Hi! It’s Annie!
I seriously cried late last night when the pictures came out. For those of you who didn’t know, Mingi, a main rapper of the eight member group ATEEZ, has been on hiatus for the past six months. We haven’t received much news since the initial announcement came out, stating that Mingi was suffering from severe anxiety and would immediately take a break until further notice in order to recover. Though many people were saddened by this news, really the best way for him to recover was seeking treatment and relaxing. Considering how much of a mental downturn quarantine has been, this was something Mingi had to do and I’m sure most of us are so glad that he took that time for himself. Since then, we’ve heard Mingi’s voice on Yunho’s birthday Vlive as well as seen some other members pick up his calls, but we haven’t seen much of him since. I’m glad for this too because I think the public eye would have done nothing to help his recovery. But I think it’s an understatement to say that we missed him so much! Last night or early this morning, (or not so early depending on where you live) pictures were released of Mingi at the airport looking very cute and cozy. And best of all, even under the mask you could tell he was smiling. Though this is his first public appearance since his hiatus, I think we should all pause before we expect any immediate or big return to the group. He just got back and he may need more time to readjust away from the public eye, which would be totally understandable. But this is hopefully a sign of him getting better and it was just so nice to see him again! But because there are so many new Atinys joining now, or have joined in the past few months, I thought I would call back to some of my favorite Mingi moments. Personally, I had barely joined the fandom when Mingi went on hiatus so most of the moments I’ve seen of him were older videos. But I love him and I missed him so much! So here we go!
ATEEZ 2019 MAMA:
This is one of the first times that ATEEZ was able to garner a big reaction from an audience, and it was more than memorable. From them paying tribute to other artists to them performing their own song seamlessly in the mix, this performance was everything. It especially gained popularity when the footage of the members of BTS reacting to their tribute to “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” went viral after the show aired. But I thing the major thing that caught people’s eyes aside from the amazing singing and dancing was “the shirtless guy”. I think we all saw this going around at the time. This was before I even really became a fan of BTS, never mind ATEEZ, and I remember seeing pictures of Mingi from this performance. But even more than him being shirtless, the most iconic part of this performance was how hard Mingi went with the dancing at the end of the performance. He completely stood out to everyone as a passionate performer, and he deserves every bit of that recognition.
Wave:
Yes, I am talking about that entire song. Every member shines in every single song but, with every group, there’s always a song that centers one members talents just a little bit over the others. Mingi’s deep register is what gives this song it’s unique sound and it’s his vocals and rap in the song that are probably the most recognizable. His calls of “gunbae” and “hakuna matata” feel like the driving forces of the song. If you were to ask me to pick a song that ATEEZ released where I just think of Mingi immediately, it would be this one.
KQ Fellaz:
For possibly newer Atinys; before ATEEZ was being called by that name they were using the name KQ Fellaz during training. There is a series of episodes that showcase the boys training in Los Angeles and also doing some fun travel things there while they were working under this name. This is something I return to a lot and find really fun to watch because I recognize almost all the places they go to in the show. Many of them are places here in California that I frequent or try to visit as much as possible. Of course, the place that I go to the most is Universal Studios Hollywood, which I have mentioned plenty of other times on this blog. I only mention this because during the episode when the boys go to Universal Studios, Mingi decided to get up on a stage in the Wizarding World and basically start busking. This part never fails to make me laugh every single time I see it. His bravery to do things like that astounds me and his sense of humor is amazing.
Mingi and Yunho Dancing Team:
I, of course, had to mention this. Mingi and Yunho are both very close and some of the most skilled dancers of the group, so we’ve seen many impromptu collaborations in dance with them over the years. In fact, they’ve filmed themselves dancing together at several scenic places they’ve travelled to. But I think the most iconic performance of this dancing duo was to NCT U’s BOSS. They have performed this one in videos and at live events for fans and I’m honestly surprised those fans are still living. Seriously, are you guys ok?
There are so many Mingi moments that are worth mentioning, but I’m going to use the end of this post to talk a bit more about what him coming back should mean for us. I know a lot of people are very excited to know that he’s doing better and worried a lot about him while he was gone. I understand worrying about him. But I don’t think any of this gives us the right to know what happened while he was away. We should not ask Mingi or any of the members of ATEEZ in any format about what exactly Mingi was going through or how his recovery was. That is none of our business and those are subjects that could possibly still be difficult for him to talk about or even be reminded of at all. We all need to just be happy with the simple knowledge that he’s doing better. And if this public appearance still means that we’re months out from seeing him with the group, we need to be ok with that too. We don’t know where he is in his recovery and these things should never have time limits. Mingi will feel better in his own time, and that’s all we really need to know. Right now let’s give Mingi his space and privacy and when he comes back we’ll all welcome him with open arms, but not with needless questions. I will be patiently awaiting his return, whenever that may be. 8 makes 1 team!!!!!!!!
See you across the pond!
Sincerely, Annie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 