MBN's large-scale audition program 'Legend of the Unknown: The hierarchy war among trot company men' (hereafter 'Legend of the Unknown') finally revealed the identities of 18 famous challengers from 45 floors who had been hidden behind masks. With ranking rounds and a raised judging standard where only 10 survive, the bloody hierarchy war has now begun in earnest.
According to ratings firm Nielsen Korea on the 12th, the third episode of 'Legend of the Unknown,' which aired at 9:40 p.m. on the 11th, recorded a nationwide paid household rating of 8.112% (part 2), and the highest minute rating reached 8.758%. This figure is about 0.07 percentage points higher than the 8.04% recorded in the previous episode, continuing the rise in ratings since the premiere and securing first place among Wednesday variety shows, solidifying its dominant run.
In that episode, following the 'unknown selection' featuring challengers placed on floors 1 through 3 of the hierarchy tower, the 'famous selection' featuring challengers on floors 4 and 5 unfolded. Stars from various fields appeared, including Byeon Seung-yeop, the singer of the national favorite song 'Chan Chan Chan'; Ryan, leader of the group Parang; 'ballad crown prince' Lee Ji-hoon; Lee Chang-min of 2AM; Shin Sung; Seong-ri; Hwang Yun-seong; Kim Da-hyun of the band Yada; and '10-million viewer actor' Kim Jung-tae. Not only trot singers but those active on ballad, idol, rock, and acting stages took the challenge with genuine devotion to the trot stage and their own stories.
Because the 'famous selection' gathered participants who already had recognition, harsher rules were applied. The 'unknown selection' used absolute evaluation, but the 'famous selection' used relative evaluation: top-pro panel scores of 130 points and national pro panel scores of 170 points were combined to determine the final ranking. Only the top 10 of the 18 famous challengers survive, and the remaining eight become elimination candidates. The halo of recognition instead operated as a stricter yardstick, placing the 18 famous challengers squarely in the midst of the hierarchy war battlefield.
Kim Da-hyun was the first to take the 'famous selection' stage. Known as the vocalist of the band Yada, he performed with explosive high notes and stable vocal power, expressing his desire to fulfill the dream of his father, who had been an unknown trot singer. Jo Hang Jo praised him, saying, "He has the talent to create a global sensation," yet he received 102 points from the top-pro panel. Hwang Min-woo, known as 'Little Psy,' set aside his strength in performance and chose Kang Moon-kyung's 'A woman like an onion,' betting on being judged solely on his singing. Though he showed growth with a sweet vocal and relaxed stage manner, he was criticized with, "You need to make it your own, not mimic singer Kang Moon-kyung," and scored 103 points.
Crossover singer Yoo Seul-gi revealed that she returned to challenge after being encouraged by her close friend Son Tae Jin when she was about to give up singing, showing her earnestness for the stage. Yoo Seul-gi, who chose 'Ah! Sarubia,' surprised the venue with solid vocal technique grounded in classical singing and a rhythmic arrangement. Amid high praise from the top-pro panel, she scored 120 points and immediately rose to first place.
Ryan appeared with the same visual and physical presence that recalled his Parang days, captivating everyone just by showing up. His trot stage was refreshing and steady in live performance, and he received 113 points along with Jo Hang Jo's praise, "Why did you come only now? Your vocal power is tremendous." In particular, Ivy, who debuted at the same time and had worked together with him, tearfully cheered, saying, "It's strange meeting a friend at a distance. Thank you for not letting go of the desire to sing."
Byeon Seung-yeop, who won national affection with 'Chan Chan Chan,' took the stage to a standing ovation from the hierarchy tower challengers and the top-pro panel. He said, "The platforms for the established generation are shrinking. I stood here because I want to remain active forever," explaining why, after 36 years in music, he challenged an audition for the first time. Choosing his hit 'Chan Chan Chan,' Byeon Seung-yeop gave a deep performance that filled the stage even while holding back, scoring 117 points, and the top-pro panel, including Jo Hang Jo, expressed respect, saying, "It felt like listening to a life. The experience is different."
Park Min-su, who had finished fifth on another audition program, said, "I felt more pathetic when I realized popularity was a bubble," revealing the moment he felt the wall of reality. But instead of despair, he challenged himself to lose 20 kg and returned to the stage through grueling effort. On stage, his earnestness about singing moved the audience to tears, and he received praise from the top-pro panel, "I'd pay to go to his concert," earning 119 points.
Seong-ri, a seven-year active singer, said, "This is my fifth attempt at a trot competition, and after being eliminated from competitions, work stopped immediately, so it was hard. While thinking about quitting singing and learning wallpapering skills, I decided to participate in 'Legend of the Unknown.'" In his subsequent performance, Seong-ri showed an unprecedented level of performance and singing, earning praise from both the top-pro and national panels. Even amid intense choreography, his pitch never wavered in a perfect live performance that drew admiration, and the top-pro panel praised him, saying, "Another level," and "There is nothing to criticize." Seong-ri scored 126 points, overtaking Yoo Seul-gi, who had been first, and leapt to the top.
Shin Sung, who said, "I've served as a judge on audition programs before, but I'm happiest when I sing on stage. I challenged this because I want to be remembered as a legend," impressed from the first note with his cave-like low tones and steady vocals. Filling the stage with a deeply resonant timbre and solid vocal ability, Shin Sung won over the top-pro panel and scored 114 points. Meanwhile, Hwang Yun-seong, who said, "Older people only know me as Le Chanwon's friend. I came out to make my name known," captivated female fans with a tie-utilizing performance and a fiery stage, scoring 111 points.
Lee Chang-min of 2AM also received a warm ovation as soon as he appeared. Having composed about 100 trot songs so far, he recalled facing difficulties during the pandemic when all performances were canceled and even resorted to door-to-door sales of his songs. He explained his reason for challenging trot, saying, "No one can explain my songs better than I can." He chose Na Hoon-a's 'Why do you cry when you should cry' and, despite concerns from the top-pro panel, dominated the stage with a sweet yet refreshing vocal that preserved traditional trot ornamentation, scoring 112 points.
'Ballad crown prince' Lee Ji-hoon appeared still boasting dazzling visuals and performed Joo Hyun-mi's 'First Feeling' in his own style. True to his 31-year career, Lee Ji-hoon captured attention from the first note with a powerful voice and showcased steady vocal ability and thrilling high notes to finish with 115 points, placing fifth in the midrank. In addition, Choi Woo-jin, Ryu Philip, actor Kim Jung-tae, Lee Do-jin, and Kang Tae-gwan also challenged the 'famous selection,' each displaying their skills.
In the interim evaluation conducted solely by the top-pro panel, Seong-ri, Yoo Seul-gi, Park Min-su, Byeon Seung-yeop, Lee Ji-hoon, Shin Sung, Ryan, Choi Woo-jin, Lee Chang-min, and Hwang Yun-seong ranked from first to tenth. However, when the national pro panel scores were added, the ranking landscape shifted dramatically.
The final ranking after adding the national pro panel scores was confirmed as Seong-ri, Ryan, Hwang Yun-seong, Park Min-su, Kang Tae-gwan, Choi Woo-jin, Yoo Seul-gi, Lee Do-jin, and Lee Chang-min from first to ninth. In particular, Kang Tae-gwan, Lee Do-jin, and Hwang Yun-seong, who were at risk of elimination based on top-pro scores, staged a comeback drama by rapidly rising in rank thanks to strong support from the national pro panel, heating up the venue.
Meanwhile, Byeon Seung-yeop, Lee Ji-hoon, and Shin Sung, who had been within the survival zone based on top-pro scores, suddenly became elimination candidates. With only one ticket left to go directly to the next round, anticipation for who will survive and who will be eliminated in the next broadcast has grown even higher.
Meanwhile, episode 4 of 'Legend of the Unknown' will air on MBN at 9:40 p.m. on the 18th.
[Photo] MBN 'Legend of the Unknown: The hierarchy war among trot company men'
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