K-pop group RESCENE is turning massive online buzz into a mainstream breakthrough, landing a spot on a major network variety show.
On the 18th, MBC confirmed that RESCENE will appear on the MBC variety show Omniscient Interfering View, slated to air in July. After building momentum through various YouTube content and rising on music charts, fans are eager to see what parts of their daily life the group will reveal on broadcast.
At the center of RESCENE's skyrocketing buzz is leader Woni. Woni recently appeared on webtoon-artist-turned-YouTuber Calm Man's channel, where a Shorts clip evoking Pokémon's Charmander blew up online. As of the 18th—just nine days after it was posted—the video racked up 140,000 likes and 13.64 million views, spreading at lightning speed.
The clip is an edited moment from a live stream held on the 8th. In the roughly four-second video, Woni mimics Charmander with a fiery expression as if breathing flames. With an added AI effect, the scene makes it look like actual sparks are shooting from her mouth.
Despite its short length, Woni's signature cute expressions and the clip's addictive edit sparked a huge reaction across social media and online communities. Fans commented, "I can't stop watching," "She really look like Charmander," and "Ultimate views cheat code."