While the IVE, aespa, Kep1er, and NewJeans are all popular in South Korea, discussions on how popular they are in Japan are being questioned. So who do you think is the most popular of the four? Keep on reading to find out.
On September 18, South Korean YouTuber Sojang uploaded a video titled "Real-time Japan) Comparison of fake popularity IVE VS aespa, Newjeans, and Kep1er." In the video, the YouTuber discussed the popularity of the four girl groups in Japan.
Kep1er, aespa, NewJeans Prove Popularity In Japan
It was noted that while Kep1er had modest fame in South Korea, they were exploding in popularity in Japan. For their Japan debut, Kep1er held a three-day showcase. All days were sold out, meaning they sold 28,000 seats each day. In total, 280,000 tickets were sold.
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Photos of fans lining up for merchandise also shocked internet users due to the number of fans present.
In July 2022, aespa held fan meetings in South Korea and Japan. Fans from both South Korea and Japan flocked to buy tickets, and photos at the event proved that the SM Entertainment girl group was famous in both countries.
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NewJeans opened up a pop-up store to promote their debut album. Due to their trendy design and well-loved songs, the pop-up stores hugely succeeded South Korea. In fact, during the duration of the pop-up store, they had to close early every day due to goods being sold out quickly.
Is IVE Popular in Japan?
These three groups seem to be genuinely popular in Japan. However, IVE's fame in the country has come under question.
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Meanwhile, IVE's Japan showcase failed to sell out all their seats. However, according to sales charts, IVE's Japanese album sold over 500,000 copies, while Kep1er's "Wing Wing" album only sold 35,000 copies. Though IVE sold more albums than Kep1er, they do not appear to have die-hard fans in the country.
IVE opened a pop-up store in Japan, and photos from internet users showed the store completely empty. A user shared what the store looked like on the opening day, and only one other person was in the store. As fans are known for waiting hours before opening, this caused many to believe IVE was not popular in Japan.
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A user even claimed that a staff member of the store invited them to go in again because there were not a lot of fans going to the pop-up. Others stated there was no need to make a reservation to attend the pop-up store and that walk-ins were available.
With that, people believe Kep1er, aespa, and NewJeans are genuinely popular, while IVE has yet to reach that status.
Check out Sojang's video here:
What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!
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Written by Alexa Lewis
