Spacer with a comfortable, Teaholic-like concept.
Iter with an intense, Testa-like concept.
Articles about these two look-alike junior groups from opposing agencies sprang up like mushrooms, immediately fueling SNS and community chatter. The headlines were provocative, practically daring someone to refute them—and so everyone piled on for the sake of attention.
[“Journalist, you’ve crossed the line... (link)”]
[“What do you think about Spacer looking like Teaholic this time?”]
[“They’re dragging these rookie boys into a clash—what nonsense, all concept-freaks and in-heart-freaks, self-praise on steroids!”]
At first glance, both groups seemed placed on equal footing, but in reality there was a crucial difference: whether they had a segment of fans with fierce antipathy. Spacer did not—Iter did.
“Are they really said to resemble the old group? I’ll go see.”
“Hehe... I kind of miss them.”
Spacer’s position evoked Teaholic’s early-to-mid debut concept—something from over a decade ago. Teaholic’s prime had long passed, and they’d since rebranded, so direct comparisons weren’t natural. Instead, Spacer enjoyed a nostalgic promotional bump thanks to decent quality.
But Iter?
“LOL here we go again.”
“Ugh, sick of it—next we’ll see ‘Move over, Testa’ headlines, right?”
The article claimed that Iter inherited their senior idol lineage from Testa—the idol who won last year’s grand prize and just hit a career-high in album sales a couple months ago. To claim a contemporary powerhouse and compare them to a group with under half that buzz was absurd.
Park Mundae chuckled and scrolled his phone.
“Fans have already whispered that Iter reminds them of Testa once or twice.”
Now that Spacer existed as a legitimate comparison, the public noticed the difference.
“Seems like this rookie group is conscious of Testa, huh~”
The article didn’t outright accuse Iter of copying Testa’s concept; it simply noted that each group followed the lineage of a senior idol: Spacer after Teaholic, Iter after Testa.
“Too blatant would backfire,” Park mused, aware they had to avoid suggesting that either Testa or Spacer drove public opinion. But even the most tactful write-up couldn’t quell the inevitable ridicule and controversy.
“Spacer’s chart performance even rivaled the rock-solid legends?”
“What a joke—where’s their shame?”
“It’s just two rookie boy groups comebacking together, calm down.”
“Please understand context—it’s just similar concepts, not similar sales!”
Neither Spacer nor Iter could—by metrics—truly stand beside the senior idols they were linked to. And then the tide of public opinion shifted: people began ranking Spacer versus Iter.
“Let’s at least see which has more promise.”
The PvP comparison game kicked in—determining who was the hotter rising act. So far by pure numbers, Iter won.
“Spacer got lucky this time, but Wonderhall’s rookie came prepared—honestly Iter wins.”
“Iter’s got potential; look at what this generation’s debut numbers look like.”
As arguments flew, discussions grew more extreme and sensational.
“Is it embarrassing for Spacer to chase mass appeal? A CM song, really?”
“Comparing them to that god-tier group Iter makes them look small...”
“Based on their debut track performance, Iter could topple Testa, yes.”
Once logic leaps a rung, it becomes juicy fodder.
“LOL what are you even saying?”
“Iter’s just a lesser Testa—no capital, no skill.”
“They piggybacked on a current grand-prize idol and already speak up? Hilarious.”
Mockery poured in. This wasn’t “who competes with Testa” but “who inherits Testa.” The bar became the senior idol’s achievements—hundreds of thousands of album sales, top-ranked digital charts, No. 1 in Idol of the Year votes.
“Is this Wonderhall’s strategic spin? Epic fail LOL.”
Iter’s supporters had no choice but to draw the line.
“Iter fans don’t think that way—that’s clickbait...”
“Any mention of senior idols is feeding trolls—just ignore it.”
“They’ve only released one album; it’s too soon to talk inheritance.”
Outwardly the controversy subsided as Iter fans insisted, “We’re nothing like Testa.” But behind the scenes...
“These oldies are so annoying.”
“Concept-freak idols aren’t rare—Teaholic was just the poster child.”
As other scandals erupted, the Testa inheritance chatter died down. Yet the following week, when Iter’s new MV dropped, it splashed kerosene on the flames once more.
“???”
“LOL”
Now everyone saw the blatant references to Testa.
On the night I returned to Korea after the first tour, I sat at the dorm table and opened WeTube. Iter’s latest single, “Palpo (Shut Out),” was playing with a sponsored ad banner.
[“Shoot harshly, Yes BAMM / You can’t catch me”]
The eastern-inspired visuals, choreography, and cinematography were slick—another solid production. But...
“LOL”
“Looks like a royal procession.”
“Like a mix of Haengcha and Saber.”
“Damn, this overt? LOL”
Once a similarity frame forms, people needle out every likeness. Iter had indeed benchmarked Testa, so the parallels leapt out: four-gods concept, camera work, album photos, costumes, choreography. Racket-car video channels swarmed:
[“Rather than legendary Teaholic, Wonderhall copies another agency’s idol.”]
[“Huge agency rookie boy group’s flaws exposed.”]
When a celeb takes flak, even harmless past details get dredged up. Iter’s entire previous album was dissected.
“Chord progressions are copy-pasted.”
“Without Kim Raebin this track couldn’t exist.”
“Did ‘Every Variety Track’ even contribute? LOL.”
Right, those had to be called out. I nodded, popped open a can—a beer I hadn’t had in a week. It tasted like celebration.
“Sips delightfully.”
And Spacer enjoyed the spillover effect.
[“Inheriting Teaholic? Here’s a 5-minute breakdown of why Spacer’s song caused this uproar.”]
Racket-car controversy turned viral marketing, boosting Spacer’s chart rank higher.
[Spacer’s Kwon Heeseung: “Hyung... We hit No. 19 😭”]
They didn’t care about hate—they cried and cheered among themselves, even snagged a music-show win and tears. At that point, I was satisfied.
“I’ve landed a hit on Wonderhall.”
Everything went to plan: Spacer’s success padded the company’s finances, so I was ready to bow out. New rookies train hard, debut, and tiresome critics will soften over time.
“People should feel ashamed—it’s just diligent rookies, not plagiarism.”
Once Wonderhall absorbed all blame, I was done. Even I thought, “Fair point—they are new, how much could they know?” If they retool and avoid Testa ties, that’s fine.
“Congrats.”
I sent Heeseung a reply. End of story.
But then unexpected backup arrived.
“...Huh.”
Check this WeTube clip:
[“They call themselves our MZ version...? We’re MZ gen too! 🔥 Clip from Teaholic’s Show Business”]
That’s right—Teaholic themselves mentioned Spacer on their variety show, positively.
“My god, are they insane?”
Then I realized why and checked messages:
[“Are you not renewing your contract, senior Teaholic?”]
[“VTIC applicant senior: Want to know?”]
They had exactly three months left on their contract—so Teaholic, on their way out, gave Spacer a little poke.
“They ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ must’ve been really pissed.”
Given Wonderhall’s heavy investment and concept overhaul for Iter, Teaholic likely endured plenty of frustration during their own decline. Their individual schedules had skewed to solo activities long ago; soon they’d each sign where they wished and reunite only for group work.
“Not a bad ending, actually.”
I nodded. They’d even contacted us:
[“Teaholic’s Ha Jintae: Mundae, want to appear on our show again? We can get all agency artists on!”]
“....”
“Can they really pull that off?”
I thought, “Wonderhall will come after them.” If they unleashed dating rumors or club scandals, who knows. They must feel safe... but whatever.
“No thanks.”
I declined the group-show offer—too much on my plate already.
“This is just groundwork.”
Knocking Iter down was only the first step. Now, even if they release alongside Testa, failing to surpass us in any area means they’ll be judged “below expectations.” The “vs Testa” frame is gone; “inheriting Testa” stuck. Iter will be compared to Spacer, not us, by how much they match senior-idol success—no more blatant benchmarking.
“Good luck.”
I’m curious how Wonderhall’s skilled team navigates this hellish level. Over time, they’ll find an escape, but as a top agency, they won’t slip up. They might even spin this hate into their own narrative—though that takes a year to feel natural. By then, Spacer will be leagues ahead, and Teaholic’s intervention may delay Iter’s public rebound further.
I shrugged.
So after sidelining Iter, Testa’s next move... well, that story starts now. You know Testa’s old nickname:
“T1’s Son.”
Snide but fair—they debuted via T1’s survival show and got full backing. Now they’re almost disowned—“son” or not, no support remains. They can’t attach to any broadcast platform. LeTi is too new and already has its own “son,” VTIC.
So...
“It’s time for us to find a new family.”
I read my manager’s message:
[“Got it. Meeting at MBS tomorrow.”]
My appearance on Cheongryeo’s old MBS program wasn’t random—it was networking. I’d pitched, “I need an intro to a PD.” Nothing to lose now.
“‘Son of terrestrial broadcast.’ Let’s try that.”
