BTS - N.O (Reaction) 

SKY is an acronym to the 3 most prestigious universities in the Seoul, the capital of South Korea - basically, young ppl in South Korea are very much pressured by their parents, and society in general, to be perfect students, to graduate with the best grades, at one the top 3 universities, so they can get the best jobs, etc. to the point that SK is considered to have one of the highest suicide rates by ppl under the age of 30 in the world. BTS says young ppl feel like they have to turn into study machines and are pressured to be very competitive with their peers, so much so that it has created social and socioeconomic disparities between the generations, as well as crippling the mental and emotional moral of the younger generation. BTS were really brave in speaking out about this, especially as rookies. N.O is the first of many BTS songs that hit on social messages that have an impact. They truly live up to the meaning of their name, Bangtan Sonyeondan, and fighting for the youth, as explained by Hobi in early interviews. Thanks for the reaction! 💜

SKY is an acronym for the three most prestigious universities in south korea. I always felt like it's so much more significant when Namjoon (RM) talks about the ridged school system because he tested in the top 1% in South Korea. Like, for someone who was so successful in that school system to say, "this is not okay", it just says a lot. Idk

The pressure is South Korea is way worse than America, it’s competitive and demanding. In America most students goal is to not be failing and that’s it. In South Korea the suicide and depression rates are so high because they don’t end up on a rank they’re supposed to. They HAVE to be #1. All they do is school and when they get out they have to do “internet cafe” and won’t get out till 10 and even then they still study. The only “dream” accepted is one that you have to go to university for. It’s sad.

Look at the pause frame at the moment the lyrics read "we stand upon even our closest friends", suga is climbing the other members back. It's symbolic to how youths are forced to even betray friends to become the number 1, no matter what. The competition is so fierce, the adults tell them there's no meaning behind friendship, leave the friends, if you become number 1, you won't have shortage of friends.

When we say the special effects are real we mean most of them (not all) and for newer videos, not older ones, since they didn't have a lot of money earlier on their career (them & the company).

The pill that they take is red. For them to wake up from the systematic processes that have been ingrained into them from very early one. Your interpretation even without the captions was really on target. One thing, Namjoon was invited to attend the top university in SK because of his scores and he chose to pursue his rapping instead.

From what I’ve heard, in Korea most students have a full school day like America. They start early, but the big difference is that they have afternoon study that is typically required. Most students in Korea get to school at 8 in the morning and stay until 10 at night. After that most will go to the library to study for an hour or two, then they head home to sleep and start over again. It is like a never ending hell from what I’ve heard.

When I was in school I was that kid that did what I was told because I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. While I don’t see anything wrong with this, it came at a cost. All work and no passion. It took me YEARS to find my passion. I quit a secure job of 10 years to return to school to get a teaching credential. My son was only 3 months old and my daughter was 5. My husband was a trooper and I would never have accomplished my dream without his support. Fast forward 11 years and my daughter is a senior in high school. She’s on track to being Valedictorian. She tells me she wants to attend a BTS concert but would miss 2 days of school. You being in AP classes knows that if you miss even 1 day you’re already behind for a week. So what did I do...I left the decision to her. If she fell behind she would have to figure out a way to catch up. She went to the concert, got barricade, and still gets emotional watching the video footage she took.Oh, I forgot to mention, she made Valedictorian. As a parent I had to learn from my parents mistakes. Don’t take school too seriously, have fun, enjoy those days and use it as a time for discovering yourself and your identity. RM shared that his parents wanted him to attend university but he had aspirations to be the best rapper in the world. His parents supported him through this journey and look at him now...

just a tip that might help you when you're reacting to lyrics - i understand you probably want to react to them using the mv (or maybe a lyric video) since it gives both you and us the audience a bit more to watch, but sometimes things get lost in translation even in the official subs, and fanmade lyric videos are often put out by people who rush to be the first to upload and get traffic to their channel which results in a lot of innacurate or confusing translations. they're still useful resources and suited for doing reactions, but if you're ever stuck on a line or are confused by a reference or turn of phrase, try looking up doolsetbangtan on wordpress. the blog is filled with translations of bts's discography along with detailed explanations that provide context for non-koreans. you definitely pick up a lot on your own and seem interested in actively figuring out what the song is saying instead of just passively listening, so i just thought you'd be the type of person to find this kind of lyric translation to be a helpful tool! loved hearing you break down and interpret the song and mv, you were very spot on.

SKY is for the biggest Korea Universities. Seoul University Korea University Yonsei University

I like how you interpreted the part where the information goes automatically to their desk as if they’re being fed exactly what the teachers wanted. About the part you said maybe the guys leaving because they’re bored of this, I actually think it’s not that. So when you see their arms on the desks as if their locked in, they start to move their fingers as if it was hard to move, I see that as their trying with all their muster to break free from this system.

Stairway to heaven reference - maybe they are rejecting the pre established stairway, i mean the world thinks that this is the best path, but hai lets not use this, but let's just do it on our own, and go against the wind!

You're correct on the special effects. This was an early video before the label had much money to pour into MVs. In these early vids they used managers and staff as actors and even used managers' cars for scenes.

Yeah the music videos of when they started out their special effects are not real cause they didn’t have the budget but pretty much starting from I need you/ the prologue and after that MOST of the special effects are real

Also the “endure it do it later” it’s also like endure school right now and you can have fun later and Bts is saying no they’re not gonna follow that path

They are the bravest people I know in this music industry.. Just bc BTS talks about social issues it doesn't mean they are not afraid of doing so. But they're brave enough to stand up against the government & the society. Its normal to be cautious about things, yet they still have the courage to not only talk but act to change the world.

I'll put that verse here for you, it's from doolsetbangtan, just so you can understand it better: "놀고 먹고 싶어 I want to live idle 놀고 먹다 (literally meaning to play/chill and eat) is an idiom that means to live idle without having to do any work. 교복 찢고 싶어 I want to tear apart my school uniform Make money good money 벌써 삐딱한 시선 My view is already skewed 막연함뿐인 통장 My bank account only filled with vagueness 내 불행은 한도 초과지 My unhappiness exceeded the maximum limit 공부하는 한숨 공장 A studying sigh factory 계속되는 돌려 막기 I keep digging a hole to fill another"

I think people also have to take into account the pressure on these kids because they also have cram school that goes until ~11pm then go home and do homework/study. They try to be the best of the best (like in most Asian cultures it seems). This is one reason S. Korea has the highest rate of teen (& 20s) suicides in the whole world. So BTS's school songs like N.O tend to be very important because they want to break this expectation adults place on kids and leave it up to the kid on how they want to study without pressure from parents and teachers. DREAM YOUR OWN DREAM!

the message of the song talks about how in Korea students are over-demanded and also the execive hours in which they study (most of them spend between 15 and 16 hours studying) they must also have good grades, they say that if not you go to college "you will never be someone in life" they also talk about how teenagers 'dreams are taken from them only to fulfill their parents' dreams. Sorry for my bad English.

It's mostly a song that criticises the Korean educational system, it's extremely demanding, inflexible and competitive. (One of the most strict educational systems in the world.) SKY is an reference to the top Universities of their country.

You got so much of the message, I am actually impressed! I love the fact that you watch the visuals first and then go through lyrics. It's really cool and I love seeing your investment in the stories!! Keep in mind - some of the lyrics are true to the members and are about them, but their old stuff is more about social issues; even if they use "I" and "me", it's sometimes about people overall or even a made-up story (rarely though).

When I first heard this song, and read the lyrics, I found it very interesting that even though this was written very specifically about issues with the SK school system and societal pressures / unrealistic expectations of young people in their culture - it still hits hard for people all around the globe. Here in the US, there are different issues - namely instead of facing such intense competition and time-intensive study, they face financial ruin for their families or a good portion of their adulthood. The underlying sentiment of the song is applicable everywhere though - there are generational divides caused by the world changing at such a fast pace. People of past generations swear by a path to success that no longer exists - even if it was valid in their time. Young people everywhere are still constantly told "If you work hard and do _____, you will succeed." But, that may no longer be the case - there are not be the same opportunities anymore, those highly sought after degrees are not worth so much now that more people have them - there will always be a new, higher standard. Also, measurements of 'success' shouldn't look the same today as they did 20-40 years ago anyhow - people should be able to define and chase their own success without some outdated idea being forced upon them. Sorry for the rant. I just am always amazed that even when just talking about thinks they personally have experience with, BTS always manages to present those thoughts and feelings in ways that are widely relatable. Oh also, good thematic follow-up songs are Baepsae(Silver Spoon) - more on the generational divide, and GoGo - more on the effects of society on youth. Thank you for your reaction - very insightful as always!

The way you interpreted everything was pretty on point. I absolutely love your reactions and your attention to detail, I can’t wait for more videos, you’re one of my favorite reactors. 💜💜

This song is about how some teachers want there students want to become them and BTS is saying NO that's never going to happen and they are saying that they can't be controlled any more if you didn't already know At least that's a theory

*N.O.* (No Offense) is a criticism on the school systems in S. Korea, parents, society in general for putting so much pressure on students to always be #1 almost becoming studying machines/robots, get good grades and go to 3 of the top/prestigious universities in S. Korea ➡ SKY (Seoul University, Korea University & Yonsei University). Basically their daily lives would consist of waking up, go to school, after school go to Study/tutoring/private tutoring, eat, sleep & repeat....turning them into study machines...leading to depression and more. *BTS: "Everybody say NO!"* 🎶

N.O. Is also an acronym meaning No Offense because it is super not ok to speak your mind in South Korea... to your parents or teachers or even older peers. So NO is more than them saying no to the culture it’s also emphasizing that the culture needs to change. They also talk about this concept in Silver Spoon/baepsae

"Infinite Bread signing out"!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Awww, that made me too happy!

school is crazy intense for korean kids. they have lessons until the afternoon, then they spend the evening studying on their own in school and then they go to special study rooms until about 10pm for more studying. then they go home, sleep and do the same thing over again. the pressure they're under is unimaginable.

Please read this! There is special effects in this video. There is another video which you will get to later called Fake Love and in that video they didn't use special effects. Sorry if someone confused you on that one 💜

Just want to say you have fast become one of my favourite and most appreciated reactors, simply because you analyze the music videos and lyrics alot more than most others that react to kpop. It makes your content that much more interesting because you try and piece the story together instead of just reading the lyrics and going "That was a pretty cool line".

Jimin was class president for 9 yrs and graduated valedictorian of his high school he was also the first male to be the best basically in hi dance school in Busan his hometown. I wonder how much his experiences influenced this song... I’m really impressed that even though they debuted so young they all (except for maybe jungkook who was still in high school middle school ect) got university degrees during this crazy bts lifestyle!

So the Sky there is a double entendre, it means Sky as in heaven and also how you have the Ivy League in the US, in Korea you have SKY (Seoul University, Korea University and Yonsei University). So, "In Seoul to the SKY, would the parents really be happy?". For more accurate translations I recommend you visit the website: doolsetbangtan, as even if they are correct in the video, they don't tend to explain slangs/sayings/expressions etc how an actual Korean fan translator does.

The go-to video I always suggest when thinking of their practical effects is Fake Love. Aircanons, collapsing floors, a wall of fire, etc. It's incredible.

Jungkook was 16 here and Jimin and v 18. Rm actually have an IQ of 148 and he tested the nation’s top 1.3% for university exam so obviously he could continue and have a good career but he wanted to do music. In order to convince his parents to become a rapper, he once asked his mother ‘’ if she wanted to have a son who was a first-place rapper, or a 5,000th-place student”

I seriously can't imagine having to do school work from 8am till 1am. Again, I find myself being very grateful about the school system in Finland. I'm currently studying 2nd year in high school and my longest school day is from 8am to 3.15pm and home work on top of it. Finland has ranked high on the best school system results list for awhile, which proves that a system with shorter school hours and less home work can in fact work when the teaching is done correctly.

Good quality education is your way out of poverty. S.Korea was a poor broke country after the Japanese Occupation (1910-1945) and Korean War (1953). S. Korean government took a strict A to B road out of that. Starting with quality but strict schooling of their younger generation. With motivated and very productive citizens, the economy improved quickly and became one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But the pressure of education is still priority. Kids find it suppressive, stressful needing to comply to their parents idea of their path. But, all in all, that education system lead to well paid people who are very trusting and approving of their government. The willingness to work together to overcome issues is great. And that very education system produced also BTS. That team's work ethic, and the drive to be better than before, started in Kindergarten. Just 7 young men didn't follow their parents ideas.

SK kids spend 18 hrs a day studying for their college entrance exam. This exam really determines your adult life. Which college you can get into WILL determine what jobs you can get. There are ten universities that they try to get into because most jobs will hire from any of these ten. The best-paying jobs will only hire you if you come from the top 3 which are represented by the SKY acronym. This exam is no joke and affects their adult life in SK. The mental and physical burden on these kids is crazy. Alot of this burden by their parents and grandparents is rooted in the struggle SK has fought trying to help their country recover from the razing they went through during the early part of the 1900's. IN many ways, its an act of God that Korea even exists at all. They've been through hell to pull their country out of poverty to become all that they have become.

SKY is an acronym of the names of the top 3 universities in Korea, one is Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei(?) University, so RM is asking that if by going to these universities(the sky meaning also the top since the universities are top3) if parents would be happy

If you like this dance battle you should watch BTS Concept Trailer. It's similar but even more complicated & amazing choreography. Stay safe and healthy.

Big Hit CEO Bang Si Hyuk graduated college with a major in aesthetics which is essentially the philosophy of the way appearance influences perception. So the videos always have an abundance of symbolism and mythical imagery. And they don't skimp on the visuals. It really does set them apart from the standard music video. (S.K.Y. are the top universities in Korea.) Great reaction. Thank you for paying attention to the uniqueness of BTS' lyrics and videos. They are an amazing group of artists.

SKY is the top universities in korea i think? SKY stands for Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University

South Korean students study their whole life for just one exam that is in last year of high school. During the exam, no airplane can exit or enter South Korea, everyone who works go to work an hour later after all students have started the exam, students who can't get to the school or oversleep have to call the police to get there and every work on buildings are cancelled. In the exam u take maths, korean, english and two other subjects. Suicide is the worst part about this. They are preparing for this exam (that decides if u get to go to a good university (SKY) or not) their whole life, and many who don't get a good score feels like there is no life then. It's common to study until 11 pm to 1 am for a senior in high school. They start school at 8 am

Studying in Korea is so much more intense than it is in America. I met a public school teacher from Korea once. I tutored her nephew. And she explained it like this to me. Students get up at 5 or 6 for school. They are in school until around 4. After that they go to an academy for a specialization for three or four hours a day. Whether its sports, music, dance, language, or academics they spend from around 5 to 9 there studying. Then they go home and do their school homework until 11 or 12. Then they do it all over again. They put ALL their eggs in one basket and make a life plan so early. If their grades aren't great or their preferred school rejects them they're essentially a failure and sometimes they commit suicide because they feel lile they're never going to amount to anything. This is from like 11 years old to 19. Its a harsh and unforgiving system

I think a lot of fans generalize saying "they don't use CGI". In actuality, of course they do use some CGI. Their older videos used more due to budget constraints. But even their newer videos use some CGI. But if they are able to use practical effects instead, they will.

I worked hard in school, and even though my parents had high expectations, mine for myself were higher. So I don't mind. However, this song was probably the first BTS song to make me cry because I have worked with young people a lot as a volunteer as well as for my job. This song and video resonated with so many of their concerns that I was hearing; the feelings of unbearable weight and pressure, never measuring up to impossible standards, and not knowing what would really make them happy - not feeling like they had ever explored their own dreams. That's why I still watch N.O. glued to the screen. It captivates me. And actually as you were breaking down these lyrics, I got goosebumps. A tip: I have found over the years that BigHit didn't always give the best English translations of BTS lyrics on these videos. A trusted ARMY translator is DoolsetBangtan. Maybe this will clear some more up for you: doolsetbangtan.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/n-o/

In many cultures it's considered a failure on the parents to have kids who are not successful, so kids get pressured by parents but parents are also feeling pressure from their peers. The job market also looks heavily on education and where someone when to college, so in order to get a good job to be considered a successful person you have to attend one of the best schools, which adds to the pressure of competition between students.

I don't think ppl mean they never use special effects cause they do. But most of there videos are done real. They do have behind the scenes videos to most of their videos esp their later works.

What I took from scholar k-dramas is that the students literally compete between each other and they're rated from first to whatever the total of students is. They're pressured by that, by their teachers, by their family and by the society. It really shocks me. If I already feel so pressured and all I'm pressured about is just not to go bad at school, then I really can't understand the pressure that students in s. korea have.

A good song same with this is School of Tears sang by RM, Jin and Suga and it gets across the message of how society expects youth to be especially in South Korea. Honestly I was kinda shook, especially after I watched a kdrama that focused on that (if you care, it's called Sassy Go Go or Cheer Up, and focuses on the students' struggle to get into one of the Ivy League's universities). It makes me feel sad 💔😿

In terms of the special effects, this was one of their first music videos, back when they were still brand new and Bighit barely had any money. And so while they always try do to practical effects where they can, back then they had to rely alot more on vfx because of the tight budget. Even in terms of props and stuff like that, for the Run music videos as an example, alot of the extras you see in the video are BigHit staff members. Even alot of the cars, mainly seen in the tunnel scene, were staff cars because they couldn't afford to hire actors and cars to use in the MV...However if you end up reacting to their Fake LOVE MV and thereafter watch the behind the scenes for that, you'll see that how much of that video was actually practical real stuff

i love how you pay attention to every detail in the video and even how you watch it several times, i cant wait for more reactions Love BTS and ARMY 💜

I love the way how you are deep into meanings compared to other reactors Keep it up man

I still love this song to this day

Hi! Don't worry about the cut, we all understand. As far as I understand, in Korea the school you attend to has huge influence in the job you'd get therefore the "success" you will have and is a lot of pressure for students to bare. Of course, parents want the best for their children but there is also a generational gap there. Parents of the generation that is in school now, or have the age of BTS' memebers, had hard times economically and socially. They were part of the movement that changed their country to what it is now and often criticize youth because now all the young ones have to do (according to them) is study really hard and are putting this burden in their shoulders where BTS is letting their thoughts out in this song and some others like Silver Spoon. So, they have been speaking out of social issues that are close to them since the beginning which is, in my opinion, what makes BTS so interesting and special.

SKY refers to Seoul university, Korea university and Yonsei university. There are many universities in Korea but those 3 have the highest prestige and are the ideal. So generally from elementary school and upwards kids will go to school from early morning till the afternoon and then the parents will pressure them into afternoon evening classes where they attend school way into the evening, teenagers may be at these institutions and study until midnight and then wake up at 7 a.m. PC rooms are similar to 24/7 internet cafes where you can go to play computer games with your friends, if you're more of a console gamer, there are other gaming "rooms", cafes for that. In order to attempt to combat gaming addiction the Korean government implemented the Cinderella law which prohibits minors from gaming after midnight, which is again often the only time a lot of these students have a break from non stop theoretical studies. This Cinderella law has led to a blackmarket for social security numbers since you have to log in with your ssn in order to game online. PC rooms are used a lot for people that want to get away from home, be social and game with friends. I think the J-Hope line with vague bankbook was more a reference to insecure financial prospects, but that's just me.

I think the scene where they are walking down the stairs, symbolises them leaving SKY, which is the three most prestigious universities in South Korea, Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University. There's a Korean Drama called 'Sky Castle', screened 2018/2019, which one of the BTS members (maybe SUGA? ) said RM was watching. Like you, I thought of 'Stairway to Heaven' when I first saw this video too!

Omg!! I see Cravity behind haha. Anyone here who didn’t yet, check them out! They just debuted with Break All the Rules and it’s pretty awesome!

If and when you react to Fake Love, they have some really cool scenes that aren’t special effects and you should find some behind the scenes footage of shooting of the music video because it’s cool

I love your videos because you talk about the visuals! I’ve never watch reaction videos where they are so detailed and observant! Keep it up. I love your style.

the part "they say i'm way to happy" i think is more like : i'm on my way towards happiness", rather than "too happy"

RM: "At this time - since I had to study too I wrote lyrics by slipping a piece of paper into my study book and writing secretly, and got scolded when I was caught. My mother saw that displeased look often, and when I think about it now, the words that I said to my mother were really cheesy. I said that my grades were 5000th in the nation, but that this company says I have a lot of talent, and no matter how well I study I'll always be 5000th ,but that this person of repute says I could be #1 through rap. I asked, "Mom, would you rather have a son who's 1 st , or a son who's 5000th ?" and she gave her permission" (part-2) tonguetechnology.blogspot.com/2016/12/rap-monster-part-1.html

It was very interesting to watch Korea Now talk about how high schoolers have to take the "SAT" to graduate and that the test is all they study for all year long. Even junior members of their school come out on the day of the testing and cheer their seniors on with cheers and song. It was like a pep rally given to football students before the big game. But this wasn't a game this is a test to see if you can go to a university. This test is what your parents have raised you for parents drive their kids to school instead of making them take the bus. Parents make sure to give their child a full bk before they leave for the test. In Korea greater education is no joke and no matter your personal dream it only matters what your parents want as far as education goes. In fact BTS often talks about how their parents either felt ashamed of their child or felt humiliated when others talked of their children becoming drs. and lawyers or civil servants.

Hi Mr. Bbang 🍞 Thanks for your reaction.. You nice, keep going 💜

Loving your thorough and attentive reactions. It's not a pin falling that creates the ripple; it's the teacher's pointing stick. Symbol of power?

I love your reactions! Thank you for doing this and thank you for being so patient with everything, reading the lyrics, trying to understand them, trying to understand the boys as well. It means a lot that you're not reacting just because they're in demand. It shows that you're really interested and this patience of yours will take you far because there's a lot of content and there's no time to get bored. BTS are my absolute favorite artists for many reasons, the main one being they are so relatable to me. I'm 25 so I'm the same age as Jimin and Taehyung, just a few months younger than Namjoon and I really feel like they speak to me through their art. No one else has ever managed to make me feel this way so I'm happy they exist. I wish everyone in the world had their own BTS, their own artist to help them find and understand themselves better because music is the best medicine during tough, psychological times.

I love how you analyze the meaning the the lyrics. It’s very accurate

I love how you deeply and thoughtfully analyse the videos

You need to see the LIVE performance at MAMA 2019 BTS_INTRO + N.O + We Are Bulletproof pt.2 its INSANE

I like that you are going back to the beginning, the way things should be done if you're going down the BTS rabbit hole haha.

Well...At least now the song is a 100, 100% vibe (it always was) but even more so now as school's are closed lmaoo

This song always reminds me of the proper education by pink floyd 👌👌 And I love your reactions, You care about the details, and that's very valuable👍👍 🍀🍀

My daughter died her hair with purple and pink streaks then my son went with a blue Mohawk. The buckle of the Bible belt thought I had gone around the bend, but really when can you do stuff like that but when you are young you can't really show up at a job like that. I have always felt really bad my kids had to grow up with a mom who has PTSD but I wanted them to have what I didn't get to have a loving safe childhood. I wanted them to be able to find out who they were rather then being a grownup at 14. As for being a kid again not even if I could keep all the knowledge I have now would I go through that hell again. Being a teen sucks you body is out of control every one is telling you how to live what to be and how to do it. Sometimes childhood just has to be surived and if someone who reads this is just surviving hang on and hang on tight because a lot of times it just gets worse, but hang on your freedom will come. Find peace where you can in music, books, a safe place to hide. Your freedom will come they stole your past don't let them steal your future!!

if you don't SCREAM the "we roll (we roll)" part can you really call yourself ARMY? :D

Great reaction once again!!!👏🙌💕

With the bit about the bank book, he's saying that his parents want him to make good money but that's in the future. He's a kid in school, he doesn't have a bank account, so a bank book is just a vague idea right now. However, his sadness is very real and immediate. It's "exceeding the limit", like when you try to overdraft your account and you're trying to pull out more than you have available. He has more sadness than "his account" holds. Also, when they're talking about adults telling them to "endure it", the adults are saying that they should put aside their hopes and dreams and focus on studying and doing well in school. That they can focus on their dreams later, after they've finished school. BTS is saying that young people shouldn't abandon their dreams for the dreams of their parents, which would be for them to be a the top in their studies and make a lot of money as an adult.

One of my favorite RU-vidr is Korean but he grow up in my country for 14years. He make a content collaboration with his friend who lives in SK for his whole life (but he once come to my country because he take my language as his major in college) They make a comparison between Korean and Indonesian school life. Here in Indonesia we start school time at 06.30am, some school start at 06.45, 07.00 or 07.15 (each school have different schedule between state school and private school. But highschool students mostly at 06.45) And end at 13.00-14.00. after school? Just do as you please. You can do after class activity in school, take extra study course, or just go home. While in SK, they start at 08.00-08.30 and finish at 15.00 then another study course until 22.00. When watch K-drama I always wonder why they always use uniform (well it's happened when watch school theme drama lol) the cast only use casual outfit when they're working part time and holiday, oh and pj. When I know this I'm really grateful I was born in Indonesia lol

To fully understand the song you first need to understand the korean society and where they come from. Do not forget that 60 to 70 years ago South Korea was one of the poorest country on earth. What sky rocket the country to one of the fifteenth best world economies was education. Education was the way out of poverty. So it almost became a religion at this time to do great in your studies. Because then you will be able to survive. But they pushed it to the extreme and now it became just a negative competition with less oportunitie than before. So even if you are good at school it's not enough anymore if you're not in the top's top, because the world and the country had changed since then. But the old korean generation (grandparents and parents) doesn't outgrown the system they knew and project their past vision on the younger generation. Good studies mean money mean success mean survival. Making it one of the worst school system in the world with excessive competitiveness and high rate of suicide. Well it was 7 years ago. I hope it s a little bit better now. I still do think that this song can speak to any actual country and generation. But the message is way stronger and heavier that it comes first against the korean school system and ideology. (Sorry english not my first language)

they did use special effects and some bad cgi in older videos. the crazy sets and practical effects came later when they had the means to do them. around 2015 i'd say.

The red pill wasn't really a matrix reference. The pill was supposed to be them being forced to into a routine of being robots. Yes these are things that people go through around the world but it is still a known fact that in Korea it's not just about the parents, but all of the adults ( as they kept saying in the video) are forcing you to only learn and go to school. Which is why even the teachers were dressed up as though they we're guards ready to put them down if they got out of line. In that country you go to school get the best grades, then go to college get the best grades, then get a job, that is all that is expected of you and nothing less, BTS were one of the firsts to really speak out about these things and got a lot of negative feedback because of it.

6:00 yeah this is a older mv they didnt have much money, so i think its special efect

South Korea and my country Japan is kinda same education system. Highschool is not free and must take entry test. Already middle school students too much pressure because must study hard get high grade that these students can go to high level highschool and great University. After you entry go to high School more pressure because parents work hard for paying highschool fee. In Japan many middle school students go to after school academy. Right now I heard average highschool fee in South Korea $5000 - $8000 per year and if students want to go to university plus after school academy fee. Sorry my English.

S.K.Y is the top 3 universities in korea

N.O. stands for "No Offense" btw. #BANGBANGCON tonight @11pm EST ➡ 4/18 @12pm KST! ARMY bomb ✔ Batteries✔ H2O✔ Snacks✔ Tissue✔ 😭💜 *I really hope RU-vid doesn't crash because of us!*

You have it all figured out practically :))

The pill has a metaphorical reference the way I see it, towards the education system and the conventional belief that it is the solution to all. In most asian countries, including mine education is something that is pre meditated, one way or another we have to solve it in, though it may be bitter. BTS here is representative of all of us who are compelled to go through academics that we really do not see a purpose in, thus u are right when u said they are fighting that system. As such 'NO' is a rebel ancdote to the pre established system and like their way of saying, look, we know what we want. Stop saying NO everybody. At least that is what i think.

Hello, I am just new to your channel. I hope you will like BTS bc of their artistry not bc of BTS ARMY who give you views. I have just watched your one reaction and I think you know how to spot a diamond. Their lyrics and story are so much more than what we see. I was hooked by their melody but their artistry and their journey make me wanna stay forever with them. More power to your channel. 👍

Omg I love your interpretation! Great reactions and attention to detail. I am also learning about BTS and the interpretations and symbolism. I believe SKY is something about Universities in South Korea.

Hi! I just love your reactions! I would like to suggest that you watch the videos twice: once to analyze the lyrics (as you already do) and another to really watch the MV. That way we won't feel like you are reacting only to the lyrics. 💕

Hmmmm... your reference to them descending the stairs as deities was interesting, considering some images that start appearing in later vids. 👍🏻😄

your commentary is on point : )

Yes, South Korea had/has the highest rate for juvenile suicide in the world and a lot comes from the pressure to study. BTS talks a lot about social problems in South Korea, specially the ones that affect the youth. SK has a big problem regarding mental health, but they don't like to acknowledge it, is kinda taboo to talk about it. When BTS addressed issues like the pressure parents make on students, about not having a dream, depression etc they were being pretty controversial in their country lol A drama the talks about it that was a big hit some time ago is called "SKY Castle", I think now you'll get why the "SKY" 😉

just became a patron 💞

Don’t ever take joe dirt off!✅

Most developed countries are seeing a change in the pattern that has held true for the last couple of generations - since the 2 WW, each generation has been better off, with better jobs, houses, cars, fancy stuff etc., and going to college was a guarantee towards a good job and a bright future. And now people are still raising their kids to expect the same pattern, but the truth is the millenials are NOT seeing this; they're the first generation who can expect to do worse than their parents, and they're seeing that a college education is often a ticket to student loan debt and nothing more. So this song is a protest not only against the one-sided focus on studying that many countries have, but also a critique of the entire flawed system where it's a cut throat environment to go to the "right" college and STILL not being guaranteed that bright future. A stronger focus on mental health, a funcional social life and a future outside of dead-end career paths in a society flooded with enough unhappy accountants leading to sky-high suicide rates is the message I'm getting.

This definitely has special effects. I feel like there’s more CG in their older work.

Cheguei!! Cara suas interpretações são muito boas, real. Tanto a letra da música quanto o visual, você analisa tudo, muito bom. Ansiosa pelas próximas reações 💜

I guess for some older bts mv they use special effects, but for the more recent ones they use real props

your depth is wonderful, don't worry about interpreting things wrong, music is subjective! just letting u know that their 2014 singles probably won't require lyrical analysis, it's very easy to see what they're about... then 2015 will be the opposite when it comes to music videos

Hi Captain America Brad. Great reaction. I love your insights on the visuals of the MV. BTS don't just do one way. They love to mix it up. Keep everyone guessing. They are the masters of variety. They will use what they need to, to create their vision. They will never be placed into one box. Great work

You are really nice and smart 💜💜💜💜💜