#AsNTM3 Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3: Episode 5 – The Girl with a Killer Smile Recap

Amiciness is live-blogging recaps the 5th episode of Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3. This week, the girls are flaunting their Closeup smiles for the camera. “It’s gonna be the toughest decision so far,” says Georgina. If you could also recall from the cycle preview at the start of episode 1, this episode is probably where we see Amanda cursing at (one of) the judges. I’m stoked!

Watch with us at 8:45 P.M. on STAR World to find out who are still in the running towards becoming Asia’s. Next. Top. Model. And will win this cycle’s fabulous prizes: a Subaru XV STI car, a campaign for TRESemme, a cover and spread for Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, and a modelling contract with Storm Models Management in London.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srVS2Gyn5L8

We asked you who among the girls portrayed their best passionate self in their Shanghai Beauty photo shoot… And the results are in. The winner, by an enormous margin, like beyond Kelvin-scale level, is… Monika.

AsNTM3x04 - Monika
Monika was uber caliente! (I think I just butchered 3 different languages there.)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. PHOTOS ADDED. POLL OPEN.

Last time on Asia’s Next Top Model, the girls had to be passionate in a photo shoot with a male model, a.k.a. the highlight of everyone’s week last week, William. Je ne sais quoi. Who will still be in the running towards becoming Asia’s. Next. Top. Model. All together now: (I can’t guarantee that these lyrics are 100% accurate. Feel free to correct me in the comments or on Twitter.)

Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3 Opening Theme

Lights, camera, ready (6x)
Action, it’s time to shiiine

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’m gonna reach, gonna reach the tooop
Gonna stay on tooooop
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’m gonna change, gonna change the wooooorld
Take over the wooorld

Come on and walk with me, baby I’ll let you see
Tonight is the night, we’re not hurrying(?) the night

This is my destiny, baby take a look at me
Gonna light up the sky, gonna light up the sky

We won’t stop on top

The girls are all shocked at last week’s double elimination. Gani feels that Celine didn’t deserve to get eliminated, and that Celine took a better photo than Franchesca. The girls seem to agree that Franchesca is struggling and might be in danger of elimination. (I see what you’re doing editors — foreshadowing!)

Georgina Mail! Connect, Allure, and Attract! The girls meet with Georgina, Dr. Cecile Infantado, Closeup’s smile expert and Daniel Mananta, famous Indonesian personality in a theater. Dr. Infantado give the girls pointers on how to bring out their best smile. Smile tip: Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the best smile. Gani isn’t so confident with her smile.

Having a killer smile is only half the battle. The girls need to get into character. This is where Daniel comes in: he directs the girls in an improv acting class. The girls need to improvise and exaggerate every emotion from expressing deep sadness and to acting like a baby.

Aimee and Tahlia are acting out different emotions in a robbery scenario. Barbara became Monika’s hands and Franchesca became KB’s hands in their acting exercise. Gani and Melissa recite song lyrics as different characters. All the girls are game except for Amanda who doesn’t want to participate. Georgina motivates her, but she refuses. She feels her personality is the complete opposite. “I really don’t know how to be angry…. I was very uncomfortable.” Tsk tsk Amanda.


Challenge: The Perfect Selfie with a Stranger

The girls are at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands to take selfies with people who are complete strangers to them. 15 minutes to take a selfie. KB and Melissa take selfies with their hot guy pretty quickly. Amanda is struggling to look for her selfie mate. Wow, Barbara found multiple hot guys. Where is she finding them? I need to know.

The winner of the challenge gets a date with Daniel Mananta, at the Experience resto at the Sofitel. And the girl with the best selfie is… Barbara. She took a selfie that’s full of personality, even the guy looked happy.

Winner: Barbara

Well Barbara has met Daniel before. But this is the first time she gets the chance to talk to him. Gani is jealous! Indonesian girls must really love Daniel Mananta.

Everybody will naturally become nervous. So, what I do is, I act to become myself when I’m not nervous.


Photoshoot: Closeup Smile

The girls are at Pangaea at Marina Bay Sands, where Alex Perry and Mike Rosenthal, the photographer for this shoot, are waiting for them. Today, they are taking close-ups, and they need to flaunt their beautiful smiles and facial expressions. They are shooting a mock campaign for Closeup Diamond Attraction. Monika is confident with smiling, while Gani is worried since earlier.

Barbara is nailing the shoot. Aimee started with more commercial poses but got better at the end. Gani is struggling to show an authentic smile, and Alex is worried. Monika is full of confidence, and the judges enjoyed watching her work. Franchesca has Ariana Grande-complex, and she’s dropping back to her commercial poses. Amanda was freaking out, and she’s breaking the silence with her giggles. The judges seem to be disappointed with her results.

Daniel is really going off on Amanda: “worst photo I’ve ever seen.” Amanda is almost in tears.

The judges said that it was a close call. The girls thought that they were participating in a mock campaign. Instead, the girl with the best photo gets the chance to shoot an actual campaign for CloseUp Diamond Attraction.

Monika and Gani are both called in front of the judges. They had the 2 best photos. The girls have to pitch the judges why her photo is better than the other girl. Gani said that she represented the Pan-asian look better than Monika (which is a bit funny, because Monika is a Filipino-Malaysian mix). Monika said that their her photo is more lively and represented the brief better.

In the end, Monika won, and she’s getting her own Closeup campaign. Congrats, girl! Gani gets second best photo.

Call Out Order

  1. Monika
  2. Gani
  3. Barbara
  4. Melissa
  5. Aimee
  6. KB
  7. Tahlia

Bottom 2: Amanda and Franchesca #TeamPhilippines

Amanda got the chance to try to be angry. And she directed her anger at Daniel Mananta.

You were so f***in’ rude…. You’re not a part of this competition, you’re only a guest.

BUUUUUURRRRRN. *snaps in Z formation*

Eliminated: Franchesca

Franchesca believes that Monika will win the whole thing. Go #TeamPhilippines!


Next Week: The Girl Who Ran out of Luck

Next week is all about being confident in styling and knowledgeable about the latest fashion trends. “Barbara suffers an age crisis. Monika’s momentum comes to a screeching halt. And Aimee’s weight gain leaves everyone speechless.”


So we’re finally getting some drama! I like it! Gani calling injustice on Celine’s elimination, and dragging Franchesca. Monika vs Gani showdown for best photo. Amanda going off on Daniel Mananta.

Are you liking the drama that’s brewing? What did you think about Amanda’s mini-outburst at the judging panel? Are you sad to see Franchesca go? Sound off in the comments below.

Who do you think gave the best CloseUp smile? Vote in our poll at the end of this post. Poll closes 1 hour before the next episode airs.

13 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    D

  2. Anonymous says:

    Where can I find the full Video /episode

    1. The full episode is uploaded on the official AsNTM Youtube channel 2 weeks after it airs. 🙂

  3. There’s something wrong with the judges line-up. Two of them are Filipinos. I can sense they are biased towards Monika who is from the Philippines. Joey Mead King is showing the bias very openly. Between Monika and Gani in the Close Up campaign shoot, Gani had the better shot. And, I wonder why Melissa got fourth call this week. Here’s what I believed should have been the call order:

    1. Melissa
    2. Gani
    3. Barbara
    4. Monika
    5. KB
    6. Aimee
    7. Tahlia
    8. Franchesca
    9. Amanda — should have been eliminated

    1. Ms.Cecil says:

      I agree with the first rank you made!
      Best photo of this week should be Melissa’s. But I don’t think Monika is worse than Gani. Yes, Gani tried so hard on her weakness, smiling thing. But compare to Monika’s, hers is still need to practice. I believe she will do much better smiles in the future than Monika but for this week, not yet.

      And Monika has a friendly look, that is what client needs in campaign to lot of people. Gani is great for another kind of campaign, such as an expensive bags, cosmetics, or else but not for toothpaste. This is my opinion.

      1. Lindley says:

        Melissa, I believe, has a lot to offer but she is being underrated in the show — minimal exposure and snub from the judges with her best shots. From the Close Up campaign shoot, who do you think is perfect on a billboard in Makati Business District or in a city in the world? Definitely not Monika or Gani with their “messy” hair on the shot. It’s gotta be Melissa. Try observing the lighted billboards on shopping malls around Makati.

        1. Diosa says:

          i agree. melissa, i believe got the best photo of the bunch. just look at her. very sophisticated and classy.

    2. spawnkiddo says:

      No one’s gonna listen to your antics girl. You better shut ur diagusting mouth and be nice to monika. Your gani is such a spoiled brat. All of them looked pan-asian model, so dont be so selfish.😂

  4. Brian says:

    For the lyrics, its :

    ” Baby I’ll let you see …” not “im the light, you see”

    thank you

    1. Thank you for the correction! 😄

    2. What’s the title of the opening song? And who’s the singer… thanks!

  5. […] a hard time deciphering the lyrics, but after episode 5, and with the help of the comments, I finally did. I still hear the tune while writing this. Won’t stop on top. I am so looking forward to […]

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