‘Nihonryu Namnyeo’ attracted attention by creating an overwhelming buzz in South Korean home theaters and social media at the end of May.

The main characters are Kota Miura, who is called the idol of the Japanese fighting world, and Kyoka, a street dancer.The two, who are active in different stages, are recently dividing the fandom that is crazy about the unique Japanese sensibility and are rising as the main characters of the so-called ‘female fandom’ that is causing ‘deokjil’ among female fans in Korea.

Kota Miura participated in the ‘RIZIN World Series in Korea’ held at Paradise City in Incheon on the 31st of last month, and became a hot topic on domestic SNS.The match attracted attention because it was the first Korean match hosted by the Japanese mixed martial arts(MMA)group RIZIN, but what garnered even bigger attention was the participation of Kota Miura, who is called the ‘Fighting Park Bo-gum’.

With his blond hair, tanned skin, and mischievous smile, Kota Miura’s appearance is reminiscent of a Japanese youth comic book character from the 2000s.A YouTube short video that collected his “heart-fluttering points” has become an explosive response, garnering over 15 million views.

Japanese dancer Kyoka, who is currently appearing on Mnet’s ‘World of Street Woman Fighter’, is also emerging as a powerful ‘heartthrob’.Kyoka started dancing at the age of 8 and is a talented dancer who has excelled in the hip-hop and freestyle genres.She has also garnered attention for her looks and style reminiscent of ‘free-spirited girls’ who are also featured as key figures in Japanese youth dramas.

In addition, her quotes such as “As a dancer, you have to be recognized by other dancers” and “I dance to fully explore the charm of dance that I think it is” are quickly spreading through SNS and are gaining full support from female fans.

The popularity of Miura and Kyoka reminds us of the ‘Ilryu’ craze in the 2000s, when Japanese youth growth dramas were at their peak.In fact, online communities are recalling classic Japanese school dramas about delinquent boys growing up, such as the ‘Gokusen’ series, the movies ‘Bad Princess Momoko’, and ‘Crows Zero’.

Meanwhile, Kota Miura lost to our country’s Yong-chul Kwon by TKO in the first round.In an interview after the match, he showed his mature side and garnered attention by saying, “I am grateful for the passionate support of Korean fans.It was not a match that left only regrets.I am going back with good memories.”



Reporter Jang Eun- eunj@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.