Japan's TOP1 Yudai, risking painkillers for the fate of the Japanese team, brings out 'Pretender', which has garnered an impressive 2.2 million views, as his life song card, moving everyone.
The first episode of the MBN entertainment program '2025 Korean-Japanese King of Singers Competition', commemorating the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations, recorded a peak rating of 5.6%, ranking first among all entertainment programs aired on Tuesday across terrestrial, comprehensive, and cable channels, marking the birth of the world's first national representative entertainment show.
In particular, the second episode of '2025 Korean-Japanese King of Singers Competition', airing on the 9th, is set to kick off the main competition, which will proceed in a best-of-three format after the preliminary rounds, heightening interest.
In this regard, Yudai, who faced Korea's TOP1 Park Seo-jin in the preliminary round, will once again take the stage in the first round of the main competition, focusing attention. After the preliminary round, Yudai showed signs of poor condition and urgently visited the hospital, even receiving an IV drip due to his condition.
Receiving a doctor's advice to "not sing," Yudai expressed his distress, saying, "I really hate losing," feeling troubled about not being able to help his team. Ultimately, even in extreme circumstances where his voice was not coming out properly, he conveyed a strong will to the production team, stating, "I think I can somehow convey my feelings. I will fight alongside my team until the end," and took the stage, putting aside everyone's worries.
Notably, Yudai surprised everyone by performing the famous song 'Pretender' by Official HIGE DANDism, which he sang countless times while busking on the streets to promote his band 'Nobel Bright' during his unknown days. 'Pretender', known for its high-pitched parts, is a beloved national song in Japan, symbolizing Yudai's musical life and youth. Yudai also set a record by surpassing 2 million views on social media after singing 'Pretender' in the finals of 'Current King of Singers Japan'.
As Yudai selects a song that is not easy to perform even in perfect condition, while facing the worst state of his voice, everyone on site, including his team members, focuses on Yudai's voice. It remains to be seen what kind of emotional performance Yudai will deliver as he battles against his injury and raises his high notes, and who will be the Korean TOP7 to take the stage against the powerful Japanese TOP1 Yudai.
Meanwhile, '2025 Korean-Japanese King of Singers Competition' boasts a much broader musical spectrum than the previous season, featuring diverse stages and unique members that transcend nationality and genre, including J-POP, ballads, traditional music, bands, and R&B, capturing the attention of the MZ generation in both Korea and Japan.
In fact, the official YouTube comment section shows a noticeable increase in Japanese comments compared to the previous '2024 Korean-Japanese King of Singers Competition', reflecting a changed response. Various reactions followed, such as "Korean sound is so good that Japan should learn from it," "I never thought I would come to like K-pop," and "The harmony of songs from both countries is great, I keep listening. Let's win-win each other." Additionally, comments like "Yudai, it's not a competition, it's a concert," "It's so amazing and nice to see Yudai on Korean broadcasts," and "I thought it was over as soon as I heard Yudai's confirmed appearance" expressed overwhelming emotions.
The production team stated, "Yudai showed a strong sense of responsibility as Japan's representative TOP1. Even in extreme situations where he had to rely solely on his voice, he delivered an even greater resonance," adding, "In this broadcast, not only Yudai's stage but also the fierce matchups of the Korean and Japanese representatives entering the main competition will continue. We ask for your great expectations."
Meanwhile, the MBN '2025 Korean-Japanese King of Singers Competition', commemorating the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations, will air on the 9th at 9:50 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
