On June 12th, IU delivered an impressive performance on SBS's "Kiss & Cry", effectively rising above the heavy-handed criticisms from last week. As revealed earlier, her performance with partner Choi In Hwa was done under a cheerleader concept to the tune of "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne. Because she placed last in the first competition, IU showed signs of nervousness amidst flashes of fierce determination to do better this round. When she got on the ice, IU managed to pull off moves like 'through the leg', 'spiral', 'rotational rifts', and other complex stunts. Kim Yuna stated, "You've improved greatly compared to a week ago. Thank you for working hard." Looking as if she was about to cry at the praise, IU replied, "I feel great right now." Judge Kim Jang Hoon added, "It seems you've managed to overcome your obstacles.  I would like to applaud you for that." IU received a total score of 32.6 in the end, which led her to burst out, "I received a lot of praise, so I definitely feel more confident. There were a lot of people who didn't view me in a positive light, so I was honestly very upset. A lot of people said that I didn't work hard, but I think I did work hard... I think it's because I'm not that good. In our next competition, I promise to show even more improvement." Source + Photos: OSEN via Nate