Girls Planet 999 (Korean: 걸스플래닛999: 소녀대전) is a 2021 South Korean reality competition show created by Mnet. It premiered on August 6, 2021, and was originally broadcast every Friday at 8:20 PM KST for the first eleven episodes until its finale on October 22, which was broadcast live at 8 PM KST. It was aired on the Mnet channel, IQIYI, AbemaTV, tvN Asia, or YouTube depending on the viewer's region.
A production by Mnet's parent company CJ E&M and its subsidiary Studio Take One, as well as in collaboration with game developer and publisher NCSoft, the aim of the competition was to debut a new 9-member K-pop girl group consisting of trainees and idols from China,[b] Japan, and South Korea. Auditions for the competition were held from January to February 2021.
Out of 13,000 applicants, 99 final contestants were selected.[1] These 99 contestants were split equally into three groups; the K-Group, C-Group and the J-Group.
In the finale on October 22, 2021, which was broadcast live, the show announced the final 9 members who would debut as Kep1er.
A second season named Boys Planet featured an all male contestants premiered on February 2, 2023[2][3] featuring male trainees and idols.[4]
Concept and format
The "planet" theme of the show was derived from a new collaboration between Mnet and NCSoft's new platform called Universe which is centered around K-pop.[5] It allowed votes from other countries outside of the participating three,[c] and also hosted other promotional content for the show.
The show initially grouped the girls into groups of 3 which were called "cells." An entire cell of girls could be eliminated all at once, hence increasing the risk of elimination. To counteract this, the "Planet Top 9" is introduced. Contestants who are selected or voted to be the Planet Top 9 (designated P1 to P9) can reorganize cells to try and lower the chances of elimination. Cells were disbanded after the first elimination round. At the end of the competition, the top 9 most-voted contestants debuted regardless of nationality.
Promotion and broadcast
Girls Planet 999 promotional poster.
The show, as well as its auditions, was first announced on January 11, 2021, through Mnet. Yeo Jin-goo was announced as the show's presenter on June 8, followed by the reveal of the mentors and the name of the show's opening theme later that same month.[6] More promotional clips from the show were broadcast that month on Mnet.
The show's premiere date of August 6, 2021, was confirmed through a teaser video released on July 6, 2021.[7] Another teaser video showcasing the faces of the 99 contestants was released on July 8, along with a promotional poster.
The theme song, "O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)," was released on July 12, 2021, accompanied by a performance by the Korean group with Kim Dayeon as Center. Another version of the performance featuring the Chinese group was released on July 14 with Shen Xiaoting as Center. The Japanese group's version was released on July 16 with Hikaru Ezaki as Center. The full version containing all three groups was released on July 29 during M Countdown, preceded by the contestants' profiles which were released from July 17 to 19 at 10 AM KST for each group.[8] More teasers were released in July and August 2021 leading up to the show's premiere.
The show was available through Mnet in South Korea, iQIYI in China, AbemaTV and Mnet Japan in Japan, tvN Asia in Southeast Asia, and YouTube in the rest of the world through Mnet's YouTube channel, Mnet K-POP.[citation needed]
Cast
The series was presented by Yeo Jin-goo,[6] dubbed as the "Planet Master." The rest of the mentors, also dubbed as "masters," were:[9]
There was a total of 99 contestants participating in the competition. 33 were Korean, and 33 consisted of Chinese, Taiwanese and Hongkongers, and the last 33 were Japanese.
The English names of K-Group and C-Group contestants are presented in Eastern order in accordance with the official website while J-Group contestants' names are presented in Western order.
Color key (In order of contestant's group rank on the show)
The Planet Top 9 was either selected by the mentors (Episode 2) or voted by viewers of the show; those selected to be the Planet Top 9 in Episode 2 were given the ability to reshuffle and organize cells.
Planet Pass was a vote by the mentors, in which eliminated contestants could be brought back to the show.
The first two elimination rounds included a Planet Pass for one eliminated contestant from each group. The third elimination round included only one Planet Pass which could go to any eliminated contestant regardless of group.
Ep. 5
Ep. 8
Ep. 11
Ruan Ikema
Kotone Kamimoto
Guinn Myah
Wen Zhe
Zhou Xinyu
Kim Hyerim
Kim Suyeon
First voting period
The first voting period took place from August 13, 2021, to August 28, 2021.
Voters (viewers and mentors) voted for three cells, as well as three girls of each group.
Eliminations were based on cell points, while the Planet Top 9 was based on individual points.
The episode opens with all 99 girls being divided into cells, each consisting of a Korean, Chinese, and Japanese contestant. Groupings are based on a variety of characteristics common to the girls, such as type of career and personal interests. The competition's host Yeo Jin-goo and mentors are introduced. Yeo then explains the rules of the competition, revealing that a cell of girls can all be eliminated at once; he also explains that if a girl lands a spot in the "Planet Top 9", they will be given the option to rearrange cells. Each girl is evaluated to determine whether they should be considered to become a Planet Top 9 candidate and their initial ranking is revealed prior to each performance based on the theme song evaluation test.
Evaluations continue, and the Planet Top 9 for the episode are announced; the top three contestants consisted of Hikaru Ezaki (J-Group), Kang Yeseo (K-Group) and Shen Xiaoting (C-Group). The cells are then either rearranged or kept. The next day, the girls participate in a mission where they have to connect with their childhood photos. The fastest teams are given priority to form teams for the first mission, dubbed as the "Connect Mission". There are two categories in the Connect Mission round. The main category consisted of four girl group songs (Blackpink - How You Like That, Iz*One - Fiesta, Twice - Yes or Yes, Oh My Girl - The Fifth Season (SSFWL)). The four winning teams will have their vote count doubled 24 hours before voting concludes. The second category is known as EBS (Exo - The Eve, BTS - Mic Drop, and Seventeen - Pretty U). Only one team can win in this category but their vote count will be tripled 24 hours before voting concludes. Each team consisted of three cells each, with nine members per team and eleven teams overall. The best out of the five winning performances will perform on M Countdown after the mission.
Current cell rankings are displayed at the beginning of the episode. Contestants begin preparing for their first mission by determining their positions in the performance. Several days before the team performances, a dance battle is held to determine the order in which the teams will perform. Following the dance competition, the teams continue to practice, with the mentors offering feedback on how to improve. The group performances then begin. "Yes or Yes" Team 1 wins, followed by "How You Like That" Team 1. The episode ends with the "Eve" team about to perform.
The group performances continue. "Fiesta" Team 1 wins, followed by "The Fifth Season" Team 1. The boy group song performances are then shown, with the "Pretty U" team securing the most points out of the three and winning. After the completion of the performances, the winning team that will get to perform on M Countdown is revealed to be "Yes or Yes" Team 1. During the end credits, it is revealed that only 54 contestants will survive in the following episode, meaning that 45 contestants will be eliminated.
The first ranking announcement begins. The top 16 cells are first announced, with the cell of Choi Yujin, Cai Bing and May securing first place with 2,929,629 points. For the last surviving cell, the cell of Yoon Jia, Zhou Xinyu and Moka Shima remains in the competition as the surviving cell. Then, the results of the Planet Pass is announced; the Planet Pass is a vote between the mentors in which eliminated contestants would be given a chance to continue in the competition. K-Group's Kim Hyerim, C-Group's Wen Zhe and J-Group's Ruan Ikema are announced to be receiving the Planet Pass, allowing them to remain in the competition. Following this, the new Planet Top 9 are then announced, with J-Group's Yurina Kawaguchi obtaining first place with 4,446,387 points. During the preview of the next episode, it is revealed that the next round dubbed as the "Combination Mission" will begin in the following episode.
Host Yeo Jin-goo explains to the girls that the next mission would be the Combination Mission, revealing that the cell system would be phased out leading to all rankings being individual. He then explains the Combination Mission, stating that the 54 girls will be split into either 3-member, 6-member or 9-member teams for the mission. There are a total of six songs for 3-member teams, three songs for 6-member teams and two songs for 9-member teams. The girls form their teams, with priority given to the first round's top placing cell. While preparing, the girls are evaluated by the mentors through an interim check. The performances begin, with the "We Are" team performing first. The episode ends with the "Fate" team about to perform. Four songs created for the next mission dubbed as the "Creation Mission" are also revealed. Viewers ae told to vote who they wanted to perform which song through the Universe app.
The Combination Mission performances continue. The winners of the Combination Mission are then announced. For the 3-person teams, the "In the Morning" team wins, securing 90,000 points each. For the 6-person teams, the "Fate" team wins, securing 45,000 points each. For the 9-person teams, the "Salute" team wins, securing 30,000 points each. During the previews for the next episode, the girls are introduced to the Creation Mission songs which were previously shown to the audience in the previous episode. It is also reiterated that 27 girls will be eliminated next episode, along with the continued implementation of the Planet Pass.
The 54 girls split into four different groups for the four Creation Mission songs, having been arranged through viewer's votes. The girls begin trying to arrange themselves in their assigned songs. In the midst of rehearsals, the second elimination round results are announced to the girls. The top seven contestants in each group are revealed, followed by the eighth-ranking contestant of each group. Following this, the new Planet Top 9 is announced. C-Group's Shen Xiaoting achieves first place with 5,517,873 points. Shortly after, the Planet Pass recipients are announced. They are announced to be K-Group's Kim Suyeon, C-Group's Zhou Xinyu, and J-Group's Kotone Kamimoto. At the end of the episode, it is also revealed that Xu Ziyin, who placed 8th in C-Group, has left the show due to health issues.
The Creation Mission continues with the 26 girls rearranging parts and changing lineups for their Creation Mission songs. Due to the eliminations, some teams has excess or are short of a few members. Only the "Shoot!" team does not require any changes. During the preparation period, the four teams embark on a special mission entitled the Planet Teamwork Mission. In the Planet Teamwork Mission, all teams must perform their Creation Mission songs no matter where they go using teamwork. The four teams have to pick any of the four waiting buses which will ferry them to their destination. The "Shoot!" team goes to meets the mother of K-Group's Kim Dayeon. The "Snake" team visits a rural town, harvesting sweet potatoes and chili peppers. The "U+Me=LOVE" team goes to Lotte World Tower and receives a massage and a dinner at a luxurious restaurant. The "Utopia" team hikes to a paragliding ground and paraglides with the assistance of instructors. Each team performs their song at the location they visited. Afterwards, the teams continue to prepare for the Creation Mission. They are interrupted when the second interim results are announced to the girls. The top 18 contestants are announced in ascending order, followed by the current Planet Top 9. The top three are announced to be C-Group's Shen Xiaoting, K-Group's Kim Dayeon and J-Group's Hikaru Ezaki. They also place first in their respective groups. After the second interim results, footage from a month earlier shows the 54 girls from the Combination Mission embarking on a field day. The girls from each group form a team and compete in a series of games. The winning team receives fleece jackets while the runner-up team receives cosmetics sets. The J-Group won with a total of 720 points, followed by the C-Group with 450 points and the K-Group with 300 points. The episode ends with the K-Group receiving towels as a prize for finishing 3rd.
The episode begins with the girls attending a fan meeting with some viewers of the show. They perform several of their past performances from the Planet Demo Stage and the previous two missions. After the fan meeting, the girls give presents to the audience. The episode then begins with the commencement of the Creation Mission performances. The "Shoot!" team performs first, followed by the "Utopia" team. The "U+Me=LOVE" team then performs, followed by the "Snake" team. After the performances, the winner is announced to be the "U+Me=LOVE" team, scoring 94.17 out of 100 points. Then, it is revealed that another mission named the O.O.O Mission will take place during the next episode. Further details are revealed; the girls will be first organized into 3 different groups that will perform a debut group version of the show's theme song, "O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)". The teams were voted for by the viewers through Universe.
The episode begins with the O.O.O Mission. The girls are grouped into three different teams; two containing nine members and the third containing eight. In between performances, the girls are shown video messages and performances by viewers of the show from around the world. The winners of the O.O.O Mission were determined by the viewers of the show; the contestant of each team that accumulated the most number of YouTube likes on their respective video within 24 hours would obtain a benefit of 90,000 (nine-member) or 80,000 points (eight-member). The winners of the O.O.O mission are announced to be Choi Yujin (Team 1) and Huening Bahiyyih (Team 2), each obtaining the 90,000 points, as well as Seo Youngeun (Team 3) who obtains 80,000 points. The episode then proceeds to the third ranking elimination. C-Group's Shen Xiaoting maintains her first place ranking with 4,161,699 points. After the seventeen survivors are announced, the Planet Pass recipient is then revealed to be K-Group's Guinn Myah. The episode ends with the preview of the final episode's mission called the Completion Mission.
The 18 finalists perform the show's theme song. Host Yeo Jin-goo then announces the opening of the final voting round where all live votes are doubled. The finalists' audition and highlight videos are then shown. Yeo explains the live voting process, stating that the final count is a sum of the votes from the first week and the votes during the live finale. He then interacts with members from a live Zoom audience as well as the mentors and some eliminated contestants that constitute the live audience. The current 9th place candidates are announced, revealed to be C-Group's Shen Xiaoting and J-Group's Hikaru Ezaki. The episode cuts to the day where the finalists are introduced to the Completion Mission song "Shine". The finalists form two teams of nine that will perform the song together during the finale. Yeo then reveals the debuting girl group's name to be Kep1er, followed by a performance of "Shine" by the finalists. The episode then cuts to a week prior where the finalists watch videos recorded by themselves and fellow contestants after the first mission. The finalists then perform "Another Dream", a pop ballad song. The episode again cuts to a night where the finalists are treated to a party, reviewing self-created artworks, receiving a lavish dinner, viewing polaroids that serve as memories and watching videos recorded by some of their parents. Yeo begins to announce the debut lineup of Kep1er. J-Group's Mashiro Sakamoto and Hikaru Ezaki place 8th and 7th respectively. K-Group's Kang Yeseo, Seo Youngeun, Kim Dayeon, Choi Yujin, Huening Bahiyyih and Kim Chaehyun place subsequently in ascending order. The 9th place candidates are revealed to be C-Group's Shen Xiaoting, as well as K-Group's Kim Suyeon and Guinn Myah. The 9th ranker is announced to be C-Group's Shen Xiaoting. The episode comes to a close with the debuting and eliminated girls coming together, congratulating each other and exchanging hugs.
In the table below, blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and red numbers represent the highest ratings.
This show aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).
Aftermath
Kep1er was supposed to debut on December 14, 2021, with the mini album First Impact,[16] but due to one of their staff members testing positive for COVID-19, their debut was delayed to January 3, 2022.[17] The group's debut performance at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards on December 11 was also cancelled as a result, as well as some members testing positive for COVID-19.[18] The group officially debuted on January 3, 2022. Since then, they have released two studio albums (one in Korean and one in Japanese), five EPs and three Japanese singles. In May 2024, it was revealed that all members, except for Sakamoto Mashiro and Kang Ye-seo, renewed their contracts with WakeOne.[19]
Mashiro and Yeseo left Kep1er on July 15, 2024, after the group's concerts in Yokohama, Japan.[20] They debuted in 143 Entertainment's girl group Madein on September 3, 2024, with their first mini album, Rise.
Other contestants
Some contestants returned to their original groups:
Ma Yuling (C24) and Wang Qiuru (C32) returned to SNH48.
Liang Jiao (C10) and Liang Qiao (C20) returned to GNZ48.
Su Ruiqi (P13) returned to Chic Chili.
Wen Zhe (P17) returned to Hickey.
Sim Seungeun (K21) returned to Bvndit and joined group promotions for their third mini album, Re-Original, in May 2022.[21] Bvndit disbanded on November 11, 2022, after all the members terminated all their contracts with MNH.[22]
Lee Rayeon (K23), Chiayi (C16) and Kim Doah(K10) returned to Fanatics. The group disbanded sometimes in 2024.
Huh Jiwon (K16), May (P23) and Kim Bora (P15) returned to Cherry Bullet and rejoined group promotions for their second mini album, Cherry Wish, in March 2022.[23] Cherry Bullet disbanded on April 22, 2024, after several members, including Jiwon and May, terminated their exclusive contracts. [24]
Some trainees left their agencies/joined new agencies:
Chang Ching (C23) and Lee Yunji (K26) left Yuehua Entertainment and Cube Entertainment respectively. Later, they signed with FC ENM, the same agency of contestants Ririka Kishida (P22) and Hana Hayase (J18).
Ruan Ikema (P19) and Hina Terasaki (J28) signed with KISS Entertainment.[25][26]
Jeong Jiyoon (K12) signed with KM Entertainment.[citation needed]
Han Dana (K33) signed a contract with Beats Entertainment.[citation needed]
Miyu Ito (J19) signed a contract with 143 Entertainment, the company that manages Kep1er members Kang Yeseo (P6) and Mashiro Sakamoto (P8).[citation needed]
Li Yiman (C11) signed a contract with FLEX M.[citation needed]
Choi Yeyoung (K17) and Ryu Sion (K28) left Blockberry Creative & joined Sure Space.[citation needed]
Some contestants debuted in new groups or debuted as soloists:
Kim Suyeon (P10) debuted as a new member of Mystic Story's girl group, Billlie, under the stage name "Sheon".[27] She debuted on November 27, 2021. She had her first release with the group on December 14 with their first digital single album The Collective Soul and Unconscious: Snowy Night.
Su Ruiqi (P13) released her 8th digital single on December 14, 2021.[28]
Fu Yaning(P12) released her second digital single titled Starlight on December 27, 2021. She also starred in the iQiYi dramas My Heart and The Flowers Are Blooming.[29]
Ririka Kishida (P22), Hana Hayase (J18), Chang Ching (C23) and Lee Yunji (K26) debuted under FC Entertainment in a six-member group called ILY:1 on April 4, 2022.[30][31] Lee Yunji and Chang Ching use the stage name "Ara" and "Rona" respectively while Ririka Kishida and Hana Hayase use their birth names.
Shana Nonaka (P16) debuted in MLD Entertainment's new girl group, Lapillus, with the single "Hit Ya!" on June 20, 2022.[32]
Kim Hyerim (K15) debuted as a soloist on January 24, 2022.[citation needed]
Yurina Kawaguchi (P14) debuted as a soloist on March 21, 2022, with her first single Look At Me.[33]
Kim Bora (P15) starred in the web-drama Jinx.[citation needed]
Huh Jiwon (K16) starred in the web-drama Heart Way.[citation needed]
Yoon Jia (K11) debuted in Yes Im Entertainment group MiMiiRose on September 16, 2022. [citation needed]
Miyu Ito (J19) debuted in 143 Entertainment's group LimeLight on February 14, 2023. [citation needed]
Jeong Jiyoon (K12) joined Ichillin' and made her debut with the group on November 10, 2022.[34]
Ruan Ikema (P19) and Manami Nagai (P20) will debut in Kiss Entertainment's Japan-based girl group Kiss Girl's.
Kotone Kamimoto (P24), Hsu Nientzu (C15), and Zhou Xinyu (P22) were revealed as TripleS' eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth member on January 2, March 20, and July 2, 2023, respectively.
Sakurai Miu (J11), Fujimoto Ayaka (J17), and Kanno Miyu (J31) participated in Produce 101 Japan The Girls. Miu placed 4th in the finale and will debut as a member of ME:I.
Lee Sunwoo (K24) and Choi Hyerin (K27) participated in Universe Ticket
Ikema Ruan (J05), Aratake Rinka (J23), and Kamikura Rei (J27) participated in Produce Camp Asia: Thailand.[37] Ruan placed 2nd in the finale and will debut as a member of Gen1es
Hayashi Fuko (J20) participated in Mnet's I-Land 2: N/a in 2024.
^ abOn October 18, 2021, Mnet revealed the interim ranking of the contestants during <9IRLS NI9HT A9IT> Special Live
^Cell points are as of August 20, 2021 at 10AM KST.
^Cell Points are calculated through: [Number of Korean Votes × (Total Cell Votes ÷ Total Korean Cell Votes)] + [Number of International Votes × (Total Cell Votes ÷ Total International Cell Votes)].
^The Cell Points shown in Episode 5 are inclusive of those shown in Episode 3.
^RR: Neowa Nae Kkumdeuri Yeongeldoel Shigan English: Time For You and My Dreams To Connect
^RR: Neoui Segyega Gunggeumhae English: I'm Curious About Your World
^RR: Neodo Nae Ujue Kkeulligo Issjanha English: You Too Are Attracted to My Universe
^ abRR: Deo Hwagsilhage My Sign English: More Definitely My Sign
^"Kep1er 코로나19 확진 관련 안내" [Kep1er information on COVID-19 confirmation]. Daum (in Korean). December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
^Kim, Min-ji (May 30, 2024). "케플러, 마시로·강예서 제외 7인 재계약...활동 연장 [공식]" [Kep1er, 7 members, minus Mashiro and Yeseo, renewed their contracts... to extend activity [Official]]. News1. Archived from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Ji-ho (July 16, 2024). "케플러, 9인 체제 종료...강예서·마시로, 아름다운 이별" [Kep1er, 9-person system ends... Kang Ye-seo and Mashiro, beautiful farewell] (in Korean). Dispatch. Archived from the original on July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Jin-seok (June 13, 2022). "'20일 데뷔' 라필루스, 데뷔곡은 '힛야!(Hit Ya!)'" ['Debut on the 20th' Lapillus , debut song 'Hit Ya!'] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022 – via Naver.
