Wanna One Returns in LA: Producers Reveal a More Mature Reunion

Seven years after disbanding, K-pop boy group Wanna One is back together, and the producers behind their reunion say the change goes well beyond the stage. In a written interview with TenAsia, the production team behind "WANNA ONE GO : Back to Base" and its special edition "WANNA ONE GO in LA" described members who now look after the crew as much as they look out for one another.

"The members must have been exhausted, but even then, they kept checking on the people around them first," the producers said. "Watching that, I really felt how much they've grown up."

The team first filmed the group's reality series nine years ago. Compared with that shoot, they said the biggest change this time was how attentive the members had become to the people around them. After every take, members would ask the crew, "Did we come across as fun?" or "Was today okay?", worrying about how the footage would turn out for the staff as much as for themselves.

That care did not stop when the cameras turned off. The Los Angeles shoot was decided on relatively short notice and ran on a tight schedule, which took a toll on the crew.

"This LA shoot was put together fairly suddenly, and the tight schedule left the production team pretty drained," the producers said. "In that situation, it was actually the members who looked out for the crew and the on-site staff, making sure we ate and checking on how we were holding up."

As the reunion project has grown, fans are already looking to what comes next. Asked whether "WANNA ONE GO in LA" would be the end of the reunion or a step toward more activity, the producers stayed hopeful.

"I don't think it's a period or a comma. It feels more like an exclamation point," they said.

"From 'Back to Base' to LA, Wanna One has always been the kind of team that shows up with a new exclamation point when you least expect it," the producers added. "As producers, we're hoping we get to see a moment where Wanna One surprises fans with another welcome exclamation point again someday."

After seven years apart, Wanna One has widened its return from "Back to Base" all the way to Los Angeles. Whether this special is the final chapter of the reunion has not been decided, but the producers made clear they see room for the group to reappear when fans are not expecting it.

"WANNA ONE GO in LA" airs in two parts, on September 1 and September 8.