BTS's V has once again taken Japan by storm, securing the number one spot in multiple popularity rankings and dazzling fans with his spectacular birthday event, ‘TaeTaeLand’!

In the final week of December 2024, V achieved an incredible milestone by ranking first in the male idol category on Japan’s popular idol ranking site “NEHAN.” This victory marked an astonishing 196 consecutive weeks at the top, solidifying his status as a top-tier idol in Japan.

V’s reign didn’t stop there. He also continued to shine on the Korean actor popularity site “BIHAN,” holding the top position in the “Actor Popularity Ranking” category for 45 consecutive weeks. Additionally, he topped the “20s Korean Actors” category for a remarkable 204 weeks in a row.

Not only did he dominate idol rankings, but V also ranked number one on “K-board” for an impressive 152 consecutive weeks in the “K-pop Idol Popularity Ranking.” His winning streak extended to various categories, including the “Korean Drama Male Actor General Election” and the “Flower Boy Election.” On “KPOP JUICE,” he accumulated an impressive 5.44 million votes, securing his place at number one.

But that’s not all—V’s influence in Japan was evident as fans went all out to celebrate his birthday on December 30, 2023. The fan group “TaeTaeUniverse” orchestrated 18 exciting projects under the theme “HAPPY V DAY,” and Japanese fans also hosted several activities in his honor.

Japan was alive with advertisements celebrating V’s birthday, with his video shown on giant billboards across major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Ehime, Akita, Sapporo, and Okinawa. One of the most eye-catching displays was in Osaka's Dotonbori district, where a boat named “Winter Prince” cruised the main street, passing the iconic Glico billboard and grabbing the attention of both locals and Korean tourists alike.

In another first for K-pop, V’s birthday ads were displayed simultaneously on bus shelters in both Korea and Japan, showing his global reach. In Nagoya, the “Water Spaceship” at Oasis 21 lit up in purple, representing V’s famous “Borahae” (I Purple You) message, and the Chubu Electric Mirai Tower displayed a birthday tribute. The Sapporo TV Tower also hosted a birthday light-up ceremony.

As a special gesture, “TaeTaeUniverse” also published a special edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and made a donation to the Japanese Red Cross to help those affected by earthquakes.

With all of these incredible achievements, it’s no surprise that V continues to reign as one of Japan’s most beloved K-pop idols. His influence, both in rankings and fan events, shows no signs of slowing down!

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The battle between NewJeans (NJZ) and HYBE just got more intense! During a court hearing, NewJeans presented evidence claiming that ILLIT’s concept, styling, and choreography are too similar to theirs!

On March 7, the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing on ADOR’s injunction request to stop NewJeans (Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, Hyein) from operating independently and signing advertising contracts without ADOR’s approval.

NewJeans’ legal team didn’t hold back, stating, “HYBE launched ILLIT as a copy of NewJeans. They tried to damage NewJeans’ brand and replace them.”

They added, “Even HYBE employees noticed it. NewJeans debuted three years earlier, but their project plans look shockingly similar. The structure, documents, and content are nearly identical.”

NewJeans’ side even compared hanbok photoshoots of both groups, saying, “At first glance, you can’t tell which one is NewJeans and which one is ILLIT.”

They added, “Why did they have to copy the same colors, styles, and textures? Even fans were the first to point this out, saying, ‘This is too much.’”

They also accused ILLIT of copying NewJeans’ iconic choreography. They presented a side-by-side comparison video of NewJeans’ “Attention” dance move, claiming that ILLIT directly copied it.

“Some people said ILLIT was just paying homage to their seniors, but NewJeans never gave permission for that,” they stated. “This is an unauthorized and almost identical copy of our signature moves.”

Instead of responding to these accusations, NewJeans’ side claimed that HYBE launched an internal audit against Min Hee-jin and engaged in media play. They added, “HYBE simply said, ‘We can’t determine if this is plagiarism, so let’s wait for the court’s ruling.’”

NewJeans members are fighting to leave ADOR, claiming their exclusive contract ended on November 28, 2023.

They even announced their new group name, ‘NJZ’, and have started independent promotions, including a song release at ComplexCon Hong Kong on March 23.

However, ADOR insists that NewJeans is under contract until July 31, 2029. The agency has filed lawsuits to prove the contract is still valid and to stop NewJeans from signing solo advertisement deals.

As the legal battle continues, fans are left wondering—is this just the beginning of an even bigger fight?

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