All you need to know about the current state of BTS fanning in 2 pictures

[xparrot]

So a lot of my BTS fanning is about the music, but of course it's also all about the feels for these random Korean guys. And last week was an exciting one in boraland. June always is -- their debut was June 13, 2013, and they make a big event out of the anniversary. This Festa was extra special, though, as we got our Jin back! As the eldest member, he was the first to start his mandatory military service back in December 2022, and on June 12th he was officially discharged.

Which was a joyous countdown celebrated around the world. And the other members (who are all doing their own service now) took leave to be there at the base when he got out, so we got a minute of sweet reunion hugs and some amazing looks-photoshopped-but-it's-real shots:



courtesy of Namjoon, who was PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE for the entire time??

Yoongi due to his civil service wasn't on the scene, but they posted a pic with all seven of them later that day. And Jin did a fan meet the very next day (at his insistence, because you can't spell BTS without "overachiever") and then a couple days later Namjoon put up this group selfie:



It's hard to explain how much this last pic meant the fandom, especially when it's so far from what anyone pictures as "idols," just a bunch of ordinary guys hanging out? But it's the first pic we've gotten of all of them together and unmasked since 2022. And just seeing them so casual and comfortable with each other...

It's funny because a while ago I was talking about my BTS fanning with a friend (longtime media fan but, like me until now, not into RPF), and she mentioned something about how with idols you only ever see them made up and posed -- when that's actually one of the reasons I really starting fanning on BTS? Because I do love their staged looks, the performances and the photoshoots with the wild costumes and makeup, the female gaze focus, redefining masculinity and the genderplay. But it's also not uncommon at all to see them bare-faced and out of costume -- going back to the very first video logs they did, pre-debut, when they were just teenagers in a cramped studio talking about how hard training was, how they missed their families, their hopes and fears about the future.

It's not that they show us all of their lives -- they have clearly said that they don't, that there are parts of themselves that they keep private, and I'm very relieved about that (and that the majority of the fandom is respectful of this, e.g. the biggest BTS subreddit doesn't allow personal life speculation or any sharing of media pictures that aren't posted by the members or the company). But they aren't afraid to show that they're regular human beings.

...They also aren't afraid to sit down on stage and eat tuna sashimi in front of 4,000 cheering fans. ARMY is in for a wild ride for the next few months with Jin babysitting us...

Comments

[clevermanka]

So glad you got this! And that second picture really is so sweet 🧡

[xparrot]

Yeah, I've got some RL stressors right now so it's very nice to have fannish fun to retreat to! And I totally made the second pic my phone wallpaper as seeing it makes me smile ^^

[runpunkrun]

As you know, I don't even go here, but even I enjoyed Namjoon and his saxophone. Was he being super extra? Or is that just Namjoon?

I'm also enjoying the group selfie where they just look like regular guys.

[xparrot]

Ahahaha so yeah, if you asked me a year ago which member was most likely to turn up in bedazzled jorts to serenade Jin on a sax, my money would not have been on Namjoon (it would've been on V/Taehyung, who played the sax in HS and also "extra" is his middle name). But Namjoon's serving in the military band learning the sax, and also between this and his new album release it seems like he might be entering his DGAF era, which is going to be something to see (Kim Namjoon is the posterchild for the argument that people above a certain level of IQ/EQ/introspection just should not become celebrities; the amount he overthinks his position is admirable, but he's also talked about how overwhelming it is that being BTS's spokesman has made him a de facto spokesman for all of Korea, and if he decides to communicate only in saxophone from here on out, it will probably be good for him XD)

[runpunkrun]

Ahhhhh, yes, the smart, introspective type. Reminds me of Chris Pine, now deep in his DGAF era. I wish Namjoon luck with his saxophone and not overthinking things.

[xparrot]

Ahh I haven't seen anything with Chris Pine in a while, but I remember he was fun back in the Star Trek reboot days!

And yeah, Namjoon went from being a teenage underground rapper to giving a speech to the UN at 24 years old and has been deep in an ongoing struggle to reconcile himself with his public persona...

[runpunkrun]

Yikes! That is a lot of pressure, and a huge lifestyle change. No wonder he's prone to overthinking.

[anotherslashfan]

...They also aren't afraid to sit down on stage and eat tuna sashimi in front of 4,000 cheering fans.

Jin's "can't believe I'm being cheered for eating" was super endearing, no lie.

[xparrot]

Ahahah his expression the whole time was "you guys are all seeing this, right? isn't this ridiculous?" He's always laughing with us, never at us, it's so sweet!

[umadoshi]

I do love their staged looks, the performances and the photoshoots with the wild costumes and makeup, the female gaze focus, redefining masculinity and the genderplay. But it's also not uncommon at all to see them bare-faced and out of costume

This makes me really happy on principle. *^^* (I have similar feelings about seeing Zhu Yilong looking like an actual human being, although I highly doubt many pics I've seen have been actually bare faced.)

I love seeing all the joy about BTS and other singers/groups. To the best of my knowledge I've never heard any of their music, because I'm genuinely scared of falling into fannish feels, but the joy is lovely to behold.

[xparrot]

All the behind-the-scene pics and shots of Z1L on sets were so sweet, even if he was usually in full makeup, it's always fun to see actors out of character and being themselves! But yeah, there's something about how fearless the BTS guys are about it, about trusting that their fans will still like them if we see them as ordinary (they've had livestreams that they're noticing and wincing at their zits in the camera, it's all too relatable XD)

And hah oh yeah, the fannish feels are a force to be reckoned with! I started watching their stuff for a bit of light fun mid-pandemic, not seriously thinking I'd ever get into a "boyband," and definitely did not imagine I'd still be this into them 4 years later ^^;

[renay]

I was so busy with work and stuff I mostly missed Jin's return! Thanks for this wrap up. I somehow missed that first picture!

[xparrot]

Happy to provide! If you haven't seen it, there's also 1 minute of video from when they met him that are very cute and you can hear Namjoon's saxophone skills XD (normally I wouldn't post stuff from the media, but there won't be any Bangtan Bombs from this and all the members clearly knew they were being filmed, so...)