Lee Soo Man’s New Girl Group Garners Unexpected Response From K-Netizens

Recently, rookie girl group A2O Lite debuted as the latest project from Lee Soo Man, the former founder of SM Entertainment.

The group consists of nine members from different nationalities, including Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, and the U.S.

The group held their debut showcase on October 12, featuring their digital single “NEON,” and received a huge online response.

While many were pleasantly surprised at the more “old” K-Pop sound, reminiscent of SM groups such as f(x), Girls’ Generation, and BoA, others were pleased to see the “manufactured” style again.

이 징그러움이 좋다 .. 인간미 없는 움직임 pic.twitter.com/0CoIOUGsWI

— 아무개 (@ssaidswantsum) October 12, 2026

I like this creepiness. These movements that aren’t human-like.

자유정병 자연스러움정병없고 걍 인위적인점 좋음..

— 조수 (@totsuuu) October 12, 2026

I like that it feels fake and manufactured instead of trying to act free and effortless.

Netizens agreed that it was time for the classic K-Pop concept to make a comeback.

• “This truly shows how important choreography is.”
• “I am tired to the natural style concept because there is so much these days.”
• “I like the manufactured feel…I love story lines, concepts, and meanings.”
• “This is so f*cking cool.”