What is Female Universalism in Hallyu? A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration with a Focus on Japanese Fans*

This article presents an in-depth explanation of the most common denominator of Hallyu (Korean Wave) fans not only in Japan, the largest Hallyu market in the world, but in other parts of the world as well. We introduce a concept of “female universalism, which is associated with three factors of gendered, racial, and postcolonial melancholia, in order to explain the global boom of the new postcolonial pop genre known as Hallyu. Defined as a female-dominated pop culture through alternative media outlets as social media and streaming apps, such as YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix, we focus on the alternative message Hallyu presents to its fans as opposed to those found in mainstream pop culture created by the Anglo-American and Hollywood pop culture industries. The alternative message is the affective attraction, which is created by Hallyu artists and then conveyed to female Hallyu fans. It is a diverse message about individual dreams, female success, finding pure love with male partners, social justice, and many others. Nonetheless, we find these messages are united under the banner of female universalism that ultimately alleviates gendered melancholia and empowers them to join the creative aspect of their fandom, including cover dancing, studying Korean language and culture, and participating in ambitious social projects that would transform the world into a more female friendly place.