Every K-pop idol Yui Kikuchi is based on

Yui Kikuchi is our top supporting character in my dystopian survival trilogy, Beyond the Lost. And she’s based on more than one K-pop idol.

Oh yeah, it took more than one K-pop idol to build Yui Kikuchi. This girl is a lethal combo of all the idols listed below, and you may’ve heard of a few of ’em. But in case you haven’t, I’m here to give you a rundown.

And one more thing. Yui may’ve come from Japan, and it’s implied she was born in Tokyo. But it took idols from four different countries to bring Yui to life.

So, who inspired our sharp-tongued girl with shoulder-length black hair, blonde dip-dyes, and a killer body? Keep reading.

Gyubin (Korea)

Yui may be a little older than Gyubin, given Beyond the Lost’s 2026 release year. But I wrote that if I could cast Yui with one K-pop idol, it’d be Gyubin. Yui strikes me as someone who could roll with mainstream K-pop vibes, then break out in an intense guitar solo. Gyubin’s no different.

Lisa (Thailand)

Fun Fact: In my Elementals of Nordica series, I named a character Lalisa Must-Roosa as a nod to Lisa. That said, this is the second time I had Lisa in mind when creating a character. I’ve always seen Lisa as Blackpink’s best dancer, and Yui, really, outpaces the rest of her band, T-Ice, in all things dancing.

Moametal (Japan)

Well, she’s kind of named after Babymetal’s Moa Kikuchi. And while Moa’s not a K-pop idol, per se, the metal leanings and fusion with K-pop were a big inspiration not just behind Yui, but T-Ice. As mentioned earlier, Yui’s Japanese and, yes, she’s also named after the former Babymetal member, Yuimetal.

Yuqi (China)

It’s subjective, but nobody’s got a better voice in K-pop than Yuqi, if you want my honest take. It’s soft, yet husky (just listen to the song Fendi), and it’s one of those voices you don’t forget the second you hear it. It wasn’t until she was featured in Yena’s Hate Rodrigo did I stumble across Yuqi, and the second I heard her voice, I knew exactly who Yui would sound like.

Yena (Korea)

Yena’s quite the deceptive character, and in a good way. She’ll hit you with bubblegum vibes before she transforms into an emo-punk rocker. Her versatility was a staple behind T-Ice’s style, but with a little bit of the band Dreamcatcher involved.

Mina (Japan)

Another Fun Fact: Yes, Mina Hirai from my Chronicles of Rondure series was named after Mina and also Momo. Anyway, Mina was ultimately the reason I rolled with Yui being from Japan when she was initially going to be Korean. Mina was also born in the U.S., and while that wasn’t the case for Yui, she’s pretty well-versed in random American uniqueness, like measurements.

Jeon Somi (Korea)

I don’t know about you, but Jeon Somi almost always carries an elegant charm. That’s hard to do 24/7, but it’s something that, before the world ended, the way Yui carried herself. I’m sure they’re out there, but I’ve never seen a single photograph where Jeon Somi didn’t look her absolute best, and Yui would make for damn sure she looked like a goddess every time she spotted a camera.

Ready to see this amalgam of these seven amazing women in action? Get Beyond the Lost Horizon, and see exactly what becomes of Yui in this 37,000-word novella.