Controversy Arises as 'BOYS II PLANET' Faces Fairness Criticism

Zhou Anxin maintained his All-Star rank and secured the center position despite a pitch error during the 'BOYS II PLANET C' signal song test.

On the February 25th episode of Mnet's 'BOYS II PLANET,' the practice process for the 'Signal Song Test' was revealed following the 'Rank Determination Battle.' As the debut journey officially began, the expert master team provided cold evaluations and meticulous coaching to help the trainees improve their skills.

Attention was also drawn to the selection process for the signal song's killing part and the rap & dance unit protagonists. Despite Zhou Anxin's dedication to practice, he committed a critical pitch error during the signal song test.

Zhou Anxin, who was an All-Star, expressed his anxiety, saying, "I think I'll be downgraded to 2 stars." However, the masters decided to hold his rank, and ultimately, Zhou Anxin maintained his All-Star status. Additionally, he was chosen as a member of the killing part, taking the center stage. His stage video quickly became a hot topic online due to his outstanding visuals.

Previously, on the February 24th episode of 'Planet K,' Lee Sangwon, a former Big Hit trainee considered a strong debut candidate, also maintained his All-Star rank despite a pitch error during the test. Some viewers criticized this, saying, "Isn't this unfair?" and "It seems like the production team is pushing certain trainees."

Meanwhile, in 2019, members selected as the final winners of 'Produce X 101' debuted as the group X1 but were eventually disbanded due to manipulation controversies. The PD who directed the program was reportedly sentenced to two years in prison for manipulating paid text voting results.

Six years later, in the newly released Mnet survival show 'BOYS II PLANET' Season 2, a trainee from CJ ENM's subsidiary Wake One appeared but was introduced as an independent trainee without an agency. After the truth was revealed, Wake One apologized to viewers and announced the termination of the contract with the trainee.

Following the revelation of the Wake One trainee's identity, the situation where Lee Sangwon and Zhou Anxin maintained their All-Star ranks and secured the center position despite mistakes, coupled with the elimination of Drippin's Lee Hyeop, who was noted for his vocal skills on 'Planet K,' led to viewer dissatisfaction. As a result, 'BOYS II PLANET' is facing negative criticism regarding fairness from the early stages of the broadcast.