HYBE Under Fire After Netizens Notice Similarities Between “Crimson Heart” Webtoon Concept And GFRIEND’s “Tale of Glass Bead”

Fans trended #ThankYouGfriend to support the group!

In a recent video on November 4, K-Pop agency HYBE shared plans for the company’s future with fans. From the controversial NFT, webtoons, and groups set to debut, fans were given a glimpse into the future of what they can expect.

When it came to the webtoons, fans couldn’t help but notice that, alongside BTS, TXT, and ENHYPEN‘s original stories, HYBE also announced the release of “Crimson Heart.”

The graphic for “Crimson Heart” webtoon | HYBE

While many are speculating that it could be linked to the girl group set to debut at some point under the company, it caught the attention of netizens for other reasons. In particular, many believed that the storyline showcased in the teaser resembled GFRIENDs’ storyline in “A Tale of the Glass Bead: Butterfly Effect.”

The concept artwork for GFRIEND’s concept | GFRIEND Official/ YouTube
The concept artwork for GFRIEND’s concept | GFRIEND Official/ YouTube

The videos and storyline shared were based on a fictional universe created by GFRIEND. Like the new HYBE concept, this storyline followed the story of six girls in a mysterious land, and one user on social media shared the similarities of both stories.

Another user also shared the similarities and accused HYBE of taking many of the aspects of GFRIEND’s storyline and changing the wording to make it seem different or unique.

When the news was first released, fans quickly took to social media to share the similarities and tweeted with the hashtag #ThankYouGFriend in the hope that netizens would realize that there seemed to be distinct similarities between HYBE’s new concept what GFRIEND released in the past.

Many fans have raised their concerns because GFRIEND used to be part of HYBE’s subsidiary label Source Music. Many see it as a sign of disrespect to the group and fans, especially after what the members went through.

HYBE has yet to respond to the allegations. You can read more about the announcements below.

HYBE Announces New Artist Webtoons, A New BTS Game, NFTs, A Global Girl Group, And New Japanese Boy Group

GFRIEND