ZEROBASEONE, the latest sensation to emerge from the competitive landscape of K-pop survival shows, is making waves with their debut.

However, the excitement surrounding the group's entrance into the industry has taken an unexpected twist.

ZEROBASEONE Fan Account Faces Backlash Over Heavily Edited Image of Ricky

Controversy swirls around an overly photoshopped image of member Ricky, shared by a fervent fan on August 12.

READ ALSO: ZB1 Ricky's Superb Family Genes Shock Fans + Wealthy Background Draws Attention

Ricky, who garnered attention for his standout visuals and talents on the hit show Boys Planet, was the center of attention once again when a fan-operated Instagram account, Duende, uploaded a performance photo of him.

However, the heavy-handed use of image editing tools left fans stunned and bewildered, as Ricky appeared nearly unrecognizable in the edited picture.

As the debut-promotion phase heats up, numerous fan sites dedicated to ZEROBASEONE members have sprung up.

Among them, Duende caught the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

READ ALSO: Born Flawless? ZEROBASEONE's Ricky Leaves Netizens Speechless with Past Photos 

ZEROSE Shared Disappointments Towards Ricky’s Unrecognizable Photo

The manipulated image elicited a barrage of negative responses from international netizens, with reactions ranging from shocked disbelief to outright disappointment.

Commenters on the original post left no ambiguity in expressing their displeasure:

• "girl what meow this is a nightmare"
• "Look at how they massacred my boy"
• "this is heinous work bro go to jail"
• “what made you even think it was right to upload this, you do have eyes don't you?”
• “ricky's evil twin rocky”
• “their first post and they already got ratioed i’m crying”
• “WHO IS THIS”
• “who turned ricky into jimin???”
• “this is not ricky b*tch this is his neglected older cousin blicky … like are you crazy?.”
• “GIRL WHO THE H*LL IS THIS”

Remarkably, despite Duende's account having a modest 87 followers, the post managed to accumulate over 258,000 views, underscoring the magnitude of the uproar.

READ ALSO: ZEROBASEONE Debut Mini Album 'YOUTH IN THE SHADE' Drives Fans to Scream 'Finally!'

Fansite Duende Clarifies AI Enhancement Error Behind Ricky's Altered Photo

Facing mounting backlash, Duende took to Twitter to offer an explanation.

They revealed that the photo, taken from a distance, had been sharpened using an AI enhancer, inadvertently distorting Ricky's features.

This well-intentioned move aimed to salvage a blurry image, but the result had sparked unintended controversy.

 "I DIDN'T upload it with malice, I posted this picture because I like it. Actually, this picture was taken by my friend, she was too far away from the stage, so the picture was blurry. I sharpened it with AI enhancer, which may have caused the distortion. I won't use it next time."

— Duende (ZB1 Fansite)

The fansite also emphasized the importance of embracing diverse aesthetics, assuring followers that their admiration for Ricky remained unwavering:

"I'm so sad... I just posted that picture because I really like it. People have different aesthetics, so please respect each other. In that picture, he looks like a real cat, doesn't it? He is soooo cute! I love all types of Ricky"

With Duende being a newcomer on the fansite scene, fans are holding onto the hope that their future editing endeavors will be less controversial and more in line with their idol's authentic charm.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: ZEROBASEONE Fan-Con Extravaganza Set to Dazzle Fans at Gocheok Sky Dome- Details Inside

Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more news.

KpopStarz own this article.
Madison Cullen wrote this.