Sasaeng Series: TVXQ

Last year, TVXQ made it to the news for having set yet another record in the Korean entertainment industry. They had become the first foreign artist to hold three 5-Dome tours in Japan.

They are not well known among the newer Kpop fans, but once upon a time, before they were split, TVXQ was the biggest five-member boy band in the Hallyu wave. They made it in the Guinness World Records once, for having the world's largest official fan club back in the day, and we are talking about Korean, Japanese and international fans combined, way before the era of popular social media sites and smartphones. Some say that they kick-started the second generation of Kpop idol groups and helped install the Kpop industry in Asia.

In a Historic Decision, Johnnys Lifts Ban on Online Images

On January 31, Kanjani8 member, Nishikido Ryo attended a press conference for his new movie's  press conference at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Yurakucho for his new movie 'Hitsuji no Ki', which directed by Yoshida Daihachi,

Ryo greeted the media people and talked about his movie English.

"Thank you for coming today. I hope you enjoy the movie. Through this film, I thought about what I would do if a stranger came into my community. This film is entertainment, but it also has a social perspective. I hope it will make you think about depopulation and emigration."

But something is still off with this announcement.

Then it hit the netizens: For the first time in more than a decade, the media managed to released photos from the press conference featuring Ryo himself. Apparently, Johnnys & Associates made a historical decision to lift the ban on image use in the online media.

As Jpop fans are well aware, Johnnys is known to be quite strict about the use of their talents’ images. Yet now, starting with Ryo's presscon, images of Johnnys from interviews, and stage greetings  can finally be used for online. Official artist photos and Social media accounts are still be restricted. But nobody's complaining.

Korea's Sasaeng: When Idol Worship Goes a Little Too Far

When the new millenia came about, a new type of entertainment trend swept across Asia in an unprecedented speed and popularity. Sources vary with pin pointing the exact beginning. It may have started with the popular Korean dramas. Some say it's the idol groups that followed what Japan started. 

Whatever the cause, the effect was almost instantaneous. Within a few years, the popularity of Korean entertainment continued across the continent, an event we now call as the Hallyu Wave.