So a couple months back, I had posted a BTS study survey due to my own personal research on the K-pop fandom and parasocial relationships. I believed out of any group that BTS’s ARMY would be the best fandom to start with for a study like this. I waited this long because I was hoping for more respondents but I only managed 10 which is less than what I hoped for but results nevertheless.
Though I did have the thought of taking it myself to at least have one more respondent but of course, as the creator of the survey, I couldn’t do that. I’m still a novice at research but I know that wouldn’t be fair.
Regardless, I’m really grateful for anyone who took this survey and though I want to shame those who saw the survey and didn’t take it, I won’t out of the goodness of my heart. I speculate because I’m not that popular or big of a site or that well-known that I got so few people to do the survey. Plus, it was pretty long, so I can’t blame you if you did take a look at it and though hell naw, I ain’t wasting my precious time on this shit. Especially if you’re not a BTS fan.
Still, once again I thank whoever took the survey and without too much more wasting time, here are the results:
Q1: What is your gender?
Out of the 10 respondents, all but one was female. To be honest, I’m just glad I got a dude to participate in general.
Q2: Age?
Only 2 people who took the quiz was the same age being both 21. The youngest participant was 15 while the oldest was 33. Interesting.
So, the next question was where are you from, and I did a bit of a faux pas with this one because I believe I added it after 5 people already responded. My fault. I will remember next time. If you were curious, most of the other 5 people were from the United States (though one identified as a US expat) while there was one from the United Kingdom.
Q3: How long have you been a fan of BTS?
- 10 months
- 3 years
- ~3 years
- 6 months
- 2.5y
- 4 almost 5 years
- Almost 2 years
- 5*
- 4 1/2 years
- I’ve known about and listen to them since around 2015, but didn’t get super into them till about late 2018.
*This person only said 5 which could be 5 years, 5 months, 5 days, or 5 minutes. Just a warning to be more specific and don’t just put a number. Thanks.
Q4: Favorite BTS member?
The winner here by one vote is Suga with 6 votes. The member with the least votes is Jungkook with only 3 votes. That’s a bit surprising as I considered the maknae line but in particular Jungkook to be pretty popular within the fandom but considering this is such a small sample size out of literal millions, I can say this of course doesn’t completely reflect the favoritism in the fandom. As we can see, since I allowed multiple votes, everyone is about balanced which is just a sign that the members are pretty equally loved as we will see in the question after next.
Q5: Why are they your favorite?
I won’t include everyone’s answer since I’m not sure how many people want to see all that but for most, the top reasons were:
- Relatability
- Likeable Personality (adjectives used: funny, hardworking, brave, cute)
- Brotherhood and how they get along (applied to all members)
Almost half of the respondents (4) didn’t specify a member and said that she or he liked them all. There was one person who went really in-depth with her answer which I will display here just because of the sheer effort she put into her answer:
Honestly it’s the rapline for me. All three of them are tied, but I got hooked on J-Hope first.
J-Hope: Something about his cheery and uplifting personality draws me in. However along side that, I think it’s nice to see his more serious side. We don’t see it much, but I sincerely believe he’s one of the scarier-when-mad members. I also respect the fact he helps produce a lot of their music. ESPECIALLY because that wasn’t really why he joined.
Suga: Honestly the first thing that caught me is his humor is extremely similar to my brother’s. But along side that is the thought he puts into what he does. If you REALLY pay attention to what he says and how he thinks, it’s amazing. Also, the same with J-Hope, he helps produce, but I imagine he does it the most. It’s what he lives for.
RM: It’s the brain, I’m telling you. Brains are hella amazing, and he has a lot. He’s smart, and awkwardly cute. But anyone who watches BTS could tell you that. I think it’s the uniqueness. Out of all the producers, while Suga’s lyrics are my favorite, RM’s make me think the most. Suga’s lay it all out exactly how it is. RM’s are designed to almost challenge us.
All three: As everyone knows every member of BTS is extraordinarily kind. That is one of them most attractive traits someone can have, but to me leadership is a huge thing. I’m under the impression that these three are the main leaders of the group. More so RM and J-Hope, but I think Suga has a lot of influence too. I think the idea that they haven’t let that get to their head is amazing. Standing ovation for these three amazing leaders. (Although all the members are leaders in their own righ, I just see it the most from these three.)
Q6: Do you have a least favorite member? Or a member you don’t like at all? Why?
Everyone said they didn’t have a least favorite member except one person who said: Jungkook is my least favorite because we have too many similarities and I feel less unique as a person.
I don’t really have much to say to that, but again, as I said before, this is a small sample size so I’m sure there are ARMYs out there who do dislike one member or another for their own reasons. For instance, lately I have seen a lot of people hate on RM while some people have been accused of being Jungkook antis. Just depends on who you ask.
Q7: Do you feel as if you know each member well?
Preface: This one was the one I found most interesting to read the answers to out of the preliminary questions asked. Since it is common knowledge that idol images are heavily controlled and maintained by the company and the idol himself/herself, it is no wonder that a lot of people, specifically non-fans of K-pop, point out how manufactured idols seem. Although, BTS appears to be an exception as many fans comment on how natural and open the boys seem and don’t think BTS’s images are controlled at all; ie. they feel as if they know the boys really well.
Surprisingly, a lot of people said they didn’t feel as if they knew BTS’s personalities that well.
No. Maybe elements of their persona but I don't think anyone
knows them well
I know what they have chosen to let us see. We can say we know
them well, but we really only see a fraction of their lives.
No, not particularly
Nope
As well as you can, considering what they present to us.
No, all I can do is assume who they are. I want to know them,
to understand their minds. I think to have a sit down
lunch and really dig into everything they think about
the world after everything they've seen would be amazing
On the other hand, the one’s who felt they did know BTS said:
I feel like i know them enough to feel connected as friends
Yes, even though I became a fan this year
Somewhat, they’ve been more open over the years
I feel I know the members pretty well but I am bad at describing what they are like.
I feel like i know them enough to feel connected as friends
The following section entailed telling me what each BTS member meant to the respondents. Instead of telling you in an old boring paragraph format, I decided to put it into a more interesting format–at least I hope it’s interesting. Though there were a few people who decided to say more than just a few adjectives to describe each member and instead wrote a full blown explanation, so I will add that where I see fit.
“He’s kind of the mother of the group. He’s the member that got me into BTS, and he’s always caring towards the members and always lightens up the mood with his dad jokes. He’s young at heart, and his voice always blows me away”.
“Suga may seem a bit introverted at times, but he’s so gentle and sweet once you get to know him. His adorable gummy smile always brightens up my day, and his rap always gets me hyped up. He’s been through a lot, but he is wise beyond his years, and he genuinely has a kind soul”.
“He’s like a ray of sunshine. I always see a smile on his face, and I never see him complain about anything. His dancing and stage presence never fails to blow me away, and he’s always so sweet with everyone. His positivity is contagious”
“Even though RM may regret some things about his past, it is those mistakes that shaped the incredible man he is today. He’s wise beyond his years, even though he has to carry the dreams of six young men on his shoulders, he never gave up. He rejected the opportunity of going solo, risking his future, because he genuinely loved the other members. His intelligence astounds me, and his wisdom makes me love him even more”.
“Jimin is my bias. Whenever I am feeling down, I can always count on his eye smile and sweet personality to instantly brighten up my day. He’s a kind soul, always putting the other member’s welfare before his own. He always perseveres, and always tries his very best”.
“V is an enigmatic soul with a huge variety of interests that he throws himself into. Photography, music, art, fashion, he explores the world with an eye for unique and fascinating features he can learn more about. He is silly, funny, ridiculously sweet and caring, but he’s also very firmly his own person and will explore what he wants to do without regard for what those around him say”.
“Jungkook is good at everything. That sometimes is a burden to him, but even if he made mistake once in a while, that wouldn’t make me love him less. His singing is so peaceful, and I love how he always tries to be himself. I admire how he always puts 100% effort in everything he does. Even though he had to grow up to soon and leave his parents behind at such a young age, I love how he still is a child at heart, always looking at the positive side of things. He truly is the Golden Maknae”.
Note: For the following sections, I will only pick up to 5 answers because reading 10 that may or may not say the same thing is tedious and I also don’t think readers would want to read that many responses.
BTS World Game Section
Q1: Do or did you ever play the BTS World Game and if so, what do you think about it? Please answer as thoroughly as possible (like you’re given a review!
I have played this game and I think it could of done better on portraying the boys personalities and not make it kind of like a romance type game. They should of done it, where we get to see what BTS is really like a people to get to know them on a better level.
I like how you can see how BTS came to be, and even though they may have changed some things, it's fun to experience it as if you were actually there.
I play everyday and it's fun but it's more to satisfy my collection urges. The storyline is amusing but I'm aware it is a story and things may reflect reality but they don't mimic it. It's a bit silly in places and I need more five star cards but I enjoy it.
Its fucking trash. An awful dating sim disguised as a manager sim. Designed to take money from ARMY with a slapped in gatcha element. If I had a even a half decent computer setup, I'd make a LP video with my suffering through it. If you want a good dating sim, just play DDLC. WHY IS THERE A GATCHA IN A DATING SIM?
Q2: If you could tell BigHit and Netmarble (the developer of the game) one thing about how to improve the game, what would you say?
Take out the romance aspect because its awkward and cringy.
I don’t remember much to be honest, but I would’ve liked it to move a little faster. It might just be me not enjoying those types of games.
I think so far, the game is good as it is.
Make it easier to level up your relationship with members.
Make the game either a dating sim or a manager sim, because you suck at making it both. Also, remove the gatcha. But knowing them, neither of them will fix anything about the game.
Q3: Did you appreciate this game? What kind of BTS game would you like to see in the future?
I got the game I wanted which is BTS SUPERSTAR
It wasn’t my cup of tea but it was very popular, as is this time of interaction game. It’s in the same vein as being their manager, but just imagine BTS Sims or Nintendogs but BTS training to perform.
Yes, perhaps an interactive story based game that incorporates the hyyh storyline
Yes. I'm looking forward to the BU* one.
I enjoy it for what it is. I'd enjoy a BU Universe game A LOT more.
No I don't. Honestly with a brand as big as BTS, I only see a future of cheap cash ins and awful gatcha games.
*I didn’t know what this meant but BU apparently stands for BTS Universe which is basically the same as their HYYH storyline.
Recent Scandals and Events (Latter Half of 2019)
Q1: What do you think about the Jimin stalker situation when during BTS’s vacation, fans/sasaengs apparently stalked Jimin and leaked where he was as he traveled around Europe?
Any sasaeng situation it disgusting, no one deserves to have their privacy invaded like that. There’s hardly ever been a time where BTS was out of the public eye and Jimin barely got a break because of this. People like that need serious help, they’re not well.
I;m not fully with the times on this one, I was really busy when it came out. However I do know that these boys got a vacation for the first time in YEARS, and someone had the audacity to invade on that. It's just not okay. Bottom line.
I saw the video, and I was a little dissappointed with whoever took it. It was BTS's first official break since their debut, and the fact that BigHit had to release an official statement telling us that if we were to encouter any of them, we should give them space. He is my bias, and I saw absolutely not that he was in a bar having the time of his life. I mean, he's 24 years old, he can do whatever he wants. It is his break, after all. It was Jimin's choice if he wanted to reveal where he was and what he was doing, so I was a bit mad at the sasaengs who interrupted his privacy in much needed period of rest.
It's concerning, especially since he's the member that's gotten the most serious death threats. I was also not happy with the girl who filmed him and posted it. It doesn't matter if she didn't speak Korean, asking someone before posting to social media is common courtesy. Her friend shouldn't have had to ask her to take it down.
Jimin is allowed to have his own life without stalkers recording every moment. He's an adult, he was in a place where alcohol was served, and he had the right to expect privacy. The absolute morons who got upset at it are people who have a hard time differentiating their parasocial relationships from reality. There should never have been a video, there should never have been the barrage of pictures that showed up, there should never have been the outrage.
Jungkook’s long hair and tattoos/Suga’s “weight gain”
Q1: What do you personally think about these incidents? Should idols maintain a proper and expected image as an idol or for their fans?
Jungkook and Yoongi have the right to their own body. We arent people who can control that and its not within our right to police them on what they can wear, what they choose to do with their body, how they look and etc. It makes me angry that Jungkook's privacy and trust were trampled on by the tattoo shop where he got his tattoos and it makes me angry that people think its funny to make fun of yoongi's weight gain. So no, an idol doesnt have to have a "proper" and "expected" image, thats burdening and unnecessary. Its their character that matters and this should have never been a "scandal".
WELL BOY
Jungkook: IT'S HIS BODY. We're just fans. People seem to
put idols on a pedestal the same way we do statues, but
unlike statue, we can't shape them how we want to. It's
honestly not our place, although we "know" them, they
have no idea who we are. Anyone can do what they want
with their body. It's not their job to silverspoon
feed us everything we want. Most idols become
famous because their respected, so we need to
remember to continues to respect
them.
NOW WELL I'M-
Yoongi: WHO THE FU- BOY. He was already at an
UNHEALTHY point of UNDERWEIGHTNESS. Not even a word
but you get me right? He was unhealthy, and worked on
his health, in which you immediately call him FAT.
WELL THEN YOU OBESE PIGS (I might be able to throw
some hands here) FITE ME. Anyways, health is always
priority. Bottom line, no matter what, period, need
I say more emphasizing points? I'm GLAD he gained weight.
He needed too, and probably still does. ANYWAYS
(deep breath) you asked for opinions. ^-^
This ones a tough one. I do realize that tattoos may be a bit frowned upon in Korea, but Jungkook is 22 years old, so I respect his choice. I have nothing against tattoos, because it's his life and his body, and I will always love him with or without tattoos. I think they should maintain a proper image to some extent, but I think fans should realize that they are also human beings who make mistakes and have flaws. About Suga's weight gain... I honestly am so happy that he has gained a bit of weight. If you look at videos from their debut days, you can see how extremely skinny he was. His legs and thighs especially... The members even commented about it themselves in one of the anniversary videos. I think it's healthier that he has a bit morw fat on him now... And I think he still looks adorable. Him weighing a bit more will not make me love him any less, because at the end of the day, I think it all comes down to character and inner beauty, something Yoongi has.
No. They're people. I would hope they would stay healthy, and that's about all I'm allowed to have in that input. Their lives are their lives. People's desire for aesthetic beauty standards over actual health worry me.
I think people who want to control how celebrities look need to examine their own lives before trying to control others.
Jungkook Dating Rumors and Hash Swan vs. ARMY
Q1: What do you think about the overall dating rumor or scandal that happened with JK in September?
People don’t want to accept it but obviously idols date in their private life. If that tattoo artist say he’s not dating and that they’re close friends, I’ll believe them. I have guy friends too. But if they really are dating, I understand why they would be afraid. I would be especially afraid if I were her—BTS is an enigma and the fandom is a bit insane. I’m already worried for her safety.
I think it was dumb, a person dating another person shouldn't even be considered a scandal. Again, JK's privacy was violated and that was the main problem of this "scandal".
WHO EVE- Y'ALL why you gotta be doing anything other than supporting their happiness? I mean seriously. Let them love somebody. Let them live a life, because they've encouraged millions to live a life too. This probably just scared all seven of those men away from love. Doesn't that make your heart hurt? It's tragic. Just horrible. Who're we to play God in their life? Need I say more?
I think it was unwise for him to be so trusting of the tattoo parlor and so casual around them but I also think he should be able to do so without having backlash. It makes me concerned for when he does have a confirmed relationship, how fans will react. I know many will be okay with it but the critical ones who are always negative seem to have the loudest voices on social media and the most opportunities to stalk them in person and vocally criticize.
Stupidity at it's finest. If people get this upset over someone dating (true or otherwise) they weren't interested in them for the right reasons. They need to start to reevaluate their own reasons for liking a particular celeb and maybe examine their own life some.
Q2: Some people aren’t aware that Hash Swan, an independent rapper, was accused of being the one in the leaked images of JK. When he clarified it wasn’t him, some fans of BTS (or JK specifically), attacked him. What do you think of this incidence and the people involved (i.e. Hash Swan and the fans)?
Unfortunately not uncommon for armys to attack innocent people on Twitter. Obviously, there are armys that are normal and nice but they’re largely out-voiced but this massive superiority complex and attitude that’s become very toxic. I know many people that don’t follow BTS anymore purely because of the fans. I feel bad for the rapper because he got caught in the crossfire and attacked, which can be alarming and scary to have all that hate focused on you for no reason. I’ve seen posts where someone’s like “I hope Mina feels better soon” and an army will post something like “y’all r just mad that bts wins all the awards.” He’s unfortunately another innocent victim.
I wasnt aware of this, however many armys do jump to conclusions before investigating and finding the truth and that is toxic. Sending death threats and hurtful comments to people isnt right, especially if the person did no wrong.
I think people shouldn't have taken it so seriously. I get that he was only trying to defend himself, and I don't think fans should've attacked him so much. I think he went a bit far himself, though, and I think he should've respectfully denied the claims instead of getting all angry and riled up about it.
So.....people were mad he wasn't Jungkook? I'm still not entirely sure why he was being criticized but as long as he wasn't hurting anyone then fans should mind their own business. Their personal business, not that of their idols.
Again, they should leave him the fuck alone.
This might be kind of long. I thought the collaboration was awesome and it was a very fun homage and they clearly had a great time. I’m a fan of both artists involved. I took a class this semester (ASIA 150) and one of the concepts we talked about a lot was hybridity, such Afro-Asian crossover in American culture: black fans of Kung Fu movies, relating cross-continent over oppression, the Wu Tang Klan. There’s always crossover between cultures: by now, hardly anything is a “pure” strand. It provides a chance to appreciate other cultures, but also provides a potential line to cross. There’s a degree to which you can go to far and in some situations it becomes fuzzy and hard to find. For alluding to Gwangju as Harlem, when I first heard that I assumed he meant that it was a place with a lot of thriving art and collaboration as Harlem used to be. On the other hand, I can see how that could be seen as offensive to some people: Harlem is also a place, despite its historical contribution to the arts, of black struggle. I wasn’t particularly up in arms about this usage, but I’m not black so it’s not really about what I think. As for the hair, I believe it’s the same hair twists that RM had in the Mic Drop Steve Aoki MV. When I saw his hair I assumed it was a 90s hairstyle because I’d seen pictures of white people from the 90s with white-tipped hair in twists like that. I still feel a bit uninformed on this particular hairstyle. When Asian artists use dreads I can understand how they’re alluding to a culture they greatly admire (black culture, honestly responsible for the root of most music and pop culture we have) but by doing so they lift that hair out of its cultural context of struggle and representation. It’s even called “reggae hair” in South Korea, so I think it’s largely a cultural ignorance than something I can’t put on one person. On the other hand, BTS is well traveled and speaks of equality, so I feel like they have the duty to be better informed about this particular topic. I’m still not sure what I think because the history of gel twists is not clear to me.
Honestly that's bull-crap. Music is ART. ART is in the EYE of THE BEHOLDER. If that's how he felt when he wrote let him write it. He wasn't saying Gwanju or Harlem was better or worse. But he did maybe imply that they had similar stuff, still doesn't matter. Because honestly he wasn't doing it to say anyone was worse than someone else. Let him make his art.
I understand why some people are upset but also it’s just ignorance and most likely doesn’t mean much.
I think that people in the Black American community, especially those who live in Harlem, are entitled to their own thoughts about it. Harlem has a huge culture surrounding it: poverty, violence, and everything that goes with it, but also it became a source for many rappers and hip hop artists in the states to reference (whether they had ever been there or not). It became tightly associated with rap and hip hop culture as a well of inspiration for the people who lived there. I believe Hoseok was drawing from that connotation with his lyrics, as his inspiration and his training ground was Korea in Gwangju (a place, mind you, that 99.9% of the people complaining about the lyrics know Zero about).
Other than the song is bad and the mv is pretty cringe, I don't see an issue with it. Most complaints about cultural appropriation are overblown anyways. Because given the history of Gwangju, you can draw some parallels to the history of Harlem.
Q1: What did you think about BTS performing in Saudi Arabia?
They wanted to perform to their fans that are in the middle east and they haven’t performed their in a long time. Its also another way for them to spread their “Love Yourself” campaign.
I was also conflicted when I first heard this because I’m both aware of the political and social situations in Saudi Arabia (studied it this semester) but on the other hand there are people there that deserve to see their favorite band in concert too. I think it’s interesting that it’s happened after 2017, when women were allowed in the stadiums. And as it’s a dangerous country to speak out in or be LGBTQ+ in (as well as even a woman sometimes), I think this kind of opening up is necessary in a way. It may be the government trying to show a “good side” through adding entertainment or demonstrating on a national stage that they’re just as capable as big powers of hosting pop culture events—putting on an international show, basically. But I think an international exposure could also be necessary. The more of the outside you let in, the more you find out about the world. It’s not these people’s fault that their government is the way it is, and I’m not sure what they would do safely even if they were influenced to change things by international exposure. It’s also important to note that BTS isn’t the only kpop act to go here, but they definitely are the biggest globally that has done so. Essentially, I’m not sure—is performing there really showing acceptance for what Saudi Arabia’s government does or is it a show of solidarity for the people their knowing BTS’s global message they normally have?
This, aaah, it makes me so sad. Just because a country doesn't agree with them, doesn't mean people their disagree with them. They're supporting the people there that support THEM. Nothing more, nothing less. Done, next?
I was fine with it. BTS represents everything the Saudi Arabian government is against and by inviting them they've only exposed the next generation to the "world" and made sure that the monarchy will eventually fall. Also, to be consistent, if BTS refuses to perform in Saudi Arabia, they should do the same for other countries like the USA.
Given that they're all about loving and expressing youself, it's highly hypocritical to perform in a country where you'll be executed for doing just that. Sad that their corporate masters made them to.
Jungkook Car Accident and the ARMYs Who Clean the Searches
Article 1 (May need a subscription to read): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/bts-star-jungkook-has-car-accident-fans-trying-cover/
Q1: What do you think about JK’s car accident and the ARMYs who did their best to clear bad searches of JK on Twitter?
The way they went about reporting this case was very strange to me—it seems like this is common around celebrity incidents anyway. When I saw it on Soompi, it just sounded like just a typical minor crash incident and that it was being handled by those involved. Like the article says above, not hitting a pedestrian but accidentally violating traffic laws. The language of “booked” definitely has a different meaning here. Clearing his name from searches seems kind of dumb. I understand how things with k-idols can get blown out of proportion and hurt that artist, but this didn’t really seem like one of those situations. He had a little fender bender it’s chill.
I mean, the accident was just that, an ACCIDENT. Nobody was hurt, and Jungkook handled it just fine. As for the searches. I mean I wouldn't have done it as I don't think it really mattered all that much, but If they wanted to, their choice right? I mean whatever.
Well, from what I've heard, it wasn't entirely his fault. Apparently there was an illegaly parked car that he was trying to avoid, so he went on the opposite lane, thus crashing into the other car. I may see it a bit wrong, though, that some ARMYs were trying to clear up his name. I do get that sometimes the media may distort situations like these a bit and take things too far, but if JK made a mistake, then he should fess up to it. I may love him, but like I said before, they should be treated like normal human beings who make mistakes, so if he made a mistake, then he should do whatever he can to make it right. Both him and the driver of the other car are ok, whowever, so Jungkook shouldn't be punished that severely.
I think the whole thing was blown ridiculously out of proportion. I live in Seoul and I refuse to drive in this city because so many cars don't follow the rules and no one seems to care about parking laws and it's dangerous. So many car accidents happen every day in Seoul, but one fender bender Jungkook immediately took responsibility for blown out of proportion because he's a celebrity? Absolute madness. There are far better things to be concerned about and people need to realize that. Especially the news media.
He should deal with the consequences of his actions. No one should try to cover for him, except his lawyers. They're paid to do that.
Additional Scandals?
Q1: Any other event or scandal that I missed that you want to discuss in this section? This can include scandals and events from the beginning of this year until now.
Well, right now, there's a scandal about Taehyung and the video Jimin took where he appeara to be lying with a Juul. Even though I may be a bit worried about Tae's health and may not agree with it, he is a 23 almost 24 year old male who should live his own life without constantly having to worry about being in the public eye and having people watch and judge his every move.
The vaping incident. It's not healthy but if V chooses to do so it's his choice. We should ask ourselves why he feels the need to do so to relieve stress and anxiety and do our best as fans to eliminate that stress as much as possible.
The general fervor at airports needs to stop and Korea needs to stop encouraging these ridiculous "airport photos". It's dangerous to the celebrities, the fans that show up, and the other passengers who have to deal with the madness.
Final Questions
Q1: What do you think about the Love Yourself series (i.e. Her, Tear, Answer)?
I thought they were a really strong series. I had just gotten into k-pop a little before this began and everything they put out seeming to have a strong message and narrative. I can understand why it connected with so many people as it’s very emotional and truthful.
Fun story: before this series was released i had an epiphany that bts was telling me and reminding me that i need to treasure myself and love myself. Their previous albums before this series were leading up to it, and their thiughts/actions/words gave me strength and led me to that epiphany. A couple months after this epiphany the LY campaignwas released and i was overjoyed…. it couldnt have had a better timing.
This series was really so healing and amazing. Loving yourself is a long process and accepting yourself as you are is hard but with bts and other armys coming along this journey… it feels so much more bearable and it helps. It was beautiful and message very much needed.
I really enjoyed the progression of the music. From the happier tones of Her to the darker tones of Tear and the more comforting tones of Answer, it felt like a complete story.
Alright, I'm not down with cutting a single concept into three parts. It could have been one huge album and it could have been great, but BH needs all the money.
Q2: What do you think about BTS’s albums pre-2017? (i.e. 2 Kool 4 Skool – You Never Walk Alone)
I also liked a lot of these eras. Their more older stuff is kind of cringey now but it’s always nice to see where people have come from. I feel like they’ve made it where all of their music has meaning and peaked at the right time. Amazing, iconic, truly ingenious.
I like them. I think there's a lot of impressive content in them. People don't seem to like them as much and I don't understand why. Some of my favorites are their oldest songs.
Well, it was No More Dream that got me into them, so I love their older albums dearly. I love the whole storyline behind their lyrics and music videos, and I find the theories behind them to be so interesting and intriguing. Their pre-Love Yourself albums always make me think twice, and I absolutely adore the messages they were talking about in their songs like First Love, No More Dream, Spring Day, 21st Century Girls, and more. I do whowever, dislike the lyrics in War of Hormones, but I did like the beat, and I think that it is not relevant with who they are today, as they have said how sorry they are for releasing lyrics like that.
I love everything they've done. They show progression from boys to men.
Some of their best work, tbh.
Q3: What do you think of ARMYs in general? Please include online and offline interactions with them.
I never really met someone from ARMY and I don’t consider myself one even though I love BTS, but from a lot of things I have seen. They can either really amazing or awful people.
Online, the only interactions I have with armys are typically when they’re attacking another fandom unfortunately. As that’s the only exposure I get with them I tend to avoid them—I’ve pretty much always been a multi-fan, and while I love BTS I don’t want the blob of toxic-fans to ruin that for me. Offline, I’ve only encountered a few BTS solo stans and they’ve actually been very nice. Typically, though, when I meet other k-pop fans the first thing they clarify is that they like BTS but they’re not an army. It has kind of a bad reputation now.
A very diversed group of people. Overall i think armys are amazing and kind. Thoughtful and determined to love and support bts because we all feel the same way for the members and their music, coming together like that is truly amazing. Armys are a phenomenon ive never seen before and im glad im a part of them and bts.
UUU-? Idk, It's just another fandom. People say it's the most dedicated, but if you go on the Amino the people on their are really flippant. Like really it's strange. And you get to types of dedicated fans (not really counting seasangs). Obsessed and only thinks about them. People who like them for their art. I mean both sides are fans, but I've definitely encountered both. Honestly as long as their not seasangs or flippant fans their actually okay. Your dedicated fans are the ones who don't want to invade on the boys and their life, but are just happy for what they get.
One of the main reasons I got into this fandom was the fandom itself. I am very closed at times, and I find it extremely hard to talk openly about my feelings. I don't trust people easily, and I keep my emotione pent up inside most of the time, but I can find myself opening up to fellow ARMYs quite easily. Knowing people in the fandom with the same issues as me makes me feel less alone, and I can instantly talk about my problems with them. However, I do realize that each fandom has its own toxic fans, and I know ARMY does have a few of them. I try to steer clear of those, and I think thaf shouldn't define the whole fandom as a whole.
Awful in general. Yeah, some are pretty cool, and the ones that are problematic are just a vocal minority. The problem is the the silent majority enables the more problematic members by never telling them to stfu and stop making the community look bad.
Q4: What do you think of BigHit’s management of BTS? And what do you think of the CEO of BH, Bang Shi-hyuk?
Just having the one group to focus on for a long time has worked to their benefit. I honestly don’t know much about the management per se but they must be doing something right with this level of successful promotion. I don’t know much about the CEO either, but I do think it’s strange when people “stan” a CEO or a corporation/conglomerate. I don’t know hardly anything about him but I definitely wouldn’t stan him like one of the members.
It's the best in Kpops industry. I actually made sure I got into other groups of kpop before BTS which is even though I knew about them fourish years ago I didn't become a fan till last year. The boys have one of the best kpop managements out there. They're very blessed.
I love BigHit's management, and I am glad their company has a CEO like Bang PD. Knowing about other companies such as the Big Three makes me admire BH even more. I love the liberty BH gives to their artists, and I love how there is a deep respect between the idols and the staff. To me, they are like a family, and I love the bond between TXT, BTS, and the management. I think BTS are blessed to be in a company like BigHit.
I think it's been a learning curve for all involved, but that Bang Shi-hyuk had a solid and sturdy foundation upon which to do that learning. It's an example of how a company can grown well if you start out with solid and u shakable principles (like your artists actually being people, for one)
They're both shit who only care for making money and ignores the wellbeing of their talent.
Q5: In the future, what type of BTS content would you like to see?
Anything as long as they stay true to themselves and do what they love.
They keep surprising me, so I’d like it if they kept doing that. Their sound keeps changing in different ways and they match all the sounds well. Maybe if they did some more throwback tracks as well. I’m mostly excited to see whatever they want to see next.
Music first and foremost, a netflix series, a better platform to communicate with the boys, more interactive video game.
Their Art. Let them create.
Any, haven’t been to shy concert
I do listen to a lot of rock, so I wouldn't be opposed to some of that. It may not be their style, however, so I would like a bit more hiphop and rap. But whatever genre BTS decides to do next I'm perfectly fine with it.
I want to see RM write a book.
I would like Live Albums, the live versions of their songs from concerts compiled onto albums. Please and thank you.
More BV, more Run.. Anything they want to give us
Not sure really. I do know that I'm not hyped for Shadow tho. Maybe because I think Persona is their weakest album yet.
And that’s the end of the survey results! Thank you if you read this far down and I hoped that reading the answers were somewhat interesting. I’d like to thank the ones who took this arduous survey because it really is appreciated and I do want to apologize if not all of your answers went in. If there is enough interest, I don’t mind putting everyone’s answers for each question but I doubt that will happen. Plus, there were quite a few repeated or similar answers anyway.
I mainly did this survey for my own research purposes and to do some investigating into BTS’s fandom, ARMY, myself. Of course, it’s only 10 people out of millions but I hope some of their answers does something for someone even if it’s just one person.
I won’t offer my opinion on any of the above because I’m sure if one looks through my blog some of my answers to these questions may be obvious. I don’t know. I hope to do another survey one day. It definitely was fun for me reading these answers. Bye for now.
