This is based on the performance clips. Nope I have not seen the whole episode but I will after posting this.

2ND battle 2nd round dance

Team B

Team B’s dance performance, well I root for Team A all the time but I have high respect for Team B’s dancing skills. They’re very technically adept when it comes to dance. Team B’s dancing can rival even the best KPOP idol groups thus far. That I think is how good they are in dance. Now as far as the choreography is concern I think I’ve seen some moves borrowed from a few existing choreographies so let’s just say B.I got inspiration from them.  Team B despite team A’s creativity won this battle because to be honest they really are the better dancers. I expected their performance to be synchronized, technically proficient and detailed when it comes to movement. But I think they had better performances in the past but this was also carefree and enjoyable to watch. And I saw your signature arm flapping move B.I. you really can’t do without that step do you?

Team A

Team A isn’t exactly as good as Team B’s dance machines but I have to give their performance praises for creativity and originality. I was worried since Mino has an injury but even that was put to good use. They really did have a secret weapon. Mino beat boxing while the rest of the team danced was refreshing to watch not only that. Team A showed that they were leaving no man behind. Mino became as relevant as everyone else in the dance performance because of his beat boxing. I saw what you did there, guys you’re playing by your strength. Even if I think the dance round was still for Team B. I appreciate Team A’s performance and their continuous improvement. Who would have thought that KSY who was as stiff as a floorboard when dancing back then would be able to dance the way he does now. So with hard work anything can happen.

2nd battle 3rd round Original song:

Team B

In all honesty I was looking forward to Team B’s original song more because the preview showed an urban flare that’s typically YG. I was thinking could Team B be able to change my mind with their original song. And this time I might actually end up voting for them. The song they made isn’t bad at all. The rap parts are epic. It was signature B.I and Bobby combo of goodness but the vocals for me fell short once again. If this song was executed with pristine vocals I think it would have been as charming as Team A’s song. The thing is Team B’s song highlighted their strength in rap but also defenselessly showed their flaws in vocals. Despite me liking Junhwae’s voice their vocals in general were pitchy and somewhat all over the place a total opposite of how good the rap parts of their song were.  Dong hyuk did improve a bit but it wasn’t enough to salvage the ailing vocals that are of Team B.

Team A

When I saw the preview of for episode 8 I was worried that YG would favor Team B more because the main reason why I like YG is for their urban and hiphop sound but Team A does not fit in the usual YG niche of urban sound. So I was prepared to be disappointed by another lose from the judges because Team A are musically talented but would often times fall short because of nerves when performing on stage which have been repeatedly  pointed out to them . I heard the song in Daum first and I actually loved it. I was still worried because I genuinely love how Team A sounds when you just listen to them but despite that they often lose to Team B because of showmanship so I was preparing for the worst. But I was also slightly hopeful since Officially Missing was remarkable to me I think Team A’s vocals would not fail to impress and maybe this time their live performance would also be as great as their sound.  Smile again Team A’s original song , well, what I can say it did really make me smile the whole time I was watching. If officially missing you was captivating. I think Team A did some magic because boy in this performance they really commanded the stage. This was the Team A that I knew was lying dormant somewhere waiting to come out. Smile again is a genuinely good song and their stage could be identified as Team A’s defining moment. The song went well with their vocals and their rappers were also spot on. Even Jin Woo who has been struggling in previous performances shined. They were performing as a group, as a unit and yet their individual colors still shined. It was like watching a young Bigbang only you know they aren’t; they are a class of their own.

Overall I think Team A deserved every bit of their success. I’ve been saying this even before. For me their maturity in their music and their new found confidence now can definitely propel them to great heights. As for Team B. I feel for them I know that they have put a lot of effort just like Team A. And I have seen how their close knit relationship shined in their performances however the fact still remains that the group falls short in vocals. I’ve read some comments saying that it would be fine if Team B disbands and BI and Bobby can just be a rap duo. Well, I welcome the idea of those two as a rap duo but if ever Team B gets disbanded I hope it’s temporary thing and that they still train w/ YG. Their four vocals can go through extensive vocal training then maybe after a year or two all 6 can get back together again. That is one scenario I could consider if OT11 can’t happen. I don’t think Team B’s vocal don’t have good voices. Jun Hwae and Dong hyuk have promising vocals. In all honesty I think that if Jin Hwan can fix his pitch issues he can really do well as a singer. Same with Yun Hyung, he may also need to work on his stage presence so he wouldn’t just blend in the background.  These guys are still young. I don’t think it’s too late for them to perfect their craft. But if OT11 can I happen I’m all for it. Both Team A & B have fan bases now not just in Korea but internationally as well. This is a far bigger scale than the previous documentary of Bigbang because the technology didn’t allow it then but it opened a lot of possibilities for the Win boys now. Since these guys have already made fans fall in love with them even if neither has debuted yet. Maybe YG should consider making it a Win-Win situation for both Teams.   

I’m excited for the final battle. I wonder how many celebrities would come and watch and support them. I hope they get to do an original song and then both team should try having their own take on one song to see who performs it better.

If you have not seen the performances here they are:

Dance Team B

Dance Team A

Original song Team B

Original song Team A