Kingdom: Legendary War - Episode 5 and 6 Ranking and Review

So, a small confession. I have been super busy this week and thus could not watch the new Kingdom episodes. Thus, this time I will only review the performances. I know it is not the best, but it is not like the show was doing much. So without further ado, we enter my rankings.

6. SF9 - The Stealer (Original by The Boyz)

So SF9 kind of got the short end of the stick, as The Stealer is easily the worst of the 6 songs in this round. Plus, it was performed excellently in the first round, making this somewhat anti-climactic. In defense (and against) this performance, this was barely The Stealer, it was basically a new song. And this new song was actually fine, but it barely was there, most of the time was spent on the gangster performance. I am getting a feeling that the gangster concept is gaining a resurgence in Korea as a pop-culture form, and honestly, I wish it was not. Still, the performance was fine, with some interesting segments, easily the best performance of this round. I just wish some of the new English lyrics were a little less cringe.

5. ATEEZ - Rhythm Ta (Original by iKON)

On face level, this would be the hardest to pull off. ATEEZ rely on their energy, while Rhythm Ta was all about its laid-back groove. In the end, ATEEZ just reworked the entire song into their strengths. Honestly, the performance was cringe. There was some great re-working in the verses, but the chorus pulled off no ones' strengths. Also, what the hell was going on with Hongjoong's overdramatic speech? Was it supposed to be empowering, who wrote it? The English just was not there. At least Jongho's high note was great.

4. The Boyz - O Sole Mio (Original by SF9)

I think I am somewhat tired of The Boyz basically redoing the same style for each and every performance. I remember in Road to Kingdom they tried different things each time, and it is why they won. Game of Thrones after Game of Thrones is tiring. With O Sole Mio they got a great song, and turned it into theirs. Honestly, there were some great moments, but nothing they have not done many times before. In fact, all the performances so far in Kingdom are much weaker than most of the Road to Kingdom ones. I loved the stompy beat, and I also wish they stop using that lame fire effect. It actually ruins the vibe quite a bit.

3. Stray Kids - I'll Be Your Man (Original by BtoB)

The English-spoken section in the middle was cringe. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, this performance was pretty good. It played too heavily into Kingdom trends, but Stray Kids got it across the line. Also, that climax with the high notes and the rap was simply perfect. If the rest of the performance could keep up with that moment, I'd be pleased.

2. iKON - Inception (Original by ATEEZ)

I loved the verses from this remix, adding just a little bit of iKON for authenticity. The performance and staging also were great, setting it apart from everything else in this show. That is why I am still rooting for iKON, they have their unique charms. The drop chorus was initially anti-climactic, but I still enjoy it actually. 

1. BtoB - Back Door (Original by Stray Kids)

I know, by putting the two 'old' groups in the top two spots, I sound like an old geezer. Actually, my favorite performance across the whole Kingdom/Queendom franchise is TOO (or TO1)'s Rising Sun rendition (special mention to (G)I-DLE's Lion), and TOO were rookies with only one song under their belt back then. BtoB simply put have tried all the styles before, and now know what suits them best. They also know how to push their boundaries, and when. Back Door drives on its electronic guitar groove and hip-hop beats, and BtoB celebrates it like its their best song yet. While I found the shirt rip near the end totally unneeded, the rest of their performance, particularly the climax, was gold.

Recap

Not following the rankings too closely anymore, simply they are not worth my time. This round was somewhat mixed. I loved my top spot, but nothing came close to the last round. Wonder how it all will pan out near the end.

Image Source: The Bias List