March 2, 2023
SEOUL – One of the memorable moments in producing Kakao Leisure’s on-line audition program “Lady’s Re:verse” was when one of many contestants made a impolite finger gesture to the others, says producer Son Su-jung.
It was the primary time all 30 of the contestants’ digital characters had gathered within the metaverse, and Muneo’s surprising cursing not solely caught the producers off-guard, however the different contestants as properly.
“(Muneo’s motion) smashed the boundary (of pre-conceptions) the women had. They discovered the scenario humorous, not due to the curse itself, however as a result of they realized it’s okay to simply have enjoyable and idiot round right here,” Son mentioned throughout a joint on-line interview with the native press held on Tuesday.
“The women appeared extra relaxed after that time and spoke and acted extra overtly,” the producer added.
With solely the ultimate spherical left till the winners are determined, Son and her co-producer Cho Joo-yeon performed a joint on-line interview with the native press to share their ideas.
“Lady’s Re:verse” is a 12-episode present that started airing in January and has since adopted the journey of 30 singers as they competed by their avatars within the metaverse to make it to the ultimate 5.
Muneo’s motion is symbolic of the worth the producers imagine “Lady’s Re:verse” had achieved — to free idols of the restraints they’d been bridled by in the true world and to simply be themselves.
The strict anonymity of the singers, whose identities had been saved not solely from the viewers however from the opposite contestants as properly, is what differentiated “Lady’s Re:verse” from different survival reveals. Solely those that had been disqualified might reveal their id.
The women weren’t allowed to fulfill or discover out about one another’s id till the very last taking pictures.
“This resulted in double the quantity of labor for the workers as we needed to take additional care in reserving the taking pictures and recording time, ensuring to cover their identities whereas shifting round within the studios. However we believed that if the women met in the true world and the boundary (between the true and digital) was damaged, they wouldn’t be capable of immerse themselves within the metaverse as they’d performed earlier than,” Son mentioned.
The deep immersion of the women was what pulled this system by, regardless of the skeptical views it confronted at first. Uniting two minor cultures — two-dimensional animation and Ok-pop idol — into one mixing pot was a dangerous transfer that would have price this system its reputation.
“Even a few of our workers had a tough time focusing at first,” Son mentioned. “We knew we had hurdles to beat and our first and most essential purpose was constructing intimacy.”
The beginning of this journey goes again nearly a 12 months. In April 2022, the producers held assembly after assembly with every of the women to create their avatars. The women personalized nearly all the things about their characters, from their title and persona to their look, hair and eye shade. On this course of, the women immersed naturally into their digital counterparts.
“We believed if the singers themselves might actually immerse into the characters, the viewers would quickly observe go well with,” Son mentioned.
Poster of on-line idol survival program “Lady’s Re:verse.” (Kakao Leisure)
Making a digital survival present required three to 4 instances extra money and energy in comparison with applications involving solely people in a real-life setting, the producers mentioned.
Even so, watching the singers decrease their guards to point out off their abilities within the digital house, made even the workers genuinely need to root for the women, the 2 producers mentioned.
“Throughout our last shoot, when the women all gathered collectively, they might converse on a pleasant method with one another as a result of they don’t know the true id. Outdoors (in the true world), I’ve seen even members of the identical group tackle one another utilizing honorifics. However right here, they’ve let go of such social boundaries and are busy exhibiting off their distinctive personalities and attraction,” Cho mentioned.
In leaving the present, rapper Nada, who was revealed to have been Barim contained in the present, had mentioned, “I assumed turning into the digital character made me placed on a masks, however because it turned out, I’d really taken off my masks as ‘rapper Nada.’”
Son mentioned Nada’s phrases resonated deeply along with her ideas after producing the collection.
“Simply as (the women) had performed for themselves, they got here to view the opposite women in the identical manner, freed from any stereotypes,” Son mentioned, including, “It’s because of the unprejudiced attitudes the women had all through the episodes that this system might have come thus far.”
The 5 winners, who can be determined within the final episode set for launch subsequent week, will formally debut as a gaggle. Whereas not confirmed, Son mentioned it’s extremely possible the 5 winners will stay undercover even after their debut.
“We wish the women to strive many issues contained in the metaverse house, and to do this, we expect it’s higher for them to remain nameless,” she mentioned.
A debut plan continues to be being negotiated, Son added. “We’ll be releasing a brand new music with the 5 members. As for now, our purpose is to launch the music a while in Might.”
The ultimate episode of “Lady’s Re:verse” can be proven at 9 p.m. on Monday through Kakao Web page and on Thursday March 9 through this system’s YouTube channel.
