#proj.buzz

- There’s big buzz around Suran after the current center’s evaluation with Yena ended in tears. The mentor displayed her caring, kind personality as she probed into the girl’s hardships, which prompted Suran to tears. Yena inferred the cause to be bullying, which the other girl tentatively confirmed. Of course, this has sparked fans into overdrive, scouring this set of episodes and others for evidence of bullying. Fans of other debuted idols, notably Puck, have begun searching for evidence of similar treatment.  

- There is continued approval for Myungeun for working hard with a good attitude, but questioning her performance, mainly wondering if she can perform to the same level that she can sing. She continues to hold steady in the rankings, with attention being paid to her after sympathy rose for her harsh criticism received on her rapping. Company mate and group member Hyejin received a major boost in attention for her relation to Sooyeon, but as concerns of bullying developed, an interaction with Suran in an early episode is receiving criticism. Further episodes caught her speaking disrespectfully to an older member of the show (Hwarin) in the group dorms and some have begun to label her a fox, though others claim malicious editing. As with all strong visuals she’s getting some flack for being the “hole” of the 99 trainees as she lacks their standout vocal proclivities, but her appearance and charm hold off the brunt of criticism in that respect, aided by her dance/performance.

- The much awaited Cute Team had some clear holes but did their best and put on a solid performance, particularly from the two 99 entertainment trainees. Member Minyoung  showed immense promise with her vocals,  and her weaker dance was quickly overlooked when gifs of her “ending pose” (looking up slightly, a quick hair flick, eyes full of hope and wonder) spread amongst fans of the show.  An inter-company rivalry line is being edited in regarding Minyoung and Suhee as two vocalists; one with stronger power and one with more perceived versatility in performance but less developed live skills.  Both are being examined for potential attitude controversy due to the rivalry editing and the general suspicions arising from bullying rumors floating around on the show, so they should tread carefully. There’s also hints of a rivalry line being edited between Myungeun and Minyoung as two of the more vocal heavy members of the show. 

- Meihua and Hwarin trailed in the Cute Team, though Meihua’s dance break supported a modest boost in attention for the girl due to her acrobatics and youthful charm. Her singing was noted for being a bit shaky, which fans chalk up to her stated worries about stage fright and pronunciation. Her can-do attitude is being heavily praised.  Hwarin’s lamentations about being a rap focused trainee first garnered sympathy but over the course of the episodes fans began to increasingly point out a female idol should generally be prepared to sing and rap in equal measure in the majority of girl groups that have rappers. Her performance ability surprised pleasantly, however, leaving her with room to grow her audience.

- MSG trainee Eunju is an unexpected standout this round, with voters praising her genuine personality, her versatility, and her unique visuals. She’s quickly gathering female fans in particular for her charming ways, and has been commended as one of the more respectful members of the show with an almost “blank paper” image, a little bit silly but endearing. Alongside Myungeun and Suran’s performances vocally, the Charm Team caused quite a buzz for their solid performance thanks to her eye catching opening and closing segments.

- Fans of the Classic Team were angry about the lack of screentime for the members overall, in particular the two Jawbreaker girls. The uneven treatment and editing is angering Jawbreaker fans. Ellie’s ambiguous status in the competition is being pointed out by fans as unfair, citing that upcoming challenges should give her a chance to truly show her rapping, rather than a “girl group rap” style. Others point out being versatile and “girl group style” is the point of the show and that perhaps Ellie’s skill set is too niche for the program, which is rumored to have led to her departure from the show. Their performance was very well received when it aired, though this only further angered fans of the group who felt it was unfair that they were edited out of so much.

- Midas trainees are receiving split attention, with Jiae praised heavily for her work ethic and unique visual vibe, and critics claiming she’s too boring or too bland - too midrange, causing a fluctuation in her popularity and allowing Suhee to surge past her in the rankings for this round. Fans hope she demonstrates a strong side to her character in upcoming episodes. Fans note that Midas idols have intense image management training, and that she’s likely playing it safe due to pressure from her company, which has them counteracting the criticism by praising her professional attitude, even as a trainee. 

- Conversely, after an inadvertent verbal slip up, a few viewers are criticizing Seoyeon’s attitude towards seniors. However, her visuals are garnering attention alongside her performance in the ever-popular Roly Poly, with fans excited to see her taking on the parts traditionally belonging to the center, as she gives a soulful, feminine, graceful feeling they want to see more of. There are high hopes being placed on the upcoming Midas girl group after getting to know them through the show. 

- Puck is getting heavily positive responses after he trained to the point of passing out, clips being passed around on Pann to garner sympathy. Fans of Galaxy were torn internally on whether to request he be taken from the show as it’s clearly taxing and they worry about his treatment there, feeling he doesn’t get the screentime he deserves, but ultimately the consensus is he’s showing Galaxy’s strengths and charms well and they will trust in him.

- Finding a vocal standout in Taekjo gives the mentors higher hopes for a well rounded male unit in the future, pin pointing a rivalry in style, image,and ability between Puck and Taekjo specifically. Rumor has it Puck’s fans may be beginning to dig into Taekjo’s past to look for scandals they can hold up against Puck’s impeccable image.

- Yohan’s harsh treatment of trainees receiving mixed feedback- truthfully mostly negative outside of his fans, particularly as he harshly scolded two of the top contestants (and girls at that)  over the course of the episode. There are many angry uncle fan eyes on him in the coming episodes, and Atlas fans worry this could boil over into a scandal.

- San’s placid personality reveals the true nature of many trainees, as they try to push praise out of him or treat his mentorship too lightly or with disrespect . Fans are calling him the “lie detector” because he exposes the fake attitudes of some contestants, and Olympus’ faithful, highly attentive fans stand at the ready to ruin those they perceive as slighting him.

- High attention has been paid to the Titanium members, finding that they’ve been to the military (mostly) and have excellent manners and respect so far on the show as well as solid skills has fans really anticipating their progress.

- The Force Team troubled with concerns over their weaker vocals but overcame that worry with a strong and charming performance that shows they know how to make the most of their abilities and style a performance that overcomes their limitations. Member Jaehyun gained attention for unexpected vocal skills that he had not had a chance to demonstrate prior and Dax for his stage presence and versatility, though there was a bit of a worry that the two seemed stilted or strained in scenes together.  The other members are regarded favorably on the whole and the group is said to have been the most solid of the male group efforts in this round. Dax in particular is noted additionally for his sociability amongst the other trainees, seeming like a true team player, while Jaehyun is said to exude a solid leader vibe, which left fans quite distraught when Jaehyun withdrew from the show.

- Dax additionally caused a big reaction when he lifted his shirt onstage during his performance, expertly timed for the body-roll section of the choreography. The few girls in the crowd who might not have been his fan already were certainly swayed if the cacophonous screams gave any indication. It was a bold move that showed a playful, mischievous side to his strong performance abilities. 

- Member Aiden was noted for carrying off his parts well, though the mentors worry he is young still and his training time relatively short compared to the other members of his group, which may have caused him to be overshadowed. There are speculations he’ll be put into a group of more similarly aged/experienced trainees in the next rounds to give him a chance to shine.

- In particular, contestant Aroon has found unexpected praise for his attitude and work ethic, with some of his more enthusiastic fans compiling small acts of kindness throughout the series and pointing out his impending debut and how he does not waver in his focus on the show even with that on the horizon. It seems he’ll be quite the stan attractor as he shoots up the rankings.