It was 2023, on “The Game Caterers,” a show on the YouTube channel Egg Is Coming. The members of SEVENTEEN wrote down their wishes, and DK drew one from the raffle. The winning entry? WONWOO’s wish to be on the show “Youth Over Flowers.” That wish first became reality with “NANA TOUR with SEVENTEEN,” and now continues on in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the group’s debut with “NANA bnb with SEVENTEEN.” Egg Is Coming is commemorating the boy group’s 10-year milestone with a series they’re making available on YouTube, streaming platforms, and Weverse, in what could be described as a new and unique content ecosystem. It’s one that producer Shin Hyo-jung, who directed both “NANA TOUR” and “NANA bnb,” describes as “connections” and “promises” made with SEVENTEEN.
“NANA bnb” not only celebrates the 10th anniversary of SEVENTEEN’s debut but it’s particularly special since S.COUPS was able to be a part of it after not being able to join for “NANA TOUR.” Still, it’s too bad JEONGHAN couldn’t be there, since he’s off doing his military service.
Shin Hyo-jung: I got in touch with JEONGHAN on the side, and while he said how sad he was he had to miss it, he also said he hoped the rest of the group would have a good time. [Na] Young-seok talked about how sad it was, too. But it only filled our film crew with more determination. (laughs) I hope someday we can put together a show featuring all 13 of the members of SEVENTEEN.
In “NANA TOUR,” you kidnapped the group’s members while they were asleep and whisked them away on a surprise trip to Europe. For “NANA bnb,” you plotted a second kidnapping to celebrate their 10th anniversary, staging a fake shoot for “Chattering with Nah” before suddenly taking them to a BnB.
Shin Hyo-jung: We really put a lot of thought into how to kidnap them since this was the second time. (laughs) We had an idea where we’d work together on “GOING SEVENTEN” and orchestrate the kidnapping mid-shoot, or drag them out while they were in the middle of getting shampooed at the hair and makeup place. In the end, we leaned towards doing a fake episode of “Chattering,” since they’d been on it before, and then pull a bait-and-switch. We knew they’d naturally be more relaxed at the BnB, but we wanted to at least have them looking sleek in the beginning to mark the anniversary, so we asked them to come dressed up in suits. But that only raised suspicions. (laughs) It seemed odd to wear a suit for a Na Young-seok show. They kept asking about the suits even when they were on set. We just pushed through and kept telling them, “It’s because it’s your 10th-anniversary party.” (laughs) Luckily, as the shoot stretched on for some three hours, they seemed convinced it wasn’t a kidnapping.
In the end, it was such a success that DINO even made a phone call to cancel plans with his songwriter friend last minute.
Shin Hyo-jung: I kept hearing that, whenever the boys were taking a break while getting ready to shoot, they kept saying, “This isn’t for ‘NANA TOUR,’ right?” I felt my heart drop every time I heard that. (laughs) We set the date for the fake “Chattering” shoot two months before their 10th anniversary. We normally don’t plan more than a month ahead, so I was worried they’d find it strange. We explained it was because producer Na Young-seok had a business trip and the crew was busy with other things, and thankfully, they bought it. We blocked out seven hours for the fake episode so that the group wouldn’t make other plans afterward, although WOOZI, sharp as he is, was skeptical. I mean, no normal variety show takes seven hours to film. So, we doubled down. (laughs) “It’s your 10th anniversary party,” we said. “We’ve got a lot planned.”
The number of names credited for keeping the kidnapping under wraps basically filled an entire screen. (laughs)
Shin Hyo-jung: Since this was such a top-secret shoot, we went as far as to cover up everything from the signs to the props where they were putting the “NANA bnb” set together. There were some people who were getting things ready without even knowing who was going to be on the show. The cinematographers only found out the day before that they’d be filming with SEVENTEEN, too. It’s not easy to prep for a shoot without knowing who you’ll be working with, but thankfully, everyone was really understanding. Some of them said they actually felt better not knowing ahead of time since it helps avoid potential slip-ups.
The fake “Chattering” episode wasn’t just for laying the groundwork for “NANA bnb”—it really did reflect on SEVENTEEN’s 10-year journey. Producer Na Young-seok asked the group about their early debut days, then they all watched video from when they performed their debut song “Adore U” and they put on their old stage outfits.
Shin Hyo-jung: I wanted to show that SEVENTEEN didn’t just appear overnight, like, ta-da! The group went through a lot to make it to where they are today. Honestly, it’s not easy for idols to be less than perfect or be themselves completely when they’re on variety shows, but SEVENTEEN’s absolutely determined to do a good job in everything they do. They don’t take anything lightly.
“NANA TOUR” focused on capturing SEVENTEEN just enjoying their vacation, while “NANA bnb” shows them cooking for themselves and completing missions to earn whatever they need. That whole concept reminded me of SEVENTEEN’s early days.
Shin Hyo-jung: Even the group members talked about how filming “NANA bnb” reminded them of their “SEVENTEEN’s One Fine Day: 13 Castaway Boys” days. (laughs) Because we wanted to show how SEVENTEEN got their start, we worked in things like games where they earn ingredients or missions they have to complete to visit a makeshift store for things they need. A person might find it challenging to suddenly be at a BnB and have to make fires and cook their own meals, but we wanted to highlight the way the group fully embraced it all to show how SEVENTEEN’s spent the past 10 years growing into an outstandingly skilled and cohesive group.
HOSHI said to Na Young-seok, “I guess we kind of shed of our humble beginnings,” but then, when he’s revisiting his red carpet performance, he literally drops to his knees in regret. And then there’s JOSHUA, who was so passionate he made his way down the red carpet on his hands.
Shin Hyo-jung: Honestly, there was nothing for them to feel regret about, but they tend to be hard on themselves if they feel they weren’t funny enough. Whenever we film with SEVENTEEN, there’s always more than enough material to work with. No matter the scenario or the game, they always figure out an angle to make it interesting and find a way to make things fun and energetic. To be honest, the red carpet wasn’t there for laughs—it was meant to show how cool they are. But right from when MINGYU first stepped out, things started to get out of hand, and by the end, it turned into a full-on competition. (laughs) But that’s SEVENTEEN for you. When they’re doing their main gig, they exude pure charisma, but when they’re doing a variety show, they have this strong drive to make it funny. As a producer, it’s truly a blessing to be able to work with people who respect and put so much effort into being entertaining.
Another amazing aspect was how much you clearly understand the group, such as through giving each of them a song that suited them individually for when they walked down the red carpet, or the surprise inclusion of their parents in the game of “guess who.”
Shin Hyo-jung: Ever since SEVENTEEN was on “The Game Caterers,” we’ve tried our best to stick with what CARAT’s interested in. It’s one of Egg Is Coming’s guiding principles: We don’t just plug people into a show—we create the show around the people. Once we committed to creating content for SEVENTEEN, we knew understanding the group inside out was key to making something great, so we approached it as a true fan would. We watched every show they’ve been on, every Weverse LIVE, even all the fan-made content CARAT’s created. I say “true fan” because, even though it’s our job, everyone really enjoys the process. Sometimes in meetings, if one of the SEVENTEEN members goes live on Weverse, we all tune in together. Even if we get a notification when we’re editing late into the night, we all stop to watch. (laughs) We want to ensure the stories we tell aren’t outdated or irrelevant to CARAT. At the same time, since some viewers might not know SEVENTEEN as well as others, we work hard to make it easy for everyone to understand.
Na Young-seok even worked “Three Meals a Day” into a quiz in the fake “Chattering” episode, which makes “NANA bnb” feel similar to “Three Meals a Day” on a surface level, even though it’s more involved. The shows are similarly therapeutic, but the games here feel like idol’s variety shows, plus their conversations bring out deeper stories.
Shin Hyo-jung: I wanted the show we created to feel like a complete gift set celebrating SEVENTEEN’s 10th anniversary. As you know, they’ve has continued to grow and evolve, even with everything they’ve achieved. With a group like that, it felt like such a waste to show only one part of who they are, so we tried to showcase as many facets of them as we could—the SEVENTEEN that’s amazing on variety shows, the SEVENTEEN that excels both as a group and as individuals, the SEVENTEEN that’s great at singing and dancing. We wanted to bring all these sides to them into a single show. We worked in a lot of games since SEVENTEEN really knows how to be entertaining. On “Three Meals a Day,” there’s a need for teamwork and delegating for all the cooking and working together, so we used cooking segments to show off SEVENTEEN’s group dynamics. Most importantly, just like in “NANA TOUR,” where we asked the group to wrap things up with a performance, we made sure to include moments in “NANA bnb” where they could show off their singing chops. We made it our goal to connect all these elements organically in one cohesive package.
The part where the group played bingo on the bus based on things Na Young-seok says, as well as the small missions for getting things from the makeshift store, stood out as really creative and fun choices.
Shin Hyo-jung: We were a little more careful when picking games for “NANA TOUR.” Although SEVENTEEN had done “The Game Caterers” with us before, that was shot in a single day. For “NANA TOUR,” which was filmed over a longer period, the crew and the boys got to know each other a lot better. Now we understand what they have the most fun doing and what kind of situations best showcase what makes them special. Something like the bingo they played would usually be a difficult fit for a variety show. After all, the members just silently mark their bingo cards, while Young-seok, who’s part of the crew, is the one providing the commentary. It’s the kind of game we could only pull off because it’s SEVENTEEN. And they made it incredibly entertaining in the end.
It was calculated that, if the whole group managed to get as many bingos as VERNON, the crew would have to pay out four million won in prize money. I imagine there were some unexpected moments like that while filming.
Shin Hyo-jung: We’re always running around to keep up, but SEVENTEEN’s practically flying. Unexpected things come up constantly. It makes for great moments we can put in, but it also makes our crew much tougher. (laughs) Our crew runs multiple simulations for every game with themselves in advance. Each of them takes on the persona of one SEVENTEEN member and plays, all while keeping their personality in mind. When we tested the bingo game ourselves, no matter how much we tried, the most anyone achieved was one or two lines—three at the very most. But when we actually went to film it, one of our writers, Kim Dae Ju, suddenly went pale. He said VERNON’s bingo sheet was almost completely filled in. (laughs) It was chaos. We ended up pooling all the money we had, even scrambling to make up for what we were short, just to pay out the prizes. Even with the cooking, where we prepped all the ingredients based on the group’s favorite dishes, they ended up making things we never could’ve expected. (laughs) Thankfully, we somehow managed to find all the necessary ingredients in the end.
The group’s cooking also added something to the show.
Shin Hyo-jung: Young-seok and I both have experience with cooking shows like “Three Meals a Day” and “Youn’s Kitchen,” but he was genuinely impressed by SEVENTEEN’s cooking when we were on set. At first he was thinking, “With such a big group cooking together, there must be a high chance something will go wrong, right?” But as it turned out, what they made wasn’t just good—it was shockingly good. Even the SEVENTEEN members who aren’t known for their cooking ended up making some amazing things to eat. We originally had a catering truck set up for the crew, but Young-seok skipped it altogether and ate the food the group made instead. Every SEVENTEEN member has their own unique cooking secrets, too. For instance, when JUN made Chinese jeonbyeong called bing, everyone on set who tried it was blown away. It was so good, people were going out of their minds. The hot pot sauce THE 8 made also became such a hit among the crew that it’s still trending in our group. We figured viewers might be dying to learn these recipes too, so we decided to include them in the photobook for the show.
“NANA bnb” seems like it was an enjoyable show for both the crew and the group.
Shin Hyo-jung: We felt the group’s enjoyment should come first. I think that’s the most important thing for any show, not just with SEVENTEEN. It’s a principle we’ve stuck to for a long time. After a lot of trial and error, we realized that no matter how much the crew wants to do something, if the cast isn’t enjoying themselves, then the viewers won’t either. Even if a BnB isn’t always the easiest place to stay, the process had to be fun. For example, THE 8 typically struggles with getting a good night’s sleep when he’s somewhere new, so when he said, “I got a great sleep—I slept like a baby,” we felt relieved. He also doesn’t usually eat much, but he worked up such a good appetite throughout the filming that he mentioned he actually gained weight. I realized after hearing that how comfortable we’d all grown with each other, and I felt confident that we could capture a more relaxed side to them on the show. Even Young-seok, before we got to filming, said, “I’m just going to enjoy myself this time.” He spent a lot of time behind the camera, having a good time watching the group members have fun. He would only step in when they asked for something or it was absolutely necessary. What fans want most is to see SEVENTEEN having fun together, so that’s exactly what we focused on. Highlighting their chemistry with Young-seok organically came after that.
From “The Game Caterers” to “Chattering,” to “NANA TOUR” and now “NANA bnb,” you’ve created what feels like a kind of Egg Is Coming Universe. Publishing your series to YouTube, streaming services, and Weverse all together feels very in line with trends in the current media ecosystem, too.
Shin Hyo-jung: In a way, it’s about building on those personal connections. We keep making these shows as a way to keep our promises. That’s how we’ve been able to come this far, and all throughout that process, we keep reflecting on which type of content works best on which platform. When we first filmed “The Game Caterers” with SEVENTEEN, the nature and length of the show suited YouTube better than TV, but shows like “NANA TOUR” and “NANA bnb”—we had so much we wanted to show CARAT, so we decided on Weverse. Also, you can’t realistically spend a lot on a YouTube video, so going on a trip like the Italy one in “NANA TOUR” meant we needed a different platform. We always select one based on the nature of the content and just how much we want to showcase. On top of “NANA bnb,” we also shot another real “Chattering” because we felt it was necessary to put out a video that could convey SEVENTEEN’s 10-year journey to a wider audience.
With so many different ways to watch, it truly does sound like a “completely gift set” for SEVENTEEN, like you said.
Shin Hyo-jung: I’m sure CARAT will still feel that there’s room for improvement. No matter how hard we try, it’s tough to match the depth of understanding that fans who have supported SEVENTEEN for 10 years have. But even so, I hope “NANA bnb” becomes a highlight in everyone’s celebration of SEVENTEEN’s 10th anniversary. I also hope it helps more people recognize how hard SEVENTEEN has worked as a group and how hard they’re still working today. Even after 10 years, they’re still giving it their all, and I hope people keep watching them enthusiastically. Our crew’s been even more nervous for this show than we were for “NANA TOUR.” We’ve been collectively dreaming about SEVENTEEN for over a month now. (laughs) I truly hope “NANA bnb” brings a little more joy and happiness to CARAT and all the viewers out there.
