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On March 16, NCT Dream released the first episode of their show, DREAM LOOP: The Last Midnight, which revolved around members trying to escape their setting by finding clues. Stuck in an abandoned mental hospital, the show executes the efforts of the participants to get out of the situation as they crack each obstacle. While many viewers found the show entertaining, they couldn't help but note how many similarities there were between it and SEVENTEEN's Going Seventeen series, EGO.
From the plot and storyline of the concept to the props employed in the series, fans noticed that many of DREAM LOOP's elements were picked from Going Seventeen's EGO series. While both the fandoms of SEVENTEEN and NCT DREAM realize that the blame doesn't fall on either of the artists but rather on the staff and SM Entertainment in particular.
Fans call out SM Entertainment for plagiarizing Going Seventeen's EGO for NCT Dream's DREAM LOOP
Following the start of plagiarism speculations, fans were extremely upset about the bad image it created for NCT Dream given that they were caught in a plagiarism scandal only weeks ago for NCT Home. Fans are concerned about the negative attention that the group is receiving because it clearly stems from mismanagement and carelessness on the part of the staff.
They also supposedly used the same escape room for the series' filming, and it was also noted that the concepts used by the two groups are quite common. But the kind of hints used as escape room hints, the outfits members wore, and the storyline of how the show progressed were clearly and outrightly pulled from Going Seventeen's EGO.
While this makes the similarities reasonable, fans also believe that a simple credit to the production team of Going Seventeen and SEVENTEEN would've helped them avoid the current plagiarism allegations and the heat they're gaining from Netizens. Many have also argued that it's not a big deal since it's a typical escape room theme and it is just a variety show concept.
Regardless, fans have been fixated on their stance since Going Seventeen was licensed as original content and is a product of SEVENTEEN and the production team's continuous hard work throughout the years. Going Seventeen has maintained its position as one of the most entertaining variety shows due to its intriguing concepts and storylines. Fans were simply disheartened by the lack of recognition and credit that the staff received due to SM Entertainment's plagiarism.
While it naturally led to the two fandoms ending up in tension with each other, they've also made a conscious effort to direct the blame and their frustration at the staff and agency who're responsible rather than NCT Dream. Since it's quite common for artists to have little to zero participation in the making of variety show concepts, it only made sense to hold the staff accountable for the current plagiarism allegations.
Following the attention brought to the issue, fans hope that SM Entertainment will address the issue to avoid further conflicts and also give the rightful credit to the Going Seventeen team.
