In the 'Love Call Center - Seven Stars' battle between Korea and Japan's 'Mr. Trot', 'Team Korea' achieved a dramatic victory.
The broadcast of TV CHOSUN's 'Love Call Center - Seven Stars' on the 14th presented the second installment of the Korea-Japan 'Mr. Trot' showdown, commemorating the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. After a heated match, 'Team Korea' proudly secured the ultimate victory. This broadcast showcased a thrilling champion match reflecting the pride of both countries, touching moments and laughter during the unit battles, and remarkable performances transcending borders.
This broadcast recorded a viewership rating of 4.3% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea. This figure ranks first across all channels in the same time slot, making it the top-rated daily program among general and cable channels, as well as the top performer in Thursday night variety shows. Continuing a 15-week streak at number one, 'Love Call Center - Seven Stars' surged to a peak viewership rating of 5.4%, further establishing its dominance as the leading Thursday night variety show.
The final showdown of the first round featured 'Mr. Trot 3' finalist Kim Yong-bin and 'Mr. Trot Japan' finalist Shima Yuki. Kim Yong-bin took the stage with Shim Soo-bong's 'Binarie', garnering high praise as 'Kim Yong-bin is a genre in himself', while Shima Yuki expressed his respect, saying, "This is indeed the stage of a Korean trot master." After Yuki delivered a powerful rendition of Tanitmura Shinji's 'Subaru', Kim Yong-bin remarked, "Even without knowing the lyrics, the emotions of the song resonate in my heart." The global judging panel's decision resulted in a narrow win for Kim Yong-bin, with a score of 93 to 90, preserving 'Team Korea's' honor.
In the second round unit battle, stunning performances highlighted perfect teamwork and individual personalities. Among them, the unit of Son Bin-a, Chun-gil, and Park Ji-hu presented a distinguished K-emotional performance with Lee Seung-cheol's 'Western Sky', while the Shima Yuki and Masato unit delivered a lively J-performance of Takahashi Yoko's famous anime theme 'A Cruel Angel's Thesis'. After a tense competition, the second round victory went to 'Team Japan'.
The third round featured a format where representative members from both teams sang a song in turns. Nam Seung-min faced off against Ryuta with Misora Hibari's 'Busan Port made into Japanese' adaptation of Jo Yong-pil's 'Come Back to Busan Port' but lost by a narrow score. Following that, Kim Yong-bin also took on Lee Ji-eum's 'Camellia Lady', but unfortunately lost by a 3-point margin to Masato.
The mood changed with Mi Cheon-rok. Dressed in a white jeogori symbolizing the 'White Clan', he delivered a powerful performance of The Checkers' 'Juliani Shoshin' with perfect Japanese pronunciation, achieving a decisive victory of 16 points over Tsunehiko.
Next, Sun Bin-a faced off against Shima Yuki. Sun Bin-a declared, "Even if I bleed from my throat, I will definitely take first place over 'Mr. Trot Japan'", and as she vowed, she brought home a thrilling victory with an 11-point lead through X Japan's 'TEARS'. The Korea-Japan 'Mr. Trot' battle, where the outcome was uncertain until the very end, concluded with a stunning comeback victory for 'Team Korea'.
This victory, achieved just a day before Liberation Day, resonated even more meaningfully with the viewers. Special guest Hong Ji-yoon from 'Miss Trot 2' decorated the halftime show of the Korea-Japan 'Mr. Trot' with Yashiro Aki's 'Rain's Longing', maintaining the excitement of the competition. Additionally, the stage created through mutual respect for each other's culture and music delivered a touching performance that transcended borders.
Meanwhile, TV CHOSUN's 'Love Call Center - Seven Stars' airs every Thursday night at 10 p.m.
[OSEN]