Kara’s Fan Club Protests Adding New Members

[theemii.livejournal.com]

Kara‘s fan club Kamilia has been hitting the headlines in Korea with banners hung at locations throughout the country in protest of the addition of new members. The girl group, originally a five-member outfit, was rocked by the news of the departure of two of its members earlier this year. Ex-members Nicole and Jiyoung left DSP Media when their contracts with the entertainment company expired.

Recently, however, DSP has launched a search for new members for the group, in the form of a reality show called “Kara Project.” The show is airing on cable channel MBC Music. It seems fans of the group have reacted angrily to this idea, however. Photographs of the banners posted on Twitter and Facebook, show that for a certain section of Kara followers, it would be preferable for remaining members Hara, Gyuri and Seungyeon to continue as a trio.

The banners are adorned with slogans which read, “DSP Media, we are opposed to adding new members to Kara.”

The protests come ahead of the group’s scheduled meeting with fan club members, “Kamilia Day Fan Meeting.” The event will be held in the afternoon of May 24. Up to 5,000 fans usually attend such events, but so far, only around 1,000 people have signed up for it, as fans continue to show their displeasure at DSP’s decision.



Article: Banners appear "We are against KARA adding a new member"... Is KARA's fandom at unrest?

Source: E-Daily via Nave

1. [+2,872, -41] I'm against it too... It'll be easier for them to stick to individual activities. And what's going on with Rainbow, did DSP throw them out?

2. [+2,078, -235] Sounds more like noise marketing. KARA doesn't even have fans anymore.

3. [+1,613, -72] They need a member, at least one, who can sing

4. [+1,227, -75] KARA's over now ㅋㅋ

5. [+1,222, -74] Both their fandom and the company are messes ㅋㅋ

6. [+188, -27] KARA hit the height of their fame with 'Lupin' and have been on the downfall ever since.

7. [+177, -24] DSP is so useless ㅋㅋㅋ This would've never happened to KARA if they were managed differently.

8. [+133, -13] Seungyeon and Gyuri are nearing 30 now, disband and let them go their separate ways. Adding a new member seems hopeless.


Source: Soompi & Netizenbuzz

Comments

[stoppedclock321.livejournal.com]

Mess everywhere :/ #savegyuri?

Oh my...

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

Indeed if they had been managed properly this wouldn't have happened...but it's clear DSP isn't capable of that...(miss you SS501)

Still here for Gyuri...and I guess Gooey too...

Netizen #3...the two who left couldn't sing so nothing has really changed in the last 6 years LOL

Re: Oh my...

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

ive said it before but with kara im just honestly impressed at how far they got without having anyone that can really sing or dance especially well, nicole was a pretty okay dancer but not even really a standout in kpop imo

Re: Oh my...

[21banged.livejournal.com]

Summed up all my thought on kara lol

[bunica1990.livejournal.com]

This is such a mess and the company is to blame.

[anconeous.livejournal.com]

Oh DSP... SMH

Why can't they just let the 3 promote as is? Seungyeon and Gyuri can sing decently enough for a song.

[peachie-ego.livejournal.com]

omg Kamalia's and other people are being so fucking dramatic about this. I just want to go down a line and slap them. They are acting like no popular group has ever had a member change. Wonder Girls has had 3 member changes. Hell, we see it all the time in AS which keeps them more popular than before. I can't even count the number of times Nine Muses changed members. There's is absolutely nothing wrong with Kara having new members. Trust me...THEY NEED IT! Their image has been so stale lately. Not only that but it always seems like Kara is such a 'there' artist to the Korean public. Interest in them has just dwindled. I feel adding new members will definitely rekindle people's interest in them.

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

the things you mentioned are completely different of this situation tho, with both fandom, group and company.

[allegsiseu.livejournal.com]

no they are not. in every example members left and got replaced. nothing is different, at all, about this.

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

Just because they had similar outcomes doesn’t mean they are the same, the of these groups were all completely different from each other, and even more different from kara’s.

[peachie-ego.livejournal.com]

Different situations, yes but at the end of the day they all left. Kamalia's are being such whiners and crying doom as if it's the end of Kara. And honestly, as a Kamalia, it feels completely awkward having Kara boil down to being a trio especially it being Gyuri, Hara, and Seung Yeon. LOL like no thank you. Thats one of the reasons why I couldn't get down w/ TVXQ being a 2 member group especially with it being Changmin and Yunho.

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

but they all left for different reasons and outcomes, that carries different meanings. i'm not even a kara stan but i understand what they are coming from, add not oen, but two new members after over seven years since the group debuted, being much younger than the current group, doesn't make sense, plus there is the whole situation crated by DSP and all the scandal the group suffered over bringing them on the verge of disbandment, so honestly, they are not being whiners or overdramatic, adding two new members to kara, with all honesty, even if the person is an amazing vocalist and dancer, won’t add anything new t the group.

[jeit91.livejournal.com]

leave 9m out of this plz

[charlieu.livejournal.com]

I don't think member changes are good once they gain a certain level of popularity.

Wonder Girls were nothing until after Tell Me, but they were basically nobodies after Hyelim replaced Sunmi. And you can't forget that two members left Kara on bad terms. Kara's fans aren't just against member changes, they're defending Nicole and Jiyoung and saying you can't just treat them however they want and expect no backlash.

[akaich0u.livejournal.com]

WG were never "nobodies". They stopped being a "top" girl group but their legacy ensured them at least a #1 win or two every comeback, and even songs they barely spent time promoting like 2 Different Tears made every Top 20 chart at the end of the year. Be My Baby (2011) was the most watched music video in Korea for the entire year of 2011.

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

lol 'nobodies'. obviously they reached their peak with nobody but to say that wonder girls' had no relevancy after that is ridiculous.

[ariellm13.livejournal.com]

Well I agree with lysblack. I don't think its' the same. Here's why: When Hyuna left the Wonder girls, it was because her parents withdrew her from the group for medical reasons and they had only bee debuted for six months. Yubin replaced her just before they basically took over with "Tell me". When Sunmi left they had already been promoting outside of Korea for about a year and the member that took her spot got backlash. Some people still hate on Lim. They didn't release a new song again in Korea til November 2011, which was a stupid move. They are now considered by most, nostalgic but irrelevant . AS has never been a top group. Orange Caramel is far more popular than they are and ever will be. Nine Muses has never been relevant, it's sad but very true. Kara's image is done. Sure they can pull a Jewelry and they will all be successful individually but Kara the group is over the same way WG is over. I cannot think of any top group that has had post success line up changes other than dbsk and Kara is def no dbsk.

[nana-the-dwarf.livejournal.com]

Was expecting this tbh.

I feel like adding a new member without this contest/voting thing DSP has going would've been much better in any case.

Oh well. Lost my interest in Kara a while ago anyway.

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

OMG #3! XDDDD

this is just awful

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Yeah exactly, LOL at #3.

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

dsp is so fucking dumb i feel bad for the girls.

plus can't they see it will also be bad for the new members? they obviously won't be welcomed by the fans or the group.

[parkjsun.livejournal.com]

Who didn't see this coming from a mile away...

[scionofawhisper.livejournal.com]

Wow, I can't believe people are so involved in a group that they would go to such lengths to protest against adding a member.

I suppose people who are passionate gotta put that passion somewhere. Interesting that in a time of relative peace there are 'protests' like this.

[mspopstar.livejournal.com]

Gyuri should go for a solo career and target ajummas with sappy trot songs tbh
Hara can have a minor role in a daytime drama
The other one could… idk do voice over or something

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

lmao my opinion exactly on "the other one"

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are similar lol

[hitthoselightz.livejournal.com]

dsp is so dumb. they shouldve kept kara as 3 because they wouldve pulled it off and debut the other girls in a girl group but still do a reality show like winner

also why does everyone always say no one in kara can sing? i always thought seungyeon has a decent voice (unless i missed something)

[mycorrhizoid.livejournal.com]

She's better than anyone else in Kara, but she's not really that good. If she was in a different group she'd probably be the person who got a few lines but wasn't considered main/lead vocal.

[hitthoselightz.livejournal.com]

how so? shes always the one that hits those notes (in kpop they're pretty much considered long notes lol) so i thought she was decent. does she lipsyns them during lives? idk i think shes better than the people that get few lines. most people that get few lines cant hit those notes even with autotune and studio help

[jesymphony.livejournal.com]

She's an okay vocalist but she needs training to be really good, which of course DSP hasn't bothered to do. Seungyeon is getting by with her natural tone, which is pretty good just not outstanding, but she needs technique. She can hit 'those' notes, but the way she hits them is sketchy and you can hear her strain during the lives. But all that boils down to is she needs lessons with whoever is Jessica's vocal coach.

And Gyuri, while very stable live, has a horrendous nasally tone (which is also something that could be worked on with a vocal coach). Hara is potentially unsalvageable though.

[mycorrhizoid.livejournal.com]

Listening to some of their newer lives she's a bit better than I remember (she used to be barely audible) but she still sounds like she's forcing all of her notes out and once she goes high she gets super quiet. She reminds me of Fany with less range and volume. (I rank Fany 5th in SNSD.)

[nana-the-dwarf.livejournal.com]

Completely OT now, but I was curious about the rest of your SNSD ranking vocal wise. :P

[mycorrhizoid.livejournal.com]

Well, I wouldn't claim to be a vocal trainer or anything but nowadays I would say
Taeyeon/Jessica (they're both quite good in slightly different ways) Seohyun Sunny Fany Yuri/Sooyoung/Yoona/Hyo (they're all about equal skill wise, I prefer Yuri for her tone). Ranking for early days would be different though, some of them have gotten better and some seem to have regressed.

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

seungyeon isnt an awful singer but shes just... not a standout in any way, and its kind of expected that groups should have a standout in each category (singing, dancing, ""visuals""). Kara doesn't really have a standout in any of those as far as the korean audience is concerned (except hara for visuals i guess) which makes it kind of weird and also impressive that they got as successful as they did

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

imo seungyeon + gyuri are the equivalent of lead vocals in other groups: pretty good, can hold a tune. decent live, sometimes sketchy technique (gyuri has better technique than seungyeon imo).

the thing with kara is that they've never had that member that really shines vocally - like taeyeon, hyorin, sunye, luna etc. they have got by quite well without one though. their music masks their lack of a vocal powerhouse imo, sort of like how infinite's music suits the group's abilities well. kara are definitely not as strong vocally as other ~veteran~ girl groups but ia that it's not like none of them can sing. hara and jiyoung are terrible tho.

[sskaller.livejournal.com]

Nicole was KARA for me. And I'm honestly not really interested in them at all right now but they will forever be a fave. I would have preferred they not add new members or just get Jaekyung and Woori from Rainbow. Then just get new members for Rainbow.

And what's going on with Rainbow, did DSP throw them out?
And LOL at this. For real. We don't need subunits we need Rainbow.

[nekkedness.livejournal.com]

lol keep Jaekyung and Woori away from this sinking ship

[jesymphony.livejournal.com]

#SaveRainbow

[jesymphony.livejournal.com]

Netizen #3 is me. Kara only get by with songs like Mister/Step because those songs don't really need to be 'sung'. Nicole and Gyuri's adlibs in Lupin are painful to listen to. A new member with good vocal ability should be welcomed by Kamilia tbh.

[mad-nux.livejournal.com]

save gyuri and rainbow

[921227.livejournal.com]

I don't think Kara needs new members, but if they did get them, I wouldn't want them to be almost 10 years younger than Gyulham....and I don't agree with netizen 3#, at all. Gyuri and Seungyeon both are very good, not the best among female idols, but hella better than a lot of them and Hara, when in her range, sounds better than decent. Jiyoung and Nicole (who rapped more than sang tbh) weren't notably better and didn't actually improve all that much over the years, unlike Gyuri and Seungyeon who've come waves from Break It

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

i feel like this is completely different from wonder girls and 9muses or any other group with major member change, like those groups were able to get away with it or even benefitted from it because they weren't yet at the top. kara's hit their peak and adding new members to a group already so well-known is more reminiscent of jewelry, and we know what happened to them... (hint: they flopped).

[dysphoriia.livejournal.com]

kara's on the downfall. while i think they need this kind of publicity and buzz, adding new members may kill the team quicker too. meh.

[uguukawaii.livejournal.com]

ia w netizen one!!! I love hara but who cares about kara anymore it's time for Jaekyung to RISE

[21banged.livejournal.com]

Can they just spend all their $$ on Rainbow now like Jaekyung needs to bless South Korea with her light