A Chinese boy band has been shut down less than a week after it was launched.
The management company behind Panda Boys, a group of seven boys ranging in age from seven to 11, announced the decision on Wednesday.
“We will seriously and properly handle the follow-up work,” read a statement from Asia Starry Sky Group. “Thanks for the supervision and criticism from society and online.”
Panda Boys launched on Aug. 20 at a press conference with the debut of a single and video. Reaction was swift, with social media users slamming the group as exploitative.
China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV opined that the boys “are separated from the environment of normal life and study, and they are exposed to the complicated entertainment circle prematurely, which is not conducive to their physical and mental health.”
Asia Starry Sky Group annonced on Tuesday it was rebranding Panda Boys from a boy band to a youth arts troupe. “We are doing something meaningful with a group of children who love singing and dancing," it insisted.
But, the following day, Panda Boys was dissolved.