On November 9, Kep1er released their "O.O.O " dance practice to YouTube. The video saw immense love from viewers but also sparked debate on the center of the group.
Keep on reading for all the details.
Kep1er's 'O.O.O' Dance Practice Sparks Debate Over the Group's Center
On the evening of October 9, Kep1er uploaded their "O.O.O" dance practice to YouTube. This is the first performance video to feature all nine members of Kep1er since the group's official line-up was selected from the "Girls Planet 999" finale. The video amassed one million views in less than a day, proving the group's popularity among the international K-pop fan community.
However, a fierce debate soon broke out within the community, with many people disagreeing on the arrangement of the center positions in the performance.
From the beginning to the end of the video, the center position was divided among the nine members, with each person taking turns in the center according to their final ranking. The first center was ranked number one, Kim Chaehyun, while the ending center was Shen Xiaoting, who ranked ninth.
Complains arose when people noticed that in the ending, Kim Chaehyun and Huening Bahiyyih — who ranked first and second place respectively — were put at the edge of the formation.
For project groups, the center and members' positions are always a matter of concern and controversy. Those who voted for members who ranked number one often believe that their pick should be the center. For other Mnet survival shows, such as the "Produce" series, the trainee who ranks number one is immediately given the center position.
However, with "Girls Planet 999," Mnet never stated that the first-place winner of the group would end up being the center. Therefore, it is not assured that Kim Chaehyun would secure the killing part or the ending part. With that in mind, the division of centers between members seemed reasonable to most.
However, supporters of Kim Chaehyun were not happy with this explanation, with many believing that since she ranked first place, she should automatically be the center of the rule. Also, it was noted that in all of their live streams and group photos, Kim Chaehyun was always seen standing at the center position. Therefore, they believe that Kim Chaehyun should be the center and automatically take the killing parts of Kep1er's performance, or else there would be no point in Mnet having rank one to nine in the finale.
Did Kim Chaehyun Have Less Center Time Than The Other Kep1er Members in the 'O.O.O' Performance?
As debates raged on, Kep1er supporters soon pointed out that Kim Chaehyun was placed in the center for nearly a minute, meaning she had the most center time in the group. Other members, such as Seo Youngeun, Huening Bahiyyih and Shen Xiaoting, had over just ten seconds standing in the center.
People believe that Kim Chaehyun was not "robbed of her center position" and that she is the group's official center. People believe that Kep1er chose to divide the center parts since this is their first greeting video, and the company wanted to divide the parts so that all the members could shine.
Currently, discussions about the Kep1er members and their positions are still being held online. So what do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!
ALSO READ: Former 'Girls Planet 999' Contestant Fu Yaning Reveals Her Wishes for Kep1er Shen Xiaoting
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Written by Alexa Lewis
