It was a bit predictable, especially for Team Rhythm. I'm not saying they didn't deserve the votes—it just would have felt more objective if the rankings had also been based on professional judges, alongside the on-site and global votes. A combination of judges + on-site votes + global votes would have been much fairer.
That said, even if professional judges were added, I can confidently say that JL, Park Han, Cha Woongki, Steven, and Park Juwon would still have made the lineup. To me, these five are the pillars of AHOF.
I'm just not as sure about Chi En and Seo Jeongwoo. They're both talented, but I feel that their popularity played a huge role, especially in Jeongwoo's case. He was still relatively inexperienced, and throughout the show, I didn't really see a standout skill that truly amazed me (I actually noticed that even Changsub never seemed impressed with him—or is it just me?).
As for Shuaibo, he's a bit different. He's both talented and popular, but aside from his facial expressions, I'm still trying to figure out what his defining strength is—the one skill that puts him on the same level as the five I mentioned. For example: Han for vocals, Juwon for dance, Steven for rap, and JL for overall stage presence.
Anyway, I feel sad for the trainees who remained in the locker room. They all deserved a chance to debut. I wonder if some of them have debuted elsewhere or found success in other paths. Regardless, they were all amazing.
One thing that disappointed me was that the directors didn't scout Li Zhinuo, especially Yugyeom and EL CAPITXN. I could understand TenYang and Changsub since they already had a pool of talented trainees to choose from. Zhinuo is incredibly talented and one of the all-rounders of Team Rhythm. He caught my eye as early as Episode 3, and after "Prison," he became one of my favorites. This guy never made a single mistake throughout the performances despite the language barrier. He sang and rapped with incredible stability, and his dance skills were top-notch. I still can't believe he received a yellow card.
I also found out later that Zhinuo was actually quite popular. He wasn't at first, but I think viewers gradually realized how strong of a performer he was. He ranked 9th overall, higher than Jeongwoo and every Team Groove member except Park Han. I think what held him back was his lack of screen time and star factor.
Looking at the final lineup, it was already obvious who would dominate the stage. Even before I became an AHOF fan, the outcome felt quite predictable.
Personally, I think the evaluation criteria should have been:
Professional judges (vocals, rap, and performance) On-site audience votes Global online votes
Relying too heavily on votes alone can easily turn the competition into a popularity contest. Fortunately, most of the popular contestants in Universe League were genuinely strong performers. That's probably why I still consider it one of the survival shows with the strongest pool of contestants. The finalists weren't chosen based on visuals or popularity alone—they had the talent to back it up.
MY BEST PERFORMANCE: 1. On & On (Team Beat) 2. Don't Hit the Brakes (Team Rhythm) 3. Butterfly (Team Groove)
It was unbelievable for me to see how many on-site votes 'Don't Hit the Brakes' got. It was way better than their 'Roller Coaster'. But I think it made sense since Team Beat just really did well that the other on-site voters voted for them.
Personally, my top group in this episode is Team Beat. Both 'My, My, My' and On & On' were their best performances so far.
International votes just changed everything. Both on-site and global votes felt a bit unfair. How I wish there were actual professionals who could actually judge the performances. Votes could only reflect popularity, not the actual performance result.
On the other hand, I think global votes made it better than just having on-site votes because the ones who should be recognized for their ability were really recognized here, like Park Han. It frustrated me how he was only in the 6th or 7th place before. Xenophobia was also avoided because of this.
I just didn't understand why Ten and YangYang chose to scout Seo Jeongwoo. Was it because of his popularity? I honestly wished they had brought back Sirin or Heejun instead. Based on their facial expressions, it seemed like they also wanted to return to Team Rhythm. But anyway, I'll wait and see how Jeongwoo fits into Team Rhythm. He's not a bad choice at all, and his popularity could definitely be an advantage for the team.
Nonetheless, I'm so happy that Juwon is back to Team Rhythm. My power trio is complete again: JL, Steven, Juwon.
BEST PERFORMERS: — Team Butterfly: Park Han (Sirin and Kenta did so well, too!) — Team Beat: Kairi (almost all of their members have improved a lot, so proud of them!! At least, Woongki did not have to carry the whole team alone) — Team Rhythm: Steven (Zen Zen shone here, too. He was amazing in carrying his vocal parts alongside JL)
I loved seeing the feminine side of some of the guys—it was so refreshing! They reminded me of Boo Seungkwan from SEVENTEEN XD
The group that performed "Love Sick" was the most memorable for me. They were absolutely hilarious! 😂 At the same time, I have to commend Joohyoung for his high note—he's an incredible singer! Hee Jun also caught my attention. His visuals are so actor-coded; he reminds me a bit of Ji Chang Wook, Lee Min Ho, and Im Si Wan. I completely fell for him here, LOL.
I originally watched this episode for Han and JL's cover of "The Little Prince," but somehow, "Love Sick" ended up being the performance I remembered the most (along with the trot performance at the end).
Overall, the talent show wasn't just fun and entertaining—it also highlighted just how talented most of the contestants are (especially with their live vocals), including those who were often overshadowed or underrated. It gave many of them a chance to show a different side of themselves beyond the competition.
This was also the episode where I became even more attached to the contestants.
I enjoyed watching Zen Zen, Steven, Nam Do Yoon, Kwon Heejun, Shuaibo, and Woongki here!
And Park Juwon caught my attention so much here! I think he's been my bias ever since Episode 2. I hope to see something like this again (though I doubt it LOL).
[EPISODE 7]
PERSONAL RANKING FOR BEST PERFORMANCE:
1. My, My, My (This was totally unexpected for me. I'm usually not into sensual concepts, but they absolutely nailed the performance.) 2. Only You 3. Roller Coaster (felt weaker than the others, not my cup of tea.)
Obviously, my ranking is completely different from the actual results. I don't know if it's simply because of my personal preference or because the voting system wasn't really fair.
BEST PERFORMERS:
— Team Groove: Park Han (Gosh! He has consistently been my No. 1 pick in his team throughout the entire show. Was it because the other members just weren't strong enough to impress me, or was Park Han simply that far ahead of everyone else? 😂) — Team Beat: Kairi — Team Rhythm: Daisuke
Chi En's facial expressions improved a bit here, but they still felt a little unnatural to me. Honestly, even now in AHOF, I think he still has room to improve in that area. T^T On the other hand, I think Zhang Shuaibo was the one who truly pulled off the concept. It was so different from his usual demeanor, yet he executed it convincingly.
I think Team Rhythm's starting lineup could have debuted already based on their "Ignition" performance alone. Their chemistry was incredible. I'm so glad they all ended up debuting together.
Even though I still prefer the original version of "Ignition", I really have to commend Team Beat Bench for giving it their all—especially their main dancer, Jiang Fan (I wonder if he's debuted anywhere yet). I also want to give a special shout-out to Dong Yun for being the sunshine of the entire league. I absolutely loved his positive energy.
[EPISODE 5]
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 they're 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
----
MY BEST PERFORMANCES: 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)
MY BEST PERFORMERS: 1. Team Rhythm — JL; Li Zhinuo (Sirin actually, but Zhinuo just amazed me) 2. Team Beat — Woongki; Jiang Fan 3. Team Groove — Park Han; Hanseo
Funny how I just started watching this even though it aired a long time ago, and AHOF has already been promoting for almost a year. Even so, I'm still going to share my thoughts on each episode. I finished Episodes 1 and 2 this week.
[EPISODE 1]
- I thought the concept was unique. I was expecting it to be similar to 'Universe Ticket'.
- JL and Park Han were the standout performers by far in this episode.
- "Siren" was the best performance of the episode. They felt like a complete package and a group that was already ready to debut.
- I think this show recruited a lot of talented contestants. After watching this episode, I honestly felt like every single one of them deserved to debut.
- One thought, though: I kind of wish JL had chosen Changsub. Changsub is one of the top-tier vocalists in the K-pop industry. JL's dancing can improve significantly even through practice on his own, but vocals are something I think he should have prioritized more by learning from someone like Changsub. Still, it's his choice, LOL. His role model was there, after all. On the other hand, I also think it worked out well. If JL and Park Han had ended up on the same team, the other two teams probably wouldn't have stood a chance. Having JL on Team Rhythm created a much better balance.
[EPISODE 2-3]
- I was a bit disappointed with the voting system. It was obvious that many audience members already had their favorites, so they were more likely to vote for the contestants they liked rather than the ones who delivered the best performance. I'm not complaining about Juwon and Woongki winning MVP because they genuinely performed well overall, but Seo Jeong Woo receiving the MVP title felt unfair. Even the mentors' reactions and the expressions of the contestants from the other teams seemed to reflect that. This kind of voting system is naturally biased. Personally, I think it would be fairer if the other teams also had a say in choosing the MVP.
- Park Ji Hun was the weakest contestant for me in this episode—not because he lacked talent, since I actually think he's talented, but because of his lack of dedication and his attitude toward his team. He didn't seem suited for a group environment. If he continued behaving that way, I think he'd be better off debuting as a soloist. I honestly hoped he'd be replaced by someone from the bench for the next performance.
- Best performance for me: Team Rhythm's "Give Me That"
I like Cha Eun Woo (bcoz of ASTRO and SEVENTEEN), but I am not really fond of his acting skills and his facial expressions looked awkward when I watched 'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' and 'True Beauty' (especially that car scene!). That's the reason why I stopped watching his dramas. But now, I want to see if he improved... so can someone recommend a good drama to watch?
You don't make sense at all. You clearly haven't watched his works which he has played many different roles
'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' and 'True Beauty' made me cringe with his acting. (I don't hate him tho, this is just what I truly think)... Maybe, I'll see his most recent dramas. I do believe he can improve. Bae Suzy and Park Shin Hye were the actresses I didn't like because of how terrible their facial expressions were in their old dramas, but recently, they have become much better!
Is it just me, or did Hyun Su-a (the second female lead) make this drama much more interesting? I honestly didn't like the first female lead's acting, and Cha Eun-woo's performance felt really awkward. I guess it would've been even more difficult for him if his character had been more complex. Fortunately, his role mostly required him to act cold and nonchalant. Sorry—I like Cha Eun-woo, and I've already watched this drama before. I just rewatched it, and it only confirmed for me that his acting here wasn't very strong. So far, the "pick-me girl" has been carrying the show. I even found myself more interested in the side characters, especially Woo Yeong.
Overall, I wouldn't say this drama is very good, but it's not terrible either. I'd probably give it a 6.5 or 7 out of 10 because of the storyline and the message behind it. The two main leads made the drama feel a bit off, and their chemistry wasn't particularly convincing.
Interestingly, I think Jang Won Ho was the only guy who truly loved Su-a. Unlike the others, he didn't fall for her because she made him like her or flirted with him—he genuinely cared about her and was sincerely worried for her.
That said... Cha Eun-woo's face card never declines. 😭
Visiting this page to know how he is already. He seems to be really really (even more) successful. Jimmy Lin was one of my few favorite actors (and crush) even before Kdrama and Kpop became mainstream.
It's amazing that she got her first drama as the main lead already (and internationally)! Mind you, the drama was one of the famous Taiwanese dramas back then. So sad though she did not have more 'big' dramas after My Lucky Star. She's pretty and talented.
I was randomly revisiting mdl pages for kdramas I'd seen and saw this atrocious rating. It's funny just how salty…
This drama is overhated. This is not very good, but we can't even call it very bad to have a rate of 5.9 as well. Other dramas with a very bad plot and character development have higher ratings. Are viewers mostly teenagers??
How I wish 'Love Alarm' did not exist in Kim Sohyun's filmography. I've loved Kim Sohyun since 'Missing You' (2013), and I have been watching all her dramas where she's the lead. She's a good actress. But these past few years, I feel like she's been kept in the shadows. Her recent dramas did not resonate with me at all ('Good Boy' is an exception tho). 'Love Alarm' is one of the biggest factors why many do not want to see her onscreen—she gained a lot of haters because of it. Viewers truly are biased with just one drama.
Mind you, I did not hate 'Love Alarm', I hate that it is "overhated". I actually loved the idea, the lessons, and who she ended up with in the story—I just didn't like the execution, the pace, and the chemistry between her and the actor she was paired with in the end (I like the character tho and he's A LOT deserving to get the FL, but the lack of chemistry is the problem. Sohyun had a very strong chemistry with the first guy). How I wish people would watch 'Love Alarm' without bias and with an open mind to understand the story, and not focus on the handsome guy only. It would have at least made Kim Sohyun's filmography look better T^T
How I wish 'Love Alarm' did not exist in her filmography. I've loved Kim Sohyun since 'Missing You' (2013), and I have been watching all her dramas where she's the lead. She's a good actress. But these past few years, I feel like she's been kept in the shadows. Her recent dramas did not resonate with me at all. 'Good Boy' is an exception tho. 'Love Alarm' is one of the biggest factors why many do not want to see her onscreen (she gained a lot of haters because of it). Viewers truly are biased with just one drama.
Mind you, I did not hate 'Love Alarm', I hate that it is overhated. I actually loved the idea and who she ended up with in the story—I just didn't like the execution, the pace, and the chemistry between her and the actor she was paired with in the end (I like the character tho and he's A LOT deserving to get the FL, but the lack of chemistry is the problem. Sohyun had a very strong chemistry with the first guy). How I wish people would watch 'Love Alarm' without bias and with an open mind to understand the story, and not focus on the handsome guy only. It would have at least made Kim Sohyun's filmography look better T^T
It was a bit predictable, especially for Team Rhythm. I'm not saying they didn't deserve the votes—it just would have felt more objective if the rankings had also been based on professional judges, alongside the on-site and global votes. A combination of judges + on-site votes + global votes would have been much fairer.
That said, even if professional judges were added, I can confidently say that JL, Park Han, Cha Woongki, Steven, and Park Juwon would still have made the lineup. To me, these five are the pillars of AHOF.
I'm just not as sure about Chi En and Seo Jeongwoo. They're both talented, but I feel that their popularity played a huge role, especially in Jeongwoo's case. He was still relatively inexperienced, and throughout the show, I didn't really see a standout skill that truly amazed me (I actually noticed that even Changsub never seemed impressed with him—or is it just me?).
As for Shuaibo, he's a bit different. He's both talented and popular, but aside from his facial expressions, I'm still trying to figure out what his defining strength is—the one skill that puts him on the same level as the five I mentioned. For example: Han for vocals, Juwon for dance, Steven for rap, and JL for overall stage presence.
Anyway, I feel sad for the trainees who remained in the locker room. They all deserved a chance to debut. I wonder if some of them have debuted elsewhere or found success in other paths. Regardless, they were all amazing.
One thing that disappointed me was that the directors didn't scout Li Zhinuo, especially Yugyeom and EL CAPITXN. I could understand TenYang and Changsub since they already had a pool of talented trainees to choose from. Zhinuo is incredibly talented and one of the all-rounders of Team Rhythm. He caught my eye as early as Episode 3, and after "Prison," he became one of my favorites. This guy never made a single mistake throughout the performances despite the language barrier. He sang and rapped with incredible stability, and his dance skills were top-notch. I still can't believe he received a yellow card.
I also found out later that Zhinuo was actually quite popular. He wasn't at first, but I think viewers gradually realized how strong of a performer he was. He ranked 9th overall, higher than Jeongwoo and every Team Groove member except Park Han. I think what held him back was his lack of screen time and star factor.
Looking at the final lineup, it was already obvious who would dominate the stage. Even before I became an AHOF fan, the outcome felt quite predictable.
Personally, I think the evaluation criteria should have been:
Professional judges (vocals, rap, and performance)
On-site audience votes
Global online votes
Relying too heavily on votes alone can easily turn the competition into a popularity contest. Fortunately, most of the popular contestants in Universe League were genuinely strong performers. That's probably why I still consider it one of the survival shows with the strongest pool of contestants. The finalists weren't chosen based on visuals or popularity alone—they had the talent to back it up.
MY BEST PERFORMANCE:
1. On & On (Team Beat)
2. Don't Hit the Brakes (Team Rhythm)
3. Butterfly (Team Groove)
It was unbelievable for me to see how many on-site votes 'Don't Hit the Brakes' got. It was way better than their 'Roller Coaster'. But I think it made sense since Team Beat just really did well that the other on-site voters voted for them.
Personally, my top group in this episode is Team Beat. Both 'My, My, My' and On & On' were their best performances so far.
International votes just changed everything. Both on-site and global votes felt a bit unfair. How I wish there were actual professionals who could actually judge the performances. Votes could only reflect popularity, not the actual performance result.
On the other hand, I think global votes made it better than just having on-site votes because the ones who should be recognized for their ability were really recognized here, like Park Han. It frustrated me how he was only in the 6th or 7th place before. Xenophobia was also avoided because of this.
I just didn't understand why Ten and YangYang chose to scout Seo Jeongwoo. Was it because of his popularity? I honestly wished they had brought back Sirin or Heejun instead. Based on their facial expressions, it seemed like they also wanted to return to Team Rhythm. But anyway, I'll wait and see how Jeongwoo fits into Team Rhythm. He's not a bad choice at all, and his popularity could definitely be an advantage for the team.
Nonetheless, I'm so happy that Juwon is back to Team Rhythm. My power trio is complete again: JL, Steven, Juwon.
BEST PERFORMERS:
— Team Butterfly: Park Han (Sirin and Kenta did so well, too!)
— Team Beat: Kairi (almost all of their members have improved a lot, so proud of them!! At least, Woongki did not have to carry the whole team alone)
— Team Rhythm: Steven (Zen Zen shone here, too. He was amazing in carrying his vocal parts alongside JL)
I had fun watching this episode a lot!!
I loved seeing the feminine side of some of the guys—it was so refreshing! They reminded me of Boo Seungkwan from SEVENTEEN XD
The group that performed "Love Sick" was the most memorable for me. They were absolutely hilarious! 😂 At the same time, I have to commend Joohyoung for his high note—he's an incredible singer! Hee Jun also caught my attention. His visuals are so actor-coded; he reminds me a bit of Ji Chang Wook, Lee Min Ho, and Im Si Wan. I completely fell for him here, LOL.
I originally watched this episode for Han and JL's cover of "The Little Prince," but somehow, "Love Sick" ended up being the performance I remembered the most (along with the trot performance at the end).
Overall, the talent show wasn't just fun and entertaining—it also highlighted just how talented most of the contestants are (especially with their live vocals), including those who were often overshadowed or underrated. It gave many of them a chance to show a different side of themselves beyond the competition.
This was also the episode where I became even more attached to the contestants.
I enjoyed watching Zen Zen, Steven, Nam Do Yoon, Kwon Heejun, Shuaibo, and Woongki here!
And Park Juwon caught my attention so much here! I think he's been my bias ever since Episode 2. I hope to see something like this again (though I doubt it LOL).
[EPISODE 7]
PERSONAL RANKING FOR BEST PERFORMANCE:
1. My, My, My (This was totally unexpected for me. I'm usually not into sensual concepts, but they absolutely nailed the performance.)
2. Only You
3. Roller Coaster (felt weaker than the others, not my cup of tea.)
Obviously, my ranking is completely different from the actual results. I don't know if it's simply because of my personal preference or because the voting system wasn't really fair.
BEST PERFORMERS:
— Team Groove: Park Han (Gosh! He has consistently been my No. 1 pick in his team throughout the entire show. Was it because the other members just weren't strong enough to impress me, or was Park Han simply that far ahead of everyone else? 😂)
— Team Beat: Kairi
— Team Rhythm: Daisuke
Chi En's facial expressions improved a bit here, but they still felt a little unnatural to me. Honestly, even now in AHOF, I think he still has room to improve in that area. T^T On the other hand, I think Zhang Shuaibo was the one who truly pulled off the concept. It was so different from his usual demeanor, yet he executed it convincingly.
I think Team Rhythm's starting lineup could have debuted already based on their "Ignition" performance alone. Their chemistry was incredible. I'm so glad they all ended up debuting together.
Even though I still prefer the original version of "Ignition", I really have to commend Team Beat Bench for giving it their all—especially their main dancer, Jiang Fan (I wonder if he's debuted anywhere yet). I also want to give a special shout-out to Dong Yun for being the sunshine of the entire league. I absolutely loved his positive energy.
[EPISODE 5]
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 they're 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
----
MY BEST PERFORMANCES:
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)
MY BEST PERFORMERS:
1. Team Rhythm — JL; Li Zhinuo (Sirin actually, but Zhinuo just amazed me)
2. Team Beat — Woongki; Jiang Fan
3. Team Groove — Park Han; Hanseo
[EPISODE 1]
- I thought the concept was unique. I was expecting it to be similar to 'Universe Ticket'.
- JL and Park Han were the standout performers by far in this episode.
- "Siren" was the best performance of the episode. They felt like a complete package and a group that was already ready to debut.
- I think this show recruited a lot of talented contestants. After watching this episode, I honestly felt like every single one of them deserved to debut.
- One thought, though: I kind of wish JL had chosen Changsub. Changsub is one of the top-tier vocalists in the K-pop industry. JL's dancing can improve significantly even through practice on his own, but vocals are something I think he should have prioritized more by learning from someone like Changsub. Still, it's his choice, LOL. His role model was there, after all. On the other hand, I also think it worked out well. If JL and Park Han had ended up on the same team, the other two teams probably wouldn't have stood a chance. Having JL on Team Rhythm created a much better balance.
[EPISODE 2-3]
- I was a bit disappointed with the voting system. It was obvious that many audience members already had their favorites, so they were more likely to vote for the contestants they liked rather than the ones who delivered the best performance. I'm not complaining about Juwon and Woongki winning MVP because they genuinely performed well overall, but Seo Jeong Woo receiving the MVP title felt unfair. Even the mentors' reactions and the expressions of the contestants from the other teams seemed to reflect that. This kind of voting system is naturally biased. Personally, I think it would be fairer if the other teams also had a say in choosing the MVP.
- Park Ji Hun was the weakest contestant for me in this episode—not because he lacked talent, since I actually think he's talented, but because of his lack of dedication and his attitude toward his team. He didn't seem suited for a group environment. If he continued behaving that way, I think he'd be better off debuting as a soloist. I honestly hoped he'd be replaced by someone from the bench for the next performance.
- Best performance for me: Team Rhythm's "Give Me That"
SO FAR, I'M ENJOYING THIS SHOW.
Overall, I wouldn't say this drama is very good, but it's not terrible either. I'd probably give it a 6.5 or 7 out of 10 because of the storyline and the message behind it. The two main leads made the drama feel a bit off, and their chemistry wasn't particularly convincing.
Interestingly, I think Jang Won Ho was the only guy who truly loved Su-a. Unlike the others, he didn't fall for her because she made him like her or flirted with him—he genuinely cared about her and was sincerely worried for her.
That said... Cha Eun-woo's face card never declines. 😭
Mind you, I did not hate 'Love Alarm', I hate that it is "overhated". I actually loved the idea, the lessons, and who she ended up with in the story—I just didn't like the execution, the pace, and the chemistry between her and the actor she was paired with in the end (I like the character tho and he's A LOT deserving to get the FL, but the lack of chemistry is the problem. Sohyun had a very strong chemistry with the first guy). How I wish people would watch 'Love Alarm' without bias and with an open mind to understand the story, and not focus on the handsome guy only. It would have at least made Kim Sohyun's filmography look better T^T
Mind you, I did not hate 'Love Alarm', I hate that it is overhated. I actually loved the idea and who she ended up with in the story—I just didn't like the execution, the pace, and the chemistry between her and the actor she was paired with in the end (I like the character tho and he's A LOT deserving to get the FL, but the lack of chemistry is the problem. Sohyun had a very strong chemistry with the first guy). How I wish people would watch 'Love Alarm' without bias and with an open mind to understand the story, and not focus on the handsome guy only. It would have at least made Kim Sohyun's filmography look better T^T