Fragmentary Redemptions: ARMY, RPF, and the AU at the Heart of the Bangtan Universe Available to Purchase

In her contribution, “Fragmentary Redemptions: ARMY, RPF, and the AU at the Heart of the Bangtan Universe,” Regina Yung Lee provides a close reading of the video “Euphoria” to demonstrate how the storyworld of the Bangtan Universe borrows heavily from two genres of fan fiction to engage ARMY’s affectionate receptions of the story world. BTS members, in particular, have encouraged intricate mediation between fan-generated narrative genres and their celebrity personas. Focused on the genres of Real Person Fiction (RPF) and Alternate Universe (AU), the chapter tracks how fans interact with celebrity bodies and public interactions in different ways that illustrate their active participation in the formation of star texts. Framing this interaction with the narrative and materials of the Bangtan Universe as a critical and participatory activity, Lee considers how it is a reparative practice of imagining and longing for a more just world.