I-Land, Episode 2: Bring the Rain.

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(Written October 5, 2024)

Before we get started, a happy announcement.  Minhyuk of Monsta X completed his military service while I was watching this episode, and the whole rest of the group was there to welcome him home.  The members who are still enlisted used a day off to be there when he left the base.  (There was a wonderful moment when I.M jumped up to hug him and wrapped his arms and legs around him.)

Hyungwon, Joohoney (Jooheon), Kihyun, Shownu, Minhyuk, and I.M

It’s great to see pictures of all six of them back together.  I don’t know when they will all be performing together again, since maknae I.M hasn’t had to enlist yet, but for now, this just warms my heart.  Welcome back, Minhyuk, you manic dolphin boy!  It’s good to see you back in civilian life.

Now, back to I-Land. 

When we left, our sixteen I-Land residents were about to decide which four of them had to leave and go to the Ground, with its greenery and fresh air, and complain about how terrible it is.

The two-hour countdown clock begins.  Everyone decides to leave their things at the giant egg timer and explore the facility.  They find the group practice room, the voting room, the big Starship Enterprise living room, the kitchen, and the gym.  

I remember thinking back in Episode 1 that an accent wall might cheer this décor up.  Well, the gym has two accent walls, and I still feel like hurling myself down the stairwell.

I did say before that the bedrooms look nicer than the rest of the place.  I still don’t see any windows, unless that dark square recessed into the wall too high up to see through is a window.

It is telling that when they see the bedrooms, the first thing the trainees exclaim is, “It has every color!”  Yep, this is where they keep the colors.  Enjoy them while you’re sleeping.  The bedrooms also have the I-Land rules posted on the walls, such as “All tests have time limits,” which must make for relaxing bedtime reading.

In fact, the trainee comments do start to change in tone as they tour the I-Land.  “This makes me scared,” says Geonu.  The trainees also use the word “creepy” when they see their profile photos on the living room wall.  They finally decide they need to sit down and talk about the upcoming vote.

I already know four who shouldn’t be here.

Sungchul.  He’s the only one from the weak Monsta X “Shoot Out” performance who got in.

K.  He already knows he shouldn’t be here.

Seon.  He blew his performance, but he was the first one and got voted in unanimously before the trainees understood the stakes.

Ta-Ki.  His second performance was really good, but he’s too young and needs more training.  His first performance proved that.  And we already know from the last episode that his bestie Ni-Ki is going to betray him and vote him out.

We get voiceovers and confessionals from all the trainees, and right away they agree that All-Rounder (and future Enhypen member) Heeseung deserves to stay.  He’s the one they all want to be in the final group with.

In the kitchen area, Heeseung and Seon find a quiet corner where they can talk, but they’re very aware of the cameras.  “Is it okay to share secrets in front of the cameras?” Seon asks.

They agree they want to be on the same team together. Having established this alliance, they re-join the others.  Seon immediately starts working the crowd and finds others having separate conversations in corners and hallways.  In a voiceover, he tells us he’s very aware that he’s not as good as the others and risks getting eliminated, which is why he’s campaigning so hard.

Ni-Ki and Ta-Ki meet up in the kitchen alone, and this is the conversation I really want to hear.  They agree that the I-Land is amazing.  They start practicing some dance moves together.  Ta-Ki tells us, “Ni-Ki’s the one I can rely on.”  Oh, you sweet summer child.  Ni-Ki’s telling us he’s not sure if Ta-Ki will get eliminated or not.

The giant egg timer in front of the LED screens of floating rocks announces that the voting will begin in ten minutes.  I swear, this place looks like it was decorated by a bunch of ten year-old boys during a comic book binge.  

As the minutes tick down, it becomes clear that no one has decided on their votes, or at least they’re not admitting to it.  As the timer gets to one minute, Sunoo says, “I should make up my mind now.” 

Ta-Ki leaves a room where he’s been talking with Ni-Ki, and we get some foreshadowing of Ni-Ki watching him leave and looking very conflicted.  We still haven’t seen anything that would justify the decision he’s about to make.

Time for the vote.  The announcer says, “Ni-Ki, please head to the voting room,” and he freezes.  He pulls himself together and goes downstairs to the voting room we saw last episode.  Each trainee will vote for four dropouts. 

Our trainees approach the screen one by one.  Even though it’s a private vote, they know the cameras are on them, so they apologize out loud as they cast their votes.

Suddenly, our host Namgoong Min appears onscreen, telling us we’re about to find out who’s going to the Ground.  He appears so rarely, I keep forgetting he’s on this show.

Our trainees gather in front of the giant egg timer, which announces that the twelve survivors of the I-Land have been determined.  The four dropouts are about to be announced, and everyone looks like they’re about to have anxiety attacks.  Geonu tells us, “I’ve been thinking I might choose to be eliminated.”  Dude, it’s a bit late for that.  Besides, you’re not one of the trainees who shouldn’t be here.

The first dropout received ten votes.  It’s future Enhypen member Sunoo.  Wow.  That hurts, especially since so many people voted him out.  This vote sends a message that they don’t want to be in the final group with him.

The second dropout received nine votes.  It’s Sungchul.  I called that one.  He doesn’t seem too distressed.  I think he saw it coming. 

Before the third dropout is announced, we get a flashback to Ni-Ki and Ta-Ki talking during the two-hour countdown.  Ni-Ki tells his friend he’s been doing well enough to be his rival and he’s improved a lot, which sounds a bit condescending.  Ni-Ki then says, “You’ll improve a lot when you’re here, but if you went to the Ground and tried hard to come back here, then you’ll grow so much more.”

Whaaaat?

We then see the footage of him voting to eliminate Ta-Ki.  What a sanctimonious jerk.  And THIS guy makes it to Enhypen?

Now back to the giant egg timer.  The third dropout received nine votes.  Of course, it’s Ta-Ki.  Several of the other trainees look surprised, but more than half of them voted for him, so it could be an act.  Ta-Ki slumps forward, staring at the floor, crushed.  I hate this.  I know he needs a lot more training before he’s ready for this, but what an awful way to find out.

One last dropout.  We get another flashback.  Daniel and EJ are in the same unit and performed the Zico song together.  We see them hanging out together during the two-hour countdown.  Then EJ goes into the voting room.  In a voiceover, he says, “Things were so good with Daniel.  But I wanted to try practicing with other friends as well.”  SO HE VOTES HIS FRIEND OUT.

I’m sorry, but that reason is even meaner than Ni-Ki’s.  At least Ni-Ki was able to dress up his reason with gaslighting.  EJ is just basically saying he wants to see other people.

But there’s a twist.  Daniel does not get voted out.  EJ does.  He gets six votes.  This is incredibly satisfying to watch.  Now EJ can make all the new friends he wants at the Ground.

The four dropouts are ordered to move to the Ground.  Ni-Ki hugs Ta-Ki and says, “It’s okay.  You have to come back, okay?”  Sure, Ni-Ki.  After he removes the knife from his back.

As the four take the elevator to the Ground, Sunoo is a bit shaken that he got the biggest number of votes.  I look forward to seeing him fight his way back to the I-Land.

We cut to the Ground to see the other dropouts, and this place looks even better in the light.  They have a floor.  I originally thought they were actually standing on the ground, but no.  Other than not being able to participate in the missions, which      I agree one hundred percent really sucks, I still don’t know why they think this place is a dump.  Do they actually have to sleep on the floor?  I  hope we get to see more of this facility.

Our four newly dropped-out trainees join them.  Sungchul is sad that now his entire unit (he’s with Jaebeom and Jimin) is here.

We get a different view, and I see that it’s a big practice room.  This is actually great.  I thought they’d be practicing in the woods, swatting away flies and scavenging for nuts and berries for sustenance.

They start exploring, and there’s a little dining area decorated with plants!  As they walk around, the four new dropouts tell the others how much better everything is in the I-Land, but honestly, the Ground is nicer than I expected.

I’m starting to feel uncomfortable as I listen to the dropouts disparaging all the facilities at the Ground.  The place is nicer and more spacious than most people’s apartments.  I understand that the premise of the show is to build up how great the I-Land is, and that legally they can’t put the trainees in situations that are too uncomfortable, like just sticking them in tents outside and WAIT, THEY TOTALLY CAN.  That’s what they did to the trainees in Wild Idol.  Those guys slept outside in bad weather for WEEKS, and these kids are bitching about shelter from the elements and a practice room and nice furniture and more rooms we probably haven’t seen yet.  The show is making these dropouts act like entitled little brats.

AND YES, it bears repeating that these dropouts have been cut out completely from the competition, and that’s the part I’m fine with them complaining about.  That is the only terrible part of having to stay at the Ground facility.  Unless the bedrooms are infested with cockroaches, they have it pretty nice down here.

Moving on.

We don’t get to see the rest of the Ground just yet.  I’m really curious to see where they sleep.  For now, we cut back to the I-Land.  The announcer congratulates them on staying in the super-privileged I-Land and tells them to put their name tags on their chairs while their banners unfurl from the ceiling.  The trainees tell us how they are determined to work hard and keep their places here.

They choose their roommates, unpack their things, and show off their dance moves in the gym.  They wash up in the bathroom stocked with towels, beauty supplies, and what looks like a washing machine.

Now back to the Ground.  I think they’re trying to make the building look decrepit, but I like the climbing plants on the walls and the eye-level windows that you can actually see through.  

We see that the dropouts can only wear the dark uniform of the Ground.  The I-Land trainees are supposed to have colorful uniforms, but the ones I see in the I-Land wardrobe are mostly black, white, and gray.  I-Landers also get hats and jewelry, so the dropouts are literally pouting.

The Ground also has a rule that dropouts can only leave and return on a set schedule.  They leave now and get into SUVs.  Wait, where are they going?  They don’t sleep at the Ground facility?  We cut to the next morning, and I’m still confused.  Did the dropouts stay at a hotel?  How exactly does dropout life work?

For now, no idea.  Night passes, and as the sun comes up, we see the I-Landers sound asleep in their beds.  The overhead lights have to stay on so the people in the control room can watch them sleep.  We actually watch them sleeping on the monitors.  Not only is that creepy, but it can’t be easy to sleep with those lights on.

Now we cut back to the Ground.  The dropouts are back.  They’re returning from wherever they were, and I have to stop and Google this because it’s driving me nuts.

Okay, so apparently, lots of viewers had the same question.  According to posts and photos on Quora, they slept in their own homes if they lived nearby, and if not, they stayed in hotels.  Oh, the horror.  I swear, they should put the next dropout who complains about the accommodations in a sleeping bag on the roof.  Preferably during a monsoon.  I understand the inconvenience of having to commute, but Jesus Tapdancing Christ.

Dropout EJ tells us that there’s nothing to do in the Ground except practice their dancing and singing skills.  That’s one hundred percent correct.  And you’re lucky to have a practice room surrounded by natural light and trees.  Now get to work.

Back at the I-Land, the giant egg timer announces that the first test will be revealed in ten minutes.  The I-Landers scramble to get dressed and run downstairs.  They sit in their personalized chairs and wait for the egg to tell them what to do.  

The LED screens with the floating rock imagery light up with sound effects.  We get laser light designs, and the announcer tells the I-Landers they have a common destiny.  For the four tests to come, they will be collectively responsible for every result.  Then there’s math explaining the scores.  Here’s a chart.

They will also decide on their own eliminations, and I think I’m figuring this out.  They will perform these tests together and get scored as a group.  If they don’t get the top score of 96-100, then the number of trainees having to go to the Ground increases the lower the score is, and they will have to vote to decide who gets eliminated.   That is a huge motivation for teamwork.  You can be the best singer and dancer on your team, but if you don’t make sure everyone else is great as well, you might be the one kicked out.

Now for the first test.  It’s called the Signal Song Test, and we’ve seen this before.  It’s the show’s theme song.  The LED screens show videos of the lyrics and choreography.  We hear Bang Si Hyuk’s voice telling us he produced the song and choreo.  We cut to the control room, where I’m assuming our celebrity coaches have spent the night.  The song is called “Into the I-Land,” and the theme is “meeting.”

The I-Landers love the song and choreo.  The dropouts are watching the video from the Ground facility as well.  Everyone notices that Parts 1 through 7 get the most lines in the song.  Parts 8 and up only get one line each.  To stand out in this song, you have to get one of the Top 7 parts.  (Incidentally, there are seven members in Enhypen.)

The trainees will need to choose their parts and rehearse.  The test will begin in seven days.  A 7-day countdown lights up on the giant egg timer.  The dropouts are told that until trainees get eliminated from the I-Land, they won’t get to participate in the performances.  So they will need to practice the song at the Ground and send in rehearsal videos every day in hopes that they will get promoted when someone gets eliminated.  Our three celebrity coaches will review the videos and decide who gets promoted.

Everyone is extremely motivated.  I can’t wait to see Sunoo get promoted to the I-Land.  The current I-Landers want to hold singing auditions for the Center (and #1) position, especially since it has difficult high notes.  As much as every trainee wants the Center position, they have to choose what’s best for the group in order to keep the group score high.  They eventually decide to memorize the main choreo first and decide on parts later. 

We cut back to Namgoong Min, who basically recaps what we just saw.  “Everybody has to be good to survive,” he tells us.  He does give us one bit of new information – the song’s parts were deliberately divided up unfairly to see if the I-Landers would make the best decisions for themselves individually or the good of the team.

Everyone starts rehearsing.  They’re all obsessed with being the Center.  Ni-Ki is the first to have the choreo completely memorized.  The others are impressed and call him a genius.  Then they gather in a circle and start dividing up the parts by having everyone sing to audition. 

Everyone votes for Heeseung for the first part.  He’s not sure about his ability to pull it off, but the others remind him parts can be changed at any time.

Geenu auditions for the second part, and he has a wonderful voice.  He beats out future Enhypen member Jay, whose voice cracks when he tries to hit the high notes.

Jungwon (Enhypen’s future Leader) gets the third part.  Jay is getting frustrated because he wants one of the Top 7 parts.  He really does have a great voice.  He just keeps losing out when he auditions for each spot. 

K gets the fourth part.  Seon gets the fifth part.  I can see the growing frustration on Jay’s face.  But he keeps fighting, auditioning for each part.

Daniel gets the sixth part.  Jay seems to give up.  He doesn’t even raise his hand to audition for the seventh part.  But at the last minute, he changes his mind and wants to audition.  There’s still a spark in there that hasn’t been stomped out. 

But he doesn’t get that part.  Sunghoon does.  Jay finally says, “Whatever.  I’ll do whatever is left.  I’m done.”  He’s embarrassed.  He’s been a trainee for three years, and a couple of the people who just beat him for the Top 7 spots have been training for far less time.

After pausing to make sure he’s okay, the group moves on to audition for the other parts, and Jay tries yet again.  And this time, he wins the eighth part.  It’s not what he wanted, but it’s finally a win for our Seattle-born future Enhypen member.

Back to the dropouts.  They are only given one tablet for the group to study the choreo, which slows down their ability to memorize the parts.  Okay, they do get to complain about that.  Everyone in the I-Land gets their own tablet.  Everyone having to share one is a serious competitive handicap.

Since Hanbin learns choreo the fastest, he takes the tablet so he can quickly learn it and teach the others.  He’s the one who’s currently in a cover song dance team with over 630,000 subscribers.  It’s impressive how quickly he learns it.  Pretty soon he has all the dropouts following his lead.  

However, we see both the I-Land and the Ground have trainees struggling to learn the choreo.  I-Landers Jake and Youngbin, who have only been trainees for a few months, are having the hardest time keeping up.  I really feel it when I see the frustration on Youngbin’s face.  It’s the same way I felt in math classes growing up, when the rest of the class understood and I didn’t, and I would just shut down and give up. 

The dropouts seem to be having more fun, and I know I keep harping on this, but I think the connection to nature has to be a part of it.  They’re all laughing and dancing and encouraging those who are having a harder time learning the steps.

The I-Landers hit a snag when Heeseung adjusts the choreo, which throws everyone off.  He takes a break and leaves the room.  The others are concerned that he’s changing it because the original steps are too difficult.  That could cost them points.  

Heeseung finally comes back and starts up rehearsal again.  He has each trainee run through the routine on their own.  Jake is voted the best dancer by the group.  Youngbin has finally gotten the steps down but needs more confidence because he is really having a hard time of it.  He starts to cry in one of the lounge areas, worrying that he’s dragging the team down.  Oh, this poor kid.

K, Youngbin, and Seon decide to confront Heeseung about his leadership style.  Three non-members of Enhypen are going to talk to a future member of Enhypen about his leadership style.  Let’s see how this goes.

Before they talk to him, they decide they need reinforcements.  They get Ni-Ki and Geonu on their side.  We don’t get to hear those conversations.  But in the next group meeting, Youngbin brings up his frustrations.  He says he felt humiliated at having to do the individual assessments. 

Right away, I’m on Heeseung’s side, and it’s not because he’s in Enhypen.  Youngbin has only been training for four months.  Individual assessments and auditions and progress checks are a part of the training process.  We’ve also seen it in every K-pop survival reality show we’ve covered.  If you can’t handle being judged on a solo performance, you have no business being a trainee.

Heeseung asks the group to trust him.  He says they voted for him to get the first part for a reason.  However, Daniel does have a point when he says that Heeseung isn’t spending enough time with the trainees who need the most help.

Heeseung is frustrated, saying this is why he didn’t want the leadership position in the first place.  He decides to step down from the Center position.  The rest of the group immediately agrees, and K nominates Ni-Ki for the spot.  I wonder if this was a planned coup.  Since Ni-Ki does go on to be the main dancer for Enhypen, maybe he can pull this off, but this is the second time I’ve been side-eying him since this series began. 

So the first part goes from Heeseung to Ni-Ki, and Heeseung moves down to the tenth part.  He’s taking this hard.  He goes to sit by himself for a while.  He tells us he’s disappointed, but he made the decision to step down and needs to honor that decision.  I may not like the outcome either, but I respect the way he handled this.

Night is falling, and we return to the Ground.  The dropouts are up late practicing.  Suddenly, the screen on the wall lights up with a message.  It’s time to submit their daily rehearsal video.  Each one has to stand before the camera and perform the song solo.  (See, Youngbin?!)

Jaebeom blows his chance, forgetting the lyrics and steps and just freezing in place.  Midway through, he gives up and walks back to the bench, hangs his head, and cries. 

I feel terrible for him.  He’s heartbroken.  It looks like he just overpracticed and broke down under the pressure.  Jaeho tries to comfort him and winds up crying, too.  The dropouts have really bonded.

Back in the I-Land, the giant egg timer sounds an alarm.  Everyone is told to gather around, and then the countdown, which shows only two days left, suddenly stops.  The gate opens.  They go through the gate, back to the large stage area where they gave their first performances.  Someone standing at the far end of the room in silhouette is waiting for them.

Once the I-Landers are all waiting at the other end of the room, the light comes up on our shadowy figure.  It’s Rain.  Judging by their stunned reactions, I don’t think the trainees knew he was here.

Rain bows and introduces himself, telling them he’s in charge of the Signal Song Test.  He wants to see how they are progressing on the song.  He says that now is the time to work on any mistakes. 

The I-Landers get into formation and show him the choreo.  When they finish, Rain doesn’t give them time to catch their breath.  He orders them to line up and sing the song.  The trainees struggle to keep their voices steady as each one sings his part.  They’re doing well until about halfway through the song, when Ni-Ki is so nervous, he forgets the lyrics to one of his solo lines.  The look on Rain’s face.

When they finish singing, Rain does not comment.  Instead, he demands that they immediately get back into dance formation – NOW.  They scramble back into formation.  “Now you’re going to sing while dancing.  FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!” he orders.  When they start singing he commands, “LOUDER!”

I’m impressed with Rain’s coaching style.  An idol has to think fast, be quick on his feet, and remember the words and steps no matter how stressed he is.  No time to get in your own head about it.  Just perform.

Again, Ni-Ki is struggling.  He’s off key.  The others are hanging on for dear life.  When they finish, they try to look confident, but their ragged, exhausted breathing gives them away.

Right off, Rain addresses Ni-Ki.  “You must practice your pitch.  You are in the Number One position.  You have to try harder.”

Rain acknowledges it’s not easy to sing in another language.  (A good bit of the song is in English.)  The other trainees tell us in confessionals that they are also concerned about Ni-Ki’s singing.  Well, guys, you’re the ones who put him in the top spot in the first place. 

Rain tells the group that dancing and singing well won’t help them pass this round.  He tells them that at the final test in two days, this physical stage they are standing on will “transform.”  Segments of the stage will move around.  They will have to do this performance perfectly on a moving stage.  This looks dangerous.  There’s no net under the moving stage parts, just the machinery doing the moving.  

The I-Landers are dismissed, and they gather in the living room.  They’re a bit shaken because the vibe has changed.  They are second-guessing the position assignments.  Seon has tried working with Ni-Ki, but Ni-Ki’s voice keeps cracking, and he finally breaks down.

The group decides they want to put Heeseung back in the Number One spot.  They have to make the best decision for the group.  The lower the group score, the greater the number of I-Landers who will be kicked out and sent to the Ground.

Heeseung, for his part, is loyal to his future bandmate.  He says that if Ni-Ki doesn’t want to step down, he won’t take the position back.  He’ll only do it if Ni-Ki is okay with it.

We go back to the dropouts in their dining area, which feels like an abrupt transition at first, but don’t worry, this is about to get interesting.  We’re still talking about Ni-Ki.  Ta-Ki is talking about how much he misses his bestie.

Sungchul says, “You said Ni-Ki voted you out.  You still miss him?”  Excellent question. 

Ta-Ki says he understands why Ni-Ki did it.  The others are still confused.  “Why, because you two are still rivals?” asks Sungchul, who should be awarded a law degree on the very spot.  Sunoo and Taeyong chime in, saying Ni-Ki was lying when he said it was for Ta-Ki’s own growth.

Ta-Ki says, “But Ni-Ki is a great dancer, so I really can’t say anything to him.” 

I don’t see what that has to do with anything. At first I thought maybe Ni-Ki is older, and Ta-Ki needs to show respect, but no, they’re both sixteen.  The others make that same point and add that Ta-Ki is also a great dancer, which is true. 

“Be more confident, Ta-Ki,” says Sungchul.  YES.  I hope at least some of this is getting through to Ta-Ki.

Back in the I-Land, the giant egg timer shows eight hours are left.  Ni-Ki is still debating if he wants to step down from the Number One spot.  He doesn’t have much time left.

The celebrity coaches are in the control room, getting ready for the Signal Song Test, and it looks like we have some new faces.  They are Wonderkid, Doobu, and Son Sung Deuk.

It’s interesting that the show gives us absolutely no background on any of these guys.  On every single one of these shows we’ve seen, when we get a new judge or coach, the show puts together a quick, flashy CV showing what they’re famous for and what qualifies them to be there.  This is the first time on all the shows I’ve recapped that we don’t get anything except their names.  I had to stop watching and do some online digging.

Son Sung Deuk is a choreographer who used to work with BTS and is now the performance director for Big Hit Music.  So, at least he has a resume.  I can’t find anything on Wonderkid.  Given how tied this show is to BTS, he probably does something for Big Hit Music. 

Speaking of questionable accomplishments, Doobu is someone who got fired from the HYBE Label three years ago, shortly after this show aired.  He was a choreographer who apparently wasn’t good at his job, but he did a great job of making a scene about it on Twitter after he got fired.  Well.  Other than Son Sung Deuk, this is a disappointing panel.  Was literally NO ONE ELSE available?

Rain and Zico join Son Sung Deuk and the two other coaches in the control room.  I don’t know where Bang Si Hyuk is.  Our I-Landers get in formation while the dropouts watch the performance on a screen in their Ground training room.  I’m excited to see how this choreography is going to work with the moving platforms.

We see that Ni-Ki ended up keeping the Number One spot.  Ta-Ki is losing his mind with excitement at seeing his friend in the Center position.

Here we go.

It’s a very impressive performance, and thanks to the LED screens, it’s the most color I’ve seen on this show so far.  Jake drops his headset mic at one point, but he keeps going, and the coaches say they won’t hold that against him because he handled it professionally. 

When the I-Landers finish, they stay in formation, out of breath and waiting for their evaluation.  

At the Ground, the dropouts applaud but look worried.  That was a great performance, and they wonder if any of them will get a chance to get to the I-Land.  Ta-Ki, however, can’t stop gushing over how great his bestie did.  “Did you see Ni-Ki?” he keeps asking excitedly over and over.  Oh, this poor sweet kid.

The other dropouts are envious that the I-Landers got to do that exciting performance.  Jaebeom tells us they did so well, there probably won’t be any disqualifications.  We shall see.

The coaches start talking.  They’re impressed by the hard work that went into the performance, especially with the added challenge of the moving stages.  But Rain has concerns and says he can’t give them full points on just potential alone.  Hoo boy.  Someone in the I-Land is going to the Ground.

The I-Landers gather in their chairs around the giant egg timer, and the announcer finally gives the test result.  The individual scores come up first, and they’re pretty low  Because the screen text isn’t translated, I can’t tell who gets which score.  But three are in the 40s, out of 100.  This is bad.  The overall score is 59.

According to the chart, a score of 59 means that six I-Landers will be sent to the Ground, and six dropouts are about to be promoted.

The worst part is that the I-Landers will have to decide who goes to the Ground.  I don’t think the individual scores were assigned to names, because otherwise it would be easy to choose.

The voting process begins, and the episode ends here.

I have a feeling we’re going to see Enhypen members move back and forth from the I-Land to the Ground and back a lot over this series.  I’m also curious to see if Ta-Ki’s hero worship of Ni-Ki changes over the series.  Ni-Ki will need some kind of redemption arc if he’s going to end up in Enhypen, because right now, I can’t imagine that he’s earned the goodwill of the fans.  He’s sort of being set up as the villain. 

It’s a LOT to process.  See you next episode.

Episode 3:  Fire

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