Amiciness is live-blogging recapping Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 episode 1. We’re meeting the new host and judging panel, and of course, the 14 girls battling it out to become Asia’s Next Top Model.
Wanna be on top? Watch with me at 9 p.m. on STAR World to find out who will be in the running towards becoming Asia’s. Next. Top. Model.
Last time I asked you “Who among the Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 contestants are your early favorites?” Find out which girl came out on top.
Bigger challenges. More celebrity guests. Miss J! Tom Rodriguez (what?)! Makeovers! Drama! The 14 contestants meet Kenneth Goh, this cycle’s creative guru, with Kelly Tandiono, this cycle’s model mentor in the Singapore National Stadium. Kenneth introduces the new host and supermodel Cindy Bishop. And immediately, my first thought is “Where’s Yu Tsai?”
Challenge: Incline Runway
First impressions count, as Cindy says. The girls immediately have their first runway challenge. A normal flat runway is already a challenge to most models, but this one is on an incline! Good luck girls!
Angie is up first but she keeps on looking down. Tawan impresses the judges. She looks expensive. Maya doesn’t look like a model. Jessica walks very tentatively. The girls think Sang In is very high fashion. Aldilla does the same as Angie. Patricia makes the judges go ooh and aah. Gwen still can’t shake off her pageant walk. Alaiza is very contemporary. Tugs has a great body, but the walk is a bit dated. May is the youngest, but she doesn’t want to be thought of as cute. Tuti has a strong walk and poses.
The girls proceed to their model house at South Beach. Wow this looks very luxurious! Product placement! Maybelline! Closeup! Tresemme! Zalora!
Sang In doesn’t have a bed! There are only 13 beds? Budget cuts? LOL.
Cindy Mail! Wow, they’re adapting the scoring system from America’s Next Top Model. The girls will be scored after every challenge and photo shoot.
One of the girls is already going home this early. WHAT?! The girl with the lowest challenge score will be eliminated. Patricia got the highest score at 9.5. Maya got the lowest score at 3.3 so she is already going home. This is pretty mean, AsNTM!
Eliminated: Maya (Thailand)
Well, that’s…. interesting. I feel for the Thailand AsNTM fans already losing one of their reps this early. Good thing, Tawan seems to have done pretty well during the challenge so you don’t have to worry about her being eliminated. 🙂
Photo Shoot: 60’s Fashion in a Bubble
Cindy Mail! It’s a lot of tumbles, bubbles, and stumbles. Very tongue twister chic! 😀
Kenneth and Kelly meet the girls again beside something covered in red fabric. Kenneth uncovers it and reveals a giant bubble with Cindy in it wearing 60’s fashion. The photographer for this shoot is Filipino fashion photographer BJ Pascual.
Oh, they’re suspending the bubble in the air! Extra challenge! Tuti is nailing her poses! She’s giving variety! Gwen is overthinking her poses but she’s still pageant girl to the judges.
Tugs is super scared of heights and it shows in her poses. May feels claustrophobic inside the bubble, but she overcame it in a snap. The moment they signal she’s done, May is immediately brought to her knees and collapses. Too much drama this pilot episode, eh?
Ugh. Food drama. Mai Ngo doesn’t share her food with the girls. What is she going to do with all that juice?!
Mai Ngo warbles some version of the reality staple quote “I’m not here to make friends.” Villian edit, guys. Ooohhh she even says, “I don’t give a sh*t!” Draamaa!
Judging Panel
I’m still looking for Yu Tsai. Kenneth seems to be sitting in for Yu Tsai’s role in these early episodes. The prizes are the same as last cycle, Tresemme ambassador, Harper’s Bazaar cover, cash prize.
Patricia looks to be a frontrunner, impressing the judges a lot. Tugs was too scared to do any poses and it shows in the photo. Kenneth notes that she has one of the longest limbs and did not use it to her advantage. May on the other hand made full use of the prop, and gave a great photo. Mai Ngo redeemed herself from her low challenge score.
You’re so young and yet the maturity you bring on set is like you’ve been modeling for 10 years. – Kenneth Goh on May
The girls confront Mai Ngo on her “food issue.” This scene is giving me Real Housewives realness. I live for this! Hey, Star World, how about bringing the Real Housewives franchise to Asia? 😀
Call out Order
- Tuti
- Aldilla
- Alaiza
- Patricia
- Julian
- May
- Mai Ngo
- Sang In
- Tawan
- Tugs
- Jessica
Mai Ngo had best photo this week, but pulled down by her low challenge score. Jessica thought she was going home.
Bottom Two: Gwen (Philippines) and Angie (Singapore)
Gwen needs to leave her pageant days behind. Angie is one of the prettiest in the competition.
Lowest: Gwen (Philippines)
But the judges decided that this was a non-elimination. Gwen dodged a bullet! An audible collective sigh of relief from Philippine AsNTM fans can be heard! :))
This is the best opening credits/title card for Asia’s Next Top Model across four cycles. I love the theme, it’s like supermodels on the streets. Very good production!
Want to know how I ranked the girls’ photos. Check out my Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 Episode 1 Power Rankings:
Check out some more photos behind the scenes:
Next Week
Will an injury force a girl to quit the competition? Find out next week.
What did you think of Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 4 episode 1? Were you shocked at that surprise elimination? Or were you more shocked by the non-elimination at the end? Are you loving all the drama this early? Sound off in the COMMENTS below.
3 Comments
OMG I’m so thankful Gwen was not eliminated! Go Alaiza! Go Julian! #PhilippinesOnTOP
Let the 4th Hunger Game: Juice Box edition begin!!!
(and I see this show is still in to awful editing as usual)
I’m still giving the editing a chance. HAHA. But true, awful as usual. 😄