CUTIE STREET’s Korean Performance Reaches 7.67 Million Views – A “Cuteness Phenomenon”

Japan’s eight-member girl group CUTIE STREET has sparked a massive phenomenon with their Korean-language performance on a South Korean music show. Their signature song “かわいいだけじゃだめですか？”, performed on Mnet’s “M Countdown” on March 26, had accumulated 7.67 million YouTube views as of April 10, demonstrating an unprecedented J-pop phenomenon.

By delivering the entire performance in Korean lyrics, CUTIE STREET immediately caught the attention of South Korean fans. Their colorful outfits and overly cute aesthetic spread rapidly across social media platforms. Their lush lace costumes were compared to shower balls used during bathing, earning them the nickname “dancing shower balls.” Online reactions were extremely enthusiastic, with viewers praising them by saying things like “There’s more Korean language than K-POP,” “The cutest shower ball I’ve ever seen,” and “Cuteness can save the world.” In particular, humorous comments such as “Take away their passports” reflected fans’ intense anticipation for their activities in South Korea.

Notably, Joy of Red Velvet is also fascinated by CUTIE STREET’s charm. Joy posted videos of CUTIE STREET’s “Precure” challenge and revealed on her Instagram Stories that she is a “big fan” of the group, showing her strong admiration.

CUTIE STREET is part of the global idol project “KAWAII LAB.”” The group consists of eight members: Risa Furusawa, Aika Sano, Kana Itakura, Ayano Masuda, Emiru Kawamoto, Miyu Umeda, Nagisa Manabe, and Haruka Sakuraba. They debuted in 2024, with the average age of the members exceeding 20 at the time of debut. Members with diverse backgrounds in the entertainment industry—ranging from those with prior girl group experience to influencers—came together to form this team, and it is known that they have a strong affection for their group.

CUTIE STREET continues to aggressively expand their activities in South Korea. At midnight on April 10, they officially released the Korean version of “かわいいだけじゃだめですか?” on various online music platforms. The song was meticulously reworked to maintain the group’s quirky energy while making it more accessible to South Korean fans. They are scheduled to hold a “Chogosok Jae-naehan” concert at the Daeyang Hall of Sejong University on July 25 and 26 to meet their domestic fans once again.

This popularity is further fueled by cultural trends such as the “otaku core” phenomenon popular among South Korea’s younger generation and garu makeup styles.