A surprise vacation with no bags. What happens if you bring 13 men to Italy without them knowing beforehand?
Imagine this: you’re busy with your academics or work then a friend suddenly tells you to dress up as you will be leaving for another country ASAP for a vacation. You don’t even have to pack anything as everything’s accounted for. Will you accept it or not? It may sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what happened to the 13-member K-pop group SEVENTEEN.
SEVENTEEN is a South Korean self-producing boy band known for their talent, powerhouse performances and entertainment skills. The group is composed of three subunit, namely hip-hop (comprised of S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon), vocal (Woozi, Jeonghan, Joshua, DK and Seungkwan) and performance (Hoshi, Jun, The8 and Dino).
Early last year, SEVENTEEN starred in a South Korean variety show series called Game Caterers, produced by Na Yeong-seo (also known as Na PD). Even though the chances were very slim, the group won the opportunity to have their version of Youth Over Flowers, a travel-reality series under the same producer. The show’s concept centers on “kidnapping” stars and bringing them to another country without them knowing beforehand. What’s more: they can’t bring any bag, too!
Game Caterers
Are they really going to film Seventeen version of Youth Over Flowers with Na PD pic.twitter.com/wkuVqTZE4p
— 조슈아 (@daywithshua) May 19, 2023
The thing is, though, it would be extra difficult to do that with 13 men who have hectic schedules. Nonetheless, Na PD and his team executed their plan—with the help of the group’s leader S.Coups who sadly cannot participate in the concert or tour due to his injury—during SEVENTEEN’s ‘FOLLOW’ to Japan dome tour in the latter part of the year.
na pd meeting cheol first before kidnapping the members he was v nervous hssjdjj
the convo at the end:
na pd: how… where are they?
I THINK HE'S IN ON THE PLAN REALLY AHAHAHAH
pic.twitter.com/1utZ0ahRRC— hannie ☻ (@minghaocheol_) December 27, 2023
And that’s how Nana Tour, the group’s version of Youth Over Flowers, came to life. The members get to have a vacation and spend a week in Italy while only bringing essentials that can fit into their pockets. So if you haven’t watched it yet, here are four reasons why you should add SEVENTEEN’s Nana Tour to your watchlist!
Discover Italy and Italian culture
NANA TOUR w/ SEVENTEEN
☆ ACOMODATION ITINERARY ☆
— Thread pic.twitter.com/cKT79uuTS5— YNNA (@YNNA6497_e) January 20, 2024
First things first, you’ll get to explore and discover Italy through SEVENTEEN’s eyes with the guidance of their tour guide: Na PD. From various activities and food that you can try to places you can stay in and visit, there’s definitely a thing or two that you can add to your itinerary.
The show featured historical landmarks like the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to hidden gems such as the picturesque sceneries of Florence that will make you feel calm and serene. The members also tried a variety of activities—which you can try as well—such as booking a wine-tasting session, making pasta from scratch, as well as riding a hot air balloon and zipline. If you’re a foodie, you’ll love the restaurants and food featured throughout the episodes including pizza, pasta and gelato (yum!).
@seoc01 Dk who really loves that word. Haha Salute! #seventeen #nanatourwithseventeen #foryoupage #foryou @SEVENTEEN ♬ 첫 눈 The First Snow – EXO
You’ll also get to see the members mingle with the locals, which was really fun to watch. You’ll most probably pick up an Italian word or two along the way, too. For one, salute, which means cheers in Italian, will forever stay with me as the members loved using it!
Get to know SEVENTEEN
What I loved most about Nana Tour was how it showcased the group’s friendship and teamwork well, while also giving each one a chance to shine. For one, S.Coups may be injured, the members made sure to include him and bring a representation of him wherever they go.
Wonwoo's talent show
playing titanic ‘my heart will go on' on the recorder with HIS NOSE!he did so well everyone is impressed..mingyu's reaction at the end..ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋpic.twitter.com/uQBCQyVaAC
— mi원우지 (@miwon17_) February 2, 2024
While I’ve been a fan of SEVENTEEN for years already, it honestly felt like I was getting to know them all over again as I saw sides of the members that I never got to see before. From Wonwoo’s naughty antics and recorder skills to Joshua admitting that he hasn’t been happy recently (so please be careful of your words and treat people around you kindly—idols included).
seventeen singing circles on nana tour.
thank you, seventeen. thank you, nana tour.
— 쿱정원‧₊˚. (@wonubliss) February 16, 2024
Admittedly though, the show is more digestible if you’re already a fan. But don’t fret if you don’t know them yet as it doesn’t make Nana Tour less enjoyable. To start, they even have shirts with their names on them so you can easily tell them apart. You’ll also get a taste of their discography as some of their songs like Kidult, Together, Campfire and Circles are played in the various episodes. Trust me though, SEVENTEEN may seem to have a lot of members at first, but once you fall for them, you’ll realize that your heart can accommodate as many as 13 people.
Lots of lighthearted fun and games
It’s no secret that SEVENTEEN is a competitive and chaotic bunch, especially if some sort of prize is on the line. The show features a lot of games and gimmicks like a talent show, Shouting In Silence (think: Pinoy Henyo but you can’t hear anything), the iconic Mafia Game and many more. If you’re having a bad day or simply just want to have fun, there are a lot of scenes in Nana Tour that will make you laugh due to the members’ silly antics. After all, SEVENTEEN isn’t SEVENTEEN without the members trying to be as funny as they can be.
You’ll learn about life, too
But life is not all sunshine and roses, and Nana Tour also has its share of heartwarming and tear-jerking moments, especially in the last episode where they all gathered around and talked about the whole tour. Surprisingly, I even picked up a few life lessons from this series.
First, work hard and live well. SEVENTEEN is proof that hard work pays off; they journeyed from being trainees who practiced for hours on end every day even to becoming one of the top K-pop acts in the world. But in Nana Tour, the members embraced their childlike sense of wonder and just enjoyed the journey—a reminder that while hard work is important, all of us deserve to take breaks and have fun, too.
Second, despite having many members, SEVENTEEN is a group that is known for the members’ bond. The secret behind their friendship? Communication. You won’t always get along with everyone, and SEVENTEEN acknowledges that. So they make sure to talk with each other, as well as adjust to each other’s needs and personalities—which is evident in the show. When going through something, the members disclosed how some of them prefer to be treated normally while others prefer to be treated with more respect and consideration. Truly, the members are like 13 pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together and I do hope that we’ll see more of them in the years to come.
My Seventeen, may you be the exception to the cliché that nothing lasts forever pic.twitter.com/i2W6HJmiIC
— leil ໒꒱ (@MeloHannieee) November 29, 2023
Third, traveling is indeed better when you’re with the people you love most, and SEVENTEEN’s Nana Tour is proof of that. While watching, I couldn't help but think that I want to have friends like them, too. In the same way, life may be tough but it becomes bearable with the right people beside you. For one, DK and Mingyu—two of the members who are afraid of heights—rode and conquered the zipline together. Plus what makes SEVENTEEN stand out is how they break stereotypes by unabashedly expressing their love for each other through words and actions. So here’s to finding happiness even in the small things and gestures, treasuring every moment with the people we hold dear and loving loudly.
this is making me tear up because everyone knows dk and mingyu are afraid of heights but they’re riding the zipline together t____t my seokgyu pic.twitter.com/hBBFuw3ybO
— ً (@dokigyus) February 3, 2024
All in all, Nana Tour made me feel like I visited Italy in comfort with favorite group. It has become my source of laughter, comfort and healing during the past few weeks. As a student whose workload never seemed to end, I finally had something to look forward to at the end of every week. I learned so much about Italy, Italian culture, the members and even life as well, which was both surprising and refreshing at the same time. I laughed, cried and ended up appreciating SEVENTEEN all the more—and I’m grateful to Nana Tour for that.
thank u, nana tour with seventeen! salute! pic.twitter.com/9PLJkhi2MT
— ginpom (@jjong95z) February 16, 2024
Although my trip to Italy looks like it’s not going to happen anytime soon, I’ll continue to dream and work hard to turn this dream of mine into a reality. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see each other there. But for now, salute!
Watch “Nana Tour” on tvN Asia (available for viewing through Cignal TV) or Weverse.
Words MJ Viernes
Art Macky Arquilla
