aka how Li Yuchun scares her opponent to tears with her awesomeness

If you want to watch an example of how to pull a boyband together, X Fire 燃烧吧少年 is it. From eeMedia and SM Entertainment ,  you’ll think the show is a freak show after episode 1,  you’ll fall in love with the same people after the team work their miracles on them in ep 2.  Two weeks later in episode 3, you’ll be filled with team spirit and wish  Li Yuchun’s team would debut already.

Joining the show to create eeMedia and SM’s new boyband are opponent team leader Shu Qi,  eeMedia CEO Long Danni, song arrangement and choreographers from both eeMedia and  SM Entertainment,  and Su Mang, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar China and CEO of the Trends Group, which publishes the mainland versions of Cosmopolitan and Esquire.    Host-actress Yi Yi and singer Bai Jugang round up the group.

The show is best watched as a whole to get a true sense of the transformations of the boys (and the magic of Li Yuchun). Their dancing in general are pretty week, but here are a few of my favorite performances so far:

Gu Jiacheng (23) 谷嘉成X伍嘉诚 Wu Jiacheng (22) – Two time first-places and one-time second place. I love the opening of this arrangement (Li Yuchun’s idea).

Zhao Lei (16) 赵磊X焉栩嘉 Xu Yijia(14) – This is one of my favorite covers this year so far. Although Zhao Lei was the joke of the show (in an American Idol audition type of way) in episode 1,  the moment these two opened their mouths in episode 2,  my heart melted. They’ll be turned into a trio with Guo Zifan (17) in episode 4.

Bai Shu （22） 白澍X彭楚粤 Peng Chuyue （22）  – Probably two of the most mature performers of the group. Bai Shu is a student at the Shanghai Drama Academy and kind of looks like a younger Hu Ge.

Xiao Zhan（24）肖战 X韩沐泊 Han Mubo （23）  –  They’re just both really good-looking so I can overlook their uncoordinated dance, especially since this is only the second time Xiao Zhan’s danced on stage (the first was their first performance, A Wolf from the West, which also comes highly recommended).

Chen Zexi (23) 陈泽希X夏之光 Xia Zhiguang (16）- The dancers of the group who unfortunately can’t really sing.