More and more people are deciding to graduate from being K-POP fans as feelings like "Japanese fans are being taken advantage of" and "distrust toward agencies" grow, with rising prices also casting a shadow over the boom

 

"Yeah, honestly, the distrust toward K-POP agencies was one of the reasons I lost my passion. TOMORROW X TOGETHER is under HYBE, and you know there were issues with NewJeans under the same company. Even before that, I sometimes felt like they didn’t really value the fans and just saw us as cash cows, but when it felt like they didn’t even care about their own artists, that was just unforgivable. That made me want to quit being a fan" (Person A)

"Japanese fans spend a lot of money, so the market is really important for them. That’s why so many idols release Japanese versions of their CDs. Not just solo concerts, even event tickets are priced super high. Plus, there are tons of in-person events where you can meet the members in Japan, and you end up having to buy loads of CDs just to get an entry ticket" (Person B)

"Honestly, if you don’t control yourself, K-POP will drain your money endlessly. There are more and more idol groups, and there’s just way too much stuff being sold—goods, video content, everything. After a few years, your money, time, and energy just completely run out" (Person B)

[+602, -25]

Source: Girls Channel

Comments: 

1. [+2310, -23]

They don’t care about their fans and just see them as cash cows... you're just noticing that now?

2. [+1715, -34]

Isn’t everyone starting to feel like supporting idols in general is just kinda stupid, not just with K-pop?

3. [+758, -4]

There’s just way too much drama between agencies and artists — members quitting, some even passing away and all that.

4. [+872, -4]

Congrats for finally realizing it!

5. [+1011, -16]

I mean, the hype was manufactured to begin with...

6. [+959, -16]

It's not just K-pop, everyone just sees us as cash cows.

7. [+573, -5]

Finally woke up, huh? Took you way too long.

8. [+725, -10]

They put on so much makeup, they look like freaking cyborgs.

9. [+280, -10]

It’s a typical K-pop thing, right? They do high-touch or handshake events in Japan, but why don’t they hold them in Korea that often? There are actually quite a few Korean fans who come to these events in Japan on purpose. 

10. [+398, -2]

I saw on X that SNSD Taeyeon's live performance was canceled, but there’s no refund information. I’m wondering if they’ll actually refund it. I’m shocked by how bad the response is, especially since it’s a major agency.

11. [+79, -69]

People have been saying it’s over countless times, yet their popularity just keeps going.

12. [+686, -6]

I don't want these anti-Japan people to come here

>> I wish the government banned them from entering the country

>> The contradiction of being and-japanese and still coming 

>> K-pop is cute, but protecting Japan should be our top priority right now. Let's focus on keeping money within Japan instead of sending it overseas.

13. [+430, -6]

Too late now. The idea was always to work hard in Japan, become popular here, and then go global. Even BTS originally raised funds in Japan as Bangtan Boys before their global debut.

14. [+266, -23]

Isn’t this the case with all idol groups, not just K-pop?

>> But the level of exploitation in Korea is on a completely different scale. Japan's big agencies are much more reasonable. You can still enjoy it even with just 10,000 yen a month.

>> Yeah, it kinda reminds me of AKB's handshake events or the general elections.

15. [+637, -27]

I don't get people who idolize K-pop. Are y'all supporting it just because it’s the trend right now? Those people are from Korea 🇰🇷, you know? Do you even realize that? Think about it calmly.