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Known not only for their mesmerizing vocals and powerful choreography, K-pop groups have also created mind-blowing fictional universes with each having its own unique concept and theme. Their music videos include elements of these magical worlds and narrate different stories.
Concepts are an absolute integral part of K-pop groups when creating albums and music videos. While some groups stick to a designated concept like “Beast-dols” in the case of 2PM, others switch up their concept with every comeback. Korean pop groups have created a variety of alternate universes laced with fantasy and the supernatural.
Fanbases of various K-pop groups are increasing each day and they can’t get enough of their favorite groups. As fans demand more content from their idols apart from new music and videos, K-pop groups are taking their business expansion up a notch and are dabbling in fictional universes.
The growing era of K-pop fictional universes
Currently, two companies seem to be in the limelight for extending the K-pop universe content which are HYBE labels and SM Entertainment.
Under HYBE, groups like BTS, TXT and ENHYPEN have created original narratives via Wattpad and Webtoon. Updates of each story are posted on HYBE’s official Twitter account. This clever business venture provides fans with the chance to indulge in reading different fanfictions based on their favorite K-pop groups.
5) THE STAR SEEKERS
THE STAR SEEKERS webtoon is a magical narrative which provides comfort and an understanding of the stories TXT has shared through their music and videos. Fans get a chance to travel deep into their ambiguous world and discover something new.
The narrative revolves around an idol group that exists in a world where magic and reality co-exist. The boys soon discover their powers, as secrets of an impending doom unfold. In the videos released by HYBE, the series sshowcasesmultiple fantastical creatures, supernatural elements, combat and more.
4) DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR
The mysterious webtoon DARK MOON: THE BLOOD ALTAR features ENHYPEN members in a fantasy tale that leads readers from an ancient mystical era to a modern-day private high school. The story is set in and around a fictional place called Riverfield, where the most popular boys happen to be mystical creatures, vampires and werewolves. Strangely, the seven vampires’ memories have been sealed away.
The adventure continues when an extraordinary female student, Sooha, transfers to Riverfield. The characters find themselves drawn to her strange aura and horrible incidents begin to occur. The boys' faded memories are slowly returning, turning their world upside down.
3) LOONAVERSE
LOONA is a rising K-pop girl group that’s making waves on the internet. They have an entire concept along with their infectious music and electrifying dance performances. Their music videos entail themes of celestial divinity and sin.
The LOONAVERSE recently took a darker turn, encompassing the dark side of the moon. The title track “So What” showcases a shift in their concept, which centers around defying the fate of the moon and becoming stronger women.
2) Aespa
K-pop girl group Aespa was created with the concept of an alternate AI Universe of the “aes” that correlates to the idea of the SM Culture Universe and “Kwangya” (meaning "wilderness").
The “aes” is created from the data that their human counterparts post on the internet. A variety of SM Entertainment Korean pop groups also co-exist in SMCU, making it one of the biggest alternate universes in the genre.
1) 7Fates: CHAKHO
Another notable webtoon series is BTS' 7 Fates:CHAKHO. It is a stirring story of seven boys who are bound by fate to rid their community from lurking monsters (beom). It is set in an urban fantasy world inspired by a community of tiger hunters in the Joseon Dynasty called Chakhogapsa. In the webtoon series, the characters overcome several hardships and grow together.
The chilling story entails numerous battle scenes as the characters race through the fictional city of Sin-si. HYBE label updates its Twitter account every week with new posters and videos. The OST “Stay Alive” of the webtoon series is also incorporated in the fourth episode of the comic version on Webtoon’s website.
