That’s right, I’m back with another article related to Girls Planet 999, this time with a different subject! Kind of.
Just for a quick refresher, Girls Planet 999 was a K-pop idol survival show produced by South Korean station Mnet. It started airing on Aug. 6, 2021, with its finale on Oct. 22, 2021. The 99 contestants—33 each from Korea, Japan and China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan)—were chosen from over 13,000 applicants, so you know they’re already very talented. The goal, as with other idol survival shows, is to last long enough to debut with the final group—I.O.I and IZ*ONE are examples of such temporary groups from Mnet’s Produce series. From this, we got the group Kep1er.
We all know how these nine members of Kep1er are doing after their debut this January and most recent comeback a week ago, but what I’m interested in, since I follow a few accounts of different contestants, is where all of the contestants who didn’t debut with Kep1er ended up a year after the finale episode!
I’ll be going over everything based on final ranks in each group (Korea, China, Japan) and will be linking their social media where applicable. All of these girls are incredibly talented, and I look forward to supporting them wherever I can!
Strap in, because we have 99 people to go over.
Rank 33 – Han Dana, Liu Yuhan, Nakamura Kyara
Han Dana, though she ranked last in K-group, impressed me a bit with her performance of “Mic Drop” before her elimination. There hasn’t been a lot of information about where she is recently, though she revealed in a now-deleted Instagram post that she signed with Beats Entertainment as of Dec. 2021. It looks like there’s a possibility of Beats Entertainment debuting a group with Dana in it by the end of the year, though I could find no confirmation of this apart from this webpage. I wish her the best!
Liu Yuhan has somewhat of the same story; I can’t find much on her. She’s currently signed under Jaywalk Newjoy, a subsidiary of Jiaxing Media—or, that’s what her Girls Planet 999 profile says. I can’t find mention of her anywhere on any wiki for Jaywalk Newjoy or Jiaxing Media apart from here. I hope all is well with her.
As an independent trainee, Nakamura Kyara is a little harder to find information about. She’s been somewhat active on her social media recently, and I noticed that she even made a post about her experience on Girls Planet 999 in Nov. 2021. As with the others, I’m wishing for her happiness!
Rank 32 – Cho Haeun, Wang Qiuru, Kitajima Yuna
Cho Haeun is a trainee under WAKEONE, the entertainment company that Kep1er is currently signed under. Apart from confirmation of that, I can’t find much information on her. I wonder if she’ll one day debut under WAKEONE!
Wang Qiuru is currently under STAR48 and is a singer for SNH48’s Team SII. SNH48 is a branch of AKB48, a large idol group under a graduation system with the concept of “idols you can meet.” Most branches of AKB48 have their own theaters to perform in! SNH48 is the main group of the Shanghai branch, and had a new EP release on June 25 of this year. However, Qiuru was not included on this EP; only certain members of teams are included. I hope she gets her chance on that soon!
Kitajima Yuna is another individual trainee. Her most recent post on social media is from New Year’s Eve of 2021; it doesn’t look like she signed with any specific agency. I hope she’s doing well!
Rank 31 – Kim Yubin, Liu Shiqi, Kanno Miyu
Kim Yubin is listed as an individual trainee, though she was once part of A+ Entertainment and was set to debut with the canceled group A-Girls before Girls Planet 999. According to her profile, she’s also a model! I liked her performance of “Fiesta” a good bit, and though she isn’t the most active on social media, she does post on occasion!
Liu Shiqi is also listed as a Jaywalk Newjoy trainee like Liu Yuhan; also like Yuhan, I can’t find mention of her except for the linked source above. Again, I hope all is well with her.
Kanno Miyu is another individual trainee; again, I couldn’t find much about where she is now. So I hope everything is going well for her!
Rank 30 – Joung Min, Lin Shuyun, Oki Fuka
Joung Min is currently under BlockBerryCreative, the company that the group LOONA belongs to. She’s one of the seven members of the trainee team Bebez, who are rumored to debut before the end of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing if that’s true!
Lin Shuyun is signed under M-IDOL Entertainment as a trainee. I actually couldn’t find any mentions of M-IDOL Entertainment outside of her profile from Girls Planet 999, so I can’t find any updates for her. So I hope all is well!
Oki Fuka, an individual trainee, did pretty well with her performance of “gogobebe.” She hasn’t been super busy on social media, so again, I didn’t find much. All the best to her!
Rank 29 – Suh Jimin, Poon Wingchi, Okuma Sumomo
Suh Jimin, who had a pretty good performance of “Fiesta,” is also under WAKEONE with Cho Haeun. Apart from that, I can’t say I know much about her, but perhaps we’ll see her debut soon.
Poon Wingchi is currently a trainee under Echo Entertainment, and again I can’t find much about how she’s doing now.
Okuma Sumomo is actually a beauty queen with CAT’S EYE Okinawa. Her social media isn’t currently active, so I can’t find much about what she’s been doing with them since the end of Girls Planet 999, but it’s pretty cool that she was a finalist in Okinawa for Miss Earth Japan 2020!
Rank 28 – Ryu Sion, Ho Szeching, Terasaki Hina
Also with BlockBerryCreative and trainee team Bebez is Ryu Sion. As I’m writing this, I’m wondering when we’re going to get more information on the team’s debut, since it’s been announced as a pre-debut team practically since the end of Girls Planet 999. Hope we get to see them soon!
Ho Szeching is another individual trainee. She’s somewhat active on social media, though there aren’t any updates on her music career. That said, it looks like she’s managed to get a few sponsorships here and there, which is pretty cool.
Terasaki Hina signed under KISS Entertainment in Nov. 2021. She’s pretty active on her Instagram, and since there are other contestants under that entertainment company, I’m wondering if we’ll one day see a debut group!
Rank 27 – Choi Hyerin, Chien Tzuling, Kamikura Rei
Choi Hyerin hasn’t updated her Instagram since Feb. 14, but she’s currently signed with J Win Entertainment.
Chien Tzuling isn’t currently signed with any company, as she departed from Yue Hua Entertainment. Along with her Instagram, she runs a YouTube channel, though that hasn’t been updated very recently. She seems to be doing a lot of dance covers!
An individual trainee, Kamikura Rei had a pretty good performance of “Boombayah” for her demo stage. Judging by her social media, she seems to be doing well!
Rank 26 – Lee Yunji, Cui Wenmeixiu, Murakami Yume
Lee Yunji is one of four participants in Girls Planet 999 who debuted with the group ILY:1 on April 4, 2022, using the stage name Ara. ILY:1 quickly became one of my favorite groups to debut this year, and they already had a comeback in July with “Que Sera Sera.” Although Ara didn’t make it into my personal Top Nine and was eliminated early on, I’m really enjoying watching her perform with the rest of ILY:1!
Ciu Wenmeixiu, who is currently under Jaywalk Entertainment as a member of the 2020 Chinese girl group COLOR, is one of a few Chinese participants who went on to participate in the show Great Dance Crew. I couldn’t find too much information about the show just from online searches, but all of the episodes can be found easily on YouTube with English subtitles. Though Wenmeixiu didn’t last long on Girls Planet 999, I’m sure she’s done great for herself since.
Murakami Yume made it into my personal Top Nine for her performance of “Pretty U,” though she was eliminated after that. She recently signed under B301 Entertainment, who currently has a pre-debut boy group in the works, but not yet a girl group that I could find. Still, she seems to be working hard towards her goal! She also has a TikTok.
Rank 25 – Kim Yeeun, Lin Chenhan, Inaba Vivienne
Kim Yeeun had a pretty good performance of “Pretty U.” Though she’s formerly from Fantiago Music, she left sometime in 2021; however, in one of the recent posts on her Instagram, fans noticed that she was in what seemed to be a Fantiago Music practice room. She’s not listed under their current trainees, but that’s definitely interesting.
Lin Chenhan is actually an actress under Filmko Films, though her “Mic Drop” performance was pretty impressive. She’s acted in a couple movies and television series. Coming up, she’s actually in the Chinese drama Song of the Moon in a supporting role, which will air on iQiyi.
An individual model, Inaba Vivienne actually held a fan meeting back in March of this year, which is no small feat. I’d say she’s pretty well accomplished, and she also has almost 30 thousand followers on her Instagram. She’s almost more active on her Twitter, but her Instagram has a much bigger following. Good for her!
Rank 24 – Lee Sunwoo, Ma Yuling, Okazaki Momoko
Lee Sunwoo, who did alright with “Fiesta,” is a member of Evermore Entertainment’s pre-debut group EVERMORE MUSE. She competed on Stars Awakening recently as part of the Idol Group. I couldn’t find much information on the show, other than apparently all of the female trainees from the Idol Group were eliminated around July. I’m hoping to see her debut soon!
Ma Yuling is another idol in SNH48, also part of Team SII with Wang Qiuru. She’s not super active on her social media, and she wasn’t part of the most recent comeback for SNH48, but I think I forgot to mention earlier that even without being part of a comeback, different teams perform just about every week in their respective theaters.
Okazaki Momoko, who was once part of Sakura Gakuin and a touring member of BABYMETAL Avengers, is currently a tarento, a television personality. There are a few different types of tarentos, and it’s not mentioned which Momoko is, but I’m sure she’s doing fine with whichever kind she is!
Rank 23 – Lee Rayeon, Chang Ching, Aratake Rinka
One of three members of the Aug. 6, 2019 group Fanatics to participate in Girls Planet 999, Lee Rayeon placed 23rd in the Korean group. Unfortunately, she wasn’t on the show past the first elimination, and didn’t manage to stand out to me. Fanatics hasn’t had a comeback since May 10, 2021, but I hope to see more from them in the future.
Like Ara, Chang Ching debuted with ILY:1, using the stage name Rona. Also like Ara, Rona didn’t manage to make it into my Top Nine and was eliminated early on, but I also quite enjoy her performances with ILY:1!
Aratake Rinka, who had a pretty good performance of “Mic Drop,” is an influencer under Avex Entertainment. I’m not going to pretend to know how influencers work, but I think having almost 500 thousand followers on TikTok is pretty good for that.
Rank 22 – Lee Yeongyung, Gu Yizhou, Ando Rinka
Lee Yeongyung isn’t currently under any company; though she signed with Come & Funny Corporation in Dec. 2021, she ended up leaving in May 2022. Her Instagram is still somewhat active, though, and she posted the cutest picture of her and Yoon Jia a few weeks ago. Wishing her the best!
Gu Yizhou, who impressed me a bit with her performances of “Maria” and “Pretty U,” also competed on Great Dance Crew, which was linked above. While I couldn’t find too much on her, she is active on her social media, and seems like she’s quite the artist, too! I hope good things are in her future.
Ando Rinka had a nice performance of “How You Like That.” She’s one of the trainees that ended up debuting this year! Veil debuted on Aug. 10, 2022 with “Taste,” and their concept is very interesting to me. All of their songs are self-produced! If you’re interested, Rinka also has a Twitter and TikTok. I’m not the biggest fan of “Taste,” but I’ll be keeping an eye on this group in the future for sure.
Rank 21 – Sim Seungeun, Xu Ruowei, Hiyajo Nagomi
Sim Seungeun debuted with the group BVNDIT back on April 10, 2019 before she competed in Girls Planet 999. Only making it to the first elimination was a bit surprising to me since she already had some experience in the idol field, but she returned to BVNDIT all the same. Since then, the group has only had one comeback on May 25, 2022, but it was the group’s first comeback as a full group since their second comeback in 2020. That said, if you haven’t listened to “Venom,” PLEASE do, it’s a great song! UPDATE NOV. 11: BVNDIT was just announced to have disbanded as of the end of October. Wishing all the members well!
Xu Ruowei caught my eye with her performance of “Rumor” during the demo stages. She’s currently under Yue Hua Entertainment, though isn’t part of either of the pre-debut groups; rather, though it isn’t a sourced claim, she’s currently studying psychology in Australia. Hopefully that goes well for her!
Hiyajo Nagomi was in my Top Nine for her demo stage performance of “DUMDi DUMDi.” Actually, that demo performance was done with Sakamoto Mashiro, one of the members of Kep1er. She’s currently signed under NiD Academy, and I usually see her cross my feed with dance videos of her and Yamauchi Moana. If I’m not mistaken, she’s fairly active on TikTok.
Rank 20 – Kim Sein, Liang Qiao, Hayashi Fuko
Kim Sein isn’t very active on social media, and since she’s an individual trainee, I can’t find much information on her. Though, that may be a good thing; she’s only 17. While I liked her performances of “Crazy” and “Yes or Yes,” she’s still so young and deserves the time to be a kid. That can be said of most of these contestants, actually; so many of them are younger than me.
Liang Qiao is a member of SNH48’s sister group GNZ48 on Team Z. She was part of SNH48’s most recent release, featured in both “Sea Gravel” and “Dream River.” After her elimination on Girls Planet 999, Qiao talked a lot about her experience online, correcting some things that appeared on the show (though she was talking about her experience for fun). I recommend giving the video a watch, and I wish her the best!
Hayashi Fuko, currently under BRIDGE JAPAN Inc., is another contestant I couldn’t find much on. With that said, again, I wish her the best!
Rank 19 – You Dayeon, Xia Yan, Ito Miyu
With good performances of “WOW THING” and “The Eve,” You Dayeon ended nineteenth in K-group. She used to be a member of the girl group LIPBUBBLE under the stage name Seoryn, and it doesn’t look like she’s signed with any company right now. That said, she’s quite the busy one, with an art blog, account for her cat (who is adorable) and a YouTube channel. There’s some speculation on her Instagram that she might re-debut soon, possibly as a soloist, which would be pretty cool!
I personally liked Xia Yan’s performances of “Violeta” and “How You Like That,” though she never made it to the Top Nine. She’s currently signed under Real Show Culture Company and is active in posting dance covers, which look amazing! She even wrote and posted her own song, which in and of itself is amazing, but it also sounds so good! She’s gonna do great things.
Ito Miyu, who’s signed under 143 Entertainment, is actually set to make her debut soon with the group LIMELIGHT. LIMELIGHT actually had a pre-debut release and performance of “Starlight” in September, though the group’s actual debut will be in Jan. 2023. This song isn’t bad at all! I’m looking forward to her group’s official debut!
Rank 18 – Lee Chaeyun, Leung Cheukying, Hayase Hana
Lee Chaeyun is currently an actress under FNC Entertainment. Her filmography is actually pretty long despite her only being 17, though it doesn’t look like she’s acted in anything since 2020. She actually played a minor role in the K-drama My ID is Gangnam Beauty, which if I remember correctly is a pretty popular one. Same with Because This is My First Life. Both of these are available on Netflix, and Chaeyun also has a YouTube channel!
Leung Cheukying’s performance of “WANNABE” during the demo stages was pretty memorable. She’s an individual trainee, so there isn’t much official information to be found, but she does have her own YouTube channel, though it isn’t very active. Wishing her well.
Hayase Hana is the third of four members of ILY:1 who participated in Girls Planet 999. Hana debuted with the rest, though she also did not make it in my Top Nine at all through the season. That isn’t to say she isn’t talented; ILY:1 has amazing performances that I highly recommend.
Rank 17 – Choi Yeyoung, Wu Tammy, Fujimoto Ayaka
Choi Yeyoung’s performances of “POP/STARS” and “All About You” stuck in my mind. Under BlockBerryCreative, she’s also a part of the trainee team Bebez. I’m looking forward to her debut!
Wu Tammy didn’t fully catch my eye until “Ice Cream,” and unfortunately she was eliminated after that. If I’m not mistaken, she’s still part of the dance team I Love Dance, based in New York. It’s not uncommon to see her with other former contestants, and I think I’ve seen her in some dance covers with Yamauchi Moana. She also has a TikTok!
Fujimoto Ayaka is currently under NiD Japan and is a Narrow model. I enjoyed her demo stage performance of “Boogie Up.” I don’t really have much else to say about her, unfortunately, but I hope she’s doing well.
Rank 16 – Huh Jiwon, Chiayi, Shima Moka
Like Fanatics, Cherry Bullet, who debuted on Jan. 21, 2019, sent three members to compete. Huh Jiwon was the first of the three to be eliminated, though in her time she quite impressed me. I listened to one song from Cherry Bullet before (that being “Love So Sweet”), but I was really impressed with her and her fellow members!
Chiayi, like Rayeon, is also from the group Fanatics. She made it all the way to the Combination Mission, but was eliminated before the Creation Mission. Also like Rayeon, she didn’t manage to stand out to me in her time on the show.
Shima Moka is pretty active on Instagram. I couldn’t find a source, but it seems like she’s currently at school studying athletics. Hope that’s going well for her!
Rank 15 – Kim Hyerim, Hsu Nientzu, Arai Risako
With her performance of “Yes or Yes,” I’m extremely surprised Kim Hyerim never made it to the Top Nine, but that performance got her into mine. Like, come on. Anyway, Hyerim, a former member of groups Limesoda and AQUA, made her solo debut on April 4 with her mini album Your World under Doubling Music. When I tell you I had actual tears in my eyes… I had her in my ideal lineup as a main vocalist, and hearing her solo debut, I stand by that wholeheartedly. I hope she has a lengthy, good career!
Hsu Nientzu is currently under FNC Entertainment—I think. She’s not listed anywhere that I could find. Regardless, with the little information I could find, I hope she’s doing well.
Arai Risako didn’t stand out for me until her performance of “Salute.” She’s currently a trainee under iMe KOREA, and looks to be working hard. Alongside her Instagram, she has a YouTube channel she occasionally uploads dance covers and vlogs to. Good luck to her!
Rank 14 – Lee Hyewon, Zhang Luofei, Sakamoto Shihona
Lee Hyewon was also one of my picks for a final lineup as a dancer and vocalist, since she showed her stuff with her performances of “Mr. Chu,” “The Fifth Season (SSFWL)” and “Missing You,” the last of which landed her in my Top Nine. I don’t know how she never got into the Top Nine, either. She’s currently under BEATMEDIA Entertainment. I hope she gets to debut soon!
Zhang Luofei is currently under Gramarie Entertainment as a trainee, and it also looks like she’s studying at Berklee! I hope there are good things in her future.
Sakamoto Shihona had a nice performance of “My Sea,” though she was never in the Top Nine. She’s currently an individual trainee, so I don’t have much to report, but I hope she’s doing well.
Rank 13 – An Jeongmin, Wang Yale, Yamauchi Moana
An Jeongmin again didn’t make it to the Top Nine, but I liked her performances of “Mic Drop” and “Missing You.” She recently left TOP Media, according to her being listed as a “former” trainee. Her Instagram is private, which is completely understandable, and it doesn’t look like she has any posts, besides. I’m hoping she’s doing well.
Wang Yale is also under Jaywalk Newjoy, and this time she actually is listed as a trainee. I personally enjoyed her “Mic Drop” performance. She came fairly close to being in the Top Nine once or twice, but she was also one of the contestants hit with alleged evil editing. Hopefully she’s doing well!
I mentioned Yamauchi Moana once before, that Hiyajo Nagomi sometimes posts dance covers with her. She’s currently studying at Berklee like Zhang Luofei. She’s one of a few contestants I followed immediately after Girls Planet 999 since I loved her performances of “Yes or Yes” and “Fate,” the former of which landed her in my Top Nine. Outside of that, she’s currently under NiD Academy. As a college student myself, I’m definitely sending good thoughts to all the students in this list.
Rank 12 – Jeong Jiyoon, Yang Zige, Kuwahara Ayana
Jeong Jiyoon actually was in the Top Nine from the demo stages with her performance of “Bounce Back,” ending fifth. I enjoyed that performance as well as her performance of “The Eve.” She signed with KM Entertainment back in Nov. 2021, and appears to be doing well! UPDATE OCT. 25: Jiyoon will be joining ICHILLIN’ for their next comeback on Nov. 3!
Under Yue Hua Entertainment, Yang Zige had great performances of “Pretty U” and “No Excuses.” I have to take this moment to say the whole performance of “No Excuses” SLAYED. Her YouTube channel isn’t very active, but there are some vlogs on there from Girls Planet 999 if anyone is interested! It doesn’t look like she’s part of either potential debut lineup, but I’m sure she’ll get her chance soon.
If I’m not mistaken, Kuwahara Ayana was the youngest contestant on Girls Planet 999, at least of the Japanese trainees, so getting as far as she did is really impressive in my books. Like Jeong Jiyoon, she was in the Top Nine after her demo stage performance of “Nonstop,” one of my favorite Oh My Girl songs, ending in ninth. She’s currently under NiD Academy; hoping all is well with her!
Rank 11 – Yoon Jia, Li Yiman, Sakurai Miu
As I’m beginning to write this on Sept. 21, 2022, Yoon Jia debuted with the group mimiirose only five days ago on Sept. 16. During the season, she didn’t catch my eye until “Salute,” though she still didn’t make my Top Nine. After I saw her performances of mimiirose’s debut song “Rose” and B-side “Lululu,” I was absolutely blown away with her rapping. I was reminded of “Salute” then. Jia and the other members of mimiirose are very talented in singing, rapping and dancing, so I’m really looking forward to more from this group!
I enjoyed Li Yiman’s performance of “My Sea,” though there’s a lot of different information for her to go over. First, it was said that she would have a solo debut in May of this year, though I don’t think that’s come to pass yet. However, Yiman was also in a movie this May in a supporting role! I wonder if she’s going to have her solo debut soon?
Sakurai Miu is an individual trainee, and like most other individual trainees, I haven’t found much information on her. So I hope all is well with her!
Rank 10 – Kim Doah, Liang Jiao, Kubo Reina
Kim Doah, the third member from Fanatics, was eliminated in the same round as Chiayi. She actually made it to my Top Nine during the debut stages with her performance in “Wow Thing,” but faded to the background for me since then. Like I said before, though, I’d like to see her, Chiayi and Rayeon return with Fanatics in the future!
Liang Jiao, Liang Qiao’s twin sister, is also part of SNH48’s sister group GNZ48 on Team G. She as well was part of SNH48’s most recent comeback in both “Sea Gravel” and “Dream River.” I hope all is well with the two sisters!
Kubo Reina was honestly one of my favorites to make it to the final lineup; she was part of my ideal lineup as a main vocalist. I can’t believe she didn’t make it to the final 18! She never made it to the Top Nine, either, but she made mine for both “gogobebe” and “Fiesta,” with an equally stunning performance of “Missing You.” While she used to be part of the girl group Prizmmy☆, she’s currently an individual trainee, though it looks like she’s been staying active! I hope for good things in her future.
Rank 9 – Kim Bora, Xu Ziyin, Kamimoto Kotone
Kim Bora, also from Cherry Bullet, was a fan favorite to make it to Kep1er. She made my Top Nine twice, with her performances in “The Fifth Season (SSFWL)” and “Utopia,” though she continued to impress throughout the season. To be honest, I’m not sure how she never made the official Top Nine despite her initially ranking third in the Korea group. Even though she ended fifteenth overall, I’m sure her, Jiwon and May managed to garner plenty of new fans for Cherry Bullet.
Xu Ziyin, also known as Roada Xu, made my Top Nine with “My Sea,” and even though she made it past that elimination, she dropped out due to health issues. Currently, she’s under T Entertainment and debuted as a soloist before Girls Planet 999. Her most recent comeback, “Wing,” was in July of this year. It also looks like she might be working on an acting project! I’m looking forward to hearing more.
Kamimoto Kotone is one of the contestants I followed right off the bat after Girls Planet 999. I loved her performances of “Pretty U” and “VVS,” and her performances of “U+Me=Love” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Two made my Top Nine! I wanted so bad for her to be part of the final lineup, and she’s in my ideal lineup as a main rapper. She’s an independent trainee and isn’t super active on Instagram, but I’m hoping she’s doing well!
Rank 8 – Guinn Myah, Cai Bing, May
Guinn Myah was one of the youngest trainees on the show, and I think she would’ve made a wonderful lead dancer and vocalist in my ideal lineup! Her performances of “Crazy” and “Shoot!” were great, and “Pretty U” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team 3 made my Top Nine. She’s currently under TOP Media. I hope she’s enjoying her teen years!
Cai Bing was a fan favorite throughout Girls Planet 999, though she was also one of the contestants to fall victim to (alleged) evil editing. Before being on the show, she debuted with the group KSGIRLS, which is interesting to me given the difference between KSGIRLS’s concept and the concept Cai Bing often showed on Girls Planet 999. Definitely not a bad thing; she has the range. She made the Top Nine three times for “Helicopter,” “How You Like That” and “Salute,” though I was also impressed with her performance of “Snake.” She also competed on Great Dance Crew, and I can only imagine she did well.
May was the third from Cherry Bullet, eliminated before Bora in terms of overall ranking. She made my Top Nine twice as well for “U+Me=Love” and her performance of “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Two. Since she and her fellow members were on the show, Cherry Bullet has since had a comeback on March 2, 2022. “Love in Space” is very catchy!
Rank 7 – Kim Suyeon, Zhou Xinyu, Kishida Ririka
Kim Suyeon ended tenth overall, just shy of Kep1er. She made it onto my Top Nine list for her performance in “No Excuses” during the Combination Mission only, but she did give some great performances! And actually, she debuted not long after the finale. She debuted with the group Billlie on Nov. 19, 2021, under the stage name Sheon. Billie debuted a month prior to Sheon being added to the group, and from what I can see, the group is doing pretty well! Their releases this year such as “GingaMingaYo (the strange world),” “Patbingsu” and “RING ma Bell (what a wonderful world)” are great in my opinion. I’m hoping this group has a long and prosperous career!
Zhou Xinyu ended just above Cai Bing in the final C-group rankings, despite having never made it in the Top Nine. That said, she made my personal Top Nine with her performances of “Missing You” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Three. She’s the final of the participants to also be on Great Dance Crew.
Rounding out the rest of ILY:1, we have Kishida Ririka! She had plenty of great performances throughout the season, though really caught my eye with her performance of “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Two before she was sadly eliminated. But thankfully, debuting with ILY:1 means I’ve gotten to see her perform again! Along with Ara, Rona and Hana, as well as members Nayu and Elva, I’m looking forward to more amazing performances from this group.
Rank 6 – Kang Yeseo, Chen Hsinwei, Nagai Manami
Kang Yeseo ended sixth overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under 143 Entertainment.
Chen Hsinwei, also known as Vivi Chen, is part of the pre-debut Chinese girl group Daylight under Yue Hua Entertainment. I don’t have much to say about her other than I’m excited for her eventual debut!
Nagai Manami had a great performance of “The Fifth Season (SSFWL)” and made my Top Nine with “We Are” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Three. She’s currently signed under KISS Entertainment, so I’m hoping to see her debut soon! Especially since she was in my ideal lineup as a rapper and vocalist.
Rank 5 – Seo Youngeun, Huan Xingqiao, Ikema Ruan
Seo Youngeun ended fifth overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under Biscuit Entertainment.
Huang Xingqiao made the Top Nine in seventh place for her performance of “All About You,” though I personally liked her performance of “Fiesta.” She debuted as a soloist back in Nov. 2017, though her most recent release is from 2021 if I’m not mistaken. I couldn’t find a link for it on YouTube, unfortunately. Hope she’s doing well!
Ikema Ruan is another of my favorite contestants, and I wanted her to be a main dancer and lead vocalist in my ideal lineup. “Pretty U” was great, but she made my Top Nine with “Ice Cream” and “Shoot!” She’s currently in high school, though she’s also a trainee under KISS Entertainment. Again, I can’t wait to see if she eventually debuts!
Rank 4 – Kim Dayeon, Wen Zhe, Nonaka Shana
Kim Dayeon ended fourth overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under Jellyfish Entertainment.
Wen Zhe had a great performance of “Yes or Yes,” but she truly made my Top Nine with “Snake.” Phenomenal, truly. She returned to her group Hickey, who debuted in Sept. 2018, as the main rapper; she truly showed those skills throughout Girls Planet 999. It doesn’t look like they’ve had a comeback since 2021, but I’m hoping she gets her chance to do so!
Nonaka Shana finished fourth in the Japan group, which was slightly disappointing to me since she was one of the contestants I would choose for the final lineup. She stunned me with her performances of “The Eve,”“U+Me=Love” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Two, though her other performances also made me consider her for my Top Nine those weeks, and she was in the official Top Nine at seventh place for “U+Me=Love” and “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over).” I was really excited, then, to hear that she would be debuting with the group Lapillus earlier this year on June 20, though she isn’t the group’s main vocalist. That said, between the group’s debut with “Hit Ya!” and their latest title track “Gratata” on Sept. 22, Shana’s vocals shine with the other Lapillus members! I’m looking forward to this group’s future music.
Rank 3 – Choi Yujin, Su Ruiqi, Kawaguchi Yurina
Choi Yujin ended third overall, debuting with Kep1er. She departed from CUBE Entertainment around August 2022.
Su Ruiqi was in the Top Nine three times: fourth for “Snapping,” sixth for “The Eve” and sixth for “Fate.” “Snapping” and “The Eve” both landed her on my Top Nine list, and “Fate” impressed me as well. By all means, she should’ve debuted. She’s a member of the group Chic Chili, who debuted in Nov. 2018, and she also debuted as a soloist in 2019, both under the name Sury. Her most recent solo release was actually two weeks ago: “All About You.” I’m wishing her career the best!
Kawaguchi Yurina, who like Ruiqi was a favorite to win, debuted as a soloist this year with “Look At Me”! She got into the Top Nine in first for “How You Like That,” second for “Missing You” and sixth for “Utopia.” “How You Like That” and “Utopia” were my favorite performances of hers.
Rank 2 – Huening Bahiyyih, Fu Yaning, Sakamoto Mashiro
Huening Bahiyyih ended second overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under IST Entertainment.
Fu Yaning, who in my ideal lineup would’ve been a lead vocalist and lead dancer, only made the Top Nine for her performance of “Snake,” which landed her in eighth. I loved her performances of “HELICOPTER,” “The Eve” and “In the morning,” though her performance of “O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)” with Team Two put her on my Top Nine list. Under Gramarie Entertainment, she debuted as a soloist this year! Wishing her well.
Sakamoto Mashiro ended eighth overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under 143 Entertainment.
Rank 1 – Kim Chaehyun, shen xiaoting, ezaki hikaru
Kim Chaehyun ended first overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under WAKEONE.
Shen Xiaoting ended ninth overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under TOP CLASS Entertainment.
Ezaki Hikaru ended seventh overall, debuting with Kep1er. She’s signed under Avex Artist Academy.
And that’s that!
I know there’s significantly less updates about some of these contestants compared to the others, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish them the best of luck with life! I’m very much looking forward to all of their future pursuits, both in and outside of music.