[Updated] Chuang 2021 – Favourite Trainees

Back when the first episode of Chuang 2021 aired, I wrote an impressions post and listed my favourite trainees at the time. Thanks for the 700+ views on that post. ^_^

The second stage performance aired this weekend, so I thought that I would write an updated list.

#1 – Bo Yuan

I mentioned Bo Yuan in my first post, but he wasn’t at the top. However, after seeing more of him on the show and his vlogs, he is #1.

Skill-wise, I definitely that he is within the top 11. He made it to A class in the initial ranking and theme song, both of which were decided by the trainees/mentors. Honestly, skill does not guarantee a spot because trainee shows are popularity contests. I believe that Bo Yuan has trained for six years. He deserves to debut.

People talk about his age (he is 28) but I like his maturity. He has amazing leadership skills and will make a great leader for the group. He takes care of the younger trainees.

I think that Bo Yuan can be a little more confident about his appearance. I think he is one of the most attractive trainees on the show, if not the most.

Bo Yuan climbed up from #46 to #36 to #20 to #7 (latest). I’m so happy that more and more people are noticing him. I hope that he maintains his rank and gets to debut. ^_^

Otherwise, I will be devastated. Like, for real.

P.S. Bo Yuan loves Jrock and is a weeb.

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#2 – Yu Gengyin

I didn’t pay attention to Yu Gengyin in the initial ranking, but that changed completely when the first stage performance aired. Like Bo Yuan, Yu Gengyin is within the top 11 when it comes to skills. He also made it to A class in the initial ranking and theme song. He has also trained for several years and makes a great leader. He also takes good care of the younger trainees. I think these are the qualities I like in trainees. I like trainees with leadership skills, maturity, and talent. Yu Gengyin is also at the top when it comes to attractiveness.

Honestly, I cried at the first elimination episode because his rank was low (#22). He was dissatisfied with himself. He is underrated and deserves more attention. I hope that people will notice him and vote for him.

His vlog was one of my favourites. It was weird, but in a good way. I also loved him in Werewolf.

P.S. Yu Gengyin is a JJ Lin fan.

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#3-5 – Mika/Rikimaru/Santa

When it comes to trainees, I look at talent first and foremost. Then, I look at qualities like personality and appearance. These trainees have everything. Although their ranks have been fluctuating, I believe that these three will make it to the final group. They have enormous fanbases and have consistently remained within the 11.

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I also like Oscar, Lin Mo, Caelan, Liu Yu, and Nine. I like Zeng Hanjiang but his ranking is low. I was really impressed by Luo Yan in the original rap performance, but his ranking is super dangerous right now.

Chuang 2021 – Episode 1 Impressions & Favourite Trainees

Chuang 2021, also known as Produce Camp 2021, is a Chinese trainee survival competition. This year is different because they are aiming to form an international group. That being said, a handful of the trainees are from overseas. This year, they will form an 11-member boy group. Episode 1 is nearly five hours with two parts.

You can watch it on the official WeTV website, app, and official YouTube channels. You can vote daily on the WeTV app.

A bit of information about me: I’ve watched Chuang 2019 and Chuang 2020.

There have never been so many international trainees. I thought it was cool that everyone had an earpiece and listened to interpretations in real-time. I wonder if this was just for the first episode, or if it will continue like that for the rest of the show. I don’t think it is realistic to have the live interpretations for the entirety of the show (i.e. during practices) so it will be interesting to see how the trainees interact with one another.

I also thought the cultural exchanges were interesting. Chinese trainee shows are generally quite positive and wholesome, despite it being a survival show. I can’t wait to see the friendships that blossom. Episode 1 already showed us some beautiful moments (*ahem* Santa and Liu Yu hahaha).

Mentors are also very important in a show. Personally, I really like Zhou Shen, Nene, and Zhou Zhennan.

On a side note: I’m also watching Youth With You Season 3 on the IQ website. I might write a reaction post.

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Okay, here are my favourite Chuang 2021 trainees thus far (not in order):

Santa – From Japan; 3x House Dance World Champion. He got 100% of the votes from the mentors and trainees in the first episode. There is no doubt at all about his dancing skills. I want to hear more of his singing or rap, especially in Chinese. I love his attitude.

Liu Yu – He looks beautiful in hanfu, but most of all, I love how much he respects the hanfu. He said that when he is wearing it, he has to be composed and not act super excited.

Mika – From Hawaii; half Japanese and half American. He is a member of Intersection, which sang songs for the anime, Fruits Basket and Black Clover. I definitely see Mika in the final lineup. He acts very respectful and his voice is so beautiful.

Lin Mo – I love his voice. Although Lin Mo was the most popular trainee prior to the show, he still needs to work hard because the trainees are so talented this year.

Zhou Keyu – He speaks English very well, which is an asset. I think he’s an all-rounder. One of my favourites. I think he will make it to the final lineup.

Kazuma – Half Japanese and half American; also a member of Intersection. He sings Chinese songs very well. It’s very clear.

NINE – From Thailand. So adorable! NINE is one of my favourites for sure. I cannot believe that he and Patrick learned Chinese in three months. As a Chinese speaker, I can understand both of them. They must be very intelligent because they learned a hard language, sing, and dance so quickly. I’ve actually watched 2 Moons, but not season 2. I will watch it now for NINE. Hahaha.

Oscar – One of my favourites. He can also speak English. I think he will make it to the final lineup and become one of the main rappers.

I also like Rikimaru, Wu Yuheng, Patrick, AMU, Yu Yang, Zeng Hanjiang, and Bo Yuan. I think Zeng Hanjiang is more suitable to be a solo artist, though… but we shall see.

Many of the Japanese, American, and European trainees haven’t performed yet. My list will probably change as the show progresses. I don’t have a bias yet, but my top three right now are Oscar, NINE, and Zhou Keyu.

My Favourite Trainees in Chuang 2020

Chuang 2020 is a Chinese trainee survival show. There are 101 girls in the beginning. The remaining seven trainees will form an idol group. Tao, Luhan, Victoria Song, and Mao Buyi are the mentors. Kris Wu was a guest mentor for one episode.

My friends and I are so invested in this show. We remind each other to vote every day. We can only vote for two girls per day on the WeTV app so I rotate my votes. Here’s a list of my favourite trainees:

1. Nene

Nene is from Thailand. She started learning Chinese a month before she came to the show and her Chinese is really, really good now. I knew Nene from the Thai drama, 2gether, so I actually liked her before Chuang 2020.

Nene had a rough life because she had to support her family. She even lifted bricks in Thailand. I can tell that it is her dream to become famous and that she is passionate about performing on stage.

Nene has consistently ranked #3 for a while. She’s really liked by Chinese fans and fans everywhere.

2. Chen Zhuo Xuan

One of the reasons why I started watching this show was to support Chen Zhuo Xuan. She played A-Qing in the Chinese drama, The Untamed. In the first episode, she sang a cover of Wu Ji and it sounded so beautiful. I love her voice.

Chen Zhuo Xuan has consistently ranked #2. In one of the previous episodes, she was really brave and asked the sponsors why she had not gotten commercials while other girls did. This was controversial but I’m on her side. She’s ranked so highly yet she is being treated unfairly. She’s been cut out of advertisements because of her boldness. WE NEED TO VOTE FOR HER!!!

I know a good amount of people started watching Chuang 2020 because of Chen Zhuo Xuan. This is how the show is treating her?? I’m so mad.

3. Joyce Chu

I liked Joyce Chu before Chuang 2020 because she’s a successful singer from Malaysia. She writes her own songs and she’s really good at guitar and ukelele. I like her friendship with Nene. Her ranking is not that high, so we need to support her!

4. Curley Gao

Curley Gao has consistently ranked in first place. There’s no doubt that she has a strong voice. She participated in Sing! Sing China Season 2 in 2017, so you know she’s good at singing.

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I also like Zhong Feifei, Wu Yalu, Xu Yiyang, Xie Anran, and Jiang Zheng Yu. It’s kind of hard to put a number order to them because I like them all.

The full episodes with English subtitles are on WeTV and YouTube. New episodes come out every weekend.