"Plmyeodeul" Phenomenon Among 30s and 40s
Plave, the Virtual Idol, Sells 1 Million Albums in Just One Week
"I gradually became Plmyeodeul." Plmyeodeul is a portmanteau of 'Plave,' the virtual idol group, and 'seumyeodeulda' (to permeate). Jiwoon Park (32, female) is one of those who have Plmyeodeul. In August 2023, Park first encountered Plave through a YouTube video sent by an acquaintance. Having never been a fan of idols before, she initially paid little attention to the video. However, she started watching one by one as Plave members' dance challenges and funny videos appeared in her YouTube algorithm. Before she knew it, Park had joined the official Plave fan cafe. Sharing her experience of becoming Plmyeodeul, she said, "I regret not becoming a fan from the start, even now."
Not only the core fan base of virtual idols, the 10-20s generation known as 'Jalpa (Z+Alpha),' but also people in their 30s and 40s are deeply into Plave. The 30s and 40s generation, who have led Korea's idol industry since the first generation idols, have begun to take an interest in virtual idols created through computer graphics. They said that although virtual idols are fictional entities, they have experienced healing through human emotional exchanges and even solidarity with fandoms.
Human charm causes 'Deoktong accident'... "I was initially taken aback"
Momo Shin (35, female) experienced what is called a 'Deoktong accident' last September. 'Deoktong accident' is a portmanteau of a traffic accident and otaku (fan), meaning suddenly becoming a fan of a singer or content. The cause of her Deoktong accident was Plave. It was the first time since her school days when she liked GOD (Ji-O-Di) that she became curious about a singer. She fell for a Plave song her friend played and searched for other songs on YouTube, only to find, surprisingly, not people but cartoon characters. "I was initially taken aback because 2D characters appeared unexpectedly." Putting aside her surprise, Shin watched videos introduced by the algorithm. She burst into laughter at Plave members' cheerful responses even when technical glitches caused their characters' necks to twist. Shin gradually wanted to learn more about Plave.
Fans in their 30s and 40s praise Plave's communication skills as one of its strengths. They say Plave talks and empathizes with fans more frequently and actively. Plave communicates with fans through two-hour live broadcasts twice a week on YouTube and other platforms. Since May last year, they have also been running 'Playdio,' a radio show that reads fans' stories once a week on YouTube. Frequent live appearances provide fans with more material for secondary content creation. This is why fan accounts creating Plave-related videos are easily found on YouTube. Park said, "Plave consistently did live broadcasts even during their trainee period before debut," adding, "Many fans were brought in through live broadcasts."
"Why do you like them when they're not even human?" is one of the phrases that pains Plave fans. Fans unanimously said they like Plave regardless of the 2D characters. They feel the human charm of each idol member behind the characters. Jooyeon Lee (34, female) said she was captivated by Plave's unique narrative. Seeing Plave persistently pursuing their dreams without yielding in any situation makes her want to cheer them on. Lee said, "People often ask me what the difference is between regular idols and virtual idols, but there is no difference," adding, "Plave also works hard to become singers, communicate with fans, and sing." Momo Kang (41, female) also emphasized, "I've never been curious about their real selves. What good would it do to know? Not being curious about their real selves is a way to respect Plave members."
Buying 50 albums each... Sharing 'Plmyeodeul' experiences and healing each other
Fans in their 30s and 40s boast tremendous purchasing power. Park bought 59 copies of the latest album alone. Currently, Plave's albums cost about 17,000 KRW each, meaning she spent about 1 million KRW in the past week. Yet, Park was unconcerned. She said it brings her great joy to contribute to Plave's musical activities. Park said, "Just being able to help Plave members by purchasing albums makes me happy." Shin also emphasized, "I think I bought about 50 copies of this album. Since I'm a working adult, I have some financial leeway."
The purchasing power of these fans played a part in the phenomenal popularity of Plave's third mini-album. According to their agency Blast, Plave's third mini-album 'Caligo Pt.1' sold a total of 1,038,308 copies from its release on the 3rd to the 9th. This is the first time a virtual idol's album has sold over one million copies in its first week.
What made fans in their 30s and 40s open their wallets for Plave was not simply because they sing well or frequently do live broadcasts. They unanimously said they had experienced healing through Plave. Shin revealed with difficulty that she had been taking medication for depression in the past. However, since becoming a fan of Plave, her medication dosage has gradually decreased. Even when difficult emotions arose during work, watching Plave videos lifted her mood. Shin was surprised by her own positive transformation thanks to Plave. "Plave often says 'I love you' and 'I like you' to fans during live broadcasts. It makes me happy to realize that I am someone who can be respected."
Jiwoon Park (32, female) visited six virtual idol member Noah's birthday cafes located in Busan and Daegu on the 8th and 9th. Birthday-related goods of Noah. Provided by Jiwoon Park
Although it started with liking fictional characters, fans meet and communicate in real life, sharing joy. On the 10th, to celebrate Plave member 'Noah's birthday, the fandom visited so-called 'birthday cafes.' The cafes were so popular that tickets sold out instantly. Park visited two birthday cafes in Busan on the 8th and four in Daegu on the 9th. Park said, "We have Plave, and Plave has Pli (Plave fandom name), so we comfort each other," adding, "We share personal stories and relieve stress. I receive a lot of help."
The location is not important. On the 10th, Lee held a birthday party for Noah at her home and invited four close Plave fans. They ate dinner, drank, and talked about Plave. They played Noah's videos on the TV and spent a more enjoyable time than ever. Lee said, "Fans often share stories of being comforted through Plave," adding, "We heal by sharing experiences of interaction between singers and fans."
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