Mnet’s global dance survival program ‘World of Street Woman Fighter (hereinafter ‘World of SWF’)’ received an explosive response from the first broadcast. Five countries and six crews gathered in a national competition format, and the Korean representative crew ‘Jam Republic’ received unexpected harsh criticism and provocations from the beginning, signaling the start of intense competition.
In the first episode broadcast on the 27th, a global meet and greet and ‘National Target Battle’ involving dancers from five countries, including Korea, USA, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, took place. This season’s judges included J.Y. Park, Kinjaz Mike Song, and American choreographer Aaliyah Janel as fight judges. The broadcast recorded a peak rating of 2.0% (AGB Nielsen) among paid households in the metropolitan area, ranking first in the same time slot with the 1539 target audience ratings. It also ranked high in real-time trends on SNS and portal video view rankings, indicating a promising start to success.
Despite a flashy start, the Korean representative crew Jam Republic received a cold response from other teams. Based solely on pre-assessment videos, harsh criticisms like “I don’t know what their strengths are” and “They need to learn from us” were poured out, and no less than 12 ‘No Respect’ stickers were attached to Jam Republic leader HaniJ. It was revealed that five of these were attached by teammate Aiki, causing a shock.
The first battle was between HaniJ and Mali of the American crew Motive. As a former winner of season 1 of ‘SWF,’ HaniJ fought against the stereotype of commercial hip-hop but suffered a complete defeat to Mali. J.Y. Park expressed disappointment, saying, “Trying to prove too much made her moves stiff.” In the subsequent battle between Aiki and Aliyah from the Australian AG squad, Aliyah made a direct criticism saying, “It seems like you bought your TikTok followers,” and Aiki ultimately lost amidst emotional instability.
However, Jam Republic also launched a counterattack. Gabi showed her presence by winning a rematch against Danica of the AG squad. Lip J defeated Ibuki of the Osaka Ojo Gang, avenging a past defeat in a rematch after ten years, seizing control of the stage. The two shared a hug after the battle, delivering subtle emotions.
Furthermore, unpredictable battles ensued, such as the duel between RH Tokyo and Osaka Ojo Gang, both called the two major mountains of Japan, and the showdown between old and new in Royal Family. Royal Family, mentioned as a potential elimination candidate, reversed the situation as young member Tasha defeated veteran Kaia, creating a reversal drama.
Meanwhile, at the end of the broadcast, the iconic mission of ‘SWF,’ the ‘Rank Mission,’ was announced, raising expectations for the next broadcast. As the curtain rises on the global dance war in ‘World of SWF,’ attention is focused on whether Korean dancers can uphold their pride on the world stage.
