Amid widespread anticipation, MBN's mega audition program 'Mumyeongseonseol - the hierarchy war among trot company men' (hereafter 'Mumyeongseonseol') finally unveiled its curtain. From the first broadcast, a large number of new-face contestants who captured both visuals and talent appeared, captivating viewers and bringing a fresh breeze to Korea's trot scene. According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership ratings research agency, 'Mumyeongseonseol,' which premiered at 9:40 p.m. on the 25th, recorded a peak minute rating of 7.213% among all paid households. This not only ranked first among programs airing at the same time but was also the highest among all variety programs broadcast on Wednesday, proving the high interest of viewers who had waited a long time. The broadcast revealed for the first time the stages of unnamed contestants positioned from the first to the third floors of the hierarchy tower. New, unknown singers who combined visuals and talent poured out legendary performances from the first broadcast, delivering a fresh shock and thrilling catharsis to viewers who had been waiting for the birth of new stars. In the opening, the LED grandly opened to reveal the symbol of 'Mumyeongseonseol,' the hierarchy tower. Ninety-nine contestants stood in their places from the first to the fifth floors according to recognition, and each walked the runway to imprint their face and name on viewers. The rules were revealed: a contestant who receives pass buttons from all 13 top pros (judges) advances directly to the next round; those chosen by 6 to 12 receive provisional pass; those chosen by five or fewer are eliminated. The tension among contestants after the rules were revealed was short-lived. When the winner's perks were unveiled—100 million won in prize money, film production, program launching, a second house in Jeju, a national tour concert, cruise fan meetings, and music releases—perks that made a 'life turnaround' possible like no other audition program, the studio filled with contestants' excitement and cheers. First, the stages of the first-floor contestants with no broadcasting experience began in earnest. The first to take the stage, Lee Woo-jung, immediately captured everyone's attention with a flower-boy looks reminiscent of Won Bin's prime and a contrasting muscular physique. His stage, which included a performance using a prop handgun while delivering a stable live performance, earned praise from many top pros as "star quality is visible," receiving 12 top buttons and being named a provisional qualifier. Performances by first-floor participants who combined visuals and talent continued. Kim Seong-min, noted for resembling soccer player Son Heung-min, drew attention and impressed with vocal ability comparable to active professionals, receiving praise from Nam Jin and Lim Han-byeol such as "the song was innate," and "different genres, same sound," emerging as the first-ever all-top winner of 'Mumyeongseonseol.' Lee Dae-hwan, who worked as a fire safety inspector while nurturing his dream of becoming a trot singer in his spare time, received the audience's cheers at his entrance with actor-level handsome looks. On stage he showed mature vocal ability, gaining a fan club from his very first performance and receiving an all-top. Other contestants reacted to their performances with comments like "this is a pro" and "an unreal contestant has appeared." Not only contestants with striking visuals but also those who came out with a desperate desire to sing drew attention. Han Garak revealed that his family opposed his dream and that he entered the competition secretly, which drew notice. Han Garak, who started music in his twenties but had not shown results until now, moved everyone with his earnest performance and received an all-top. Top pros including Lim Han-byeol praised him as "a fine-dining–like stage with nothing to discard." Another contestant, Han Null, surprised everyone by revealing he had quit his job to focus on 'Mumyeongseonseol.' Dedicating himself to the show's stage, Han Null proved his sincerity for trot through song and received an all-top. Joo Hyun-mi said, "It's only been six months, but with this skill there's potential. I support your decision (to quit)." Second-floor contestants, who had made names for themselves at regional events and small stages, proved through their performances why they were still unknown yet different from the first-floor contestants. Marco, who followed the top classical training path recognized by Choi Jong-won and Son Tae Jin, and Choi Jong-won, a former 'JYP's first trot trainee,' were provisionally accepted with 11 and 12 top buttons respectively, and Lee Hee-do left a strong presence by receiving an all-top with deep vocals and tempo control that made Kang Moon-kyung call him "hyungnim" (older brother). The stages of third-floor contestants, whose skills had been verified through broadcasts and music festivals, were clearly different. Kim Tae-woong, who gained great fame as a trot prodigy, moved the audience to tears with a performance conveying his heartfelt sincerity toward his mother and received an all-top. Lee Rune also showed a composed yet captivating stage proving that a pro is different, and Nam Jin was so immersed he failed to press his button, resulting in a 12-top. Ji Young-il, a '14-year unnamed singer,' received an all-top on a stage after four debuts and more than 20 audition attempts, with unwavering live performance and choreography. Fighting back tears of gratitude, his confession, "I've never been told I'm good," drew sincere support from the top pros. Also, 'morning yard' five-time winner and 'gentleman'–visual Haru received a standing ovation and an all-top for a stage dedicated to his deceased mother, earning praise as a "talent to look forward to next." Thus, 'Mumyeongseonseol' became the talk of the town from the first broadcast, presenting not only handsome contestants with standout center visuals but also a feast of heartfelt performances by hidden unknown singers. The performance of the 13 top pros also drew attention. With stages unfolding from the first to the third floors, the top pros enhanced the program's entertainment with cool-headed judging that applied different standards by floor, and composer Kim Jin-ryong repeatedly refrained from pressing the pass button with high standards, earning him the nickname 'Jinryongsan.' Viewers reacted with comments such as "the wait was worth it," "new faces appeared in large numbers from episode 1 so watching the stages is enjoyable," "I thought it was an idol audition because of the looks," "each person's story is like a movie," "I've never seen someone sing 'Because he's a man' this well," and "even with the same age, the stages on floors 1 and 3 are definitely different." Meanwhile, episode 2 of 'Mumyeongseonseol' will air on Wednesday, March 4, at 9:40 p.m.
[Photo] MBN 'Mumyeongseonseol'
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