New K-pop girl group whose members were former Adult Video (AV) actresses in Japan is making headlines in and out of South Korea.
Honey Popcorn via Twitter / MANILA BULLETIN
The group, ‘Honey Popcorn’, made their debut in the world of Korean pop music last Wednesday with their single, ‘Bibidi Babidi Boo’.
Members Yua Mikami, Matsuda Miko, and Moko Sakura were also part of Japanese girl bands, ‘SKE48’, ‘NMB48’, and ‘Bakusute Sotokanda Icchome’, respectively.
"We really love K-Pop. We wanted to dream bigger and reach the world so we decided to debut in Korea instead of Japan," the Japanese trio revealed during their first ever show as a K-pop girl group.
"We admire Korean music videos for their outstanding quality," the girls added when asked why they wanted to be singers in Korea.
During their showcase, the girls of ‘Honey Popcorn’ also expressed their admiration for JYP's girl group "Twice", who also has Japanese members.
The trio's debut, however, did not sit well with many K-pop fans, even saying that ‘Honey Popcorn’ is “trying to ruin the image of Korean idols,” and that the girls are a "disgrace" in Korea's pop music industry.
“Top Korean idols have a hard time getting a spot on Japanese music shows. And they're former AV stars. Prevent them from appearing on music programs,” a netizen commented at Korean online portal ‘Naver’.
While many were against the launch of 'Honey Popcorn', quite a few expressed support for the group.
“It wasn't easy and a bit unbelievable that the members invested their own money... I will cheer for them!! I know it will be a tough journey. Good luck and do well even though there will be negative looks waiting for you.”