#shao mingming

very angry but evidently isn’t stopping me from making this post anyway. (pt 1)

other than a few other moments with han peiquan that seemed to be idk a poke at their "beef", he was making trainees laugh, encouraging them and giving them opportunities to express their feelings, and overall just seemed to be well-liked by the trainees he hung around & twt seemed to realize that relatively quickly.

i havent seen any outright hate for smm since about... a week after first elimination?? it probably also helped that a bunch of his friends are pretty well-liked trainees like liu yu, nine and xue bayi.

Oh im glad i steered away then! i’d heard something about SMM’s thing in Chuang but didn’t look too much into it because, well, i watched some clips of Chuang and didnt get attached to any contestant or the vibe (even though i love Zhou Shen haha) so I just let it be.

Synopsis: If you’ve seen the variety show called “Great Escape”, you know it consists of 5 celebrities (Yang Mi, Justin Huang, Deng Lun, Da Zhangwei, Guo Qilin) who get dropped into an intricate escape room each ep and have to break out by solving puzzles, complete challenges, and piecing together the story behind the rooms (no time limit). This is the “Master” version, in which the cast is composed of (mostly) top students who “test” out the escape rooms by playing it in advance of the celebrities team. 

Why watch it? 

Short answer: The fun, the moments of brilliance, the suspense, the wholesomeness and the hilarity. Watch it!

Long answer:

1. THE ROOMS!  

Each room is a complex and comes with a theme + a mystery that the players have to uncover together, making the process fun in itself. Some rooms even include horror elements. In the 1st ep, the players act as teachers searching for a student who mysteriously stopped coming to school. The child’s mother has died and only a nanny seems to be in the house. What happened? 

2. THE CAST!!!!!!

As mentioned the “Master” ver. is only a “test”, as the cast plays the escape rooms in advance of the celebrities, so that the production team can make adjustments if needed. Accordingly, the “Master” cast is composed of widely unknown people. So why was it made into its own show and called the “Master” version? 

Because the cast is absolutely brilliant. The team of 6 in any ep rotates between a list of young people with (mostly) impressive academic records:

Pu Yixing: also known as “A Pu”. “Tank” of the group. All-round capable player. Pro of thinking outside the box / finding loopholes to escape. Quirky af. Chill af. Has enough guts for the whole team (When A Pu is here, never fear)

Qi Si Jun: Mom friend of the group. A new generation MC with EQ off the charts. Literally makes anyone feel comfortable within a three-mile radius.  Big Hufflepuff energy. Just the warmest and nicest. 

Huo Shu: Doctorate and engineer friend of the group. Will dismantle any prop he needs to serve escape purposes. Pu Yixing finds loopholes; Huo Shu invents tools to get them out in the most unconventional ways. Also in charge of screaming.

Zhou Junwei: Psychology major (I believe). Can do as much brain work as physical work (srsly what can’t he do). 2nd mom friend, but in the ‘I was sports team captain all my school life and it shows’ way. Born in 1995 but is somehow already married. 

Tang Jiuzhou: One of the didi of the group. In charge of 1000watt smiles, great mood and admiring the bros. "My brain’s not good~!” but solves all the puzzles. Optimistic sunshine boy. I want to see him grow healthily.

Shao Mingming: Precious scorpio boy. One of the only ones without an intimidating academic record. His sass can move mountains. Ultimate cheerleader. Will make you laugh and love him and also respect him. A screamer.

Guo Wentao: Graduate from Bei Da. Quieter than Pu Yixing (how is it possible?). Takes everything seriously and diligently. Will never back down in front of responsibilities.

Shi Kai: Was a contestant in Super Vocal. Now mostly in charge of physical prowess and being great because he’s Shi Kai. Has sass in impressive amounts (but less than Shao MingMing)

Shao Bangzhu and JY: Less present, no less likeable. 

The teamwork between these kids is...seamless. It’s not just about chemistry, which they have in heaps: each of them’s just rly good at teamwork! No one tries to be the best or looks down on anyone, everyone cheers for and takes care of everyone. Riddles? They got brains to power through at light speed. Physical tasks? Can’t stop them:

Most importantly, their dynamics are adorable and hilarious. They may not be celebrities but their sense of variety can rival celebrities 100%. In fact, they’re perhaps even more spontaneous! Add this to the wholesome team spirit and it’s pure serotonin. How to not love them?

3. THE PACING!

This is a low time-investment show because, as said, the teams just...power through. No one lingers on purpose to make the ep. more “entertaining”. Each ep is only 40mins-1hr long, and in that time, you’ve had time to cheer at the brains, laugh at their antics, and coo at the organic teamwork. You’ve also uncovered a mystery, enjoyed some puzzles and felt like you used your brain a bit. All-win!

The only downside: ...It has no subs. S2 is available in full on YT (Link to Ep.1) but so far, no subs. For the riddles and stories, the celebrity ver. is subbed, so cross-checking helps, but I do prefer the “Master” ver. by a landslide. Not having subs means many puns & references go down the drain, but it’s probably still a fun watch, if only for the situational comedy, contagious laughter, some self-explanatory stuff, and their charming personalities.

Shao Mingming (watching Huo Shu arduously trying to complete the rope course): ...Was I this ugly when I did it just now?