Boys II Planet, Episode 1: Surprisingly, not a bad start.
Mnet is taking a different approach this season, and just a warning: This show is going to be a LOT. We’ll be meeting trainees in both China and Korea before both sides merge in Episode Three. We’re starting with 160 contestants, the largest number we’ve started with on any of my recaps.
After an intense introduction that looks like the K-pop version of Lord of the Rings, we start in Korea. The boys are arriving at the studio, including a 15 year-old trainee being dropped off by his mother. She makes sure he has a juice box before he heads inside.
The new arrivals walk through a dark hallway and find themselves on the huge set this show is famous for. I like the new green and gold color scheme.
Just like in the first series, the trainees will be grouped by the number of stars – 1, 2, or All Star. For now, they’ll decide which level to sit in, doing a self-evaluation before the judges come in and serve them a big dose of reality. Get ready for the initial performances full of off-key singing, off-beat rapping, and dancing like their bones have been replaced by Twizzlers. If this is anything like Season One, there will be gems among this group, but it will take so much mining to find them.
Some trainees make sure they stand out right away. Ryan is from the United States, and his loud, cheering voice arrives before he does, startling the others already in their seats. They calm down when they actually recognize him. Kpop trainees run in the same circles, especially since the trainee system is the only social life they know.
Ryan, a WAYF trainee from the United States
We pick up the pace as more boys come in, challenging each other for the top seat. They arm wrestle, do push-ups, and in one case, full-on acrobatics. Just like on previous shows, some contestants have debuted before, and others have barely started high school.
One contestant walks in, and everyone loses their minds because apparently he’s a famous choreographer. Wait, he looks really familiar. And then the show reminds me that I just saw him as a dance coach on Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai. It’s Yumeki the grumpy coach! I didn’t recognize him because he’s smiling. Is he actually competing on this show? He’s already a professional dancer and survival show coach, even before Shinsekai.
Yumeki here and on Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai
There’s more intimidation on the way. A large group enters, introduced as “Debuted.” These aren’t trainees. These are former idols. For various reasons, they are having to start again. And there are 19 of them. We have members of VERIVERY – wait, did that group disband? (checking Google) No, they’re still a group, but it looks like they’ve been on hiatus. Harry June of DKB is here, and it looks like he’s on hiatus from his group as well. Members of MCND are also here. If the young trainees were nervous before, they’re downright terrified now.
A message flashes on the overhead screens. The high-level All-Star seats are reserved for this group. Everyone already seated there has to move down. Well, that’s embarrassing.
Yoo Kang Min, Lee Dong Heon, and Jo Gye Hyun of VERIVERY
Finally, all 80 contestants are seated, and the room darkens as the screens light up again. Time to get these preliminary rating performances underway. First, the announcer voice tells them about the groups from both China and Korea that will be competing, and that appears to be news to everyone. They’re even more shocked when the screen shows them footage of the same show being filmed in China.
We meet our coaches and judges. Lee Seok Hoon is one of my favorites – he’s been on a few of these shows. So has ONESTAR. And we have a new vocal coach – hey, it’s Hyolin! She was one of the judges on the first show I recapped, No Mercy!
Lee Seok Hoon, Hyolin, and ONESTAR
We’ve also seen Dance Coach Baek Koo Young before. Our new Dance Coaches are someone named KINKY (…okay) and Kany, who has worked with Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. The Rap Coach is Justhis. I’m not familiar with him, but the contestants are hyperventilating and keeling over.
Time for the evaluations. And these are going to be stricter than Season One. Along with grades of 1 Star, 2 Stars, and All-Star, we will have a failing grade of No Star, and those contestants will be eliminated on the spot. Yes, it’s harsh, but we’re starting out with 160 contestants in two countries, so we need to start whittling them down now. We’re going to be bringing these two groups together eventually, and plane fare is expensive. Justhis’ sunglasses budget alone is probably killing this show.
The Class Placement Match gets underway. We start off strong with a group from IST Entertainment. Their names are Kim Si Hwan, Rensho, Park Dong Gyu, and Arctic (GREAT name), and they’re performing NCT U’s “Misfit.” They waste no time. They don’t just start the song – they explode into it with incredible choreography and rapping.
It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen on any of these shows. I actually yelled “Holy SHIT” at my screen a couple of times before rewinding and watching it again. It’s only the first group, and the bar is now set in the stratosphere. I would not want to go on after them.
The judges ask the group’s leader, Park Dong Gyu, to sing without the music. He sings a heartbreaking ballad in English. That voice is gorgeous. I think even the nineteen “Debuted” members are ready to pack up and go home. But as much as the judges love Dong Gyu, they are critical of Kim Si Hwan’s rapping and dancing. They must decide he has the potential, though, as all four members get the All Star. We are off and soaring.
The members of MCND are up next – Song Min Jae, Noh Hui Jun, and Bang Jun Hyuk. This group debuted six years ago and have been nominated for several music awards, two of which they’ve won. They’ve toured Europe, America, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and the Philippines. And I’m still worried for them about having to follow the IST Entertainment group.
Another confident, energetic performance. In the audience, one of the younger trainees says to another, “Experienced participants are indeed different.” Maybe, but this group didn’t blow me away like the IST group. They were good, but they weren’t IST good. The judges apparently feel the same way. They give Song Min Jae and Noh Hui Jun two stars, and Bang Jun Hyuk gets one star. The other contestants are stunned. These judges are NOT fooling around.
MCND decide to fight back. We learn that groups can request a second test if they don’t like their score, with the understanding that that score might go up, but it can also go down. The group requests the second test and remove their jackets. They look pissed off. They throw more energy into their brief second performance, but they’re still looking right into the camera, the way they were trained to as idols. The judges are frustrated because they’re supposed to be playing to the audience. Their scores remain unchanged.
Next up, a group from CUBE Entertainment. CUBE artists have included Rain, Pentagon, and (G)I-dle. Our two competitors are Kim Jae Hyun and Na Yun Seo. And they look like they should be packing lunchboxes and waiting for the school bus. Kany sees them and exclaims, “They look like they’re nine!”
I can’t help laughing when they take the stage. In an attempt to look more mature, they’re sucking on lollipops like cigarettes and are sporting bandages on their faces. It does not make them look mature. It makes them look like they’re dressing as rappers for Halloween. I want to tell them how cute they are and give them a handful of Milky Way Minis.
They introduce themselves by telling the judges they’re in middle school. They say it with swagger, like they’re saying they just got out of prison. The judges are trying very hard to keep straight faces. But then the boys launch into their performance, and it’s really good. Way better than what I was expecting. Their talent is strong enough that they don’t have to try so hard with the image. They can just be themselves. Someone at CUBE needs to tell them that.
I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised so far. At this point in the first season, I’d be seeing performances that would make my eardrums crawl out of my head, grab my car keys, and try to escape. I know we’ll probably get performances like that soon, because someone has to get zero stars and get sent home, but so far, so good.
Right away, I’m seeing the language barrier problem I’ve been reading about. Kany gives them feedback in English, and the other judges ask the boys if they understood. All they could understand was that their vocals were stable. The judges laugh at this. I really wish there had been translators on this show. The trainees on Shinsekai wear earpieces so they can hear interpretation and carry tablets with translation software. Also, does Kany not speak any Korean?
The judges give both of them two stars. I think that’s fair, especially since I can’t help comparing these performances to the first one from IST.
Next up, Jeonju Entertainment. It’s only one contestant, the tall and handsome Kim Geon Woo. He’s been a trainee for a long time and tells the judges he’s desperate to debut.
He performs a fun dance/pop song, singing live. The choreography is loose and unstructured, but I like his voice, and his expression is good. It doesn’t wow me, but I think he’ll get one or two stars. Nope – he gets the All Star. I need to stop comparing all the performances to IST.
Next up, ChoCo. They’re a hip-hop duo, Yeom Ye Chan and Kim Tae Jo. They’re nervous as hell, forgetting their introduction. They keep trying over and over again and forgetting the words. But once they start performing, their choreography is insane. All anxiety goes out the window as they dance wildly with great expression. They’re amazing.
I’m pleasantly surprised. In the first series, we kept getting such awful performances, the judges started getting frustrated. Here, some performances are better than others, but no one is awful. The judges give both these boys the All Star.
I may have spoken too soon. The next duo is from FNC Entertainment, home of P1Harmony and SF9. They are Chuei Li Yu and Kenshiro. (Chuei Li Yu is the one featured on the show’s promotional posters.) They start singing, and it’s not good. They are off key and already out of breath from nervousness. They can’t keep their voices steady when they sing. Oof. How bad will it be when the judges have to send home the guy on their own show’s posters?
I think the judges are thinking the same thing. They struggle to find something nice to say about Li Yu. “At least your pitch was right on the high notes,” one says. They finally give both boys one star, and I’m guessing they’ll be sending a strongly-worded memo to the showrunners about making sure a trainee is All Star material before putting him in the advertisements.
Great M Entertainment is next. The two trainees, Lee Yoon Chan and Park Nu Ri, run out enthusiastically, startling the judges. We get some clips of Park Nu Ri’s audition for this show, and to put it delicately, I think he may be insane. He’s only been a trainee for two months and is beyond desperate to get on this show. He yells at the judges in his first audition, and in the second, he throws a cup of water in his own face and loudly declares, “Sweat will fall from my face instead of water!”
This guy is going to ace his military service. The army will just put him on the front lines with a glass of water, and he’ll scare the hell out of North Korea.
He might want to go ahead and join the army, because his singing is awful. Not only is he off-key, but at one point he realizes he hasn’t timed a lyric right and has to rush to cram the words in before the next lyric starts. He’s just not a singer.
The judges have nice words for Lee Yoon Chan, but they are blunt with Park Nu Ri. They’re not sure he’ll ever be a singer. Nu Ri responds by saying he’s supposed to be a visual, not a singer. Dude. Just be a model, then. Even visuals in a K-pop group have to be able to carry a tune.
The whole studio falls dead quiet. I imagine the other trainees are feeling insulted that this guy with two months of trainee experience thinks he can coast on his looks and get a spot they’ve been training for years to get. Now I can’t wait for the judges to send him home.
They give Yoon Chan one star and send Nu Ri home. It’s the first No Star rating so far. The duo pushes back and requests a second test, even though it means Yoon Chan might lose the one star he does have. Nu Ri is delusional, and now he might ruin his friend’s chances on this show.
Nu Ri sings a ballad, which just emphasizes how bad his voice is. He knows he’s screwed when he sees how frustrated the judges are. He interrupts them when they start to give him the second grade. Fighting back tears, he says he was nervous. He begs for one star, saying he will practice harder than anyone else. This is getting really intense. Everyone is so quiet, I can hear the air vents in the building.
The judges aren’t moved. The No Star grade remains, and thankfully Yoon Chan keeps his one star. Nu Ri’s suitcase is waiting for him as soon as he exits the stage.
Now I see we’re getting the string of bad performances. I’m guessing the only reason they got through auditions is so the show would have people to eliminate. One guy does do an impressive series of handsprings across the stage, but then the music stops, and his group just stands there awkwardly while the judges blink in confusion. We see more contestants rolling their suitcases out the door.
The judges are starting to snap. “Compared to buskers on the streets, you’re worse than them,” they tell one trainee after their ears stop bleeding. Justhis yanks his ear monitor out during another performance to make it all just stop.
“When I heard you sing,” Justhis tells one trainee, “I was reminded of a performance at Migliore Dongdaemun.” The jaws of the other trainees drop. Apparently, this is a sick burn in Korea. I did some Googling, and according to TripAdvisor reviews, Migliore Dongdaemun is a late night, low-end shopping district. Justhis was comparing the performance to a busker at Kmart.
“Their standards are so high” complains one trainee in the audience. No. No, they’re not. These judges are being more than fair. If your singing is awful, you shouldn’t be taking a spot from someone who deserves to be here.
Finally, we get a reprieve. A group of five WakeOne trainees are here. Only one is Korean. The others are from Taipei, Japan, and Thailand. The judges point out that the choreography they will be doing was written by one of the participants, none other than Shinsekai grumpy coach Yumeki. Hoo boy. Please be good Please be good Please be good …
Thankfully, they’re amazing. They nail the difficult choreography perfectly in sync. They’re clearly having a great time up there. Even Yumeki gives them a thumbs-up. Hsu Ching Yu is the standout, and he does another freestyle dance performance for the judges that is just insane. The judges give him the All Star. We don’t find out about his teammates, so clearly the show wants us to focus on him.
Let’s hope we’re on a hot streak. Kang Woo Jin is up next. He’s just over six feet tall and very handsome. He’s also a songwriter and plays guitar. He performs a sad jazzy ballad, and I’m swooning.
He’s nervous about his main performance because he says he can’t dance well. Then the music starts, and okay, he’s not the best dancer, but his voice and expressions are wonderful, and I just want him to debut as a solo act. The judges love him, and Kany wants to work with him on the dancing. They give him the All Star. He bounds happily offstage like a little kid.
I’ve been waiting to see this next group. The members of VERIVERY are up. “Ring Ring Ring” and “Thunder” are my two big favorites from them. We have three members here – Dong Heon, Gye Hyeon, and Kang Min. Kang Min is the visual stunner of the group. Kany actually gets a bit flustered when she looks at him.
We learn that when they first auditioned for this show, Dong Heon had only been out of the military for two days. The rest of the group hadn’t been very active while he was gone, and they’re anxious to get back onstage.
They are so good. I love this performance. The harmonies are gorgeous, and their dance moves are still precise. It’s hard to believe Dong Heon has been away for almost two years. Honestly, instead of them staying on this show, I want their management to see this and get VERIVERY active again and ready for a comeback. These guys belong together. The judges give all three the All Star.
We have time for a couple more performances. Next up are two trainees from GRID Entertainment, Lee Leo and Lee Sang Won. They used to be in a group called Trainee A, managed by Big Hit Entertainment, but their debut got cancelled. Sang Won actually left the industry and worked in a café. Eventually, he found his way back. The judges comment that they both look very nervous. I really want them to do well. They’re performing “No Doubt” by ENHYPEN.
They nail it. They’re singing live while doing complicated choreography. Their voices are smooth and steady. They dance so hard, Sang Won loses a shoe halfway through it. He mutters “darn” into the mic when he does it, and the judges get a huge kick out of it. They both get the All Star. To celebrate, they do another dance performance and absolutely tear up the stage. They’re incredible. These two were born to dance.
I can already tell I’m going to have my heart broken several times when these contestants who came in together as groups will get split up along the way through eliminations. I want these two to debut together so badly, but the odds are against it. The K-pop industry is BRUTAL.
Speaking of which, it’s time for our grumpy choreographer, Yumeki. Expectations are very high for this dance legend. I’m glad to see he’s the one being judged this time.
The judges ask him why he applied to be on this show when he’s famous and established in the industry. He says he’s always dreamed of being an idol. The problem is that he’s not a singer. But he wants to try anyway, so he’s been taking singing lessons.
He starts by performing some amazing choreography that he wrote, but that’s just a warm-up. The judges joke around with him, and the show is running out of time, so I don’t think we’re going to get to see his actual performance. But the judges are concerned that he might not be able to sing, and in the previews for the next episode, it looks like that was the case. The show cuts away before we get the details.
We do get some preliminary rankings from the voting, and Yumeki is already ranked at #10. The viewers haven’t even seen him perform yet. Our two GRID performers are in the Top 5 – with Lee Leo at #5 and Lee San Won at #1. Not a bad start.
I’m glad I decided to recap this show after all. Tune in next time, where we will probably watch our grumpy dance coach Yumeki crash and burn, which I’m sure won’t improve his mood. See you in Episode Two!
