World's First Webtoon IP-Based Virtual Idol Group 'Oort Boys' Set to Debut in the Second Half of the Year
Capitalizing on the global popularity of K-Webtoons, the world's first virtual idol group based on webtoon IP, 'Oort Boys,' is set to officially debut and reveal their group name in the second half of this year. The group is drawing attention as it consists of three popular webtoon characters and one original character.
Notably, the participation of characters from the hit webtoon "I Stan the Prince," which has accumulated 16.4 million views, has significantly piqued fans' interest.
'Oort Boys' have undergone a rigorous preparation process akin to that of actual idol groups before their debut.
They have engaged with fans through weekly YouTube live streaming sessions and launched the 'Idol Raised by Constellation' (Constellation Idol) project in February.
This fan-participation program allowed fans to directly influence the group's activities, releasing new vocal and dance performance videos monthly for three months. The final performance video concluded successfully with 33,000 views.
Oort Entertainment recently unveiled teaser videos of the 'Oort Boys' members through their official SNS channels.
These videos highlighted each character's unique traits using proprietary shader technology.
For instance, 'SEO TALE's dimples, 'Dominseong's tear mole, 'Nidan's long hair, and 'Frederic's long eyelashes were all emphasized to enhance their appeal.
Positive responses have flooded social media, with comments such as
"They look even more handsome" and "Their movements are so natural."
The recent YouTube live streaming of 'SEO TALE' also concluded successfully, further raising fans' expectations.
Music industry experts have praised the debut of 'Oort Boys' as "a new attempt at combining K-pop with webtoon IP." One expert commented, "This project, which merges the global popularity of webtoons with the influence of K-pop, could create a new form of entertainment content."
Moreover, this project is expected to generate a synergistic effect between the webtoon and music industries. A webtoon expert predicted, "The idol activities of popular webtoon characters present a great opportunity to expand the interest of webtoon fans into the music domain."
The success of 'Oort Boys' is likely to serve as a crucial indicator of the potential for growth in the virtual idol market.
Their thorough preparation and active communication with fans increase their chances of success.
Furthermore, this innovative endeavor is anticipated to enhance the diversity of the K-pop industry.
The emergence of virtual idols introduces new competitive elements into the existing idol market and offers fans a wider range of choices.
As 'Oort Boys' prepare for their debut in the latter half of the year, industry attention is focused on how they will impact the K-pop market and the global entertainment industry.
The potential success of this new approach using webtoon IP will reveal the possible synergies between the K-pop and webtoon industries.
