It is genuinely hard to believe that the charming men of A.C.E have to celebrate their 6th anniversary as enlistees!! But, here we are. I am trying to think of another group where every member was concurrently serving and, as a result, had to celebrate their debut anniversary while serving. The only one I can think of is ONF who all went in roughly on the same day. In any event, A.C.E came to us on May 23, 2017, and this year marks their 6th year together. I will use Donghun’s 608th day of service to commemorate and celebrate their incredible debut – hot pants and all – the energetic and meaningful Cactus.
Come on…who was doing it like A.C.E in 2017???! You know, prior to debut, they would busk in the streets of Seoul in short shorts with all of their sinewy muscular legs in full glory. It may have seemed gimmicky but it really was quite the statement, indeed eye-catching and definitely memorable. If you had the chance to catch a street performance, you may not have remembered their name, but you certainly would remember the group wearing those short shorts!
When A.C.E got ready to perform Cactus live at their show in Chicago back in December 2019, I recall them saying that the song was meaningful in that not only was it their debut song, it also held a distinct meaning. A cactus in and of itself, is a plant that can endure harsh weather conditions, specifically extreme heat, and still survive. It also could serve as a protector. Have you ever felt the prick of a cactus thorn? Much like the strong succulent, the five men of A.C.E endured the all too familiar difficult road to debut. Take the whole Mixnine mess for example. Both Donghun and Byeongkwan fought for position to get a chance to be part of a project group which would bring credibility and recognition for A.C.E; but, the winners of that boy group competition program never got a chance to debut.
Leader Junhee was a trainee for 7 years and almost debuted three times during that span before he eventually debuted with A.C.E. The idol struggle is real. With Cactus, A.C.E told their fans from the get go that they were strong, would prevail and would protect Choice as well, so long as Choice believed in A.C.E.
It’s alright, even if you’re lonely
I’ll be right here
If it’s to make one flower bloom
I can take anything
* * *
Wind, blow
Even stronger
Test me till the end, I’m alright
I don’t break down that easily
(Cause I’m cactus)
🔥🔥🔥
Happy 6th Anniversary to A.C.E! May they continue to grow even stronger and more powerful! I cannot wait until they are all reunited again and back setting stages on fire with their amazing vocals and powerful choreography. Four of the five will be back this year and we could conceivably see a comeback as they have put out music in the past minus a member (the year Chan was promoting as a member of UNB). Wouldn’t a 2023 comeback be fantastic?? Well, I should not put the horse before the cart! Let’s just get our men back healthy, safe and sound!
~♥~
Next Waiting For Donghun update: Day 638~ Celebrating Donghun’s Final Day of Service!
[Don’t forget to follow Donghun on Instagram ~~> dhl2e]