Hi! It’s Annie!
ATEEZ has been giving me a lot of stress lately between recent announcements of K-Con, their fan sign, and their Bouncy challenge all in my area. My luck getting into any of these events has been pretty nonexistent thus far. But you know who usually helps me out with stress? Song Mingi! And this will be posted pretty much right on his birthday, so I really do want to give a very excited HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mingi who has been making all of our lives a little better since the moment he debuted with ATEEZ. This man is known for his incredible deep rapping voice, his composition genius (Can we talk about the orange juice song?), and his moments of wisdom that we can all take with us. With each passing day I become more and more astounded by this man and everything he has done to make Atiny feel seen and empathized with. And he’s also always hilarious to watch in just about anything ever. So I’m going to get going on just some of what makes Mingi so absolutely great!
Wise:
I feel like his more recent domestic style vlogs have strayed Mingi’s biases right into delulu land. As a Yunho bias, I absolutely relate and can say nothing. I’m probably in delulu land more than I’d like to admit. But for the people who (like me) originally thought that maybe he was showing too much of his personal life for himself to be comfortable, don’t worry about that at all. In one of his most recent vlogs, Mingi said that his more domestic posts and vlogging projects were specifically to show Atiny that he’s a human being. That he’s a real person with real thoughts that can absolutely relate to the struggles we’re all facing too. Which is an incredibly noble thing for him to decide to do for Atiny. And his more recent attempts to connect more with Atiny have only become larger and more genuine. In recent behind the scenes vlogs, Mingi can be seen interacting with the camera and attempting to give really wise advice to Atiny about happiness. He’s now talked about how anything that brings you happiness at all, including small things throughout the day, count as happiness. That it isn’t something you have to achieve. He’s also started talking about his anxiety, which I am very happy about and really relate to because in the past couple years I have also been diagnosed with anxiety. Mingi talked about how his anxiety came from feeling as though he had accomplished too much too soon in his life and ended up having to unlearn that success in life is defined by career goals. Unlearning that success in life is defined by career goals has been a huge part of my anxiety journey as well, though in a different way. But hearing him talk about it and knowing that there was someone else also going through that process was so healing for me. I am forever grateful for his comments assuring me, and I’m sure plenty other Atiny, that I am not alone. And also, let’s be honest, those clips of him vlogging with his Mom are some of the cutest moments I’ve ever seen an idol post.
Hilarious:
I think Mingi has always been one of the funniest idols to watch doing anything. He always has the biggest reactions; whether it’s him being the most scared giant you ever did see or him screaming the loudest in a game where only he hadn’t had any alcohol. I also relate to his lack of interest in drinking, so I loved that about the segment too! On top of his reactions to variety show segments such as this, his reactions in more behind the scenes types of footage are also always funny. Yunho and Mingi recently released a skit where they were arguing about Mingi supposedly deleting Yunho’s gaming profile because Yunho wouldn’t pick up Mingi’s call. (Again, all fake.) This is somewhat a call back to a past vlog where Mingi accused Yunho of not respecting his “moral loyalty”; which has now become a fandom wide joke. They both were able to do that skit with complete straight faces, but Mingi’s acting almost seemed personal. Which tracks considering how often Mingi has done challenges or skits like this with a completely straight face. He’s been known for completing really cutesy dance challenges this way and it always makes it that much more enjoyable to watch. But while we can all agree that Mingi is an absolute joy to watch on camera; the other members have said that he’s even more fun off screen. In another more recent vlog, Yunho and Yeosang were asked about Mingi’s charms right before Mingi walked through the room only to open a door and promptly roar as he entered. Both Yunho and Yeosang agreed that Mingi always has them laughing, especially off camera.
Relationships:
It wouldn’t be a birthday post if I didn’t talk about all of their relationships to each other. Mingi is one of Hongjoong’s problem children in that Hongjoong revealed that Mingi is the second most difficult member for him to parent (only after Yeosang). Mingi does often seem to have his own agenda but he’s also the only other rapper and writer alongside Hongjoong. You can tell that they have fun riffing off of each other and giving each other inspiration, and their pairing in the ‘Bouncy’ MV was nothing short of perfection. Like the other members of the maknae line, Mingi really does like to tease Seonghwa. But they also have a very sweet relationship where they both become fixated on certain things very easily. Yunho and Mingi have known each other forever and you can absolutely tell. Mingi fondly reminisces on times when Yunho would take him out for lunch or dinner during their school days and accuses Yunho of betraying his moral loyalty. Mingi has also recently declared that he would marry Yunho as soon as the law let him. (Unfortunately, same sex marriage is still not legal in South Korea.) Yunho at first laughed when he heard that Mingi had said this and then said that he would leave it up to Atiny’s imagination. Either way, their head-spinny fun and cute hand kisses always make them a noticeable pair. Despite having been given the nickname “tower twins” because of their intimidating height; those two are some of the most gentle giants you’ll ever see. Mingi and Yeosang were oddly controversial for a while because in a Vlive they admitted to not having each other’s numbers, which made fans wrongly speculate about their relationship. Since, they’ve proven to be very close and have light-heartedly talked about rectifying the situation. Both of them can be quiet in group scenarios, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t close! San looks after Mingi and often treats him like his own personal child while Mingi’s relationship with Wooyoung is more wild and full of constant laughter. They both burst out laughing very easily. And Jongho has called Mingi his favorite hyung and Mingi has claimed that he practically raised Jongho. His relationships with all of the members of ATEEZ are so adorable!
Performance:
When I think about performance and Mingi, I do immediately think of Yunho teasing Mingi recently by saying that he needed to use his pelvis less while dancing. Because Mingi will use his style of dancing to make any choreography move sexier. I mean, that man has even fully taken his shirt off for more than one performance before. He’s one of the ones that Atiny will cite as an eye-catching member that brings new fans into the group along with San. When he performs, it’s really difficult to look away from him! And even if you do, his deep voice while rapping will immediately draw your attention back. Also, can we talk about his badass shootout scene in the ‘Bouncy’ MV, please?
I want to say the absolute biggest Happy Birthday to Mingi! He’s a standout performer and a hilarious presence. He has that chill attitude where he’ll just sit down and casually talk with Atiny. (He’s done this before during a game where if you made sound you had to go in this waiting area; when he’d get out in the game he’d go to the waiting area and comment on the video feed with Atiny.) I think his strength is admirable and has inspired so many Atiny, including myself. And I so admire his want to let us all know that we aren’t alone. Thank you so much Mingi for making sure I felt like there was someone out there who understands me!
See you across the pond!
Sincerely, Annie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 