“Half-A*sed Cosplay”: BLACKPINK Creative Director’s New Girl Group Earns Scathing Reviews On “Music Bank” Debut

1 week ago 11

The members were reported to have gone under “intense training in Korea in preparation for their major debut.”

13 minutes ago

On April 11, 2025 (KST), a brand new idol group, cosmosy, performed on Music Bank, marking their beginnings in South Korea and making it their “official debut.”

The group, consisting of four Japanese members, was produced by NTT Docomo Station & Live, based on a popular manga. It was announced that the members “closely resemble the magical warriors from the original manga, bringing its world to life.” Two of the members, Kamion and Dehana, were selected from PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS, while Himesha and A’mei were said to be from dancer backgrounds.

The beloved manga Cosmosy, which has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, is being reborn as a live-action film. Titled “cosmosy ~ the a(e)nd of the world ~,” the movie promises to deliver moving surprise not only to longtime fans of the original but also to a brand-new audience. The film stars four high school girls portraying the roles of Kamion (kamiòn), Himesha (himesha), Dehana (de_hana), and A’mei (a’mei), who are set to make their major debut as idols on December 31. As they prepare for their debut, they are also confronted with a destiny to save the universe—making for an extraordinary story…

…Meanwhile, the members of cosmosy are reportedly undergoing intense training in Korea in preparation for their major debut.

— NTT Docomo Station & Live

In Korea, though, cosmosy had been marketed as “BLACKPINK‘s creative director’s new girl group.” Even before their debut in Japan, the group had faced some backlash for “piggybacking on various K-Pop groups’ concepts.”

BLACKPINK Creative Director’s New Girl Group Receives Backlash From Netizens

That all said, the manga-to-life group’s “Lucky One” performance on Music Bank is not being all too well received by K-Pop fans.

Netizens across online communities, like theqoo, expressed utter confusion—mostly flabbergasted by the lack of quality in the members’ hair, makeup, and overall styling.

“You gotta be kidding. Like, it’s not even a full-on costume, it’s half-a*sed and that just makes it weirder.”
“There was no effort put into this.”
“If you’re going with this kind of concept, you have to spend some money. I feel bad for the members.”
“Looks more like a white person cosplay than an elf cosplay.”
“I swear I saw comedian An Young Mi do something like this when I was in elementary school.”
“Please… Invest some money into the quality.”
“??? Thought it was Gag Concert. If they’re like XG, isn’t this just J-Pop trying to mimic K-Pop?”
“Seriously thought it was Gag Concert makeup… If you’re doing a concept like this, you really have to invest in the hair, makeup, and styling…”
“So basically, J-Pop trying to enter the Korean market?”
“Thought it was comedy makeup.”
“An all-Japanese K-Pop group…?”

“The wigs… Did they order from Temu…?”
“Typical Japanese idol quality.”
“I’m sorry, I… I didn’t think this was real. I thought it must be some sort of a parody or skit on a variety show.”
“The team name too—I thought it was a cosplay group… The wigs are so obvious.”
“The song was even more shocking.”
“I mean, forget about all four members being Japanese. What’s with those wigs and ears…?”
“Looks like something out of a manga.”
“Oh, I would’ve believed them to be comedians.”
“I thought it was SNL, lol.”
“Must be a trial version or something.”
“Are they dressed up as grandmas?”