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| The posters for Kakao Entertainment's upcoming competition show, "GIRL'S RE:VERSE" / Courtesy of Kakao Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Members of K-pop girl groups will vie against one another to join a virtual idol group on "GIRL'S RE:VERSE," an upcoming competition show made by Kakao Entertainment.
The company announced Thursday that the first episode of "GIRL'S RE:VERSE" will be released on Kakao Page and YouTube on Nov. 28. The program is helmed by big-name producers including Jo Wook-hyung, who was behind the success of Mnet's "Queendom" (2019), a hit competition show that featured high-profile female acts like MAMAMOO and (G)I-DLE.
Kakao said in a statement that 30 singers will hide their identities and take part in a competition, which will take place in the virtual world named "W." They will show off their vocal and performing skills through their virtual avatars, while their names and identities will not be revealed until they are eliminated, the company said.
"The winners will be chosen based on the voting results from our viewers," Kakao said. "Once they become part of our new virtual group, they will get the chance to drop a new song and interact with their followers."
The production team of "GIRL'S RE:VERSE" added, "With our program, people will be able to witness how far K-pop content can go. They will also see how talented K-pop singers are, even if they just appear as virtual characters."
"GIRL'S RE:VERSE" is not alone in highlighting virtual avatars and related technologies like virtual and augmented reality. These days, a growing number of Korean shows, such as MBN's "Avatar Singer" and TV Chosun's "Ava Dream," have been diving into the realm of virtual reality to enrich the viewing experience.
