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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
i love bts. it's no secret that i love bts, and by default i was set up to love this book. however, i do think this book is absolutely accessible for someone who only knows about them tangentially or even not really at all. a warning now: i have a lot of good things to say, so here we go!
to start, i love that this book is set up as a narrative that includes insight and interviews from the members throughout. i feel like in a book like this *cough* the one direction book *cough* it's really easy to make it seem like the artists themselves are writing the book when they're just being interviewed, so i really liked the way that was clear. i'm also familiar with kang myeongseok's work through weverse magazine, and i really love his writing (although i've obviously always read it through translation). this is also one of the smartest uses of QR codes i have ever seen. anything that you could possibly want to look up or see or learn more about - whether it's a video log, a performance, an article - you have an immediate link to it. i love that!
while bts are my ults, my ride or dies, i am a Kpop Fan At Large, and i really love that, while explaining aspects of the kpop industry, of groups that came before and after bts, the author is never dunking on those groups or negating what they did within or for the industry. at the same time, i think the way bts has influenced the industry and helped catapult it to such a global stage was also done in a very factual, indisputable way. so many kpop groups that debuted in the years after bts absolutely have been influenced by them in so many ways, not only when it comes to the music, but when it comes to the type of content they're creating. almost every kpop group under big enough companies have their own reality or variety show content now, and that is a direct result of how bts found ways to effectively communicate with and show their personalities to their fans.
i loved that, as usual, bts are willing to share so much with us, even more in-depth here than ever before, whether that's from a musical or an emotional standpoint. it's always comforting for me to see how much they care about each other and their success both as individuals and a group, as well as how much they genuinely care about their fans.
i am so proud of the boys, and i am so proud to be ARMY. thank you thank you thank you!
(and if i finished this when i did so it would be the 77th book i read this year? BORAHAE!)
to start, i love that this book is set up as a narrative that includes insight and interviews from the members throughout. i feel like in a book like this *cough* the one direction book *cough* it's really easy to make it seem like the artists themselves are writing the book when they're just being interviewed, so i really liked the way that was clear. i'm also familiar with kang myeongseok's work through weverse magazine, and i really love his writing (although i've obviously always read it through translation). this is also one of the smartest uses of QR codes i have ever seen. anything that you could possibly want to look up or see or learn more about - whether it's a video log, a performance, an article - you have an immediate link to it. i love that!
while bts are my ults, my ride or dies, i am a Kpop Fan At Large, and i really love that, while explaining aspects of the kpop industry, of groups that came before and after bts, the author is never dunking on those groups or negating what they did within or for the industry. at the same time, i think the way bts has influenced the industry and helped catapult it to such a global stage was also done in a very factual, indisputable way. so many kpop groups that debuted in the years after bts absolutely have been influenced by them in so many ways, not only when it comes to the music, but when it comes to the type of content they're creating. almost every kpop group under big enough companies have their own reality or variety show content now, and that is a direct result of how bts found ways to effectively communicate with and show their personalities to their fans.
i loved that, as usual, bts are willing to share so much with us, even more in-depth here than ever before, whether that's from a musical or an emotional standpoint. it's always comforting for me to see how much they care about each other and their success both as individuals and a group, as well as how much they genuinely care about their fans.
i am so proud of the boys, and i am so proud to be ARMY. thank you thank you thank you!
(and if i finished this when i did so it would be the 77th book i read this year? BORAHAE!)
As a member of army who joined in late 2019 I enjoyed getting to know everything I had missed in the years prior. The setup in the book with the QR codes available to scan whenever they reference a certin moment,blog post, building size etc. Was a really cool format that I hope more biography style books take on in the future, even though I had to scan each one and it ended up taking me so much longer to finish this book as I'm easily distracted..
The author did a fabulous job retelling the history of BTS. They endured so much bullying and hatred and slander against them, and they hid it from their fans as to not upset them. I had no idea how horrible people and even celebrities were to some young boys who have a passion for music. Their messages of self love and self worth helped me out of depression and made me become a better person. How can anyone hate a band who lead so many to happiness?
The QR were an awesome addition. I was able to see the songs and videos the author was talking about without having to search it myself.
I am proud to be an ARMY
The QR were an awesome addition. I was able to see the songs and videos the author was talking about without having to search it myself.
I am proud to be an ARMY
I became a fan of BTS at the beginning of the pandemic, so was familiar with their passion for music and love for each other and their fans. As I stormed through the book (the links and QR codes will have to wait another day - or month), what struck me most was the rapline's School of Hip Hop, the immense pressure on RM as the only member fluent in English, and the way they learned to trust each other with their challenges. I also appreciated learning more about the K-pop industry.
Despite mostly chronicling stuff I already know as a long-time fan, the key events, important details, and thoughts of the members were still fun to read about--especially that third thing. I appreciated getting more insight about how they've processed everything through the years because their careers have been insane and unique. The closing chapters were quite underwhelming though, which I didn't expect.
The translation was very good. As someone who doesn't frequently read in Filipino, it wasn't a struggle to get through.
The translation was very good. As someone who doesn't frequently read in Filipino, it wasn't a struggle to get through.
emotional
informative
inspiring
I loved it!! I cried, I laughed and gasped! A beautifully written book about their story