Looking back, 2018 was the golden era of third-generation K-pop groups like TWICE, BLACKPINK, and Red Velvet.
At the time, K-pop was beginning to expand its global influence beyond Japan, Southeast Asia, and China.
Even Japan famous for its deeply entrenched idol industry acknowledged that its domestic system, exemplified by groups like AKB48, had become an isolated “A big fish in a small pond” Seeking change, they collaborated with Korea’s K-pop system through Produce 48.
It was genuinely shocking to see top-tier Japanese idols like Sakura willingly come to Korea, compete on equal footing with unknown trainees, learn Korean, and undergo rigorous training under the K-pop framework.
As the show progressed, a major criticism raised by both Japanese and Korean viewers alike was the severe lack of proficiency among the Japanese idols. While Korean trainees debut only after reaching a high level of vocal and dance competence, the Japanese industry often justified putting raw talent on stage right away, using the excuse of “growing together with fans” and offering a sense of clumsy approachability.
Furthermore, while K-pop was already leveraging massive capital and trendy sounds from Western and international composers, Japanese idol music remained uninspired outdated and formulaic, to put it bluntly.
This was likely a structural necessity given their broad target demographic, which spans from teenagers to middle-aged and older adults (as cutting-edge, trendy music often sounds like mere “noise” to older generations).
Unlike K-pop, Japanese idols suffered from dated styling and low-budget music video production, cementing their status as purely domestic acts incapable of global expansion.
By 2018, it felt evident that K-pop had surpassed Japan the original pioneer of the Asian idol industry and firmly established an undeniable performance and production gap.
However, eight years later in 2026, we are witnessing a surprising twist: RESCENE, a group currently creating a syndrome in Korea, actually mirrors the traits of the traditional Japanese idol model that both Korea and Japan criticized back then.
Prioritizing relatability and approachability over raw skill, they have cultivated a broad fandom that spans all the way to middle-aged demographics.
Consequently, instead of releasing sounds suited for 2026, they produce dated music trapped in the 2010s. Unlike their domestic popularity, their overseas performance remains weak, making them, for now, strictly domestic acts.
Ultimately, the continuous growth of K-pop relies entirely on global expansion. If RESCENE’s success inspires a wave of copycats to become the industry mainstream, these groups will remain confined to the domestic market, risking the same Galapagos-style isolation and industrial contraction that befell the Japanese idol scene.
submitted by /u/Possible_Guidance491
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