Hello to to our our lovely lovely readers. readers. Hello As the head of the SNS team as well as the research team, it is my job to help us promote our magazine and monitor the goings-on within our fandom. My team is still quite small, but with the help of the Borasaek Vision staff, we make it work. For this issue, we decided to focus on the Bangtan Universe, also known as the BU, which is a fictional universe created by Big Hit that serves as a vehicle for storytelling. It all began with BTS’ music video for “I NEED U,” released April 29, 2015, when BTS began to portray fictional characters in some of their videos. As the storyline progressed and BTS became more successful, the storyline branched out to other platforms. As you’ll see, there is BU-certified content in music videos, short films, a webtoon, books, games, and the HYYH Notes. In this issue, we will take a closer look at all of these. One other important part of the BU is the role ARMYs play in the “theories.” A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Storytelling describes sharing these stories as a social and cultural activity, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view. BTS and ARMY both engage in these storytelling aspects, with their official content and our analysis, after every new addition to the universe. As you’re reading through this issue, we hope that you can take away a more thorough understanding of the BU, and who knows — you may catch something we missed. But most of all, we hope you enjoy it! Thank you, and 보라해요!
Borasaek Borasaek Vision Vision SNS & Research Team
The Art of the Story
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“The Notes”: The Truth Told
5
ARMY Theories in the Bangtan Universe
9
The Visual Language of the Bangtan Universe
15
“BU” - The Games We Play
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Fun Zone
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the a of the story rt
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Written by Rebeca Edited by Vera Checked by Aury Designed by Inglydy
As individuals, we get a chance to live one life; however, through the magic created by storytellers, we’re able to experience many more. From drastically different realities to ones that make us feel like we’re not alone in our struggles great stories have the power to move our hearts. This is precisely one of the reasons why BTS are so loved; they are exceptional storytellers. They masterfully employ the elements of narrative as well as a rich assortment of media and audiovisual content to create a powerful story. Through their Bangtan Universe, also known as BU, they are able to communicate important messages and share their artistic vision with millions of people. The Elements of Narrative The Bangtan Universe is a fictional universe that tells the story of seven young men through BTS’s artistic works. It utilizes different styles of storytelling and fully takes advantage of the different strengths of each media format. There is visual storytelling in their music videos and short films, written storytelling within The Notes books, and digital in the Smeraldo blog. This variety makes the narrative rich and complex. But what makes BTS such good storytellers, and why do people respond so well to their fictional universe? In order to answer these questions, we first need to understand how narrative works, and then examine how BTS and their team build great stories. Narrative has 7 key elements: plot, setting, characters, point of view, theme, symbolism, and conflict. Let’s take a quick look at them.
1 | The Art of the Story
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1 - You’re likely familiar with the concept of plot; it includes background information, conflict, climax, and conclusions. You can think of it as the general outline of what is going to happen, in what order, what prompts the events, and how situations will be resolved.
3 - Creating compelling and believable characters isn’t easy. The audience needs information about who they are, what motivates them, how they would respond to situations based on their personality and values, and what their circumstances are like.
5 - The theme is an important element that helps communicate the story’s messages. Ask yourself what are the main topics that come up in the story and what the author is trying to say about them.
7 - Conflict is part of the plot, but it is also an important element by itself. Stories tend to address a main challenge that the characters will face. The kind of conflict is likely determined by the main theme the author has chosen, and it can be external or internal.
Photo : MV Fake Love
2 - The setting is exactly what it sounds like. When and where is the story happening, and what kind of environment are the characters dealing with. Its purpose is to give the audience context of the world, as well as setting the mood and tone for the story.
4 - For any story, it is essential to establish the point of view. While there are many aspects to consider, you can simply think of it as the narrator of the story, and what kind of personality or voice this narrator has.
6 - Narrative uses symbols to say more than it explicitly does. Pay attention to recurrent elements in a story and look up what they are associated with. Some stories use them more than others, but they can be a great resource to add context or meaning.
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The Bangtan Universe Narrative Now, let’s move on to the Bangtan Universe and explore how each part comes into play to create the story and deliver BTS’ messages.
exclusively that. We get to see how they act when they are together with friends and happy, when they work hard, lose hope, feel lonely or lost. All the characters feel real, so it’s easy to recognize our life experiences in one or more of them, because their joys and pains are universal. Hence, why the audience can feel a close connection to them.
Plot-wise, we are following the lives of 7 young men from the first time they met in highschool to the moment they start reuniting when Seokjin comes back. At that point, he ends up trying to save his friends The different formats of media become from their unhappy fates, but has to start relevant again when it comes to the point again every time he fails. of view. The way videos are filmed makes us feel like we’re seeing what the characters This plot, slowly built through the years, are seeing, but when it comes to the books, requires the audience to put the pieces we’re also aware of what they are thinking. together. Before The Notes were published, In The Notes, each of them becomes a we had to identify the main events shown narrator with a very distinct voice and in music videos, concept photos, short personality. films, etc., and organize them in a way that made sense. After rewatching everything Since the books were published years countless times with extreme attention to after the BU started, the audience has detail, we became heavily invested in the encountered the same scenarios many story. times, and has developed empathy in advance. But with the additional insight The main physical setting of the BU is of the books’ point of view, we get to the city of Songju, where the characters understand these characters more and take attended highschool and later lived as in how they perceive their own stories. young adults. Each of them has a difficult life at the moment of Seokjin’s arrival. The Bangtan Universe comprises a few Namjoon and Hoseok are affected by overarching themes. We can mention redevelopment plans they can’t defend youth and growth, friendship and loneliness, themselves against. Jimin has lived at societal issues, and hope. The protagonists the hospital for years. Taehyung has an are growing up, trying to overcome their alcoholic father, and so on. difficult circumstances, comforting or hurting each other. Everyone can relate, especially All these settings are impregnated with the youth growing up in today’s cutthroat a sense of unfairness and hopelessness; society. that’s our starting point. The audience instinctively empathizes with the Through the BU, the audience can question characters’ struggles, recognizes the unfair unfair systems; at the same time, they society they live in, and is drawn in wishing feel validated in their personal struggles for them to live happier lives. and get courage to take action and keep hoping. The themes are delivering BTS’ key Each character in this story embodies a messages. specific struggle, such as abandonment, trauma, poverty, and alcoholic parents Symbolism is known to play a huge role every detail in a BTS video means among others. But none of them is
something. From the paintings and statues in the “Blood Sweat & Tears” music video, water and fire, and words written on the walls, to the Smeraldo flowers. Especially when it comes to music videos, where the narrative is fragmented, the use of symbolism allows to tell a bigger story. The audience learns to look for these symbols, research, and interpret them. With time, we start knowing the story like the back of our own hand. Finally, the Bangtan Universe includes multiple examples of both internal and external conflict. As examples, we have Jimin, who feels like he isn’t capable of facing his trauma or leaving the hospital; the conflict is within himself. Then there’s Hoseok, who faces the possibility of losing the orphanage where he grew up because the city is changing; his conflict is generated outside. Through this story, the audience gets to live their challenges with them, cheer for them, wonder how they would react, and evaluate their decisions. We get a better understanding of situations that we might not personally experience, which makes us more compassionate.
What Makes The Bangtan Universe Special As we’ve seen, BTS and their team have put a lot of effort into creating a story and characters that could effectively communicate their social criticism, as well as the need for empathy and hope. They crossreference the same symbolism throughout different formats of media and let the audience interpret it to build the story in collaboration with the artists. This is exactly what makes the Bangtan Universe special. There might be many creative and relatable stories out there, but we are growing as people while we create this one together. Photo : Pinterest
Looking back at the Bangtan Universe (BU) which was released in 2015, it is easy to lose yourself in a whirlwind of information, to be unsure of where to even start. From the official beginning of the Universe, there were various moving parts and pieces that needed to be compiled in order to see the full picture of the story. For ARMYs who have been following it for years, they have seen the growth of these characters as well as the fleshing out of their stories. The Notes contain the ‘heart’ of the Bangtan Universe; within lies the detailed happenings of the lives of the seven boys. This is the written storyline of the universe through the eyes of each of the characters because each note poses as a journal entry.
(2013) when they meet in high school for the first time. The latest Notes end in year 22 (2015) when they encounter trouble, and the eldest Seokjin is tasked with saving them all with his time-travelling abilities. The Notes follow the boys throughout high school and young adulthood as they maneuver through life and their friendships with one another. The BU does not stray away from sensitive topics that are typically not touched on, but cannot be denied to exist in the lives of growing adolescents — topics like depression and loneliness.
The BU and the Notes are visualized within various sources such as, but not limited to: highlight reels, music videos, concert VCRs, games, and the Save Me webtoon. But Starting in year 9 (2003), the Notes provide when delving into and gathering a more us with information about each of the boys solid background on the characters and when they were children their stories, the Notes are the jackpot for including their upbringing. Their more detailed information. Although, unless stories intertwine at year 19 you find yourself stumbling upon someone’s compilations of the Notes in a timely order, they can be just as confusing. HYBE (formerly Big Hit Ent.) released the first set of the Notes during the Love Yourself era, with the album Love Yourself: Her, which detailed the events that are seen within the music videos from the The Most Beautiful Moment in Life era. The Notes reside in each subsequent regular album release, with the exception of their Japanese albums and the most recent album, BE. In addition to the Notes found in the albums, there were a few released on
Twitter by the Big Hit Music account (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) as well as two books, the first released in early 2019 and the second in late 2020, that compiled previous Notes as well as introduced new ones. The Notes were HYBE’s way of wrapping the visuals into a storyline that would provide some background for fans who had already been theorizing the stories of the characters. As they were released, the Notes did not fall into a chronological order in terms of storyline. Instead, they gave bits and pieces from various points throughout the timeline(s), building the story slowly and leaving plenty of room for ARMYs to theorize about the lives of these boys. As always, HYBE and BTS want ARMY involved. Time after time, they’ve shown that they love giving ARMYs puzzles and mysteries to solve. The BU is no different, watching quietly as they planned and released snippet by snippet the stories of these seven boys on their journeys through life. In the time prior to the release of the Notes, ARMYs spread their theories amongst themselves, and it is seen that there are pieces of these ARMY theories in the official Notes and the BU. As the music videos were released, there were dives into the details of the visuals: theories about what was happening to each of the boys and concocting stories about the characters’ backgrounds. The BU kicked off officially with the “I Need You” music video in 2015, however, there were around two years of visual materials released prior to the first introduction of the Notes themselves in 2017. Any videos or materials relating to the BU are labeled as such, as to show a distinction between regular content releases and official canon materials. These labels are left
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in the descriptions of videos such as the “Run” music video and more, but absent in “Dynamite” and various other videos.
The Notes line up with a soft canon of the BU, as many things are left unresolved. While there are things that have been outlined and stated that set up the story for each of the boys, the fact still remains that art is art. Whether or not they vary from the Notes, every person’s theories and perception of the music videos are valid in their own way. Art is subject to various interpretations, and the BU and its visuals are no exception. While the Notes exist to tell the story of these characters and give some background into the music videos and various pieces of BU media, it is a story like any other, a world that has been created by HYBE to fascinate and entertain. There will always be people who have their own theories and interpretations of the BU.
7 | “The Notes”: The Truth Told
The existence of the Notes doesn’t invalidate others ideas on what is taking place, as it is completely fictitious and just as malleable an art as any painting or relatable work. The Bangtan Universe has been compared to that of Marvel, or even Star Wars. It is something that HYBE wanted to see last a long time, far beyond the years that BTS would be together. Just as with all of these Universes, each of their fandoms have their own theories and side stories for what they believe have taken place on the outskirts of the canon, past, future, or present. The creators of these universes will release content and set a baseline for the canon events, but this never stops fans from creating their own revelations from the information given. The general premise of art and media is exposure to different perceptions and understandings; this is something HYBE might have in mind when
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releasing these materials. They’ve chosen to see this story through, and while they’re still building it, there are still pieces missing from time. If it was important for them to have a strict storyline, they could’ve started from the beginning and added on as time progressed. It seems intentionally left for ARMY to help build this story with HYBE and BTS as they grow together. In addition to the Notes, there is a BU Save Me Webtoon. This is placed adjacent to the Notes as it contains some background information about the characters. Also included are visuals referenced from various music videos. However, the Webtoon shows different scenarios based on the choices the characters make to achieve different (but ultimately the same) outcome. Save Me doesn’t offer much in terms of story chronology, but instead it is an interesting look into the butterfly effect that the story entails and how each decision made by Seokjin can change the course of the story. The Webtoon isn’t a collection of theories as much as just a supplemental source of side story for the Universe. As more notes are released, time will tell how the story will pan out. What will remain is exactly what HYBE had planned from the beginning, an entertaining Universe created for ARMY and BTS that will continue to engage and interest its audience. There seems to be new content steadily rolling out, with the additions of the BU Story games and new music (with subsequent music videos) on the horizon. BTS’s newest Japanese single “Film Out” has visuals connecting it to the BU, and many ARMYs have already begun dissecting it. However, it has yet to receive the official BU certification that would make it canonically tied to the Universe. Seeing how items have been previously retroactively added to the timeline though, it is quite possible that we will see it added in the future.
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9 | ARMY Theories in the Bangtan Universe
ARMY Theories in the Bangtan Universe | 10
11 | ARMY Theories in the Bangtan Universe
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The Visual Language of the Bangtan Universe Written by: RAM | Edited by: VERA | Checked by: ESMA | Designed By: Connie Music videos are an important medium for singers and musicians for a variety of reasons, such as conveying a meaning that lyrics couldn’t portray, giving a stronger and deeper background of the song’s purpose, or contributing to its promotion. However, for BTS, music videos aren’t just for the purposes mentioned above. Apart from the songs, Bangtan Universe uses music videos as its primary media. The general public could still enjoy these music videos as a stand-alone experience, but for ARMYs, watching all of them is the least they can do to comprehend the Bangtan Universe. Though there are plenty of theorist ARMYs out there, watching the music videos is essential for understanding the plot. Until 2020, BTS’ career was split into five big eras: The School Trilogy, The Most Beautiful Moments in Life, WINGS, Love Yourself and Map of the Soul. The main messages and purposes of each era are not only evident in the songs, but also in the music videos. Let’s jump into it. 15 | The Visual Language of the Bangtan Universe
THE SCHOOL TRILOGY Starting off with this era, BTS is calling out injustice and oppression against students, as well as reminiscing about the relationships of youthful lovebirds. This could be the septet’s most boyish and hardcore period. Thick eyeliners, strikingly bold costumes, uncompromising school environments, a basketball field, and outstanding special effects are its most pronounced features. The School Trilogy isn’t officially a part of the BU, as the universe was not revealed yet that year. Thus the music videos are not focused heavily on the plot. Instead, the major purpose of the music videos in this era seems to be their emphasis on BTS as a hip-hop boy group.
Photo Courtesy: HYBE Labels YouTube CHannel & BTS Facebook Page
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS IN LIFE 花樣年華 or The Most Beautiful Moments in Life marked the first official storyline of the Bangtan Universe. This era’s music videos are more plot-driven. Rather than focusing on aesthetics and visual effects, the music videos are more dramatic and movie-like, giving a raw touch and natural feel. This era has 6 videos that are included in the BU storyline: “I NEED U,” “HYYH On Stage: Prologue,” “RUN,” “I NEED U Japanese Version”, “RUN Japanese Version,” and “EPILOGUE: Young Forever.” “I NEED U” in particular portrays what happened to BTS in the Bangtan Universe when Seokjin came back after disappearing for a long period of time.
The Visual Language of the Bangtan Universe | 16
Seokjin was seen holding six petals in the “I NEED U” music video, which ARMY mistook for Lily petals until the Smeraldo flower was unveiled in 2017. Hoseok was seen falling asleep on the side of the road during his walk, which spurred a conversation among ARMYs about how Hoseok’s character suffers from narcolepsy, a persistent sleep disease that causes a patient to fall asleep unexpectedly during the day. Taehyung, in particular, stole the show when he confronted his father, who had been abusing him and his sister, and took revenge on him. BTS ended the era with “EPILOGUE: Young Forever” music video, which left their universe on a cliffhanger. Thousands of questions remain unanswered, and no one knows what happened before, leaving these seven BU characters in such hopeless circumstances.
WINGS Almost half of the previous era’s unresolved questions were addressed in the WINGS era. BTS surprised ARMYs by releasing a comeback trailer and seven WINGS short films related to the universe. As stated in the theories article, Seokjin travelled back in time many times to save his friends after leaving them for two years. What happened in those two years is briefly told in the seven short films, and then in further detail in the Bangtan Universe game. The music videos have become more fictitious and metaphoric since this era, though still plot-heavy as the previous era. We can feel Hermann Hesse’s Demian’s strong influence on the artistic expression of this era in particular. Each of the seven short films contains distinct elements that serve as metaphors for how the boys feel over the course of those two years. 17 | The Visual Language of the Bangtan Universe
Photos Courtesy: hybe Labels Youtube CHANNEL
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In the short film “Begin,” Jung Kook painted one of his friends on a canvas, illustrating how he relies heavily on his six ‘brothers,’ as his biological family did not care about him very much. His friends make him who he is; thus the separation had a tremendous impact on him. Jimin’s “Lie” short film celebrates the first ever lie he made, which was lying to his doctor about not remembering anything, while a camera and a robotic hand served as the personification of the doctor. In the story, Jimin had a strong bond with Hoseok; hence the vacant hospital bed represented Hoseok. Behind the closed door, Taehyung has been subjected to torture, as reveled in his “Stigma” short film. There’s a scene where invisible punches are thrown at him, which we may interpret as him suffering all of his father’s abuse. A piano is Yoongi’s most prized possession, both in the universe and in real life. The first piano he played in the BU was destroyed by a fire. The piano is also what connects Yoongi and Jung Kook. There was a point in the universe when Jung Kook was hit by a car, and the whistle heard in the “First Love” film was Jung Kook’s “Begin.” As they drifted away, Yoongi never spoke to Jung Kook, and he was shaken when he learned about the accident and went straight to the hospital. A lot of things happened in the “Reflection” music video. This music video appears to be more of a reflection of Namjoon’s thoughts, feelings, and realizations about what’s going on with all of his friends, and his inability to be there for them. He despised himself because of it.
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In one of the notes, Hoseok mentioned his narcolepsy was fake, and it was revealed in his “MAMA” short film that Hoseok has Münchausan Syndrome, a disease where one will fake illness or trauma to draw sympathy and attention. This could be the aftermath of being neglected by his own mother at such a young age.
Photos Courtesy: HYBE Labels YouTuibe Channel
“Awake” short film portrays Seokjin, who has to save all of them, the moment when he wakes up on the same day to start anew. At the end of the video, we could see six polaroid pictures symbolizing his six friends he needs to save. This era in particular discusses the battle of good and evil during the process of growing up, haunted by past mistakes, the beckoning of temptation from all sides. Whether one can get a hold of themselves throughout this period will affect them in the future. All of these images are perfectly portrayed in the “Blood Sweat & Tears” music video.
LOVE YOURSELF AND MAP OF THE SOUL In the theories, the first case of the time loop was solved with everyone remaining alive, but a new conflict erupted and everyone went their separate ways again. During this time, BTS met the girls, as we can see in the “LOVE YOURSELF Highlight Reel ‘起承轉結’,” and that was one of their turning points in trying to be the best version of themselves. Though still part of the BU, only a few music videos are included in the universe. “FAKE LOVE” and “Euphoria: Theme of LOVE YOURSELF 起 Wonder” are the only BU certified music videos from this era. From there onward, the music videos are no longer part of the universe. The same goes to Map of The Soul era. This is the era where Seokjin is looking for the Map of the Soul to save his friends again. The focus is switching to The Notes and the Bangtan Universe game.
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WHAT’S NOT CHANGING? Though each era had different concepts and vibes, the music videos are consistent in one matter—aside from the Bangtan Universe, of course: the theories and the symbolism connected to them. Decorations, painting, costumes, places seen in the music videos serve a deeper purpose than merely aesthetics. There are many examples. Pieter Bruegel’s artwork of The Fall of the Rebel Angels portrayed the battle between evil and good in the “Blood Sweat & Tears” video. Masks served as a symbol of disguising one’s true self in order to be accepted by others throughout the Love Yourself: Tear era. Polaroid photographs during The Most Beautiful Moments in Life era captured a perfect moment, freezing the fun and depicting the “young forever” theme. Those are only a few of the countless metaphors and symbols in BTS’ music videos.
BTS also uses lots of inverted colors in their music videos. Inverting display colors is commonly used to help those with impaired vision or to give our eyes a break. However, the use of inverted colors in these music videos seems to have deeper significance, as it is usually used to depict past negative memories or positive memories with gloomy connotations. What sets BTS apart from other idols and artists is their commitment to educate their fandom. Rather than merely throwing content at us, they give us riddles, puzzles, references, and additional layers we have to peel through every comeback. By stanning seven handsome, talented men, we’re also increasing and broadening our knowledge on symbolism, art, and overcoming challenges in life.
BU
The Games
Hwa” (HYYH) / “The Most Beautiful Moment In Life, Pt. 1” era. If you arrived here via the previous articles in this magazine, then you will now be familiar with the backstory of how the BU came into existence and how it has been woven throughout BTS’ discography and Welcome to offerings of multimedia the ‘Bangtan Universe,’ content since 2015. or as it is more At the heart of the BU is commonly known, a coming-of-age storyline the BU. – seven young men who Described by Teen each face their own Vogue as an “interwoven shadows while traversing ecosystem of content” life as troubled youths. the BU first revealed itself Each of the BTS members during the “Hwa Yang Yeon convey a character within
21 | “BU” - The Games We Play
the storyline; these seven characters face hardship and difficulties in their daily lives. Yet, throughout the storyline, we see moments where the septet spent happier times together – seemingly carefree and untroubled. As fans, we could follow along with the different storylines, empathize with each of the characters’ predicaments, and theorize a myriad of meanings and interpretations behind the many visual cues and clues woven throughout BTS’ discography and other BUrelated products. What we could not do, though, was interact with BU content beyond the role of a passive recipient.
Written by Shelley Edited by Aury | Checked by Esma Designed by Zai
We Play BTS UNIVERSE STORY Then, on September 23rd, 2020, all of that changed with the global-wide launch of Netmarble’s BTS Universe Story mobile game. In the lead up to its launch, Netmarble promoted the game as “stories we create together” endorsed with the hashtags, #네가_ 없다면_쓰여질_수_없는_ 세겨가_있어 - #Their_ story_lies_in_your_ hands.” Through social media promotions, fans learned that all they needed to do was “find the map of the soul, then all this
can end.” Immediately, they were treated to a short video clip from the game and invited to help Seokjin decide which path to choose by tweeting #ReverseThePast or #AcceptReality. Over the remaining days and weeks, more video clips surfaced, sometimes continuing Seokjin’s storyline, and other times introducing the other members and their stories.
Fans responded favorably to this new approach, many taking to heart the decisions they made as the narratives continued to unfold. Surprisingly though, pre-launch interactions with the game took an unexpected twist when Netmarble announced that they were recruiting writers to help develop future storylines for the BTS Universe Story. According to a 2020 Forbes article, “utilizing new technology and introducing players to a diverse, innovative multitude of gameplay options” would appeal to both ARMYs and gamers who enjoy storytelling plots, ultimately providing
“BU” - The Games We Play | 22
Their story lies in your hands
more engagement with the BU and by default, BTS. For those familiar with BU, there are many facets to this universe, with time travel being a pivotal theme. BTS Universe Story encapsulates these elements to varying degrees, interweaving BTS’ music, music videos, the HYYH Notes, the BTS webtoon “Save Me,” BTS’ social media platforms, and even the upcoming BU-inspired television series Youth due to be released later this year. For anyone wanting to delve deeper into the BU, YouTuber xCeleste has produced a number of video resources dedicated to unpacking the finer, often unseen details of the BU, all based on her own, personal interpretations. Writer Courtney Lazore has also dedicated time and energy to analyzing the BU, hailing the concept as “a first for K-pop” in a 2019 article titled: “How the BTS Universe Successfully Engages Thousands of Fans.” But what does the BTS Universe Story look like from the perspective of those who actually play the game? ARMYs who have invested time and
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energy in playing BTS Universe Story have spoken about the surreal impact they experienced while interacting with the game’s content. Players are able to immerse themselves in the various storylines, and while it seems that the game appeals to nonARMYs as well, it is possible that the BU storyline is not for everyone. Considering that the fictional BU storyline introduces sensitive issues such as poverty, abuse, neglect, mental unwellness, and violence, if players are not familiar with the BU beforehand, they may find the game’s main storyline quite disconcerting. In that sense, it is fortunate that players are able to create their own fictional stories, and while there are obvious limits imposed such as the censoring of certain words,
for the most part, players are able to fully utilize the game’s built-in toolkit to create scenes, actions, and dialogues of their own. As with anything though, where there is light there are also shadows. What one player may see as innovative storylines, another may label as fan-fiction and, technically, they wouldn’t be wrong. There is no denying though, that BTS Universe Story offers players an opportunity to interact with the characters, and for the thousands of ARMY players, this reality is definitely appealing – so much so that within the first week of its launch, BTS Universe Story had amassed an amazing 2.7 million downloads globally, with Indonesia, USA, and Brazil ranking as the top three consumer countries.
within the first day of its launch, BTS World could also be considered a marketing success. Again, the power of storytelling is what makes this game stand out for players and in this issue “The Art of the Story” really highlights this for readers. Despite there only being ‘fixed’ storylines in BTS World, two-years later, this game still has a loyal following. While many ARMYs have openly shared their critiques of the game on various social media platforms, in quieter conversations with ARMYs who play BTS World, one ARMY expressed how satisfied they feel whenever they level up their cards or rank and how they don’t feel alone when they play because their friends also play it. Another ARMY member spoke of how BTS World “opens the
BTS WORLD Leaving this game until the end of this article is deliberate, even though BTS World was officially launched in June 2019, more than a year before its counterpart BTS Universe Story. Ranking No. 1 in 133 countries “BU” - the Games We Play | 24
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characters’ lives, which bodes well for players new to BTS or new to storytelling game platforms. However, for seasoned gamers, BTS World may have fallen short of expectations as highlighted in a blog written by one of our own Borasaek Vision staff in 2020. Titled “High Hopes, Low door of the South Korean Expectations,” this blog group’s milestones to considered three aspects stardom” and in the of the game – visuals, process gives ARMYs the story, and gameplay. In “opportunity to enter the quoting the author, “the vast purple universe, this built a special connection, most interactive part of the along with the chances to game is the style section, know Bangtan more in one where you can dress up installment.” the seven members,” While BTS Universe Story however for the most part, links players directly to BU, the player’s engagement BTS World asks players was limited to that of a to take on the role of “faceless thirda manager tasked with party.” debuting the group, BTS. Whether players When managers meet are seasoned the individual members gamers or firstthey are already living timers who only their lives according to play because it’s the respective storylines. BTS, the advent Described as a visual of BTS World novel-styled video game was groundthere is nothing too breaking within traumatic about the the realm of 25 | “BU” - The Games We Play
K-pop idol groups. Big Hit Entertainment’s aim back in 2015 to introduce the art of storytelling into BTS’ discography was a ‘brave’ move that was not fully appreciated by all ARMYs at that time. Now in 2021 however, both BTS World and BTS Universe Story are integral components of BTS, with both games continuing to enjoy their time in the spotlight. WRAP UP This issue of Borasaek Vision’s Magazine was dedicated entirely to the Bangtan Universe. In fact, we began laying the seeds of this literary journey in our May issue with “Bangtan Universe Primer.” Writer Basabdatta did an excellent job introducing
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readers to the complexity of BU without revealing too much of the inner workings of this universe. In this issue, we were able to go more in-depth with key elements of BU first by exploring “The Art of the Story” with Rebeca and a timely reminder that great stories evoke emotions and
memories. Skylar showed us just how intricate “The Notes: The Truth Told” could be and leaves us wondering if “Film Out” is officially part of the BU, or not, before Ananya reels us into the world of theorizing, starting with the Butterfly Effect theory. Ultimately, the BU began through BTS’ music
and Ram does an excellent job of highlighting just how effective BTS’ music is in the transmission of ideas, values, and concepts. All of this leads us to BTS World and BTS Universe Story, where we as ARMYs can continue building our relationship with BTS, albeit in story form, in game form.
Reverse the Past
Accept Reality “BU” - The Games We Play | 26
BTS DNA Dimple Paradise Butterfly
Run Dope Rain Danger Jump
Answers: Yacht | Boat | Seagulls | Bang PD | Bang PD hoodie | Sun hat on Jimin | Crab on Namjoon | RJ picnic | Cocktails on chair | Sandals
Writing, Alapadma Writing, Ananya Writing, Antonella Design, Aralika Editing, Ash Writing, Basabdatta Design, Bella Design, Chubs Editing, Clare Design, Connie
Design, Deens Writing, Endang Editing, Esma Social Media, Inglydy Writing, jia Design, Lau Writing, LP Writing, Mei Design, Nessa Writing, Rebeca
Writing, Rufflyn Writing, Skylar Writing, Tobing Research, Trina Editing, Vera Research, Vy Writing, Yatri Design, Zai Design, Zircon
Design, Alex Planning, Anna Copy Editor, Aury Design, Euni Design, Kels Research & Social Media, Miranda Writing, Shelley Assistant Copy Editor & Design Support, Mheer Assistant Writing, RAM
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“We will walk the borasaek road with BTS with love and trust, until the end.”