Kpopmap Fan Interview: A Belgian Player Talks About Her Favorite Group SUPERKIND

Are you also curious about fellow K-Pop fans?! Let’s hear their stories and interests in Kpopmap Fan Interview Project.

There are K-Pop fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other’ stories and K-Pop life. Even if we are in the same fandom, it is hard to get to know each other.

So at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Pop fans from different countries: more about their K-Pop life and tastes and to give them the opportunity to share with our readers about their favorite group(s) and bias.

 

Kat from Belgium is the next fan to answer our questions. She is a fan of SUPERKIND! Check out how she entered the fandom, the songs and content she advises to new fans, and much more!

 

Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from?

Hi Kpopmap, I am Kat and I’m from Belgium. I got into K-Pop about 7 years ago. My favorite K-Pop groups include SPEED, OMEGA X, Brave Girls and the group I want to talk about today: SUPERKIND. I took the SUPERKIND test and I am of the NUKE-M kind.

 

How and when did you enter the fandom?

I found SUPERKIND through a Reddit post about a newly debuted group that had an AI as a member. While the post was mainly about the redditor’s confusion, it did make me curious to check this group out. Their debut song ‘Watch Out’ turned out to be really catchy and the whole concept worked out so well. SaeJin (the virtual member) blends in with the real members almost flawlessly. It really captivated me and I immediately watched all the other videos on their YouTube channel. This all happened in late June and by now I am a real Player. I subscribed to all their SNS and joined their Discord server. I even participate in Dream_Mining and work on their second MV project, “NoGravityZone”.

 

What are the reasons why this rookie group is your favorite group?

SUPERKIND is very different from any other K-Pop group that I know. Not only do they have a virtual member, they also ask a lot of input from fans. We help decide which direction this group will go. A lot of their activities are more similar to what you see in games, which makes everything even more interesting. They are frequently posting teasers for their future activities, which keeps us speculating and on our toes.
The members are very diverse, yet complement each other well. They are very talented, charming and funny. I have come to care about all of them a lot.

📢ANNOUNCEMENT📢

Hello, Players.

Today, we announce the future direction of SUPERKIND the 2nd M/V project. We started this project to make a music video in a decentralized-entertainment way. pic.twitter.com/HQf9LMj4aO

— 2nd M/V Challenge (@NoGravityZone) August 16, 2022

 

What do you think differentiates this rookie group from the others?

Oh, I don’t even know where to start! 😀
Well, first of all, the obvious: One of the members is not real. I know this gets a lot of mixed responses, but I think he is incorporated into the group very well. He is a full-fledged member, not an avatar or an alter ego to a “real” member. SaeJin is SaeJin. All members and the team behind SUPERKIND really make him fit into the group nicely.
SUPERKIND is an anagram of the words NUKE, PRID (pronounced similar as “freed”) and S. NUKE and PRID are the kinds to which members and Players belong. Within the group, NUKE are the virtual members from the story world and PRID are the real members from the physical world. And S is something mysterious, something which unites them, something they need to discover throughout their story and their game. Within the fandom, Players need to take the SUPERKIND test to determine which kind they belong to. NUKE Players tend to be adventurous, creative and have their sights on the future. PRID Players on the other hand rely on their knowledge and experience and are protective with a strong heart. There are subdivisions within each category: E (extreme), R (radical) and M (moderate) to indicate how far you lean to the NUKE or PRID kind. NUKE’s catchphrase is “Forever Win” and PRID’s is “We Remember”. The catchphrase of SUPERKIND overall is “!SUPER!”.
Like I mentioned shortly before, Players help decide the direction in which SUPERKIND is going. Like in a game, depending on the path that is chosen, the story will change and have a different outcome. The most important thing where this comes into play is the “NoGravityZone” 2nd MV project, where Players decide how the story will unfold further through intertextuality (and possibly through other means in the future). Another fun thing is that the staff are called NPCs (Non-Player Characters), which gives it even more the feel of a videogame.
This brings me to the next item: SUPERKIND and the team behind them, often really value Players’ input. Not only through the “NoGravityZone” project, but when fans’ complained about their live broadcast being hosted on Twitch, they decided to switch to Youtube. When there were problems within the Discord server, they held a conference where Players could share their views and ideas.
Another important feature is the Dream_Mining concept. $Dream is some kind of currency that Players can earn. For this, we can use any material that SUPERKIND uploads (called “LEGO”): pictures, videos, chat messages… and we make something of our own with it and post it on Twitter with the hashtag #Dream_Mining. We get $Dream according to how many retweets we get. I have made compilation videos, threads and photo-edits mostly. But I have seen other Players make song remixes, story videos, drawings, incorporate SUPERKIND into movie posters, memes, and so on. It’s amazing to see how creative everyone can get with this! Besides the group and music themselves, this is my favorite part of being a Player. At this point the Dream owners get access to the Premium Lego Box, which means we get access to videos earlier, which we can use to create more content. This gives Dream owners something extra for all their work, while not denying other fans anything. They will see the videos on Youtube later. I suspect that there will be more for which $Dream can be used in the future. You can find mine and my friend’s Dream_mining through my twitter @SuperGyulKat. Me and my Player friends really help each other out to get as much Dream as possible and we encourage new Players to join too and help retweet all their creations.

 

For the readers who are completely new to the group and members, can you introduce them with your own words?

SUPERKIND is very unique in many different ways, like I specified above. They are mostly known for having a virtual member, SaeJin. But all members deserve attention. I will talk shortly about all of them in the order that their debut trailers were released.
SaeJin: Jung SaeJin is the best known member of SUPERKIND. He is a virtual member and belongs to the NUKE kind, which means he is from the ‘story world’. He enjoys adventure and thrill and took on the center position in ‘Watch Out’. A lot of K-Pop profile websites list 2002 as his birth year, but this isn’t correct. According to DEEPSTUDIO, he is ageless. He is of the NUKE-E kind.
Daemon: Daemon’s real name is Go DaeYun. He is the main rapper, dancer and translator of SUPERKIND. He is fluent in English, likes rock music and gaming and can play the guitar. He can be sensitive, but is also hardworking and caring. He has 3 tattoos: A moon, a laughing man and the phrase “God Be With Me”. He is a PRID-E member and is the PRID team leader.
Eugene: His real name is Gil GiSung and he is the mathyung (eldest) of SUPERKIND. He is an all-rounder who excels in singing, rapping, dancing and in the visual departement. He is pretty bad at using Discord (or Disco as he wrote it during a live chat), though. He is interested in fashion and is a “selfie monster” according to the NPC staff. He can be sassy, but also has a very cute side. He is of the PRID-R kind.
Geon: His full name is Jung Geon and he is the overall leader of SUPERKIND. He is a vocalist and the “physical” member of SUPERKIND. He works out 2-3 hours a day, so he is very muscular. But despite his intimidating physique, he is actually very sweet and cute. He can be a bit chaotic at times, which is rather funny. He likes lemons, because they are good for his skin (as he says himself). There is some pre-debut material of him with SaeJin. He has one dimple and is a PRID-M member.
SiO: SiO’s real name is Hong Sukyoung and he is a vocalist in SUPERKIND. A lot of Players call him the sunshine of the group, due to his playful and happy demeanor. He talks in a rather stiff way over text though, which has caused Daemon to ask if he is angry. He likes teasing the other members, but is also close with all of them. He likes Spongebob and food and is of the PRID-M kind.
JDV: aka JuChan D. Vector (real name Lee JuChan) was known to Players as PRID No.5 for a long time before he was revealed. He is sometimes called SUPERKIND’s secret weapon and he is a vocalist and dancer. He is a big Pokémon fan and he likes the color pink (because he thinks that the soft pink in the evening sky is so beautiful). He sends a lot of pictures for Players over Discord and his kind is PRID-R.
Seung: In JDV’s debut trailer, a folder with the test result can be seen with the name “SEUNG” written on it. Later we can see a shot saying “NUKE IS COMING”, so Seung will probably be of the NUKE kind like SaeJin. We are currently waiting for him to be revealed.

 

Who caught your attention at first and why? Did you know any members prior to their debut?

SaeJin was the first member to catch my eye, since he is the virtual one. He fascinated me from the first minute I saw him. I found some bits and pieces online from how he used to be a virtual influencer and have been trying to find as much “pre-debut” material as possible. Among the PRID members, Daemon was the first one to grab my attention. But by now, I’m keeping my eye on them all ^^ I didn’t know any of them before their debut, but I know that SaeJin, Daemon, and Geon already had some fans before they debuted.

 

Do you have a bias yet? If yes, tell us why.

Usually I find my bias in a group almost immediately, but this is the first time that I didn’t. I biased them all individually at this point, so now I have accepted that I am OT6 biased 😀
SaeJin is very handsome and interesting.
Daemon is “my kind of person”.
Geon is the chaotic, muscular teddy bear.
Eugene is the cute, but sassy prince.
SiO is the cute, energetic ball of sunshine.
JDV is the gentle secret weapon.
It’s not possible to choose one of them as my bias.

 

What do you particularly like in this debut title track? Do you have a favorite B-side?

First of all, I think the song is really catchy. Like I said earlier, I checked out the MV to see the virtual member, but the song immediately got stuck in my head (and it is still there!).
I love the CGI arena in the MV and how the members are glitching in and out (which fits with their concept). At times, the MV appears like a video game and the members all have mystical powers, which looks really cool. There is a lot going on, but I never feel like it is too much.
One of my favorite parts in both the song and the MV is the “Unravel who’s in the game” part. I really love the flow of it and it explains their concept of being a game and of the hidden members. In the MV/choreo SiO is holding on to SaeJin at that part; I really like when the real and virtual members interact with each other. It’s at that point that I feel that SaeJin is an actual member of SUPERKIND and not just an effect or an avatar.
So far they only have ‘Watch Out’ in their discography. I am excitedly waiting for more!

 

Can you recommend a fancam, V Live, cover video, cover dance, or other from your favorite group or bias?

I want to share their cover dance medley from 1theK, because it showcases their dancing and performing abilities. It highlights how they all worked together to make SaeJin be able to fit in and also show off their individual dancing talents.

 

And I want to show JDV’s debut trailer. JDV was revealed as a member of the group later and this video shows how he finds his way into SUPERKIND: First, by watching the ‘Watch Out’ MV, followed by him passing the other PRID members, to him taking the SUPERKIND test. And in the end he performs a self-made choreo.

 

Also, I want to share “Lego sampler | Who is SaeJin?” It shows more about who SaeJin is, where he came from, and what he thinks of some of the DREAM_Mining memes.

 

Recently, SUPERKIND uploaded their dance practice for Watch Out, which includes the 4 original PRID members and SaeJin. The choreo looks really cool, especially with SaeJin glitching in and out. Players have been asking for a dance practice video for a long time, so we were really happy when we finally got it! And after the choreo, they edited in DREAM_Mining content along with a list of all the DREAM-owners. I actually ended in 4th place, which is amazing since I started making content rather late, and they show some of my edits too, which made me so happy 🥰 At the end of the video they announce that ‘Watch Out’ era has ended and that we are moving on to KiSeung Highschool in the storyworld HITCHHIKERS. This video shows many things that SUPERKIND and DEEPSTUDIO are good at: Their teamwork, their dancing skills, the closeness to fans and the spoilers to their next steps and content.

 

What are the things you are looking for in their future activities?

I am really excited to see their story and world unfold more. Right now, I am mainly looking forward to their next song and the MV that will come with it. They have also started to tease the reveal of the new member: Seung, who might also be virtual. On their Instagram, they have started to reveal “KiSeung High School”, which is probably the location where the next part of their story will take place. It is all still very mysterious now and I check their SNS accounts every day, waiting for more clues. SUPERKIND is only a few months old now and I am sure they and DEEPSTUDIO still have a lot more planned. They will definitely keep surprising us.
I also wonder if and how they will perform in the future. Will they use holograms to bring SaeJin to life? Will they take the route of mixed virtual reality? Or will only the PRID members hold live performances? Anyway, I really hope they will have live performances in the future. The members are all very skilled, so I think they should be on stage in front of Players.

 

Are there any words from the members you would like to share?

I like what SiO has to say about the combination of real and virtual members. A lot of people think that the real members won’t be able to compete with the virtual ones and that they must feel bad about it. But this is absolutely not true.
“While NUKE members can impress you with their flawless results, I think the greatest charm of human beings is that we’re unpredictable — be it the process of our growth or our emotions… That’s the fun of it! Us PRID members can show fans our multifarious human side. That’s our competitive edge against NUKEs, as well as what makes the two sides compliment each other.”
A lot of non-fans have complain about SaeJin and say that it is unfair to the real members that he got the center position in ‘Watch Out’. But DEEPSTUDIO has always been very open about wanting to debut a group with both real and virtual members. Daemon and Geon still decided to stay and the others decided to join DEEPSTUDIO. They don’t feel threatened by “perfect SaeJin” and they know that Players really value and love them. They help create SaeJin within SUPERKIND by always leaving a spot open for him so he can be incorporated. In fact, Players often joke that it’s unfair that SaeJin hardly gets any content, while it’s so easy for the real members to just decide to upload content and interact with us. I think this is just a new form of K-Pop and entertainment. Virtual idols will never take the place of real idols; they have their own niche. And in SUPERKIND, they both come together, by friendly competition and by completing each other.

 

What type of concept do you prefer: cute, dark, sexy, etc?

I like all kinds of concepts, but for SUPERKIND, I would like to see a dark/mysterious or powerful concept now. Especially something that might show the members as video game characters or even superheros. The members definitely all have a cute side to them, so that would be nice too.

 

What is your best souvenir with your favorite group until now?

Geon and SiO both replied to my comments on Discord, which was nice ^^ and NPC JangHo retweeted my DREAM_Mining content twice. Another special moment was the day that JDV was revealed as a member. Other Players and I were all excitedly waiting for the video of the “mysterious PRID No. 5” and he definitely did not disappoint!

 

Can you recommend words that your bias like to hear to new fans who don’t know yet about it?

Geon has said a few times that he wants to be a hero to his fans/Players. So I have called him “our hero” or “!SUPER!hero” a few times. I think it fits him, because of his physique.

 

Can you describe your bias in only one word?

It’s a bit obvious, but: !SUPER!

 

Can you recommend a cute or funny video (30s)/gif of your bias to our readers?

I want to recommend their “WATCH OUT Runway version” TikTok. It’s very short, but still shows the personalities of the members participating: Daemon is cool, Geon is tough, Eugene is sassy and SiO is happy.

@playsuperkind ‘WATCH OUT’ Runway ver.🕺🕺🕺🕺#SUPERKIND #슈퍼카인드 #WATCHOUT ♬ WATCH OUT – SUPERKIND

 

What’s your favourite 2022 moment involving your bias?

My favorite moment was just discovering them and hearing ‘Watch Out’ plus seeing the MV for the first time. I am glad that I know a lot of other Players now and that I have learned a lot about the members and lore. But that first moment when you have found a new group that you “click with”, that will always be special to me.

 

What is a random fact that you think people don’t know about them?

There is an ongoing joke among Players that DEEPSTUDIO is not allowing SaeJin to buy new shoes, since he has had the same pair ever since debut (while he has had a few outfit changes). So some of us are jokingly campaigning to force DEEPSTUDIO to buy him a new pair of shoes.

 

If you could spend the day with them, what would you want to do together?

I made a DREAM_Mining series of SUPERKIND at the zoo, so I think I would take them there. I would ask them a lot of questions, I think, about how they expect their story to evolve, etc. I’d probably talk about Pokémon with JDV too 😁. I would want to buy them a meal afterwards. They all seem easygoing, so I would just keep it all lighthearted and fun.

 

Name 1 quality in your bias that you wish you had.

SaeJin: His amazing visuals.
Eugene: His “all-roundedness” (He’s good at almost everything).
Geon: His determination to keep working out (I always end up giving up).
Daemon: His ability to make everyone feel at ease around him.
SiO: His positivity.
JDV: His drawing skills.

 

What is the biggest mystery about your favourite idol?

The biggest mystery around SUPERKIND has got to be: Who is behind SaeJin? Some Players have found a few of his visual creators, but we don’t know how many there are. We don’t know who voices SaeJin. And, in the case that his movements come to life through motion-capture, who is giving him his dancing skills. On one hand, a documentary about the making of SaeJin would be so interesting. I wish I knew who was all behind him, so that I could praise the talent and hard work of all these people. On the other hand, I love the idea and mystery of SaeJin as his own entity, which would all disappear if we were to learn about the process of making him. We all know SaeJin is virtual, but it’s part of the fun to treat him as if he is alive and he is his own person. I don’t want that to end (yet).

 

Kat’s message for SUPERKIND:

Thank you for all your hard work, SUPERKIND. Your concept is so different and refreshing. It really fits into all my interests. You are all really talented and have such charming personalities. You and the whole team behind SUPERKIND have made something that fans can be passionate about. In a world where 100+ new kpop groups debut every year, you really set yourselves apart. I am so excited for SUPERKIND’s future and I want to be a part of it. Keep up the good work! I love you 🧡💚 !SUPER!

Thank you for answering our questions, Kat.

 

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