The Archive of Our Own (AO3) has always been a hub for creativity, and 2023 was no exception. AO3 is a non-commercial and nonprofit fanfiction archive website. It was launched in beta in 2008 as a project of the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), which was established the year before. The development and launch of AO3 addressed the need for a fan-run, non-commercial space. In this space, fanworks such as fan art, fan videos, and fan fiction could be archived, organized, and easily accessed.
One AO3 user, centreoftheselights, compiled a list of the most popular ships, or pairings, on the site in 2023. These ships inspired a large volume of fan fiction. Here are the K-pop ships that made the top 100 on the list.
The top K-pop ships on AO3
6. Jungkook and Jimin from BTS (KookMin): This is the sixth most popular K-pop ship and 94th in the world. They became more popular this year, rising from 52nd place last year. Fans wrote 1,570 new stories about them, making a total of 27,583.
The ultimate Jikook video
5. Bang Chan and Felix from Stray Kids (ChanLix): This ship is fifth in K-pop and 91st globally, with 1,584 new stories. This is their first time on the list, demonstrating a swift rise in popularity.
@chrs31097 So sweet #chanlix #bangchan #bangchanedit #straykids #bangchanstraykids #straykidscomeback #leeknow #changbin #leefelix #hyunjinedit #changbinedit #leefelixedit #hyunjin #seungmin #hanjisung #jeongin #특챌린지 #straykidsedit #viral #foryou #fyp #fypシ #fuppppppp
4. BTS’s Suga and Jimin (YoonMin): With 1,616 new works, this ship ranked fourth among K-pop ships and 85th overall. They moved up from 78th place, showing more people became interested in them in 2023.
@ym_sj it’s just a video,Why am I crying?😭#YOONMIN #yoonmin #minimini #SUGA #jimin #yoongi #yoonmin_shipper
3. ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Hanbin and Zhang Hao (HaoBin): This ship made an impressive debut in the rankings with 1,776 new works. They placed third in K-pop ships and 72nd overall.
@01lineenthusiast Okay… neck and arms. I think I’ve lost my mind y’all 😭 #haobin #sunghanbin #zhanghao #zb1 #fyp #4u
2. BTS’s Jungkook and V (TaeKook): They’re second in K-pop and 45th overall, with 2,293 new stories. They moved up from 24th place last year.
@taekook_means_love представьте сколько у них совместных фоточек могли бы быть🥺💫 #taehyung #jungkook #jeonjungkook #kimtaehyung #vkook #taekook #vkookedit #taekookedits
1. Stray Kids’ Han and Lee Know (MinSung): They’re the top K-pop ship and 13th overall. They had a great year on AO3 with 4,489 new stories. This allowed them to move up from 34th place.
@yeocfied ik im flopping but heres a cute minsung edit🫶🏼 #herlixie #ybxii #minsung #straykids
An integral subculture
Fan fiction has been an integral subculture of the K-pop industry since its early days. Fans of first-generation K-pop groups like g.o.d and H.O.T. have long enjoyed writing and sharing stories about their favorite members. This tradition goes back to the early 2000s, where fan communities dedicated specific sections to fan fiction, allowing fans to post and share their stories. The popularity of some of these stories even led to their being published in print.
Some of these stories focus on friendship. Others are about intimate, romantic relationships between band members. Despite not being publicly acknowledged by the industry, fan fiction has been a significant part of K-pop fandom. In fact, some agencies have turned to this aspect for fan culture as a marketing strategy. For instance, in 2006, SM Entertainment held a fan fiction contest for the boy band TVXQ, aiming to interact with fans and promote creative expression within the fandom.
The list compiled by centreoftheselights shows how fans are interested in a wide range of K-pop artists. The popularity of these pairings also reflects the interests of the fans who write and read these stories. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: These ships made AO3 go round last year. Source: Archive of Our Own, Canva/Stock Photo.