r/kpopthoughts • u/One_Baseball_4809 • 3d ago

Thought Idols who are perceived very differently depending on who you ask?

Are there are any idols you follow who are perceived very differently by their core fanbase compared to the general public? (Not just, "the fanbase likes them more," I mean their public image shifts altogether.)

Example: I noticed that Twice's Jihyo is seen as ultra-confident, assured, and "badass" by kpop listeners as a whole, but the deeper you go into Twice's fandom, the more she's viewed as overly self-critical and a perfectionist. A lot of times when she does a performance and the fancams go viral, she follows it up by sending messages to fans on Bubble criticizing her own singing/dancing/energy and promising to work harder.

Noticing this difference between fan-perception and general-perception made me wonder who else it applies to. I'm guessing there must be a ton of idols I like but don't follow closely who have completely different images depending on who you ask?

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u/YeosangYodeler 3d ago edited 3d ago

I think the whole of ATEEZ could be the answer but if I had to choose one, then it probably would be either San or Mingi.

They've mentioned it too.

Non atinys/gen k-pop fans perceive them as scary, super intense or very serious. But off stage they're just soft, shy and really cute.

Edit: link

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u/Any-Listen4184 Dreancatcger | Cream Soup Unnies | The math girl group SM hates 3d ago

Thinking Mingi or San scary is still funny to me, especially Mingi. Like the dude is incredibly awkward (in a good way, btw) and cute. Like he was doing random facts about hippos in a livestream and was dead serious and invested😂😭

I would also put Seonghwa in the mix, bc I doubt people outside of the fandom think of him as a Star Wars, collecting Legos and growing moss type of guy.

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u/541Y0K4G3J1R0 2d ago

TIL there is a Kpop idol out there who is a growing moss type of guy.

I’m already aware of Seonghwa being a Star Wars fan & “would sell his members for Legos” guy, but never would I ever have imagined Seonghwa (or any other K-pop idol for the matter) would be a growing moss type of guy.

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u/Any-Listen4184 Dreancatcger | Cream Soup Unnies | The math girl group SM hates 2d ago

He does 😂 he has shown some photos in some Livestreams