When Idols Become Fanboys

Think K-pop is a female-exclusive club permeated only with the compulsive sacrifice of ovaries? Think again because FANBOYS are becoming an increasingly important part of the K-pop circus with — gasp! — fanboy IDOLS spearheading the movement! These days, idols are all about supporting fellow male artists. Isn’t that just so K-pop progressive?

Here are a few of K-pop’s biggest fanboy idols.

 

FANBOY: MIR (MBLAQ)

ARTIST: g.o.d

MBLAQ maknae Mir is one of the biggest idol fanboys in the industry. The target of his dedication is first generation idol group g.o.d. Mir has gushed over his favorite group on variety shows and dished about how he joined the official fanclub and waved his sky blue balloons in the air at their concerts. (“Reply 1997” flashbacks, anyone?)

Early in 2014, Mir tweeted his excitement over a new g.o.d album. When he got a tweet back from g.o.d member Park Joon-hyung, he did what most excited idol fans would have done —he flattered Park and proceeded to overload his reply post with “crying” emoticons. Aw, Mir, you’re one us!

He said that as a kid, he believed he would marry either member Yoon Kye Sang or Son Ho Young. In the end his dreams didn’t come true, but he got the next best thing a fan could ask for—his sister married g.o.d’s manager, and that brother-in-law is now his company’s CEO.

Moral of the story: if you can’t marry your favorite idol, try and create some sort of family/work link to them, so you can just drop by when you hear they’re around…and not look like a sasaeng. Mir’s not dumb, he knows how to work the system.

FANBOY: LEE JOON (MBLAQ) & JUNG HYUNG-DON

ARTIST: G-DRAGON

Mir isn’t the only fanboy in MBLAQ. Lee Joon is also a fan of fellow idol—a monster in the K-pop arena—G-Dragon. While a guest on the variety show “Weekly Idol,” Lee Joon chose the Big Bang leader as one of his “ideal types,” stating the reason to be his pretty smile and eyes which resembled Minah‘s when she smiled. The Minah connection explains a lot, but it fails to explain Joonie being a completely flustered mess when he got to speak with the man himself on the phone.

It’s okay Joon. It’s a natural reaction I’m sure a majority of individuals, both male and female, would have if they got to chat with such a successful K-pop artist. Any big time idol is used to the “super-excited-fan-that-can’t-make-a-full-sentence” word stumble.

“Weekly Idol” has another fanboy on its set, other than Lee Joon. Jung Hyung-don, co-host of  the program, is one of the biggest G-Dragon fanboys around and he absolutely makes his affections public. He probably belongs to a select number of people outside of the Big Bang members themselves, and possibly Kiko, that can grab GD’s ass and not get tackled by a mob of YG staff and bodyguards. I mean, really, THAT IS SOMETHING ANYONE SHOULD BE PROUD OF. That’s a status marker right there.

The perfect summary of their close relationship can be seen in Doni’s reaction to GD giving him a back hug while whispering in his ear, asking if he missed him in his absence. Hyung-don, you flirt. Sure it seems like a crush, but really, it’s all in good fun, a relationship created out of mutual respect for each other’s contributions to the entertainment industry.

FANBOY: HONGBIN (VIXX)

ARTIST: PARK HYO-SHIN

VIXX’s Hongbin is a super fan of Park Hyo-shin, and just like us regular fans of idols, the thought of spending time with his favorite artist makes him feel all weird (in a good way) inside. He has sung Park’s music on radio programs, was there for his military discharge in 2012, and after winning various music awards, has shared his achievements with his sunbae. I bet the way VIXX fans feel when they discuss him is the way he feels when someone brings up HIS idol…GUSH. Check that nervous “trying-to-hold-in-my-fanboy-feels” smile on his face.

FANBOY: SUPER JUNIOR 

ARTIST: SHINHWA

Super Junior has been called the second coming of Shinhwa for years in the K-pop industry, and they relish the title. In one interview, leader Leeteuk mentioned that they want to attain a musical status like that of the long-running group. Like the way Shinhwa has supported them, Super Junior wants to follow in their seniors’ footsteps, guiding and working alongside the newer generation of idols, rather than competing with them. Maybe it’s the respect factor, or the fact that Shinhwa member Shin Hye-sung said Super Junior had “similar vibes to Shinhwa” and referred to them as a long-term group like his own, because Super Junior continues to model itself after the decade plus successful career of their elders.

FANBOY: BTS

ARTIST: BIG BANG

G-Dragon may have his own flock of fanboys, but so does his group Big Bang.  BTS are relatively new to the idol scene, but they make it a fact to let others know they are fans of Big Bang at every chance they get. They cover their songs and dances and have admitted that if they were to perform in front of them, hearing Big Bang cheer them on would leave them paralyzed. During a press conference for their debut, BTS stated that they consider Big Bang “at the top of idol artists,” and they “monitor and try to model after their performances.”

If working their style and vibe isn’t a sign of fanboying, I don’t know what is. Will someone please give these two a duet stage just so we can see how BTS handles the fanboy excitement?

 

K-pop is seeing an increase in the male fan demographic and these idols are helping lead the fan pack, colored balloons and fluorescent lightsticks in hand. Hopefully the trend continues as guys come to realize that the idols they look up to are just like them, fans of someone else, waving their fan flag high for everyone to see.