One year ago, Chinese pop group WayV made its debut with a plan laid out in the lyrics of its first single: “With my team, we are not surrendering,” they sang on “Regular." “The dream is gripped tight in my hands and lights up the visions I imagined.”

In the past year, WayV has pursued those dreams by releasing an EP, two mini albums, and an English-language single, but the group's vision wasn’t just musical. Offstage, WayV has closed the gap that usually separates idols from fans by showing the world unedited versions of themselves. Four of the seven members have opened personal Instagrams and streamed everything from getting stuck behind hotel-room beds to eating burgers and singing with abandon in the back of a van. As a team, they’re confident, goofy, and very active online, constantly incorporating meme-y humor into their posts and interactions, and generally not caring much what anyone thinks about them.

They have the day off today.... sort of. The members are hanging out around a massive conference table in one of SM Entertainment’s four buildings in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea. The walls are lined with posters of some of the company’s many iconic K-Pop groups: EXO, Girls' Generation, SHINee, Super Junior, TVXQ. Later, WayV leader and vocalist, Kun, and dancer WinWin will head to an English lesson together, and dancer Hendery will attend drum practice (“I’m just learning for fun,” he says, nodding earnestly. “I think it’s important to have hobbies”), and they have this interview, of course.

But today there are no official appearances to make in front of fans or cameras, which means the group members are makeup-free and styled in their own clothing, sipping drinks from the café downstairs, making themselves comfortable in their seats. Dancer Ten will, in partnership with rapper YangYang, translate the members' thoughts and opinions to English, and has practically draped himself over the table with anticipation, blocking rapper Lucas, who is now slouched in his chair and hidden from view. YangYang and Kun’s faces are partially obstructed by black face masks, the kind used to protect wearers from pollution, or for K-pop idols, to maintain anonymity in public (and sure, they could be thinking about pollution too). They’ve pulled the masks down to their chins for this chat, but still look ready to get up and walk out onto the streets of Seoul at any moment.

The room is relaxed, and the seven group members are teasing one another in Chinese, Korean, and English. When Ten’s widely known nickname for Hendery is brought up for discussion, Kun shrieks with laughter. Ten acts exasperated (“Ah, you’re gonna bring that up again!”), but immediately begins an evaluation of each member. “Shrek is my favorite animation, and Hendery is Donkey because...”

“Because I am annoying!” Hendery shouts from the end of the table.

“Because his characteristics and the way he plays around with us are very similar to Donkey,” concludes Ten.

“It’s because he talks a lot,” admits YangYang.

Ten continues, “YangYang resembles Puss in Boots” (YangYang nods brightly, probably because Puss in Boots is his favorite character) “and Xiaojun is like the pink dragon that’s in love with Donkey.” Xiaojun, the group’s main vocalist, looks baffled by the comparison but doesn’t protest.

Ten narrows his eyes at Lucas as if trying to see him more clearly. “Lucas kind of reminds me of Prince Charming, that guy who is always like,” Ten straightens up, pushes his shoulders back, and dramatically runs his hand through his jet black hair, "'Ah, I'm so handsome.'" Hendery giggles and nods in agreement. “And WinWin… I don’t know…” Ten sighs in genuine frustration as WinWin smiles shyly behind large gold-rimmed glasses. "It's very hard because WinWin just seems like a human.”