For fans who can’t get enough of their favorite K-pop bands, it’s a golden age of extra content. It’s no longer just a world of music and video, but of digital content, too. Some groups are even part of a larger multiverse that ties in several entertainment properties. The growing world of K-pop groups with their own fictional universes includes everything from BTS’s “7Fates: Chakho” series to SM Entertainment’s SM Culture Universe (SMCU).

Right now, two companies seem to be leading the push for K-pop extended universe content — HYBE and SM Entertainment. Groups under HYBE include BTS, TXT, and ENHYPEN, among others. BTS, TXT, and ENHYPEN are the subjects of HYBE’s original storytelling ventures via Wattpad and Webtoons. Currently, each group has its own Webtoon/Wattpad series published under official HYBE accounts on each site. It’s a fascinating and creative business venture that capitalizes on the already thriving internet subculture of fans who read and write fanfiction based on their favorite bands.

The original stories often incorporate fantasy elements and post weekly updates for readers. Of course, these stories don’t come free. Fans who want to read the full series must buy access using each site's coins system (though the Webtoons site does seem to offer a few free coins).

Once a fan accesses these stories, what can they expect? BTS’s “7Fates: Chakho” series posts weekly updates and follows characters based on the BTS members as they face battles in a corrupt city called Sin-si. See them battle it out in comic-form as a Webtoon, or read the story on Wattpad. Not into BTS? TXT and ENHYPEN also have a series of their own. ENHYPEN’s series, "Dark Moon: The Blood Altar," features a rivalry between vampire and werewolf schoolboys fighting for the attention of a girl named Sooha. TXT’s series, “The Star Seekers,” follows the fictional idol group Star One as they use their newly-received magical powers. You can even buy a pop-up book of TXT’s Star Seekers concept.

Of course, HYBE isn’t the only company exploring the concept of fictional universes for its groups. SM Entertainment is also getting involved with a grand scheme called the SM Culture Universe (SMCU). There’s even an official Wikipedia page that details the projects, terms, and characters involved in the SMCU. While Aespa and its digital avatars seem to be the SMCU’s current focus, many SM artists and groups have roles in the SMCU’s digital world of Kwangya. Currently, a Wikipedia list of the SMCU's recurring characters labels SHINee as the "Five Lights" and Red Velvet as "Transcendental Beings." The most exciting looks into how SM plans to reveal the SMCU’s stories have, so far, come in the form of the “SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya” live-streamed concert and the first episode of an Aespa series on YouTube.

These innovative and impressive productions represent a new, more immersive way for fans to interact with their favorite music. So, what have fans thought about these projects? As with most things, reception is mixed. While some fans are enjoying the stories HYBE is putting out, others are wary of corporations getting involved in fan spaces such as Wattpad and Webtoons. Meanwhile, SM’s world of Kwangya has been described as groundbreaking by some and convoluted by others. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!