Last week was the second-last episode of Produce 48, as well as it was the second-most crucial one. The final 20 trainees who would move on to the finals tomorrow for Produce 48 were selected from a pool of 30. This was done after the concept evaluation happened last week and weighed heavily off of the fan vote (as will the finale).
PRODUCE 48: The Last 20
Episode 11 Ranking Results
Sakura Miyawaki placed first for the second time on the show, the first time being on the first episode. This felt like a sigh of relief for her and her supporters, as she had been slowly slipping in the ranks since the first two official rankings. As the rankings have been really shaky this whole season it’s hard to predict things, but if one could predict anything it would be that Sakura is a lock for the group. The only thing that remains in question for her is where she will specifically place. Miho Miyazaki saw what was a very impressive comeback this season, going from 21st and 27th to second place in the episode 11 ranking. Her and Miu Shitao soared up the charts so drastically that their chances of debuting went from slim to plausible.
Lee Chae-yeon and Her Struggles
Lee Chae-yeon placed third after being in the 10-20 range for the past two rankings. Chae-yeon has most likely gotten tons of sympathy after showing how stressed she was on the last episode. While viewers know Chae-yeon wants to survive on the show, they have to ask if she is being overworked mentally. Crying isn’t a bad thing, but how easily she cracks on the show makes it seem like she is very stressed out. I want to see her succeed but maybe it’s better for her if she waits a few years before going all in on an idol lifestyle. In boxing, the corner men of a boxer can throw in a towel ending the fight for their guy. Not because he wants to stop fighting, but because they know it’s in his best interest that he stops.
Debut Evaluation Songs
The finale of the show will take place on Friday with a live performance from the 20 remaining contestants. A viewer vote will be done live to select the top 12 who will win and hopefully debut. Near the end of the episode, the remaining 20 participants choose which of the two songs they want to sing on the finale. The first song was produced by Han Sung-soo called “We Together.” This song has very high pitched parts to it. It should make for an exciting finale for anyone who likes the possibility of watching people mess up notes and ruin their careers (although that’s not me). The other one was written by Yasushi Akimoto, a producer who has worked extensively with AKB and many of their related groups.
The two groups practiced ahead of the performance. They were also given training sessions by the trainers of Produce 48. The vocal practice was shown heavily on the show but not much shown about the choreo (maybe that will air on the finale to fill the huge time slot that they have).
The Sideshow Of Episode 11
Before the ranking and the preparation for the Debut Evaluation, there were many fun bits recorded from earlier. One of the events was a makeup class for the trainees. “SSIN” visited the class and taught them things, even though everyone used to the time to mess around with expensive makeup. There was also an athletics challenge which had charades and a game where someone would have to spin around many times, then attempt to put lipstick on someone as accurately as possible.
The Stresses Of Competition
The segment that stuck out the most was the time when trainees were given room to vent their issues. They sat in a box where on the other side was musician Bora. Some trainees saw her by peering their head around the corner while others didn’t. Choi Ye-na was very happy to meet Bora on her birthday. Many people vented that they had read comments online about them that made them feel down. As a gift, Bora gave many trainees a box a positive comments about them from online forums. This was a very touching moment as viewers saw how vulnerable all trainees are when at the eleventh hour of this competition.
With The Finale Approaching…
As the competition comes to a close, and the show will be over in a matter of hours, I have to say how much I enjoyed watching it and covering it. There were lots of farewells as the competition was fierce, but the show also made me root for many contestants who I wouldn’t have known if not for the show. If a show like this comes around again I would cover it in a heartbeat.
Friday is the culmination of the past 12 weeks. Produce 48 was a summer project that will come to fruition as 12 of the 20 remaining contestants will rise above and see a chance to be a popular touring group in not only Korea but also Japan. Tomorrow this season of Produce 48 will say “It’s Showtime” one last time, in hopes that the product of the show will create something amazing.
The Full Episode 11 Ranking
| Contestant | EP 5 Rank | EP 8 Rank | EP 11 Rank | Votes |
| Sakura Miyawaki | 4 | 7 | 1 | 373,783 |
| Miho Miyazaki | 21 | 27 | 2 | 347,998 |
| Lee Chae-yeon | 10 | 17 | 3 | 327,445 |
| Kang Hye-won | 25 | 3 | 4 | 311,212 |
| Lee Ga-eun | 1 | 8 | 5 | 307,723 |
| Miyu Takeuchi | 11 | 30 | 6 | 303,379 |
| Jang Won-young | 3 | 1 | 7 | 277,922 |
| Miru Shiroma | 16 | 13 | 8 | 268,609 |
| Nako Yabuki | 7 | 2 | 9 | 264,209 |
| Miu Shitao | 36 | 22 | 10 | 261,023 |
| Hitomi Honda | 12 | 12 | 11 | 250,011 |
| Kwon Eun-bi | 5 | 5 | 12 | 247,556 |
| Han Cho-won | 47 | 9 | 13 | 243,234 |
| Ahn Yu-jin | 2 | 4 | 14 | 238,959 |
| Kim Min-ju | 15 | 6 | 15 | 227,786 |
| Choi Ye-na | 9 | 16 | 16 | 215,828 |
| Juri Takahashi | 18 | 20 | 17 | 213,608 |
| Jo Yu-ri | 19 | 10 | 18 | 213,237 |
| Kim Chae-won | 28 | 15 | 19 | 210,781 |
| Park Hae-yoon | 43 | 18 | 20 | 204,678 |
| -ELIMINATION CUT OFF- | ||||
| Kim Na-young | 38 | 21 | 21 | 188,617 |
| Sae Murase | 40 | 25 | 22 | 174,576 |
| Kim Do-ah | 34 | 23 | 23 | 167,012 |
| Moe Goto | 6 | 28 | 24 | 153,955 |
| Jang Gyu-ri | 17 | 26 | 25 | 129,098 |
| Huh Yun-jin | 22 | 11 | 26 | 96,954 |
| Kim Si-hyeon | 20 | 24 | 27 | 96,036 |
| Wang Yi-ren | 8 | 14 | 28 | 94,304 |
| Na Go-eun | 29 | 29 | 29 | 79,892 |
| Lee Si-an | 23 | 19 | 30 | 75,969 |
The Two Groups Performing On Episode 12
| Yasushi Akimoto – Won’t You Fall In Love? | Position | Han Sung-soo – We Together |
| Kwon Eun-bi | Main Vocal | Miyu Takeuchi |
| Choi Ye-na | Sub Vocal 1 | Hitomi Honda |
| Sakura Miyawaki | Sub Vocal 2 | Miho Miyazaki |
| Lee Ga-eun | Sub Vocal 3 | Jo Yu-ri |
| Miru Shiroma | Sub Vocal 4 | Jang Won-young |
| Kang Hye-won | Sub Vocal 5 | Ahn Yu-jin |
| Kim Chae-won | Sub Vocal 6 | Kim Chae-won |
| Miu Shitao | Sub Vocal 7 | Park Hae-yoon |
| Juri Takahashi | Sub Vocal 8 | Nako Yabuki |
| Han Cho-won | Sub Vocal 9 | Lee Chae-yeon |
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