Whenever a K-pop song has both a Japanese and Korean version, I usually assume the lyrics are mostly the same.
Then I compared the two versions of TWS’s “Nice to See You Again.”
They have the same melody and the same official English title, but the details are surprisingly different.
The Japanese title is:
はじめまして
Hajimemashite
Nice to meet you.
The Korean title is:
다시 만난 오늘
Dasi mannan oneul
The day we met again.
And then I noticed something else. The Japanese story happens in July, while the Korean one happens in February.
Why would the same song change details like that? 👀
So naturally, I kept digging.
Why “はじめまして” If They’ve Already Met?
This was the first thing that confused me.
はじめまして
Hajimemashite
Nice to meet you.
It’s usually a greeting for someone you’re meeting for the first time.
But the official English title is:
Nice to See You Again.
Once I followed the story, though, it started making more sense.
These two people aren’t strangers. They already know each other, but what they want now is to meet again in a new kind of relationship.
Near the end, there’s a phrase that really helped it click for me:
「僕ら」の はじめまして
“Bokura” no hajimemashite
Our first hello.
That’s when I stopped thinking of hajimemashite as a literal first meeting.
“You” and “I” already know each other, but “we” are just beginning.
So in this song, it feels more like:
“I already know you, but this is our first hello as something new.”
And suddenly Hajimemashite and Nice to See You Again don’t feel contradictory at all.
It Also Happened to Be TWS’s Japanese Debut
Then I started thinking about what was happening outside the lyrics.
“Hajimemashite” was TWS’s Japanese debut song.
Quick note if you’re newer to TWS: 42 (SAI) is the official name of their fandom.
Obviously, Japanese 42 already existed before TWS officially debuted in Japan. It’s not like Japanese fans suddenly discovered TWS that day.
But an official Japanese debut still marks a new beginning.
That’s where the lyrics started overlapping with real life in my head.
In the song, two people who already know each other are beginning a new relationship as “us.” Outside the song, TWS and Japanese 42 already knew each other too, but the Japanese debut marked the official beginning of something new.
So:
はじめまして
Hajimemashite
Nice to meet you.
started sounding less like:
“Hi, we’ve never met.”
and more like:
“We already know each other. But let’s start from here.”
That’s not an official interpretation of the song. It’s just where my brain went after realizing this was their Japanese debut track.
Japan Got July, Korea Got February
The seasonal change was the next thing that stood out.
The Japanese version takes place in July, and the song itself was released in July.
The Korean version changes the setting to:
2월의 겨울
Iworeui gyeoul
Winter in February.
The Korean version was also released in February.
I can’t say the release dates are officially the reason the lyrics were changed, but the choice doesn’t feel random to me. Each version seems to place the reunion in the season when that version actually arrived: a summer reunion in Japan and a winter reunion in Korea.
It’s a small change, but I like it. It makes each version feel like it belongs to its own moment instead of simply swapping one language for another.
Same Wish, Slightly Different Feeling
One important part doesn’t really change.
Under the fireworks, the narrator writes both names side by side. The wish is basically the same in both versions:
“You” + “me” → “us.”
But the way they talk about that wish feels a little different.
The Japanese version gives us:
「僕ら」の はじめまして
“Bokura” no hajimemashite
Our first hello.
The Korean version says:
‘우리’가 되어 다시 만난 오늘
“Uri”ga doeeo dasi mannan oneul
Today we met again as “us.”
To me, the Japanese version puts a little more weight on the excitement of starting something new, while the Korean version feels warmer in a different way — more like the happiness of seeing someone again after time has passed.
The destination is the same. The emotional starting point feels slightly different.
The Korean Version Almost Feels Like “Long Time No See”
This part is completely my own interpretation.
If the Japanese version feels like TWS saying to Japanese 42:
“Let’s start from here.”
then the Korean version gives me more of a:
“It’s been a while. We found each other again.”
feeling.
Korean 42 weren’t meeting TWS for the first time either. They’ve been with the group since debut.
And the Korean title itself is:
다시 만난 오늘
Dasi mannan oneul
The day we met again.
Then I found one coincidence that sent me even further down this rabbit hole.
TWS held their first solo fan meeting in Seoul in February 2025, while the Korean version came out in February 2026.
And the Korean lyrics begin with:
꼬박 1년을 돌아서 만난 거야
Kkobak il nyeoneul doraseo mannan geoya
We met again after a full year.
I’m not saying that line was definitely written about the fan meeting. It could be completely unrelated.
But February → one year → February again is the kind of coincidence that’s hard to ignore once you’ve noticed it.
And yes, this is how I somehow went from comparing two versions of one song to checking old fan meeting dates. 😂
And Then I Started Watching ‘Shinyu’s’ Hands
At this point, apparently the lyrics weren’t enough for me.
I started noticing the choreography too.
There’s a small moment where ‘Shinyu’ wipes his hand and then does a movement that looks like he’s greeting someone.
I’ve seen ‘Shinyu’ wipe sweat from his hands in TWS content before, so at first it just reminded me of something he naturally does.
But then I noticed the greeting right after it, and suddenly it looked like someone meeting another person and thinking:
“Wait, let me wipe my hand first.”
Which is pretty funny when the title is:
はじめまして
Hajimemashite
Nice to meet you.
I’m definitely not saying the choreography was designed around ‘Shinyu’s’ actual habit. I have no idea.
It’s just one of those tiny details that became way more fun once I noticed it.
And now I can’t stop looking at his hands during that part.
Same “Nice to See You Again,” Two Kinds of Reunion
I started this because I wanted to compare the Japanese and Korean lyrics.
By the end, the translation itself wasn’t even the most interesting part anymore.
Both versions are officially called:
Nice to See You Again.
Both start with people who already know each other.
But the Japanese version feels like two people beginning a new “us.” Outside the song, TWS were also officially beginning something new with Japanese 42 through their Japanese debut.
The Korean version moves the story into winter and puts more emphasis on meeting again.
So I don’t really see these versions as:
first meeting vs. reunion.
They’re more like two different ways of meeting someone you already know again.
One feels like:
“Let’s start from here.”
The other feels like:
“It’s good to see you again.”
Same title, but a slightly different kind of reunion.
🎧 Today’s K-pop Recommendations
This time, listen to both.
TWS – “はじめまして” 🇯🇵 (Japanese Ver.)
TWS – “다시 만난 오늘” 🇰🇷 (Korean Ver.)
And now I’m curious about a version that doesn’t even exist yet.
If TWS ever releases an English version of “Nice to See You Again,” what kind of Nice to See You Again would it be?
Japan gave us July. Korea gave us February.
So if an English version ever happens…
what season would we meet again in? ✨