#debut's plan

[kpop-bbg]

[lee-sanghyeok]

idc that i'm the only one on here watching debut's plan, i've been taking notes while watching and these are the contestants i believe have a shot at being part of the top 7

park wonbin (3+ years of PROPER training, voices his opinions, visual)

wu hao (global appeal, rapper, producing skills)

jo minjae (vocalist w lots of range)

jang yonghoon (older, nurturer, reflective, perfectionist)

park seonghyeon (dancer with proper training, choreographer, voices his opinions)

[wonbeanity]

PARK WONBIN IN NEW A.G.K. on 1theK

[bjunhyuk]

Debut’s Plan 뉴파민 : 뉴키즈 우정 중간점검 나왔습니다ㅣ우정팔찌 만들기 Benefit

[save-the-data]

Imperfect Game | S01E02

Korean Drama - 2025, Web Episodes Links: GAGA | Viki | YouTube | iQIYI | WeTV | Youku | Tencent 02/04 Episodes >>> 25/04/25

[x1uizy]

i think it's really important that the editing of a survival show & the narrative built along the way match the final group and newkids just completely flopped in that regard. i dont think it was a bad show, as far as these things go, but they definitely fumbled towards the end.

some things:

i knew they would add someone but i figured they were either going to stay at 7 or expand to 11. once they eliminated haru and kaira i thought for sure they would bring one or both back, but no. 8 members is so odd to me, like it's uncomfortably close to cravity for no reason? i don't think that's a massive issue, it's just weird

if they wanted junhwan so bad they should've given him a storyline, probably haru's honestly. i think that we as fans underestimate the power that editing has in determining why trainees we end up liking and our perception of their talent, so there's nothing really wrong with junhwan as a group member, it's more that people only remember him for being less skilled because they didn't give us anything else to work with

junhyuk is talented but i think they placed too much importance on his semi-meteoric rise. i think he developed a strong 1 pick but isn't super well-liked outside of that. his inclusion confuses me less on a talent basis and more conceptually & narratively honestly

yoochan was my 1 pick but narratively i really didn't see it for him so im more confused than content? he's talented and deserved it from the beginning, plus he's one of the underrated funniest trainees to me but like...the only thing that ever hinted at him debuting was him making nk7 a bunch of times.

i was never opposed to semin debuting but that was in combination with wonbin & kyuhyun and given that kyuhun didnt make it i can't say that he makes sense conceptually to me.

seonghyeon is talented and its not his fault he got sick but throwing him in without fans really getting to know him was...a choice

i want to say they fumbled jiyong really badly but part of me doesn't think they did. i kind of believe that they might be debuting jiyong as a soloist, in which case his narrative on this show was actually *extremely* beneficial. not my pick for a boy group personally (he has such strong soloist face & i think the pressure to be the eldest & the leader wouldve been a lot for him honestly) but if he does go solo, so many people who watched newkids will be tuning in, way more than if he just debuted without it. if he doesn't debut as a soloist though...they fucked up real bad

even after haru was eliminated i dont think i imagined them debuting without him. he was just totally the heart of this show and this group will be fine but him getting cut is a major loss in my opinion. it's not even necessarily about skill (which he has) it's about starpower and appeal and he has both in such a natural way that in my biased opinion, no one else on the show quite had. all this and he wasnt even my 1pick, crazy

i thought kyuhyun would make it since he was really loved in korea and fits into the group perfectly but alas. im guessing that they might not be doing a fresh concept as a lot of people expected

i really liked wuhao & kaira (wuhao was my 1pick for most of the show) and i think it's kind of ridiculous that all of the foreigners on this show were eliminated, given how much each of them stood out. i do think that they were testing the waters with giving kaira a divisive storyline (which works out well for the trainee more often than you might expect) but they might've pushed it too hard to the point where it hurt him rather than helping. still, kind of ridiculous that he didn't debut

how i would've made the group

7 members: kim minjae, yonghoon, wonbin, kyuhyun, haru, jiyong, semin

8 members: + yoochan

9 members: + yoochan & junhwan

10 members: + yoochan, junhwan, & kaira

11 members: + yoochan, junhwan, kaira, & lee junseo

12 members: above + wuhao or seonghyeon, i can't decide

reasoning (it makes sense in my head but im struggling to explain tbh, also not including talent in this)

kim minjae & yonghoon: very blendy members who can do most concepts pretty easily

wonbin: he just has a character and a look that stands out & is likable

kyuhyun: solid and likable. filler but not in a backhanded way, more like he can do what's needed while standing out in his own way

haru: my star, plus having a japanese member is just helpful

jiyong: for the plot, plus he has a way of blending in and standing out at the same time that's useful in a group

semin: popular and cute, he would attract a certain kind of loyal fan (mom fans)

yoochan: i just enjoy him and his voice leave me be

junhwan: i think seokjune would've debuted in his place had he not left. they wanted a tall visual and he fits the bill. when it comes to attracting non-show watchers i think he'll be an asset

kaira: all that narrative work for nothing just doesnt sit right with me. i know i said i wasn't gonna talk about talent but cmon. just like, be serious. i could imagine him having like an early woozi like appeal

lee junseo: kind of a wild card for me, since i didn't love him on the show, but one thing he does have is character, which is super super important and not something that can be taught easily. i think having members who can stand as a unit & and shine individually is really important to larger groups and i think he can do that. plus his voice would add something that they don't already have

benefits to wuhao would be that he could appeal to a new market, especially with china dropping their kmedia ban this month, and that he's an all rounder of course and could kind of do whatever they needed. one slight drawback would be that he would probably have to rap, which would be a shame since singing in really his strength.

benefits to seonghyeon would be that similar to minjae & yonghoon, he's very blendy and could probably fit a lot of different concepts. would also strengthen their dance line while not...what's the best way to explain it...he's not exactly a character in the way some of the other members are and that's good because there is a such thing as too much

[catch-me-hello]

Debut’s Plan, Episode 10 (FINALE):  I did. Now what?

We’re finally at the end.  But before we get started, two amazing new music videos dropped this past week, and I am obsessed.  The first is from old favorite RIIZE, called “Bag Bad Back.”  It’s an aggressive beat with a bit of a metal vibe, and it’s incredibly addictive.  The other is a romantic dance/pop song from Jang Haneum called “Shine.”  The high notes are heaven.  It reminds me of 80s synth pop.  I love it so much.

RIIZE and Jang Haneum

Okay, now back to Debut’s Plan.  Finale Time.  It’s been a rough week on Reddit since the semi-final.  Not only are fans gutted over losing both Kaira and Haru, but remember the anti-fans and other online trolls we’ve talked about in previous recaps?  Six-year trainee and finalist Kim Ji Yong is their new target.  Apparently, they’re upset at all the airtime he’s been getting, and they feel like he’s being pushed at them.

To which I say, grow up, you morons.  If you want to take it up with Starship, fine.  Don’t take it out on a genuinely nice and talented trainee whose only crime is chasing his dream.  Some of these online bullies are accusing him of taking a spot that one of the eliminated trainees should have, which again, is out of his control.  Please turn off your computers and get a hobby.

Okay!  Now for the Debut’s Plan finale.  We’re going to be dealing with some of the same problems from the semi-final, including a lack of translation in the non-scripted conversations and an episode that will last several long, excruciating hours.  I’ve also been reading online that the actual name for this new group will make me wish they had stuck to NewKids. 

We start the show with twelve finalists, five of whom will be eliminated.  We get flashbacks from the beginning of the series until now, which I mostly skip through.  This will be a four-hour episode.  I’m fast-forwarding through the filler.

Finally, we return to the live show arena and our host, Joohoney, who looks as exhausted with this show as I am.

I seriously didn’t recognize him at first. 

I am excited to see Shownu is back, and is that his Monsta X bandmate Kihyun sitting next to him?  We only get a quick shot, but I’m pretty sure that’s him.

Our NewKids perform “Imperfect.”  Our eliminated trainees are also in the audience, looking supportive but also tired.  Why do all the judges and coaches look like disaster survivors waiting for the Red Cross to arrive?  This show has really seemed to take a toll on everyone.

The judges talk about how all the trainees have improved.  And yes, that is Kihyun sitting next to Shownu.  Just think, Hyungwon will be discharged from the military in a little over a week, and we’ll finally get our Monsta X comeback!  I may even make cupcakes to celebrate.  Any excuse for frosting.

Suddenly, Joohoney tells us we’re about to learn the name of the final group!  I’m surprised – I don’t think we’ve gotten the group name this early on any of the finales I’ve recapped.  I am genuinely excited.  K-pop fans, the new group’s name will be:

i did.

As in “I did it.” 

Okay, just …

What?

Someone on Reddit said they thought at first that the word was “idiot,” which would have been right in line with the vibe of this show. 

Forgive me while I nerd out for a moment.

Honestly, “idiot” was my second thought.  My first thought was that it was “ID-ID,” as in part of the psyche, along with the ego and superego, and I was bewildered as to why they not only chose that word but used it twice.  The id is the part of our subconscious that seeks immediate gratification and operates without regard for logic or social norms.  Basically, it’s the spoiled brat of our subconscious and the total opposite of acceptable behavior in Korea.  So I thought this show was calling their new idols “spoiled brats” because no one at Starship had taken a basic psychology course.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how perfect this is.  The name “idid,” however you read it, is the perfect cherry bomb on the garbage fire that has been this show.

I’m sorry.  I have tried.  I really tried to stay as positive as I could during these recaps, but I guess the frustration has been building up, because it took a silly little band name to break me. 

I cannot believe that Starship Entertainment, the company that gave us the tight ship of a show called No Mercy, a show that brought us one of the best K-pop groups in the world, is the same company that gave us this bloated mess of a show with not one but TWO four-hour live finales (no wonder everyone looks exhausted) and gave us a group that doesn’t really seem to stand out from the groups that other entertainment companies are pumping out these days.  (Trust me, you’ll see when we get to the end.)

Monsta X stands out in the industry.  They may have similarities with other groups, but there is no mistaking them for any other group.  They are true idols.  Icons.  And when you watch No Mercy, you see how we ended up with a group like Monsta X.  I went back and looked at the episode run times.  Each episode of No Mercy is an hour long, and the finale is a little bit longer and probably ran for 90 minutes with commercials.  Not only was it well edited, but it left us wanting more.  At the end of the series, I wanted more of these guys.  I wanted to see how they would click as a group and what kind of music they would make. 

Now look at Debut’s Plan.  A couple of episodes ran for close to two hours, and most ran longer than that.  Plus we had the baseball K-drama and the two finale episodes that not only ran for staggeringly long runtimes but weren’t completely subtitled, which made for a frustrating viewing experience if you didn’t speak or read Korean.  (As of this writing, the semi-final episode has finally gotten all the English subtitles, a week after it first aired.)  And I didn’t even watch the metric ton of other videos uploaded to the YouTube channel with side projects and songs and interviews and God knows what else. 

And again, YOUTUBE.  This show aired on YouTube.  Seriously, Starship?  No Mercy aired on Mnet, a hugely popular network in Korea, one that music industry professionals call important and influential.  Did that network take one look at this show and say no thanks?  Because I don’t blame them if that’s what happened.

So what I’m trying to explain is this:  by the time we got to the Debut’s Plan finale, I was tired of the NewKids.  And I want to stress that it’s not their fault.  Starship forced them to overstay their welcome.  I guess that’s why that band name was my breaking point.

I’m just done.  I scanned through the whole middle section of this finale, and it’s the usual stuff we see on every other survival show these days.  The finalists choose their songs, go through drama while they choose their teams and positions, rehearse, get yelled at in the midpoint evaluations, and do the final performance at the finale.  So let’s just move ahead and find out the winners.

And believe me, there’s one more thing that’s going to frustrate the hell out of me after the seven winners are announced.  Please bear with me.

The winners are:

Kim Min Jae and Jang Yong Hoon.  Our two besties get to debut together.  Despite my frustration with this show, I am genuinely happy for them. 

Kim Min Jae and Jang Yong Hoon

Baek Jun Hyuk.  He’s been the slow improver on this show and now will finally debut.

Park Won Bin.  Our second-longest Starship trainee and one of my top picks since Day One.  I’m happy to see him so happy.  He deserves this.

Baek Jun Hyuk and Park Won Bin

Chu Yoo Chan.  Our former Starship trainee who left and return for this show through an open audition.  He has had his struggles on the show but finally made it.

Chu Yoo Chan

I’m getting worried about Kim Ji Yong, our Starship Legendary Trainee, who is still standing with the other finalists.  The next winner will be the “Fan Save” candidate, and as we know, the fans have not been nice to him.

The Fan Save is Jeong Se Min, our sixteen year-old Yellow Team Beginner Member.

Jeong Se Min

The last winner is the Board Member Save.  If this is how Kim Ji Yong wins, I’m going to hate it for him.  He deserves so much better than this after proving himself for so many years with this company.  But at least he’ll win.

He doesn’t win.

The Board saves Park Jun Hwan.  I’m happy for him, but he’s not nearly as talented as Kim Ji Yong.  The Board chose visuals over talent.  He looks as stunned as I feel.  Well, at least his parents can be happy they made him choose this over baseball.

Okay, so we have our seven members.  But then K.Will makes an announcement, and everyone loses their minds.  None of is it translated.  I have no idea what’s going on.

Eventually I figured out that K.Will has decided to add an eighth group member.  They are saving one more person.  And two thoughts go through my mind.

One, this is exactly what K.Will did on No Mercy when he added I.M in the middle of the series.  It was a shocker of an idea that wound up creating one of the best rap duos in K-pop.  So I guess he’s doing a callback and hoping lightning strikes twice.

Two, this is how Kim Ji Yong is going to get into the group.  K.Will recognizes that this talented trainee is going to walk away from the industry if they don’t grab him now.  He’s decided to tell the online bullies to go pound sand, and he’s going to give this hardworking and talented trainee the debut he deserves.  It’s brilliant.  I love it.

But no.

K.Will saves Park Seong Hyeon.

Oh, Ji Yong.  I am so sorry.

I don’t know what else to say.  Ji Yong, I am so very sorry.  You didn’t deserve this.  If you do walk away from the industry, I hope you have a fulfilling and happy life as far away from Starship as humanly possible.

That’s it for Debut’s Plan.  I won’t be doing a post-recap wrap-up because I’m just done with this. 

It’s not just this show.  If you’ve seen the promo for the upcoming Boys Planet 2,  you know it’s going to be twice as big and bloated, and I know I’m going to watch, but I don’t think I’ll recap it.  I’ll watch for familiar faces and post updates and observations, but I can’t make myself sit through it and take notes and watch the K-pop machine pump out another yet boy band that looks like all the others.

In fact, I’m going in a totally different direction. I’m making a U-Turn.

I’m going to go back and recap an older show.  Something along the lines of No Mercy.  A series with hour-long episodes and a 90-minute finale. 

Something that brought us another legendary K-pop group, a group that could never be mistaken for anyone else.

I’ll start working on that.  Until then, I wish the best for idid and hope they have a great career.  Go chase your dream, kids.  In the meantime, I’ll be here at Catch Me Hello headquarters (my apartment), just kicking the leaves in the autumn breeze and not forgetting about the sound they make.

See you soon.

[kp77i]