He was the guy everyone was looking for after that high-pitched intro in "Rising Sun," yet he vanished before the first major cut. Honestly, if you followed the chaos of Jiang Fan Boys Planet (specifically the sequel, Boys II Planet), you know the "Mnet treatment" hit him harder than almost anyone else in Planet C.
Jiang Fan wasn't just another face in a crowd of 98 trainees. He was a powerhouse. We're talking about a dancer who fellow contestants literally called the best in the Chinese group. But if you only watched the main broadcast, you barely saw a fraction of that.
The Mystery of the Missing Screentime
Why did Jiang Fan Boys Planet journey feel so short-lived? It wasn't talent. During the C-Signal evaluation, Jiang Fan dragged himself from a 1-star rank to an All-Star. He did this while battling a brutal sore throat, killing the test when he could barely speak.
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That’s the kind of "underdog story" producers usually salivate over. Instead? Crickets.
Most of his best moments never even made it to air. Fans who dug through the trailers saw him winning a high-intensity dance battle against Chingyu—a moment that would have cemented his status as a top-tier performer. Mnet used the clip for the trailer clicks and then just... deleted it from the episode. It’s the kind of move that makes you want to throw your remote.
What went wrong in the rankings?
The math just didn't add up for the Planet C boys. The show's structure felt rigged against them from the jump.
- The Sudden Merge: Trainees signed up for a Chinese-market group, but Mnet merged the shows last minute, forcing them to compete for a Korean debut they hadn't fully prepared for.
- The "1-Star" Curse: Jiang Fan was inexplicably given a 1-star rating in his initial audition with the TopClass trainees, despite a stable vocal performance and a clean dance break.
- Voting Weight: With Korean votes counting for 50%, international trainees like Jiang Fan were fighting an uphill battle with no local visibility.
By the time the first elimination hit in August 2025, Jiang Fan was sitting at 63rd place. He was out.
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Beyond the Elimination: Life After the Show
If you think Jiang Fan just gave up after the Jiang Fan Boys Planet heartbreak, you haven't been paying attention. He’s a survivor in every sense of the word. After being cut from Boys II Planet, he didn't disappear into the woodwork.
He actually popped up again in Universe League, but history unfortunately repeated itself. Once again, he was the "Dance Break Center" in almost every stage he touched, and once again, the editing gods decided his story wasn't the one they wanted to tell.
The Planet C: Home Race Era
The real silver lining for fans came on December 6, 2025. Mnet Plus launched a spin-off called Planet C: Home Race. This was basically a "redemption" show for the eliminated Chinese trainees. It gave guys like Jiang Fan, Bian Shiyu, and Taiga a second chance to show what they could actually do without being overshadowed by the main show's narrative.
It was here that people finally saw the "Heavenly" vocals he displayed in "Rising Sun" weren't a fluke. He’s technically a dancer first, but his stability is better than most "main vocals" on these shows.
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The Reality of Being a "Planet C" Trainee in 2026
Looking back at the Jiang Fan Boys Planet saga, it’s a case study in how survival shows can fail their most talented participants. The 2025-2026 period has been rough for international trainees in Korea, especially with the shifting diplomatic tensions affecting how Chinese and Japanese idols are promoted.
Jiang Fan was caught in a perfect storm of bad luck, weird production choices, and a show that didn't know how to handle the sheer volume of talent it had recruited.
So, what’s next for him?
He is currently back under a training system, likely eyeing a debut in the C-pop market or waiting for a more equitable global project. He still posts updates and stays active through SNS, occasionally reuniting with former trainees like He Junjin and Xie Yuxin.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Follow the Spin-offs: If you missed Planet C: Home Race, go back and watch his performances there. It's the only place he got the "edit" he deserved.
- Support SNS Directly: Since he isn't in the final group Alpha Drive One, his career depends entirely on his individual brand power. Engagement on his personal accounts is more vital now than it was during the show.
- Look for C-Drama OSTs: Given his vocal stability, there are rumors of him recording demo tracks for smaller web dramas in China.
- Don't Trust the "Star" Ranks: As Jiang Fan proved, a 1-star rating on a screen often has more to do with the "story" than the actual skill level.