The Boys Planet spin-off groups continue to spawn — this time, Japanese style! TOZ consists of trainees Anthonny, Hart, Yuto, and Takuto. During my recaps of the series, I made no bones about my soft spot for quirky Takuto. It became a bit of a running gag but was mostly serious. He’s got his own kind of charm!

Due to my familiarity with the members, I was hoping Magic Hour would wow me. After all, I’ll always appreciate a bright, upbeat pop concept. But although the song’s energy is great and the guys sell it well, the track is forgettable, K-pop-adjacent fluff.

Magic Hour‘s set-up is quite promising. I like the guitar riffs driving the verses and the performance has a sense of looseness that’s quite fun. However, the song is really let down by its chorus. The melody here falls flat, aiming for anthemic bombast but struggling to find a hook worthy of its shout-from-the-rafters ambition. The rest of the song skips along, occasionally mired in unnecessary half-time breakdowns. It lacks the punch or verve of the members themselves, making for a frustrating debut with peeks of potential.

Grade: C