Universe League Episode 5

Don't Go There, Juwon!

As for Team Groove's performance of "Prison", if it weren't for Park Han, I probably wouldn't have been that impressed. I wasn't even particularly captivated by Kenta's visuals (though he's undeniably talented). I think Team Groove's advantage was that, aside from having Park Han as their strongest vocalist, they also had a larger fanbase among the on-site voters than Team Rhythm Bench, whose members were all foreigners (and I do think they have stronger vocals aside from Han than TRB).

The way Rhythm Bench executed "Prison" was beyond my expectations. It felt like a storytelling performance, and the whole package was excellent—from the choreography and vocals to the stability, execution, and emotional impact. TG carried the vocals, while TRB carried the overall performance. I honestly wouldn't have minded if TG had kept "Prison." What I found ridiculous was the huge gap in the votes between the two teams. Only 101 votes for TRB while 295 for TG?! That felt incredibly biased. It was obvious that the performances were neck and neck—even Changsub himself thought they had a real chance of stealing the song.

I found out some of the on-site voters seated at the back couldn't clearly see Team Rhythm Bench's overall performance. Since they also had difficulty understanding the members' pronunciation, they relied more on who had the stronger vocals—which I guess is a valid reason.

However, I still find it hard to buy that because the individual rankings didn't make sense to me. If the audience truly prioritized vocals, especially those with a clear view of the stage, then why was Park Han only 6th? Some contestants who didn't carry the performance as much—or even made noticeable mistakes, like Jeongwoo's dance mistake and Heejun's messy rap delivery—ranked higher. Kenta and Joohyoung deserved high rankings too, but if vocals were really the deciding factor, then Park Han should have been No. 1.

To be honest, I'm not very happy with how this survival show was structured. Though it's unique, it became way too predictable. The voting system really sucked. At this point, I already know the underdogs were going to stay underdogs until the very end, and I'll just have to keep watching Cha Woongki suffer throughout the show. I'm actually glad I watched this a year later. I would've felt so much worse if I had watched it while it was airing.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Cha Woongki crying (while Gyeongho comforting him) and Juwon leaving Team Rhythm. How is a year-old survival show making me cry like this? I already know how it ends, yet I'm still this emotional. T^T

BEST PERFORMANCE IN MY OPINION:
1. 'Ignition' by Team Rhythm (this is overall complete and pro)
2. 'Prison' by Team Rhythm Bench (very impactful and stylish)
3. 'Prison' by Team Groove (powerful vocals, strong visuals)

BEST PERFORMERS:
Team Rhythm: JL; Li Zhinuo (Sirin actually, but Zhinuo just amazed me)
Team Groove: Han; Hanseo
Team Beat: Woongki; Jiang Fan

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