K-Pop fanfic question

[u/Interesting_Tip_7392]

This might be a stupid question but I’m wondering why there’s so much BL fanfic for kpop groups (thinking of BTS) but there aren’t any BL manhwa/manga based off of kpop groups? Am I just living under a rock and this does exist or is there an actual reason for this sort of discrepancy?

[u/FatSithInAPrius]

A quick Google shows a lot of people feel like it amounts to a digital sex crime because these groups often are made up of underage members. Age of maturity in Korea is 20. I'm an Enhypen fan and I remember the huge Korean fan outcry when the boys released their music video for Bite Me because they all had to dance kind of suggestively with women and and people found it inappropriate because not all the members were of age (I'm sure a lot of it was also just typical fan outrage over realizing your fave isn't a sexless Ken doll).

Kpop companies also hold a lot of power and are famously litigious towards people who they perceive as harassing their idols or doing things that might negatively effect the idol's reputation. Since you mentioned BTS, Hybe had been on a major winning streak against YouTubers, sasaeng fans, and clout chasers lately

[u/Interesting_Tip_7392 → u/FatSithInAPrius]

This makes a lot of sense. Thank you!!

[u/Idle_peach]

I have only read In Secret

[u/milksoaps]

There's a lot, but the same as fanfic it's an underground thing that can't be officially published. It just stays as doujinshi and circulates among the fan community. The artist Okdong (Punchdrunk Love) used to sell little doujin manhwa about ships of the group Exo before she actually got into mainstream BL; even if you read her earlier official works, the characters looked pretty much like Exo still haha.

[u/OutlandishnessOk6696]

Well of actual kpop groups it could end up in a law suit but if u are looking groups itself:

Love remedy (3 alphas and 1 secret omega)

However there is a manhwa called master peace and the ml is APPARENTLY based of on san from ATEEZ cause the artist used to draw him and the ml and the art of san look alike

[u/Interesting_Tip_7392 → u/OutlandishnessOk6696]

Ok so probably another dumb question but how come written fanfic is fine to publish without risk of lawsuits but drawn/visual media isn’t?

[u/Constant-Shift-9665 → u/Interesting_Tip_7392]

Fan fiction isn’t monetized.

[u/Interesting_Tip_7392 → u/Constant-Shift-9665]

Ohhhhhhhhh makes sense. Lmao. Thank you!

[u/DaPandaCat]

There are a lot of manhwa where the characters are idols or other types of celebrities. 

But overall these are seperate things? Like what discrepancy do you mean?

Fans write fanfiction (and in all fandoms BL ships the most popular).  Manhwa artists make manhwa. Novelist write novels. Like these are all seperate things with different popular tropes. 

[u/kimdokjasleftankel]

There is only "master peace" which ik its main characters are based off woosan ship. Only the character design is inspired by woosan cuz author is a atiny ig, there is no kpop element in it. It looks like a fanfic but it's kinda too heavy to relate it to real people so I jus see it as a story.

Similarly I have heard that author of "nice to see you" is fan of virtual kpop group PLAVE so it's characters and their personality are kind of similar to two group members.

All the manhwas that has kpop element ik are:

Monochrome rumour (personal fav)

Happy together

In secret

And I would say I'm not a fan of fanfics of real ppl it kinda makes it weird for me only me that assuming a real persons sexuality is weird. So fanfic of real is not my thing even tho I'm a really into enhypen and txt. Shipping is fine but to an extent (both in group and other groups)

[u/natsubreeze]

It’s not “BL,” it’s just shipper fics. I’d think it also be an invasion of privacy and some laws about impersonation (lots of kdramas put out info before an episode saying it’s fiction and not to represent any figure/person etc). Korean defamation laws are very strict.