Does one need to be popular in Korea in order be a 'Hallyu star'? Supernova's massive success in Japan (which belies�their relative obscurity in Korea) is suggesting that one just might be independent of the other. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Supernova, they are a six-member group managed by Mnet, and they consist of members Yunhak, Geonil, Sungje, Sungmo, Kwangsu, and Jihyuk. �Prior to their debut in 2007, there was an enormous amount of hype surrounding Supernova, as the media used phrases like "six Rains [Hallyu superstar and entertainer] in one group" to describe the group's potential. They finally debuted in 2007 with the single, "HIT", yet the song was anything but a 'hit' and the group nearly fizzled out. Why did Supernova see such a dismal start? Interviewed on�TVN E News, the boys cited a number of reasons. For one, soon after the group debuted, Big Bang released their mega-hit, "Lies" and the Wonder Girls unleashed what is now known as the "Tell Me Syndrome" on unsuspecting K-pop fans everywhere.�SHINee had also released "Replay" around in this time as well. All in all, it was a combination of poor timing and bad luck, according to the members. Leader Yunhak stated that he believed they would've had stood a better shot if they had debuted at a different time. Additionally, their songs were prepared far in advance, and may have sounded 'old' when they actually debuted. And what would be the "secret" to their success in Japan? �Well as the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'.

"We took a local approach and chose clothes that fit Japan, hairstyles that fit Japan, and focused on learning the Japanese language. �We never used translators when going on broadcast."