The previous episode of Girls Planet 999 ended on a cliffhanger. Would Choi Yujin choke under pressure, or would she live up to the expectations of not only herself but those of her fellow competitors who looked up to her?
Episode two did not start with her performance. Instead, a JOKER representing the J group took the stage with rankings of 5, 13, 21 and 23.
All of them were holding hand mics, so they looked like a vocal group and didn’t look like they would dance much.
The JOKER member who had the spotlight was Kubo Reina, hyped up as the best vocalist in the J group. Videos from her audition showed that power vocals were her strength as she tore through songs such as Ailee’s U and I, aespa’s Forever and Taeyeon’s All About You. In her pre-performance interview, she was excited to display her vocal capabilities.
JOKER took on the task of covering MAMAMOO’s gogobebe. They were impressed with their energetic performance, teamwork, and stable vocals and dancing. The candidates for the top nine ended up being all four members becoming the first from the J group with an all pass.
The next unit to appear was another set of babies called 18 Girls from K group with rankings of 8, 26, 31 and 32. Their average training period was just over one year, so they were all still at the noob level compared to other competitors.
18 Girls performed A Pink’s, Mr. Chu. Unfortunately, it seemed their nerves got to them as their vocals were unstable, and the performance quality was lacking. The masters believed they needed more seasoning, so there were no candidates for the top nine from this group.
Another K group unit called The Fireworks, with rankings of 4, 19, 12 and 20, took to the stage. Compared to the group shown before them, they were all highly ranked, had experience and looked like a real girl group to the masters.
The Fireworks featured Produce 48 alumni and Fanatics member Kim Doah. She, along with her fellow group members Rayeon and Chia Yi, has joined Girls Planet 999. Another familiar face was Hyerim, the second place constant in KPOP STAR 6 and went on to debut with the girl group Limesoda.
Since the group comprised some high ranking and already debuted members, they were dubbed the Avengers of the units that have performed so far.
When Doah was asked why she decided to participate in another survival show, she started to tear up. In pre-show interviews, the members of Fanatics explained that it hasn’t been easy since COVID-19 hit, and the group was in a bad place. However, they see Girls Planet 999 as an opportunity and perhaps the last chance for them as they face the possibility of disbanding like other girl groups.
This group performed Wow Thing by Seulgi, SinB, Chung Ha and Soyeon, and they looked very polished and worthy of the Avengers title. In addition, the masters gave high praise to the Avengers for their synergy. Because of that, all members were chosen as candidates for the top nine.
The first soloist from the C group Su Rui Qi to much applause from her fellow competitors. She is very popular among them. Her initial ranking was revealed to be second in the C group. She performed Chung Ha’s Snapping with the confidence and attitude fitting of the song, impressing everyone.
Many of the other girls expressed their desire to be in a cell with her after her performance. So it was no surprise she became a top nine candidate.
The next soloist was Sim Seungeun from BVNDIT. She performed a sexy cover of Gain’s Paradise lost, adding herself to the list of top nine candidates.
Following her was a duo called Dreaming Magic Girls from C group who covered Hwasa’s Maria. Much like the performance before, a display of sexiness and flexibility. This unit was praised for its vocals and rapping. Gu Yi Zhou ended up being the top nine candidate of the two.
Another duo from the K group called Bbo Yoon was shown. This group featured Cherry Bullet member Kim Bora and Jeong Jiyoon covering Little Mix’s Bounce Back. Their performance had everyone’s attention and landed them on the ever-growing list of top nine candidates.
With so much good competition, some girls started to wonder if they would get left behind and be unable to join a cell, which is a valid concern now that the deepness of the talent pool is starting to be revealed.
