A fansite master of (G)I-DLE’s Shuhua faced severe criticism from Chinese fans after posting candid, unedited images of the idol
Recently, a dedicated Homma (fan page master) for (G)I-DLE Shuhua found themselves at the center of a heated controversy after sharing unedited photos of the idol. The incident unfolded when the fan page master uploaded candid shots from a recent fan meeting, aiming to showcase Shuhua’s natural beauty.
However, these unedited images quickly drew intense backlash from the Chinese fanbase. Accusations ranged from claims of the photos not accurately representing Shuhua to allegations of the fan page master being an anti-fan. The criticism seemed contradictory, especially since these same fans frequently praise Shuhua for her natural beauty in “unedited” pictures that are often subtly edited.
Shuhua for Covernat pic.twitter.com/XnmhyKWdEA
— shuhua pics (@shuhuafeed) July 2, 2024
One fan shared their sentiment: “Shuhua’s Chinese fans were furious after seeing these photos. They complained, saying that Shuhua doesn’t look like that and accusing the fan page master of being an anti-fan. Consequently, the Homma who posted the pictures deleted them and posted an explanation tweet instead.”
Some fans, however, rallied to defend the fansite master, arguing that Shuhua looks stunning in both edited and unedited pictures. Comments in defence include: “Calling someone ugly just because their face bloated for one day out of 365 days is so petty, lol,” and “Seriously, did you lose your mind leaving a comment on mobile? Shuhua is pretty even in just random press photos.”
A fan adds, “The person commenting seems to enjoy criticizing others, lol. When they criticized Chungha, Miyeon, and Shuhua before, it was quite malicious. It seems like they’re probably the ones writing these comments themselves, lol.”
This incident underscores the complexities of image management within the K-pop industry, highlighting the ongoing tension between authenticity and idealization. As K-Pop continues to captivate global audiences, the debate over the ethics of image editing and its impact on fan perceptions is poised to persist.
