it’s been a whole year since the three ceos have sat in the same room. they appear one by one, emerging into a black-clothed studio space through the door centered in the camera frame. YOON JIHUN of STUDIO DELTA is first, smiling and greeting the mnet staff as he takes his seat. he’s followed closely behind by SEO RAN, the namesake of SR MEDIA with an even brighter smile. she pauses for a moment, singling out a staff member and running over to give them a hug. it’s clear she remembers this person from last season; they exchange a few short words before she’s ushered to her seat beside her fellow ceo. last but certainly not least to the party is the representative of LIME ENTERTAINMENT, YUNA. while she may not be an executive like her fellow judges, she holds a certain presence of her own even as she smiles and takes her seat on the opposite side of ran.
“i didn’t realize how much i missed this,” yuna remarks, a smile on her lips.
“i’m excited for this season,” ran agrees, “we were treated to some amazing talents last year and i’ve heard that the quality and caliber of the auditionees has only improved this year.”
“we’ll see.” jihun again takes the role of the antagonist, arms folded and the slightest frown on his lips as if he refuses to be impressed by anyone today.
ran hits his arm lightly, a smile still on her lips. “don’t be a grouch,” she chides him, “we’re in for a treat today.”
there is no emcee yet for the first episode, just the three judges and a series of television monitors in front of them. at first, they only display the NEXT GEN logo, though the screens change soon enough. on each monitor, there seems to be a different angle of the same room, like the studio has been turned into a massive editor’s booth. the judges look around expectantly, obviously not at all surprised by their scenery. this was all part of the plan.
“the auditionees think that we’re too busy to watch them,” ran explains directly to the camera, sitting in a room not entirely dissimilar to the interview backdrop used in the first season. it seems even the judges want to share their minds this season. “but actually, we’re watching their whole audition process. from the time they walk in the front door and check-in with the staff, we have them all live on the screens in front of us. i almost felt like a spy.”
“it really allowed us to see what they’d be like with their guards down,” yuna explains as she takes over the screen next, “auditions are nerve-wracking, especially if you want something really bad. but sitting in front of your idols? that’s a whole new level of fear and anxiety. i feel like this gave us a chance to start to get to know everyone much deeper than if we were standing in the room with them.”
a quickly edited clip of auditionees showing parts of their skills back to back to back takes over the screen for a moment, a preview of the talent that is to come. jihun’s voice plays over the image: “this gives us the opportunity to examine them from all angles. how do they conduct themselves among their competition? how do they treat the staff? appearance and skills are important to become an idol, we can’t deny that, but the intangible efforts are important to building a healthy team as well.”
“shall we begin?” jihun glances at the other judges, a rare smile on his lips. the others nod and verbalize their agreement with positive hums and all three begin staring at the screens.
a graphic plays over the screen, showing a photo of the auditionee in question as well as his name, age, and date of birth as a quick introduction to the audience. ASAKURA TOUMA, the graphic reads, before dissolving into the room where the auditions were held. the camera shakes slightly as it zooms in to focus on touma. the boy introduces himself, reciting the same information that was on the graphic moments ago, but then he continues beyond that. more names are listed, each a little nonsensical, until he reveals that those are the dogs that he walks every few days.
“cute,” ran murmurs, the scene cutting back to the judges for a moment. she smiles and rests her head on her interlocked hands. “he stands out immediately.”
“what’s he doing?” jihun frowns, brow furrowing together as he sits back in his seat with his arms crossed. the scene shifts back to the audition, to the young man rapping, singing, and flapping his arms around and jumping here and there with an apparent lack of coordination. he sends a heart to the camera, even as his own ears turn red and flustered. “at least he has the sense to be embarrassed,” jihun remarks, clearly unimpressed with the performance. yuna, silent, presses her lips together with disappointment coloring her face as well.
"if i'm being honest, i want to try everything at least once." touma tells the camera.
“that’s the problem,” yuna points out. “he’s too ambitious for his own skill level. if he’s a dancer, he should just dance at this stage. if he’s a singer, just sing. he wasted a lot of energy trying to show too much at once and made himself look worse.”
“there’s potential there,” ran points out anyway, “he’s creative and energetic. we can work with that.”
finally, the camera zooms in on his special skill, the artwork he creates on the spot. bright colors and wild shapes paint the canvas in a way that seems to fit the auditionee’s zany personality rather well.
“well, that was a bit of a disappointing start,” jihun sighs. “hopefully the next will be better.”
a new profile graphic lights up the screen, now introducing CHOI HANGYEOL. after a few seconds, it again fades into the audition setting with a young man smiling gently at an auditionee much younger than himself, hardly more than a child. "ah, your number's much smaller than mine, are you lost?" he asks gently, a warm smile on his face that could melt even the coldest heart. "i think your group is down that way. good luck! you'll do great."
“he has leadership qualities,” yuna points out, the screen splitting to show her reaction to the scene in front of them. “he’s good at talking to people and putting them at ease.”
the man on the screen nudges the auditionees next to him. it’s impossible to know if they’re old friends or if they just met today, but the other boy on the right and the girl on the left seem to be soothed by his presence, smiling in return when he raises his fist in a small fighting! gesture.
“we’ll have to see if he’s any good,” jihun remains determined to be unimpressed, still frowning at the screens. that said, the camera picks up the slightest bit of interest across his expression as hangyeol introduces his audition as being self-choreographed.
whatever the judges had been expecting, it was apparently not beyonce. even if the argument could be made that the song and choreography was much better suited to femininity than the young man performing, there is no denying the grace and power in his movements as he seemingly takes up the whole room, turning the audition into his own personal stage. the young man even has the sense to look directly into the eye of the camera, a strong gaze capturing the viewers instantly.
“this is what we were expecting from this season,” yuna smiles appreciatively. “he’s a talented dancer, it’s clear he’s very experienced as a performer as well. i wanted to see more by the time the performance was over.”
"i've always felt most in my element when i can be strong or sexy, or when i'm given something i can make bold choices with,” hangyeol’s face takes over the screen again, a quiet confidence coming from him even as he answers the rapid-fire interview questions. “i think as long as i get to put a little bit of me into it, i'll perform it well."
“do we need to see his special skill? i think we’re all quite smitten,” ran half-jokes with her fellow judges. regardless of her wishes, though, the television shows all anyway. again, the natural leadership of hangyeol is on display as he selects staff and fellow auditionees alike and begins teaching them what appears to be quite the difficult dance move, the death drop. from the name alone, it seems to intimidate some of the less experienced dancers. but, within minutes, hangyeol has them all looking like professionals.
“even i have to like him,” jihun finally admits. “i wish i could sign him today.”
“it wouldn’t be fair if you did,” ran chides him again, “i’m sure we all want a chance to make him an offer.”
the next contestant’s profile lights up the screen, introducing HAN YURA to the audience.
“what was the first thing you thought about when you woke up this morning?” a staff member asks her, showcasing her interview first unlike the previous contestants.
“what shoes to wear and whether it would match my jacket,” yura answers.
the scene is interrupted by a snort from jihun, clearly unimpressed with the response.
“which company would you want to receive an offer from and why?”
“delta studio,” the woman answers with confidence.
“she doesn’t even know the name of my company,” jihun laments. “and she expects me to sign her? she’ll have a lot to prove.”
“she’s angered the bear,” ran jokes with a smile. “i like her enthusiasm, though. i hope we can channel it to the right areas.”
only a short clip of her rapping is shown, the judges seemingly less than impressed other than a remark from yuna that competent female rappers are rather rare. “she has the fundamentals, at least,” the judge concedes. “and choosing to do something different from her peers makes her stand out.”
as if standing out was a problem for yura, her special skill seems to take all three judges by surprise. the screen is painted in hues of red and yellow as the woman proclaims that she’s about to heat things up. the ends of the batons catch and suddenly all three judges are on the edge of their seats, watching as the woman dances with fire in the middle of the room.
“she’s lucky the fire alarms didn’t go off,” jihun is even taken aback as he remarks on the special talent.
“look at how precisely she throws the baton,” yuna points out as the camera catches the whirling fire stick soaring just below the ceiling of the building.
“i like her,” ran grins. the warm lights from the screens in front of them almost make her look like she’s the one playing with fire, a surprisingly sinister look for a woman known for her warmth rather than heat. “did she prove herself to you, jihun?”
“not yet,” the stubborn man frowns, “but it’s a start.”
while they may want to see more from yura, it’s time to move onto the next contestant. the profile of HAN JUEUN takes over the screen, only lasting a few moments before dissolving into a lovely girl dressed in a flashy pink outfit.
“she looks the part of an idol,” yuna points out, a smile on her lips. “didn’t another group dress like that for one of their songs? it’s familiar somehow.”
“i think you’re right,” ran agrees. “it wasn’t one of our groups, was it?”
their question is answered soon enough by jueun’s performance. for a brief moment, the screen cuts to a music show recording of kara performing the original song, then a split screen with jueun showing how she would blend seamlessly into the group in her current getup.
“she’s smart to focus on her vocals,” jihun points out. “but if she’s going to dress up like that, shouldn’t she dance? if she’s a singer, she should have chosen a song that’s a little more vocally impressive. pretty girl is a popular song, but it’s not very difficult. i would’ve liked to see something else.”
as if directly responding to the man’s critique, the response from jueun’s rapid-fire interview plays across the screen next. “i think the perky, fun and energetic style that’s similar to what i prepared today fits me the best because i’m looking to have fun! plus, i think my smile’s really pretty,” the girl laughs. and it’s true; she does have a lovely smile.
the girl continues to surprise as she initially explains that she had a ribbon rhythmic gymnastics routine prepared, but instead of batons and ribbons she pulls tangerines of all things out of her backpack. “i will now show you the fastest tangerine peeling i guarantee you have ever seen.” she announces.
“she’s a bit odd, isn’t she?” ran remarks, though the fond smile on her face betrays that she’s rather charmed by the oddity. “she’s not as flashy as the last auditionee, but she captures your attention anyway.”
in less than ten seconds, the girl has two tangerines entirely peeled. the camera cuts to a staff member trying to peel a tangerine of his own, seemingly testing how difficult the task really is. it’s clear that he’s not nearly as good as the girl.
the scene fades away into the next auditionee profile, HAN YUWOL. “that name seems familiar, somehow,” jihun remarks. he doesn’t have time to place the memory before the skills performance begins, yuwol singing in the center of the stage.
“he has a unique voice,” jihun speaks again, “unrefined, but i like that it’s different.”
“he’s good at expressing the emotions too,” ran points out.
“what is the most interesting place that you have been to wearing the shoes that you’re wearing now?” the staff leap into the interview rather quickly, never betraying their emotions about the performance they witnessed. it’s not for them to decide anyway.
“it's probably... a forest somewhere. i was trying to get myself lost." yuwol responds.
“excuse me?” jihun nearly chokes as he takes a sip of water from the bottle on the desk in front of him. “where did they find the kids who are auditioning this year? none of these people are normal.”
“i think it’s fun,” ran beams.
“they know how to stand out,” yuna laughs, seemingly baffled by the young man’s response.
"not sure if this counts as... unique, but this is what i do to make it through my daily life. i play my violin." the young man is clearly a skilled musician from the moment he draws his bow across the strings. although only a short portion of his piece is shown on camera, it’s clearly high-level playing.
“that explains it,” jihun nods his head, “musicians are neurotic.”
“you’re one to talk,” ran laughs.
the profile of the next contestant up interrupts the banter between the judges. HWANG JINGREN’s face and basic information light up the screen before fading back into the audition, the young man standing before the staff and immediately singing a slower, poignant song. the scene flashes to the three judges, their expressions unreadable. they almost seem bored.
there’s very little commentary on jingren’s performance, for better or worse, before he’s immediately thrown into the rapid-fire interview. this one stands out, however, as being a little less rapid. perhaps it’s a strategy, or maybe the young man is just good at hearing the sound of his own voice. and yet, somehow, very little of note comes out of his lips. the editing does him no favors as it speeds up each response to the questions, making him look like he rambled on and on but also never really exposing what he actually said.
“he’s a bit…” ran seems to struggle with the right word for a moment.
“he’s boring,” jihun finishes for her, not one to mince his words or try to soften the blow. “the fundamentals are there, but there’s no personality to this one.”
“he has potential,” yuna argues, “his vocal fundamentals are strong and he must have good stamina if he’s able to do handstands like that.”
“lime can have him, then,” jihun snorts dismissively. “though i thought your standards were higher than that.”
the show is quick to hurry away from a lackluster performance and onto the next contestant, his profile displayed in all its glory. HWANG YEJUN’s turn is now on display before the judges. those with a keen eye might notice hangyeol next to him or remember him as one of the contestants that the other man encouraged earlier in the episode. for only a moment, the cutting and scrambling of clips of an mnet show for reactions and views is betrayed.
“another musician,” jihun points out as yejun pulls out his guitar. “let’s see what this one has in store for us.”
unlike the violinist, yejun comes across as much more normal. his responses are soft-spoken, matching the way his hands move across the strings and frets almost lovingly.
“he has a nice voice,” yuna praises the short performance. “though his pronunciation could use some work. it’s a… choice to perform a song in a language you’re not proficient in at an audition like this.”
“it’s nice to hear authentic music, in a sense,” jihun remarks, “everyone else so far has sang acapella or to a pre-recorded backtrack. there’s skill in being able to play and sing at the same time as well.”
"i can't whistle,” it seems as if the young man makes the confession out of the blue, though it’s clear it’s in response to one of the interview questions. perhaps the editors wanted to continue the ‘all musicians are neurotic’ trend even with a more mild-mannered contestant. “i've tried to learn, but no sound ever comes out." he punctuates the thought with a demonstration that makes all of the judges laugh.
“he’s cute,” ran giggles, “yuna, does lime have any workshops on teaching trainees to whistle?”
“we don’t, but i’ll make that suggestion to ceo kwon,” she laughs.
the judges watch as the young man demonstrates his talent next, jihun wincing as a staff member intentionally clips one of the strings of the guitar. the young man is right when he admits that he’s not the quickest in the world at restringing a guitar, but the time passes quickly anyway. perhaps more impressive than the stringing is how quickly he tunes it.
“does he have perfect pitch?” jihun’s brows raise. “normally someone would use a pitch pipe or tuning fork, or even the low e string to get the right note. he didn’t use any other sound for reference.”
“it’s not as uncommon of a skill as you’d think,” yuna points out, “especially among musicians.”
ultimately, yejun’s time on screen comes to an end somewhat unremarkably. he’s quickly replaced by the profile of ITO SEIRA, the second foreigner to appear so far.
“she’s the second japanese trainee we’ve seen so far,” yuna points out, “this show must be gaining international interest.”
“i’m not sure we can take credit for that,” ran smiles, “it’s last year’s contestants who must have captured everyone’s hearts.”
it turns out that seira, like yura before, is another rapper. she performs a senior’s song, fairly proficiently for someone who is not yet considered a professional.
“it’s a shame that the rappers we’ve seen today haven’t written their own lyrics,” jihun sighs. “it’s a wasted opportunity.”
“i think she has more performing experience than we know,” yuna observes, “she’s a little nervous but she seems to know what she’s doing.”
very little is shown of seira’s interview, the editors apparently thinking nothing is worth showing to the audience. they only briefly show her answering the questions as ran looks down at her notes, seemingly lacking interest in the contestant before them.
the girl pulls out a bag of watermelon seeds and anyone who has seen a variety show before should know where this is going. she’s admittedly quite skilled at getting the seeds she spits into the air to land exactly where she wants them to.
“it’s unladylike,” jihun frowns.
“it’s cute,” ran disagrees.
“she’ll do good on variety shows with skills like that,” yuna also concedes.
again the scene changes to the next contestant, bearing the profile of JANG HYUNKI. his profile photo fades into the auditionee himself, scanning down his body until reaching his bare toes, exposed for all to see.
“what?” ran laughs aloud at the foot reveal. “did he rush here and forget his shoes in the morning?”
“dancers sometimes perform barefoot,” yuna reminds her fellow judge. “though… it’s a bit brave to walk into a new place with nothing on your feet. i don’t know if i would have made that choice.”
the young man announces that he will be performing original choreography, piquing jihun’s interest again. “we’ll see how this compares to the other,” he remarks, “i’m guessing it will be an entirely different style of dance.”
as predicted, in stark contrast to the bold, captivating choreography that hangyeol had shown before, hyunki displays a far more emotional performance to a much slower, ballad-esque song.
“some emotion seems to be missing,” yuna murmurs, seemingly still deciding exactly how to place her critique. “he choreographed it himself, he says, but some parts almost seem… robotic? like a performance of what he thinks the emotion should look like instead of actually feeling it himself.”
“i see what you mean,” ran agrees. “i think more practice with facial expressions might help… and he seems a bit rigid as well.”
“it’s a strong choreography, though,” jihun, shockingly, gives the highest praise of the trio of judges this time. “he just might not be the right dancer for it, even if he made it. i can’t tell you how many songs have been written that the writer couldn’t sing as well as the performer. it happens.”
"what can you bring to the table that we won't see in any other contestant?"
"no one else here can dance the way i do,” hyunki answers the question with confidence. “and execute all the styles i can with the same, or even close to similar, charisma and talent."
“am i the only one who would love to see hangyeol try his choreography?” jihun remarks, a sly grin on his face. a rivalry is already being established by the judges and editors. “i feel like he’d make him eat his words.”
“i agree,” yuna smiles as if imagining the showdown already. “hangyeol was much more expressive. he wouldn’t dance it the same way… i suspect he would do it better.”
the young man’s special skill is ventriloquy, and the judges seem more disturbed than impressed by this one.
“what a strange skill… and that he uses it to torment his friends,” ran frowns.
“i don’t think i believe that he could do that perfectly on a whim without any practice,” yuna’s expression darkens as well. “maybe his real talent is storytelling.”
“that’s a nice way of saying lying,” jihun says the quiet part out loud. the mood of the judges darkens for a moment. they are not yet a fan of this contestant, as far as the editing shows.
the editors are quick to move onto the next segment, introducing KIM ARA through her profile graphic.
“she’s pretty!” yuna remarks, cooing over the young wannabe immediately.
“she photographs well,” ran agrees, holding back laughter at yuna’s cute reaction.
the contestant is another dancer, showing off a routine usually performed by animated video game characters. the song was very popular, but it wouldn’t be unheard of if someone hadn’t seen the choreography performed by a real human being before.
“it’s not the most impressive choreography, but it shows she has the fundamentals of dance down,” yuna observes. “i wish she had chosen something a little more challenging to show off her skills.”
“unless she doesn’t have the skills to show off,” jihun, always the pessimist, points out.
“hush, you,” ran swats him on the arm. “they’re all here to learn.”
"why do you want to become a kpop idol?" the staff questions the girl, moving onto the interview without any further preamble.
"i enjoy dancing a lot,” ara responds, “i enjoy performing on a stage, and i enjoy being in the spotlight.”
“she reminds me of me when i was younger,” yuna smiles. “it’s good to have a love of the stage. being an idol is a hard job to have if you’re not passionate about it.”
“it only gets harder,” ran nods her agreement.
ara’s special talent is juggling, perhaps made slightly more impressive by the fact that she handles three completely unrelated objects with ease instead of evenly-sized juggling clubs or balls.
“can you do that?” ran suddenly asks of jihun.
“i don’t know,” jihun admits, but somehow is willing to embarrass himself and give it a shot. he makes a weak attempt at juggling the pens and water bottles on the table in front of them, only for everything to come crashing down from his lack of experience.
“apparently not!” ran laughs.
up next is JORDAN MOON, as announced by the profile graphic displayed on the screen.
“as someone who has flown thousands of miles to be where i am today, it will be worth it in the long run.” jordan’s voice is heard as he stands in the audition room, preparing for his turn to show off his skills.
“where is he from?” jihun looks through the notes in front of him, looking for the answer.
“new york,” ran finds the answer first.
“that is quite the trip. did he really come all the way to korea just for this show?” yuna’s brows raise expectantly.
“we did remark about the international interest,” ran points out.
jordan is a singer, and a talented one at that to be performing beyonce for the staff and judges. it’s a difficult song, certainly harder for a deeper masculine voice, and the camera cuts to yuna nodding her head appreciatively.
“is it bad if i say he’s a bit… boring?” jihun pretends to beat around the bush for a moment before going in for the kill. “as yuna would say, he has vocal fundamentals. but is that all he has?”
“let’s see,” ran refrains from passing judgment before the rest of the tasks are completed.
"what would you do if you won ₩1,000,000,000 in the lotto?" a staff member asks.
“if you spot me front row at a beyoncé show, you do not know me.” jordan’s tone is lighthearted, but his joke goes over like a lead balloon with the judges. jihun’s frown deepens.
“is there more to his personality than being a beyonce fan?” he remarks, clearly unimpressed. even ran now keeps her lips sealed, her own opinion falling low enough to refrain from commenting further.
perhaps the final nail in the coffin is a lackluster special skill, showing off a painting that he claims to have made himself.
“when we had other contestants showing their skills live to our judges, i’m not sure if we can really accept this,” jihun sighs. “we don’t even know if he really painted this himself. which, if i’m being honest, i’d expect it to be beyonce if it were really his own work, based on everything else he’s shown us.”
“he has talent, but he doesn’t stand out,” yuna agrees.
“let’s just move on,” jihun frowns.
move on they do to MOON SOOYOUNG, whose profile takes over the screen not a moment later.
“oh,” jihun’s brows raise at the mention of this contestant’s name. “she’s auditioned for my company before… look here,” he points to something in his notes, unseen by the audience. “she’s the older sister of one of my trainees. do you remember MOON JINYOUNG?”
“he was on last season,” ran recalls, the best memory of the group or perhaps just the quickest at reading the notes provided to them. “he ended up in studio delta after all?”
jihun nods. “he’s quite the dancer. i wonder if his sister is similar.”
the young woman is also dancing to viviz’s maniac. as the music plays, the judges seem to watch her with rapt attention.
“this choreography is much more difficult than it looks,” yuna points out, “and the fact that she makes it look just as simple as the original is a good indication of her skill. she’s a bit stiff in the waist, but she probably just needs to work on her flexibility in that area.”
“she doesn’t look happy to be here,” ran points out. “it’s probably nerves. still, i’d like to see her smile.”
her interview questions pass quickly and without any comments from the judges, seemingly uninterested in her responses. “it’s interesting that she doesn’t mention her brother,” jihun points out only once.
sooyoung only recaptures their attention as she showcases her special talent, using another unnamed auditonee as a model to show off her ability to quickly change someone’s style in a matter of seconds.
“i didn’t know that bang trick!” yuna exclaims. a brief break where both she and ran attempt to try something similar on themselves ensues, though it seems that sooyoung’s ability to style hair far exceeds the judges’.
they move on quickly to the next contestant, PARK AHYOUNG introduced to the audience with her profile on the screen.
“why do you want to become a kpop idol?” the staff asks her.
the girl shrugs, seemingly disinterested in a genuine response. “i just think it would be fun.”
“excuse me?” it’s yuna who bursts out laughing, perhaps thinking of her own early experiences as a trainee and young idol and the path that brought her here today. “that’s… a bit flippant for an audition, don’t you think?”
“she can be flippant if she has the skills to back it up,” jihun argues.
the girl seems to have some manners, though. she bows politely to the staff before beginning her performance. of all of the rappers today, ahyoung is the first to use her own unique creation rather than someone else’s songs. that said, the lyrics aren’t exactly her own either.
it’s jihun’s turn to laugh now, though lacking the incredulous tone from yuna moments ago and genuinely amused instead. “these are all lyrics from QUARTZ’s songs,” he explains to his fellow judges, who look confusedly at him. “how clever to put them all into one performance like this… i like this one.”
it’s high praise from the notoriously picky judge. even yuna begrudgingly has to acknowledge ahyoung’s skill.
the impish character returns, however, for her special skill. the girl drags a male staff member into the center of the room where she begins doing his makeup. "you have really nice skin,” she tells him, “your skincare routine must be amazing. you have better skin than half of the girls whose makeup i've done before, for real."
“i think her special skill is actually flattery,” ran half-jokes.
“he does have nice skin,” yuna agrees.
the final results are… not terrible, but maybe a bit questionable. at least the man can leave the studio when filming wraps without attracting too much attention in public.
“ryeo ‘luciel’ jihyun,” jihun reads the next contestant’s name out as RYEO JIHYUN’s profile is displayed on screen. “it’s certainly a… unique name.”
“he must be another foreigner,” ran offers.
the young man does not command any great stage presence as he steps forward for his audition. yet there’s a charming freshness about him as he smiles and introduces himself. he wastes little time before beginning his song, perhaps much more somber and sentimental than was expected of him.
“he shows off his vocal color well,” yuna praises him. “this was a good song choice for this audition.”
“his gestures are nice,” ran observes, “there’s a lot of singers who don’t know what to do with their hands or look too rehearsed. he seems to feel the music well.”
they move quickly to the interview portion, a staff member suddenly asking the question “what style of music suits you best and why?”
“i grew up playing classical instruments and listening to them, i even used to participate in a piano competition,” luciel explains, “classical music conveys dramatic emotional stories that comes from the heart, it’s like poetry in the form of music. so i believe that kind of genre suits me.”
“he’s a classical musician but sang a rock song?” jihun looks confusedly at the notes before him as if unsure if he’s getting something mixed up or that they’re hearing the broadcast correctly. “they really all are quite strange, aren’t they?”
as if in direct response to the ceo’s comment, luciel introduces his special talent: “it wasn’t for long, but for a while i learned waacking,” the contestant reveals.
ran can’t help but let out a delighted little laugh. “he’s full of surprises, isn’t he? classical piano, rock, and now waacking… what can’t ryeo luciel jihyun do?”
“he’s very versatile! i like it,” jihun remarks.
the clip of luciel’s dancing is only a short few seconds, leaving the viewer wanting for more. it only lasts a few seconds before the editors are introducing RYU INHO with his profile taking over the screen.
“another guitarist,” jihun points out. “is that an amp?”
an amp it is indeed with inho pulling his electric guitar out for his vocal audition. it’s a different color than yejun’s had been before, as could be expected for acoustic versus electric instruments, but the judges are seen nodding along and enjoying the vibe of the song.
“he seems confident,” ran observes. “he must have practiced this a lot.”
the staff begin questioning him shortly after the performance wraps up, launching into their tirade of questions without hesitation. "why do you want to become a kpop idol?"
"i love to sing and connect with people. if i was to become an idol, i would be able to do both of those at the same time. maybe have the power to make positive impacts on people's lives."
the scene cuts back to the judges, a rare shot of all three smiling as they listen to the wannabe explain his dreams on screen. “we’ve heard similar answers a lot,” yuna points out, “but he seems very sincere”
“i don’t know what it is. he has this aura that makes you want to root for him,” ran smiles.
"i would be fortunate and honored to receive an offer from any of the three companies but any three of them would also be very lucky to have me. i don't have a preference." inho answers the staff a second time.
jihun bursts out laughing. “he’s bold… but i suppose he’s fair. it’s wise not to choose a favorite when all three of us have to decide if he moves forward or not.”
inho’s special talent is revealed next, showing the young man quickly breaking apples in half with his bare hands.
“maybe we should be afraid of him,” yuna jokes, “he’s strong.”
“oh, he’s handsome,” ran is quick to remark on the next auditionee up, the screen showing the good looks of RYU SIWOO alongside his basic information. and indeed, even in a very amateur selfie image, the young man has remarkable good looks.
“look at that watch,” jihun points out the contestant’s outfit, “that’s cartier. he’s decked head to toe in luxury brands… either he comes from money, or he gets tricked by counterfeits easily.”
the young man before them is another rapper, performing in a rather unique style that has jihun leaning forward with interest and the two women looking rather confused.
“does he want to be an idol like that?” yuna questions, “his tone is good, but i don’t think he has a sound that will appeal to many people.”
“that’s why we shape them with further training,” jihun argues, “he’s starting from a decent foundation. you said that for other contestants, remember?”
“what is the most interesting place that you have been to wearing the shoes that you’re wearing now?”
“the windsor castle,” siwoo responds, “i went with some family friends last year, they really wanted to see the place.”
“he definitely comes from money,” jihun confirms, “i haven’t even been to windsor castle. have you?”
he glances at his co-judges, who both shake their heads in confirmation.
“i hope there’s more to his personality than luxury brands and european vacations,” yuna straightens the stack of papers in front of her. “he’s good enough that we can see what he does on the show. but i’m not so sure about him.”
the less than glowing review fades into a new contestant, now introducing SONG JAEYOUNG. little time is spent on initial observations from the judges this time, now diving right into the young man’s performance. fast-paced, intense, and…
“is that japanese?” yuna blinks in astonishment. “he’s korean, isn’t he?” she checks the information in front of her again, seemingly not believing what she’s hearing. “this is certainly a… unique choice.”
“i couldn’t tell,” jihun grumbles, “he sounds like he’s yelling more than singing. i suppose i was distracted by that.”
the trend of somewhat erratic contestants continues with jaeyoung, the judges watching bewilderedly as he somehow balances a whole stool on a single finger, tilted and wobbling just a little but upright nonetheless.
“you have to admit, that’s a little impressive,” ran points out.
“it’s just physics,” jihun remains unimpressed.
“people say i’m horrible at shutting up,” it’s the only intelligible part of the rapid-fire interview that the audience can hear from jaeyoung. the rest is sped up to the point it’s all gibberish, the young man going on and on with his answers and proving his point.
“i suppose it’s charming in a way,” ran smiles. “we certainly have a lot of characters on this season.”
“we could do without them.” jihun’s grouchiness has yet to fade.
next up is SONG JIAYI. as her profile fades from the screen, the young woman’s audition begins immediately.
“it’s a bold choice to perform goeun’s songs in front of her ceo,” jihun remarks, glancing sideways at ran.
“i’ll admit, i’m surprised she’s not singing,” ran muses, “goeun’s choreography is flashy, but not overly demanding since she’s such a strong vocalist. it’s… an interesting choice to focus on her dance instead of vocals when choosing one of her songs.”
“maybe she has a weak voice,” yuna suggests. it’s what they’ll have to believe until they see jiayi sing, someday.
"which company would you want to receive an offer from and why?"
"lime entertainment." the scene cuts to a small fist-pump from yuna, grinning as her company is chosen by the contestant. jiayi continues to explain: "i grew up listening to cherish, and i admire lime entertainment's strategy when it comes to business.”
“interesting she would say that but sing a song from a sr media artist,” jihun the instigator remarks. ran shoots him a sharp look.
“oh my god!” all three judges exclaim at the same time when jiayi reveals her special talent. it’s unnerving to see a human body contorted into unfamiliar, uncomfortable-looking shapes. "i'm very flexible," jiayi laughs.
“she looks like a horror movie,” jihun attempts to recover his composure after the shock.
“i wish she had picked choreography that used her flexibility better,” yuna remarks. “showcasing it like this is… a little scary.”
the next profile should be familiar to anyone who watched last season and even the judges clap their hands appreciatively when they see STEVIE PARK appear on screen.
“i’m surprised he’s back,” jihun’s brows raise. “i hope he’s matured since last season.”
a short compilation of stevie’s antics of season one plays across the screen, from him goofing off in practice rooms to chattering away with his fellow contestants while he probably should have been practicing. what will stevie do this year? the question is asked of the viewers.
“what was your favorite thing about the last season of next gen?” an off-screen staff member asks stevie the question, the cameras zoomed in on the young man’s face to study his reaction.
“i think probably…performing and working with people. i’m a social butterfly after all.” stevie laughs, and a short cut to the judges seems to say i know without anyone actually verbalizing the words. the clips from last season have already highlighted that well enough. “some might say it’s my biggest flaw, though.”
“at least he’s self-aware,” jihun sighs. “let’s hope he’s learned about the proper time and place for such things.”
“he was a dancer, if i remember,” yuna chimes in, “i wonder what he’s showing us today.”
subverting all expectations, stevie chooses to sing instead. he moves, of course, as all dancers do when they hear music, but it’s simple sways and hand movements, a clear focus on his vocals this time.
“i think it’s safe to say that the class clown is turning over a new leaf,” ran generously forgives stevie for last season’s transgressions. it’s time for a new slate, after all.
“his skillset has definitely broadened,” yuna admits.
there seems to be an uncharacteristic amount of nerves from the boy as he introduces his special skill. he rushes to grab something and the cameras catch the slightest tremor in his hands.
“he’s nervous,” ran points out. “i don’t remember him being so anxious last year.”
“i skateboard, and i skated here,” stevie stumbles over his words as he adjusts the skateboard in front of him, placing a foot on it in preparation for his trick. “so i’ll– do a trick i guess. i’ll keep it safe, though, i promise!”
the promise is good and the young man lands his trick without incident. he gives a thumbs up, smiling perhaps in relief. “safe and sound.”
“he’s changed,” ran murmurs.
“hopefully for the better,” jihun responds.
the screen changes to a new profile, introducing a new face after reminiscing over an old one. YAMAMOTO KAITO’s profile fills the screen before fading into the auditions, kaito repeating some of the same information as the basic profile already listed but then adding on a short list of the many jobs he’s currently working.
“he’s busy!” yuna exclaims. “how does he have time for this?”
“he made time for it,” jihun folds his arms and leans against the table in front of him. “i like this type of person. he works hard but makes time for the things he’s passionate about. this type usually makes for an excellent artist.”
his skills are tested soon enough, kaito showing his prowess as a rapper before the staff and the judges sitting behind the cameras.
“look,” jihun points out to his fellow judges, “he’s making eye contact with every single person in that room, even if they’re not paying attention to him.”
“i wonder if he’s been on stage before,” yuna ponders aloud.
“if not, he just has good performing instincts.” jihun seems to be a fan of the young man already.
“i have a strong passion for rapping and dancing, so i'd love to share my own passions with more people while performing on stage someday.” kaito’s interview is condensed into a single response in the broadcast.
“i wish he had shown his dancing too,” yuna frowns and scribbles down a note. “if he’s passionate about both, he could have shown it.”
“especially since his special skill was beatboxing,” ran agrees. “that usually goes hand in hand with rapping, doesn’t it? it would have been nice to see a little more diversity in his skills.”
“still,” jihun agrees, with a twist, “what he did show he did well. i think there’s promise there.”
the show is nearing its close, but there’s one contestant left to show the viewers. YOON EUNWOL is last, and hopefully not the least of the many talented auditionees evaluated by the judges for this season. the scene fades to a rather nervous looking wannabe. eunwol greets the staff and introduces his audition piece. “i prepared a dance to a song that i created, i tried to make a pop feel with a ballad flow.”
“so he created the choreography and the track?” ran’s brows raised, impressed at the amount of work that goes into such a feat.
“don’t get excited yet,” jihun warns her, “i’ve seen something like this go badly before.”
eunwol performs, though the majority of the broadcast is dedicated to the judges’ reactions. the consensus seems to be that they remain unimpressed.
“fundamentals, this and that,” jihun sighs, “but no character or soul. even you have to admit, it was lacking.” he glances at yuna, who nods her agreement.
“attempting to show us something completely unique was a great idea. i just wish he had shown us more,” she agrees, “i feel like i didn’t learn anything about him, his style, or his personality. if you’re creating a performance from scratch, usually you put a little bit of yourself into it.”
"what two things do you consider yourself to be very bad at?" a staff member asks the young man, who answers with awkward laughter.
“interviews seem to be one thing i think i am bad at,” he admits. the response earns a smile from the judges. at least eunwol is cute.
however, all three stare incredulously at the screens before them as the wannabe stands up and walks away as soon as the rapid-fire interview is over. “he just left?” yuna sputters, in awe at the audacity. “what about his special skill?”
“he may have thought that he already showed it during the skills part of the audition?” ran offers, trying to come up with an excuse or explanation.
“under normal circumstances, i would call for an immediate disqualification,” he shakes his head, poorly holding in his laughter. “but since the special skill was my request, i think i’ll let this pass. honestly, it’s just funny. and i want to see what this guy will do next time.”
ran and yuna look utterly unamused by jihun’s decision, but even the two of them can’t override what the studio delta ceo decides for his own challenge.
“well, i think that wraps up the auditions,” ran announces, clapping her hands together once. “we have some decisions to make, some contestants to reach out to, and a show to put on.”
the screen fades to black. then, all of a sudden, a bright flash and a new set appears with the season two theme music playing in the background. for the first time, RHEE JIAN appears on screen to reprise her role as emcee of the show. “welcome everyone,” she smiles as she gazes out across the contestants seated expectantly before her, “and congratulations on being selected to participate in season two of NEXT GEN!”
the camera pans across the contestants, revealing the auditionees who made it past the final round of auditions and onto the show.
“now that we’ve started to settle in, it’s time we revealed a secret to you,” the hostess smiles, a glint in her eye. “i know you believed that you were selected by the mnet and axis staff that hosted your auditions a few weeks ago. however, i’m sorry to say that we tricked you.”
the giant monitor behind jian changes suddenly, showing the three judges in the studio room they had observed all the auditions from. “our judges were watching you every step of the way, evaluating your character as well as the skills you showed. why don’t we give them a warm welcome as well?”
yoon jihun, seo ran, and yuna emerge from backstage to stand next to jian, waving and smiling at the contestants that they had judged not so long ago. a round of applause and cheers go up and the camera captures the most exciting reactions from the contestants who were surprised by the sudden news.
“we’re sorry for tricking you,” ran smiles as she addresses the crowd. “but we’re under a lot of pressure to make this season bigger and better than last year, and we agree that all of you can help up with that.”
“you’re here today because you’re all talented or interesting enough that we want to see more from you,” jihun explains. “over the next few weeks, you’ll be put through our training curriculums and given a series of missions to complete. the winners will be signed to a company of their choice, or we’ll choose if we want to sign you. the losers will be sent home.”
yuna speaks next: “we’re excited to see how all of you grow and develop throughout your time on NEXT GEN. we wish the best for all of you and your careers as performers and hope that this will be an exciting and informative experience for all of you.”
“that said,” jian takes over as host again, “this is a competition. based on your auditions, our judges have ranked all of you in order of most promising to least promising. those who didn’t make the top twenty-one were eliminated from the show entirely. while we’re not sending any of you home today, it’s good to know where you rank and to try to ascend to the top. you should all be working for first place.”
a pause falls over the crowd while they’re left to absorb the information.
“without further ado, let’s reveal the rankings,” jian turns to the screen behind her again, now displaying a graphic for the contestants’ initial rankings. one by one, the contestants are revealed until only the number one and last place are left. “in first place for episode one is… CHOI HANGYEOL!”
the camera catches hangyeol’s reaction, as well as eunwol’s reaction to being revealed in last place for the first episode.
“this is only based on the auditions that you prepared on your own,” jian explains, “but we want to make this fair for everyone. your first mission will be the CENTER SELECTION.”
a short clip of last year’s song and male and female centers is played before returning to the present season. “the song this year is DO BETTER. once again, you will all learn the same song and choreography to perform alone for our judges to evaluate your potential to be the center of a future group. the center is a pivotal role for any idol group and should be someone who has the stamina to sing and dance at the same time, and make both look and sound good,” jian explains.
“you’ll be working with axis staff and coaches to prepare you for this evaluation. however, we’re also bringing in some of the most qualified special coaches to help you achieve success this season. please allow me to introduce our special coaches,” jian gestures to the side of the stage, where the mystery guests file out one by one.
fans from last season will recognize the top three winners from last season, YEOM SARANG, LEE SEOJUN, and ZHOU RENYI. they’re joined by fellow trainees and former contestants LEE NAYOUNG and PARK DOHYUN, as well as a new trainee to the public LEE CHAERIN. each special coach introduces themselves briefly before jian resumes her hosting duties.
“sarang, seojun, and renyi will be assisted by nayoung, dohyun, and chaerin in preparing you all for this evaluation. listen closely to their advice as they’re familiar not only with what it takes to win NEXT GEN, but also the intricacies of each company they represent.”
“you’ll be re-ranked based on your performances. just like last year, the top female contestant and top male contestant will be selected as centers. you’ll all be performing on an episode of MCOUNTDOWN following the evaluation, so this is a great opportunity to show your best side to fans and the judges alike.”
“we’re excited to see the results of this season of NEXT GEN and all that you can accomplish,” jian smiles at the contestants again. “good luck!”
the show ends by zooming in on the logo on the screen behind the host with do better’s instrumental playing in the background.
