Viewers of 'Produce 101' are divided once again on the issue of whether the program is really fair or not.
The issue came to light after the airing of the last episode during which the rankings of all 101 contestants were revealed and the bottommost contestants were eliminated.
The rankings of the contestants didn't sit too well with some viewers, and the ranking that caused the most complaint was Kim So Hye placing eleventh. Netizens protested, "She should be grateful for even getting to stay on the program with such little talent, so does it make sense for her to place eleventh?" and, "Who wouldn't be able to gain popularity and recognition when they give you a lot of airtime on TV?"
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Kim So Hye has been under scrutiny since the airing of the February 12 episode when she performed Wonder Girls' "Irony" as a part of team 1. During this episode, Kim So Hye, who was in the red as a trainee in the lowest ranked group, managed to save herself thanks to Kim Se Jung's guidance, and rise through the ranks.
After this episode, viewers complained that the production team placed too much weight on Kim So Hye's growth from a near-invisible existence who lacked both ambition and talent into a contestant with potential, reasoning that doing so isn't fair to the other, possibly more talented, trainees. Kim So Hye has managed to gain fans as well through this episode and it seems the viewers will continue to spark heated debate over whether 'Produce 101' is truly fair or not.
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