With multiple chart-topping hits like 'Butter', 'Dynamite', 'Boy with Luv', and 'On' under their belts, sold-out tours around the world, and paving the way for the K-Culture wave that shows no signs of waning, South Korean boy group BTS was at the top of their game when they announced their hiatus to serve in the South Korean military. Three years down the line, the group’s fans or ‘ARMYs’, are excited to see members Jimin, Jungkook, and Suga discharged from their duties soon after V and RM reunited with already home members, Jin and J-Hope, on Tuesday. “A lot of fans who’ve met their idols are now adults with responsibilities, going back to what their childhood selves enjoyed and derived energy from. All the members have also grown into their own so it’s nice to see it all coming full circle,” says 22-year-old fan Raksh Anand, an analyst at a finance company.
In the vein of growing up with BTS, fans recently started a trend on social media, making light of how their lives have changed during the three-year wait “The trend is people saying ‘BTS took so long to come back, I __’ and filling in the blank with what’s happened in their life since then. People have graduated, married, and had kids, it’s amazing. I got a degree and now work at a South Korean company,” laughs Bengaluru-based fan Bhavana Sarangi, adding, “It’s like revisiting what you were like the last time we were together. That is one of the reasons this year’s Festa (a month-long celebration of BTS’ formation in June) is special.”
Party time with ARMYs
Fan groups like Little Sarang Events and BTS Bangalore ARMY have hosted a range of events from meetups to BTS-themed Halloween parties and DJ nights, keeping Bengaluru’s ARMY community together through the hiatus. For this Festa, marking the band’s 12th anniversary, these two groups have something special planned.
As Bhargavi R, the admin of BTS Bangalore ARMY explains, there’s nothing quite like a BTS live concert. So, she has planned to recreate the experience in Bengaluru, with a ‘BTS Comeback Party’ on June 22 at Church Street Social. “What pulls ARMYs together is vibing to and streaming BTS’ songs which feels so much better with other fans around you. With every song, there’s also a concert performance, making it more attractive because of the dance and choreography. Since we’ve been missing their concerts for three years, we’ve made this special concert film combining clips from 12 years of concerts which ARMYs can enjoy.”
Little Sarang Events has taken things to the next level this year on 20th July at Downtown Taproom, Residency Road, planning screenings, games and activities, and a chance to dress up. Sneha Gowda, the co-founder of the group explains, “We’ll be screening BTS’ ‘Yet to Come’ concert, their last performance before enlisting – a moment full of emotion and meaning. There will be fun games and activities based on BTS’s journey. We’ve also invited ARMYs to dress up as their favourite BTS era. The day will end with a fashion walk showcasing those iconic looks”
Over the years, both organisers have noted that a dedicated group of fans has made it a priority to continue attending events and keeping the community alive. Bhargavi notes, “I initially started with 25 ARMYs coming to events. At the next event, there were 35, then 45, and it’s been growing. While most are between 15 to 35 years old, I’ve also had 7-year-olds and 50-year-olds come to events and I’m always surprised by the diversity of our fandom!”
Home But Not Alone
Homebodies are celebrating in their own ways. Sarangi shares that she plans to mark the occasion by binge-watching episodes of the group’s game show ‘Run BTS’, explaining, “Watching Run BTS every week motivated me to start learning Korean. I’m hoping to binge all the episodes and use their media to get back into my Korean lessons.” Anand adds, “I’m more of an ambivert fan so I’ve found it easier to connect via social media. I have a bunch of friends all over India on social media and I’m planning to attend a virtual event to celebrate this year.”