How different are idol group Wanna One's selfies from 2017 and 2026?
Wanna One's "visuals that defy time" are drawing attention again.
Mnet Plus released photos on its official social media channels on the 15th and 16th comparing Wanna One members' 2017 debut era and their current 2026 looks.
Released ahead of the launch of the Mnet Plus original reality "WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base" (Wanna One Go: Back to Base), which premieres April 28, this content has generated heated attention from the global fandom as soon as it was released.
The photos recreated identical poses and compositions from nine years earlier, from the debut album group shot to individual selfies, drawing attention as a "visual decalcomania." Hwang Min-hyun, Kim Jaehwan, Ong Seongwu, Park Woo-jin, Park Jihoon, Bae Jinyoung, Ha Sung-woon, Lee Dae Hwi and Yoon Jisung showcased unchanged visuals and presence despite nine years passing. Their fresh looks at debut and their more mature appearances now evoke both Wanna One's beginning and future, further stirring fans' emotions.
Fans who saw the photos reacted strongly. "It feels like time stopped," "it's exactly as it was back then," "I would believe it was nine months ago rather than nine years ago," "it really feels like they're back," "it's touching," and other exclamations continued, and reactions such as "I can't believe I'm seeing this combination again" accompanied growing expectations for the reunited Wanna One through this reality show.
This comparison cut goes beyond a simple recall of the past and gains meaning as a symbolic image that intuitively shows the time of Wanna One, reunited as "us" after seven years. The narrative connecting Wanna One's past and present links naturally, and anticipation for the Mnet Plus original reality "Wanna One Go: Back to Base" is also rising.
The reality show "Wanna One Go: Back to Base," documenting the new journey of the reunited Wanna One, will premiere on Mnet Plus at 6 p.m. on Tue., April 28, and will air on Mnet at 8 p.m. Expectations are rising about what reaction it will elicit from fans.<
[Photo] CJ ENM
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