A Pink Looking to Expand to Overseas Market, Recieves Lovecalls From Japan

[princetabi.livejournal.com]

After sweeping the music program charts with their latest hit “Mr. Chu,” A Pink is looking to enter foreign markets. They will start their new global journey in Japan.

A Pink is planning to continue their promotions of “Mr. Chu” for two to three more weeks. After, they will start planning for their Japanese activities. Critics have initially commented on how A Pink would work well in the Japanese market with their cute and innocent image.

A Pink’s agency A Cube Entertainment has already carried out successful fan meetings in Japan. The positive reactions from Japan are also adding onto the excitement of A Pink’s future ventures in Japan.

Representative of A Pink has stated that “as soon as domestic promotions are complete, A Pink will focus on Japanese activities.”

Previously, A Pink has won number one on all four major music programs “Mnet M! Countdown“, “KBS Music Bank,” “MBC Music Core,” and “SBS Inkigayo.” They also came in first on Taiwan’s 5music weekly album sale chart in April, without any promotions in Taiwan.

Source: soompi

Its cool that Japan has responded positively to A Pink but overseas stuff always makes me sad because I won't see as much of them.

Comments

[koushiba.livejournal.com]

Please no, even if I feel like Japan would love them. Or if they must no remakes :| it's so lazy.

[mspopstar.livejournal.com]

They can go and do sugary music ala Kara, I won't miss them!

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

I hope Cube know what they're doing because 4Minute pretty much flopped in Japan... I wish A Pink good luck, maybe they'll find success, who knows.

[sodapab.livejournal.com]

Critics have initially commented on how A Pink would work well in the Japanese market with their cute and innocent image.

I wish them all the best if A Cube decides to promote A Pink in Japan, but aren't there quite a lot of groups that have the 'cute and innocent' image in Japan too? They should have a concept and a song that would stand out there.

[yumi99.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are.. I can easily think over 20 cute girl groups right away (without even touching AKB-family) with varying success.

They received a little interest from the hallyu fans in Japan (but according to 2ch and gree, the J-fanmeetings had many foreign fans in them too), but to say that there is "lots of interest/positive response" is poker-faced lying.
Kpop in Japan nowadays is a niche (the only kpop acts doing well/relatively well are the ones that got their foot in the door around 2009, that is to say THSK, BIGBANG and maybe SNSD to a point and their fanbase is largely general hallyu too. THSK had a chance doing well with the general public but their split happened and their music went back to being kpop instead of the jpop that was opening a lot of doors for them, also didn't help that the most popular members left) and up to a certain point if the kpop groups can have their (the hallyu crowd's) interest they will have their marginal success, but anything bigger than that... I don't see it (happening).
Well, good luck.
(edit typo)

[sodapab.livejournal.com]

So the big momentum is over then.
I agree, I don't see A Pink hitting it big like THSK or the other groups that you mentioned. Now that A Pink has gained recognition from NoNoNo, Mr Chu and Eunji's drama roles, it could be wise to concentrate only on Korean market in the near future.

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

Yes, "cute and Innocent" are the two adjectives that describe female JPop-idols the best. XD

I wish the girls good luck, but I don't think that they will really have a lot of success in Japan. The time of Kpop in Japan is over. There are still Japanese Kpop-fans (me being one of them, for examples), but it's pretty much a niche market nowadays.
Still...good luck, A Pink, but if I want to listen to JPop, I prefer to listen to "real" JPop-idols in the first place.

[sodapab.livejournal.com]

There are still Japanese Kpop-fans (me being one of them, for examples), but it's pretty much a niche market nowadays.

Hmm if it is so then I doubt if Cube can afford or even wants to invest time and money when success is uncertain. I admit I don't know how big a company Cube is among the others in Korea but definitely not in the big three.
And someone mentioned above that 4Minute's Japanese debut was a flop so there's that (although it is hard to compare since A Pink and 4Minute are two different groups).

I'm curious to know, if you don't mind me asking, your opinion as a Japanese Kpop fan as to what are the things that make Kpop and Jpop markets so different from each other?

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of A Pink, but I do like some of their songs and I think their "cute and innocent" image would definitely fit into the JPop-idol market. The problem is, that Japan already has a lot of "cute and innocent" idols & talents (who also sing) , so I don't know if it will be worth it for Cube in the end (money-wise).

Mhm...the differences?! To be honest, I think it's the different image that JPop- and KPop-idols have that stands out to me the most. Like I said, JPop-idols are mostly "cute and innocent" (even some of the male idols have that kind of aura around them), while KPop-idols - even when they have a "cute concept" for their debut or comeback - still do everything to act "sexy and mature" (also their styling - make-up, fashion,... - seems sexier than the one of their Japanese counterparts, who often wear school uniforms or lolita-like clothing to show their "cute innocence", suits or casual clothes for the male idols).
Also the way they perform on stage is very different to me: KPop-idols have a striking - and most of the time - complex choreo, which they are taught to deliver perfectly. JPop-idols seem more easy-going on stage and look like they've more fun, while doing their dancing/singing.

Yes, I don't know if this answers your question. I hope it does...:X And all of this is just my personal opinion and not carved in stone or anything. XD

[sodapab.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've noticed the same that Jpop groups performances seem to be less rigorous.
And yes it does answer my question, thank you :D

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

i'm sorry OP, but everyone gets positive responses from japan before they debut there, because it's the to go thing to say and it's their companies who say that.

with that said, i hope that a cube won't do it, it could easily happen to them what happened with secret, plus they don't have anything to stand out in japan.

[yumi99.livejournal.com]

Like I said above, kpop is a niche nowadays here. I also agree with lysblack above. "positive response"...
If some kpop groups can tap into the general hallyu fans, they will have some moderate short-term success.

The ones who target actual Japanese general public will have to invest a lot and be prepared for hard work for at least 2-3 years. The ones taking the latter route currently are FTISLAND and U-KISS, with FTISLAND actually being quite well on the way with last year's two tours and positive responses from the general public and actual music critics. Unfortunately their management in Japan is... basically, using them as test subjects and then doing things better with CNBLUE. CNBLUE's fans are more hallyu though. This based on their concert audiences.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

CNblue have been in Japan since 09, they've built everything through their hard work. Don't see how FTI being used as test subject for them at all.

[imienazwisko.livejournal.com]

isn't kpop in japan dead? they should've tried entering china market maybe... cube is still affilated with that company they co-produced m4m with, idk about a cube
cube seems greedy for foreign markets, like beast is always doing stuff in japan and they shipped btob to southeast asia way too soon. they spent their year long hiatus between wow and thriller on doing random stuff everywhere but korea. hong seung-sung always talks about how oversaturated korean market is but sending rookie group overseas isn't smart and mad them lose big part of their fanbase.
shipping a pink to japan now... idk if that's the right thing to do. imho they should've release another song (like girl's day did) and promote a little before going away. that can go wrong to, like 4minute extended their promo in 2013 after what's your name hit big but is it popping hardly make a splash...

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

isn't kpop in japan dead?

Basically. If anything, Kpop is a niche market in Japan nowadays. Nothing more.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

There's alot of money in Japan for groups though

[digitalqueen.livejournal.com]

so for how long are we gonna keep pretending kpop does well in japan?

[ultimaaa.livejournal.com]

Idol groups with their concept are a dime a dozen already in Japan, they'd never stand out.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Cube is a mess right now but they'll make a quick buck in Japan, not anything more.

[snoaz.livejournal.com]

Not surprised at Japan liking them, I feel like their cute image will do well there. Pleased they're doing so well anyway, be that in Korea or Japan :)