A heated debate has erupted among K-pop fans over the inappropriateness of the concept of K-pop boy group SHINee TAEMIN's latest album.
On October 30, TAEMIN dropped his fourth solo mini album 'Guilty'.
According to HANTEO Chart, which keeps track of physical album sales in Korea and at HANTAO's global partner record companies, the sales of 'Guilty' surpassed 130,000 copies.
Fans are starting to receive their physical albums now, and they are not all reacting to it the same way.
'Guilty' Archive Box Version, for instance, comes in a box that looks like a shoebox.
Once you open the shoebox, you are welcomed with 'Guilty' CD, post cards, photobook and more.
Then, there is a hole over another hard paper that you use to open it, then you immediately see a mini poster, then big photo cards, regular photo cards, TAEMIN's 'ID card' and other 'Guilty' special merchandise.
Some fans claimed that the overall experience of album unboxing made it seem as if they were doing something they should not be doing.
It simply did not feel right for them as it contained vibes that were overly sensual, and illegal to some extent.
What made them feel specifically more uncomfortable was that they felt like they were illegally spying on him during his alone time.
First, the hole to open the hard paper looked like they were secretly picked with a finger.
When you opened it, there was the poster of TAEMIN lying on a bed in what it looks like a motel room.
The photos in the photocards that came after the poster were close-up shots of his body parts―each of his eye, lips, lower part of his belly with underwear, his feet wearing socks and shoes in a careless manner.
Next, the photos in the photobook featured TAEMIN in his 'motel room' wearing a sleeveless shirt, and also nothing on top.
There were close-ups of sweat running down his neck, his mouth with an ice cube inside and him having a melting red popsicle as well.
Not only that, but there was also a photo of his underwear and jeans lying on the floor.
Fans pointed out that not just the design of the Archive Box Version, but the theme of the album itself was wrong on so many levels.
Other fans, however, argued back, saying that the voyeuristic and overly sensual nature of the album's content was intentionally designed to make viewers feel 'guilty', as the album title suggested.
Both sides are currently arguing without compromising their views.
(Credit= 'valuable6v6' 'ihatetoma' 'SaraOT5' 'LeeTM93' 'tae______m' 'onebyone_tm' X, WeVerse)