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Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS
THE FIRST EVER OFFICIAL BOOK-
Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information.
After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before.
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance.
In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive-truly everything about BTS in one volume.
Published in celebration of BTS's 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information.
After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before.
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance.
In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive-truly everything about BTS in one volume.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2023
4564 people are currently reading
14028 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,218 reviews
August 28, 2023
i don’t really think i can review a biography tbh but i really loved this book, i’m so proud of them and i’m so glad they chose to share the story of their journey to us, i love them so much <3
—
one of my 2023 reading goals is that i want to read more nonfiction and bts said here you go
i can’t wait fr
—
one of my 2023 reading goals is that i want to read more nonfiction and bts said here you go
i can’t wait fr
Currently reading
July 10, 2023THE TIME IS HERE Y'ALL
BANGTAN WAIT FOR ME BORALAND HERE I GO
-------------------------------
PRE-REVIEW
UPDATE: WE GOT THE CHAPTERS NAMES Y'ALL. 7 chapters, bangtan how could you do this to me???
CHAPTER 1 SEOUL
CHAPTER 2 WHY WE EXIST
CHAPTER 3 LOVE, HATE, ARMY
CHAPTER 4 INSIDE OUT
CHAPTER 5 A FLIGHT THAT NEVER LANDS
CHAPTER 6 THE WORLD OF BTS
CHAPTER 7 WE ARE
oh that chapter 3 about to hit like a truck I fear
CAN'T WAIT
-------------------
BOOKSTAN ARMYS WE WON OMG
Dreams actually come true, that's crazy. I still can't believe it, an actual book written by bangtan themselves along with that Weverse Magazine journalist ahhh we're always eating good in this borahouse god bless!
and released on army's 10th birthday too istg I will cry 😭
I wonder when these men even had the time to work on this though, cause we've been drowning in new music and other content for a while like... but then again it's BTS and they never seem to stop working. Or maybe they've been at it for years and we only learned about it now, with the tannies you never know. 💜
[also I just had to point out that I need at least one looooong chapter with 7 pov's from each member retelling what really went down with the dumpling incident because that's the real tea y'all. We got 2 songs out of that situation, a bunch of different dramatic versions, and JK said it's bigger than we think so like BANGTAN WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THERE PLS SHARE IT WITH THE CLASS I AM BEGGING Y'ALL ATP I NEED TO KNOOOOOOW]
BANGTAN WAIT FOR ME BORALAND HERE I GO
-------------------------------
PRE-REVIEW
UPDATE: WE GOT THE CHAPTERS NAMES Y'ALL. 7 chapters, bangtan how could you do this to me???
CHAPTER 1 SEOUL
CHAPTER 2 WHY WE EXIST
CHAPTER 3 LOVE, HATE, ARMY
CHAPTER 4 INSIDE OUT
CHAPTER 5 A FLIGHT THAT NEVER LANDS
CHAPTER 6 THE WORLD OF BTS
CHAPTER 7 WE ARE
oh that chapter 3 about to hit like a truck I fear
CAN'T WAIT
-------------------
BOOKSTAN ARMYS WE WON OMG
Dreams actually come true, that's crazy. I still can't believe it, an actual book written by bangtan themselves along with that Weverse Magazine journalist ahhh we're always eating good in this borahouse god bless!
and released on army's 10th birthday too istg I will cry 😭
I wonder when these men even had the time to work on this though, cause we've been drowning in new music and other content for a while like... but then again it's BTS and they never seem to stop working. Or maybe they've been at it for years and we only learned about it now, with the tannies you never know. 💜
[also I just had to point out that I need at least one looooong chapter with 7 pov's from each member retelling what really went down with the dumpling incident because that's the real tea y'all. We got 2 songs out of that situation, a bunch of different dramatic versions, and JK said it's bigger than we think so like BANGTAN WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THERE PLS SHARE IT WITH THE CLASS I AM BEGGING Y'ALL ATP I NEED TO KNOOOOOOW]
July 27, 2023
(added 230513) can't wait for the dumpling incident to be thoroughly explained in extreme detail from 7 different povs
ok 230723 update. just finished reading the last page as spring day was playing. i can still feel a tear on my cheek that's dried up. safe to say i'm a changed person. the dumpling incident was indeed explained and no one is happier than me. 7 povs? no, but we digress! my heart is so full of them i can barely call it my own
ok 230723 update. just finished reading the last page as spring day was playing. i can still feel a tear on my cheek that's dried up. safe to say i'm a changed person. the dumpling incident was indeed explained and no one is happier than me. 7 povs? no, but we digress! my heart is so full of them i can barely call it my own
November 29, 2023
once in all the lifetimes 💜
so immensely proud of them 💜
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
0.) Save Me - BTS Webtoon ★★★★★
1.) The Notes Vol. 1 ★★★★
so immensely proud of them 💜
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
0.) Save Me - BTS Webtoon ★★★★★
1.) The Notes Vol. 1 ★★★★
July 22, 2023
Let's not kid ourselves: This oral history was put together by the editor-in-chief of Weverse Magazine and officially published through the gates of HYBE, so it won't pull a Bob Woodward and expose the cruel inner workings of the K-Pop industry, or take a turn and suddenly talk about the personal lives behind the personas of the members, or go full postcolonial studies on the marketing of Korean culture - it's not what the book aims to do. Rather, it's a neatly produced puzzle piece in the overall mythology of BTS, the story about seven young men who signed up with a small entertainment company and then became the biggest band in the world. It's written in an approachable way for fans and newbies alike, and the 300+ QR-Codes added make it easy to check out content the text refers to, from songs to MVs to variety shows to interviews.
The text takes readers from the trainee days to the Grammy stage, tackling all albums and many ideas behind the multimedia storytelling that is the BTS universe. The many quotes from the members themselves work well to support and legitimize the narrative, but what's really intriguing here is how the book navigates the K-Pop-typical adoration of the fandom (here: ARMY) and the downsides of this very fan service and superstardom in general: Often, the members talk about loneliness, exhaustion, depression, pain (both physical and mental), they address relentless bullying online and the loss of privacy which leads to alienation (also a huge topic of the book).
And I think that beyond the perfectly packaged pop, that's the true core of BTS: They magically fulfill the standards of K-Pop while also addressing the negative effects of a brutal capitalist system which turns idols into products that need to function, a system that has made them ridiculously rich and famous. They show gratitude to a fandom that has catapulted them into superstardom, while also making them lonely and robbing them of the right to privacy (God help them if they ever decide to publicly date a person). It's a clusterfuck, and they know it.
So my main complaint with the book is that it did not dive deep enough into the more intricate concepts behind songs and performances, like the connections to Hermann Hesse, Carl Jung, Greek mythology and Korean folklore - I would have been interested in that. Otherwise, BTS remains a multimedia endeavor that now has an official book that seamlessly blends into their overall oeuvre.
The text takes readers from the trainee days to the Grammy stage, tackling all albums and many ideas behind the multimedia storytelling that is the BTS universe. The many quotes from the members themselves work well to support and legitimize the narrative, but what's really intriguing here is how the book navigates the K-Pop-typical adoration of the fandom (here: ARMY) and the downsides of this very fan service and superstardom in general: Often, the members talk about loneliness, exhaustion, depression, pain (both physical and mental), they address relentless bullying online and the loss of privacy which leads to alienation (also a huge topic of the book).
And I think that beyond the perfectly packaged pop, that's the true core of BTS: They magically fulfill the standards of K-Pop while also addressing the negative effects of a brutal capitalist system which turns idols into products that need to function, a system that has made them ridiculously rich and famous. They show gratitude to a fandom that has catapulted them into superstardom, while also making them lonely and robbing them of the right to privacy (God help them if they ever decide to publicly date a person). It's a clusterfuck, and they know it.
So my main complaint with the book is that it did not dive deep enough into the more intricate concepts behind songs and performances, like the connections to Hermann Hesse, Carl Jung, Greek mythology and Korean folklore - I would have been interested in that. Otherwise, BTS remains a multimedia endeavor that now has an official book that seamlessly blends into their overall oeuvre.
July 30, 2023
“Hello there, it’s your first time with Bangtan, right?”
here’s the thing about books like this⸺we don’t really get to have a critical opinion on them, because it’s simply someone else’s life, and what right do any of us have to speak on people who have already gone through endless hardships? so, no, I don’t personally have a lot to tell you about this wonderful book besides for the fact that it’s a masterpiece, but the members themselves have a lot to say:
╰┈➤ RM ⸺
“The members were just good people. Very good people.”
“Bad things have to happen for there to be good things.”
“The history of the struggle for recognition. We wanted to be recognized. To prove ourselves.”
“Lots of things were happening, which overlapped with things like our standing at the time, and I think I was trying to hide. Inside my shell.”
“(...) and I felt an extreme emotion, that in some ways everything I had done up until then had been worthless. Looking back on it now, I wonder how I managed to stand it.”
“The only way to truly heal and grow is by facing our own pain and struggles.”
╰┈➤ JIN ⸺
“I do like to try different things. I figured I'd be able to have a variety of experiences if I were an idol and an actor at the same time. Reality had other plans.”
“After about three months there... I finally realised why they had to come live the way they did. On days when we had a lot of rehearsals, we’d be working fourteen hours out of a twenty-four hour day.”
“I had to do a little better, but I didn’t have the ability, but I still wanted to do something.... that’s what it was like at the time.”
“We really had almost no days off. So, at the time, I wondered whether it was right for a person to live life as exhausted as this.”
“I am so thankful to the members for getting our acts together, and I want to say how thankful I am to ARMY for always loving us.”
“At the end of the day, BTS has seven members. I believed the team couldn’t stay together if even one of us left.”
╰┈➤ SUGA ⸺
“Not that we were doing it for the money necessarily, but I wonder if we should’ve at least been paid enough to buy a meal, and a lot of times we weren’t paid even that.”
“I was worrying my head off as to whether I could continue my life as a trainee. It was really hard for me, the act of living itself.”
“I try not to think about those times if I can help it. Because ultimately, we’re the ones who won and ended it.”
“When you do this work, you feel a big disconnect. Separate from my idol career, I was nothing at that age. I would have been nothing if I hadn’t ended up doing music.”
“Apart from those who loved and supported us, everyone else felt like an enemy. We were really worried about how much criticism we’d get if we put even a foot out of line.”
“I couldn't be glad in the moments I was supposed to be glad, and I couldn’t be happy in the moments I was supposed to be happy.”
“I think they’re the reason for my existence, these people.” (referring to ARMY.)
╰┈➤ J-HOPE ⸺
“I was so scared. It was Christmas Eve and the streets were full of cheerful people, but I couldn’t get my bearings at all.”
“When people kept asking us when we were debuting, to a trainee that’s really... that question is like a knife to the heart.”
“It was the first time I felt that “so many people are listening to our songs” and it was thrilling. I also thought, “This is what we made music for.””
“Once we did something, we did even more, we didn’t do less.”
“With each album, new things came up that I had to address, to overcome. “Wow. There’s so much I didn’t know. So much I have to learn.” And I’ll have to keep doing it in the future.”
“Actually, I don’t think we were people who lived life thinking about so many things. In fact, if we had thought a lot, it would have been harder, and because we were just seven really simple people, maybe that was what made it possible.”
╰┈➤ JIMIN ⸺
“No one cared... you could be eliminated after any of the tests they would put us through time to time, which was scary.”
“For me, I got the impression that, if I looked back on my life later on, I wouldn’t be able to explain it without this part I did together with these people.”
“There was a strong sense of being rewarded. That we’d done something together as a group⸺I was overwhelmed by that feeling, I think.”
“I think you could call it “the power to change hearts.””
╰┈➤ V ⸺
“We were working on LOVE YOURSELF (album), but we couldn’t love ourselves.”
“I was just happy to be a trainee by their side.”
“I like my old self too. It’s because I went through all that that I’m the person I am today.”
“The way I see it, all of us members are ridiculous. We’re quite feral and therefore stubborn to the end. I love it because in this group, no matter how much our hearts break, we only love the stage even more. “So I fell down, no big deal,” that kind of sentiment.”
“We worked together so much and talked with each other so much that little by little, we really did feel we were becoming a team.”
“I’ve bet my life on this group, I can’t just decide something based on my own individual opinion.”
“When we get lots of awards like that... it got ridiculous. Because we’d said only the things we thought we could never achieve, and then we achieved all of them. I think it’s strange.”
“There are groups above us when it comes to popularity, and groups below us, too, but I don’t think there are any groups like us. BTS are in a position unique to BTS.”
╰┈➤ JUNGKOOK ⸺
“Until now, the biggest blessing of my life is meeting these hyungs (his members).”
“It was like, this was the beginning. Our beginning.”
“Man, we went through a lot.”
“I think I grew a lot, in a lot of ways. The members didn’t teach me specific things, but I can see them in the way I talk and act. SUGA’s thoughts, RM’s words, Jimin’s actions, V’s unique style, Jin’s cheerfulness, j-hope’s optimisim... things like that all came into me one by one.”
“We just had to do a good job at what was handed to us, and then leave the stage.”
“We work together, and this is a business... right? However, it’s more than that for us. I can’t think lightly of them, they are so precious to me... and I’m thankful for these people, I came to realise that really strongly back then.”
╰┈➤ OTHER QUOTES (THAT KILLED ME):
“BTS is me, and I am BTS, that’s how I see it.”
“Even among new artists, BTS were outsiders, practically stranded on an island of their own.”
“A team spearheaded by a group of underground rappers that included a middle schooler who had just started lessons needed more than just cohabitation to cohere into a group⸺they needed some form of alchemy.”
“Whenever they came down from the stage, it wasn’t glory but tears that piled up.”
“In this respect, BTS and Big Hit, without even realising it themselves, were in the process of tearing down boundaries.”
“BTS’s relationship with ARMY, formed thanks to the internet, became their unintended path to salvation.”
“I knew Bangtan would win. No matter what anyone says, Bangtan is going to win.”
“If history books are the answer sheet to the present, then our sunbaes (seniors) who did music before us are our answer sheet, right? However, with us, we had to deal with an additional something else.”
“Now, however, no matter what the world might say, BTS are BTS. They no longer need any other word to describe themselves.”
╰┈➤ BOTTOMLINE: BTS has a beautiful story to share with us, and if you’re a fan, someone curious, or simply an enjoyer of biographies, I recommend this book with all my heart.
here’s the thing about books like this⸺we don’t really get to have a critical opinion on them, because it’s simply someone else’s life, and what right do any of us have to speak on people who have already gone through endless hardships? so, no, I don’t personally have a lot to tell you about this wonderful book besides for the fact that it’s a masterpiece, but the members themselves have a lot to say:
╰┈➤ RM ⸺
“The members were just good people. Very good people.”
“Bad things have to happen for there to be good things.”
“The history of the struggle for recognition. We wanted to be recognized. To prove ourselves.”
“Lots of things were happening, which overlapped with things like our standing at the time, and I think I was trying to hide. Inside my shell.”
“(...) and I felt an extreme emotion, that in some ways everything I had done up until then had been worthless. Looking back on it now, I wonder how I managed to stand it.”
“The only way to truly heal and grow is by facing our own pain and struggles.”
╰┈➤ JIN ⸺
“I do like to try different things. I figured I'd be able to have a variety of experiences if I were an idol and an actor at the same time. Reality had other plans.”
“After about three months there... I finally realised why they had to come live the way they did. On days when we had a lot of rehearsals, we’d be working fourteen hours out of a twenty-four hour day.”
“I had to do a little better, but I didn’t have the ability, but I still wanted to do something.... that’s what it was like at the time.”
“We really had almost no days off. So, at the time, I wondered whether it was right for a person to live life as exhausted as this.”
“I am so thankful to the members for getting our acts together, and I want to say how thankful I am to ARMY for always loving us.”
“At the end of the day, BTS has seven members. I believed the team couldn’t stay together if even one of us left.”
╰┈➤ SUGA ⸺
“Not that we were doing it for the money necessarily, but I wonder if we should’ve at least been paid enough to buy a meal, and a lot of times we weren’t paid even that.”
“I was worrying my head off as to whether I could continue my life as a trainee. It was really hard for me, the act of living itself.”
“I try not to think about those times if I can help it. Because ultimately, we’re the ones who won and ended it.”
“When you do this work, you feel a big disconnect. Separate from my idol career, I was nothing at that age. I would have been nothing if I hadn’t ended up doing music.”
“Apart from those who loved and supported us, everyone else felt like an enemy. We were really worried about how much criticism we’d get if we put even a foot out of line.”
“I couldn't be glad in the moments I was supposed to be glad, and I couldn’t be happy in the moments I was supposed to be happy.”
“I think they’re the reason for my existence, these people.” (referring to ARMY.)
╰┈➤ J-HOPE ⸺
“I was so scared. It was Christmas Eve and the streets were full of cheerful people, but I couldn’t get my bearings at all.”
“When people kept asking us when we were debuting, to a trainee that’s really... that question is like a knife to the heart.”
“It was the first time I felt that “so many people are listening to our songs” and it was thrilling. I also thought, “This is what we made music for.””
“Once we did something, we did even more, we didn’t do less.”
“With each album, new things came up that I had to address, to overcome. “Wow. There’s so much I didn’t know. So much I have to learn.” And I’ll have to keep doing it in the future.”
“Actually, I don’t think we were people who lived life thinking about so many things. In fact, if we had thought a lot, it would have been harder, and because we were just seven really simple people, maybe that was what made it possible.”
╰┈➤ JIMIN ⸺
“No one cared... you could be eliminated after any of the tests they would put us through time to time, which was scary.”
“For me, I got the impression that, if I looked back on my life later on, I wouldn’t be able to explain it without this part I did together with these people.”
“There was a strong sense of being rewarded. That we’d done something together as a group⸺I was overwhelmed by that feeling, I think.”
“I think you could call it “the power to change hearts.””
╰┈➤ V ⸺
“We were working on LOVE YOURSELF (album), but we couldn’t love ourselves.”
“I was just happy to be a trainee by their side.”
“I like my old self too. It’s because I went through all that that I’m the person I am today.”
“The way I see it, all of us members are ridiculous. We’re quite feral and therefore stubborn to the end. I love it because in this group, no matter how much our hearts break, we only love the stage even more. “So I fell down, no big deal,” that kind of sentiment.”
“We worked together so much and talked with each other so much that little by little, we really did feel we were becoming a team.”
“I’ve bet my life on this group, I can’t just decide something based on my own individual opinion.”
“When we get lots of awards like that... it got ridiculous. Because we’d said only the things we thought we could never achieve, and then we achieved all of them. I think it’s strange.”
“There are groups above us when it comes to popularity, and groups below us, too, but I don’t think there are any groups like us. BTS are in a position unique to BTS.”
╰┈➤ JUNGKOOK ⸺
“Until now, the biggest blessing of my life is meeting these hyungs (his members).”
“It was like, this was the beginning. Our beginning.”
“Man, we went through a lot.”
“I think I grew a lot, in a lot of ways. The members didn’t teach me specific things, but I can see them in the way I talk and act. SUGA’s thoughts, RM’s words, Jimin’s actions, V’s unique style, Jin’s cheerfulness, j-hope’s optimisim... things like that all came into me one by one.”
“We just had to do a good job at what was handed to us, and then leave the stage.”
“We work together, and this is a business... right? However, it’s more than that for us. I can’t think lightly of them, they are so precious to me... and I’m thankful for these people, I came to realise that really strongly back then.”
╰┈➤ OTHER QUOTES (THAT KILLED ME):
“BTS is me, and I am BTS, that’s how I see it.”
“Even among new artists, BTS were outsiders, practically stranded on an island of their own.”
“A team spearheaded by a group of underground rappers that included a middle schooler who had just started lessons needed more than just cohabitation to cohere into a group⸺they needed some form of alchemy.”
“Whenever they came down from the stage, it wasn’t glory but tears that piled up.”
“In this respect, BTS and Big Hit, without even realising it themselves, were in the process of tearing down boundaries.”
“BTS’s relationship with ARMY, formed thanks to the internet, became their unintended path to salvation.”
“I knew Bangtan would win. No matter what anyone says, Bangtan is going to win.”
“If history books are the answer sheet to the present, then our sunbaes (seniors) who did music before us are our answer sheet, right? However, with us, we had to deal with an additional something else.”
“Now, however, no matter what the world might say, BTS are BTS. They no longer need any other word to describe themselves.”
╰┈➤ BOTTOMLINE: BTS has a beautiful story to share with us, and if you’re a fan, someone curious, or simply an enjoyer of biographies, I recommend this book with all my heart.
July 14, 2023
MY FAVOURITE UNBOXING EVER💜. I skimmed through to look at the pictures and I’m already screaming and hyperventilating at the details😭😭. Our boys put their blood sweat and tears into yet another special project for us🥹. And the PHOTOCARDS🪦 I'm literally spoiled. Since Jungkook is also in his delulu era (rip army) I feel very understood😌. Perfect timing to claw at the walls and beg for mercy (and we can't forget CRY🥰 because delulu and emo era🤝)
------
WHAT IN THE NAMTIDDY-
I don't have think.
I'm gonna cry my way through all 544 pages of this book.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
We are not seven with you💜
------
WHAT IN THE NAMTIDDY-
I don't have think.
I'm gonna cry my way through all 544 pages of this book.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
We are not seven with you💜
March 12, 2025
"Together, they were invincible. It was a sense of solidarity that tied together not only the seven members of BTS, but BTS with ARMY."
The title "Beyond the Story" is perfect for this book that delves deep into the story of BTS, as individuals and as a group. The chronological order of the book really showcases how the seven members grew in all aspects, as individuals and artists both.
Being a BTS fan, I already knew their story down to the gritty and painful parts, but it was a good, albeit painful, experience to read about all the things they went through and were put through to get to where they are right now. I can't help but feel proud of them and of being part of this fandom built on mutual love and respect, capable of overcoming everything.
What a relief that they/we have each other.
The title "Beyond the Story" is perfect for this book that delves deep into the story of BTS, as individuals and as a group. The chronological order of the book really showcases how the seven members grew in all aspects, as individuals and artists both.
Being a BTS fan, I already knew their story down to the gritty and painful parts, but it was a good, albeit painful, experience to read about all the things they went through and were put through to get to where they are right now. I can't help but feel proud of them and of being part of this fandom built on mutual love and respect, capable of overcoming everything.
What a relief that they/we have each other.
May 12, 2023
ARMYs, read like human beings. Don't loop. 😆💜
October 24, 2023
i absolutely cried my way through this book and devoured everything up. and when i mean crying, i full-on sobbed. 🥹
i'm a person who tends to avoid lengthy books because of the obvious but this makes me fucking greedy. me being an army and a book girly? who am i to complain?
i don't really have much to say because it's their life and i can't critic their story. but i'm grateful for everything they did to me and the millions of armys out there. i will continue to support every step of theirs from them as a group to individual soloists 🫶
ʷᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵃⁿᵍᵗᵃⁿ ˢᵒⁿʸᵉᵒⁿᵈᵃⁿ ˢʰᶦᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ˡᶦᶠᵉ 💜
i'm a person who tends to avoid lengthy books because of the obvious but this makes me fucking greedy. me being an army and a book girly? who am i to complain?
i don't really have much to say because it's their life and i can't critic their story. but i'm grateful for everything they did to me and the millions of armys out there. i will continue to support every step of theirs from them as a group to individual soloists 🫶
ʷᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵃⁿᵍᵗᵃⁿ ˢᵒⁿʸᵉᵒⁿᵈᵃⁿ ˢʰᶦᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ˡᶦᶠᵉ 💜
Currently reading
July 24, 2023ARMIES:
*instant preorder*
me being an army for six years, praying for bts to write their own book...🥲🥹 this is literally the best gift to army bookworms lol
who else was shocked? i know this will be a five star read, that's for sure<3
so excited to read all 7 different povs in this 544 paged memoir…
got my tissues prepared and getting ready to cry
armies!!🙌💜
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the cover's so prettyy!! and we got the 7 chapters reveal:)
1.seoul
2.why we exist
3.love,hate,army
4.inside out
5.a flight that never lands
6.the world of bts
7.we are
*instant preorder*
me being an army for six years, praying for bts to write their own book...🥲🥹 this is literally the best gift to army bookworms lol
who else was shocked? i know this will be a five star read, that's for sure<3
so excited to read all 7 different povs in this 544 paged memoir…
got my tissues prepared and getting ready to cry
armies!!🙌💜
----------
the cover's so prettyy!! and we got the 7 chapters reveal:)
1.seoul
2.why we exist
3.love,hate,army
4.inside out
5.a flight that never lands
6.the world of bts
7.we are
July 16, 2023
I think it's no surprise to anyone that I finished this in one sitting, not even leaving my room to eat or drink water.
I have been an ARMY since 2014. I have spent almost an entire decade with BTS, starting from my mid teens up until my early 20s.
This might sound quite cliché because literally every ARMY says this, but BTS truly came into my life when I needed them the most. I was only 15 years old when I seriously got into kpop and, thus, BTS (I had been a casual fan since 2009, but I was too young and immature back then, so I didn't pay too much attention to it) and it was as if I finally found comfort, solace and my own "magic shop".
I don't want to go into much detail about what was going on in my life back then because it involves personal things about me and my family that still haunt me every single day, but let's just say that I was so close to completely giving up. That's all I have to say about my life back then.
I had always been very shy and introverted, but my social anxiety and my constant need to isolate myself from everything and everyone around me reached an utterly concerning level, to the point where I would literally stay locked up inside my room for 2 weeks straight without even trying. I would cry every day and wonder what my place on this earth was.
And then one day, I randomly watched the Boy In Luv music video on YouTube and my ARMY journey started right there and then. There's literally no kpop group or artist that I don't stan or enjoy listening to, but BTS will ALWAYS be number 1 for me. Their vast and diverse discography filled with songs about self-love, self-acceptance, self-discovery, friendships, relationships and so many other important issues along with their sincere lyrics, their outstanding performances and their humble, entertaining and genuine personalities are just SOME of the reasons why BTS will always have a special place in my heart.
While reading this book, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face because I kept being reminded of all the emotions I've felt while stanning BTS. There's not a single thing which was discussed in this book that I didn't know since I've basically experienced like 95% of it all first-hand, but I was just starstruck the entire time, as if I was experiencing everything all over again. It's been a while since I've felt these emotions since the group activities are, as of now, on halt due to a variety of reasons, but I just want to say that I'm incredibly proud of these 7 men and INCREDIBLY PROUD TO BE AN ARMY!!!
I've actually seen BTS live 2 times before and they were both the best days of my entire life. My first time seeing them was in Berlin for their Love Yourself tour in 2018 (which was also my very first kpop concert) and the second time was in Paris for their Speak Yourself tour in 2019. I still remember the chills I got when I saw them on stage and when my fellow ARMY were cheering for them.
These people are my family. And I'm so grateful for them. I'm so grateful they're in my life and I'm so grateful for the comfort and the happiness they've brought to my super mundane, miserable and lonely days. I love my family to the moon and back!!
I miss them so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much that it actually hurts. Some of them are in the military, some of them are touring the world and some of them are working on their solo albums, but I constantly feel like they're right beside me, just like I've always felt since the moment I met them in 2014. It's like they've never stopped being together. It's like they've never left. The amount of love and appreciation I have for them is more than enough for me to endure these hard times caused by their absence. I'm more than willing to wait for them and I promise to be there for them and cheer louder than any person on earth when they all eventually come back to us.
dear BTS,
I love and adore and appreciate and respect all 7 of you so much. These past 10 years have been the best years of my life. Thank you for helping me linger on and endure all these challenging times. Thank you for bringing light to my dark days. Thank you for being my source of happiness and strength. Thank you for everything. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
until we meet again!!!
until 2025!!!
💜보라해💜
💜아포방포💜
I have been an ARMY since 2014. I have spent almost an entire decade with BTS, starting from my mid teens up until my early 20s.
This might sound quite cliché because literally every ARMY says this, but BTS truly came into my life when I needed them the most. I was only 15 years old when I seriously got into kpop and, thus, BTS (I had been a casual fan since 2009, but I was too young and immature back then, so I didn't pay too much attention to it) and it was as if I finally found comfort, solace and my own "magic shop".
I don't want to go into much detail about what was going on in my life back then because it involves personal things about me and my family that still haunt me every single day, but let's just say that I was so close to completely giving up. That's all I have to say about my life back then.
I had always been very shy and introverted, but my social anxiety and my constant need to isolate myself from everything and everyone around me reached an utterly concerning level, to the point where I would literally stay locked up inside my room for 2 weeks straight without even trying. I would cry every day and wonder what my place on this earth was.
And then one day, I randomly watched the Boy In Luv music video on YouTube and my ARMY journey started right there and then. There's literally no kpop group or artist that I don't stan or enjoy listening to, but BTS will ALWAYS be number 1 for me. Their vast and diverse discography filled with songs about self-love, self-acceptance, self-discovery, friendships, relationships and so many other important issues along with their sincere lyrics, their outstanding performances and their humble, entertaining and genuine personalities are just SOME of the reasons why BTS will always have a special place in my heart.
While reading this book, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my face because I kept being reminded of all the emotions I've felt while stanning BTS. There's not a single thing which was discussed in this book that I didn't know since I've basically experienced like 95% of it all first-hand, but I was just starstruck the entire time, as if I was experiencing everything all over again. It's been a while since I've felt these emotions since the group activities are, as of now, on halt due to a variety of reasons, but I just want to say that I'm incredibly proud of these 7 men and INCREDIBLY PROUD TO BE AN ARMY!!!
I've actually seen BTS live 2 times before and they were both the best days of my entire life. My first time seeing them was in Berlin for their Love Yourself tour in 2018 (which was also my very first kpop concert) and the second time was in Paris for their Speak Yourself tour in 2019. I still remember the chills I got when I saw them on stage and when my fellow ARMY were cheering for them.
These people are my family. And I'm so grateful for them. I'm so grateful they're in my life and I'm so grateful for the comfort and the happiness they've brought to my super mundane, miserable and lonely days. I love my family to the moon and back!!
I miss them so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much that it actually hurts. Some of them are in the military, some of them are touring the world and some of them are working on their solo albums, but I constantly feel like they're right beside me, just like I've always felt since the moment I met them in 2014. It's like they've never stopped being together. It's like they've never left. The amount of love and appreciation I have for them is more than enough for me to endure these hard times caused by their absence. I'm more than willing to wait for them and I promise to be there for them and cheer louder than any person on earth when they all eventually come back to us.
dear BTS,
I love and adore and appreciate and respect all 7 of you so much. These past 10 years have been the best years of my life. Thank you for helping me linger on and endure all these challenging times. Thank you for bringing light to my dark days. Thank you for being my source of happiness and strength. Thank you for everything. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
until we meet again!!!
until 2025!!!
💜보라해💜
💜아포방포💜
Read
September 1, 2025¡¿Cómo que 12-14 horas de entrenamiento diario?!
No sé cómo calificar este libro por ser biográfico, pero a decir verdad disfruté mucho la estructura que utilizó el autor para contar el trayecto de BTS de forma cronológica, pero también dando contexto de asuntos relevantes que marcaron un antes y un después en la industria del K-Pop.
Siendo sincero, había muchas cosas que desconocía de los chicos, pero aprecio el aprendizaje que obtengo sobre su forma de sentir y pensar desde que eran trainees hasta que alcanzaron la fama mundial. La presión, el hate, la burla, las inseguridades son su pan de cada día.
Es bonito pensar que han sabido aprovechar su plataforma para hablar de temas políticos y sociales. Ojalá no tenga que agarrarme fuerte (ponte pilas Ticketmaster), a la hora de conseguir boletos cuando vengan a México.
No sé cómo calificar este libro por ser biográfico, pero a decir verdad disfruté mucho la estructura que utilizó el autor para contar el trayecto de BTS de forma cronológica, pero también dando contexto de asuntos relevantes que marcaron un antes y un después en la industria del K-Pop.
Siendo sincero, había muchas cosas que desconocía de los chicos, pero aprecio el aprendizaje que obtengo sobre su forma de sentir y pensar desde que eran trainees hasta que alcanzaron la fama mundial. La presión, el hate, la burla, las inseguridades son su pan de cada día.
Es bonito pensar que han sabido aprovechar su plataforma para hablar de temas políticos y sociales. Ojalá no tenga que agarrarme fuerte (ponte pilas Ticketmaster), a la hora de conseguir boletos cuando vengan a México.
July 10, 2023
So, first off, I have to say that this isn't a bad book.
But also, this isn't a book of 'stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS' either, which is a phrase directly from the back cover. Marketed as a tell-all, I think this book doesn't quite hit that level for most fans. If you're a long-time/hardcore fan of BTS, you already know 99% of what's in this book. A lot of quotes from the band members gave me deja vu, like I'd heard them in lives or interviews before.
However, this book is excellent as a timeline and a closer look at their music and sales. If you don't know much about BTS as a band and are curious about them, this could be a great place to start. I wouldn't go into it expecting to learn much (more) about them personally, or in any way unrelated to the band, though.
But also, this isn't a book of 'stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS' either, which is a phrase directly from the back cover. Marketed as a tell-all, I think this book doesn't quite hit that level for most fans. If you're a long-time/hardcore fan of BTS, you already know 99% of what's in this book. A lot of quotes from the band members gave me deja vu, like I'd heard them in lives or interviews before.
However, this book is excellent as a timeline and a closer look at their music and sales. If you don't know much about BTS as a band and are curious about them, this could be a great place to start. I wouldn't go into it expecting to learn much (more) about them personally, or in any way unrelated to the band, though.
July 10, 2023
Ever since I first saw Dope back in 2015 I’ve been a fan of BTS. I liked the music and the video, but what really cemented my becoming an ARMY was reading the translations of the lyrics to their songs. I loved how they subverted my expectations of the things that a boy group would discuss in their songs. So being that I love books, I always hoped that one day we’d get an official book discussing their career and journey as a band.
I had such a great time reading this! It was wonderful to hear the members’ perspectives on the different ups and downs they’ve had as a group. There’s also a big emphasis on explaining their thought process behind different songs and their lyrics, which I really appreciated. The book isn’t all celebratory, it definitely does touch on moments of other people in the industry being disrespectful towards them, targeted hate campaigns, and also moments where BTS made mistakes, but that doesn’t overwhelm the story. They also go in depth with explaining how overwhelming their international success became and why they almost decided to disband at the beginning of 2018.
I would say that the majority of the events that are discussed in this book are things that fans who have been following their career for a while already know about. Of course we didn’t know their inner thoughts on everything, but there aren’t too many revelations present here. I was hoping for a bit more in terms of learning completely new things about what was going on away from the public eye. Also, at times bits of the story felt kinda sanitized or glossed over.
This book does a great job at providing a behind the scenes look at the member’s feelings and thoughts throughout BTS’ journey as a group. Their genuine love and respect for one another, their passion for their music, and their devotion to ARMY fully come through in the pages of the book. Definitely check this one out if you love BTS or want to understand more about what they stand for and what they’ve been through.
I had such a great time reading this! It was wonderful to hear the members’ perspectives on the different ups and downs they’ve had as a group. There’s also a big emphasis on explaining their thought process behind different songs and their lyrics, which I really appreciated. The book isn’t all celebratory, it definitely does touch on moments of other people in the industry being disrespectful towards them, targeted hate campaigns, and also moments where BTS made mistakes, but that doesn’t overwhelm the story. They also go in depth with explaining how overwhelming their international success became and why they almost decided to disband at the beginning of 2018.
I would say that the majority of the events that are discussed in this book are things that fans who have been following their career for a while already know about. Of course we didn’t know their inner thoughts on everything, but there aren’t too many revelations present here. I was hoping for a bit more in terms of learning completely new things about what was going on away from the public eye. Also, at times bits of the story felt kinda sanitized or glossed over.
This book does a great job at providing a behind the scenes look at the member’s feelings and thoughts throughout BTS’ journey as a group. Their genuine love and respect for one another, their passion for their music, and their devotion to ARMY fully come through in the pages of the book. Definitely check this one out if you love BTS or want to understand more about what they stand for and what they’ve been through.
May 13, 2023
I cannot wait for this come out!
Being cognizant of a lot of their journey, there was definitely a book that needed to be made on their first incredible and eventful 10 years! I am very curious about the approach this book will take and about the input from each member!
(Will be updated once the book is out)
Being cognizant of a lot of their journey, there was definitely a book that needed to be made on their first incredible and eventful 10 years! I am very curious about the approach this book will take and about the input from each member!
(Will be updated once the book is out)
physical-tbr
July 16, 2023edit 16/7/23: look, i love my boys, but i know for a straight fact that they are not that colour... please stop whitewashing them my lord, they match the paper😭
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this book is about to become my full personality i fear... sorry everyone :)
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this book is about to become my full personality i fear... sorry everyone :)
September 13, 2023
i just really love me some good found family
Want to read
May 17, 2023ISTG IF THIS IS TAYLOR SWIFT
edit: i would very much like to be excluded from this narrative
edit: i would very much like to be excluded from this narrative
September 8, 2024
I loved how this book strove to portray everything fans love about BTS and to describe not just how unfairly they were treated but how unprecedented their path and subsequent success was. This is very much a book for ARMY, in that it is a loving portrait of BTS, but in that same vein, I found I learned almost nothing new about the band in spite of the detailed history. It felt like a nostalgic recap.
As ARMY, I was delighted at how unabashedly celebratory the writing was. However, as a critical reader, the book left me a bit unsatisfied. I have no doubt the reason everything presented in the book feels vetted (even cautious and vague) is because of the attacks BTS have been victim of since the beginning — who can blame them for being so protective of their personal relationships or unflattering moments? Still, it would have been nice to explore some humanizing aspects more in detail — for example, when RM had to confront that his great hip hop influences had a culture of misogyny and how he in response worked to improve his perspective — but the book merely mentions and moves on from these in-depth moments of development, as though it’s afraid to acknowledge the members as having any flaws at all. We are told how they’ve grown but not really shown it. Again, I understand the reluctance in sharing that level of detail — with so many bad-faith actors already criticising the book for simply recounting certain unpleasant incidents,I can’t imagine how nasty they could be if BTS shared genuine human vulnerability.
It was a super pleasant read (gulped it down in 2 days), but it was akin to the In the Soop or Bon Voyage interviews when I guess what I was looking for was a bit more of the spontaneous V Live candidness or even the raw storytelling that comes out on Suchwita.
Nevertheless, will doubtless be taking the book down from my shelf again and again just because it makes me smile.
As ARMY, I was delighted at how unabashedly celebratory the writing was. However, as a critical reader, the book left me a bit unsatisfied. I have no doubt the reason everything presented in the book feels vetted (even cautious and vague) is because of the attacks BTS have been victim of since the beginning — who can blame them for being so protective of their personal relationships or unflattering moments? Still, it would have been nice to explore some humanizing aspects more in detail — for example, when RM had to confront that his great hip hop influences had a culture of misogyny and how he in response worked to improve his perspective — but the book merely mentions and moves on from these in-depth moments of development, as though it’s afraid to acknowledge the members as having any flaws at all. We are told how they’ve grown but not really shown it. Again, I understand the reluctance in sharing that level of detail — with so many bad-faith actors already criticising the book for simply recounting certain unpleasant incidents,I can’t imagine how nasty they could be if BTS shared genuine human vulnerability.
It was a super pleasant read (gulped it down in 2 days), but it was akin to the In the Soop or Bon Voyage interviews when I guess what I was looking for was a bit more of the spontaneous V Live candidness or even the raw storytelling that comes out on Suchwita.
Nevertheless, will doubtless be taking the book down from my shelf again and again just because it makes me smile.
July 28, 2023
i love them so much
Want to read
May 12, 2023Ahhh! I can’t believe we’re getting an official book. My bookish ARMY friends, this is our time to shine! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
July 10, 2023
I had to admit there were moments that made me laugh a little (see: Joon nearly having a mental breakdown at the 2017 America interviews), and I loved several segments on Yoongi and Namjoon (and even Chim) that accurately showcased the kind of introspective people they are.
It’s a book for fans, as a non-fan is not likely to read 400 pages with hyper-details (exact dates, times, number of album units sold not rounded up) that distracted often from the narrative. Sometimes it read like a news report or a cover story, and then sometimes like a memoir, which was jarring. I feel it could’ve benefited from tighter editing and a clearer, more consistent identity and voice. This is an artist that constantly ekes out plenty of audiovisual content, and to me the challenge of a book is to prove the necessity of this written medium, when BTS have already bared their souls before in multiple documentaries, movies, vlives, youtube livestreams, etc. - on that count, this would have held itself up better if it were perhaps 200 pages shorter. Or I may have appreciated this better if I hadn’t already consumed 10 hours of Bangtan content every day for 3 months, at the peak of my fanhood.
What I did like was the careful attention paid to the music and choreography - with some of the lyrics even woven into the text - because it assured me that the writer really knew and studied BTS, and not just the headlines. I’ve followed BTS since late 2017 and as such, few ‘revelations’ are new - still, I appreciate the effort to insert novel detail (or novel retellings of old details) for an old-timer like me. And I got a kick out of the events of which I was a part, like the LYT and PTD LA Sofi concerts.
A Bangtan book that I hope someone will write soon, though - the boys through the eyes of the crew that they grew up with, like their noona makeup artists, Adora, Pdogg, Hitman Bang, their choreographer Son Sungdeuk… that would be fascinating.
It’s a book for fans, as a non-fan is not likely to read 400 pages with hyper-details (exact dates, times, number of album units sold not rounded up) that distracted often from the narrative. Sometimes it read like a news report or a cover story, and then sometimes like a memoir, which was jarring. I feel it could’ve benefited from tighter editing and a clearer, more consistent identity and voice. This is an artist that constantly ekes out plenty of audiovisual content, and to me the challenge of a book is to prove the necessity of this written medium, when BTS have already bared their souls before in multiple documentaries, movies, vlives, youtube livestreams, etc. - on that count, this would have held itself up better if it were perhaps 200 pages shorter. Or I may have appreciated this better if I hadn’t already consumed 10 hours of Bangtan content every day for 3 months, at the peak of my fanhood.
What I did like was the careful attention paid to the music and choreography - with some of the lyrics even woven into the text - because it assured me that the writer really knew and studied BTS, and not just the headlines. I’ve followed BTS since late 2017 and as such, few ‘revelations’ are new - still, I appreciate the effort to insert novel detail (or novel retellings of old details) for an old-timer like me. And I got a kick out of the events of which I was a part, like the LYT and PTD LA Sofi concerts.
A Bangtan book that I hope someone will write soon, though - the boys through the eyes of the crew that they grew up with, like their noona makeup artists, Adora, Pdogg, Hitman Bang, their choreographer Son Sungdeuk… that would be fascinating.
September 23, 2023
فکر کنم من تنها کسی باشم که آرمی نیستم و حتی اسم اعضای بیتیاس رو نمیدونستم و تصوری از چهرهشون نداشتم و آهنگهاشون هم در حد مراسمهای جوایز موسیقی شنیدم.
با این حال خوندن زندگینامه رو دوست دارم و اطلاعات خیلی خوبی از سیستم کمپانیهای موسیقی آیدل در کره جنوبی داشت.
مسیر طولانیای که برای آیدل شدن باید طی کرد و بررسی آلبومها و آهنگهای بیتیاس و حتی پیشینه هر یک از اعضا و سپس موفقیتهایی که در کره و سایر نقاط دنیا بهدست آوردن، جزئی، قشنگ و دقیق بود.
به عنوان یه غیرآرمی دوست داشتم، دیگه اگه آرمی باشید و از جزئیات و آهنگهاشون خبر داشته باشید که حتما عاشقش میشید.
با این حال خوندن زندگینامه رو دوست دارم و اطلاعات خیلی خوبی از سیستم کمپانیهای موسیقی آیدل در کره جنوبی داشت.
مسیر طولانیای که برای آیدل شدن باید طی کرد و بررسی آلبومها و آهنگهای بیتیاس و حتی پیشینه هر یک از اعضا و سپس موفقیتهایی که در کره و سایر نقاط دنیا بهدست آوردن، جزئی، قشنگ و دقیق بود.
به عنوان یه غیرآرمی دوست داشتم، دیگه اگه آرمی باشید و از جزئیات و آهنگهاشون خبر داشته باشید که حتما عاشقش میشید.
July 31, 2023
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:
:
July 27, 2023
as an ARMY this is my joker
nothing but proud of how far they have come. lets go even higher💜
nothing but proud of how far they have come. lets go even higher💜
Read
August 7, 2025i wish all army a very lamb skewers
July 10, 2023
Beyond The Story is finally out and as promised it is an astounding record that delves deeply into Bangtan's active years before and after their debut in 2013. It all starts from the dorm full of trainees and it shows how much these people have grown, both personally and musically, throughout all these years.
I really appreciated how the focus was put on music and how the author retraced every step they took in the industry by constantly mentioning albums, songs, concepts and eras, while also including their personal struggles, aspirations and dreams in the process. Moreover, the idea of providing links to basically everything they were discussing was so useful and really made the whole book interactive and much more cohesive. I highly suggest you open these links to fully appreciate Bangtan's career and also how much work was put into this book in general.
If you know BTS well some things will already be known to you, but they also have included some new elements from the members' perspectives and also quite a lot of backstory for what happened during their most challenging and difficult years as a group. I won't sugarcoat it, reading some parts was very painful and I'm so proud of who these seven people have become despite all that was thrown at them and how much they are willingly changing the way things are done in the music industry in South Korea and also in the world in general. During the most recent years they have shown everyone what amazing sunbae they are to the younger generations and proved how it takes nothing to be kind in a world that is already too harsh. Once again they have shown that love is the answer and that's a beautiful message for sure.
I'm so glad these seven people have each other and as Jimin himself says at the end of the book I'm so glad they are the people they are. I truly wish them nothing but happiness and health in their future and I count the days until they can be together again doing what they love. Apobangpo 💜
I really appreciated how the focus was put on music and how the author retraced every step they took in the industry by constantly mentioning albums, songs, concepts and eras, while also including their personal struggles, aspirations and dreams in the process. Moreover, the idea of providing links to basically everything they were discussing was so useful and really made the whole book interactive and much more cohesive. I highly suggest you open these links to fully appreciate Bangtan's career and also how much work was put into this book in general.
If you know BTS well some things will already be known to you, but they also have included some new elements from the members' perspectives and also quite a lot of backstory for what happened during their most challenging and difficult years as a group. I won't sugarcoat it, reading some parts was very painful and I'm so proud of who these seven people have become despite all that was thrown at them and how much they are willingly changing the way things are done in the music industry in South Korea and also in the world in general. During the most recent years they have shown everyone what amazing sunbae they are to the younger generations and proved how it takes nothing to be kind in a world that is already too harsh. Once again they have shown that love is the answer and that's a beautiful message for sure.
I'm so glad these seven people have each other and as Jimin himself says at the end of the book I'm so glad they are the people they are. I truly wish them nothing but happiness and health in their future and I count the days until they can be together again doing what they love. Apobangpo 💜
July 23, 2023
"i put myself into this group called bts, and i had faith that this team would win. like, if i was with these people, i was going to succeed."
this was such an engaging chronicle of bts' incredible 10-year journey and i enjoyed how it was narrated with snippets of the boys' own words in between. i also loved the analysis of every album and explanations behind certain key lyrics and how they all linked to the boys' emotional journey/growth. we don't really learn anything significantly new but for old fans, it's a wonderful nostalgic read and for new ones, it's a helpful entry into everything bts.
i do wish we could've had a deeper look into many things the book glossed over, like the times in which the boys experienced bullying/humiliation from their fellow artists, periods of extreme exhaustion, depressive episodes, etc. i think it would've added an even more insightful, inspirational aspect to this biography but i also completely understand the caution in addressing these topics.
"we really had almost no days off. so, at the time, i wondered whether it was right for a person to live life as exhausted as this."
overall, i had a great time going through old bangtantv videos and concerts thanks to this book. for newer fans though, i'd highly recommend watching bangtan bombs, v lives, yoongi's suchwita series, etc. if you really want a raw, candid look at the boys.
"there aren't really that many artists who have a very long golden era. but that doesn't mean the artists stop making music overnight or groups just disappear. we're thinking long and hard about how to be onstage for as long and as happily as we can."
May 12, 2023
BTS truly had such an amazing journey! They are the epitome of started from the bottom now we’re here. BTS and ARMYs went through so much struggles together and every achievement took a lot of hard work, but we are not done yet, ARMY. There are still many barriers that need to be broken and BTS haven’t peaked yet so let’s please keep working together to reach new heights. Let’s continue being BTS’ wings. TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK 💜 APOBANGPO! let’s listen to their words without over analyzing and putting words in their mouths and let’s focus on supporting BTS by streaming, buying and promoting their music and by voting for them. BTS are one of the most genuine, kindest, smartest, funniest, most talented people alive and they deserve to have true and dedicated fans forever. Let’s focus on achieving more for them and getting them the longevity and success they truly deserve. They are truly once-in-a-lifetime artists so let’s treat them as such. Respect and support all 7 forever 💜 Let’s stay active in the fandom and try to make things more positive and fun so BTS can come back to fans they can be proud of.
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