Youth over Flowers: WINNER Ep 1

Youth Over Flowers: WINNER! Episode 1:

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!! Introducing, Mr Finger Song Mino, Mr Mommy Lee SeungHoon, Mr I-am-the-youngest-yet-still-the-boss Kang SeungYoon and Mr I-take-3.5-hours-to-reach-Tokyo-Tower-when-it’s-just-in-front-of-me-because-getting-lost-is-my-specialty Kim JinWoo! With an average age of just 25 – the youngest group ever in Youth Over Flowers – Project Nananana brings you again: Youth Over Flowers: WINNER Edition!

We hark back to the original show that led to this spin-off, New Journey to the West Season 4 and repeat the part where Mr Finger shaved his head to look like a piece of seaweed and focused with all his might to pick the most expensive things on a chart after turning 15 rounds, leading to Devil Na PD getting on his knees and promising to fulfil their dreams in exchange for not coughing up the cash. Hee. I still cry in laughter when I recall that. That show was hilarious!

Anyway, so Mino’s wish was to go on a Youth Over Flowers trip with his WINNER members and holy goodness, their manager’s senses tingle well and we get the glory shot of WINNER’s reaction upon hearing that they’ll be going overseas too which includes a shot of JinWoo blankly asking, “how, how, how, how… what are you?!” Haha, JaeHyun looks like a dad watching over while they spazz.

 

BUT! The point of Youth Over Flowers is to catch our unsuspecting cast unawares and dump them in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the few bills thrown their way and the clothes on their back! Cue the classic Son HoJun’s Brain-not-working face and Park BoGum’s I-dunno-what’s-going-on-but-I-still-have-to-be-polite face. HAHAHAHAAHHAAHA. How in the world do you get a bunch of suspecting young kids on a plane in prison clothes?

And hence commences lesson 1 in criminology: How to kidnap someone who knows he’ll be kidnapped. LOL.

 

Lesson 1: Get an accomplice! Because lone-foxes can only go so far.

So the production team pulls WINNER’s main manager aside and confirms that WINNER’s on-the-ground managers have no idea when they’re leaving yet. Hee. WINNER has no idea too because this guy proves that trusting your bosses is the last thing anyone should do and lies to them bald-faced all the time. Ha, the team ropes in WINNER’s on-the-ground managers too, not only to trick the boys but also to film them sneakily (for this show).

As a result of all the sneaking around, we find out that the boys would carry heavy bags of little things wherever they go (really, all the time), and Mino and SeungYoon would dress up even for a trip to the mart just across the street. HAHAHA. And then post-kidnap, JinWoo will admit that there was a credit card in the snack bag that he carried everywhere (even to fan signs)… only to leave it at home on the day he got kidnapped! HAAAA!!!

 

SeungYoon too admits that they were super suspicious of all their scheduled activities, always giving them the evil eye and confirming over and over again. Pfft, this must the result of the fake-commercial in Season 2 of Youth Over Flowers with HoJun, Baro and YeonSeok.

Lesson 2: Try to fool them!

They were so suspicious that Na PD tries a feint and plants one of his staff in between WINNER’s many and even gets a tVN van parked in full view at Sechkies’ concert where they’ll perform a number. The boys appeared not to notice, going around like nothing’s happening, only to twitter and chirp excitedly once they finish their work and bundle into their vans, laughing that they have to go home and pack for 7 days now. PFFT.

Lesson 3: IT’S WAAAAARRR!!!!! Once you’ve faked them and gotten their suspicions and disappointment up, it’s time to go in for the kill!

Since the boys expected to leave in mid-September, the trip was pushed to October (to tire them out by making them wait so long? Heh.) And the trick to catching them off guard is to make them not think about Youth Over Flowers at all. How? By creating something else that they’re even more excited about!

And thanks to YG’s Head of Advertising, we learn that the four of them were itching for a Vehicle Commercial. Hahaha. This is really such a group effort. Head Manager even helps by texting the boys their (fake) commissions for shooting the (fake) commercial.

THEN THEY BRING IN THE BIG GUNS – a real CF Director and several Costume Designers. HAHAHAHAHAHHHAAHAHAH!!!!! OMG, THIS IS EFFING HILARIOUS!!! Many words were typed, many ideas were shared and a hat is chosen to go along with a prison uniform. Even a line in WINNER’s own song is handpicked to create the excuse that’ll get the poor lambs wearing prison uniforms willingly. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Best of all, the car in the “commercial” will be the one delivering them to the airport’s steps!

 

And then… it’s D-day!

Pffft, they rented a studio and an expensive Hi-Def camera meant for commercial shooting. Na PD and his team are hilariously thorough when they plan. They go all out when they try to trick. And Na PD can kneel when faced with the possibility of coughing up $600,000 but has no qualms about getting food trucks, waiting rooms, cameras, dozens and dozens of cars and even getting YG’s advertising team to draw up contracts that come with real ads and an expert to draw up the of-course-useless storyboards. Pfft. I was always amazed by Na PD’s team, but right now, I’m just in speechless awe.

SeungHoon throws a curveball by asking why they have to wear the prison uniforms and Mino stares at it too and even heads out to question his own YG staff. On the other hand, Mr Lost Child just glances at the storyboards and gets nothing like how he doesn’t get directions.

SeungYoon finally comes after filming another drama and WINNER dresses up, looking exactly like winners.

So it’s time to get right down to it and the CF Director gives SeungYoon directions while the Head of Advertising hovers around… and just watches. Usually, he’ll be the rabbit in between two tigers, hehe. What a relaxing day that must have been.

Director explains away their lack of props on set (there’s only one car) by saying that there’ll be lots of CG later (obviously there’ll be NONE, kekek) and PWAHAHAHAHA, SeungYoon and JinWoo strut, prance and slide all around the car in an effort to look cool and self-absorbed for the commercial. How do they not burst out laughing is beyond me because this looks completely guffaw-level hilarious!

Heh, Na PD even gets a picture of SeungYoon in his suit by having someone send him a photo meant for the “client who’ll be late”.

Ha, SeungHoon throws yet another curveball and a nonsense answer settles it. Phew.

 

If SeungYoon and JinWoo, the vocalists, were nice calm deers, Mino and SeungHoon, the rappers, are overzealous rabbits. Hah.

They film it over and over and over and over again, even changing clothes and getting the CF director grooving to the beat of their song, Island… and on the screen comes the Island of Australia, their destination. HA!

It’s time to get into the important part of the prank (I hope you didn’t forget that this IS ALL A PRANK, A BIG FAT LIE) – when the poor innocent boys get into their prison uniforms and get pulled to the airport!

Hee, Na PD gathers all the filming crew outside and talks shop with them, planning his great reveal in minute detail. (Did Na PD go to a salon to get his hair done? Because it looks amusingly poofy, wavy and completely made up.) WINNER gets out just as they’re done and everyone parties all the way down the road… until it’s time for CF Director to step off and for Na PD to climb into the pre-ascertained blind spot.

 

So when the crew demands to know where the director is, (and the car’s been moving this whole time) Na PD pops up to say, “I’ll be taking over filming from now on!” and three faces in the car freeze like dry ice while SeungHoon laughs all the way, impressively fast on the uptake.

HAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOTCHA!

The WINNER boys fret and scream, eyes all bugged out, totally unable to believe that they were kidnapped just like that after all their preparation. Well now, you didn’t expect Na PD to go there whole hog did’ya? Haha, Mino starts sticking his head out to scream for answers while SeungYoon wonders incredulously about his drama shoot that was supposed to happen the day after and Na PD happily informs him that the writer for that drama and the writer for this variety show is the same person. HA! I NEED A REWATCH!

 

Hehehe, Na PD quips through his speaker-phone that they’re going to the airport with absolutely nothing like this and that only their phones and passports will be given to them later. The rest of their belongings are already at their home enjoying the peace and tranquillity along with JinWoo’s naked cat.

Ha, Na the devil accidentally lets slip too early that they’re going to Australia and when the guys are back at the shooting site (they can’t bring that-car-and truck combo all the way to the airport and hold up traffic), the guys start complaining about all the little bits that didn’t make sense and finally shake the CF director’s hand, whose name they didn’t even know previously. Pfft, it’s hilarious how their Head Manager is wearing black and white stripes like them, as if he’s guilty for sending them off alone looking like criminals. Solidarity in a team, yo.

They board the Youth Over Flowers bus and, hee, SeungYoon’s drama director (Kim WonSeok, he of the Reply fame and apparently Na PD’s underling) calls to nonchalantly say that his previous schedule was all a lie and reminds him to put on sunblock and take care of his hair because he can’t be going through a door in that drama looking like white porcelain and coming out of the other side looking like an Australian Surfer.

Just before they leave, SeungHoon wonders how many people were recruited just to fool them (cue a huge screen crammed with numerous names in little font) and sticks his head out to nag his manager about taking care of his dog well.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, Na PD easily talks about Western Australia on the way to the airport. Situated right next to the Indian Ocean, full of the arid outback and little mammals and native animals that can be found nowhere else, Western Australia is the epitome of nature married with city-life, perfect for the excited explorer.

Just to prepare them a little for the trip to this unknown land (none of them have been there before), Na PD hands out two guide books. Mino worries about the weather, since Korea’s heading into winter right now and when he hears that the seasons in Australia are flipped compared to Korea’s, he asks totally innocently, “that’s possible?”

Uhm… What?

Na PD tells them that they have complete freedom to decide what they’re going to do with their 6 nights 8 days in Western Australia and 100,000 KRW per person per day. So their budget’s about… 3,200,000 KRW, about 3,200 USD.

Ha, Mino takes that money and slides it under his shirt, too accustomed to the money-stealing ways of New Journey to the West. He practically dry heaves when he thinks of all the good food he can eat in Australia when he had to work so hard just for a mouthful in New Journey to the West. Mommy SeungHoon beside him reminds him that Youth Over Flowers is supposed to be a healing programme.

And when they try to book a hotel later, they find one that’s cheap (about $80 a day for four) and Ajumma SeungHoon rushes to book it, sure that “people all over the world” will be fighting to stay there. Ha.

 

Heh, SeungYoon’s satoori comes out a little as he complains that it’s embarrassing walking around the airport in prisoner-wear and SeungHoon reminds them all again how Mino went for New Journey to the West dressed as a green monster. Hee.

And so because filming is forbidden in the airport, we only get to hear audio from their adventures and learn that people are asking them if they got kidnapped, learn that they all have different skin types, and learn that they bought just 2 bottles of $13 cream to protect their precious faces. I hope someone bought sun screen.

On the plane, while Mino and JinWoo sleep in the seats behind, the two Seungs are busy studying… the menu. Ha. Then they wake the sleepyheads for their meal (because no one is willing to pay for their replacement meal in Australia). We gotta save money!

After a pit-stop in Singapore, they finally land in Western Australia after 16 hours, stepping right onto the streets of Perth.

 

Wondering if the air is much cleaner there thanks to all the trees, their first mission is to find out how to get to their chosen accommodation. The shuttle is pretty expensive and taxi turns out to be the cheaper alternative.

So they head straight to the stand there and this precious conversation takes place:

Taxi Driver to the Coordinator: “85 Sterling Street?”

WINNER: “85? That’s pretty expensive.”

Mino: “85 Street… (that’s the address)”

And then they’re told that it takes about 40 bucks to get there and SeungHoon is happy again, pfft.

JinWoo’s nervous when he sees the meter start at 4 AUD and the driver assures him “don’t worry, be happy”. Pfft, he keeps staring at the meter and only when they see the street does a smile appear on his handsome face. They’re ecstatic that they’d completed this first mission well, heh. It even costed less than 40 bucks!

Finally, they make it to their hotel and meet eyes with… a Korean behind the desk. HA! What kind of luck is this! Three guys go round dancing while Leader SeungYoon just stands by the counter with the envelope of money in his hand looking cool and unfazed, doing all the admin work that the others are too spazzed out to do. Pfft. And SeungHoon just went ahead and called the guy “Hyung”! HAHAHAHA!

They find themselves in a backpacking hostel, rather than a hotel, and are introduced to a room with six bunk beds. They’d paid for bed and shared amenities, meaning that 2 other strangers might come join them in that room.

While JinWoo’s only concerned about having good WIFI, SeungYoon starts handing out emergency money ($50 each) and commanding that they can only use it in real emergencies. They even have to report to him how much they used and there begins the life of Stingy SeungYoon, who refuses to even let them buy a snack that costs just a dollar. “No shopping!”

Ha, he’s like in a totally different world compared to the others who’d rather just use up their daily budget as each day comes while SeungYoon’s like, “SAVE IT!” He won’t even forget a measly $3 that the staff borrowed.

Somewhere near the end of the trip, they end up in a shopping mall (where all the stores are closed, HAHAHAHA) and SeungYoon counts their leftover money, bending over like he’s about to sniff it while the other three huddle, waiting just for him. Then he giggles. HAHAHAH!

Heh, in the present, Mino, SeungHoon and JinWoo head out to get some shampoo and collude to get some coffee while the Gollum isn’t with them. But they end up settling for a bag of Doritos that costs more than their shampoo.

They return and Mino starts fiddling with the Duty-Free plastic bags (why do they have so many?), turning one of them into a backpack with his… shoelaces. What’s supposed to hold your shoe together then?! SeungHoon complains that they don’t even have anything clean to change into so they head out to search for cheap underwear.

Ha, they refuse to look at shops in malls and sigh when they only see streetwear shops and souvenir shops around. Sitting glumly together in their prisoner uniform, SeungHoon sighs that they’re lacking in ability. Don’t say that. You’re just looking for underwear.

Ha, they almost try begging for money and find themselves back in a street they’d just passed, meaning that they’re lost. It’s like getting lost is WINNER’s specialty.

 

They start asking people for shops that sell cheap clothing to no avail… only to finally recognise the budget-store, Target, that they’d been continuously walking past this whole time. Heh.

The four prisoners run into Target, one with a Duty-Free backpack on his back, (the sight makes my side split with laughter!) and another one chants “$4”, the cost of some underwear, the cheapest they’ve seen so far. Hahahaha! They end up buying $117 worth of supplies (what did you buy?!) and then walk into a shop to buy four hoodies at $30 each.

 

Next Week!

They find themselves on Rottnest Island to meet a Quokka, go sky-diving… and then there’s some trouble~!