Here at kpopalypse.com we love to reboot a good long-running series. We also love to reboot a completely shit long-running series that had been previously consigned to the dustbin for the greater good of humanity. Let’s lock in for another episode of Kpopalypse Plagiarism Fun Times!
Obviously I’ve resisted writing more k-pop plagiarism posts for the last eight years because I am a normal human with a brain and plagiarism in k-pop is always stupid shit that’s not even real or worth discussing. However one group has truly been plagiarism-maxxing lately and that is Illit, racking up far more plagiarism accusations than any other group in k-pop possibly ever. So I felt that I needed to do one of these posts in order to acknowledge the impact of the true plagiarism-dols of our time.
Before we get started, your ready reference of plagiarism-related trufax:
Introduction to plagiarism
Plagiarism explained a bit more because people kept fucking asking about it
Plagiarism explained even more in a desperate last ditch attempt to shut people up (no such luck)
These old crusty links might be helpful if you’ve never read anything that I’ve written about plagiarism before (lucky you) or you’re struggling to understand any terminology. Once you’ve read the posts linked above, if you decide that you still give a shit, please let’s continue as we discuss
ILLIT
Before we get into the plagiarism, it’s probably important for you to get a picture of what I think of Illit in general.
What do I think of their songs? Like any k-pop group the quality varies, but generally speaking Illit’s hit-miss ratio is above average and they’re right now one of k-pop’s better girl groups for song quality. Maybe not so much for innovation, we’ll get to that shortly, but the better songs are really great and the crappier songs aren’t absolutely abysmal in the grand scale of crappy songs by k-pop groups.
What do I think of the members of Illit? Honestly I still don’t know who any of these girls even are. I do know that Minju is a Katarina one-trick main in League Of Legends with platinum rank and 700k mastery and if you don’t know what any of that shit means because you actually have a life just know that it means she’s even more of a fucking toxic nerd than I am, but I couldn’t pick her out in a crowd of people if she wasn’t midlaning at the time. That’s all I got.
It’s cool that I just copy-paste this same introduction each time I have to do one of these boring posts and make minor changes. Anyway now that you have a full picture of exactly how much bias you can expect in this article, let’s move onto the Illit plagiarism accusations, and wow there are several:
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #1: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans because they are both a girl group
NewJeans (probably)
NewJeans (probably not, but then again, maybe)
Illit and NewJeans are both girl groups on the same label (kind of) with five members (kind of) and so therfore Illit is clearly copying NewJeans. Yes this is a real accusation and yes it even went to court so you know it’s srs bzns. The court ruled however that you cannot copyright simply being a k-pop.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #2: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because they had the same hair and clothes
Hanni from NewJeans on the lift, Moka from Illit on the right. Moka should have removed the tie and stood in front of a blander background to complete the look.
Apparently if you’re a hairdresser and two people come in wanting the same hairstyle, you have to cut it slightly differently for the second person or the first person could sue them. K-pop fans are pretty sure about this. Just wait until all those k-pop boys with short back and sides start suing each other.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #3: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because they both went to Paris fashion week
NewJeans on the left, ILLIT on the right. Standing and looking bored in front of a fashion logo is a plagiarism, of other bored people who get paid enough to enough to stand in front of a fashion logo. Wait, who thought “Acne Studios” was a good name? The fuck?
If you ever find yourself losing in life enough to where you might actually consider going to some lame fashion show, just know that if you weren’t the first person into the venue, you owe somebody else in the crowd royalties. For bonus points Illit were also accused of having “no star quality” when they attended this event, which also means they’re plagiarising other people with no star quality like Kpopalypse.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #4: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because they both did a hanbok photoshoot
NewJeans paved the way for hanbok photoshoots apparently, so when Illit also did a hanbok photoshoot, it was a plagiarism. Even wilder, apparently Illit’s company said “lots of other girl groups do this exact thing” and then Photoshopped some other girl groups’ hanbok photoshoots to make the colours match their own and NewJeans’ photoshoots more closely. This is trufaxual non-made-up thoughts from the Min Hee Jinster herself, so you know that it’s probably true, or if it isn’t, then it’s probably at least funny.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #5: ILLIT plagiarised BlackPink because BlackPink put pink text in capital letters in a pink box before ILLIT did it
Album covers of Blackpink’s first album, and Illit’s 4th mini album. Definitely two cases of pink text in capital letters in a bold font in a box over a black background in your area.
Just to mix things up a little, here’s a non NewJeans related plagiarism. Apparently it’s copyright to have a box around text. Don’t tell YG about that Microsoft Excel program or Bill Gates might have to put a hold on his Epstein statements to US congress so he can find time to appear in court in front of Jennie.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #6: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because they both had pre-debut content with a similar look
NewJeans predebut concept photo
Another NewJeans predebut concept photo… oh wait, this one’s Illit
School uniforms and shit photography have gone hand in hand in k-pop ever since H.O.T – except that H.O.T probably weren’t trying to look washed-out and crusty on purpose, they just didn’t have the pixels back then to do any better. However when Illit’s doing it, it’s apparently copying NewJeans. NewJeans also started the “random colourfully ugly clothes trend” and Illit probably did rip that off but then so did every other cunt in 2024. Still, that didn’t stop the big squeeze Min Hee Jin pointing this out herself, along with the parents of the NewJeans girls, who were apparently concerned that having their daughters look like absolute ass might somehow catch on and embarass everyone involved so they’d better clamp down on it before too many people copied it. Should have stepped up to the plate a bit quicker there, Mom and Dad.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #8: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because the choreographies for some songs are similar
Another accusation weirdly brought ot the table not just by k-pop fans but by Min Hee Jin who is an adult and should probably know better. Although if copyright applied to dance routines, you could sue everyone else in the line at line dancing so maybe that’s a good thing.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #9: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because both groups used fonts or something
Illit’s “Super Real Me” album comes with a super real shit title font
NewJeans apparently have copyright over all these fonts, especially the very innovative Helvetica font which isn’t also anywhere in particular
People made a fuss about these album fonts being similar. Seeing as how NewJeans have claimed most of the fonts that have ever existed in computer history, I expect more fontroversies soon… that is, if that group ever do anything again fucking ever besides sit on the couches in the HYBE building and mope.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation 10: ILLIT’s “Magnetic” plagiarises {insert any random NewJeans song here}
Illit apparently plagiarised some NewJeans song (doesn’t matter which one, just pick any one because you’re probably tone deaf anyway, the girl in this video picks two random ones because what is music really) plagiarising PinkPantheress plagiarising So Solid Crew and we should care apparently. I wish I was writing about PinkPantheress instead of fucking k-pop plagiarism arguments by useless wankstains right now.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #11: no, actually ILLIT’s “Magnetic” plagiarises IVE’s “OTT”
Except it doesn’t and they’re nothing alike other than being pop songs that go at the same BPM and have a roughly equivalent vocal meter.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #12: no wait, ILLIT’s “Magnetic” actually plagiarises some random R&B song from the 90s
Except the melodies are actually completely different and this fucker is literally tone deaf and reaching for the skies to get clicks. The last ultra-runny shit I did sounded more like “Magnetic” than this random-ass R&B song from some people I have never heard of and don’t care about because I am not randomR&Balypse.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #13: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because both groups used stickers for something or other
Some NewJeans stickers, for an album or some bullshit, although don’t ask me who in the fugly fuck is on that bottom right one
Some ILLIT stickers, for an album or some bullshit, god this looks like ass
Is your brain already falling on the floor? We’re not done yet! Apparently the idea of having stickers is a plagiarism now. Somehow NCT have managed to not be dragged into this particular controversy.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #14: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because both groups had some gay ass animation bullshit in a video
Here you can see the examples of NewJeans and Illit both doing gay ass animation bullshit in a video. Apparently only one group is allowed to do gay ass animation bullshit in a video, and if two groups do gay ass animation bullshit in a video, that’s a plagiarism of the other person’s gay ass animation bullshit in a video.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #15: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because ILLIT’s pedophile-pandering and child abuse is copying NewJeans’ pedophile-pandering and child abuse
We all know this one isn’t true. April paved the way so Min Hee Jin could walk along the path.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #16: ILLIT plagiarised some fashion label that sells white turtlenecks, because they wore white turtlenecks
If I was a fashion label I think I could easily double my income, by selling my fashions and then immediately suing whoever wore them.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #17: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans again because NewJeans did some fashion magazine thing and so did ILLIT
Wow, it’s almost like they’re both on the same parent company’s label who was able to lean on existing connections with the magazine editors to get both groups on the cover. What crazy plagiaristic times we live in.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #18: ILLIT plagiarised EXO because they did the L sign with their hands to promote some bullshit fandom name or whatever
Illit got into a spot of bother with deranged boy-fans when their fandom name Lillies was introduced and they thought they’d do a cute aegyo hand-shape to promote it – not so fast, young ladies! Anyone who thinks that the things I write in my fiction books aren’t realistic and are too far-fetched because how could stuff like that even possibly happen, just remember that we live in a real world where fans are earnestly trying to copyright making letter shapes with your hands. Talk about taking the L. Oh, and for bonus points they also pissed off fans of Blackpink’s Lisa and fans of NMIXX’s Lily with this one.
ILLIT plagiarism accusation #19: ILLIT plagiarised NewJeans yet again because they wore some… wait, what the fuck even is this?
What is a “sweat set”, that just sounds weird. Anyway Illit NewJeans plagiarism something something. You get the idea.
So there you go, that’s about it I think, and of course it’s all just some bullshit. I mean do I really need to go into any of this any deeper, of course not. Who gives a fuck anyway. But I think Illit do impress me as the new plagiarism-dols of the 2020s, I hope they keep it up and then I can do another post in eight more years with another 20 or so entries.
I’d better end this post with something actually real, as usual:
Completely trufaxual Kpopalypse ILLIT plagiarism accusation: Minju’s toxic Katarina midlane is a plagiarism of Eric Reprid’s toxic Zed midlane
Look at Minju here, gleefully smiling and laughing with her friends as her Katarina stomps on a bunch of little kids and makes them cry. What a little cunt. Definitely Kpopalypse stanning material.
But of course Eric Reprid got there first, as you can see he was talking about being a Zed midlane asshole back when cameras could only record in black and white. A true caonima.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed another Kpopalypse plagiarism post – Kpopalypse will return with more posts soon!