I made a throwaway to ask this question because I know someone will get super offended.

I’m a newish NCTzen and don’t get me wrong, Johnny is one of my favorite members and I love him with my whole heart.

I’m just genuinely trying to understand what SM saw in him from the very beginning that made him one of their long time trainees that they eventually debuted. I mean, apparently he was almost in EXO?? The man is super talented and works very hard of course, it’s just that I feel like SM could’ve easily replaced him with someone else?

He doesn’t get many lines or much screen time either and I’m just kind of confused on his position? He’s a whole snack lemme tell you, but he also doesn’t really fit the Korean beauty standard. SM made a wonderful decision to debut him because where would we be without Johnny? But I’m just trying to get in SM’s head a little bit with why him.

Is it because of his personality and appeal to international fans? Is it because he’s an English speaker? He really has that boy next door vibe and his content is always so fun to watch, but is that the reason SM took him in?

Of course after he was a trainee for a while, it would be clear to see his charisma and the collected energy he would bring to a group but I’m so curious as to what they saw in him when he auditioned that made them accept him into the company.

Please please don’t take this wrong way! Really I do love Johnny a lot and I’m glad SM saw that it factor in him, though what exactly “it” is isn’t as easy to put a name to as it is for other members