Produce 48 (i.e. Produce 101; Season 3, Summer of 2018)
The basic premise of this show is to gather up a bunch of aspiring young singers and dancers and train them up to ultimately form "a new K-Pop/J-Pop idol group".
This Korean idol group survival competition show is currently into its 3rd season with what they're now calling 'Produce 48'. Season 1 consisted of 101 girls from various Korean entertainment agencies trying to make their debut. Season 2 was the same thing, except it featured all boys instead. Both seasons led to some relatively successful idol groups and various breakout stars.
Season 3 is back to all girls, and it's still the same standard singing, dancing, popularity, elimination contest format it's always been, except this year features a Korean trainee vs. Japanese idol angle. There are 96 contestants involved; 50 some Korean idol trainees, and 40 or so girls from the existing Japanese idol Group "AKB48".
AKB48, and their various sister/sub groups, consists of hundreds of girls both past and present, and they've been successful in Japan for quite some time. Basically, they're a manufactured cute girl group that performs catchy pop songs, does some light dancing, makes colorful party and story videos, and provides lots of fan service. I suspect various current and former members also act some, model, etc. Are they the greatest musicians, singers, or dancers on Earth?...No!...but they are quite good at what they do, and it's not hard to see why they're so popular, whether you like this type of stuff or not.
There's not much more AKB48 can really accomplish in Japan however, so they've decided to go overseas in search of more fans and fame. They're already somewhat well known outside of Japan, but not to the degree of global success that numerous Korean idol groups have enjoyed. So what better way for them to gain more exposure than to collaborate on an already popular Korean idol TV project?
If you didn't know any better, you might think it unfair to have an established idol group compete against trainees, and, you'd be right; the Korean idol making machine is a ruthless and highly competitive environment that few members of AKB48 are accustomed to, or prepared for. There are plenty of similarities between the two idol industries, but Korea places far more emphasis on vocals, dance, training, and practice, practice, practice...it's precisely why they're so good at this stuff! Japanese idols are nowhere near as technically proficient as their Korean counterparts, and it shows when they have to compete against them. AKB48 also has the disadvantage of being on foreign soil and dealing with the language barrier and cultural differences. However, they do have much more on-stage experience in front of the public, a decent amount of talented and determined members, and a pre-existing fan base to vote for them in what is essentially a popularity contest...so, let the show begin!
The show gets under way same as always...all the girls/groups nervously arrive and give an initial performance, and are then assigned starting grades. Then, it's off to dorm room/boot camp life where the girls get to know one another while various dance and vocal trainers put them through their paces nonstop. Soon, it's review/performance/evaluation/voting/elimination time...then, repeat this process until we have the last 12 girls standing. Several trainers/judges are back from previous seasons, along with a couple of newbies who fit right in. They're a nice mix of accomplished K-Pop industry talent that provides both good advice and harsh critique to the girls.
And as usual, the public (sort of) gets to determine who the winners are, but the show's production team can easily sway opinions, change the voting rules, and manipulate the outcome if need be. By the end of the show, you can bet the resulting idol group will be one the producers are happy with. The goal here is to put together a group they think will appeal to as many people in as many countries as possible. This might not completely align with public sentiment however, and there are bound to be plenty of angry fans rooting for various contestants who didn't make the final cut.
If you are unfamiliar with the Asian idol industry, you might find this show to be somewhat exploitative in nature, both in how it appears to sexualize young girls and for the demands it places upon them. The former is kept in check as best as possible, but the latter is what makes these shows so fascinating. This show openly revels in how harsh the journey towards idol stardom is, and almost every aspect of it seems designed to make the trainees just give up. Most of these girls won't quit however, and there's something rather charming about watching them bond together and hang on to each other throughout their mutual struggle (even though they're all rivals). Many of them will breakdown throughout the show, but they just keep coming back for more... call it determination, pride, sisterhood, fighting spirit, or whatever you want, but it is does make for some good television.
Through it all, there will be a TON of melodrama and tears, the girls will try their hardest and will get better, and eventually we'll have a newly formed idol group. Along the way, there will be some good stage performances, and plenty of endearing moments to make it all mostly worthwhile.
Summary: It ain't easy being a K-Pop idol (or a J-Pop idol), but the road to becoming one sure is often entertaining to watch.
Bottom Line: 7.5 out of 10 stars.
