The eye that sent BTS out into the world has turned toward five Japanese teenagers. VIBY is an all-Japanese boy group trained for about two years inside the K-pop system, produced by Kim Mi Jeong, who spent 16 years at the front line of global artist development at HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment). Their story opens with a remake of a Crystal Kay classic.

The Eye That Found BTS Now Searches Japan

On March 12, 2026, visuals and member details were unveiled for VIBY (pronounced "bye-bee"), a five-member all-Japanese boys group that represents one of the most intriguing experiments in Asian pop music today.

Behind VIBY stands Kim Mijon (KIM MI JEONG), a name that may not ring a bell for casual fans but carries enormous weight in the K-pop industry. Kim spent 16 years at the forefront of global artist development at HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), the powerhouse behind BTS. She was part of the team during BTS's early debut process, later becoming Casting Team Leader where she personally discovered the members of TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT). Over her career, she analyzed audition data from over one million candidates across Korea, Japan, the United States, China, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

In 2022, Kim relocated to Japan, initially for a sabbatical. But her instinct as a talent scout kicked in. Convinced that Japan held untapped potential, she set out on an unconventional journey: traveling across Japan with just a single interpreter, meeting young people face-to-face in what she calls "discovery-type casting." No massive open auditions, no reality TV cameras, just one experienced eye searching for raw talent. Within just five months, she found 12 trainees, a feat she says would typically take major Korean agencies over three years.

Five Teenagers From Across Japan

VIBY's lineup consists of five members, all Japanese teenagers:

  • IO (Leader): Born January 25, 2007, from Kyoto, age 19
  • RENKI: Born October 15, 2007, from Hyogo Prefecture, age 18
  • AKITO: Born February 7, 2008, from Hokkaido, age 18
  • RYOHA: Born April 22, 2009, from Ishikawa Prefecture, age 16
  • KOTARO: Born November 21, 2010, from Hokkaido, age 15

What makes their story even more striking is that most of these trainees had zero experience in singing or dancing before Kim discovered them. She saw something in each of them, a spark of potential that her years of experience told her was genuine. They then underwent approximately two years of training in Korea, following the same systematic approach that produced global stars like BTS: monthly evaluations, level-based progression, and intensive vocal, dance, and performance coaching.

Pre-Debut With a J-Pop Classic

VIBY's pre-debut single, dropping March 18, 2026, is a cover of Crystal Kay's "Koi ni Ochitara" ("When I Fall in Love"). The original was a massive hit in 2005 as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama series of the same name, starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. It remains one of the most recognizable J-pop ballads of the 2000s.

The choice to debut with a Japanese classic rather than an original K-pop track speaks volumes about the group's positioning. VIBY aims to bridge the worlds of J-pop and K-pop, honoring Japanese musical heritage while delivering performance quality honed through Korean training methods.

Leading up to the pre-debut, short films titled "VIBY Prologue" are being released daily from March 12 through 17, starting with AKITO's version. Promotional flag banners have also appeared along Harajuku's famous Takeshita Street (March 15–23) and Shin-Okubo's shopping district (March 12–23), a symbolic dual presence in Japan's pop culture mecca and its K-pop hub, respectively.

The music video is directed by Shunji Iwai, the filmmaker behind All About Lily Chou-Chou and Kyrie. Kim, a longtime fan of his work, pitched him directly. Built around the "voyage" in the group's name, it follows the five members through their hometowns and on to Tokyo as they converge into VIBY.

The Philosophy Behind Rii.MJ

VIBY launches under Kim's newly established label, Rii.MJ (pronounced "Ree Em-Jay"). The name carries layered meaning: "Rii" stands for Real (focus on essence), Insightful (ability to see the full picture), and Irreplaceable (creating something that cannot be copied). "MJ" represents "Mirai Junction", Japanese for "the point where all possibilities intersect."

The label's approach is notably different from the major agency model. Rather than fitting artists into existing formulas, Rii.MJ designs the entire development process from scratch, from scouting and training to marketing, creative direction, and worldview design. Kim handles all aspects as executive producer, making this a deeply personal project rather than a corporate initiative.

VIBY itself stands for "Voyage Into Bright Youth," with the concept of a shared journey at its core. These five boys came from different places and different backgrounds, united by one Korean producer's belief in their potential.

A New Model for Asian Pop Music

Japanese artists trained in the K-pop system are no longer rare. Groups like NiziU emerged from Korean-Japanese collaborations, and Japanese members are featured in major K-pop groups like LE SSERAFIM, ENHYPEN, and others. But VIBY represents something different: an entirely Japanese group, launched from an independent label founded by a former insider of K-pop's biggest company.

This is neither a multinational K-pop group with Japanese members nor a traditional J-pop idol unit. It is a third path, applying globally proven training methods to an all-Japanese ensemble under the creative vision of someone who helped shape some of K-pop's biggest success stories. If it works, it could inspire a new wave of cross-border artist development across Asia.

ABEMA, one of Japan's major streaming platforms, will begin airing a documentary series on March 25 that follows the creation of Rii.MJ and the journey of VIBY from casting to debut, offering fans an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the process.

In your country, are there examples of artists trained in a foreign music system who went on to succeed? What do you think about this kind of cross-border approach to developing pop artists? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Update: This article reflects the pre-debut announcement of March 2026. VIBY released "Koi ni Ochitara" on March 18, and on March 25 announced its official fan club "TOMO" along with a debut showcase at Nippon Budokan on August 31. The group's first CD single, "Miracle: The First Light," followed on June 24.

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