Asia’s premiere modelling competition is back for Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 Episode 7. The girls are tackling their first fashion film (a.k.a. video shoot) showing off clothes from this week’s sponsor ZALORA. Kevin Ou, who shot last cycle’s Subaru music video, is back behind the lens. Read on for my Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 Episode 7 review and how the girls fared in their shoot this week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTj6AOfnsmY

They’re shooting at a beach resort in Sentosa this time. Again, better than the overused harbor backdrop or inside the studio. The final result didn’t look much like a ZALORA ad campaign, but more like something I see in a stock video footage site. Complete with the light leaks, bokeh, and vaguely-familiar indie pop-rock background music!

So who among the girls rocked their Coachella-inspired look? Here are my Amiciness picks this week…

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Duels

The girls were paired up this week for their fashion film. I’ll be judging their performances in a duel format first. But later I’ll present them in the usual call out order in my video rankings.

Tu vs Cindy

Oh hands down, Tu killed this one. That pageant twirl she did by the pool was divine. I liked how Yu Tsai described her at panel as the sophisticated friend, just minding her own business, not needing a man. Independent woman! Plus, she was quick to shoot. She got there, she served, and she was done in a matter of minutes. That’s the opposite of what happened to Cindy. She was her usually smiley self. And she had the good fortune of having the set (and the male model) all on her own. Winner: Tu

Dorothy vs Valerie

I don’t know if they really didn’t get that many good shots for Dorothy, because most of her shots in the final result were super quick cuts. There was even one moment where she’s literally just a silhouette with her face out of focus. She really didn’t look that happy on the shoot, and it showed in the film. Valerie is giving that same facial expression she’s been doing for the past weeks in this film. Though I did love that shot where the two of them were walking and V did a bit of a shoulder turn away from the camera. I would have liked to see more of that sass in the rest of the film. So in short, I don’t think either of them won this one.

Shikin vs Veronika

Shikin slayed as usual. I feel like she’s peaking at the right time. I loved that shot when she pulled down her sunglasses and looked straight at the camera with a lot of fierce attitude. She’s rocking the pant suit (which, frankly, looks like something you wear to bed 😂) like it’s nobody else’s business. Veronika, though completely overshadowed by Shikin in their fashion film, gave a greater range of facial expressions than her sister at least. I loved her giving a sly smirk while latching onto the male model. 😂 Winner: Shikin

Clara vs Maureen

Clara looked like the ethereal boho-chic, hippie princess introducing her girl friend Maureen to the hippie lifestyle. They even looked like real-life friends (even though they probably aren’t) in that one shot of them drinking their summery drinks against the sunset. 😂 Maureen looked a bit awkward around the male model, but when she was alone in the shot, she projected much better. Winner: Clara

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Full Ranking

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Episode 7 Review

It’s another pretty uneventful episode. Even the supposedly “shocking” double elimination wasn’t shocking at all. Plus, I’m so done with these social media challenges. Where. 👏 are. 👏 the. 👏 runway. 👏 challenges. 👏

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The Curious Case of Cindy Chen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oW4hZgHvsM

Last week, the judges really pushed hard for Cindy to nail her photo. That paid off because Cindy was the best performer and became the new face of Neutrogena Singapore. It seems that trend continued this week.

For the challenge, the girls were paired up to model looks from ZALORA. Cindy and Tu were the only pair that were both members of the “Good Girls.” Tu took Cindy’s #OOTD photo and vice versa. Lo and behold, Cara and guest Kim Jones liked Cindy’s photo the best, giving her the highest challenge score. Lucky Cindy!

And if that wasn’t enough luck, the pairings carried over to the fashion film shoot. Cindy and Tu worked together with a male model, still modelling clothes from ZALORA. As I mentioned earlier, Tu nailed her shoot quick. Cindy, however, struggled. She struggled so much that they had to set aside some time for Cindy to shoot solo. Poor Tu having to patiently wait on the sidelines while the production gives double the shoot time to another girl.

Is Cindy this cycle’s favored girl or is the editing trying to make it seem that way? I don’t even know anymore. 😒

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Survivor Top Model: Heroes vs. Villains

You, loyal readers, know my disdain for this “Bad Girls” room vs. “Good Girls” gimmick that they’re doing on the show. I am so done with this manufactured narrative that I can’t help but roll my eyes whenever anyone mentions being a “bad girl” or “good girl.” So when they showed the teaser for Episode 8, I knew something was afoot. So I tweeted this:

Maureen is ganged up next week. She’s getting the hero’s edit. #AsNTM #AsNTM5

— amiciness (@amiciness) May 17, 2017

And it seems the people giving it a heart misunderstood my sentiment. I wasn’t on Maureen’s side. Not on anyone’s side, for that matter. I merely made an observation of this reality show trope called the “hero’s edit.” (I sometimes conflate it with “winner’s edit” but I’m not even sure if they are two separate things. Both seem to apply here.) In that particular scene shown in the teaser, Maureen is being set up as the “hero,” while the other girls, specifically Shikin, Clara, and Tu (the week’s new “bad girls” 🙄) as her story’s “villains.”

That seems to have had an effect on the fans, at least those on Twitter. It was chaos for a good few hours after the episode ended. The drama had spilled over from the TV screen (or whatever screen you watch the show on) to the social media sphere. Part of me can’t wait for the drama overload of next episode, but another part of me is already exhausted at the mere prospect of it. I have enough drama in my life, thank you. 🙄

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The Wisdom of Rayne

ZALORA head Rayne Reed was such a delight to watch as part of the episode’s judging panel. She gave specific critique to the girls regarding carrying themselves, their clothes, and most importantly, the client’s brand. It also looks like she scores objectively, too; if she doesn’t like a girl’s performance she says it in her critique and gives the appropriate score. The other judges should learn from her. 😏

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🇹🇼🇮🇩🇲🇾🇵🇭🇻🇳🇮🇩

There are only 6 girls remaining, with only Indonesia left with two representatives still in the running. Thailand and Singapore have lost representation for the past two weeks. Vietnam is at their highest possible ranking yet in five cycles of the show.

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What do you think of Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 Episode 7? Any particular thoughts on the episode? Any other conspiracy theories to add about the show? Sound off in the comments below.

Also, don’t forget to vote for your favorite girl in the poll in the recap post. Poll closes right before Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 Episode 8 on Wednesday, 9 p.m. on Star World.

The Girl Who Fakes It Until She Makes It: Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 Episode 7 Recap