Mnet's Girl Planet 999 has finally finalized all the nine members for its dream team, which will make its debut as a new K-pop girls group. The name for the rookie group has been kept as KEP1ER.
The band's name was announced by Mnet just hours before the highly-anticipated episode aired on October 22. The exceedingly competitive reality show had 99 contestants from various East Asian countries, including Chinese territories, Japan, and Korea, vying to be a part of a global girl group.
Finally, the members of Kep1er have been revealed after months of intense competition. The group will comprise nine members who topped the competition, namely
Shen Xiaoting - She became the final member of the group
Sakamoto Mashiro - A Japanese trainee who became the first member to be announced.
Ezaki Hikaru - She ranked number one in the first round of Judges Choice first round, and finally became a part of the team with the 7th rank.
Kang Yeseo - Her vocal skills have stunned worldwide audiences
Seo Youngeun - She ranked fourth in the interim ranking
Kim Dayeon - Got the fourth rank in the show and is under Jellyfish Entertainment
Choi Yujin - She was a member of the CLC K-pop group
Huening Bahiyyih - Bahiyyih enjoyed a lot of popularity right from the beginning for being the sister of TXT Huening Kai's sister
Kim Chaehyun - She ranked first in both he the interim and the final
Mnet selected the name KEP1ER after asking viewers of the reality show to submit their ideas. Pronounced as Kep-ler, the name combines the first syllable of capture, representing the girls capturing their dreams. The numeral 1 is a unity of symbol, which showcases how members from diverse backgrounds and cultures can come together and be the best in their craft.
Fans of the show have also opined that the name has a cosmic connotation. Johannes Kepler, a 17th-century astronomer, is celebrated for his planetary motion laws and for writing the book Astronomia nova. While other viewers feel the name goes with the planetary theme of the name of the show.
This year Girls Planet 999 created a bit of controversy with Mnet introducing a "One Pick" voting system that upset several fans. According to global fans, the new system put non-Koreans at a disadvantage.
Girls Planet 999 began on August 6 with 99 contestants on August 6, and after two months of numerous stages, many heartbreaking moments, as well as winning the love of netizens all over the world, the show found its top nine singers.
The last and final episode saw a throwback to the audition tapes and video messages that the 9 finalists had recorded 99 days ago for their own future self.