I’ll start off this post by saying that I’m not a lightstick connoisseur. I have only two lightsticks. Both of which I only recently got in Korea back in Novemberish. The lightsticks in question are:
As you can see, the BTS lightstick came with the pouch and strap (I think), along with photocards of the 7 boys during their…Fake Love era? Interesting choice, but I’m missing 3 of them since I handed them off to some friends who like BTS, too. But like, what is the purpose of photocards but to drool over your bias? Is there like a legit purpose to them or what? Maybe I’ll make a scrape book with ’em or something?
Anyways, I was lucky enough to buy this particular BTS lightstick at their pop-up store in Seoul last year. I guess this is a good a time as any to show you all pics from there considering I never dedicated a blog post to the House of BTS pop-up store.
These hanged outside the store right before you went inside. A nice decoration to look at as you wait in line. The whole store was decked out Boy in Luv-style so prepare for lots and lots of pink.
This is from within the store. The pink door lets you in, but doesn’t let you out. EVER. No, but really the exit was on the next floor up. They made it that way as to ease traffic and make things less messy.
Granted, the first time I went to the store (when these pictures were taken), I was able to waltz right in as the line was non-existent and so there weren’t many people inside either. On subsequent trips, I guess more people found out about the store or something because the wait grew ridiculous where you had to actually get a slip of paper with a time to come back for your wait in line to finally get into the store. Jesus Christ…I really should’ve cherished that first trip if I only knew what was in store.
You can see that in some of the pictures, people in pink bathrobes. Well, those are the staff. To be honest, it was quite cute attire. Of course, as the weather got colder, they all switched to wearing those long black duckpadded jackets that seem to be a winter staple in Korea.
Moving on…the rest of the pictures of the store will be set in a slideshow. Enjoy!
All in all, the experience was rather nice. I mean, sure, it’s BTS so you will expect that quite a few things are going to be overpriced but there was a reasonable amount of things that were within a college student’s budget.
Also, I don’t think you had to buy anything to venture up to the other floors where the picture zones were (as you can see in the first picture of the slideshow). Though I could be wrong. There is also a cafe on the second floor but the first time I went, there selection was really limited to some coffee and juice along with a cookie set. On return visits, they expanded their selection nicely however.
Oh, and of course, there was an incentive to come back multiple times, not only because sometimes products you wanted could run out of stock on the day you visit, or because new products were coming in weekly but also because of bingo!
They actually did a few different time periods for bingo, so I only managed to get bingo twice but in different time frames so that left me with getting a House of BTS postcard twice which is the little prize for the first bingo.
Well, that’s all I got for the House of BTS. I have no idea if the pop-up store opened up in other countries besides Korea though I think I did hear that Mexico, of all places, got one? Interesting, but alright.
Now, because this is supposed to be a lightstick appreciation post, I suppose I ought to tell you what lightsticks in K-pop I like apparently starting with BTS’s ARMY bomb and IU’s UAENA Lightstick. But I think it would be better to quickly go through some lightsticks of well-known groups, too since I can’t just make an appreciation post on these two lightsticks.
- H.O.T.
Ah, the OG K-pop group. Before lightsticks became a thing, balloons were used to cheer and appreciate one’s faves. I think waving around balloons would still be fun today but the popping would give me a bit of a fright, honestly.
Also, speaking of Eunji…
2. APINK
Really cute lightstick! It’s a shame I don’t see it more. Thankfully, despite being around for quite a while, APINK appears to be going relatively strong with their recent releases carrying a more mature and sensual feminine vibe to them as opposed to their more cutesy releases previously. Despite that, I still think this lightstick suits them and I give props to whoever created it since some companies really don’t seem to give a flying rat’s butt over what their idols’ lightstick is.
3. BLACKPINK
I mean, this one’s alright. But it really does remind me of a rubber hammer. Who designed this exactly? Who approved this? Also, I can’t help but recall someone comparing it to a lady’s uterus and have never managed to really get that out of my mind since.
4. Girls’ Generation
I like it, but it’s quite plain for me. Granted, Girls’ Generation is part of the OGs of the…2nd generation? Is that what you kids call it? The 2nd generation of idols so lightstick design was still quite new, right? So this gets a pass, I guess.
5. Big Bang
Before Seungri singlehandedly destroyed the reputation of Big Bang in one fell swoop despite many oppalogists still fighting for his innocence, Big Bang was and still is considered by many a huge influence on K-pop today. Not only musically and fashion-wise, but apparently with lightsticks as well. The story goes that apparently with G-Dragon’s help, lightsticks became more used and eventually became a staple in K-pop as we know it today.
I’d say personally I find this one alright but again not fantastically impressive. But certainly not bad. Unfortunately forever ruined by the stigma against the group and company now.
6. Super Junior
Okay, so I lied. That is the lightstick but it sure as hell don’t look like that outta the box. Instead, it looks a bit like this:
Classy. It’s simple and to the point and not flashy out all. I’m not that well-versed in Super Junior unfortunately but I suppose that it does seem suitable for them? Correct me if I’m wrong Super Junior fans…oh wow, I actually don’t even know what their fandom is called and because I am writing this on the fly I can’t be bothered to check. Sorry, but I’m on a schedule here. If it makes you guys feel any better, despite the simplicity of the lightstick I still kinda like it. But if the end of the stick was more pointed, it honestly reminds me of an icepick.
7. SHINee
For whatever reason, I really like SHINee’s lightstick. The colors are very nice especially when it lights up. Weirdly, I don’t have much to say about this stick except that while I don’t have the lightstick myself, I did have the honor of seeing it in action when I went to Mcountdown back in 2018. SHINee performed that evening and boy, was it a great, if not bittersweet performance.
8. B.A.P.
Okay, probably not a psycho but the bunny is a cute touch. Look, I don’t know much about B.A.P. They were a little past my time since I really feel like a neophyte in the K-pop fandom still. I honestly can’t remember if it was B.A.P or Block B that was said to have been as big as BTS (probably back before BTS properly hit it big in America) before the company fecked them over. Such a shame. But unfortunately, that’s what company’s seem to do a lot of.
Anyways, the lightstick is cool and I give it an A+.
9. Block B
Is it supposed to be a bee? Not sure how to feel about this one, haha. I included Block B because I mentioned them above but I don’t have strong feelings either way for this lightstick. Actually, the more I look at it…I kind of don’t like it. So D+.
10. A.O.A
My eyes honestly hurt because for whatever reason I feel like 95% of pictures I found of this lightstick was against a WHITE background. Are you kidding me, people? I only found one against a black background and the quality wasn’t that great so I didn’t use it. This is why our planet is being run to the ground. Ugh, my eyes.
Anyways, besides that I really like the lightstick. Fits their image. 10 outta 10.
11. TWICE
See. This is how it’s done and freaking TWICE’s lightstick ain’t even completely white. Ahem, for TWICE I would’ve expected a bit more of a cutesy design like APINK. I know there is another iteration of this lightstick but it’s about the same. So I have to say I am a bit, just a bit, disappointed. But at the same time I kinda don’t mind. It is what it is.
12. Gfriend
This one…is really grand, I’d say. So far, this is the lightstick that I really like the most. It’s like you have a little snowglobe on a stick and I love snowglobes. 11/10. Great work whoever designed this. Really grooving with the colors and the snowglobe feel to it.
I also saw this pop up in the search and nearly lost my shit before realising it was most likely fanmade. But dang…if only.
13. Red Velvet
Guess that’s SM’s specialty. Making simple yet classy lightsticks that honestly ain’t half bad looking. I wouldn’t mind receiving this and displaying it on my shelf with a smidgen of pride. Liking Red Velvet and their music also doesn’t hurt, too.
14. MAMAMOO
I honestly wasn’t impressed when I first saw this. I thought it was pineapple or something at first. Then I found out it’s supposed to be a radish which is a play on their name in Korean. Clever, I’ll give ’em points for that. But I’m still kinda like meh towards this. Coincidentally that’s how I feel about most of MAMAMOO’s music. The girls seem nice but the only song I’ve really like is Hip…and one or two of their really early songs back during debut days. But that’s it.
15. Cherry Bullet
Yooo, I totally forgot Cherry Bullet’s lightstick was a literal red and white gun. Your BTS faves could never, haha. Although, BTS’s whole gimmick was that they’re bulletproof so…would that have made sense if their lightstick was a gun??
Anyway, I really like the innovation with Cherry Bullet’s lightstick. Very different and refreshing. Just be careful if you’re going around with it in the good ole stupid US of A. God forbid they mistake it for a real gun.
On a lighter note, I think I have to say that Cherry Bullet songs are my guilty pleasure. Well, their title songs like “Q&A” and “Really Really.” Sadly, I think I heard that they lost some members which is a bummer, but I suppose it happens. Sad.
16. Momoland
Speaking of a group that’s lost members, Momoland’s lightstick is really nice too. It has the same color scheme as Cherry Bullet but instead of a gun, Momoland’s reminds me of a carousel (aka a Merry-go-round) which makes sense….OH, wait! I literally just searched them up mid-sentence there and Momoland’s fandom name literally is Merry-go-round. I didn’t know because I always hear fans calling each other Merrys, oops. But that’s cute. For the play on words and the fact that Momoland has been through a helluva lot in the past 2 years, I’ll give this lightstick a 10/10.
14. OH! MY GIRL
This one isn’t that bad either. It actually gives me similar vibes to Gfriend’s lightstick which is a big plus. It would’ve been even better if the little speckles I see decorating the lightstick were moveable like a snowglobe but that’s okay. Oh My Girl also has a more princess/queen-like vibe going on with their lightstick because I am assuming their logo is supposed to be of a crown. Self-empowering indeed.
Also, they had that sub-unit who did Banana Allergy and I don’t care what people said, that song was a bop and it showed.
15. NCT
‘Nuff said.
16. SuperM
You know, for the so-called K-pop Avengers, you’d think they would have a more stellar lightstick. This is alright. Better than NCT’s, I guess since no one really complained about this one…I think.
17. MONSTA X
Honestly, reminds me of SHINee’s lightstick. That isn’t necessarily bad, of course, since I liked SHINee’s. I would have to say that I give MONSTA X’s lightstick an 8/10. Could use a bit more sprucing up to really make it their own, but other than that…it’s alright in my books.
18. SEVENTEEN
As we get towards the end of this list, I’m starting to tire a bit so what I say for each lightstick is limited. I will say that I do like this one and definitely is one that had the fans in mind considering the name of the fanbase…Carats, right? Ahem. Anyways, I heard that Seventeen’s company basically had the boys do everything from creating their own choreography to figuring some things out themselves like writing some songs. I could be wrong but if not, it wouldn’t be amiss to think the boys had a hand in helping design this, too.
19. BTS
When one looks at my blog, it really appears as if I like BTS. Then they read one of my posts and it’s like I’m an anti. I swear I’m not. I’m just a very very jaded and tired out fan who has been semi-following them for almost exactly 5 years now, so if I feel a bit tired of the fandom or even BTS themselves than I think I have a right to be.
The lightstick can be thrown in there. While I’m glad I got this baby for less than $30 when I saw places selling it from upwards $80 or more, I would say that this is another rather plain one. Given how big BTS is now, maybe their lightstick needs an upgrade? I dunno. Then again, fans do go all willy-nilly and decorate the dang thing as even they will admit that it needs some added touches to make it better.
Hell, a couple of the boys got on Vlive to decorate some ARMY bombs just a few weeks ago.
Anyways, this gets a 6/10 for me.
20. IU
Lastly, IU’s lightstick is literally just a microphone with her name inside it. I will have to admit that I am heavily biased for this thing since it is the only lightstick I actually got to use in concert. And boy, oh boy, was the whole experience just really fun. I went over this in my IU concert post, but despite being one of the only foreigners there, I still sort of felt like one with the rest of the audience as our lightsticks matched the colors of the many songs presented by IU that evening. This feeling was only solidified with the last song, “Maeum” or “Heart”? I’m not sure of the English translation of the title.
Anyways, it is a plain lightstick, not gonna lie, but it suits IU just fine so I’ll take it.
Bonus mentions:
a. DREAMCATCHER
Of course I would never forget Dreamcatcher, but alas, they still do not have an official lightstick or I would’ve done my darnedest to nab that thing while I was in Korea. I did see people holding these at some of the Dreamcatcher events that I went to, but I was too shy to ask in Korean where they got them from. Apparently, this unofficial lightstick was official goods at one of their concerts? I think. Regardless, HappyFace! When is DC getting their official lightstick???
I’m waiting.
b. ONEUS
ONEUS is perhaps the only boy group as of recent whose songs I actually really like. Even their B-sides! I know, shocker. Shame as I feel quite alone in liking ONEUS…at least on Twitter where my mutuals seem to not even know of their existence. That’s fair. To be honest, despite liking their music, I don’t follow ONEUS like that anyways.
But like Dreamcatcher, ONEUS doesn’t have an official lightstick yet. However, if the picture is anything to go by, I can safely assume that when ONEUS get a lightstick, it’ll have something to do with the moon. I know, I’m a genius.
Also, I have no idea why one of them is glowing like that. I guess he’s the chosen one…of what? No clue.
(EDIT (27/08/20: ONEUS now have an official lightstick. Yay! And it’s not too shabby looking. To be honest, I like it and since I actually like ONEUS, I wouldn’t mind owning it one day, but we’ll see.)
c. TXT
Look, the only reason I put TXT down here (besides forgetting that they existed, ahem), is because I forgot that when the lightstick was first introduced that some people were in an uproar about the similarities with SHINee’s? Either that, or the colors got fans riled up. I just wanted to add, who cares? K-pop fans really need to chill. If you really have time to get all hot and bothered about something as silly as your fave’s colors or lightstick being stolen or whatever, than I truly envy you because my life as unfulfilling and stupid as it is, ain’t that simple where I can sit around fuming how some rookie group took my oppar’s favorite color.
As for TXT’s lightstick itself, well, I actually quite like it? I even like it better than BTS’s in a way. Which is funny because I’m also finding that I like TXT’s releases better than BTS’s these days as well. Except for that one song about TXT basically being a dog or cat…that one’s a gone past amusingly horrible to being a bit too uncomfortable for me now.
Anyway, that’s my lightstick appreciation post with added House of BTS content. Hoped you like. Of course, I couldn’t include every single lightstick invented under the sun. I might revisit this idea in a future post but I thought this would be a bit fun to write about given that I had time and wanted to type up a more light-hearted piece.
Anyways, take care of yourselves during this crazy pandemic we’re in. And don’t let all the doom and gloom of the world get you done though I know personally that’s more easier said and thought than done. Either way, I wish you the best! Have a good day/night.
