The show started quite promising. It is a Chinese-Korean talent search basically with quite a big pool of talented trainees (and some not-so talented ones thrown in the mix) from various countries. The issues started early in the first episode which only worsened in the second nor did it get better in the episodes that followed. There are great moments like epic performances or when coaches would interact and provide guidance/help. However there was not enough to redeem the show. Unlike most survival shows that aired before 2024 the Starlight Boys voting process requires you to essentially buy in order to vote. There are tiers of how many times you can "light up" your favorites and this is based on your active subscriptions. There are other options all of which requiring a purchase. Thus you can say fans bought spots for every single one of the debuting members of Polarix.

In terms of talent, if this is not the only survival show you have seen through, there is quite a disparity in skills among the members which in my opinion should be one of the initial concerns for their management. This can be the team's primary challenge yet one cannot discount the fan's displeasure for the resulting lineup that could be the straw that will break the camel's back. Hopefully their management will take these hardships and turn them into a positive driving force for Polarix.

I don't know and cannot fathom who Starlight Boys was created for. The show was derailed and its premise lost quickly. I love music and K-pop. I survival shows for the teaching moments, funny interactions, and trainee camaraderie. I respect hard work and ambition. But I found myself dropping this show. However, to be fair and in order to write this review, I watched every single episode, highlight, etc.

Starlight Boys was a SHOW. It really was down to its core. It threw around beautiful words like Polaris and Guider but its significance and meaning was lost as early as the first episode. As I write this, the world has kindly rated the show a 6.6.