The popularity of K-pop boy groups is enormous worldwide. 'Boy group novels' (Namdolmul), web novels centered around these K-pop boy groups, are gaining immense popularity among female readers. This genre, featuring male idols as protagonists, portrays their daily lives, passion, and pursuit of dreams, captivating the hearts of many. Analyzing the success factors of these boy group novels reveals several key elements.

First, it's about building empathy with readers. Boy group novels address universal themes such as pursuing dreams, friendship, and love, providing a space for readers to connect with their experiences and emotions. This evokes a strong sense of immersion in readers, deepening their affection for the work.

Second, it reflects fan culture. Boy group novels meticulously reflect the fan culture of K-pop idol groups. They accurately depict the ways fans cheer, communicate, and the unique relationship between idols and fans, enriching the experience for actual fans.

Third, it balances reality and ideals. Boy group novels honestly portray the effort and sacrifice behind the idols' glamorous stage, their human anxieties and conflicts, delivering a realistic story. Simultaneously, they include the ideal image and romance readers crave, achieving a balance between reality and ideals.

Fourth, it features diverse character settings. With characters possessing distinct personalities and backgrounds coming together as a team, the diverse stories that arise offer new appeal to readers. This allows readers to empathize with various characters, finding enjoyment in observing their growth and transformation.

In this way, the success of boy group web novels lies in their ability to stimulate readers' emotions, reflect fan culture, balance reality and ideals, and present diverse and captivating characters. These elements play a crucial role in establishing boy group novels as a genre loved by many, transcending mere trends.

What is Boy group novel (Namdolmul)?

▷ Boy group novel (Namdolmul) is a subgenre of 'male lead novel (Namjumul)' and 'female-oriented entertainment novel', featuring male idols as the main characters and boy groups as the primary theme in female-oriented web novels.

▷ The origins of Boy group novels, which emerged in the 2020s, can be traced back to the boy group idol fan fiction written by fans on both the light and dark sides of the internet since the 1990s.

▷ The actual formation of Boy group novels is considered a combination of the 'bromance' narrative trend in male-oriented web novels and the existing entertainment novel grammar. However, the subject matter and nature of Boy group novels are influenced by the existence of boy group idol fan fiction.

Source: Naver Wiki