#solos and shippers need this too

[adancerdiestwice]

Thoughts on ARMY and Consumerism

*Disclaimer: ARMY is used to describe all fans of BTS, despite contention about who should be allowed to use the term. This is critical of ARMY and HYBE. If you are sensitive to that criticism, you are forewarned.*

K-pop itself perpetuates a high level of consumerism with non-stop releases, numerous merch drops, multiple album copies, brand deals, and ambassadorships. Where BTS has been able to break many boundaries traditional K-pop sets, ARMY’s levels of consumerism has gotten unbelievably outrageous.

Just today, Jin was named ambassador of a jewelry company, with photos debuting him wearing the jewelry. One bracelet he wore in one photo got the attention of ARMY and within a few hours it sold out. But, that bracelet was $27,000 USD. This month, teasers of Despicable ME x BTS hinted that there may possibly be a collaboration or maybe a song on the soundtrack – only for it to be a merch popup?? And two mentions of BTS in the whole movie? Yet ARMYs are selling out BTSxMinions collab merch, for what? It was all ugly anyway and the minionifed members looked ridiculous, bordering disrespectful.

There are countless other examples: meaningless FESTA and RPWP merch, fundraising money to buy more albums to boost numbers, changing Twitter layouts for the merch releases.

Like any celebrity, BTS (the logo, the slogans, the BT21, the TinyTan) has turned into a brand, and have been for many years. But, inherently, as fans, we are not a fan of a brand. There may be ideological differences here in the way people are fans, but personally, I am here because I absolutely adore BTS’ music. I find them to be compelling, talented, unique artists creating and conveying beautiful, thoughtful messages through their music.

Of course, how is a group supposed to make money? They sell merchandise, albums, tickets to events and concerts. At some point though, enough is enough. Their messaging, artistry and dedication to their craft gets so muddled when all anyone ever wants to talk about is the new shiny thing HYBE has plastered their logo and faces onto. And more than half of ARMY buys into it.

It has a unique overlap with the spread of unofficial information and photos of the members. Since HYBE has primed ARMY to always be looking forward to the next thing they can get their hands on, especially in a “drought” of a hiatus (its not at this point), ARMY turns to member’s family accounts, Dispatch, media, and military websites just to get their fix of BTS. Their marketable attachments to their brand have turned inward to the members themselves, to the highest degree it has ever been.

If you speak out against the spread of unofficial content, some ARMY will scream at you to say “You don’t know how things work here, educate yourself, grow up, go back to Twitter.” To that I say, maybe the fandom should be reevaluating itself, like many ARMY already have. If we claim to love and support the members, why are we engaging with posts that are an invasion of privacy? Why are we allowing this level of normalization? Why should we be talking about family members that in ARMY’s relationship with BTS, have absolutely no involvement? Seeing the treatment of military pictures, press releases from unofficial sources, and updates is so disheartening, knowing that multiple members wished to go quietly and return to us as soon as possible (which is showing in their actions post-enlistment). Again, whether or not this is normalized does not matter, this is their time to be civilians. They can’t even have their privacy when they are legally out of their jobs as idols.

The manifestation of a perceived love and commitment to BTS as a member of ARMY has lead fans to be disillusioned with the people behind the brand. This is amplified tenfold in solo and (some) shipper spaces. BTS have built a relationship with their fans under the pretense of trust and respect for ten years. Every fan will hold a different ‘relationship’ to BTS, but tying their success to merch sales, streaming numbers, and album sales only pushes ARMY further into the cogs of consumerism. Focusing on every little update you can scour the internet to find, which turns out to be unethically sourced, pushes a fanbase without the moral structures ARMY have prided themselves on for years.

All of this piles on top of each other to reveal a fandom willing to silence ARMY who are using their fan platforms built on the radicalization that BTS has provoked in people to speak up for justice and humanity. When this issue of monetary focus in ARMY is discussed in the name of boycotting HYBE, people cannot even fathom the idea of pausing their spending on their favorite group, possibly for fear of missing out, sacrificing their fan involvement, or simply refusing to see the mission behind a boycott.

This leaves a fandom divided, hurt, and devastated in the wake of destruction from those who cannot see the value in BTS as humans and individuals first and foremost. I hope individuals reconsider what brought them to the fandom, what makes them stay in the fandom, and why they love the members. ARMY is not and should not be characterized by aesthetics and money, despite the current state of this fandom telling us otherwise.

[buddiebitch]

“you can multiship” but i won’t

“so glad i’m a multishipper” good for you

“why can’t everyone multiship?” because i don’t want to

[chamomilewrittingblock]

Solo Leveling Brainrots

Fellow Jinwoo Simps I need your thoughts and opinion!! Also MASSIVE brainrot warning!!!

QUESTION: How do you think Jinwoo would react to his partner questioning his taste in lovers? (ie. Being interested in Reader themselves)

How id imagine the confession would go: Jinwoo, pre-awakening: I like you *holds bouquet of flowers Reader, confused: um! *looks around to see if he's talking to someone behind them before pointing at themselves confused*... me? Jinwoo: Yes, You. Reader, Shocked: oh! Um... I like you too... but *hesitates* are you sure? About me??

The feeling is mutual!!! It's just his lover doesn't have alot of confidence in themselves. Or any confidence into getting a romance with anyone, let alone Jinwoo!! Reader feels like they have ZERO RIZZ (reader has enough rizz to woo Jinwoo so...).

Like would he hype them up???? Mayhaps but in subtle ways though I'd imagine🤔🤔. You think he'd be extra affectionate when reader gets shy??? Would this differ pre and post awakening?? (I imagine Jinwoo and reader wouldn't want the relationship public due to safety since hes a hunter and all)

AND WHAT ABOUT HIS POST AWAKENING GLOWUP AND THE FANS!!! READERS ALREADY SHY BUT THE TABLOID EVENTUALLY CHIPS AT THE SLOWLY BUILT CONFIDENCE JINWOO HELPED BUILD.

OHMYGOSH WHAT ABOUT THE TABLOIDS WITH CHA HAE-IN???? WOULD HE GET WORRIED SINCE READER MIGHT GET INSECURE OR JUST KINDA SAD???

WHAT IF READER TELLS HIM THAT HE DESERVES BETTER, BELIVJNG THAT READWR DOESNT DESERVE HIS LOVE?? AAAA OUCHHHH.. I GUESS HE HAS TO STAY WITH READER AND REMIND THEM OF HIS UNWAVERING LOVE WITH CUDDLES AND QUALITY TIME DJBDBFIDN

(reader is Jinwoo's ride-or-die, the monarch of his heart and soul, the love reader gives him is like comfort of warm soup at the end of the day, the kind that soothes even the deepest of wounds. Reader's love is also a drug, one that he cant get enough of. If he loses reader, Jinwoo would go insane.)

AUDBUDBDIBD HOLY!!!! WOULD HE GET PISSED ABOUT IT AND ENDS UP GETTING CLINGY IF CRAZY SHIPPERS TRYING TO PUT READER IN DANGER IE. SENDING A MONSTER READER'S WAY BECAUSE OF THEM BEING A "THREAT" TO THEIR SHIP (HIM AND CHA HAE-IN)??? I MEAN LIKE GUIDE THE MONSTER SPECIFICALLY AWAY FROM THE DUNGEON TO READERS LOCATION TOO. (TO THE EXTENT THAT ITS CLEARLY FOUL PLAY)

LIKE THANK THE MONARCHS THAT READER HAD SHADOWS ASSIGNED AND MAYBE WAS DECENTLY RANKED AFTER AWAKENING BUT IT COULD HAVE ENDED AWFUL IF THE FATES WERENT ON READERS SIDE!!

WOULD HIS ARMY GET PROTECTIVE TOO?? IGRIS??? BERU??? LIKE HOW DARE THESE FOOLS HARM THEIR MONARCHS BELOVED?!?!?!? 😡😡EVEN WORSE IS IF READER WORMED THEIR WAY INTI THEIR HEARTS BY GENUINELY GETTING TO KNOW THEM SO ITS PERSONAL NOW TOO!!

Reader has to calm down not only a PISSED jinwoo but his Shadows too (mainly Jinwoo though)!! And maybe being the only reason Jinwoo hadn't gone on a rampage after everything setted. Was he bribed with a heated makout session and plenty of cuddles afterwards to temper his rage and soothe his anxiety, yes. Did it work??? Probably. If it did??That's none of our buisness.

Id imagie Cha Hae-in would feel bad™ if they found out about Jinwoo and reader (just assuming the two being best friends)?? Being like "oh shit someone, a civilian no less, almost died because of her fans" Even worse if later on she learns that they're together aaaaa

But like seriously, what a messed up reminder of the power S-Rank Hunter have on the media. Yes, they know about their celebrity status affecting what they can or can't do but like this??? A whole different level, because yes, people targeting other?? Awful? Yes, but its fine. Using a MONSTER FROM A DUNGEON to target a CIVILIAN?? This is a whole new level of messed up.

Would the other S-ranks and National-ranked hunters feel like kinda bad too once they hear about it??

what the fuck??? For the following reasons:

No one deserves that

Its a civilian going against fans that are most likely hunters, the very individuals hunters are ment to protect from monsters ever since the dungeons appeared

THE HUNTERS USED A HIGH RANKED MONSTER TO TARGET A CIVILIAN (the mutual enemy internationally)

this was all done because PEOPLE BEING ENTITLMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE S-RANK HUNTERS.

This is furthur solidified and makes the WHOLE DEBACHLE worse because only EXPERIENCED hunters would have the knowledge and experince to be able to lure a monster from a dungeon break to a specific location, especially if reader wasn't even near the dungeon in the first place.

(For anyone who's read this all the way, thanks for reading my silly thoughts!)

[hazzabeeforlou]

i had a question and i hope that it doesn’t sound rude. do you feel ashamed being in the fandom and being a shipper at 32? i ask because i am 27, and have been in the fandom since 2012, off and on. i haven’t rly been in it actively for the last two years or so, but when i want to come back, i feel embarrassed. i also don’t think i could handle the stress of it tbh! lol. i hope you are well <3

I was going to answer this yesterday but then remembered I had a 7 hour drive today and didn’t want to stay up later than I already was. Because I’m an adult, with (now one) previous multiple jobs, a pet, rent, vehicle, three post high school diplomas, and student loans, and there are many things in my life I get ashamed of, like when I answer “you too” when a cashier tells me thanks for shopping or when I let a whole bag of celery go bad in my fridge without ever cleaning or eating it. Shame? At my tax dollars funding death weapons and family members voting for strong men? Sure. Latent homophobic internalized shame from my upbringing? Yeah, sometimes.

But life is too fucking short to be embarrassed or hold shame about a FANDOM. Listen, I “ship” Johnlock, or Merthur, but Larry wasn’t a ship for me it was a discovery of queer joy. Like I’m so sorry but baby Larry was real. 100%, actually, seriously legit, like how else do you fucking explain any or all of that. We watched two boys fall in love with each other and okay we don’t know the devil or the details but we have how many albums and interviews, jokes made by media personalities etc, plus the fact that now, this many years later, their solo stuff is still haunted by a nauseating back and forth, these odd lyrical choices that are echoed in the other?

Yeah it’s not a ship. It’s a thing that happened, that we witnessed, and by virtue of it happening and us witnessing it something about gay love became dreamable, reachable, attainable, soft and puppy and exciting and wild. Their secret sign language and mimed blow jobs and jealous looks and touches when they thought there were no cameras, all those things made queerness not just something you saw on Glee. Not just something your parents talked about while wrinkling their nose up about ‘those people.’ It’s a generational thing, the world has moved on, we don’t NEED Larry anymore. And that’s okay. But we don’t need it because it happened. Not to be a brat but you exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.

And yeah, we wrote fics about highly characterized and publicized versions of Larry, often inserting our own traumas or fantasies, creating a kind of gay mythos around this witnessed event from the periphery, from the lens of the consumer, the only lens we have. But I’m not ashamed of that. You think stories are only ever written about people that don’t exist? At some point you have to acknowledge that in our world, celebrities are the deities of our popular imagination. I could write a thesis, but before I get into the weeds, suffice to say Harry and Louis have created a world of what can be, unburdened by what has been.

Yk? Anyways. Hope this made you feel better. And hope you come back to visit from time to time. I’ll be here.

[mcrtruther]

Ok historians I am reaching a part of the timeline I am not familiar with and I need help

I am requesting:

-info on any and all known contact between Frank and Gerard from MCR breakup to reunion (I know about the solo albums, I need direct interaction)

-was Frank at Mikey and Kristin’s wedding?

-sobriety timelines for both Frank and Gerard

-when did Frank’s piercings disappear?

-timeline of Frank’s chronic illness and injuries (might not use this but need it for personal reasons)

Any help is appreciated and if any anti-real person shippers see this please just disregard and mind your business I am way too old to fight on the internet

Thanks!!

[slaaverin]

I love that last ask, and your reply.

Just one thing I’ve wondered since the ending of the show myself…

So, I was thinking hypothetically, that even if it was the case that jikook didn't see each other for months, if they are ‘just friends', why on earth did they need to carve out time to travel together? They could have literally just hung out in Seoul when eventually free, had dinner, drinks, gone to a gig, (I mean they did, when they went to D-Day, they hung out with Yoongi as Jimin said), like they do with others, like Jimin going to an art gallery with Joon (who he also didn't see much of in 2023).

I mean seeing as how busy they were, especially as the schedule was fit into JK's already very busy schedule (and literal release of his first solo single) squeezed in, why would it matter?

Because if they are just friends, they are no more just friends than any of the other member, or any of their other friends?

I know they made it work, by having it filmed, and had to bc of MS, and that this was planned and executed by the company, and sold to Disney as we know. It was obviously part of their chapter 2, I think spearheaded by Jimin, but it is such a major thing to do.

But, again, if they were only friends, why?

I say this also because in a majorly loud way, it marks them as different to the others. The why of it all. Why they wanted/needed to do this with each other, and only them (as was intended). Jimin spent half of 2023 saying the only members he saw were Hobi and Yoongi - which in turn made other shippers think that they are finally ready to show the world their relationship (and I mean that literally, I saw a thread about it yesterday, that in 2023 Yoongi was fulfilling Jimin's words in 'Serendipity'). I digress… but he also supported Hobi at Lola and Yoongi in Newark.

If we think about it, in real time we did not know what they were doing in NYC, and we only got fan stalker pics, nothing from them. Nothing on social media, no live. Why? Jimin went live with Yoongi, and posted pics of them on Instagram, also with Joon when they went to the art gallery. Why didn't they post or go live even if it was just him supporting JK in NYC, like he did Yoongi, and Hobi. It makes no sense if they are 'just friends, as to me, again, it marks them as different?

I can’t wrap my head around it if they are just friends (I know they aren’t in my gut), because it hits different to me.

There was another thread going round on x about unpopular opinions on them. Ridiculous thread, some comments were downright ridiculous, homophobic ( coming from supposed supporters) and typical they broke up: have never been together: are just bros… blah blah. Again, from jikookers. However there were some good takes shouting back. Especially when it comes to MS.

The enlistment then hits harder. That is so damn loud. The only idols to ever use the buddy system. To me the whole laying low in 2023 makes sense in that context. We didn’t know about the show until after their enlistment had been secured. We saw them at Yoongis concert but that was fine bc he is a member, they were with Tae. They were in NY we didn’t know why, until we got that infamous back selca, we had nothing. Then boom, what followed a year ago in 10 days is something none of us saw coming. The fact they left everyone behind but each other, is loud. It’s so loud it’s hard tk believe it’s real. Again, to me in this scenario and with them being who they are, this was so meaningful. If they were ‘just friends’ why? There was no need. Especially seeing how again, from our perspective and the fandom at large they were distant in 23, didn’t see each other, then bam. They enlisted?

What in the world?

It should be lorded over, protected too, and shouted from the rooftops. But I know, like you said, it’s safer this way. For us who see it to protect them. To celebrate them quietly.

You see that's something that has always been striking to me.

The fact that Jimin or Jungkook have no trouble sharing some of their outings or interaction with other members but somehow when it comes to the two of them it's always a bit more "hush hush" meaning they don't really show it and we often have to learn it from other people.

Why the need for this kind of privacy if they are just friends? It's doesn't make sense.

It seems that their time together is something precious to them, something they cherish. You cherish the things you love.

So that's very telling.

Once again with enlistement it's everything we need to know.

To discuss that kind of commitment you have to see each other and communicate a lot, plan, think, talk. It's not a small things. So god knows how many times they have seen each other without anyone knowing.

The fact they don't really need us to know it shows it's not really about public image or their colleague realtionship. It was a deeply private and personal decision.

As I said before all of them are friends. They could have enlisted with anyone in the group, or alone, but they didn't.

It shows the strength and commitment to their relationship, which is obviously more deep that what's going on with the group and the public.

Honestly even if we were pretty sure about jikook since all these years for me there was still a bit of healthy skepticism you know like "maybe we're just...wrong?" 😂 but damn when the annoucement for enlistement came it just comfirmed everything in a very solid way. The way it all played out, it was clear that their feelings run deeper than simple friendship. It's way, way more. Because this is simply a huge decision to make.

And the way they talked about it in AYS "I'm not worried about us fighting" do you get the level of connexion to make a statement like this? Once again, huge.

Ah I simply have zero doubts in my mind. Like, they did everything, they told everything that show the amount of love and commitment they have for each other.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and take care 💜

[solarwynd]

A few pjms / Jimin biased always seem a bit surprised by this so I just want to make this clear - all solos and a good part of armys who are diet solos legit despise Jimin more than any other member ever. Part of it is because this fandom is made of shippers but that's not all of it. Its because pre chapter two every dumbfck army had a totem pole of popularity for the members and they always had Jimin third. Then they had a totem pole for talent and god knows where they put Jimin on that one - it was near the bottom for sure. And then finally they had their totem poles for solo ambition / capability and they all placed Jimin dead last as the member who cared the least about a solo career and the one who would be the least artistically involved in his solo work

Chapter 2 has finally come and every other member has performed almost exactly as they were expected to except Tae who underperformed a fair bit and Jungkook being a bit more of a sellout than expected. But apart from that there's not a single member who didn't fall in line with armys imagination save one of course - Jimin.

This is why Jimins achievements rile them up so much because they still look at everything he does through this lens. They won't consider that they severely underestimated him or that talent and good music can make that much of a difference because what does that say about their fave who's still in the pits of obscurity or needing millions of dollars of payola to achieve the same thing? Aren't rap line supposed the geniuses that built BTS? Isn't Taehyung supposed to be the most popular kpop idol ever? Isn't Jungkook supposed to be the golden maknae who is positioned as the successor and true inheritor of BTS' legacy? What's Jimin doing at the top of the charts everytime he releases anything? Why's his solo music loved by most casual fans who dip their toes into BTS' solo ventures? Isn't he just Jimin who's only good at dancing but still not the best dancer from BTS?

This is what they all think. They're wrong but I swear this is what each and every one of them thinks which is why they'll all swallow bot farms and thirty versions and any other bs that gets thrown around because they do not want to accept reality - that Jimin is and has always been one of the biggest reasons BTS got as big as it did and that him not bragging about his talents or hyping his own image is just him being (a little too) humble and not an accurate reflection of the truth. Truth is his solo music has always done extremely well, truth is his dance has always been more compelling to watch than jhopes, truth is JK sounds like every run of the mill sm male kpop idol whose stans will brag about a voice that nobody listens to. But these are not the narratives that have run through this fandom for years like a disease

I don’t think any pjm is surprised at armys behavior because them treating jimin like an outsider has been a thing for a while now. It’s just the natural disbelief that armys still have the gall to be peddling “OT7” and believing that solos are the worst people ever when a good chunk of them clearly have very strong feelings of resentment towards him.

[not-goldy]

WELCOME TO MY CHAT PAGE EARTHLINGS

This is a shipper friendly space. Jikook centered of course. BTS enthusiast and a bit of a freak you're warned🥴💀

No minor allowed.

No homophobic rat allowed

If you don't know what leaning is you're too innocent to be here. Not allowed. Go away.

I repeat Plus 18 only.

I hate solos. Stay away. Not allowed.

No Trump supporter needed. Not allowed. Stay away

Watch this cute video 📹 😍 ☺ 💕

Ask me anything.

BROWSE OUR THREADS IF YOU WANNA HEAR WHAT EVERYONE THINKS OF CERTAIN TOPICS

1. VMINKOOK THREAD

2. VMIN and common goals

3. Jikook and dating

4. BIGHIT VS BTS SHIPS

5. AYS THREAD PT1

6. Favorite asks about Jimin

7. Watch this space for more threads and pins📌

[herejusttosufferalong]

I've been a Lukola shipper since last year, and I've been reading all the male POVs. So, I decided to ask the dudes in my life about this whole situation. I talked to some of my male BFFs and my brother. I'll start with what my brother, who's 15 (I'm 19), had to say.

Over the past three days, I showed him most of the interviews, especially the unhinged ones, all the hand-holding clips, Tif's edits, etc. Then I introduced him to the GF and gave him a brief rundown of all the antics - Instyle, NY and London premieres, Deuxmoi, pool pics, Milan, GQ.

Here’s what he thinks:

Luke and Nic LOVE each other. Luke probably loves her more, or maybe she's just better at hiding it. Nic is affectionate towards everyone, so it’s not as apparent. My brother thinks Nic is really funny and obviously beautiful, especially after watching her solo interviews like "9 Things I've Never Tried Before," ASMR, and accents.

Luke is being hot and cold. After I told him about the break after Brasil, he said that makes sense. It seems like whenever Luke goes back to his friends, he comes back acting like a dick. I showed him Luke's hot boy summer phase and the NYE video of them dancing. He said Luke acts like a dick when he's with his friends, especially Rory, who seems like the leader. He even noticed Tom and said Luke should hang out with him more. When I mentioned Rory breaking up with his GF and now dating Sienna (who's 23), he immediately clocked it and said, “Wow, Lukey did the same.” In a very not impressed tone. I couldn't stop laughing.

Nothing happened in Brasil. My brother thinks Nic would never do anything shady. The interviewers and overall vibes of Brasil were super chill, so Luke let himself loose a bit. However Nic seemed the same, maybe a little more giggly.

NY and London premieres:

NY: They looked fine, but Luke seemed pissed for some reason. The hand moment was insane. He thinks the GF blindsided Nic and set up the videos of them hugging, because why aren’t there videos of others?

London: Nic seemed a little wary, and Luke looked downbad. Luke T and Nic either need to work together or date, or both, because they're cute. Simone is definitely a shipper. He also thinks Golda might be a shipper, but she seems to have clocked Luke’s shit and is side-eyeing, which he is too. The Deuxmoi stunt was dumb and embarrassing.

About A, R, and S:

Rory: Luke hangs onto Rory’s every word, so the GF might not be going anywhere as long as she's in the friend group. My brother hates Rory and thinks he's Luke’s constant during the hot boy summer phase. Rory wasn't seen much before that. Other Anons, is this true?

A: A is in the relationship for the perks. The Hailey Bieber cosplay is gross. My brother almost puked when I showed him the thread comparing A and HB’s outfits. A is obviously trolling the fans, which is boring.

S: He doesn’t think there’s anything nefarious going on with S, and it’s good for her that she’s going to Jack M's classes, but it’s weird that it's only happening now.

In conclusion, my brother thinks this whole thing is going to drag on for a lot longer, but that’s a huge maybe since Luke and Nic are coming back for S4. If Luke's friend group manages to infiltrate the sets, it won't matter much because everyone adores Nic and seems protective of her. A is going to stay as long as she can. Right now, my brother hates Luke and thinks he screwed up royally, even as a friend. It’s a bigger deal if there are non-platonic feelings involved. He wants to see Luke make a thank you post for S3, because that's the least he can do. Luke needs to figure his stuff out, and it seems like whenever he's on vacation, things just get worse. Basically, he needs to GET A JOB and things will sort themselves out.

Wow, that was a lot. Never thought my brother would be so mature!

Also can someone clarify if R was still such a huge part of L's life before his HBS?

Damn the 15 yo is smarter than some grown ass folk in the fandom lmao

LOVE x

[lokisasylum]

Listen, for YEARS Armys have ALWAYS found something to use as an excuse or scape-goat instead of taking the hate Jimin gets 24/7 as something SERIOUS.

2015-end of 2016: "He was asking for it 'cause he's a flirt", "He should stop getting so close to X/Y member", "Its because he cares too much about his weight", "He probably has an ED", "Its because he's so insecure", "I wish he would stop posting so much everyday so the haters would stop giving us a hard time reporting".

2017 - They blamed JIMIN with "maybe he did something wrong to piss ppl off--", "He's such a bad friend for forgetting to write his bandmate's name on a chalkboard", to justify the hate.

In 2018 - They blamed it on "Shipping wars" and their solution to the problem? "Just block & ignore them" (the blocking in question was for ANYONE who dared to defend Jimin; ANYONE with a Jimin pfp got targeted instead of the actual shippers, aka TAEKOOKERS, causing the problems).

2019 - They started blaming JIMIN again, even though JIMIN was THE ONLY MEMBER who got targeted and STALKED during their vacation (he was literally followed to EVERY country he visited with his friends, while we knew nothing about the other member's whereabouts for two and a half months).

2020-2021 - They started the "Jimin is lazy", "Jimin is useless without the group", "He's just pretending to be depressed for attention 'cause all the other members are more talented/popular--", "Its HIS fault the other members get forced to sing in high notes" (after it was known Pdogg preferred the high notes in songs because it makes them sound better and only Jimin could sing them)

Early 2022 when he released his first collab outside the group - "We're not gonna support his collab", "He should've collabed with one of the members instead", "See? Even they didn't support it.", "He ruined his only chance to debut solo--"

2022, Post-group-hiatus-announcement: "Jimin is lazy", "Jimin is jobless", "No one wants to work with him", "Jimin will never survive as a soloist, he depends too much on the group", "Its not like he cares about making music".

2023, PJMS had ENOUGH and started fighting back instead of staying quiet: "Jimin solos are to blame", "Jimin solos are the worst", "We don't take solos serious" (even though their biggest "ot7" fanbases ARE run by SOLOS & Jimin antis themselves.)

And its not just on the i-side, its also happening on the k-side as well. Ya'll saw it happen in real time last year when the big Korean Army "ot7" fanbases (like ARMY52Hertz, who we now know is run by a HYBE employee who despises Jimin) EXCLUDED Jimin from all votings so that ONLY JK got most of the awards and everytime i-fans tried to warn K-armys we were told "You know nothing about our country rules" (Translation: "Korean fans only follow ONE big "official" fanbase and do absolutely EVERYTHING they say without questioning otherwise they will be "kicked out") and only came to their senses when it was too late and the whole Kpop fandom were laughing at them.

Its a never ending cycle, I was THERE on every single era, I saw every single snicker and back-handed comment thrown at him from the very fandom that claims to "love him more than anyone". Because they ONLY pretend to love him when he's being a cheerleader to another member, or when he thanks "Armys" in general. But otherwise they wouldn't give a shit about him. Not as an individual. They only care about his validation and acknowledgement of the BRAND-name "Army".

Its why they HATE the idea of him having fans outside of the group; fans who SEE HIM as an individual and TALENTED Solo-Artist; fans willing to support and fight to defend HIM till the end. Why they need to correct and insert the other members under every single media article, youtube reaction or post praising JIMIN ONLY. Because to most brainwashed Armys the ONLY talented dancer is Jhope, the ONLY good singer is JK, the ONLY good looking member is V or Jin, the ONLY talented writers/composers are the RL. Because its what they've GASLIGHTED EACH OTHER TO BELIEVE.

To them Jimin is just "the cute, sexy member" who's also an Angel because he cares about THEIR FAVORITE MEMBER.

Its also why they are quick to attack anyone who self-proclaims to be HIS fan (Jimin stan, PJMs, Jimin solo, ect), but never want to become part of "Army". Because outsiders can easily see how fucked up the BTS fandom really IS and HAS BEEN in the past couple of years and why they've earned the name and reputation as

"The Most Toxic Fandom in Kpop".

[akookminsupporter]

JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK AND THE HATE THEY DON'T DESERVE.

Being part of this fandom when your biases are Jimin and Jungkook is not easy. Forget about whether you believe there is something more between them; being a fan of them in this fandom is difficult. Every day is a new reason to feel helpless, upset, disappointed, and afraid that they see all the hatred they receive. Hatred they don't deserve, particularly Jimin.

I will never tire of saying how wonderful Jimin is and that, even though I don't know him, I can tell he is a good person, friend, and colleague. A respectful, affectionate, hardworking, dreamy person. One of those people who doesn't seem real, one of those people who are perfectly imperfect. And that's why I'll never understand why he receives so much hatred and why many in this fandom allow it.

Jimin has always been the number one enemy of Taekookers and many Solos, for different reasons but one in common: envy. These groups have always been able to say whatever they want about Jimin, and practically nothing, aside from his fans and Jikookers is said in response. And what's worse, when these fans say something to defend Jimin, they are labelled as Solos or reduced to mere shippers. Jimin cannot be defended, apparently.

The hatred they, particularly Jimin, have been receiving since their trip to Japan with Jungkook was announced is sad. What has happened since before the rumours that Jimin and Jungkook would enlist together in the army came out has crossed all kinds of limits. Jimin has been insulted in the vilest ways I have ever seen in my life, and virtually no one says anything—no one, except the usual ones, of course. When the rumours surfaced in the Korean press, the hatred intensified. Haters once again realized that they could say and do whatever they wanted, and nothing would happen to them because, once again, the fandom, in general, did nothing to defend Jimin, to silence the haters. Funny how that doesn't happen when it comes to another member.

After Big Hit confirmed that not only Jimin and Jungkook would enlist together but also that they would do it under a special program that guaranteed they would be together for the duration of their military service, hell broke loose. Disinformation became an everyday thing, insults, mockery too, and the target remains the same: Jimin.

You are guilty when you do something wrong, but you are also guilty when you do nothing when you see others doing something wrong. I believe even the latter is worse. Jimin and Jungkook decided to apply for a program that guarantees they will be together throughout their military service for reasons they only know and don't have to disclose, nor do they have to give explanations. That decision, which surely was not easy to make, must be respected by everyone, period. Not questioned, not belittled, not explained to fit into absurd narratives.

The way Taekookers always paint Jungkook as this manipulable person, incapable of making his own decisions, who always does what the company, according to them, tells him is deplorable, disrespectful, and further proof that they don't care about Jungkook. The way I've seen many diagnose Jungkook with different things, in treating Jimin as a helpless and weak being who needs a bodyguard with him to say that they applied to the program because they had to and not because they wanted to is insulting. And yet virtually no one says anything.

Jimin and Jungkook will never be the enemies that many want them to be. They will always be the two members who seem to be the closest. They will always be the ones who understand each other with just a look. They will always be the ones with the same sense of humour, who laugh in the same way, and who simply share more things in common. They will always be the ones who promised to go to the moon together and the ones who seem to have no secrets from each other. Those who comfort each other, who are there when one is sick etc.

JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK WILL NEVER BE THE ENEMIES MANY WISH THEM TO BE.

Reducing all the hatred they are receiving right now, and that they have always received, to a shipping issue is insulting, it's cowardly. If your conclusion is to blame Jikookers only, ignoring absolutely everything that Taekookers say daily, what Solos and akgaes say daily, let me tell you that you are a hater too. And you are, in a way, worse. YOU are the problem. If you are unable to stand up for them because you think it will make you a shipper, you are the problem because it goes beyond that. If you are afraid to defend the love, affection and trust that they obviously have for each other, if you are afraid to acknowledge that they are close, that they are great friends, you are the problem too. No one is asking you to accept that Jimin and Jungkook are married or anything like that, what many of us would expect from everyone who claims to be a fan of BTS, is to defend the members of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. If you are incapable of doing that, you are the problem too. You are also a HATER.

I hope the time the boys are in the army serves to clean up this fandom from so much rubbish. I hope they find a fandom that supports all seven of them unconditionally when they return. That respects them and only wants the best for them.

But in this life, nothing is that easy, right? I'm afraid to think about what they will say when the documentary is released and what will happen when whatever Jimin and Jungkook filmed together is released. In a way, I'm glad they won't be here when all that comes out because the chances of them not seeing any of that will be high.

[fluffypotatey]

To be honest I am a huge Nalu shipper. But the thing is I want to know the difference between the way Natsu cares about his guildmates and Lucy. Like what is the obvious difference since that boy sees every as Nakama so how can we say that the wag he cares about Lucy is different?

Like even when Erza passed away? (All the way back in first season there was a segment where the guild was gathered at her grave and all) Natsu was still very reactive. Plus he was also said to be depressed even when Lisanna passed.

What's the difference between all of them and Lucy?

the fact that he stayed. the fact that before he met Lucy, Natsu wasn't one to stay in a group or even want to work with anyone besides Happy at the start of the story. hell, he was ready to just file Lucy down as "New Guildmate" once they reached Fairy Tail

but then, Lucy doesn't leave. she follows him on his mission to save Macao despite her not needing to or even really understanding everything about it. she stays and then fights with him and saves him. it's no secret that Natsu is strong and can take care of himself really well. he's been going on solo missions for years now, and no one has really stopped him, but that means he's been in a lot of sticky situations where he and Happy are on their own and have no backup. and yet, without asking, Lucy offers it

and i think this is the moment when Natsu considers that maybe it's okay to have someone there to have his back (sans Happy)

"but Natsu only needed Lucy for the next quest because of the requirements," well, Natsu also wouldn't have taken or even considered that quest if it weren't for Lucy, yeah? he was not a team player (in the picking job's sense) or really wanted other people to help him on his quests sans Happy. and then he goes and picks a job that caters to their team whilst ensuring that Lucy can't say no

or maybe i'm reading too much into it 🤷🏻‍♀️

or maybe Natsu's got horrible abandonment issues that he will latch onto people so fast (Igneel & Lisanna) but also cause him to distance himself so far when left behind (his 1st time at the guild, Lisanna's death). Erza and Gray are Natsu's closet friends after Lisanna and yet they cannot reach him when he closes himself off. and then we have Lucy, who stuck by and had his back, so who is to say Natsu didn't make some contingencies to ensure whether or not she'd join him?

but maybe it's the rose, colored ship glasses i have on

because yeah, Natsu cares for all of his guildmates. the power of friendship is his biggest motivator. when we meet Natsu, our first introductions of him is defending his guild's reputation from Bora (who was using it as a guise for human trafficking) and saving Macao. and our 1st big arc (Galuna Island), where Natsu adamantly refuses to allow Gray to use Ice Shell and sacrifice himself despite how antagonistic they've been to each other. we get Natsu 100% at Erza's defense throughout the Tower of Heaven and he is even ready to defend Wendy though they only met hours ago

Natsu is a character with a bleeding heart and cannot help but wear it on his sleeve, but we don't really see him allow others to fight his battles or have his back until Lucy comes in. to be honest, i don't even think he had his heart on his sleeve until Lucy. he still has a bleeding heart (i don't think anything could stop that), but he was not ready to be open in receiving company because he was so used to it being ripped away from him

that being said: of all the characters he interacts with, he finds Lucy to be someone compatible enough for him to start going on team missions and inviting her on them (for example, his 1st S-class mission, which he stole, he went to her house to show it to her. the fact that part of the reward was a celestial key might be a coincidence, but i wouldn't doubt it as Natsu and Happy's trump card in case she refused)

but yeah, the difference is that he stayed and didn't push her away at the beginning, but instead continued to invite her along with him to the point that doing a mission without Lucy wasn't his regular anymore. compared to the rest of the guild, of whom he spent most of his childhood with, even if he spoke to no one, they would still be around and talk to him anyway. he might not invite them on job and only challenge them to fights, but the guild is his home and a constant in his life, a constant he needs (bc heavy abandonment issues).

"okay, but he still pushed her away after he watched Igneel die right in front of him. and he left the guild for a whole year, too. so what's the difference there?" you may ask.

so 1) Natsu never thought the guild would disband. he returns to Fiore after a year and is the last to know that they disbanded. he assumed, like all the other times before and while he and others were sealed for 7 years, that Fairy Tail would still be there when he returned. he assumed that his disappearance would not impact so hard because the guild would still be around and Lucy would have the others with her

which, did not happen :)

and like, so many guild members go off on jobs, quests, or even just leave for an indiscriminate amount of time (which i, personally, believe was his rationality for leaving), so him being gone for a year was nothing! right? no harm, eh? his plan was never to be gone forever :))))

2) he just watched his father die and lose any chance of having some semblance of a long term reunion with Igneel. he literally lost one of his main driving motivations for getting stronger and taking jobs. before Fairy Tail, before anyone, it was Igneel. and to learn that a) Igneel was always with him to begin with and b) he only got to see him for less than a day after 14 years of nothing......i would feel lost too ngl

man's needed space from everybody. and he also needed comfort, but Natsu has been shown not to really be the character who asks to receive comfort (and when he does receive it, it's usually when he's already emotionally compromised). he is in the habit of shutting people out after being abandoned or losing someone close to him, with his next rationale being to "get stronger" in order to prevent what happened in the past to ever happen in the future.

anyway

what makes this different? well for one, he sent the letter only to Lucy (or it's implied since no one else is shown getting one) because of how the two spend most of their time together. even the line that goes with the panel makes it sound like Natsu is unsure on how the note will be received (maybe even hesitant? but that could be my own hopes)

and one of the 1st people he reunites with after a year is Lucy and we get such a similar parallel to the first chapter of Fairy Tail between the two as if the narrative itself is slotting them together to say "ah yes, now everything is back to normal and new journeys can begin"

but yeah, this is just a long way of saying, that Natsu does love his friends and guildmates but even when he is close to them, he kept to himself (and Happy) and sort of stayed in their orbit but always with some emotional distance because of his fear of abandonment. and then you have Lucy where he will stay for and allow her to orbit around him and he will invite to new adventures no questions asked

that's the difference

[that1emowitch]

I NEED IDEAS FOR A JUSTICE LEAGUE HIGH SCHOOL AU!!!

Okay just imagine Bruce, Clark, Diana, Ollie, Hal, Barry, Dinah, Shiera, Carter, the Johns, Ray, Kyle, Guy—ALL OF THEM in the same high school, each of them just starting off as a hero. Except. The others don't know.

I'd imagine Bruce as the one guy everyone thinks is an emo kid (in canon he only became *Brucie* after coming back from Batman training). He doesn't talk to anyone except for these two smart kids Harvey Dent and Harleen Qunizel. But this one popular cheerleader (who's secretly a kleptomaniac), Selina, keeps trying to ask him out. Bruce, on the other hand? He's obsessed with becoming Batman, spends his time trying to find the location of LoA so he can convince them to train him.

Clark. Beloved boy, plays basketball, lacrosse, soccer, football, is on the student committee, helps out his Ma and Pa. And in his free time, he stares at Bruce Wayne. His best friend, Diana, calls him out on it many times, a teasing smile on her face. And Clark absolutely *hates* that bald rich boy who acts like he's better than everyone—Lex.

Diana, she's recently been sent to Man's World to learn their traditions, expand her horizons and shit. Kinda like Diana from dc super hero girls. She plays all the sports Clark does, the main reason they ended up as friends. There's this one popular girl—Selina's friend—who ticks her off, for some reason she can't figure out. Barbara Minerva. But Diana's friends, Shiera and Dinah, stop her from acting on it. The three have confided in each other—they know Diana is an Amazon, know Shiera and Carter are Hawkman—but Dinah doesn't know she has powers, yet. She only knows that powers run in her family.

Dinah, meanwhile, is on-and-off dating the playboy rich kid, Oliver fucking Queen. He's... stereotypical, at times. He buys her roses and shows up to every one of her choir concerts, buys her Starbucks every morning... then on weekends, he brings her to his private shooting range, shows her his "mad archery skills". At this point, Ollie is debating whether or not to become Green Arrow. Dinah, she's currently a singer. She's in the choir, she's going to do a solo at her school's talent show. Little do they know, *that's* when her powers will show up. While she's screaming into a fucking mic.

Barry Allen. Has a crush on this girl, Iris. Like, he's down BAD. Iris and her friend Lois Lane, they both run the school paper, so Barry decides to do something they'll want to cover. He starts working on something he hopes will get their attention, but it blows up, Barry is hospitalized... and wakes up with powers.

John Stewart and Guy Gardener are upperclassmen, both seniors, so close to graduating when they find out a freshman (Kyle) and sophomore (Hal) have been given the rings. Of course, they don't have a choice but to mentor them, and, yk, make sure they don't die. John tries his best to be a good mentor, pointing out mistakes and making time for Hal and Kyle, while Guy is a little shit as always. Oh yeah, Guy and John r both also studying for their SATs while being green lanterns.

Carter and Shiera? Power couple. Been together since freshman year, will always *be* together. Plus, being Hawkman and Hawkgirl is prime bonding time. They're literally destined to always be together.

John Jones. Everyone always thinks there's something... *different* about him. When John notices that *Clark* isn't like these humans either, he approaches him, helps him realize he's Kryptonian. The two randomly becoming friends makes Bruce suspicious... and that's how Batman figures out that they're not humans. (Side note, when Bruce starts asking Clark tons of questions out of no where, instead of being suspicious, he reads it as a love language)

(...is it too obvious that I'm a SuperBat shipper)

ANYWAY yeah that's all I have for now. Just vague ideas of dynamics and stuff, with no actual storyline... but if you guys have any more ideas or things you'd like to see, PLEASE let me know! I rlly rlly rlly wanna read this and write this fic but I don't know what to writeee 😭

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I don't know how "stanning" works.

How far do these fanwars go?

Coz for me personally, it feels it's being taken too far.

I see posts from taekook shippers and Jk solos saying "JM's dad runs DC gallery from inside his cafe" getting thousands of likes on twitter. And the replies and quotes are cussing him out and wishing d on him. Mind you, there's literally no proof or reason for that man to be running a hate gallery for JK and V from his cafe.

I don't know how old these stans/shippers are, it's gotton too out of hand now. I don't get how thousands of other tkkrs/jk stans are agreeing to such nonsense on a daily basis.

It's easy to call it a mental illness. I've seen this plenty of times. But to me, that sounds too much like a justification and a way to actually feel sorry for these people. You know the answers "seek help", "you need therapy". Nah, not to me. You know what this is? Just really stupid people with internet access. And when I say stupid, I mean the literal meaning of it. And iliteracy. Definitely. I see that everywhere. Plus a lack of education. Add all that and give these people the opportunity to say and do whatever they want without any consequence and hidden behind their accounts and you get the perfect members of a cult. Who do not even posess a mid level of intelligence. They are plain stupid.

[starryjkoo]

that 1billion project is such a poor idea and the way that it’s being run feels so sinister to me sometimes…

the fact that they (armys) started it after like crazy got 1B...

Oh, absolutely. They couldn’t even let 24 hours pass after LC hit 1billion before they started on this project, like they were in a hurry to co-opt the energy for LC and have it distributed to the other members. And I think that’s because there’s a good section of ARMYs who genuinely can’t comprehend the fact that Jimin has a really large solo fanbase (I don’t even mean just solos, just anyone who casually listens to his music). I’m not sure why they thought the energy for LC would suddenly transfer to this 1billion project when overall ARMYs have just been losing energy as time goes on in CH2.

They could have started this project anytime during CH2 or after Seven hit 1billion but they literally waited until the day that LC hit that achievement because imo it feels like so many of them use Jimin and his achievements as the goal-post for the entire group.

It’s like, why are they choosing to update that 1billion projection chart suddenly during Jimin’s comeback, knowing how the quotes/comments would just be full of people being vile. IIRC they did this during SGMB too, where they literally started pushing the 1billion project hard after it had been quiet for a few weeks. They even did it during SGMB’s 1st tracking week. I understand pushing some SGMB x 1billion goal focused playlists, but why entirely try to divert the attention from a NEW song if you’re actually OT7?

Like I said, they suddenly see a lot of energy on the timeline because Jimin is releasing music and they try to co-opt it to get people to push for other members too. And I understand to a point because they just think that this is the fandom being energized, let’s take advantage of it to boost the members that need a push, but… this is solo era. And the excitement and energy for Jimin’s music is because… people are excited for Jimin’s music. There’s just something off to me about trying to use the hype for Jimin, created by Jimin (because of his consistency with releasing music that resonates with the fandom and having engaging performances) and using it for other members.

Especially when doing so has led to so much nasty discourse being AIMED at Jimin, as if all the western stans and kpop stans and akgaes and shippers going after him nonstop every day wasn't already enough. And that’s why I side-eye the main people doing this, because they should know that by pushing this project in the way that they are, it just brings hatred towards two members specifically, and in particular Jimin when it’s during his comeback. Is it really worth it, instead of just setting more manageable goals for HL and using positivity and small improvements over time to encourage ARMYs instead? Isn’t that more practical to begin with?

Mind you, I know the reason that this is being pushed so hard by some ARMYs in particular is because they want the BTS members to get the achievement of “all members of a group with one solo song reaching 1billion” before the BP members do, and that’s just… so dumb imo.

Anyways sorry this got away from me, this 1billion thing is just really driving me up a wall lately for a lot of different reasons. And I want to specify I'm talking about some of the organizers and main people behind this project and not ARMYs at large (and ANOTHER disclaimer I don't think everyone organizing/pushing this project has bad intentions).

And ofc I wish we could do better for RL, but I feel like there are SO MANY different projects we could be doing instead of whatever this is, which imo is just so counterproductive and just brings hate towards Jikook, and especially Jimin considering they keep doing this during his comebacks.

[jeonscatalyst]

Hi I'm new army for about 2months now.

I love all bts members I just can't choose betwn them.

About a week before Are you sure? Aired I got into jikook. I got my friend to subscribe me to her disney+ account just so I can watch it downloaded weverse, downloaded an app to watch run BTS, ITS and BV. I knew of them bt never listened to their songs, I missed out on so much I'm really mad at myself for that coz I didn't get to see jikook develop to where they are now, didn't get to witness this beautiful relationship. Can you perhaps recommend me jikook blogs, sorry English is not my first language, can you tell me why there is not so popular jikook accounts on yt and insta bt there is teakook I was just wondering. I got tumbler and x just for jikook. I'm not so good with social media bt I got all that just to get to know more about jikook and bts. I really like your blog very helpfull and sorry for this bt how do I make that I don't get teakook blog on tumbler I read something now I get alot of it. Sorry for if it's inconvenience for you

Hey anon, welcome to the fandom. I hope you’ve enjoyed it here so far. I think it’s ok that you only recently found BTS and Jikook. I think you find them when you need them the most so don’t worry too much about parts of their story you didn’t get to witness in real time cuz you can always catch up plus they still have a future to make more beautiful moments that you hopefully will be able to witness in real time.

I would recommend you check out @stormblessed95 blog as a baby ARMY and jikook lover. Her blog has alot of information that will help you know not only Jikook but BTS better. There are other amazing blogs on here like @akookminsupporter @nightswithkookmin @jiminieloved @kanmom51 all these blogs are great imo as they have alot of detailed posts about Jikook as well as links to watch real content (some of them).

I wouldn’t know too much about Youtube because ever since I left my baby army era many years ago I rarely ever go to youtube looking to watch analysis videos or edits of any ship. So if you are looking for jikook youtubers I unfortunately don’t have any to recommend but I would appreciate it if some people can leave some suggestions in the replies :) I think you would most likely find more popular or bigger taekook youtube accounts because the number of taekook shippers are way more than the number of Jikook shippers imo so on almost every single platform you fall on you are sure to be swarmed with them. Unfortunately when you start watching or consuming some taekook content and interacting with them like leaving comments or likes, or searching them, the algorithm starts pushing more of them them your way so you can curate your timeline and block certain keywords to avoid getting more of taekook content. Everytime you come accross any content you don’t want to see you can just block or click on “not interested” and eventually you will stop getting them. Also avoid liking, commenting or searching for them if you do because doing that tells the algorithm that you like seeing them. You can do the same thing for tumblr. You can block any taekook blogs you don’t want to see or just click on “not interested”. Once you do this enough you stop seeing them. There are so many other amazing Jikook blogs on here (I unfortunately can’t list them all) but I also really love @hon3ymo0n @mimikoolover @causesciencethatswhy @bangtannism @goldenhickeysandramen @humanuser0613 @jm118jm @roo-bastmoon i’m missing so many amazing blogs I follow and constantly interact with but these are the few I could think of, off the top of my head. You can also follow member focused accounts to get to know each member better. Avoid solos though, avoid them like a plague and the way to tell someone is a solo is by paying attention to how they talk about other members.

Hope I could be of help anon and don’t worry it wasn’t an inconvenience at all. You can dm me if you need more help💜