'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' featured Lee Young-ji as the youngest and longest-serving MC, ending the show with tears.
The last broadcast of 'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' aired on KBS2TV on the 21st.
On this day, Lee Young-ji opened by saying, "Today is the last recording, the 20th recording, and since this is a program I truly love, I will make the last night a special one."
Lee Young-ji decorated the stage herself after completing a journey of about five months from September 24 of last year to February 18. She said, "Now is my time," and decorated the stage with 'I am Lee Young-ji,' heating up the atmosphere. Lee Young-ji noted, "As the youngest and longest-serving MC, I met 85 teams and recalled memorable moments, saying, 'I remember when various guests came, and I got to share my favorite music with them.'
At that time, a surprise video message for Lee Young-ji was revealed. Following members of IVE, Mimi and Lee Eun-ji, senior MC Park Jae-bum from 'The Seasons,' Jannabi, and others including Buseoksoon, Mark, Kim Yeon-ja, and Go Kyung-pyo expressed their greetings, saying, "You have worked hard all this time."
During this time, Producer Na Young-seok made a surprise appearance on stage. Lee Young-ji was surprised by Na Young-seok's unexpected appearance, and Na Young-seok greeted, "You were surprised, right?" and added, "Our Young-ji, although she has not been involved in the music, is like a daughter born from entertainment. I came out to celebrate her last day." Lee Young-ji also said, "It was truly touching."
He then introduced Lee Young-ji's achievements. Lee Young-ji jokingly said, "Please acknowledge that I made a significant contribution to the success of 'The Seasons,'" to which Na Young-seok remarked, "There has never been anyone more adorable and lively in a music program MC role," acknowledging her. When Na Young-seok asked if it was not difficult to be the MC for the eighth time, Lee Young-ji replied, "I tend to utilize all my abilities when someone asks me to do something," showing her sense of responsibility.
After selecting the last song, Lee Young-ji shed more tears and said, "It's too sad; I guess I was disappointed. I will sing two songs, so please enjoy it." When she saw the audience's banner that read, 'I will remember the twenty nights with Young-ji,' she burst into tears again.
Lee Young-ji expressed her feelings, saying, "When I take on any task, I usually try to grasp the essence of the work. I believe the essence of this program is to create more people who love music," and as she got emotional, she added, "I am so grateful for this opportunity; it has never felt like a workspace, rather a space of rest. I thank the 85 guest teams who shared this long journey and the audience members who filled the seats every episode."
Meanwhile, 'The Seasons' is a music talk show that introduced a unique format called 'annual project' for the first time on KBS's late-night music program. Following 'Jay Park's Drive,' 'Choi Jeong-hoon's Night Park,' 'AKMU's Onal O'Bam,' 'Lee Hyori's Red Carpet,' and 'Zico's Artist,' it made its sixth season with 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow.' The sixth season title 'Rainbow' signifies that diverse stories and performances will be showcased with various genres of musicians every week.
'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' is particularly significant within 'The Seasons.' While Lee Young-ji claimed the titles of the youngest and longest-serving MC, it also garnered the first award since its launch at the entertainment awards ceremony. 'The Seasons' took home three awards at the 2024 KBS Entertainment Awards, including Best Newcomer in the Show/Variety category (Zico), Best Writer (Seo Hyun-a), and Excellence Award in the Show/Variety category (Lee Young-ji).
Before the filming of the final episode of 'Lee Young-ji's Rainbow,' Lee Young-ji shared her thoughts with OSEN, saying, "It's sad because I have to wrap things up. But I believe I will return someday. Even though it's said to be the longest, it's only 20 episodes. Since we filmed four times a month, it doesn't feel like it has been that long. Rather, it's frustrating because I was just getting used to the idea that now I can do it more comfortably, and it's ending now." She smiled and added, "I wonder how the world has changed so fast, but I prefer the title of longest-serving over the youngest one."
[Photo] Captured from the broadcast
[OSEN= Kim Soo-hyung Reporter]