#bts friendship dynamics

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

jungkook explained why he grew distant with taehyung, why do you think jimin and taehyung aren’t as close as they were before?

Well, as far as I know, no one knew why Jungkook and Tae grew apart until their talk and even then, I considered it too vague (but understandable if they didn't want to air their dirty laundry). So in that case, I can't possibly know why Jimin and Tae found themselves in some similar situation if they haven't said a word. And that also depends on them not being close which is simple speculation and not a fact that is based on a lack of joint online presence or mentions of it (which I don't consider to be a real metric for relationship).

Close or not, that's something that doesn't interest me really. When together, they seem fine on camera, but what do we know? It's really no concern of mine, especially since I don't like Tae and with them doing their military service, all apart, there's even less interest.

[bluemoth698]

[smoothlikealikeasnake]

Strawberry Princess - Overview

Pairing - BTS OT7 x Reader

Genre - Hybrid!Au , Hybrid BTS x Hybrid Reader, fluff, angst, eventual smut, slow burn? , alternative reality , strangers to lovers , strangers to friends, friends to lovers

Warnings - slight suggestiveness in some parts of this brief

Summary - When a certain hybrid starts to appear whenever Jungkook is at the gym, an immediate pull is felt between the two and their eventual friendship soon is spread to the rest of his pack.

This Chapter will be a brief on the dynamics in this reality along with an overview on each character.

Chapter One -Complete Opposites

Seokjin - Polar Bear Hybrid

Yoongi - Black Panther Hybrid

Hoseok - Leopard Hybrid

Namjoon - Grey Wolf Hybrid

Jimin - Arctic Fox Hybrid

Taehyung - White Tiger Hybrid

Jungkook - Black Bunny Hybrid

Y/n - Orange Siberian Hybrid

Dynamics in this reality

In this reality, human and hybrids live equally, both interact and work together with little to no division. Hybrids however, often create packs especially when they find their mate or mates, it isn’t uncommon to have more than one mate but it is unusual to see more than 2 mates to a hybrid.

A hybrids animal self is often more dormant than their human side until they are in the comfort of their homes and while they have some influence over their behaviour, a hybrids animal side often won’t depict their personality based on stereotype.

Hybrids are meant to shift atleast twice a month to remain healthy and are advised to give in to their instincts often as they are not harmful, some resist but it’s not healthy too.

There are often pack hierarchies, which there is in Bangtan, each member / mate will have a designated role to keep stability and peace within the pack. For example, Seokjin took it upon himself to care for the pack through gestures of cooking and cleaning while the rest of the pack have different roles. Namjoon is the pack leader of Bangtan while Seokjin is the caregiver.

Hybrids have stronger scents and sense of smell than humans, their scent is sourced in multiple places of their bodies such as the whole base of their necks, just under their jaw, inside of their wrists and a few other places which you will find out about soon.

Heats and ruts are inevitable, there is no way to prevent them but there is relaxers you can buy to reduce the pain and sickness some hybrids experience. Along with abdominal pain, all hybrids also experience the overwhelming urge to mate with their partners, this is the only way to truly satiate the pain and other symptoms. Contact from a mate will ease the symptoms but any other attempts at relief will not change the symptoms. The frequency and length of ruts and heats depend on the species of Hybrid the individual is,

Jungkook gets his monthly for example while Y/n gets hers every 2 months compared to Seokjin only getting his every 6 months but for a longer duration than Jungkook and Y/n. The rest of the packs frequency spans between 2 months to 5 months for varied lengths.

Hybrids also have specific mannerisms that instinctively affect them and that they will project.

Scenting - Scenting can be done in multiple ways and is normal amongst close friends and especially lovers. It can be done by rubbing scent glands together such as wrist to wrist, wrist to neck or neck to neck but it can also be done by many more intimate methods. Kissing and licking a scent gland will also scent the recipient but this is usually only done between lovers as it is intimate and often elicits arousal between the two.

Touches - Hybrids naturally crave touch more than humans, especially between eachother, friends and lovers both require more touch than humans would but also have stronger reactions to touch due to the sensitivity of all of their senses and skin. Hybrids can become unhappy and even depressed after going too long without touch from their friends and lovers, a simple hand holding will make it better but it’s easier to satisfy with kisses and more intimate gestures between lovers.

Behaviour - most species will have mannerisms specific to their species for example most felines will purr when happy and comfortable while most canines are energetic but there are more mannerisms breed specific so each hybrid is different.

Tails and Ears - these parts of a hybrid are especially sensitive and aren’t touched by anyone but the hybrid themself and their partner or partners, even small grazes of a hand will send shocks over a hybrids entire body so they often move subconsciously away from any near surface or person.

Treating - hybrids saliva will naturally heal wounds many times faster than it would without, those close to eachother, especially mates, will feel instinct to treat wounds of those they share close relationships with and they often can’t help this instinct and will do it without thinking.

This was just an overview of the general things that may come up in this fic but if you have any other questions now or throughout just ask ! X

This is my first fic and hasn’t been edited so there may be spelling and grammar mistakes, please excuse them but I hope you enjoy the fic ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[myobsessionsspace]

Hello! Now that we've seen all eight episodes and Jimin and JK didn't take a single opportunity to "bro" up their relationship, no "when we get married to women I hope we're still friends" conversation, do you think AYS was a soft launch? Or did it just feel like one because that's the natural by-product of seeing Jimin and JK together without (much) third party interference?

Hi lovely,

Thank you for sending this in.

I haven’t done any write ups on my feelings after each episode like many have. There’s been much said that I agree with, so Ididn’t really have anything new to add.

Tbh I’ve done a Masterlist for all things AYS also including the write ups of 2 bloggers here that I pretty much agreed and enjoyed their write ups. Both @akookminsupporter and @jmdbjk (thank you two again for agreeing to have your posts linked🥹)

Do I think the show was a soft launch? Sort answer no. Long answer mmmm no?lol😅🙈

⚠️Looooonnnnnnngggg essay of an answer incoming⚠️

I think with this show and all that it has around it has to be looked at through the eyes of Koreans and the type of shows they have in Korea. How the ‘bromance’ genre is generally accepted and the types of shows celebs and idols do in Korea.

Did you know many idol groups do RUN BTS! like shows, In The Soop and Bon Voyage like shows, shows where they become parents for a period of time to kids, shows where they get ‘married’ etc. Koreans see celebs and everything they do as entertainment for them. Two idols from a group of 7 travelling ‘alone’ sure, bromance, sure something BTS hasn’t done before but…

Tbh it’s not that unique. It’s not that outlandish.

I posted this previously

Close friends and famous actors going on a trip to Jeju, meeting with other friends and fishing together.

Tbh people may not view the show the same way that jikookers are. Jikookers have the added knowledge of everything in Jikook spaces that have previously been highlighted. So we see the inside jokes and know that this just adds to the long saga of Jikook and inside jokes, we see the hyung/dongsaeng dynamic get flipped on its head and we add it to the years long knowledge we have of Jikook and their unique bond.

I think there was some ‘bro’ energy. To be honest above anything else they’re goofballs and dudes. For as much tenderness as there was, there were ‘bro’ moments too, they are BFFs and young men after all. I think the show served different things for different viewers.

For casual viewers, those who know of BTS and we’re just interested in watching BTS content. Cos let’s be real, this isn’t a show you just are channel surfing and happen across. You have to search for this show, know of its existence, be recommended it or have been waiting to watch it. For those casual viewers, maybe or maybe not identifying as army, the show was just a fun, more adult, more slow paced BTS show. With two members that after watching the show, the viewer now realises are close close friends with more of a chingu friendship and would be shocked that it’s actual a hyung and dongsaeng (if they didn’t already know).

For these reactors, they kept verbalising ‘how close’ Jikook must be ‘good friends’ ‘close friends’ and ‘cute’. (click here if you want to check out the full thread on twit/x)

For army watching it, again it’s just to them, an opportunity to watch more BTS content. To enjoy the members travelling, eating and having fun, more of the in the Soop/Bon voyage that they’re familiar with. More of the skinship, playful, one big happy family that army know BTS to be.

A paraphrased collection of what was seen from army on twit/x

Jikookers having the time of our lives with all the tender and also sus af moments.

For Jikook shippers, the show is just a reaffirmation of what they already felt they knew about Jikook. More of an opportunity to see Jikook’s dynamic that they saw in bits and pieces from lives, fan cams, Bangtan bombs, memories and other BTS shows.

The show tbh isn’t really earth shattering in unveiling anything about Jikook to any of the demographics mentioned above casual fans, army or jikookers.

Depending on what sub group a viewer fits into, their perception of the show fits that.

I don’t think anyone really honestly, apart from exuberant jikookers truly think this show is Jikook’s soft launch.

I think by Korean standards the show isn’t outlandishly gay.

It’s got sus moments here and there like the majority of Bangtan content has had over the years. But on the whole, it is content that other groups have done in one way or another, other celebrities have done, were yes they do tease and flirt and joke about the ‘homoerotic’ atmosphere some setting bring, but due to the dominating culture of homophobia, none really honestly mean it or believe it to be gay or involving actual gay people. I don’t know if that makes sense what I’m trying to say?

I’ve written thoughts before on the show, how it made sense for it to happen for Jikook, how it’s not so out there for them to be filming a duo trip etc.

Musings

Thoughts

Pondering

👤“Everything comes back to GCF with you Jikooker🙄”

Me: Yes, Yes it does 💅

If you’ve got this far in the answer trust me, bare with me I’m going somewhere with this, it’s not just another opportunity to gush about GCFs😅🙈

Remember that Jimin loves travelling with Jungkook, he loved being GCF’s main model (no matter how embarrassed JK was at Jimin verbalising it to be the case and his denials😂)

Jimin made his little vlog of their Tokyo trip before he knew the kind of production Jungkook was making himself with his first ever GCF. They’ve always like travelling together and always like sharing it with army. They just didn’t have much opportunity.

Jungkook tweeting this whilst editing GCF Saipan.

Namjoon tweeting this whilst they were in Saipan.

What is AYS then?!!

I think AYS was just a matured continuation of Jikook jikooking. Their numerous selcas they’d share on twitter, their joint YouTube logs they’d do in the beginning, their back and forths they’d have on weverse every now and again.

This show was to me, I think, is just Jikook reaffirming everything they’ve always shown about themselves to army, that’s they’re intertwined, how many times have they said they are ‘you are me and I am you’.

They couldn’t do a subunit together, they had no time to do a cover song together, something I’m sure they would have loved to do in chapter two.

I just feel like they wanted to do something together in chapter two, because since the beginning of their careers, they’ve always made sure they carved out something within that highlighted the two of them. That was for the two of them.

Everyone had their own documentaries, appearances on shows or their own YouTube shows etc. Jikook too had their own docs, but they were the only to have their own show for the two of them.

I don’t think the show was a soft launch. I do think the show was another part in the long history of Jikook showing us, rather than telling us, they’re never to be divided. That the other is their source of joy, happiness and home and wherever they start, they’ll always end it with the other. Like we noticed FACE ended with Letter feat. Jungkook, Jimin’s doc ended with Jungkook, Jungkook’s doc ended with Jimin, they ended their free time travelling with each other before enlistment together and they ended their solo releases with Are You Sure?! capping it all off. Their show playing their solo songs whilst showing the two meeting together after it all.

That’s what I got from the show.

If the show was a soft launch, then enlisting together, their portions in their autobiography, their section in their monument’s documentary, GCF Tokyo��all those were soft launches too

Ultimately I think Jikook are intent on making one thing clear. Not the romantic state of their relationship. But the importantance of it full stop.

That they are important to each other AND the closest to each other. Anything else they aren’t (to me) addressing. But they are with this show and with every stage in their career, making sure it’s known that Jimin is of the utmost importance to Jungkook and Jungkook is of the utmost importance to Jimin.

Since the beginning

Thank you for this ask lovely. I don’t know if it was the answer you wanted but it’s what makes sense to me.

Thank you for anyone else that made it through this huge answer in its entirety 😩

It’d be great if anyone else wanted to give their view on this so we’re can share and discuss

💜

[chimggukchim]

A Jikooker's Take On Taekook

So...it's been a minute - real life is hectic. But I've got some downtime now and like always, a thought popped into my head and I felt like...why not write about it. So here I am.

I will preface this because of my tags that this is in no way meant to be insulting. Because first and foremost...I will always be ARMY who fell in love with all of BTS and their bonds with each other before anything. And no toxic shipper take will ever get me to hate on any members' bonds.

While watching a reactor's video on taekook's dynamic (she does all of BTS, and is not a shipper), it got me thinking back to when I just got into the fandom and was consuming content left and right, building my perception of BTS and the dynamics within them - this is clearly before I felt there was anything between jikook.

Just plain ARMY loving on all the guys. Most importantly, an ARMY who watched content without the influence of twitter or any other social media that could influence my thoughts.

Anyway, so Taekook from my perspective.

I got into BTS at the very beginning of 2017 and rapidly consumed all their content (I'm talking ALL). So by June, I had felt like I had been on this journey with them since 2013 lol.

My initial take on Taehyung and Jungkook was that they were the typical BBFs. The youngest in the group, their vibe to me was like those two class clowns who are attached at the hip, always getting into trouble together, doing the silliest things together...but being the best of friends to the point, they wouldn't know what to do without the other.

The content I saw was Jungkook and Tae doing stupid stuff, either to the other members or to each other. They were so cute. In many moments, it was the maknae line, but I always felt like Jimin was kinda trying to fit in by being silly with them. It was only after, now that I know Jimin's personality better, that I realized it was because of his level of maturity, which was much higher than Tae and JK's at that time. (I've always felt like Jimin is one of the most mature in BTS, probably right up there with Joon and Yoongi).

Anyway, so that was my perception of Taekook.

Fast forward throughout the years, we have seen that dynamic change, and I think it was inevitable and natural as these two grew up and grew more mature. No one can deny that the Tae and JK we see today are very different from the ones who did all those antics back then.

So naturally, as they individually changed, it was no surprise that their dynamic changed as well. And we did see it. Although they still loved each other (there will never be any contestation to this or any other bond in BTS, all those boys love each other to death), we saw less of their jests and games.

i thought it was just me until that little talk they had in In The Soop, where Jungkook did confess that he and Tae had sort of drifted apart and weren't as close as they were before. Now, don't get me wrong. I still believe JK loved and respected Tae, and they did spend time together doing things, but compared to how they were before, yes, there was a decrease in time spent together.

And again, that was only natural. They both had changed, and so I think they needed to re-connect with the persons, the matured adults, they were now.

It started with them voicing it out loud to each other.

And then we got the Taekook we see today. Close again, but in a different way. Now, they don't get themselves into silly antics (although they are still playful as seen in AYS). But they do spend time together doing activities they both share an affinity for.

But it will not and cannot be what it was before. Because these two have their separate lives now to live as well. Will they involve each other in their big moments? I have no doubt they will. And yes, they might spend time with each other's friends as well because that's how normal friendships work.

But there will also be a ton of moments where they will keep just to themselves and yes, their significant others, and not share with each other.

And that's normal and natural too.

So, to anyone trying to discredit their bond to prove their ship right, and YES, it goes the other way too because I am after all, in my jikook circles and see the same being done to Jimin and Jungkook, I say please stop.

Your hurtful, spiteful, DELUSIONAL words will never change reality.

And that reality is that Taehyung and Jungkook are close, they love and respect each other, they see each other as very very good friends. But...they have matured. They may no longer be the BFFs they once were, and most importantly...they are not in love with each other.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - It's the Dog Days of BL Again

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Final Week

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 5 of 12 - The side couple is so damn pouty and adorable. So far as Yak and Dee are concerned, I love that they kept up with the cosplay stuff and didn’t just drop it as a one off. I'm just genuinely enjoying seeing how much fun they have together and watching them accidentally falling in love with each other and trying not to.

Linguistic corner!

I don’t normally watch any BTS stuff, but for reasons known only to my serotonin-seeking brain, I’ve been watching a few for this show. And I MUST talk about the way Great speaks Thai. It’s so different from all of the other Good GMMTV Boys. He’s way more casual. Not rude, but definitely not as formal or as polite as any of the actors around him. It’s difficult to describe but just LISTEN to the way he hops registers and pronouns pretty consistently. Sometimes in the same sentence. He even softens his polite particles. I've never heard an actor do that out of character. It’s fascinating. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that he is older (then most of his costars) and comes outta the Bangkok club scene, and was older when he joined GMMTV. Frankly, it’s the closest I’ve ever seen on TV to the way people actually talked in Bangkok. 

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 6 of 12 eps - honestly these two shows are neck and neck for my favorites running right now and Wandee got the edge because it left me smiling, but yesterday, Stand-In would have come out on top. Such a great show. It’s so sinister. So not romantic. Which makes me feel like... it's not really a BL. And, yet, I DO NOT CARE. Because I’m enjoying its little evil soul so much. “Poor Joe” is pretty much all that goes through my head the whole time I'm watching, and I'm enjoying poking at that pain.

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 9 of 16 - I love all of the 3rd wheels. Kluen is kinda great. And I’m not just saying that 'cause I have a crush on Title, it’s because Kluen is so open and genuine. (Unless they fuck up his character.) I even enjoyed the backstory for Fang and Tan. Honestly, the friendship group is the reason to watch this show, they’re great and funny, and make everything enjoyable. It’s a soap opera, like Only Friends, but gentle with its characters and us watchers. Which is what I really want from my BL. I don’t want all of this Friend Zone backstabbing bullpuckie. 

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - I like it, frankly more than I expected to. It’s a bit slow moving, but the characters are interesting and the dynamic of everybody living in the same house together is fun. I haven’t seen this style of housemates centered Thai BL in years. I identify FAR too closely with the crass-talking bug-killing pansexual. On a completely different note, I really hope Best and Seng have an NC scene together. Last week I would never have said that, but now I think they have good chemistry. Am I crazy?

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - They are sickeningly sweet boyfriends, and Moo is such a brat and so demanding. It’s charming. There was even a little bit of dancing together which I’m sure made @heretherebedork happy. Dancing okay but NO SINGING. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Asami's past was cool to see. I enjoyed that his character finally got fleshed out and given some solidity. However, it felt like it came a little too late. Even though I know this is the way Japan tends to roll with BL timing. I wanted to like him sooner then this. Now I'm not really that invested.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8 fin - It was an extremely good and very satisfying ending for a JBL, which we cannot expect, so I'm disposed to dole out top marks for that. Also we definitely have a new contender for Namgoong award for best wingman. (Japan's favorite: the bespectacled variant.)

Summation:

Kindly Ryota goes to uni and ends up rooming with his former childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend for, as it turns out, cute roommate reasons. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake, the framing is gorgeous and it is a stylish piece. As a friends to lovers cohabitation narrative this was a classic 2000s sweet yaoi. I enjoy that kind of tradition out of Japan even if it (and the characters) come off as a little slow as a result. Still, it's nice to get a traditional BL out of Japan that is satisfying, not slapstick, AND did not hurt us. 8/10 recommended

Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 5-6fin - gonna have to wait until next week, for mysterious hotel wifi reasons.

It's airing but...

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard.

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS. How?

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 2 of 10 - yeah I can't find it. Comments from last week suggest this is not my thing anyway, but Lee Long Shi very much IS my thing, so... maybe I'll put it on hold for a bit and y'all can let me know.

In case you missed

VBL (Taiwan) is released 'Special Episode' epilogues to their 4 2023 series on Gagaoolala, Viki & Viu - watch each on the respective shows' page: You Are Mine, VIP Only, Stay By My Side, Anti Reset.

My Biker 2 (Thai movie trailer) suposedly released somewhere, search me.

The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) went to theaters, not sure if we will get this, and it may not be BL.

And here's a 2023 that I missed and finally watched:

After Sundown AKA Saengrawi

ZeeNunew vehicle from 2023, recut into a movie on YouTube. It's from Mandee and horror, yet I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Pronoun use is ter/chan or rao (no nai or pom) because of the historical setting + softness of the relationship.

It's oddly sweet and wholesome, for a ghost story. Phloeng and Rawee enter into an arranged marriage for confusing prophetic reasons and a twisted fate, solving a mystery of the past that is haunting Phloeng's family and harming Rawee. Honestly, it makes no actual sense, but it's kinda historical, and very pretty, so I enjoyed it more than I should. 8/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

June Releases

6/7 My Love Mix-Up (Fridays Thai Adaptation not sure where this will air) - I do love G4 and I did like the original and maybe this time these characters will actually kiss? I'm actually fine with this pick-up. I kind of enjoy seeing different countries remake the same IP. Especially if it's IP I'm mostly unfazed by.

6/7 The Last Time (Thailand Fridays YouTube?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something?

6/9 Love Sea (Thailand Sundays MAME warning iQIYI - New characters to the Mameverse. While travelling, a writer has a one night stand with a very irritating man. YES I WILL TRASH WATCH THIS. Drinking will happen on Sundays I guess. (Look, I do usually travel on weekends, so it may end up being Monday Mame Trash - which jives.)

6/14 Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru 2 AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (Japan movie Gaga?) - Continues the (frankly) lackadaisical story from part 1.

6/15 Sunset Vibes AKA SunsetXVibes (Thailand Saturdays) Star Hunter and MosBank on iQIYI so if nothing else it's gonna be a wild and sexy ride. A one night stand but "uh-oh he’s my boss," adapted from a web series. I’m game. Maybe it’ll have a better story than Big Dragon? Maybe it will have a plot? We can but hope.

6/26 The Rebound (Thai Weds VIU?) - MeenPing are back in their 3rd BL together, a basketball based romance (Meen was a national basketball player, so yay for that). I like this pair better than most (I still do miss Meen with Est but Est has a fantastic looking new BL coming from GMMTV so yeah...) Anyway I'm up for a sports romance starring a man who, yah know, actually played that sport so... I'm game (pun intended).

(Speaking of, why can't Est be a merman? This... I ask you?.)

Why You? (Khmer movie - Billed as a horror romance BL this is supposed to release this month.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

In my world we call this smug. (Only Boo!)

LOOK AT HIS ARM?! This has been your Goodness Gracious Great Guns Of Huge 2024 moment.

(All Wandee Goodday)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity

@rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[wangmiao]

An Incomplete History of Zhang Luyi & Chen Minghao's Friendship

Do you like Pangxie's chemistry in Tibetan Sea Flower? Do you feel that they are really old friends? Besides the fact that Zhang Luyi and Chen Minghao are very good actors, they are indeed old friends, and the earliest record that I can find of them working together dates back to 2006. However, CMH was in the 1996 class of acting at the The Central Academy of Drama, while ZLY was in the 1999 class of directing at the same university, so I figured they definitely got to know each other before 2006. So more or less, on Chinese social media, people usually assume that they've been friends for almost 20 years.

Before I dig into the history, I want to mention that some Pangxie scenes are actually improvised by ZLY and CMH on set. CHM has played Pangzi several times, and is insanely good at it, so he knows about Pangzi and the character dynamics inside out. While ZLY is new to the DMBJ universe, he did read all the DMBJ novels before the filming of Tibetan Sea Flower, so he has very insightful understanding of the characters and relationship dynamics as well.

For example, according to an interview of the director, this iconic & funny "拜年/new year's greeting" scene in episode 6 was improvised, and the director just decided to keep it in the final cut. In a BTS footage, Pangxie putting peanuts on Feng's very wrinkled test paper in episode 9 was also shown to be something that ZLY and CMH came up with during rehearsing.

The History

In the first paragraph, I mentioned that they went to the same undergraduate university. Another thing that connects them even more is that they went to the same graduate school - Peking University's School of Arts, and both have the master's degree in arts. ZLY fans sometimes just endearingly call CMH “师哥/shige" because of all of this.

In 2006, ZLY and CMH were in the stage play 琥珀/Amber. Here are some rare photos of 26-year old ZLY and 31 year old CMH LOL:

Both of them continued to do a lot of theatre works, some tv/film roles, and also attended grad school in the coming years. ZLY got his breakthrough leading role in 2014, and started to lead in shows/films.

In 2016, ZLY and South Korean actor Jang Hyuk starred in the drama 新海/New Sea, and CMH was seen sharing the following scene with ZLY. Unfortunately, due to China's ban on South Korean entertainment content in the same year, this drama will probably never see the light of day.

Then, I think some of you already know this, in late 2016, CMH directed the stage play Big D, and ZLY was his lead actor in this play. According to different news articles, the tickets of this play were sold out in either 5, 7, or 8 minutes (LOL no idea why there were such discrepancies, but they were sold out within 10 minutes for sure).

In 2018, they appeared in The Sound which is a very good variety show about dubbing. Celebrities were asked to dub domestic and international shows/films (sometimes in both Chinese and English) to show case their voice acting skills and language skills. What's really funny is that ZLY is one of the typical introverts who can be a clown when he's surrounded by people he's familiar with, but once you put him in an unfamiliar environment, he gets nervous and shy. So after he and CMH entered the room together, he just naturally and subconsciously stood right beside CMH, the one he was most comfortable with, even though he was supposed to team up with another actress (who was off screen). He got really confused for a minute when all the other guests and hosts were questioning why he didn't stand beside his teammate LOL.

Both ZLY and CMH are really very low key actors in c-ent, so you don't see them in public events a lot. The last time that they were spotted chatting in public was during the premiere of the movie Under the Light last September.

Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope this can bring some insight into their friendship. You can tell they are just so comfortable with each other, and shooting Tibetan Sea Flower seemed to be such a fun experience for them. I hope they get to work together again soon in the future!

Edit: if you noticed my tags and saw the reply of someone requesting to know why ZLY was picked as Wu Xie: I made a long post here.

[mollysunder]

After seeing the bts clip of Amanda Overton describe the deleted Ekko and Powder reunion scene, I can confidently say they shouldn't have scrapped this for "Misfit Toys". The flashback could have given a brief glimpse of Ekko outside of Vi and Jinx's sphere and better establish his and Jinx's relationship later. And they want to establish this dynamic where Ekko and Jinx had this deep friendship but it can only be relegated to music video sequences. Those two have not a single conversation in all of s1, they just get mvs.

Nearly every episode in s1 got a flashback. Each flashback established an important trait for the cast members that was effectively used to further define their characters later in the episode, Silco is the best example of it. It feels like they went with style over substance with this one, because it's not like "Misfits Toys" adds that much to the story, maybe vibes, but not actual worldbuilding like a flashback would have.

[fruitgummies01]

New Here!

As a new fan of BTS and as someone who is curious/intrigued by the dynamic between jikook, I would genuinely love to know how the fans got to the place where it is now with the ships within the fandom. It's so toxic everywhere, and I'm a little shocked to be honest. I thought Are You Sure would be a cute show that the fandom would be excited to watch, but a lot of fans ignored it when the first two episodes were released (which in hindsight was probably for the best). And since the last episode dropped, there's been nothing but fighting.

For context I became a BTS fan in 2023 and so I don't really know all the history of every interaction prior (I'm still learning). I love every member and root for their success both individually and together as a team. As someone who is just learning about everything (I've been obsessively consuming all BTS content), and when it comes to Jimin and Jungkook's connection, I've seen some of the discourse about them online. To be fair I didn't really have an opinion one way or the other, since again I'm pretty new here, I'm trying to take content at face value. But after the first two episodes of Are You Sure, it feels obvious to me that there is an intimacy there between them. Even in episode three, JK can be seen rubbing Jimin's thigh when they are at the table, something that just looked automatic and natural for him to do. From all their earlier conversations in the first two episodes, to taking care of each other since they were both sick, to the concern, to Jungkook's "you're here. finally". Even though they were filming, it all just felt really real and honest. Plus Jungkook saying he wanted the show to go on for years even after they get out of the military, said more to me than anything else. Jungkook values spending time with Jimin and is already looking towards the future, just the two of them.

As for Taekook, it definitely seems to be the more widely accepted ship (I see so many accounts with hundreds of thousands of likes and followers on so many platforms). Plus there are so many taekook comments under pretty much any content related to BTS, even under content from people who are just reacting to BTS content on youtube or patreon. For all intents and purposes Jungkook and Tae seem to have a beautiful friendship, but I just don't see how people romantically ship them (no offense lol). And it's not because I don't see a connection between them, but because I just don't see how it would make much sense, and I'd want so much more for them from a partner lol. Like what would it say about their relationship if Tae was learning about JK traveling with someone else through a schedule on their BTS group chat, or having to basically invite himself, or how the last group live where JK seemed hyper-focused on Jimin (even though he was already planning to enlist with him), or JK watching hours of Jimin specific content on lives, or planning a travel variety show with someone who you were already planning to enlist/spend every day with, or being all over someone else in bed and repeatedly rubbing their legs (bandmate or not). Like no shade, but I feel like romantically shipping Tae and JK is lowkey insulting to them as people, because they both deserve to a be priority to whoever they are in a relationship with. Also a little confused how fans seem to ignore Tae having been in a relationship with Jennie??

All my confusion aside, I am just really looking forward to watching the rest of Are You Sure, and discovering more about them and their dynamic. I love that Tae joined, even if it clearly shifted the dynamic from the first two episodes, and hopefully all the negativity suddenly surrounding the show won't ruin my excitement and love for it.

[kelli-be]

ARE YOU SURE you are ARMY?!?!

I refuse to let anybody dim my Are You Sure?! light. I have enjoyed every single moment of this show. I have watched episodes more times than I can count.

I don’t expect anything from these two except that they just enjoy these precious moments together. I am so grateful that I get a window in even though I understand it is only a window. I am perfectly fine with that. I am grateful for anything they’re willing to share.

I refuse to pick them apart and use anything to decide if they are or are not anything. I enjoy these moments in history with them. I just feel so grateful to have found all of BTS. They are such an enrichment and an uplifting force in my life.

I love the dynamics of Jimin and Jungkook. Although I feel in my lover’s heart of hearts that they are the couple I think they are, I don’t need to focus on that all the time. Most of the time I just want to enjoy watching them and experiencing these moments at the same time in history as they do.

I will be so very excited to see them all back together again and at the prospect of a world tour because you better bet I will bust my ass to get there. Whatever I have to do.

But in the meantime, I keep myself away from all the negativity. I refuse to hate any of them, I recognize their humanity and know they make mistakes. No one is perfect all of the time and expecting them to be so is unfair to them and can end up being such a stress and strain on a fan if they expect to see that. Where is the Fun in that for anyone?

In the end, I am so grateful that they chose to do this and to take time for these precious moments with each other and yes, even with Tae.. because in the long run, they said that their trip to Jeju was made better with his inclusion. And I believe what they say.. not to say that I don’t sometimes think I see what they don’t say lol. His inclusion most certainly did not cheapen their beloved moments with each other. Seeing them all three get to enjoy each other before military service was lovely.

It is my fondest wish in this huge, potentially majestic fandom that everybody quit worrying about what they want to happen and just sit back with this lovely window into this world of these amazing men…all of them and just enjoy it. They are all a gift.. they have given me so much joy and such a lift up in my stressful life. We always need to remember that we should be a gift right back.

Squabbling over who is with who and who isn’t… Demeaning bonds, and friendships and possible partnerships.. attacking members shows such a lack of emotional intelligence, a lack of maturity and a lack of gratitude for what we have been given and for the sacrifices they make to give us the joy they bring..

I always ask myself what this group would be like without any one of them.. I DON’T EVEN WANT TO KNOW and I don’t see how anyone can call themselves ARMY if they want any one of them to leave. And I just want any of those people to remind themselves that if these seven had not meshed if they had not been chosen to form this extraordinary group… If they had not fought so hard to learn each other accept each other and get along, to choose each other as BTS over and over again.. you would not have that one member you want all to yourself.

I watched them hold each other up and keep each other going and I wonder why we can’t do the same as ARMY. We almost lost them.. but they chose to come together and stay together. Why can’t we? Even if we don’t agree about things, we truly don’t really know anything about. Why can’t we just agree to calmly disagree and keep going our merry lucky way… Just something to think about. 💜💜💜

[not-goldy]

Jimin has to be so tired of always trying to hold it down and be the older one who keeps things from getting all out whack. When he's sober & clear headed and in his head space, he will ignore everything Jk says to him that flirts past friendship lol. Jokingly calls his compliment lame. Downplays JK being romantic with snarky replies. Yet you put some alcohol in that man and all that weight is gone. Then we have him laying on the floor spilling his guts and the boyfriend pops right out. "Honey" "baby" "boyfriend pic" "My Jungkook". Okay, tell us more Jimin. He really has so much weight & pressure he carries on his shoulders & probably overthinks so much, including dealing with hate. Wondering how his relationship with JK will affect BTS, his dad's business, everyone but thinking about himself really. This is where JK comes in and is loud for the both of them. So it was so nice to see Jimin just let his guard down, so much so he let us see he was down cause the trips were coming to an end. I started crying too, cause you know when Jimin lets his guard down, its major. Jimin doing this for JK, when he saw that JK needed him and went to him to make it up to him and Letter, is probably two of the boldest things we ever seen him do, besides enlisting with Jk. He really let his guard down and let us see his vulnerability. I feel so honored esp knowing how private Jimin's become.

Awwwww I love this so much

I love you for this Anon. Marry me. I'll cook and clean and pay the bills.

Thank you thank you very much.

That's a perfect description of Jimin or at least how I see him in their dynamic. Just perfect. I got sick and tired of reading these bizarre takes and perspectives of him I couldn't resonate with from solos it turned me off. Waaayyy off. Like shut up I don't even want you to talk to me about Jimin no more just shut the hell up.

But this. Tell me more. It resonates hard my goodness.

He is the Hyung you know and I have a problem with people who try to undermine this aspect of him by constantly making him out to be some weakling and victim of the duo.

And I got tired of having to explain this over and over but dude does carry himself as Jungkook's hyung, HE IS HIS FILTER. THE VOICE OF REASON. THE MATURE ONE OF THE TWO THE ONE THE MEMBERS GO TO OR LOOK UP TO TO KEEP JUNGKOOK IN CHECK.

However it is a double edged sword and a Thorned crown because now he gotta overthink everything he gotta worry about everything

Imagine feeling he had to make sure they both could maintain their relationship without having it ruin the dynamics of the group. He had to make sure he wasn't keeping Kook all to himself always, or letting Kook have him all to himself lest it breads resentment among other members.

Imagine he had to agree with the members out of consideration because he would rather have Kook than not at all.

Imagine him having to forgive their fights, not talk to people about the problems they be having, trying to resolve all conflicts at home before coming on to set. I keep saying this, JIMIN IS THE REASON THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAS THRIVED WITHIN THE GROUP THIS LONG AND HE IS THR REASON THE BAND HASNT CRUMPLED BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP.

Left to some members and the management there would be a no dating among members policy because lime every one readily points out if they are indeed an item then its a huge risk to the band and company. I mean please look at where Suga is now. Now imagine if two members of BTS were actually found out to be queer and dating💀

It's a disservice to victimize Jimin. He is an intelligent resilient powerful negotiator and anyone who tries to put in their heads their relationship won't work or that they will fight and argue woukd be met with a resounding "DOESN'T APPLY TO US"

You making me want to lick Jimin's ass stop Anon stop

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I just caught up on Hobi's live. Interesting to know Hobi and JK don't seem to be in touch as much now. I really thought 3J were pretty close. Didn't you? Solo era is interesting so far. Looks like slowly we'll know who are close and aren't that close, based on who is keeping in touch with who.

I'm only going to say this once because I'm going to start deleting asks like this one. This is for you and all the countless anons who think the same way about various friendships in BTS. Stop using this as some gotcha moments. They are not. First of all, it's an incredibly boring topic for me to discuss and second of all, it's down right pathetic. "Solo era is interesting, it shows the real friendship". Try and have adult friendships that last more than a decade and perhaps you'll get wiser. It's like there's this pleasure in looking for clues and almost wanting to hear that they are not close anymore. I understand that everything is so boring right now and there's barely anything of substance to talk about, but maybe do something else?

[stormblessed95]

these past eps have atleast solidified that jikook arent dating esp with the ham and sausage thing , i mean i knew that one or the other thing is going to solidify after this show that they are dating or not now as a past jikooker who was new to bts and deep into jikook fandom this would have terrified me but after rm's album and tae and jennie thing i had seperated myself from jikook but now its fine bc i dont see any diff in the way tae and jk behave and jm and jk behave esp with the ham and sausage and the pool hairpul thing was so physically wierd that idk wldnt do that to a couple

Y'all motherfuckers. Lmfao I watched the episode. @namekings was correct that I'm putting everyone in timeout! The ham scene? Really? A little fake lunge? Fucking absurd. Jimin's done that to him before too!

Anyway, the cursing is whatever in regards to responding to a possible minor... But anon, this is why I need to know how old you are because I refuse to explain the inherent uh, "desire" that can come from (and after) play fighting and rough housing to you if you are a child. Because this reads like you are a child... Even straight couples do this

Same goes for talking about the hair pulling. Jkkrs aren't calling it kinky for no fucking reason. And it's not just because it's their ship. If you know, you know. And if you don't, you are probably too young to be participating in this conversation lol

But like this is the internet. If you aren't a child, you HAD to have at least stumbled across stuff.

Glad you don't care/it's fine though anon. Lol you don't care so much that you came here to tell me all about it. It's definitely proving that you are just fine about it all 😂

I'm not touching that I don't see a difference between tkk and jkk statement btw. Lol you are just trying to trigger people with that one 😂 you don't have to think they are dating to at least admit that every dynamic in various friendships can differ and change. So let's be so real there, okay?

[akookminsupporter]

When you said "Tae has always favoured Jimin’s attention" it made me think of the "I like you the most" moment on the Let's BTS talk show. I've honestly always found that moment a bit cringy/awkward bc you could see Tae was really honest and real telling Jimin that and Jimin didn't say it back and tried to cut the moment short by saying "I like you a lot too". Like that's NOT what Tae said. I get that Jimin was flustered and didn't know what to say to not hurt him but that was so awkward

Ah yes, that moment was… interesting, and as you say, awkward for several reasons, mainly Jimin's reaction. I remember there was a lot of talk about it at the time, and quite a few discussions here on the blog, but honestly, I don't remember what I said back then. After all this time, I think Tae definitely expected Jimin to say the same thing back or at least have a different reaction. I believe Jimin was partly genuinely embarrassed – not in a bad way – and partly didn’t want to say the same words back because he didn’t feel it. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care deeply for Tae or genuinely appreciate their friendship, but perhaps they see their friendship and what each of them means to the other in different ways.

If people paid a bit more attention to the dynamics of the maknae line, Jungkook and Tae are more in tune with Jimin than with each other, and they connect with him on different wavelengths. That’s why their dynamics are different, even though they might seem to have several similarities.

But the key factor, and sometimes the one holding things together, is Jimin. And I think Jimin knows this, which is why he sometimes seems like a passive referee between them and a peacekeeper as well.

[jeonscatalyst]

‘Fans’ easily accept other member duos, don’t call them fake or fanservice or scripted - but with jikook they can’t even accept their friendship, and call them fake or even forced! When really on things like AYS (or any other jikook content) they are literally just being themselves. it’s so tiring. If fans don’t ship them, ok, but how can you not even accept their friendship?? if you’re a fan why would you call them fake or forced? can’t understand it, how can they not see they literally get on so well together and are friends ??? It’s not forced in the slightest.

Hey anon,

I could write a whole dissertation on this topic and still wouldn’t feel like I’ve said enough about it.

I’ve come to realize that there are so many different reasons why Jikook is that one duo in BTS that people have very different opinions or feelings about.

*Some people genuinely don’t understand Jikook’s bond so because they find it too complicated they choose not give themselves headaches trying to figure it out so they ignore it.

*Many people in this fandom are taekookers or closeted taekookers so naturally, they would refuse to acknowledge Jikook’s bond because it is a threat to their ship.

*Some people genuinely find Jikook’s interactions uncomfortable to watch. There’s alot of layers to Jikook’s bond and whether you believe it or not, many more people find jikook sus that they are willing to admit. Some of these people are homophobic, some of them are completely against shipping and can’t even imagine the members together and some of them are Y/Ns. How do you expect people like this to explain Jikook? They wouldn’t want to give in to their suspicions or even admit that they find Jikook sus so they naturally assume that Jikook only look sus because they are doing fanservice or are being fake because if they take fanservice out of the table, they wouldn’t know how to explain some of the things Jikook do.

*Some people are just haters. Some people just hate the idea of Jimin and Jungkook together and these people fall in the categories of shippers, solos, YNs etc. For reasons best known to them, they hate Jikook together so they would do or say just about anything to invalidate their bond.

*Seeing as human beings generally perceive things differently, maybe some people really read some of Jikook’s actions as fanservicey, forced or faked. We have established that Jikook don’t have a normal relationship with each other and that because of their circumstances, sometimes some of their interactions could come off awkward or clunky maybe even forced to some people. Think of that moment during the black swan behind the scenes where Jk “forcefully” hugged Jimin who was tired and probably didn’t want to be touched. While most of us jikookers found that moment cute because Jk just wanted to hug Jimin and fought through the push, others won’t see it like that. Or even with the travel show, we all know that it only happened because Jimin and Jungkook both wanted it to happen but just because Jimin was the one who brought up the idea and pushed to make it happen, some people will assume that Jk was forced just because he didn’t seem as enthusiastic as Jimin but we know that the show wouldn’t have happened if Jk really didn’t want it and I know that Jk could seem a bit nonchalant about certain things sometimes but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care or doesn’t want it, he just has his ways which many people in this fandom still haven’t understood so they would perceive some of those things as forced not because they are haters but just because that is really how they see it.

Unfortunately, Jikook’s bond will never be as easy to digest as other duo bonds in BTS because Jimin and Jungkook don’t have the same relationships as the others. With any other duos, they are easy to read and understand. There are no complicated feelings or overly layered dynamics so it’s easy for everyone to see and accept their bond for what it is but that isn’t the case for Jikook because these two are complicated as hell to read and understand so it is only normal that Jimin and Jungkook as a duo will give people mixed feelings.

We know that Jikook have a real, deep and true bond because we have paid attention to them and seen it all these years but that doesn’t mean everyone would and not necessarily because they don’t want to see or accept it but because they can’t admit it for different reasons or they can’t understand Jikook.

[mimikoolover]

some "controversial" thoughts on are you sure:

jungkook's ideal scenario is probably that jimin sides with him in situations but especially when he's right. jimin claimed he knew it was pink sausage but he still sided with tae and I think that is is what made jungkook snap at him. we've seen numerous times that jimin tries to get the rise out of jungkook, obviously in a joking way, which he wouldn't be doing if jungkook was snapping at him like that all the time. he also said he enjoys doing this (and being scolded by jungkook) which says it all about how bs people's 'concerns' are.

as a side note I also notice that tae in his role as the hyung 'polices' jungkook's behaviour a lot more than jimin ever does.

tbh I'm not a big fan of the times when vmin would speak about jungkook in front of his face like he isn't there about how he can beat their (well tae's) ass up or how much he's eating. I know it's all jokes between friends and stuff but at the end of the day I do not think jungkook deep down enjoys that because no one would. and jimin only does this when tae is there, so I think while the entire vminkook dynamic is quite sweet, from some reactions in the past such as jungkook's initial reaction to tae coming to Jeju and his reaction during his live on his bday when vmin turned up at this house together kinda tells me he's not always a big fan of vmin ganging up on him. no one talks about it but I find it interesting how jikook's dynamic changes when tae is there because of how jimin interacts with tae.

throughout the Jeju episodes we didn't get anything sentimental or anything about vminkook (that we were shown) which is realistic but as much as people hype vminkook up, between the three of them I didn't see anything 'special'. they're just 'normal' friends who bicker and get along fine and have a massive history to share and they will probably always love each other, be there for each other and have that bond but I do wonder if they never met in bts would the 3 of them be friends in the same way. I'm not that sure tbh. especially in terms of travelling together since jikook have their things they wanted to do (and let's be real, they don't totally enjoy the same things but they enjoy making plans that they know the other will enjoy) which tae may not have chosen to do himself. tae's 'workout' was also interesting. if I'm being cynical, just watching the episodes I got the feeling tae came along to get a free holiday and spend some time with jimin and some limited time with jungkook but he increasingly let jikook be which to be fair to tae I have to wonder was because they kept calling him guest kinda making it obvious him being there wasn't their first preference. but I did really like that no one played anything up for the fans/cameras and we truly got to see them without fanservice or having tasks like writing each other letters and whatnot.

overall I liked the Jeju episodes and I know jungkook said they were better because tae was there but I have to disagree on that if I'm completely honest (and I wonder how much he really thought that vs said it because he's a nice person who always thinks about others' feelings and it was a nice thing to say). the best parts were when only vmin or only jikook were interacting (we hardly had taekook interact alone apart from the very beginning) so tbh...maybe it will change when they are back but I can lowkey see why vminkook as a trio were not hanging out together the year before Jeju. and it wasn't totally awkward but tae's position as the guest, if they weren't in bts and had the history they have with each other (aka they were just 'normal' people with 'normal' friendships) would have been a little bit painful for everyone involved imo.

namjoon kept being brought up to jungkook fascinated me because we have 1. joon saying he loves jimin the most 2. tae asking why joon didn't come to Jeju (he had joon on his mind tbf) and jungkook essentially saying no one would be invited lol 3. jimin teasing jungkook by pretending to jokingly tell on jungkook to namjoon when jungkook said he enjoyed travelling with the maknae line. I love namjoon and jungkook's friendship a fair amount but the dynamic between them both loving jimin the most and jungkook "winning" will always be fascinating to me.

I feel like throughout the entire show there is an undercurrent of us knowing jikook have a strong bond, them knowing we know, they don't explicitly say it but they act like it's a fact that's been establish that they don't have to 'prove' because everyone should and does already know it. there is literally 0 fanservice in this show in terms of them playing up their friendship for the cameras so that fans have cute moments to watch (as idols tend to do sometimes). and they do stuff like cuddle and play around but you can tell it's what they want to do and not something they do so that fans have something cute to watch. I also liked that they said they're not gonna argue in the military and I can 100% believe that seeing how much on the same page they are on everything. I honestly wasn't expecting them to be so in sync so consistently but it was so obvious that they always know what the other is thinking. if they truly didn't get to see each other a massive amount it obviously did not affect their bond or how well they know each other/how much on the same page they are. I would guess even if they have disagreements they know how to deal with it without full blown arguments because of 1. how well they know each other 2. how important they are to each other so that they make a conscious effort to get along well.

jimin keeps bringing up to people (first we saw with joon now with tae) that he and jungkook are enlisting together which tells me how it's a big deal/something important for him and I feel like he enjoys letting people know about it and establishing their (jikook's) closeness with this even more. they may never say the reason why they enlisted as companions but they certainly act like we already know the reason as if it's obvious, which tbh, it is. the reason being is that they just wanted to be there for each other. I mean they did actually say that. for the fandom to truly take it in though I think they expect jikook to literally spell it out like they are telling 3 year olds why they shouldn't eat a crayon lol