Popular media goods, which frequently exist as transmedia experiences, can now garner large fanbases over the internet and in the ‘real world.’ These media goods can be books, comic books, video games, television series, or any mix of these and other forms of entertainment. While many fans consider themselves to be casual participants, some get more involved, producing what is commonly known as a “fandom” The fandom philosophy is simple: it is a collection of like-minded people who are fans of or are strongly interested in a specific piece of pop culture.
Fandom did not exist prior to 2010, when the Marvel Cinematic Universe premiered near the end of the 1990s, starting off the long-slow mainstreaming of geek culture into high gear. Along with this mainstreaming, fandom grew and changed in dramatic and significant ways. Since then, the fandom globe has developed, and each group has fought for a title. This article lists the top fandoms around the world (in no particular order).
The Thronies: Game of Thrones
”Fan base: Over 300k”
Game of Thrones is based on George R. R. Martin’s epic novel: A Song of Ice and Fire, who works on the television show as a producer, creative consultant, and screenplay. The HBO cable network produces the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones. Even though the Game of Thrones television series has concluded, fans continue to interact online through numerous avenues. The series’ complex plot was amazing, and it brought together a big number of like-minded people online through its fandom. The book series is far superior to the television series. One of the most remarkable features of the fan base is how well fans of the program and readers of the books understand akin.
This level of fan participation in Game of Thrones has resulted in the creation of wikis, literature, cosplay, elaborate fan-theories, reproductions of in-universe music, original music, art, and even a search engine to accompany the series in all of its transmedia incarnations.
Star Wars
”Fan Base: Over 1 million”
The Star Wars series needs no introduction because it is one of the most well-known creations and has a large fan following. It was created in 1976 by George Lucas as multi-genre mythology and multimedia brand that comprises films, novels, comic books, computer games, toys, and television shows.
The Star Wars franchise incorporates renowned themes from religion, ancient mythology, and political drama, as well as musical compositions from these same genres. Star Wars has become one of the most successful instances of the science fiction subgenre of space opera, as well as one of the highest-grossing series of all time. It has one of the world’s largest fandoms due to its popularity and dominance in numerous entertainment genres.
Fans are frequently divided about whether something is canon or non-canon. Fans, on the other hand, occasionally have the same ideas on certain themes. Toys have always been and will continue to be a part of the Star Wars universe. As a result, customers like buying and sharing their experiences. There are also numerous unusual ones and other firms that produce Star Wars products. Unlike other fandoms, Star Wars supporters are simply referred to as Star Wars fans. It is also one of the most diverse and inclusive fandoms in the world.
Anime
”Fan base: Over 100k”
Anime has evolved into one of the world’s most fascinating and entertaining cinema subgenres. However, it did not appear to be so during its initial period of absorption in the Western world, which had long scorned Japanese culture. That is why the anime fandom is one of the most powerful in the world. The anime or manga fandom is a global network of people who are passionate about the genre. Anime refers to animated shows, films, and videos, whereas manga refers to graphic novels, drawings, and related artwork. Anime also contains several genres that attract a large number of admirers, with a growing fan base on a daily basis. Sports, love, music, fighting, and many other categories are among them.
Potterheads: Harry Potter
”Fan base: Over 4 million”
The Harry Potter audience is the world’s second-largest fandom, thanks to the popularity of the Harry Potter novels and films. It is a group of people who enjoy Harry Potter books and films. They take part in fun activities relating to the series. To name a few, fan fiction, reading, and writing, making and soliciting fan art, role-playing, forum networking, and a range of other hobbies.
One of the most amazing aspects of the Harry Potter novels that have caught readers’ hearts is how brilliantly they are planned and put together. Despite the fact that J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is complete, fans all around the world continue to argue about the books and films. Because of the book’s complexity and ingenuity, which transports readers to a new universe, the Harry Potter audience is vast. Another wonderful quality of the Harry Potter books is that each character has a comprehensive back story stretching back to his or her childhood.
BTS Army
”Fan base: Over 11 million”
The BTS Army has the most admirers in the world right now. BTS and its followers, called the ARMY, became the first K-Pop group to reach the Billboard 200 chart’s top ten. BTS and the ARMY also put an end to the ‘Beliebers’ rule, winning the Billboard Music Awards’ Top Social Artist category with over 300 million votes cast worldwide.
The key to the ARMY fandom’s massive social media success is not just their devotion to BTS, but also a great deal of planning. The ARMY is taking a proactive, data-driven approach to increasing BTS popularity. The ARMY has three different Twitter accounts. ‘BTS on Billboard’ is solely dedicated to helping BTS “stretch their wings and fly on the Billboard Charts.” Another account, ‘BTS Views,’ is used only to track their YouTube views, and a third is used for basic hashtag voting.
The ARMY of BTS is the largest in the contemporary K-pop scene. Over the years, the group has had enormous success in the music industry and won the hearts of many fans. According to Korean media sites, the audience has the ability to make or break a situation. The platform, for example, may prohibit the sale of any BTS merchandise as well as trolls.
The Marvelites
”Fan base: Over 3.7 million”
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a shared universe and media property centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. It boasts so many superheroes that everyone on the planet has heard of at least one of them. From Spider-Man to Black Widow to Captain Marvel, the superheroes are well-conceived, and the performers have also contributed to the expansion of the superhero universe. Most children grow up with superheroes in their heads, and Marvel did the right thing by bringing it to the media.
Because of its position in the entertainment business, most people think of Marvel when they think of internationally prominent fandoms. People most certainly been living under a rock if they haven’t heard of the company. The corporation is responsible for some of the most well-known superhero names, including Spiderman, X-Men, and The Avengers, as well as countless comic books based on such characters.
The above list of the world’s largest fandoms is not exhaustive, as new communities emerge and acquire traction quickly. The most intriguing aspect of the top ten is that the ideals that unite people together rarely lose their worth over time and will continue to dominate for a long time.
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