I never reviewed Pink Fantasy’s 2018 debut, but I was definitely aware of the group. They’re hard to miss, as one of their members is obscured by a horror-show bunny mask that will apparently remain affixed to this “mystery performer” until Pink Fantasy reaches the number one spot on Billboard. So in other words, this poor girl will likely be a bunny forever.
This comment isn’t meant to be glib, but K-pop’s competitive reality doesn’t favor a breakout for a group like this. Pink Fantasy aren’t from a large agency, and their off-kilter aesthetic doesn’t play to the industry’s preferences. I’ll always respect any group who attempts something new, but this whole bunny stunt may only work against them in the long run. However, bunny or no bunny, it’s the quality of the music that really matters. Debut Iriwa was intriguing but low-budget. New single Fantasy offers higher quality all around. The song also does a convincing job positioning the group as a lighter, more symphonic answer to Dreamcatcher.
Opening with an extended piano-and-strings intro, Fantasy builds toward a dramatic verse. The melody here feels like early GFriend, bolstered by the kind of theatrical production we rarely hear in girl group tracks these days. The orchestral touches are vital to the song’s success, giving Fantasy needed weight. The pre-chorus brings in a surge of rock guitar, which reappears later for a standout instrumental break. The girls deliver a solid performance throughout, though their vocals lack the character that more established groups could bring to a track like this. Still, Fantasy is trussed up with such a bombastic arrangement that it’s hard not to be drawn into its cinematic charms. I think we need a bunny-themed rock opera next.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
Be sure to add your own rating by participating in the poll below!
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This strange bunny head… It reminds me of the boy group A6P. One member wore a mask and his face was kept secret. This should add “mystery” to the group.
They disbanded after one song and his face was never revealed…
However, this sounds like a Dreamcatcher song with weaker vocals. But I like rock guitar so this will go to my playlist.
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The lead singer of Dreamcatcher Siyeon can knock it out of the balcony when she is allowed to. There is a cover of her singing something from Aladdin, and it is a full strength Broadway mezzo soprano belting voice. (… slightly too nasal)
She picked (or had picked for her) the completely wrong songs for Masked Singer, and also sounded more than a bit nervous.
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That person is going to be wearing the bunny head for a long while, because it took many months until the end of May for “Iriwa” to be up on iTunes, and idk how anyone tops any international charts without iTunes.
Also aiming for the Dreamcatcher niche isn’t a bad idea compared to the well-over-subscribed cute girl group concept, or the tough girls concept, or the sexy girls concept, although Dreamcatcher themselves aren’t exactly as popular as they could or should be.
This song is alright. Not my thing personally, but its OK.
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Three songs in one day and you’re so hard working. Thanks for great reviews
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It’s my pleasure!
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I’ve had an eye on PinkFantasy since their debut and they’ve been a super weird group to watch. They made that bizarre appearance as backup dancers in an SUV video and the girl with the bunny mask shredded that electric guitar that was shooting fireworks, they had one of the members cover an Ella Fitzgerald song for their channel, their first comeback was a Broadway style subunit… They don’t do anything by halves at least. I’m curious to see what they’re going to do next, because based on the trajectory of the group so far they could very easily abandon this sound completely.
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Wow ! An Korean idol covering Ella Fitzgerald ?! That’s really new to me. Sounds like this group has ‘potential’. Hopefully their company knows what to do with them.
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Judging from the rabbit head, they do not.
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In addition to this song, I have also listened to ‘Iriwa’ and ’12 O’clock’. Of these songs, I prefer Iriwa, mainly due to the catchiness. Somehow, the vocals are stronger and more mature than ‘Fantasy’ too.
One of their main vocalists (Yubeen) is on hiatus due to panic disorder. To my ears, she’s a credible vocalist, adding vocal strength to their group (which should be emphasized in lesser known groups). Hope she’ll be back soon !
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In addition to this song, I have listened to ‘Iriwa’ and ’12 O’Clock’. Out of these 3 songs, my preference lies on Iriwa – mainly because it’s catchy enough to make me remember the melody and it has stronger (somehow more mature) vocals, as compared to ‘Fantasy’. Not sure whether it has something to do with one of the main vocalists, Yubeen (I am not familiar with them anyway; I just read that she is on hiatus). Which is a shame because if that’s the case then to my ears, she’s a credible vocalist. Lesser known groups should emphasize on vocal strength, instead of some weird gimmick, lols. Hope she’ll be back soon enough.
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This is one of those songs that went into my brain and hit all the music kinks. I can’t even try to be objective about it.
The Youtube comment sections like to say that Dreamcatcher’s music sounds like anime openings (although really only Fly High and Mayday are close to the classic anime rock sound). In my opinion this song is an anime ending. Rock, yes, but not as rousing as an opening. Although it is much faster than most anime EDs, there are some EDs with faster tempos and heavier rock influence – notably HxH’s Hunting for your Dream.
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To me, Dreamcatcher fuses traditional pop with Asian rock with middling success. Don’t get me wrong, I really, really like the group (and the majority of everything they’ve released), but they still seem to be in the distillation phase of finding their sound.
Many people are angrily comparing PinkFantasy to DreamCatcher and I think that is an insult to both groups. This Highlander “There can be only one!” mentality needs to be dragged out behind the barn and given both barrels. Comparisons are fine, fanboi bleats decrying foul play are not.
If were to make a comparison between PinkFantasy “Fantasy” and another, then I’d pick Nobuo Uematsu. His work on all of the Final Fantasy games contains similar fusions of lush orchestral beds and gritty rock; which pair remarkably well if done right.
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“Fantasy” is a major hit with me. It hits hard and still maintains a feminine edge; which is not easy with this genre. I like the J-Rock/orchestral fusion. A LOT actually. Very theatrical and showy. I really don’t want to play the Dreamcatcher versus PinkFantasy game as I’ve room for both groups in my collection. As far as I’m concerned, this group just took a major step in clearly defining themselves in a heavily populated industry. Double plus good; and all that.
Drifting off-topic in ..3 ..2 ..:
When PinkFantasy debuted (Iriwa), I had thought them.. ..quaint; which was an unfortunate disservice. Later, when PinkFantasy SHY released “12 o’clock”, I perked up. I really loved the vibe of the song and thought the vocals were superb (especially Yubeen). There was a nostalgic Andrew Sisters vibe to the whole production that clicked with me.
This led me back to their debut track, “Iriwa”, only this time I actually paid attention. Yechan and SeeA do most of the heavy lifting in that song and they carry that weight beautifully. I was able to see past the mood and brood of the song and truly appreciate it.
I was saddened to learn Yubeen was taking a hiatus from the group due to a panic disorder; I’ve personal experience with that ailment so I’m aware how disabling it can be so.. ..best wishes for the best possible outcome. I really love the timbre of her vocals so if a complete departure is necessary then I’ll sincerely miss her.
Fun Fact: I’ve read (so, unverified) that the group’s agency (MyDoll Entertainment) is run by a woman who was a former hair dresser in the K-Pop world. Perhaps she is the mysterious be-costumed member “Daewang”? :O
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Thank heavens we have sites like this where it is expected to multi-stan.
Star War good, fan wars bad.
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Popping in weeks later to ask myself how I could have possibly missed this??? I’m stanning this low budget horror version of 2016 Gfriend.
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