I think sometimes English-language fans don't always understand how important variety and drama appearances are to an idol's long term career. I remember Arashi's Aiba saying the moment he felt they'd really made it was when they got that prime time variety spot.

A successful appearance on a variety show like Korea's Show Me the Money or King of Masked Singer or a regular spot on one of Japan's comedy shows can really open a lot of doors for an idol. Relying exclusively on a fandom for support is not sustainable for long term career.

You can't buy that kind of reputation even with 1000 articles by paid journalists; and you also can't buy true style. Idols who can set trends rather than just following them are very, very rare. Thinking of Jiyong, Taemin, Mino in Korea; Matsujun, Hirate Yurina in Japan...