[theqoo] THE COMMENTS UNDER HYBE'S ROOKE IDOL'S BEHIND VIDEO IS SO BAD RIGHT NOW

There's nothing problematic in the video, but it feels like the fans are just venting out their pent up frustrations.. 

"Why do people think we're bashing the members when we say we're tired of seeing the same members combination and formations? Stop being overly immersed in Pledis"

"Pledis is legendary for catering to Chinese people who don't even buy the membership while throwing away the Korean fans"

"I'm going to leave one last comment because I don't want to quit the fandom. This is my 8th time rewriting this

Last November, I came across a post in the community titled "Pledis new rookie revealed, Seventeen's dongsaeng group" and after seeing the pictures, I immediately became a fan of TWS. Since that day, I've been eagerly waiting for their debut. It was my first time liking a Pledis group, so I started listening to a lot of songs by Pledis artists and watching their music videos which were such fond memories. Then, the debut I had been waiting for finally came, and with high-quality releases like Oh My My ~ Plot Twist~BFF, I thought to myself, “This is an amazing company with such fantastic projects!” I felt proud to be a fan from their debut and to be able to experience it together with the group.

For their debut album, I bought a lot of copies and really wanted them to get first place, so I participated in paid votes for music programs like Music Bank, Music Core, and Inkigayo, which was something I had never done before, spending a significant amount of money. I did all of this with the hope that this group would succeed and bring me happiness. But now, 10 months later, unfortunately, all that remains is regret and stress.

I've been a fan of idols for a long time, and now, with TWS debuting as part of the 5th generation of idols, it's becoming clear that compared to other large idol groups that debuted around the same time, the numbers are showing a noticeable difference. Their popularity is on the decline. From the perspective of an objective idol fan, there are definitely things that are clearly out of sync with current trends.

I'd like to point out a few things. What I'm saying here is just a summary of the points that have been continuously discussed among the Korean fandom. Please don’t think I'm being arrogant. I hope you understand this as a sincere request from a concerned fan.

1. Large group

TWS is known for having a proportionally small head, which is considered an advantage from an external perspective. However, their visual appeal is receiving somewhat negative reviews, with some people feeling it's slightly lacking. The problem is that they use a very typical, inconsistent lineup for official events, which ends up diluting their most important strength. Instead of showcasing their best features, it becomes a disjointed presentation. Currently, the official lineup is Youngjae, Jihoon, Hanjin, Dohoon, Kyungmin, and Shinwoo. If we consider the camera angle effects, the smallest member, Hanjin, should be placed on the far right, and the three tallest and most proportionate members should be positioned in the center.

Jihoon – Dohoon – Shinwoo – Youngjae – Kyungmin – Hanjin
Kyungmin – Youngjae – Dohoon – Shinwoo – Hanjin – Jihoon
Jihoon – Shinwoo – Youngjae – Dohoon – Kyungmin – Hanjin

These are just examples.

In reality, when they stand like this, the visual proportions stand out most effectively. I think this is a change that could be made. Other rookie groups are constantly adjusting their lineup formations with each comeback and settling on the one that works best. However, TWS is the only group that, despite having the distinct advantage of superior proportions, has not been able to make full use of it. TWS is a group that already does a lot with their official formations, and their photos are constantly being exposed, so I truly believe that adjustments in formation positioning and posing coaching are needed. I hope you take this into consideration.

2. Pro-China Focus
I understand very well that, with the inclusion of the Chinese member Hanjin, the company sees the Chinese market as a valuable opportunity. However, the roots of TWS lie in K-pop. Chinese and Japanese fans alike enjoy K-pop idols, and often, their tastes align closely with those of Korean fans. I understand that hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) is a sensitive issue and that it may be unavoidable in some cases. However, this is something that should be handled quietly and subtly, rather than openly exposed. For example, the scene where the staff couldn't let the members mention hanbok during a live broadcast, or the fact that the song songpyeon (t/n: Korean rice cake) couldn’t be called songpyeon. Furthermore, giving the Chinese member Hanjin a mission to post on Weverse daily, and having him use Chinese in those posts, can raise suspicion and discomfort among Korean fans.While targeting the Chinese and Japanese markets is important, please remember that securing the base (Korean fans) is the key to establishing a strong foundation.

3. Control and Artificial Settings

TWS is a group that often gives off the feeling of being overly controlled and doll-like. In fact, the current trend is for idols to appear more natural and slightly less polished, yet TWS seems to be going in the opposite direction. I understand that every idol group is born under the control of their agency, aligned with a concept that fits their brand, and I also understand that every group has its unique characteristics, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s a different issue when fans easily notice and accept these aspects.

Take Hanjin as an example. Everyone knows that Hanjin was added to the group late, without any prior training period. I also understand that the company may have decided to give him the role of “memory keeper” because of this, thinking it would be his strength. But fans are not fools. A foreign member who joined late and doesn't even speak Korean properly—what kind of memories can he have with the other members to justify being given this “memory keeper” role? This is something fans can clearly feel, and it becomes a problem.

For example, holding a solo gift-giving ceremony for another member's birthday, or posting long, heartfelt thanks using a translation app, or the “Made by Hanjin” videos that are obviously scripted by the staff—these things are very artificial and overdone. Everyone knows that the Chinese member may be slower and less skilled, and that’s perfectly fine. If he just shows his efforts in a natural way, blending in and trying his best, fans will think, “Hanjin is really working hard, we should support him more.” But when all these forced setups are pushed onto the fans, it ends up causing backlash, especially from Korean fans. I hope you truly understand the psychology of the fans.

4. Combination
TWS has official couples. There are always two members who do something together. Do you know this is a topic that consistently comes up in the community? From the lineup, the company has paired up Youngjae & Jihoon, Hanjin & Dohoon, and Kyungmin & Shinwoo, and TWS is a group that often does a lot with these official pairings. From the very beginning of their debut, whenever two members do something together, they are always split into these pairs. Fans don’t know the reason behind it. Even when watching them playing games, these members are always split into pairs. Even in vlogs, they're split into pairs like this. But fans don't know the reason behind it. They just accept it as, “I like my member, and they’re always with that member.” However, when this happens repeatedly, fans start to wonder, “Why? Why are they always doing things with the same member?” or “Oh, maybe they're especially close.”

This leads to two different perceptions. For example, when Jihoon writes on Weverse that his favorite hyung is Dohoon, fans flood the comments saying, “You're gonna get in trouble with Youngjae!” This same reaction applies to Shinwoo, Dohoon, Hanjin, and Kyungmin as well. If a group of six gives off this kind of perception to the fans, the chance for the fandom to grow into a true group fandom becomes smaller. Many fans enjoy the relationships between the members and the dynamic of these interactions, but when the company’s predetermined pairings don’t match the fans’ preferences, it can cause some fans to leave the fandom."

"Plot Twist did so well, but you didn't send any radio appearances or broadcast content at all ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Then for the second album, you didn't even give us a choreography videoㅋㅋㅋ This time, BDNS got such great reactions, but we didn't get any behind-the-scenes footage, photos, not even a single selfieㅋㅋ"

"Please give us the 3D version for the Korean members"

"There are 292 negative comments on the previous video, and 1.5k comments on this behind-the-scenes video,ㅠ. At this point, it feels like all the TWS domestic fans are all gathered here. Please, give us some feedback ㅠㅠ Of course, it's not just about popularity rankings, but also about the styling. Please don't dress them in clothes that look like kids' outfits, and even when they wear suits, I was shocked to see how poorly the pants fit, with no proper tailoring at all."

original post: here

1. Even looking at them from afar, I can tell that they're trying to cater to the Chinese fans more 

2. Me too I left the fandom because the company treated them like that... Fighting to their remaining fans 

3. The fact that they're bashing the Chinese member because they don't like the company is not normal; 

4. Are people bashing the Chinese member because he's unpopular???

5. These people really think that this is their top priority right now??

6. The fandom is a mess right now 

7. I pity the Chinese member 

8. Isn't it a relief that the Chinese member doesn't speak much Korean? He'd be so hurt if he read all those comments 

9. As expected, this is just like a company who would read their members' own fanfic to feed the fans delusionsㅋㅋㅋ

10. ㅋㅋㅋ Pledis always does that~

New post

Next Post

✉ PC Stories