Rain is a K-pop star that needs no introduction. But while he’s undeniably a talented artist, fans have started wondering if he’s a capable handler, too. 

Concerns about him as a talent producer have escalated recently. To the point that his performance at the KCON LA 2023  reportedly received a black ocean from the attendees. 

But why is there a hate for Rain to begin with? And was he really met with a black ocean during KCON LA 2023? 

 

Rain as an artist and producer

For starters, Rain is an established singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor. With seven studio albums, three extended plays, and more than thirty singles under his belt, there’s no denying how rich his musical career is. 

Additionally, he’s also a seasoned actor, having starred both in local Korean projects and international ones. 

 

In fact, he was even included in Time’s 100 most influential people in the world for the years 2006 and 2011. It’s a real testament on how much of a global superstar Rain is. 

Unfortunately, his knack as an artist seemingly didn’t translate well to him being a good record producer. 

 In November 2007, Rain started his own entertainment company J.Tune Entertainment, or formerly known as Rainy Entertainment. Said agency had a subsidiary called J.Tune Camp, which debuted the boy group MBLAQ in October 2009. However, JYP Entertainment merged with J.Tune Entertainment in December 2010 and became the latter’s shareholder. 

In September 2015, Rain announced that he’ll be creating his own one-man emergency. 

In December 2020, he revealed that he’s planning to debut a new boy group next.

Come March 2021, the seven-piece act Ciipher made their debut. The members were reportedly handpicked by Rain himself, as some of them have previously appeared on survival shows such as Produce X 101, Under Nineteen, and YG Treasure Box. 

The backlash against Rain 

However, Rain’s competence in handling the group has been put into spotlight when four members of Ciipher announced their departure from the group. 

In early August, Dohwan, Tag, Tan, and Won left the group following the expiration of their contracts. 

As for the remaining members, Hwi, Hyunbin, and Keita, they will reportedly regroup as a trio in the future. Although final plans about them have yet to be announced. 

Unsurprisingly, the news wasn’t received well by the fans. Many were speculating that Ciipher was mistreated and mismanaged when they were active as a group. 

 

Additionally, several fans related Ciipher’s situation to the previous idol groups that Rain managed such as MBLAQ and Madtown. Despite the popularity and potential of the two latter groups, they weren’t given enough promotion to the public, as compared to their idol contemporaries. 

 

With this, fans were intent to express their displeasure against Rain and planned to boycott his performance at the KCON LA 2023. 

Some even pointed out that instead of him performing in the show, Ciipher should’ve been in Rain’s position instead. 

How KCON LA attendees reacted to Rain’s set

Even before Rain’s performance, there were several fans who were organizing a black ocean during this set. 

For those unfamiliar, a black ocean is wherein the attendees turn off their lightsticks and stop cheering for the performer as a form of protest. 

“I don’t care what your opinion is on a black ocean nor Rain’s legacy in K-pop. This man ruined and crushed the dreams [of] seven talented boys. He literally openly said he regretted funding their dreams! He deserves no cheers and no lightstick ocean regardless of his status in K-pop,” one fan wrote. 

According to the attendees of KCON LA, Rain was reportedly met with a lukewarm response during his performance. 

Clips of Rain reportedly being booed and flipped by attendees also circulated on social media. An attendee was also seen holding a “We wanted Ciipher” sign during Rain’s performance. 

However, several attendees also claimed that it wasn’t to the point that it can be called a black ocean. Although many did agree that compared to the stages of other artists, Rain’s KCON LA performance wasn’t as loud. 

“It felt more like most people simply didn’t know Rain, rather than mass action,” one wrote. 

 

As of writing, Rain has yet to acknowledge the supposed protest. 

Featured image: Rain updates fans with new photo of him. Credit: Twitter/Rain Company