Kpop idols who are not official visual members of their groups but still stand out for their appearance
BTS’s Jin, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, aespa’s Winter,… are often compared to the “unofficial” visual members of their groups.
Before launching an idol group, management companies will assign specific and suitable roles to each member. In which, the most eye-catching members in charge of the visual position often serve as the groups’ “stan attractors”, so they are as important as the representative face or center.
However, not all netizens agree with the “visual” title that Kpop group members are given. The following idols, despite being known as the official visuals of their group lineups, are often compared to other members in the same group. There are visual members who are both beautiful and talented, but lack media coverage, while some others get involved in controversy because their talents are considered to be not on the same level as their looks.
aespa: Winter vs. Karina
Winter has garnered much attention since SM released the first teaser photos for aespa thanks to her refreshing and clean visuals, which are on par with SM’s standards. Winter’s face is also believed to resemble her senior Taeyeon (Girls’ Generation).
However, after aespa’s debut, Karina with a surreal AI-like visual is the one who regularly appear in the visual rankings. In addition, instead of Winter, Karina is also considered the member who best fits the fictional universe and futuristic concept that SM establishes for aespa. This has caused Karina to overshadow Winter at times.
The debate over who is the real visual of aespa became more heated during the group’s first overseas schedule in the US. In the unedited photos, while Karina flaunts her flawless visual, Winter receives mixed reactions because her features and skin don’t look as radiant as in edited photos.
Currently, it seems that Karina has more advantages to reach the level of a top female idol. But considering that SM has never failed to promote their official visuals, Winter still has plenty of opportunities to turn the tables in the future.
BLACKPINK: Jisoo vs. Jennie
The visual battle within BLACKPINK seems to have no end. It’s almost impossible to pick a winner in BLACKPINK in terms of looks alone. However, Jisoo is the one and only member in charge of the official visual position of the group.
BLACKPINK fans are always proud that Jisoo’s beauty is Miss Korea-level. But many netizens claim that, although Jisoo is the official visual, when it comes to BLACKPINK, don’t most people think of Jennie first?
Compared to Jisoo, Jennie does not have the standard Korean beauty. But BLACKPINK’s main rapper exudes a unique and classy aura that makes it difficult for anyone to not be drawn to her. Jennie’s charming appearance may have unintentionally caused Jisoo’s soft visual to be overshadowed and extended the difference in popularity between the two.
BTS: Jin vs. V
Similar to BLACKPINK, the visuals of BTS members are always a trending discussion on social media. Netizens constantly compare the warm beauty that adheres to Korean standards of the group’s oldest member Jin with V’s enchanting visual and cold, one-of-a-kind aura.
Since everyone has their own taste when it comes to looks, it’s hard to decide who is more handsome between the two. However, in terms of fandom size and media coverage, perhaps V still outranks his fellow member.
TWICE: Tzuyu vs. Sana, Mina, Nayeon
In the case of TWICE, the group is known as an all-visual girl group. Because each person has their own charm, Korean netizens have long agreed that it is not worth wasting time comparing them.
However, there is still a small part of Kpop fans who think that JYP is wasting Tzuyu‘s beauty, leading her to gradually disappear on most prestigious visual charts. Instead, the trio of Nayeon, Sana and Mina seem to become new representative faces of TWICE.
While Sana is famous for her innocent and charming visuals, Mina brings a natural elegant aura. When combined with Nayeon’s bright and energetic beauty, the trio completes a perfect visual combination.
(G)I-DLE: Shuhua vs. Miyeon
Shuhua of (G)I-DLE is the type of visual idol who is pretty but lacks charisma. Except for her delicate face, Shuhua has almost nothing to attract the public. Furthermore, Shuhua’s musical ability does not appear to be sufficient to compensate for her severe lack of charisma on stage.
On the other hand, (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon also often receives criticism for her poor dancing ability. But Miyeon takes on the role of main vocalist, actively interfering with acting and MC roles. This results in her visual, which is not inferior to Shuhua’s, being enthusiastically received by the public while also creating a significant difference in status between the two girls.
Oh My Girl: Jiho vs. Arin, YooA
Arin and YooA are the two most prominent Oh My Girl names right now in terms of public recognition and individual fandom. The two are also frequently praised for having the best looks in the group, making everyone forget that Jiho is the group’s official visual.
In fact, Oh My Girl’s management company, WM Entertainment, also put a lot of effort into pushing Jiho by using her personal image as the thumbnail for most of the group’s joint MVs. However, with many individual activities such as solo debut, MCing of music programs, Arin and YooA still completely overwhelmed her in popularity. What an ironic reality!
IZ*ONE: Hyewon vs. Sakura, Minjoo
In fact, Hyewon is not the only official visual of IZ*ONE. IZ*ONE is famous for being a flower forest where each member has a distinct color, and the “visual line” including Hyewon, Sakura, and Minjoo were once the key elements that captivated fans.
However, when compared to Sakura or Minjoo, many people have complained that Hyewon lacks the aura of an idol. Many people are fed up with Hyewon’s bad stage presence and hope that she will return to pursue her acting career soon. Obviously, her beauty is not inferior to Sakura and Minjoo’s, but in Hyewon’s case, perhaps talent is the issue that prevents her from becoming a famous idol.
