Suhasini Singh, Pune, Maharashtra

YG TREASURE BOX was a survival show where 22 trainees who had been training at YG in Korea and 7 trainees from YG Japan contested to debut as a group called ‘TREASURE’ of 7 members. The trainees were grouped into TREASURE A, TREASURE B, TREASURE C, and TREASURE J. TREASURE A had the most experienced trainees. TREASURE B had trainees aged from 16 to 19. TREASURE C consisted of the youngest trainees, where average age was just 14.4, who showed their potential and got a chance to train at YG. TREASURE J comprised the trainees from Japan.

_{Picture Credits: YG Entertainment Inc.}

All trainees had a monthly assessment at the end of each month where they were judged and guided to improve themselves. They were ranked based on the monthly assessment. The first two episodes concentrated on the monthly assessment of all the 29 trainees which was assessed by producer Yang Hyun-suk himself. This was like a reality check for all of them, and they needed to work harder.

Yang Hyun-suk made this journey a little different from a normal debut journey. Trainees from different groups were competing against their teammates too. After a team performance, the producers of the other trainers chose 2 members from each group who made it to the debut group for that particular task. There were many tasks ahead, so the team members could change in the future. The song ‘Going Crazy’ was performed by the debut team before every task.

After the selection of the debut team, the other trainees were given a chance to challenge them, but not all 22 trainees got a chance. There was a video assessment where the 22 trainees showed their talent and were judged by a special judge who was none other than the famous band BLACKPINK. 

7 trainees challenged the debut team.  They had a battle and were either judged by Yang Hyun-suk or 100 employees from YG who were called “The Treasure Maker”. After the performance, the trainees from the debut team had to pick a card to decide the winner and the amazing performances made it hard for them to choose. There were many unexpected results where many members kept their position in the debut group but there were members who lost their position and returned as a trainee.

_{Picture Credits: Teen Vogue}

The next task was a bonding exercise among the trainees. The debut team spent time together at an amusement park, and they would hang out with each other and choose their partners, but as there were 7 trainees one was left alone and had to return as a normal trainee. 

The 22 trainees also paired up with each other and 3 teams who challenged the debut group were again chosen through a video assessment. This was a crucial stage for the other 16 trainees who weren’t competing in the debut team as they had to face elimination. Based on their performance one of the two trainees was eliminated. Seeing their teammates return as trainees was hard as they shared every moment stepping towards their dream to debut.

The next task turned TREASURE 6 to TREASURE 5—the one who received the least votes returned as a trainee. Now the 15 trainees who were left were divided into 3 groups to perform and make their place in the finals. There was voting for each group and the number of trainees who made it to the finals depended on this score. 11 final trainees made it to the finals, but because of their amazing potential, 2 more trainees grabbed an opportunity and made it to the finals making a total of 13 contestants. 

Formation of TREASURE

For the finals, there was a battle in three categories: dance, rap, and vocals. The final selection was done by voting. After the performances, the top 7 trainees made it to the debut team ‘TREASURE’. Haruto, Yedam, Jung-hwan, Jeong-woo, Hyun-suk, Jae-hyuk and Jun-kyu made it to the debut team forming TREASURE.

_{Picture Credits: Teen Vogue}

Now you might be confused how are there only 7 members here? The Treasure we know consists of 12 members, right? So on 30 January 2019, YG announced the debut of their 2^nd group ‘Magnum’ consisting of 6 members. Treasure and Magnum combined to form Treasure 13 but Yoon-bin left the group as he wanted to concentrate on his solo debut. So that made it the Treasure we know with the 12 members: Yedam, Haruto, Jung-hwan, Hyun-suk, Jun-kyu, Jeong-woo, Jae-hyuk, Yoshi, Asahi, Do-young, Mashiho, and Jihoon. Treasure debuted on 7 August 2020 marking it as an important day for all their fans!

_{Picture Credits: Teen Vogue}

Treasure has been through ups and downs even before its debut due to the departure of a beloved member. To get over the hate that they received and regain their fans, they worked hard and were socially active 5 days a week. Their hard work paid off and now they have won 2 MAMA awards for being the Rookie of the Year and worldwide fan’s choice. Seeing their hard work, we can’t help but feel attached to the 12 boys who have worked very hard for their dreams. If you are curious about a trainee’s life and their journey, I would highly recommend YG Treasure Box. The journey has brought all kinds of emotions to the viewers. From tears of elimination to happiness for their debut, you can feel it all at once! At the moment of publishing this article, Yedam and Mashiho have reportedly departed from the group making TREASURE a ten-members unit currently.

Have you heard TREASURE’s songs? Which member is your bias? Tell us in the comments!