i'm probably not the right person to answer, but i bet it's a little of both! i do think things shifted in the solo era - a lot of people moved on, and new armys who joined during that time probably had a very different on-boarding experience. i also have several friends who were out of the fandom for like 6 months up to a few years who've recently returned! so you're not alone in coming back.

i think it's always weird to re-enter fandom! things change fast and people have accumulated new references that you might not get, and a lot of the people you once relied on might have moved on. but even if it feels weird, that's SO normal! like, from being in fandom for decades myself, and knowing lots of others who are the same, i can tell you i think it's actually the more common fan experience for your involvement to fluctuate. i've been in fandom sporadically since i was about 13, and in that time there have been periods of multiple years where i just wasn't involved in fandom at all! and every time i come back it feels like an entirely new landscape. there's gonna be an adjustment period!

i also wanna say that like, i think in kpop fandom especially, there are so many different niches that, depending on which niche you're in/have been in, if you encounter another one it's gonna be like a TOTALLY different culture. fandom is super fragmented now, and there are different in-jokes and references between like stan accounts, fanfic people, tinhats, y/n people, ship wars people, fanwars people, etc etc, even if there's overlap there. and a lot of those people think every other kind of person is weird as hell and doing fandom wrong 😂 also 4th gen fans have a lot of different norms and rules around shipping and fic, which i can't really speak to since i'm not deeply involved. just take your time, find your niche, and participate in a way that feels good to you! and welcome back!! i'm thrilled to have you here again 🤗