'B:MY BOYZ' Hyo, Seo Jun-hyuk, Li Ziwei, Moon Jae-il, Kim Jung-hoon, and Kai were selected as the third 'TOP PICK'.
On the 9th, SBS's large-scale global boy group audition program 'B:MY BOYZ' (hereinafter 'Be My Boys') aired its 8th episode, revealing the third round 'TOP PICK' chosen by the top idols Wanna One's Bae Jin-young, Lee Dae-hwi (AB6IX), Ha Sung-woon, and Park Woo-jin (AB6IX), while the fierce journey of B:GINNERs continued.
The third round 'B:GINNER's PICK match' featured a competition between 'Energetic' and 'Beautiful', with Beauty+Jetik (Choi Yo-han, Li Ziwei, William, Kim Bo-hyun, Ikuto, Hiroto), Ener+Pul (Lim Ji-hwan, Haruto, Ai, Hyo, Kang Jun-sung, Seo Jun-hyuk), and a match between 'BOOMERANG' and 'Burn It Up' with Hwal+Merang (Lee Yoon-seong, Kai, Ban Daniel, Jang Won, Yang Seong-hee, Park Jun-hyuk) and Bu+Hwal (Kim Jung-hoon, Park Se-chan, Yang Hyun-bin, Lee Yeon-tae, Lee Jun-myeong, Moon Jae-il). Notably, the team switch format, where 'Energetic' and 'Beautiful' teams took turns handling the first and second verses, heightened the tension of the survival competition. Previously, the stages of 'Energetic' and 'Beautiful' received rave reviews from Wanna One.
On that day's broadcast, a showdown took place between the Avengers Bu+Hwal and the dark horse Hwal+Merang teams. The main dancer Moon Jae-il led the Bu+Hwal team, delivering an overwhelming charisma during the first verse of 'BOOMERANG', while the Hwal+Merang team, led by center Kai, also showcased focus during the second verse stage, leaving a lasting impression. In response, Lee Dae-hwi noted, "It feels like they did better than us," adding, "It's an incredibly difficult song, but it's impressive that they performed it live. The opening and choreography of the Bu+Hwal team's performance, marked by Moon Jae-il's fiery gaze, was great." Bae Jin-young and Ha Sung-woon commented, "The Hwal+Merang team showcased each member's charm and highlighted the killing parts well."
Following the hard-to-judge 'BOOMERANG', the confident performances of the two teams with 'Burn It Up' were showcased. The Hwal+Merang team focused on the killing part of the first verse, while the Bu+Hwal team concentrated on the dance break of the second verse. B:GINNERs increased the quality of their stage through the intensive training led by the tiger choreography director Moon Jae-il and the detail lessons from Master Ria Kim. The Bu+Hwal team received feedback during their mid-assessment, indicating that individual charms should be more evident, which they improved through close-up shots for gestures and expressions. Park Woo-jin remarked, "I hope they break the last stage with the mindset of doing even better than Wanna One."
Wanna One members responded with big applause to the stunning live performance stage where everyone poured their heart out. Lee Dae-hwi stated, "My gaze remains on Jang Won. Ban Daniel is truly a gem of a performer. Although he is young, he is achieving his own path," referring to the Hwal+Merang team. Ha Sung-woon praised the Bu+Hwal team's stage, saying, "I understand why this team chose 'Burn It Up'. Even when compared to our performance, they seem to be doing well." Park Woo-jin mentioned, "Kim Jung-hoon stood out well in the center," while Bae Jin-young added, "Moon Jae-il's wave was unbelievably sexy. Both teams were neck and neck." The 'BOOMERANG' and 'Burn It Up' teams B:GINNER also expressed satisfaction, saying, "We performed without regrets."
Wanna One's 'TOP PICK' was chosen by selecting 2 individuals from the winning team and 1 individual from the losing team, totaling 6 individuals. The winning team received additional points. Wanna One members reviewed the stage videos carefully to deliberate on the 'TOP PICK'. Notably, comments such as "Hyo and Ai are better than me. Kim Bo-hyun's solid vocal tone is good. Kai has a unique vibe. Ban Daniel's passion is tremendous. Their teamwork is perfect" drew attention. After much discussion, the victorious teams chosen by Wanna One were Ener+Pul (Lim Ji-hwan, Haruto, Ai, Hyo, Kang Jun-sung, Seo Jun-hyuk), who created an emotional performance, and the well-balanced Bu+Hwal (Kim Jung-hoon, Park Se-chan, Yang Hyun-bin, Lee Yeon-tae, Lee Jun-myeong, Moon Jae-il) team.
The anticipated 'TOP PICK' B:GINNER was secured by Hyo, Seo Jun-hyuk, Li Ziwei, Moon Jae-il, Kim Jung-hoon, and Kai. Hyo commented, "I want to run straight to debut," while Seo Jun-hyuk shared, "I feel proud to be recognized." Li Ziwei expressed, "I was surprised and delighted that it was real." Moon Jae-il stated, "I focused on myself and went all out," Kim Jung-hoon noted, "I gained confidence that my traits work well," and Kai remarked, "I will continue to show my challenging side."
Following that, MC Dex announced the overall rankings for the third round. Hyo, selected as 'TOP PICK', also placed first in the votes from the B:inUS (Venus), expressing, "I am very happy to receive my first first place and thank the Venus fans." Lee Yeon-tae, Kang Jun-sung, Haruto, and Kai rose to the TOP 5, intensifying the fierce ranking competition. B:GINNERs who were eliminated in the 21st to 24th ranks of the third round were Yang Seong-hee, Choi Yo-han, Ikuto, and William.
William said, "It was an honor to be on stage together," while Ikuto expressed, "It became a good memory as they treated me warmly and helped me practice." Choi Yo-han and Yang Seong-hee also conveyed heartfelt gratitude to everyone. The B:GINNERs hugged each other and promised to meet again, creating a touching scene.
Separating briefly, the surviving B:GINNERs received their final fourth-round mission. The much-anticipated fourth round 'K-POP Legend Match' with TVXQ's Yunho will consist of 'Selection Song Matches' where keywords representing the history of K-POP and songs by TVXQ will be selected and interpreted, and a 'Designated Song Match' where all teams will perform TVXQ's debut song 'HUG'. The TOP 3 from the third round, Hyo, Lee Yeon-tae, and Kang Jun-sung, selected 'Rising Sun (순수)', 'Mirotic', and 'Keep Your Head Down' as keywords, and team members were also selected. Thus, the teams for the fourth round became addictive 'Rising Sun' (Li Ziwei, Park Se-chan, Park Jun-hyuk, Ai, Lim Ji-hwan, Hyo), consolidation 'Mirotic' (Kim Bo-hyun, Moon Jae-il, Ban Daniel, Seo Jun-hyuk, Yang Hyun-bin, Lee Yeon-tae, Lee Jun-myeong), and dynamic 'Keep Your Head Down' (Kang Jun-sung, Kim Jung-hoon, Lee Yoon-seong, Jang Won, Kai, Haruto, Hiroto).
Before the fourth round competition, the B:GINNERs met with physiognomy and tarot experts as well as fortune tellers. The physiognomy and tarot expert stated, "Kai has the appearance of a standout idol. Hiroto has a fortune for food. Kang Jun-sung's lip mole signifies popularity. Haruto shows the characteristics of a member with resilience against adversity. Moon Jae-il becomes more prominent the more he shows himself. Kim Jung-hoon and Park Se-chan have great chemistry." The fortune teller said, "Lee Jun-myeong has a fighting spirit that is leader-like. Hyo will have his prime at age 27."
The long-awaited fourth round 'K-POP Legend Match' with TVXQ's Yunho is expected to be fully unfolded next week. Expectations are high for how much the newly formed B:GINNERs will grow to captivate fans across all generations of K-POP.
'Be My Boys' airs every Saturday at 5:20 p.m. It can be streamed worldwide through various global OTT platforms such as Netflix, ABEMA, WeTV, and Rakuten Viki, and diverse content to meet B:inUS is also available on YouTube and various social media channels.
[Photo] SBS 'B:MY BOYZ' broadcast capture
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