic music influences (?) and an unremarkable, broody MV...
it was such a jarring "huh???" moment to me. I considered the possibility that I was just being annoying, because my first reaction is always to assume I'm disliking something for personal reasons and that maybe not everyone agrees with me, that's fine! but no, MAMAMOO themselves agree that "AYA" promos kinda sucked. it wasn't just me.
that kind of whiplash has happened regularly with ONEUS. after their successful "LIT" comeback, they got sent to RTK where they weren't taken very seriously and didn't get much good press either. what followed was their conceptual, bloody, lore-heavy (?) comeback with "to be or not to be", and after that they released "no diggity", RBW's painfully obvious attempt to attract the ZZZ (TBZ/ATZ/SKZ) crowd. by then I was like oh ok, so now they're gonna lean on 4th gen bg music and heavier concepts, that's why RBW thought RTK was a good idea! ballerino days must be over. well, get that money, guys!!! BUT NOPE, they followed "no diggity" with "black mirror" - great for me, I love "black mirror" and didn't like "no diggity", but probably not very exciting for new fans who had found them with "no diggity" and wanted more of the heavy sound. after that, they went back to the "LIT" formula with "LUNA", which yay, they did it for me!!! love that song and MV. maybe they didn't sell tons, but hey, the fanbase was happy and it got nonfans talking... then RBW followed that with "bring it on", best described imo as "no diggity"'s rightful heir.
you see what I mean? it'd be dellusional of me to expect kpop groups to stick to one concept for their entire careers; changing things up is what makes kpop fun! but this is too much, throwing darts blindly and crossing your fingers hoping something sticks because there's literally no long-term plan, only "uhhhh, I think this will make us some quick money".
a rare RBW win, this was such a great comeback T___T <3
I was talking about this the other day with friends and mentioned that RBW seems to have always followed the money, one way or another. they're gonna try what's hot in hopes of a quick profit, which sure, capitalism! every company is like that. it's just so... stupidly done in RBW's case. for example, I never understood why RBW seemed to rush MAMAMOO's four colors project (started january 2018), since it felt like a good idea with a bad execution, something that could've been more well-developed with better planing... and that conversation clued me in to the fact that LOONA was doing their individual releases project from late 2016 to early 2018.
watching those performance compilations, "from debut until [HIP/AYA/ILLELLA]" etc, the change in tone starting from "starry night/egotistic" is truly perplexing to me. not music or concept-wise: they were doing sexy women music, that's cool. but the performances felt so stiff and lifeless in comparison to their fully interactive, adlib-filled performances of yore.
and the same goes for ONEUS. I was watching a compilation of choreo changes for "valkyrie", "twilight", and "LIT" (all 2019 releases, oneus' first year) the other day and wondering, bro what happened??? where did that enthusiasm go? I don't mean the members themselves, but the planning team around them, because surely even if the members had zero interest in doing something new, the planning team would take it upon themselves to make things interesting... right?
I mean, this was fun!
then you compare it to more recent comebacks and... what happened?
I try to remind myself that different companies will have different creative strategies. only RBW's seems to be the cheapest, most "do whatever, who cares" strategy of all. I complain all the time about RBW's insistence on hiring zanybros for any and all MVs (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!), but even when they change MV directors, things don't necessarily get better, either. "baila conmigo", possibly my least favorite ONEUS MV ever, was directed by the same guy who directed stayc's "teddy bear", an MV I thought was super cute and nicely done.
how and why that happens?
the zanybros thing and RBW's cheap, low-stakes MVs are two of my biggest gripes with RBW's creative direction for ONEUS. they're not the only ones, however.
I'm vocal about how much I wish RBW would step up their game in regards to styling, especially outfits and hairstyles. like, why has keonhee had the exact same haircut since ASWE? :( sometimes he'll part his hair, but it's always a variation of the same cut. it's to the point where I wonder if keonhee himself asks not to change his styling...? because even seoho and xion, whose haircuts don't change all that often either, have had some incredible stylings over the years.
make no mistake, I think his "no diggity" and "LUNA" stylings were AMAZING, and he doesn't look bad with his usual bangs down hairstyle. it suits him. it's just disappoing that the staff doesn't seem to want to do anything else with his visuals. ever. like it doesn't matter, "it's just keonhee". that's what I feel happens with sangyeon in tbz (and until recently, haknyeon). as if they're the last ones in mind when the creative/styling team is coming up with new looks, and like, who cares, right? (I DO!!!)
their outfits don't usually impress me either. I try to not care much about that because one, 5-member groups will have more of a reason not to wear matching outfits, anyway, and I'm a matchy outfits enthusiast, and two, sometimes I just disagree with fashion trends in general lol but for instance, what concept are the "baila conmigo" outfits (aside from maybe the white one) supposed to evoke? weren't they mermen? how do jeans and jackets fit with the song, concept, or MV? isn't it odd that keonxiwoong are wearing like three layers on stage while seodo wear tight, short tanktops? are they all performing the same song???
how do these outfits fit the concept or song at all, RBW? pls.
(Purple Kiss seems to have the same exact problem. I don't follow them too closely and have no idea how the fans feel about it, but I never like their outfits, except on rare occasions.)
and yeah, RBW also suffers from the same run-of-the-mill poor management issues every company suffers from. for instance, xion having few lines isn't an issue to me because xion himself has said time and time again that he prefers it that way, but then again, xion gets no opportunities to do anything else... like, ever. apparently he got cast in a webdrama with his twin this year (!), but that feels like a RBW production thingy since they're not the only RBW artists to join, and we still know very little about it.
unless I'm terribly mistaken, there's no OSTs to their name yet either. it might be a boygroup thing (is it?), but I'm like 96.5% sure RBW has the connections to make OSTs happen for their groups. leedo was the first member to appear on "king of masked singer"... and that was this year. I never see hwanwoong doing any variety appearences either, despite how witty and well-liked he is. the only member that seems to have any schedules outside of group schedules is keonhee, but they fly under the radar so often, I don't know how many people get word of it.
all of that just makes me wonder what RBW is doing, because they're not so booked and busy to the point where it's hard to go all out for comebacks, and they're not having so many group schedules either to justify them not getting even small solo opportunities. the impression is always that they're just... existing, and RBW doesn't bother trying any harder.
and with the risk of sounding biased, one of the things that saddens me the most is how little space keonhee has in official group releases. he's pretty much the support vocal at this point - not main vocal (his official role), but more of a sub vocal, there to offer support. not every main vocal needs to hog lines and not every kpop idol needs to be jonghyun or solar levels of competent, but it bugs me a little bit that keonhee IS a fantastic singer with an incredible voice and we just... rarely ever get to see it in ONEUS title tracks anymore.
with RBW being such a vocal-focused agency, I'd expect them to know how to deal with having two main vocals in a group. (hello, MAMAMOO?) and don't get me wrong here, I don't think seoho is getting preferential treatment as the other main vocal; they're *both* underutilized imo, seoho just gets a little bit more lines. (a tiny bit more. not a lot.) the issue isn't line distribution per se, but the song choices that don't seem to give them much to work with in the first place.
to this day one of my favorite covers in kpop as a whole
I really, really like the music production side of RBW. their songs are usually exactly to my taste, and for the most part, that hasn't changed. I just wish we could get *more*, you know? we know for a fact both seoho and keonhee are insanely good vocals - we don't see much of that, though. hwanwoong has tried rap and rap-inspired verses over the years, but for a while there it felt like RBW had forgotten they have him as an option.
(worth noting: for the concert I went to in february, it felt like hwanwoong and seoho had to cover the raps without much time to practice or process what was happening, and the results were still pretty remarkable. imagine if they could give it a try for real, and not just as a last resort for a rushed and emotionally taxing tour?)
and I mean, xion doesn't need to get 1 minute worth of lines in every 3-minute song, but getting the one-punch killing parts would be kinda awesome already. anything that's more than just having him be lifted during the choreo would be cool :')
you know what I mean?
for all that and more, the thought I always come back to is that RBW either gave up on ONEUS pretty early on, or they never really cared all that much to begin with. it's not a money issue, RBW has it, and ONEUS sales aren't *that* low; it's not a connections issue, they have plenty of that too. it really does feel like a lack of interest. like the company can do the bare minimum and no one else in the staff really cares all that much.
during "erase me" promotions, ONEUS explained how that was a fresh start for them. the fact that they're now a 5-member group opens up the possibility of trying different approaches, taking new roads, etc. that gave me hope, and I'm looking forward to what could still be to come in that regard. "erase me" felt like a step in the right direction; "baila conmigo" less so, but at the same time, the sort of thing I've come to expect from RBW. and isn't that kinda sad? I'm constantly oscillating between "this is a good thing, they're gonna have so much fun from now on" and "this is it, RBW is just honoring their contractual obligations until ONEUS has to enlist."
I wish I could be more excited about ONEUS comebacks in general. I wish I could see an MV and be REALLY excited to watch again and make everyone around me watch, instead of going
like it's been happening more often than not. is it unfair to expect big budget MVs and super elaborate comebacks when from a business perspective the group might not be turning a profit? maybe. but I don't care about RBW's financial departament!!! I care about seoho, leedo, keonhee, hwanwoong, and xion!!! I want them to have more opportunities to just do cool things, to have fun on stage and on camera, to be proud of their work, to have more of a chance to keep going as a group. that's what matters to me.
a CLASSIC oneus move, releasing a goofy dance practice for funsies!!!
I don't think I'll be dropping out of the fandom anytime soon (or ever lol), so I'll keep watching more from the sidelines than otherwise, not as involved, as I've been doing for over a year now. it's not the kind of proactive crazy excited stance I usually reserve for my top favorites, but that's what I got. all I wish is that I could infiltrate that planning department and start a revolution...
#ifweburnyouburnwithusRBW