So I was looking for the video and then I found out that all the episodes were actually released, so I edited my post. Here is the first episode: https://youtu.be/ElPHk_XYF2I. Youtube should recommend you the rest!
-BTOB's Eunkwang, IKON's Donghyuk, SF9's Inseong, The Boyz's Hyunjae, Stray Kid's Seungmin, ATEEZ's Jongho- "SPECIAL STAGE: 소년의 일기" A full vocal collab? I couldn't ask for more. Each and every one of them nailed it, even though Donghyuk is a vocalist.
[Round 4: The Final Round] This round was a bit underwhelming, but it was very good for live performances. Personal ranking: (1-6) SF9, The Boyz, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, BTOB, IKON -ATEEZ- "멋/The Real" Pros: The song fit ATEEZ's style and was danceable. I was never a big fan of live autotune and EDM, but somehow I still liked this performance. I loved the point "this is what you call 'style'." I also love the styling, especially on San, Yunho and Yeosang. I loved all the concepts and the props; I don't feel like it was over-the-top because I kinda got used to it in this show already. The part at 2:45 where Yunho, Yeosang and Seonghwa had their faces on the blue fluffy cutout was probably my favorite part in all of the final performances because it was so adorkable. I just loved the props that they used in general. Cons: I don't know if this is good or bad but San and Seonghwa literally looked like the same in this performance. I no longer feel the impact from Jongho's vocals anymore. -BTOB- "Show and Prove" Pros: The song was very well written and highlighted both Minhyuk's rapping skills and Changsub's vocals. The beginning transition from Peniel to Changsub was quite impactful. I love how they kept it simple, with only backup dancers and blue flags. Cons: I lowkey hate how they just gave random English phrases for Peniel to say. I don't get the concept with the single blue contact lens on Peniel and Minhyuk. -Stray Kids- "Wolfgang" Pros: I love how they tied in the wolf concept with Mozart's name. I loved Felix's part where he roared and then the camera panned to red moon and then back to Stray Kids. The chorus was very very very impactful. Han's part as always was my favorite~ also Chan being half-naked was um... Finally, I love that they reused their own idea from the beginning with the green glow-thing so it seemed like they were closing the show up. Cons: I also felt like there was an excess of costumes. All the backup dancers had the exact same as Stray Kids' so it was hard to tell them apart even with the masks on; even if the stylist or the artist wanted to express the "gang" in wolfgang, they should have used a different color, texture, or thickness of fur to differentiate Stray Kids and the backup dancers. I feel like the whole "classical" music mixed with pop has been used a lot in Road to Kingdom, even though I couldn't really hear any classical arrangement in the actual song (excluding the intro). -The Boyz- "Kingdom Come" Pros: Choreo was the definition of high-quality. Here are some of my favourite moments: taking advantage of the beats in the dance break by popping and using isolations. juyeon's water performance. the drop on their shoulders near the end. sangyeon's high note (which the cameraman should have kept screentime for) Whoever styled them needs praise because I just love how the accessories complement the concept and black pleather, but it doesn't look like too much. Also this song was made for The Boyz. This is probably my favorite track produce for Kingdom alongside ATEEZ's "The Real." Cons: The pre-recorded parts really confused because the other groups did not have them; they even had three different locations to pre-record! Not a fan of too many back-up dancers, even during the dance break. I don't really get the concept of the moon throughout Kingdom as well. -IKON- "At Ease" Pros: Like the title of the song says, they looked like they were at ease and were having fun. There was just a right amount of props and backup dancers for me (at least for this season of Kingdom). Bobby is always fun to watch. Something I like about IKON (or just early 3rd gen groups) is that you can really tell they are performing and singing live. Cons: The song isn't that catchy so this performance doesn't really stick in my mind. -SF9- "|Believer|" Pros: Such a good and catchy song; probably up with the top three originals! I loved how they reused their own ideas from their performance with the SF9 gem from "Good Guy: The Glory", the chess and crown from "The Stealer: The Scene," mirrors from "Jealous", and "human trees" from "Move." Taeyang once again really embodied this stage; just the way he moves and accents everything is so satisfying. Zuho really acted like his eye contact was part of him --> he widened his eyes to really seem like he was half possessed. Cons: Other than the two members mentioned in the "pros" section, I'm going to be frank but I barely remember any other part. Chani and Rowoon's part was especially missing something (I don't know if it was impact, sharpness, facial expressions or all of the above).
[Round 3 Part 2: No Limit] Personal ranking: (1-6) BTOB, SF9, Straykids, The Boyz, IKON, ATEEZ
-BTOB- "Blue Moon (Cinema Ver.)" Pros: Great use of storytelling. A very unusual choise of jazz and musical but it suited them very well. Great cameo by Miyeon as in she didn't steal attention from them yet provided a "sparkle" to the story compared to if a backup dancer were to do that part. When Minhyuk's part with Miyeon hit, there is a flashback seen at the back of the screen; you can see that they put extra time and effort to film that. I love how they utilized most of the props and even if they didn't, it played a part in setting the scene for the story. Minhyuk singing AND rapping will be the death of me. All members were evenly showcased even thought Minhyuk was the "main character" of this storyline. Cons: Kind of sad that the cameraman didn't show the right angle when Peniel did his split next to the piano. But that's not their fault, so literally no complaints for this performance. -SF9- "Move" Pros: First of all, I need to give props to the styling team because they did incredibly well with the outfits, hair, and makeup. The backup dancers didn't draw attention away from SF9, rather added artistic value to the act. The choreography was very sleek and darkly elegant especially the part where they ||thrusted their hips|| on those stairs. *insert oop emoji* All members did well but Jaeyoon, Taeyang and Zuho suited and executed this performance so well. I also love how they didn't make it too dark by adding color pops in the one of the later choruses and how they didn't make it too "lust" sexy but more "elegant" sexy. Instead of trying to copy Taemin's style, they made their own which I really enjoy in general. Cons: This is pretty subtle (so I don't think it means much) but the backup dancers at Dawon's part reminds me of the backup dancers in the 'shadow-tree' part of The Boyz's "Quasi un Fantasia" performance from Road to Kingdom. I feel like the part where they stood in water didn't have much added value to the performance. Literally no complaints from the performers, but the only reason they are second in my personal ranking is because their vocals were not as strong as BTOB's. As you should know by now, if you read this review entirely, I am very vocally inclined. Lastly, they also chose a very VERY hard and iconic song to perform. -Straykids- "God's Menu/Ddu-Ddu-Ddu Remix" Pros: Felix at the beginning talking with his Aussie accent with the Deadpool mask was the cutest thing ever. The mixing was done really well, and I feel like the vibes of the two songs were actually compatible. Changbin's rap near the beginning was probably the his best of this season; he didn't have an obviously audible backtrack this time, which I greatly appreciate. Han as always rocked his part. The laser things using strings at Felix's part was very creative; I feel like it's familiar but I can't quite put my hand on it. The "Straykids" part that they yell at the end definitely had it's impact. Cons: I am not a big fan of excess use of props or dancers; this performance had just that. I get that they are using these for impact but I feel like I would've gotten the same impact with less props, confetti, and dancers as long as they had decent camerawork. I felt like they were off-sync with the backtrack a bit near the end. -The Boyz- "Monster- Stormborn" Pros: The dancing as always is top tier. Not going to lie, I think Seventeen and The Boyz are the most synchronized groups in K-pop. When Haknyeon's back bent towards the floor at 1:48, I was shocked; too bad the cameraman didn't catch that better. Great use of screen lighting when they did the traveling through the rocks and then it burst. One thing that I love about The Boyz is that they always change the arrangement and write their own rap while still relating it to the song. Both Eric's and Sunwoo's raps were so catchy. Lastly, whoever chose to put Eric in red hair and a pony has taste. Cons: The stylist styled the background dancers too similar to The Boyz. There was also too many dancers. I feel like Jacob's high note could have more impact. I don't really get the concept of this story, and it feels like they could have done so much more with that 'sun and moon' thing from "O Solo Mio." -IKON- "Classy Savage" Pros: The arrangement of the song was very cool. Bobby as always just chilling. The reason why they placed higher than ATEEZ is because I just admire how they are able to have fun onstage, and you can hear their raw vocals over the backtrack. Also Lisa made a cameo; I actually like this version (her part) better than the usual "Pretty Savage" performances! I love how they made the best of their song choice by emphasizing the Bollywood beats and instrumental near the end (I don't know if this is accurate). The outfit change was also pretty well thought out. Thank you Mnet for not putting Lisa on the thumbnail of their performance or else the views would have been unfair~ Cons: I don't think the performance is memorable because as I am writing this, I don't recall anything at all from the performance (I always rewatch them as I write the review for the group though, so this was written before the rewatch). After rewatching, I don't quite get the TV concept. Because Lisa made a cameo, I feel like that took away the attention from IKON. If she had performed onstage with them, it would have been much more fun to watch put other than that it just looks like she was at a different stadium altogether. -ATEEZ- "Answer: Ode to Joy" Pros: San's part at the beginning never disappoints. Yeosang's dance part was very good. Hongjoong's rap and then Yunho's line after was probably my favorite part. The arrangment makes this is a very hard concept to pull off, but I think they did it fairly well. Cons: The arrangement reminds me of Golden Child's "Wannabe (Sampling Paganini 24 Caprices No. 24 in a minor Op.1)" in Road to Kingdom because of the classical music sampling, however, I don't know if this is fully a con. I noticed Jongho going off-tune multiple times; I feel like they exploit his high notes too much that it isn't giving the 'wow' factor anymore. I also feel like the singers they used made it messier than it already was; the singers aren't bad at all but I feel like the K-pop audience is just not the right one to bring them to. I'm sorry to say this but the dance break to Ode to Joy just wasn't it.
-Its One Dance Unit (The Boyz's Juyeon, IKON's Donghyuk, SF9's Taeyang)- "王과 妃/왕과 비"Pros: The facial…
-Its One Vocal Unit (IKON's June-Jinhwan, The Boyz's Sangyeon-New, SF9's In Seong-Jae Yoon)- "Spark" Pros: The harmony between New and June was honey to my ears. Sangyeon's high notes were literally the highlight of the performance. I'm a Taeganger, so when they chose a Taeyeon song I was beyond thrilled. Cons: I felt like the props of fire were unnecessary and that the song didn't really mean anything to the team. I also feel like the song was more upbeat, so when they changed the concept to a "stand and sing" song, it was just odd. I also felt so awkward watching them be awkward around each other in the behind the scenes. And of course, I have to mention In Seong's voice crack; he definitely should not have taken that note on as he already struggled with it during the prerecording. -Mayfly Vocal Unit (BTOB's Eunkwang, ATEEZ's Jongho, Stray Kids' Seungmin)- "Love Poem" Pros: This IU song is literally my third favorite IU song ever; I was just singing that song an hour prior to watching the show. I kind of predicted that this team was going to win due to the powerful vocals from Jongho and BTOB. The harmony and teamwork was the best ever, and Eunkwang united the team so well. Even though they only had 3 members, I felt the power and it touched me. Cons: Literally none.
Me too i have wanted then in something together romantically since "save me" i hope we get it
If you haven't watched "Lawless Lawyers" yet, you should try it! They are romantically involved, but it's not in the genre of romance. It's one of my favorite kdramas~
~#~ cont from review ~#~[Round 3 Part 1: No Limit] Please note that all reviews were written unaffected by on-site…
-Its One Dance Unit (The Boyz's Juyeon, IKON's Donghyuk, SF9's Taeyang)- "王과 妃/왕과 비" Pros: The facial expressions were on pointe for all three performers. The backup dancers were neither overwhelming nor redundant. Great use of props. Juyeon's part at the beginning with his visuals and piercing stare on the Korean 'king seat' left me in shock for the rest of the performance. When he also flips the table with his foot and proceeds to catch the sword and wave it around is second only to his entrance mentioned just previously. Donghyuk's close-up in one the shots with his 'possessed' look was good. Finally, Taeyang really surprised me with his sword-catching and the following sword dancing; he definitely earned my respect in terms of performance in this one. I felt like he wasn't able to show his skills in the SF9 performances, but now he was. This performance really let them individually shine. Cons: The concept was harder to understand. The queen being executed was not shown on camera properly. I was (sort of pleasantly) surprised that they had so little members. Their teamwork was not as apparent because most dance moves were individually centered. -Mayfly Dance Unit (Stray Kids' Felix-I.N-Lee Know, ATEEZ's Wooyoung-San-Yunho-Yeosang-Seonghwa, BTOB's Peniel)- "Wolf" Pros: Great teamwork, especially when Felix 'attacks' through the jump and all the mini 'attacks' on each other. Peniel's center and dance parts with both the mask chains and the krumping were the highlight of the performance; I was pleasantly surprised at the skill because I had always thought that Peniel was a rapper, but now my view has completely changed. Great improvement in the use of props and backup dancers, meaning they are a lot less redundant now. Cons: I honestly don't get why they had so many members; this gave each member less time to shine because I know for a fact that I didn't remember half of the group's personal performance even right after watching it.
[Round 3 Part 1: No Limit] Please note that all reviews were written unaffected by on-site judge results. Although I cannot really judge diction for rap because I am not fluent in Korean, I will be talking about flow, vibe, and stage production. Personal ranking: tie for rap performance, Its One win for dance performance, Mayfly win for vocal performance
-Its One Rap Unit (The Boyz's Sunwoo, IKON's Bobby, SF9's Hwiyoung)- "Full Dash" Pros: I honestly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes a lot more than the actual performance. Sunwoo and Bobby really vibed with each other. As for the stage itself, I love how the backup or the props did not taken the attention away from the performers at any point in time, allowing the stage to be raw and just be filled with the presence of the rappers. Sunwoo's rap really impressed me and perhaps more than the others because I am not a big fan of the 'autotune' rap. Bobby as always just vibin, and I felt like that was a great additive to the overall mood of the performance. Cons: I felt that Hwiyoung was a tad bit awkward or stiff on stage; don't get me wrong--Hwiyoung is my bias in SF9. The only big thing that was missing from this performance was the hook; and that says a lot about a rap performance as it is an essential part. -Mayfly Rap Unit (Straykids' Chan-Han-Changbin, BTOB's Minhyuk, Ateez's Hong Joong)- "Playing with Paint/물감놀이" Pros: I really like the way this performance was structured and presented. The best part was that the hook was actually good. Let's talk about the individual performers. Starting with Chan, I feel like this man is so much more of a 'behind-the-scenes' type of guy; he tends to do the arranging and then ends up having the least lines on stage. However, his part was pretty impactful and I still remember it at the moment. Moving on to Changbin, as expected, his rap at the beginning was good. Next--Han, my bias, is literally such a gem; I don't understand how he's able to be such a good rapper AND singer. His fast rap with the four portraits spun by backup dancers was my second favorite part in this performance. Hong Joong's facial expressions were on pointe, as always. Lastly, Minhyuk was probably the highlight of the performance (and my favorite part). His rap coming out of the 'curtain' really shocked me, and the imagery was wow. To close off, let's just say that I liked the fact that they didn't use much 'autotune' rap. Cons: Line distributions were a bit questionable, but I'm guessing it was split depending on how much you wrote was good? I honestly am not a big fan of choreographed movements in rap performances because I believe they should be more vibey. That being said, I also don't like the excessive use of props to the point where it takes the focus away from the rappers, which is exactly what happened. I get that they have a high budget, but I just don't feel that it should be used on rap performances.
Hey guys! So I just realized that I watched the Vietnamese remake of this as well starring Kha Ngan and Song Luan, however, I cannot find it on MDL. Can someone link it in a reply below if they know where it is?
Hey guys! So I just realized that I watched the Vietnamese remake of this as well starring Kha Ngan and Song Luan, however, I cannot find it on MDL. Can someone link it in a reply below if they know where it is?
-BTOB's Eunkwang, IKON's Donghyuk, SF9's Inseong, The Boyz's Hyunjae, Stray Kid's Seungmin, ATEEZ's Jongho- "SPECIAL STAGE: 소년의 일기"
A full vocal collab? I couldn't ask for more. Each and every one of them nailed it, even though Donghyuk is a vocalist.
[Round 4: The Final Round] This round was a bit underwhelming, but it was very good for live performances. Personal ranking: (1-6) SF9, The Boyz, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, BTOB, IKON
-ATEEZ- "멋/The Real"
Pros: The song fit ATEEZ's style and was danceable. I was never a big fan of live autotune and EDM, but somehow I still liked this performance. I loved the point "this is what you call 'style'." I also love the styling, especially on San, Yunho and Yeosang. I loved all the concepts and the props; I don't feel like it was over-the-top because I kinda got used to it in this show already. The part at 2:45 where Yunho, Yeosang and Seonghwa had their faces on the blue fluffy cutout was probably my favorite part in all of the final performances because it was so adorkable. I just loved the props that they used in general.
Cons: I don't know if this is good or bad but San and Seonghwa literally looked like the same in this performance. I no longer feel the impact from Jongho's vocals anymore.
-BTOB- "Show and Prove"
Pros: The song was very well written and highlighted both Minhyuk's rapping skills and Changsub's vocals. The beginning transition from Peniel to Changsub was quite impactful. I love how they kept it simple, with only backup dancers and blue flags.
Cons: I lowkey hate how they just gave random English phrases for Peniel to say. I don't get the concept with the single blue contact lens on Peniel and Minhyuk.
-Stray Kids- "Wolfgang"
Pros: I love how they tied in the wolf concept with Mozart's name. I loved Felix's part where he roared and then the camera panned to red moon and then back to Stray Kids. The chorus was very very very impactful. Han's part as always was my favorite~ also Chan being half-naked was um... Finally, I love that they reused their own idea from the beginning with the green glow-thing so it seemed like they were closing the show up.
Cons: I also felt like there was an excess of costumes. All the backup dancers had the exact same as Stray Kids' so it was hard to tell them apart even with the masks on; even if the stylist or the artist wanted to express the "gang" in wolfgang, they should have used a different color, texture, or thickness of fur to differentiate Stray Kids and the backup dancers. I feel like the whole "classical" music mixed with pop has been used a lot in Road to Kingdom, even though I couldn't really hear any classical arrangement in the actual song (excluding the intro).
-The Boyz- "Kingdom Come"
Pros: Choreo was the definition of high-quality. Here are some of my favourite moments: taking advantage of the beats in the dance break by popping and using isolations. juyeon's water performance. the drop on their shoulders near the end. sangyeon's high note (which the cameraman should have kept screentime for) Whoever styled them needs praise because I just love how the accessories complement the concept and black pleather, but it doesn't look like too much. Also this song was made for The Boyz. This is probably my favorite track produce for Kingdom alongside ATEEZ's "The Real."
Cons: The pre-recorded parts really confused because the other groups did not have them; they even had three different locations to pre-record! Not a fan of too many back-up dancers, even during the dance break. I don't really get the concept of the moon throughout Kingdom as well.
-IKON- "At Ease"
Pros: Like the title of the song says, they looked like they were at ease and were having fun. There was just a right amount of props and backup dancers for me (at least for this season of Kingdom). Bobby is always fun to watch. Something I like about IKON (or just early 3rd gen groups) is that you can really tell they are performing and singing live.
Cons: The song isn't that catchy so this performance doesn't really stick in my mind.
-SF9- "|Believer|"
Pros: Such a good and catchy song; probably up with the top three originals! I loved how they reused their own ideas from their performance with the SF9 gem from "Good Guy: The Glory", the chess and crown from "The Stealer: The Scene," mirrors from "Jealous", and "human trees" from "Move." Taeyang once again really embodied this stage; just the way he moves and accents everything is so satisfying. Zuho really acted like his eye contact was part of him --> he widened his eyes to really seem like he was half possessed.
Cons: Other than the two members mentioned in the "pros" section, I'm going to be frank but I barely remember any other part. Chani and Rowoon's part was especially missing something (I don't know if it was impact, sharpness, facial expressions or all of the above).
[Round 3 Part 2: No Limit] Personal ranking: (1-6) BTOB, SF9, Straykids, The Boyz, IKON, ATEEZ
-BTOB- "Blue Moon (Cinema Ver.)"
Pros: Great use of storytelling. A very unusual choise of jazz and musical but it suited them very well. Great cameo by Miyeon as in she didn't steal attention from them yet provided a "sparkle" to the story compared to if a backup dancer were to do that part. When Minhyuk's part with Miyeon hit, there is a flashback seen at the back of the screen; you can see that they put extra time and effort to film that. I love how they utilized most of the props and even if they didn't, it played a part in setting the scene for the story. Minhyuk singing AND rapping will be the death of me. All members were evenly showcased even thought Minhyuk was the "main character" of this storyline.
Cons: Kind of sad that the cameraman didn't show the right angle when Peniel did his split next to the piano. But that's not their fault, so literally no complaints for this performance.
-SF9- "Move"
Pros: First of all, I need to give props to the styling team because they did incredibly well with the outfits, hair, and makeup. The backup dancers didn't draw attention away from SF9, rather added artistic value to the act. The choreography was very sleek and darkly elegant especially the part where they ||thrusted their hips|| on those stairs. *insert oop emoji* All members did well but Jaeyoon, Taeyang and Zuho suited and executed this performance so well. I also love how they didn't make it too dark by adding color pops in the one of the later choruses and how they didn't make it too "lust" sexy but more "elegant" sexy. Instead of trying to copy Taemin's style, they made their own which I really enjoy in general.
Cons: This is pretty subtle (so I don't think it means much) but the backup dancers at Dawon's part reminds me of the backup dancers in the 'shadow-tree' part of The Boyz's "Quasi un Fantasia" performance from Road to Kingdom. I feel like the part where they stood in water didn't have much added value to the performance. Literally no complaints from the performers, but the only reason they are second in my personal ranking is because their vocals were not as strong as BTOB's. As you should know by now, if you read this review entirely, I am very vocally inclined. Lastly, they also chose a very VERY hard and iconic song to perform.
-Straykids- "God's Menu/Ddu-Ddu-Ddu Remix"
Pros: Felix at the beginning talking with his Aussie accent with the Deadpool mask was the cutest thing ever. The mixing was done really well, and I feel like the vibes of the two songs were actually compatible. Changbin's rap near the beginning was probably the his best of this season; he didn't have an obviously audible backtrack this time, which I greatly appreciate. Han as always rocked his part. The laser things using strings at Felix's part was very creative; I feel like it's familiar but I can't quite put my hand on it. The "Straykids" part that they yell at the end definitely had it's impact.
Cons: I am not a big fan of excess use of props or dancers; this performance had just that. I get that they are using these for impact but I feel like I would've gotten the same impact with less props, confetti, and dancers as long as they had decent camerawork. I felt like they were off-sync with the backtrack a bit near the end.
-The Boyz- "Monster- Stormborn"
Pros: The dancing as always is top tier. Not going to lie, I think Seventeen and The Boyz are the most synchronized groups in K-pop. When Haknyeon's back bent towards the floor at 1:48, I was shocked; too bad the cameraman didn't catch that better. Great use of screen lighting when they did the traveling through the rocks and then it burst. One thing that I love about The Boyz is that they always change the arrangement and write their own rap while still relating it to the song. Both Eric's and Sunwoo's raps were so catchy. Lastly, whoever chose to put Eric in red hair and a pony has taste.
Cons: The stylist styled the background dancers too similar to The Boyz. There was also too many dancers. I feel like Jacob's high note could have more impact. I don't really get the concept of this story, and it feels like they could have done so much more with that 'sun and moon' thing from "O Solo Mio."
-IKON- "Classy Savage"
Pros: The arrangement of the song was very cool. Bobby as always just chilling. The reason why they placed higher than ATEEZ is because I just admire how they are able to have fun onstage, and you can hear their raw vocals over the backtrack. Also Lisa made a cameo; I actually like this version (her part) better than the usual "Pretty Savage" performances! I love how they made the best of their song choice by emphasizing the Bollywood beats and instrumental near the end (I don't know if this is accurate). The outfit change was also pretty well thought out. Thank you Mnet for not putting Lisa on the thumbnail of their performance or else the views would have been unfair~
Cons: I don't think the performance is memorable because as I am writing this, I don't recall anything at all from the performance (I always rewatch them as I write the review for the group though, so this was written before the rewatch). After rewatching, I don't quite get the TV concept. Because Lisa made a cameo, I feel like that took away the attention from IKON. If she had performed onstage with them, it would have been much more fun to watch put other than that it just looks like she was at a different stadium altogether.
-ATEEZ- "Answer: Ode to Joy"
Pros: San's part at the beginning never disappoints. Yeosang's dance part was very good. Hongjoong's rap and then Yunho's line after was probably my favorite part. The arrangment makes this is a very hard concept to pull off, but I think they did it fairly well.
Cons: The arrangement reminds me of Golden Child's "Wannabe (Sampling Paganini 24 Caprices No. 24 in a minor Op.1)" in Road to Kingdom because of the classical music sampling, however, I don't know if this is fully a con. I noticed Jongho going off-tune multiple times; I feel like they exploit his high notes too much that it isn't giving the 'wow' factor anymore. I also feel like the singers they used made it messier than it already was; the singers aren't bad at all but I feel like the K-pop audience is just not the right one to bring them to. I'm sorry to say this but the dance break to Ode to Joy just wasn't it.
Pros: The harmony between New and June was honey to my ears. Sangyeon's high notes were literally the highlight of the performance. I'm a Taeganger, so when they chose a Taeyeon song I was beyond thrilled.
Cons: I felt like the props of fire were unnecessary and that the song didn't really mean anything to the team. I also feel like the song was more upbeat, so when they changed the concept to a "stand and sing" song, it was just odd. I also felt so awkward watching them be awkward around each other in the behind the scenes. And of course, I have to mention In Seong's voice crack; he definitely should not have taken that note on as he already struggled with it during the prerecording.
-Mayfly Vocal Unit (BTOB's Eunkwang, ATEEZ's Jongho, Stray Kids' Seungmin)- "Love Poem"
Pros: This IU song is literally my third favorite IU song ever; I was just singing that song an hour prior to watching the show. I kind of predicted that this team was going to win due to the powerful vocals from Jongho and BTOB. The harmony and teamwork was the best ever, and Eunkwang united the team so well. Even though they only had 3 members, I felt the power and it touched me.
Cons: Literally none.
romantically involved, but it's not in the genre of romance. It's one of my favorite kdramas~
Pros: The facial expressions were on pointe for all three performers. The backup dancers were neither overwhelming nor redundant. Great use of props. Juyeon's part at the beginning with his visuals and piercing stare on the Korean 'king seat' left me in shock for the rest of the performance. When he also flips the table with his foot and proceeds to catch the sword and wave it around is second only to his entrance mentioned just previously. Donghyuk's close-up in one the shots with his 'possessed' look was good. Finally, Taeyang really surprised me with his sword-catching and the following sword dancing; he definitely earned my respect in terms of performance in this one. I felt like he wasn't able to show his skills in the SF9 performances, but now he was. This performance really let them individually shine.
Cons: The concept was harder to understand. The queen being executed was not shown on camera properly. I was (sort of pleasantly) surprised that they had so little members. Their teamwork was not as apparent because most dance moves were individually centered.
-Mayfly Dance Unit (Stray Kids' Felix-I.N-Lee Know, ATEEZ's Wooyoung-San-Yunho-Yeosang-Seonghwa, BTOB's Peniel)- "Wolf"
Pros: Great teamwork, especially when Felix 'attacks' through the jump and all the mini 'attacks' on each other. Peniel's center and dance parts with both the mask chains and the krumping were the highlight of the performance; I was pleasantly surprised at the skill because I had always thought that Peniel was a rapper, but now my view has completely changed. Great improvement in the use of props and backup dancers, meaning they are a lot less redundant now.
Cons: I honestly don't get why they had so many members; this gave each member less time to shine because I know for a fact that I didn't remember half of the group's personal performance even right after watching it.
[Round 3 Part 1: No Limit] Please note that all reviews were written unaffected by on-site judge results. Although I cannot really judge diction for rap because I am not fluent in Korean, I will be talking about flow, vibe, and stage production. Personal ranking: tie for rap performance, Its One win for dance performance, Mayfly win for vocal performance
-Its One Rap Unit (The Boyz's Sunwoo, IKON's Bobby, SF9's Hwiyoung)- "Full Dash"
Pros: I honestly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes a lot more than the actual performance. Sunwoo and Bobby really vibed with each other. As for the stage itself, I love how the backup or the props did not taken the attention away from the performers at any point in time, allowing the stage to be raw and just be filled with the presence of the rappers. Sunwoo's rap really impressed me and perhaps more than the others because I am not a big fan of the 'autotune' rap. Bobby as always just vibin, and I felt like that was a great additive to the overall mood of the performance.
Cons: I felt that Hwiyoung was a tad bit awkward or stiff on stage; don't get me wrong--Hwiyoung is my bias in SF9. The only big thing that was missing from this performance was the hook; and that says a lot about a rap performance as it is an essential part.
-Mayfly Rap Unit (Straykids' Chan-Han-Changbin, BTOB's Minhyuk, Ateez's Hong Joong)- "Playing with Paint/물감놀이"
Pros: I really like the way this performance was structured and presented. The best part was that the hook was actually good. Let's talk about the individual performers. Starting with Chan, I feel like this man is so much more of a 'behind-the-scenes' type of guy; he tends to do the arranging and then ends up having the least lines on stage. However, his part was pretty impactful and I still remember it at the moment. Moving on to Changbin, as expected, his rap at the beginning was good. Next--Han, my bias, is literally such a gem; I don't understand how he's able to be such a good rapper AND singer. His fast rap with the four portraits spun by backup dancers was my second favorite part in this performance. Hong Joong's facial expressions were on pointe, as always. Lastly, Minhyuk was probably the highlight of the performance (and my favorite part). His rap coming out of the 'curtain' really shocked me, and the imagery was wow. To close off, let's just say that I liked the fact that they didn't use much 'autotune' rap.
Cons: Line distributions were a bit questionable, but I'm guessing it was split depending on how much you wrote was good? I honestly am not a big fan of choreographed movements in rap performances because I believe they should be more vibey. That being said, I also don't like the excessive use of props to the point where it takes the focus away from the rappers, which is exactly what happened. I get that they have a high budget, but I just don't feel that it should be used on rap performances.