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| ▲ These photos, provided by Mnet and JTBC, show 'Boys Planet', and 'Peak Time.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo is captured from the 'Boys Planet.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo, provided by JTBC, shows 'Peak Time.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo is captured from 'GIRL'S RE:VERSE' by Kakao Entertainment. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) – Idol audition programs, which had been rare for a while, have returned to an advanced form.
According to broadcasters on Sunday, idol survival variety shows, which recently started broadcasting, have become a hot topic among viewers in their 10s and 20s who are into "the fun of raising stars," and are engaged in a close race.
"Boys Planet," which first aired on the 2nd, is an idol audition survival that Mnet, an "audition master," ambitiously showcased for the first time in a long time.
98 boys from around the world challenge to win the hearts of global fandom and debut as a boy group.
The 1020 generation, which is more familiar with the online video service (OTT) and YouTube than TV, is the main audience, and the viewer rating itself is low between 0-1%, but it proved to be a hot topic online by surpassing 150 million cumulative YouTube views in three episodes.
The composition of participants from various nationalities such as Japan, China, Vietnam, and the United States to compete for "K (Korean) Group vs. G (Global) Group" has attracted global fans.
According to global OTT Rakuten Viki, "Boys Planet" has ranked first in 21 countries, including Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Chile, and Saudi Arabia, and ranked among the "top 5" in 42 countries, including the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.
JTBC's "Peak Time," which faced "Boys Planet," put the sincerity of the cast as a viewing point, although it is less fun of survival that makes the heart flutter.
From the first week of the broadcast, "Peak Time" has ranked in the global "Top 10" in 14 countries, including the United States, Canada, Bulgaria, Norway, and Australia.
“Peak Time”, which was joined by the production team of JTBC's music contest program "Sing Again," neatly eliminated the "devil's editing" common in idol survival and focused on stage quality.
It focuses on the desperation of the cast, including rookie idols and idols whose groups have been disbanded or whose careers have been cut off, and delivers each team's narrative plainly.
There are also programs that try to differentiate by combining virtual reality (VR) technology. Kakao Entertainment's "GIRL’S RE:VERSE" shows the process of 30 former and current idols hiding their identity and competing to be among the five final debut members with virtual characters.
MBC is to also showcase "Fantasy Boys" next month in partnership with Han Dong-cheol, a former Mnet producer who directed "Show Me the Money" and "Unpretty Rapstar."
More than 1,000 trainees from Japan, China, Thailand, and the United States reportedly challenged the boy group version of "My Teenage Girls," which ended in February last year.
Since the success of Mnet's "Produce 101" in 2016, each broadcaster has introduced numerous idol audition programs.
However, viewers' exhaustion quickly increased due to a similar format following the previous program's "Law of Success," and few programs succeeded in attracting public attention.
Jung Deok-hyun, a pop culture critic, said, "Idol auditions are difficult to attract a universal audience that encompasses generations due to the nature of the material, but these days, overseas fans are actively participating, so it is highly talked about."
He then explained, "Since the business benefits that will come from idol groups composed of cast members and their fandom are certain, they will continue to be made even if they do not achieve great success at the time of the broadcast."
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Yunhee Cho)
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