Chapter 806: The FIrst Eliminated Contestants (1)
"We're going to rearrange the solo battle order so viewers can directly compare the skills of Kudo Minatsu and Minamoto Aoi. And instead of five bonus points for the winner, we'll make it ten. That way, the entire world will clearly see who's more talented."
This week on Project I.O.A., in addition to team performances, there would be solo battles. The top-tier members would face off against each other, while those in the middle and lower tiers would battle within their own ranks.
Originally, Minamoto Aoi was slated to go third and Kudo Minatsu fifth, both set to battle against Korean contestants. But PD Ji Yung-Sik was proposing to switch the order and have them face off directly. On top of that, he planned to raise the bonus points from five to ten to make the difference clearer.
CP Kang Dae-Woong, caught off guard by the bold suggestion, asked nervously, "PD Ji, that wasn't the original order, was it?"
"It doesn't matter. We haven't informed anyone yet, have we?"
"True, but... can you handle the fallout if this blows up?"
"Avoiding controversy only makes it worse. It's better to lay everything out and let the viewers judge for themselves. And if we ride the wave of buzz, the viewership ratings will spike."
It was a declaration to open a head-to-head showdown under the watchful eye of every viewer, leaving no room for the Japanese side to raise objections.
Having gone through every stage of an audition show as a viewer, participant, and producer, Ji Yung-Sik had crafted what seemed like a near-perfect plan. He added that if the most talked-about contestants went head-to-head,viewership ratings would naturally rise.
"And before the broadcast, we'll use the app to promote the Minamoto Aoi versus Kudo Minatsu matchup to hype it up even more. In fact, we should spotlight other rivalries too—like Sung Na-Ra versus Go Eun-Seo, and Yang Bing Bing versus Liu Lan. One-on-one showdowns like that are perfect for stirring interest."
A grin tugged at Kang Dae-Woong's lips. "Now that's the kind of variety PD I wanted to see from you. I'm on board."
"Thank you!"