Interview with ANTEAM Nicolas and Taki

ANTEM is HYBE’s first overseas localization group. Nicolas, from Taiwan, and Taki, from Japan, arrived in Korea as teenagers, a world that must have felt unfamiliar to them. Before appearing on the agency’s survival show I-LAND, they spent time as trainees living with host families in Korea. On the eve of their mini-album Back to Life, they met at HYBE’s building and looked somewhat nervous about their Korea debut. As they spoke about their trainee days, their smiles returned, recalling the time that helped them grow.

Nicolas described himself as the fashion leader of ANTEAM and said he loves clothes, while Taki said he is the mood-maker who enjoys making teammates laugh and staying bright and active. Nicolas noted that after I-LAND he began dreaming of becoming an idol, admitting he didn’t know much about K-Pop at first but decided to try, finding the idol profession appealing. Taki shared that a teacher told him about auditions when he was learning to dance, and that moment led him to Belift Lab; he said he learned about various K-Pop seniors and grew curious about becoming an artist.

Nicolas explained that his original dream was to be a B-boy/breakdancer, while Taki said he initially studied swimming but found dancing fit him well. They both spoke about the challenges of growing up in a foreign country as teens, with Nicolas saying he enjoyed challenges and that Korea’s trainee life helped him grow, and Taki noting his initial fear yet desire to try. When asked about family reactions to going to Korea, Taki recalled his parents encouraging him because they liked foreign music, while Nicolas mentioned his sister’s influence and how she pushed him toward dancing. The language barrier was a difficulty, with Nicolas describing misunderstandings and feeling perceived as cold, and Taki recounting crying on his first day in Korea due to the unfamiliar family environment.

Nicolas also shared that he remains close with his host family and learned a lot about Korean culture through them, and he recalled his father’s warning before going to Korea, which motivated him to persevere. He added that the two brothers faced tough schedules—arriving at the company at 10 a.m. and planning their practice during free time. He noted that after I-LAND, the period was particularly hard. Both Nicolas and Taki described how they improved their Korean by conversing in English during I-LAND, with Taki noting progress over roughly a year. They discussed the importance of polite language in Korea and how their manager encouraged proper greetings, and they recalled being fascinated by everyday Korean customs, such as utensils appearing from a drawer under the table. When asked about favorite Korean foods, Nicolas said kimchi fried rice and galbitang, while Taki mentioned budae-jjigae and doenjang-jjigae, along with tofu.