The following information is based on a personal opinion.
SM often introduces trainees on the verge of debuting through a group called SMROOKIES. On July 1, 2022 three rookies named Eun Seok, Seung Han, and Shohei were introduced to the world. NCTzens, in particular, started frothing at the mouth. Speculations erupted about whether the boys would be joining NCT’s upcoming subunits tentatively titled NCT Tokyo and NCT Hollywood. SM hasn’t confirmed or denied, but they have released “welcome to NCT Universe”, a reality show documenting Eun Seok, Seung Han, and Shohei’s lives through their first performance at SM Town. The fact that it’s hosted by NCT’s newest members SHOTARO and SUNGCHAN is a bonus.
The finale just aired on KOCOWA, and I’m sad to see it go because it’s been a fun ride. I laughed and fangirled as I watched the rookies interact with NCT 127, NCT Dream and WAYV. They even got to meet veterans like Super Junior and Minho from SHINee!
I got to know Eun Seok, Seung Han, and Shohei’s personalities through a variety of introspective interviews and games like Bubble Suit Soccer. What’s Bubble Suit Soccer, you ask? Please see the hilarious image below:
If you haven’t checked out ‘welcome to NCT Universe‘, it’s definitely worth a watch. But before I delve into the bittersweet finale, let’s talk about the SMROOKIES and what we learned over the course of the show.
First up is Shohei. The 26-year-old from Japan stole my heart with his passion, positivity, and work ethic. He allegedly auditioned to join SM Entertainment ten times! If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is. When his age was revealed, some netizens criticized him for being too old, but a lot more came to his defense. There shouldn’t be an age limit when it comes to following your dreams.
Shohei’s a rapper with an interest in DJing. His inspiration is Sehun from EXO and his favorite NCT member is Taeyong. He likes to clean, and is a huge scaredy cat. The latter is revealed when he visits a haunted house at Lotte World and keeps screaming. He screams during the pirate ship ride too. He truly is my favorite.
Next is Eun Seok. He’s the second oldest and has been a trainee for five years. That means he’s trained with Jung Woo from NCT 127, and various other members. He appears quiet, but Jung Woo revealed he’s actually a funny person. I saw glimpses of Eun Seok’s humor throughout ‘welcome to NCT Universe’, but I can’t wait to see more.
Eun Seok’s MBTI is ISFP, and he’s got one of the coolest nick names I’ve ever heard. Friends call him “Silver Stone”, a direct translation of his name. Doesn’t it sound like he should be in a Bond film? He loves noodles, and wanted to become an idol because of SHINee. Seung Han is his roommate, which explains why they seem a little closer than they are with Shohei.
It’s time to meet the maknae! Seung Han is nineteen, making him younger than NCT Dream’s maknae Jisung! It was surreal seeing someone call Jisung “hyung”. Jisung couldn’t seem to believe it either.
Seung Han is extremely nervous throughout the show, so it made me want to protect him. He has the same favorite food, shoe size, and blood type as SUNGCHAN. In fact, they like so many of the same things, SUNGCHAN checked Seung Han’s introduction sheet to make sure he hadn’t copied!
Seung Han will be a singer in whatever group he gets assigned to, and I can see— well, hear why. He’s got a lovely voice. When this maknae isn’t singing, he’s reading or playing sports.
Finale Comments
Both episode nine and the finale dig deeper into each trainee’s dream and daily routine.
Seung Han says he loves singing and dancing, because your body is the tool you use for both of those things. That struck me as poignant— especially coming from a 19-year-old. He explains his older brother started taking singing lessons in middle school, so he did too. They bonded over that, and he’s been immersed in music ever since.
It is then revealed that Seung Han is a bit insecure about his voice. He explains he doesn’t like the way it sounds when he sings in a higher pitch. Fortunately, after some reassurance from his vocal coach, his determination is renewed.
As for Eun Seok, he likes that music allows him to express his emotions since he’s not naturally an expressive person. He works hard to get the basics of singing and dancing down, because if you have a good foundation, improvement is inevitable.
He’s currently taking acting classes to help channel his emotions, and is learning Japanese. Hmmm, does that mean he’ll be in NCT Tokyo?
Last, but not least, is Shohei, who bares his soul. He saw those mean comments people were making about his age, and they worried him. The poor thing gets choked up talking about it, but he pushes through and talks about the importance of a good routine. Every day he goes to the gym at 11AM to lift weights and strength train, because he has a fast metabolism and doesn’t want to look too skinny. Then he practices rapping, and writes lyrics. One of his goals is to release a mixtape. After that, he learns how to be an effective DJ from DJ Ginjo.
The interviews soon end, and the behind-the-scenes footage of Shohei, Eun Seok, and Seung Han before and after their first performance at SM Town begin. I was nervous for them, but they did a fantastic job along with SHOTARO and SUNGCHAN.
The last few scenes of the finale are the boys meeting with Lee Soo Man in his office. The SM CEO takes time out of his busy schedule to encourage them and mentally prepare them for their debut. He says some profound things I whole-heartedly agree with. In this day and age, countries have no borders. K-Pop is global, so the boys must prepare to be global artists. Lee Soo Man also compares them to a plane that’s waiting to take off at morning’s first light. It’s a beautiful analogy, and completely sums up this moment in their lives.
As a NCTzen, I’m glad ‘welcome to NCT Universe’ gave me a chance to witness this moment. I can’t wait to see what Shohei, Eun Seok, and Seung Han bring to the K-Pop industry. And I can’t wait to see if they’ll be added to new NCT subunits. Although, I feel like SM introducing them through a show called ‘welcome to NCT Universe’ is a pretty strong hint.
If you want to become even more immersed in the universe, check out some of NCT’s other reality shows on KOCOWA:
- NCT LIFE in Gapyeong
- NCT LIFE in Osaka
- NCT LIFE in Chuncheon & Hongcheon
- Boys Mental Training Camp 2 – NCT DREAM
- NCT LIFE : DREAM in Wonderland
