#leaving the title of the video - but people in the comments are saying Mingi didn't recommend it

[quantumfrail]

I don't have a kpop blog anymore but I really want to share this. A lot of what was interesting to me about kpop no longer was so I didn't keep up with anyone much (maybe IDLE, Sunmi, and a few others but only in passing). Then I heard the news about NewJeans and saw the constant bombardment on x/twitter, tiktok, reddit, and I wondered what was happening. To be honest, it also seemed like psyop stuff (and maybe it is; I wouldn't put it past Hybe/BSH).

This post says a lot of what/how I feel - although we do differ on certain areas and honestly, to my mind, this goes back to Bang Si Hyuk. Idk if anyone will see this, but some of us fans remember how he used to treat people who went separate ways compared to how he wanted them to go or how he treated people who were... different... it was all so evident back then.

A lot of this ARMY forgot (or doesn't know because they're new and this culture stanning the company really didn't take place until after BTS got bigger) and it's so reminiscent his actions regarding Min Hee Jin. The way he manipulated her by telling her all the things a creative would want to hear and telling her that she had control of the group she would create because he "doesn't understand girl groups" but then taking it ALL back when she didn't do what he wanted.

NewJeans was supposed to be the first gg under the label but because BSH could not have it his way, he walked everything back yet couldn't even tell Min Hee Jin directly. In comes the debut of Le Sserafim (no shade against their debut).

The corruption reeks and I'm tired of seeing it. It reminds me of the way Bang Si Hyuk manipulated and filmed RM choosing between solo or BTS. The way he said "Look at me kid" so disrespectfully, made him cry, made him choose... all for a hidden camera prank. Disgusting. Bang Si Hyuk KNEW that there wasn't a real choice there but he wanted to film it to pull on the emotional strings of RM, the group, the fans, and the MNET viewers.

Hybe still does this more than any other company. Recently, Yeonjun was so unbearably tired from his solo that he said this. Then Hybe filmed it and aired it for sympathy under circumstances THEY caused. It's so disgusting.

Now Soobin is taking a break because his body can't handle all of the schedules; it was medically advised he take a break. How many times has this happened? And how many times has it been filmed or pushed toward the fans when Hybe could easily just not work their groups that hard? But they do and then they use that for their sympathy and to strengthen the fans' parasocial relationship to the groups. It's manipulative to no end.

*bighit/hybe plays sad music while their artists are on the floor with oxygen masks trying not to pass out because they worked them too hard without enough time to rest their bodies is in the same vein as SM artists having to use IVs for similar reasons. Except SM doesn't really show it; Bighit/Hybe does because the manipulation works on fans. It always has.

This goes way back and it's not anything new. I really hope someone puts together a whole list of problematic things this man/company has done because it all stems there.

Also, people (without proof) say that MHJ is a p**o but it wasn't MHJ who se*ualized the maknae line of BTS while they were minors during debut (No More Dream/We Are Bulletproof) or that gross choreo that LSFM did at their debut (minors in the group)(not linking it).

Jimin was 17.

But Jungkook did have to do it during We Are Bulletproof. They all had to. Jungkook was 15.

The list continues. Did people forget that a manager literally hit Jungkook and Bighit wasn't going to do anything about it until ARMY bombarded Bighit? BH claimed the manager was fired but where's the proof? Was that abuser allowed to just go freely? Bighit didn't press charges or it would have absolutely been in the news even back then.

Bighit having BTS literally pose at a holocaust memorial site for a photoshoot... the misogynistic lyrics that they had BTS take the blame for. Bighit capitalizing on the constant filming that we see much more evidently after BTS (because it's a successful tactic for parasocial relationships). This is harmful to idols because they almost always have to be ON. The Bangtan Bombs were one thing that helped BTS rise to fame; always filmed - always accessible. This took off further in later 3rd gens & 4th gen+ and it is extremely unhealthy to the artists.

It's just baffling that fans will overreact when they're told who or what to like/dislike as if fans can't think for themselves or consider the past.

"TXT Soobin, NCT Taeyong, SEVENTEEN Woozi & ATEEZ Mingi Criticized for Recommending Problematic Anime" Made In The Abyss that has extreme topics (a few other idols did too, including Sakura). Do not click the link or look this up if you don't want to read what it's about. It's well known in the anime community how this artist is... he isn't shy about it and it's a sick joke in the anime community that it's a matter of time before he faces consquences. Yet the fans attack Min Hee Jin for some made up scenario and reaching? It seems more than hypocritical.

Anyway, I hope NewJeans gets out of that mess as unscathed as possible and I'm so sorry they had to go through this at all. I'm glad they have each other and the fans that stick with them. I hope they reach success and happiness.

If you are a HYBE supporter, MHJ anti, or NJS anti unfollow me right now. Block me even. My blog is not for you.

I've been collecting my thoughts about the MHJ/NJS v HYBE issue for quite some time now, but with the recent speech the girls made at KGMA, Belift filing a new complaint and demanding 2 billion won, and MHJ claiming Belift is using Illit as a shield, I cannot take the idiocracy any more.

The amount of misinformation being spread on basically all platforms, but exclusively on TikTok and X, is astounding. More than half of the time I'll see a tweet it's just straight up harassment towards the NJS girls. How can anyone with a sane mind read that and think "Yeah, this is appropriate to post onto the internet for the entire world to see, something that will be linked to me and my digital footprint forever". I'm not saying this only for NJS though, I've seen some nasty toxic Bunnies post heinous things about the Illit members, just because of something their company or CEO said/did. This issue has nothing to do with Illit, Le Sserafim, or any other group that was mentioned/involved, OTHER than NEWJEANS. All of this has to do with HYBE and specific staff, including the new ADOR staff.

I was a Bunny way before I was a Moa or an Engene. NewJeans was the first kpop group I'd bought an album for. I was listening to them not even really knowing they were a kpop group. They're so popular that at my old job they played their songs on the radio, which is how I discovered them. I owe it to them for introducing me to so many amazing groups, people, and cultures. Without knowing them, I wouldn't even know what HYBE and their other groups (besides BTS obvi) were. Currently, NJS is one of the few groups (both girls and boys) I fully stan. I'm proud to stan them too, they are an amazing group of girls who are talented, and full of hope and positivity. They're impact on not only South Korea, but the entire globe is and that is an incredible feat. And I don't want to dismiss any other groups achievements, as a fan of kpop it's exciting to me whenever there's positive news about any group, we should all be able to uplift and support one another, not tear each other down.

That is why I find it so heartbreaking to see toxic fans hating and harassing NJS and Bunnies. I always thought kpop fans held such a great community, no matter what groups you liked. We all share the same interest, same musical genre. To watch people who are so blinded by anger and rage, brainwashed by a greedy dictatorial company, and paint five young women/girls as the devil incarnate, it's sickening. I've seen people say that NJS are idiots, pretending to be victims, that they are actively looking to be groomed. How do you feel as a human being, to claim these things (and more bad things!) about five people you've never even met before? Have you heard them say this? From their own mouths? From their own will? I just don't understand why we as fans have to constantly fight each other over the menial things, when the larger and more concerning problem(s) are dismissed.

I've seen a lot of HYBE supporters recently site the hardships of their faves, attempting to use it against NJS in hopes of defaming them and discrediting/invalidating their mistreatment. This makes zero sense to me. Do these people not realize that they are essentially saying that idols/trainees must suffer in order to debut/be "good enough"?? You'd rather your faves struggle and just accept that their company is shitty and will treat them horribly than to see them have good treatment that they deserve?? "Enhypen had a broken A/C unit in their practice room, but they didn't complain" Be so fucking for real right now. "TXT used to practice in a moldy room, it was growing mushrooms but they never cried about it." And you sound like you want to keep them there with that statement. Idk about you, but if I had the power to help in any way for my faves to have an easier time pre/post-debut, I would do it in a heartbeat.

There's a lot of misogyny/sexism and racism linked to the hate train towards NewJeans. Antis are constantly claiming that only "old predatorial men" are their fans (when in reality most Bunnies are young women themselves!). I've seen many tweets where people are lying, saying that MHJ is prostituting the girls, and that whenever they are photographed within the vicinity of a man they are selling their bodies to gain popularity. There is no actual proof of any of this. The only "old men" who are seemingly sexualizing NJS are Belift. Separately, the racism towards Hanni for being Vietnamese is also disgusting. Not just antis on X, but that SNL Korea skit where they make fun of her accent, that was not okay. Racism has nothing to do with the issue of mistreatment within HYBE, and that is bullying. Anyone who believes they are allowed to hate on NewJeans because they are women or because a member isn't Korean needs to reevaluate their morals because that is an infringement of human rights.

TXT is my ult group, and Enhypen is my second favorite group. Both of them are under HYBE as well, which puts me in an odd spot as a fan of the three groups. But in all honesty, I do not like HYBE, I do not condone anything they've done that hurts any of their artists. And looking at their track record... they've hurt their artists a lot, and not just NJS. If we look at Belift specifically, the way they treat Enhypen is unfair. The release of their internal documents says it all: Belift as a company knows and understands that the Enhypen members are exhausted and overworked, yet they dismiss it and force them to continue pushing. Never-ending tours and comebacks, forced promotions of brands that support the genocide of Palestine, rejecting brand ambassadorships for Sunoo, I'm sure there's more that I missed. If Enhypen has been and still is being treated this way, I cannot imagine what they might do to Illit, as if they hadn't already set these girls up. Those girls don't deserve the hate either. All I can ask for is for both groups to be treated like human beings, and not pay pigs. It hurts me to see the members in so much pain and exhaustion.

With TXT I do admit I see more leniency towards them, and my guess is because they are under Bighit, and are directly BTS's juniors. But when I see stuff like them also being constantly overworked, using Yeonjun to belittle other idols who are his friends, favoring certain members over others, etc. I'm reminded that my ult group also suffers under the hand of HYBE. Even though TXT is successful and popular, that doesn't mean everyone (including their company) will treat them with respect. I've seen some people on X send hate/concern towards Soobin specifically, as he did speak on Weverse (I think) about how TXT focused on their comeback rather than the lawsuit/complaints against HYBE and MHJ. And to be honest, I can understand why some people felt a bit disappointed or hurt by him saying this because honestly, I was a little as well. But mainly I felt this way because I knew he would say something like this, he was probably told to say this to not start more drama. It's a safe option because it's a true fact, they all have been too busy to really be able to interject into this situation that does not technically involve them. As fans, we only know what we're shown, and as a Moa I just hope all the members are safe, healthy, and are treated with kindness.

Seventeen's Seungkwan's statement on his IG is such a beautifully written letter, and it shows and proves that even senior artists can and will be used by their companies for profit as if they aren't human beings. It's so dehumanizing, what these companies do to their groups. Because at the end of the day, not only is it HYBE (who is admittedly a very big perpetrator) it's the entire industry. You could name any company, and at some point, they'd mistreated their artist. This is why I support NewJeans and their endeavor to better the lives of idols and trainees. These five women/girls know and understand that what is happening to them is not humane. The amount of sabotage towards a successful group like them is so backward, it makes no sense. Whether or not you classify it as bullying, no one should hear others being told to ignore them, especially in a culture like Korea's where greetings are so significant. Stopping a comeback and surprise fansign from happening for an unknown reason is unfair. Documenting the plan and intention to get rid of the entire group as a whole and replace them with a junior group that needs more time to train is downright despicable.

To NewJeans: I'm so sorry for what you all have been through. Thank you for being the smart, strong, and brave young ladies you are. I will always support you and love you. Thank you for creating beautiful music, videos, and content. I'm so happy to be a fan of kpop, and so proud to be a Bunny! Wherever you go I will follow with much love!

To my followers: I still plan to write for TXT and Enhypen. I still love them very much, despite their shitty company. Personally, I've learned to separate my writing from the companies, because, at the end of the day, I'm writing about my own storylines and plots that I created. Besides, it's fiction and 99% of my works are fluff and crack which does not harm anyone. But if you have a problem with my opinions/views on this situation regarding HYBE and NJS, then my blog isn't for you.

[ateezsora]

SORA: THE 1st MINI ALBUM (2021)

On August 24th, at 6 p.m KST, SORA released her debut mini-album as a soloist "SORA: THE 1st MINI ALBUM" along with the music video for the title track "BOCA". Previously, "SCREAM" had been unveiled as a pre-release music video.

TRACKS:

01. SCREAM

02. After the bloom (alone)

03. BOCA

YOUTUBE MV'S & Performance Videos:

01. SCREAM

02. After the bloom (alone)

03. BOCA

ACHIEVEMENTS:

The promotions on variety shows lasted three weeks, one week for each song: the first one for 'SCREAM', the second one for 'After the bloom (alone)' and the third one for 'BOCA'.

SORA acumulated a total of three wins for her solo debut.

PHYSICAL SALES: 121,505 copies sold in the first week. 304,584 copies sold in the first month (South Korea only).

NOTES & COMMENTS:

The three songs of this mini-album were written by SORA herself. In three tracks, she talks about her own experiences not only regarding her personal life but also refering to the industry.

SORA about "SCREAM": "When I wrote this song, I did it thinking about malicious comments us idols receive constantly. Most of the time we pretend to be just fine, but then we found ourselves on a breaking point due to all the pain we feel."

SORA about "After the bloom (alone)": "Oof... this song has been acumulating dust on my computer since our debut as ATEEZ, it reflects the way I've felt in that time and personal struggles I've experienced. It reflects how scared I was about becoming an adult, I had to face a world and an industry I didn't know. I was scared to lose myself in the process of achieving my dreams. (...) It's a really personal song, and if some of you relate to it... I just want to remind you that the only person that would always be there for you is yourself, no one else.

"After the bloom (alone) BONUS COMMENT!: "I know the lyrics say 'I'm better own my own' and that doesn't mean I'm leaving ATEEZ! So before you start... don't."

SORA about "BOCA": "This track is 'SCREAM's sister. It also talks about haters and malicious comments thrown at us made by people who have empty hearts. It has an important message behind it and I hope people can listen to it and also understand that we are people as well, made of skin, bones, hearts and souls just like you."

SORA wanted people to empathize with idols, that's the reason why she wrote "BOCA" and "SCREAM".

ATEEZ's members Hongjoong and Mingi produced the three songs that integrate this mini-album along with SORA herself, BUDDY, EDEN, LEEZ, OLIV, Ollounder and Peperoni.

The lyrics of those three songs were written by SORA and SORA only.

Her debut was more succesful that she thought it would be, and it was all thanks to ATINY's.

The mini-album wasn't that popular in South Korea but it certainly was in South America. Countries like Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil were the ones that adquired more copies worldwide.

SORA about her SOLO DEBUT: "I'm really happy to present to you this three songs that came from the bottom of my heart. I hope you guys enjoy it and love them as much as I do. Take care of my three babies, I love you ATINY and thank you for all the love!"

🫀 — CERTIFIED SORAMIS ¡!

@curly-fr13s ; @mrk-lees ; @satsuri3su