Having quit their jobs and endured an intense training camp, the band are looking to prove they’re more than just a gimmick
While the new Chinese boyband Produce Pandas’ ethos represents pretty standard pop idol fare – promoting positivity, acting as good role models – there is a progressive twist. Aged between 22 and 31 years old, practically geriatric in boyband terms, Otter, DING, Mr 17, Cass and Husky were recruited because they don’t fit the standard physique displayed by everyone from the Backstreet Boys to BTS. Or, as Mr 17 puts it: “This is a plus-sized, all-singing, all-dancing idol band, which has never been seen before in the whole world.” It’s right there in the name, too: “We just look like a group of pandas: huggable, chubby shape, relaxed and happy attitude.”
It took a while to refine that attitude, however, with an intense, K-pop-style training process, that started in May last year in
Beijing and was only relaxed slightly last month following the release of their naggingly catchy debut single La La La, leading to some scary moments. “Husky passed out during training and some of us got injured,” remembers DING, who used to be a plus-sized model. “So our management hired a team of trainers and physical therapists, just like a professional athlete has.”