Origin and release year: South Korea (2024 – I-LAND 2 N/A)
Storyteller: Song Kang
Producers: Teddy (Lead Producer), BIGBANG Tae Yang, Monika, Lee Jung, VVN, 24
Warning! This article contains spoilers!!!
Mnet is back with yet another survival show called I-LAND 2 N/A. It’s the sequel to season one of I-LAND where the BE:LIFT Lab boy group ENHYPEN was formed. This time around, it’s time to form an iconic girl group (later confirmed as izna) that has never existed before in K-Pop. Check out our impressions of the show.
Other I-LAND 2 articles: Episode 1 Recap & Review | Episodes 3, 4, & 5 Recap & Review | Here Are The Final “I-LAND 2 N/A” Winners & Members That Will Debut In The Girl Group izna
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How voting works for I-LAND 2 N/A:
I-LAND 2 N/A is divided into two parts. Part 1 combines the contestants’ fate by giving points based on teamwork and their groups. The votes will be decided based on the producers’ (judges’) and I-LANDER’s choices.
Part 2 is all about deciding the final line-up and individual finalists. This will take into account the choices of the choices of the producers and I-MATES (viewers).
Signal song mission
The signal song for I-LAND 2 N/A is ‘FINAL LOVE SONG’. The members would have to split parts (with the center, main vocal, and main dancer getting the most parts) and shine individually but for a group score that could potentially put contestants at risk of going to the GROUND.
With this explanation, the leader of I-LANDERs was also announced as Choi Jeong Eun who placed first during the Entrance Test. Whereas, in the GROUND, the members could pick their own leader, which was Nam Yu Ju in the end. The leaders would be deciding the parts for everyone.
I-LAND SIGNAL SONG MISSION MAIN PARTS
Center – Choi Jeong Eun –> Later changed to Son Ju Won
Main Vocal – Yoon Ji Yoon –> Later changed to Choi Jeong Eun
Main Dancer – Kim Su Jeong
GROUND SIGNAL SONG MISSION MAIN PARTS
Center – Nam Yu Ju
Main Vocal – Um Ji Won
Main Dancer – Kim Min Sol
REVIEW OF SIGNAL SONG MISSION performance & Results:
I-LANDER Signal Song Mission Review
This performance started off a little bit rocky with Son Ju Won not being able to tie her shoe properly but she recovered really well and showed us a fierce start. The captivation really started when Choi Jeong Eun came in with her pretty and stable vocals. However, the problem was… the next couple of vocals after that were questionable. However, they made a comeback when Ryu Sa Rang’s part came in and the performance was strong from there on out. Overall, this was a really solid and charming performance. They were perfectly in sync and you could feel the hours of practice that they had put in.
Personal Standout Picks for this performance:
- Choi Jeong Eun
- Bang Ji Min
- Kim Su Jeong
- Ryu Sa Rang
- Koko
- Mai
- Son Ju Won
The average score of all the individual contestants was used to decide the amount of contestants who would be sent to the ground. With an average score of 84, 3 contestants would end up being sent to the GROUND.
RESULTS (Based on Judges’ Scores):
- Choi Jeong Eun (earned exemption from being sent to the ground and the role of the center in the music video) – TOP 3 (points not revealed)
- Bang Ji Min – TOP 3 (points not revealed)
- Son Ju Won – TOP 3 – 92 points
- Yoon Ji Yoon – 88 points
- Koko – 86 points
- Ryu Sa Rang – 83 points
- Jeong Sae Bi – 79 points
- Kim Gyu Ri – 78 points
- Fuko – 75 points
- Yui – 75 points
The remaining contestants’ points were not revealed.*
Contestants eliminated (sent to the GROUND):
- Kim Gyu Ri
- Fuko
- Yoon Ji Yoon
GROUNDER SIgnal song Mission Review
The judges said it themselves, but this performance gave off stability straight from the jump. It wasn’t the best, given the ability of some of the girls… but those who made it stand out really got to show off their skills, which was the whole point.
Personal Standout Picks for this performance:
- Nam Yu Ju
- Kim Min Sol
- Choi Soul
Contestants who became I-LANDERS:
- Nam Yu Ju
- Choi Soul
- Kim Min Sol
It seems we were on the same page with the judges as they chose the same standout contestants as us. The top 3 contestants (Nam Yu Ju, Choi Soul, and Kim Min Sol) from the GROUNDER performance immediately become I-LANDERs.
Final thoughts on Episode 2 of I-LAND 2 N/A:
Whilst it was great to see Choi Jeong Eun become the leader, she did seem a bit biased in her early decision-making as she was going for obvious choices and not giving the others a chance to appeal themselves before putting names to positions. After the mid-evaluation, however, she showed better leadership skills, which was good to see.
Next, Mai was so sweet about getting her part being taken away. It was kind of heartbreaking to watch. However, seeing her give it her all regardless was really admirable. As for Yoon Ji Yoon… She just went into victim mode and as much as we understand, she could’ve made the best of the situation. This writer is just glad that she apologized to the group shortly afterward… but then she just seemed to have more attitude issues after that.
We get that survival shows are intense emotional experiences, that take a mental toll on the contestants, and that it may be a case of evil editing, but this episode made it hard to root for her. She just seemed like a mean girl until the very last second.
Also, having the contestants vote amongst themselves – although their results more or less made sense – left some questionable choices in the I-LAND? Regardless, we’ll see how things pan out next week.
Aside from that, the episode was interesting and we’re looking forward to seeing more performances in the upcoming episodes!
What did you think of I-LAND 2 N/A? Let us know your thoughts and your favorite contestant in the comments!