| Title | Japanese Adult Video Stars Launch K-Pop Group, Sparking Debate | |
| Date | Friday March 23 2018, @10:52PM | |
| Author | Fnord666 | |
| Topic | ||
| from the kettle-corn dept. | ||
Japanese adult video stars launch K-pop group, spark divisive debate
For a freshly-minted K-pop band, the trio could not look any more ordinary. Dressed in bright colorful dresses, the bubbly ladies of Honey Popcorn sang their catchy synthpop track, "Bibidi Babidi Boo," during their debut showcase on Wednesday in Seoul, dancing adorably like any other by-the-numbers rookie girl group. These seemingly unassuming women, however, have found themselves at the center of a public brouhaha, with tens of thousands demanding the government ban their activities. To a large extent, the controversy was unavoidable. The three singers are all Japanese adult video actresses.
The Honey Popcorn members, Mikami Yua, Sakura Moko, and Matsuda Miko, all started their careers in the Japanese entertainment industry as singers in the J-pop idol scene. After retiring from their bands, SKE48, NMB48 and Bakusute Sotokanda Icchome, respectively, they turned to the Japanese adult video scene. Mikami later joined Ebisu Muscats, a musical group composed of Japanese adult video stars, in 2016. The group's formation was announced in late February, along with plans to hold a showcase in Seoul on March 14. The news of the members' steamy professional backgrounds was more than enough to turn heads. Many parents and conservatives became vigilant and demanded the group cancel their debut. A petition was filed on the presidential website, requesting the government to ban Honey Popcorn's debut.
[...] By all accounts, the members appear genuine in their passion for K-pop and their project. According to Kyun Create, the members are huge fans of K-pop music, with Mikami's partiality towards Korea and Korean culture fairly well known among her fans. On her YouTube account, Mikami has several videos of her dancing to hits from A-Pink, Cosmic Girl and TWICE. According to the company, Honey Popcorn is essentially a passion project funded by Mikami. The band also does not appear gimmicky, with production values for the music and videos on par with standard rookie K-pop acts. Not all opinions are negative either, with many supportive comments posted on their artist page on music streaming service Melon.
"I want to live in a world where Honey Popcorn can sing with confidence," Melon user gkakf123 wrote. "Korean girl groups also often perform lewd dance moves. Is there a reason why these girls can't follow the footsteps of idol girl groups?" posted user ktmsh1211.
2018 in South Korean music. Honey Popcorn at K-pop Wiki. And an article about K-pop.
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printed from SoylentNews, Japanese Adult Video Stars Launch K-Pop Group, Sparking Debate on 2024-04-16 12:05:37