BL 문화에서 키워드가 가지는 정형성: ‘광공’ 키워드를 중심으로

Abstract

This study focuses on BL (Boy’s Love), a genre that portrays homosexual relationships between men, and examines the sociocultural significance of keywords within BL culture from a sub-cultural perspective. The subject of this study is the ‘GwangGong (狂攻)’ keyword, which refers to a character type characterized by obsessive attachment to the “Su” (submissive partner). First, by examining the related keywords in works featuring the ‘GwangGong’ keyword, this study reveals how the keyword reflects formalized patterns within BL culture. Addtionally, it demonstrates that formalized patterns are observed in the visual elements and character designs depicted in texts featuring the ‘GwangGong’ keyword. Through the expansion of BL content intellectual property (IP) across various media, including webtoons and novels, the boundaries of an integrated BL culture have been reshaped, and the keyword functions as a shared lexicon among consumers. In the BL community, which has developed as a relatively closed community, the formality of the ‘GwangGong’ keyword serves as a medium that reinforces the collective identity and sense of belonging among its members by marking the boundary between insiders and outsiders of BL culture.