China’s Ripoff of Produce 101: Even Their Trainees Are Copying Korean Trainees
Chinese audition program Idol Producer 2018 is getting backlash from Koreans for being extremely similar to the Mnet series Produce 101. The Chinese ripoff came under fire once Mnet revealed that it has not sold the rights to the Chinese network.
Idol Producer 2018 is similar to Produce 101 in its audition procedure, format, design, and countless other aesthetics. For instance, Idol Producer 2018 has the same triangular set design and has their trainees wear uniform-like clothes and nametags.
This is not the first time that a Chinese network has copied a popular Korean program. According to the Korean Communication Commission, 29 Korean shows have been illegally plagiarized, including JTBC‘s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, SBS‘s Running Man, and tvN‘s Three Meals a Day.
According to Koreans, Idol Producer 2018 has reached a whole new level of copyright infringement. One posted comparison images of a Chinese trainee who even dressed the same way as former Produce 101 trainee, Lai Guan Lin.
The Chinese trainee’s orange and black combination is the same one Lai Guan Lin came in during Produce 101. Some commenters are joking that the Chinese trainee could copy the style but not Lai Guan Lin’s good looks.
The show begins January 19 and familiar names to K-Pop fans will also be appearing. EXO‘s Lay, GOT7‘s Jackson, PRISTIN‘s Kyulkyung, and Cosmic Girls‘ Cheng Xiao will act as mentors while Produce 101 Season 2‘s Justin and Jung Jung will appear as trainees.
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