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On Tuesday, March 5, RIIZE revealed the design for their upcoming official lightstick, which is scheduled to be released in April. From the rough outline that was featured in their poster, fans could make out that the lightstick resembled a clenched hand with the thumb and index finger pointing out. Following the design reveal, netizens had a wide range of reactions.
While some people appreciated the design since it looked unique and distinct from the lightsticks of other K-pop artists, others thought it was too immature and silly. Given that lightsticks often stand as a representation of the group and their fandom, many expressed that they weren't happy with the design since it looked too simple and failed to represent RIIZE's ideals.
Since the whole design has yet to be disclosed, fans hope that the lightstick undergoes some changes in response to the criticism it received from netizens. However, some fans have also been defending the design by stating that it isn't too bad and that they are happy with the unique take.
Netizens debate over RIIZE's official lightstick design
All K-pop artists release luminous lightsticks that are meant to represent their values, themes, etc. Most fans belonging to a particular fandom try to get their hands on the lightstick, as it often stands as an essential item for them, especially when they attend concerts.
Therefore, when the rookie K-pop boy group, RIIZE, announced that they'd be releasing their own lightstick soon, fans were delighted to hear the news.
However, the announcement elicited a variety of reactions. On one hand, fans expressed that they loved the design as it stood out from the other K-pop lightsticks on the market and also had a hilarious undertone to it. Furthermore, they felt it fit well with RIIZE's identity as a group because the lightstick resembled a '7', which represents the number of members in the group.
On the other hand, fans and netizens were dissatisfied with the design. Since lightsticks represent both the fandom and the K-pop group, several people expressed that more thought and details should have been put into creating the lightstick design. People also expressed that the design looked too similar to the hand of the Disney character Mickey Mouse, which only made the discussions around the lightstick all the funnier.
In terms of similarities, many fans noted that RIIZE's lightstick design resembled Epik High's lightstick, which featured a hand showing the middle finger. Regardless, fans have largely been disappointed with the design and are hoping that SM Entertainment will make changes when revealing the full-fledged design.
Netizens have also gotten to a point where they're hoping for Epik High members to call out plagiarism and claim rights for the design so that SM Entertainment will be forced to release a new lightstick design for their rookie K-pop group.
In other exciting news, RIIZE will be kickstarting their first fan con tour, RIIZING DAY, in May 2024, where they are expected to make several stops across the globe.
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