aespa’s Karina still being compared to Bang Si Hyuk’s “creepy” new “girl group” member.

On July 3, aespa made their much-anticipated Japanese debut with the song “Hot Mess.”

The girl group stuck to their distinctive sci-fi, techno theme for this debut, with outfits that evoked a Gundam-like appearance, complete with robot-inspired accessories, making the members appear even more anime-like than usual.

Striking costume

Karina’s outfit consisted of mechanical wings and headpieces that resembled horns or ears, all in shades of purple and white.

While her look was impressive, some fans noticed that it made her resemble Canary, a member of the virtual girl group SYNDI8, recently revealed by Bang Si Hyuk. The headpiece, in particular, was strikingly similar.

Bang Si Hyuk and other HYBE Labels staff have faced criticism for allegedly basing Canary’s character on Karina. One reason for this suspicion is the similarity in their names: Karina (카리나) and Canary (카나리), which share the same syllables in a different order. Additionally, Canary’s MBTI and height match Karina’s.

Similarities

These resemblances have led to netizens criticizing Bang Si Hyuk for his supposed “obsession” with Karina. SYNDI8 has also been criticized for various reasons, including emphasizing the members’ crotches and disguising a male member as female.

Do you think these similarities are mere coincidences, or is there something more concerning at play?

aespa, a popular South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment, debuted in November 2020. They incorporate a metaverse concept into their music and performances, with each member having a digital counterpart, an “ae-version,” in the metaverse. This concept is evident in their music videos and storytelling.

Successful career

The group has achieved significant success in a short time. Their debut single, “Black Mamba,” broke records for the most views in 24 hours for a K-pop group’s debut video. They have also seen critical and commercial success with songs like “Next Level” and “Savage.”

Karina, whose real name is Yu Ji-min, is the multi-talented leader of aespa. She is known for her powerful and sharp dance moves and plays a key role in guiding the group.