Hybe unveils expansion plans for BTS webtoons + novels, new girl group at strategy presentation

Article: Expanding beyond music into BTS games and webtoons... also gearing up in discovering 'the next BTS'

Source: Yonhap News via Naver

1. [+345, -6] Please just stick to what you've been doing ㅠㅠㅠㅠ ah, seriously

2. [+138, -4] Terrible quality of fan merchandise, customer service is a mess... Hybe is really shaping up to be the #1 reported company to the consumer protection board! Video games? Didn't you say you wanted to focus on producing good quality music? Now look at you getting so greedy and milking BTS for all they're worth.

3. [+95, -3] I get that you have to get it while the goin's hot but... ㅜㅠ... please leave BTS out of this. What're you going to do when you stick them in everything and nothing comes out of any of it...

4. [+94, -5] Before BTS got famous, I kept telling everyone around me to check out this group. That they're idols but their quality is no joke. That they don't feel like an idol group at all. Please don't make me feel embarrassed for ever having said those things. From video games to webtoons to merchandise... this is all just putting them down a path where they'll be boxed in as idols. I feel like BTS has added worth to the name 'idol' by being more like 'artists' but if you keep making them do all these things, they're going to be known as "just another idol group" to everyone else.

5. [+54, -0] And what're you going to do about the shipping and refund problems with the Weverse shop?

6. [+41, -0] Hybe has such a great product in BTS but all they ever think to do is how to suck more money out of them. I understand that they're a company that needs to turn a profit but they never improve anything else, like the poor condition of fan merchandise. They're just too busy slapping the BTS name on anything and everything to sell and expand more and more. They don't care to fix the most basic problems with their company and think putting a BTS label on everything will solve it.

7. [+28, -1] These kids have told us that all they want to do is sing on stage but look at Hybe using them to explain video games... I'd rather the kids just go on tour without their agency so they're not wasting their energy on stupid things like this and can just perform to their heart's content.

8. [+26, -0] Seems like Hybe has no idea what makes a good artist. Just put out a new album and stop doing all these weird things... Amazing how they're always being reported to the consumer protection board but still never stop to fix anything.

9. [+22, -0] I don't get why when Korean companies get one good group, they immediately start looking for foreign members with their next one. I'm not saying that Korean members are better than everyone else but foreign members are certainly a bigger risk. Even if these groups do go on to be successful, SM, YG, and JYP have shown the worst-case scenarios that can happen... I really wish they read the comments and see that the people just want them to stick to what they've been doing.

10. [+16, -0] Please just be grateful to BTS for getting your company as big as it has become and just give them more attention. Stop trying to expand your company in useless ways.

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Article: New webtoon featuring BTS members as 'criminal hunters' to be released early next year

Source: Han via Naver

1. [+153, -4] I just want them to focus on singing...

2. [+98, -0] I just want to see artists sticking to what they do best. I know that this is all a business in the end... but it's unfortunate that they're being so commercialized. Please listen to us fans. This is all making me want to leave as a fan, not because of the artists but because of their company. Don't think of us fans as simple ATMs~

3. [+64, -1] Please leave BTS alone so that they can focus on their music and performing!

4. [+28, -1] Just focus on the music, Hybe

5. [+13, -0] Seems Hybe has forgotten what their roots are... and that is in supporting their artists. All I see in these plans is just sticking the kids' faces on anything to try and sell everything. All this talk about different things being released soon but what about a new album?

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Article: Hybe to insert singers in web novels, webtoons

Source: Idol Issue via Instagram

1. [+169] This is so not a good idea... What is Hybe thinking writing their own fanfics when they should be regulating the fanfics that are already out there?

2. [+76] I'm so embarrassed over these plans that I can't even hold my face in public... ㅋ

3. [+47] When Hybe starts writing their own y/n fanfics

4. [+45] What makes a fanfic... is the fact that it's written by the fans. Is Hybe really trying to take fan content away to make money off of?

5. [+1] Oh... this is too cringe..ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

6. Sigh... This is so ridiculous.. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ are they even going to be written well?

7. What do you think of a company that writes their own fanfics

8. ...? Why is Hybe doing this?

9. Wait so are they getting consent from the members to write about them? What a mess

10. Hybe... someone please stop them 😢😢

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Article: Hybe hints at girl group in conference

Source: Idol Issue via Instagram

1. [+215] Am I the only one thinking this feels like Aespa

2. [+105] People are saying Hybe is copying Aespa but Big Hit has always had something like this before. I still think this feels wrong, though.

3. [+56] I heard someone say the world building behind this girl group is more similar to Girlfriend

4. [+14] Huh? Why are people saying this looks like Aespa?

5. [+10] Feels like Aespa + Girlfriend...

6. [+3] Well Aespa was accused of copying KDA when they first debuted too. Just consider it a part of the whole metaverse trend.

7. Aespa has already cemented their image with the whole metaverse thing so I think if other groups try it too, people will just be reminded of Aespa. It's not plagiarism or anything but... yeah, it reminds me of Aespa.

8. [+7] Feels like they're copying SM with Aespa

9. I guess idols are turning into... game characters nowadays?

10. [+3] Doesn't this kind of feel like a copy of Aespa?

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Source: Wikitree via Instagram

1. [+855] The fandom and popularity are at global levels but Hybe fails to correct the most basic issues. They want to act like a big company when they're no better off than a local mom and pop store.

2. [+348] All this talk about NFTs and metaverse or whatever when they can't even produce a proper fan merch in real life 🤷🏻‍♀️

3. [+369] Refunds aren't even the issue. Consumers are simply not getting the products that they were promised, which is a scam. Laws regarding these sort of things need to be harsher so that companies can't get away with this.

4. [+233] A company that only sees money in their fans...

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