A total of 101 girls claw their way to the top, but in the sweetest way possible -- smiling, singing “pick me” and gesturing imploringly into the camera toward an unidentified mass. At home, the viewers, or “producers,” vote for contestants they deem most worthy of becoming actual K-pop girl group members.

Titled “Produce 101,” the popular music audition reality program is coming to a close, with its final episode set to air Friday night on Mnet, wrapping up 11 weeks of buzz. 

Viewers as producers

Viewers say the show has gone one step beyond simply presenting a ready-made K-pop group; it has created the illusion that viewers are curating their own group according to their own tastes.

“You kind of feel like you’re the head producer at a major entertainment company,” said Choi Joon-sik, 29, an avid viewer who has cast numerous online votes for his contestant of choice. “You feel more responsible for your selection, as if you are really in charge of creating a new group.”

The premise of “Produce 101” that sets it apart from other audition shows, according to blurbs promoted by Mnet at the show’s inception, is that viewers are not only voters, but also “producers,” intimately involved in the training process of “the nation’s ultimate K-pop girl group.”

The show follows the contestants -- most of whom are already trainees at entertainment agencies -- undergoing grueling practice sessions and singing and dance lessons as they team up and prepare for their next onstage performance.

Even the title -- “Produce 101” -- signifies an entry-level course that will educate viewers on the basics of creating a K-pop group, Mnet said in a press release.

“It’s interesting to see how girl groups are actually made,” said Lee Hye-won, 31. “Before, I didn’t know how much work went into creating the dance formations and choosing main vocalists and supporting vocalists and all that.”

Another reason for the show’s popularity is the wide range of choice it provides. Out of the 101 girls, viewers are bound to find someone they feel partial to, said Lee, who is a fan of contestant Kim Se-jeong.

“My husband and I often get into heated arguments over who should make it to the final 11,” said Lee. Her husband, she says, supports contestant Jeon So-mi.

Largely female viewership

Contrary to what may be expected of a show featuring over 100 girls and just one male host -- actor Jang Geun-suk -- a large portion of the show’s viewership is female, according to an Mnet official who asked to not be named.

“At our open sets, female fans take up over half of the audience,” she said. “They’re the ones holding up placards and cheering the girls on.”

And while targets of the “girl crush” generally tend to be dominant, powerful female personalities who are idolized, the girls of “Produce 101” exude sweeter and more innocent images, appealing to the female viewership in an endearing way, the Mnet official said.

“Almost all of them are in their teens, which makes them seem like little sisters,” she said. “They’re different from your typical girl crush, but female viewers have responded to that.”

If the format of the show encourages intense competition, there is little outward show of it among the contestants, who root for each other on camera and post photos of friendly hangout sessions on social media.

Lee Jin-hee, 29, said she enjoys the sense of camaraderie. “I like that, unlike in most audition programs, they’re not at each other’s throats all the time. There’s a feeling of ‘let’s all get through this together,’” said Lee, who professes to being a fan of contestant Kim Do-yeon.

“A bunch of girls get together and practice dancing. It looks like they’re having a lot of fun,” said Kim So-jung, 19. “I think I would like to participate in something like that.”

Others, like viewer Choi Han-kyung, said they simply like “watching pretty girls be pretty.”

Top of the pyramid

No matter how chirpy the girls may seem, however, at the end of the day, the show’s format makes for cutthroat competition. The logo for “Produce 101” shows a crown encased in a pyramid, always reminding viewers that only a few can climb to the coveted top, explained pop culture critic Jung Deok-hyun.

“It’s actually a simple concept,” Jung said in a phone interview. “Ultimately, the question is who will get picked? Who will be dropped? Who takes center stage? It resembles the K-pop industry. It resembles our reality.”

After Friday’s final episode, 11 girls will have been selected by a combination of online and on-the-spot votes. The newly formed girl group will then pursue activities typical to most K-pop groups -- appearing on music programs, television shows, etc. -- for eight months. Proposals for 100 million won ($87,000) ad deals have already been lined up, reports say, far higher than the price normally fetched for debut girl groups.

What happens to those who have been voted off?

“They’ll return to their respective agencies and continue training,” said an entertainment agency official who requested anonymity. “They’ll have gained some recognition, which might boost their chances of debuting sooner. Other than that, as for their future steps, there’s nothing that is certain.”

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)