A TWICE fan from Japan was a motorcycle gang member but found a light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the popular South Korean girl group.
The fan, Twitter user @akmau010, used to be a bōsōzoku (a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle clubs and gangs) but the nine-member K-pop group inspired him to turn his life around.
According to Koreaboo, he wrote: “Two years ago, I would not have dreamed of being a fan. Two years ago, I would have dreamed of an accelerator and a clutch, not a light stick, and a fan’s voice. It’s like changing your values and what you think is fun! First of all, don’t accept that you can only learn one way of thinking!”
His story was first shared in June and has since garnered over 63,000 likes and more than 24,000 replies.
Akmau010 is just one of the millions of fans in Japan who has been impacted by TWICE’s music.
The group made its debut in 2015 but wasn’t introduced in the Land of the Rising Sun until 2017 when they landed in the top third artist of Billboard Japan’s Year-End Rankings, according to New Straits Times.
TWICE has contributed to the revival of the hallyu (“Korean Wave”) culture in Japan.
More than 70,000 fans attended Twiceland Zone 2: Fantasy Park, two nights of concerts held at the Saitama Super Arena earlier this year.
The tour also took the group to fans in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
However, a concert planned in Malaysia was canceled because of safety concerns at the venue. TWICE has reportedly promised to return to the Southeast Asian country for a performance.
Featured Image via Twitter / @akmau010 (Left), Instagram / twicetagram (Right)
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