'Street Woman Fighter 2' aims to exceed first season's success

Television

Published: 17 Aug. 2023, 16:36 Updated: 17 Aug. 2023, 19:30

'Street Woman Fighter 2' aims to exceed first season's success

Contestants and judges of cable channel Mnet's upcoming dance competition show ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ pose for photos during a press briefing held on Thursday in Sangam-dong, western Seoul. The program will feature eight different teams of dance crews from in and outside of Korea. [YONHAP]

Can Mnet’s upcoming dance competition program “Street Woman Fighter 2” reenact the success of “Street Woman Fighter,” the cable channel’s most popular show of 2021?

“Street Woman Fighter 2” is the second rendition of the “Street Woman Fighter” all-female dance survival franchise whose first episode is set to air on Tuesday at 10 p.m., featuring eight famed domestic and overseas dance crews.

On the judging panel are dancer Monika and Shownu of boy band Monsta X, who will be joined by different guest judges, including Japanese dancer Rie Hata, Mike Song, Bae Yoon-jung and Aiki, for each mission.

The show will be hosted by singer Kang Daniel, replicating his role from the first “Street Woman Fighter” and the subsequent all-male version titled “Street Man Fighter” that aired last year.

“Street Woman Fighter” was not only Mnet’s biggest show of 2021 but also one of the most popular shows in Korea that year. The show started with a mere 0.8 percent viewership rating for its first episode on Aug. 24, 2021, which jumped to 1.9 percent in the second episode and peaked at 2.9 percent for its eighth episode, ending with 2.5 percent on Oct. 26.

Kim Ji-eun, producer of cable channel Mnet's upcoming dance competition show ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ [MNET]

Dancer Monika and Shownu of boy band Monsta X, special judges of cable channel Mnet's upcoming dance competition show ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ [MNET]

Dancers Aiki and Rie Hata, special judges of cable channel Mnet's upcoming dance competition show ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ [MNET]

“The enormous popularity of ‘Street Woman Fighter’ did put pressure on me, but the dancers who took part in the show are so talented and attractive that I’m confident that we can replicate this success,” producer Kim Ji-eun told local reporters during a press briefing on Thursday in Sangam-dong, western Seoul.

This is Kim’s first try at a competition program, but the success of 2021 is not the only pressure that she and the crew face.

In 2022, the previous “Street Man Fighter” had to bite the dust due to mistaken utterances from the show’s producer and Kang that led to uninviting, if not hostile, reactions from viewers.

During a press briefing for the show on Aug. 23, 2022, chief producer Kwon Young-chan said that “female dancers demonstrated jealousy and greed while male dancers showed loyalty and pride” when asked by a reporter about the differences between the two genders as dancers.

Before that was Kang, who told his fans during a private messaging session on the fan community platform Universe that he felt “so much more comfortable shooting with men” because women “drained him out.”

Kang Daniel, host of cable channel Mnet's upcoming dance competition show ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ [MNET]

“I took a long time looking back on myself,” Kang said when asked by a reporter about his words during Thursday’s event.

“I was offered the host job and questioned whether I deserved it. But I am very grateful the producers made me feel like I was a part of the whole series so I decided to join the next series. I think the best thing I can do is make up for what I said earlier. I tried my best not to harm anyone so I hope you watch me do that.”

To go a step beyond the past two seasons, “Street Woman Fighter 2” added a global touch to the show by recruiting two international crews to compete in the program — Jam Republic, a dance studio consisting of 28 different studios in 23 countries around the world, and Japanese dance team Tsubakill.

Jam Republic, led by Kirsten Dodgen, has worked with renowned artists such as Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez as well as major K-pop agencies including YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and SM Entertainment. Tsubakill members have worked with Japanese singer Takuya Kimura, American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson and more.

The other six Korean teams — 1Million, Deep N DAP, Bebe, Mannequeen, Wolf’lo and Ladybounce — are also well-known both in and out of Korea.

Scenes from the first episode of ″Street Woman Fighter 2″ set to air on Aug. 22 at 10 p.m. [MNET]

1Million, led by dancer Lia Kim, is known for working with Lee Hyo-ri, Twice, Sunmi, Mamamoo and Hwasa; Deep N DAP designed choreography for Mamamoo, Red Velvet, and Jessi; Bebe is known for creating choreographies for Kai, CL and aespa’s “Next Level” (2021), “Savage” (2021), “Illusion” (2022) and more.

Hip-hop crews like Wolf’lo, filled with hip-hop dancers and Ladybounce, the longest-running female dance crew in Korea, and all-rounder crew Mannequeen are also vying for the top spot.

“Actually, I was offered a spot in the first season, but I declined because I had some bad memories with survival shows and wasn’t confident that I could do well,” Lia Kim said. “But I watched the first season as a viewer and saw how amazing all the dancers were and how they were portrayed. So I was determined to be on the second season, and I’m grateful that I was a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

In fact, the first season was so good that the dancers in Korea have felt the change that has taken place since the show.

“I can definitely feel people’s awareness of dance has changed, but it’s hard to put a finger on what exactly it is,” Monika said.

“But a change in awareness brings a lot of change. It’s not just one thing. Before the show, people had no idea what being a dancer meant as a job. But now people know what it is and it has opened up so many opportunities — small and big — to us. It’s been so meaningful.”

“Street Woman Fighter 2” will air every Tuesday at 10 p.m. The prize money and other benefits for the winner will be revealed in the upcoming episodes.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]