It's Wednesday, and that means that we're here to personally recommend some of our favorite ATEEZ videos. So, whether you're just getting into ATEEZ or it's been awhile since you've let yourself sit back and enjoy their content, we've got you covered.
Today's WTWW isn't strictly ATEEZ content, but it is ATEEZ adjacent.
I believe it was last November or December (I don't know, time is a lie) that we learned that ATEEZ were going to be singing their second full group OST for a new Netflix show based on the very popular webtoon Lookism. Of course Atinys were all quite proud and excited, as we should have been, but once the series finally dropped, it seemed that no one had much to say about it. In fact, I dare say that most Atinys haven't actually watched it.
It's also possible that some of us started the series and quickly gave it up for reasons I'll get into later. This was very nearly me. It took a few episodes for me to grasp Lookism's vibe. It doesn't fully reveal its hand until a few episodes in (admittedly a risky move when your series has only 8 episodes). Even so, today I'm going to try my best to convince you that Lookism is a four-hour time commitment worth making.
Truthfully, Lookism isn't the sort of show that I would voluntarily watch. I watched because ATEEZ did the OST so of course I was going to watch. Once I got past the barrier of the first few episodes, I gobbled down the series in two sittings. After it was over, I felt so full--full of feelings and thoughts and more feelings. And to this day, characters and moments from the story have stuck with me, and I chew on the ideas the series inspired and ponder where it will go next. This is actually rare for me. Typically I'll consume a series, and when it is over, even if I thoroughly enjoyed it, I will set it down and walk away. Only the truly special stories stick with me over time.
Lookism tells the story of Hyeong-seok, a teenage boy who is cruelly and relentlessly bullied for his looks. When his mother finds out what he's been dealing with, he finds a way to move to a new city and attend a school of liberal arts that he believes will be his ticket to a normal life and maybe even some friends. However, it turns out the situation at his new school is just as bad as the one he left behind, for insecure people who only feel good about themselves by making others feel like garbage are everywhere.
Reaching a point of full desperation, one day Hyeong-seok awakes in a new body--the body of a tall, handsome teenager (an absolute Yunho, if you will)--and leaves his old, unattractive body sleeping on the floor. Thus begins Hyeong-seok's new life: handsome high schooler by day, "ugly" part-timer by night. In his new body he immediately attracts new friends (and new enemies). In particular, he finds himself at odds with a righteous gang leader named Basco who misunderstands Hyeong-seok's actions and intentions and is the source of most of the over-the-top anime duel action. At the same time he befriends another bullied boy named Deok-hwa who dreams of being a rap star and spends his days writing lyrics. Deok-hwa discovers by accident that Hyeong-seok actually has a beautiful singing voice and convinces him to be his partner for the school's upcoming music festival.
Now, I can actually draw a few parallels between the themes I see in Lookism and what I see in ATEEZ as a group. For starters, as opposed to the impression you might get after the opening episodes, the show is very goofy. Much of the comedy stems from situations caused by Basco and his bullheaded pursuit of justice, in spite of overwhelming evidence that he's entirely misguided. The fight scenes are overblown and overdramatic and wildly at odds with the moments of quiet realism. But the show is fully aware of what it's doing. The comedy is pretty clearly included as a counterpart to the darker themes that are explored.
It reminds me of how anytime ATEEZ does something obviously stupid, they seem to be fully in on the joke. They know that designing custom keyboards and fashionable dish gloves is the most absurd thing they could possibly be doing. They're completely aware. They know that doing a cheesy POV video for Atiny's birthday is ridiculous. They know. And we know. And they know we know. And we know they know we know they know. We're all in on it. And that's what makes it fun.
At the same time, they aren't afraid to tackle heavy subjects in their music and their lore. ATEEZ tells the tale of a world enslaved to a faceless ruler who harvests their humanity and turns it into energy to be sold off. I think a lot of fans get blown away by the visuals of the world and distracted by the visuals of the group and fail to realize how bleak this world is and, if you really think about it, how we're not that far off from being put in the same situation in so many ways.
Similarly, Lookism doesn't shy away from revealing society's ills. Not only does the story emphasize how we value visuals so heavily over substance of character, but it also shows us how dehumanizing and demoralizing bullying can be and how its effects reach far beyond the victim. I'll be honest, the early episodes are hard to watch. I very nearly gave up because I simply don't have the stomach for violence that I used to. And though I'm lucky enough to have never been bullied myself, I find stories of the weak and unprotected being so aggressively and pointlessly targeted to be particularly triggering.
(Note: semi-mild spoilers ahead. So, if I've already convinced you, you might want to head out now and come back after you've finished.)
Still, the darkness of the early episodes and even sprinkled throughout the entirety of the show are necessary. For not only do they help illuminate the themes the show seems to want to develop, but they also provide a stark contrast for the absolute triumph that awaits us at the end.
And this is what I truly want to discuss and what I think has continued to resonate with me long past my first viewing of the show.
Hyeong-seok faces so much hate and deals with the fallout of low self-esteem, but still his heart remains pure. He's not looking for revenge, and he doesn't seek to exploit his new-found hotness. He just wants to be loved and to pursue his dreams. This makes it easy to root for him. A victory for Hyeong-seok feels like a victory for us all.
Atinys who have been following ATEEZ since the early days know all too well how difficult the journey has been. Even the members themselves have spoken of the hardships they faced. I don't want to get into all the gory details of comebacks without a single music show win, awards seasons with no awards due to a too small (or too disinterested) fandom, or general mistreatment by an industry that favors groups attached to bigger and better numbers. I'm not here to compete in the Struggle Olympics, but to me, an awareness and acceptance of ATEEZ's difficult history is essential to fully understanding and appreciating the group as they are today.
Without knowing their relatively humble origins, how can we really appreciate how wild it is that they snagged a #2 spot on the BB200? No, it wasn't #1 like other groups. But other groups don't have the same story as ATEEZ does. I've never stanned a group from a big company or the result of a popular survival show with a large and healthy fandom straight out of the gate, so I can't say for sure--but it seems to me that those rapidly-gained successes can't possibly be as sweet as the ones that we had to earnestly work and patiently wait for.
Just this evening, I have learned that ATEEZ are not actually doing the theme song for the League of Legends World Championship as many speculated and I specifically have been requesting of the universe for years. Some people are saying that they may just be doing a song for Worlds if not the theme. That they may be the boy group equivalent of K/DA. But this is not confirmed, and so I am feeling bitter and disappointed. So much so that I complained to GD earlier that sometimes it just feels like ATEEZ aren't allowed to have anything nice at all. Which is an excessively melodramatic reaction, but I'm not sure I can be blamed for melodrama at the end of a long Tuesday.
Perhaps, however, I just need to be reminded that these accumulated losses and disappointments make all the future triumphs that much sweeter. And we know for sure all those future triumphs lie in store. We just have to wait a little longer.
For those who still need convincing, let me just say that the first season of Lookism will pay off in the grandest, goofiest, cheesiest, most heartwarming fashion. Bring a lightstick into the finale and let yourself get swept away by the sentimentality. It will do your heart good, I promise.
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