PLAVE group agency responds to accusations of plagiarism to SEVENTEEN

Following the SEVENTEEN plagiarism controversy, VLAST, the agency that takes care of the virtual boy group, PLAVE, responded to the accusations made on social media this Wednesday, 22. The company published an official statement denying all allegations of plagiarism and clarifying that the poster that generated controversy was created just to accompany the promotions of the mini-album ‘Caligo Pt.1’.

“The poster was created to align with the concept of the album and was not copied from other artists’ content or works.”

The group’s comeback is scheduled to debut on February 3rd, and despite divided opinions on social media, the group’s fans are eagerly awaiting PLAVE’s return.

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The Caligo Pt.1 teaser, which displays a dark and mysterious aesthetic, drew attention due to its similarity to the concept of a SEVENTEEN poster, more specifically of the JEONGHAN X WONWOO unit project.

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Some internet users pointed out the similarity between the visual elements, such as the art direction, the choice of colors and even the hairstyles of the members of PLAVE and SEVENTEEN, generating a wave of criticism. Many were uncomfortable with the idea that the group could have been inspired by SEVENTEEN’s concept, questioning the originality of the promotional material.

However, other fans argued that the concepts used, such as the “wanted” and “mysterious” look, are frequently used in K-pop and are difficult to consider as exclusive to a single group. “The concept of ‘you saw’ is something that has been used by several artists before. This is not something exclusive to any group”, commented a fan in defense of the virtual group.

Additionally, some have raised the issue that SEVENTEEN themselves have also drawn inspiration from similar concepts from other groups in the past, such as SHINee, suggesting that comparisons made by fans may be exaggerated.