I did a deep dive into Zero Base One so you don’t have to 😘 (Pt. 1)

Thumbnail image source and credit: @ZB1_official

This is a 2 part series. This part is about Hanbin (beige blazer), Jiwoong (cream jumper, dark hair), Hao (holding the cake) and Matthew (cream jumper, blonde hair).

If, like me, you have been living under a rock in the Kpop world for the past year, you might feel a bit late to the hype party about ZeroBaseOne.

Also known as ‘the new Wanna One’, these boys stole hearts with their talent during the hugely popular survival completion: Boys Planet. ZB1’s popularity growth is showing no signs of slowing as they take their place among the leading boys of 5th Gen Kpop.

So, if you want to catch up on what you’ve missed, keep reading.

Ignoring my best friend’s explicit warning (she said something along the lines of them being “specifically designed to f*** you up.”), I decided to do a deep dive into the ZB1 chaos to find out what all the hype was about.

As per usual, my first stop was an unhelpful (read actually very helpful) guide by a talented ZB1 fan (thank you @tangee!).

While I highly recommend that you watch the guide, if you don’t have 30 minutes to spare or are wary of getting in too deep with yet another talented group, let me give you the quick lowdown.

Disclaimer: What follows are my personal thoughts and opinions. There may be small inaccuracies, but I hope you enjoy this newbie’s take on your current faves.

Hanbin is the sunshine, motivational leader.

Exuding positive and supportive vibes, Sung Han Bin (born 2001), was the bright light at the end of the Boys Planet tunnel. You can often see him helping the other members, and giving off handsome class president vibes.

As the leader and one of the older members, you can recognise him from his slightly more chiselled features, and from his heart-warming smile (he smiles with his eyes 🥰).

Hanbin looks like optimism personified, which is why he earned a nickname that basically means ‘light’ (Sung Hanbitna, which is a mix of his name and the Korean character for light).

Image source and editing credit: gysoons. Original media source and publisher: Mnet K-pop.

He is known for his dancing skills, particularly tutting and waacking, and before joining the show he danced professionally. There are so many videos of him dancing at studios pre-debut, or in the background of groups like BTS. He’s also known for his super stable live vocals, which he can maintain throughout a performance.

For an explanation of his cute nickname, or the little hamster doll that he carries around you can watch this gem of a video about Zero Base One inside jokes (created once again by the amazing @tangee).

Jiwoong is the dark and brooding eldest

Kim Ji Woong (ignore the ‘W’ when you say it), is the mat-hyung of the group, born in 1998. He has distinctive big eyes, lush wide lips and a certain soft and sad look that adds to his stoic demeanour.

Jiwoong feels like a solid foundation, he has been in the industry for a long time and it shows. He is known and respected for his relentless determination to achieve his dream of being a successful idol, which he has been pursuing for more than 10 years (his first debut was in 2016!).

Known for his bold acting roles in a couple of Kdramas, including BLs, he has the kind of quiet confidence that will linger in your mind, and if your type is calm, dependable, dark and handsome, be prepared to bias.

Image credit: @official_kimjiwoong

Jiwoong is an all rounder on stage. He has a deeper voice, so he was given rap parts in the past, but his voice has a soft quality too which truly shines when he sings. As one of the older members, he has also done some pretty mature performances and his stage presence definitely carries some of that maturity too.

P.S. Does anyone else get reminded of Edward Cullen when they see Jiwoong? No? Just me… ok I’ll sit down 🙈

Hao has that star quality you can’t look away from

Zhang Hao has the ever-coveted role of center in the group. He got the most votes, and he has the most fans, which is actually really impressive since he is from China (and we all know how strained the politics between China and Korea can get 😅).

The attention is warranted though, Hao (born 2000) is a triple-threat, and seems to effortlessly hypnotise audiences with his undeniable charisma. He has that certain je ne sais quoi on stage that you just cant define.

He has masterful control over his vocals, and his clear and flawlessly pitched tone is perfect for both high-energy and sentimental Kpop. His dancing is expressive and eye-catching, like in this fancam (which is supposed to be focussed on Hanbin), you just can’t keep your eyes off him.

Image source and credit: cchaochan. Original media source and publisher: Mnet K-pop.

He also has the undeniably romantic ability to play the violin to a professional level (he majored in music at university), and is asked to showcase this skill in performances and variety shows a lot.

I may be a bit biased as his look and stage presence reminds me a bit of N from Vixx and Subin from Victon (both my biases).

Matthew is the cute Canadian guy

My best description of Seok Matthew (born 2002) would be ‘cute and cheeky’. His vibes are kind and easy going, and he has that certain natural openness and confidence that is common among idols who come from North America.

Matthew’s gummy smile won a lot of hearts, but don’t be deceived, he is well known for his dedication to the gym, and these days that adorable face is paired with a ripped body.

His sweet off-stage and intense on-stage duality is well known and loved, and his light and easy vocals add to his charm as ZB1’s resident sweet boy.

Image source and credit: @seokmatthews

Matthew is also particularly known for his honest and unfiltered manner (you might see the phrase ‘no media training’ used a lot when it comes to Matthew), and he ends up being unintentionally funny in a lot of situations.

Honestly, Matthew reminds me a lot of Exo’s Xiumin, and while he’s often styled as more of a ‘bad boy’, he seems like a total cinnamon roll inside and out.

On a side note, if you want to watch the entire group being funny, this video about random but funny ZB1 moments had me giggling at like 2am (all credits @jebichu 🫶).

The ship dynamics go crazy

As usual with survival-show groups, each member of ZB1 had to prove their worth and popularity individually before they were united as a whole. So a pretty wide range of unique personalities make up the group, with interesting results for the group dynamics.

Naturally, sub-groups of two or three members often gravitate towards each other with a particular chemistry that is addictive to watch. Some of the most popular ships include the members above, probably helped by the trauma-bonding that comes from being the most popular contestants on Boys Planet.

The group dynamics of ZeroBaseOne is definitely a post for another time, but I wanted to end with this cute GIF of the Hanbin and Hao, whose affectionate interactions have been melting hearts since they got close on Boys Planet.

GIF source and credit: zerobaseone. Original media source and publisher: Elle Korea.

If the charms of ZB1 have already piqued your interest, here’s a Studio Choom that will make you want to stan.

And here’s that viral fancam of Hanbin tutting to Call Me Mother by RuPaul.