haobin manifesto

[lackingdaze]

was going back and forth on whether there is even a point in making this primer because i feel like haobin and hao / hanbin respectively are already so popular!! but also i’m trying to manifest an ao3 user predebut fic in the ao3 tags so. #letswalktheflowerpathofhyperspecificpandering

background

if you didn’t already know, hao and hanbin were both contestants on mnet’s boys planet and are (slated to be) members of zerobaseone (zb1). hao ranked first and hanbin ranked second during the finale, which was basically the cherry on top culmination that cementetd their presence as zb1’s representative pairing. but more on that later.

🎻 zhang hao

position: center
birthday: july 25, 2000
company: yuehua entertainment
hometown: nanping, fujian
emoji: 🎻
animal: raccoon (korean fans), red panda (chinese fans)
mbti: isfp (fun fact: he’s the only i in zb1)
education: department of music education, fujian normal university (graduated)
nickname lore:

• 장하늘: his name in mandarin means “sky in the summer” so korean fans sometimes call him neul (늘) which means sky (**will find translation link)
• 짱구리: combination of his name + raccoon (neoguri)

predebut career

where do i even begin. hao (and hanbin) both have extensive predebut digital footprints. in hao’s case, he was something of a minor celebrity in his hometown/college, so in addition to his own self-posted pictures/videos, there are also a lot of um fan (?) taken pictures/videos and accounts.

hao’s a bit of an overachiever in that he originally majored in geology → hated it → wanted to pursue music so he retook the csat and ended up ranking first in his province, then enrolled in the department of music education, with a concentration in the violin. (more details in his message to his juniors)

he was approached by yuehua after some time in college, but buffered the offer to focus on graduating first and get to know more about music/kpop/idolisms before jumping in. then he graduated early (with a teaching license, specifically for teaching at a high school level) and joined yuehua as a trainee.

side quests

truly at a loss of how this man found time to do so much, but there are many videos floating around of him dancing (with his dance team and in various classes), singing (at college festivals/concerts?), and playing the violin (at people’s weddings).

as for the general subtext_but_really_overt_text of being gay (ex. wearing_itsay_shirt.jpg), i don’t really want to get into it (unless ur miss predebut reading this….) i think twitter has already milked it for more than its worth and considering the crazy ass shit that people were trying to mudsling against him post-bp finale, it feels reductive to make that his representative lore.

boys planet

hao first appeared on bp with the other yuehua trainees, leading the g group for a cover of kick it. i think from the get-go, he was already favored by the mentors/mnet (see: “i want to take away zhang hao’s passport) and even got a little violin show time in the first round of evaluations.

one of the things that i realized about hao (shoutout to dw user stoplight for the scholarship <3) is that he was so aware of the way he could be construed on camera and did everything he could to not get evil edited by mnet. he outright acknowledged this himself during the post-finale commentary, where the members were asked if they were surprised by the way they appeared on-screen and hao was the only one who was like “no i wasn’t surprised because i was constantly conscious of the way i acted.” which is just SDHJASVDHJ. this was also evident on the show by the way he wore different emoji hair pins (which were absolutely useless at actually pinning any hair), mainly to deter mnet from splicing together disjoint footage.

he was already a popular trainee early on, which was cemented by the kill this love stage, and then even more so by the tomboy stage (more on that later). also am of the popular (and cosigned by kuanjui) opinion that over me only won because of him….anyways he went from 5 > 2 > 2. for the finale, fans were doomsdaying about him being dropped from the lineup, but it all worked out in the end bc he ended up in first place! making him the first non-korean trainee to rank p1 in produce history :)

🐹 sung hanbin

position: leader
birthday: june 13, 2001
company: studio gl1de
hometown: cheonan
emoji: 🐹/🐱
animal: fans are divided if he’s more hamster or cat, among other less right contenders (bunny?). so they’ve just resorted to calling him 햄냥이 (hamster cat)
mbti: enfj
education: kpop studies, dongah institute of media and arts (still attending)

predebut career

hanbin’s whole thing is that he was a pretty active dancer in the industry prior to being a trainee and boys planet! it seemed like he started dancing at runpeople dance studio in cheonan when he was in middle school, mainly focused on waacking and then growing into other urban dance genres (you can watch this 141 video playlist of pretty much all of his dance videos here.)

he originally wanted to be a teacher, and he wasn’t interested in becoming an idol at first, despite getting offers from some agencies. but then eventually became curious. he was briefly a cube trainee (training at the same time as seok matthew, who is also part of the zb1 lineup, and also i think park hanbin, who was in bp) before he ended up at his current company. he also worked as a backup dancer to bts, wanna one, and a few other artists prior to debut.

because of his dance career, he has an immense digital footprint. and the narrative around that, of course, is largely fixated on him doing stuff like dancing rupaul’s call me mother.

also he goes to college! which has brought out some cute/funny anecdotes like this video of him climbing out of a car trunk and so many accounts of people who know him being like wow he is so nice and kindly and perfect, etc. and also vlogs of him doing homework for kpop class lol.

boys planet

another person who has his idol persona completely ironed out! tbh i really didn’t want to like hanbin at first because he was just /so nice/, but over time i realized he was just kind of built like this…

he was an mnet pick from the very beginning, being one of the trainees who was chosen for the pre-release promotional pictures, and then acing his first round with a solo performance. in terms of ranking trajectory, he consistently ranked 1st, up until the finale when he came in 2nd place.

while i don’t think he was overt as hao about maintaining his image on the show, he seems to be the kind of person who is very careful about the things he says. i guess it helps that he’s literate/likes reading books, which lends to a rather eloquent way of speaking that fans find very thoughtful. on the show, i think he maintained a good balance of being extremely kind and also rightfully ambitious for screen time and performance (see: i will never forgive you sung hanbin tweet when he shoved out jay to jelly pop nugu position to be main vocal in hot summer). tbh i’m still in the process of trying to unearth sung hanbin personality hidden depths… which might come out best when he’s interacting with hao tbh.

relationship lore

let’s see. i think from the early episodes, they were kind of in each other’s orbits, mainly as in hanbin was p1 and hao seemed like he wanted to get to know him?

when the show was airing, the first instance they seemed close was when hanbin and hao exchanged the hallmark tutting/flying kiss. from there on, they respectively did well on their stages and seemed to get a lot closer (exhibit b: hao walking into hanbin’s room to find kuanjui, hanbin going “wow we have a lot in common”). the amendment to this is later we got a reveal of hao and hanbin practicing for the stage lift part of here i am stage #1, and hao doing [this insane shit]. so they must have gotten close prior to the dance battle scene!

then, in a stroke of genius cp strategy, the tomboy stage happened. this was the vocal/rap/dance challenge, and tomboy was the vocal team, which made hanbin’s (who is primarily a dancer) decision to join the team even more interesting. and really tomboy-gate solidified haobin.

Watch on YouTube

THIS WAS KIND OF THE PERFECT STAGE (if i don’t look at hui). and wow did we get some truly unhinged content from it.

first of all, these were their behind the scenes practice clips. exhibit a / exhibit b.not to tenderheart (in a whole ass thesis dedicated to them hm) but they were genuinely so cute 😭😭. and touchy. like wow did hanbin really have to do all that when he helped hao apply his nametag. did hao have to randomly touch his stomach. did—

then came THIS behind the scenes of the performance stage. i’ll let you witness it for yourself but um:

• the fact that hanbin was walking away but hao called him back for the two shot
• hao being like “only do this to me” re: hanbin doing tie tie
• hanbin being like “this is when hyung started to like me” re: them becoming close on the way to the here i am recording
• hao: to be honest you chose tomboy because of me?
• hanbin: haha….yeah i chose it to be on stage with you
• hanbin feeling the need to have one hand on hao’s shoulder the entire time

and of course the infamous “chinese sung hanbin, korean zhang hao” quote, provided by sung hanbin himself. LIKEEEE we don’t even have to project the twin optics onto them, they (read: sung hanbin) are doing it by themselves (see: 1st look interview where hanbin reiterates the fact that they went a restaurant and someone asked if they were twins.) like ok…what’s that meme about siblings or dating.

wow i’m realizing as i’m writing this that tomboy-gate was an iceberg of content. like just watch this whole ass clip. noteable points:

• hanbin: thank you (reaches out to hold hao’s hand)
• hao (while brushing his mfing teeth): you’re thankful? then you should give me a massage
• hanbin’s entire ment about how he’s grateful that hao is there to comfort him
• hanbin: i don’t know, you’re kinda like my crying button [i.e. every time i see you i burst into tears out of gratefulness]
• more insane handholding disguised as a bro-shake

oh what else, well they were practically inseparable during the entirety of the performances (see: holdings hands at any possible point in time).

and then this clip of hao putting hanbin’s arm around his waist for the mnet-sponsored cp shot.

honestly at this rate you can just go through the thread that i’m taking most of the links from (girl who is too lazy to hyperlink everything).

they did their 2nd elim introduction together (note the insane chin grab by hao to hanbin…..we are literally 늘빈 optic-ing). also one of the ments during this episode was where the whole “zero cola” thing came from.

• minhyun: what’s something you want to say to hanbin?
• hao: let’s debut together and drink zero cola together every day.

which is like SHJDBASHJBD. ok i guess ur both just gay men who like diet coke. fulfilling stereotypes to a t.

more moments, per the twt threads:

• them being glued to each other during the next challenge performances (where hao took over me team to 1st place!)
• hao tucking hanbin into bed. (note: in this clip, hanbin is sleeping in his own bed, but there was another clip where someone pointed out he was sleeping in hao’s bed? i need to track it down).
• this weird ass little prince/fox musical challenge they had to do (can we talk about the insanity of “would you train me” and also the fact that jo kwon was there to judge @##@#$)
• pajama party moment where hanbin was like :)) when hao was doing aegyo and then was like wait there's nothing to smile about in my life.
• more insane mnet sponsored cp vcr shots

AND THE FINALE!!!!!

never in the history of produce has a p1 and p2 been so glued at the hip the entire time. when they were both announced as candidates for p1, both of them were so relieved and then hao practically made out with hanbin’s neck. and when hao was announced and he was like what ?? and hanbin was like you won!! and hugged him (multiple times) TT-TT. and the staff begging them to separate for solo shots when they walked up to the seats but they held each other’s hands and walked up together. losing my fricking mind putting this together tbh…..

zb1 predebut content:

• jelly pop tiktok / hot summer tiktok
• kcon interactions [1] [2] [3]
• mcing together for #feminism
• trailer
• tiktok from bts of trailer

my projections

i think people are split on whether its 늘빈 or 빈늘, with the former having a much higher postype count (given hao’s predebut hair and the few cms of height hao has on bin), but the latter is also developing a steady twitter crowd (hanbin chest tattoos and solid pecs or whatever). personally i don’t have too many opinions on left/rightisms but i do think i’m predisposed to 늘빈…..

the nice/interesting thing about haobin is that i don’t think i have a very niche take on them, nor am i unearthing dynamics that are otherwise nonexistent to the naked eye. they’re very expressive and the content is like, right there, so i think everyone generally has similar perceptions when they’re not busy criming them in the ao3 tags (not that i’m an exception).

my main take on them rn is:

• twin-isms
• corporate mandated cp members who may genuinely like each other
• hanbin super touchy extrovert, hao as slightly more reserved but maybe even more unhinged introvert
• hanbin as the one who is facilitating a good chunk of the obsession by constantly mentioning hao
• two individuals who are extremely aware of the way they position themselves, are perceived by others, and take overt care of their image, to the point where you wonder how much of their relationship is orchestrated and also how they manage to make it feel So Real and how they’re negotiating it between themselves beyond the camera

which could lead to fun things like

• hating each other down the line
• not hating each other but having dependency issues / what’s for the camera and what is real / if i am you and you are me then who am i / [the entirety of the bbb board]
• love_scenario.mp3 edit when they divorce in 2.5 years (side note i think it’s funny how so much of kfan postype/twt content is breakup/transit love au)

and in terms of personality....idk i like that they're both ~similar~ but not quite, because hanbin is somewhat transparent with his affection (re: all of the overt pda) so you would think that he's the one who is way more into this company-sponsored relationship. but then hao occasionally comes along to add fuel to the fire (i.e. "only do [tie tie] to me" / the interpretation of "i was always aware of the way i acted on camera" > doing unhinged shit with hanbin like MAKING OUT WITH HIS NECK) and ur like wow u guys are way worse than i thought... it seems like they're usually on the same wavelength and get each other in a way that others would have a hard time syncing with. coupled with the fact that they only got to know each other through boys planet and wow do i believe in soulmates or what. i don't even have to because they're doing all that branding by themselves. i also like that they're both extremely ambitious and capable people, which brings out the question of what lengths they would reach to achieve what they want...

anyways if you got to the end of this, thank you!! i can’t believe they’ve dragged me back into the trenches but i’m also grateful to not be stockholming myself into orchestrating elaborate spiteful ex scenarios between straight men who hate each other 🙏 maybe this will have convinced u to add to the haobin ao3 tag…… to more content in the near future with their debut!!

also if i got anything wrong feel free to let me know TT-TT

Comments

[permutative]

livereacting from dw user lackingdaze's couch:

- re: hao — didn’t know people were still 00liners in kpop these days… love a lil hagdol (affectionate). VERY IMPRESSED BY HIS ACADEMIC WEAPONRY / FORAY INTO EARTH SCIENCE I GUESS?? also i already texted u abt this but not his BL fanboyisms… he’s just like us fr… ok i started watching the kick it cover and was like “wow they all suck” until zhang hao opened his mouth. I LIKE HIM I GUESS!!! also why do people like ricky… can u explain this… ok one last thing obsessed with the bbbisms of the image management/meticulousness wrt self-presentation and how he’d come across on camera!!!! when will he meet sunoo
- re: hanbin… why he lookin like… the nation’s first love… the boy next door… etc WHY IS HE SERVING CUNT IN THESE DANCE VIDEOS OH MY GOD!!!!!!! ok… go off i guess… love when a guy can read… lowkey the vibes of this ship are a little like “my fav + dude my fav likes” BUT I ALSO SUPPORT THIS
- random but who is gyuvin can u explain
- BRO THE FLYING KISS THING WHAT why are they cute… also not “this was the perfect stage if i don’t look at hui” should i be scared…. nvm i understand what u mean. is hui in bepler im gonna die if he is…
- WHY ARE THEY SO TOUCHY IM LOSING MY MIND!!!!!!! also “hao: to be honest you chose tomboy because of me? / hanbin: haha….yeah i chose it to be on stage with you” haha…. HAHA… ok
-  like ok…what’s that meme about siblings or dating. T___T <3
- dude these clips of them holding hands are legit so cuteee why are they so adorable… the finale gif is also really spectacular awwww i’m honestly really excited to get into BP and understand the true layers/depths behind this pairing… THE WAY THEY’RE JUST HOLDING HANDS AND SHIT… truluv…
- also i agree with crys im also OLDER BOTTOMS FAN. not that my opinion matters at all i just be saying shit
- also bye ur whole synopsis/“take” on their dynamic is making me lose my shit. yes i know it is 8:30am on a saturday morning and u are three feet away from me (metaphorically) applying ur lashes… but still two individuals who are extremely aware of the way they position themselves, are perceived by others, and take overt care of their image, to the point where you wonder how much of their relationship is orchestrated and also how they manage to make it feel So Real and how they’re negotiating it between themselves beyond the camera pipeline to “this could lead to them hating each other” why do i wanna see it… qsoob arc when… JUST KIDDING (unless)
- i like that they’re kinda boring marrieds but then there are ways to complicate their relationship wrt the specific setup and how they interact with the cameras and like the fact that they are so good with regulating how they are perceived by others KJDHKSJG

ok can’t wait to revisit LACKINGDAYS ao3 fic with this renewed insight <3 lets walk the flower path together….