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(Written September 28, 2024)
Back when I was doing the MA1 recaps, I was excited when we got two guest judges from the group Enhypen. I knew a couple of their songs from when I was first getting into K-pop. I was obsessed with “Blessed-Cursed” and “Sacrifice (Eat Me Up).” They weren’t like any pretty boys or beast idols I was seeing from the other groups. They had a raw rock edge and goth, sometimes vampiric visuals. Their videos were hypnotic. They made a serious impression.
Then they dropped another strong
single, “Brought the Heat Back,” while I was still writing those recaps, and I realized I really didn’t know
anything about this group. I knew some
of their names and songs, but I didn’t know enough to call myself a fan. I just loved their songs enough to be excited
when I saw them appear on MA1.
Turns out Enhypen is a relatively
new group. They are 4th
generation, which puts them in the same debut class as other groups I love,
like TAN, Stray Kids, The Boyz, Treasure, Cravity, and ATEEZ. Enhypen debuted on November 30, 2020, after
being formed on the show I’ll be recapping here, I-Land.
When I first read about I-Land, I wanted to start recapping it right after MA1 because it sounds like the kind of unusual program that would produce a unique group like this. But I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere. My Korean TV streaming platforms only have the second season, in which a different group was formed.
But just like with No Mercy, I got lucky thanks to YouTube. A channel called “Enhypen © Engene” has uploaded and translated all the episodes. The show aired on Mnet for 12 episodes from June 26 – September 18, 2020, which means Enhypen debuted two months after the series ended. Six of the seven members were chosen by global votes, and the seventh was by producer’s choice.
The show starts with 23 contestants in a modern 3-floor complex in the middle of a forest. The facility has living spaces, a gym, practice rooms, and other resources, but only 12 contestants can stay in it at any one time. The others will have to commute from a simpler living space.
That’s all I’m going to say
about the setup for right now. I will
say that we will get special appearances by members of BTS and Seventeen. I don’t know when they’re coming in, but that
is definitely something to look forward to.
I’m excited to get back into survival reality show territory. I’m ready for the drama, the rankings, the celebrity guest judges, and the bewildering math. I’m also excited about getting to know Enhypen better and the circumstances that formed their dark sound and visuals.
Just from the show overview on Wikipedia, I know we can look forward to cover performances of Monsta X, BTS, and EXO songs, vocal and dance battles, and a chemistry test to see how the trainees click (or don’t) with the global fans before the final group is assembled. I am very excited. Let’s watch Enhypen’s origin story! Or, as they would put it from their song “Sacrifice”:
The night that suffocates
me approaches (I hate this darkness)
I struggle getting drained
(without you)
Senses left only with the
pain, the dying heart
The night lost in the maze
of oblivion
Please don’t leave me to
be forgotten.
Ummmm, that’s just their way
of saying they love their fans … no matter how dark and … draining things get,
and can’t wait for us to see this show! (They
can be a bit intense. Be prepared.)
Episode 1: Welcome to K-pop Supermax!
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