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jongkey

Is Fanfiction In K-pop A Force For Good?

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Written by On February 5, 2012

We’re a creative bunch, us K-pop fans. Bursting at the seams with home-made music videos, reviews, artwork, and of course, fanfiction. It’s certainly not exclusive to K-pop, but has been embraced among us with a startling vigor.

Spend 10 minutes trawling through fancams on YouTube or reading pretty much anything K-pop related, and chances are you’ll come face to face with shippers: fans convinced that their oppas or unnis are romantically entangled with their one true love, whom is rather conveniently also in their group. It is perhaps understandable that being frustrated with events that they want not taking place, these fans resort to fantasizing about what could happen behind closed doors. ‘But surely’ they wonder, ’I can’t be the only one certain of Yunho’s relationship with Jaejoong, have you seen those two together?! But where could I find those like-minded?’

Luckily for them, the internet was duly invented (please note: these events may not be linked).

So far, I may have sounded pretty disparaging, but in reality I think fanfiction is a great creative outlet and has produced work of exceptional quality. With millions of stories from anime to WWE wrestling, and from Hollywood blockbusters to newsreaders, fanfiction is one of the most stimulating fan labours, not to mention the most enjoyable to peruse. I think Lev Grossman from TIME sums the concept up rather perfectly:

Fanfiction is what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker. They don’t do it for money. That’s not what it’s about. The writers write it and put it up online just for the satisfaction. They’re fans, but they’re not silent, couchbound consumers of media. The culture talks to them, and they talk back to the culture in its own language.

However, we must bear in mind that we are dealing with RPS, or Real Person Slash. These are not characters from a book; these are people with their own relationships and feelings. Is it fair to manipulate their lives to suit your pleasure, or does the fact that they are in the public eye make them fair game? I don’t think the authors are in any way trying to actually hurt or embarrass their idols, but internet morals are loose little things, and that is very much evident in fanfiction.

Let’s start with what I just called it, slash. Slash (or femmeslash for females, but that is far rarer) is putting the idols in a homosexual relationship with each other, an extension of the OTP (One True Pairing, an article on which Patricia wrote a little while ago). This alone would probably cause most of them a certain amount of embarrassment, given the nature of Korean society, but that’s not what I want to talk about. It’s the content of some of these stories. Some, as I have said, are excellent: fluid, epic and perfectly in character with the persona we see. Others slightly less so, and unfortunately bad grammar and spelling is rife.

But others take good taste beyond the realms of acceptable and write about bestiality, rape, pedophilia, murder and all manner of things with glee. This is far more common than I expected it would be, and leads to the questions of whether these fans just using famous faces as a springboard for their own fantasies. Are these writings harmless, or are they encouraging such things in much the same way Marquis de Sade or The Book of O did?

Personally, I think having to deal with this is another pitfall of the internet, but avoidable. It’s hardly fair to dictate what people have a right to read. Would I read an AU (Alternate Universe) story about Yoseob and Doojoon having a bakery and generally being happy and not stressed out? Yes, on a quiet weekend I might, much like I would watch Antique Bakery (that’s a bonus film recommendation, let it never be said that I don’t love you). Would I read about the same idols beating each other to death in a SAW-style plot? No I certainly would not, no more so than I would watch the films. Yet far more people have watched SAW than Antique Bakery, so perhaps I’m the anomaly in refusing to read about such things.

All in all, I don’t believe idols should be forced into pretending they are sleeping with their band members, but I am aware many people believe they are, and I’ve nothing against that belief fueling creativity. When done well, fanfiction is a joyous thing, and if it must be taken with a side helping of badly written porn and torture, then so be it.

(Time)

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  • asdf

    RPFs aren’t just in kpop; they’re in almost every fandom there is. My friends read different kinds of RPFs from fandoms such as football/soccer, Panic! at the Disco, American Idol etc. and even bromances like McFassbender.  
    I used to find Real Person Fics awkward and useless but after reading some of them, I can say they’re not all that bad. I haven’t read every fic on the planet so I can’t generalize, but some writers really put out good quality work or, at the very least, adorable, squeal-worthy plots. I can say I’ve read quite a number of fics that could pass off as well-written and unique short stories. It’s really a matter of taste — if what you read outside of fanfiction is fluff, go for fluff; if you’re into S&M lit, go for that. If you don’t like bad grammar or a certain theme, just stop reading and look for something you do like. It’s supposed to be fun, don’t torture yourself.Idols themselves probably don’t think much of them. They consciously do fanservice because, admittedly, it keeps fans interested. A manifestation of interest is the fanart and fanfics they churn out. It’s mildly disturbing to have people write about you and your friends in romantic/sexual situations but it’s not really something they weren’t expecting. As long as they’re sure of themselves and play it all for laughs, it’s all good.

    I can say the same for writers. They can’t expect idols to be on fanservice mode 24/7 and they shouldn’t pretend that fics reflect real life. See, characterization in fanfics is always based on how the author sees the subject — there is no “OOC” because duh, it’s not like their personalities are clear-cut like book characters or you really know these people personally. As long as they are able to separate their characters from whom they are based on, they won’t sound delusional. 

    • http://twitter.com/jinranbb Jinran (BB)

      MCFASSBENDER!!

      Never would’ve thought that I would ever read about their epic bro/trollmance would be on SB :P Personally, I find Real People fics awkward because of some empathetic part of my brain that is cognizant of the fact that these are real people with real relationships and such. However, I lap Cherik right up (the fictional counterpart to McFassy).

      I agree with this post 100%. 

      • asdf

        McFassbender trollmance makes my day, TBQH XD;; 

        I find it really amusing that many Hollywood bromances play up bromance just as much as kpop idols do XD Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield etc. are all shipteases XD As such, I don’t feel too bad for reading RPFs because they’re basically ASKING for it XD But yes, it’s important to always remember that person in fic =/= real person. Some people really do have the tendency to go overboard in their delusions and force it on others, which is just tacky and stupid -__-

        • downandout

          What is this strange obsession in K-pop fanfic with same sex, same group romances? Is this what the writers really want? And would they really like it if it were the reality? Siwon dating Kyuhyun! 

  • Anonymous

    Generally, I avoid all RPS. I am okay with fangirling a friendship or bond between band members, but to read about them having more than that (although is just a fiction)? No thanks. It’s just weird for me.

  • Anonymous

    I like reading fanfics.  I came across them looking for Inuyasha pictures in devianArt, and I continued reading them until I found K-pop –and the fandom.

    I must say, there are very talented authors who can create beautiful (or horrible, it depends in which context is put) stories and plots, specially in Livejournal.  But there are also some who …need more practice and stories with an actual (good) plot and not only poor pwp of their biases.

    What I found interesting about some writers is how they make Idols become characters who can be completely different from the real Idol (which, by the way, we’re not sure to know…) and yet make others think of them as the ‘original’ Idol we watch singing and dancing on stage.  But for me, a ‘real’ character and a fanfic ‘character’ are completely different, because I don’t exactly know the ‘real’ one.

    I think any Idol (/celebrity/anime character/media character) becomes a completely different character the moment it’s put into a fanfic. I don’t see, let’s say, Yoseob and Doojoon in a bakery in the same way I see Yoseob and Doojon singing Fiction.

    (on a side note, I been reading SB for a while but I was (am?) not quite confident to comment, english is not my first language. So yeah… Ignore this comment if it doesn’t make enough sense OTL.)

  • diorama

    Real person fics are squarely in the ‘deeply awkward’ category for me. It just feels wrong to me to make fantasies of a real person’s actions and emotions. And yes, I have been guilty of being a fan of certain friendships, up to a point. Example: the explosion of slash fics about Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In’s characters in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, to the point that they got a “Best Couple” award. I thought that was funny, but it turned out sad later on when the actors confessed in interviews that it turned things awkward between them and they lost the friendship. 

    Although I do read a lot of fanfic of fictional works (books, movies) because I’m often amazed at the level of skill and creativity that regular fans have. 

  • http://twitter.com/MonicaDBSK Monica

    I like fanfics, I agree that it’s a great outlet for creativity, in fact, not all fanfics are simply fluff written from fangirls’ daydreams but I’ve come across a handful of very talented writers. It’s like fanfics are writing exercises to nurture their writing skills.

    • Ggoma

      Except not really. A real writer needs to practice their own creative writing. In Fanfiction (minus perhaps AU), the characters, the settings, even the premise for the relationships are all mapped out by someone else. It’s much trickier to start from scratch.

  • Bethany Ao

    Fanfics are kind of a love/hate thing for me in K-pop. On one hand, I do feel weirded out by some (ahem, topics mentioned above), but on the other hand, there are definitely some really good ones out there that are worth a read.
    I’ve also written fanfiction before in seventh grade when I went through my obsession with the Jonas Brothers… (oh geez). I guess I was pretty crazy about them, but I wasn’t delusional or anything. It helped improve my writing skills and I liked getting feedback about my stories–it was definitely a creative outlet. I guess it’s slightly different though, because I made up most of my characters. In K-pop fanfiction, the people involved aren’t made up. That’s probably why I have qualms about reading a lot of it.
    There’s a really good one on Soompi though. I think it’s Yongseo, and I really liked that one mostly because I could actually see them together (thanks, WGM). It won an award for Fanfic of the year or something, if anyone’s interested enough to go check it out. Seriously, I recommend. But there are some other weird pairings like… Taeyang/Yuri (have they even have any interaction together?) and Changmin/Yoona that I just can’t see happening, so it’s much harder to get into the story. And then there are the boyxboy and girlxgirl pairings which are just not… my cup of tea. Sure, I love a close friendship in any group (I see you, Sungyeol and L :D), but pushing it to an imaginary romantic level is just… a tiny bit overboard, in my opinion. 

    • Anonymous

      I believe Taeyang and Yuri were set up together on a blind date once in the past, correct me if I’m wrong.

      • http://twitter.com/stroplok stroplok

        yes, i heard that too… on strong heart i think it was…

  • Meanie

    The only fanfics I would read are with fictional characters, RoLo (Storm/Wolverine) or Ninja Assassin (Mika/Raizo).  I just find it weird and sometimes a little disturbing when people ship REAL people.  So the fandom in Kpop is not for me.

  • Musik 사랑해

    Ok honestly I don’t see a point in writing it. I get you wanna express ur fantasies, but when it gets to the point of “they went into the room and sucked each others schlongs” or “They pile drived a kitten til it bled” that’s when for me it’s like “EWW PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING!” ” WHY WOULD THEY SAY THAT!?” “PEOPLE HAVE THE MOST VILE CREATIVITYS EVER!” sometimes it’s good but some people go way to far and it gets nauseating

    • asdf

      That all sounds so… crass O_o

      Ah well, different strokes for different folks? It’s generally gross but we can’t really judge people for liking stuff like that. However, I do believe that bad literature will go away if people stop reading and reviewing them. I mean, if they’re not getting the attention, they’d probably get the message and stop. 

    • daniaaaye

      honestly, as an avid dbsk fanfic reader, i’ve never seen those sentences in any fics i’ve read. :|

    • Anonymous

      if the writer is smart enough, it’ll be labeled as “gore” or “lemon” or anything that absolutely warned you about that content. many fiction with this kind of thing and it’s not limited to fanfiction. if you don’t want to read it, then no one forced you to read it.

  • http://twitter.com/#!/perfumeah perfumeah

    Fanfics are fun to read, but I wouldn’t like to write them myself. To put my idol in a box and characterize them a certain way feels oddly wrong. And in the realm of idols- people whose true colors are generally unseen- it’s even more awkward to see people characterize them in ways I don’t agree with, especially in AU fics. At that point it might as well be the author’s own short story about OC’s rather than a fanfiction.

  • http://twitter.com/polinchka polinchka

    I write and read fanfiction. It is an outlet for ideas for me. I have plenty of characters of my own and have written countless stories with them. Having an already created character, one whose personality and traits you know well from being a fan, is really fun to write. I don’t actually want the person to do what I write or read about, but it is fun to see what other people can come up with. Yunjae is such a fun pairing to write/read about so I can see why you bring them up. Some of the best…and some of the worst fanfiction I have read has been involving those two. I started as an anime fangirl and moves to kpop from there so for me, it is really easy to transition to reading fanfics. For me, though, it really is not about me wanting the pair to actually DO what is written but it gives my imagination something to do when I don’t get to read about their activities as often as I’d like. And I follow DBSK most, so I get weekly updates but it’s still not enough>< Especially when the things going on are not necessarily to my liking. *shakes fist at universe* So I use fanfics to get a different perspective on things, too. Not all of them are filled with porn (although those are nice) and some are just plain fluff but it allows me to take a break from things that are harder to swallow and return to times that are happy with, in my situation, the band still together or meeting in secret, or various other scenarios.

    I don't really see a problem with using real people. Heck, I don't know how the idols see it, but I would take it as a complement if people liked me enough to write fanfics about me. It's not that often that there is enough interest in a person to actually have a fanfic written about them. Anyways, everyone has their own things that they like to read about. It's like any other written story. If you don't like horror, then don't read the horror fics. They're usually labeled as to content. Quite a few famous authors write fanfiction in their spare time.

  • http://twitter.com/mikosuzahiru18 Miko Suzahiru-Andou

    I’m too lazy to actually say much about it. I had to answer a question about fanfics already anyway: http://advocatexnegativism.blogspot.com/2012/01/readers-question-art-of-fanfiction.html

    But I don’t see a huge problem in it, since I write fanfics myself. It’s just when things get taken too seriously, grammar errors, Mary Sues, and just super weird crap that just makes it feel like a complete sin. There’s good and bad, but fanfics, as you said, are easy to avoid. I suppose I can add a personal account where one of these “characters” actually reposted one of my fanfics on his Facebook once. He thought it was really cute and I actually kinda owe him another fic someday. And I also heard a couple idols are amused by some of the things they’ve read and jokingly complain about the whole seme/uke thing (if that’s used in kpop fics *unsure*).

    • Anonymous

      seme/uke terms also used in kpop fics… well i don’t know if there’s a korean term for that :p

    • Xenia

      KangTeuk were talking about Kangin’s habit of reading slash fanfiction about him with Leeteuk XD
      Leeteuk was not a fan of his position in that ‘relationship’, lol.

  • daniaaaye

    i’ve read dbsk fanfics since 5 years ago, and started writing more actively when i’m deprived of my yoosu verses. while the first fic i read is not the fluffiest and most innocent one ever, and i shall maintain that it raped my moral values (lol), i’ve learnt to be picky with my choices, helped by helpful sunbae readers :p 

    it’s all about exercising your self control. can handle the theme? go for it. even the warnings make you nauseous? click the x. it’s all up to you. but if you feel like trying it out, go ahead, and no blame game on other people. 

    for writing… i like writing. and honestly no, i don’t think yoosu should get married and go bonkers over each other and have babies and such. i just like their dynamics. all the what-ifs are fun to imagine about. those what-ifs, once materialised on paper/in writing, are amusing to ponder about. that’s all. 

    i believe fanfics are an outlet of creativity and feelings for the writers, and let’s face it, sharing is caring right? so if there’s any lurking yoosu writers here, please write more sobs. lol. no really, i’m not kidding. i’m deprived here. the fluffier you make it, the more i love you. i won’t say no to angst either, make my heart bleed, come on~ ;”D

  • Gina

    I think K Pop (and
    other real person) fan fics can be uncomfortable to read and write because the
    authors are blurring the distinction between idols’ public lives and private
    lives. Authors that write these fan fics really only know K Pop idols’ stage
    personas, but they are using what they know of these idol’s public lives to try
    and write about the personal, private lives of idols. It is generally seen as
    invasive to reveal the details of any person, particularly a famous person’s
    private life, and the idea of doing so can be uncomfortable. Real fan fics seem
    to try and describe idols’ private lives, thus making the experience of reading
    real fan fics uncomfortable for some.   

     

    Some fans who are
    comfortable with reading real fan fics have mentioned that they don’t mind doing
    so because they don’t see the idols written in fan fics as being the same as the
    real person behind the idol. They can see a distinction between idols’ own,
    real lives and emotions; and their stage personas that they display in the public
    arena. They see that idols’ stage personas are just characters, caricatures of
    themselves, and are as fake as the fan fiction that’s written about them. But
    if the idols’ stage characters are used to try and fantasise about what their
    private lives may be like, doesn’t that blur the line between these idols’
    private and public lives? How is that still a distinction between private and public lives? 

     

    I think there is
    another reason why people actually like real fan fics, and claim that they are
    not uncomfortable with it. While it can be an uncomfortable thought at first to
    delve into the personal details of a person’s life, I think there is also
    something strangely thrilling about actually doing so. It can make you feel
    like you know an idol personally, as you have information that would normally
    only be available to a friend or partner of this person. It makes fans feel
    like their idols are a friend, rather than just a distant person whom they’ve
    never met. Where fans can’t find the real personal details of an idols’ life,
    they may resort to fan fiction to make up these personal details, and get the
    same sort of thrill you get when you actually discover a real secret about them.
    I think it’s the same sort of sensation you get when you hear gossip about
    someone. This is where I think real fan fiction is setting out to do something
    different to fan fiction about fictional characters. I have been an avid reader
    and writer of fan fiction dealing with fictional characters (particularly Harry
    Potter fan fiction), and I think its true it can be a good, harmless creative outlet. But I
    don’t think this can be said of real fan fics.  

     

    If its true that
    real fan fics actually stay strictly in the realm of the public arena, in the same sort of way fan fics about fictional characters do, then its
    fair game. But I don’t think real fan fics do stay strictly in the realm of the
    public arena, and this is where I think they become an issue. The consequences
    of reading and writing real fan fic about K Pop idols does need to be
    considered, particularly if some idols are getting personally upset by what is
    written about them in fan fics, as diorama below mentioned happened with Song
    Joong Ki and Yooh Ah In.   

    • Meanie

       This! ^^^^  You it explained it perfectly.

  • http://www.twitter.com/hipployta Hipployta

    Right now I’m thinking about that DBSK dvd from 2007 where they sat down in front of the camera in sets of two and directly referenced or questioned their fan names like Soulmates and Soul Fighter. 

    Fanfiction can be wonderful…but some of it is just down right sick LOL. I REALLY hate the ones that just have a ton of angst or pain to simply torture the characters.  I don’t watch stuff like that (Stairway to Heaven/Saw etc yuck) so I don’t read it either. 

  • Boo

    The title gave me Star Wars flashbacks.

    I like fan fiction. I think they’re a good way to test out writing skills. Everyone starts out bad right? LOL. Of course I prefer my fan fiction to be about fictional characters rather than real ones and I seek out the ones with good recs. The thing about kpop fan fiction that fascinates me is that these are based on real people but in the stories, they are idols as the fans perceives them. Heechul is a diva in real life but in fan fictions, he turns into this extremely witty, fabulous, mercurial person, a heightened description of what he is in real life. These are based on the good ones tho. The bad ones (and there are A LOT) make me cringe. It’s really creative and interesting to read.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FS52P3WGP37JJ6YJNRLPPBVS4E A

    Oh man, this brought back some memories. Honest to god, I think my first fanfiction that I ever read was a Fly to the Sky slash at the age of 11. Needless to say, I never quite saw them the same way again lol.

    That said, I dont see fanfiction as odd and unnatural (or embarassing). And, idols should view it as additional marketing and should be thankful for it imo. It’s no different from concepts that idols promote on shows/music/events. Heck, as far as we know, idols play-act the personalities that we see in the first place so what’s wrong in writing fiction about [what is essentially] fiction?

    As long as people know that there is a distinction between what is written and actions in real life (and dont try to push it upon the idols themselves) I see fanfiction as a healthy outlet for many fans.

  • Ditu3ka

    I geberally like fan fiction about fictional characters from movies, dramas, manga etc. (not those pornographic though) but TBH fan fiction about real people or all that fan shipping it´s just an another thing I don´t really get about K-pop (and not just K-pop, I mean generally).

  • pammiej85

    I think the distinction should be made between smut and yaoi fanfictions with the other varied types there are. My sister and I have been writing fanfiction since five years ago. We didn’t start posting them until 2010 so of course our stories were already more polished than others and since we’re not teens girls (we’re in our mid-20s) there was a maturity and plot in our stories that many others that lacked. What drove us to finally post our stories were the exact ones that this article talks about. As long time Cassies we couldn’t take the fact that many newbie Kpop fans knew more about YunJae than they did about OT5 simply because there were more yaoi DBSK stories available.

    Honestly, I can say that fanfiction has become something that it wasn’t several years ago. It wasn’t just an excuse to have your fave idol group bang each other or you. There were plots and  well developed characters. Many of the first fanfics I read went on to be polished and actually won awards (some YJ fanfics have won awards and been published too though…).

    Ultimately it’s up to you what you read. And I think it says a lot about the person who decides they only want to read yaoi. Since I don’t, I write my own stories.

    But I also have to say that fanfictions are a big part of Kpop. I’ve seen many fans become Cassies simply based on the stories my sister and I write.

  • Arbitrary_greay

    Heh, perfect timing. This past weekend I was writing a post about f(x) dynamics, starting with this giant introduction stating that for me, being a shipper is NOT about hoping certain people are romantically involved. It’s about being entertained by the interactions of a certain combination of people. Everyone does this to an extent, even in real life. If two best friends have a falling out, their other friends might feel dismayed about it. If two friends have great chemistry with each other, their other friends might tease them about acting like an old married couple. It’s not the same thing as shipping, but it’s similar. That’s why the sweeping generalisation the OP makes about shippers being “convinced…” irritates me to no end. The rest of article is not condemning of fanfiction and shipping, unlike the previous SB shipping post, so I get the impression the OP does know shipping isn’t all delusional, but the wording defines shippers as that, which rubs me the wrong way. 

    As for fanfiction, for many serious writers, one of RPF’s charms is that the idol world provides more “character development” than a fictional fandom could ever possibly provide, happening just about 24/7, and more realistic “character development” than any actual writer could ever provide, at that. And that’s very hard to resist “expanding on.” Many times during the writing of aforementioned f(x) dynamics post, the descriptions presented themselves in my mind in a narrative format. I could make the entire thing into a series of introspective drabbles if I wanted to, and yet if I do suddenly I’m labelled as delusional, as opposed to being seen as just an overanalytical fan if I post it as meta? 

    In addition, when discussing the ethics of RPF, one must consider that it exists in literature and media. “Painter of the Wind” is technically a RPF gender-bender, with homosexual and/or age gap implications. Hooray!
    Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, for pete’s sake. More seriously, the beloved “George Washington and the Cherry Tree” morality tale. Any film or TV show “based on a true story” would technically be RPF, and those biopics are pretty much as old as film. How about that slash and/or threesome subtext in the Oscar-winning “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?” And in literature, let’s start with Shakespeare, where the majority of his historical title characters were portrayed in a less than favorable light. “Bestiality, rape, pedophilia, and murder” have all been portrayed with glee concerning figures from Ancient Greece and Rome, such as Alexander the Great and Spartacus. And, of course, modern Ancient Greece and Rome interpretations tend to include heaping ladlefuls of homoeroticism. Before you cry “But they’re dead!” I direct you to “The Social Network,” in which Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker were, in essence, cads. Also, this. Man, RPF is popular. 

    And finally, two posts I made late 2010 concerning idol fanfiction:
    I submitted a questionnaire to several SNSD fanfic writers. 8 responded. 
    The RPF discussion post to end all RPF discussion posts. :D

    • Arbitrary_greay

      Duh, I’m stupid. 10 responded to the questionnaire. 

    • rubiksss

      Do you have a link to your f(x) dynamics post? It sounds interesting. 

      • Arbitrary_greay

        I’m not done writing it yet. It started as a examination of the LunaKrystal dynamic and then spiralled out of control when I realized most all of the clips were from Koala. I only just finished watching the series today, and guh so many thoughts to sort out. XP

  • ggoma

    I think it’s rather disturbing to write about real people. I mean, a lot of the starts have said it themselves – it’s awkward. I mean, most of these story lines could be written without these guys and girls attached to it. Not only that, but most Kpop FF is guy on guy and while I have no issues with homosexuality, how would you feel if people were writing stories about you being gay if you weren’t?

    I think it just perpetuates stereotypes and the whole guy on guy FF never is realistic to what a real gay relationship is like in the first place, it’s just substituting the pretty guy for a girl and completely removes his non-physical masculinity. It’s pretty sick to me. 

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, I’m pretty open about fanfictions and whatnot but I get disturbed too when people write about real people as opposed to characters.

      • nuburu

         I don’t get it real people get written about everyday. Look on the bright side it’s not a negative thing about a star I can see if the writers was putting Kpop stars down.
        It is what it is Fanfiction not real.

  • ray

    I totally understand both sides of the argument over fanfiction. On one hand, I think it would be weird to know that people are writing stories about me, especially if it involves me being in a homosexual relationship with another member of my group. Like in the OTP article, I understand that idols feel awkward when they hear about fanfictions like those. 

    On the other hand, I think that fanfiction itself is not a bad thing. It allows more exposure to different groups and creates a creative outlet for some fans. Besides, the idol industry exists for entertainment, so why is it wrong to write fanfiction if it’s meant to entertain also?

    Personally, as a fanfiction writer myself, I see fanfiction as a way to develop and mature my writing. I want to be a professional author in the future, and fanfiction is a way that people can read and critique my writing. Some of the most unique and creative works I’ve read have actually been in the fanfiction community, honestly.

    I think it all depends on the individual fan. There are tons of people like me, who do ship OTPs and write fanfictions but don’t actually believe that anyone is sleeping with anyone else. I don’t honestly think that idols are in secret romantic relationships with each other, I just enjoy the way various idols interact with each other. 

    But then there are other fans, who do believe that there are romantic relations between idols. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, you can believe whatever you want, some fans feel the need to shove it in the idols’ faces. I think that that’s where the whole problem comes into play. It’s fine to write and ship OTPs, but I don’t think that the idols really need to be confronted by the fans about it. Again, like the OTP article said, how awkward would it be to have your friends force you into a relationship with a friend that you don’t really like in that way? If an idol is in a relationship, there’s a reason it’s kept secret. Like JYJ fans shouting “Yunho! Yunho!” every time Jaejoong is asked a question about his love life. It’s awkward for the idols, and unnecessary.

    Basically what I’m trying to say is that fanfiction in itself isn’t bad. Yes, some can be disturbing or awkward, but it’s all meant for entertainment. But I don’t think that idols should be forced into putting on fanservice or pretending that they are in a relationship when they aren’t. We fans can fantasize as much as we like, but we should keep the idols free to be themselves and not force them to conform in order to fulfill our fantasies.

  • Anonymous

    “Yet far more people have watched SAW than Antique Bakery, so perhaps I’m the anomaly in refusing to read about such things.”

    And far more people watched Titanic or the Sound of Music than SAW. You’re not the anomaly, you’re just selecting a US blockbuster and compare it with a specific South Korean movie to draw a generalized conclusion. Fanfiction may be a borderless genre, but even still the supply of fluff and romance surpasses the supply of rape and torture stories.

    I honestly don’t see anything wrong with Fanfiction. Does it bother that people write about you, as a celebrity? If that’s the case it’s not just Fanfiction that you should be worried about, there are other ways to write unpleasant things about you that didn’t ask your permission either (magazines, Soulbeats type of sites?).

    Is it the fact that people are fantasizing about you that you don’t like? Welcome to Planet Earth then. People fantasize about other people all the time, not just celebrities. Fanfiction is just a form to exchange fantasies between people with the same interests/tastes, and truthfully, the minute you publicize your face to the world, there will be, somewhere, either a Fanfiction or a porn movie about you. Since both Fanfiction and fan pornography are pretty well contained in specific sites that you’d only find if you were specifically looking for it, I don’t see why people should care about it. It’s not like you can copyright a person’s imagination. 

    I find Fanfiction to be a healthy and harmless way of expressing your wild imagination and relieving your hormonal needs. But people resort to Fanfiction for many different reasons, not just because their ‘bias’ are not giving them enough fanservice. There are also some impressive amateur writers out there who use Fanfiction as means to improve their skills. I know at least one example of a Fanfiction writer in the Naruto fandom that changed the characters for original characters in one of her AU fanfictions, and managed to sell a book. Not sure if such thing was ever achieved with a RPF writer, but the possibilities are the same.

    I, personally, appreciate the immense qualities of pornographic Fanfiction, and all its fetish diversity. Before I discovered Fanfiction, I always had trouble in finding good ‘porn’ for women, in which the characters are not just emotionless sex machines but conflicted people with hormones and feelings. I knew a few sites where women published their pornographic works, but the supply of free content pales compared to the paradise that is Fanfiction. The two downsides of this is that, 1) at least with male/male porn, female writers tend to persist in very annoying yaoi sterotypes that just gets on my nerves; 2) 13 year olds. Other than that – thank you gods, for creating Fanfiction. 

    As you can see, there are a lot of positive things about Fanfiction: opportunity to improve yourself as a writer, a place where you can find the same amount of availability and diversity in stories and fetishes you can’t find elsewhere [at least for free], and also, a place to meet people with common interests.

    As for fanservice: I find its very existence to be rather idiotic, and not necessarily linked the purpose of fanfiction. If idols are ‘forced’ to provide fanservice, than that’s just wrong, and sorta pathetic. People will always write and read Fanfiction, where there is fanservice or not.

  • Xenia

    I doubt that many people seriously believe in homosexual relationships between Korean idols. It’s not necessary to think that Tablo and Eunhyuk are secretly dating to write the fanfic about them basing on that two photos where they wear the same pajamas and Eunhyuk’s fanboying rants about Tablo. I don’t believe that Heechul is gay but he is an amazing fanfic material. So provocative with half… more like 4/5 of his bandmates. And members of some other groups (Yunho, ahem, for example).
    I don’t mind fanfiction if it’s well-written and not too OOC. Though, I’m not all that into K-pop fics lately (BBC Sherlocked, I am, lol).

  • Guest

    I avoid reading RPF, especially those of same sex ones coz I can’t fantasize my idols doing those stuff among their group members. However, recently I came across a one-shot fanfic and I actually liked it..It was a heterosexual one and of my current OTP. Why I liked about the fanfic was because it was written based on the idols’ real background and personality traits(as viewed by the author)…It’s like reading a brief history/biography of my fave idols except in a rated fictional format. These are the kind of fan fics I like to read but unfortunately I don’t see these types as much online and the popular ones are usually the ones of the idols playing characters not related to their real life profession and the industry they are in. Maybe most people are uncomfortable with idols portraying too close to themselves in fanfics and may be offended by it? Correct me if I’m wrong. 

    Or maybe it’s just me who enjoys shows like The Princess’ Man which was based on real historical figures and events but overall it’s purely fiction? I would actually google and wiki the characters when watching the drama coz I really wanted to know if those incidents did happen in history and indeed they were true. In the end that makes me satisfied because the writers wrote a beautiful drama based on real life events and characters. So basically I’m using the same interest when I read fanfics. I actually started to write my own fanfic of a k-pop couple(not an official dating one but their close friendship is questionable) now, also using the style of real-life events. I think some shippers may like it but some may not.

    • Arbitrary_greay

      As I said below, for the serious RPF writers, the draw of RPF is that we get more “fleshed out” “characters” than we ever will in a fictional fandom. Trying to transplant that character into another setting and still making it work is a good writing challenge, as is trying to see how that different setting might put a twist on the “canon” personality. That’s the draw of AU. There also, of course, the joy of seeing the “characters” we love doing things they can’t in “canon” but would still fit their personality in another setting. For example, the best dancer in the group could transfer into being the best hand-to-hand fighter in a fantasy or action setting. I like what Dramabeans said and think it applies to the draw of AU: ”
      Occupation dramas are just a reason to change the scenery for universal stories of love/ambition/rivalry anyway.” 

      But that’s serious writers. Most of the RPF-for-shipping writers use Au to get around pesky obstacles in”canon” like parents, management, society’s views on homosexuality, their packed schedules as idols…etc. 

  • Gina

    These are just some extra thoughts that I think could be added to what I’ve already written in another comment further down. I’m adding them because the issue of why some fan fiction gleefully ventures into taboo topics like bestiality, rape and others mentioned in the article is an interesting one that I haven’t seen discussed much in these comments so far. I thought someone should have a crack at it. ;)  
    I think the anonymity of being a fan fiction author plays a part in why these ‘less savoury’ fan fictions are written. Fan fiction is generally written anonymously, and is one of the few avenues where people can discuss their thoughts anonymously. Anonymity can allow people to talk more freely than they would in real life to real people around them. This may be why less than appropriate topics are sometimes forayed into via fan fiction. It is generally considered taboo to discuss these topics in real life, but when shielded by the anonymity of being a fan fiction writer, people have an outlet to write about these topics. Anonymity can also allow authors to be more open because they can avoid the repercussions and responses that they may have received if their identity was attached to their work. A down side of being able to avoid repercussions is that it can allow people to set aside their moral code and do things that perhaps their moral compass would direct them not to do, like make up bestiality stories about the private lives of K Pop idols. As for the issue of whether this kind of fan fiction is harmless or not, I would say it can be just as damaging as any real fan fiction, ie. it is not harmless. This is because it has the same effect of blurring the distinction between the personal and public lives of idols that the tamer forms of K Pop fiction do. The less tasteful fan fiction I think is just a more extreme example of K Pop idols being objectified, like any real person fan fiction does, without consideration for the human being that exists behind the public facade.  

  • eh

    I don’t know but the last time you guys wrote on this, it just sounded that you were uncomfortable with same-sex relationships. This is what it reads to me. I’m not sure why you insist on making THIS an issue. Is the fact you’re uncomfortable about “teh butt sex” or something? I slash everything that moves; does that make me deluded? Eh no. Does my slashing hurt the little rich people’s egos? I could care less. You’re missing the biggest point real person slash is the name given because you’re using the names and faces of real life people. We don’t know their personalities or who they are as people. It’s like when actors plays your favourite characters. We see them as characters. The same a writer/reader of RPS person will use that actors face envisioning their character.

    Authors do this all the time. Published authors.

    What is so hard to understand here? Some fans are deluded, but honestly your insistence that fan-fiction is some lunatic la la land is laughable. People are entitled to read or write what they want. Even if YOU find the themes distasteful. The fact you aim this as being a fan-fiction problem is saddening.

    However, I have to say if fan-fiction wasn’t so 99% slash oriented and male/female oriented, would you care as much?

  • Sa

    … a lot of fan-fiction revolves around smut topics… which bores me and often repulses because it’s unoriginal and seems to be the only thing on every person’s mind these days… le sigh. I’d rather read a mushy love story than someone who has sex in every chapter… have any standards for your characters? 

  • Tannya Aditya

    i like fanfiction. it’s just another way of writing what people wished to be the current or future reality. but afterall it’s just a work of art. people could like and adore. but also hate and dismiss it. it’s really up to you whether you wanna read it or not :) yeah there are dark-themed fanfictions which are absolutely not meant to be a pleasure reading but then again, it’s just another work of art. of the writer’s mind.

  • Anonymous

    Interesting article. As I was reading, I was reminded of a quote: “If it exists, there’s a porn for it.” I’m a fanfiction writer, but I’m not responding to this article because it offended me. I don’t write smut, because.. just.. no. I just wanted to give my input as a writer. I do agree with certain points the article has brought up. Many a times, browsing through many K-Pop fanfiction sites and fanfic sections of forums, I noticed a lot of it consisted of, erm, indecent acts involving two of the members. In every chapter. And of that, at least half of them were poorly written with bad grammar and not spell checked. But even if the story had the most amazing plot, we still chose to make our idols the protagonists/characters in the story. After all, we could have easily come up with original characters with the physique of said idol, no? Instead, we chose to take the idols directly from our world and place them into our made-up worlds. Why, indeed… 

    Well, the only thing I’ve come up with was that maybe it’s because we love the idols and because we know others love them too that it’s easy for the readers to automatically like/sympathize with the characters, which, with original characters, is pretty hard to do right. You don’t even have to build up a character’s likeability because the reader already loves them! let me ask you this. Why then, would music videos with storylines starring the idols in them be produced? It’s the same thing as fanfiction, only film as a medium instead of text. Take TVXQ’s “Before You Go”. I highly doubt that TVXQ’s Changmin and Yunho moonlight as field agents or whatnot, packing heat and cracking down on traitors when they’re not being k-pop stars. The MV featured a reeling scenario, catering to the fans’ imaginations. You can bet fanfics about the two men getting into gunfights pour in after a storyline MV like this, thus fueling fans’ love for their idols and the that concept SM had created, thus fueling promotion of the duo. It’s a great way to market, imo. SM should thank fans for their inclination of being creative. And frankly, we do it just because we can. Since we have the creative capacity and like to be appreciated for it, we write. We like our idols. And we like to tell stories. Eventually the two forces collide, our skulls can keep in the explosions and we had to let it all out in a big fireball of words. We have writers then we have readers. Supply, meet demand. They want to see Key and Minho as a pair of spaceship driving pirate hunters? 2NE1 as the underdogs in a gang war? Shin Min Ah was a nine-tailed fox spirit trapped in a human body–oh wait, it’s been done. What I’m saying is, fanfiction is a typical cog in your run-of-the-mill big fandom/culture thing. At the end of the day, I (hope to God) no one would mistake a fanfiction for a biography of the idol and ruin their image of them for all of eternity. The intention of creating these stories isn’t to harm the idols in any way and if you want to be any kind of public figure, you kind of have to agree to allow these things. I’m not saying that as an idol you cannot have a problem with someone writing about an S&M fic starring… you, I’m just saying I’m hopeful fans will be more tasteful in the content that they write. Seriously though, any harm that fanfiction can do, unreliable news articles with twist facts about the idols’ personal lives for page hits can do it far worse.

  • Anonymous

    Interesting article. As I was reading, I was reminded of a quote: “If it exists, there’s a porn for it.” I’m a fanfiction writer, but I’m not responding to this article because it offended me. I don’t write smut, because.. just.. no. I just wanted to give my input as a writer. I do agree with certain points the article has brought up. Many a times, browsing through many K-Pop fanfiction sites and fanfic sections of forums, I noticed a lot of it consisted of, erm, indecent acts involving two of the members. In every chapter. And of that, at least half of them were poorly written with bad grammar and not spell checked. But even if the story had the most amazing plot, we still chose to make our idols the protagonists/characters in the story. After all, we could have easily come up with original characters with the physique of said idol, no? Instead, we chose to take the idols directly from our world and place them into our made-up worlds. Why, indeed… 

    Well, the only thing I’ve come up with was that maybe it’s because we love the idols and because we know others love them too that it’s easy for the readers to automatically like/sympathize with the characters, which, with original characters, is pretty hard to do right. You don’t even have to build up a character’s likeability because the reader already loves them! let me ask you this. Why then, would music videos with storylines starring the idols in them be produced? It’s the same thing as fanfiction, only film as a medium instead of text. Take TVXQ’s “Before You Go”. I highly doubt that TVXQ’s Changmin and Yunho moonlight as field agents or whatnot, packing heat and cracking down on traitors when they’re not being k-pop stars. The MV featured a reeling scenario, catering to the fans’ imaginations. You can bet fanfics about the two men getting into gunfights pour in after a storyline MV like this, thus fueling fans’ love for their idols and the that concept SM had created, thus fueling promotion of the duo. It’s a great way to market, imo. SM should thank fans for their inclination of being creative. And frankly, we do it just because we can. Since we have the creative capacity and like to be appreciated for it, we write. We like our idols. And we like to tell stories. Eventually the two forces collide, our skulls can keep in the explosions and we had to let it all out in a big fireball of words. We have writers then we have readers. Supply, meet demand. They want to see Key and Minho as a pair of spaceship driving pirate hunters? 2NE1 as the underdogs in a gang war? Shin Min Ah was a nine-tailed fox spirit trapped in a human body–oh wait, it’s been done. What I’m saying is, fanfiction is a typical cog in your run-of-the-mill big fandom/culture thing. At the end of the day, I (hope to God) no one would mistake a fanfiction for a biography of the idol and ruin their image of them for all of eternity. The intention of creating these stories isn’t to harm the idols in any way and if you want to be any kind of public figure, you kind of have to agree to allow these things. I’m not saying that as an idol you cannot have a problem with someone writing about an S&M fic starring… you, I’m just saying I’m hopeful fans will be more tasteful in the content that they write. Seriously though, any harm that fanfiction can do, unreliable news articles with twist facts about the idols’ personal lives for page hits can do it far worse.

  • Black_Plague

    As one who is working on his own science-fiction project, the whole fanfiction is a bit of a mix for me. I can’t say there’s anything wrong with using your own imagination to write about idols in some alternate world but there are limits – up to the point they’re better off just for the author’s own read. Writing a whole lot about beastilia, pedophilia, rape etc. is bound to get on a lot of people’s nerves.

    Hell, I have my own fan-fiction story revolving around T-ara and in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. But putting pedophilia, rape and beastilia as centerpoints of the story? No way. For those who want to read it, well, email me and I’ll send it over some time – story’s still far from finished but lot of progress done so far – alexys326@naver.com