First Impact
First Impact is a foundational cataclysmic event in the lore of the Japanese anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion, occurring approximately 4 billion years ago as the collision of an asteroid—known as the Giant Impact—with the primordial Earth, which resulted in the ejection of debris that coalesced to form the Moon.[1] In the series' mythological framework, this event specifically involved the arrival of the Black Moon, a colossal seed ark dispatched by an ancient extraterrestrial race called the First Ancestral Race, containing the Second Angel Lilith as a Seed of Life.[2] The Black Moon's impact embedded it deep within the Earth's crust near the future site of Tokyo-3, where Lilith's arrival triggered a failsafe mechanism in which the Spear of Longinus impaled the First Angel Adam—who had arrived earlier via a separate White Moon—to neutralize him and prevent the conflicting presence of two Seeds of Life on the same planet.[3] This intervention allowed Lilith's influence—through her LCL, a primordial sea of life—to propagate a new evolutionary path, giving rise to humanity as the Lilin, distinct from the Angels.[2] The First Impact serves as the origin point for the franchise's apocalyptic narrative, establishing the cosmic conflict between Seeds of Life and the potential for further "Impacts" that threaten existence, such as the man-made Second Impact in AD 2000, which devastated half of humanity.[1] Drawing from scientific concepts like the Giant Impact Hypothesis while weaving in esoteric elements from Kabbalistic traditions—such as the Tree of Life and the roles of Adam and Lilith as archetypal figures—the event underscores themes of creation, forbidden knowledge, and inevitable destruction central to creator Hideaki Anno's vision.[4] Its details are gradually revealed across the original 1995–1996 television series, the 1997 film The End of Evangelion, and supplementary materials, enriching the psychological and existential depth of the story.[2]Background
Kep1er Formation
Kep1er was formed through the Mnet reality survival show Girls Planet 999, a competition program that aired from August 6 to October 22, 2021, featuring 99 female trainees—33 from South Korea, 33 from Japan, and 33 from China—who competed to debut in a multinational girl group.[5][6] The show emphasized collaboration across nationalities, with trainees forming "cells" and performing in teams to showcase vocals, dance, and charisma, culminating in eliminations based on global fan votes conducted through the Universe app.[7] The formation process reached its climax during the live finale on October 22, 2021, where the top nine members were announced in reverse order based on accumulated votes: Shen Xiaoting (9th), Sakamoto Mashiro (8th), Ezaki Hikaru (7th), Kang Ye-seo (6th), Seo Young-eun (5th), Kim Da-yeon (4th), Choi Yu-jin (3rd), Huening Bahiyyih (2nd), and Kim Chae-hyun (1st).[8] These selections highlighted a mix of experienced trainees—like leader Choi Yu-jin, a former contestant on Produce 48—and fresh talents from diverse backgrounds, including Japanese members Sakamoto Mashiro and Ezaki Hikaru, Chinese member Shen Xiaoting, Korean-American Huening Bahiyyih, and Korean member Seo Young-eun.[8] As a project girl group, Kep1er was established as a temporary unit with an original planned activity period of 2.5 years under the co-management of WakeOne Entertainment and Swing Entertainment, a structure announced immediately following the finale to allow focused promotions before individual member contracts concluded.[8][9] However, in May 2024, seven members extended their contracts, enabling the group to continue activities as a seven-member unit (excluding Sakamoto Mashiro and Kang Ye-seo).[10] This setup mirrored previous Mnet survival show outcomes but emphasized global appeal, with the group's name derived from astronomer Johannes Kepler to symbolize their "orbital" unity.[8] Pre-debut activities began shortly after formation, with official social media accounts launching on October 22, 2021, followed by member introduction videos and photo teasers released in November and December to build anticipation.[11] These efforts included fashion collaborations, such as a Dazed teasing film series, and highlighted performances from the show that would later influence their debut EP tracks.[11]EP Development
Following the formation of Kep1er on October 22, 2021, through the Mnet survival program Girls Planet 999, the development of their debut extended play First Impact commenced immediately, with recording sessions taking place in late 2021 to prepare for an initial release date of December 14, 2021.[12] The project was managed under WAKEONE and Swing Entertainment, aiming to finalize the EP within approximately two months, though the timeline was extended due to a staff member's positive COVID-19 test, postponing the debut to January 3, 2022.[13] This compressed schedule presented challenges in coordinating the multinational lineup's rehearsals and vocal adaptations, as members navigated quarantines and language barriers while bonding through group activities like cooking and crafting.[12][14] The creative direction emphasized a bold, energetic debut to embody the group's name "Kep1er," derived from astronomer Johannes Kepler and symbolizing the unity of the nine members as a singular, planetary force pursuing dreams without limits.[14] The EP title First Impact was selected to represent the group's anticipated "splash" upon entering the K-pop scene, focusing on aspirational themes of dreams and connection through a space-themed aesthetic.[12] As member Chaehyun noted, "Since it’s the first album with us nine together, we really want to leave that strong ‘first impact.’"[12] The production incorporated three original tracks alongside re-recordings of performances from Girls Planet 999, adapting them for the full ensemble to highlight their origins while showcasing versatility across genres like electronic dance music.[15] Key production contributions came from composers and arrangers such as BuildingOwner and Elum of PRISMFILTER for the title track "WA DA DA," a dance-pop song infused with EDM elements designed to capture the group's vibrant energy.[16] Additional original tracks included the introductory "See the Light," symbolizing the start of their journey, and "MVSK," an EDM-infused piece exploring mature themes.[15] The re-recorded tracks—"Shine (Kep1er Ver.)," "Another Dream (Kep1er Ver.)," and "O.O.O (Over&Over&Over) (Kep1er Ver.)"—were rearranged to suit the complete lineup, with member Youngeun explaining that songs like "Another Dream" directly represent their connection to fans from the survival show.[15][17] Challenges arose in transitioning these show performances to polished group arrangements under tight deadlines, compounded by the pressure to perfect choreography and vocals, as Mashiro reflected on the need to "improve our performances" amid the high expectations.[15] Despite these hurdles, the process fostered teamwork, with Dayeon stating, "We’re not trying to limit ourselves to a specific genre but want to present genres with Kep1er’s true colors."[12]Musical Content
Track Listing
The debut mini album First Impact by Kep1er consists of six tracks, blending original compositions with re-recorded versions of songs from the group's formation survival show Girls Planet 999. The total runtime is approximately 19 minutes.[18]| No. | Title | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "See the Light" | 1:51 | Original track |
| 2 | "WA DA DA" | 3:03 | Title track |
| 3 | "MVSK" | 3:10 | Original track |
| 4 | "Shine" (Kep1er ver.) | 3:34 | Re-recorded from Girls Planet 999 |
| 5 | "Another Dream" (Kep1er ver.) | 3:21 | Re-recorded from Girls Planet 999 |
| 6 | "O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)" (Kep1er ver.) | 3:24 | Re-recorded from Girls Planet 999 |
- "See the Light": Lyrics by Park Woo-sang; composed and arranged by Park Woo-sang and Lee Sang-won.[20]
- "WA DA DA": Lyrics by Building Owner (PRISMFILTER), Elum (PRISMFILTER), Shannon, danke, Hwang Yu-bin, ODAL PARK, Lee Seu-ran, KAKO; composed by Building Owner (PRISMFILTER), Elum (PRISMFILTER), Shannon; arranged by Building Owner (PRISMFILTER).[20][16]
- "MVSK": Lyrics, composition, and arrangement by Jeong Ho-hyeon (e.one).[20]
- "Shine" (Kep1er ver.): Lyrics by Lee Seu-ran, Inner Child (MonoTree), Seo Ha-young (MonoTree), Albi Albertsson (Mussashi), Mia Kemppainen; composed by Albi Albertsson (Mussashi), Mia Kemppainen, Kanata Okajima, Hautboi Rich, Inner Child (MonoTree), Seo Ha-young (MonoTree), Ryan Kim, Peter Chun, Sabrina Salmon; arranged by Albi Albertsson (Mussashi).[20]
- "Another Dream" (Kep1er ver.): Lyrics by Park Soo-seok, Seo Ji-eun, Wang Yu-rim; composed by Park Soo-seok, Seo Ji-eun.[20]
- "O.O.O (Over&Over&Over)" (Kep1er ver.): Lyrics, composition, and arrangement by Jeong Ho-hyeon (e.one) and Hwang Hyun (Monotree).[20]