Weverse Unveils “2025 Fandom Trend Report”: Japanese Artists Drive Global Surge

Fan Culture & Interaction in kawaii Idol Life

Unpacking the “Fandom Journey”

The report introduces the “Fandom Journey,” a four-stage model illustrating how fans deepen their engagement over time. Analyzing the activities of 30 million users across 32 platform features from 2024 to 2025, Weverse identified distinct patterns in fan evolution.

Fandom Journey Stages

The four stages are:

  • Exploration (Visitor): Less than once a week, casually browsing.

  • Appreciation (Light Fan): 1-2 times a week, consuming content, building familiarity.

  • Interaction (Active Fan): Approximately once every two days, engaging in deeper communication and purchases.

  • Amplification (Superfan): The most deeply involved, actively participating in merchandise collection and in-person events, amplifying fandom culture both online and offline.

Notably, 20% of current “superfans” have ascended from other stages, demonstrating how Weverse’s features act as “catalysts” to foster deeper engagement.

Weverse Services: Catalysts for Fan Engagement

Weverse’s diverse services play a crucial role in propelling fans through their journey, turning casual visitors into dedicated superfans.

Weverse Services Impact

  • Weverse LIVE: Approximately 60% of all users visit the platform specifically for real-time video content, making it the most significant driver for users to advance to the next stage of fandom.

  • Weverse DM: This service, allowing private messaging with artists, attracts new and returning users, naturally guiding “Exploration” users to become “Appreciation” fans who regularly enjoy content.

  • Listening Party: By enabling fans to listen to music together and interact, this feature elevates “Exploration” and “Appreciation” users to “Interaction” fans who share deeper emotional bonds with artists and fellow fans.

  • Digital Membership: Offering benefits like ad-free viewing and real-time translation, this subscription service significantly influences the transition to the most active “Amplification” (superfan) stage.

The Ascendance of Superfans: Leading Fandom Culture

Superfans are not just consumers; they are active leaders shaping fandom culture. Weverse’s services empower these dedicated individuals, fostering vibrant communities.

Superfan Services Data

In 2025, Listening Parties saw 52,580 events across 107 communities, with 9.37 million participants and 15.7 million cumulative streams. A standout example is BTS’s official community, where fan-only parties generated 1.5 million streams, while ENHYPEN’s fandom hosted the longest continuous party at 168 hours (approx. 7 days). Artists also actively participate, with FRUITS ZIPPER hosting a 10-hour party and KATSEYE leading with 17 official parties.

Digital Membership, a cornerstone for superfans, recorded its top utilized features as video ad removal, automatic subtitle generation, and real-time chat translation. Japan’s fandom particularly stands out, with the highest utilization rate (13.4%) for “fan letters,” showcasing their proactive approach to direct artist communication.

Mega-IPs and Rising Stars Fuel Record MAU

Weverse hit a new peak in 2025, surpassing 12 million monthly active users (MAU). This remarkable growth is attributed to the resurgence of established mega-IPs and the dynamic emergence of new artists.

Mega-IPs and New Artists Growth

BTS saw its community registrations exceed 30 million in July, with a full-group Weverse LIVE attracting 6.8 million viewers. BLACKPINK became the first girl group to surpass 10 million community registrations, experiencing an 82% increase in visitors after tour announcements and topping digital merchandise sales with their BLINK MEMBERSHIP. Meanwhile, 11 new artists debuting in 2025 collectively garnered 4.43 million community registrations, successfully forging early bonds with their fanbases.

Japanese Artists Accelerate Global Reach

The year 2025 marked a significant expansion for Weverse globally, particularly solidifying its role in boosting Japanese artists’ international presence. Currently, 20 Japanese artists are active on Weverse, connecting with fans from 161 countries and regions worldwide.

Japanese Artist Participation

Japanese agencies and labels are leveraging Weverse’s unique features for intimate global fan communication:

  • &TEAM: Hosted 199 Weverse LIVEs and posted 850 times, building deep connections through prolific content.

  • aoen: Achieved an average of 367 comments per member, totaling 2,570 comments, demonstrating highly interactive fan engagement.

  • NOA: Held regular weekly live streams, accumulating 57 broadcasts, steadily expanding their global support.

The platform also saw remarkable growth from localized groups like KATSEYE, with a 277% increase in community registrations and a 490% rise in average Weverse LIVE viewers year-on-year. Other regional groups such as SANTOS BRAVOS (Latin America) and dearALICE (UK) collectively amassed 4.4 million registrations, drawing fans from 201 countries.

Localized Groups Growth

Latin America’s Explosive Fandom Growth

Latin America emerged as a rapidly growing market, with users increasing by 22% year-on-year and digital product purchases soaring by an astounding 715%—the highest globally. This region is undeniably a key driver of Weverse’s global expansion.

Latin America Fandom Growth

Weverse in 2025: A Snapshot of Superfan Power

The year 2025 was a testament to the power of superfans, who pushed platform activity to unprecedented levels.

2025 Weverse Overview

  • Vibrant Communities: 178 global artists are active, with communities exceeding 3 million followers almost doubling (from 5 to 9) and those over 2 million tripling (from 3 to 9).

  • Active Fan Engagement: Fans posted 90 million posts and 213 million comments, spending an average of 263 minutes per month on Weverse. Artists hosted 6,558 Weverse LIVEs, accumulating over 1 billion views.

  • E-commerce Success: Weverse Shop sold 25.2 million items, with digital product purchases more than doubling. SEVENTEEN’s Official Light Stick VER.3 was the most shipped item globally. Official fan club memberships for artists dominated the top 3 digital product sales, reflecting sustained fan engagement.

“In 2025, Weverse solidified its position as the world’s leading superfan hub, driven by artist momentum and active fan participation,” states Choi Jun-won, CEO of Weverse Company. “We are committed to building a seamless ecosystem where both fans and artists are empowered at every stage of their journey, based on a deep understanding of diverse engagements.”

For those eager to dive into the global fan experience, the Weverse app is available for download:

Stay connected with Weverse on social media:

The “2025 Weverse Fandom Trend” report paints a vivid picture of a platform at the forefront of global fan culture. With Japanese artists increasingly embracing Weverse to connect with their worldwide fanbase, the platform is not just a tool for interaction but a vibrant ecosystem where the future of kawaii culture abroad is being actively shaped and celebrated, one superfan at a time.

editor
kawaii

Japan, often seen as a country that seamlessly integrates tradition and technology, is a region full of rich culture and technological advancements. It is continuously evolving and propelling towards progress, which has been evident in the latest news emerging from the country. We delve deeper into some of these fascinating developments happening in all facets of Japanese society.

kawaii follow
Fan Culture & Interaction in kawaii Idol Life
kawaii follow
×
Copied title and URL