[ARTICLE] 150425 ‘EXO NEXT DOOR: Oh Sehun of Unexpected'

How would it feel like to have EXO living (your) next door? What if you can meet them by chance and fall in love with them? ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’ has started its ambitious broadcast with a title that is filled with all these fantasies of EXO fans. The interesting is that the person who catches the most attention in this web-drama is not the soft heroine Yeonhee (Moon Gayoung), not the ‘Tsundere’ Chanyeol, not the typical sweetheart boy D.O., not Baekhyun who showed off his sweet voice through the OST, but Sehun.

        Of course, Sehun is a member who cannot help but to stand out with his height and the face that is of like a statue, but relatively he wasn’t really a member who took a large part on stages or on tv shows (broadcasts). He, who is like that, has grabbed everyone’s attention with appraisals such as “(I) didn’t know he was this great at acting” from this web-drama. Actually, ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’ in some ways have more unrealistic points than fantasies. In the development, it is hard to find probability and the heroine is more like a character who is standing between the line of a stalker and ‘a girl who causes nuisance’ rather than an EXO fan. Even if you take into an account that this is a web-drama lead by idols, there are already so many problems even before that. Sehun definitely stands out with his appearances throughout ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’, giving us calm entertainments.

#As if my own little brother, Oh Sehun’s natural acting who acts Oh Sehun
        Sehun’s charm in ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’ comes from the naturalness that feels like it can be found around you so easily. Sehun’s face and body are overly unrealistic, but the way he acts and his attitudes are just so realistic. Such gap between the two entertains the viewers. From undone hair, those eyes that won’t open even though he got up, and to the figure who walks away towards the 'good smell' while his hands are shoved in the pockets of his tracksuit. Those images are Sehun’s, but the actions depict of those younger brothers in the mornings of the weekends for sure. Besides this, Sehun’s natural, realistic acting shines throughout every scene. Sehun heading straight to the sofa to lie down as soon as he gets home, seems even more natural under the explosive situation where Chanyeol yells at Yeonhee. He (Sehun) has also done a smooth job for the scene that could have been seen as deliberate, when he was turning his head towards the back while saying that he’s bored with his hands on the sofa.

#Sehun’s ‘Attention Snatching’, (is) not because of his face

        Sehun certainly is a person who stands forth even just with his existence itself. However, Sehun in ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’ snatches attention in a way that is a bit different. In the end of episode 1 and the start of episode 2, Yeonhee drinks water when she chokes on rice cakes and spits water at Chanyeol, who was standing at the very front, as she gets surprised at seeing EXO who suddenly appeared. At this moment, Sehun suppresses his laughter between D.O. and Baekhyun who are opening their eyes wide. This is the moment that attracts the crowd as Sehun’s personality reveals. He has also grabbed attention with him sleeping as he was scolded by the members when he was complaining like “There’s no bed!” at the beginning of episode 2. The way he seemed like a caterpillar buried in his yellow sleeping bag presented pitifulness. In episode 3, Sehun explores around the house, while wearing sunglasses, as if he’s moonwalking. This funny scene joins with Yeonhee’s younger brother, Kwangsoo (Jang Yoosang)’s strange behaviours and therefore it gives off a synergy effect for laughter.

#’Scene Stealer’ Sehun’s crucial word

A ‘Scene Stealer’ stands for a supporting actor in movies or dramas who captivates the ‘scene’ with his excellent acting skills or unique charm. Sehun in ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’ is also serving his role greatly as the ‘Scene Stealer’. Particularly, if you think about the words one by one, spat out by Sehun the character, it is often the case that those are the words that remain in one’s memory the most from the drama. Sehun’s distinctive pronunciation that ends somewhere between ‘요 (-yo)’ and ‘여 (-yeo)’ is also a key point.

“Are there many pretty girls?” The first thing Sehun asked during the video call with Kai. The awkwardness of Kai on the video has somehow given reality to the scene. (episode 2)

“When did you even prepare for this? Just because you (the members) did this, I’m moved. So very moved.” The words which Sehun said to the members while having breakfast. It proved that you need to listen untill the end to know the true meaning behind Korean. (episode 3)

“Ah hyung, what do you mean by hometown*. Is it dumplings**? Ugh this oldie.” The words that ‘dissed’ Chanyeol, who was asking Yeonhee’s hometown all of sudden, while being quite courageous. Though it seems like Sehun is the one who likes the address term ‘인천댁’*** the most. (episode 6)

(*The word used for hometown is ‘고향', which young people nowadays hardly use when asking where someone’s from. It’s a rather old-fashioned term imo.)
(**There’s instant dumplings in Korea named ‘고향만두', obviously Sehun was joking around with the word 고향)
(*** ‘인천’ is Incheon, an area in Korea and ‘~댁’.. to put it simply, was just a way to refer women by attaching the name of the area where they lived in. This is also hardly used these days as far as I know.)

#’EXO NEXT DOOR’ The best one minute, The Friend Compact
Sehun playing an active part in the drama up until now, compared to this scene, is just like a normal coffee*. Sehun, who walked out of the house wearing sunglasses as he wanted to drink drip coffee, encounters Yeonhee’s brother, Kwangsoo. Sehun even had the thought of initiating a conversation with Kwangsoo, who was fighting desperately with some clothes hanger, Sehun then asks Kwangsoo where he would be able to find a coffee shop that sells something like drip coffee. However, Kwangsoo the eccentric makes real coffee by grinding coffee beans using millstone, instead of telling Sehun the location of a coffee shop. Sehun, who was deeply moved by the ‘millstone coffee’ says “Hey friend, let us get along very well (for real).” and hugs Kwangsoo. It is the moment when ‘The Legendary Friend Compact’ was entered. This scene is the passage for where the charm of Sehun and his natural acting skills all appear. The words he says with his unique accent, every one of them are so vibrant. The way he is sitting down at the tent and shyly gathering his legs are way too natural. The moment when Sehun screams for his friend with a satisfied look on his face after tasting the coffee, and the scene where Sehun hugs Kwangsoo while not being able to control his emotions are the best one minute of ‘EXO NEXT DOOR’.

(*This was a slogan for T.O.P coffee advertisement in Korea, “If this is just a normal coffee, then this is T.O.P.”, emphasising that T.O.P coffee is like.. beyond the level of ’normal’ coffee.)

(c) original article by tenasia: ‘우리 옆집에 엑소가 산다 : 뜻밖의 오세훈’, 생활 연기 강자 세훈 http://tenasia.hankyung.com/?p=506410 // English translation by @mocha0412

translation by mocha0412: 1, 2, original article

Shared by Danielle@exodicted.net

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