("Korea And Japan Produce The Show Together This Time")
("Will National Producers Pick The Show This Time?")
(Collaboration of "Produce 101" And AKB48)
("A Huge Global Project That Combines 'Produce 101' And AKB48")
("Their Goal Is to Make the Whole World Watch Their Show")
("Produce Series Aims For 3 Consecutive Victories")
Here are the 96 girls...
who dream of a bigger future.
They practice every day...
to accomplish their dreams.
We asked the girls this question.
"What does practice mean to you?"
(What does practice mean to you?)
One girl answered.
(Heo Yun Jin from Pledis Entertainment)
"Practice is like the inner circle subway line that never stops."
"It's like the hands of a clock that keeps going endlessly,"
"or running that never ends."
"Desolate times like you're inside a maze where you can't see ahead."
Girls face themselves again today...
to overcome those times.
(What does practice mean?)
The reflections of us...
are like chicks that are yet to have fully grown.
But as we keep practicing every day,
we become a newer and better version of ourselves.
(A process to become a new self)
Lean on the shoulder of a friend called "practice".
Create something out of nothing.
Be stricter to yourself.
You try your best to make your dream come true.
96 seeds work hard to sprout.
National Producers will be like warm sunshine to them.
It's time to accomplish their dreams with you.
Produce 48 begins now.
(A step forward to the most shining time of life)
Hello, dear National Producer.
I'm a new national producer representative,
Lee Seung Gi, who is newly joining Produce 48.
Do you know why the 3rd season of "Produce 101"...
is called Produce 48?
The answer lies in the 96 girls who are gathered here.
The girls on my right...
are from Korean agencies.
And the girls on my left...
are AKB48 from Japan.
It's called Produce 48 because they are joining the show together.
All these 96 girls...
will compete fairly as trainee...
whether they previously made a début or not.
Only 12 girls...
selected by the National Producers...
will perform as a new project girl group.
The keyword of this season is "global".
Create a global girl group that will perform...
in the world market with your own hands.
National Producers. It's time to work hard.
If you're ready, take a deep breath,
and participate in this race that will become a new legend.
It's show time!
Say hello to the National Producers.
Nice to meet you, National Producers.
National Producers.
Vote for your girl now.
Now, I'll explain...
how to vote.
First, access the official Produce 48 website...
or via the mobile app.
And click on the button of the girl you want to vote for.
You can vote for...
12 girls regardless of their nationality in 1 day.
Until the girls receive their first evaluation,
the vote will continue every day from today.
Are you ready to vote for the girl you're cheering for?
The vote begins now.
Vote for your girl now.
Produce 48.
(Global idol survival show, Produce 48)
(This time, it's an Asia collaboration!)
(Produce 48 is back all new.)
(Foster a mega global girl group...)
(that will début both in Korea and Japan.)
(96 chairs are waiting...)
(the 96 trainees from Korea and Japan.)
(Who will take the first place...)
(among the 96 trainees?)
(Which agency's trainees will enter first?)
It's so pretty.
There's my name.
(Korea-China collaboration girl group, WJSN)
(Yue Hua where Hyeong Seop and Eui Woong are in)
- Hello. We're from... - Hello. We're from...
- Yue Hua entertainment. - Yue Hua entertainment.
- I'm Choi Ye Na. - I'm Wang Yi Ren.
I'm Kim Shi Hyun.
- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
It's so pretty.
- I feel like a princess. - No way.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
There are only 96 seats.
- The first place shines so much. - I mean...
that looks like a queen's spot.
The first place shines so much.
This is unbelievable.
This is pretty scary though.
It's very high.
- This is perfect for us. - We belong here.
It's for the three of us.
Let's go.
1, 2, 3.
- Okay. - Okay.
- 6, 7, 8. - We can do it.
I wonder who will be here.
I can't wait to see them.
Someone's here.
Urban? It's Urban Works.
Hello. I'm Kim Min Ju, an Urban Works trainee...
for 2 years and 10 months.
(Blinking)
She's here alone.
She's pretty.
She has such a small face.
(Nervous, worried)
- She's worried. - She's adorable.
Don't worry
She's really pretty.
There's a light shining next to her.
It looks like a scene from a music video.
(She starred in iKON's "What You Doing".)
I starred in iKON's music video.
Recently,
I starred in "The Great Tempter" as a child actress.
I want to blend in well as a member of a girl group,
and I also want to become a good actress.
The first place?
Is the first place here already?
Oh, my. Hey, she's going for the first place seat.
Where do you want to sit?
I'd like to try sitting on the first place seat.
- First place. - I want to sit on the first place.
First place.
I should sit there at least once.
I'm going to sit on the first place seat.
What's your goal?
First place.
(Application)
You should dream big.
When would I get to sit there again?
The first place is here already?
(Min Ju walks towards the 1st place.)
She wants to play safe.
The studio was bigger than I expected.
The first place seat was very high up.
So I was scared.
(Min Ju sits in the 5th place.)
Who's going to be here next?
What? YG?
- Kplus. It's a model agency. - Model.
Kwon Hyun Bin of JBJ is from there.
(YG KPlus is a model agency...)
(where Kwon Hyun Bin is in.)
(An agency with top models like Bae Jung Nam and Kang Seung Hyun)
(They enter with style like trainees of the model agency.)
1, 2, 3.
Hello. We're YG KPlus trainees, Ahn Ye Won.
And Choi Yeon Soo.
Who's your father?
His name is Choi Hyun Seok, and he's a chef.
The man who sprinkles salt.
(Her father is the man who sprinkles salt.)
Have you always dreamed of becoming an idol singer?
I've always wanted to be an idol singer since I was young.
But I was not good enough.
I couldn't do it because I wasn't good.
But I got a chance to appear here.
I'd like to make myself famous without the help from my dad.
- Hello. - Hello.
- Hello. - Their legs are in another level.
They're models.
They're very tall.
I can never be that tall even with four insoles.
I want to have that body.
I want to be tall too.
(They can only dream about it.)
Will drinking milk help?
Should I be born again?
Will there be anyone taller than us?
I doubt it.
(Wide open)
(The Wall of Resolutions was too low.)
If they're from YG KPlus, they must be very skinny.
And tall.
We should've written it up there.
(I'm upset because I'm short.)
- Hello. - Hello.
- They're so cute. - They're cute.
They're so cute.
They look young.
They look like babies.
Who's going to be next?
- MMO? - 1, 2, 3.
See? I told you. They're from MMO.
Is it short for "talkative"?
Where Kang Daniel is in?
(The final début members of "Produce 101", Season Two,)
(Kang Daniel and Yoon Ji Sung)
(MMO is the agency...)
(of the two members who perform as the members of Wanna One.)
- Who's going to be next? - She's here.
- Hello. - Hello.
Last time, two people from MMO debuted.
Last year, Kang Daniel from MMO...
won the first place.
I think I should try my best to put up with it.
(Their expected rankings)
- She's here. - Block Berry?
Do you have a role model?
I'm a big fan of Tae Yeon and Hyun A.
(Your role model and reason for choosing)
I like Jeon So Mi.
I like Chung Ha.
I like Kim Chung Ha.
She debuted as fourth place,
so I wrote fourth place as my goal to follow her.
(Their expected rankings)
(A trainee from Team A sat in the 4th place.)
(Their expected rankings)
- Where is it? MNH? - MNH.
- Chung Ha's in there. - I see.
I really love her. I really do.
I like her so much.
(Humming)
(After performing as a member of IOI,)
(Chung Ha joined MNH as a solo artist.)
(Which trainee is here to represent MNH?)
If you just show yourself as who you are,
people will love you.
Okay.
Come here.
I want to be like Chung Ha.
The second place is here.
MNH as always. This is amazing.
This place is very pressuring.
I heard we're going to collaborate with Japan.
I can't wait to see the Japanese trainees.
I want to make friends with them.
This the last name, and this is the first name, right?
This is how you say "Thank you for the meal" in Japanese.
How do you say "I enjoyed the meal"?
Something like this.
What are you talking about? Don't make it up.
It's fine. We can use body language.
Change it.
Stone Music. It reminds me of Stone Na Young.
Stone.
(Stone Music trainees enter.)
Wait. I'm nervous.
What is it?
- Hold on. - They look familiar.
Do we just sit anywhere we want?
The first place seat is empty.
Jo Yu Ri? Jo Yu Ri.
Are they from "Idol School"?
All four from "Idol School"?
Jang Gyu Ri...
debuted as Fromis 9.
(Jang Gyu Ri of Fromis 9 is here...)
(after only 80 days of her début passed?)
("Fromis 9's Jang Gyu Ri's Shocking Appearance on 'Produce 48'")
("2nd Audition in Life for Fromis 9 Jang Gyu Ri")
It was shocking because...
she debuted already, but she's on the show again.
I wondered why she was here.
Which agency do you think is going to be next?
- Starship? - Starship?
FNC?
- Cube? - I think it's going to be Cube.
I'm looking forward to seeing the trainees from Cube.
It's on.
(Among many guesses,)
(Cube appeared.)
That startled me.
Cube? No way.
It's on.
Cube gets a different reaction.
A large agency receives a hot reaction.
Even just with the logo.
(A Cube trainee enters...)
(with everyone's high expectation.)
(She takes time to scan all the 96 chairs.)
(Which place will Han Cho Won choose?)
She's...
a bit scary.
Let's sit.
- She's so charismatic. - Charisma?
She's cool.
- She's cool. - She's cool.
She's got swag.
- Girl crush. - Cube doesn't disappoint us.
(She takes big steps,)
(then turns left.)
Since she's from Cube,
I'm sure she's good at dancing.
She can be the next Jeon So Yeon.
(Han Cho Won from Cube sits in the 19th place.)
Finally,
- the large agencies are here. - Medium and large.
(Which agency is next?)
It's FNC.
The real deal is here.
(N.Flying,)
(Lee Hong Ki,)
(and AOA are in FNC Entertainment.)
I was looking forward to seeing the trainees from FNC Entertainment.
They're here.
There are two people.
It's a large agency. Don't be discouraged.
- Wait. - I'm scared.
Since they're from a large agency,
I wondered how good they could be.
I had a breakdown as soon as I saw the logo.
To win the competition,
my agency must do well.
The trainees from large agencies are coming.
Who's going to be next?
I think it's going to be Starship.
The trainees from famous agencies appear towards the end.
So I'm expecting Starship.
I'm looking forward to see the trainees from...
- Starship. - Starship.
Starship.
(Yeon Jung of WJSN who appeared in Season One...)
(and Jeong Se Woon from Season Two belong to Starship Entertainment.)
Hey, look. My gosh!
- This must be it. - We can do this!
(From now on)
- Gosh, Chinese characters. - "Really".
(They list every Japanese word they understand.)
(They're very loud.)
- I... - I love you.
(They say all the Japanese words they memorized.)
(Camera, you're mine.)
- I wanted to see them the most. - The most?
- Come on. - We're on, right?
- We should say hello first. - 1, 2, 3.
- Hello! - Hello!
- Hello. - Hello.
Where should we go?
- Let's pick that place. - The first place.
(The first place seat is still empty.)
What should we do?
Girls, let's just pick the first place seat.
I'm sure most trainees are aiming to come in first place.
It's because you'll get a lot more screen time,
and more people will be likely to remember you.
- Hello, hello. - Hello.
- Hello. - Goodness.
(Trainees from Starship...)
(go straight to the number 1 seat.)
All right, the first place seat.
- There. - The first place.
Let's go. Let's go now.
(Which one of them will actually sit there?)
(Will Jang Won Young stay in the number 1 seat?)
(Chuckling)
She's cute.
I think she's very cool.
Ahn Yoo Jin?
- Who's that? - The contact lens commercial.
She's been in a music video as well.
She's very pretty.
(She's been in music videos and TV commercials.)
(Ahn Yoo Jin was already the talk of the town even before the show.)
She's very famous.
- Ahn Yoo Jin. - She's gorgeous.
Ahn Yoo Jin is really pretty.
I really want to be friends with her.
Do you only want to befriend good-looking people?
I guess that's why you've been acting all friendly with me.
Think whatever you want.
All contestants are much prettier than the ones who participated...
in Season One.
Everyone is so pretty.
A pretty girl is sitting next to another pretty girl, and it goes on.
Only girls who are this pretty can début as members of girl groups.
(She literally glows.)
- Oh, my. - How can someone look like that?
She's so gorgeous.
There are too many beautiful girls here.
I'm the only ugly one.
(Pouting)
I'm doomed. There's nothing I'm confident about.
Who would be next?
- Someone who's pretty. - Another pretty girl.
I wonder how pretty this girl would be.
Another strong contestant, maybe?
(The number 1 seat is still empty.)
Gosh, that startled me.
Pledis?
- Pledis. - Pledis.
(Seeing Pledis Entertainment on the screen made them nervous.)
How tall would they be? This time, how tall...
Even their logo looks elongated.
- Pledis. - Pledis.
Lim Na Young, NU'EST,
and Kyulkyung. My gosh.
(Wanna One's Hwang Min Hyun...)
(was also a trainee at Pledis Entertainment.)
Oh, they're coming out.
I knew it.
Oh, my goodness.
As we expected, they're very tall.
They have such long, slim legs.
They have beautiful legs.
Are they models?
They're so tall.
They both have incredibly proportionate figures.
My, they both have such long legs.
- They look very tall. - I know, right?
I'll look like a midget next to them.
What if my head only reaches their chests?
What's wrong?
After School...
- What? Who? - Isn't she that member?
The one on the right. Wasn't she a member of After School?
- What? - The last member of the team.
("Kahi Leaves After School, and Ka Eun Newly Joins the Group")
("Ka Eun Is Participating in Produce 48 As a Trainee")
(She took a hiatus for about 5 years.)
The member who joined the group most recently.
- Yes, it's her. - Oh, really?
- When did she join? - Was it recent?
No, she took a bit of a hiatus.
This is cool.
This feels surreal for some reason.
- I can't believe I'm here. - I know, right?
(They took the 35th and 36th seats.)
(Vote on our website now.)
- It's WM. - What?
Oh, JYP...
My, that was nice.
(Stay tuned! The real-time rankings will be revealed.)
- Finally. - I've heard so much about AKB48.
(Stay tuned! The real-time rankings will be revealed.)
The number 1 seat? Here they come.
(The seats in the top half are getting filled up.)
I still see many empty seats.
Will the Japanese contestants be the last ones to come out?
I feel like we may now see girls who could be members of AKB48.
That'd be great.
What if AKB48 actually comes out? I want you
- I want you - I want you
- What's that? - Oh, my.
- That totally surprised me. - My gosh.
- My goodness. - I got goose bumps all over.
I heard everyone in Japan knows them.
Celebrities are here.
(One of the best-known Japanese girl groups, AKB48)
(They've topped the Oricon 47 times in total so far.)
(AKB48 has been popular in Japan for 14 years since 2005.)
(Counting all sub-units, there are about 600 members in total.)
(A popular Japanese idol group joins Produce 48!)
("Produce 48 Will Collaborate with AKB48")
(The show has generated much buzz...)
(and topped the keyword ranking in both countries.)
They have a lot of Korean fans.
Wouldn't it be one of the main members?
No, it shouldn't be.
Everyone will vote for her then.
What should we do?
- My gosh! - What?
- Gosh. - Oh, my.
(AKB48 finally appears.)
There are so many of them.
Unbelievable.
There are so many of them.
(We're here too!)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...
(We're here to take Produce 48 by storm!)
(How many of them are there?)
(They go everywhere together.)
(Even here, they're together.)
(They're writing down their goals.)
(I'll do my best until the end. Ichikawa Manami)
(I'll make my début in Korea. Miyazaki Miho)
I think that the popular idol singers in Korea...
are really the best artists in the world.
They're like true musicians even though they're idol singers.
That's what I admire about them.
I hope we can learn from Korean idol groups,
so that we can become an even better girl group.
We want to be the best girl group in the world.
(Which seats will they choose?)
Where shall we sit?
The first place seat is empty.
The first place seat is empty!
Someone should sit there.
We're competitive, and we don't like to lose.
It's so nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
Please go easy on us.
Nice to meet you.
My, I'm so excited.
- I got goose bumps. - Their fan service is so sweet.
- They're so cute. - How adorable.
They're really pretty.
All of them are stunning.
- Hello. - Nice to meet you.
- Chae Jeong. - Yes?
I'm Juri.
Their Korean is very good.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
Good night.
(She's saying good night all of a sudden?)
- You just said, "Good night." - Did I?
No way.
My age?
(They figure out each other's age using body language.)
How old are you?
I'm 21.
In Korean age?
- Or in Japan? - In Japan.
(I'm 22 in Korean age.)
What? You have to add one year?
Babies are considered one year old at birth here.
What? Really?
(That means Muto Tomu is 25 in Korea.)
NMB48?
That's our Osaka team.
I see, it's their Osaka team.
(The sub-units are based in different regions.)
Oh, SKE48. Are they based in Tokyo or Osaka?
Neither. They're based in Nagoya.
- Nagoya? - Tokyo,
- Osaka, and Nagoya! - Osaka and Nagoya!
Come on out!
Oh, here they come.
Oh, my!
I know who she is.
- Me too. - Jurina, Matsui Jurina.
Jurina?
- Isn't she an A-list celebrity? - Yes.
(Among the current 350 members of AKB48,)
(she was ranked 3rd most popular member from 2016 to 2017.)
(Jurina is the most popular member of AKB48.)
Everyone in Japan knows her.
She's very popular.
I joined AKB48 because...
I idolized Jurina.
She's definitely the center of the group.
All of us admire her.
- We're here. - What should we do?
(Only seats for lower ranks are available now.)
(And the number 1 seat is still empty.)
What?
- "What?" - "What?"
I can't believe I heard that in real life.
What?
- What? - "What?"
- "What?" - "What?"
- We can sit separately, right? - Yes.
Frankly, she deserves to take the first place seat.
Jurina will definitely sit on the first place seat.
She'll be surprised if she doesn't come in first.
(In the last 5 years, Jurina has always been named...)
(one of the most popular members.)
She just glanced at the first place seat.
That side looks nice.
And that looks nice too.
I think she'll take the first place seat looking all innocent.
- Have you made up your mind? - Yes.
Jurina will probably take the first place seat, right?
Where will she sit?
She keeps walking up the stairs.
As a proud member of AKB48,
I'll do my best to make the first place seat mine...
to prove my loyalty and devotion to the team.
Okay.
She'll take the seat. She'll sit on the first place seat.
Okay.
(What would Matsui Jurina's choice be?)
Okay.
I'll sit over here too.
I thought she'd take the other seat.
I did consider taking the first place seat,
but I took a quick glance at all the Korean trainees,
and I thought all of them looked so pretty and charismatic,
so I didn't have enough courage to do that.
I'm hungry. I'm starving now.
Hey, camera. Have you eaten yet?
I'm hungry. I'm hungry now.
Shaved ice with...
- Shaved ice with red beans? - Yes, I'm craving that now.
I want to eat seaweed soup...
with rice and kimchi.
- I want ox bone soup. - I want short rib soup.
I love short rib soup.
- I'd go for ox bone soup. - I want pork belly.
- Pork belly. - Pork belly?
- It's so good. - I love it too!
"Banana". I'm suddenly craving bananas now.
- I love bananas. - Bananas.
(Pretending to be eating)
- EXID, right? - Yes.
(Banana Culture is EXID's agency.)
- In this season... - Oh, my goodness.
I think every agency I know is participating.
- Isn't this their first time? - Yes.
- Yes. - I heard even the agencies that...
didn't participate in the previous season will be partaking in this.
Woollim Entertainment.
It's Woollim.
It's a renowned agency.
(Some of their artists include Lovelyz and Infinite.)
My gosh, it's WM.
Isn't it Oh My Girl's agency?
(One of the hottest girl groups, Oh My Girl, belongs to WM.)
(Both Woollim and WM are participating for the first time.)
Oh, the one in the middle.
- What? - Oh, isn't she...
I just got goose bumps.
She was in "Sixteen", the show created by JYP.
- Right, JYP. - She was in "K-pop Star" too.
- She's an incredible dancer. - That's right.
("The Lee Sisters Receive High Praise")
("Lee Chae Yeon Highly Praised for Her Dance")
(She participated in the survival show, "Sixteen", as well.)
(This is the third survival show for WM's Lee Chae Yeon.)
My gosh.
I wonder if we have no more Japanese contestants.
Oh, the logo is all black. It looks very chic.
Black is my favourite colour.
Our faces must look almost black now.
- Finally, at last. - It's Sakura.
- Sakura. - Really?
(She'll most likely be voted number 1 this year.)
(Miyawaki Sakura is one of the most popular members.)
(HKT48, who mainly performs in Fukuoka, appears.)
I hope...
that cherry blossoms bloom in everyone's heart.
I'm Miyawaki Sakura.
The first place seat is empty.
(Shaking her head)
AKB48 is different from other girl groups.
We're not popular because...
we're amazing singers or dancers,
so we're not that confident even though we know that we're popular.
Oh, I see us on the screen.
(Their expected rankings, Miyawaki Sakura: Number 1)
My goodness.
The first place seat is empty. See? The seat is empty now.
I wrote that without thinking much.
(Their expected rankings)
- You're so pretty. - You're beautiful.
- Beautiful. - You too.
Oh, my. Sakura is stunning.
We just made eye contact, and I almost fainted.
I'm jealous of her fair skin.
I must say, Sakura is very pretty.
By the way, all of them are so stylish.
If they're great singers on top of that...
And they're modest too.
We can't beat them.
Let's come back in our next life.
We have to be born again to outdo them.
Seriously.
How many haven't come out yet? Aren't there two seats left?
- Are there only 2 more seats? - Yes, just 2.
- That one there and number 1. - And number 1.
The first place seat is still empty.
- I wonder who will take it. - Someone from JYP?
Is JYP next?
(JYP was the last one in "Produce 101".)
- My goodness. - The strongest contestants.
Just seeing JYP on the screen is making everyone nervous.
If the top three agencies are the last ones...
- That'd be amazing. - Who is next?
- What? - No way.
- What is it? - My gosh.
- What? - My gosh.
YG?
- YG! - What?
So it's YG, not YG KPlus?
What? Then we should find a spot to hide.
(Then we'd better hide.)
Isn't our producer from YG?
- Oh, what's that? - Look at that.
(Former)
- What? - "Former YG"?
Does it mean a former trainee of YG?
- What does it mean? - My goodness.
I was so surprised.
What was that about?
- I was scared for a second. - But still.
Whoever this is, she must be very talented.
Being scouted by YG is huge.
(Individual trainees)
They ooze so much charisma.
They look so cool.
Hello, I've been training for eight years. I'm Park Seo Young.
I'm Park Jinny, and this is my fifth year as a trainee.
I was lucky enough to join Blackpink right away.
I trained for almost 7 years as a member of Future 2NE1.
We want to make you all wonder why YG...
let such talented girls go.
- Check it out. - Check it out, you all.
They're sort of put in the spot.
They're the last ones, and only the first place seat is available.
If I were in that situation, I'd just sit on the floor.
Let's go.
I can't believe this.
They look so confident.
They're walking so confidently.
They're walking up toward the first place seat.
(Neither of them seems hesitant.)
Which one of them will sit there?
(Which trainee will take the number 1 seat?)
I can't.
My, she's so confident.
She's so cool.
My gosh, she's so impressive.
She looks like a queen in her throne.
The first place seat looks so comfortable.
Not everyone can covet that seat.
Only those who deserve it can sit there.
(All 96 trainees are seated now.)
(National Producers)
Who are they? Who could they be?
(Who are the producers that gathered these 96 trainees?)
(National Producers)
There are two producers only?
(These 2 producers are here to meet the 96 trainees.)
- Oh, my! - I can't believe this.
Gosh, he's so good-looking.
Today's number one trainee is Jeon So Mi from JYP.
The first center position goes to Kang Daniel from MMO.
- Hello, everyone. - Hello, everyone.
They were glowing on stage.
I thought that they obviously deserved the center positions.
They have such amazing presence. That's all I can say.
The program, "Produce 101",
has given birth to the hottest idol groups,
I.O.I and Wanna One,
strictly through viewers participation.
The two of us wouldn't be here now...
without the viewers who voted for us.
We're excited to find out which one of you...
will get to make your professional début through the show...
like we did.
All trainees will be evaluated five times in total.
Every time, your score will be decided strictly based on...
how many votes you get from the viewers.
And those with low rankings will be eliminated.
(Their rankings will decide their fate!)
I thought to myself, "I'm really participating in Produce 48."
I got goose bumps as soon as I heard that.
It scared me.
Those who pass all evaluations and survive until the end...
They'll get to make their début in both Korea and Japan.
Thank you.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I thought to myself, "This is so amazing. A star!"
This competition is more special due to the fact that...
producers who have produced albums for top idols in both countries...
will personally work on your début album this time around...
for your global promotional activities.
You want to know who they are, right?
- Yes! - Yes! I want to know.
Allow me to announce them.
(Introducing top producers from both Korea and Japan)
(The producers who will be tasked with their début are...)
(Han Sung Soo and Akimoto Yasushi)
(Seventeen)
(NU'EST)
(After School)
(Orange Caramel)
(Producer Han Sung Soo discovered these popular global idols.)
(Producer, creator, and songwriter of AKB48)
(Producer Akimoto Yasushi, creator of the group AKB48)
(Han Sung Soo and Akimoto Yasushi)
No way.
I thought this is going to be huge.
This is a huge opportunity.
I thought I should work really hard.
Trainee Park Ji Eun, sitting at seat number 12.
What kind of seat do you think that is?
Will one be able to début if they place 12th?
No.
This year, it'll be different.
(The cut-off line was 11th place last year.)
From Produce 48, 12 trainees...
will be able to achieve their dream of debuting.
So there's one more spot now.
Awesome!
The chance of debuting is greater now!
Shall we now all greet the National Producers...
who will be producing all of you from this point onwards?
- Yes! - Yes!
- The 96 trainees of Produce 48, - The 96 trainees of Produce 48,
- meet National Producers. - meet National Producers.
- Nice to meet you, - Nice to meet you,
- National Producers! - National Producers!
Now, we will introduce the training teams...
that will lead you all towards global stardom.
Trainers, please come out!
(Produce 48 training team)
Gosh, no way!
- It's Lee Hong Ki! - No way.
- No way! - Gosh.
(Global star Lee Hong Ki, a powerful vocalist who debuted 12 years ago)
I want to teach them how to sing properly...
and how to balance the force in their bodies properly when singing.
Things like that.
(Vocal trainer Lee Hong Ki)
(Soyou, a skilled vocalist...)
(who is a role model for all girl group trainees)
I think it's more important for the Korean and Japanese trainees...
to work hard at showcasing their skills,
rather than working on their shortcomings.
(Vocal trainer Soyou)
(The dance maker of popular idol groups...)
(such as Seventeen and Wanna One)
(Dance trainer Choi Young Jun)
(The trainer behind the dance moves...)
(of Kara, EXID, and Girl's Day)
To be honest, it's not that fun if they're too good.
It's more fulfilling to see them learning.
(Dance trainer Bae Yoon Jung)
(The choreographer of Twice's "Knock Knock"...)
(whose studio's YouTube channel has around 10 million subscribers)
(Dance trainer May J Lee)
(Korea's premier female rapper...)
(who appeared on Season One and Two.)
(Rap trainer Cheetah)
(And another familiar face)
(A mentor who exudes a warm charisma)
(One-day special trainer Kahi)
Oh my gosh.
I'm so scared.
Their eyes looked as if they were looking at their preys.
They had their eyes wide open, like this.
To be honest, I was thinking,
"Oh, she's back again!"
She has so much charisma. And she seems scary,
but this is a rare opportunity.
I think it's a true honour to be mentored by our seniors...
who are still active in the industry.
We will now be judging the 96 trainees...
and giving them a rating from A to F...
to sort them into groups based on skill level.
The reason the trainees are being sorted into groups...
is to have differentiated classes for them...
based on their skill level and potential.
And our ultimate goal...
is to make all 96 trainees...
A-grade performers.
And since the judging is done solely by the National Producers,
please do your best to put on great performances.
Now,
we will begin the entertainment agency specific performances.
I am Trainee Lee Chae Yeon.
(Please go to our website and vote now.)
This is hard!
(Please go to our website and vote now.)
I give them a rating of...
(The judging of the 96 girls will soon begin.)
You won't ever be able to get on a stage.
It's starting.
(The first round of judging is finally starting.)
I'm getting nervous.
It's my first time showing them my skills,
which is why I'm nervous now.
Korea has this reputation of having a lot of talented entertainers.
I was quite nervous.
My heart feels like it's being squeezed.
Trainees, please enter.
- Yue Hua? - Yue Hua?
Yue Hua.
Oh, it's Yue Hua.
I'm really looking forward to seeing this.
2, 3!
- Hello! - Hello!
We're from Yue Hua Entertainment. I'm Kim Shi Hyun.
- I'm Wang Yi Ren. - And I'm Choi Ye Na!
- Please look kindly upon us! - Please look kindly upon us!
(The trainees stand in front of the Wall of Resolutions...)
(before they enter the studio.)
I see an empty spot here.
I should probably fill it in.
Oh no, I actually wrote on it!
What do I do?
It won't come off.
(Flustered)
What do I do?
Keep it quiet.
There we go. All gone.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Please come in.
(Producer Akimoto Yasushi auditioned all 96 girls himself.)
(All of the performances showcased the girls' individuality.)
(The trainees do their best to make an impression.)
Thank you.
Thanks, good work.
(After they perform, they exit right away.)
(The Yue Hua girls finish their performance.)
Good work, all three of you.
Thank you very much.
(But then)
I prepared one more performance.
I'd like to show it to you all.
(What's Producer Akimoto Yasushi's response to this?)
Aren't you thirsty, everyone?
I have some soda.
Just a moment.
(Ta-da!)
(Invisible soda)
(Popping)
(Trainee Choi Ye Na shows off her special skill.)
(Laughing)
I wanted to show them my bright energy...
and make it fun no matter what.
(What kind of performance will they show the judges?)
(All eyes are on the Yue Hua trainees now.)
Hi, Shi Hyun.
Hello.
She's the individual trainee from last time.
Oh, right.
Two years ago, I was...
(Trainee Kim Shi Hyun participated in "Produce 101"...)
(as an individual trainee.)
It didn't even feel like I was the main at all.
I was a lot more immature back then.
And when I'd watch videos of my own performances,
(The third round of judging, which ended up being her last)
I was so hopeless and bad...
to the point that even I started wondering what was wrong with me.
I think I've gotten a lot better now.
I think I can show you...
a much more confident and cool version of me this time around.
(Will Trainee Kim Shi Hyun show any improvement?)
Please play the music.
Doesn't she kind of look like Tzuyu?
You're right.
Look at that angle.
I feel like they'll be great at dancing.
They already look so cool. They're already doing so well.
("Move" by Little Mix)
Why is everyone so good?
There isn't a single person who is bad. How come?
That was amazing.
Thank you for the performance.
We'll deliberate among ourselves for a bit.
- How did you like them? - They have great energy.
And the initial burst of energy they started with was great.
I think they planned this performance really well.
Their performance was so good.
They're going to get graded...
based on their performance just now.
They'll get an A for sure.
We will now be announcing the rating for the trainees...
of Yue Hua Entertainment.
The one who got an A...
I told myself that I had to get an A no matter what.
What was the grade that you received in Season One?
I got an F.
I think that I've improved a lot more since then.
My goal is to receive an A.
The one who got an A...
is Choi Ye Na.
Thank you!
And...
I really want an A.
nobody else.
I don't understand.
I can't believe it. What do we do?
The one who got a B...
is Kim Shi Hyun.
And Wang Yi Ren.
- Thank you! - Thank you!
A, B, B?
What are the rest of us supposed to do if they weren't all rated A?
We're seriously in big trouble.
They got a B even though they did this well?
I'm going to get an F for sure.
I'm so happy with even just a B.
I have no other wishes...
now that I've stuck this on here.
There's already such a huge skill difference between us.
I'm starting to get really worried about our performance.
- Next trainees, please come in. - Next trainees, please come in.
They're from Woollim.
- Woollim. - Oh, they're from Woollim.
I'm looking forward to this.
(Trainees from Woollim)
Oh, they're from WM.
They're from WM.
(Trainees from an agency specialized in producing idols)
(Trainees from Woollim and WM make their entrance.)
WM and Woollim didn't send their trainees here before.
WM is the agency that Oh My Girl are signed to.
Woollim is the agency that Lovelyz, their rivals, are signed to.
Both of them have the "innocent girl" concept going for them,
and their target audiences overlap.
So that could lead them to face off against one another.
We'll say, "Hello, we're trainees from WM."
After that...
(Peeks over)
Are there any agencies that you think may become your rivals?
WM.
We saw some of the WM girls' videos.
And they dance really well.
I want to try facing off against them.
Any agencies that you think will be challenging you?
Woollim Entertainment. It's their first time on this show too.
And I've heard that Woollim's offices are near ours too.
Dear our friends at Woollim.
We're pretty formidable.
I think we can win against them.
(Woollim versus WM)
- 1, 2, 3. Hello! - Hello!
They're from Woollim?
Shall we have them begin?
(The trainees struggle to find their spots because they're nervous.)
No, let's stand near the front.
- How about more to the side? - Okay. To the side.
Let's start from here.
- Do we say "hey" at this part too? - Yes.
- How should we greet them? - How should we greet them?
Can you listen and tell me if I'm starting on pitch?
That's good.
Eun Bi has been a trainee for a long time,
and she has strong leadership qualities.
I can rely on her a lot when we're practicing.
And even in our day-to-day, she's like a mom to us.
(What did Trainee Kwon Eun Bi bring?)
Firstly, "First Steps in Japanese".
Red ginseng candy.
Medicine.
(Thumbs up!)
Since I'm the eldest among them,
I want to pull them all forward.
It's most important for us to advance together.
So we must not get scared or nervous and do what we practiced.
Let's just show them that.
(How skilled are the trainees of Woollim, a famous idol agency?)
("Ah-Choo" and "Bad" by Lovelyz and Infinite)
How cute!
(A sudden change)
That's so cool!
They're so cool.
The little twist they added in was so cool.
That was insane.
- I got goose bumps. - I got goose bumps.
Such energy! How refreshing.
- 1, 2, 3. Thank you! - Thank you!
They're so cool.
I was quite surprised...
because they showcased two different kinds of charisma.
That was a perfect group dance.
The four of them were on stage,
but Eun Bi caught my attention the most.
You four are so in sync...
that it seems as if you guys always practice together.
But I'm curious to see if there is anything beyond that.
Show us something beyond that.
Yes, I understand.
They've prepared a lot.
Look at the tips of her toes.
She's been trained well.
(Another look at the Woollim trainees' dance chemistry)
Gosh, they're so good.
Okay.
Thank you.
Why haven't you debuted yet?
You seem ready to me.
They're on a different level than us.
This isn't fair.
We're done for.
Let's go back to Japan.
I'll announce Woollim Entertainment's individual grade.
They're good.
We can do well too, right?
Let's all cheer together.
Let's go, WM.
- Hello! - Hello!
What?
You look really familiar, Trainee Lee Chae Yeon.
She's from "K-pop Star".
Yes, I was on a show called "Sixteen" with my younger sister.
Yes, and you were on the show that So Mi was on too.
- And "K-pop Star" also? - Yes.
("Sixteen's Chae Yeon Whom Park Jin Young Loves")
I was able to sign on to JYP due to a show called "K-pop Star".
And I'd thought that I'd gotten one step closer...
to making my dream of becoming a singer come true.
But not long after that, I was on "Sixteen"...
and was the first to be eliminated.
Chae Yeon.
It's such a shame that you couldn't show off your skills properly.
(Trainee Lee Chae Yeon failed from an audition show.)
The one thing that I struggled with after being eliminated was that...
I felt as if I'd been eliminated without showing any of my skills.
I told myself, "I can do it again."
"I can keep practicing, and début with a better group."
This time, I want to show everyone everything I've got,
so that I won't have any regrets even if I'm eliminated.
I'm a three-time survivor of auditions.
I desperately want to become a singer.
- Show us what you've got. - All right.
- I bet they'll be good. - They'll probably be really good.
I'm really excited to see her dancing.
She'll probably be really good at dancing, right?
- I bet she'll be good. - Yes, I bet she will be.
She dances really well after all. She's going to do great.
(A much anticipated dance performance)
(How skilled are the WM trainees?)
("Shower" by Becky G)
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Her body is seriously like a feather.
Bravo.
They were amazing!
- They're good! - They're so good.
- Unbelievable. - I'm shocked.
- We'll have to practice a lot. - All right.
The vocal is stable.
This is enough to tell that...
you're a good dancer.
- It was her idea. - Yes, it was.
That's great.
I want to see another dance.
Number 23.
I'm curious.
(Trainee Lee Chae Yeon's freestyle dance)
See? The way she moves...
It's worth watching!
She has a good expression also.
That was freestyle dance?
She's amazing.
How can she dance like that?
That was amazing.
- I got goose bumps. - That was awesome.
- I really got goose bumps. - I got goose bumps.
- She's really good. - Do you see this?
She was so good.
I was startled because she was a lot better than I expected.
It got me thinking that I should improve.
JYP let go of another talented trainee.
- Oh, right. - Yes.
I think it's unanimity.
I'll announce the individual grade for WM Entertainment.
First, the one who got an A...
is Trainee Lee Chae Yeon.
Thank you.
(Lee Chae Yeon: A, Lee Seung Hyeon and Cho Yeong In: B)
I'll announce the individual grade for Woollim Entertainment.
First, the one who got an A...
I thought I should get an A...
since I'm the oldest.
Trainee Kwon Eun Bi.
Thank you.
(Kwon Eun Bi: A, Kim Chae Won: B, Kim Su Yun and Kim So Hee: C)
I can tell Eun Bi has good leadership.
I received an A.
I wanted to prove it to them since I'm the oldest.
I was thinking I should get an A.
They all agreed to give me an A.
Do you think you can maintain the grade?
- Yes. I should. - Yes. I'll maintain it.
It's so amazing that I'm not even nervous anymore.
It's amazing.
I feel like I'm just watching a TV show.
I can't believe we're on the same stage.
Right. Seriously.
Let's meet the next trainees.
(Why are the trainees surprised?)
- She's pretty. - She's so pretty.
She looks innocent.
She's so pretty.
She's pretty.
She's really pretty.
She looks like an actress.
She'd look great on screen.
(Good-looking trainees appear.)
They're so pretty.
They're so pretty on the screen.
They're still pretty in person.
Hello.
I'm Kang Hye Won from 8D Creative.
She's crystal clear.
I wrote purity for her position.
Purity matters in Korea.
What place do you expect in terms of purity?
I'd be number one for purity.
Were you born pretty?
Yes.
Who do you take after?
Both my parents have double eyelids.
You're a natural born beauty.
Let's watch.
If she's good when she's pretty, she will look prettier.
("You and I" by IU)
Thank you.
Purity is all you got.
You are an F.
(Kang Hye Won: F)
Let's watch right away.
(How will Kim Min Ju from Urban Works perform?)
("No Matter What" by BoA)
Her vocal...
- It's weak. - is very weak.
I can't tell what she sang.
Kim Min Ju.
(Kim Min Ju: D)
It's a D.
(Kim Min Ju: D)
My goodness. I can see myself getting an F.
Whatever. Let's all go for an F.
I realised once again that Korea is very strict.
I was thinking "Why didn't she get an A..."
"when she danced and sang well by herself?"
Show us.
(Who's going to perform next?)
(Shin Su Hyun's performance)
Thank you.
(Han Cho Won's performance follows.)
What's she doing?
I can't tell what she's doing.
(The two trainees received cold responses from the trainers.)
You all sang, danced and rapped.
They were all very unstable.
You're doing something, but you seem very weak.
I can tell you don't have the basics when you were dancing.
I was in Cube for a short time.
Cube doesn't teach you if you don't have the basics.
(Lai Kuan Lin and Yoo Seon Ho showed basic routine dance.)
It's the basics.
(It was a basic routine dance, but they were sharp.)
- Didn't you practice the basics? - I did.
I did it a long time ago.
There's no long time ago for basics.
You should never stop practicing the basics.
Trainees Shin Su Hyun and Han Cho Won.
It's a D for you two.
(Shin Su Hyun and Han Cho Won: D)
We only début after a month.
That's why we don't know the basics.
- We never had a vocal training. - We never did.
It's not like we learn the basics before the début.
We do it on our own without a trainer.
I learned watching seniors.
In Korea, when you join an agency,
the agency will start training you.
- Yes. - But that's not the case for Japan.
Then who teaches you?
You have to learn by yourself.
Unbelievable. Really?
Two countries have a different way of producing idol singers.
But it's not fun if they're too good.
It's fun to watch them grow.
Seriously.
It's AKB48 now.
Is it the first time with AKB48?
They're finally on the stage.
I'm looking forward to seeing it. I can't wait to see it.
I couldn't wait to see it.
Come on.
(What will AKB48's first performance be like?)
She's the top in singing,
and she's the top in dancing.
(Nakano Ikumi topped the dance competition.)
(Oda Erina was selected as the best singer among the members.)
I hope they're good.
(It's a combination of the best singer and performer.)
("Get You" by Morning Musume)
It's worse than I expected.
Her singing style is so old.
- Ikumi. - Yes?
Can you dance for us?
She won the first place. She should.
Yes.
Is this what they're going to do?
What if they make me dance?
There's nothing I can do.
Freestyle dance? I'm in trouble.
I can't do it.
I can never ever do it.
Please play number eight.
Good luck, Ikumi.
Ikumi will definitely be able to do it.
(Trainee Nakano Ikumi shows off her freestyle dance skills.)
That was amazing.
That was amazing!
This makes no sense.
I really don't know about this.
Firstly, your energy is really good.
But I don't think you know how to control that energy.
(A series of mistakes caused by her lack of experience and nerves)
I'm not sure that the fact that you danced to the beat...
warrants you having won first place in a dance competition.
If you keep continuing on like this,
you won't ever be able to perform on a stage.
Trainer Bae Yoon Jung was so scary.
Trainer Bae Yoon Jung...
She comes off really strong.
She's scary.
- Jung Yong? - Jung Yong? You mean Bae Yoon Jung?
Bae Yoon Jung!
I'm so sorry!
I'm seriously so scared of her.
She has that famous line that she's known for.
- "You really want to be a singer?" - "You really want to be a singer?"
- So Hye. - Yes?
(So Hye from Season One)
(You really want to be a singer?)
I thought that...
she seemed really scary when I watched Season One.
Her eyes look as if she'll break you.
They seem to be saying, "Prepare yourself."
Or something along those lines.
Should we write something here too?
What should I write?
Was I the only one who wrote something too scary?
- "Prepare yourself, you guys!" - Well, they need to.
(Coming up next, the AKB48 trainees' performance)
(The Japanese trainees prepared songs by Korean girl groups.)
(Their basics are a lot worse than they'd expected.)
Gosh, this is too much.
Your skills...
are worse than that of the contestants...
from Season One.
It'll be really hard for you guys if you continue on like this.
I can't even judge them.
All of them get a D.
(Nakanishi Chiyori and Miyazaki Miho: D)
Both of you get an F.
All right.
(Asai Yuka and Umeyama Cocona: F)
You have a lot to learn.
I think those girls will have quite a tough time.
I think that the Japanese girls will cry quite a lot when they're here.
- Their system is different. - Is it that different?
I think their culture as a whole is different.
It's really tough for the Japanese girls.
- Yes, it is. - Yes.
(Which team is the next to be judged?)
HKT48?
(HKT48 is a group...)
(that primarily focuses on promoting in Hakata, Fukuoka.)
HKT48's live concerts...
are quite fun, and the crowd loves them.
I think all of them will get an A grade.
You can do it!
I really hope they do well.
(Will HKT48 be able to protect the Japanese trainees' pride?)
("Never-ending Ferris Wheel" by HKT48)
I have a question.
All of you...
are currently actively performing in Japan, right?
- Yes. - Yes.
So that means that you all must have auditioned in Japan too.
- Yes. - Yes.
So what made them choose you all exactly?
There must have been something you were good at, which was why...
you were chosen for this group, and are actively performing, right?
I can't tell what you would've been chosen for. I'm really curious.
But we were judged on our singing and dancing.
Do you all practice a lot?
Yes.
None of you are in sync with one another, though.
To the point where I want to ask what you practiced.
You know how K-pop singers and dancers...
are quite famous...
for their perfectly synchronized dancing?
Is perfectly synchronized dancing not considered important...
in Japan?
It's more important for the Japanese idols to look cute...
than to perfectly synchronize their dancing.
Oh, so it's a cultural difference.
I think that we really are quite different.
I started thinking,
"Korean culture and Japanese culture really are quite different."
It almost feels like I'm encountering a new world...
as I keep meeting these Japanese girls.
- Our cultures are so different. - Yes, they are.
I'm sure they're quite shocked by us too.
For us, it's more important to show that we're having fun...
- than to sing or dance perfectly. - Yes, exactly.
Because that's what's most important...
as an entertainer.
There are a lot of people who are popular...
even if they can't sing or dance well.
Our cultures are different.
Good work. We're going to sort things out.
Despite everything, she has some singing skills.
No, I don't think so.
- She's the best among them. - Okay.
They're going to be active in both Korea...
and Japan, right?
We have to think about which class we can put them in...
to make them learn everything as quickly as possible.
This is really hard.
I'll announce HKT48's individual grade.
Motomura Aoi and Imada Mina get a D.
Everyone else gets an F.
It's not that we're saying that your skill level is at an F level.
It's just that, none of you received the same kind of training...
that Korean trainees do.
We will be sure to help you a lot and push you all forward,
so that all of you can become grade A performers.
There was a girl who got an F in Season One,
but she ended up debuting.
Since all of you have come all the way to Korea,
take this opportunity to learn what perfectly synchronized dancing is.
Good luck!
- Thank you. - Thank you.
They are a team that was quite confident in themselves...
and had been performing in Japan for a while.
And even though SKE48 and HKT48...
are different teams,
we were quite sad as well.
Nobody ever told us stuff like this before.
Let's work hard again from the very beginning.
It's okay.
It's been seven years since I first debuted.
This was the first time I thought, "Is this the best I can do?"
That thought made me feel so upset.
I shouldn't cry.
Just a moment.
You won't ever be able to perform on a stage.
It felt as if we got no credit...
for all of the performances we've done up until now.
And that made me quite upset.
It's important for Korean idols...
to be good at singing and dancing.
But the Japanese idols need to be cute...
and lovable.
It's important for us to make our fans happy above all else.
But after we saw the Korean trainees' performances,
we felt like they were on a completely different level than us.
It made us feel quite small.
It made me think, "Is this really the best that I can do?"
I really...
didn't want to say things that would make me sound weak.
I can acutely feel just how unskilled I am compared to them.
It started making me feel less and less confident.
Are you going to give up?
No, I won't give up.
I know that it'll take a lot of work,
but I want to move up the ranks, one at a time.
I think there's no other way than to practice hard.
And I want to show off my potential.
I won't lose to myself, and I'll work hard.
("The thing that determines one's fate...")
("is one's own willpower and effort." By Lee Seung Gi)
- Are you guys disbanded? - What?
(The rankings of the 96 trainees will be revealed soon.)
- She has experience being the main. - She's more experienced.
- She's super famous. - I hope you do well.
(What's the next agency to be judged?)
- 3, 2, 1! Niigata! - Niigata!
- NGT48! - NGT48!
Goodness, that startled me.
What was that?
Will the next group of trainees please enter?
Please be on standby.
Please enter now.
They're Japanese.
Whose song are they singing? Girls' Generation?
It's Noe.
How cute!
- Good luck! - How cute!
They went the wrong way.
(They're so cute.)
- Let's go! - Let's go!
- Hello! - Hello!
We're NGT48.
I'm Yamada Noe.
I'm Hasegawa Rena.
- Nice to... - Nice to...
- Nice to meet you! - Nice to meet you!
They're so cute.
(Not too long ago, when NGT48 first arrived...)
(It's me!)
Her voice!
It's so amazing how she can make people laugh just by saying that.
I guess one's voice truly is important.
Her voice really is amazing.
Ms. Noe, did your voice become like that...
because you talk all day?
I've always had a husky voice. My voice has always been like this.
- This is my real voice. - This is her concept.
(Initial audition for choosing the 96 contestants)
(Singing)
Thank you very much. I always have a husky voice anywhere, anytime.
It's not because I've caught a cold.
I'm Yamada Noe, and people call me "Noe-pi!"
When I was younger, I had a cute voice,
and it wasn't husky like this at all.
But at a preschool, when I was around five years old or so,
I was playing hide-and-seek...
in the middle of the winter...
with a short-sleeve shirt, short pants, and flip-flops on.
I caught a cold, and my voice hasn't come back since then.
(Testing her voice)
Is this one of those things?
You know, a two-way mirror.
Everyone! Everyone!
Thank you.
They can probably see us behind this mirror, right?
Everyone!
I know that you can see us!
(Laughing)
- What should we eat after this? - I don't want to eat.
I want to eat pork belly.
You're amazing.
Your voice is really charming.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
(Is that Korean or Japanese?)
(Shining brightly)
She's cute. Okay, show us what you've got.
You can do it!
(What kind of performance will NGT48 show us?)
("Gee" by Girls' Generation)
They're so cute.
- How cute! - They're so cute.
Yamada Noe's facial expressions are amazing.
- Yes. - Thank you.
This is hard.
(Hugging tightly)
They're so cute!
Your skills aside,
you guys are adorable.
You said that you hope to become a main dancer.
- Yes. - I'll choose a song for you.
Looks like the time has finally come.
Would you like to do a freestyle dance?
You have to do freestyle dancing here.
She's so scary.
This is what's making me most nervous.
- Number 23. - Number 5! Number 5!
- Number 19. - Number 51.
All right. Number 189 then.
(They watch the trainees' freestyle dances to gauge their current level)
(Trainee Lee Chae Yeon showed off a powerful, girl crush-worthy dance.)
(Trainee Wang Yi Ren specializes in traditional Chinese dance.)
(Trainee Park Seo Young appealed to the judges...)
(with her flexibility and expressiveness.)
(Trainee Sohn Eun Chae showcased two different styles of dance.)
(The Korean trainees did their extra dances without getting flustered.)
That's so amazing. I'm at a loss for words.
That's amazing.
That was so amazing.
That was amazing!
I couldn't do that. How do I put this?
It almost felt like I was watching a dance recital.
The Korean trainees' dancing skills were so amazing...
that it felt like we got to watch pro dancers for free.
(Yama Noe, an audience member at a free dance show)
(Fascinated, What?)
(Anticipating, Getting thirsty)
(Smiling)
What do we do if they make us do a freestyle dance?
(Please, no!)
We'll start with Hasegawa Rena then.
Please play number 48.
It's not singing. It's dancing.
What? Wait a second!
Freestyle!
(She gets them excited.)
(Oh, whatever!)
(She's in a trance.)
(Shake it.)
(Come on! Fall for me!)
That's exciting.
She's cute. All right.
No, no!
What do you mean, "No"?
All I did was move to the music.
Good job.
Her energy won.
I lost.
When I was watching Trainee Yamada Noe,
I was reminded of Momoland's...
- Oh, Joo Yi? - Joo Yi. She reminded me of her.
(Momoland's Joo Yi, a person who is full of spirit and fun energy)
(Full of fun energy from head to toe)
(Noe is full of talents.)
Do you know Joo Yi of Momoland, by any chance?
I don't know her.
She's just like you.
- Thank you. - She's full of spirit too.
(Embarrassed)
She's amazing.
She's really amazing.
She really has the power to make people happy.
To the point that I want to say the person I admire the most is Noe-pi.
We managed to make a good impression of Japanese trainees.
Thank goodness.
This is what a Japanese idol is like.
I really want to give her an A.
- Really? - Her star quality and spirit...
If we take into consideration upgrading their skills...
rather than their natural born talent...
I'll announce NGT48's individual grade.
Yamada Noe. Your grade is C.
Why is she so happy when she got a C?
- Thank you. - Let's say thank you.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
I was very surprised.
I know I shouldn't say this,
but I was wondering if the trainers...
were in their right minds.
It's a secret.
I made some funny movements.
Nevertheless, I'm grateful.
I got a C.
(She's very happy about it.)
I hate this kind of thing.
I hate it.
Next trainee, please come in.
Your voice is pretty.
It's like I'm listening to the radio.
(Her voice was so sweet.)
Her voice matches dawn.
Was I being too sweet?
"Please come in."
Your voice is nice.
Isn't mine nice?
Your voice is nice too.
I really like Soyou's voice.
Her voice is so sweet like honey.
She speaks very softly.
Did you prepare for another song?
Take a deep breath, and start when you're ready.
Take a deep breath.
(Soyou is sweet just like her voice.)
She's so nice to the trainees.
(Trainees are singing to get their grades.)
(She's off-pitch.)
Can I please do it one more time? I started at the wrong pitch.
It's okay. You can do it again.
I forgot the chorus.
(She quickly guides the lyrics for the trainee who forgot them.)
(She's touched.)
The clothes I bought you
- Your pitch is too high. - Is it?
(She teaches them the right pitch.)
Thank you.
She was like my saviour.
(Soyou is a very sweet girl.)
When did you become a trainee?
- I was 17. - In 10th grade?
(Soyou became a trainee when she was 17 years old.)
I wanted to become a star since I was young.
I couldn't see myself improving. My future felt bleak.
I was a trainee, but I didn't do much.
I know what the trainees are worried about.
I know what's stressing them too.
As I said earlier, this isn't an evaluation.
This is a personalized training.
You should learn it step by step.
Please work hard. Let's get this done.
She's sincerely helping us.
I could tell that she really wanted to train us well.
I loved it.
Next trainee, please step in.
(The trainees from these agencies will be graded next.)
They're from Mamamoo's entertainment agency.
She must sing well.
FNC is known to have good vocalists,
so I was looking forward to hear from her.
(Earlier during the grade evaluation)
(The trainees had unsteady singing skills.)
Oh, what a shame.
There isn't anyone who can sing well.
- Nobody can sing well. - I know.
Aren't they all good singers?
I'm excited.
("Power" by Little Mix)
It's great.
An A for FNC Entertainment's...
Trainee Park Hae Yoon.
("Pretty" by Seventeen)
Could you please sing another song that can show your voice?
I like her voice.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
This is my evaluation.
Me too.
It's unanimous.
An A for RBW's...
Trainee Na Go Eun.
She's the steadiest vocalist so far.
I think her voice is similar to Tae Yeon's voice.
Don't you think so?
(Another trainee is stepping up with a smile.)
She reminds me of someone.
Hello.
She looks like So Hye.
Her mouth and eyes look like So Hye's.
(They're not twins.)
(And...)
- I thought she was Sun Mi. - Me too.
She looks so similar.
(They're trainees who look like idol singers.)
They're dancers. I hope they can dance well.
(Kim Do Ah was requested to do a freestyle dance.)
Her expression is great.
Please play number 189, the last song.
(What will Trainee Hwang So Yeon's freestyle dance will be like?)
She's her in element.
She looks like Sun Mi.
(She's about to dance the point dance of "Gashina".)
(Why would you leave me when I'm so pretty)
(She's making "Gashina" faces.)
(She knows how to dance.)
She's good.
I don't know much about dancing.
But I loved it. She was so pretty.
Thank you.
An A for Hwang So Yeon.
An A for Kim Do Ah.
(Hwang So Yeon and Kim Do Ah: A)
Well done.
They have to be this good if they want to get an A.
I haven't enjoyed a fun stage like this for a long time.
Coming up next. Starship Entertainment.
- It's Starship's turn. - Starship...
We have to see.
It's Starship's turn.
- Let's go. Let's go. - Let's go. Let's go.
(Trainees from Starship are making their entrances loudly.)
(The other trainees are stunned...)
(to see their long legs.)
They're all so tall.
- Hello. We're from Starship. - Hello. We're from Starship.
- I'm Cho Ga Hyeon. - I'm Ahn Yoo Jin.
I'm Jang Won Young.
- Trainee Jang Won Young. - Yes?
She's the youngest one out of all the 96 trainees.
She was born in 2004. How old is that?
(Did we all hear that correctly?)
(She's three years younger than me. I can't believe this.)
What? She doesn't look that young.
How tall are you?
I'm 168cm tall.
It's so unfair.
(My goodness.)
Her legs are long.
Her legs are really long.
- Her legs are so long. - Yes, they're long.
You're like a giant baby.
Yes.
He said she's a giant baby.
(She's 15 years old, but she's as tall as an adult.)
There are so many cameras.
(Glancing)
She's so bright.
(Hi, camera.)
Thank you.
Hello.
- It's not working. - It's working.
- Hello. - Hello.
- We're the future of Starship. - We're the future of Starship.
What do you think is your point of attraction?
- 1, 2, 3. - 1, 2, 3.
- We're naughty. - We're naughty.
Is this a moving camera?
The camera's moving.
(The participants from Season Two)
(Do all trainees from Starship react to moving cameras?)
Follow me.
I'm here. Look at me.
Give it to me.
It's recording. We're recorded.
- Is it working? - It's recording.
I don't think so.
We might break it.
(They won't stop being naughty.)
Even though I look like this...
(She doesn't stop playing with the camera.)
Even though she looks like this...
- What's your next line? - Please think of me as being cute.
What do you mean by that? You're pretty.
I know. I'm pretty, so I'm asking that they think of me as being cute.
Everyone, this has to be recorded.
Let's enter. We can do this.
- Let's go. - Let's do this.
- Let's go. - We're on camera.
Hello! This is amazing.
What's this?
(There's a camera here too.)
(They're saying hello to every camera.)
- Let's go, Starship. - Let's go.
Yoo Jin. You're a model...
of a contact lens brand.
No way.
That's amazing.
Honestly, it's very pressuring.
The advertisement was all about my looks.
People might think, "She's only doing that..."
"because she's not talented."
But...
I'm confident that I'll do my best to not hear such things.
I heard that you practiced a lot. I'll look forward to your stage.
- All right. - Okay.
You're scary all of a sudden.
Right. Soyou's from Starship too.
Let's say that trainees from Starship are here.
What would you do if they aren't so good?
I'll criticize even more.
They're representing the agency.
(They are in the same agency. How will their stage turn out?)
("Wings" by Little Mix)
They can sing well.
She's so charming.
That's fantastic.
They'll get an A for sure.
They're good.
They can sing so well even when they dance.
Can you dance some more?
I'll do it.
She's so cool.
Look at her face.
They all deserve an A.
She dances so well. She danced as soon as she heard the music.
It's hard to dance straight to the song even if I know the song.
I really like her.
They need to get an A on average.
I don't think she deserves it.
(What's the grade for the trainees from Starship?)
Hong Ki. Please announce it.
You do it.
I'll announce the individual grade for Starship Entertainment trainees.
The first one who got an A...
I want to get an A.
The first one who got an A...
There's none.
Oh, my gosh.
I was surprised. Nobody got an A.
The one who got a B...
is Ahn Yoo Jin.
Jang Won Young.
Cho Ga Hyeon.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Over all,
you all aren't good singers yet.
That's why you got a B.
- Please work hard. - Thank you.
(Cho Ga Hyeon, Ahn Yoo Jin, Jang Won Young: B)
(She found a camera again.)
I want to get an A.
- Let's get an A. - We can do it.
We'll start with a B and end with an A.
I want to be on stage for a long time with an A.
I want to be shot by the cameras.
I really love those things.
(Grade evaluation continues.)
("Roller Coaster" by Chung Ha)
("Heroine" by Sun Mi)
("Question Mark" by Primary)
(They're enjoying the stage together.)
(They also watch the performances with much concern.)
(Meanwhile, in a corner)
Everyone's so good.
- Her dance is powerful. - It is.
(Where are these three trainees from?)
- In 2, 3. Hello. - Hello.
I'm Kim Min Seo.
I've been a trainee at HOW Entertainment for seven months.
I've been a trainee for six months. I'm Yoo Min Young.
I'm a trainee for eight months. My name's Wang Ke.
(Hwang Chi Yeul, who has many great hit songs,)
(signed up with HOW Entertainment.)
You've been practicing as trainees for a short time.
- Right. - Can you beat the other trainees?
- Yes, we can! - Yes, we can!
(They were so confident before.)
We must be the worst dancers here.
Yes, for sure.
I'm scared.
What should I do?
Next trainees, please come in.
There are many trainees who are much better than us.
I know they have many strengths.
But we don't want to feel small. We'll do our best.
(What have the trainees from HOW Entertainment practiced?)
I love it!
What?
No way.
"Celeb Five" is a re-made song which is originally from Japan.
I recognized the song.
("Celeb Five" by Celeb Five)
Oh, gosh.
They're serious. Look at them.
They're good.
Sing with us!
Oh, gosh.
It was the best stage.
It's the best.
I want to see it one more time.
It's the best.
They made the entire stage theirs.
I knew they had what it takes to become celebrities.
It was good.
I'd give an A for their passion.
Their facial expressions deserve an A too.
Their attitudes deserve an A.
They picked the song well.
It was well-planned.
I thought that...
everyone would do something girlish and pretty.
We wanted to do something different.
Did you see Wang Ke's face?
- Yes. - The one in the middle...
(She was so into the performance.)
(Her facial expression for the song was excellent.)
She was so serious, and she maintained the face until the end.
(Happy)
She's a rapper.
Finally, a rapper has joined us.
Do you write your lyrics own too?
Yes. I write my own lyrics.
Thank you.
- I liked it. - Yes, it was good.
Your dictation was clear.
She wrote the lyrics herself.
Thank you.
Their facial expressions were good. They danced in sync.
She earned the highest score.
She's a rapper anyway.
The performance itself was good.
All right.
I'll announce the individual grade for HOW Entertainment.
First, the one who got an A...
I wasn't expecting an A at all. C was the highest grade I expected.
The one who got an A...
is Trainee Yoo Min Young.
Thank you.
(Yoo Min Young: A, Kim Min Seo: C)
(Wang Ke: B)
I didn't know I would get an A.
I'll do my best to keep this grade.
Next trainees, please stand by.
Walk down carefully.
Be careful.
Did he say they're cute?
He told them to be careful in Japanese.
"They're so cute."
I don't know Japanese.
Are you good at Japanese?
- I don't speak it at all. - Not at all?
I can speak the daily language.
- What about you, Soyou? - I can't speak Japanese.
- You can't? Me neither. - No.
(Where is this place? Who am I?)
(He's confused.)
(Japanese is hard.)
(The trainees are getting ready for the next stage.)
Don't go too far to the back.
Be careful not to go too far.
Okay.
Be careful not to go too far.
(He looks so cool.)
(Hong Ki's cool.)
What did you say?
I told them to be careful.
You're good at Japanese.
You can speak Japanese. Why did you pretend like you can't?
We learned it straight from them.
(FT Island made its début in Japan, which was successful.)
(FT Island is quite popular in Japan.)
("FT Island Ranks Number One on the Oricon Chart")
(Hong Ki's Japanese skills has been improving...)
(while working hard as a singer.)
What made you join this show?
What was your reason?
How ready are you?
Can you write and arrange your own songs?
Are you confident enough to stand as the main?
(Hong Ki's an excellent trainer for the global trainees.)
All teachers carry this attendance book.
Yes. I was hit by it a lot.
I look like a teacher holding this.
(He's so charming.)
(You're officially appointed as the vocal trainer.)
Next trainees, please come in.
(Who's going to perform this time?)
Hello. My name is Takeuchi Miu.
Nice to meet you.
My name is Goto Moe.
I'm Iwatate Saho.
We will start practicing now.
We'll practice now.
- We'll do our best. - We'll work hard.
The song we chose...
is "Dancing Hero".
It's a song by Oginome Yoko. She's an idol singer...
from 1980s.
Last year, a high school team...
performed with this song.
They danced along the song.
(Celeb Five covered the song. It's called "Celeb Five".)
(The trainees from HOW Entertainment...)
(have performed to the same song earlier.)
What's worse is that...
the Korean trainees danced even better.
I knew that the trainers would compare the two stages.
Korean trainees just performed the same song earlier.
Did you see the stage?
- Yes. - Yes.
How was it?
Their movements and facial expressions were all amazing.
But we decided to perform...
whatever we have practiced.
Please get ready for your stage.
(What will their stage be like?)
("Dancing Hero" by Oginome Yoko)
It was nice.
They're so pretty.
It was the best.
It was different.
They sing well.
Takeuchi Miyu.
Your voice is so attractive.
Your voice goes well with the song.
For your reference,
I rearranged the song.
- Did you do it yourself? - Yes.
She's talented.
By the way, Goto Moe.
She didn't sing. Did she?
It says here that she wants to be a vocalist.
(Goto Moe only danced unlike the other two trainees.)
Why didn't you sing?
To be honest,
my voice is gone because of pollen allergy.
I really wanted to sing until the last minute.
But I couldn't.
I'm sorry.
She's been preparing so hard...
even until yesterday to perform on this stage.
You couldn't do anything about it.
But I thought that...
a professional shouldn't do this.
I realized that a professional singer has to be always careful.
What shall we do with her?
We couldn't hear her sing at all.
To be fair, she has to get an F.
Her dance was so unique though.
I was so attracted to her dance.
Her dance movements are different from the others.
Because I was so focused on her,
I couldn't hear the rest sing.
(Goto Moe's dance...)
(was very unique that all the trainers were attracted to it.)
(She can't take her eyes off her.)
I know she has an allergy,
but she didn't sing at all.
I'll announce AKB48's...
individual grade.
(Takeuchi Miyu: A)
(Iwatate Saho: B)
For Goto Moe,
you got an F.
It will be unfair for those who sang well...
because you couldn't sing at all.
So you're getting an F.
I hope you can recover soon,
so that we can hear your voice soon.
I want to hear her voice so much.
Her voice must be unique.
I'm very frustrated.
But I know it will get better...
when I recover.
I'll still do my best.
Next trainees, please come in.
It's Pledis.
Pledis.
Pledis is an amazing entertainment agency.
Pledis.
It's Pledis.
Look at them. They're tall.
They are so tall.
They are pretty.
- Hello. We're giraffes from Pledis. - Hello. We're giraffes from Pledis.
- I'm Lee Ka Eun. - I'm Heo Yun Jin.
I'm so happy to join Produce 48.
She speaks Japanese well.
I'm very glad.
I know many hard times will come.
- She speaks Japanese well. - I want to enjoy it all together.
I look forward to your kindness.
- She's good. - She is.
She speaks Japanese well.
Ka Eun, you're quite familiar.
Right.
Is she from After School?
Was she a singer before?
After School.
- What? - She's After School's member.
What?
I joined After School in 2012.
What?
I made a début with After School.
("Kahi Left After School, And Ka Eun Joined the Team")
(She made her dream come true as a singer.)
I performed for the last time in 2013.
That's how 4 to 5 years passed.
I thought it would be hard for me to perform as After School again.
Then you were in hiatus? What have you been up to?
I was waiting...
I was...
waiting to sing again.
I waited for so long, but it didn't go so well.
Honestly,
while I was in hiatus,
I was really happy.
I thought it was okay.
I realised one day that it wasn't okay at all.
When Season One aired,
many trainees who practiced with me were on the show too.
If I didn't make my début,
I would have joined the program. I could have ended up better.
I made my début,
but as I watched the show at home, I kept asking myself...
why I'm doing nothing.
I'm sorry.
I felt so frustrated.
If I hadn't made my début,
I could have made it all new.
But I felt like I couldn't turn back the time.
Hello. I'm a trainee from Pledis. My name's Lee Ka Eun. I'm 25.
I hope you can help me to be a singer again.
Please help me achieve my unfulfilled dream.
It's like my last opportunity.
I'll do whatever I can to win this.
This company's known for good dancers.
They train them really hard.
I can't wait to see it.
They're like Yue Hua's rivals.
They always become the talk of the town when they appear on the show.
She used to be After School's member.
I'm expecting a lot from her.
I'm excited for this. This song is quite hard.
Have you worked with her?
No, I've never.
("Havana" by Camila Cabello)
It's "Havana".
I can tell she's a professional.
Goodness. It was amazing.
The ending was excellent.
They're so pretty.
- All right. Hi. - Hello.
They're from the same group.
How do you feel appearing as a trainee on the show?
I'm glad that I have another opportunity to be a singer again.
You must have been motivated by the members of NU'EST.
Yes. They gave me the encouragement to try again.
I thought there could be another opportunity for me.
That's how I mustered up the courage to appear here.
Don't you have any plans for After School?
Why would you ask her that?
You have to ask the manager.
The CEO?
I'm just curious if you know anything.
Are you guys disbanded?
- No, we aren't, but... - I see.
He said it's okay for me to join this.
So I just thought that we won't work as After School again.
So did you tell him you wanted to join this program first?
Yes. I told him that.
She's so charming.
- I think so too. - How was her singing?
- I have the same opinion. - Okay.
I think both of them will receive an A.
It was outstanding.
- What? - The stage was outstanding.
I think they'll get an A.
I'll announce Pledis' individual grade.
The one who got an A...
They'll get an A for sure.
is Lee Ka Eun.
Thank you.
And...
that is all.
C for Heo Yun Jin.
Thank you.
I know you haven't performed for five years,
but it didn't show at all.
You dominated the whole stage.
She got much more mature than the girl I remember.
I hope you can show everything you haven't shown for five years.
I wanted to take a fair stance because you used to perform...
professionally as a member of After School.
So I paid much attention to your stage.
Your performance was so neat.
- Thank you. - Please maintain such standard.
I hope to see more from you.
Good job, Yun Jin.
Thank you.
You were so good.
Good job.
You held it well.
I was heart-broken.
You deserve an A since you did well.
You were good too. You know that, right?
Honestly,
it wasn't easy for me to be here.
I was scared too.
I thought about it a lot.
But I had no lower place to go.
It was like the last opportunity for me to be on a stage.
I wanted to get the chance...
to be on a stage again.
I hope this will be a good chance...
for many people to see me perform.
(While the Korean trainees were showing good performances)
Who else is left?
Sakura and Juri.
You're right.
The Japanese trainees should get As too.
(Most of Japanese trainees got either D or F.)
(Will any of the Japanese trainees be able to receive an A?)
Noe's grade is the highest so far.
Really?
She got a C. It's rather high.
- How about Ikumi? - She got a D.
She did?
C is considered as high.
Nobody got A or B.
Only the Japanese trainees got F.
Next trainees, please come in.
The next trainee's quite famous in Japan.
- Is she a famous person? - Really?
She made her début before I did.
She's a very famous celebrity.
She used to be the main member on stage a lot.
She's really famous in Japan.
(Miyawaki Sakura is the center of HKT48.)
(Matsui Jurina is the center of SKE48.)
They look great.
They're confident.
They have so much pride in their teams.
They all worked hard as singers in Japan.
When I saw them getting those low grades,
I felt really sad too.
Korean entertainers are respected even when they come to Japan.
But as soon as Japanese idols leave Japan,
they lose recognition.
And I feel like I've just realised that now.
And that fact makes me feel resentful.
She has fire in her eyes.
I could see her strong spirit shine through.
So when I sing, I want to show them that...
Japanese people can do this too when they put their minds to it.
All I'm thinking now is, "I'm going to show them my 100 percent."
Even within AKB48, Sakura is someone...
who is an ace.
I'm looking forward to this. She must be good.
Good luck!
Please be good. Apparently, she's the most influential member.
I'm looking forward to this.
I hope she does well.
And I was thinking that it'd be great...
if she could show off the power of AKB48 groups some more.
(Miyawaki Sakura and Matsui Jurina,)
(the cream of the crop within AKB48)
(Will these two be able to reclaim AKB48's pride?)
(To be continued soon)
(The rankings of the 96 trainees will be revealed soon.)
(Meanwhile, at a restaurant in Jongro, Seoul)
- Good work. - Good work.
(Akimoto Yasushi)
Does Mr. Akimoto like Korean food?
I really like "one whole chicken".
(They have a staff dinner after reviewing the 96 trainees.)
How did they seem to you today?
The Korean trainees...
all get proper vocal lessons, dance lessons, and other things.
I thought that it was amazing that they all have the fundamentals down.
And I realised that they're trained differently than Japanese trainees.
The members of AKB48...
have been actively performing for many years now.
And I think they showed a kind of charisma that makes that evident.
And as for the Japanese trainees,
they showcased a different kind of...
individuality, charisma, and passion.
There were so many talented trainees...
that I think it'll be difficult...
for National Producers to cast their votes.
I hope that they will vote on the trainees...
who they think are the most charismatic.
So please, cast your votes.
We'll leave it to you, National Producers!
Thank you.
(The rankings of the 96 trainees will be revealed soon.)
Dear National Producer. We will now be announcing...
the rankings of the 96 trainees in real-time!
(Current rankings)
(From 85th to 96th)
(From 73rd to 84th)
(From 61st to 72nd)
(From 49th to 60th)
(From 37th to 48th)
(From 25th to 36th)
(From 13th to 24th)
(From 1st to 12th)
(Vote for your girl.)
- Hello. - Hello.
They're so young.
Gosh, that's amazing.
I'm here already, and...
It's "Pick Me".
We have to memorize both the Japanese and Korean versions.
There's a lot of details to learn with even just one version.
Why did we give her an A?
Aren't you ashamed, members of Class A?
Guys, I told you that this isn't it.
What are you doing all of the sudden?
The girls in Class A could end up using the CD track.
- Why is it such a mess? - There's no heart in it.
Miyawaki Sakura. Your grade is...