Farewell to Half Moon Friends
(warning: long long post ahead)
5 months ago, around the 10th of March if I’m not mistaken, it was suddenly announced that Winner would stop all promotions to film a new JTBC variety show featuring kids.
In all honesty, at first I was quite apprehensive. I kept thinking, this could never close the void that WINNER TV left in my heart, I would much rather see them promote than film for some new show.
Today the last episode of Half Moon Friends has aired. The HMF saga has ended and it feels like our Bandal Chingus has taken a large part of my heart when they said goodbye.
I don’t know when or how, it feel like I have formed an attachment with the children just as WINNER did. Maybe it was when WINNER started updating their SNS with little snippets of the show, maybe it was when all the kids came to the concert, maybe it was when the first episode of Half Moon Friends aired, but somewhere along the way the kids sort of became a daily part of my life.
I still remember waiting on VAPP for the first episode to air, I remember Mino offering sweets to the girls and all of them refusing, Seunghoon having toilet problems with Jei, the Three Princesses fighting over Juju Teacher
From Taehyun successfully changing Hayuls diapers and no one cheering for Hoon and Mino when they were playing games, to those heart breaking moments between Seungyoon and Yeojun, I felt like I was living in Bandalland right alongside them.
There were so great many moments in every episode, Yoon covering the poster and NamSong visiting Hayuls mom, 2SeungJin going to the fitness gym, MINOS GODDAMN BIRTHDAY WHICH MADE ME CRY LIKE A BABY, that amazing amazing episode with Seunghoon being an MC for the parent’s field day, WINNER watching the magician (who are the kids in this show again?), the makeover (I have never been as attracted to Mino as I was when I saw him braiding and painting nails like a pro, just saying), Hoon and Yoon becoming fathers while teaching the kids to ride a bicycle, TURNING ME CARD and the hilarious quiz session (who knew it took a dive session for the members to throw 3 years worth of friendship and trust out the door) Also FYI Jinwoo, you look sexy with your hair pushed back. Also lets not forget the SeunghoonxOrangutan romance please, that broke every ship in WINNERverse, and Winner watching the videos which ripped my heart out. And now today the kids have a fun day out at the beach and they graduate. I don’t think I will be emotionally ready to talk about the last episode for the next few days.
It feels strange thinking even though Bandalland ends for us today, it has already been over for both WINNER and the kids for weeks now.
If it was up to me, Half Moon Friends would run at least until Hayul goes to college. I may have started watching this show for the idols, but I continued watching them because the kids are such amazing and interesting little things. They all have their own stories, and so do their parents. It was an honour to get a glimpse into each of their lives.
So thank you WINNER, thank you Bandal Chingus, thank you JTBC and JTBC staff. You have given me a chance to see 5 celebrities I treasure in a new light, you have turned WINNER into Yoonie, Juju, Moja, Candy and Monster Teacher. The last few months were a treasure, and it made me fall in love with WINNER even more. All I can hope now is the kids don’t forget, because I know I certainly will not.
If anyone is interested, English subs up to Episode 11 is available here. (Episode 12 subbed will be available by next week)
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