In a span of five years, I have become a high-key fan of not only Korean, but also Chinese and Japanese pop groups. I love watching the elaborate live stages and the colorful music videos. I enjoy the fashion aesthetics. I also enjoy the variety of songs and concepts these idols and artists bring. Seeing them grow from predebut or debut up to where they are now brings out so many emotions in me.

And that’s how I started watching idol survival shows. From the “Produce 101” series of Korea, to its franchises in Japan and China, to the lesser known “All for One” or shows made for trainees in one company like “Sixteen.” These shows showcase the talents of trainees before their debut or at least, before some of them are chosen to debut. Depending on whether or not the show is on a multicompany scale or not, the elimination and voting process differs.

Most shows like Mnet’s “Produce” series, and iQIYi’s “Idol Producer” and “Youth with You” follow a similar format: At the start, around 100 trainees are separated into classes with A being the highest and F the lowest. After that, they fight it out in team battles, with trainees start getting eliminated based on audience and online votes. At the end of the show, there are usually 9 to 12 members left, with the first place winners becoming the center of the newly formed group.

Some groups known to come from these national or multicompany survival shows are I.O.I and Wanna One from Korea and Rocket Girls and Nine Percent from China. Groups launched by survival shows that are under one company include Twice and Stray Kids from JYP and iKON from YG.

Some of these groups have become very famous internationally. Their fans know about the survival shows and many might want to try watching them.

Black hole

So what should you know before falling down the black hole of survival shows?

First, once you start, you may not be able to stop watching. In my own experience, there is something fulfilling about watching all these trainees grow and debut even outside of the survival show they were in. It’s also fun to watch them perform the songs of their seniors or newly made songs for the shows themselves.

The second thing to remember is that you will have your heart broken at one point or another. These shows showcase the emotions and hardships of trainees. Also, there are the elimination episodes that will truly break your heart, when your faves don’t get into the next round.

The third thing is, these shows are also the source of many memes; meaning, that you will also be in for many laughs and pranks set up by the staff or by the trainees themselves. When you have many personality types together, you never know what interesting things could happen.

Fourth, you’ll come to realize that multifandom is hard. If you have picks from not only the debuting project group but also the trainees who were eliminated, be prepared, mind, soul, wallet and YouTube account. You’ll have so many songs and albums to listen to. Expect multiple comebacks or debuts at the same time. (I truly hope that your wallet is ready.)

Lastly, don’t hate on other trainees. With the controversy surrounding Mnet and their “Produce” series, people started hating on other trainees as votes were manipulated, making other trainees lose their spot in the debuting groups. Every trainee has their hardships and they may not be your favorite, but like in any fandom or fan group, we should all respect our faves and those around them. Be prepared to go through a rollercoaster of emotions through idol survival shows! I would recommend, despite all controversies, the “Produce 101” series in Korea, their “Produce 48” collaboration with AKB48 and the “Youth with You” series from China. I hope this guide helps you enjoy the world of trainees, youth and idol shows! —CONTRIBUTED