On 5th Apr 2021, LINE FRIENDS released 2 seasons worth of ITZY in LINE’s Creative Academy in a compilation video. The video covered the backstories of how the ITZY X LINE FRIENDS characters, WDZY, came about, and the creative process behind their creation.
Video credit: LINE FRIENDS
Image credit: @wdzy_official
WDZY is a group of lifelong friends created by ITZY in partnership with LINE’s Creative Academy. The members of WDZY – Hatt, Lya, Tuk, Chung-ee, and Cabbit – are made in the image of the members of ITZY.
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Yeji, who created Hatt, was inspired by the characteristics of a roasted sweet potato as it is warm, sweet, and soft. She wanted her character to share the same traits.
The initial sketch of Hatt
Image adapted from: LINE FRIENDS
Yeji initially wanted Hatt to be a cat in a bear costume. After revisions were made to Hatt, the final design of her character turned out to be a cat that looks like a sweet potato.
The final design of Hatt
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Full of confidence and thoughtfulness, Hatt shares the same characteristics as Yeji, the leader of ITZY.
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Lia wanted her character, Lya, to be a tree-sloth – an animal that fans already associated her with as they look similar to one another. Initially, she didn’t know how to draw a sloth, so she settled on a doughnut-like character. But with the help of LINE’s professional artists, her idea was materialised.
She also emphasised that her character should embody the phrase “happy vibes only”, and exhibit other traits such as being carefree and relaxed.
The initial sketch of Lya
Image adapted from: LINE FRIENDS
Revisions following her initial sketch of Lya looked very similar to the final sketch of her character.
The final sketch of Lya
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Lya may be slow, but she’s not lazy. Lia wants to encourage fans through Lya and show that it’s okay to go through life at your own pace. Lia herself has a huge sweet tooth, so she made her character share the same penchant for treats by adding a doughnut as an accessory.
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Ryujin’s character, Tuk, was designed to resemble her – a monkey who likes to wear hoodies, has half-closed eyes, and is indecisive. Ryujin also made it a point to tuck the hood of a hoodie behind Tuk’s ears as she likes to wear hoodies that way.
Ryujin’s unique way of wearing hoodies
Images adapted from: @myryujiniverse and @myryujiniverse
The initial sketch of Tuk
Image adapted from: LINE FRIENDS
Similar to Lya, Tuk’s initial designs aren’t that different from the final product.
The final sketch of Tuk
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Tuk is also a tsundere who looks tough outside but is a huge softie on the inside – a perfect match with Ryujin’s personality.
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Chaeryeong’s character, Chung-ee, is one who can help make decisions and also offer advice when the team is faced with a tough situation. As she also wanted her character to be full of knowledge and experience, Chaeryeong based Chung-ee on the idea of a 900-year-old gumiho (nine-tailed fox).
The initial sketch of Chung-ee
Image adapted from: LINE FRIENDS
Chung-ee has fur the colour of a cool blue sky, extra tails that only come out in serious situations, and a chic image.
The final sketch of Chung-ee
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Yuna’s character was made to be someone who can make her laugh every time she sees it. Cabbit was designed to look like a rabbit wearing a cat’s costume – this is because Yuna wants to have a cat-like image, but her fans usually associate her with a rabbit thanks to her cute features.
The initial sketch of Cabbit
Image adapted from: LINE FRIENDS
Yuna wanted Cabbit to be a rabbit who wants to be a cat, but she made the mistake of sketching Cabbit as a cat who wants to be a rabbit – the opposite of what she actually intended. The final sketch fixed this mistake, giving birth to the Cabbit that’s now loved by ITZY and MIDZY alike.
The final sketch of Cabbit
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Similar to Yuna’s actual personality, Cabbit is bright, cheerful, and energetic. She’s also ambitious and nimble.
The 1st drop of WDZY merchandise happened on the LINE FRIENDS Collection site on 12th Mar 2021, and it was only available for 8 hours.
Image credit: @ryuseulssi
The ITZY X LINE FRIENDS character merchandise was a huge hit and ITZY’s efforts paid off.
Image adapted from: @wdzy_official
Unfortunately, because the merchandise was sold out on the day of the drop, fans have to wait until another wave of ITZY X LINE FRIENDS merchandise is released.
But there’s some good news for fans in Japan – on 7th Apr 2021, LINE FRIENDS announced that there will be a WDZY pop-up cafe from 16th Apr to 30th May 2021 at SHIBUYA BOX Cafe & Space.
Note: The following prices do not include tax unless stated.
The cafe features Instagrammable ITZY X LINE FRIENDS food and beverages inspired by the characters. Mains such as Hatt’s Pink Curry, Cabbit’s Pink Stew, and Tuk’s Hamburger are priced at ¥1,600 (~USD14.57) each.
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Desserts with Chung-ee and Lya are also priced at ¥1,600 (~USD14.57). The WDZY Ice Cream Tart is a little cheaper at ¥900 (~USD8.19).
Images adapted from: @wdzy_official and @wdzy_official
Image credit: @wdzy_official
Quench your thirst with the cafe’s cold drinks at ¥900 each (~USD8.19). If you prefer something hot, the restaurant sells cafe latte (¥900, ~USD8.19) too.
Image credit: @wdzy_official and WDZY CAFE
Every drink purchased entitles you to one random WDZY character coaster.
WDZY character coasters
Image adapted from: WDZY CAFE
Walk-ins are accepted at WDZY Cafe, but we recommend reserving a table prior to your visit as you will receive a free WDZY character mask case.
WDZY character mask case
Image adapted from: WDZY CAFE
Reservations are to be made 3 days in advance, and the fee costs ¥715 (~USD6.51) per person, inclusive of tax. A maximum of 4 people is allowed per reservation. You can reserve a table here.
Goods will also be on sale even if you aren’t intending to dine at the restaurant. Aluminium badges, mugs, lanyards, tote bags, and more are available in limited quantities per day. Prices of the goods range between ¥600-1,600 (~USD5.46-14.57).
Some of the goods available at the restaurant
All images adapted from: WDZY CAFE
Address: B2, SHIBUYA 109, 2 Chome 29-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, 150-0043 Tokyo
Opening hours: 10.20AM-8.40PM, Daily
Website
The adorable characters of WDZY are here to stay as ITZY and MIDZY’s friends for life. We hope to see more collaborations between LINE FRIENDS and other K-pop artistes in the future and see their creations come to life, just like WDZY.
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Cover images adapted from: @wdzy_official and @ITZYofficial
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