10 K-Pop Idols and their anime look-alikes, ranked

For many fans around the world, K-Pop Idols are the closest thing to an anime look-alike in existence. Some of the most famous and popular K-Pop Idols in the world look uncannily similar to some of the most famous anime characters.

Whether this is by coincidence or by a conscious decision, there is no doubt that if certain anime characters were to appear in real life, they would often get confused with K-Pop Idols.

In this list, we will rank ten K-Pop Idols who look just like an anime character, from the least similar to the most.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion. Sportskeeda does not claim ownership of any media used in the article unless otherwise specified.

10) Jia / Sakura

Meng Jia, also known simply as Jia, is a Chinese K-Pop Idol who was a member of the popular group Miss A. Her contract ended back in 1026, but fans of the group still remember her fondly for the amazing performances she gave them.

At first, you may not find a lot of similarities between her and Sakura from Naruto. However, if you dye her hair pink, like in Miss A’s video Bad Girl Good Girl, Jia looks exactly like the pink-haired Kunoichi, minus the iconic headband Sakura usually wears.

9) Zico / Shikamaru

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Unlike many other K-Pop Idols who tend to stick to the pop genre, Zico has dabbled in many other fields before, like rap. Still, he is better known for his time as the leader of the boy band Block B, which debuted all the way back in 2011.

When he is wearing his hat and glasses, the similarities between Zico and Naruto’s Shikamaru are not really noticeable. Nevertheless, back when he used to wear his hair in a pineapple style, the resemblance to the Nara clan heir was indeed uncanny.

8) V / Kaneki

BTS is arguably the most famous K-Pop band in the world, so it makes sense that fans of the band usually try to find similarities between their favorite K-Pop Idols and their favorite characters. This is why so many fans started to compare V with Tokyo Ghoul’s Kaneki.

During one of BTS' tours, the paparazzi took a photo of V while he was walking around the airport. At the time, V was wearing a black turtle neck shirt and had dyed his hair white. When looking at this photo with one of Kaneki’s it seem like V was cosplaying Kaneki that day.

7) Krystal / Erza

Krystal and Erza (Image via Sportskeeda)

F(X) was one of the most acclaimed girl bands back in the day. One of its members, Krystal, was known for her fiery red hair and purple eyes. Throughout the years, Krystal has been compared to Erza from Fairy Tail several times.

Besides the similarities in appearance, Erza and Krystal also share personalities. They are both strong and determined ladies who have a soft and sweet side they use when talking with friends or fans.

This is one of the few cases where the similarities between the K-Pop Idol and the anime character go beyond the physical.

6) Jaejoong / Light

Jaejoong and Light (Image via Sportskeeda)

One of the most beloved and popular K-Pop Idols, not only in Korea but also in Japan, is none other than JYJ’s former member Jaejoong. He started out as a member of many different boy bands back in his home country, South Korea, before finding his passion for Japanese music and moving to the Country of the Rising Sun.

His hairstyle has gone through many different transformations throughout the years. At one point, he decided to start wearing his natural hair in banga, making him look exactly like Death Note’s Kira. Not only is the hairstyle and color almost identical, but his eyes also reflect the deep introspection Light is known for.

5) CL – Ino Yamanaka

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2NE1 was a massive hit amongst K-Pop fans for their unconventional sounding songs, their flashy attires, and how they presented themselves on stage. One of its former members, CL, acted as their leader and main rapper, a feat that quickly made her popular worldwide.

During her time as 2NE1’s leader, CL used to wear her blonde hair in a high ponytail with a lock of hair covering one of her eyes. When compared with Naruto’s Ino Yamanaka, the similarities between the two fashionable and strong-willed ladies become apparent.

4) Leo / Haruka

VIXX is one of the few boy bands mentioned on this list that is still active at the moment. One of its members, Leo, is famous amongst fans for managing to continue being a member of the band while still pursuing a solo career.

Due to his physique and straight black hair, Leo has been compared to many different anime characters in the past. However, when his hair is wet, he looks scarily similar to Haruka from Free!. Their facial structures are almost identical and their hair covers their face in almost the exact places.

3) Taemin / Rasiel

Rasiel and Taemin (Image via Sportskeeda)

Not only is Taemin a member of the renowned group SHINee, but he is also a part of the world famous SuperM. Due to his extensive career, he has amassed millions of fans who love everything with which he is involved. Another thing his fans love to do is compare him to other K-Pop Idols and anime characters.

A few years ago, Taemin allowed his hair to grow past his eyes in the front and past his shoulders in the back. This hairstyle, combined with the blonde dye he was using at the time, made him look like Rasiel from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. It is almost like Taemin’s look was purposefully inspired by Rasiel.

2) Eunhyuk / Luffy

Luffy and Eunhyuk (Image via Sportskeeda)

A beloved K-Pop Idol and one of the best dancers in the industry, Eunhyuk rose to fame by becoming a founder member of the extremely popular group Super Junior. He has captured the hearts of millions of fans throughout his years as an idol and has only become more famous with each passing year.

Besides being a notorious K-Pop Idol, he also appears to be a One Piece fan, something fitting as he has been compared before to Luffy. There is even a picture online where Eunhyuk can be seen doing the iconic pose that was featured in Luffy’s bounty poster for years.

1) G-Dragon / Gaara

Gaara and G-Dragon (Image via Sportskeeda)

Also known as the King of K-Pop, G-Dragon is probably the most influential K-Pop Idol in existence. He started his career as the leader of the fabled band Big Bang, one of the most celebrated Korean bands ever. G-Dragon is also known for his work in the fashion industry, setting the latest Korean trends for years.

While he normally does not give the same ominous vibes that Gaara does during Naruto, when Big Bang filmed their video Monster, G-Dragon looked like a Gaara cosplayer. The red hair, the bang covering the right eye and the eye shadow made it seem like Gaara had left Naruto’s world behind to come and live amongst us.

Final thoughts

Idols and anime can coextist in peace (Image via Toei Animation)

Along with anime, Asian culture has a major influence over the youngest generations because of its extensive and amazing music industry. Many of the most famous artists of the last couple of decades have been K-Pop Idols. Due to this, the world of anime and K-Pop often clash with each other.

While some of the interactions between these two groups tend to be aggressive, there are some wholesome and heartwarming ones. For example, when fans of both worlds come together to see how similar their favorite members of both fandoms look.

This is an amazing experiment that will help bring two of the most influential aspects of Asiatic culture together.

Edited by Prem Deshpande