Are kpop fans now even more strict on dating?

I was reading old 2ne1 comments and a lot of the Kfan comments said stuff like "Dara if you date X or Y I'll be devastated", or if "Dara is caught dating I'll be devastated" but suddenly after 2ne1's disbandment many of her fans (even Kfans) were desperate to see her in a relationship and even made fake ships with GDragon, Donghae..etc. I believe Dara got it earlier in her career since she debuted fairly later, but now we're seeing Xiumin, Solar, Irene, Jin hit the same age she was when she started getting these comments.

Are fans now even more strict over dating? Especially with visuals , there's a ton of expectations for them to be "pure" for the fans. Fanboys of Irene, (even disbanded groups like Lovelyz Jiae) are not letting up at all like they did for earlier idols. By their late 20s-early 30s, much of SUJU were openly talking about dating -- something I can't see any of the elder line of EXO/BTS doing today.

Quote from Lulu_Key

I also think thats true

Alot of top idols used to date

Definitely more than now

Fans still did throw a hissy fit

But like expecting someone's Dara age to not date at all is severe

Talking about it is far from it being accepted

That one suju member is still in dungeon for getting married

Display More

...right.

Ryeowook is probably getting publicly married soon.

I ironically think fans gatekeep Irene way more than Xiumin gets gatekeeped, even though he's a male idol and generally male idols get gatekeeped more. The entire "hates men" thing has made it a kinda severe situation for her. Suho would probably get flack for dating.

I think Solar/Moonbyul have a generally supportive fandom, although every fandom has their psychos. Chorong has a lot of fans who would be upset if she was dating. The Brave Girlies would have a very upset military fandom but they did get popular later so...

Quote from Lulu_Key

I think in SHINee, Minho and Key will be supported dating

Onew and Taemin, people will burn buildings for it

Idk why fans are more possessive over Lee brothers

Surprisingly even though Minho is a visual, I agree. Maybe his acting has opened that path for him.

Taemin is babied a lot, and for Onew I think idols with an innocent image/"one we need to protect" fans can be similarly angry over dating news. For example, Suga fans had a worse off reaction to fake dating rumors than RM did, where his "wife" is a popular Army joke. Maknae Line...no words.

Quote from Lulu_Key

Idk if its image

maybe its their more introverted and close personality?

Like Minho and Key are spilling beans about personal life, so people are less delulu about them

compare to them Lee brothers are alot more private. Which gives space for delulus to have fantasy.

Also from hello baby it was clear that Minho and Key want to be dads ASAP

Display More

I think to a certain extent you're right. Fans setting barriers ie not indulging on the "oppa date me" fantasies helps. ie I think in Seventeen Vernon would have a good response to dating news despite being in visual line.