I was studying in Korea last year and basically, idol groups are just...existent. People know who they are and recognize their songs, but the drama and hype of their popularity is mostly targeted at middle school and high school aged girls, alongside many foreigners. You don't need to worry about the hate from critics because in general, the issues written about on allkpop and other sites like it don't really have a significant impact on anyone's life.

Yes they are. But you know... All idol groups are just... Yup.