The Origin - A, B, or What? (디 오리진; also shortened as The Origin) is a survival show that is produced by Kakao Entertainment and Sony Music Solutions. It premiered on March 19, 2022 at 5PM KST and aired every Saturday via MBN, Kakao TV, and 1theK.
The show was a new type of survival program that combines balance games along with K-pop.[1]
Background[]
On February 8, 2022, IST Entertainment announced that they would be debuting their first group since the merger. The members of the group will then be selected through the survival show, that was then untitled.[2] On February 11, the profile photos of the thirteen contestants were revealed.[3] They opened up the social media accounts for the show later that day.[4]
On February 14, they released the performance video for their signal song "Run" prior to the show's airing.[5]
The show was then set to premiere on February 26.[1] However, on February 22, it was announced that some of the trainees had tested positive for COVID-19 and the show's premiere will be postponed to March 19.[6]
MCs[]
- Park Seon-young
Balancers (밸런서)[7][]
- Kim Sung Kyu
- Minzy
- JAY B
- Just Jerk
- Kwak Yoon Young
- Hwang Kyu Hong
Special balancers[]
- Jay Park[8] (ep. 6)
- Oh Hayoung (Apink)[8] (ep. 6)
- Yoon Bomi (Apink)[8] (ep. 6)
- Jung Su Bin (VICTON)[8] (ep. 6)
- Lim Se Jun (VICTON)[8] (ep. 6)
Constestants[]
| Name | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yang Donghwa (양동화) | 18 | N/A |
| Won Bin (원빈) | 17 | N/A |
| Seok Rakwon (석락원) | 18 | N/A |
| Ryu Junmin (류준민) | 18 | N/A |
| Park Jaehoon (박재훈) | 16 | N/A |
| Oh Junseok (오준석) | 18 | N/A |
| Kim Yeonkyu (김연규) | 17 | Former YG Treasure Box contestant |
| Kim Minseo (김민서) | 19 | N/A |
| Kang Daehyun (강대현) | 18 | N/A |
| Jeong Seunghwan (정승환) | 18 | N/A |
| Jeong Junho (정준호) | 19 | N/A |
| Choi Jinwook (최진욱) | 18 | N/A |
| Bae Hyunjun (배현준) | 18 | N/A |
Teams[]
| Name | Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3-5 | Ep.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yang Donghwa | A | A | B | B |
| Won Bin | A | A | A | (Eliminated on Ep. 5) |
| Seok Rakwon | A | A | A | B |
| Ryu Junmin | A | A | B | A |
| Park Jaehoon | A | A | B | (Eliminated on Ep. 5) |
| Oh Junseok | B | B | A | A |
| Kim Yeonkyu | B | B | A | B |
| Kim Minseo | B | B | B | A |
| Kang Daehyun | B | B | (Eliminated on Ep. 2) | |
| Jeong Seunghwan | B | B | B | B |
| Jeong Junho | B | B | A | A |
| Choi Jinwook | A | A | A | A |
| Bae Hyunjun | B | B | B | B |
Episodes[]
| Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details about an upcoming episode. |
Episode 1: March 19, 2022[]
The show opened up with a performance of "Run", which is the signal song by all 13 contestants.[9] The judges, known as balancers, were then introduced.[9] The concept of the show was then explained by the MC Park Seon-young. It was also revealed that one member of the losing team will be eliminated.[9]
For the first round, called the PR balance round, Team A performed "Mic Drop" by BTS while Team B performed "Hala Hala" by ATEEZ. Following each team's performance, the balancers voted for the best and worst contestant of each team.[9] The on-site audience then also voted for the best team performance with Team B winning the on-site voting. However, the final result will be decided through a combined points system.[9]
Results[]
| Rank | Name | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeong Seunghwan | |
| 2 | Oh Junseok | |
| 3 | Seok Rakwon | |
| 4 | Ryu Junmin | |
| 5 | Bae Hyunjun | |
| 6 | Yang Donghwa | |
| 7 | Kim Yeonkyu |
Aftermath[]
- The final seven contestants debuted as ATBO on July 27, 2022.
- On June 17, 2022, it was announced that Won Bin would be joining ATBO in replacement of Yang Donghwa. The decision came after Donghwa's bullying controversy. It was revealed that all former contestants were reevaluated with Won Bin being ultimately selected as the seventh member.[10]
- On May 6, 2024, IST Entertainment announced Seok Rakwon's departure from ATBO due to health reasons.[11]
Other contestants[]
- Yang Donghwa debuted as a soloist on February 18, 2024 under Bluedot Entertainment.
- Jeong Junho debuted in the boy group NOMAD on February 28, 2024 under Nomad Entertainment.
- Kim Minseo participated in Mnet's survival show Build Up : Vocal Boy Group Survivor and debuted in B.D.U on June 26, 2024.
- Kang Daehyun participated in MBC's survival show Fantasy Boys and will debut in NXD under RBW.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Soompi: IST Entertainment’s Upcoming Boy Group Survival Show Confirms Premiere Date
- ↑ Soompi: THE BOYZ And Apink’s Agency IST Entertainment To Debut New Boy Group Through Survival Show
- ↑ Soompi: IST Entertainment Unveils Profile Photos Of Contestants For Upcoming Boy Group Survival Show
- ↑ @THEORIGIN_AorB on Twitter (February 11, 2022)
- ↑ Allkpop: 'The Origin - A, B or What?' drops performance video for signal song ‘RUN’ ahead of new boy group survival project
- ↑ Soompi: IST Entertainment’s Boy Group Survival Show To Postpone Premiere Due To Some Trainees Testing Positive For COVID-19
- ↑ Soompi: Watch: GOT7’s JAY B, INFINITE’s Sunggyu, Minzy, And More Announced As Mentors For Upcoming IST Entertainment Survival Show
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 (KOR) ‘디 오리진’ 박재범→에이핑크 스페셜 심사위원 총출동. Newsen (2022-04-21). Retrieved on 2022-05-05.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 YouTube: (THE ORIGIN) EP.01｜밸런스 서바이벌 오디션 THE ORIGIN - A, B, Or What?｜2022.03.19
- ↑ Soompi: IST Entertainment Announces ATBO Will Debut As A 7-Member Group This Summer With Won Bin
- ↑ Soompi: ATBO Announces Seok Rakwon's Departure From Group