The Nov. 5 premiere of tvN’s "The Game Caterers" saw 38 Starship artists show up for an all-out company field day. Actors Song Seung-heon, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo Yeon-seok, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Bum, Son Woo-hyun, Chae Soo-bin, Shin Seung-ho, Kim Kyung-nam and Ahn Ji-hwan joined K-pop acts K.Will, MONSTA X, WJSN, CRAVITY, IVE, KiiiKiii and IDID, competing under producer Na Young-seok’s (aka Na PD) watch.
Before the games kicked off, the entrances delivered plenty of personality. Rookie KiiiKiii walked in looking adorably tense, MONSTA X marched in with sharp salutes, and WJSN set the tone with a breezy, playful vibe right from the gate.
Then came Actor Team 1, with Lee Kwang-soo shouting, “Song Seung-heon is here!” Amid mock chaos as juniors tried to hoist him up, Song finally leaned into the bit―riding a palanquin for a grand, tongue-in-cheek entrance that had everyone cracking up. Actor Team 2 followed, led by Lee Dong-wook, with resident chatterbox Yoo Yeon-seok keeping the banter flowing.
IVE, who were the babies of the lineup three years ago, made it clear that era is over. “We’re not the youngest anymore,” they teased, warmly hyping up newcomer KiiiKiii like true seniors. CRAVITY kept the comedy rolling as Wonjin dropped a witty acrostic on cue, signaling variety-show MVP energy to come.
Pre-debut group IDID also made a memorable first impression with a quirky greeting―right before “eldest brother” Song Seung-heon, still perched on the makeshift palanquin crafted by Lee Kwang-soo and Kim Bum, offered them some big-brother words of wisdom for a hearty laugh. With even “board member” K.Will taking his seat, the Second Annual Starship Company Outing was officially underway.
Lunch was on the line next, with teams battling in a chaotic “perfect pitch” challenge for plates of grilled pork ribs. IVE’s An Yujin―battle-tested thanks to tvN’s Earth Arcade 3―set the bar with a flawless demo. The rest was endearingly messy but hilarious, and after a do-over round, every team but Actor Team 2 earned their ribs. Dejected, Actor Team 2 cut a deal with Na PD; thanks to Lee Dong-wook’s relentless effort, they scored at least a modest share and a big cheer.
Even the van rides doubled as variety gold. Song Seung-heon led a group selfie session, and the caravan turned into a rolling dance floor as they vibed to KiiiKiii’s new single “DANCING ALONE,” MONSTA X’s “N the Front,” IVE’s “XOXZ,” CRAVITY’s “SET NET G0?!,” WJSN’s Dayoung’s solo “Body,” and IDID’s pre-debut track “Shine in Our Own Way.”
At the next venue, the artists launched into the First Starship National Sports Festival. When the initial rosters didn’t add up, confusion quickly turned to surprise―they were being sorted by hometown. After a reshuffle into six teams, it was game on.
From group jump rope to dodgeball on acupressure mats, the competition delivered peak slapstick. Song Seung-heon kept his cool and comedic timing even as juniors roasted him, and the whole day felt refreshingly earnest―seniors and rookies alike just having genuine fun with the rivalry and the ridiculousness.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)