Categorizing Kpop groups into an anime genre

I was reading Eggsandwich04’s blog post on Genres and Demographics when this idea struck me.

Kpop groups are often known for a specific concept. Some do sexy. Some do cute. Some change their concept from comeback to comeback. But no matter what concept a group does, a group tends to always have a specific vibe.

For example, Blackpink tends to have a trendy, luxurious vibe. No matter what concept they do, it tends to show those two characteristics. TWICE, on the other hand, tends to have a cute, classy vibe.

There are so many anime genres. I think each genre has its own aesthetic. For example, when I think of the shoujo genre, I think of pink, cherry blossoms, glitter, and unicorns. Just anything bright and sparkly, really.

Anyway, I think it would be fun to match Kpop groups to a specific anime genre.

Shoujo

Let’s start with a genre that I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with.

The shoujo genre tends to emphasize romantic relationships, friendships, and the good triumphs over evil motif.

Some popular shoujo animes are Card Captor Sakura, Ouran High School Host Club, Sailor Moon, Vampire Knight, etc.

The first group that comes to mind is TWICE. TWICE is a group known for its cute concepts. They started with a girl crush concept but quickly fell into that cute, classy vibe.

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They’ll eventually branch into something more dark and mature, but it’ll probably come when the members are all older. Right now, I think they have a refreshing, girly, feminine vibe.

Another group is one that’s been killing the charts. Brave Girls is a group that’s been around for a decade. They’ve only recently started seeing success with Rollin’, a song they released in 2017 because their military performance went viral.

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The girls fit a brighter concept rather than the sexy and dark vibe they went for the original song. I can definitely see them getting the next summer hit, which is something the public really wants.

When I watched their performances, they feel like a rookie group enjoying their time in the spotlight.

Last but not least is Red Velvet. These girls sometimes have the strangest concepts, but they pull each one off effortlessly. Shoujo isn’t just about magical girls, romance, and friendships.

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Ghost Hunt, an anime about investigating mysterious, paranormal occurrences, is also a shoujo. There’s a lot of camaraderie in Ghost Hunt, which I really enjoyed in the series.

Red Velvet is one of the most flexible groups out there.

Isekai

Isekai is a genre built upon escapism. Imagine being whisked away to a fantasy world and becoming extraordinary. Either way, the protagonists of Isekai animes are usually ordinary people before their lives did a complete 180.

The first girl group that came to mind is aespa. These girls only debuted last year, and they’re already making waves. The group consists of 4 members and 4 AI members that are based on their real-life counterparts.

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So far, their music videos always feature both worlds: the real world and the virtual world. I think it’s a cool concept, and I’m interested to see how they’ll continue developing this storyline. As technology gets more advanced, the possibilities are endless.

Now, let’s talk a little bit about boy groups. EXO, anyone? EXO’s debut concept was that each member had a specific power. For example, Kai was teleportation. Lay was healing. Chanyeol was fire. And so on and so forth. This concept occasionally appeared throughout their comebacks.

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Their music videos and concepts always have interesting storylines. In 2016, Baekhyun explained that the premise for “Lucky One” was that their powers disappeared. And in “Monster,” the members get experimented on, which leads to rebellion and Baekhyun working as a double agent to free the others.

The company that houses both of these groups, is really stepping up their game for storylines in their music videos.

I remember that a representative said that their groups will have overlapping stories and worlds. I’m curious to see how they’ll continue developing this “SM world.”

Mecha

I’m not a fan of Mecha anime. Mecha involves giant robots and fighting for what’s right. Some popular animes of this genre include Gundam Seed, Full Metal Panic!, and Code Geass. Despite my lack of interest in this genre, I thought of one group that fits this concept.

B.A.P is a disbanded group with an “alien-like” mascot. Matoki is a bunny from Moto Planet that represents the group. Each member had a bunny that represents them, and these bunnies would wear different masks too. These masks represent something about the members.

Yeah, I understand that’s a lot to take in.

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But what’s interesting is that B.A.P was one of the first groups that I know about to talk about societal issues. Their music videos had a lot of symbolism. Wake Me Up and One Shot is two of my favourite music videos by these guys.

One of their earlier music videos had them on a different planet and dancing in a spaceship-like setting.

I really enjoyed their discography. So, when they disbanded, a small part of me died. So much wasted potential.

Josei

Josei is an extension of Shoujo. Josei anime talks about relationships beyond the first kiss, lives after graduation, etc. There are definitely more mature themes when it comes to Josei anime.

MAMAMOO is a Josei group. These four powerful females have a classy, mature vibe to them. No matter what concept they do, it doesn’t feel young but lady-like.

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Another group that comes to mind is SISTAR. SISTAR were the queens of summer bops before they disbanded. Their songs had a feminine and sexy vibe to them.

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I was a huge fan of their early bops like Ma Boy and Give It To Me. Ma Boy is actually a song done by a subunit of the group, and I remember just attempting to body roll with them.

This next one might be up for debate. But I can picture KARD being part of the Josei genre.

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Their concepts are always unique. Some of their dances are cool and casual, and some are sexy. I love their group dynamic and their songs slaps.

Shounen

Shounen animes features a male protagonist who embarks on an adventure filled with challenges. These animes are typically geared toward teenage males.

Astro is the first out of the many groups I thought of for this genre. Astro’s concepts are usually refreshing, youthful, and fun. Their title tracks and often upbeat and catchy.

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Another group I thought of is Seventeen. Seventeen’s been around for a while, but they’re still young.

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Their early stuff was very upbeat and catchy. Their later works are still catchy, but it has a calmer and chill vibe to them. It’s like they’re transitioning to their next chapter.

Lastly, could you even mention Shounen without TXT? TXT’s songs are bright, fun, with a catchy chorus.

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These guys chose to believe in pineapple pizza for Big Hit’s #WhatDoYouBelieveIn campaign. If this isn’t the behaviour of the younger generation, I don’t know what is.

Seinen

Seinen is to Shounen like Josei is to Shoujo. Seinen is usually targeted towards the young adult demographic.

The first group that came to mind is VIXX. These guys are known as a performance group that tells a story through their lyrics and choreography.

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I think SHINee is a group that has evolved from the Shounen era to the Seinen era. If we’re talking about their debut days, SHINee would definitely fit into Shounen.

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But their recent comeback screams Seinen vibes. It has a cool, sassy attitude with powerful choreography. Regardless, SHINee has grown so much.

Iyashikei

I think this genre is less known than the others. Iyashikei means “healing,” and it often overlaps with other genres, especially slice of life. It’s a genre that soothes you as you watch it.

There’s no other group putting out relatable and healing music like BTS. Their lyrics often talk about hardship, overcoming hardship, and loving yourself.

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But they also know how to have fun. BTS is a great example of a group that knows how to accurately portray and reflect emotions in their songs.

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Of course the post had to end with BTS, haha. Could you think of any other groups that would fit into these genres?