C-Entertainment

We are at long last in the final lap of our hectic journey through the cosmos of Girls Planet 999. For some contestants, Mnet has made it's intentions very clear, but for others, the future remains murky. Furthermore, the interim results for the final week of voting have completely torpedoed any sense of rationality remaining in the show. So without further adieu let's get on with it.

After the second elimination, it's time to recalibrate the groups. Team "U+Me = Love" is down to four members: Sakamoto Mashiro, May, Kotone Kamimoto and Zhou Xinyu. While Sakamoto ranks in the overall Top 9, May barely skated in at 8th place in J-Group and both Kotone and Zhou Xinyu had to be rescued by the Planet Pass. But things could have been worse!

While I have only been a recent discoverer of Yuqi’s musical talent, the (G)I-DLE member certainly left an impression with her solo debut last month and now I do seek …

More Mnet translation shenanigans, plus the 2nd eliminations and one surprise departure.

Our 40-years journey through the desert of idol survival continues on, now 45 trainees lighter. No time for sentimental feelings though, it’s time to start the next mission.

Episode 5 reveals the intended and unintended consequences of the cell system.

Chinese social media platform Weibo has begun to comply with the tightened regulations issued by the Cyberspace Authority of China just last week. On Monday, Weibo issued 30-day suspensions to 21 fan bars.

It’s been a busy month for the media authority in China, first with the denunciation of internet fan culture, then with the announcement of restricting online gaming for minors.

Like an unpowered space station adrift in deep space, Girls Planet 999 continues its solemn journey through the dark unknown. Episodes 3 and 4 finally get to the nutritional value of the show, giving us the first real glimpse of the trainees' skills and personalities. Those already familiar with the Produce series know how the beats go: picking parts -> bad practice -> good practice -> performance. These episodes do away with the overlong explanations and rule making that have dominated so far, making the show much more watchable in the process.

The Chinese government issued a bulletin on Friday the 27th through their Cyberspace Administration mandating specific actions and policies to improve the online the behavior of fans and celebrities.