한국국제교류재단

The format seemed weird and tacky at first, what with the outrageous masks and childish nicknames. On top of that, the gaudy costumes diverted attention from the singing competition and got in the way of genuine engagement. To be fair, the show did look new and different but quite awkward at the same time.

It took the four straight wins by the masked singer “CBR Cleopatra” to really arouse widespread viewer interest in the show. When rumors started to spread that the man behind the mask was Kim Yeonwoo, known to pop music fans as “the god of vocals,” the path was opened for the show’s success. Thereafter, a succession of long-reigning kings — “Cosmos” (Gummy, four straight wins), “Cats Girl” (musical actress Cha Ji-yeon, five straight wins), and “Captain Music” (possibly Ha Hyun-woo,currently on nine straight wins) made the show the talk of the town.

The most appealing aspect of “King of Masked Singers” is the surprise twist. It has run the gamut, thus far and counting, from someone who is knocked out in the first round and turns out to be a famous pop star; a singer who gives a performance that would put most professionals to shame and turns out to be an actor or a newsreader, a sports figure, or a foreigner. When the mask comes off, the audience delights in the thrill of the unexpected.

If there is a downside it’s the slow pace and the overlong screen time between the singing and the reveal — the unmasking of the mystery singer — which is, after all what keeps the viewers glued to the TV. The comments and reactions of the seemingly indispensable celebrity judges do add something to the fun of the program, but when it gets repetitive, and their banter turns to drivel, viewers can lose interest in the show altogether. The same can be said of the corny lines delivered by the masked performers and the cheesy jokes and chatter between the celebrity panel and the host.

Mnet, tvN’s “I Can See Your Voice” is a talent spottingshow where pop celebrity judges try to tell byappearance and clues whether contestants aretalented singers or tone deaf.

Meanwhile, for each episode of “I Can See Your Voice” a guest pop star tries to identify the one talented singer from among seven or eight contestants from all walks of life but music; only one can actually carry a tune. Like the “King of Masked Singers,” the show has a panel of judges, but its members attempt to spot the “losers.” They are called the “tone-deaf detective team” who come up with various ways to assist the pop star in picking out the one with the true singing talent. As it’s impossible to really know the contestants’ ability before they actually sing, the show often ends with an unpredictableoutcome.

The format is similar to “King of Masked Singers”: four roundsper episode, each round based on different clues for sorting outwho’s who. Judging on the first round is based on appearance. Thecontestants strike various poses which presumably reflect theirtalent; two are eliminated, assumed to be tone-deaf.

In the secondround, the remaining contestantsperform a lip-synch routine. The talentedsinger lip-synchs to a recording of his orher own voice, while the other contestants(who know they can’t sing) use recordingsof other singers’ voices.

In the third round,various pieces of evidence, such as photosor s and interviews with the contestants’friends and family, are presentedfor judgment. In the final round, the personwho is selected as “the real singer”gets the honor of performing a duet withthe pop singer judge. It’s a great opportunityto showcase the winner’s singing andeven release a new sound source — but ifit turns out that someone who is actuallytone-deaf had managed to bluff all the wayto this point, he gets to take home a cashprize of five million won.

The unexpected twist in “I Can See YourVoice” is even greater than that of “King of Masked Singers.” Whensomeone who everyone thought wouldn’t be able to sing turns outto have a really good singing voice, the audience goes wild with bothsurprise and joy. And because the contestants are ordinary peopleanyone can identify with — housewives, office workers, waiters, andstudents working part-time jobs — the audience’s sense of sharedglory is all the more apparent.

The highlights of season 2, which ended in January, were providedby “High Pitch Guru” Kim Cheong-il (a waiter at a Chineserestaurant) and “High Spirit PhD” Choi Hyeong-gwan (an employeeof K-Water), who both astounded the studio audiences with theirgoosebump-inducing, piercing notes. There were also “Amy Winehouse”Mun Su-jin (a high school student) with her deep huskyvoice, and “Apple Lady” Lee Yun-a (a gugak singer) who gave viewersthe taste of an unusual harmony of traditional and popularmusic with her clear and elegant vocals.

The downside of “I Can See Your Voice” is its excessive focus on entertainment. Of course, the show’s ive is to entertain, but it can be painful to watch the tone-deaf contestants bleat out their songs one after another, as though competing to be the worst singer. Also, as with anything else, if the same pattern is repeated again and again, people will tire of it. As program formats evolve, so do the viewers at home.

The format rights for both of these programs have been sold abroad and local versions have been airing in Thailand, since January, and in China since March. They have already been causing quite a stir and now other countries across Asia are planning the production of their own spinoffs.