[instiz] CLARIFICATION POST OF HEARTS2HEARTS’ PLAGIARISM RUMORS OF A MID-SIZE COMPANY GROUPS

This trend began with fashion trends set by international influencers

The angle and composition + sketchbook background. It’s already widely used in magazines and content videos, so much so that they’re even used in other K-pop groups

Their sunbaes already did it in March of 2025 too

The lemon-eyeball character is accused of plagiarizing CRAVITY, but H2H showed it first revealed as a spoiler 1 month before their debut

I’ve heard some people argue that bringing it to life on screen is a different matter, but didn’t a similar character already get revealed in images as a spoiler first?

+ On a side note, the last one is Ifeye’s album title “Sweet Tang” (it was not a song title)

Some people were claiming Ifeye’s album was a rip-off of aespa’s can album too

Can albums were already released + promotional time tables were already out since July 2023.

Since the lemon theme overlaps as well, if we go by that logic, there’s also a song by a male group from the same agency released in 2021 with the same title “Lemonade”

It’s not an expression that’s normally used with “tang”, but since people were claiming plagiarism just because the composition and two words overlapped, I’m adding this too. 

There’s even a product that uses “Tang” almost like a proper noun, marketed around its signature tangy flavor. 

Also, considering that another girl group from the same agency came back with a lemon-themed concept, it seems they were already fixated on lemons and using “tang” as a descriptive modifier. Based on the spoiler timeline, you can tell this had been in preparation for at least a year (since before March 2025)

1. The plagiarism rumors weren’t because of the album name or the can. It was because of the word “tang” no?

2. If it were just one overlap, that would be one thing, but since two overlapped, they should have taken the photo differently or something

3. It must be nice to be a big company, there are die-hard fans who’ll go out of their way to defend you. On the other hand, if a small or medium-sized company had copied them, those idols would’ve been the one to take all the flak and be done for

4. I honestly don’t think that it’s plagiarism but I’m really shocked at how their quality isn’t even better than a mid-size company’s idols’ concept

5. If only one had overlapped, I would have thought it was a coincidence, but once two or more overlap, that’s when it becomes a pattern no?

6. It’s not just about the words though

7. But “tang” isn’t even a word they made up, it’s just one of many words out there. So why…? It doesn’t even mean the same thing. Seriously, are people playing tricks on me?

> We’re not saying that “tang” is the only overlap here. From the lemons, to holding the letters, a few things are overlapping in these concept photos. If it was only about “tang”, it wouldn’t be a controversy

8. Since the album title is uncommon + even the cover art is similar, it would have been nice if they’d done a little research…

9. It must be because there are kids waiting to accuse SM of plagiarism

10. That Sketchbook definitely copies a composition that’s already famous overseas. Ifeye probably referenced that, so did H2H. So H2H didn’t actually plagiarize the Ifeye