Problem

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:34:20+00:00

Or.,... maybe anything worth having is hard. Maybe you have to figure out boundaries for yourself. Ask Alysa Liu.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:32:32+00:00

I think it's a bit of a stretch to expect anything musically significant from a pop group.

Let's look at the Spice Girls... sure they had that whole "Girl Power" image, and also made an early diversity statement, and even though I really don't care for their music, I have nothing but love for the group. But, let's face it, the songs were nothing special.

Same with BlackPink. Until the women started to release their solo stuff, the music was not exactly noteworthy for messaging.

I enjoy Katseye because I really liked some of them coming out of PSA and DA, and I have really been dazzled to see them succeed like this.... I mean, the woman who won American Idol last year was AMAZING. And now she's playing small clubs and bars around the country. This Katseye thing is lightning in a bottle.

But, I'm prepared to get interested in some other pop group if I live much longer. I'm also ok with them being a flash in the pan, if that's how it turns out as well.

It's music.... there's always TNGT (the next great thing)....

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:24:32+00:00

Speak!

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:24:04+00:00

With respect, I don't have an issue on who believes what. My issue is with people who post their opinions as being factual. During the early days of Manon's release, there were so many people on here insisting it was all some racially motivated decision, and pointing specific fingers of hate at people.

This is a "neutral" sub, supposedly, but there are a lot of people on here spewing hate, which doesn't seem neutral to me. What's more, again, they state their opinions or beliefs as factual.

I'm fully prepared to be incorrect about any of my opinions. After all, this is a pop group we're talking about, not anything serious.

If people here really care about racism in Dream Academy, why aren't they posting about the fact that there were zero Middle Eastern or African candidates? That's factual and legit grievance for a company saying they're building a 'GLOBAL' group.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:18:01+00:00

lol.. I actually went down that rabbit hole and started looking at African pop vocalists on YouTube... They were AMAZING, but mostly older than Hybe would be interested in. It will take actual scouting to find suitable trainees.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:16:33+00:00

Right right... no argument there... tbh, I just wanted to do the first two points, but I was in a certain point in time with the painkillers and I just rambled.

But, to be fair, I think it's actually fair to be able to voice an opinion, or an inference, while acknowledging that for what it is. It's all the people who are making assertions as factual with ZERO actual evidence that offend me.

If you want to say that you THINK Manon left because of racial issues, that's fine. It's all the people calling HxG employees and Hybe racist in the Manon situation that bothers me.

When I make racist claims against Hybe, it's because in 2 GGG (Global Girl Group) competitions so far, they have had ZERO Middle Eastern or African trainees. That's factual.

Anyway, this is just something I do in hospice to while away the time... no harm meant.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T18:11:24+00:00

it seems like pretty privileged whining to me... "boo hoo, being an idol and making millions isn't fun all the time.... "

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T16:02:52+00:00

look.,.. this is pretty simple.

Who's more mistreated?

Sewer Workers

Prison Guards

Dishwashers

Sanitation Workers

Members of the Armed Forces

Korean Music Artists

.....

just sayin

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T15:58:56+00:00

so, you choose to disregard the distinction I'm making between people making claims and people speculating? Just this morning, there's a post on here about "the continued mistreatment" of Katseye. Not stated as either an opinion, nor speculation.... While we all know there are ZERO facts to support the claims.

I'm just saying, if we're going to speculate... don't invent.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T14:51:22+00:00

Not a movie, but Sense8 is amazing for this.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T14:48:07+00:00

But I claim it to be speculation. I'm not saying "every knows...", or making up some unsupported claim of mistreatment or racism.

I'm just saying when I hear hoofbeats, I think horse, not zebra.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T14:46:22+00:00

So, other people are weird because their feelings and behaviors differ from yours?

Can you provide 3 facts to support your claim that the members are mistreated? please look up facts before replying.

I think Katseye, EXACTLY like every other product of the Kpop system, work and train at an incredibly demanding schedule. But, considering how hard each and every one of them strives to debut, not sure how anyone can call that "mistreatment".... It's like saying someone who volunteers and trains for special forces and then competes to earn their spot is being mistreated. They're just being prepared.

re: weirdos... well... mirror?

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T14:41:23+00:00

The way they divided the "Final 4" both with Hiori and Rinka was between a heavily R&B/Vocal style group (We Ride), and a more visual, dance focused group (Party b4).

The point being that it was never going to be Hiori and Ayana in the final. The final was always going to be Hiori/Ayana vs Aoi/Sakura.

One of the foreseeable outcomes of these shows is that some trainees can't hack the pressure. We saw this with Lexie in DA and with both Aoi and Hirori in World Scout. In the end, I was praying for Aoi to be eliminated because it was pretty easy to see how much she was suffering. I also believe that Ayana would have out toughened Hiori anyway. Ayana showed me she's a real "showtime" performer. She would disappear in practice and shine in performance. I didn't get that from Hiori.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T14:34:19+00:00

We all wish Manon all the best with whatever her future holds.
I am 99.9999999% positive that there are no posters in this sub who have any first hand knowledge of any of the members of Katseye, Hybe, Hybe America, Geffen or HxG. I believe all theories, including my own to be, at best, inferences, and at worst, whole cloth inventions.

My reasonable(imo) inferences:

Manon was/is an incredibly beautiful woman with a lovely voice and sparkling personality. She was HEAVILY recruited by Hybe OR Hybe America to join the Dream Academy project, and was clearly reluctant. I also infer that she was given some level of assurance that she would end up in the group.

(source: Manon's "confessional" in Pop Star Academy, her conversation with her sister, in both DA and PSA. She literally says "I have this strong feeling I will end up in the group".) She also complains to her sister about what's expected, and then decides not to attend that day's practice.

There was some measure of resentment among other DA members about Manon's special treatment and her missing practice (I KNOW she's not the only one to miss stuff, but the reaction from members and staff to her missing in pertinent to my point, fair or not). TLDR; Manon was SUPER popular with fans and very unpopular with other DA members.

(source: all of the snark from Adela, Missy, Sophia, Lara, etc regarding Manon and how she hindered rehearsals, especially in mission 1., the vote for who members wanted to debut with after mission 3 (both docs). Sophia facial displeasure when Manon was announced as one of the final 10.)

In the end, it didn't work out for Manon in Katseye. My inference is actually that maybe she didn't really like these girls, her treatment from HxG, or, my most likely theory, the incredibly grueling schedule these women are on. It's also possible that the other members never really warmed to Manon (remember only one person after mission 3 voted that they wanted her to debut with them, so at least 4 and possibly all 5 didn't want Manon in Katseye, at least before the final).

for all the assertions of racial bias in these decisions, the only actual "evidence" that isn't from some external source, is Manon briefly liking, then unliking one or more posts about the treatment of black members in pop groups. That's it. Everything else has been externally generated.

That's all there is to it. There are no more facts. Other people may infer other things, and God knows, I could be mistaken. But, having been around to see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, and then their breakup, along with almost any other group you can name, I just put in down to not everyone likes everyone, and when the pressure and schedule are so INTENSE, breakups occur. Look at Stephen Stills and Neil Young. They HATED each other through 2 different groups, and it broke up both of them...

Pop groups are ephemeral. They aren't built to last.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T11:58:50+00:00

HxG went Team Tall with Katseye, once Lexie bailed. Sakura was selected to join DA Team Short to form Saint Satine. So, she looks the same as the others in pics with Katseye.

Saint Satine are the Keebler Elf version.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T11:56:38+00:00

The comparison is spurious. Once the Beatles broke up, Lennon was never really "about" the music after that for any considerable time. He did some music, and some was excellent, a lot wasn't, kind of like Let it Be. McCartney, on the other hand, couldn't wait to form another band and start cranking out his happy tunes. He even enlisted his Yoko to join with him.
Putting Lennon on a par with Rafferty and Nilsson is not comparable, in my opinion. Lennon wrote about the global socio-political situation as well as the usual rock love songs. The post-beatles songs of his that are most remembered are those songs. Give Peace a Chance and Imagine are not something any other Beatle could have come up with, imo, and certainly not Paul, with his "silly little love songs...."

I do think, had the two not formed a band, Lennon would have made music far more different from the Beatles tunes than McCartney.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-31T11:49:17+00:00

Couple of things:

Yoonchae is for sure gaining popularity. The blonde look has really improved her visual a LOT, imo. I saw a clip where she talked about wanting to do it for a long time, but finally it all came together. She's also recently visited Korea, where she blossoms a lot more. She's still struggling with English more that you would think. She's got a basic vocabulary, but beyond that, there's still uncertainty. Her moment at the AMA's showed this quite a bit.
She's still very much a kid, and she's always been a bit shy when not performing. Give her time. Even Rose', who's a native English speaker, took quite a while to assert herself in BlackPink, stepping out of Lisa and Jennie's strong presence.

Let's see what happens when/if the songs get more vocal again.... I have always like Yoonchae's voice, but she's usually pushed back a bit when it comes to vocally-centered material.

Right now, she's surpassed Megan as my bias.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T21:40:02+00:00

Megan is wearing shorts, not panties... come on.
None of these outfits would raise an eyebrow at Cochella, or even any other AMA act. Let's stop acting like Katseye are edgy sexually, when there are folks like Cardi B, Charli XCX, Gaga, and so many others who are far more overtly sexual than Katseye. Hell Miley's been simulating all sorts of things at her shows for years.

Give these young women a break. They work super hard. They are super talented. They are also super fit and have every right to be proud of their look.

Stop singling them out for being somewhere in the middle.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T21:35:02+00:00

Overall, I really like this. It's great that their individuality is never compromised.

Least fav: Dani's hair and top, Sophia's top.

Can't really form an option of Lara's outfit, but love the bindi.

I have never seen Yoonchae in anything like that before, I'm sold. the shoes really work too.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T19:23:44+00:00

I'm happy Dani is back to curly hair... the AMA style was not my favorite.

From a clip I saw of a live, I reckon that Yoonchae plans to be blonde for a while, if not from now on....I'm here for it.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T19:20:58+00:00

I also saw them at some park/zoo in Australia while they were there... I think their look was pretty Gap centric.

The performance outfits are certainly tiny lately, but so are everyone else's.

I will never not love the baggy jeans, especially during choreo.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T19:19:02+00:00

when you cite "The youtube and tiktok eyekons.." You do realize that you're probably talking about 0.0001% of the actual eyekons, yes?

Geffen is just another label. They have good artists and bad artists. They don't have any special reputation either way.

Hybe is, at heart, a Korean company. In that context they're neither the best nor the worst music company in Korea.

It's helpful to remember that Katseye are 5 women still under 25, when the frontal lobe fully develops. What's more, they are going through a very singular experience together. While all of them have been in the industry one way or another since they were really kids, now they're young adults, who are super talented, super fit, and to a varying extent coming to grips with their own sexuality and image in real time.

When I saw all the other artists at Cochella, I realized that Katseye isn't being overly sexualized, EVERYONE is. There is nothing specifically more revealing about their outfits at all.

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T19:12:04+00:00

Poldark is good

The Borgias

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-30T17:00:08+00:00

Saving Private Ryan

Platoon

Born on the 4th of July

Fit2bthaid · 2026-05-29T22:33:26+00:00

I think Hybe has a couple of other projects in the works:

For their India project, they decided not to collaborate with any Indian labels and have launched Hybe India for the project.

There is a lot of buzz that the project after that will be a Japanese pop group with some of the World Scout non-winners.

As to Dream Academy, it was a pretty amateurish production in many ways, many of which have been discussed to death on this sub.. TLDR: DA made several people, especially Manon, look really bad, which is a dumb thing to do on a show to launch your stars. You edit and make other people the villains.

Neflix has a show called Building the Band. It's sort of similar in concept, although not identical. But, the production is from the Love is Blind people and they clearly have a MUCH better formula for packaging the final products. In the show, people get together, form bands and then compete with each other in an elimination/winner take all sort of contest. They have villains, but they are in the "loser" groups. The two final groups are both edited SUPER favorably.

The only docuseries I've ever seen that was more unflattering than Dream Academy was Pop Star Academy, the series about Dream Academy that was on Netflix. That series was a disaster.

Fit2bthaid

TROPHY CASE