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”
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.”
