Allkpop Article #6: [RECAP] Top 3 Duos that Stole the Show (Cherry Blossom Event)

This W1SH and Petal trainee event collaboration has probably been one of the most successful yet, finishing today with a bang as the three pairs of finalists and winners of the event got to perform songs chosen and directed by them. Did you miss their performance? Fear not, because we've got the entire review for you here! Keep reading to find out who were the three winners and what songs they decided to perform for the attendees at the event and online. 

see also: the pairs you needed to watch out for at the Cherry blossom collaboration festival

THIRD PLACE: Kim Boa and Song Jaerim

It's as surprising to us as it is to you to learn that this tall, dark and moody pair came in third, and seemingly out of nowhere! While we have plenty of experience with Kim Boa, having seen her shine with her powerful vocals in many performances and events before, Song Jaerim came out of left field. Many of us were sceptical to hear that they had been assigned a cute concept for the first challenge. After all, these are two of the last people we would expect to have that concept, being some of the oldest competitors on the show with a more mature look to them. 

Task two pleasantly stunned us, and the judges, shooting the pair into the top ten, especially when Kim Boa appeared to be a social butterfly, chatting endlessly behind the scenes and throughout the first task with fellow trainees and figures. 

Task three is where things got wet! The pair cooled down with the apple bobbing challenge, dunking their heads and getting a cumulative score of 6 which barely made them pass. But again, the pair outshone with their social prowess, Boa taking it home for the team with the higher score and higher activity status. This is wher we began to wonder if Jaerim was more than just a pretty face and a C-cup pectoral. 

Task four showed us that the pair can do everything. From cute, cheery songs, to apple bobbing (at least Boa) and the y, but demure, business style. This time it was Jaerim who pulled the cameras to him in an open suit jacket that perfectly accented Boa's chic, business savvy ensemble.

All of these scores combined made the duo win third and perform their own rendition of A Great Big World's song 'Say Something', which truly showcased the deep and sultry vocals the two have. Their harmonies perfectly combined to bring us a somber, but uplifting performance, reminding us why they were top three to begin with. 

SECOND PLACE: Lee Sunmi and Nakamoto Yuta

It was such a narrow margin between third and second place, but Sunmi and Yuta took the lead ahead of seniors Boa and Jaerim. Was it luck, or hard work? We believe both as we've broken down each task for you to show. There was but a .5 difference separating these pairs' scores, let's see how their tasks went. 

Task one&two: Surprisingly, this pair won even after having their pairs thrown around. At first we followed Sunmi and Arin, and Yuta and Seungwoo, though Seungwoo also took his leave after this task. We observed Sunny and Arin training hard before the show itself and most people pegged them as the expected winners. So, it's needless to say we were very saddened to learn that Arin pulled out of the competition after her performance with Sunny, due to health reasons. Sunny and Yuta changed partners after task two and ended up paired together. We had no clue what was in store, but we knew it would be good!

Task three: These two were well... Let's just say, not the best apple bobbers, not even getting enough apples to meet the minimum six. The only reason they ranked so high is due to the social aspect the event incorporated. It is no secret to anyone who follows the trainees of Petal and W1SH, that Sunmi is one of the chattiest and brightest stars amongst their trainees. This bright girl hit up a storm with nearly everyone she met, impressing not only the CEOs with how well she networked but the fans that were all watching in on the event. Netizens took to the forums vouching for Sunmi which brought up the pairs score and shot them to the second rank. 

Task four: Though they were much better at styling each other than they were at apple bobbing, task four proved to be these twos weakest challenge due to partner Yuta not pulling through for Sunmi. However, there was still a rather rad final outcome that made netizens type happy comments on the forum and the score ended up being balanced out by Sunmi's previous boost in task three. 

Through that breakdown you can see that this event did not come without its challenges, making us believe that Sunmi and Yuta won second place so marginally through a bit of luck and a lot of hardwork. Their elation at having ranked second clearly showed on stage when they sang 'Look Alike', a feelgood ballady bop that had the crowd swaying and making us believe there might be some sort of romance in the air. At least for the three minutes they were on stage. Sunmi and Yuta showcased their smooth vocals and a youthful look that we definitely appreciated. 

FIRST PLACE: Park Minha and Bambam 

Second and third place may already be blowing your mind, especially with the .5 difference that kept them separated, but first place is a well merited and pulled ahead with leaps and bounds ahead of every other team. Are we surprised though? Park Minha has already wowed us in previous events, Cat Fight being her most memorable moment where she ended up winning with two other girls. Fans have anxiously been waiting to see her comeback or debut, grasping at any bit of publicity they can, and this event has served to please. Bambam has also gotten quite a bit of recognition with this event as well, leaving netizens to suspect other things behind the scenes. But we're here to serve you a breakdown as to why these two managed to not only win the event, but annihilate their competition. 

Task one and two were this pair's strongest point. While everyone who got their theme in task one received an automatic five points, task two was about the performance. Bambam and Minha shocked their audience with a y performance that really contrasted their otherwise sweet dispositions. Not even twenty seconds into the performance and the audience was screaming. Moments after the performance was released online, fans took to the forums, raving about the borderline  performance, claiming it was "Totally unexpected but everything they didn't know they needed!" Their socializing after their performance also pulled them way ahead of their challengers, drawing the attention of not only the media, but the CEOs who were judging this event.

Task three had us all a little worried because it was definitely Minha and Bambam's weakest part of the competition, both of them catching less apples than either pair in second or third place (a total of three apples!) but the event is not all about concrete results. The CEOs reported that they had been looking for active mingling and socializing to build their network with the company reps and important people in the industry. They also wanted to see the trainees connecting together and Bambam and Minha proved just that, making them score just high enough to keep in the lead.

Task four is really what sealed it in for this pair. Their photoshoot was a stylish ensemble of teamwork with perfect result. Each team mate properly prepared and shot an amazing shoot in the limited time they were given and it impressed the judges. Not only that, but they were also the only pair who managed to queeze a bonus shoot as a couple! Their scores were highly elevated and again, their engagement with our trainees and each other locked them in to the position of first place. And boy did they not disappoint with the performance they gave us!

Bambam and Minha already proved to us that they could handle the pressure of last minute performances, and that they worked amazing together (unless it's apple bobbing, but we'll try and forget that) but they delivered us an AMAZING dance performance that showcased not only their dance skills but their unique vocals. It was hot, it was sassy, it was powerful, and it delivered everything that we had been promised. Netizens took instantly to the forums and praised the pair for having the best performance at the event, a truly great way to wrap up the event. 

And that's the total recap of the three winners from the W1SH and Petal collaboration event: The Cherry Blossom Festival! If you missed some of them - make sure to check Petal's Youtube channel, to get the gist of some of the best ones, which have been published there, and to  put those winning shows on replay! We've broken down the scores and raved about their performances, but now it's your turn to tell us who you thought should have won and which performance you liked the most? 

Let us know in the comments down below!