MIMI the black hole

As the goofy, whimsical veteran of Earth Arcade, MIMI’s style of humor is so unique that she has come to be known as the black hole of variety shows. You can get a taste of why in a fan-favorite clip from the show where MIMI snaps back to reality. In the episode, everyone is dancing to random songs to earn their dinner, and Lee Eun Ji asks MIMI to do an aerobic version of “Gashina,” to which she responds, “Wait, I’ll try it! I’m a hard-working kid!” She dives into the dance alone, but quickly realizes how ridiculous she looks and goes silent for a full five seconds. “It was the first time in my life I ever saw [someone snap back into it like that] in real life,” said producer Na Yeongseok, who opted to leave the moment in the episode completely intact. In another instance, she’s asked about a Korean proverb: “Send young horses to Jeju Island and send children to Seoul.” She responds in typical Mimiese—her cutely hesitant way of speaking: “Why does every proverb have to be about Seoul? It’s upsetting for people who live outside the capital.” Her comment left the other people in the room laughing and enlightened. MIMI’s become a rising star in the variety show scene recently, and it’s her completely unexpected words and actions that have earned her the black hole nickname; once you’re sucked in, you’re never coming out again.

“This is the page of MimPD, an ordinary person named Kim Mi Hyun,” reads the about page of MIMI’s personal YouTube channel, MimPD/[__-_____-_]mmmii. She already has over 430,000 subscribers to the channel, where she both flexes her skills as a creator and shows bits of her ordinary life. MIMI is responsible for every aspect of the channel, including planning, filming and editing, earning her the name MimPD, or producer. In a Q&A video celebrating 200,000 subscribers, she explained that she named the channel MimPD because she “wanted to make something with my own two hands where I can do every single thing myself and try a wide variety of things,” and says she started making videos on YouTube because she “wanted to find myself and what direction I should take by thinking about what it is I really want to do and not think about other people’s opinions.” MIMI’s style is on full display in the video of her cover of “Break” by Beenzino, for which she personally rented the space, prepared the props and lighting and touched up her own makeup. When a video of her cover of “Breathe” by miss A from before her debut hit one million views, she made good on a promise to her fans to upload a new version in 2021 where she perfectly replicates her clothing and hairstyle from the 11-year-old video. Meanwhile, she reveals aspects of her real, everyday life in a series of videos titled The Real World of Mi Hyun. Shots of her craving ice cream first thing in the morning or humming a song excitedly while waiting for food to be delivered complement glimpses of her producer side. “I was as nervous to hit the upload button on my first vlog as I am in concert,” she confessed in an interview with ELLE. “After I revealed who I really am, I felt a little less restricted. I started to question my appearance less when I see myself on-screen.” True to her original vision, MIMI offers a look into her true self through her YouTube channel and found the answer to her question about which direction she should be taking her life in thanks to communicating with the world this way.

MIMI the rapper

In a video from it’s Live titled “OH MY GIRL Rap Mix Stage Cut,” MIMI shows off her rap chops as she struts around the stage singing songs ranging from “Checkmate” to “Love O’clock.” It’s almost unbelievable that this leather-clad, charismatic rapper exuding stage presence is the same person as the one on Earth Arcade. For OH MY GIRL’s cover of “LILAC” by IU, MIMI makes the song their own by adding in her handwritten rap in low tones in which she compares a sweet parting to the flower, which led to comments like, “Her spoken word part highlights the climax of the performance,” and, “She brings something new to the song without taking away from what makes the original so good.” MIMI’s rap ability and the fact she writes her own raps for OH MY GIRL is an integral part of what makes the group so unique. “I tend to write lyrics according to the flow of the song, so I think about the flow of the lyrics and the atmosphere of the song,” she said in an exclusive interview with it’s Live. “If it's about a story, my lyric is about what I can say as the main character of the story.” MIMI appeared on JTBC’s currently airing music competition show The Second World, performing a song before the competition proper called “Sunset” for which she wrote the lyrics, including the line, “Bring out every single part of yourself, even the way you walk / Don’t act confusing, be zero fake.” She said she will “live more honestly and show who I really am, not pretend to be something I’m not,” and it’s her confidence in her rap skills that allows her to “feel like I’m the weapon itself.”

MIMI the dancer

MIMI showed off an entirely different side of herself from her image in OH MY GIRL on JTBC’s Knowing Bros through her covers of “Kick It” by NCT 127 and “ON” by BTS. Her performances are explosively energetic as she fully extends her limbs and moves every part of her body in smooth motions, perfectly executing the most vigorous parts of these boy groups’ choreographies. Most striking of all, however, are her lively facial expressions. There’s a video on her MimPD channel where she covers “Yikes” by Nicki Minaj and skillfully stares into the camera with a relaxed smile as she performs. The way she tilts her head back and glances into the camera and scrunches her face as she gets into the groove of the dance is absolutely captivating.

MIMI the boxer

Boxing became a part of MIMI’s life after a choreographer recommended it to her, and it’s since become her main stress reliever. The sport is a regular part of The Real World of Mi Hyun. “The punching sound of the glove relieves my stress,” she says, finding enjoyment in training despite an ongoing struggle with her mitt work. “The words ‘again’ and ‘start’ are what keep me going,” she assures herself, not to be defeated. Episodes of her vlog also show her visiting a boxing equipment store and shadow boxing in the park by herself. Thanks to all the effort she’s put into boxing, she’s reached a level where she can demonstrate the sport on TV and at fan meeting events. “Boxing gave me the courage to overcome my limitations and take things one step further,” she said in an interview on YouTube channel Boxing Funch. “I became healthier both physically and mentally by enduring the hard parts of practicing boxing and it applied to other parts of my life, too.” MIMI navigates her life just like boxing teaches: knowing when to step, when to catch your breath and when to strike. MIMI has been finding her own path through life as a member of OH MY GIRL, MimPD on YouTube and the black hole of variety shows—all without losing her balance. She’s a true boxer.