VLAST CEO Weighs Options for PLAVE Webtoon and Animation Projects

Article published: April 22, 2024

Original source: http://m.stoo.com/article.php?aid=93190478434

English translation: plaveintl

Lee Sung-gu, CEO of VLAST, the agency behind PLAVE, hinted at the potential for branching out into different content genres, like webtoons and animations, using their original intellectual property (IP).

PLAVE's fanbase differs slightly from traditional K-pop fandoms. Lee explained, "Right now, we still have a strong domestic fan base, which is a bit unique. Unlike typical K-pop fans who support multiple idols, about half of PLAVE fans initially enjoyed other genres like webtoons or animations before becoming PLAVE fans.

We've noticed this trend, which caused some confusion within the fandom last year. But now, even fans who were into other genres seem to have a better grasp of the K-pop scene, leading to increased streaming and album sales."

Given the diverse mix of fandoms, including those of webtoons and animations, alongside traditional K-pop idol fandoms, there might be an opportunity to explore animation production through original IP as virtual idols. Lee observed, "There have been previous attempts to showcase idols' stories through different genres like webtoons or games.

However, those attempts weren't very successful. Fans seemed hesitant to accept changes in appearance, questioning, 'Is this really our idol?" However, PLAVE has an advantage over traditional idols in this aspect.

Lee noted, "Since PLAVE was designed from the ground up, we believe the hurdles would be much lower. We're contemplating production (of webtoons and animations), feeling confident that we can pull it off well."