The 'MZ President' Lee Young-ji has put a period on her hot five months of activities. The finale of 'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' was more splendid and special for Lee Young-ji, who entered as the youngest MC and leaves as the one with the longest tenure.
Despite the biting cold spring weather enveloping Yeouido in the Yeongdeungpo District of Seoul, KBS Hall, where the final recording of 'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' took place, was warm. On that day, the KBS was even busier as fans from across the country and even abroad flocked to watch the final recording of 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow.' Fans from Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong were also noticeable, along with a fan from Jeju Island. They waited to enter, feeling both the sadness of it being the last episode and the anticipation that it would be a more special installment.
In the waiting room, staff members completed their rehearsal and prepared for the actual recording while enjoying lunch boxes that Lee Young-ji had bought with her own money. An hour before the main recording began, a special guest visited Lee Young-ji's waiting room. It was Han Kyung-cheon, the entertainment center director. He presented Lee Young-ji, who won the Excellence Award at the '2024 KBS Entertainment Awards' and holds the titles of youngest (22 years old) and longest-serving (20 episodes) MC of 'The Seasons,' with a 'Bereavement Plaque,' expressing gratitude for her hard work until now. In response, Lee Young-ji expressed, 'I will return whenever,' and 'I also want to receive a Daesang,' indicating her hopes for the next meeting rather than sadness.
The final recording was conducted in a special manner. The seats near the stage were converted to standing areas. With the designated seats packed with audience members, Lee Young-ji appeared and, as usual, passionately performed 'NOT SORRY' before shouting 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' with the audience. Lee Young-ji remarked to the audience, 'Since this is the last episode of my beloved program, I will enjoy it properly. It will be a special night, so I hope you enjoy it more than usual,' as the actual recording commenced.
The first guest was YB, who hosts 'Yoon Do-hyun's Love Letter' and is a 'direct senior' to Lee Young-ji. After introducing YB, just as Lee Young-ji was about to step down from the stage, she turned back to the audience as setting up the band took time. Worried that the audience's energy might drop, she engaged with them closely while buying YB some time to prepare. This also demonstrated how much Lee Young-ji had grown during her five months as the MC of 'The Seasons.'
After YB's performance, Lee Young-ji's hosting and talk flowed smoothly like water. Starting with stories from the stage, they touched on various topics like the new album and the 30th anniversary of their debut. Before a duet of 'I Might Have Loved,' she boldly suggested doing a 'meme' dance along with 'I Might Have Loved.' Additionally, just before the 'Rebellion' challenge, she came up with ideas befitting her nickname 'Challenge King.' Lee Young-ji's brilliant ideas brought laughter from YB and the audience, allowing them to immerse themselves even more in the stage and talk.
The second guest was the band, The Volunteer's, which includes Lee Young-ji's close friend, Baek Yerin. This was the first time this band appeared on 'The Seasons.' Here, Lee Young-ji's hosting skills shone. While keeping the line, she lightened the atmosphere with jokes and banter, allowing the shy and introverted members Jonny (guitar) and Kim Chi-heon (drums) time to adapt to being on air. The two eventually relaxed and showcased a diverse range of talk and reactions. Lee Young-ji later named the two as the most challenging guests but didn't show it, demonstrating her capability as a terrestrial late-night music show MC.
Following the performances of YB and The Volunteers, Lee Young-ji's show began. Feeling envious of the warm reception that Busrik Soon received while appearing from the audience, Lee Young-ji came onstage singing 'I Am Lee Young-ji,' infusing the event with her distinctive energetic vibe, transforming 'The Seasons' into an 'Lee Young-ji solo concert.' After 'I Am Lee Young-ji,' she sang 'If I Ain't Got You' accompanied by Jung Dong-hwan on piano, and also delivered an emotional duet with Baek Yerin on 'A Long Walk.'
As they bid farewell to Lee Young-ji, the 'youngest and longest-serving MC,' the production team made numerous preparations. With congratulatory messages coming in from various artists including IVE, Jay Park, Jannabi, Kim Yeon-ja, Go Kyung-pyo, Mimi, Busrik Soon, Lee Eun-ji, NCT's Mark, and Na Young-seok, director Na surprised everyone by showing up with a bouquet of flowers. It had been about 13 years since director Na appeared at KBS after 'Human Condition.' He was visiting for the first time in 13 years for his 'daughter born from variety shows,' Lee Young-ji, and after a moment of emotional reunion, Lee Young-ji asked director Na to dance to 'It's So Difficult to First Meet You,' appreciating his dancing skills and moved to tears.
After a talk with director Na Young-seok, Lee Young-ji's show continued. Reflecting on her journey over the past five months, Lee Young-ji's collaboration with Rosé on 'APT.' that recorded 24 million views and her various challenges that garnered millions of views were remarkable. She humorously remarked, 'Whenever someone asks me to do something, I do it. I do it with all my might. After the challenge with Hwasa became a big hit, now I always dance along.'
After talking with director Na Young-seok, Lee Young-ji's show continued. After the stages of 'ADHD' and 'Small Girl,' Lee Young-ji said an emotional farewell with her closing remarks. She sang 'NOT SORRY' with pH-1, bringing 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' to an end. In particular, during the process of taking pictures with the staff who had run alongside her all this time, Lee Young-ji expressed her gratitude by bowing deeply.
[OSEN = reporter Jang Woo-young]