lydia

The whole lightstick situation has been blown out of proportion into an "ifans vs kfans" war, with people outside the fandom (who know nothing) jumping on it. I don't condone bullying and attacking, but some stuff needs context for better understanding, which I'll break down below: LUCY's name is inspired by a dog that often visited the members at the studio during the Superband period. It's a precious name, and it's related to how the fandom name "왈왈 (Walwal)" came to be. Walwal is a Korean onomatopoeia, like a cute "woof woof" sound. The members think their personalities are as playful as puppies, and their fans are just as cute. It's been an inside joke between members and fans for a long time. The choice of fandom name back then was between "Walwal" and "시댕이 (Sidaengi)", and Walwal won. There are no bad intentions behind the fandom name; it's not to dehumanize fans. Walwal itself has been made into 2 mascots (Walwal and WAL), both are dogs, one blue and one white (photo attached below if you want to see). The discourses among kfans are: 1. Is a lightstick necessary? There has been ongoing discourse among kfans whether LUCY is an idol band or an indie band. Right now, LUCY is sitting in the middle - they are formed by themselves (not made by an agency), having big creative control, composing songs and doing everything by themselves, going busking and all like indie bands. However, they are in an agency that manages idols and do promotional activities (music shows, fansign, photocards, etc.) like idols. In the Korean music scene, idol bands are often underestimated and not taken seriously. I understand why some fans don't want LUCY to be seen as an idol band. It is sad that this stereotype exists, because both indie bands and idol bands have the skills and make good music. Like it or not, Korean fan culture is very different. They are very all-in. Even though the members themselves said fans don't have to buy, the peer pressure in Korean fandom is very high: it's kind of a must to buy albums and things related to fan identity, like memberships and lightsticks. The talk about lightsticks itself has been going on since 2021 and was brought up again in 2024 xitter.gq/i/status/1839314799349… Some fans want a lightstick because it is a part of their fandom identity. Some Korean idol bands (DAY6, N.Flying, The Rose, ONEWE, etc.) and Japanese bands have it. Yechan and Wonsang are supportive of the lightstick idea. Sangyeop thinks it's not a must, and phone flashlights are enough. Both opinions are valid. Having a lightstick would make LUCY lean more toward the idol band side. It is also an additional cost for fans to buy. It can be a hassle to carry. Understandably, fans want something nice to hold. Or maybe, not at all. 2. The lightstick design itself I think the bone lightstick design aligns with the Walwal name, because puppies are often associated with dog bones or paw shapes. It turns out that Yechan and Wonsang also took part in the design. Some fans like it and think it's cute. Many don't like it and might as well not have a lightstick at all. Could the design be better? Yes. In my opinion, the design right now is kinda plain. It can definitely be improved and made prettier. 3. Possible copying / plagiarism issue It turns out that another band, 7to8, has a bone-shaped lightstick. xitter.gq/i/status/2046793110920… As a lightstick is part of the band's identity, having overlapping designs might cause a problem. With all the stuff listed above, I understand why Mystic decided not to continue with the lightstick. The company should have done more research, conducted a fan survey to see the demand, and also made a better design. Some fans who didn't like it indeed took things too far, insulting the design. It's okay to not like something, but that doesn't justify a nasty attitude and the entitlement to hate. It is not okay to insult and hate people who worked on the design, especially since the members (Wonsang and Yechan) are involved. And if we also insult those fans, aren't we the same as those awful fans, judging and insulting other human beings? Please stop attacking. Let's support our boys 🙏