Interesting article from secret noona

EXO: The Real & The Fake

"Yes it’s true EXO-M is much closer in relationship than EXO-K. Absolutely true that the Chinese member stick together, because of being bullied and such by other trainees and SM staff."

The biggest difference between the two is that the Chinese members were much more open to accepting the Korean members because they themselves knew what it felt like to be cast aside and picked on, hence why they have a more personal relationship while EXO-K is more of a professional “work” arrangement.

"First, I will go through each member and think of something I can share. There is a lot. Quickly, I will say that none of them are dating now, that is something I do know even now, even though some members may be interested in someone or something like that."

Some are dating, some are not. Why else do you think SM puts up with EXO’s increasingly invasive sasaengs fans? They know things, they have proof in terms of pictures and if one of the members is stupid enough to lash at one of the sasaengs, they can easily release all the details about their personal life.

"Suho – It’s not so true that he’s an asshole/douchebag, but he does not have any close friends in EXO. Before in trainee life he trained for quite a while so he considered himself above the others. That is why he also gained leader status, because of past experience. But the other members do not respect his experience that much, because he is not really admirable. He did not debut for a while because he was not ready by the company’s judgement, so they see him as more of a failure than experienced. The relationship between Kris is mutual respect, not friendship, and only since EXO was formed. As for dating, he has dated within SM a lot. Many of his girlfriends have since left SM or their career didn’t work out for them. He had plastic surgery."

Suho is the stereotypical SM artist but even so, it’s obvious the only reason SM made him leader was due to the fact that he’d trained for so many years (a compensation of sorts) since he has very little concern over the K members. The relationship between Suho & Kris was marred with a little competition and rivalry because of the fact that they were in charge of two separate teams and even though Suho was clearly the better singer/performer, Kris was the better leader.

"Kai – It’s not true anymore that no one in EXO gets along with Kai, but around the time of this year until debut, maybe. It’s because Kai got too much attention and the other members felt like they were in the shadow. Also Kai used his friendship with Taemin for status. Taemin/Kai is not just PR friendship as they really are friends since before but since EXO debuted they have not been in contact mostly at all. For most of the other trainees there is a big wall between trainee and debuted idol so many of them were jealous of his ability to do that. Since debut Kai’s popularity has gone down so it has humbled him to the other members, truthfully. Many people said Kai has a girlfriend after debut, but he does not. He had a noona girlfriend before debut, but he has had a lot of girlfriends anyway. At his age it’s not serious."

The thing about Kai is that after all this time, he’s been promoted the most out of EXO, got the most teasers, he’s also the visual so yes, you could say that all that praise and fame has gone to his head. He believes his own hype quite a bit and can be bossy/entitled at times. Since they’ve been promoting as OT12, his relationship with the members has gotten an infinite times better and perhaps knocked his ego down a notch or two.

"D.O – His relationship to the other members is more professional, not friends. He is friendly to staff and such, but he is a private person. Truthfully, he does not get along with everyone. The furthest distance is Chanyeol/Baekhyun, I have seen him be annoyed by them quickly many times. He thought he would be chosen for EXO-M and was surprised when Chen was chosen instead. When he thought that he would be chosen for EXO-M his attitude was good and he was prepared to have a life overseas. His dating life is very private, he keeps it to himself and does not let everyone know what is going on. He has a private circle of neighborhood friends and he still puts them above everything."

D.O., before Chen came along and personally chose to be in EXO-M, had always thought he was the best singer in EXO. At first there was strong resentment for Chen and D.O. is never one to hide his feelings, it’s something he’s received a lot of criticism for from the company since there’s an image he has maintain. He carries a sense of entitlement, which is the number one reason why he’s not that close to a lot of the members. In terms of “KaiSoo”, SM knows very well which “couples” are the most popular and of course some idols (including Kai & D.O.) play it up for the camera because they know that’s what their fans want.

"Chanyeol – I want to say to his fans to believe what you want. For me, I don’t like him. He makes life very difficult for all staff because he does not behave well. In life, he thinks everything is a joke. He’s very immature. And he is two-faced! There is one member who he really admires, of course, it’s Kris. When he’s around Kris he acts so different, like a good child. (Actually, many of the EXO members admire Kris). When Kris is not around he becomes the bad child again. I can’t say how I know, but he is racist AND homophobic as well. He really thinks homophobic jokes are funny. As for dating, he did date a trainee everyone knows about, but he cheated on her before. His type is the voluptuous club girl with sexy clothes. He had a lot of plastic surgery."

Chanyeol is the most “fake” out of all the members and with the way he runs his mouth, he’s going to land himself in hot water in no time.

"Baekhyun – He is also not nice. He’s so two-faced, who you see on TV is not the real Baekhyun. He gets along with Chanyeol so well because they are the same type, so immature and think everything is a joke. Baekhyun is the coldest to the Chinese trainees, even more than Chanyeol. He is not really close to Tao like they say. He felt sorry for Xiu Min and Chen when they were chosen for EXO-M and to leave Korea, but happy that it wasn’t him. He really looks at Chinese as lesser than Korean. As for dating, he says he likes the cute type but it’s not true, he likes sexy, well-endowed in the right place type of girls. Between Baekhyun/Chanyeol is a wall between the other members. No one will challenge them because they really gained a lot of popularity since debut and so they help promote EXO. On screen, their personalities are the strongest, but off screen it becomes annoying."

Baekhyun wants fame, that’s the end goal for him. His moves, public persona and whatever says in front of the camera is always planned and articulated so he’ll get a response. He has a tendency to be high maintenance and out of the Beagle Line, Chen is the only one who’s the least bit likeable.

"Sehun – I know, everyone is thinking of Lu Han, but it is not true that Sehun is in romantic love with Lu Han. During trainee days, Sehun did not have many friends. Lu Han was the first true friend he made in the company, and Sehun becomes clingy to friends easily. Behind the scenes, he is not easy to get along with. Not because he is mean. He doesn’t read the atmosphere very well and he is the most difficult case to make camera-ready because his answers are so short and he is always disinterested. The company noticed Sehun and Lu Han’s friendship and used that to film the joint teaser. This is the type of thing the company will watch for, which quality they can emphasize to gain public interest. Since debut, Sehun and Lu Han do not talk as much and Lu Han already made different friends in EXO-M, but Sehun is not very outgoing so he is still a little bit alone, even though he is not disliked. As for dating, he has not had a serious relationship beyond girls in school. I do not think he ever dated within SM."

Sehun’s the one who’s kind of lagging in EXO since he has no definite role: he’s not best dancer, can’t really sing, doesn’t have a “variety” personality and if you were to take all of the members and just put him by himself, he’s boring, awkward and not all that talented.

"Kris – Kris is a private person. When he first joined SM as a trainee, he was very motivated and wanted to learn everything, like a child. But he was told before directly by staff that he wasn’t good at anything, even up to this year. He thought he wouldn’t debut at one point, but he was too scared to quit the company because of the debt he incurred as a trainee would be hard on his family to pay back. I think for him, middle of 2009 is the lowest point in his life. In the past, he had depression and low self-esteem. Even though now he is a celebrity, he has not forgotten that time. He did not start out that way but until the time of EXO’s debut, he became a very wise, empathetic person. Sorry if you want to hear bad things about him but he did not do anything bad. Most of his bad points are within himself. This is why the other members really look up to him like an ideal type of guy they want to become. It’s not true that he thought he would join EXO-K, actually I do not think he ever considered not being chosen for EXO-M. When EXO is 12, he is the leader. As for dating, yes he had a girlfriend, but sorry I can’t tell more. The girl idols who were cold to him when he was a trainee, you can see which ones they are by the way he looks at them now."

Kris will never be the leader when it comes to OT12 since it’s obvious that though he’d shined when EXO-M had promoted in China, he’s got nothing going for him except the fact he’s got some actual control over his members. From the perturbed sex scandal to EXO’s comeback being delayed because he ran off to Vancouver like a child because he couldn’t deal with their overwhelming fame, he’s starting to become a real pain for SM.

"Lay – Lay was a trainee for a long time but he was treated more highly than Kris because of his dance skill, but not equal to the Korean trainees still because he is Chinese and that is considered lower by the other trainees and staff. Lay and Kris are only somewhat close even after knowing each other 4 years, but Lay had the advantage as a trainee whereas Kris was a low trainee and they did not really become very close. Lay became closer to other trainees. When he danced for SHINee, he looked at them as a fan who got to go on stage with their idol, not like a professional from the same company. Lay became closer to Lu Han because Lu Han was also a more advanced trainee than the low trainees (but still under Koreans). Lay is very tied to Chinese culture, but at one point he did want to debut in Korea instead, because Kpop is so popular and the entertainment scene in China is very structured and more humble. As for dating, he dated a Chinese girl for a long time and maintained a long distance relationship. He never dated a Korean girl, or if he did it was not significant."

He broke up with his girlfriend a few months prior to their debut. Other than that, he’s generally kept his slate clean so far out but there’s definitely a rivalry between him and Kai since Kai has always been SM’s golden child when it came EXO and he can’t deal with someone else possibly being a better dancer than him.

"Lu Han – There are many things I want to fix besides Sehun. He was not a JYP trainee, also he did not join SM in 2008. He came to Korea to become a trainee, yes, but he was stopped by his parents. His parents do oppose him being a celebrity but he will always save face for them and he would never admit it. He is not a bad person, but he did lie to his parents about why he wanted to come to Korea. That’s why they called him back home. He returned to Korea in 2010 and that’s when he became a trainee. He went through regular auditions like anyone else. I know there is some “evidence” to show he was a trainee since 2008 but it’s not true that he was waiting because of SM. SM does not extend enough to make someone wait 2 years to be a trainee. If you are not available at the time then you aren’t a trainee. He does make friends easily, but he is always especially nice to the person who has the most trouble fitting in, like Sehun in Korea or Xiu Min in China. He can’t stand to see someone left out or ostracized. He is also close to Lay, but not in the same way. They are truly just like bros. Lu Han really admires Kris, even though he does not show it on screen. As for dating, you couldn’t believe it with his face but he is always being dumped. He says he likes quiet and calm girls, but from what I have seen, it’s actually the opposite. He will be attracted to girls others would consider challenging. It is true that he almost had plastic surgery on his nose.

Oh, I want to say one thing about the scars on his face. It’s from a fight. He is not violent himself but he does end up as the victim of fights, because he is small and an easy target. The fight was very cold, because the other guy purposefully wanted to mess up his face. And it’s not true he wasn’t bullied as a trainee. In fact, other trainees did harass him sometimes. He blames lots of things on himself, which is sad.”

Despite popular belief Luhan does not have a bad relationship with his parents. You can go and read/listen to numerous interviews where he’s said that all he wants to be is a good son to his parents. Yes, there was discord between because he did come from a wealthy family and considering their status, his mother believed he could do better than becoming a idol, which in her opinion wasn’t s stable life that will provide him well in the long run. Overtime though, his family has come accept and support his decision. Dating wise, he had a long term girlfriend in China and few not-so-serious relationships in Korea. Luhan’s personality can be very outgoing and friendly (hence why he took Sehun under his wing) but at times clingy and childish (he and Xiumin are close friends but it is something that Xiumin gets annoyed of).

"Tao – It is true that many of the trainees didn’t like Tao. Tao is confident in himself, but he is also so warm and nice that it was sad to watch. Before EXO, out of all the trainees Kris and Tao were considered the lowest. Lu Han and Lay were above them, and then the Koreans above Lu Han and Lay. So, they are especially close, although after debut now that they are all equals their relationships are changing a little. Also, it is not true that Tao smokes or drinks, it’s the opposite. He treats his body very well because of his martial arts practice. When he first became a trainee, he would always buy Starbucks, because in China to drink Starbucks is a luxury, but now that has worn off. Tao comes from a commoner family so he was the most dazzled by celebrity life.

I forgot to say that part: Tao comes from a commoner family (middle lower class by Chinese standards which would be low class by American standards), Kris comes from a family that was poor in the past, and Lu Han comes from a wealthy family. Kris and Tao send any money they get back home. Lu Han does not. He does not talk about his family life much so I don’t know why.”

He was bullied, like any other Chinese trainee since Korea tends to be very homogeneous like many other Asian countries and Tao was naturally an outsider from the moment he came to SME. Though he tended to be much easier target due to the fact that most of his antagonizers could see that he wasn’t going to stand up for himself or pick much of a fight because he backed down pretty easily every time he was the target of insults or anything of that sort. Tao, not surprisingly so, was easily influenced and did at one point, fall in with the “wrong” time of crowd since he was plainly desperate for any time of acceptance. Also, from what I’ve seen, he at times can be extremely dependant due to the fact he was an only child and therefore, very used to having his parents lavish attention and love on him, so he naturally expects the people around (managers, stylists, his members, etc) to treat him the same. Something of note, since Tao comes from a poor family, he does think very highly of all the hardships and sacrifices his parents have gone through just for him but that also means that he’s more attracted to the luxurious and expensive upside of being an idol.

“Xiu Min – I feel like he is okay now, but in the past he was very depressed about being chosen for EXO-M. Among the Korean trainees, he started out high but dropped to very low. Many people thought he wouldn’t be a good type for an idol. He was chosen for EXO because he began to work really hard and show he would not quit. Everyone is very sensitive towards him because of his anxieties. Oh, and it’s not because he doesn’t like China, actually he was one of the closest Korean trainees to the Chinese trainees and did not think of them as lower. Because the team comforted him he feels better now, but he still wishes he was not viewed as lower than the Chinese members by the media. As for dating, I think he has the least experience out of all the EXO members.”

Xiumin suffers from an inferiority complex and definitely has some self esteem issues that he lets get in the way of his own progress. Besides Luhan, he doesn’t have that much of a close relationship with the others but it’s gotten a bit better now. He tries assert his dominance as the oldest but with someone like him, nobody really cares to listen to him.

"Chen – Chen also did not feel happy at first with being chosen for EXO-M, but it was his only choice to debut as an idol, or else leave SM. Chen was not as close to the Chinese trainees before debut so he is more distant from them than Xiu Min. Chen really admires Kris a lot, and so they became a little closer, but Kris still remembers the time when he was a low trainee and the Korean trainees didn’t look at him seriously, so it’s a little difficult. Chen did not bully them, though. He joined late so he didn’t have a history, it’s just that he became with the Korean trainees quickly. When he was chosen for EXO-M, the Korean trainees didn’t talk to him as much. The debut period was the hardest on him, and he covered up a lot. He’s much more comfortable now. As for dating, he had a long-term girlfriend who he broke up with when he became confirmed for EXO. He had her picture set on his KaKao ID up until debut. I don’t think there are any remaining feelings now."

He’s stated many times that he was the who chose to be in EXO-M, mostly due to the fact because he knew if joined EXO-K he would overshadowed by D.O. (due to his obsessive need to prove his vocals) and Baekhyun. Chen was definitely the most introverted when it came to his trainee life and he really struggled during their time in China because unlike Xiumin who’s had quite a long time to prepare, he was just sort thrown out their in the hopes that he wouldn’t drown and maybe just keep himself at bay. Due to his nature, he’s on good term with all the members, though more close to some than the others and in concern to his girlfriend, he does still harbour some feelings for her since they were together for awhile and the only reason he broke up with her because of SM’s insistence that a relationship would only prove to be a hinderance. That’s kind of the sole reason why he hasn’t really dated after their debut.

"All of them got skin treatments before debut. Kris and Lu Han had their teeth fixed. Chanyeol and Suho had plastic surgery. The company asked Lay to have plastic surgery but he really felt strongly against it. In EXO-K, all of the members come from lower to upper middle class families. The wealthiest member of EXO-M is Lu Han of course. He will always treat the others though and he doesn’t like to talk about money. And he doesn’t have much interest in designer clothes and things besides accessories. Actually before debut, Lu Han was a fashion black hole. Tao is interested in designer things, not just Gucci but he likes luxury brands. EXO cannot yet afford these things so he will have to wait a little while longer. Chanyeol is also interested in designer things, but more like street or hip hop fashion. He buys many of his own clothes that you can see him wearing even in MVs."

Luhan comes from a wealthy family but it’s Suho overall who’s the most wealthy and he does often treat his members. A lot of EXO’s expensive clothes and items come from the fan so it’s not as if they don’t have the money to spend on luxuries, but that they don’t have to.