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drifting-pieces-blog-blog · 11 months

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Breaking down the comics: Death of Legends (Issue 33)

Moon Knight, Issue # 33: Exploding Myths

Bonus preview image!:

BANGER.

We start with a good old fashioned newsstand. On the side is a poster:

"Exploding myths. Titans for our times. A continuing series by Joy Mercado. Upcoming features on:

Druid Walsh and Moon Knight.

Only in the Daily Times".

A huge muscle bound man that is obviously Druid Walsh punches his first through the image of Moon Knight, proclaiming: "He ain't nothin'. He's nothin' but meat. Dead meat."

And like myth, we see people talking about Druid.

They talk about rumors and stories of his strength.

About how he once stole a grand piano off the back of a truck then carried it up to a roof and tossed it down to crush a cop car. Another talks about how he ripped bricks out of a wall to crush the skulls of mobsters.

More still talk about more and more acts of strength and rage.

"He's so mean, Lady. The Druid is so mean he ain't real."

Joy Mercado is the source of their discussion.

She pauses to consider their information then asks "Where can I meet this Druid Walsh?"

"Ain't you been listenin' Lady? You gotta be crazy to wanna-"

"I'm not crazy--I'm a reporter, and I'm going to do a piece on the Druid whether you help me or not."

They point her to the local bar and grill.

Sure enough, inside is the towering Druid and he's running a protection racket.

He threatens the bartender for payment but the bartender has hired his own protection.

He beats down the gang of men without flinching then turns on the bartender. He lifts up the bar itself and throws it down on the beaten men.

Joy Mercado stands in the doorway. She's been admiring his work.

She compliments him and introduces herself.

She's flirty and invites him to dinner. It's a fancy expensive place and apparently she goes there a lot to conduct her interviews. She bribes the wait staff to let in the mountain of a man and seat them in the back.

One of the waiters compliments her most recent articles about Daredevil and Detective Flint. (Oh? What's Flint getting up to? He hanging with DD now? This poor man. No wonder he looks so done with everything all the time).

Of course she didn’t tell Druid she was a reporter and he instantly is dismayed to realize she didn’t pick him up for a date but for an interview.

She admits that she's working on a series about mythical figure of their time. He thought it was a date.

She back pedals. "Well of course it's a date in a sense. A dinner date, but I...I hoped you might also consider it an interview..."

She finds him interesting and assures him that if she is willing to want to write about him then perhaps she might want to see him again.

He agrees to it! After all, he has taken a real shine to her.

So she starts with the rumor about him throwing a whole grand piano off a roof.

"That wasn't no piano--It was just a big empty crate."

And it goes on like that. The bricks weren't rendered from a wall but were just laying there. And of course he didn't rip a street lamp out of the ground.

Each debunked myth leaves our reporter friend more and more dismayed.

As they talk, a pompous rich guy bumps into their table. He apologizes till he notices the look of the Druid.

"Yugh. It would be nice if some people would learn how to bathe..."

This upsets Druid. He gets up and picks up the guy and threatens to throw him out the window.

This excites the reporter who suddenly has a story happening in front of her.

"Naw... You're a jerk all right, but not the kind who deserves to go out a plate glass window...." He instead sets the guy down in a large three tier cake.

Disappointed, Joy's enthusiasm has vanished. They leave the restaurant and she turns to go. Druid asks if she wants to see him again sometime.

"Anything is possible, Mr. Walsh. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make the late edition... Perhaps we'll bump into each other again sometime."

"And Druid Walsh is left to gape at her stiff retreat. What happened to her slow and easy walk like when her hip kept rubbing his? What happened to her smile? What happened?"

The next day! Jack Lockley buys a newspaper and heads into Gena's.

I must say I do love the fact that EVERY SINGLE TIME Jake sees Gena, he always asks her how the kids are doing.

A while back, Moon Knight wanted a way for people and police to reach him so he gave them Gena's diner's number. I mean... They sort of know who he is by means of Jake, and Jake can always be found there.

Gena, I'm sure, found it thrilling at first. Poor Gena.

"By the way Lockley, ever since you let it be known that Moon Knight can be contacted through this establishment, that phone of mine's been takin' some mighty weird rings... But there's one you should know about--From your detective friend Flint, relaying a call from someone named Joy Mercado... SHe says she's gotta see you today-matter of life and death."

Hmmmm...

Jake is familiar with Joy and is skeptical.

"Yeah, sure, she might miss a deadline. Some matter of life and death."

Crawley points to the latest article. "If Druid Walsh peruses her column today, Jake, it could well be."

Jake takes a look. Whoopse. Must not be a nice one. He decides he might need to see Joy after all.

(I love Gena. How many cups do you think Jake has in his cab?)

Meanwhile, Druid has one of his thugs read him the article.

It can't be that bad, can it?

"It says: 'My encounter with the allegedly mythic figure known as Druid Walsh began promisingly enough, in the aftermath of an epic bar fight more suited to a Hollywood back lot than to 29th street...But it soon became apparent that the Druid was little more than an ignorant scapegoat for the collective yearning of our mundane society: The pervasive need for myths, real or imagined.'"

I'm sure once he has that explained to him, he's going to be quite upset.

"--Can only conclude that the fabled Druid Walsh is all fable and no substance. As such, he qualifies as nothing more than a cheap thug, somewhat bizarre and certainly oafish, yet another titan with feet of clay, another modern myth exploded. Tomorrow's feature on Moon Knight, however, should prove to be a different story."

He's pretty upset. And you know what? It's a pretty shit piece.

Druid heads out to have a word with Joy.

Joy is at the Daily Times taking praise for her recent piece.

Moon Knight strides in and up to her desk.

"You wanted to see me?"

She asks him to take a seat for an interview.

"And your quaint way of securing an interview with me was to cry wolf--to scream life and death, is THAT it?"

"Ah, well... If your entire career isn't one long matter of life and death, then I don't know what--"

"You don't know anything, Ms. Mercado!"

Yeah... I'm not surprised that it struck a nerve.

Just as Moon Knight is feeling pretty pissed, Druid busts in, looking for revenge.

He yells about her using him and pretending to be on a date with him. He grabs her and Moon Knight steps in.

Druid is less than thrilled by 'the real myth' and takes a swing. He's a hard hitter.

Moon Knight hits back, but it hardly phases this mountain of muscles.

While Moon Knight takes a minute to recover, Druid takes the moment to kidnap Joy.

This man knows how to take a hit.

Out on the street, Druid is gone.

Moon Knight calls in Frenchie.

"Frenchie--Keep an eye out for a ten-foot tall Gorilla who's just abducted a woman."

"Zis is a joke, oui, Marc?"

"You hear me chuckling?"

I love Frenchie.

Druid has taken Joy to a back alley where he uncovers a picnic basket?

"We're gonna have dinner again, Baby. Another date. But this time we're gonna be alone--And it's gonna be done the right way..."

Lady and basket in hand, he busts into the fancy restaurant they went to before. He pulls a shotgun from the basket and tells everyone to get out.

That’s a pretty good reference, honestly. And he has a pretty good grasp on the concept of myths.

He goes on a rant.

He learned to handle himself in almost any situation because of how big and tough he was and he had no fear.

Coming back from 'nam, he tried to be a professional wrestler. Changed his look and got fangs to try to make a trademark. It backfired and his look got him kicked out of the wrestling business.

Moon Knight gets the police report from Frenchie about the disturbance at the restaurant and heads over.

Hey! Flint!

"So it boils down to a fairy tale. Princess captured by ogre. Held prisoner in tower."

"And the white knight has to rescue her, Flint."

"Not this time, Moon Knight. This one's not just a matter of you and me. The whole special hostage unit is here. I can't--"

Oh, Flint. You know better than to try to reason with Moon Knight.

Up in the restaurant, Druid is ready to dine.

What's this? The basket is filled with Dynamite!

He sets the timer for 30 minutes. Time enough to get to know one another.

But wait! What's this?

His favorite way to make an entrance. (Adds a talley to the ‘busts through window’ counter. We’re at 4 here people.)

Rematch time!

They exchange blows.

It'a always interesting to watch Moon Knight actually fight against badguys that also know how to fight and get close and personal.

Marc's ability to take the worst hits and keep going are legendary. His complete lack of concern for the body and his own well being make him a wild card on the battle field and no one really knows how to deal with it. They always underestimate him.

They exchange blow for blow.

Down on the ground Flint faces his boss.

"What's the matter with you, Flint? Didn't you know Moon Knight would try a grandstand play like this?!"

"Yep. But consider this, Boss. You ever try to stop Moon Knight?"

(I love Flint. I need more of this man in the comics)

(This man has been through so much).

Druid and Moon Knight continue to fight as the timer of the bomb ticks down.

He knocks Druid down and gets Joy to the moon copter ladder.

They fight up to the roof top, exhausted and barely able to stand.

Druid refuses to flee. "She wanted an exploding myth!" He is determined to see out the explosion.

Seconds left, Frenchie yells for Marc to jump. Druid collapses. Moon Knight jumps and the bombs go off.

Druid goes up with the explosion.

They land safe on the docks.

Joy notices Moon Knight is wounded and bleeding.

"And Druid Walsh is Dead. Contrary to media-shaped public opinion, we weren't immortal...Invulnerable. And you, pity you, you've missed your precious deadline."

(Something he's grappled with time and time again in later comics and the Mackay run. The notion that he can't die. Considering where the current run is openly heading, I'm curious to see how that plays out.)

Joy tries to defend herself, saying it wasn't like that.

"You said it yourself-The Druid was just a dumb thug who never hurt anybody until he was pushed. Then you came along and bumped him harder than he'd ever been pushed before--All without laying a finger on him."

"B-But he tried to kill you."

"Only because I tried to stop him from killing himself."

"What about me?"

"All right...He snapped. And you'd better do some hard thinking about why he snapped. All I know is that before you came along he was largely harmless. Maybe he shouldn't have been loose in the streets...But he shouldn't be dead either."

Give it to her, Moon Knight!

He calls her an instigator and tells her to go back to her city room.

He leaves her there, the building fire in the background.

I think this particular story is really fascinating. And I might be biased, because modern myths and how they develop in places like a city are a special interest of mine.

What makes a myth? Is there a timeline involved? How long does it take to build a legend?

We have a large strong and temperamental man that went to war and learned how to become a survivor. Called dumb all his life and failing out of school, he learned skills and how to use his own abilities to his advantage. Clearly painted to look like an Oaf, not reading, not picking up social cues immediately, and quick to anger, he demonstrates knowledge and understanding. He notes Olypus and knows where it comes from. He knows the stories of the old Greek lores. He is no dummy.

What’s interesting is that Moon Knight recognizes this. He doesn’t see Druid as a threat. He is obviously aware of his presence in the streets and his reputation, but he doesn’t bother him. I’m sure Jake Lockley had heard about him, since Jake keeps his eyes on the streets.

This is a common thing with Moon Knight. The lesser villains and even a few of the big ones. He sympathizes with them. Respects them. Mourns them.

What does Moon Knight see in the Druid? Lost dreams and survival? A man trying to find his life? A man filled with anger but still able to get by?

There is so much Marc in so many of the villains that have unhappy endings.

It has ALSO come to my attention that this is the LAST official Moon Knight written by Doug Moench. (He comes back briefly later on for a short run and a cameo, but this is it.)

With the jab Moon Knight takes against the reporter and publishing, I wonder what terms Moench left Marvel on. I wonder if this was the story he wanted to finish on or if he had a script that was left behind for the 1980s run. I'll get more into this later...

#Moon Knight #Moon Knight Comics #Analyzing the comics #Marc Spector #Jake Lockley #Steven Grant #I want to do a write up of Marc Spector in the comics

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rkevent · 5 years

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MGA SEASON 5: EPISODE 2 STARTS NOW!

The first thing to come on the screen is a quick replay of the most important parts of the first episode. However missed it could get an idea of what has gone on, and also what is about to happen. From the initial 100 hopefuls, only 50 of them got the chance to become real contestants on the fifth season of the Mnet Global Auditions. After winning over the CEOs, it is time for them to prove that they have the talent to be where they are.

You’re welcomed by the same set as the week before, contestants walking inside like small ants with the sped up effect. Unlike before, however, there are half the chairs from before. Some of the contestants stop at the start and take a moment to decide where to go before moving along. SOHN YOUNGJAE stands behind one of the many, staring at it as he appears to be seriously contemplating something. The boy glances around, and then lifts the chair, walking away with it. He puts it down in a more faraway place, away from the other chairs, and the hurriedly returns to the one he had claimed as his.

As the other seats got taken, soon enough the options would run out. CHOI YENA is the unlucky contestant standing still and looking for a chair she’d never find. “My chair is gone!” The girl exclaims, but no one seems to know where it’s gone. The only help WANG JACKSON offers her is that she could sit on his lap, but instead, SON HYEJOO is the one to pull her closer and Yena ends up using the girl’s lap as her seat. “Woah, such charisma…”

The fun times are quickly taken on a stop when the CEOs make their way to the five big chairs waiting for them. As they’re greeted by the remaining contestants, the cameras give each of their faces a moment to shine on the screen.

“Welcome, all, to the second episode of the Mnet Global Auditions!” Hyun Bin is the one to give the announcement. “Today’s challenge revolves around each of your main skill of choice. This means that singers, dancers, and rappers will have each other as your rivals. Eliminations will be made at the end and will take out each of the weakest members of each skill group. So, let’s start!”

With the brief introduction and reminder, the camera moves away from the CEO and welcomes the viewers to the latest episode of the MGAs!

The first one to show up is one of the male contestants who clearly came dressed for the occasion. DO KYUNGSOO bows and introduces himself, the pair of glasses sitting on his nose not being there on the previews week. Its reasoning becomes clear soon enough. As the famous song he had chosen starts to play, the man gets into a sexier character than it would have been expected to him. He takes off his glasses and throws it over his shoulder. When the camera zooms in on it, the thing is clearly broken. The rest of the performance is about just as interesting as its start, and, before he ends, the boy takes his glasses from the floor and puts it back on his face. “I hope I didn’t scare anyone but I was trying really hard to get in character,” Kyungsoo says in his interview. “These will be on sale as ‘Do Kyungsoo’s smashed glasses during MGAs 5 performance’. I was thinking about charging an insane amount of money.”

Soon appears a pretty girl who came prepared with a signature introduction. “Do you see me? I’m SIA KIM!” She’s another singer, and one who decided to decided to bring a keyboard with her. “I’ll be performing a song that I wrote today about a friend from my childhood.” It’s an emotional song, and as she sings, the girl eventually closes her eyes, pouring every type of emotion into her words. She’s also talented with the instrument, which makes up her full performance. The one after her is someone you’ve already seen, CHOI YENA.

The girl who always gets herself in trouble walks to the center of the stage to start her performance. “Today I wanna aim to make y’all have sweet dreams and feel super relaxed from listenin’ to my smooth vocals!” Her song choice is something relaxing and smooth, just as the girl had described. She eventually puts her hand up in the air, asking people to sway their hands while she sings. Following by comes HEO YURIM. Her song of choice is the one from a movie and she tries to pour her emotions into it. She ends with a smile. “Thank you.”

“I really hope we get some good dance performances.” Katie Lee whispers over to Tiger JK, who nods. “I hope so too.” And in comes the first dancer of the night, BAE JOOHYUN, who is called on stage next. She starts powerfully, grabbing the audience’s attention with her energetic moves. However, there’s a sudden change in everyone’s face as she visibly stumbles when landing from a jump. The girl manages to finish her performance, but tears prick at her eyes as she steps off the stage and returns to her seat. From the other side of the stage, it’s KANG DANIEL who hugs and comforts her. “You did the best you could.” And the girl hugs him back. “Thank you.”

KANG DANIEL appears seated for his interview. “You were grimacing watching JOOHYUN before she even stumbled. Why was that?” He looks surprised but replies anyway. “Joohyun is injured, actually, so I was worried for her while I was watching. It’s still… a shame.”

Next, HWANG YEJI appears with her signature high ponytail, introducing herself briefly. “I’m Hwang Yeji, please enjoy,” she smiles, bowing in the panel’s direction. Once again, the girl puts on a powerful performance. Just as strongly as her song blasts through the entire set, she makes her movements big and precise, passing on the emotions her performance would require.

“Hello again, I’m PARK WOOJIN,” the next contestant introduces himself. “Thank you for the opportunity to stand on this stage again.” The song starts fast and the choreography follows the fast rhythm. It allows him to show the best that he’s got, a smile appearing in the middle of his performance and aimed right at the camera. His well-executed upbeat routine doesn’t let anyone feel bored. “PARK WOOJIN is a very good dancer.” LEE NAKYUNG shares her thoughts on the performance. “At first, I thought they were giving him screentime because he was part of the DANIEL, SUNGWOON, and friends, but he can actually hold his ground.”

The next dancer to appear is KIM YUGYEOM. “Oh, it is Jun’s.” Katie Lee doesn’t fail to recognize the song from one of her senior artists and looks a bit skeptical. It’s a tough act to follow, and they’d all keep strong eyes on him. His choice was bold, but the expression on the CEO’s face is unreadable to any impression. SHIN RYUJIN’s choice this time contrasts with the previous one, allowing the girl to show a different side. Her movements are smooth, and she manages to follow the beats well.

“I think that maybe Yeji is the most technically talented, but Ryujin she has that stage presence, you know?” CHOI YOONA adds her own thoughts to the table.

The first rapper of the episode takes on the stage. She’s been talked a lot before, and this was the time to prove her worth. “I’m CHOI YOONA — and I’ll be performing a song I’ve written and produced — and remixed for this very show. I hope you enjoy.” Just as before, the girl gets to show off her skills, both in rapping and in songwriting. There’s a good flow, and she finishes her performance successfully. After her is a boy who starts off with strong energy.

“Hello,” he greets with a polite bow. “LEE HOHYEON present and ready to go!” The boy brings his feet together and gives the CEO a salute. While he performed, he couldn’t stand still. He was either doing gestures with his free hand or bouncing on his feet. Hohyeon managed to show off his fast rapping skills, probably impressing some of the people at home. And so another boy takes on the floor. NA JAEMIN starts by whistling, which gathers some attention. His lyrics are lyrical and filled with wordplay, mostly talking about himself.

Returning to the vocalists, HA SUNGWOON is the one next. “Hello! This is the still-growing sprout Ha Sungwoon!” He says his introduction cheerfully. “I hope you enjoy my performance.” It’s a pretty ballad and also a complete contrast to the performances that had just aired. While it starts calm and controlled, the boy eventually gets to show off his vocals as the song progresses further.

Another singer arrives, ready to introduce himself. “Hello, again I’m KIM HYOJIN with the healing voice.” He smiles, clearly trying to hold back a slight laugh. “Today, I’ll confidently perform a song standing up. I hope you enjoy and find comfort in this song like I do.” Hyojin plays the keyboard during his performance, singing softly and soothingly into the microphone. He wipes away a little at the corner of his eyes when he’s done, bowing before leaving.

HWANG MINHYUN walks to the stage. “Thank you for having me back,” and he smiles. “That’s better than before, right?” Hyun Bin comments to his fellow CEOs. A quick flashback shows the same man on the stage from last week, ready to say his introduction. “Hello, I’m Hwang Minhyun, and I hope everyone remembers to recycle on the daily.” In return, Hyun Bin is the one to comment in the past as well. “What did he just say?” Back to the current episode, Minhyun starts to perform his chosen song. It’s a slow and charming song, fitting for a guy like him.

It’s KANG HYUNGGU’s turn next, who manages to show off his skills with an american song until his song fades out and something seems wrong, leaving both the panel and the dancer with a confused frown on their faces. It’s proven to be part of his plans when they are surprised by the popular song from Tooice “TT”, showing a different side of him. “It’s ya boy Eric Sohn ready to dance. Please take good care of me!” SOHN YOUNGJAE introduces himself, making a V sign before his eyes with his fingers. He also performs a popular girl group song, mixing gymnastics with the original choreography.

JUNG EUNJI lays down to start, closing her eyes. When the music plays, she sits up immediately. She surprises bringing different elements to her performance and good facial expressions. It’s a story that she’s telling except completely through the power of dance. In the end, she lays back down again, the same position as she had started.

“YO!” The loud greeting comes from LEE SUWOONG. "Ah, sorry ‘bout that. But hi everyone. It’s me again, Lee Suwoong, contestant #5032. It’s a bit intimidating to go after everyone that just went, but I will do my best, so please remember me.” After his unique performance last week, everyone seems curious to know what he would bring to the table tonight. His decision to dance to a Psy’s song adds a humorous tone to his performance. Once he’s done, Yeji appears during her interview. “I liked his performance but– having fun is important but he isn’t showing how good he is. He’s showing how much fun he has? I wonder if he can dance or if he is taking it as a joke,” Yeji felt pensive thinking about it.

"Of course, I’m taking this seriously.” The boy says in his own interview. “It would be an insult to the other contestants if I wasn't.” He tilts his head slightly. "I think it’s important to enjoy yourself, even if you’re doing something difficult. That’s how we make it through things, right? So just because i’m having fun, that doesn’t mean I’m not working as hard. Besides!“ He breaks into a grin. "If you stress too much over these things, you’ll get wrinkles quicker! You wouldn’t want wrinkles, right? They’ll age you ten years. So don’t stress, okay.”

A girl walks from her seat to the stage. It’s CHOI YEWON, and when she reaches the center, there’s a new flashback to the week before. A staff member announces that those who want to may change their categories for the coming episode. So the screen splits into three, showing CHOI YEWON, SON HYEJOO, and KANG DANIEL, with the categories they changed from hovering over their head. The two girls went from dancers to rappers, while Daniel left singing to go for rap as well.

“Why did you leave the dancing category?” They ask Yewon. “Well,” she hesitates at first. “The dance field was so… saturated? Like there were just so many people, and I realized I was just another tiny fish trying to stand out in a pond. I just thought my chances were very slim. It made sense to switch to an unfamiliar skill with less competition.” Daniel is the one who appears next. “I don’t think I could compete with the singers,” he puts it simply. “It’s not that I thought I could really compete with the rappers either, but I thought that with less of them, I might have a better chance. I got eliminated last year during the round where we had to show our best skills. I know that could still happen again, and I… don’t want it to.”

And so CHOI YEWON is back on the stage again, trying to make her change worth it. “Hello, judges!” She offers a cute wave. “I am so happy to be back. This week I plan to dazzle you with my rapping ability. I hope you all enjoy it.” She starts by walking around the stage while the song starts before throwing a heart sign up towards the judges. It’s a song that matches her image, and also allows her to show off her skills. SON HYEJOO goes next, the second of the ones who switched. It’s apparently a self-made song and she promotes it well.

The last of the three arrive, KANG DANIEL. “I’m Kang Daniel,” he introduces himself. “And I’ll be rapping for you. Ah- you already know that” he laughs at himself. “This is an original rap, and I… apologize in advance.” Baek Jiyoung turns to Tiger JK to say something. “Oh, original?” And the man slowly shakes his head. “He already said not to expect much.” And then the song starts, and the boy raps. The lyrics are direct and easy to understand if you’re only a person watching at home. He ends his stages successfully, and Tiger JK simply nods as he walks the stage.

“It’s not my place to judge,” PARK JINYOUNG says in his interview, “but I just wish KANG DANIEL used his clever writing skills for something else. I’m not sure if he’s a dancer, a singer or a rapper yet and his performance didn’t convince me.”

Her name sounds across the room, and when the camera zooms in, SHIN YUNA stands up and flips her hair, marching down to the stage and waving at the camera. “Hello, again. Please take care of me!” She sings to a popular american song. The girl also manages to fit in a rather quick dance move, playing with different strengths. A man goes after her, NAM JOOHYUK. It’s a self-written song, putting as much emotion as he can onto the performance.

YOON JEONGHAN walks to the center of the stage to perform his song. It’s a slow, interesting song, and it allows him to show off his singing abilities. He’s followed by KIM MYUNGSOO, who prepares for something most won’t be prepared for. “Today I’m planning on doing something a bit different.” He starts by simply singing, placing a hand over his chest. The lyrics of the song are in japanese, and most wouldn’t be able to understand it. In the middle of his performance, he collapses to his knees, eyes close as he tried to reach the high notes. When he stands up again, there were tears freely flowing down his cheeks. He bows to his audience once he’s done.

“Hello, I’m contestant #5025, KIM SEUNGHUN.” He bows to the panel with a soft grin. “I’ve prepared an emotional song to perform, so I hope you enjoy it.” The boy sits on a chair and prepares himself for his performance. It’s a known song, famous with covers done by many. As the song goes on, his voice gets more powerful, and he stands up. He shows off his voice before sitting back down again, finishing his song.

It’s time for a dancer to take over the stage. This time, she had no coat to hide her outfit. “Hello, I’m the 18-year-old LEE NAKYUNG and I’ll be dancing for you today! Thank you for having me.” Instead of surprising people with her outfit of choice, the girl uses a prop in the form of a fabric, using it as she dances. A few moments in, though, and she throws it away. “Does she need to throw everything away?” So Jisub questions it, and a short flashback shows her previous performance with her throwing her coat away. The girl dances along to what she prepared successfully, and, once she’s done, needs to crouch down and pick up the fabric she had thrown earlier.

The next contestant takes off her shoes before stepping on stage. It’s KIM JUNGEUN, who decides to show off a lyrical choreography, her expression taking a huge part in her performance. She acts as if she’s lost, following the feelings of the song. It’s at the end that she smiles, bringing in some hip-hop elements along with the song’s distorted voice. And then she ends her routine on the floor. “Jungeun was a trainwreck.” SHIN YUNA decides to add her own thoughts. “Even her dye job couldn’t help her performance.”

LEE CHAERYEONG’s choice to cover a summery song, also by Tooice, refreshes the judges after another batch of performances. Her cute summer dress helps settle the mood. Even if girl group choreography weren’t famous for being hard, if you were a good dancer, then you’d know how to make a good performance out of anything if you truly wanted. The girl executes it well and doesn’t crush their expectations. The sunny vibe stays in the atmosphere a little longer as TAKADA KENTA performs his calming and bright routine. He starts by simply standing there and, just when the time is right, he does a ‘nose flick’ right towards the camera. There’s quite a bit of footwork, but the boy manages to execute it well.

It’s KANG YEOSANG’s turn, and he takes the microphone given to him. “I’ll be performing original lyrics and a remixed arrangement.” And she does as said, delivering what he had prepared. He paces back and forth across the stage with a firm tone and unbothered expression. It’s JANG MOONBOK who goes after him. “Please watch over me.” He asks. While he moves a little, he doesn’t take the microphone from the stand and paces back and forward as he sees fit. The boy holds his position when he’s done and then bows before he leaves.

The rapper who appears next stands at the center of the stage, waiting for his music to start. CHOI MINHO had prepared a self-written rap, and this was the time to perform it. It’s powerful and in many different ways emotional. The lyrics are just as powerfully personal, and anyone who knew who he is would probably feel something inside of themselves, be it positive or not. When he’s done, the man places the mic back on the stand, bows deeply, and then leaves. “I wanted to be honest,” Minho says in his interview. “I think I did that. This time, I hope to show more of what I didn’t in the past.”

Coming up next is someone with a bit of a different image. JEON HEEJIN is the next one to challenge, the same girl who had softly played her guitar in the first episode. “Hello, it’s nice to see you all again. Please enjoy this performance just as much as you enjoyed my last performance.” Unlike her previous stage, uses of a less girly image. Her expressions changes accordingly as the song carries on. Even with a change, the girl manages to show off her powerful vocals well and leaves the stage proud of herself.

After her is another girl, someone else who was known for her vocals. “Hello again,” JO YURI greets. “I hope you all enjoy my performance.” A smile curls the corners of her lips as she sings. Her voice grows as the song grows, belting out the longer notes. It’s yet another musical tune that she’s chosen, and she uses it well to show what she’s got. When she’s done, her expressions return to what they’re used to, and the girl returns to her seat.

KIM JOOYOUNG goes next, another singer. “Hey, what’s up? It’s me, ya boi, Kim Jooyoung. I intend to show a different side of me today. I hope you like this side, too.” The song starts with mostly adlibs, allowing the man to show what he’s got. Once he’s done, it’s LEE SEOYEON’s turn. She shuffles on her feet after introducing herself, waiting for her song to start. It’s a song in english with the tone of a ballad. The girl finishes her song successfully, and it’s time for the next person to go.

The next contestant bows to the judges before starting his song. PARK JINYOUNG’s song starts very slowly, and he sings the first part acapella, hand on the microphone instead of the guitar now strapped around him. From the chorus, he starts to play the instrument, also moving his head along to the beat. When the song ends, he takes a deep breath and then goes back to his seat.

Last but not least, the remaining dancers walk up to the stage. First, they show YOO TAEYANG with his energetic routine. His moves are sharp yet smooth at the same time. He keeps a grin throughout the entire time, even during the hardest of the footwork. The highlight is how he ends everything with a b-boy stance on his one hand, holding it until the song fade into an end.

“Hello, again!” She greets in Chinese, smiling brightly at the camera before her gaze crawls up to the individual faces of the judges. “This is ZHOU JIEQIONG, and I hope you enjoy what i’ve put together!” The one who had done ballet last time, she pops against the beat precisely this time around, gliding across the floor when needed. With a powerful routine, she proves she can fit different concepts and images. She’s out of breath when she ends, her signature smile following after.

Next, come the last few rappers of the round. CHWE HANSOL starts them off. “This song… really came to mean a lot to me and I hope you all understand this feeling. Freedom. Thank you for giving me that.” He goes through the lyrics naturally since, after all, he wrote them. It’s MIYAWAKI SAKURA who follows. She puts up two fingers to show off a ‘peace’ sign as she introduces herself. “I’ll be showing you guys something else!” The song goes at a faster pace and a high tempo. She’s jumping on the stage, smiling but with a serious expression.

“This is SEO CHANGBIN again. I prepared a more intense performance this time, so I hope you listen closely.” He starts his song pronouncing the words clearly, even if these are in english. The song keeps with a fast pace, and Changbin keeps up with the rhythm of the wordplays that require a bit of technique. He gestures throughout the song as well, following the song. By the end, the song gets even quicker, but he manages to complete it successfully.

The final rapper steps up for the challenge. “Hello again everyone! It’s SONG YUQI again,” she says cheerfully with a smile. “Please watch me well!” When the song starts, she immediately moves, bobbing to the beat. She’s also not scared to move around the stage and make use of it. The song is fun and charismatic. Once the girl is done, she takes a bow and thanks the CEOs before leaving.

Onto the last stretch, comes the last contestants and also the final few singers. PARK JUNHEE goes ahead first. He sings with measured breaths a song that fits his voice well. The tall WONG YUKHEI goes next, bowing to the judges with a bright smile. During the intro of his song, the boy does something behind his back which leads to the revelation of his floaty pants that stop midway down his calf, below which he has long socks. His shirt is the print of a man’s bare chest and abs. His song of choice is highly unexpected, but he does a good job of singing it while he uses a stick as a sword around the stage. “I don’t know what happened but I was entertained.” Tiger JK admits.

“Hello, it’s number 5046, JACKSON WANG.” With that, his smile widens. The original song that was sung by a trio had to be sung by only one man, and he makes it work. He goes a bit higher than he usually goes. With that, the song finishes, and Jackson bows, smiling widely yet again. “Thank you!” And so it’s the last of them all, KIM MINKYUNG. It’s the ballad version of a classic and her voice has power as she sings through it. She stands still, simply singing her song of choice. Minkyung drags the last note out until her two minutes are up, and then she gives another now before stepping from the stage to find her seat.

“Who do you think did the best under each skill?” SOHN YOUNGJAE is the first one to appear. “I have to comment on DO KYUNGSOO! That performance was interesting to say the least.” A girl shows up next, MIYAWAKI SAKURA. “HYOJIN has a pretty voice too, I can’t forget about him.” SIA KIM shares her opinions as well. “I think CHAERYEONG-ssi would probably be one of the better ones.”

KIM SEUNGHUN appears on the screen. “First, I want to say the girls are really cool. They are doing amazing! I’d say YURI. Mm, YEJI is an outstanding dancer and as for rappers, girls too! YOONA is the best. You know… I told you… the girls are the best!” Seunghun gives a thumbs up to the camera with a sheepish smile on his face. “Fighting!”

With every performance over with, Hyun Bin is the one to pick up his microphone and kickstart what is about to be the end.

“Congratulations to all of you who managed to get this far. From the initial 100, you were the contestants we saw the most potential during the first episode.” The man pauses for a moment before continuing. “Today, however, some of you will have to leave the competition for good. Separated between singers, dancers, and rappers, only the best in these categories will get to move on.” When he’s done, a different voice starts to speak. It’s Baek Jiyoung at the other end of the table. “Today, we’ll start with the rappers.”

Tense music starts to play as the camera gives a second for each of the contestants under the category to appear on the screen. “Before eliminations are due, we’d like to call the top 3 of the category onto the stage. Please, CHOI MINHO, SEO CHANGBIN, and SONG YUQI, join us on the stage.” With editing magic, the three are already standing at the center as the other contestants clap for them on the sides. “From the performances today, we all came into agreement that the three of you delivered the best when it comes to rapping, but only one of you will get the title of the best. And that person is…” The woman’s head moves in slow motion to meet the contender’s eyes. “CHOI MINHO. You have more experience than most here, and it was clear to see when you were up on the stage today. You’re not only a good rapper, but also a good performer. It’s good to see you on the stage again.” She gives him a smile, and the scene changes to a new empty stage so that she may continue with the following announcements.

“And now, to eliminations.” The tense music returns, reminding people that there aren’t only good results in times like these. All of those under the category, except for the top 3, make their way to the stage, leaving only an empty space at the front. “From the 13 rappers that performed today, we decided that 2 of them will be eliminated.” Jiyoung pauses and, even if she hadn’t, the screen takes its time showing reactions from the different contestants. “The first person to go home today is… KANG YEOSANG.”

The man is made to walk to the front of the group. “We believe… we saw a better performance of you last week. Compared to the others, it got boring very quickly. While we do appreciate original lyrics, a performance must be more captivating than that. We wish you the best of luck in the future.” While the others clap, the camera focuses on the woman’s face once again. “And the second person to be eliminated today is… JANG MOONBOK.”

He’s also sent to the front, standing beside Yeosang. “Your performance followed the same line as he did. We weren’t sure if you thought you were already safe for this week, but you didn’t get to show much of your skills at all. This fell right below our line of expectations, so you’ll have to go home today.” She nods along to her words and, with this, the first part of the eliminations were completed. “Congratulations to the rest of you. You’ve all shown a good performance, and we’ll be seeing you again next week.”

The next person to pick up the microphone is Tiger Jk, the one sitting beside Baek Jiyoung. “Now, we’ll move onto the dancers.” As the stage gets emptied again, the man prepares himself to call new people onto it. “From all of your performances today, we’ve chosen three that we agreed were the best under this category. Please come to the stage HWANG YEJI, LEE CHAERYEONG, and LEE SUWOONG.” As they make their way to where they’re told, some of the other contestants cheer for them.

“All three of you put on great performances, but one of you was the best. We’ve agreed that this person is… HWANG YEJI.” The man nods with a simple smile on his lips. “You’re not only a good dancer on itself, but you also use your expressions well and manages to pass on the feelings of the song. Congratulations.” He nods again, but this time his smile isn’t there anymore, a sign of what’s to come. “From the 16 contestants under the dancer category, 2 of them will be eliminated.” It’s the same number as the last category, and people may be wondering how many will be eliminated from the last one.

Like magic, the dancer contestants stand on the stage, except for the top 3. “The first dancer to be eliminated today is… BAE JOOHYUN.” He looks directly at her as she walks to the front before continuing. “It’s clear that you made a mistake and, to be part of this, we can only allow those who did well to move on and, well, you didn’t. We look for contestants that are reliable, and if everybody else had the time to practice then so did you. So, today is the end of the line for you.”

Tiger JK lowers his head to look at his notes before proceeding. “The second dancer to be eliminated today is… JUNG HOSEOK.” He waits for the boy to walk to the front before continuing. “The choreography you chose seemed very complex and also too complex for you. While you have high energy with you, there’s no point in having that if you can’t deliver what you promised as a dancer. Since this challenge is all about skill, you’ll have to go home today.”

With this, the CEO puts his microphone down so that the next one can proceed with the process. It’s So Jisub, ready to deliver the last batch of news regarding this week’s episode. “The last category was the one regarding singers. This was the one with the most contestants involved, so it was a tougher job for us to choose who was the best. But, we’d like to call the top 3 contestants up to the stage: DO KYUNGSOO, JEON HEEJIN, and SIA KIM.” The three contestants make their way to the center, all eyes on them, and teh man continues speaking.

“You all showed impressive performances, but the one we chose as the best was… JEON HEEJIN.” The man nods in her direction. “You managed to show a very different image of yourself this week and when doing so it didn’t make your performance any weaker. To be a flexible performer is a special asset not every single has and that will be usual to you. Apart from that, of course, you have a great voice and managed to impress us. Congratulations.”

Jisub gives each of the the three singer a nod in their direction and then proceeds to the next part of the process. “In total, at the end of this episode, there’ll be 10 eliminations. This means that from the 21 singers today, unlike the other categories, 6 contestants will leave the show. Since there were more of you, to balance this out, more of you will be eliminated as well. Those who changed categories managed to survive this round, but, had some of them not done so, they could have been sent home today. In turn, some of the people who were and will be eliminated might have had another chance.”

The camera pans over the three contestants who changed their categories: CHOI YEWON, KANG DANIEL, and SON HYEJOO, their change choices hovering over their head. “Now, we’ll head onto the final eliminations of the episode.” And just like that, the 18 remaining singers make their way to the stage, the empty space at the front waiting to be filled. “The first two singers to be eliminated are… KIM JOOYOUNG and LEE SEOYEON.” The two make their way to the front at the same time, the staff trying not to waste too much time going through 6 different announcements.

“Both of you showed a lack of skill that we could associate with practice. This means that had you receive more appropriate classes, perhaps, you would have sounded better. It felt like you were trying too much to sing your lines rather than singing them. That’s why you’ll be going home today.” The man nods in your general direction before taking a look at his notes. “The next singers to be eliminated are… KIM MYUNGSOO and CHOI YENA.”

Jisub for them as well. “As for Myungsoo, while we do appreciate when people try to pass on the emotion of a song, at some point you cross that line and go a little overboard. It’s one thing to act, or express those feelings, and another is to lose yourself to the song. Your performance was mostly remembered as that than your actual voice which, of course, also had to suffer through the performance. And Yena, your voice was nothing much that would leave us impressed. Since your song choice was very simple too, we agreed that there were a lot of other singers that had done better, so we chose to let you go.”

The man twists his head for a second, contemplating on the final results he was about to deliver. “And the last two contestants to be eliminated today from the show are… HEO YURIM and SHIN YUNA. Both of you lacked in skill as well. Your song choices may have been a bit too bold, especially for Yuna. There’s still a lot for you two to grow as singers before you can make a name for yourselves. I’d recommed for you to keep working hard if this is your dream, but now your MGA path has come to its end.”

Once he’s done, the camera pans over the set once again, this time the scene showing that those eliminated had left the set with only their chairs left as a memory. The last of the five picks up her microphone, Katie Lee, with one of her famous smirks on her face. “Congratulations to all the contestants who managed to move on to the next challenge! This only means that there are new hurdles to go through and that we won’t stop until a winner is decided. There’s no time to rest, so let’s get onto our next mission, shall we?”

To see all the of this season’s contestants, click here!

And now, let’s see what’s in store for our third episode!

Now that the contestants managed to prove their worth in this competition, it’s time to move on to the next challenge of the season. For this round, contestants will be separated into duos and will be told to prepare a performance together to perform next week. Both of the people involved should show at least one of their performance skills. The theme is to impress and to manage to show your colors even when sharing the stage with someone else. A list of the duos can be found below:

#5002 - CHOI MINHO #5030 - LEE NAKYUNG

#5004 - CHOI YEWON #5023 - KIM MINKYUNG

#5005 - CHOI YOONA #5046 - WANG, JACKSON

#5006 - CHWE HANSOL #5026 - KIM, SIA

#5007 - DO KYUNGSOO #5027 - KIM YUGYEOM

#5008 - HA SUNGWOON #5034 - NA JAEMIN

#5010 - HWANG MINHYUN #5044 - SONG YUQI

#5011 - HWANG YEJI #5037 - PARK JUNHEE

#5013 - JEON HEEJIN #5017 - KANG DANIEL

#5014 - JO YURI #5029 - LEE HOHYEON

#5015 - JUNG EUNJI #5022 - KIM JUNGEUN

#5018 - KANG HYUNGGU #5039 - SEO CHANGBIN

#5020 - KIM HYOJIN #5025 - KIM SEUNGHUN

#5028 - LEE CHAERYEONG #5035 - NAM JOOHYUK

#5032 - LEE SUWOONG #5047 - WONG YUKHEI

#5033 - MIYAWAKI SAKURA #5040 - SHIN RYUJIN

#5036 - PARK JINYOUNG #5049 - YOON JEONGHAN

#5038 - PARK WOOJIN #5050 - ZHOU JIEQIONG

#5042 - SOHN YOUNGJAE #5043 - SON HYEJOO

#5045 - TAKADA KENTA #5048 - YOO TAEYANG

Eliminations will be made in duos which means that if a performance is considered sub-par, both contestants will be eliminated. Therefore, make sure to work well together and choose something that fits the two people involved. Or not! Take your risks if you’d like to.

All contestants are supposed to make their own way to the recording studio prepared specially for this episode. The set will be modified for this new round and will look something close to this. On each side, 20 chairs will be prepared for the contestants to sit on and watch each other’s performances. The duos should sit together and, to ensure so, the seats have been marked with their numbers. Starting from the first chair on the left and going all the way to the last one on the right, the numbers will follow the list of duos found above. Just because most eyes will be on the performance doesn’t mean no one will be paying attention to you. A set of cameras will have their lenses ready to capture any sort of interesting reaction from those watching (beware of the evil editing) while a couple more will allow different angles of the main performance to be captured.

Sitting on the higher ground, much more comfortable chairs are lined in front of the stage — five in total. This is where the CEOs of each big company will be sitting to make sure only the most captivating contestants will continue their journey to make this the best season yet.

Tune in next Saturday, the 13th, for our third episode!

MGA Season 5 episode three preview: Now that their skills have passed the test, it’s a battle of the greatest to go up to the number one spot. To get there, however, they must pass through the new wave of challenges prepared for this season. The duos are back, and the pairing is as unexpected as ever! Will your favorites movie on, or will they be brought down by their own partners?

[ None of the performance were aired in their entirity. Cuts from the show itself were uploaded to Mnets’s Officil Youtube Channel, but the full performances cannot be found else. ]

If you made it this far, either if you were eliminated on this episode or not, you may add +3 POINTS IN YOUR MAIN SKILL to your points tally. Make sure to link back to this post for verification.

Contestants have until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 12th, to post their 200+ words solos about the duos challenge in front of the CEOs. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5duos. They’ll have two minutes to perform their chosen skill to capture the attention of the CEOs (as long as it doesn’t break any laws). Good luck! Song choices should be submitted to the rkevent inbox. Two duos performing the same song will not be allowed and this will be chosen on a first come first serve basis.

After the last performance is done, the CEOs will leave to discuss their thoughts privately. While this happens, the contestants will be taken one by one into a small room to be interviewed on their thoughts of the current state of things. They will be asked a variety of questions and some may be included in the list found below! Feel free to come up with your own questions if you think they can be fitting.

What did you think of the results last week?

How was it like working with your duo?

How do you think you did?

Were there any performances you liked?

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

What did you think of ___’s performance?

Which duo do you think complemented each other the most?

Was there anyone you think that brought their partner down?

Is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the MGAs?

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

Once they’re done, they’ll be taken back to their seat to wait, or may go to the bathroom if needed.

You may also write an extra 200+ words solo about your muse’s interview, as explained above, to also be posted until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 12th. For doing so, you may earn +2 CHARISMA OR CREATIVITY POINTS and these can be added to your points tally as soon as it is posted. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5duos. Please link this post as verification.

#rkmga5 #rkmga5skill

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