Kpop world advancement hastened as popularity in Japan stalls

[qummydino.livejournal.com]

On May 21, Shojojidai, Kara, Tohoshinki, Super Junior and other K-POP artists held a concert in coordination with Google, in part of their advancement into the global market.

In addition to those mentioned, artists like Wonder Girls, MBLAQ, SISTAR, BEAST and f(x) joined as well, totaling 9 groups. The concert was shown on MBC in Korea and through Google worldwide.

In Korea, people are singing their own praises, saying, "A concert headed by a broadcasting company from our nation and hooked up to a global portal like Google to be broadcast across the world is a first. And this is further proof of K-Pop's position in the world is rising."

"The phrases 'Broadcast to the world' and 'At Google headquarters' are being thrown around trying to make them look important. If something is broadcast on Google's channel, the chance existing of people seeing and hearing it is natural. They're acting incredibly proud of this simple thing. MBC holding their concert at Google's headquarters is just a matter of getting enough money behind them to rent out the place," said one K-Pop magazine reporter.

The usual "Number one in Asia!" and "K-Pop boom in France!" falsehoods have been used to broaden their worldwide activities, and there is a reason for that.

"Recently, a big topic on the net and other places has been the fact that K-Pop is showing symptoms of shrinking popularity in Japan. Reports coming from Korea have shown that in 2012, ticket sales to K-Pop events have fallen sharply and it seems that some companies have actually gone into the red. Certainly artists like Shojojidai or KARA and other top idols haven't shown these signs yet, but the groups that suddenly sprung up one after the other in Japan have encountered a harsh environment. This accompanies the failure that Korean idols like Brown Eyed Girls and 4minute have experienced when trying to enter the Japanese market. In short, the gloating that surrounds K-Pop is without merit as its popularity disappears," said the industry insider.

The bigger the lies get, the more obvious the cracks in the facade become. It is possible to say that the recent concert at Google is just part of the signs of desperation shown by K-Pop as its demise nears closer and closer.

Source - Cyzo
Translation - qummydino

omg not my b1a4 boys!

Comments

[mangomuffins.livejournal.com]

why does 4minute always get singled out when 78% of other k-idols sell the same amount or only a little more in japan :(

[supplanter.livejournal.com]

4minute is recognizable and has been around for a while, I guess? So if they are not succeeding, then who else can be expected to succeed? They're a useful example to get the point across, even if it's sad to be singled out like this. XD

[dorkiilove.livejournal.com]

why do people even read cyzo, that place is like shithole of japan

[puppetmon.livejournal.com]

lol so much pressedness

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

This.

[oonalala.livejournal.com]

I don't believe Kpop is ever going to be able to achieve sustained long term worldwide popularity as a genre of music. I could see a few specific acts being able to have long term careers in foreign countries -- but Korea really does themselves in with all the overkill. As soon as one act gets a little success, everyone else comes rushing in to try to capitalize on it. Maybe Kara can have a long fruitful career in Japan, maybe Super Junior can continue to fill concert halls in France, maybe MBLAQ can have a string of hits in Peru (these are just random examples) but I really wish everyonel start promoting themselves as individual artists who just happen to be from Korea and shake off all the other kpop acts that want to ride their coat tails. Having everyone flood into a country at the same time seems to undermine the long term opportunity of the few who could have made it.

[deeinanutshell.livejournal.com]

I agree. It really is too much. Now debuting in Japan is like a rite of passage for groups instead of it being an opportunity for groups that already have a Japan-friendly sound to enter that specific market. Some groups just aren't meant for Japan. It worked for a while because companies are capitalizing on the KPOP brand but sooner or later, it will stop working.

[sayufied.livejournal.com]

C'mon, is it a surprise though?
Korea is famous for over exaggerating, do they honestly believe that they're all the buzz in Paris, NY and Cali.
It's so funny honestly, seeing how they publicize all this is lol-worthy!

For every rise there's a fall, and Japan is known to dispose of acts easily...Look at Morning Musume, they were top selling idols with endorsements left and right, practically everyone knew their names. Now I bet people don't know the names of all the members, and probably don't know if they're still active.

We all saw it coming, it was just a matter of time!

So to all record companies in Korea, do your pockets a favor and stay away from Japan.

[zoetheslacker.livejournal.com]

mte on their self-inflated buzz, not enough side-eyes in this world could be given to them.

but i do think that Japan is just too lucrative to give up on and worth taking the risk for. and if they do it right, doing a few month's worth of small venue touring and promotion+ 10k album sales should probably beat doing all year round horse work in Korea for nothing.

[peachie-ego.livejournal.com]

Lmao @ the flop ass BEG shading. They weren't even ~debuting~ in Japan. Nega didn't gaf about them or any of their artists being in Japan. Abracadabra and Sign were released like 2 years ago and they haven't released anything else since then. I can't and don't know what they were trying to get at by using BEG as example.

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

mte

But given the op and his marked distaste for BEG, it's no wonder he chose to translate/post this article.

[deeinanutshell.livejournal.com]

lol @ OP being the OP of this article. ~coincidence!

[eishastan.livejournal.com]

ifkr, not surprised tho

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

oh so are we going to get one of these articles every week now along with the WORLD DOMINATION ones

[deerlike.livejournal.com]

btw, qummydino, is there any reason why your username closely resembles gummydino's, or is that just a coincidence?

[fivil.livejournal.com]

"its demise" - yep, because sometimes pop music of a country just dies, you guys, it totally happens.

Contrary to popular belief, not everything can become big in Japan, and that's probably the reality kpop producers are facing right now. Still, it's a market, and so kpop will continue to be exported there. Some of the groups gain popularity overseas, other groups don't.

Big whoop. /shrug

[mishi07.livejournal.com]

im shifting most of the blame to the korean media. their lack of integrity is appalling, especially since entertainment/hallyu is viewed as mainstream news.

[tha-x.livejournal.com]

I hate it so much when all they talk about is SNSD and KARA in Japan, they barely mention Toho

[kurogoma.livejournal.com]

mmm.....in articles like these, maybe it's a good thing?

toho's relevance in japan is like that of someone who had already paid their dues and has carved a comfortable part of j-ent industry for themselves, there really isn't a need to mention them all the time - whether to compare, contrast, or hold up as an example of sth or other, esp in articles about hallyu.

besides when they achieve something, those get lauded in jpn media, and they are really respected. that's all that matters, really.

[luvey.livejournal.com]

1. This article. You can just feels the waves of bias.
2. Korea companies/media and their bravado...the extra large hype that always follows when even the tiniest thing happens.
3. K-pop spreading won't last in Japan or anywhere else if these companies continue to disregard the culture and language issue in certain places. DBSK/BoA took the time to learn the language and became successful due to that immersion. Although Kara hasn't had that full immersion they have at least tried, which is where i see why they are doing okay. Then you have the rush of groups who dont even touch the language. Super Junior never debuted in the Japanese market so they are a little different, and they have been playing there for years...so they are a little different then the latest crop who rushes into market without language skills.
Kpop like most genres will bust, then most of these k ent companies will be scrambling to fill that void, instead of diversifying now.

[simneesee.livejournal.com]

this x1000

[hellicoptajuuce.livejournal.com]

i was thinking earlier today about how kpop would expand into the world and i dont think it will do it properly or doing it so that it will maintain success, all i can see the companies doing is jumping onto each other's minor successes like omg Ukiss got invited to perform in a concert in South America? lets chuck heaps of promotion in south america. some shit like that imo

[stephie184.livejournal.com]

She spent longer learning the language than most Kpop artists that are going into Japan now since barely any of them know Japanese except for the simple phrases like "Hai" or "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu"

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

i don't understand why everyone keeps on bringing up 4minute and beg. they started releasing singles over there before the ~hallyu wave~ became popular and groups could just release remakes in japan and they would sell a decent amount. groups that have debuted more recently like secret and after school haven't done particularly better. kara and snsd took advantage of general popularity of korean music in japan, and in the case of snsd anticipation for their debut was high bc they already had a fanbase over there. how is that a fair comparison? now we'll just have to see whether kara and snsd can sustain their success long term.

[brackdiamon.livejournal.com]

now we'll just have to see whether kara and snsd can sustain their success long term.

Yup yup, it's more liek the SNSD/KARA show at this point.

[kiwilovekiwi.livejournal.com]

Can the media stop throwing shades at 4minute?!! Atleast they're puttin out some new songs that's not a rehashed of their korean ones!!!

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Whatever, yes Korean media tends to exaggerate, but it still won't mean death for kpop. And while I don't think kpop can ever challenge American pop in Europe it can certainly grow into much bigger niche if Korean companies would actually bother market it here.

[angelynn-virus.livejournal.com]

oh weeehhh~this article has way too much "feelz"/coughpoetrycough for my liking.

but now back to topic:
notsrr2say but Kpop in Jpn. market is flooded more with quantity than quality right now, so I'm not even surprise with this result tbqh...
that's my fucking opinion!!!!!!!

[uledy.livejournal.com]

Girl, is that who I think it is in your icon :p

[x-doctess.livejournal.com]

Because Hallyu = only Japan and the US amirite?

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

This isn't a very well written piece, imo, because it doesn't cover major companies like SME, JYPE or YG. Once those three big ones start slowing, THEN you'll know the KPop wind is dying down. Because, let's face it, the best money makers come from those three, be it Big Bang, SNSD or Wonder Girls. Honestly, KPop needs to focus on quality over gimmick (unless you're the concept King, like SM, because they are just really freaking good at their marketing strategies, what can you do?).

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

And of course you're going to have falling sales when the tickets are more than most people can afford! And they need to target more locations, too. It's not just about three or two cities in the States. If I were running this show, there would be a lot more stops,

[uledy.livejournal.com]

The ticket prices in Japan, I feel, are pretty reasonable compared to ticket prices in other places like the US. It can get a little expensive to travel within Japan (unless you take a night bus :/), so that may hike up fan's overall costs as well. But at least Japanese fans get several months advance notice before they have to buy tickets/enter the lottery, unlike the 3 days SM gave people for SMTown LA >.>

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

LOL fucking Cyzo. They hate everything. Except Kanjani8. and for that I cant hate them. But side eyeing this article like woah.

[jcdhwg.livejournal.com]

I feel so bad everytime I think about Mubank Paris, the venue was seriously half empty.. :/

[brackdiamon.livejournal.com]

I love how over dramatic Cyzowoman is.. it's usually to be taken with a grain of salt. But this

the gloating that surrounds K-Pop is without merit as its popularity disappears,

I never thought it had merit in the first place... just a few select groups/people that are talented. That's it. But because it's more about a cultural movement of course they'll try to make the whole scene seem like it's bigger and more sophisticated than it actually is.