Asia's Next Top Model: Cycle 5 - Recap

First and foremost, I’d like to apologize for not posting last week. I already have the draft saved but somehow I didn’t manage to get to posting it. Maybe I’ll do it sometime after I’m done with this week’s review. (Who cares about orders anyway, am I right?)

Now that that’s out of the way, BOY DOES THIS CYCLE KEEP GETTING WORSE OR WHAT?

THE FAREWELL

It was a double elimination last week. Veronika was heartbroken because she knew her twin sister wanted this more than her. She said it feels like she lost half of her soul or something. I mean, I don’t get it. Don’t all twins have telepathic power? I mean, it’s not like she has to secretly use the wifi to keep in touch or anything...

Shikin was disappointed with Dorothy for not doing her best, but understandably didn’t feel bad about Valerie leaving. Kinda feel sorry for Shikin. I feel like she’s the only mature, well-spoken, spunky girl left in the competition. She, Dorothy, Nametha and Alicia make such a team. And now she had to settle with... Clara?

Tu decided to leave the “good girls” room, a decision opposed by her roommates but received well by Shikin and Clara. Shikin claimed that Tu never belongs in the “good girls” room because all the contestants in that room are inexperienced, which I don’t totally disagree with.

Tu never gave a strong explanation/reason as to why she was moving though. I mean, she said she wanted Cindy to fend for herself, but that can easily be done with her still staying in the room. Poor Cindy threw a cute little tantrum when Tu revealed she wanted to leave. I suspect there was another force at play. An invisible force... behind the camera. Because later, this happened:

The “bad girls” came up with a strategy (sigh) to intimidate Maureen because they all thought that she was the weakest link and did not deserve to be in Top 6.

Seriously, WTF?? I expected this from Clara - that mischievous little airhead - and I half-expected this from Tu, considering the way she unnecessarily confronted Clara in the fourth episode, but I was very disappointed in Shikin. This ain’t you, gurl. Why are you playing along with their games? Did they threatened you or something?

Anyway, like other “drama” in this cycle, this one seemed forced as hell. You know, there were conflicts and clashes that seems real (Jennica’s dislike towards Maureen seems real. Did you see the interview they did outside the competition? Cringe.) but between this and the plethora of other minor disagreements that were blown way out of proportion, I’m getting tired. You guys turn the fandom ugly, man. Now everywhere I look I see fights erupting and insults being thrown. Why? Why can’t we just have peace and love on this planet earth? What was the rating for last season? Was it bad? Because I can tell you, if it was, it’s certainly not because of the lack of drama. SO PLEASE. STOP. FORCING. ALL. THESE. DRAMAS.

But I gotta give it to Maureen. She handled it like a champ. You know, I liked her the first time I saw her, but as the weeks passed, I kinda got a Monika (cycle 3) vibe from her, you know - pretty face, okay model, highly overrated, and zero personality. But after this incident, I have a newly-found respect for her. Of course, what came out of her mouth was still cliche as hell (”Everyone entitled to their own opinion, bla bla bla...”) but she seems like a genuinely nice person. And overall, I really felt bad for her and Cindy. These two seems like the only ones left that haven’t been touched by the producers’ dirty, dirty hands. Cindy, for once, seemed to be super tired of all this bullshit.

THE CHALLENGE

Finally, a challenge that has nothing to do with social media and has more to do with modelling.

The contestants were required to go to three go-sees. Tu impressed Daniel Buoy at her 15th District go-see with her amazing catwalk and attitude, and Daniel would really consider hiring her for his fashion show.

While my girl, Shikin, impressed Kevin Seah, Bespoke designer and director, with her class, poise and professionalism. Shikin was his top pick for his runway show.

For the other girls, Veronika got mostly positive feedbacks, Maureen was praised for the versatility she showcased in her portfolio but struggled with her height, Cindy struggled with her inexperience and lacks of confidence, and Clara needs to start pumping her brain with grey matter. Because seriously, the way she talked to Kevin, I’m surprised he didn’t kick her out right away.

For the third go-see, they basically pulled a “It’s just a prank, bro,” on these girls. Hiring a Singaporean actor to act as a director... FROM HELL.

They were told that they wpuld be auditioning for a TV commercial for an upcoming communication company (or something, can’t remember), and as if that wasn’t hard enough, they had to face a director whose dose of douchebaggery never seems to run out of supply.

But holy shit was it fun to watch. I know there’s a reason for them doing that, but boy, this is pure entertainment. They should just prank the girls in, like, every episode. I’d rather take this than forced drama.

Maureen and Cindy really nailed this challenge. I think if this was a real challenge, Maureen especially, would’ve been booked right away. Forget high fashion, commercial is really what she need to be focusing on because that’s where her real strength lies. An epiphany that this might all be staged struck me when I see the director struggling to criticize Maureen and Cindy’s performance. And for that I say, kudos, girls. Kudos.

THE PHOTOSHOOT

After a full day of going to go-sees, the girls were given another surprise when Yu Tsai told them that their photoshoot will start right away. For the photoshoot, their theme was “Bound by Love” and they will be photographed by Yu Tsai himself. They will be working with a male model, wearing a scantily clad outfit, and they need to exude strength and power and show their dominance over him.

Shikin did amazing and her professionalism really showed during the shoot. Watching her truly feels like watching a supermodel at work.

Tu was shy at first working with a male model, but soon found her pace and slayed the photoshoot.

Whereas Cindy struggle, again, with her lack of confidence. She wasn’t comfortable working with a male model and she wasn’t comfortable with her outfit.

THE PHOTOS

...was exquisite, for the most part. Let’s rank’em and then go through them one by one.

1) Tu, 2nd place, 42.2 points

FUCKING. AMAZING. Reminds me of this editorial that Naomi Campbell did. This can be a perfume ad or a spread in Vogue Italia. I love how she’s showing dominance without having to tower over the male model. Because she oozes sex appeal, it’s easy for picture like this to turns out sleazy, but her pose kinda saved it and made it high fashion. This is a girl who knows what she’s doing, folks.

2) Maureen, 1st place, 45.0 points

This is where I have problems with the judges (concerning Maureen). She seems to be getting points for “proving that she’s more that just a pretty face” or “finally looking like a model.” This is the Maybelline ad all over again. “Oh, Maureen, you’ve come out of your shell, here’s your FCO, baby.” There’s no reason whatsoever why Tu should lose to her this week. She got the highest score in challenge and her picture is waay more interesting and striking than this. Is this a bad picture? No. But it’s time to stop giving Maureen credits simply for “looking like a model” in her photos. Other girls don’t get that, so why should she? 

3) Cindy, 4th place, 37.5 points

I don’t care what you think. I love this. When I mentioned during the makeover week how I wanna see her as this Kabuki-themed villain with her new hair, this is what I meant. She looks like this badass Japanese henchwoman that’s super hot but super dangerous at the same time. That’s some Kill Bill realness right there. Her body pose could be a bit more, like Cindy said, committed.

4) Shikin, 3rd place, 41.8 points

Lollipop head. Ugh, she did so well during the shoot. Can’t believe Yu Tsai didn’t say anything. Plus, the styling is fucking hideous. She looks like a token butch biker chick at a BDSM-themed gay bar.

For my worst, it’s a tie between...

5) Veronika, Eliminated, 32,8 points

and...

5) Clara, 5th place, 33.9 points

Awkwardly stiff and uncomfortably contorted. And Jesus, what is wrong with Veronika’s face? Amazing cheekbones or not, she looks like she’s having a serious case of lockjaw right there. You’re modelling, honey, not advocating for tetanus shot.

As for Clara...

It’s funny how they eliminated May (from last cycle) for failing to act or appear mature (because she likes beef or something), but in this cycle, they decided to keep two immature contestants as long as they can - Cindy, whose immaturity and lack of experience shows up every now and again (failure to express a certain emotion during photoshoot), and Clara, who really needs to GROW THE FUCK UP. Her meltdown was the most cringe-worthy thing that has ever appeared on the show. Yeah, it’s cute sometimes but most of the times, it was just too much it becomes insufferable. She’s 22. Don’t tell me nobody’s told her there are times when you just need to shut the fuck up, say sorry and just slowly back away?

Goodbye, Veronika.

If there’s ever an episode where they need double elimination, this should be it..

Two things that ruin America’s Next Top Model: social media frenzy and too much focus given on drama.

THE FAREWELL

After the elimination, Shikin questioned the judges’ decision to give Maureen the FCO, making her the new face of Maybelline, saying Valerie’s photo was more expensive. I guess because saying her photo was better would be a little too vain?

I get why Shikin was frustrated. Last week, she got the highest challenge score, and her photoshoot was fucking flawless (she didn’t get BOTH the challenge prize or the best photo reward). But hey, like I said, in the end, Maybelline is the one who has a say in who would be picked as the winner, considering that she’ll be featured in their campaign, and they picked the prettiest one. So don’t be afraid to say it Shikin. “Don’t cha think mah pic is da best?? Dat Maureen bitch is just lucky she’s so pwetty and shaaaiitteee...”

Shikin’s disgruntlement continued after that when she saw Alicia wrote that she’s rooting for Maureen in her farewell note. (So nobody’s shipping Alicia and Maureen?) I really hope this won’t get pushed as another feud/catfight because dang I’m tired of it.

THE CHALLENGE

Another social media challenge, JESUS. I enjoy last week’s challenge. It was fun. And I guess this too, didn’t stray too far from modelling, BUT HOLY SHIT if I ever hear social media again, Imma lose my shit, y’all. I mean, whatever happened to fun challenges like, um, doing yoga on a surf board? Or KPop dance?

Fiona Fussi, Acuvue (contact lense) ambassador gave them the brief for this week’s challenge - Acuvue Uniquely Me social media challenge.

Acuvue released a line of products that cater to every type of girl - and by every, they mean only five - and using Polaroid camera, the girls need to style themselves and submit three of their best photos that embody the type of woman they were assigned to. The five different personality style are: cosmopolitan woman (Maureen and Tu), the girl next door (Cindy and Veronika), the artist (Shikin and Dorothy), the career women (Clara and Valerie) and the socialite (Nametha).

Using the Polaroid camera proved to be a challenge for some of the girls, especially those who have never used it before. There was a bit of a tension going on since they were only given ten shots to get the best photos. Shikin and the twins struggle a little bit with their groupmate taking shaite photos of them.

But one group’s “conflict” strikes me the most:

So, Clara got a lot of hate for the shenanigans that she pulled during last week’s challenge, but how is what Tu did any different from Clara? Okay, granted, Tu showed a higher level of maturity (she’s much older anyway) and Clara’s much louder, but when Tu called Maureen’s photography skill a “fail” and claimed that this is why she “can only be a model,” it is portrayed as two ladies affectionately joking around with each other (despite Tu looking genuinely dissatisfied by the final products), while Clara, who’s clearly looking like she’s goofing around, is portrayed as this annoying loudmouth beeyotch who everyone loves to hate.

I’m not saying that we should hate Tu, but I’d say the same about Clara too. Last week, the tension was built up from Maureen taking too long with the makeup so I understand how she reacted differently with Clara playfully calling her stupid for not getting the right photo than with Tu saying that her photos are bad (Maureen takes bad photo, we get it). However, I think it’s unfair Clara got portrayed as the “bad” one simply because Maureen reacted better to Tu’s (seemed legit) criticisms than Clara’s playful (yet clueless) remarks because she got to work in a calmer environment.

Anyway, Dorothy won the challenge because she embodies her personality - the artist - by biting a brush(?) and looking super indie-artist-chick-like. Not too crazy about the third photo.

Mau’s my favourite, I’ve got to say. The first photo was beautiful, and she’s really giving me this cosmopolitan girl on-the-go vibe. Tu’s discontentment was totally justified. Lol.

And special mention goes to Veronika, or more accurately, Cindy, who took these photos. The first photo looks AMAZING. To capture a movement like that with a polaroid must have taken some mad skills and perfect timing. (Or luck. I think it’s luck.)

Valerie got the worst score and she seemed super stressed-out working with Clara. But look at these photos. Are they really a product of bad photography? She was giving the same poses and the same face angle in all three pictures. Her styling was bad too, and it was one of the main criteria for a high score.

And special mention goes to Cindy, the “Missing Girl: Last seen wearing a blue top and following a creepy-looking dude with a polaroid camera. This is the last picture we have of her. If you have any information, please call this number. Rewards will be given.”

Tu CONSISTENTLY gets low scores for her challenge. WHY??

THE DRAMA

NOW we’re getting to the good part, huh? NOT. 

It all started with Veronika moving back to the “good girls” room with some dirty dish on Nametha. After the challenge, the twins questioned Dorothy’s win, because they can’t even see her eyes. Shikin then asked them who they think should’ve win instead and they said they don’t know because they’re not the judge (dafuq?), prompting Nametha to question their logic (and calling them stupid bitches - on another cam, of course). Then, when they got back to their room, they started talking about how Nametha has no manners and decided to confront her in the “bad girls” bedroom. Nametha, being a BADASS BAWS, just told them to get the fuck over it (more or less).

This went on until after the photoshoot, where they revealed they know Nametha’s been using the wifi and she should get punished for breaking the rules. YADDA YADDA YADDA Clara got exiled to the “bad girls” room for not picking a side (because we good girls just don’t befriend everyone, ew!).

The only two people whom I feel sorry for are: Clara, whose cluelessness seems genuine, and Cindy, who really looks like she thought being in a house with 13 other girls for 13 weeks will be like a giant, super-long slumber party. 

“Why don’t they just settle this with a pillow fight?” thought Cindy.

Anyway, the “drama” was bad - super forced, poorly thought out & terribly edited. Some of the girls’ reactions didn’t even match the conversation/situation somehow. I do find Valerie’s remarks on Dorothy’s photo - “It could’ve been better.” - kinda rude and condescending BUT I get that the bigger problems here lie mostly in the language barrier. And I might add the twin seemed to be pulling the same shit Jennica was doing in the earlier episodes, with the constant criticisms and dissatisfaction over other contestants’ performance, and the way they told Clara to move into the “bad girls” room was very Queen Bee-ish.

In my honest opinion, though, this is the same shit the producers tried to pull last week - create drama out of small fights or disagreement. I don’t know any of these girls in real life, but from what I see, their clashes come mostly from the girls having different personalities. Shikin wasn’t being a bossy bitch, she was assertive and know what she wanted; Clara wasn’t being rude, she was super childish and goofy; Nametha didn’t have no manners, she’s just outspoken and emotionally expressive. Yet, week after week, they make it seems like these girls are ready to claw each other’s eye out. I mean, when your audience keep calling your show out for being scripted, maybe you’ve to consider the probability that you’ve gone too far with the drama.

THE PHOTOSHOOT

Oh, have I told you guys how much I was rooting fro Aimee during the third cycle? She has everything needed to become a top model - brain, beauty, personality, height, and a little bit of an attitude for added flavour. Glad to see she’s doing so well now.

For their photoshoot, they need to embody luxurious indulgence for a Neutrogena commercial ad. They need to show beauty, confidence, sophistication and elegance while being totally relaxed and calm in a confined space of a bathtub.

The girls need to represent three types (flavour?) of Neutrogena body wash. The girls wearing green represent Pear & Green Tea.

Gold Lush for the girls wearing, well, gold.

And Ocean Mist being represented by the girls in blue.

I have MULTIPLE issues with this shoot. When you put a tall girl in a bathtub, wearing a dress, with her having to lift her head while her body is submerged in the water, and combined that with the position of the camera, you are NOT gonna get a good picture. Yu Tsai at least should’ve known this. The dress would’ve given an ethereal, dramatic effect had it been a full-underwater photoshoot, but here, it just made the girls look either restricted, or bigger.

And I wonder if they changed the water because it got really murky at the end. It’s disgusting considering how the water got into their eyes and mouth. (And Cindy, in her Instagram post, said that Clara was submerged for twenty minutes in it due to technical difficulties!)

THE PHOTOS

Like I said earlier, the final products of this photoshoot are not my favourites. I can probably point to some that I like, but even then I think it was just OKAY. But enough about that, LET’S ASSESS (and rank’em).

1) Cindy, 1st place, 44.1 points

I’m torn between this and Maureen’s, but I have to agree with the judges here. This just screams indulgence. Plus, beauty care product is Cindy’s thing. Among the other girls, I can see her being Neutrogena spokesperson the most.

2) Maureen, 3rd place, 43.4 points

Again, she’s a girl who can nail beauty care product with ease. It’s a pretty photo, but not much opinion can be form on it. It’s pretty, but it’s an okay pretty.

3) Nametha, 2nd place, 43.7 points

Now we’re venturing into me-no-likey territory. While I can see the beauty and calmness in this photo, it also shows the main problem in this photoshoot. Nametha’s tall, and being confined in that bathtub means she mostly had to squish herself to get in the frame. And in this photo we can see how that, combined with her dress, make her mid-section looks super huge. You either make the pool larger, or the dress, uh, smaller?

4) Tu, 7th place, 36.5 points

Cindy complained about how her photos are mostly too sexy. But you put a girl who just oozes sexuality without even trying in a lace dress in a bathtub and what do you think is gonna happen? She ain’t gonna turn into Mother Theresa in there, boo.

5) Shikin, 4th place, 43.0 points

I won’t say she’s not a commercial girl (she killed it last week) but I’d say she’s not a Neutrogena girl (same with Tuti last cycle). But that being said this could’ve been better. Shit I sounded like Valerie.

6) Clara, 6th place, 37.8 points

CLOSE. YOUR. GODDAMN. MOUTH. JEEZUS.

Btw, the neck looks super-strained. But that’s “trying to show neck while lifting my head to make sure my face is not submerged in the water” neck I tell you.

7) Dorothy, 9th place, 34.8 points

Can someone PLEASE explain to me this whole “sweet bubbly girl next door” thing that Cindy keeps pointing out about Dorothy? Since the first week she struck me as a sassy girl with an attitude. I don’t know if she looks cute and bubbly in real life but heck I just don’t see it.

Oh yeah, and the photo is terrible. I disagree with Cara saying there’s no emotion there, but it’s less “Come in the bath with me and experience this indulgence together,” and more “OH NO, I really don’t mind you using the toilet while I’m trying to take a relaxing bath, dear...”

8) Valerie, 5th place, 42.5 points

“Help, help, this wall is closing in on me. Oh, a camera! Pose! Help, help...”

9) Veronika, 8th place, 35.5 points

“Why bother, twin? Life’s meaningless anyway. Let’s just crawl in a fetal position and wait quietly for our impending doom.. Let’s go gentle into the good night...”

Goodbye, Nametha

So it was a pre-determined no-elimination week (yeah, right) but the issue of Nametha’s breaking the rules rose again during the judging panel. Cindy asked the girls to raise their hand if they thought Nametha should be eliminated. Tu is so affected by the whole ordeal (she wanna use the wifi too, you guys) that she looks like she’s about ready to backhand any girls who think Nametha should stay.

“You either eliminate her or feel the Wrath of Tu!”

So anyway, we say arrivederci to our blooming flower, Nametha.

She seems unapologetic about breaking the rules. But what has been done has been done, and if the punishment for breaching the contract is disqualification, then I think she got what she deserved. Plus, Tu was right. She’s from Singapore, so being familiar with the country they’re staying in, she should really be the one feeling the least homesick (think of it as going to college where you’re not allowed to use the phone or wifi or something, I don’t know). However, it’s still sad seeing her go especially when she’d been giving really good performances these past few weeks.

Well, what do you know, this is actually my favourite episode so far.

We start the episode with Tu mourning Layla’s elimination. Despite having her first FCO (and the very first for Vietnamese contestant), she still feels empty and unhappy, claiming that Layla is the only girl in the house that understand her, despite the language barrier.

Meanwhile, the girls in the ‘Bad Girls’ room celebrated the first week they don’t have any of the members of their group eliminated.

THE CHALLENGE

For their challenge, they met Cindercella, a Youtube star/makeup artist, and they were required to create a fun photo story showcasing Maybelline girl’s personality.

They were assigned into three groups - Group 1: Shikin, Tu & Valerie; Group 2: Alicia, Nametha & Veronika; and Group 3: Dorothy, Cindy, Clara & Maureen.

Each girl was given an edgy phrase that has something to do with Maybelline makeup product and they need to take a photo that embodies the phrase, which the combined, will tell a story. The winning group will get $10000 worth of Maybelline product.

While Group 2′s completed the task smoothly, Valerie and Shikin from Group 2 had some disagreements because they’re both ‘bossy,’ as Valerie put it. Honestly, I just think Valerie was letting this whole “I know a lot about social media” gets to her head. Shikin knew what she wanted and stuck to that decision. And gurl clearly knows her thang considering she got the highest challenge score.

But what they went through was nothing compared to the conflicts going on between Clara, Maureen and Dorothy in Group 3. First, Maureen took too long to finish her makeup. Dorothy was annoyed (and it showed) but it was Clara that just couldn’t shut up about it, much to Maureen’s annoyance.

And then, of course, Maureen “failed” to take beautiful picture of Cindy and Clara called her stupid. 

You know, Clara got A LOT of hate on social media for her antics, but seriously, am I the only one who LOL-ed the entire time. It’s Clara being Clara. Not an ounce of hate or anger coming from her when she called Maureen stupid. Of course, I’d like to see her act more matured, but let’s just enjoy this while we can, no? It was fucking hilarious. Why all the hate?

Anyway, they put it all behind them when they won the group challenge. I mean, nothing brings women together than beauty products, am I right?

They got back to the house and Shikin was surprised she got the highest score, considering that her group didn’t win the challenge, and she thanked Valerie for taking an amazing picture of her.

And thank her she should. This is amazing. I agree with Cindercella. The highlighter really stood out in this photo. Told you gurl knows her thang.

But my favourite has to go to Dorothy’s. This is amazing. I love the creativity behind this. I mean, if this was Maureen’s idea, then she should really put all her animosity towards her behind and go give that woman a hug.

Nametha got the lowest score. She and Veronika suspected that it was because she refused to use heavy eye makeup for her photo. I think it is more because she failed to show any makeup in her photo. It was a challenge to sell makeups anyway.

Overall, I think this challenge makes more sense than last week’s challenge, which I think is extremely stupid. I get that to sell a brand on social media, you more or less have to be social media famous in the first place, but last cycle what they did was go through the contestants’ Instagram and tell them how they can improve it, instead of asking them to take part in some dumb internet challenge.

THE PHOTOSHOOT

For the photoshoot we have the delightful slice of sweet, fluffy rainbow cake, Nigel Stanisalaus, who’s the creative director of Maybelline New York.

In this shoot, the girls embodied the NYC “It” girl, running around the city while the paparazzi take pictures of them. The girl with the best photo will stand the chance to be featured in a Maybelline campaign.

The girls were assigned into groups and each group will get a distinctive look that Nigel himself had come up with.

Clara, Cindy and Valerie got the ‘Uptown Princess’ look, with simple makeup, dewy skin and matted lipstick. 

Dorothy, Nametha and Shikin got the ‘Downtown Edge’ look. They’ll be using strong colours, smoky eyes and bold lipstick to make them look like rockstars.

Last but not least, Maureen, Tu, Veronika and Alicia got the “Midtown Girl” look. They would have to embody a woman who are confident, chic and fashion forward, with their bold makeups and smoky eyes.

JUDGING PANEL

What a delightful panel of judges. I hope Nigel make constant appearance in this show. His insights were interesting and his remarks were HILARIOUS. Heck I think he even brought out a little bit of cray in Cindy (but she claimed it was the leather).

Shikin slayed, yet again. Boy, put this girl in a potato sack and she’ll make it werk. I kinda wish she had Nametha’s outfit though. Alicia, again, had the worse. I’m starting to suspect even the wardrobe department don’t know how to dress her body shape. That top is just atrocious.

Now moving on with the pictures!

MY BEST

1) Dorothy, 4th place, 40.3 points

SHE. FUCKING. KILLED. IT

Now I’ve seen her Colgate commercial (can’t seem to find it on the internet) and it was terrible. But it isn’t her fault. She’s a girl with attitude and in that commercial they just dress her up very beauty-pageant style and ask her to smile and sell her product (as it should be). It’s not her and I stick with my opinion that the job should be given to the prettiest, sweetest contestant - Maureen.

This is not my favourite photo this week, but I try to look at it from the perspective of a Maybelline director, who hire Gigi Hadid to sell their product. This picture embodies “It” because being an “It” girl is not just about looking pretty in front of the camera, but it’s also about having attitude. And like May from last cycle getting the best photo for showing attitude, I think this one deserves an FCO too.

And wtf was Yu Tsai rambling about her nose and shit? Taking ‘modelling H2T’ way too far there buddy.

2) Shikin, 2nd place, 41.8 points

THIS. Just, THIS. From the moment she stepped out of the building to the set, right until the end, everything about the shoot, and her photo are PERFECTION. She was rightfully sad about not getting the FCO despite all the positive feedbacks and getting the highest score for the challenge, but I get why Maybelline might not want someone “too edgy” to represent their product. (What, you think the judges are the only ones making all these decisions? Hey, they sponsored it, so... You know.)

3) Nametha, 6th place, 35.3 points

A lot of people don’t like this picture but I have to side with Nigel on this one. That is a million-dollar slouch right there. Based on her performance this past few weeks, I think she produced the best photo when she has this “I’m tired of your shit” kinda attitude. Girl needs a cheerleader on the set, but instead of lifting her spirit, she’d be there to say things that piss her off.

4) Valerie, 3rd place, 41.3 points

None of the judges talk about how posey this looks. I know it’s not easy to model while getting out of the car, but her left hand could’ve looked more natural. And she was doing the jaw thing too, although maybe not as obvious as her twin. Other than that, I agree with the judges - this looks expensive as fuck.

5) Maureen, 1st place, 45.3 points

I don’t know why the judges seem to be pushing her to adopt this “badass, don’t care” attitude. It’s not working with her. I don’t like this picture. It’s not a bad picture, but it doesn’t look like her at all. The makeup was terrible (sorry, Nigel) and everytime she tries to give attitude, she ends up looking bored. She tried Christy Turlington (sexy) at the field, it didn’t work out. Now she’s doing Naomi Campbell (fierce, badass) and it still doesn’t feel right. I hope she’ll try to embody the spirit of Linda Evangelista (fearless, free-spirited) in the next photoshoot. I mean, if THE HOLY TRINITY can’t help you, nothing else can, darling.

MY WORST

5) Veronika, 8th place, 34.0 points

Yeah, the jaw was quite bothering, but the rest of it I find pretty non-offensive. Loving the cheekbones, btw.

4) Cindy, 7th place, 34.3 points

What I find amazing about this picture is how she can look like she’s trying too hard and not trying at all at the same time. The first thing that comes to my mind when I saw this was “lazy.” But the more I look at it the more it seems... forced. From her finger to her facial expression. 

3) Alicia, Eliminated, 32.0 points

Alicia’s another one that seem to try too hard during her photoshoot this week. Kinda cringed a bit looking at how hard she tried to look all sexy and alluring in her photos. I think she’d do better had she got the “Downtown Edge” look. This high-society, art-of-the-seduction thing is just not for her.

And for the love of humanity, I wish she had just throw away that stupid handbag. Because it’s fucking stupid.

2) Tu, 5th place, 38.9 points

This is just bad. I don’t see whatever it is that Nigel saw. (Bar owner? Really?) The angle is bad, her mouth looks awkward and her pose isn’t doing her gorgeous body any favour. And give her her big hair back, for god’s sake!

And my worst, of course, you already know it, goes to...

1) Clara, Bottom Two, 32.4 points

Funny how Clara protested having to work the “Uptown Princess” look when she’s basically “The Princess” in this cycle. As for the photo, well, she was just standing there. I agree with Yu Tsai. This looks “too real.” This doesn’t belong in Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar, it belongs in a tabloid magazine.

“An heiress to a wealthy oil tycoon seen leaving her hotel with a cheap-looking handbag! Our 10-page cover story inside!”

Goodbye, Alicia.

So adios, Alicia, you beautiful, beautiful thing, you. They didn’t do right by you, hun, I swear to God.

While it’s hard for me to see her go, I totally understand why the judges decide to eliminate her. Her performance had been lackluster these past few weeks, and despite showing promises in the third week, her photos continue to be at best, forgettable.

JUDGING PANEL

Love the girls’ outfits this week, though I can’t really pinpoint what the theme for this week is supposed to be. Floral? Pastel? Modern?

Shikin looks fierce, as always, despite wearing a pussy bow. Nametha looks cute. Tu looks a bit matured. My least favourite I think would be Maureen. Those pants are the work of the devils, girl. Clara looks super-juvenile there. What the fuck are they doing with her hair?

Cindy’s hair, however, has improved by the judging panel time.

But all in all, I think Layla had the best look. She looked exceptionally gorgeous during this week judging panel. I guess shy, timid schoolgirl look works best for her.

The guest judges this week include Jason Godfrey, a model and TV personality, and Madi Ross, a model, and she’s also internet famous or semething I don’t really care.

And Cindy, unless you’re walking on a 10-foot-stilts with silly makeups on your face, those pants are really inexcusable, honey.

THE GROUP PHOTOS

I’m really not a fan of this week’s photos. The angle was super terrible and unforgiving towards some of the contestants. And I really don’t think it’s wise to do a group photoshoot in a crammed space of a bus, but what do I know, right?

Group: Tu, Cindy & Alicia (as the Rich Bitches)

While Tu didn’t face any problems, Cindy struggled with showing Yu Tsai her angry face, and Alicia felt insecure with her hip, causing her to pose in a way that make her looks small.

Group: Valerie, Nametha & Clara (as the Fierce Gangsters who are there to kick the Rich Bitches’ ass)

Nametha struggled on the set at first, but Yu Tsai asked her and Clara to use their dislike towards each other and work it into the photo. Valerie nailed it, but Clara gave too many crazy poses that Yu Tsai said in the end, although fun to look at, render her pictures unusable.

Group: Maureen & Veronika (as the Kardashian, or something)

Maureen struggled to receive directions from Yu Tsai, yet again. Veronika was... okay? Maybe there is a reason they picked this picture, but this one looks way more fierce:

If only you didn’t smile. Goddammit, Maureen!

Group: Layla, Dorothy & Shikin (as the Glamsters)

Layla faced the same obstacle that she had during the challenge. She struggled to communicate with her teammates, especially since Shikin and Dorothy were working on the same wavelength.

MY 5 BEST

1) Nametha, 2nd place, 43.2 points

Okay, say what you want. I take back everything I say from the first week. That hair really changed her, didn’t it? Like last week photo, she’s serving attitude. Her left hand looks shorter than her right, but again, I blame the bad angle.

2) Shikin, 7th place, 38.7 points

Don’t understand how this get called seventh? Her face looks weird (again, you can blame the angle for that), but other than that, she’s WERK-ing it.

3) Tu, 1st place, 45.0 points

Now I only put this on the third spot because how similar it is to this photo. Would love to see her work the ponytail in other ways too.

4) Valerie, 4th place, 42.0 points

I was never a fan of the twins, but I’ve gotta admit, this is the first time that I can actually see one of them as a model. Most of the time during the photoshoot, they tend to go with “fierce.” Well, I say they should embrace this mysterious, exotic lady/goddess persona and make it work. No more clenching your jaw and leaving your mouth half open, just look into the camera as if it’s one of your insignificant, puny subjects, and let shits flow.

5) Maureen, 3rd place, 42.5 points

Same with Maureen. I get it when Yu Tsai asked her not to “pose.” She’s the kind of gal who could captivate people by just staring intensely into the camera. I think throughout the competition, Maureen would struggle to find her identity as a model. As for this one? Twas okay. But again, the angle made her head looks disproportionately big (or her body disproportionately small, either way would go).

MY 5 WORST

5) Cindy, 6th place, 39.2 points

When I look at this picture, I can finally pinpoint my issues with Cindy - she looks juvenile. Last week, she attempted to look sexy, the judges loved it, but to me, something felt off. This week, Yu Tsai asked her to look angry and this is the result. She always look like a kid trying to pretend to be adult for some reason. It works when the brief requires her to be all youthful and fresh-faced, like in the second week, but other than that, I’m not convinced she’ll be able to produce the best photos.

4) Veronika, 5th place, 39.3 points

Awkward pose. And I guess she still can’t breakaway from that “this is my good side” pose.

3) Layla, Eliminated, 29.0 points

Is this really that bad? No. She looks like she’s bored and super-low on energy, but I think if she’d just put some effort into it, she could turn that into her schtick. She could be the cool, bored, don’t-give-a-fuck kind of model. Had it not been for the bad angle (her head looks enormous), and if she’d only put in some more attitude into it, this would’ve been a great photo.

2) Alicia, 9th place, 34.2 points

This is just overall bad. Both the angle and the outfit aren’t doing her figure or her facial features any favours. I don’t know how any of the judges can look at this picture and go, “Yup, this is the one. This is her best.”

And for my worst, I think we all already know...

1) Dorothy, Bottom Two, 30.0 points

This will make it into the list of this cycle’s worst photos. AGAIN, and I cannot stress this enough, the angle totally fucked up her face. Her face looks swollen, the hair is a mess, her hip looks bigger  - damn, these girls need to be taught on how to work a low angle.

Goodbye, Layla.

So, we bid adieu to our shy girl, Layla.

Her elimination was heartbreaking to watch (I did shed a few tears), but you know what, I’m glad she’s out.

Not because I dislike her, and it’s far from being because I don’t think she’s a good model. Heck, I’d argue she has the highest potential among the other contestants when it comes to making it big in modelling. She’s got the whole package. But Layla’s right. Maybe the pressure of being in the competition is too much for her to bear. When Yu Tsai confronted her during the panel, it was extremely painful to watch. She has the potential to become a great model (as evidence from her fabulous spread on Harper’s Bazaar) but I think staying in this competition, with the constant need to win every single challenge and getting the best photo every week, will only stunt her growth.

(Ps: I know this is a bit late, but I’ve been very busy these past few days. So, apologies, darlings.)

Another week, another episode. But first thing first...

...Singapore’s humid weather causes Cindy’s bang to continue to grow. Next week we won’t be able to tell her apart from Cousin It. Seriously, the hell is going on up there?

Anyway, DRAMAAAA. I tried to predict what they will be fighting about this week and I’m waay off. Apparently, Tu wanted the girls to sleep earlier because she needed to focus on her health and the competition, and apparently, Clara likes to talk at night and she’s super loud.

Clara, her soul filled with the youth spirit, can’t accept that she need to cease her young-people activities by 10. (Seriously, what kind of people in their 20s sleep at 10? I work full time and the earliest I can go to sleep is 12. You guys have one challenge and one photoshoot every week. So party until the morning, goddammit.)

So a fight ensued. Tu started to raise her voice. Clara, obviously never had anyone raised their voice at her before, started to get pissy, and then cue the finger-pointing and name-calling. The most laughable part is when Tu asked Clara to act less like a girl and more like a woman and she was all like “It’s my body,” and shit. This is then followed by one of the weirdest insult in Next Top Model history:

Uh, k.

Overall, the fight seems super-forced and it was quite painful to watch. Honestly, I blame Tu. Clara can be annoying, but she’s an airhead. I kinda expect Tu to be the more matured one between the two, yet she lashed out first. Was it scripted? Were they manipulated by the producers? Seemed like it. But I feel like Tu is more likely to be approached to start all the drama. Clara’s disgruntlement seemed genuine. She’d probably be painted as the “bitch” this season, but the sad thing is, she won’t even know it. Gal’s clueless.

CHALLENGE

The next morning, the girls got an unexpected wake up call from Andrea Chong, who went around the house taking photos of them waking up. They were given 30 minutes to get prepared before they gather downstairs to be briefed about their next challenge.

So, Anndrea Chong, who have a quarter million social media followers or something, told them that they’ll be doing a #wokeuplikethis challenge, where they take a selfie pretending they wake up all fabulous with their hair and makeup done, and instead of crusty eye, they’ll have mascara.

Some girls had a lot of fun. Dorothy was enjoying the challenge a bit too much, while Nametha and Shikin claimed that they aren’t really fans of taking selfie. The twins were confident that they can nail this challenge because social media is their thing. Layla on the other hand, struggle with both the challenge and working with her teammates since she is the quiet one. Selfie probably isn’t her thing anyway.

So congratz Valerie on winning the challenge.

This is indeed, a very nice picture. I think the filter really makes it. And special mention to Alicia, who took this smokin’ hot picture:

While Valerie’s doesn’t look model-ish, Alicia’s wasn’t... relatable? Let’s look at it this way: If she was a famous person, and she posted this picture with that stupid hashtag, how do you think the public would react? Unless she had one hell of a party last night, she ended up sleeping on the front porch and suffered from a bitching hangover the next day.

Layla got the lowest challenge score, but she couldn’t be bothered less about it. Of course, her picture was very... Layla.

It isn’t a bad picture at all. I’d go as far as saying that it does fit the brief (although it barely missed the mark there). This is the problem that I have with social media, to be honest. They claim that it’s all about “being yourself” when in truth, it’s about being the kind of person that people would like to see. This picture reflects Layla perfectly as a person ( kinda shy and introverted) but her followers, as they claimed, wouldn’t wanna see that. They wanna see Layla the bubbly girl, who takes selfies with silly facial expression. What I wish is they’d embrace the different personalities that these girls have, although it might seem a tad unconventional. What’s wrong with a model who enjoy her time alone, or a model who values her privacy? These social media challenges are have very little to do about “being yourself” and more to do with showing people what they want to see.

And for that, I couldn’t care less about it.

PHOTOSHOOT CHALLENGE

For their photoshoot, they remained in the same group that they were in for the challenge. The theme was “Model on the Move” and they were asked to portray urban women on the move. Their pictures were taken by Yu Tsai himself.

First, let’s assess the outfit.

Tu got the worst outfit, in my opinion. Rompers are bad on their own, but a shapeless, pastel-coloured with ruffles? It’s amazing how she managed to work it. Alicia’s was meh, but Cindy’s looked fun.

This group got the best dresses (Nametha, especially), so I guess all those facial(?) accessories were to balance everything out?

Shikin got the fiercest look, which suits her to a T. Again with the shapelessness with Dorothy’s outfit (I think that’s a suit) and Layla’s was blah. I can see her working it but, yeah, Layla being Layla. Should’ve given her something more chic and simple that wouldn’t take that much effort to work (like what she wore last week).

This group got the easiest. Seriously, though, other contestants had to deal with challenging garments and over-the-top accessories, and Maureen got an LBD? It might seem a little biased on whoever manage their wardrobe’s side, but I think it serves more as a disadvantage for her. Veronika at least got some killer accessories on her.

What I don’t get the most is how the wardrobe seems to be disconnected with the theme and brief. I get that they’re trying to be all high-fashion and all but there’s nothing wrong with having a chic photoshoot every once in a while. Why not put them in fabulous jacket, daywear or killer suits instead of prepping them up to look all exotic and stuff. I feel like if they’d made this a Maybelline challenge, it would’ve made more sense. Just sayin’.

For this week’s photoshoot, the contestants braved the elements - heat, sun, rain, humidity - for their first nature shoot. With a giant chair as their prop, and the beautiful lalang field as their background, this photoshoot is all about denim. The contestants are free to interpret denim in their own style - to either make it sexy and bold, or cool and grunge, as Yu Tsai put it.

Accompanying Yu Tsai were Malaysian top model, Ling Tan, and photographer Shavonne Wong.

Some girls really nailed the shoot. Cindy embraced the crazy poses Yu Tsai asked her to do.

And Tu’s new hair comes with a dramatic change in character and attitude.

There were also some who struggled. Yu Tsai complained of Layla’s lacks of energy and motivation.

While Maureen is still not comfortable with her body and seemed lost throughout the photoshoot.

During the judging panel, the girls were dressed up in all-denim. Poor Alicia looking like if Janis Joplin had dated Justin Timberlake back in the early 2000s instead of Britney Spears. She got the worst outfit of all the girls. Dorothy and Layla looked cute, but I think the best dressed title would have to go to Shikin. Girl’s lookin’ fierce as hell. And her strut is everything.

And now, on with the pictures!

MY 5 BEST

1) Tu, 2nd place, 27.5 points

Gurlfriend is seriously WERK-ing that new hair that the Universe had intended for her. She managed to look sexy without venturing into “cheap” territory. This does feel a little borderline-GQ, but she saved it by serving attitude. My only complaint is that I wish her left leg is more straighten up, to give it more length.

2) Nametha, 5th place, 24.0 points

I guess Yu Tsai is on to something, huh? I was so frustrated when she wasn’t eliminated last week, but boy, this picture surprises me. While her hair colour is still questionable at best, I love how it’s styled here. This was taken during the last minutes of her shoot, so it’s still doesn’t speak much about her strength as a model, but I love this. I’m getting sort of a bad girl Anita Mui vibe from this picture, for some reason.

3) Cindy, 1st place, 29.0 points

The judges were crazy about this picture, weren’t they? It would’ve been perfection had her facial expression not look like someone had just given her a lobotomy. Otherwise, great pic.

4) Shikin, 3rd place, 25.0 points

Yay, she finally SLAYED! I do wish her body pose is a bit... stronger? But I guess she’s the “stand still and fiercely stare at the camera” type of model. 

5) Alicia, 6th place, 24.0 points

I think I have the same problem with her and Shikin. If her pose is stronger, I think this would’ve been the best. The sunlight hit her at just the right spot, giving it a very dramatic feel, and I love how at the beginning of the photoshoot she was all sexy, unbuttoning her jeans and all. Sadly we don’t really get to see that sexy, badass chick in this picture.

MY 5 WORST

5) Layla, 7th place, 23.5 points

The pose is great, although I’d say her right leg is resting pretty awkwardly on the chair’s arm there. And that’s really not the best angle for her face. And can we talk about her photoshoot for a sec? That inspirational music is laughable. Now, I’m not mad at Layla. She has her own struggle, just like every other girl in this competition, but I bet the producer will be overplaying it to the max. I mean, are they going to turn every single one of her photoshoot into some sort of a personal battle?

6) Clara, 4th place, 24.5 points

I’m afraid Clara is going to be the Amanda (C3) of this cycle. She killed it during the first week, but her performance has been declining ever since. While this is not really a bad picture in itself, it’s super boring. I’m also pretty angry at Yu Tsai for giving her positive feedbacks throughout the shoot but then criticizing her for giving a bad performance. I thought she is going to be his target this cycle but then the score he gave her was okay (6.5. Cindy gave her 6.0.), so WTF is going on here?

3) Maureen, 11th place (bottom 2), 20.5 points

Yu Tsai asked Maureen to imagine herself as this badass chick at the gas station being all cool and chilled, but instead, she gave us the face that you’d see when you use the toilet at the gas station for too long.

2) Jennica, Eliminated, 19.5 points

Yeah, that turban is pretty stupid, but so is her pose.

1) Valerie, 10th place, 21.0 points

This is just... awful. I mean, contrary to what Jennica would probably like to believe, Valerie had the worst outfit to work with. I remember her getting up to that chair with her back facing the camera and my first thought was, “That’s some ugly-ass looking pair of jeans.” I guess when you have to wear jeans that make your butts non-existent, sexy really isn’t the way to go. And worse, her attempt at being sexy ended up looking... todler-ish? Ugh.

Goodbye, Jennica.

Nonetheless, I understand their decision to send Jennica home. She had been giving terrible performance since week 1. She likes to talk about the weaker models in the competition (and how they should go home next) without realizing she is one. And gurl, that’s just tragic.

And what a sore loser too. Her exit is one of the least graceful in the show’s history. Welp, adios, Jen. 

Excited for next week episode? They show a catfight going on between Clara and Tu, with Clara calling Tu a bitch and a slut (Damn gurl, you kiss your dad with that mouth?). What do you think the fight will be about? Will it be about food (like Gani vs Monika from C3) or the pressure of living with other girls (like Janice vs. everyone else in C2) or will it be because of misunderstanding due to language barrier (like Mai Ngo in C4)? 

MAKEOVER WEEK!!

It all started with a Cindy Mail, where Cindy asks the girl if they would embrace the change. The girls picked it up right away that there would be a makeover that week. Shikin started to tease some of them, saying everyone with long hair will get them chopped. This made our little baby, Clara, nervous.

The next day, Yu Tsai came into the model house with Mervin Wee, who looks like he’s bringing some bad news from the dystopian future.

Anyway, it was revealed that Mervin had picked two different hairstyles for each of the girl. One would have them undergo a subtle change, while the other, dramatic. Dorothy, who won best photo last week, got to choose who gets which hairstyle. Of course, no reason for them to have her do this except to try to stir things up between the contestants.

While some of the girls embrace their new haircut...

...and some others have... questions...

...one reacted so badly, she gets the whole episode named after her. Jesus, Clara.

Her breakdown was quite painful to watch. It seriously looked like she was throwing a tantrum. I cringed so bad when one of the salon founders had to come in and scold her. I wish Cindy had pulled a “Snap out of it!” on her. That’d be fun to watch.

Moving on. Let’s assess the hairstyles that have been chosen for the girls. Now, instead of having a formal photoshoot to reveal their new hair, the girls had a photobooth set up at the model house for them to take pictures of themselves, so excuse the shitty “after” photo.

THE MAKEOVER

Oh, the obligatory “Let’s give the edgy chick some Rihanna-inspired hair” look (last season it was Tuti). Alas, it’s one of my favourite, but it has more to do with her attitude she’s bringing with it than the hairstyle itself. I would’ve gone with this Rihanna-inspired look instead.

The red hair looks amazing on her. At first I was a little bit skeptic about putting a Sofia Vergara-ish hair on the sexiest girl in the competition (cliche much), but yeah, she’s kinda working it.

I kinda wish the hair would’ve looked like how it looks like on the screen. Love the volume. I think it looks fantastic in balancing her narrow, oval-faced shape. This, I feel, would somehow fix the "unhealthy” vibe that one of the judges got from her photos last week (girl needs some big hair to balance everything out, that’s all). The blue extension? Not so much. Why not just stick to the ombre-effect?

This looks totally shit on paper (weird considering her best friend Dorothy picked it out for her) but it actually looks quite nice here. I still think the side bang would’ve done her more favour, though (trust me, if she had that side bang, she would’ve never been told to wear that stupid denim turban).

This has so much potential, but somehow it doesn’t work. I love the idea of a dramatic hairstyle that might steer her away from this “babyface doll” persona, but instead of looking like a mysterious Kabuki villain (that’s what I’m getting from the screen), she ended up looking like a Japanese schoolgirl who aspire to be a clean-cut J-Pop star or something. Lesson learned: attitude matters.

They seriously fucked up that bang, didn’t they? I’m torn with this hairstyle. On one hand, yes, it’s high fashion, on the other, this hair mostly just makes her look like a creepy doll. I say go all out and give her this Louise Brooks hair instead.

Big YAWN. Should’ve gone full Enchantress on her - slick black hair with super long extensions, split in the middle.

Does that not look like someone who can pull off a bang? I would’ve given Maureen’s look to her (but with longer bangs, of course). Plus, it would kinda suit her “daddy’s girl” personality.

Veronika’s looks okay, but seriously, what the fuck happened to Valerie’s hair? What happened to the shaggy style? Why did they give her Mai Ngo’s hair? Arrgh so many questions!

I get where they’re going here (”Edgy chick, SHORT HAIR!”) but this seriously doesn’t look good at all. It doesn’t do her look any justice. I think a half-shaved head would look super good on her. OR if we’re talking real crazy here, I’d suggest a buzzcut ala Grace Jones. If there’s anyone in this competition - all 5 cycles of it - who can pull off a buzzcut, it’s Alicia.

That colour is unfortunate, but I gotta say, I love the shape of it. She looks more like a professional model somehow.

I’m pissed, darlings.

I guess they really mean it when they say ‘Expect the Unexpected.’ “Hey, you think the first episode was promising? Well, SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS!”

CHALLENGE

So for this week, the contestants took an interpretive dance lesson, where they find various ways to fall gracefully to the dance floor and draw the alphabets using their bodies. Later on for the challenge, they have to form a group and spell the words assigned to their group using dance moves. The words were “Adore” (Maureen’s group), “Posh” (Valerie’s group), and “Pure” (Clara’s group).

Maureen’s group won, performing a choreography that is different from the other two groups, resulting in her and her teammates getting high scores for the challenge, with Dorothy getting the highest.

Jennica was jealous because she’s a dancer and Maureen got a higher mark than her. Now, I get where she’s coming from. Maureen, Layla and Nametha were stiff and awkward as hell on the dance floor. Their team might have won but they were told that they would be scored individually. Jennica was the best dancer and Maureen getting a higher score make very little sense, but Jennica handled it very ungraciously. Plus, she was being a total bitch this entire episode for some reason, even laughing at other contestants when they’re dancing. Gal’s gonna be Janice 2.0, I tell you.

Heidi got the lowest score, and she felt stressed out because she’s a Virgo or something. Whatever. Snap out of it, girl.

I can’t help but to wonder: What’s wrong with the contestants for this season? Layla had a breakdown during the first week, now it’s Heidi, and Tu wanted to quit and go home. Did Glenn Tan make a daily visit to the model house or something?

PHOTOSHOOT CHALLENGE

For the photoshoot challenge, the girls once again had their pictures taken by Mr-Nice-Cameraman, Joel Lim (I wish they’d keep him instead of Yu Tsai). They will be doing a photoshoot for Colgate Optic White campaign (the product placement is as cringe-worthy as usual) and the theme given is “My Signature Smile.” The girls will all have four best photos picked for the judging panel, and all those photos must show variations.

Heidi and Cindy were confident, while Nametha and Clara both had problems with their smile. Alicia claimed that every time she is faced with a camera, she’ll go fierce mode.

Some of the girls proved to be a shocker, namely Layla, who suffered from a breakdown last week, and Tu, the girl who everyone perceives as quiet.

But all in all, one question remains:

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH DANCING??

For the judging session, Cindy introduced Yu Tsai (from hell), who would be their new creative director from now on. Now, I can’t find any photo of Cindy alone, but I have to say she looked exquisite in that dress. Whoever manage her wardrobe deserve a raise. Plus, white and red looks amazing on her. Thank you, Colgate Optic White!

MY 5 BEST

1) Maureen, 5th place, 35.3 points

Again, I don’t disagree with Jennica. This would be an easy task for Maureen because mostly what you need is a pretty face, and one of the judges and their model mentor, Cara, mentioned that she relies too heavily on the fact that she’s genetically blessed.

But HOTDAMN are those not the pictures you would want to see on a Colgate billboard?

2) Dorothy, 1st place, 44.0 points

So, congrats to Dorothy, I guess. It’s not a bad set of pictures and I don’t hate it. This just feels entirely more fresh and youthful, while Maureen’s still have that ‘top model’ feels to it. Let’s just say, these pictures feel like a “Nylon,” while Maureen’s feel more like an “Elle” (the magazines, btw).

3) Alicia, 11th place (bottom 3), 31.2 points

Alicia was seriously robbed for this episode. First she (and Tu) got super low score for their dance challenge despite doing okay, and now being called the third from last? Wow. Her photos were the only photos, in my opinion, that manage to look candid and model-ish at the same time. Love the first photo. The second and fourth one was fun. The third one is okay but it’s still not that bad (compared to some of the other girls called before her).

4) Veronika, 3rd place, 40.3 points

I wanna say they’re playing the twin game (Last week her twin was on top, this week it was her. Find out which twin will get it right next week!) but these are quite solid. The third picture is what really makes it. 

5) Cindy, 2nd place, 43.5 points

This has a very “Korean/Japanese beauty product” feel to it. The first photo is super weird (most probably taken when she had that uncontrollable fit of laughter) but the rest of it are beautiful. I think the fourth picture really epitomize Asian beauty, with her skin beautifully glowing and her hair not overdone.

MY 5 WORST

5) Shikin, 8th place, 32.3 points

Shikin gave an underwhelming performance for the photoshoot, yet again. I love her, I love her fierce walk, I love her personality. I really wish she’d perform during the photoshoot. And it’s not about the type of photoshoot, either. Last week was supposed to be all edgy and high fashion, yet she still flopped. Come on, Shikin, show your claws, gurl!

4) Valerie, 10th place, 31.4 points

Yawn. The fourth one is almost painful to look at.

3) Jennica, 12th place, 28.5 points

Girlfriend is all talk: “I have the best dance moves. I have the best smile. Other people can’t dance as good as me. EW.” Ugh. I agree with one of the judges. This is very “beauty pageants.” Go back to Instagram or something.

2) Heidi, Eliminated, 24.5 points

Heidi messed up really badly this week. I know it’s the stupid scoring system, but I really wish the judges would remember how amazing her performance during the set last week, you know. She didn’t just do okay, SHE KILLED IT. She could’ve gone very very far in this competition. Really sad to see her go in the second week. I would’ve only put her in the bottom two to give her a little shake or something.

1) Nametha, 7th place, 33.0 points

WORST. PHOTO. EVER. WHAT. THE. FUCK. YU TSAI GIVE THIS A 9!! WTFKKBJKJBJBDBFMDBFHB!!!!!!!

Now I don’t like to berate others on their facial or bodily features. Yes, she doesn’t have the best set of teeth but that has entirely nothing to do with the fact that this photo IS HORSE-SHITE. The only usable one, in my opinion, is the third photo. I mean, what the fuck she got called before Alicia and Tu. I’m pissed. I’M SUPER PISSED.

Goodbye, Heidi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G6t43luy9k

So, goodbye to our sex kitten, Heidi. I want to say her elimination was due to the judges’ bias, but she just had a slip this week. She did terribly for the challenge and underperform during the photoshoot. Not to say there aren’t any bias, though. I have a feeling that Yu Tsai would see Nametha as one of his pet projects - she’s tall, skinny, has an unusual look - but we’ll see how that will turn out in the upcoming weeks.

Do you think they’ll bring back the eliminated contestants? I hope they will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV8LUiRL_3I

CHALLENGE

The first episode starts with us getting to know the contestant. After they arrived, Cindy revealed to them that their challenge would start right away, and as it is the tradition with Top Model, their first challenge is a runway challenge.

I think they wanted to do some sort of a Victoria’s Secret-themed fashion show, but it didn’t work for me. The clothes look cheap, the setting looks awkwardly placed (Natural lighting is quite unforgiving towards shiny fabric. That’s why you don’t see people going to lunch in their negligee.), and...

...these girls just aren’t exactly the sexy type, you know. Not like there’s anything wrong with not being sexy, though. I think Tu really nailed it (She almost died summore. It’s not worth it, girl.) Surprised to see her getting such a low score for the challenge.

So congratulation, Shikin, I guess, for nailing it in the first challenge. She’s got the attitude and she looks super comfortable on the runway. And the second spot goes to...

...Valerie? Seriously, wtf? I think her twin, Veronika, did better. Nametha, Cindy and Layla got the bottom three spot, with Layla getting the lowest score. And that would affect her photoshoot later on, where she decided to quit halfway (Tu managed to talk her into continuing her photoshoot though. Go, Tu!).

PHOTOSHOOT CHALLENGE

This shoot is reminiscent of last cycle’s trampoline shoot. Their photographs were taken by the super nice photographer, Joel Lim, and the brief was high fashion and high energy. Anyway, some girls really gave it their all, jumping in high heels, delivering some crazy, hair-flippin shot.

MY 5 BEST

1) Heidi, 5th place, 35.6 points

That’s a traffic-stopping shot right there. Put a Subaru car behind her with its tagline “Confidence in Motion,” and this photo would be perfect for a Subaru ad. It fits the brief, it’s breathtaking, every piece fits into the perfect spot - the fuck it got called fifth?

2) Clara, 1st place, 44.7 points

I, however, get why this is called first. What an exquisite photo. While I can see Heidi’s on a billboard, I can see Clara’s in a fashion magazine. It’s beautifully poised and delicate, but you can still see the high energy and movement there. She said during the photoshoot that she likes working with photographers that use lotsa compliments. Hope working with Yu Tsai won’t break her.

3) Dorothy, 7th place, 35.3 points

Another one that I don’t get. Seventh? Pia (Miss Beauty Pageant) said she’s seen this type of pose multiple times, but I like it. The facial expression could’ve used some improvements, but other than that, I think this one’s a killa.

4) Valerie, 2nd place, 41.5 points

Strong face, killer legs, but I think I’d like it better if she doesn’t look like someone’s just accidentally eaten the sandwich she’d saved for lunch. #killerglare

5) Maureen, 3rd place, 38.7 points

She’s quite petite, apparently. And it kinda shows in this photo. But I love the positioning of her legs and she looks super-composed in this shot. Her profile is amazing. And loving those cheekbones, gurl! 

I’m a cheekbone man.

MY 5 WORST

5) Shikin, 5th place, 35.9 points

Gurl got called fifth due to her high challenge score. This is sooo underwhelming. I get that maybe it’s harder for her considering that she got one of the taller heels, but so did Clara. Get your shit together, boo. Love, #TeamMalaysia

4) Veronika, 4th place, 36.0 points

She did utilize the garment well, but that’s about it. That face is whack and her hip looks distorted. Can’t believe she got called fourth.

3) Anjelica, Eliminated, 29.8 points

It’s not the worst in the bunch, you know. But the main issue that I have with this photo is how inoffensively bland it is. It’s not good, it’s not bad, and it’s not interesting. She got the fifth spot for the runway challenge so her score for this photo must be really, really low.

2) Nametha, Bottom Two, 30.6 points

Honey, THE FUCK?

And the worst photo of the week goes to...

1) Cindy, 10th place, 34.6 points 

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, CINDY??” indeed.

Goodbye, Anjelica.

So the ladies bid farewell to Anjelica.

I have a feeling that there’ll be a lot of the judges playing favourite this season. I don’t really pay attention to the scores given by them (some Fb commenters pointed out that Pia gave an unreasonably low score to one of the girls) but I hope they’d at least make it less obvious than last season (Angie, anyone? Ugh.).

Asia’s Next Top Model returns again for its fifth cycle. I did an overall cycle recap for Cycle 3 on my other blog, but comes Cycle 4, I lost interest. Cycle 4 was quite lackluster despite featuring probably the most pleasant group of contestants on any reality shows on earth - ever. But, in the end of the day, it is the photoshoot that matters and for the previous cycle, it was just, enh.

Anyhow, having watched the first episode of this cycle, I have hopes, darling. With the tagline “Expect the unexpected,” this cycle promises more surprises and tougher challenges for the contestants. Speaking of whom, let’s assess them one by one. 

Line up, bitches.

R Nametha (Nametha) from Singapore

Prediction: Will probably be eliminated in the second or third week.

She’s a professional model, apparently. But I suspect she’s one of those people who gets to be model because they’re super tall and super thin. Not getting “top model” from her.

Anjelica Santillan (Anjelica) from the Philippines

Prediction: Probably won’t make it to, say, the Top 8?

(Spoiler alert) Anjelica has already been eliminated in the first episode. She’s not giving me any “top model” vibe, but I thought she’d last longer.

Jennica Sanchez (Jennica) from the Philippines

Prediction: Will be eliminated very early on in the competition, but I don’t know. They’ve already eliminated one Philippine contestant so I guess now she’ll stay much longer than she deserved to be.

Instagram models are Satan’s tools to lead humanity astray.

Minh Tu Nguyen (Tu) from Vietnam

Prediction: Won’t make it to Top 6 or 7.

I have a feeling that Tu would have a really tough time in this competition. Her body shape would surely be an issue, especially during high fashion photoshoot. She leans more on the sexy side to me.

Dorothy Petzold (Dorothy) from Thailand

Prediction: Won’t make it past Top 5, probably.

You can really see how she channel her inspiration, Cara Delevigne, in her modelling. I predict she would struggle in a more commercial shoot. Gal has RBF (Resting Bitch Face).

Alicia Ahmad (Alicia) from Malaysia

Prediction: Won’t make it past Top 6 or 7.

Meh. She should really stand out with her edgy chick persona and tattoo, but she seems rather bland somehow.

Heidi Grods (Heidi) from Thailand

Prediction: Top 5 or 6, probably.

Meow! Love this sex-kitten vibe she’s giving. If she utilize it well, I think she can go very far.

Layla Ong (Layla) from Singapore

Prediction: Based on this picture alone? Top 5 or 4.

She has these really amazing, distinctive features. Was kinda disappointed watching her handle the photoshoot in Episode 1. I think she can go very far, but if she didn’t keep her shit together, she’d be eliminated very early in the competition. Kinda remind me of Nicole from C2 though.

Veronika Krasnasari (Veronika) and Valerie Krasnadewi (Valerie) from Indonesia

Prediction: Would go far if they don’t fuck up too badly.

Twinning! Double trouble! Whatever. Aside from the fact that they’re twins, these two are quite forgettable. I bet the judges (producers) will keep them long enough for ratings. One episode and I’m already tired of this twin-shctick. Yes, we get it, they once shared the same womb. Who gives a shit?

Shikin Gomez (Shikin) from Malaysia

Prediction: Top 4 or 5, max.

Getting a strong Tuti vibe from this girl. Totally has the drive to stay very long in this competition.

Maureen Wroblewitz (Maureen) from the Philippines

Prediction: Runner-up or winner.

Wanna know what a top model looks like. THAT’S what she looks like. Plus, it’s high time AsNTM has a winner from the Philippines, after teasing them for so many cycles.

Cindy Chen (Cindy) from Taiwan

Prediction: Top 3 or 4, provided she doesn’t fuck up too bad.

Looking at this picture, it’s easy to think she is one of the girls who’d go far in this competition. But Cindy (the host) was right - this competition isn’t just about having a pretty face. I looked through the photos from the first episode thinking, “Which one is Cindy, again?” and boy, she fucked up, HARD, for the first photoshoot. I think the judges would love her though.

Clara Tan (Clara) from Indonesia

Prediction: Winner

I fail to see anyone more deserving of the title - for now.