[Impressions] Produce Camp 2021 (Chuang 2021)

It’s been quite a few years since I last watched an idol survival show and I must confess that Produce Camp 2021 (Chuang 2021) has again piqued my interest in such shows. The last one was Idol Producer in 2018 by the way (it’s now renamed to Youth With You and it’s their competitor show lol).

Initially, I was just curious since many Chinese YouTubers were talking about it, but soon after watching it I was pulled in. I must say that since this season they are aiming to form an 11-member international boy group, it’s so much more entertaining to watch. I’m actually surprised as I never saw that many overseas trainees in a Chinese survival show before. It was quite a spectacle!

What was interesting was also the way trainees were evaluated this season. I remember that in past survival shows it was always mentors assigning trainees their ranks based on their first performance. This time, apart from the mentors, the trainees themselves could also give their votes for their evaluation. In my opinion, it is much fairer as I personally think that the quality of one being an idol is quite subjective and it is not limited to one’s dancing and singing skills only (though they are also important). Trainee’s personal charm, stage aura, and attitude matter as well.

Mentors selected for this season are pretty intriguing, though not all of them qualify to be the mentors (maybe this is also the reason for the new trainee evaluation system). They are Ning Jing (actress), Deng Chao (actor), Nene (member of Bon Bon Girls), Amber (member of F(x)), Zhou Shen (singer) and Zhou Zhen Nan (member of R1SE). Apart from Nene, I’m familiar with most of the mentors.

Okay, now to episode one. It was divided into 2 parts and each of them took over 2 hours. When I watched the beginning of the first part I was truly like WTH am I watching. Some trainees’ performances were quite disappointing. But, this changed as soon as international trainees showed up to save my the day. Afterward, even pretty talented domestic trainees began to emerge one after another. In my opinion, it was done on purpose by the production team as they were airing on the same day as Youth With You 3 and they used such a method to attract viewers (and they were actually successful as I fell for their trap 😂).

I recommend this show to anyone who enjoys idol survival shows or is looking for an entertaining program to kill some time. This season of Produce Camp is really great. Mentors are awesome and there are many talented trainees and gems yet to be discovered by you. The storyline of the show, the progress of the trainees, and their comradeship, it’s all nicely portrayed. After watching the show, you will find yourself growing fond of many trainees and will feel upset when the first elimination comes up.

 

My biases:

Santa

A Japanese trainee.

He is a member of WARPsUp group. 3x House Dance world Campion (they say it is Oscar of Dance Competition).

His dancing skills are out of this world. He is super talented, but also extremely-hardworking, very cute, and apart from his dancing he also surprised me with his nice vocals in the first official stage performance. Santa is also the only trainee that received 100% of the votes during the trainee evaluation.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

Rikimaru

A Japanese trainee.

Rikimaru is a fellow member of WARPsUp group.

A top-notch choreographer who has collaborated with many SM artists. Another super talented person who is well above other trainees in terms of dancing skills and choreography. Honestly, this guy should be a mentor instead of trainee.

Rikimaru is very sweet, sometimes even shy, and has such a nice personality. His smile can melt my heart. But on stage, he’s like a changed person, a stage beast.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

Liu Yu

A Chinese trainee.

He is so graceful it is beyond words and his dedication to traditional dance is very admiring.

Liu Yu is one of those people who own the stage once he stands there. The moment the camera is on him, he will instantly grab your attention and your eyes will be only filled with him. That’s how powerful is his stage charisma.

I must also mention that his leadership skills which are so exceptional it astonishes me.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

Mika

A Hawai boy.

He is a member of the Intersection group (they sang a song for my fav childhood anime Fruit Basket).

Mika’s voice is very special. I don’t know how to properly describe it but once he begins to sing I feel soothed and being enveloped by warmth.

He is very good-natured, humble, and has a heart of gold. Every time I see him I just want to give him a big hug. I like to watch his interaction with his fellow trainee Han Jiang as they are like soul mates that have found each other in this show.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

Caelan

A trainee who is from all over the world.

A fellow member of the Intersection group.

Caelan might look cute but he is actually hiding a beast inside him and he looks so mischievously handsome.

I truly fell in love with this boy only after the second official stage where he showed his exceptional charm, caring side, and capability as a leader. This boy is full of pleasant surprises!

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

Nine

 

A Thailand trainee.

At first, he didn’t catch my attention as his fellow member Patrick kind of overshadowed him in the first trainee performance. But! This soon changed after the first official stage. His singing pierced my heart and instantly captured me.

The more I follow him, the more I notice that he is such an adorable person. He is not only hardworking but is also an insanely fast-learner!

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

Patrick

 

 

A Thailand trainee who is from the same group as Nine.

Handsome, talented, hard-working, charming. He possesses every single trait an idol should have.

He captured my heart as soon as he showed up on stage.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

AK

 

A Chinese trainee and rapper.

At first, I had mixed feeling about him but the more I got to know him, the more he impressed me with his personality, talent and wisdom.

Actually, I later learn that I already knew him as he has participated in a rap show I watched. It was just he didn’t make a big impression on me at the time so I forgot about him.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

Hu Ye Tao

A Chinese trainee.

At first, I had a hard time accepting his feminine look, for which I’m now deeply sorry as I have judged a book by its cover. But as time went by, I have grown to adore this boy.

He is funny, talented, and has such a nice personality, yet he is very underrated. I think that people need time to get him, but once they do he will firmly capture their hearts.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

Oscar

A Brazilian/Chinese trainee and rapper.

He initially gave me a vibe of the hot-tempered and arrogant person. But, in reality, he is such a nice person.

His knowledge of rap and stage presence is what has deeply impressed me about him.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

 

 

Han Pei Quan

A Chinese trainee.

Initially, he piqued my attention with his funny and honest comments on the performances of his peers. But the more I learned of him and his past, the more he has my deep admiration.

He has gone through many hardships in his life, yet he still looks forward and tries to live to his best while courageously pursuing his singing dream.

He is very talented, mature, earnest, and honest to his heart. A big inspiration to me.

Click here to see his evaluation performance

 

There are many more trainees that I adore and whose charm I have discovered only later as the show progressed. For which I’m very regretful as by the time I noticed them it was too late. Many of these trainees didn’t make a big impression during the initial trainee evaluation hence they got little screen time later on. People naturally only focused on their favorites (like me). It’s pity but also the sad reality of such shows.