jmdbjk

[jmdbjk]

Welcome home, now let's run forward...

I wonder how they felt sitting in the makeup chair again. Jimin's brows were on fleek. Made myself laugh typing that.

They don't have to do anything alone ever again if they don't want to. They went through 18 months of hell and came out stronger than before. Because they had each other.

The fact they admit they were unaware that they'd be sent to the front lines is taking me out though. We knew more than they did.

The bees.

The river.

The snoring.

The squeeze bag of rice mixed with mayo.

Sleeping in the howitzer... becoming one with it is how Jimin put it...

I believe they sort of sugar-coated it for us.

Personally, I need more giggles. There will never be enough giggles.

JK crashed out from the stimulation overload. Jimin said they're starting from scratch and need to dive in headfirst to get their mojo back. I love him for saying that.

I'm looking forward to the lip jewelry and earrings reappearing. And seeing new tattoos.

For 18 months, time moved so slowly yet at the same time, it flew by! And now it's all happening so fast. We are moving on from everything so fast! I forgot what it's like for it to be that way!

In a few days I'm headed to NYC. Going to see Jimin's exhibit and I have my reservation at Antoya all set...even requested the special table...

We'll see what we see. I'll report back of course.

[jmdbjk]

Happy June 13th! HOS D-1

All 7 were there tonight. This was shown on the big screen.

Jin and Jungkook performed Jamais Vu with Hobi.

Jungkook performed I Wonder with Hobi and then he performed Seven with dancers and Hobi rapped Latto's part. Jin performed Spring Day with Hobi and then Don't Say You Love Me.

When all the members were in the VIP box in the audience, they performed the choreography to Mic Drop.

WE MADE IT TO 2025 Y'ALL!!!!

[jmdbjk]

Manifesting...

Manifesting shirtless 3J Killing It Girl dance challenge... that's the tweet.

[jmdbjk]

I am crying for real now.

I've waited for this moment since December 11, 2023.

Translation: Kookooya, you worked hard... there is no account to tag though...

[jmdbjk]

How're we doin'?

It's barely been 13 hours but my timeline is GLOWING!

[jmdbjk]

I HAVE MISSED THEM!!

THEIR GIGGLES!!!!!

I AM SO GLAD THEY HAD EACH OTHER!!!!

[jmdbjk]

The wait is over.

[jmdbjk]

Four down, three to go...

[jmdbjk]

Korean sentences for Jikook's discharge live

Hello everyone! I'm beyond delighted to bring you this project that we've been working on to make sure us int-armys can share our love with Jikook during their discharge Weverse live. Here's a list of all the questions and encouragements you asked to be translated into Korean 💜💛

Please feel free to copy and paste these into Jikook's lives!

An inmense thank you to Slaav @slaaverin, Lore @goldenhickeyss, Holly, Kaye, Steph and Calico for all your work putting this project together. So much love has gone into it, you guys are the best💜

QUESTIONS

Do you know when you will do a second Season of Are you sure? 이게맞아 시즌2 언제 나올까요?

Are we getting "Are You Sure in Busan"? 이게맞아 IN BUSAN 기대해도 될까요?

Is there any specific location you would like to travel to for "Are You Sure?!"이게맞아를 촬영하기 위해 가고 싶은 곳이 있어요?

Could you tell us behind the scenes stories from "Are You Sure?!" ?이게맞아의 비하인드 이야기를 좀 알려주세요 ㅎ

Will Bam acompany you both in "Are You Sure?!" some day?밤이랑 함께 이게맞아를 촬영하라고 생가해 봤어요?

Do you have a favorite episode from "Are You Sure?!"이게맞아의 제일 좋아하는 에피소드가 혹시 있어요?

We cant wait for more seasons to come... until you are 50더 많은 시즌가 나왔으면 좋겠어~ 50세까지 이게맞아 해주세용

Can you share your funny military stories? I promise we won't run away!둘이 만든 재미있는 이야기를 좀 들려줘 우린 가지마라고 약속해 ㅋㅋ

What was your most memorable moment in military? 군에서 가장 잊혀지지 않는 추억이 뭐였어요?

How was your military life? 군생활 어땠어요?

What new things have you learned during this period? 군 동안 어떤 새로운 것들을 배웠나요?

Were there any difficulties you both had to endure in the military?군대에서 어떤 어려움에 대처했어요?

What songs did you sing together in the military? 둘이 함께 군대에서 어떤 노래를 불렀어요?

Did you make any new friends?새로운 친구를 사귀었어요?

Can you tell us how you felt in the last hours before discharge? 전역 바로 전 몇 시간 동안 어떤 기분이 있는지 말씀해 주시겠어요?

What was the buddy enlistment like? 동반입대 어땠어요? (did you argue?: 사웠어요? ㅎㅎ)

What surprising things did you learn about each other during military?군대에서 서로에 대해 새로운 걸 알게 되었어요?

Did you get more tattoos while you enlisted?입대 중에 다른 타투를 했어?

Jungkook, did you learn new recipes?정국이 새로운 레시피 배웠다?

Jimin, how was it to be the ace of Netpo? 넷포 에이스가 된 건 어땠어요 ㅎㅎ

Did you enjoy your time off in Japan before discharge?전역 전에 일본에서 간 휴가 즐겼어요?

Do you already have ideas for new songs? 신곡에 대한 아이디어가 이미 있어요?

Are you planning a collab? 지민이와 정국이의 콜라보를 기대해도 될까요?

What are you plans or new project after MS? 전역 후에 무슨 게획이나 프로젝트가 있어요?

Do you have any plans for a new unit dance cover? 다시 듀오 커버 댄스를 해보고 싶어요?

Do you have plans for a solo/duo tour? 솔로/듀오 투어 계획이 있어요

After military service, do you plan on having a vacation first? 전역 후에 휴가 가는 게획이 있어요?

Did you already decide what kind of haircut & color you want to get when your hair is long enough? 머리가 충분히 길 때 어떤 스타일과 머리새깔을 원할지 이미 결정했어요?

Do you already have new solo or unit projects in mind?새 솔로 또는 유닛 프로젝트를 계획이 벌써 있어요?

Outside of music, what are the other things you want to do now?노래빼고 가장 하고 싶은 건 뭔가요?

ENCOURAGEMENTS

We love you사랑해

We are always by your side 너희 곁에 항상 있을게요

We will always support you 항상 응원할게요

We are sure!! 이게 맞는다!

Congratulations on your discharge 전역 축하해요 💖

Thank you for AYS - it made us infinitely happy! 이게 맞아을 줘서 고마워요

We are so proud of you 너무 자랑스러워요

You both are so cool! 둘이 멋있다!

JM & JK we LOVE you SO MUCH! JM&JK 너무 사랑해 💜💛

I'm so happy to finally see you again! 드디어 다시 만나서 너무 너무 기쁘다 // 오랜만에 보게 되서 기쁘다

Please take all the rest you need, we love you no matter what: 편하게 쉬세요 무슨일이 있어도 우린 둘이를 사랑해요 // 무슨일이 있어도 아미는 지민이와 정국이가 사랑해

Thank you for being born: 태어나줘서 고마워요

Let`s walk the flowery path together: 같이 꽃길만 걷자

Let`s stay together forever: 영원히 함게합시다

We will be your strength: 우리는 너희의 힘이 될 거야

Live your life happily: 행복하게 살아줘

Don't get hurt and live happily 아파하지말고 행복하게 살아

Let's only live happily from now on: 이제 행복하게만 살아줘

Hope to see you both again soon! Please do more lives together! 곧 다시 만나자! 더 라이브 함께 해주세요!

JK, thank you for going Live in December! That was so healing! 정국아 12월 라이브 해서 고마워 정말 힐링이였어 💜

"Are You Sure?!" is incredible, special, healing, perfect! 이게 맞아 너무 훌륭하고 특별하고 힐링이하고 진짜 다 완벽해요

Thank you for giving us "Are You Sure?!" ! We really enjoyed it. Please make a season 2!이게 맞아을 줘서 감사합니다 시즌 2가 나왔으면 좋겠습니다~

Looking forward to a future collaboration between you two! 둘이의 콜라보를 기대합니다! 💜

We have missed you both so much, it's so good to see your beautiful faces again: 너무 너무 보고 싶었어요 예쁜 얼굴을 다시 보게 되어 정말 기뻐요 💜

Thank you for returning back to us safely. 잘 갓다와서 고마워요

I love you both. Fighting: 둘이 사랑해 파이팅 💜💛

Jimin and Jungkook you are the perfect ace duo: 지민이와 정국이 완벽한 에이스 듀오이다

Your bond is so special to me: 두사람의 사이가 우리에겐 굉장히 소중해요 / 두사람의 사이가 우리한테 진짜 특별한 거예요

Thank you for being strong and completing your military service. We are so proud of you!: 전역 축하해요 아미들이 다 정말 자랑스러워하고 있어요

We'll love and support you till the very end 끝까지 사랑하고 응원할게요!

Jimin, I love Muse!: MUSE' 너무 좋다!

I'm glad you enlisted together. 동반입대 하게 되어 기뻐요

You’ll always be my favorite artists in the world - my forever singers: 항상 네 인생에서 가장 좋아하는 아티스트들이 될 거야 ❤️ 우리의 영원한 가수❤️

A Jimin and Jungkook Karaoke live would be so fun!: 같이 노래방 라이브를 했으면 너무 재미있을 거야

You must have been destined to meet: 둘이는 인연인가 봐 💜 서로 인연이 깊은가 봐 💜

I'm so happy to hear your voices: 목소리를 들으니 정말 기쁘다 / 목소리를 들으니 정말 기쁩니다 (formal)

All translations are mine. I apologize for any mistakes, I truly tried my best! 🥹I hope our words can reach them.

[jmdbjk]

I see the finish line...

[jmdbjk]

Update on the Festa schedule...

I had to rewatch and study that segment to get the info more accurately.

The first image of June 1 it says foggy but then sunny after releasing content. On June 2, sunny and hot. Festa content to drop one after the other.

Then on June 3 its the wind in Army's heart and the clouds in Army's heart with the 4th having the two dark purple clouds with 7 raindrops.

June 3 is South Korea's snap election for president. There's been a lot of political turmoil there.

But something on June 4 is going to make us cry really hard.

Photo content on the 5th expected to make everything sunny again. More naked pictures? BRING IT!

June 6 is not mentioned but it is Korea's Memorial Day and is a day of solemnity there.

7th and 8th gets hot again but especially the 8th.

June 9-11 is not mentioned. In my time zone, it will be the evening of June 9 when Namjoon and Tae are discharged and it will be the evening of June 10 when Jimin and Jungkook are discharged.

On June 12 purple waves predicted to rise 2.5 meters at noon.

My prediction is we're going to get something OT7 at that time. And if Yoongi isn't physically there, maybe they'll have a cardboard cutout of him or something. Maybe someone can find that snowman they used that one time to represent Yoongi when he was out recuperating from shoulder surgery.

Temps remain hot on June 13-14, even hotter on the 14th. "Estimated to be 6.13 degrees higher than last year's average."

Bottom line is they are excited, we're excited. They've prepared a lot for Festa and we're in for an emotional rollercoaster so hang on everyone.

Oh yeah, this year's Festa theme is 00:00 o'clock. Starting new and fresh.

[jmdbjk]

APOBANGPO BTS Festa 2025

It has begun!!!!!

According to Hobi the Bangtan News Weatherman:

Festa (hot) content will begin to drop today and tomorrow (June 1-2).

A break on June 3-4.

Photo drop on June 5.

More (hot) content on June 7-8.

June 12, huge purple waves.

Huge heatwave predicted for June 13-14.

Also, the offensive window decal is off the building (told ya so).

We made it to June 1, 2025. Unbelievable. I wish I could go back and tell my brokenhearted, June 15, 2022 self that it will be ok and we'll make it through.

10 days left for Jimin and Jungkook.

20 days left for Yoongi.

NINE DAYS LEFT FOR NAMJOON and TAE!!

[jmdbjk]

Is it time to bring back Weekly Bangtan Report?

This isn't exactly that though. It's more of a wrap up of what I've seen making the rounds in my Boraworld in the last few weeks. Most of what I've been seeing is bringing me joy and making my anticipation go through the roof for their return! A few things...not so much. I'll touch on both.

I've been loving my weekly Hobi-watch, knowing he's going back and forth from Korea to the next concert city. I will miss seeing him weekly like that when the tour is finished. I love his Instagram updates and then seeing the timeline flooded with fans' video clips and excitement about their experience.

[Hobi handing out the Hobi-dollars because those barricades won't allow anyone to toe-grab them from the floor.]

And don't get me started about Hobi wilding out everywhere he goes. As this tour winds down, I've seen him really grow as a performer with every tour stop. I tried to do a screen grab of the Bapsae thrust but still pics cannot convey the wanton flapping of... anyway... nevermind... use your imagination...

The interviews he's had with Zach Sang and Zane Lowe, the Rolling Stone interview have been enlightening and fantastic. His personality glows! The photos from the most recent Billboard Magazine cover story are gorgeous. I LOVE IT!

And now Jin's hitting the promotion trail for Echo. The Empire State Building event was fun and different! He did great on Jimmy Fallon! His Hi-Seokjin event was a nice way to connect with more fans. He's not done yet, so we'll see more in the next week or so from him. For the past year he's kept his visibility high in South Korea by participating in every manner of variety show. I've already said I can't keep up with his schedule. Then he pulled the ultimate UNO card by hosting Tom Cruise on Run Jin while Tom was on his press junket for his latest Mission Impossible film.

Namjoon's RPWP continues to rake in the awards internationally. Today he posted his workout for the day on the BTS workout room white board.

[His spiky hair in the shadow on the bottom of the board hahahaha]

Things are getting back to normal already! He also posted a pic of himself getting measured for a suit by Tailorable. Is he too big for any of his old suits? Is there a special occasion he's going to attend? Friends wedding? Hmmmmm?? This suit-maker has made the members' suits for all kinds of things over the years but most recently: those yellow Butter AMA suits, the glittery black Grammys performance suits, their suits they wore for their visit to the White House, 2021 Fact Music Awards, TIME magazine covers, the Black Watch plaid suits they wore for their last group performance of "For Youth" on Music Bank in 2022, Jimin's black suit he wore in a Tiffany campaign, Jungkook's pinstriped suits for the Seven MV funeral casket scene and the grey waistcoat suit he wore for Standing Next to You MV, and more.

[Fun fact: Tailorable is a teeny tiny shop just off Itaewon-ro (road) and around the corner from Nine One apartments.]

I've seen glimpses of Taehyung out and about and he might be cooking something up, who knows but some of the people I've seen him with

👀

(not posting any pics, sorry, more about that in a minute) But it's ALL GOOD!

Yoongi, Yoongi, Yoongi. More in a minute.

SEVENTEEN DAYS UNTIL JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK ARE BACK!

Speaking of 17...

The Seventeen promotion decal on the Hybe building.

I don't keep up with them. I'm only here for BTS.

I only know all of this because Armys' can't stop themselves from reacting and post about it on the timeline and it inevitably shows up on mine.

Here's the sitch: Seventeen is dropping an album on Monday and it's their tenth anniversary. It's understandable they'd be promoting a milestone event. We know about those things don't we? Word is, the window decor will be gone by June 1. As expected.

As my bestie said: "Pledis/Hybe support for Seventeen - it isn't only because of their anniversary (timing), it's because all the groups there need constant support and publicity. There is a future for Hybe without a constant stream of BTS income and all those other groups will have to contribute."

And I'll add that the other labels and their groups need to pull their own weight and generate revenue so BTS don't have to work themselves to the bone ever again (unless its their choice) to support the entire company.

Hybe also consists of other companies and divisions, not just the music labels. The division that creates the festival-like events that we've enjoyed for BTS concerts and Festa, that company needs to stay in business and what else would they do on a large scale in order to keep their staff employed? Be available to provide the same resources for the other music labels.

I think one thing that people tend to do irrationally is pay more attention to what other fandoms are saying than thinking about the big picture instead.

Armys get riled up when another fandom starts gloating. There's that dreaded "reaction due to emotions" thing again. It's not helping BTS at all. I get it, everyone is proud and gets defensive. It's just not necessary at this point in time.

Be proud instead by knowing that BTS paved the way and showed how successful their ideas and concepts were so that those coming after can use those ideas and concepts to help generate income. Remember, when Hybe's value increases, the members of BTS do too.

Remember, the huge mural of BTS that was painted on the side of the Hybe building for 2023 Festa only remained about a week or two if I recall. I am confident the Hybe building will be abuzz with all things BTS the entire month of June.

BTS' legacy is etched in stone at this point. There is no need to "correct" or "educate" other fandoms about our truth. The truth is already in the history books.

Anyway, next topic...

Photos of the members on personal time.

There's a lot to say here. Its a very controversial and sensitive topic. Some are hardline, zero tolerance types. Some share everything they come across regardless of the impact on BTS or the fandom.

Common courtesy is to leave them alone and let them live and do things privately.

Truth of the matter is you can't stop anyone from taking pics of them when they are spotted in the wild. The members know this. They also are aware any pics being taken will make their way to social media. It is an unfortunate thing. I have to admit, if I were to ever spot them, I'd weigh the situation by observing the surroundings and their demeanor and then possibly whip out my phone and try to take a pic so I can remind myself that I indeed experienced the unthinkable in my lifetime, to remind myself that I didn't dream the moment.

The choice of sharing this type of thing on social media however, lies with the people doing it, "choice" being the keyword. We all have the freedom of choice. We all also have the freedom of choice to block or report anything. Everyone needs to do what they think is right.

If I ever shared this type of image publicly it will be years after they were taken and/or they've become part of BTS history and lore.

But I will look at the photos being shared if I come across them and I will take the information in and add it to whatever puzzles are going on in my head. It is how one can piece together those big pictures I keep talking about. I'll even talk about them in length.

All that being said, I don't fault anyone expressing how happy they are to see members after so long. We've all worried about their wellbeing and we cannot wait to see them in real time in a few weeks.

And IF we were to get a genuine, real time confirmed glimpse of Yoongi in the wild, I promise you, all the policing by everyone is going out the window. You know it, I know it, we've missed our little cat rapper so hard, we've worried about him so much that any image will be devoured and over-analyzed and overshared uncontrollably. Mark my words.

Hybe expanding.

1. Rumors about adding an office in Mumbai, possibly by acquiring an already established entertainment company which is what Universal and Sony have done there. Hybe is continuing to establish a global presence.

2. The hiring of a former Google/LV-Sephora creative director, and who was most recently creative director for Shinsegae Group in Seoul. Shinsegae is a major South Korean retail company that operates both department stores and discount stores. It is a leading retail chaebol, along with Lotte and Hyundai Department Store, and is part of the broader Shinsegae Group.  Shinsegae's flagship department store, Shinsegae Centum City, is one of the largest in the world. They also have a substantial discount store network, E-Mart, which offers groceries and household goods. It's a big conglomerate and Hybe has hired their creative director so I'm thinking they will rebrand globally and wipe everything away forever that was created by Min Hee Jin.

3. Acquiring Confirmed360, a U.S. event concierge company. They do major VIP tailgate events for pro sports teams which means they are well-versed in managing events onsite at major stadium venues.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a tailgate event is, traditionally, fans arrive to the stadium for a professional sports event early and after parking in the stadium's parking lot, fans will have pre-game parties before going into the stadium for the game. Tailgaters bring their bbq pits and cook and drink. Professional tailgate parties are catered with elaborate special events and entertainment, merch booths and other features.

Confirmed360 will work in conjunction with the Hybe division that does Festa and the city-festivals when BTS is on tour. So exciting!

Music Shows.

There is discussion about not supporting the Tablo X RM collab Stop the Rain and this discussion is mostly about it not achieving the streaming and other metrics required to win Music Bank or MCountdown a few weeks ago.

Breaking News: those shows are not meant for that type of music. Their audience is limited to those watching Korean broadcast television. Korean music shows target audiences that skew to the younger demographic. And by younger, that means the type of fan who is school age to mid-20s, typical kpop fans who idolize one group this week only to toss them away for a new group next week.

In my personal opinion, Armys place too much importance on these weekly music show awards.

My wise bestie put it like this: "...fans talk out of both sides of their mouths simultaneously; bitching that the west gatekeeps them into only a Kpop category when they are not, while bitching that they lose music show and other goofy-ass kpop trophies. You can't have it both ways. Are they kpop or are they not?

And, at the same time, recognize that if they DO go on those music shows, it's not because they think winning it for the umpteenth time is crucial, but it's because they will grab any chance to perform before live people. THAT'S WHO THEY ARE. Performers - not award hungry rookies who need those trophies to remain relevant.

I know it's futile to believe that most X (Twitter) Army can carry more than two thoughts at a time, can parse out the nuance in what the members do and why. And for that very reason BTS should stay off music shows, to allow those starting out to establish themselves and give their fans a chance to celebrate."

Yes. And they might. It wouldn't surprise me if they do. But if they do, I guarantee they have come up with another way to get in front of their fans. A way we haven't thought of yet. One more appropriate for the K-Army who are also maturing out of teenybopper idolatry.

This week Jin lost by 42 points because the song had zero broadcast points. Jin didn't promote in Korea, he was busy in the U.S. promoting here trying to reach a different audience. That should tell you all something... but lately it seems that most things need to be spelled out by bullet points for people to understand.

Again, my bestie is great with words: "Too many ARMY think BTS needs to win everything from a Grammy to any 2-bit, half-bogus SK award for best eyebrows."

ANYWAY... I'm still watching everything very closely even if I don't post often. I have a lot to say, just not as much time as I'd like to spill it all out in a blog post. And lately EVERYTHING. MOVES. SO. FAST! In one month we will be in POST-MILITARY ERA and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

[jmdbjk]

I have some fun news.

I am going to NYC to see Jimin's The Truth Untold Exhibition!!!! I'm so glad I bought tickets before it SOLD OUT! It is not sold out, only the early bird tickets are sold out. Regular price tickets are still available.

But see? That's how misinformation is spread, when one person on X screams it's sold out and random people (me, I'm random people) scroll through and see the post and run with it.... (rolls eyes).

ANYWAY...

I need to see Jimin's outfits in real life. I need to see the size and shape of that man up close and personal. I won't ever dream that I'd ever get to actually see Jimin in the flesh within touching distance but I will see his actual clothing within inches of myself and that's almost the next best thing.

I am going in June the week after the four are discharged, the tickets I bought are for June 21, the day Yoongi is released from his social service.

If there is a group live from the Hybe building lounge room couch while I'm in that exhibit I will scream with everyone else. My family will be traumatized but oh well, right?

It'll be a day to remember.

And... I discovered AFTER THE FACT that we booked our hotel right in the middle of Koreatown. I HAD NO IDEA until I started to look for restaurants and guess what? Antoya is 2 blocks from my hotel. I will take pictures. Not sure if we'll go eat there but who knows. We'll try.

[Yes, I used that potato quality, non-official pic.]

Of course I'll blog about the trip when I get back.

But WE HAVE SO MUCH TO ACCOMPLISH BEFORE THEN!!!

Jin's Echo album and subsequent tour!

FESTA!!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SCHEDULE!!!!

AND THE FREEDOM OF OUR SEVEN!!!! HOW WILL IT UNFOLD??? WHO WILL MEET WHO AT THE GATES??? I CAN'T WAIT!! I'M GONNA CRY, LOSE SLEEP, CRY SOME MORE!!!

Hobi wrapping up HOS tour and the HOS Final in Seoul ON FESTA DAY! And ANOTHER new song at some point!

The timing of Hobi's HOS Final concerts has been known for a long time. Securing that stadium for those dates had to be planned well ahead. I will be watching the livestream of both nights.

There is no way we will not see the freshly discharged members in some way, they will be there, in the audience or on stage or at the very least in photos from backstage. They will be there. Why wouldn't they? The timing was timed as if the Universe said "let it be so."

As far as performing, I won't wish too hard for it but they might?! The timing of these shows is just giving so much potential for anything to happen!

In a blog post on July 2, 2024, I said they would hit the ground running. Look at Jin and Hobi since.

They aren't going to "rest" after discharge. If you think that, you clearly have not been paying attention to what they've been saying for the past 3 years.

They've looked forward to all of this for YEARS, "this" meaning "this time of post-military enlistment" where nothing is in the way of their artistic freedom and living their lives the way they wish. It was such an ordeal to get to this point in time, years of delays, they are not going to sit around and let more time pass before they get back on stage.

Successful people are DRIVEN. They are ready to hit the ground running.

I am overwhelmed knowing in less than five weeks 6 out of 7 will be free. I don't want to get my hopes up but I feel strongly that at the very very least, a 7-member group photo will be shared at some point during those few days of total chaos.

I will watch the livestream of Jin's concert, but as of this moment, I am not going to go see him. Never say never though,right? But after watching his concert livestream, I might change my mind. We'll see. I reserve the right to book a last minute trip (its the way I roll anyway). I am very excited for his album next week!

This is going to be an unpopular opinion with some: Anyone who knows me knows I support all of them, right? But I gotta be real here. The AMAs are the American Music Awards. Jimin's Who went furthest over here than any of the others this past year. The no-brainer to me is to vote for Jimin for this particular award. I have to weigh the circumstances and the numbers.

The context was not taken into consideration in this case and now the votes are going to be split.

We need to be smarter and stop being driven by emotions when there clearly were numbers to show how big Who was in the U.S. this past year.

The drama and fighting was unnecessary. RPWP and Come Back to Me have won so many critical awards – real, peer reviewed and film industry awards – that trying to "give" Namjoon this AMA award just seems very manipulative.

Don't get me wrong, if Namjoon wins this I WILL BE ECSTATIC that Army actually pulled it off. But I will also be surprised if he wins because I know the votes are split between he and Jimin. I'm afraid it will be a sad situation of self-sabotage and the BP girl is going to win because of that.

In other instances, if I am faced with choosing between Jimin and any of the others... Jimin is my man y'all. It is what it is.

Regarding fans who also went on hiatus: Let the fans who took a break come back without criticizing them. Let the casual fans be casual. Just because they weren't obsessed with social media these past few years does not make them "less" of a fan or unimportant. There will always be someone doing something "more" than you in some aspect so just shut up and let them come back and get off your high horse of self-importance.

I do not sustain a constant social media presence but I'm here with my face in the BTS business every single day. I know what is going on to obsessive levels.

I also have a life, a job, family, etc that I must pay attention to as well. But in my down time, everything BTS is what I'm obsessed with. You just don't see me needlessly posting about myself doing it 24/7.

Let. Them. Be. The world needs BTS, let the world come as they are, casual, hardcore, baby Army, OG Army, everyone come to the BTS table and feast! No one has a right to gate keep the 7.

Every day that comes keeps getting brighter and brighter knowing our 7 will be back together NEXT MONTH! 30 days left for Jimin and Jungkook, 40 for Yoongi, 29 for Namjoon and Tae.

[jmdbjk]

Letting my intrusive thoughts win...

A random dive into the recent activity in my brain:

Jimin is a boob man and Jungkook is an ass man. It is what it is.

I wonder if Jungkook ever got over the fact he had to wear military-issue socks and not his toe socks that he's accustomed to?

They just spent 18 long months with a bunch of other men...when did they... you know... and how... you know... its not a monastery... so... anyway... like I said, intrusive thoughts...

I wonder if they had a subunit nickname in their barracks. If so I'm 100% positive it was Minkook. MIN GOOGIE!

Some of the comments during Weverse lives make me want to push people off a cliff... violent, I know, but some people shouldn't be allowed on the internet, know what I mean?

FIFTY EIGHT DAYS LEFT FOR JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK... 58!!!!!! one month and 28 days until they are:

And it is exactly two months until June 13.

I don't know how it will all go down, who will be waiting outside the gates for them and what they'll do when they step out. But I can't get the vision out of my head of Jimin and Jungkook starting a live, we see them sitting next to each other on the couch at the Hybe building, in their tight black ROKA t-shirts, fatigue pants and boots, with their arm muscles bulging.... and then they fall out giggling with embarrassment all over each other. Please Universe. Just a moment like that to break the ice. Please.

[jmdbjk]

RPWP

I did not get to see RPWP when it was in theaters at the beginning of December 2024. I had really, really wanted to see it then and I can't remember what prevented me then but life just gets in the way of my Armying sometimes. I am so happy I finally got to watch it.

As for the concept, Right Place, Wrong People seems to express that he was where he needed to be in order to grow in so many different ways but he didn't exactly fit the preconceived norm of what he was supposed to be in so many ways. He had "conflicting values".

He even had a diagram showing a circle of people as the "right people" with the word "wrong" outside the circle. And it was mirrored to a circle labeled "wrong place" and outside that was the "right" place. Thank you for the visual aids (says me, a visual learner).

And as for Right People, Wrong Place, now that he better understands who he is (as a person and artist) and where he is (his status and the industry he's been existing within), he knows where he needs to be and that is where we will see him going.

He is overwhelming in his self-awareness and ability to articulate his thoughts and ideas. Always in between his dream and reality, always in a hurry... I want to reassure him that as he gets older, the mindfulness will always exist within and he will learn not to hate it but to use it to his advantage to comfort himself and those around him.

"What matters is the big picture." Amen, Joonie. More people should adopt that view and then all these meaningless things we are bombarded with every day can be easily ignored as the worthless noise that it is.

This group that surrounded him during this time... I am thankful to them for allowing Namjoon to find his footing and begin a new beginning. San Yawn, thank you for being Namjoon's friend. Thank you for caring about him because obviously you do. And I agree, he is very compelling and without knowing it, you are following him instead of the other way around. Thank you for helping him find the ability to be honest.

Namjoon learned how much of a bubble he'd been in for the past ten years. We heard the same sentiments from Jimin when he was working with Taeyang on "Vibe."

The music of RPWP is worlds away from the rap and hip hop from his beginnings. Or is it? I remember watching RM perform "Come Back to Me" during Yoongi's D-Day encore concert and I couldn't understand it then. It was so different it didn't make sense to me. But now it makes total sense. It is his declaration of "I am taking a different path now."

His RPWP journey was amazing and I'm thankful he shared this with us. He was so unsure at the beginning but so happy at the end right before he stepped through the gates of the military base. He rediscovered the nuts and bolts of making music from the ground up.

BTS is not going backwards. They will not be looking back to what they were before. In the creation of their solo music, they each learned so much, encountered so many different people (good and bad) and worked outside the insulated world they'd been in for the past decade. There's no going back. They will not be working like they did before.

With Hobi shredding the stage like he is during his tour, I know there is no going back for any of them.

I think when we hear Jimin say he and Jungkook "talk about how we will live" after discharge it isn't just the literal sense but also how will they view their work? How will they express their ideas? How will they frame themselves now for their very public personas?

We see Hobi shifting our concepts of who he is through his music, stage and other activities. They've all been slowly chipping away at that but now, on the other side of military service and the past year and half (almost 2 for Yoongi), they've had time to realize what they miss the most, what they anticipate the most and what they will not be wasting precious time on ever again.

As we enter this next era, we entertain the possibility that the other members may take on some of the burdens that Namjoon was responsible for in the past as the leader of BTS. I believe he'll remain the de facto "leader" but more input from the others will be a refreshing dynamic for him, them and us.

Over the past year, Namjoon has expressed how anxious he is to be back, lamenting how slow time seems to pass. Soon, so, so soon.

Not gonna lie, I got emotional for the people of South Korea last night when they learned that the impeachment and removal of their president would be enforced. I was relieved for our guys still serving that at least they will not have to endure any activity associated with that man. Universe, please keep them safe... 68 days left for Jimin and Jungkook... 78 for Yoongi. Hang in there Namjoon (and Tae), only 67 days left for you.

[jmdbjk]

Hope on the Stage San Antonio TX, D-1

The journey to San Antonio to see Hobi was a bit shaky. There were moments during the months before when we thought we might not make it due to various personal reasons and then I thought there might be a chance the dates would get cancelled because Hobi was sick. I'm not normally a doomsday type but for a minute I thought the Universe was trying to tell us something. Between that and planes crashing everywhere, it kinda made me a little uncertain if it would happen at all.

BUT WE PREVAILED!

We made it to San Antonio. Relatively uneventful travel except I got excited (I was very excitable the entire trip) when I got a glimpse of a Korean Air jet at the Dallas airport. Had to take a pic. People on the Skylink train were side eyeing me.

The Riverwalk was lovely. The hotel was lovely.

Hilton Garden Inn Riverwalk: 10/10.

Iron Cactus on the Riverwalk: 10/10.

Amorino Gelato: 10/10.

The Alamo, again, very lovely and historical.

Downtown San Antonio, the old buildings were lovely but many of them are unfortunately abandoned, however, the city seems to be on a mission to restore and maintain all of their historical architecture.

San Fernando Cathedral, built between 1738 and 1750, Mass was in progress when we stopped by:

Bexar County Courthouse completed in 1896:

The Texas Theatre built in 1926:

San Antonio was lovely, lovely, lovely, though a bit on the humid side.

The people of San Antonio are also very lovely, friendly and outgoing. Shoutout to our valet parking attendant who offered helpful information regarding parking at Frost Bank Center.

At concert time we headed to the venue. It was raining. It never stopped raining. Knowing we might have to stand in the rain, we stopped at a drugstore and bought plastic ponchos and cheap (purple) umbrellas.

I had the misfortune of not having my phone charged up, thinking I could charge it up on the way to Frost Bank Center but that's when I discovered the plugs for charging cables in the rental car didnt work. I had 15% battery when the concert started so that limited how much video I could record.

Speaking of Frost Bank Center...

We stayed in the car for as long as possible so we didn't have to stand in the rain. Then we saw the lines begin to move and we joined. Doors had opened at 6:30, on time but that wasn't enough time to get us all in the venue by 8:00 p.m. At 7:40 p.m. they opened more lines and we rushed to get in those shorter lines. We BARELY made it to our seats before the concert. Thankfully, they delayed for 15 minutes to wait for everyone to get inside the venue. Poor organizing by the venue in my opinion. If you know an event is sold out and you know the seat capacity of your own venue, why don't you have a plan to get these people seated in time for the event? It also seemed they were not enforcing their clear bag rules because people were bringing in all kinds of bags....

We didn't get any freebies because hanging out in the rain wasn't something we wanted to do. The only freebie we managed to snag were these cute army bomb earrings and a photocard:

THANK YOU so much to those Armys who take the time to create these giveaways. Maybe next time I'll take a stab at it too.

Inside the venue, I know that Ticketmaster supposedly "dropped a bunch of face value seats" right in front of the sound control area but all of those seats were full. I find it hard to believe that the huge chunk of seats there were unsold hours before. Ticketmaster up to their manipulative tricks I guess...

But enough of that...

I cannot express in words how thrilling it was to see Hobi in real life. Hobi dancing and rapping and singing right in the middle of my salad!

I almost wanted to see the actual stage as much as I wanted to see Hobi. The first time I saw that red "breathing" membrane covering the stage during the Hope on the Stage in Seoul livestream, I was mesmerized!

The blocks of stage perfectly represent Jack in the Box.

Of course, I already knew the set list so I anticipated every song.

Airplane Pt. 2 has some of my most favorite choreography and I SAW HOBI PERFORMING IT RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES.

Mic Drop... the fan chant, the choreo, the singing along, the energy was out of this world. It's a good thing I had a good grip on my Army bomb because as hard as I was shaking that thing during Mic Drop, if it had slipped it probably would have landed on the stage at Hobi's feet.

Bapsae... the hip thrusts, that drop split... I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES.

I'm sorry if I sound excited. ITS BECAUSE I WAS VERY EXCITED. At least I didn't scream like a banshee while videoing here and there. I wanted to watch and experience and not worry about capturing video.

Sweet Dreams and Mona Lisa were superb.

The songs from Hope World are really my Hobi favorites and I loved watching him perform the ones he included in the set list. I never thought I'd ever see him perform Base Line or Hangsang in real life so that was exciting for me.

Hobi was full of energy. If he was still feeling under the weather, it didn't show.

Let's talk about the nips. With some of the members feeling just fine letting the wind flow freely over their's, Hobi is not doing that. But his technique of having his perky nips star so prominently under his clingy thousand dollar undershirts is a perfect compromise. We've never even had THAT before. Where is that Deun Deun episode where Jimin and Yoongi had a 15 minute discussion with one of the hosts about nipple covers? I think noona stylist has been instructed to toss those things out the window. More power to the perky! I didn't get a pic of them, stupid car phone charger...

Honestly, the two and a half hours was over so quickly.

We couldn't leave San Antonio without visiting the Gwangju Pavillion at Denman Estate Park. When we learned that San Antonio, TX is the sister city to Gwangju, South Korea (Hobi's hometown), we had to go see it. From what I understand, Hobi has relatives who live in Texas. Except around here we call it kinfolk. Maybe they attended the concerts! I hope so!

Anyway, it's a small pavilion on the banks of a small pond in the middle of a small park. But it was very, very lovely and peaceful. Gazing up at the colorful dancheong patterns, the thought occurred to me that this might be the closest I will ever come to seeing this type of architecture in real life.

The flower pattern on the ends of the posts always remind me of the flower on Jungkook's elbow and similar patterns on his arm and around his shoulder.

Again, another great trip, another exciting moment for me to see a member of BTS in the flesh.

We met Armys at the hotel, at the airport, on the plane, at a tiny taqueria restaurant (Texan Sizzle taqueria: 10/10), at the Gwangju Pavillion, all along the Riverwalk, and of course, in line at the venue... and everywhere we looked we spotted Koya, Chimmy, Mang, plushie acorns, and multitudes of other clues identifying who we were to each other. I love that about Army.

Shoutout to Gentlemen Army young and old and Army spouses/boyfriends who were in attendance in big numbers. The two older guys in purple 3-piece suits, well done!

Anyone else make overhead hearts while going through the x-ray scanner at airports? Or the Bangtan 7 sign? No? Just me? Ok.