Rise and Fall of a Japanese Idol Group from America

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Have you ever heard of the Pre-Debut California-based Indie idol group called Sorbet? They appeared on tiktok last week and I witnessed the fastest unfolding of events in the span of a week. They went from posting fun member announcement videos along with promotional tiktoks to an apology video. The 3 members Alice, Berry, and Ashe don’t look like your typical Asian idols since they’re from America. Social media had a lot to say about their use of a Japanese accent and acting overly kawaii. There’s a lot of discourse about the ethics of cringe culture and how people are using it as an excuse to be mean. Rise and Fall of a Japanese Idol Group from America #edvasian

[@user-cd5zw3zs2u]

To be honest, everything was just blown out of proportion. These girls didn't deserve the hate they've received, not to mention the doxxing

[@ilikeyourcutg5597]

People took it out of context but the worse thing out of all is that they do not want the context and just want to hate

[@dollfie774]

They fetishize Japanese people and culture....that's what the hate is about

[@bugeatbugs]

It really wasn’t tbh Berry is a known asian fetishizer in her communities

[@bugeatbugs]

@@neko7606 shes in the spotlight, so she takes the hate that comes with it. its not like anybodys gonna go equally distribute all her hate to every other piece of shit out there

[@bugeatbugs]

@@neko7606 And not to mention i’m not just talking about the anime community, but the cosplay community, and the communities she attempts to infiltrate. its easy to guess her bf is from japan

[@niikonilla]

it's the fact that berry wasn't even pronouncing anything wrong. she was speaking fluent Japanese and people still called it mocking

[@lualas]

cus kpop stans don't know katakana exists

[@suika666]

​@@lualas I really hate that people think that it's kpop fans doing this. Trust me when I say that the people doing those things are fans of nothing but torment. I don't want to be associated with people like that, and I hate the breeding of hate that those people bring. I really hope that people don't see someone listening to BIGBANG or whatever and think that we're like that. 😢

[@orikitty]

Literally 💀 people who have no idea how to speak Japanese trying to have an opinion on this… like bro 🙃

[@paynow66]

I don't care what the Japanese say this shit is horrible 😂

[@gleebybooer]

@@ew52103 😢

[@AmehimeAmai]

As a Japanese person, Berry’s pronunciation was very good. You can tell they are based off katakana characters, however, she showed that she was overall great at speaking the Japanese language! I think that there’s nothing wrong with them expressing their interests, it’s even a bit inspiring. Their calls and responses were very cute as well!

[@monbub]

I agree! I think if they went to Japan, people would appreciate that she tried the accent and did it well! Especially since she can speak Japanese fluently. It's just that the tiktok viewers can't handle the war flashbacks from their weeb phases 😭

[@Lynnefala]

I lived in Japan for 10 years, and specifically in a small area to Osaka. People there had a very similar pronunciation!

[@kittysoftpaws3677]

​@@monbubLMAOOOO they think pronouncing things how they're supposed to be pronounced and not sounding like a white tourist is racist 🤣

[@madokami03]

@@kittysoftpaws3677and they scream “cultural appropriation!!!” any chance they get, over something that Japanese people love seeing foreigners do, like correctly learning their language or wearing their traditional clothes respectfully. It’s so astonishing seeing people speak for and over actual Japanese folks on what is and isn’t offensive to them

[@dismurrart6648]

​@@kittysoftpaws3677I took Japanese in college, I had a friend who wore lolita daily and was actually really competent in Japanese. I stopped being friends with her though because when we were studying, I'd ask her to practice Japanese with me and her response was always "no because you can't do a full conversation and only simple sentences so it's appropriation and cringey." Like, bitch, I'm LEARNING the language. I can do basic sentences and if you're so cool, why are you in the class where you spend half of it on "x wa y desu" ????

[@cerahan1077]

As a native Japanese speaker, Berry chans Japanese was very katakana based and kind of unnatural but I can tell she worked hard on her pronunciation and everything. She’s not trying to mock the culture, it’s cultural appreciation not cultural appropriation

[@RusticRonnie]

Its still cultural appropriation, cultural appropriation isn’t a bad thing its just the act of taking from a foreign culture. People just generally use it for negative things. Eating tacos is cultural appropriation too but its not a bad thing

[@zerotodona1495]

@@RusticRonniepeople tend for forget the US is a melting pot. It’s meant for cultural appropriation so everyone can be more chill. The issue is, foreigners refuse to conform to American standards. Such as American English our national language and writing in English/reading English.

[@__-pg7bd]

@@RusticRonnie D-Do you even know what cultural appropriation means? "the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc." - Google. How is eating a taco cultural appropriation? In the nicest way possible, you need to go outside and actually socially interact with real people

[@kirbysthiccthighs]

@@RusticRonniestop speaking over japanese people. cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation are not the same. stop trying to muddy the waters between them. one stems from a place of respect and appreciation- the other out of hatred and a wish to take/steal/claim something from another culture as your own.

[@kirbysthiccthighs]

@@matianatepa37THIS!! i’m so glad someone else was able to explain it better than me because as someone who grew up in america in a predominantly white neighborhood (despite being black) i have a general understanding x but not one as deep as i wish i did, so i love seeing more in depth opinions on it!!! you’re 10000% right and i’m so glad you explained it the way you did

[@HiHello-go2er]

As a Japanese I felt bad while watching her apology. If they actually tried to make it in Japan I’m sure they’ll gain some dedicated fan base here!

[@harpsdesire4200]

That's what I hope they do, go where you're wanted.

[@oqp489]

u japanese ppl worship white girls so

[@akanuii]

im japanese too and she didnt really have to make a apology too but why did they have to change from their own accents and then to a japanese one 😭

[@HeyyConnor]

@@akanuii girl if you’re Japanese you know there is no accent it’s just カタカナ英語

[@gomamon8439]

@@HeyyConnorid you just say everyone in Japan has the same accent..? Ignoring regional dialects?

[@BreakOrbit03]

They may be a bit cringe but they don't deserve to be doxed and have their lives ruined. Whoever is doing that to them is just malicious and cruel.

[@laobozu549]

Right? They're not harming anyone. If it was fake interest for fame at least, but Berry even learned japanese ? Doesn't that show they just want to share something that they love ! People don't even go that far to take down real evil people sometimes. They were just having fun 🤷🏾 As someone of reunionese (Creole) culture, I'd be really pleased if someone tried to learn and share my culture if they liked it as long as it is done with respect and care. They can be annoyed about the cringe, or because they think it's a stereotype and doesn't represent it accurately, but you can see they really care, so why not just move on, at last. Or just explain in a kind way why you're not at ease, from one well intended people to another.

[@Leoji0325]

Absolutely

[@tdelioncourt1268]

This! Honestly that's also crazy that we've become immuned to "kawaii" cringe. And then we start to go back to a "WTF am I watching" stage just because it's a white girl doing it. Like if asking grown ass japanese women to act like this isn't also a werid AF concept.

[@Adrastia]

It's really sad seeing people resort to doxxing over a big nothing. They are probably feeling all high and mighty over harassing some girls who did nothing wrong. This kind of harassment can lead to losing employment and being harassed everywhere online unless you change your handle and pretend you are someone else. No one should have to do that.

[@Jelly-wy6xr]

It's fucking sickening that people think that they deserve to be doxxed because they think they're "cringe" social media has dulled people's empathy so much that they have zero problems trying to ruin other people's lives over incredibly minor and petty shit like this, its incredibly disturbing to watch

[@vtheory7531]

I think Berry actually has the most accurate attitude and presence for a Jpop idol group. Energetic, cute, friendly are all what's appealing for Jpop idols. In western countries this might be seen as disingenuous and cringe unfortunately. Her Japanese pronounciation also isn't bad. She has a JP bf so maybe she practises a lot. Overall as an Asian person I don't see any malice or mockery in what these girls are doing. They seem to be trying hard to understand the idol style and I hope as they improve they'll get more success, esp if they're planning to go into the JP music market.

[@barbaral.7221]

Yeah! I've loved jpop for at least a decade and acting cute is very much part of the performance and appeal of idol groups. Honestly, I feel like there's a weird stigmatisation around Japanese culture in America, you can't even mention liking something Japanese without being side eyed. It's really strange

[@etienne8110]

I find it creepy. It s just grown up women acting cute to please a mostly male audience fantasizing on underage looking females... And taking it out of their original culture group makes it jist even creepier and obvious. Makes me cringe hard.

[@jazztheghost0]

Speaking another language SHOULD NOT be problematic. Trying to show respect by speaking in the target audience's accent is A GOOD THING. Even in the United States we are taught respect for other cultures in our language classes.

[@sofija642]

The people who are upset with her are from US though

[@chickenfoot2423]

literally. its wild that americans get so defensive and nasty over native english speakers using other languages. perhaps there are some issues to point out with this situation in particular, but its such a huge trend to tear people down for trying to speak other languages and being imperfect😭 they would never do that to non native english speakers, plus the actual speakers of the language just appreciate the trial and error of learning. in the wider picture its genuinely like americans are anti-intellectual despite complaining about being mostly monolingual.

[@IKickBabiesIntoTheHighway]

@@sofija642 of course they are🤦‍♀️

[@TeresaHopson-fp8nm]

​@@sofija642they're weird geeks who are mad. They think they need to protect Japan so their little anime dream land stays just how they want it. That way is only seeing Japanese people and not allowing anyone else (especially white people) into that space because it ruins the dream for them. The people against berry are the actual people fetishizing Japan and Japanese people. It's sad to see actual respect deemed as "racism and fetishizing".

[@saoirse_miller]

the problem was, from my perspective (keep in mind i am not japanese though) that she used a japanese accent, not her own accent, to speak english. this was called offensive because of the way japanese immigrants and japanese-americans have been mocked for having a japanese accent while speaking english. edit: just clarifying, i'm not saying i think berry was right or wrong. i'm just saying what the arguments against her sound like to me.

[@TheDarkness169]

You perfectly described it. It’s literally bullying disguised as virtue signaling. There are both stupid ignorant people who call anything cultural appropriation, and there are bad actors who just do shit like doxxing/harassment because it’s easier to get away with it if you hide behind “fighting racism” as your reasoning.

[@Widdekuu91]

@@paynow66 "Bully" redirects here. For other uses, see Bully (disambiguation). Share of children who report being bullied (2015) Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imbalance of physical or social power. This imbalance distinguishes bullying from conflict.[1][2] Bullying is a subcategory of aggressive behavior characterized by hostile intent, imbalance of power and repetition over a period of time.[3] Bullying is the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another individual, physically, mentally or emotionally.

[@negligible_reality]

@@paynow66 they were literally harassed and doxxed just because some assholes online thought they were cringe, I think it's more than fair to call that bullying

[@dilucwithamustache]

@paynow but.. it is.. Idols that have a japanese idol style is very common (outside japan, and in my country) they're passionate about what they're doing, but people send a death threat and mockery, that counts as bullying

[@jun350]

@@paynow66 they literally got harassed and *doxxed*, how the fuck those aren’t bullying?

[@idontreadorreply]

@@paynow66I guess you have bullied people and now feel bad about it

[@ElaAngelic]

Normalize young women expressing their interests without mockery 2023. It's cringe, but we were all cringey young people once.

[@tami3456]

No

[@beeboi0097]

​@tami3456 babe when you were a teenager you definitely did something that others around you was cringey as hell, or your dealing with that now and you'll realize how it's cringe when you get older. Let them be.

[@zagonzal]

This is actually a very sweet thought. I agree.

[@tami3456]

@@beeboi0097 first of all, ew, I'm not your babe. Second of all, it's *you're*. Thirdly, yeah ofc I've done/said cringy shit when I was a kid and teenager but none of it came close to being a weeb and trying to act all cutesy. I'm not the one trying to normalize that shit 🤡

[@tokyoyoongi5538]

They are legit Weaboos. This isn't some "random interest" that most young women are into.

[@rita8274]

The Lucky Lucky "Alice!" part was so cute. They're a bit much, and that's normal in JPOP industry, but they seem like a perfectly good Japanese styled pop group. They're not claiming to be Japanese and learned the proper way to do things. The US is so annoying about stuff sometimes.

[@ladynoir8243]

As an African who is multilingual, I am always proud. When I hear someone who speaks and dances like my cultural way i am always soo proud and happy for someone to know and love my culture like i do.

[@user-bm7pz6yo9w]

Sharing cultures and languages is a beautiful part of living in a multicultural world :) I feel really really happy when people engage in and appreciate my culture

[@ladynoir8243]

@@user-bm7pz6yo9w Ikr

[@bbkyuu]

bilingual latino here, my heart always feels so warm on the rare occasion i see people being "weaboos" of my own country/culture, like oh m gosh i cant believe you like us so much, it feels like an honour

[@gertrudesatekge2635]

Yk? This is exactly whynit makes me so sad when people call other people who are peacefully wearing braids or neads in their hair cultural appropriation.

[@riverselive_kdmz_8458]

​@@gertrudesatekge2635if u try to act black then that is racist. And some braids and some head wears are also having really deep meaning (btw im not black)

[@biihisme]

why does everything just automatically lead to doxxing and death threats nowadays? tiktok is truly deranged

[@Widdekuu91]

Not just Tiktok. It went wrong for me on Facebook one day. I used Google Translate and didn't bother checking it properly. It said 'coloured woman' instead of 'woman of colour' in my comment (which was btw a massive compliment-comment about an actress that was obscure, but in a picture. I said; 'That coloured woman has beautiful eyemake up, I love the way her lipstick compliments her skin.") Next day I had 42 hate-comments, a few deaththreats and some quite specific rape-threats, with someone that was very busy finding out where I lived and had already figured out where my city was and where in the neighbourhood I would be located. When I posted an apology and explained that I never had any ill-intent (didn't bother mentioning Google Translate and my lazyness, I figured that would not help) they said that, even a foreigner like me would have to realise that in the States, you cannot use that word. And since this was an American FB-page, the American laws and general rules existed there. So the harassment continued, until a moderator got very worried for my safety and took it upon herself to remove me. (Just saying, I never defended myself or attacked back, I tried to explain it twice, but it just made people tag their friends and then the harassment turned into more harassment.)

[@idontreadorreply]

@@Widdekuu91Reddit is also very dangerous

[@ukchanak]

​@@Widdekuu91 yeah this is why i left Facebook. People are insane. I'm only on discord now

[@Widdekuu91]

@@idontreadorreply Everyone told me to go on Reddit. I clicked on it once and it's not good. I've never seen that many men convinced that 'all women cheat, it is just a matter of when' and tips on how to tame your girl and make her a housewife and how to manipulate her and get yourself into the backdoor if she's made clear she's unwilling. I mean, I would rather eat some nice spiders (that are already dead) than join Reddit. I have the feeling it's like a place where men egg eachother on, until one actually _does it_ and then they all go; 'Hey bro, not cool. But very funny though' and egg the next on.

[@makesmewannadie647]

Twitter is THE worst you cant convince me otherwise. I never had tiktok so i dont know how toxic the people are there or alright lets justvsay tiktok and Twitter are the worst

[@justwalkingaround3455]

As an Asian I literally do not see how berry pronouncing English words in Japanese is offensive. She isn’t doing it with ill intent to mock. She is doing it because she admires the the manner of pronunciation. There’s a difference.

[@mjangelvortex]

Not to mention some Japanese words are loanwords from other languages, English being one of them. The Japanese word for Strawberry is actually just Strawberry.

[@Presnix324]

@@mjangelvortex the japanese word for strawberry is ichigo, but I think it's one of those things where using the english word "strawberry" is just getting more common

[@nicolilag126]

​@@Presnix324it's katakana!

[@RusticRonnie]

@@nicolilag126it’s slang. But its actually actively using English. Its like when a kid says nani instead of what. He is just using a Japanese word

[@oldpugs9261]

@@Presnix324 isn't it common when talking about flavors? like strawberry ice cream or something. my Japanese is very rusty though so I could be mistaken.

[@SquidClipps448]

I’m a Sorb3t stan until I die. But seriously the whole doxxing thing is so fucked up. Such a crazy overreaction to three girls doing what they love. They honestly did nothing wrong, they did everything with good intentions. I love their attitudes and how sweet they seem. I hate that people criticize non-Japanese people for liking Japanese stuff nowadays because of the whole “cringe weeb” stereotype. I’m super interested in Japan’s language, culture, food, etc. and I’m afraid that I will be picked on for revealing that interest. I’m inspired that Berry is so open and proud about expressing her interests. I hope the group is doing well now. :(

[@TheMbmdcrew]

I agree 100%. Being a white woman who’s minoring in the Japanese language and is fascinated by Japanese culture, I often hear people calling me a weeaboo and mocking me, and it hurts my heart.

[@kingdomofthecloudsthestars1086]

It's even worse for people who love anime, considering you can automatically get labelled as a weeb or cringe without a second thought. They wouldn't even care to see if you're actually cringe or not lol

[@desmond9740]

People really did NOT put an ounce of research on why Berry-chan said strawberry and blueberry the way she did... she pronounced them in KATAKANA.

[@orikitty]

This is just how jpop is. Jpop has “cringe” moments if u want to call them like that. I worked at a maid cafe in Akiba until April, and some of my coworkers were in a jpop group, and everything was really cutesy and “cringe”. There’s a lot of forgeiner idols here in Japan and overseas. It’s not like kpop. Not to mention how berry got cancelled by non Japanese speakers for literally speaking Japanese correctly, saying that blueberry and strawberry in katakana are a “fake accent” 💀

[@bunn228]

It's those people that think they're doing the "right thing" who are the ones that hurt people most.

[@surabhiranjan5737]

Omg the katakana pronunciation nitpick is the worst. Poor Berry clearly sounds like she is familiar with (if not fluent in) Japanese… whoever criticised her for it, I wonder if they even know the language. This kind of “calling out racism” is not helpful imo.

[@hotsexyangel]

@@bunn228 YUPP PREACH it’s always the white Americans who wanna be the heroes but end up becoming villains

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

​@@bunn228 it's because they don't want to spread kindness. People can say things that are the "right way" and not act like superior moral human beings. Unfortunately people who tend to be more in social issues come from a "I am morally superior than you" Bad position which discourages everyone from learning anything

[@dustdust9508]

Literally

[@y0ur2truly]

this isnt cultural appropriation. this is cultural appreciation.

[@vict-ory]

THIS

[@Ayuumiii]

It isn’t, it isn’t really mentioned but Berry-Chan has an instagram where she cosplays and her eyes were edited to look like monolids. An IRL friend of hers exposed information about her dating her bf because he looked like her jpop idol crush.

[@bloominstudio_]

yes.

[@y0ur2truly]

@@Ayuumiii i like the part where you said this amd provided evidence. its almost like people dont spread misinformation online sometimes.

[@Ayuumiii]

@@y0ur2truly KZbin isn’t Sending Links but I’ll send the username. @ mister.macabre for proof on editing of the eyes @ michigo_ for proof on the bf situation and how she didn’t take the situation srsly and the apology was fake

[@meeper2323]

Me and my friend actually met Berry when visiting LA. She was our waiter at a maid cafe that we went to in the area. She was very sweet and overall seemed like a fun and delightful person. Sucks that the group got so much backlash.

[@merefinl6914]

I was really into Love Live and other idol anime when I was in high school and I remember wishing that it was easier to express myself in a more positive, upbeat way like idols do. Instead I just accepted being super repressed and lashed out at people a lot. I hope the Sorb3t members are safe and find a healthy outlet for the passion they obviously have.

[@rh1nestone3yes]

I've never seen another Love Live ex liker. Love Live is going strong but it's pisisng off a lot of fans lol

[@aquastartv1895]

I used to be into LL, too. unfortunately, I stopped being into it for reasons unknown. I do hope the girls are enjoying themselves.

[@rh1nestone3yes]

@@aquastartv1895 Oh they aren't! Liella's Shibuya Kanon's seiyuu's vocals are getting worn out from three full shows in one year (one of them was a tour), some girls were given literal cum as a gift, SIF1 and SIF All Stars are shutting down, LL is recruiting girls as young as 17 who can't take all the physical anguish, etc etc. And that's not all of it

[@Camburgerrr]

I’m currently into love live! It’s making a comeback. And so is overall idol culture at conventions. This video was hard to watch cause while I can see where some of the initial criticism comes from at the end of the day right now all these girls are doing is dancing. I think that some of the more unneeded hate In this video could bring backlash to other individuals who do these kinda cover dances for fun :// I’m apart of an “idol group” and the whole gist is to have fun and learn the dance…not whatever is going on here

[@mirassama4604]

I was in primary school, and I've actually made an account representing honoka from the anime and sing some of their songs with my voice, I remember being very happy and giving my account to all girls in my class and asking them if they wanna be members in love live band XD like what honoka did in the anime, and there were acutally a lot of my classmates wanted to be in the group since the anime was so popular back then, it was only 3 month later and I've closed the account due to the amount of hate and bully we were getting, seeing these girls made feel so sad about them, they are just having fun as we did why can't people just let them? I wish them to get back they really don't deserve it, don't give a fuck about the 'cringe' just let people enjoy.

[@lualas]

i hate kpop fans judging sorb3t by kpop standards when jpop is completely different. kaigai idols are a very accepted thing in the jpop community. keep your kpop toxicity away from us! this whole situation was just kpop stans hating on something they know nothing about.

[@ClubPuguin]

Sad 😢

[@hhh1234h]

Literally remember seeing a former foreign jpop idol talk about working during the 2000s!! But here we are acting all dumb. It’s so sad how narrow minded K-pop and C-pop is like having a half-anything but white idol would seem illegal the way the trainee ones are treated Meanwhile jpop out here like “you half Japanese? Get in here” “you not Japanese but are willing to learn? Join us!” Like I was in shock seeing a half black and half Venezuelan idol and no one thinking anything of it

[@xXxNeonPrincessxXx]

The funny thing is some Kpop idols literally survive as foreigners promoting in Japan or have their largest fanbase in Japan so idk how this is any different. They literally learn how to speak Japanese up to fluency just so they can promote properly in Japan. This is coming from a Kpop fan who's bias group has the largest fanbase in Japan.

[@olliebearblu7783]

THIS OMG ^^^

[@CheerySlushie_xoxo]

I listen to both K-pop and J-pop And I felt bad for laughing but its litterally ironic that other kpop stans are judging them in the first place just because they are american, Ironically korean kpop stans dont usually like mixed kpop idols or some international stans don't but They clearly dont do enough research to realize that jpop culture has some diffrences in who can be an idol

[@sallydavies6304]

Cringy or not, they're young girls expressing themselves creatively and Berrychan seems to have been studying Japanese. Anyone who can even speak basic Japanese knows that when you say loan words from English or other languages in Japanese, it gets converted into Japanese pronunciation. It's actually extremely difficult to randomly pop out of Japanese to pronounce 'strawberry' in a full blown American accent and continue your sentence...not to mention, it sounds extremely weird. smh people want to break young girls down for anything at this point.

[@automatic5]

these bullies are looking for any reason to harass them and its sick. i dont think its cringe and i admire that theyre genuinely doing what they love, most people cant say the same. i hope they become successful bc i wld love to see more musical creativity esp here in the west

[@LilytheFrilly]

Ha! You remind me that when in Japan, you HAVE to pronounce English loaned words the Japanese way or else they look at you weird and ask you to say that again. Learned that the hard way

[@manganime1893]

Most of them know nothing because they have never tried to learn a new language so they don't know the process of it 🙄

[@gladyscjn5669]

Kson (coco from hololive) can switch between speaking japanese fluently and english with her normal accent lol. Saying that its impossible to switch between japanese and english accent is dumb. If im singing in japanese with english words, i'll also say the english words clearly (unless its tied to the melody)

[@fern1550]

Exactly

[@HvzeI]

Honestly, I've always been into Kpop and Jpop and wished i could be an idol like that, but I'm american with no asian descent anywhere in my family so i thought i couldnt, but these 3 girls are living out something i thought wasnt possible so its really admirable! I wish the community just wasnt so harsh :(

[@euphisa8127]

If you ever start an idol group, Ill support you!

[@lawtraf8008]

I mean there are many diverse idols nowadays.

[@5kelequinn]

you can, the kpop group "BLACKSWAN" is full of foreigners. you just need to genuinely appreciate the culture and im sure you will be welcomed.

[@kirbysthiccthighs]

THIS. I’ve always wanted to be an idol of some sort, whether in america or overseas, and these girls are honestly so inspiring. they decided to chase their dreams and do something they loved, regardless of what people would think.

[@kaede.4503]

The red one is asian tho

[@akiko7298]

The criticism of Berry's pronunciation of 'strawberry' reminded of me of a foreign content creator in Korea who got roasted for pronouncing 'cheesecake' like one would in Korean (since its another konglish word) in a skit in Korean about ordering at a Korean cafe. People said she was mocking the Korean accent and she should've pronounced it properly. But same for Berry: if she went to Japan and 'strawberry' with the English pronunciation, no one would understand her. Doxxing some girls though just because they are cringy is not cool. That's like earlier this year with another pre-debut idol getting almost cancelled for being cringy. Don't like it? Just leave.

[@colorbar.s]

exactly!!

[@serenatsukino5252]

As a fan of Jpop, I actually find these girls and their dreams to be endearing. If you aren't familiar with Jpop at all, you will be confused. But everything the girls are doing is pretty spot on, even the dance. Kpop dances are very complex, however Jpop idol dances are the complete opposite (although I'm sure there are exceptions). I heard in a show, that the reason why their dances are simple is because they want the dance to be so simple that anyone can do it.

[@ericsohn5084]

In Korea, jpop isn't popular bc the concensus is that jpop is cringy and childlike. I def don't want japanese cringiness coming to west. It's going to give another distorted perception of Asians in a not so good way

[@serenatsukino5252]

@@ericsohn5084 i don't think Jpop is cringey, it just focuses a lot on cuteness. It's kinda like how there's "aegyo" in Korea, but the cuteness is ramped up.

[@LiveLaughLovecraft]

@@ericsohn5084 there is nothing cringe about it. It’s cute, most kpop sounds generic EDM music anyway

[@jessawall3510]

@@ericsohn5084 You do know that kpop would not be what it is today without jpop right? Korea copied this type of entertainment format from Japan. Jpop was the blueprint. Especially if you look back to older Kpop.

[@ericsohn5084]

@Jessa Wall maybe I know Janice(banana blow job company) brought it from US. LSM started SM after studying in US and he also studied Japanese entertainment in the process but is it truly fair to say that it was impossible without Japanese? Seotaeji and the boys, a self produced and self managed idols, was already a huge success in Korea. Alot of Japanese automatically think Korea was not possible without Jap influence or colonization. A colonial mind, I'd say.

[@grace.1123]

All these people who are mad at Berry and sending her hate clearly weren't around when Beckii Cruel was big... literally everyone in Japan ADORED her

[@dokessezeaka5159]

OMG ONLY REAL OGs REMEMBER DANJO!

[@chickenapplepie3141]

Holy shit this lol I'm Japanese and maybe I'm just getting older but being almost 30 now I vividly remember all the popular foreign homebrew idols in the 2000s and they'd get all those cute interviews/sections on variety shows. And now just look at kpop, it's not all that different. People are so out of control.

[@marzipan__]

Now there's a name I haven't heard in ages, I used to watch her dance covers all the time

[@marunekochannel]

OMG the memories 😊

[@melodramatic7904]

Nor so they remember Leah Dizon.....and I guess they are giving Nina Hillman a pass since she's half Japanese and all the other members in her group are full Japanese? Not to mention the few half black idols there are in jpop....

[@pekoeji]

even if it’s not your cup of tea, they absolutely did not deserve to be bullied and doxxed.. it seemed like they all had good intentions and just wanted to have fun, i feel like while this generation is more accepting and has more opportunities, we are SO critical of people’s choices and how they put themselves on the internet and we lose focus on the actual harmful people with bad intentions.. i hope they can come back on their own time!

[@aureategirl1094]

I just admire the girls for having the massive amount of courage it takes to do something like this. I could never

[@hhh1234h]

The fact that I can see sorb3t on a Japanese news show bc they seem actually passionate and interested in jpop plus foreign idol groups and foreign idols in general are common. They got all the necessary items down and the spirit. Japan would eat them up

[@paynow66]

Nah they aren't cute enough

[@idontreadorreply]

@@paynow66racist much?

[@minionsarebae2434]

@@idontreadorreply how?

[@chickensalad3535]

​@@paynow66I don't really find them cute either, but they have an audience.

[@chickensalad3535]

​@@Blueness1230Not true

[@Nana-cj9dv]

As an Asian I can *tell* she wasn’t mocking the language nor are the group mocking/ culture appropriating idol groups at all, she didn’t have to apologize, and if she did want to release music that’s solely in Japanese then she should know Japanese and it seems like she does so again why the hate? 🙄

[@ProCoRat]

It is like this... Berry speaks Japanese well and people are made to feel small by it. So they want to find fault with her so it invalidates her achievements they do not have courage to try themselves. Most IRL foreign Japanese speakers in Japan do not have this chip on their shoulder. But online, where a bunch of cowards who are afraid to fail sit on their asses, attempts to invalidate the skill of other Japanese speakers is super common. So tired of the cynicism.

[@ssnekky]

“You and two of your friends can literally put together an idol group at a sleepover and debut tomorrow if you wanted.” That’s literally what one of my friends did😭 they just did dance covers, and it only lasted a few months before they had to disband due to personal reasons (and being high schoolers with lives) but it was cool! They even performed at a con :D

[@joyurizzzz]

it’s so sad to see people unfamiliar with the j-idol scene dogpiling these girls. they just wanted to share their passion with others who feel the same and this is what they got. i hope they can recover from this, their whole idea was so cute :(

[@NyappyBerry]

I’ve been living in Tokyo for 6 years now and have seen many idol groups performing (on festivals, at shopping malls ect) they were all amateur and around the same level as sorbet and people still cheer for them! (A lot of cringey old guys😵 but young fans as well!) There are non Asian girls that are in idol groups as well! They speak Japanese and act in a kawaii way… and they have a lot of fans.. I don’t know why people feel it’s disrespectful. She pronounced it correctly and put a thought behind it. Yeah it’s cringe but so are the Japanese idols But who cares? If you like it than that’s ok There are way worse things happening in the world we should worry about 😒

[@thiccynicky8657]

White

[@mightymeatymech]

ehhh i think a surprising amount of old guys like cutesy stuff for innocent reasons lmao. i guess he's not old but my best friend watches so much lesbian media. not because he's fetishizing them, he is... he is a lesbian in spirit lmfao it's hard to explain

[@ss_sunflower5090]

​@@mightymeatymech ngl, me with gay men in fiction. I feel they're so unrepresented in media I get so happy when I see em like "YOOOO THEY'RE DATING". It's weird to say, but I feel like lesbian relationships are the safe option in terms of LGBTQ+ in media because of how sexualized they are. It's "hot" and okay for them, but the moment two guys hold hands it's suddenly not? I genuinely love wholesome romances where two guys are just living life and dating (HEARTSTOPPER)

[@user-ie7vo1hj3j]

​@@mightymeatymech yeah it's like people who like plushies and cartoons well in their 30s and later. Nothing wrong with liking certain media/fandoms! Kids these days forget that it's adults who create their favorite toys, shows, etc...

[@mightymeatymech]

@@user-ie7vo1hj3j lolol true, i was thinking about that too! like no offense of course, i know kids have good ideas as well. but adults make a lot of the stuff we grow up loving

[@Edward_Avila]

Honestly if I was ten or so years younger I’d probably find it super funny, but at this point in my life, I thought it was kinda cute lol and that’s something I actually would’ve done with my friends or something LOL. Also they seem genuinely nice? It’s almost like everyone HAS to be a self loathing/sarcastic/mean spirited lump or something these days lol Even as I first saw the original video, the first thought I had in my head wasn’t “wtf is this”, it was “oh no, the kids on tiktok are going to rip them a new one over this…”

[@inexena]

Hello Edward, didn’t expect to see you here-

[@alizlovescherry]

Hi Eddy! And yeah my heart broke for them (especially Berry chan), can’t even imagine if i was in her place

[@sugarr_coat]

The girls looked like they were having fun

[@annierminx]

Kind of same, except my younger self would've probably enjoyed it more genuinely lol, Berry-chan is fluent in japanese and clearly has a better grasp of the concept of what's a j-pop idol, and they have a pretty solid concept for an amateur j-pop group. I can't even understand how is it justified for people to demand an apology from someone solely because they speak in a different lenguage aside from their native one (I bet my soul those people aren't even multilingual, nor japanese), even going as far as making it seem inappropiate for them to do so...?

[@NoopyP]

Exactly, they look so sweet and Berry Chan just seems very enthusiastic and motivated to try to become an idol :(

[@SkylarBlooom]

11:39 ok my hot take!!! Really to hear it!? You can speak other languages...even if you aren't that race 😱😱😱

[@Kuroiru]

You’ve always been allowed to learn other languages and speak it if you’re interested in the country, shouldn’t matter if you aren’t that race

[@SkylarBlooom]

@@Kuroiru exactly.

[@Lana._blox]

that's what I'm doing rn

[@JustapersonnamedKai]

OMG OMG OMG THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY I CANT OMG IM HOLDING ONTO MY BED, I CANT BREATHE WOW. WOW SO MUCH WISDOM ITS GONNA MAKE MY HEAD EXPLODE

[@jibrilthethingart]

I love their energy so much, and I didn’t find their content hard to watch at all. And I found it stupid Berry Chan had to apologize, she’s just respecting a culture. Their working really hard and they don’t deserve to be doxxed. I hope they continue to chase their dreams.

[@lilyofthevaIIey]

Here to point out early that kaigai idols/overseas idols are normal in the j-pop sphere. People that don't know enough about j-pop (especially k-pop fans) idol harrassed them for something that's normal in the industry, they deserved better.

[@sukihyde]

💕💕💕💕

[@cmlkhf]

exactly! i'm mostly into kpop but i've done some research on jpop out of curiosity. i'm not super into it but i could tell these girls were doing it right. i can't help but feel like many of the people criticizing them would probably praise japanese girls for acting the exact same way.

[@cmlkhf]

i think this whole thing might actually contribute to overseas idols gaining more recognition and hopefully more opportunities to succeed. from what i've been able to understand, it's been a thing for a while now but it's always been very underground. i don't see it going mainstream anytime soon but maybe becoming more popular among people who already enjoy japanese pop culture.

[@neotempura]

Even though I do find it a bit cringe, I’m still rooting for the girls’ debut 😭 the people who doxed them are horrible. Literally just 3 girls living their best dreams, having fun, and being inspired by Jpop culture! Berry really didn’t need to apologize, her Japanese was so good fr

[@Blu3Purple]

Good luck with this debut 😂

[@styeontheeye3777]

As a Texan. I endorse your call and response! When I say Yee you say Haw! 😂

[@rainbow_fox_]

i think people need to realize that speaking a certain language isn’t related to culture appropriation in any way.. like, my first language is french but no one would accuse me of "pretending to be american" or whatever for speaking english. yet so many people hate on others for learning and speaking asian languages as if it's wrong to do so.. when at the end of the day it's just a language, it's really not that deep

[@schemesthefox1255]

Yeah, but you speak it to other English speakrs, and it's for an actual reason. I'm not saying sorb3t doesn't do that, but I'm just saying some people speak japanese just to be "cute" for some reason. For example, using "kawaii" to refer to things when it doesn't have anything to do with japan.

[@LunarCatKan]

@@schemesthefox1255yeah but kawaii literally means cute in Japanese-

[@schemesthefox1255]

@@LunarCatKan Maybe I should’ve used a different example- that’s just the most common one I’ve seen so..

[@YukiIwama]

Yeah I'm Japanese and I don't see anything wrong with this. They aren't perpetuating harmful racial stereotypes or appropriating culture. They speak the language and know all the jpop conventions. And Jpop or Kpop isnt restricted to just Japanese or Korean artists. They just seem like major big jpop fans who want to give it a shot and good for them honestly. I think its cool, espdcially as a first gen Japanese raised in the west. I have a feeling that most of the people who were offended were non-japanese virtue signallers lol

[@apolloandwarrior_3229]

One of the big things with being anti racist which is what I'm sure these people claim to be, is that you listen to the affected groups. If a white person thinks something is racist, they should go to a person who is of the group the people are being racist towards and listen to them. It's what happened with genshin and sumeru mihoyo put a lot of work into the region and added tons of cultural and liertary references which were dismissed by white fans as being orientalist. Actual people from the swana region (people who are being represented by sumeru) love the region. Especially the character Nilou who has been shot down as being orientalist and pointless to the story. Tldr; white saviorism is a plauge on the world and actively harms and disregards poc

[@YukiIwama]

@@apolloandwarrior_3229 I 100% agree with your comment and you so very eloquently summed up just how I feel about this topic!! Thank you ^^

[@halahkk]

@@apolloandwarrior_3229I don’t agree with the genshin example :( I am south asian and my culture is also represented in sumeru and yesss it is orientalist lol i could go on a rant about everything but characters like dori (who’s character design was so poorly researched they gave her a hat only Turkish MEN adorn) and the fact they conveniently made nahida pale despite her being desi or south asian dishes for characters who are not south asian which is very much orientalist 😁 but i digress i do agree maybe instead of immediately jumping and attacking something take a second to understand whether or not it is actually offensive lol^^

[@kayda8689]

I feel like the reason so many people get mad is that because they aren't japanese and people often romanticize or festishize jpop idols and their race, culture, etc.

[@artistaroundtheblock2047]

@@kayda8689 Yeah. They end up thinking Asian culture is theirs to defend and protect.

[@wannabedrewafualo]

As a k-pop fan I want to apologize to Sorb3t, especially Berry, for our community’s behavior. We attacked them and judged them by our industry’s standards when they’re part of a completely different community. It’s fine to poke fun a little bit but it’s never okay to harass people, let alone dox them. There’s nothing even wrong with a White person speaking Japanese and acting overtly cute while doing it. The people who were angry at Berry-Chan aren’t even native Japanese either. We need to normalize weirdness and quirkiness again because not everyone is going to fit into your little labeled boxes. If you find it cringeworthy, scroll.

[@Pearl-s]

“As a l-pop stan” ☠️

[@wannabedrewafualo]

@@Pearl-s Pffft, I know, not one of the most regal titles, but idk what else I would call it so we roll.

[@bbkyuu]

and even if she had actually done something wrong, harassment and doxxing are still not justified. she even wholeheartdly apologized but terminally online gen-zs think that if you make one mistake in your life you deserve to dye

[@Kpopholic._]

Same, as someone who also stans kpop (I mostly know girl groups) I feel bad for them. Hating is not okay, let alone doxxing people. For what? Saying something in a Japanese accent? I'm not Japanese, I don't know much Japanese, but I can tell her pronunciation is good!! Reminding you that Idk Japanese...

[@SumireIsrafel]

Def agree, K-pop stans saw the tiktok and assumed everything based on their own experience/understanding without knowing that indie/kaigai idols have been a thing in japan for 20+ years. The two groups are completely separate, k-pop and j-pop are so different it's silly to even try to compare. But kids online these days don't care about any of that as long as they can attack others to make themselves feel superior...

[@MontyCarlosElixir]

People bullied these girls off the internet for no reason. They really didn’t do anything wrong.

[@yukilu602]

11:30 lets be real, if she didn't signify his race, people wouldve latched on and started calling him a disgusting weeaboo as well or someone that was also appropriating the language. well not like it matters because many people still found ways to make fun of what she said. I dont know, as someone whos actually japanese, honestly who cares.. they arent being racist, theyre just a bunch of girls having fun. the bullying is honestly childish and undeserved, especially when majority of these harrassers arent even japanese themselves.

[@notminghao]

Honestly they cringe me but people need keep things to themselves I honestly feel bad for them they do seem happy and passionate😭

[@highestqualitypigiron]

Yea bro I did some mad cringe things as a teenager can't imagine what I'd do if I got relentlessly harassed and doxxed for it.

[@ilikeyourcutg5597]

cringe culture is very prominent in tiktok to the point people cross a line and play dumb when being called out, another problem is that a lot of people in tiktok lack personal criteria and form their own opinions in expense of others which makes everything worse.

[@wow-11N6a29]

Me also I’m Korean not Japanese but I don’t think there was an issue, I think they are very cute and didn’t deserve bad things happening (sorry although my English basically sucks)

[@jessicaholscher4097]

As someone who was obsessed with jpop and everything "kawaii" in my 20s, i can't get mad at these girls. they are living my weeb dream.

[@saenekokun2723]

Same, except I've already went past my weeb dream, so to me these girls are living my middle school dream 😊

[@eliyawaters9075]

I think their call and responses are cute. Especially Berry-chan's. She does it whole heartedly and pulls in the audience with the energy she is giving. I am not Japanese, but her pronounciation of berries sounds like how you spell English words in katakana. ストロベリー (sutoroberii) 🍓 ブルーベリー (buruuberii)🫐

[@whyyou268]

Literally nothing was racist or appropriation. Did they forget that people learn other languages?! Also they have potential! This is cyber bullying. Sure it’s cringe but they’re taking it too far. You can see the effort and dedication the group has and hopefully still have.

[@yaymilko]

It's more than cyberbullying, haters doxxed them :(

[@Kpopholic._]

True, this isn't even hating anymore this is far more EXTREME than hating. Literally doxxing people? Sure, it maybe cringey just a little bit though, why dox them? Going over-board just because someone said an english word in another accent? Pathetic. This is what I call acting immature, plus the people who hate them probably don't know a drop of Japanese. 🤷

[@MrAjking808]

You must be white? Who has a fetish for Asian culture too

[@LittleTaxFraud]

It's like saying you can't speak Spanish if you aren't Mexican Tf

[@MrAjking808]

@@LittleTaxFraud that’s not the point but okay

[@wyltedleaves]

I really enjoy Blackswan, which is a kpop group made entirely out of foreigners, but they sing in Korean (and speak it as well), and there's nothing wrong with that. I can't imagine why foreign JAPANESE idols speaking the language of their audience is....bad?

[@paynow66]

He won't mention blackswan because he only sticks up for white people/ members

[@rei95x02]

You will be surprise that some kpopfans dont even considered them kpop because they dont have korean members

[@ericsohn5084]

They do the job right. When I see them, they are amazing and respectable. Jpop is just so cringy... no wonder it's not popular outside of Japan and that's good

[@myung1214]

​@@ericsohn5084 This is why pedophiles love J-pop girl groups

[@jadeshepherd8627]

​@paynow why do you think that? He's not said anything bad about fatou

[@kamiiu]

12:20 😭😭😭 YEE! HA! YEE! HA!

[@Nickisae]

my kpop phase was at its peak about ages 15-18 and I mellowed out in my early 20’s so stuff like this comes off as really cringe to me, but people can do what they like and nothing ever warrants doxxing. hope they are safe

[@sakurakushinada3694]

Yeah same here 🙌

[@shib99]

As a Japanese speaker, I can say that Berry chan's pronunciation was actually very good. I'm not sure what her level is in Japanese, but it is clear that she has taken the time and dedication to learn the language. I commend her for that. Is it still cringe as hell? Also, yes, but that doesn't mean we should send her unnecessary hate for trying to speak a language she has learned. Some people might say this is trying to "mock Japanese people," but this is just idol culture. If you don't like it, then simply don't watch.

[@ProCoRat]

Presuming you are a foreign-born Japanese speaker, what do you think is with how protective western Japanese speakers are about Japanese skill? They love to rush to invalidate someone else's skill all the time. Japanese people do not focus on what you do wrong, but tend to focus on what you do right. If you mess up a word and say it in a polite way, you will impress people more than perfect Japanese but spoken rudely in my experiences. But hey... I was just a foreign exchange student with JLPT N2 certifications when I lived there. I was far from assimilated or fluent. FAR from it. But, at least I do not try to invalidate others when they do well.

[@shib99]

@@ProCoRat Yes, I am an American Japanese speaker (N1 level). I have noticed this as well and I think it ultimately comes down to competitiveness. People who learn Japanese to a high degree are typically really dedicated since it is a difficult language to learn and they tend to pride themselves on their abilities. So when we see people who are clearly making mistakes, it can be a little cringy for us, but Japanese people don't mind. They just appreciate the fact that people (specifically non-Japanese people) are learning their language. Personally for me, I have tutored people in Japanese, and been around a lot of non-native Japanese speakers from a range of backgrounds and different levels of Japanese. This is why I wanted to defend the girl in the video since she seems to honestly be trying her best and I didn't see her making any mistakes, but we also shouldn't be trying to attack language learners when they do make mistakes because that is inevitable. I would say race is another factor. For example, there are a lot of Kpop idols who "try" to speak Japanese, yet it is clear they are reading off a script and their pronunciation tends to be pretty far off. Yet I don't see people sending them hate for speaking and singing in broken Japanese. I think this has to do with the fact that people outside of East Asia tend to lump all the East Asian countries together. It's not cringy when a Kpop idol does this kind of thing, but it is when a white girl from California does.

[@ProCoRat]

@@shib99 Yeah, what is cringy to Japanese people is being rude more than using the wrong particle. Learning Japanese was a 2 year phase in my life and I grew out of it and sorta realized that speaking Japanese is not all that cool. And this idol stuff is probably the same for them... but you are only young once. So I hope people support them now.

[@colorbar.s]

it isn’t even cringe honestly. just cute and wholesome

[@mocha7707]

​@@colorbar.sagree to disagree

[@mfuentes4961]

Yeah this situation in its entirety has gotten way out of hand and it’s very unfortunate to see on multiple levels. I completely understand why people would be upset with the group’s video if it was seen out of context, but it doesn’t justify sending severe harassment to them and doxxing them as well. Overall, this situation was not that deep to warrant such severe levels of backlash and netizens need to find a better way to call out “problematic” behavior online instead of immediately escalating into doxxing and bullying the people involved. I hope that they’re safe.

[@mightymeatymech]

i'm so close to making a stan account for them because this injustice is PISSING ME OFF like, let them live lmao. and tbh it's not a situation where 'oh One single japanese person/speaker said it was ok so we're just taking that and running' lmao, i KEEP seeing people say that it's really not necessary to harass them. even if someone is uncomfy with it tbh

[@minus606]

Literaly there was NO ''problematic'' behavior?? I am so sick of the internet sometimes!!😒

[@thesevenkingswelove9554]

Even if they were wrong people should be kinder in general. I don't understand how people act so virile with others, if you explain things that are wrong in a calm way only then people would understand.

[@shikiweeki7605]

I can not believe the hate and harassment they have gotten. Speaking another language is not a crime. It’s something that unites us. Idc if it’s cringe you can’t fox people. Now they have disbanded before they even started. It’s just really unfortunate to see people who could have the time of their life performing at conventions be torn down by people who think so close minded. If you see this sorb3t hope you can all heal from this. I hope you get to live your idol dreams in this life and the next

[@moonshreds5527]

update: since this video has released, sorb3t has officially disbanded 😭

[@vivianbrights8953]

Nooooo

[@the_clover_star]

😭😭😭😭

[@May-yp4we]

I hope atleast Berry chan gets noticed by one of those agencies that hire idols because she seems to be fluent in Japanese.

[@GIChiyo]

People are mixing up cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation all the time online, and I swear people so it on purpose to bully people...

[@tokyoyoongi5538]

This is cultural appropriation at its finest...

[@negligible_reality]

@@tokyoyoongi5538 not really, considering they were giving an honest effort to be respectful. the japanese pronunciation was good, the idol mannerisms were accurate, etc. not to mention that in j-pop it's not at all uncommon or unheard of for there to be foreigners as members of idol groups. white people being j-pop idols is a real thing and isn't seen as cultural appropriation or insensitive by japanese fans. tbh this is just another classic case of white americans getting offended on behalf of others for literally no reason. 💀

[@gleebybooer]

@@negligible_reality they are white tho

[@ayajade6683]

​@@gleebybooer and Japanese people don't have an issue with it as she used the language properly while meeting kpop standards. Japan loves sharing their culture. They're getting positive feedback by Japanese media

[@idontreadorreply]

@@tokyoyoongi5538how??

[@liz_merr1003]

This reminds me of that one famous tumblr thread with a photo of a little girl making a japansese style tea party and wearing a little kimomo (and all of it was surprisingly accurate) but people tried to criticise it for being "cultural appropriation"

[@vintagearisen]

It's so dumb, at this point it's just segregation with extra steps. NORMALIZE CULTURAL APPRECIATION AGAIN

[@immkk1125]

@@vintagearisen wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s segregation…its a very weird stretch. but it does seem unnecessary and the if the people who’s culture is being represented have no issue with it then no one has the right to be triggered on their behalf

[@Shinigumi]

I remember that! It was all people in the U.S. flipping out, and when it went viral, there were tons of people from Japan saying that it was well done and that they appreciated the care that was taken in appreciating their culture. They never saw it as appropriation or offensive and didn't understand why people who aren't Japanese would be bothered by it.

[@helf7297]

@@immkk1125 I wouldn't call it a stretch, I often get the impression that people on tiktok are trying to bring racial segregation back. Putting everyone into little boxes aka. "you can't do that unless it's your culture, otherwise it's appropriation" and attacking people for the smallest things, while in reality cultures thrive by being shared. And the worst part is that it's not only on the internet anymore, it actually starts transferring into real life.

[@user-et6qr7im9e]

I feel that when people imitate Japanese culture, they think that culture is wonderful. The white girl in kimono was very cute. The black woman wearing Hakama at the Japanese graduation ceremony was also cool. As a Japanese, I don't understand why some people get angry.

[@anabananah5623]

I'm Japanese and trust me, literally, no person in Japan would take offense to Americans trying out their culture. They would probably encourage it because they think it's great for people to be interested in their culture.

[@tacticalmisandrist]

You doing the call and responses was a nice subtle touch to show some support. I really appreciate that considering how many people outside the idol community are talking about how cRiNgE their call and responses are. Here you can just see someone do it and it’s not a big deal

[@sentientplant9658]

I think people have an issue with them because they do not understand how JPop differs from KPop. There are many foreign JPop idols that my friends know way more about than I do, so someone who's deep into JPop will have to hop on and expand that point. And it's also the fact that they're American, where these people are seen as cringe, as Ed said. I definitely do not support quite literally bullying them out of the spotlight and doxxing them. What is the point?? What did they actually DO to DESERVE that?????

[@hhh1234h]

Facts when I got into jpop I was like damn people are allowed to LIVE. The song can be autotuned, the dance can be simple or it can be a crazy high level ballad with acrobatics. There are foreign idols and amateur idols and it’s all cool! Meanwhile kpop stans shit on mixed race idols who aren’t half white..

[@mightymeatymech]

@@hhh1234h maybe i'll check out more jpop, i like the sound of this lol. i'm into a lot of american hyperpop, and a few east asian bands (wednesday campanella is the first one to come to mind!!)

[@JoeyisDREADful]

​@@hhh1234h Kpop is perfectly arranged capitalist dystopia. Jpop is low production value (relatively) indie chaos. Both have their benefits but I much prefer Jpop

[@AmeliaMastervally]

A lot of jpop groups have to work from the bottom up where as kpop groups are released fully trained and prepared. Jpop groups will also usually have some sort of gimmick they play up, with each member kinda having an on stage persona. Also the kawaii factor is up to 100

[@FrillyDisaster]

I have a question for the people that wanted a apology out of berry: what’s the point of learning a new language if your just gonna get accused of cultural appropriation? The whole point of learning a new language is to communicate with people. Even if berry didn’t pronounce the words right, she’s a human she’s gonna mess up just like everybody else. Lord knows I couldn’t pronounce what she has.

[@rh1nestone3yes]

The fact is she pronounced the words all correctly

[@verybarebones]

Because the people crying out cultural appropriation are often just using it as an excuse to avoid cultural interaction. Privileged white americans encouraging others to not go to foreign restaurants and stores and etc...

[@Blackpill149]

Thats why i only speak English and my countries language

[@Lunailee]

I’m sorry but: I’m only human after all 🥺🥺

[@13th.moon.]

Because people only see Japan as this aesthetic that needs to be gatekeeped instead of something that people can be genuinely passionate about learning and participating in

[@mew4063]

i actually like them a lot from what i’ve seen now😭😭 why are they apologising help?! i don’t think this is cultural appropriation either… this is a very jp school idol-like group! it’s very cute! i hope they do well and do what they want~

[@Bumbly_Vee]

They had alot of people not familair with kaigai(overseas) idols bullying them about the leader's call and response and saying they were being racist and trying to be japanese.

[@lilyduck9695]

I actually really liked the vibes Berry-chan was giving and am also envious of how confident she is.. her confidence is something I hope I had but could never be able to muster. 😢

[@xoxo.pochacco]

I swear society just cant let young women have fun.These girls were not trying to mock jpop, and idk if Berry's japanese was good, but i think it's great that she was making an effort to learn the language. There have also been many foreign jpop idols, and western, English speaking vtubers have HUGE fanbases in japan. How many of their haters were actual Japanese people and jpop fans finding Sorb3t to be offensive, and how many of them are just teens who found their stuff cringy.

[@yourmother2425]

Berry’s Japanese is near-perfect. Her pronunciation is amazing, and she’s very fluent! J-POP is not limited to japan, or Japanese culture at all! They’re not being offensive or anything, they’re not perpetuating any racist stereotypes or anything bad, so it’s fine! I love them, they’re so sweet and cute!

[@wandacandonothingwrong2961]

They can have fun all they want doing this at a sleepover whatever, once you post something online it's open for criticism. If people find it cringey, they'll say so especially when they're not just posting videos for fun, but to build a brand and business.

[@MarlenaTheCreator]

I dont think that they're cringe they are wholesome and passionate about their job ppl are mean for no reason

[@ericsohn5084]

Jpop concept is cringe even in other asian countries maybe japan too. Here in the west, it's just too much.

[@muunprince1992]

Yeah they seemed just very wholesome, hopefully they get back again

[@muunprince1992]

@@ericsohn5084 I think people think its cringe because in contrast to Kpop rinse to popularity. Kpop’s image is sexy and influenced by western pop culture so thats why people are easily adapted to it compared to Jpop it’s cute, cheerful and the idolishs mannerisms is cartoonish. I personally enjoyed jpop a bit more because of its happy go lucky vibes and not to aspire to be super perfect and competitive like kpop

[@ericsohn5084]

@@muunprince1992 Both Kpop and Jpop are influenced by the West. This is simply cultural difference between Japan and Korea. Similarly there is manga industry. While there are many masterpiece, manga, many are extremely Cringe thus they are dubbed weebs and nerds all around the world even in Japan (perhaps lesser degree). While I listen to some Jpop Soloists, J-Pop idols are something else.

[@gomamon8439]

I’m just going to roll my eyes at the people policing “Japanese accent” ignoring there are 47 dialects in Japan.

[@-SomeRandomKid-.]

14:05 they actually ate! (Something) 💀💀

[@miyachar]

it makes me so mad that kpop stans (and probably non-japanese or even asian ones) are the ones dogpiling on them when they know nothing about the kagai idols and japanese culutre. it’s to the point that people are straight up saying they’re koreaboos when they’re a j-pop group ? so we’re really gonna make fun of someone that actually knows katakana or people who are blatantly being racist thinking korean and japanese culture are the same

[@CheerySlushie_xoxo]

I listen to both and tbh Atp it feels like kpop stans forget that some of the idols they stan ARE JAPANESE And that the groups Have japanese fanbases and that The korean language has japanese loan characters and other things as well, I do a bit more research to help me understand simularities and diffrences in traditons as well as giving me things to think about, I'm sad to be kpop stan mostly because of people LIke them, Gosh some kpop stans are really brain Dead...

[@CheerySlushie_xoxo]

also I like ur mysta rias pfp

[@miyachar]

@@CheerySlushie_xoxo i’m so sorry they make you feel ashamed :/ i used to be a kpop stan but i had to distance myself because of how chronically online most of them are 💀 also thank you lol mysta rias and luxiem are my personality

[@ericsohn5084]

Nah I reject cringy jpop representing asian culture at all

[@ilikeyourcutg5597]

@@ericsohn5084 not asaian culture, japanese culture

[@dcresistance]

And the people shitting on them don't even know that there have been plenty of foreigners in legit Japanese idol groups. Alyssa Milano was literally an idol in Japan in the late 80's and early 90's. Foreigners wearing cultural clothing from Japan/China/etc have always been embraced by the actual native people because they like seeing more people interact with their culture, like that one girl who wore a cheongsam-/qipao-styled dress to prom, or all the girls who are super into Harajuku fashion

[@MellyWilliams]

Omg i didn't know that Alyssa Milano used to be an idol! She used to be my favourite in Charmed, ooh this is bringing back memories. I'm gonna go do my research now, thanks for the info!

[@user-rx9ib5sr7t]

from someone who has a music career, i support these people. they aren't intentionally trying to offend anyone and seem to show genuine appreciation for the culture and the music they listen to and make. which is great! im german and armenian so i always appreciate when people appreciate my culture by making music, learning the language and enjoying our foods, especially the armenian side of my culture. but aside from myself, these girls are just trying to have fun and do something they like.

[@siennaraynee]

tbh i think theyre cute. theyre having fun and building a comunity and i really admire them for that. they may seem kinda cringe but they dont deserve all the hate theyre getting. edit: after seeing berry's apology, i still actually quite like them. i dont think she really had any ill intent, she was just trying to have fun.

[@TsubikiKoya]

I hardly know any Japanese, but I could tell Berry-chans pronunciations were based on katakana characters. I think it'd be mocking if she was using a fake accent to make a caricature of the culture, but she clearly is quite proficient speaking the language and I think that shows that her intent was very pure with it personally. I thought they were coordinated enough that I don't really find them that cringy as a group. I think they're actually doing well above what I'd expect for an "american" located idol group, though ofc not at the level of idol groups actually in Japan and South Korea.

[@starrchee]

yeah this is cringe asf but they were just trying to have fun there was no reason for anyone to do what they did to them😭 like getting DOXXED over this shit??

[@Chillikilli]

Yeah people take this so far 💀

[@CheerySlushie_xoxo]

@@Chillikilli As a kpop and jpop stan They never cease to amaze me of how STUPIDLY embarrassing they can be for non toxic kpop stans who truly respect others as well as their talents

[@uglyidiot4760]

nowadays tiktok people get pressed over everything and prefer to doxx people just because they find them cringe

[@missvanillacchi]

honestly making an idol group online sounds cool, great concept

[@PirateToyhouse]

It really is! ❤ I’ve been a fan of this other group called Melody Parade from Brisbane, Australia! :D 🇦🇺

[@SaneBlizzardz]

I was thinking about this earlier today! It's such a coincidence to find this in my feed just NOW. They had so much potential, but the hate got to them.

[@ike9032]

The amount of people who just attacked them because they know nothing about kaigai jpop idols or Japanese loan words is CRAZY.

[@crystalh1612]

I live in Japan Katakana-English is a thing here used by Japanese people. Even Japanese people who are fluent in English will use Katakana-English when they sprinkle in English words while speaking Japanese. "Sutoroberi" will even be used in place of "Ichigo" a lot of the times, and I have countless examples of Japanese words being casually and commonly replaced with katakana-ized versions of English words. It's frustrating to me that people who get into Japanese culture get made fun of. American pop culture isn't the only pop culture that's valid and worthy of appreciation. Especially because, at least in my experience, the Japanese people around me have only ever been eager and excited to share their corner of Japanese culture (new, old, traditional, pop) with me. And I think they'd be sad to know that taking an interest in their culture can get someone targeted like this. Cultural appropriation is a very real issue, but there's a balance between protecting culture and becoming almost xenophobic with what people are allowed to like.

[@straenmusikant7402]

This!! there's so many people crying wolf about these people, yet don't listen to actual Japanese people's thoughts about the matter.

[@veryfinalgirl]

“Hey yall im burgerchan from texas, when i say yee you say haw” WHERE’S HIS OSCAR

[@odrijakampa]

I love how you calmy without judgment express your thoughts.

[@demonwife]

i thought sorb3t was kinda wholesome then i saw the comments hating on them

[@CrimsonDawn-ou4og]

As a K-Pop stan reading the comments, I'm jealous of how chill J-Pop looks. I wish the groups I stanned had as much freedom as J-Pop idols.

[@CheerySlushie_xoxo]

I listen to jpop a bit but i never really stuck with it too much but i like it nonetheless

[@PanickinSkywalker]

Join us! I’ve been listening to jpop since 1998. Jpop idols are still held to a lot of the same standards such as “no dating, no scandals”, but in general, it’s a bit more chill ♥︎ it’s more about watching your favorite members grow as performers and figure out what works for them vs the manufactured ready to go perfection of kpop.

[@myung1214]

J-pop girl groups must shave their heads if they date a man 😢

[@CrimsonDawn-ou4og]

@@myung1214 Wow.

[@CrimsonDawn-ou4og]

@@PanickinSkywalker Any groups you recommend? Content? I'm a boy group stan but maybe I'll like J-Pop girl groups

[@mirlambda]

Watching this gave me HUGE flashbacks to Beckii Cruel and honestly? she was ahead of her time doing dance covers in her bedroom and getting an idol career in Japan

[@nikoyoart]

The double standards of people online is WILD Ppl will give them HELL for putting on an accent as if that as the worst/ most evil thing in the world BUT THEN on that same note try and doxx them and put genuine harm to their lives, like WHY???? I get it, it’s honestly very cringe to watch, but It’s not worth trying to ruin peoples lives.

[@kl3321]

I feel like it's significant that Berry wasn't actually pretending to have a Japanese accent. She just pronounced "strawberry" and "blueberry" similarly to how they'd be pronounced with a Japanese accent. If she actually put on a fake accent outside her call and response that would be different IMO

[@bethanyaliceh9796]

I think one of the big problems here is that idols (K-pop, J-pop, C-pop) have PR and media training as well as their dancing/singing/performance, and they have their companies to back them up. As far as I'm aware, the J-pop industry seems super welcoming to foreigners who are willing to learn their history, culture and language. These girls obviously put a lot of effort into their intro video and even though it may be a bit cringe, who cares if they're enjoying themselves and not being rude or offensive?

[@lovelyqu]

and not to mention that the “cringe” part is kind of a part of the jpop/kpop/cpop culture

[@aenirrinea523]

True about the Jpop industry. They often recruit mixed members with darker skin as well as those who don't look East Asian. When I got into jpop I was very surprised at the diversity. But this only applies if their company is Japanese (eg: The Rampage, Faky). If it's under Korean management you won't find it (eg: JO1, NiziU).

[@Rem-ht4ct]

honestly, this is such a cute concept. I didn't find it cringey :l they seem like such nice people tbh. I hope they do succeed and emerge stronger than ever. GO SORB3T!

[@adoringgyu]

berry's apology seemed sweet and the fact that she recognised how poc go through hard stuff is so nice , you can tell shes a real one. they are also a bit cringe ( everyone has been before ) but seem super sweet!

[@cryppi1510]

@@adoringgyu Trying to come off as cool and not cringe all the time is the reason so many people have social anxiety and mask lmao. Kill the part of you that cringes, not the part of you that is cringe

[@aquastartv1895]

literally same. I love them as well.

[@mouhiazeck]

How have I never found your channel before? Your commentary and humor is amazing :D The anime/manga club at my school is actually normal - everyone is so cultured I feel inadequate lmao

[@Nick--Spears0]

I hate the internet. I hope people touch grass one day. And I'm not talking about these girls.

[@Nora-mf7qi]

ugh i wish people would leave sorb3t alone they’ve been doxxed because of people who know nothing about jpop. japanese people have said they’ve done nothing wrong and yet westerners are getting offended. i think making videos on them is giving them more negative attention despite your intentions just leave these poor girls alone

[@Mr-pn2eh]

Maybe those wearies were just jealous

[@paynow66]

Idc what the Japanese say! This is trash and cringe

[@FlyingAnanas-337]

​@@Mr-pn2eh my theory is that the haters saw themselves in the girls. All their dreams of becoming an idol (as a non Asian). But they recognized that it looks a little bit cringe and so they got embarrassed because it was like holding a mirror up to them. And of course Americans canceling others bc of “rac* sm “ and "cultural appropriation " 😂😂😂

[@thiccynicky8657]

@@FlyingAnanas-337 mainlanders try not to be tone deaf challenge

[@mightymeatymech]

idk i might go leave them a positive comment. i know it won't do much but. i think they deserve it tbh.

[@nsullivan9096]

My biggest problem with the group is that I think Red is too close to Pink in their color themes. I get not wanting to do Blue to avoid the powerpuff girls thing, but Yellow is right there and is a perfectly acceptable sorbet color.

[@eaglehawk3536]

The rise and fall came real quick cause Ive never heard of them

[@DreemurrsKid]

I always supported SORB3T, they unfortunately disbanded a while back. Luckily, Berry has become her own idol and is releasing solo music!!!

[@xAlbinopiratex]

The amount of people that ridicule people who speak English as a first language for not dropping into accurate accents for words from other languages is RIDICULOUS So a girl listens and actually DOES do that, and she gets attacked for it. Make your mind up.

[@dnwmteddy]

i feel bad for them, especially the pink girl. she was speaking japanese and people dogged her and the entire group. let people have fun even if you don't understand it.

[@aquastartv1895]

Definitely. Berry, who is the pink member you're talking about, as well as the other two group members, Alice and Ashe, don't deserve the hate they received. they were just having fun, and people were like, "no, you can't do that."

[@sleepinginmoss]

you didnt have to call me out at 4:40 i already knew where u were going w that and started to tear up w cringe😭😭😭 my highschool years were truly the dark ages

[@starlitseaz]

6:32 DROP POP CANDY BRO. ILY.

[@ruiyyuuuu]

HELP THERES 2 VOCALOID REFRENCES ALREADY

[@lrose1310]

Berry is pretty cringey, but I definitely think her weird cutsey mannerism help sell the schitck. The other two are acting more normal and natural, but it does come off more low energy. I guess if you're gonna perform, you better go all out and commit to the cringe.

[@helplessheroine2641]

Exactly! People are too scared of being cringe. And I also think cringy people are kind of cool in a way? because they're just doing their thing unapologetically

[@finn_loves_tacos]

This isn’t cultural appropriation it’s appreciation. I hope they succeed :)

[@saiyangemini]

7:53 you are killing me with the solo jam out 😂🤣 the supportive mom in the crowd energy 💜

[@s0ft_bl00d]

I swear, that's why I'm so scared about stepping into ANY kind of entertainment industry, like the internet is just a cruel mess at this point :(

[@Ne0politan137]

Honestly, I agree. Some people out there just wanna post content and follow their passion, and/or just have fun. And yet some people just dog on you for LITERALLY. HAVING. FUN.

[@s0ft_bl00d]

@@Ne0politan137 I pretty much agree with that, like we get judged for almost everything now...

[@suika666]

Thank you so much for making such a kind video and being understanding. As a Japanese speaker, I saw nothing wrong with what she said, and although her accent isn't perfect, her pronunciation is. And it's not just Japanese speakers like me, but also Japanese natives that see nothing wrong with her speaking the language. Some of the comments I saw were so disgusting and graphic. *MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING* One comment said that she should c*t her wr*st vertically and make it deep 6 inches long, and then rub salt into it. *TRIGGER WARNING OVER* How are comments like that okay? How does TikTok allow comments like that on their platform? In no scenario is saying such awful graphic things acceptable. Especially not on a public platform well-known for being used by kids, as well as on a child-friendly account such as one for cute dances and such.

[@partyinthecloudkingdom]

i understand what you're saying but writing exactly what that comment wanted to do to her is inappropriate, even with the trigger warning. just say they graphically described how they would harm her

[@ArtisanAsteroid]

@@partyinthecloudkingdom Not every mention of such things needs to be heavily censored. Sometimes non censorship will make an average, ignorant person, realize the seriousness of a situation when they aren't fully protected. Too much softening, and people don't treat anything as real. Note: People who are addicted will often treat anything negative as a reason to continue regardless of how directly it relates to the behavior itself.

[@mightymeatymech]

@@ArtisanAsteroid honestly yeah, i suffer from self harm urges. but that needed to be said. so many people don't realize how freaking DISGUSTING people are on the internet, and what kinds of sick things they'll say just because they want to. the trigger warning was done pretty well imo, i'm your token c*tter to approve of this comment i guess. it's effed up that people say that shit to others, and i still see and get it all the time. trigger warnings ftw tbh

[@mightymeatymech]

i haven't heard this specific one before, and i've heard a lot of uh, suggested methods from sick people lmao. hmmm yeah that's unnecessary. i don't speak japanese but i guess in my case, i'm not a huge fan of white people with dreadlocks lol. i have never told someone to hurt or k/ll themselves over it. i don't get that shit i really dont, it makes me a bit mad. i hope she's alright and having a cup of tea with her boyfriend

[@CC-qx7hk]

Tik tok doesn't care. Also the term you're looking for is racism in itself and called White Savior. It's when white people take it upon themselves to force their help in different cultures without anyone asking for it. If there was a movement to discredit these girls from Japan or from Japanese people then alright fine, maybe not to the extent of telling people to KTS. BUT GODDAMN