Lurker > PumpkinCoach

the unit and mixnine are both much better post-elimination. i have no idea why they went with such a high number of contestants to begin with.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Rick Deckard
The Boss
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

is it an annoying affection or has it looped around? can i say it as a mundane truth without trying to be 'edgy'? can i say it without becoming 'the type of person who says die hard is their favourite christmas movie'?
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Gorogoa is incredible. The puzzles feels intuitive and satisfying, but the best part is how the puzzle solving connects with the storytelling in a way that's more than just theming. (No spoilers, but in case you want to go in fresh) The story is incredibly vague, but leaves you with enough that you occasionally feel like you have a grasp of something even if it's not necessarily a sequence of events, which is not unlike the act of sliding disparate pictures around looking for patterns that feel natural yet accidental. You create brief moments of coherence enough to progress, but instantly tear them apart into new configurations. The pictures seem to span a long history, but the way you manipulate them collapses time, and defies causality. In one motion, you're solving a puzzle and creating order, while simultaneously feeling like you're running along with its free associative dream logic. Crucially, it doesn't ever explain itself, leaving you with symbols and motifs that exist mostly in glimpses I'm going to have to play it a second time focusing on the story now that I know the puzzle solutions.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

damn

RIP
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Dal Shabet had a good run. They were consistently the girl group fodder line - if someone were to order relevant girl groups by popularity, they'd be at the bottom, but at least they'd always be listed.

best Dal Shabet song (BBB is a close second):


paerarru posted...

Mmm is it just me or have you noticed that it's changed in tone a little bit?

I feel like YG is trying to re-habilitate his image a bit, but that's that's about it. I wasn't fond of the Yongchae edit, where they talked about her negative image, then showed a bunch of clips which weren't bad, but can be construed as such if primed for it. It was one example of her confidence and two examples of voicing something unpopular for the benefit of the team.

also - https://twitter.com/ultkmj/status/940601763027042304

they need keep her around as long as possible.

paerarru posted...

By the time the final episode rolls around I doubt there will even be 9 girls left.

Right? I'm guessing they'll change the elimination method at some point to even the odds, but it'd also be funny if the finals were Top 9 boys vs. Ryujin and Soomin.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Yeonjung - Marry You


Long:D, Doyeon - All Night


i miss doyeonjung
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Detectorists.

just watched the last episode this morning and my god, it was perfect.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Finding Paradise (To the Moon sequel) today as well.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Aw man. Subin, Serri, and Ahyoung left Happyface. They're saying Dal Shabet will not disband, but really come on.

---

For The Unit, at least Semmi was saved (though barely) and Haena had immunity, or it could have been worse for Matilda. Hate to see Sejun and Chaesol go as well, even if it was mostly expected based on their rank. Also, it has to sting for Han Seoin to be eliminated on the same episode where they showed she won the vocal position battle.


how can the voters go so wrong.

Elimination episode was an interesting one. Rain managed to give two pep talks, and even some one-on-one counselling with him or Jo Hyuna. If this was a show for trainees, someone might say they were being coddled, let alone a show for debuted idols, but that's very much in keeping with the tone of the show. If Produce 101/Mixnine are like previews of the harshness of the industry at large, The Unit almost feels like a respite from it. Again, I like the comforting atmosphere, but it does push the competition aspect of it to the back. I see some fans worrying about the flagging ratings, and the lack of drama and competitiveness is often cited. There might be something to that, though personally, I think it being more humane gives it a unique identity, which is important given how many survival shows there have been lately. I think perfomances are letting it down moreso than the rest of the show, but more on that later.

Focusing on the rankings, the lack of competitiveness was especially acute this episode. Produce 101 makes it a ceremony, with guest hosts and grand entrances. On The Unit, everyone's sat in a small auditorium in casual clothes rather than their MV uniforms. Again, it's consistent with the show's general approach, but Produce 101 understands that elimination episodes are as much about feeding the voting viewer's egos as about the trainees themselves. It's why they make such a big deal out of it, and why they end on bowing to the "national producers". The Unit, in contrast, is a bit insular. People give speeches but it's addressed to the room rather than out to the nation. Rain doesn't even announce the vote count, and there's no build-up for the audience's benefit. Twice now Rain has offered condoloscenes by saying that you can never predict who will become big and the person eliminated here can end up more popular in the future, which is sound life advice, but maybe not the best way to hype up the show.

paerarru posted...

You know what's funny, I was watching ep. 6 right and I go oooh I really like this girl, so pretty, she looks like Elris Bella. Hahahahaha... smh.

Ha yeah, this happened to me a few times. The lack of stage names throws me.

Mixnine's elimination episode was all over the place. Sometimes it felt like it was being shown at fast forward, other times YG is asking two people the exact same question so they can give the exact same stock answer about how they hope all of them passed. They spliced in a bunch of audition clips, sometimes right before a contestant is eliminated. It was like, "this person you've never seen before is out, but oh, this is the sad backstory for why you should care".

I was a bit reductive when I said the show would have done nothing for them. For an unknown trainee it's still some recognition, and in general there's the opportunity to work with and learn from their peers and the trainers which is nice. Mostly, I'm focused on Lee Soomin, so for her it's like she came in with a lot of hype, and has disappeared into getting no screen time on a show with 0% viewer ratings, while the show benefits from having her hardcore fanbase on the hook. And of course, for a group like Dreamcatcher, they're losing money by stalling their promotions for Mixnine, and it's unlikely to pay off for them if they stayed.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

B.B. Hood
The Boss
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Anagram posted...

Stamp Day For Superman (1954, B&W) - 1 Episode

this one.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

oh yeah, and some good news is that Happyface pulled Dreamcatcher out of Mixnine to focus on other activities like their European tour.

I feel for the final group on Mixnine. They're going to be milked for all their worth on a proposed world tour, while the show would have done nothing for them. The groups with small followings, and the hype trainees from better survival shows are basically doing charity on this show.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

I'm still in the tank for Yang Jiwon, but yeah, I can see that. I also fully expect NC.A, and probably Euijin to overtake her at some point since the rankings right now are mostly based on early hype. Same with Timoteo.

And yeah, Mixnine. Maaan, Suran really has in for Eyedi for some reason. Plus having no practice segment at all for 2 girl dance teams, and like half of one for the third was some bullshit. Actually both shows have been abandoning the girl group side to an extent, which is unfortunate. Hopefully they readjust now that there are less people to handle.

The contrast between the shows remain more interesting than the shows themselves. I haven't seen Mixnine's elimination, but The Unit handled it very differently from the Produce 101 style. I have some thoughts, which I'll have to lay out some time.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Younha - Hello (feat. pH-1)



full album coming Dec. 27th.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

B.B. Hood
The Boss
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

my faves on mixnine are ranking high, while my faves on the unit are getting eliminated.

though it's beginning to feel like being eliminated from mixnine might be for the best, so there is actually no good news.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Age of Youth 2, Detectorists, and Catastrophe.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

B.B. Hood
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

paerarru posted...

Oh, this probaby will be my favorite team then lol.

they did well, but more than anything this is great because lee soomin sang like the whole track. i wonder why she went with a dance team, but it worked out.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQMNWubVwAAzr98.jpg
https://twitter.com/cubeunited/status/937607840088260608

omg yes ;_; it's a start at least.

now watch them cancel it later...
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

key worked, thanks
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Nex Machina, please
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

And Mixnine:
- On the whole, it's better than before. There's less YG, and more structure. Performances were more exciting than The Unit's, partly because position battles are inherently more interesting than covers, and because The Unit went minimal not only backtracks, but in stage dressing. This was a lot flashier. Plus The Unit was a big room of people encouraging each other, while this is very much a competition.
- I feel like they didn't really convey why Hyojin was the male centre before, but I get it now. It was funny how he was out of his depth as a leader basically within seconds of getting the position, but he's adorable so you don't mind that he's fucking up. For all the hype over angel leader edits in these shows, Hyojin made incompetent leader work.
- It is good that the nerds who named themselves after anime, and can't stop saying "bamm!" got their comeuppance for being little shits.
- Woo Jinyoung! Park Haeyoung! Lee Soohyun! I mostly watched this episode spotting and rooting for Produce 101 people.
- Not from this episode, but I watched Lee Soomin's fancam and yesss she's reunited with Kim Sihyeon. Shin and Chanmi are also on that team. I'm pretty sure there's enough for a full 101 team on this show.
- I basically agree with all the results, though not the proportion of votes.
- People better be voting for Yongchae. Turns out she's great onstage as well as off.

paerarru posted...

Amazing how something like that barely gets mentioned in the show. I'm telling you they don't care at all about their background stories.

Yeah, it's not the focus of the show. Easier for YG to take credit I suppose.

paerarru posted...

This is a show where half of its viewers are guaranteed to get royally pissed in the last episode.

On the bright side, the FAVE group could debut earlier (I'm assuming the boys will win).

paerarru posted...

That's funny. Yet another group fighting the battle on both fronts.

Oops, I should have said "former Wassup" :(
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

There's an interesting contrast between the two shows. I wouldn't say Mixnine is terrible, just very uneven, nor would I say The Unit is without flaws. In this topic, I've had more to say about Mixnine because in a way, it's more interesting, for better or worse. I'm not hate-watching it exactly, but I'll admit, "how bad can the editing get?" is at least part of the hook at this point. The Unit, in contrast, has a feelgood atmosphere and a high level of polish, which makes it generally pleasant to watch, but can feel a bit safe at times. Whereas Mixnine would overplay its hand trying to heighten the drama, The Unit almost seems to abhor drama. It's kind of admirable how even-handed The Unit is. We always see the resolution of conflicts, and no one is made to look like the villain. Like in ep. 5, Yena finally got some screen time, where she came off domineering and contributing to the low morale of the group, but not only did the group patch it up in the end, I think they specifically gave Yena herself extra talking head segments to explain her perspective better, and to keep her role in the conflict from being her defining character.

At least a part of this is down to the nature of the contestants, though. It stands to reason that older, more experienced idols would be better at working together and putting their egos aside than trainees. Like all that showboating and trashtalking from the 'Very Good' team? You can't goad that out of experienced idols with media training.

Mixnine is very unclear about rankings, which is its biggest non-YG problem. It's hard to be invested in the results when you don't know what they're for, and especially when considering that judges' votes account for 50% of the showcase ranking, but without knowing how the showcase rank is weighted for the final rank, it means they can do whatever the fuck they want. Like yeah, I can see why they would think Lee Soomin ranking unexpectedly low for a thing might be dramatic, but it's too transparent.

Now, notes on The Unit ep.5 specifically:
- I'm not sure going without a backtrack worked for them. Most people don't appreciate the effort, and it stacks the deck against them heavily. Covers invite comparison, and the original singers don't even sing it completely live. It's not even about ability necessary, because 'Crazy', for instance, needs the backtrack to fill out the sound, or parts of it comes off like a lot of shouting. At the least, it would have saved us from the same arguments under every video.
- Lee Joohyun slays. People keep saying she should be on Mixnine, but pfft that's bush league when she's out here showing up debuted idols.
- See, that bit of contrived drama for the black team, with the dance trainer dropping by unannounced and scolding them for taking a justifiable break, is a good argument for how they're no good at drama and shouldn't bother.
- Somyi being proud of getting the wide room was adorable. I hope she gets more screen time because what little she gets is gold.
- I like how Yoonjo constantly sounds fed up. If she wouldn't rather run out of the room than confront the tension, she'd be good for drama, because she has hilariously little tact when she eventually did talk and was basically roasting everyone unintentionally ("Melody Day? You're not famous. DIA? People only know Chaeyeon").
- Did they really cannabalize Haein's lines by arguing that she has ad-libs come on we all know those don't count.
- The youngest member teaching the choreography has been a consistent implicit theme across a lot of teams, on this show about has-beens and never-wases running out of time as they push against encroaching modernity.
- Chaesol kind of has a Chaeyeon vibe, and I do not get why her rank is low.
- You're the Best > GNAAL > Gee > Rough > Crazy > Red Flavour > Heart Attack.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

i'm living for IU singing in cantonese


---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

hell yes.

Pentagon - Violet


Pentagon - Runaway


pentagon is hitting their stride. edawn's part in violet is ace.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

okay, i know i shouldn't be shocked by mixnine's editing anymore, but i just had to pause it a minute in... did they really spend a third of last episode getting up to the top 10 only to spend 20 seconds total to announce whether the boys or girls team won, announce 5th place for the boys, 7th place for the girls, and then 1st place for both?

also, just discovered Dain (Wassup) is on the show because she got her first second of screen time.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

paerarru posted...

Alright :) I'll root for Eyedi too, not gonna lie not the least because that resting b face of her is not at all unattractive. Taewoon is the rapper guy right? Hold on... he's Zico's brother!? Wow lol... that's tough to get away from, man.

yeah, Taewoon, better known as Zico's brother. As you expected, it comes up a lot. He first debuted in 2010 with Co-Ed School, which was the same group Chanmi was in (Mixnine better give me that reunion on screen).

Somehow my favourite contestant on the trainee show is an industry veteran of 7 years, and my favourite contestant on the debuted idol reboot show is a 13-year-old trainee.

paerarru posted...

I know right! Not a healthy environment. Well in the end I'm fine with Sujin rising back to the top and getting center. I think it's safe to consider her the first lock-in for the girls.

See, I don't even know how the final group will be chosen. Ep. 4 devoted like a third of the screen time and gave the full pyramid treatment to rankings based on just live audience and judges, so are those being weighted more heavily?
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

i never posted these, but i'm glad KBS gave the second place teams for the MV mission a stage too:

Unit B Red + Unit G Red - My Turn


Unit B Black + Unit G White - My Turn

mostly posting to say - chaesol a top visual, good thumbnail choice.

I've seen ep.5 of The Unit, but not Mixnine. Might do a fuller account of the shows together when I do, now that Mixnine subs have picked up the pace (though the bigger challenge was always steeling myself for YG, but I hear he's less present in the latest so hey).
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

YG needs to get their shit together on blackpink. i can't stan a group with 5 songs.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

aw yeah BoA:



and jihyo goddamn


and wonho goddamn

and a bunch of [ctrl+v] AKB48&CHUNG HA&Weki Meki&PRISTIN&fromis_9&Idol School Class 1 stages, including some pick me for old time's sake



just rubbing salt in haein's wounds.

(side note: when did fromis turn into fromis_9)

they announced Produce 48 for next year, an AKB48 + Produce 101 collab. no idea what that's going to be about.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

okay
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

with a side of



Jakyl25 posted...

The entire Last Exit to Springfield episode is a triumph of comedy writing

---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

I watched Mixnine ep. 4, and yeah, this is such a Produce 101 reunion. Episode came in strong with screen time for my faves: a lot of good Taewoon stuff, a few Eyedi scenes, and some Lee Soomin reactions which is at least more than she's been getting.

-Taewoon remains awkward and likable, but also demonstrates the Wisdom of a senior of 7 years. Seeing him in an idol context makes me miss Speed so fucking much.
- Eyedi is the fucking best. I love her arrogance/confidence, and I hope she never changes. I don't know if it's intentional, it might just be a blatant hit job which some people would fall for, but since she never responds to all the criticism with more than mild bemusement, she still comes off looking well to me. She can't really help that she has a permanently arrogant face even when neutral. Though this is all helped by how I already like her songs so I think any attitude is warranted.
- Wow, that A Class self-vote was brutal. I'm glad Lee Soomin stayed out of that mess and only reacted.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

I've only seen up to the ep. 3, so I imagine it picks up after auditions, which were interminable. It was profoundly silly how often they did the thing where YG picks his trainees, then says he'll take 1 or 2 more after all. It's presented as a twist, but it doesn't work when it happens every time! It was funny when Moonhee (Bonus Baby) herself specifically suggested he take 1 more member from those who failed, and I was thinking whether they scripted that for her or if she heard about it from one of the 10 other agencies where it happened. Plus it made YG's already arbitrary selection process feel even more arbitrary, and seems to exist as a show of his benevolence, either as an ill-advised attempt to humanise him or just another power trip. They even did a "I'm taking none lol just kidding I'm taking all" once, which was the worst.

Like Produce 101, it tries to play everything for the highest drama, but not only am I already too familiar with its editing tricks, the editing seems sloppier than ever. Ep. 3 had people's faces randomly blurred as, I think, a solution to hide how poorly spliced together it is. They've always used canned reactions, but once they cut from YG at a nighttime audition to a reaction on the bus filmed in daytime. They also kept using the same type of reactions for the same ends, especially the one where they cut to girls on the bus looking blank/salty during certain girls' auditions. People say they like these for the mess and the drama, but that desire is really going to have to do most of the work to overlook how contrived it is. The most confusing bit was in ep. 3 during that Bonus Baby audition, where they kept cutting to Hayoon looking at Moonhee, and girls with the above expression during Hayoon's audition, and it was not at all clear what was being expressed, except you've watched this enough to know that they're maybe going for jealousy? There are other times where they do the same thing with more to work with like a voiceover, but here they had nothing but decided to go for it anyway with no pay off.

Then there's the one day missions, which go by like a blur. Ep. 3 fleshed it out some, but the way they had it in ep. 2 makes no sense. They barely establish what it is, show nothing of the perfomances, then on a static screen let you know that 9 people on the debut bus you barely know have been replaced by 9 other people you barely know. They constantly play up what a big deal it is to be on the debut bus, then weirdly undercuts it completely here. A lot of the show is a blur actually, like we'll see a few seconds of an audition or people getting on the bus with text underneath letting you know who they are and which bus they're on. I get that they can't show everyone, because they need to devote half the show to YG the real star, but these are so insubstantial that it just adds to the information overload and should probably have been cut entirely if they're going to do it that way. It's like they have one editor who is cavalier about splicing in footage wherever, and one who is obsessed with filling continuity gaps and letting you know who's on the bus even if you don't/can't care.

oops, sorry for the rant.

yeah, I'll keep watching this for more heel Eyedi. I agree with your new faves, plus my boys Taewoon, and Woo Jinyoung (micheoji) though they're not exactly new.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

the unit > mixnine at this point. my god is mixnine out of tricks.

paerarru posted...

Pumpkin you mentioned wanting to do a contest for music videos, do you still want to do that?

i just meant someone should, though i might. thought about doing something with my year-end song list too if i can be bothered, if only because cutting it down to a top 64 is easier than a top 50.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

why did they ever put lucky in those buns.

excited for the position battle:



and

KARD - You In Me

a return to form.

CelesMyUserName posted...

watching TWICE's likey again right now but lolling when I see the Canada Post in the background

the terry fox run banner got me. i didn't even notice canada post.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

TVontheRadio posted...

while a lot of them aren't so difficult to find, the scale of the setting, the slowness of your character, and the sense of urgency the game impresses with its literal time limits don't encourage me to hunt down the remaining cards and invitations to get more lore.

i didn't particularly care about the lore, but i enjoyed working in those limitations and figuring out how to get some of the time sensitive collectibles. the plot and characters were serviceable, but i loved the setting, and wanted to explore every bit of it.

between it, Edith Finch, and The Norwood Suite, it's been a good year for exploring eccentric buildings with secret passages.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

Ice
Leonard Smalls
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

today i've learned to enjoy being infuriated. i've spent so long doing the same things that i'm convinced i must enjoy the entire process including the falls. i've spent so long on this that no victory would be worth it so there's no pressing need to reach the end. i have become desensitized to failure.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

yeah, i have it from the humble bundle.

it's so good.
---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus

whoa, no one told me lucy auditioned for mixnine. didn't make it, though.

Lucy - B-Day (feat. Kisum)

---

http://i.imgur.com/vMmiXMu.gif
this is a world... where BKSheikah eats gurus