SM Entertainment's rookie boy group RIIZE is set to release their official light stick and has unveiled a preview before the official launch.
On March 5, RIIZE shared a teaser featuring a shadow of a hand pointing upwards with the words "RIIZE Official Fanlight Coming Soon." The official light stick is scheduled for release in April.
However, upon the release of the light stick design, fans quickly expressed their opinions, and some requested a change to the design.
Some RIIZE fans noted the similarity between RIIZE's light stick and the light stick of another group, Epik High's 'Park Kyu Bong,' which was released in November 2023 and is shaped like a hand holding up the middle finger.
Furthermore, concerns were raised by fans regarding the hand gesture used in the design, as it resembles a gesture considered insulting in some countries.
In Japan, the hand gesture with the index and thumb pointed outward signifies "cursing" and is advised against.
Fans have been expressing their concerns through SM Entertainment's 'KWANGYA 119,' a platform designed for fans to report issues directly to the label.
Many fans are also taking to social media and various online communities to express their dissatisfaction and shared comments such as "RIIZE light stick sucks," "This seems like plagiarism," "The design looks so weird and it is plagiarism. So they need to change the design right away," "Please change the design," "It just sucks," "That can cause controversy," "There's already a similar design and it's not that pretty," and "They have a Japanese member in the group. They should've considered the design more."
Source(1)