NewJeans Hani's 'Blue Coral Reef'... Japanese Man Battling Cancer Says "Gained Hope"

"'Gaining Strength from the Blue Coral Reef... Will Overcome Cancer'
Korean and Japanese Netizens Continue to Support 'Wishing You a Full Recovery'"

A story has caught attention about a man in his 60s from Japan, battling cancer, who found hope through "Blue Coral Reef," sung by Hani, a member of the girl group NewJeans.

NewJeans previously held a fan meeting called "Bunnies Camp 2024 Tokyo Dome" at Tokyo Dome on June 26 and 27.

During the event, NewJeans arranged solo stages for each member, performing famous Japanese songs that were popular from the 1980s to recent times. Among these, Hani’s rendition of Matsuda Seiko’s "Blue Coral Reef" became a major topic both in Japan and South Korea.

Seiko is a singer who represents Japan’s prosperous 1980s "Bubble Era." At that time, Japan’s economy rapidly grew, increasing consumers’ purchasing power and leading to the development of culture and the entertainment industry.

NewJeans member Hanni is singing "Blue Coral" at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 26th of last month. [Image source=Provided by ADOR]

When "Blue Coral Reef" was released in 1980, it gained great popularity, ranking high on Japan’s Oricon charts. Because of this, many middle-aged and older people who personally experienced Japan’s golden age enthusiastically responded to Hani’s stage that day, with many expressing nostalgia as they reminisced about old memories.

Then, on the 27th of last month, a comment from a man in his 60s on the YouTube channel "Bunnies Animal Hospital," which posted Hani’s "Blue Coral Reef" performance video, drew attention.

He revealed that he is currently 61 years old and battling cancer, writing, "Listening to Hani’s song reminded me of 44 years ago when every day shone brightly. Thank you for the inspiration and courage. I will do my best to overcome cancer."

In response, netizens from both Korea and Japan left encouraging messages for the man, such as "You will definitely overcome this," and "Let’s watch Hani’s concert together once you recover." The man replied, "Thank you to the kind people of Korea for your words of encouragement."

Meanwhile, due to the enthusiastic response to the stage, Hani appeared on the local broadcaster Asahi’s "Music Station" on the 6th and performed "Blue Coral Reef" live once again.