The latest brainchild from the creators of the The Genius, Society Game is a brand new tvN reality game show which premiered earlier this month. While the show is designed and edited in a very similar way to The Genius it’s a whole new ball game on its own and is worth checking out, even […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_2016-11-01-145608.jpg400600Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2016-11-01 04:36:272016-11-01 04:38:164 reasons why you should check out tvN’s ‘Society Game’
The inevitability of my favourite K-pop groups coming to an end is something I’m used to now. The demise is nearly always slow with groups who were once household names dropping lower in the charts with every new release. So when DSP recently announced that Rainbow would be disbanding, I was not surprised nor was […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/rainbow-prism2.jpg4801007Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-10-31 05:38:502016-12-22 13:38:51What do you find at the end of a Rainbow?
The latest brainchild from the creators of the The Genius, Society Game is a brand new tvN reality game show which premiered earlier this month. While the show is designed and edited in a very similar way to The Genius it’s a whole new ball game on its own and is worth checking out, even […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_2016-11-01-145608.jpg400600Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2016-11-01 04:36:272016-11-01 04:38:164 reasons why you should check out tvN’s ‘Society Game’
The inevitability of my favourite K-pop groups coming to an end is something I’m used to now. The demise is nearly always slow with groups who were once household names dropping lower in the charts with every new release. So when DSP recently announced that Rainbow would be disbanding, I was not surprised nor was […]
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/rainbow-prism2.jpg4801007Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-10-31 05:38:502016-12-22 13:38:51What do you find at the end of a Rainbow?
The latest brainchild from the creators of the The Genius,Society Game is a brand new tvN reality game show which premiered earlier this month. While the show is designed and edited in a very similar way to The Genius it’s a whole new ball game on its own and is worth checking out, even for non-Genius fans. Here are four reasons why.
The Premise
In this game show, 22 participants have to live together in an outdoor filming set designed to look like a traditional Korean village for two weeks. The set is split into three main areas, “Nop-dong” , “Ma-dong,” and the “Neutral Zone.” Participants are separated into two villages and compete against each other daily, with the losing village eliminating a member. This set-up alone allows for personal interactions between the participants within the villages since they really have to get to know each other and adapt to each other’s living habits. While such hijinks can be humorous and adorable to watch sometimes (martial artists getting scared of live chickens), living together on Society Game can get extremely tense since the participants have so many more opportunities to form alliances or trick each other. The real competition arguably takes place within the villages when each day ends, and this constant tension is what makes the show so unique and fun to watch. The “true” side of each participant is also more likely to be revealed, especially when they are placed under increasing pressure and extreme conditions (the show was filmed during a heatwave and the participants slept outdoors) so this show could be a good watch for fans of shows like Survivor.
Within this relatively large cast, the show’s participants are from different educational backgrounds and have varied occupations, ranging from an English lecturer to university students. This diversity makes for interesting television, since people with different life experiences and even age would naturally have different strategies and opinions. More importantly, they have varied abilities, with some of them being extremely athletic, some who are quick on their feet and others who have great cognitive abilities. These abilities are all valued equally among the participants, especially since the challenges posed to them tend to incorporate elements from all three domains.
There are a few stand-out participants however, who have already made a name for themselves in the show. One of them is mixed martial artist MJ Kim, a 26 year old woman who continually defies gender stereotypes with her physical strength and abilities. With her decisive and hardworking nature, she is shaping up to be one of the strongest participants in the show. Along with her is comedian Yang Sang-gook who successfully led a rebellion in his village within the first episode of the show and has maintained a tight rein over the villagers under his charge ever since. While he might have the manipulative skills required to ensure that he is always in an advantageous position, he also does show genuine care for his villagers. His leadership skills and initiative has won the trust of the people around him so far and with his foresight, he will probably go far in this game.
The Politics
Society Game functions somewhat like a social experiment, not just to observe how strangers live together for two weeks but also to see how successful or disastrous certain government systems can be. In the case of this show, Nop-dong is run as a democracy, with new village leaders being elected daily through a vote. Ma-dong, on the other hand, is run as a totalitarian state. Once elected, the leader will remain in power until another villager completes a rebellion successfully with the support of a majority of the villagers. Both systems have their pros and cons and create vastly different dynamics in the villages. In Nop-dong for instance, with their daily elections, the tide can turn very quickly depending on who is in power. These daily elections can fracture and divide the society so much so that it would be difficult for the village to stay united for long. In Ma-dong however, the divides are more clearly defined and the alliances more permanent, since survival can only be ensured if you are among the majority. It may thus seem more stable on the surface, but will definitely lead to more complicated problems in the future. Society Game therefore gives viewers a very exciting demonstration of these two types of governance, especially when participants of high calibre are involved. Though the show has just begun, the in-depth strategizing of the participants has already caught my attention and I’m excited to see how both villages will turn out.
I expected nothing less coming from the team behind The Genius but I’m glad to report that the editing for Society Game is pretty top-notch. The background music used really sets the atmosphere for the show, whether it’s meant to be humourous or tense and climatic. Interestingly enough, a few less exciting or downright awkward scenes which would have been cut from mainstream variety shows are occasionally added as well. While this sometimes breaks the flow of the episode, they serve to build up the characters of the participants, making them more personal and relatable for the viewers. The use of time-skips and flashbacks in this show has been excellent so far as well, as it creates some truly shocking plot twists and game changers in the episodes.
Society Game premiered off with a strong start and has shown much potential in its run so far, so here’s hoping that its success will last. Check out a preview of the show below!
Have you watched Society Game? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/IMG_2016-11-01-145608.jpg400600Anna Cheanghttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngAnna Cheang2016-11-01 04:36:272016-11-01 04:38:164 reasons why you should check out tvN’s ‘Society Game’
The inevitability of my favourite K-pop groups coming to an end is something I’m used to now. The demise is nearly always slow with groups who were once household names dropping lower in the charts with every new release. So when DSP recently announced that Rainbow would be disbanding, I was not surprised nor was I heartbroken. Yet, when I thought about it, there was no group who deserved this less than Rainbow. Throughout their career, only one major single stands out as bad, their debut “Gossip Girl,” and their albums are littered with overlooked gems. They brought a spectrum of sounds and looks delivered with a consistent quality that few can match.
Rainbow debuted with a killer concept. Each member being one colour of the spectrum was so clever but simple to pull off. All of them would be easily identifiable by what they wore, a key point for a new group. The problem with it though is that DSP probably had the idea and tried to rush out the group to attach to it, meaning that some members may just be there because they needed seven girls. The lack of memorable characters in the group may be a big factor in their downfall. Today, more than ever groups need big characters, look at Twice and I.O.I for example. A terrible debut song doesn’t help either.
Rainbow’s work with some K-pop’s best producers allowed them to recover from that dreadful critical and commercial debut. Following a similar formula two years in a row, Rainbow released two singles by the same producer in 2010 and 2011. Their first two were with Sweetune, staying loyal to DSP after making their name with KARA. Even though by today’s standards “A” and “Mach” could sound a little cheaper than we expect from Sweetune, they still remain some of their best work.
“A” is Rainbow’s most iconic track. K-pop was beginning to show signs of embracing sexiness at this time, but nobody confronted it quite like Rainbow and “A.” The shirt lifting choreography makes being sexy something more than just a concept or dance. The members are active in showing their bodies; it brings an agency that is so often absent. Making them complicit is a bold choice, but one that is pulled off thanks to the confidence of a young group. It actually threatened to overshadow the song as well, which would be the greatest shame of Rainbow’s career. Sweetune switch out their usual synths for horns and guitars, which drive the song with bombastic energy. It has a relentless, kinetic force that builds and peaks at the two minute mark with the second chorus (which is itself essentially two choruses).
If “A” didn’t overshadow itself, it probably did leave their second single with Sweetune, “Mach,” with little to show. Without the choreography gimmick, it could not take off, so it charted lower than “A” despite being just as good. Horns again take the front seat, but this time along with prominent synths made to sound like horns. It’s similar to “A,” but heavier and more dramatic. A cacophonous soundscape that grabs you by the throat.
In 2011, Rainbow moved onto a producer that K-pop sorely misses. Japanese DJ Daishi Dance specializes in mixing pianos and electronics, focusing on dance tracks in which you don’t know whether to shake your body or dry your eyes. He also produced After School’s gorgeous “Shampoo” in the same year. With “To Me” and “Sweet Dream,” he created Rainbow’s highest charting singles and their best era.
Like “A” and “Mach,” they are of a similar style and structure but with different tones. Both use crystal clear pianos set against a dance beat. “To Me” is the more upbeat of the two, with its addictive hook of “oh eh oh ehs,” contrasting well with leader Jaekyung’s (an idol of considerable talent and beauty that deserves a solo career after this) belts in the chorus. Daishi Dance’s distinct sound really helped Rainbow stand out, the mix of pianos and synths is evocative in strange ways we can relate with.
“Sweet Dream” is the culmination of these ideas. More subdued than “To Me,” it uses the sentimental sounds to the best of their expression. “Sweet Dream” is about a girl who knows she is about to be broken up with and does not want to believe it. “Don’t wake me up from this sweet dream,” they cry. The music video setting of a club brings it altogether. This is still a dance song, so of course they could perform it in a club. Yet it’s clearly a song of great pain too, brought to life best by the voice of maknae Hyunyoung. The girls walk around the club, their bodies splitting into many parts. Their minds reeling from the potential break up that they can’t think straight. They are highlighted by slow motion, even amongst such a setting they still can’t escape their emotions. The contradiction of the song is brought into great clarity by the video.
After these stellar two years, Rainbow’s success began to drop. Maybe it was the two years it took them to release something after “Sweet Dream,” but it’s hard to see why they really failed. There was certainly no drop in quality as all of their songs from “Tell Me Tell Me” up to their last single “Whoo” were either good or great. Even more impressive is that all of the rest of their albums were pretty much perfect start to finish. Again, their continued work with top producers keeps getting them great tracks.
On “Rainbow Syndrome Part 1,” producers Zig Zag Note gave them the brash “Cosmic Girl.” It pairs interstellar lyrics and synthesizers with old fashioned pop sounds. The string and horn sections are what make the song feel cosmic, the intro especially feels like the beginning of something huge.
Rainbow, however, are not always all about the big energy. Neither are Zig Zag Note, apparently, as they provided Rainbow with “EENIE MEENIE MINIE MOE,” a stripped back oddity on “Rainbow Syndrome Part 2.” It begins with just a piano, flat toms, and the vocals. It’s delivered with a cheeky confidence that is so infectious but never irritating. Singing the title towards the end like a nursery rhyme is particularly addictive.
Following “Rainbow Syndrome,” Rainbow moved on to the era where we could see their end in sight. First their sexy and subversive sub-unit Rainbow Blaxx, with heavyweights Digipedi behind the incisive video for “Cha Cha.” “Black Swan” and the “Innocent” album followed and were commercial disasters. It was a change in style too far for Korea. Which is a shame, since the album is so good that I can’t pick a favourite. “Pierrot” did dancehall better than any other Korean act and used No Eul well for the first time ever. “Bad Man Crying” is a perfectly balanced outpouring of emotion; Hyunyoung’s voice cuts through it beautifully. The soulful “Mr. Lee,” funky “Privacy,” and sombre “A Little More” round out what is one of the best K-pop mini albums of all time.
Their final album, “Prism,” while not as good as “Innocent” is still great by most K-pop mini-album standards. More great producers turn up as well. Sweetune returned to say goodbye to Rainbow with their spinoff team Monotree on sweet opener “Saying I Miss You”. e.one, meanwhile, produced stomper “Click!” By then, it was too late though; the public had moved on from Rainbow.
So what do we find at the end of the rainbow? Namely a sad end to a great underappreciated career. The future careers of the members are not easy either. Few of them made names for themselves outside of the group. Only Jisook and Jaekyung seem safe in the entertainment business anyway. Also, DSP are in a bad situation themselves. Their remaining groups are either flopping (April) or just not working (A-Jax). Without their original powerhouses, they need to act fast. There is no pot of gold here, unfortunately.
Now that we have reached the end though, we know for sure that the treasure is not gold but the rainbow itself. With hindsight, we can look back at Rainbow’s glistening beauty and talent and remember one of the great girl groups of our time. Take your time appreciating the entire spectrum of their career; there is much more than just colour to find.
What’s your favourite Rainbow song or performance? Share your picks and thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.
https://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/rainbow-prism2.jpg4801007Joe Palmerhttps://kultscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/KULTSCENE-LOGO-2018-TRANSPARENT-RED.pngJoe Palmer2016-10-31 05:38:502016-12-22 13:38:51What do you find at the end of a Rainbow?
