Preface: 2021 has been a weird year. With the world dipping in and out of lockdown, different strains of the virus appearing faster than you can say Resident Evil, and everyone still being extremely mad at each other, it seemed like society itself has been kinda confused as to how to move on from what people considered to be one of the worst years ever. And last year was... a f*cking dumpster fire. But hey, at least this year was an improvement. No 2NE1 reunion, but we did get a host of great shows and music! And this retrospective is here to recap it all. The good, the bad, and... whatever this was.



So grab your favorite snack, sit back and watch the chaos ensue.

But for now... my Naevis, we love you.










Oh yeah. That feels good.

Chapters:

 

• TV

↳ Reality

↳ Scripted

↳ Rewatch

 

• Music

↳ Fave Albums

↳ Fave EP/Minis

↳ Best Album Tracks/B-sides

↳ Rookie Of The Year

↳ Top 150 K-pop

↳ Top 150 Overall

Exciting! As I've said for others I'm not exactly a TV buff but I'll be around when it comes to the music section!

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

Street Woman Fighter

 

 

The first of a few Korean reality shows, Street Woman Fighter was more or less a glorified half hour long dance-off, in which several dancers and crews battled it out to gain the title of Korea's best female dance crew. With the likes of BoA and NCT's Taeyong posing as main judges, the main attention grabber for me was that it appealed to my nostalgia very well. The premise of the show gave off the same feel as America's Best Dance Crew, one of my favorite childhood shows. This was a very cut & dry dance competition show, taking elements from American dance shows and mixing them with elements from Korean reality shows such as Unpretty Rapstar, a rap battle-focused competition show. The contestant lineup consisted of various professional dancers and choreographers, but there was a twist - straight from IZ*ONE's disbandment, main dancer Lee Chaeyeon joined the show with dance crew WANT. Needless to say this garnered a lot of attention from fans everywhere, who have wanted to see Chaeyeon dance again after continuously proving herself as a member of IZ*ONE.

 

Unfortunately, this is where the negatives lie, as often times the edit felt like Chaeyeon was just the butt monkey for all the other professional dancers since she's an idol (an argument we've seen plenty in the Korean rap reality scene) and on the other side, the other dancers were evil-edited as Chaeyeon was viewed as a victim of what could be considered borderline bullying. I take this with a grain of salt since bullying is a serious accusation in K-pop (and one of the reasons why I wanted to take a break from following as closely as I did this time last year) and the edits only show a partial amount of the story. But overall, the dances were clean and eye-catching, if a bit overdramatic, but that's just Korean reality show editing for you. All the contestants are good in their own rights and they all seem to want this, which is a plus in my book.

 

-

 

The Masked Dancer US (Season 1)

 

 

Huh. I guess Ellen's show was good for something. :) The Masked Dancer started off as a soft parody of the then new Masked Singer US franchise (I mean that bit on Ellen even saw a little cameo from Derek Hough so that got my attention), and then ended up getting its own full-fledged season.

 

This show... surprised me to say the least. I'm of the belief that casting can make or break a good reality show. No matter how good the format is or how much you try to revamp a show so that it differentiates itself from similar shows, the quality of the casting is what keeps attention and brings in the views. The judges were chosen well - we had a mix of fans and dancers alike and it provided a great dynamic within the panel. Ashley Tisdale was bright and colorful and Brian Austin Green brought in a comedic aspect that mixed well with Ken, but Paula Abdul's inclusion was the glue that kept everything together. As a dance-focused pop star who has worked in the industry for decades, it would make sense that she knew a lot about these contestants and their dance styles. Also she is way too good at this.

 

The contestants were no slouch either. It was nice to see a bit of Dancing With The Stars crossover, as we got both former contestants (Bill Nye, Mackenzie Ziegler) and pros (Maks Chmerkovskiy) participating. It was competitive, but it still gave them a chance to showcase their skills. While I did root for Tulip (Kenzie), I was happy to see Gabby Douglas win. She was consistent and her journey was that she got more confidence as the season rolled on, and after the trials and tribulations she went through after the Rio Olympics, it was a nice and welcome change in vibe.

 

-

 

The Bachelorette (Season 18)

 

 

I honestly thought that my love for The Bachelor franchise would end after the giant racism drama that happened during the first half of the year, and it really did send Disney and ABC into a downward spiral as far as the show went. On top of that, Matt was boring as a lead and the casting didn't help matters either. Bachelor In Paradise was a bit better but bogged down by the amount of guest hosts. Why not just have Wells take over hosting full time and then bring in Demi to fill in his spot? He's an engaging host and she's a great narrator! They would be a great fit for the show!

 

Needless to say it was up to The Bachelorette to give the franchise a return to form, and I was a bit skeptical after its year, but the news that Kaitlyn and Tayshia would be hosting in place of Chris Harrison got me hyped. They for sure did not disappoint. The Bachelorette aired in the middle of Dancing With The Stars this year, which prevented me from giving the season its undivided attention, but I was still able to catch some of the drama that went down. This was another season that brought forth another addition to its growing list of BIPOC leads, after Tayshia and Matt from previous iterations. All things considered, Michelle ended up being a great lead and didn't feel shoehorned for a diversity quota like Matt was. She knew what she wanted, she was headstrong, and that's what I expect from a Bachelorette season. However, the real kicker was that Kaitlyn and Tayshia were much better hosts than Chris - they gelled well with Michelle and their energies seemed to match.

 

The thing that I like about The Bachelorette is that the women are in charge and often times anchor the casting. It's what I liked about Jojo's, Rachel's and Hannah's seasons and Michelle's was no different. It also kinda helped that her First Impression Rose ended up being her pick in the end.

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

Kingdom: Legendary War (Queen/Kingdom Season 3)

 

 

Another Korean reality show! The premise of this show is that six K-pop boy groups "compete" in a comeback "battle" to see who will come out on top, with the winner getting their own special in music shows as well as a dedicated reality show for them. This was the third of the series that started with Queendom, a similar show except with six female acts. It's marketed as a competition... except the franchise feels more like a showcase than a competition. The groups showcase their talents to domestic and international fans alike and the big prize is seeing their sales and popularity skyrocket. The true winners are the fans, really. We get to see our favorite groups perform and even discover others in the process. It's probably the closest K-pop fans have come to achieving peace.

 

Among the groups who participated in this show are Stray Kids, ATEEZ, The Boyz, BTOB, iKON and SF9. Overall, this was a nice crop of groups to choose from when considering what groups to invite to the program, especially considering how much BTS have affected other boy groups' popularity over the years. All of these groups also have something to offer. BTOB are a group most known for their vocals. Stray Kids, ATEEZ and The Boyz are all powerful groups who had just exited the rookie stage. SF9 were rising among the ranks with an oddly satisfying house sound, and iKON were among the seasoned vets of the group, bringing in their hip-hop inspired concept. Kingdom was a way for these groups to flex their creative muscle and provide different interpretations to songs we know and love, and this is why I say K-pop fans are the real winners. We get to see these artists venture out of their comfort zone and possibly sniff out new concepts that would be the meta in a few years' time.

 

In every Queendom/Kingdom iteration, there is always that one performance that grabs everyone and defines the entire show, and what that may be differs between fans. My picks would be the first three performances from BTOB. They let their vocals do the talking, and whatever they come up with for their concept is only supposed to add to the experience rather than be the experience itself. iKON's rearrangements for "Love Scenario" and "Killing Me", ATEEZ developing an entire orchestration, and The Boyz setting up a Game Of Thrones concept are also standouts.

 

There's a new season that's supposed to be slated for 2022 that sees a return to girl groups, and as someone who stans more girl groups than guys, speculation has been a fun experience. I can't wait to see who they cast next.

 

-

 

Miss Back

 

 

I'm going to link the first episode here as it explains the premise in much more detail. This Korean reality program was a late 2020 show that I didn't get into until very early this year. It chronicles the lives of several female K-pop idols from past generations and groups and gives them a chance to perform on stage once more. What this show provides in terms of content and entertainment is... interesting and illuminating.

 

What I appreciate about this show is that it doesn't stray away from explaining the "dark side" of K-pop, and on the domestic side, this is pretty groundbreaking. In the age of social media, idols are either treated as subhuman mindless objects or gods amongst men who can and should do no wrong (which has been proven time and time again), with little to no space in between. Watching these idols exist in a space post-idol life returns that humanity back to them. They go through trials and suffer through trauma just like the rest of us, and while marketing relatability is a common tactic in the industry, often times the public forgets this and opts to either excessively glamorize such a life or demonize anyone who goes through this, past present and future. Each of the women presented have a different topic and commentary to offer:

- 9MUSES member turned content creator Sera made it her mission to raise awareness for mental health and normalize putting in the effort to take care of it

- Stellar's Gayoung showcased the effects of a group forced into sexualization early into their careers and how much trauma she faced because of such actions and reactions

- Dalshabet's Subin and WA$$UP's Nada are pursuing solo projects, yet both women took drastically different paths to get to where they are now

- The Ark's Yujin works hard to make ends meet and takes on several different jobs, noting that the life of an idol is even harder when your group doesn't even pass its rookie stage

- After School's Raina was in a rather successful group and subunit yet still struggles to find jobs, which presents the conclusion that sometimes clout isn't enough

- Crayon Pop's Soyul, a mother, demonstrated that any woman can still work to be an idol no matter where in life she may be

- T-ARA has been the poster child for false bullying accusations, which deeply affected Soyeon during her tenure with the group, yet she never lost her fire or humility

 

These women coming together and performing and savoring the stage once more put a smile on my face, and watching them overcome their trials and face their inner demons touched my heart. It's probably the reason why I subscribed to Sera's Youtube channel and follow her on Twitch. She has such a bright light to her, as do the rest of these women. Honestly, talking about this show warrants a retrospective in itself, but if you're looking for a documentary-styled survival show with deep dive elements, then this is one for you.

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

Strictly Come Dancing (Season 19)

 

 

This isn't the first Strictly season that I've followed, but I think this one might be my favorite.

 

I got into Strictly a few years after getting into Dancing With The Stars - this is the parent show, the one that started it all, and the current head judge is the mother of my favorite pro of all time (Mark Ballas :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:), so I was bound to get into it. I think 2021 was a great year for both Strictly and DWTS (the latter will come later - spoilers). The cast was great, the season was competitive, and there was something for everyone.

 

Although the 2018 season was among my favorites, this season has surpassed that. The best part about this season would be that I couldn't decide who to fully root for throughout the season, and by the end I didn't really care who won. Normally in a standard Strictly/DWTS season there's typically 2-3 celebs maximum that I would root for (last year it was HRVY for Strictly and Kaitlyn Bristowe for DWTS), but this season I had about 5-6. AJ and Kai (a new pro) were fantastic from the get go and they're honestly such an adorable pair. Rose and Gio were electrifying and the amount of chemistry and trust they put into each other definitely made me shed a few tears. Another new pro, Nikita, caught my eye (maybe because he reminded me of Derek) and helped Tilly evolve into a charming dancer. John and Johannes sizzled throughout and definitely gave the most consistent performances, even if AJ and Rose captured my attention more. Tom and Adam were a lot better than I thought, and by the end of the season I warmed up to Rhys.

 

This season's biggest pull was the amount of representation it showed, not just from celebrities, but also from pros. I had convinced myself that Cheryl Burke was going to be the only Asian pro out of the Strictly/DWTS pair from what I've seen, so Nancy's promotion was heartwarming to see. It was also exciting to see that the group of final four celebs did not contain the typical white cishet able-bodied male that was ever present. It showed me that not only was the show evolving, but so was the general public, and these four got there on their own accord. Zero complaints about the finals, just felt sad that AJ had to withdraw due to injury, but otherwise it was fine, and I'm glad that Rose won.

 

I'm really excited for what this next season has to offer if this is anything to go by.

 

-

 

RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars (Season 6)

 

 

ngl I was kinda apprehensive about this season. Half of the cast were either extremely polarizing choices and the other half had yet to really prove themselves (then there's Kylie, but that's another story). However, the result ended up being a wild ride of Rudemptions and awkward choices in development... except for Serena. Kind of.

 

The vibe that I got from this season was that the idea of redemption was a recurring theme in the series. From the initial casting to the "game within a game" that turned out to be a gauntlet-styled LSFYL, this season pushed the idea that the queens that returned for All-Stars weren't the same queens from their previous seasons. In a way, they kinda accomplished this goal? We got a pretty decent few lip syncs from Serena even though I still think she was only invited bc SOMEONE had to go home first. Jiggly's "Free Your Mind" was pretty good but she stumbled in the ball challenge, which made her redemption go south. In particular I found Eureka to be more tolerable and Silky and Ra'Jah were absolutely fantastic - Silky blazed through the gauntlet and gave us everything and more, and Ra'Jah brought her A-game and left EVERYTHING on the runway. Jan managed to close off a tumultuous season with a fantastic lip sync, even if she's pretty much the new Trixie in terms of her overall LSFYL record.

 

Oh yeah, the lip syncs. They were, if one thing, inconsistent. For every explosive Laganja death drop or Kylie acro show we got stuff like... the Boom Clap lip sync. Jan acting like a robot. Heidi dropping her poof like it was kendama. They're normally my favorite part of the show. Reality shows have a penchant for writing narratives, and the LSFYL is what I would consider the episode's climax. Will the queens featured rise against the odds? Or will they crash and burn? Which brings me to the final 4. Absolutely no complaints. While I did root for other queens (Scarlet </3 </3) to make it, the final 4 were a solid bunch, and Kylie is probably one of my favorite winners ever. She's been a consistent top look and definitely a highlight of the season.

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

Big Brother (US Season 23)

 

 

I... honestly thought I was gonna be over Big Brother this time last year. Season 21 rattled me so much that the house's toxicity was starting to rub off on me, and I barely paid that much attention to Season 22 because of both pandemic stuff and Keesha getting voted off first. The seasons were either awful or boring (BB20 being an exception), the fandom was getting unbearable, and I was over it. After seeing the cast reveal for BB23... I was hopeful. While I did feel that the typical archetypes would still emerge (two bros, the "geeky" HG being underestimated, the country guy being racist, etc.), the larger amount of BIPOC houseguests would open a new wave of dynamics and unlocked potential. I was not ready for what was to come.

 

The season started off with a BANG. The teams twist was... questionable, but at least it wasn't a Paul-level atrocity twist, and everyone held their breath when despite the larger amount of HGs of color, we ended up with four white team captains (one of them being Claire but... still), and Frenchie won HOH. Then almost immediately after feeds aired, he declared that he was keeping all women and POC off the block. This is something that we wouldn't get without Day 1 feeds, another brilliant addition to this season. The season also introduced the Wild Card competition, another power-related twist that would shake up the game and possibly give the winner immunity. Lo and behold, the one person Frenchie wanted to target, Mr. Beast Comp Christian, ended up winning. And the chaos continued to snowball.

 

That week alone solidified BB23 as one of the best Big Brother seasons... ever. Frenchie as it was looked like a textbook "pick me", but for BIPOC folks, and it was this empty promise and subsequent lack of targets that led to his implosion and downfall. And this is the core element that makes this season truly great. There were times where we as the audience didn't get the desired outcome, but still enjoyed what we got. Frenchie put up two POC as initial nominees, but Travis still got evicted at the end of the day and those were part of the ingredients that led to Frenchie's downfall. Claire randomly winning Coin of Destiny on Tiffany's HOH, only to go around and pick the same nominees as Tiffany to protect her. Everyone planning to throw an HOH comp leading into one of the most random wins in Xavier getting HOH, only for this to be a ploy to guarantee Brent getting evicted. And of course Week 5, which saw Derek X winning and playing a pivotal part in Christian's eviction, thus ensuring that this season's jury would contain no cishet white men, a Big Brother US first.

 

On the other hand, this is probably one of my main criticisms of the season. Everything was enjoyable and fans were having a good time, only for them to look past the fact that this was all the mistakes of modern BB, just painted in a different color. It was weird to see myself enjoying the twists, especially considering that I was skeptical that they'd work most of the time. For example, I thought there was too much immunity granted; by Week 3, there was a chance that half of the house could be immune from nomination. Yet this led to the absolute chaos of Frenchie's HOH and its subsequent butterfly effect, Tiffany and Derek X tag teaming against Britini and blindsiding Azah, and Brent getting blindsided by his own ego. The High Roller's room also didn't offer much hope for them to work, it just felt like the Hacker Comp with a hyper focus towards capitalism. Bringing back the coup d'etat was an interesting choice, but Claire ended up keeping Tiffany's nominations anyway so that was a bust. But that's what we wanted, right?

 

Which brings us to the Cookout. One of my favorite alliances of Big Brother. On paper, this looks to be another steamroll plurality alliance, similar to the likes of Level 6. Strong competition players, even stronger strategic players, and a top tier social game to boot. Heck, Azah asked if she was a target multiple times and every time she got a resounding "no". This is something we've seen time and time again. Fans would be enraged if this was any other season. However, when you put this alliance through a sociopolitical lens, you'd see the ulterior motive behind keeping the Cookout the strong and dominating force that it is. It wasn't to pick away the outsiders one by one, it was to ensure that a Black HG is guaranteed to win the season. This was a culmination of years upon years of systemic racism within the show's borders, and it was something larger than Big Brother. It showed viewers that representation does matter and can inspire viewers. What the ramifications of the Cookout's success will yet to be shown, but it was a strong act of solidarity that paid off for them at the end. It doesn't change the fact that this was another steamroll alliance that modern Big Brother is so used to, but this is one of those times where it looks so wrong but feels so right.

 

On the topic of representation, the new casting director really struck gold with this crop of 16. Individually they are all stacked, but put them together as an ensemble and sparks fly. One of the side effects of added representation was the change in cast dynamics. Big Brother 23's cast was a lot less... malicious than previous seasons. A lot of the times, a good chunk of the cast would either make it their week's goal to ostracize and belittle any HG that isn't partially affiliated with them (Aaryn and GinaMarie being racist and getting caught in 4K, Cody and Jessica vs. the House, Winston and Angela making fun of Steve, Jack vs. Kemi, Christmas vs. Da'vonne and Bayleigh) or spent a good chunk of the season taking potshots at each other (Paulie vs. Natalie and James, Paul vs. Michelle, BB21's Taco Tuesday fight and Six Shooters dissolution). This cast actually got along and showed it too. A larger crop of houseguests of color also developed interactions I never thought would be possible. Frenchie asking Tiffany for advice? Iconic. Travis and Derek X? So much wasted potential, they could have been the next Brottie. The Big Blue Couch? Outsold. The houseguests playing Among Us? I literally manifested that shit. Christian crying tears of joy at his goodbye messages because he's made so many new friends? I felt that in my soul. Furthermore, the show didn't just take strides in racial inclusivity, this time they wanted to add representation in other fields too. We had a larger group of LGBTQIA+ houseguests, three out of the four being bi or pan, and Britini's inclusion took huge strides in neurodivergent representation, a conversation that I thought was much needed.

 

And then there's Derek X. I can't help but get the feeling that he was shafted by the fandom. One thing that I noticed about recent seasons of Big Brother were that the Asian houseguests had a tendency to be problematic. It was James being accused of clout chasing, it was Alex threatening to hurt people, it was Fessy not knowing what personal space is, it was Bella instigating a fight with Kemi and saying microaggressive things about her to others. So when it was revealed that Bella knew of Derek X, people assumed that he was gonna be just as bad as the others. For the first time ever, I felt uncomfortable in what I thought was an online safe space because of my race, and I was afraid to speak out on it out of fear of imposed lack of empathy. It was as if Derek X was a lost cause as soon as he said something off color that could be interpreted as problematic. Are there Asian communities that are behind everyone else when it comes to social justice? Absolutely. But social justice is a marathon, not a sprint. I ended up seeing myself in Derek X because he took a risk and wanted to see the best in people, which is why he connected well with Travis and Christian because there was more to them than an athletic stature and white privilege. This allowed him to pull himself from the ground up, win the first veto, and use that semblance of power to rework and repair his social game.

 

In the end, I feel that Big Brother 23 started a new era for the series, one where we shouldn't be afraid to have different conversations than what we're used to. One that takes risks for the greater good, not just to fill a quota. One that opens the door to a new crop of players who won't be afraid to bring their A-game because they're different. Does Big Brother still have a lot to learn? Definitely. Do I have hope that the series will continue on this foot? If they keep the casting director, sure. But we as fans need to take the initiative to start that conversation and more like it.

BB23 really did come at just the right time. Everything that *could* have went wrong with BB22 pretty much did (when superfan Tyler even hated being a part of it :lol:). I'd say it's the best season since 14? 20 is the only one in between that really comes anywhere near for me. The Cookout were everything and it was heartening to see them succeed in their mission, even if they did annoyingly bump Tiffany off ASAP at that point :lol: Tiff winning AFP made up for it though :heart:

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

Girls Planet 999 (Planet Series Season 1)

 

 

So this is my favorite Korean reality show, and I have... a LOT to say about this one, so strap yourselves in.

 

Survival shows had gone through a dark phase following the infamous Produce 101 rigging scandal which I was invested in given IZ*ONE, one of my favorite groups, was noticeably affected. The closest we had gotten since were JYP's Nizi Project, which formed a J-pop group, and HYBE Labels' I-LAND series, which so far has birthed ENHYPEN (side note: their recent comeback? chef's kiss). Come 2021, survival shows were back in full swing, and while I didn't get much into I-LAND, I dove headfirst into Girls Planet 999 simply because of a few familiar faces. This was Mnet's attempt at a soft reboot for the Produce series, just under a different name. Talking about the history of the Produce series would make this much lengthier than I already want it to be, so if you want to learn more about it, you can always look it up.

 

This show was... a roller coaster. First off, the concept of the show was that Mnet was going to create a "global girl group" consisting of a mix of Korean, Japanese and Chinese trainees. We had three groups of 33 trainees split by their nationality, giving us a total of 99. Voting took place under the company's new Universe app, a social media app that centered around K-pop. The girls were later split into "cells" of three, one girl per nationality. There was also an introduction of the "Planet Top 9" which consisted of the top 9 trainees overall, who could reorganize cells to reduce chances of elimination. By the final few weeks, the cell system was completely abandoned and the top 9 contestants overall would end up debuting in the group Kep1er (who, by the time this has been posted, have

, so go check it out!).

 

Now, I had my share of favorites as for all reality shows, but it was still a great experience seeing fresh faces itching to debut, as well as some contestants already existing in the idol sphere who were hidden gems in their groups. Choi Yujin from CLC announcing her participation was a huge surprise going into the reality show considering the group had a reputation for being underdogs in the industry, and I'm glad that she managed to dominate and stay among the top spots throughout. Three members of Cherry Bullet (another light fave group of mine) entered the show and really got the chance to show the Korean public what they're made of, main vocalist Kim Bora especially showcasing her vocals beautifully. Finally there was Huening Bahiyyih, a newer trainee who is related to TXT's Huening Kai. I thought she was charming and had potential, and I'm glad she debuted. We'll get back to Bahiyyih later. The Japanese and Chinese trainees definitely gave the Koreans a run for their money, with the likes of Cherry Bullet's May, Ezaki Hikaru, Shen Xiaoting, Cai Bing, Nonaka Shana, Su Ruiqi, Kubo Reina, and Sakamoto Mashiro, among others, standing out. (Mashiro is also one of my biases in Kep1er so... a name to look out for, definitely) And I knew with such a strong crop of trainees that eliminations were going to be difficult. And they were. But some fans took it much harder than others.

 

I can't skate around this any further, but it really did seem like Mnet hosting another survival show was going to be a catch-22. No matter how much effort they put into developing a good show it was going to be damned if they did, damned if they didn't. And it sucks because I come into reality shows for pure unadulterated fun, and when people are consistently mad and vitriolic it takes the fun away. It's the reason why I never gelled with Big Brother 22. If the cast is mean-spirited and that leaks into the fandom, the overall experience is just icky. This time, the girls are having fun and joking around, and it was obvious that there's no real bad blood between them, but Mnet can edit the hell out of a show to fit a narrative, and the fans just fell for it. Certain trainees were either edited horribly (most Chinese trainees) or were just phased out entirely, so when final rankings came around, everyone had their shocked Pikachu face when said trainees made it even though they had just as much talent as the next person. Idk, everyone consistently getting mad at rankings and that they didn't get what they wanted just soured things for me. While some of them may be legit (complaining about living conditions, xenophobia towards Chinese trainees, etc.) others just felt super drawn out and made deeper than it was (Fu Yaning, everyone getting mad at the lack of non-Korean members, you can blame Kris Wu for that). It also didn't help that fans went out of their way to prove that some of them are problematic, which, sure, if they did or said something that was hurting another marginalized community then yeah they do deserve to be called out for it, but it almost seemed deliberate. It's the same vibe I got from BB23: the cast was fun, but fans were unnecessarily bloodthirsty. Couple that with extremely weird pacing and this could end up being a disaster for PR.

 

This leads us right back to Bahiyyih. My God, the hate this woman got was absolutely awful. While nepotism is a serious issue and that's a story for another deep dive, Bahiyyih has shown herself to keep up with the other contestants in any performance in YouTube videos. She has a good voice and knows how to dance, and it's evident that she worked really hard to follow in her siblings' footsteps. Mnet, however, just... phased her out and attention was diverted elsewhere. Mnet had painted a picture that Bahiyyih was a jack of all trades, master of none, and that coupled with her relative lack of experience and overall power of those remaining ended up leaving fans confused when she ended up debuting. At that point all that remained was the clout she received for being Kai's sister and the hate just snowballed from there. You start to notice a pattern when you compare this to BB23: the cast is AMAZING, chef's kiss. The content that we got was top tier; if it wasn't good sonically at least it was entertaining and made for great memes. But the fandom? I've seen less toxic interactions from Stan Twitter. It also doesn't help that there was some level of manipulation from production: while on Big Brother production scrambled to make the game seem close that they went overboard, it was pretty clear who production's favorites were on Girls Planet, and contestants like Bahiyyih, whose fandom prowess was more legit, suffered as a result. tl;dr I'm glad she ended up debuting even if it was only to shut the haters up, and I hope that this is the beginning of her carving her own path separate from her family name.

 

Around November, I had taken a slight break from following K-pop as intensely as I had before, both from a lack of material to look forward to and to take a break from the constant bombardment of negativity, and I can't help but feel that the fans' reactions to Girls Planet was a catalyst to this. K-pop is... my escape, and the same goes for many others. People can only take so much negativity from the real world before the pipe eventually breaks, and there need to be outlets for that type of release. When that space becomes overcrowded and plagued with the same amount of negativity, it was only reasonable to take a step back. That was what Girls Planet 999 was: an escape. I come in to these survival shows to watch great performances, grin in awe at what could be the future of late 4th Gen K-pop, and wait for who ends up debuting because they're all so talented and things happen in K-pop for a reason. And the sooner fans come to realize that, the better the community will become.

BB23 really did come at just the right time. Everything that *could* have went wrong with BB22 pretty much did (when superfan Tyler even hated being a part of it :lol:). I'd say it's the best season since 14? 20 is the only one in between that really comes anywhere near for me. The Cookout were everything and it was heartening to see them succeed in their mission, even if they did annoyingly bump Tiffany off ASAP at that point :lol: Tiff winning AFP made up for it though :heart:

for REAL, the switch in casting directors really helped the show in the long run.

 

I kinda got the sense that producers didn't really have an idea on who to give an AFP edit? It makes sense with such a stacked cast: Azah is a hilarious narrator, Claire is one of the best superfans to enter this show, Derek F is a legacy and delivered meme after meme, Tiffany was miles and away the best player in the season and gave us a likening to one Dan Gheesling, and Derek X had the best rise from clueless recruit to powerful fan fave throughout his run on the show, not to mention he became the center of the show's main ship...

 

Travex.

 

look I know Travis is a good choice for a "left field" first boot but WHY DID FRENCHIE HAVE TO BE A PICK ME??? WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN BROTTIE 2.0

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Reality Roundup

 

And my favorite reality show season of 2021 is... to absolutely no one's surprise...

 

Dancing With The Stars (Season 30)

 

 

And I thought that 2021 reality shows peaked at Big Brother... then ABC revealed the lineup for Dancing With The Stars.

 

MY GOD. Normally I'm not that enthused by a majority of the cast because I either think they're early boot fodder or I don't know them very well, which leads me to think that they're early boot fodder. This cast probably only had one or two of these archetypes... and that's pretty much it. One of them Iman Shumpert... who we'll get to later. The other one is Martin Kove from Cobra Kai and... he did worse than I thought he would do. His average of just a little over a 10 is the lowest average in DWTS history. Ever. And that contributes to how powerful this cast is. Even the ones that I didn't know by name I knew by association: Melora I ended up recognizing from The Bold Type, I knew of Peloton but didn't recognize Cody by name, and Bling Empire was something I had heard of in passing (I have yet to watch a single episode of this show). The only one I was introduce to the first time through this show was Amanda Kloots. Apparently she was on the news because her husband died from COVID. Goes to show how much these past two years were a blur.

 

Whatever doubt I had with some of the cast going far ended up getting neutralized by the pros they were paired with and vice versa. Amanda was paired up with Alan, who has had a pretty good track record as of late. Olivia Jade's infamy and polarizing reputation was neutralized by Val, who was equally as polarizing but had a good track record and is known for choreographing good dances. Iman was in the NBA, which was already a death sentence for his chances seeing as basketball players NEVER do well (look at Lamar... nuff said), but got Daniella as a partner, who by her debut season has already established herself as one of the best pros. On the other hand we had Jojo Siwa, easily one of the most recognizable names next to Melanie C and fresh out of the Olympics Suni Lee, who established herself as fantastic performer through her work since Dance Moms and made history in the first same sex pairing in the show's history. Despite the rampant homophobia and the typical comments denoting her overwhelming dance experience, I thought her talent was going to shine through and she'd blitz her way to the Mirrorball. And then she got paired up with Jenna, and given that a lot of DWTS fans don't like her, I was a bit apprehensive. Nevertheless she became my winner pick.

 

And then the first week hit. I had my pre-season faves locked up but then the packages and first dances threw a wrench in those plans. Amanda, Kenya and Melora showed themselves to be capable dancers, Brian Austin Green became a notable surprise, Suni and Cody did worse than I expected (moreso for the latter), and Jenna took an unexpected stumble during her and Jojo's quickstep. I was prepared to love half of the cast. A couple weeks later, The Miz wormed his way into my heart. By Disney Week, Jimmie Allen became a sleeper hit. On the flip side, Kenya began to stagnate, Christine's overall anonymity got to her and she ended up getting the boot, and the producers shoehorned Brian and Sharna's relationship every five seconds they were on screen.

 

There were a few looming concerns with the new season that I never really addressed because the previous season was so muted in response that it never got a fair rap, and that was the addition of Tyra Banks as main presenter. Tyra possesses this kind of chaotic Chris McLean type energy that worked in America's Next Top Model because it was already so over the top, even during the show's golden age. Like it or not, Tyra is one of, if not the, focus for ANTM. But for a live show like DWTS where she isn't the focus? It's not uncommon for presenters to pull the focus from the contestants (i.e.: Erin Andrews), but this season it felt like she was playing tug-of-war with everyone else to be the main focus. I didn't have a problem with her last season but that was because it was her first time and shitting on her first season would be like beating a dead horse, but this season the problems were blatant and couldn't be ignored. She'd take so long to present results that we never got a full perspective from eliminated couples, especially during the double eliminations. She'd also consistently cut off the judges from giving full critiques just to beat the time limit. And then there was the stunt that she pulled when Suni fell sick during Queen Night and had to rush out of the ballroom after performing her routine. Needless to say I'm not the only DWTS superfan that shares this opinion. The consensus on social media has been that Tyra has begun to detract from the viewing experience, whether it be the 30 second dedicated catwalk in the beginning of every show, her changing her wardrobe during the halfway point, or her drawing out elimination results until 30 seconds before ABC starts airing The Good Doctor. This is the time that I would have preferred Tyra doing minimal effort. None of this is needed, just do your job and go!

 

My other concern going into DWTS was how they were going to handle the effects of the virus constantly mutating and going through every letter of the Greek alphabet. They had brought live audiences back in moderation, and everyone involved for the most part had already been vaccinated. It didn't take long until COVID started to ravage its way into the show. By Week 2, Cody and Cheryl were put in a huge disadvantage by testing positive and had to perform virtually during Britney week. Two weeks of building up synergy with the audience were taken from them, and suddenly like students with weeks worth of missing assignments, they were working double overtime to make up for the time that they lost. Derek Hough, who by the time the season aired, had already become a permanent judge, also fell victim to the virus, having been exposed in Week 3 and tested positive before the finale. While it did give us Julianne back, one has to admire how hard production has worked to navigate through such a tumultuous period. That was something I respected about DWTS production. While they do have their antics, health was always a priority, and the show finds a way to bounce back.

 

On the topic of Cody Rigsby, the final four couples, while not the most expected or the best choices in terms of scores and overall dance ability, have been the most interesting in years. Not only did they deliver entertaining dances, but they also had riveting journeys. We've already talked about Cody and Cheryl's journey, but it was heartwarming seeing Jojo transform into a blossoming young woman who has a different style and outlook on the world. She went from high waisted ponytails to letting her hair down and experimenting with different styles than she's used to, and it's definitely her coming to her own and deciding that it's her actions that make her the role model she is. Amanda's run on the show was bright and almost cathartic; watching her dance a contemporary to one of her late husband's songs was definitely the climax of her journey. Her freestyle was her seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and as she said, Alan helped her realize that she can find love again after tremendous grief.

 

Then there's Iman, the eventual winner. While watching this with my sister and aunt, I thought Iman was a bit overrated. His stage presence was great, but his technique and posture were what I expected from a basketball player, and dances in hold were definitely his Achilles heel. During the early game I never really saw him in danger: he wasn't the best, but he was far from the worst. However, by Week 4, all of the obvious weak links had been voted off, and despite a good Argentine tango, his lack of technique was almost jarring. However, I thought he was still going to be better than Cody. By Grease night, he falls to the bottom of the leaderboard... and Mel C was eliminated. Needless to say people were pissed, but to my surprise he wasn't the main target. Cody ended up getting the brunt of the backlash. That was when my perspective of Iman started to change. He landed in the bottom but still had a legion of fans that kept him through, yet I wasn't mad at him. I knew there was something more and that we had to wait.

 

I was not prepared for what came next.

 

 

This right here is what gave Iman the victory. It was unexpected, death defying, and had me at the edge of my seat. And those last 10 seconds left my jaw on the floor. If you had seen my end of show posts on the DWTS thread... yeah, you had to have been there to see it live. Throughout the rest of the season, I wanted to throw a couple votes for Iman and Daniella just so I could see what they could do next. Then their jazz dance was just as death defying, and their freestyle was the most fun I've seen a contestant have doing a dance since Laurie Hernandez. Iman was the first contestant to make me forget about the statistics and just enjoy the show for what it was worth. And it worked, because when he was announced as the winner, I wasn't mad that someone who was 6th overall in rankings got the Mirrorball. He had proven himself time and time again and he ended up being a deserving pick for the Mirrorball.

 

Just like Derek X and Huening Bahiyyih, Iman was the underdog. And if there's one thing that I love about reality shows, it's to root for an underdog.

 

Overall, I definitely think DWTS is returning to form. Season 27 marked a huge low in the show that it really had to work its way up to get it back into everyone's good graces. Some people think the changes helped, but honestly I think the only change that was worthwhile was the judges' save. With good casting and an engaging host, the show can be back at its best. The dances this season were the best the show has seen since before Trump was elected. We're almost halfway there. If casting like this continues and they end up replacing Tyra, the show has the potential to be at its best again. But right now, I'm pretty satisfied with what we had and I'm excited to see what's coming up. In 2021, this type of feel good escapism is what we all need in the world and if it has to take someone leaping 10 feet into the air into the arms of a basketball player then damn it, it is what it is. Keep this energy going into the Fall 2022 schedule. We desperately need it.

SPOTLIGHT: TV

2021 Scripted Roundup

 

WARNING: What you are about to read might contain HEAVY SPOILERS so if you are planning to watch any of the shows I will be covering, please proceed with caution.

 

Crash Landing On You

 

 

Yeah I am very much aware that this K-drama is ANCIENT. But seeing as though my family has Netflix and by extension access to several K-dramas, this was one that I latched on to with my mom and aunt. And let me tell you - this show is a RIDE. Displaying this weird dichotomy between both the North & South (at least from what knowledge production may have on the former), it illustrates a run of the mill Romeo & Juliet story between a soldier from the North, and a wealthy girlboss from the South, who by a twist of fate, end up meeting in the Korean DMZ. While the plot starts off as a "take me back home!!!" story, the two soon start to develop a friendship turned romance due to her masquerading as a North Korean citizen. We also get a bit of a "fish out of water" plot from Seri, our girlboss, trying to learn North Korean traditions and customs from Jeonghyeok (our soldier), only for the tables to turn halfway through the series! This clash between cultures and political views develop the centerpiece for this conflict, where ideals and loyalties start to be tested and the two worlds collide in a way that I never thought would be possible. The thing that I love about the political conflict is that it feels very discreet and that the only time the public even gets a glimpse of what has been going on is because this huge public figure had been involved, otherwise they carry on with their lives. It feels like a realistic view of what certain conflicts would appear to the general public if not met with the exposure that comes with celebrity status.

 

The internal conflicts and B/C-plots carry a lot of weight as well and add enough to the plot without being shoehorned for comic relief or fanservice. Seri's subplot involved her toxic family and seeing her break free from the cycle of abuse and bring justice to the people who have hurt and betrayed her the most. Cpt. Ri's friends also manage to sneak through the border in an effort to find their friend only to become immersed in a culture that they've had experience with in small, limited doses. And then we had the random B-plot with Seo Dan, originally Cpt. Ri's arranged fianceé, searching for a love that can be reciprocated, only to fall for a mysterious conman named Seungjun/Alberto. It has twists and turns that are typical for a K-drama but bring forth their own qualities to make it distinguishable.

 

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Our Kind Of People (Season 1)

 

 

Honestly when I say that representation matters in TV, this is what I mean.

 

I was pretty sad when Yaya DaCosta announced that she was leaving Chicago Med because her character was easily my favorite in the series (my second favorite was Connor Rhodes... and he was gone by season 3 :cry:). However, when I found out that she was working on a new project I was stoked. This was something I really wanted to see since I heard about it.

 

The pitch for Our Kind Of People is that this is Dynasty's rich world problems but with a majority Black cast. There's still that essence of affluence and corruption going hand in hand, as well as perceived inter-class issues even when one person may look like they're not "of the elite". At the same time, there's cultural elements within the ensemble that distinguish itself from similar shows (like, as I said, Dynasty). The ensemble embrace their blackness as part of their identity and show us that there are internal struggles within the community besides living while black. It's nothing that I can really elaborate on being non-black myself, but it is something I can relate to considering how I've seen smaller conflicts going on within my own little community as a POC. Angela's perseverance and tenacity when it comes to the Oak Bluffs highlights this struggle of class and identity and her trials and further exposition during this A-plot augment the severity of this task.

 

I think what this show goes for is to challenge the "see color vs. not see color" argument with this perception of "see the beauty of color because everyone is beautiful in their own way, the system just sucks". Everything from the small details to the overarching plot is a treat.

 

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Cells At Work (Season 1)

 

 

I had no idea that I would like anything relating to anatomy this much!

 

I took advanced Biology in high school and when it came to anatomy it was a subject I was decent at but one that I hated a lot. There's so much to memorize and you can't just fake it till you make it like other subcategories. This anime takes a typical anatomy lesson and gives it LIFE. I tried watching this with my sister (a nurse) but she doesn't like learning when she doesn't have to so there's that :P

 

The anime is pretty accurate when it comes to explaining the basics of certain body parts. If I were to explain it, nothing would feel like a spoiler as it would be found with a quick Wiki search. Red Blood Cell is hilarious and her reactions send me. The platelets are super cute and the team's synergy is amazing. White Blood Cell is hella loyal and his dedication to protection is wicked. The killer T-cells are 90% aggression 10% disguised fetish but they're still fun. Definitely a fun anime especially if you like learning about new stuff and one that I love to recommend to people.