Interesting, right? So are you ready to dive deep into the sea of information we have prepared for you about this Japanese K-pop group? If so, scroll down this article below to find out!
Honey Popcorn’s Profile
Group Name: Honey Popcorn Current status: active Debut date: March 21st, 2018 Debut track: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Current members: Yua Mikami, Moko Sakura, Nako Miyase, Ruka Tajima, and Sara Izumi Former member: Miko Matsuda Label: Kyun Create Official Accounts: Twitter: @HONEYPOPCORN1 Instagram: @honey_popcorn314 YouTube: Honey Popcorn
Yua Mikami
Profile
Stage Name: Yua (유아) Birth Name: Momona Kitō, known as Yua Mikami (三上悠亜) Position: Leader, Main Vocalist, Visual, Lead Dancer Date of Birth: August 16th, 1993 Zodiac: Leo Height: 159 cm (5’3″) Weight: – Blood Type: A Nationality: Japanese Twitter: @yua_mikami Instagram: @yua_mikami YouTube: Mikami Yua
Facts
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan is her place of birth Yua-chan and Yuanya are her nicknames Before joining Honey Popcorn, she used to be a member of a Japanese supergroup After becoming an adult artist, she joined as a member of Gravure idol group Ebisu Muscats
Moko Sakura
Profile
Stage Name: Moko (모코) Birth Name: Ito Yuu, known as Moko Sakura (桜もこ) Position: Vocalist Date of Birth: March 19th, 1991 Zodiac: Pisces Height: 153 cm (5’0″) Weight: – Blood Type: B Nationality: Japanese Instagram: @mokochan319 Twitter: @moko_sakura3
Facts
Saitama, Japan, is her place of birth She used to be a member of the Japanese group Bakusute Sotokanda Icchome
Sara
Profile
Stage Name: Sara Position: Lead Vocalist, Visual, Rapper Twitter: @sara_izumi_ Instagram: @sara_izumi
Facts
She joined the group in June 2019
Ruka
Profile
Stage Name: Ruka Name: Ruka Tajima Position: Vocalist Date of Birth: 1996 Blood Type: A
Facts
She joined the group in June 2019 Doing yoga is her hobby She is really good at swimming She found about Honey Popcorn’s audition because she had been following Yua’s Twitter account beforehand
Nako Miyase
Profile
Stage Name: Nako Birth Name: Nako Miyase Position: Lead Vocalist, Rapper, Main Dancer, Maknae Date of Birth: 1997 Blood Type: 0 Instagram: @nakorin_official Twitter: @nakomiyase
Facts
She joined the group in June 2019 Before joining the group, she was a member of a Japanese underground idol group called Sherbet She is a gravure model Taking shrine tours all over Japan is her hobby She has been taking classical ballet classes since she was 10 years old
Facts
Osaka, Japan, is her hometown She used to be a member of the Japanese supergroup NMB48, using the name Yoshiko Matsuda She is also a Gravure idol in Japan When asked about a K-pop singer she’d like to meet, she mentioned that she’d like to meet TWICE members She announced her graduation from the group on December 22nd, 2018 It was reported that her health was the main reason for her ‘graduation’ as she talked about the harsh environment of being a K-pop idol and her poor physical condition
Honey Popcorn’s Debut Era
Honey Popcorn debuted with three members only (Yua Mikami, Moko Sakura, and a former member, Miko Matsuda) on March 21st, 2018, with the release of the album Bibidi Babidi Boo. Prior to their debut, the three members had already been known as members of Japanese idol groups with Mikami Yua being a member of SKE48, Matsuda Miko being a member of NMB48, and Moto Sakura being a former member of Bakusute Sotokanda Icchome. Not only that, but the three members have also been known as former adult videos (AV) stars in Japan. Thus, when the news of their debut was first released, it drew a lot of controversies in Korea. Because this is the first time an AV idol has debuted in a K-pop country, it has made some Korean music lovers furious. Even when Yua Mikami posted a picture of their upcoming debut showcase, her Instagram was immediately attacked by K-pop music fans. Their comments on average contained a negative tone, satire, even name-calling the idol. But, despite all the hate and rejection, the group managed to debut on March 21st, 2018, with the release of a mini-album and track titled Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo. Not only that, but Honey Popcorn also held a debut showcase on the same day. Reporting from Soompi, on March 22nd, 2018, the three young girls expressed their gratitude and joy to debut as K-pop idols in their showcase. “It feels like I haven’t debuted yet. I’m very happy. The teaser was released at midnight yesterday and I was very nervous. I couldn’t sleep and I watched it many times,” Yua said. They also addressed their controversial background in South Korea. “It’s true that we are adult film actresses in Japan, and it is a job that we are doing in earnest. But, now, we want to focus on our activities as Honey Popcorn,” added Yua. “While preparing for our debut, I had expected that there would be pros and cons due to the difference in Japanese and Korean culture. But because many people supported us, I wanted to work harder to meet the public’s expectations,” Miko added. Even until they debuted, the pros and cons were still happening, especially among South Korean netizens. Korean netizens fear that Honey Popcorn will damage the image of the K-pop world in the eyes of the world. Here are some responses from Korean netizens to Honey Popcorn’s debut, which have been quoted from Netizenbuzz: “Why should we accept adult film actresses who can’t even debut in their own country? Are they trying to ruin the K-pop image? Go back to your country.” “Do they really think we don’t know that this is just a means of getting the K-pop group title so they can go back to exploiting the adult film industry in Japan?” “The Japanese music market is bigger, why do you want to work in Korea?”
