I FEEL HURT TOO || Reaction to BTS Hardships by xCeleste 

J-Hope did nothing, sadly people decided that he wasn't right for the group, so they started the hashtag. It didn't come from the company, the members or the fans. They did their best to support him during this tough time.

So its important to understand that for many many years Korean entertainment was completely dominated by three specific companies referred to as the Big 3. If you weren't from the Big 3, you had very little clout or chance of being successful because they could literally push shows to not have you on, or to mock and mistreat you when you were on...prior to BTS, no kpop idol from any company other than the Big 3 had ever won a grand prize at a music show. So when you see some of the stuff they went through in Korea, it was a combination of fan wars - likely prodded on by rival companies - and direct prejudice from the media and entertainment institutions because coming from a small company they didn't have the 'right' to be there. As such everything they did and said was put under a microscope and presented in the most damning way possible. Some of the accusations went all the way to court, where BigHit was in fact found innocent. Naver is like the Korean equivalent of Google and one of the Big 3 is a huge Naver investor. 🙄

(This is an explanation as to why Jimin was wearing the shirt with the bomb and why conservative Japanese were so offended.)This is not taught regularly in the west, so I feel like an explanation is in order for those who don't already know. OK. In regards to the history of Imperial Japan and Korea there's a lot to unpack. Japan invaded Korea in the early 1900's and proceeded to annex the Korean Empire in 1910 and then began to assimilate Korea into Japanese culture. And by assimilate, I mean destroy temples, force men to cut their top knots to conform to Japanese styles, force schools to teach Japanese and Japanese history, burned whole libraries, brutally kill and assault families...really horrible stuff. Unspeakable things. Imperial Japan was allied with Nazi Germany at the beginning of WWII and also practiced human experimentation and other atrocities I won't elaborate on (if you have a strong stomach look up unit 731, it was a secret facility to research biological warfare on human beings. It's horrific but I think we have to look at and acknowledge the most deplorable parts of history so they won't be forgotten and repeated). Japan was actually planning on bombing San Francisco with the Bubonic plague 2 weeks after we bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Needless to say that didn't happen. But the nuclear bombs which caused Japan to surrender also liberated Korea from Imperial Japanese tyranny, it was literally their independence Day. And there's NOTHING wrong with them celebrating their country's liberation, that would be like England getting mad about the US celebrating the 4th of July. Japan has STILL not acknowledged the war crimes they committed during WW2.

Taehyung's grandmother passed away unexpectedly while he was in the Philippines and he was crushed. He was raised by her so she was more of a mother than a grandmother.

RM flat out stated in a recent live stream that he doesn't want us responding to haters as it accomplishes nothing beneficial and just causes us and them additional stress. Ignoring the nastiness can definitely be hard, though. X.x

RM: let the haters hate, let the lovers love. Videos such as this shows why BTS' bond with ARMY is the way it is now. But I believe these men have gotten stronger and confident already, and has learned to stand up for themselves. Heck, they even stand up for other people/issues now. They've come a long way and has always acknowledged their fandom in everything. RM once said that he basically attributes 50% of BTS' success to ARMY, 5% for each member and 15% for their company. I love the fact that eventhough they've gotten so big, they remain humble to this day. I PURPLE YA'LL!

The song they were accused of being misogynistic was "War of Hormone"....it's a great song and if you listen to it, it is so tame compared to what we are used to in the west, and some of the complaints against the lyrics were sometimes said to be mis-translations. It's a great song and MV in my opinion. RM now runs his lyrics by professors of Women's Studies to make sure they are not offensive. Yes..that guy was complimenting them and sticking up for them. Naver is the Korean equivalent to our Google. Basically they were saying that because BTS chose to do their online concert on a different platform (which cost Naver money), they retaliated by keeping BTS out of their search algorithm. The funny thing about the Grammys using BTS for "clickbait" is that after they didn't win, they went online to livestream with the fans to console them. Their livestream had 13 million live viewers, the Grammys had 8.8 million viewers. This year, BTS also used the Grammys auditorium in Vegas at the MGM Grand as "overflow space" for their 4 sold out concerts. 15,000 fans per night watched the concert being livestreamed to that auditorium....flex!! Thanks for reacting. I'm sorry you feel you got a bad welcome to BTS exposure, I usually find ARMY to be welcoming and helpful to new reactors or fans.

Hey Mike, thanks for reacting to this 🙏💜 Just some clarity - the Jungkook/hamburger debacle, he was only just 18 (still a minor in Korea, where 19 is the age of majority), it was his first time appearing without any other BTS members, and he was very shy and introverted - he bought the hamburgers to break the ice and make friends (and in Korea, the youngest never buys food, it is usually the oldest who has that obligation), and this man openly derided and mocked him and bullied the other cast members into going along with him, and Jungkook’s face, eish, he was so bewildered and sad, he really didn’t understand what the man was doing…Then the issue where one member was injured - Rm was injured, but the other six were there to perform, other people sabotaged their performance by telling the audience that because it was only six members, they wouldn’t be performing (lies), and they did indeed perform but only got a slot at the end, when the broadcast was over - it’s all just petty rubbish, people being vindictive and childishly mean…JHope did nothing, btw, idiots just decided he was the weakest link and trended the hashtags to upset the group. BTS never discuss these issues, they don’t dwell on it, they see any adversity as mountains they must climb, and hardships make them stronger and more united - they often comfort Army when we hear about these issues and get upset, they then address it and tell us they are fine, we must cheer up, and they wish they could protect us and will always be with us etc…🤷‍♂️😂 As a westerner, a lot of this was strange to me, but it happens in kpop 😡 Lastly, BTS themselves feel pain when they are mocked, disrespected and looked down on - because of us, Army. They have said that they feel so bad that we might be embarrassed as their fans, they hate that we “need” to defend them, it breaks their hearts when Army is hurting…When they won their first daesang (grand prize), Jin said he was so happy because maybe now, for this moment, Army did not need to be embarrassed to be fans of BTS, maybe we could actually be proud…💔🥲 If I find a factually incorrect criticism, I gently state the facts in response, if someone is being rude and nasty, I will politely (super-politely) chide them a little, otherwise I don’t get involved in fan-wars or fights or “hate”. I know who BTS is, I know what they stand for, I know their talent, and if anyone cares to investigate for themselves, BTS’s body of work will speak for itself, and I am a proud, fee-paying Army with no regrets other than that I have only been to one concert and will probably never get to a fan meeting…😳💔 I love them, I enjoy their content, they make me happy - and I think they know how much they are loved 💜💜🙏

Now that I'm at the end of the video, I always like to remind people that the % of overly protective fans of BTS is about the same as a lot of other media fan bases. But because there's so many of us, there's more people within that %! I say this because I think there's that misconception of ARMY being batshit crazy when defending them LMAO but I hope people remember that for every mean ARMY, there's 1000 amazing ones 😁💜

The entire comment that Liam from Forever in Your Mind was extremely xenophobic, and he was not on board with them at all. He insinuated that because they are Koreans, they need to be separate from the western music industry. He said that "there still needs to be a western or american boyband at the top, BTS can just stay by themselves." Why? If BTS were not Korean, if they were white and spoke english, would he have made those comments?

IMPORTANT CONTEXT: War Of Hormones is a satirical song making fun of hormonal teenage boys. It was twisted and used as ammunition, as many other defamatory campaigns against BTS - it's not actually mysoginistic, but BTS being BTS, took responsability and took the chance of educating themselves on women's issues. Mind you, anything pertaining to women's rights in Korea is viewed extremely negatively bc the misogyny runs rampant. Women who admit of supporting women's rights, of being feminists, have been often bullied and brutalized. There have been various issues unveiled in the latest years pertaining to the mistreatment of women in South Korea - for example molka, the spread phenomenon involving men installing hidden cams to spy on women in private settings (in public bathroom cubicles, in changing rooms, hotel rooms, even apartments). so RM, a man, going to women experts in women's studies to ask for their approval of their lyrics is a major thing, both in Korea and outside of it, as it shows that RM and BTS don't align with this multitude of men who hate and mistreat women - they actually actively support women. Jhope has supported the cause of Korean comfort women (see what Japan did regarding this topic) and BTS has repeatedly spoken against anybody trying to put down ARMY as stupid, hormonal teenage girls, constantly showing that they're aware of their fanbase being filled with women, young and older, and defending them from those trying to pass that as a bad thing. This stuff isn't to be taken for granted. Women get constantly put down for their interests and anything they do take interest in is, be it hobbies or work related stuff, is deemed of no value. Notoriously, historically, artists weren't considered of having hit big until men took notice of them, despite results speaking for themselves when the fanbase was majorly made of women. There's a recent western boyband who put down their female fans, that gave them their whole career mind u, because they were mad that they weren't taken seriously bc of a female fanbase, so they couldn't wait to gain male fans. That's so fucked up and demeaning of women and their efforts in supporting artists. BTS isn't like that, they've always defended the women making up their fandom. You have no idea how many times interviewers tried demeaning us to their face and the boys just stopped that sht right there instead of letting it pass.

The point of that clip where u asked if the other guy was complimenting RM, the point was that all other performers were given waiting rooms and bts was not. They did all their rehearsals and getting ready in a hallway in front of the public restrooms

at 24:09 what xceleste said wasnt clear but when she talked about them being looked down on that was her reading the comment so the comment was "bts werent given a waiting room at the broadcast center so the members made due got dressed practiced and did makeup in front of the bathrooms. they would say hit to staff who was going to the bathrooms and other groups would look down on them" then WAY "responded thats right all i remember is their hard work and efforts i havent forgotten rms voice practicing japanese" means WAY agreed with what the comment said and added on to what she also remembers happening during the time basically confirming other groups looked down on them and how they were mistreated by the broadcast station but also added that bts worked very hard and about how rm practiced japanese so she was basically confirming/agreeing with the comment. so by her being in the industry armys knew of the mistreatment but we couldnt be sure as it was hear say by random internet posts but she was a idol during that time and confirmed what the commenter said happened. hopefully this makes more sense now. also majority of this is bts doing nothing but people targeting them example that hashtag trended for no reason jhope didnt do anything to warrant that response.

The songs they talked about are "war of hormone" and "boy in love" personally I, as a girl, absolutely love those songs and don't find them misogynistic at all, especially if we compare them to other songs... I'm impatient to see your reaction to those songs and hear what you think about it Thank you for your reactions

Its 2 am, I just spent the last hr watching your video, knowing I was going to be up late just to watch it. And now my heart hurts so much idk if I'll even be able to sleep for awhile. I'm a new army, and I haven't seen that video, so most of this is new to me. (Thank you for your reaction video and for sharing your comments) Watching this makes me love BTS even more now. They've overcome soooo much in their career and I am so proud of them and their diligence to follow their dream regardless of the people that continually try to knock them down. Side note, one of my favorite things I have come to learn about BTS is they brush all this negativity off and don't even respond to it unless a serious situation arises. RM once said (and I'm paraphrasing) "haters don't bother me, because I take comfort knowing at least they know who I am." And I feel thats how all the members survive in their careers. Thanks again for the video and I'm so glad you've fallen down the BTS rabbit hole too. 💜

A lot of the hate they received early on was purely organized fan wars from bigger groups fans who were mad that bts was gaining and winning more than their faves. Even the entertainment companies themselves organized their groups fans to drive the hate

i think the entertainment/media companies felt threatened by bts, who really made it their own way, outside of going through their normal systems since they were always excluded(from variety shows, interviews and different programs). they didn't want to let someone outside the normal system make their own way. it shows all these other companies and their practices are not needed.

The problem with the "something Korean exploded in America" joke, from my perspective, is that it immediately associated the atrocities occurring in North Korea with South Korea. It was a joke that played into peoples' ignorant perceptions of Korean people.

The misogyny claim was related to mistranslated lyrics "Girls are like a maths equation we must solve" became "Girls are like a maths equation - we just do 'em" .. the song 'war of hormone' was a fun take on the way hormones make young boys go crazy. As a woman I can tell you it was in no way offensive ... it's a cute and funny song... and totally accurate! One of my favourites Your talk at 3.40 was so true. We are all valid and important. You seem to be the type of person that will understand what BTS have to say. I have been enjoying your reactions - even when you "put your foot in it" sometimes with a few of the things you have said. It's funny cause I know in a few months how much of an ARMY you will become... I've seen it happen so many times before (Keheehee🤣).... Also, With your background in set design I highly recommend the documentary Rise of Bangtan to you - shows how the industry works and the guys journey from predebut to now. I think you would love it, and we'd be happy to watch it with you. BTW.... you are right that this is not a "pissing contest", unfortunately this video had to be made so other people understand why we are so protective of BTS and BTS so protective of ARMY.. as Celeste says - we grow and learn from hardships and have become more cognizant of ourselves because of them.. mind you this really was only the tip of the ice berg of hatred BTS and ARMY have received, and we know the hatred won't stop (Haters gonna hate) - but that's OK it makes us and our bond even stronger cause "we never walk alone" (LOL.. we have a saying Karma is an ARMY... an army that is now 60+M strong).... You are also so right.... it is unbelievable just how dumb and stupid some people can be and how much time and effort they spend in hating on others online. Sad thing is all ARMY has ever wanted was to be left alone to enjoy BTS music - we don't care if you don't like them - just stop hating on them and us ... just leave us alone. I agree with your sentiments to kill our haters with kindness... I am glad that you didnt let the negative experience with ARMY put you off. I apologise that you had to go thru that, and hope you don't have fuither problems... Please also know that there are people who pretend to be army and have been attacking reactors to turn them off the band. Please just ignore any negativity - as with any group - we too have our bad apples, and somehow they are the loudest... unfortunately with 60 mill people that makes a lot of bad apples!! The saddest thing to note is that most of this happened to the boys when they were still minors themselves (ages JungKook 15yo to Jin 20yo when they debuted).... No other group has ever had such intense negative scrutiny placed on everything they do - the people behind it mostly are the other agencies and the networks. They needed for BTS to fail as BTS proves that you don't need the 'system' to be successful. They were being attacked by pillars of the media world and shunned at every turn - just like what is happening with them in the west now. Fans wars were set up and agitated by the agencies. Also, PD Bang was offered millions for BTS - he could have sold them during that first year and they would have been shelved by whoever bought them. But PD Bang started BigHit because he wanted to prove you could support your artists and be successful. He knew what would happen if he sold them, and he knew the system was wrong. The fact that not only have they succeeded, but have remained such wonderul humble people is a testament to themselves. Hope you have a Wonderful Day... greetings from Australia.💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

This is in NO way a defense of the toxic part of ARMY (and yes, that's definitely a thing whether we like it or not) but I think it's important to point out that haters/antis will pose as ARMYs as well and act horribly to discredit both BTS and ARMY, especially towards new potentiel fans and reactors such as yourself. Also, despite their huge succes they're actually still going through this kind of bs on a regular basis. There've been several incidents even since this video was made in the summer of 2021, even as recently as post-Grammys. I really can't relate to the attitude of these kinds of people. Especially towards a group of talented young men who stand for love, respect and inclusiveness. 💜

“Guess what guys STUPIDD” 🤣Preaching to the choir 👏🏻

50:45 The eyebrow raising part is that he said that a "European or American" boy band *"should"* be the ones at the global top. As if who's the top should be picked by ethnicity instead of you know, earning it. Maybe you missed some details here and there but your perspective is pretty on point and your concerns are reasonable.

Omg sorry but I’m at the part where u say “at least bts is good to the fans” and yes that is sooooo true!!! They always thank us, they always perform for us as much as they can even during quarantine. They work endlessly so we have comforting content. They do soooo much for us! I think they bought armys a pizza when they were waiting on a line for a really long time to get into a venue to watch them :) they really do the most for us!

About "war of hormone" & misogynist & stuff, spread wrong sh*t: Let's be real, War of Hormones wasn't misogynistic. It was just an honest song about what guys in that age range go through. They were straight up saying that they struggle with their hormones when they see a pretty girl, and guess what? That's just being honest. The title itself gives a clear idea to how they see it. A war. An internal conflict. And it's true to what guys in their late teens and early 20s go through. Bangtan has always been about talking about their experiences and being a voice of people their age. The entire album, Dark & Wild, was really just about the turmoils of young adulthood. In the title of the album too, you can already tell what the sentiment was going to be. The first 3 albums spoke about school and issues of teens. And then from there, the darker days of coming to terms with adulthood. And then the HYYH series. Everything was thematic with stories they wanted to tell as they go through life. Antis and fans of other groups were just grasping at straws to find something to shit on and unfortunately the media picked up on it and then some ARMY took it as truth and they themselves started talking as if the song was offensive. It isn't. We need to stop spreading this story as if BTS were misogynistic boys who needed to learn a lesson. Yes, Namjoon has learned a lot from the experience and has gone out of his way to speak to experts in women's studies, but I'm sure that whole ordeal also caused him unnecessary pain. *My take on it* I don't see anything wrong with the lyrics of the song. All boys go through puberty and the things BTS sung in this are just reflective of their experience going through that phase in their lives. This is the reason I love them and their songs.. they didn't hide anything and covered all the feelings/thoughts of a person who is in his/her adolescent...one can see them growing up from then till today…I personally don't find the lyrics offensive and “most” Armys as well..as I agree they are expressing the struggles of dealing with hormonal changes in adolescence, and I'm sorry but sexual attraction is the number one pressing issue in most hormonal teens regardless of gender. There's a couple of issues I take with people who found this offensive. First, the double standard. You can't tell me young women were purely innocent in their thoughts and feelings as they watched these young men dance and sing, they just didn't make a song about it, at least not publicly. Secondly, the entire concept BigHit wanted from BTS is a representation of the youth culture and the issues youth deal with as seen and heard through the lyrics and music of BTS, and of course everyone has or will experience sexual attraction. Yes, they refer to see through clothing and high heels etc, but I've seen hundreds of posts referring to JK's abs, Jimin's body rolls and shoulder "accidents" Tae's tongue...you get the idea, and while many comments aren't necessarily teens it's not a problem. There can only be an issue if the lyrics were implying that I'm only attracted to girls who wear heels and sheer clothing, not sneakers and sweats. Anyone who has experienced adolescence knows however that if they're sexually attracted to someone the person could easily walk around in a potato sack and an adolescent would still be entranced. A lot of people were offended by that line, "Girls are equations and us men just do them". Personally, I took it as "do them" meant they were puzzles to be solved, not a sexual act. RM was honestly shocked that people were offended by the lyrics and that they could be considered misogynistic. It was definitely a learning experience for him. He apologized and has since run his lyrics through a few professionals in women's studies before releasing a new song. They don't really release songs like this any more. But to that a korean Army said translation in English were a bit off, which lead to misunderstandings and explained it saying : “I was kinda surprised it's translation was "do" because that part "do them" CAN actually sound offensive to some people, because the meaning of that word 'do' is not clear. However I can clearly say that it's not meant that way, and Korean version lyrics tell that. Words are more specific, and not controversial in Korean version lyrics, because it doesn't say 'do. That part in Korean is 여자들은 방정식 우리 남자들은 해 which says we men are 해 is a word for mathematics, and it means the 'answer/the final number'. So it means they solve. the complex minds of the girls. 해 DOES have the meaning of 'do' too, but its not appropriate to translate this part of the lyrics that way, because if u say it means "do them, it doesn't fit the sentence there. Since there's no Objectives for that Verb 'do' and that's... kinda awkward. plus. the context and meaning of the whole sentence is talking abt mathematics and Equations so what u said is true. It doesn't mean sexual way” BTS hv made few mistakes unknowingly early in their career and said things which can be considered offensive, as they were young but they hv re-educated themselves, apologized and never repeated the mistakes again..but I hv seen many k-popies and so called Multi Armys twisting many things because of that..take for example this song.. it's blown out of the proportion just to cause drama..and they were sadly successful in that..haters/antis tried every lil thing to bring BTS down & sabotage their career ngl..

The Majority of ARMY agree with you, that there is NO excuse to be rude, hateful and sarcastic to those that are new to BTS. The majority of us do not believe that the way BTS has been treated is an excuse to allow such behavior. There are 32 million "registered" ARMY, so even just 1% of immature & hateful people in ARMY are a lot of individuals and we don't refer to them as REAL ARMY, because they do not care to pass along the examples of love & kindness these young men live day in and day out as well as the messages in their music. MANY ARMY seem to forget that they themselves were once new to this rabbit hole and just assume everyone else should know everything they know. We have also had many fans from other groups/artists create fake BTS fan accounts and pretend to be ARMY, go on different social media platforms and do things just to make the ARMY look like a toxic fandom (many have been caught red handed with coordinated efforts since about 2017/2018. It started with KPop fandoms and has since transferred to some U.S. artists fandoms). Just know, that when it comes down to it REAL ARMY are going to treat open minded individuals that are new to BTS with warm hearts and loving kindness. We try to educate with respect. We also understand that some of their music/artistry may not fit your taste and that's ok. I hope you have a great day my friend.

BTS are underground artist that will always support idols / artist that come from small companies “ small company friends, I hope you get big soon”

You saying “thats so dumb” made me laugh bcos all I can think of is the meme “Imagine how tired we are”! Yes, so many things are so dumb, but haters gonna hate! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

i actually like how you pause and speak about it through out

"if you wanna say something, feel free, cause you never be back" facts lmao

Bare in mind, Jk, J-Hope, V, Jm, Rm, Suga and Jin are the BTS. There won't be BTS without these humble young men.. This group built up with different individuality, when they started, it was rough n tough n people started to judged these individuals with hatred. They learned from each other n helped each other not hiding anything. This is the ephipany of their success the team work n the perfectionist of hard work. If I practice 12 hours a day I will quit but because of their determinations n their dreams they kept going. What you sow is what you reap n that is exactly what they reap..........."SUCCESS" they are very respectful boys n that is what I like about them as humans. On top of that; I love the fact that they talked about mental awareness and it is so sad that as a country, community or society does not look at this issue n do something about it. I love the fact that they talk about these issues through their music n it saved them. I believe in second chance n that was the only thing that saved them. Very proud of these young handsome men 💜 ❤ 💙. They don't let the haters get to their hearts even though hurts them but they kept going. Hobi was the man of the hour the last few days. Very proud of him n he is happy as ever that he accomplished that event and that is very Hobi.

i am glad u are reacting to this...now you see why alot of us army has been protective of BTS...Jhope didnt do anything there were just people that was being very cruel and mean saying that he is ugly and he needs to be kicked out of bts..which is bullshit...jhope is so talented and handsome and they need him in BTS....all the members are handsome and talented in their own way..this world can be so cruel and mean sometimes. ..cant wait to see your next video!

Appreciate you calling out the toxic culture👍 True Army will correct you and inform you not degrade you for not knowing or understanding our culture/language and K-pop world. Glad you’re still open-minded and willing to continue your journey with BTS. Daechwita is pronounced as day-chwee-tah💜

BTS trespasses language barriers. I'm from Peru, 27 y o and almost 3 years being an ARMY and I must thank them for creating such beautiful songs that gave me the strength to keep going when I lost my beloved grandma due to COVID. In the beggining, before I became an ARMY there was this rejection to the fandom 'cause I saw some toxicity on Fb and Twitter BUT once BTS got me completetly and I started watching some documentals to know about them deeply, I found out why army is so protective over them. It wasn't easy and this is not about justifying some behaviors but dude, the other fandoms are suffering what they did in the past and, since I understood this, my favourite line will always be: KARMA IS AN ARMY. I've been following some artists but none like BTS. I feel very beloved by them, they make me feel so special. Maybe I'm not that good in english to express my very deep thoughts 'cause I learned, like RM, by watching some american tv shows and movies, but the feeling that you will never be walking alone... that's how they make me feel.

BTS and bighit apologized for a lot of things they didn't have to because they believe they can always do better. And they had to so they could survive. You see it reflecting in their actions. Its not like american artists who would do anything just so they don't have to apologise and when they do it's a half assed apology video with no change in their behavior.

South Korean culture is conservative… lyrics that may not seem tame in the west, but could be deemed misogynistic in S Korea. Funny thing is … girls/women in K-pop can’t show cleavage, however, legs (micro mini skirts) are okay. Thing are much cuter in style in Asia. S Korea is based on a hierarchical culture… respecting age, family name, higher education… is highly a big deal. Thus, the top 3 music label used their influence dominate and control the media, often pushing out smaller companies. It is common for them to buy out other bands contracts and shelve them, so their current stars can remain on the top. Winning in an award shows is much bigger deal than in the US. It makes and breaks bands due to the expose. Because of mandatory military enlistment, male artists only have a short time to make an impact and make money. Most bands break up cuz of the military enlistment. Few ever get back together. BTS has broken many rules… and have pissed off some peeps. An example, I believe there still peeps like govt officials that are unhappy with the song Spring Day still remains on the charts. If you are interested, I would research a little about S Korean culture. There are many things that are different from the west. ;) Thank you for watching the MV. ;) always great to watch your reactions.

I’m thirty minutes into your video and I have to say first. I loved what you said in your intro. That was amazing. I’m also really liking the approach you are having with this video. I myself speaking for me I think every band or singer is going to have it hard. And for the things bts was put through you just sit back and just think wait what why?? And like you keep saying it’s not that serious. I think bts works extremely hard and so does other bands and singers. Not discrediting or being disrespectful to anybody else and there work. I feel the same as you do. I see all this stuff that has happened to them and I’m like why? They just work really hard to get where they are right now. It’s like people have nothing better to do than to poke at people who are actually working hard and making it. I actually really like this video because it’s like inspiration. Look at all the stuff they did and yes it probably bothered and hurt them they are human. But they also used it and pushed back. Don’t ever let someone say you can’t do something. Because you can. You can do anything you set your mind on. No matter what it is. Thank you for this reaction. Loved it. Oh and I subscribed:)

I think it goes both ways, some reactors come in and react to BTS for the first time and immediately make negative comments about them and they don’t even know BTS. Army, doesn’t go after people just because we’re bored. We welcome any one who’s open-minded and sincere about wanting to know the boys and their journey. But when you make assumptions and discredit their talents then that’s where Army comes in and we do come in hard. We do welcome honest and true reactions to BTS contents but when people seem disrespectful that’s where we draw the line.

What BTS taught me is how to deal with hate and negativity. When someone posts a hate comment, I tend to reply with “Love yourself” referencing Cypher 4. And if someone tries to bring them down or make fun of who they are and their language, I just tell them that I do not agree with xenophobia, but if they feel that way then they can continue to feel that way. 9/10 times they don’t know what it means so they google it and get flustered when they realize how shitty the things they’re saying are. I’ve noticed that none of my friends or acquaintances make fun of them around me anymore, because they know that they were simply hating because of their ethnicity and language. If they don’t like the music, fine. As long as they keep that bad energy to themselves. 💜

the idol industry is very full of under the table deals, blackmail, orchestrated scandals, etc etc. like it's a known fact, it's been going on for twenty years. bts upended the entire thing and stole all the attention and it makes them very angry. the boys keep their noses clean, don't get in trouble, are good people, but they get hit with the most ridiculous made up scandals by people with certain media connections trying to tarnish their image. it literally happened just today, a silly non-drama presented as a scandal in the media at the same time a member released a song lol we're mostly used to it now and those of us who've been here a while can tell when a piece of "news" out of korea is just a smear tactic, but it's still frustrating and utterly asinine. 9 years and they still haven't given it up

The media reacted so negatively to BTS because the media was largely controlled by the big three entertainment companies in Korea, and BTS was succeeding massively despite not being from one of those big three agencies - their power was challenged as was the success of their own artists, so they tried their hardest to discredit BTS in anyway they could

I overall agree with your points at the end. If we immediately attack people for what they’re saying, people will just close up and attack back at us and BTS. However, if we speak to them with kindness, there’s a much higher chance they’ll actually reflect on their words and possibly even be more open to BTS

Agree w everything u said at the end! Some fans need to do better especially when it comes to newcomers, I think it comes from the experience of dealing w reactors/people who are not as open minded and immediately hate on bts for no reason, which isn’t an excuse to hate on all newcomers. I promise not all fans are like that, it’s just that those few tend to be the loudest sometimes lol. I hope this doesn’t give u a negative view of bts though! And I hope u don’t feel obligated to react to them just bc fans push u too! All in love

As an ARMY since 2017, I've learned that antis will do what they know best always - spread hate. It very tiring getting riled up over that stuff online. So I realised I can't spend energy trying to fight every hater. I'm confident in BTS & ARMY so I will focus on them and the things that give me joy. We've been through hard times but we're still here and we will continue to walk together 💜

The clip with Jungkook and the hamburgers was actually not a music video. Jungkook was a guest on a variety show with comedians by himself without the other members of BTS and he was the youngest one there and so he was trying to break the ice and give them food but the comedians were dissing him and wouldn't take the food, calling it "leftovers". Poor Jungkook was only like 16 years old and is such an introvert that he didn't know what to do. They still weren't popular at that time so he was treated poorly as a guest. In Korea, age is a huge deal so because he was the youngest he had to treat the other guests politely even though they weren't being kind to him.

The guy complimenting BTS for working hard in front of the bathroom... Shows that BTS did not let their circumstance discourage them. They still gave 100%.

the song that sparked the misogynistic lyric controversy is war of hormones and that's really difficult to fully understand without speaking the language. The parts that were an issue are things that don't translate. There are also a lot of kdrama tropes, that very much still exists in current kdramas, in the video of Boy in Luv. So any outrage for that is kind of nonsense

Yes and this is why bts fans are every over protected over bts 💜

Avoidance is the key to life. Racism, xenophobia, gatekeeping are deeply ingrained, be gentle when you point out the micro-aggressions.

Because of the way BTS and ARMY dealt with the unwarranted hate that made it inspiring. She is the Queen...her videos are all great...You should react to all of them 💜BTS actually had to go around the industry to find success....Thus proving the industry is obsolete

the toxic Army doesn't seem to understand that it makes people not want to look into bts when they are Jerks. Most army, that are great, just aren't as vocal as the crazies. Bts doesn't need army to beat people over the head for them. there are amazing army, too, though.

Him Michael! Thank you for this newest reaction video. It's sad that antis are even to this day still messing with BTS. They tried to say BTS plagiarized the BUTTER intro from a obscure video game even though the composer of the song in the video game refuted that statement. They just don't stop. I'm sorry on behalf of all Army that you've experienced negativity from those claiming to be fans of BTS. We have some crazies but also understand that there are many antis who pose as fans and chase BTS videos and articles on the internet and leave horrible comments, either hating on BTS or pretending to be fans and leaving rude comments. They target BTS reactors and try to discourage them from reacting to BTS music and videos. I remember back in 2018 when I first discovered BTS and I would run across people telling me lies about BTS in an attempt to turn me away from them. It was confusing and heartbreaking tbh. It still took me awhile to figure out what was going on. Anyway, thanks again and I love your honesty and style. Stay 😎 💜💜💜

i totally agree with you about what you said that there needs to be understanding for new people. it's unfortunate that you had to face the darker part of the fandom early on, and we usually try to call out people like that in the fandom. i am not excusing any mean comments at all, but i also wanted to tell you (just if some thing like this happens again which i hope it will not): this fandom is huge, and as much as we try to stand for the good and make the fandom a sade space, there are people who come into this fandom for other reasons (clout, jealousy, personal projections etc) and even when we do try to call them out we still can't control the negativity they spread. all i can say is that as long as you are respectful towards bts you can be sure that the majority of the armys will welcome you

BTS "21st Century girl live comeback show" ...the fan chant is insane

A lot of army have new BTS listeners watch this it’s just part of their history and learning about them more most of army are chill and understanding

It feels like that the Korean Media isn't happy on how BTS grew at an international level and like skipped the Korean's stereotypical entertainment path.

These hardships made them what they are today. These hardships shaped their personality and character. Success is sweeter after all the difficulties.

Thank you for reacting to this I'm glad it gave you insight to some (and I mean a small amount) of the things that the guys have gone through. I'm sorry some armys were rude towards you in your first check out of BTS. Most of army are kind and respectful it's just the ones that aren't usually are the loudest and unavoidable. It was wonderful to come to the comment section and be reminded how wonderful army is if given a chance. Looking forward to your next dip into the rabbit hole.

When they weren't given a dressing room ...They had the #1 album at that time

Thank you for coming back to BTS after such a bad introduction to ARMY. I really enjoy your take on things.

The bad thing is Suga and RM were invited to that interview under the guise of celebrating 100 days after debut....And then these nobody rappers started insulting them💜💋💜💜💜💜💜

You are so right! that is why I have always thought my siblings the following: 'If anyone ever comes to you having a hard time, asking for you to be a listening ear for them, and you can handle it, please listen to them. But one thing you need to know, if anyone ever talks about something bad that happened to them, don't respond to them saying something along the lines of " oh yeah, I had that happen to me once too! I'm fine tho!" or "yeah that happened to me to plus this and that, it was so bad" saying things like that could make them invalidate their own feelings and that is so harmfull.

One of my favorite clap backs from RM is in his solo song “Do You” from his first mixtape “RM.” “Haters gonna hate And players gonna play Muthafuckas keep muthafukin’ all day” And it just reminds me not to feed trolls because they will never stop being trolls.

I agree with almost everything you’ve said. We as army are absolutely biased and of course only want them to always have positive and welcomed interactions. I agree that we can be too much sometimes and often lack the sufficient empathy for people outside of fandom culture. All the people I know try to be as open minded as possible and would never judge anyone for not liking what they like. As someone who enjoys K-pop I am used to the majority of people looking down on me for it and I admit that this has made me sensitive to this subject but it has taught me a lot as well. For example just because someone doesn’t enjoy pizza doesn’t mean they are trying to offend you with it but even though they don’t agree with your food choice, it does NOT give them the right to talk down on you for it. I don’t mean to compare K-pop (or people in general) with food of course but for me, army is supposed to be respectful, understanding and welcoming. I am deeply sorry if this was not your experience with army and I apologise on their behalf. The reason why we, or me in this case, love BTS so much is not only for their music and lyrics but also for their incredibly accepting and beautiful open hearts. Literally everyone is welcomed and supported in this fandom as long as your are open minded and nice towards other human beings. The magic shop is always their if you need it!

The video you watched was kinda like a PG version of what the members went through really. I don't use twitter because I hate confrontation and I also try to counsel young army who are unable to see 2 sides and try to be kind whenever possible. But I also understand why army's guard is always up. Because it gets tiring after a certain point. You don't know how just one respectful sentence from any reactor gives me so much peace even when they give a negative review. She didn't name any names and kept it digestable. I joined the fandom late but it makes me sick to the stomach the things they endured. But bts never once complained or said things out of spite and kept things quite positive. I couldn't have done that. Its not just BTS who suffers, but army too. We're constantly put down for being fans of them and are called 15 yo sex crazed teen girls which is offensive to those young girls too. I can't mention them among my friends without being belittled. It gets really annoying.

Being an ARMY, I have never met a bad person in the fandom. There are always going to be bad apples or immature people in each fandom. Please also keep in mind that there are haters who pretend to be ARMY and leave bad comments to make people dislike BTS. In my social media accounts, i carefully curate my TLs for this reason. I hope that your future experiences with ARMY will be all good 💜💜💜

yep, I can't stand these unknown people on social media who run their mouths about stupid stuff. Most wouldn't have the courage to say that to someone's face. I miss the days before crazy social media.

I'm glad that you watched this video, 'cause it really explains a lot...It's...really sad that such amazing people faced and face even now with these injustices...(

I think that you're really thoughtful and bring a new perspective into these videos, keep doing your thing it's great!!

Your point about them being more similar to the way Western bands have developed is a really good one, and I think it's one reason they've gained popularity worldwide even before they started being recognized in Korea. There's just an underlying authentic love of creating and of music and dance there that's super important and really has carried them through the years despite all the challenges.

So basically kickout jhope trends started because " so called people " used to says he doesn't fit in k-pop standard A k-pop idol should be fair like milk , should have baby face , no spots on face , a perfect Doll figure He get judged just because he was tan in early days ( Same thing happened with namjoon , why says he doesn't fit in k-beauty standard ) And look him man he is litterlly the prefect person i Ever seen

I want to give you an Army cookie or badge that says “survived the BTS hardships video” (and you should also get one for the Spring Day Italian Army video because it’s a milestone to make it through that emotional journey) because this is a lot. I agree with your hesitation and appreciate your concerns. It’s hard to know that they had such a hard time but it also gives context to both their music (the Cypher series of clap backs to the haters) and how Army gets protective. Agree we should focus on the positive which is them being artists

Funny enough, the song people claimed was "misogynistic" (War of Hormone) was satirical and making fun of misogyny in a way. It was about how teenage boys think. The funniest part is now, the older fans embrace it - the meme is that we'd even go back to the kitchen for BTS any day, lol. Most of us have a decent sense of humor and realize it's just a silly, slightly horny song about adolescence. NO ONE would bat an eye if it was an American pop song.

The reason why the media keeps downplaying the success of BTS is because they can't stand that a group from a very small company is overtaking the whole music industry. Not just in Korea but globally. Other companies that has a huge influence over the media can't stand and accept the fact that these 7 young boys from nothing is getting all the recognition that they wish to attain.

You know what, I'm not throwing shade or anything but the big3 company(SM, YG and JYP) are always! Like always try to sabotage BTS from all aspects since their early career. YG: Blackpink, Big Bang etc SM: Exo(their fans are the ones who called the awards show), Red Velvet etc JYP: Twice, Stray Kids etc And this is the reason why armys are not considering themselves as K-pop fan because we only stan BTS. Because no one can convince me to say that coming from the big3 isn't a privilege at all. Not saying that other groups don't struggle, but BTS is just on another level, Suga's hardship alone can beat many of them. That's why they stand where they're today. Ngl I used to be blackpink's fan but after learning what their company did to BTS, nah bro I'm out. Plus they don't even write or produce their songs, don't even have a song for their fans and lack content. And when I was a hardcore fan I noticed that their songs are much similar to each other(in my opinion). Only talk about being badass and so whatever. Then, look how the big3 treat their idols like a robot compares to our beloved Bang PD/Hitman Bang(the CEO, but now a chairman) treats our boys is a huge difference. He really wants BTS to succeed humanely. Again, I'm not hating. And yes, all the hate towards BTS doesn't make sense at all. Just because their favs couldn't reach BTS level. This is the crash course video to show you how BTS is different, you can react to this or maybe just watch it in your free time. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-M40jsKiIcm8.html Forgot to mention, that the reporter was sent by YG to sabotage their press conference by asking about plagiarism.

This is how I feel about your BTS reaction vids: NOT dumb or stupid! Love 'em! Keep it up. You are about the same age as one of my sons and remind me of a friend of his! Really good guy, too, very perceptive and articulate.

Thanks for this reaction, very necessary in knowing and understanding BTS and to some extent Army. A week late, but glad I did watch it. Your take on things is very good and enjoy your insight. I've watched another reactor who grew up with the early days of K-POP (his father was in the entertainment world so he knew/knows a lot of behind the scenes stuff) and he explained how the Ent Com's, esp the Big 3, have unlimited funs for bribes etc as the TV companies can stop anyone they don't like from getting on air or getting known. So by their very corruption they forced BTS to find alternatives and literally shot themselves in the foot as BTS succeeded despite their efforts to stop them! It's a great idea to watch Rise of Bangtan because that will give you more insight. Also thanks to Army leaving good comments, I've learnt some things I didn't know. Borahae!

“It’s not that serious.” Oh, but it is. Because at it’s heart the core of these issues is money. BTS came up outside the industry, breaking the mold and showing a path for other artists. The money and power at stake in the global corporate music industry is literally world shaking and they are not playing. The organized hate, the organized corruption, the organized suppression and abuse by media and journalists, tv networks, hosts, chart manipulation and award manipulation to drop them, and so on, which continues today, not just in Korea but in the US and elsewhere too, is all about $$$$$. There is some racism and xenophobia thrown in there for spice, but it’s mostly about money, power and control.

Hello 👋🏼 im just starting the video, but I wanted to comment on the thing you said about focusing on the positive rather than the negative in order to move forward (for yourself) and it got me thinking a bit, because when ARMY brings up anything negative that happened in BTS' history in a way that relates to the conversation, it can be assumed that ARMY brings these things up for... pity? This is a general statement, not anything towards you of course! But I wanted to say that any person, any country, organized religion, etc should be able to look back acknowledge their negative past objectively, so that they know how to move forward in a direction that benefits the person/group as a whole. Learning what to do and what not to do! Almost like we're AI! And living in a simula--[GUNSHOTS]

Oh can't wait to have you watch war of hormone and boy with love, it's 2 of my favorite songs of theirs

I really appreciate your honesty in your reactions.

"War of Hormones" and "Boy In Luv" are the two songs I think.

There's a novel by Voltaire named Candide, if you haven't read it - just read it ;). It explains how suffering is not measured and it's individual, same thoughts as yours at the beginning. ARMY suggest this video not to measure suffering but to prove that everyone can overcome whatever hardship comes in life even if the odds are not on your side - countrywise, music industry-wise, etc. and also to be informative in regards to that BTS overcame a very rotten system only through music and strong connection to fans and they are still doing it. We are simply witnessing history in the making - it is what it is.

I like your ending statement. I wish everyone could have open mind and have a positive attitude. I would visit your channel again.

Thank you so much for sticking with ARMY and BTS. I apologize for the rough welcome you received. Thank you for taking your precious time and energy to dig deeper and understand why ARMY can be over protective and over zealous at times. True ARMY should be kind, humble, understanding, accepting and all inclusive. Just like BTS themselves. I have always been impressed with the classy way that BTS slaps back at their haters, etc. I really suggest you check out their Chypher series. They go throughout the years where they speak up against those who have treated them poorly. They never outright attack anyone, but use word play and innuendo to tell their haters, thanks for worrying about BTS, but "Players Haters you should Love Yourself" Prayers. Strength. Love. 🙏💪💜 Please keep wearing masks and protect yourselves and others. My neighbor and I are both down with Civic right now. (Perfect time for binging on BTS content.) I was only near my neighbor perhaps six times in the last month and her once for three seconds.

One of the reasons why the media is not supportive of BTS is because BTS became successful without their help. They went directly to fans via RU-vid, Vlive, twitter, etc. so the media did not “earn” from BTS. So they are not happy with BTS’s success because it can be the start of companies not being beholden to the media.

You’re right. There needs to be a place for the new people. I love to watch reactions but there are definitely those people who go HAM in the comments and it’s certainly cringey. Thank you for taking the time to watch and give us your thoughts 💯

A music company called SM has claws into the media in Korea

“That That (prod. Suga of @BTS_twt)” by PSY out April 29th, 6pm KST.!!!! Spread the word!!! So unexpected and exciting!!!

Recommendations: Korean 1900s Historic drama 1. Mr.sunshine 10/10 netflix (Frontman's best performance) 2. Pachinko 10/10 disney Reliabilty of Korean media: 40 / 40 conturies (OECD) 4 YEARS IN A LOW (Due to side effects of 40 years of dictatorships, almost all of them are like fox news, corruption of elite cartel, and agitated people(by media) elected K-Trump a month a go, K-Trump is already using bts for his benefit)

The problem in Korea with BTS was, they were from a very small company Big Hit, and didn't belong to one of the big 3 companies that dictated the way to go, and had a big hand in the media as well. BTS did it on their own and were seen as a big threat. Jealous Fans and companies from other Kpop groups did everything to discredit them. It's sooooo stupid! The whole Kpop industry is so competative, that it leads to this kind of behavior. J-Hope (Hobi), RM and Jimin all never did anything wrong btw. The deaththreats to them are beyond insane, and it was quite scary at the time actually. I'm someone who's lived before the internet and socials, and while it created fantastic opportunities for people (including BTS). It also has this weird very dark side to it, which makes people tthink it's okay to bash, bully or threaten others from the safety behind a screen. I truly can't grasp what goes through peoples minds who do that. It's such a low and immature thing. So on your take how to handle haters on BTS as Army's, I totally agree with you. And this is what BTS themselves have been saying too. And well... look where they are now, despite all the hurdles and struggles, BTS is on top of the World!

I like what you were saying in the end. I always say that you can't fight hate with hate because in the end it just means that everybody loses.

Hi i am an ARMY from Portugal and i whant to thank you for your rections of BTS. I am sorry that you have been treated poorly by some of mean and toxic ARMY. Thats NOT who we are at all...please dont let that get spoile your experience in your journey to becoming an army as well. Thank you for your honesty and transparency. Cant waith for moore💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

There was no misogyny ...They are talking about "War of Hormone " and "Boy in Luv" I love both and am sad they don't perform war of hormone...Such a great video

thankyou for reaction, new subsribers here 🤗🤗🤗🙏🙏🙏🙏

On there beginning their producer Bang PD wanted them to be organic. He wanted them to have a say in their music they did the albums where they could in LA because they went to LA to learn the histrory of hiphop and beatboxing. So you are right about starting out in a Western Band kind of way but they never forgot their Asian roots until Covid hit they wrote music that was Korean based then sprinkled a bit of English words different than the last few songs. About the copying thing there are "super"fans (I'm sure you met a few) that look for any reason to pick apart a band, including just saying "Oh he doesn't look like an idol get rid of him, like J-Hope. The misogynistic lyrics were about the boys warring with themselves about the way they like the women they like and words were taken out of contxt and culture. Her Way from Crayon Pop was being nice complimenting him in a sight where they were making fun of them for being in front of the restroom. The managers and companies or agencies of other bands rile up their fans to make themselves more important. The Mike Tyson quote was about a guy getting in Tysons face during a flight and he took it and took it til finally the kid spit at him then Tyson beat his face. You are right about the White Pages that the Right Wing of Japan's Political System blamed BTS for having a T-Shirt as the same as holding Millions of Koreans in enslavement. That reporter came from an actual agency, who does a newsletter for their company. The problem with much of these is agencies have huge amounts of clout but also give tribute to entertainment companies so that their agency stays on top. From my experience most of the people who can't be respectful are those that don't actually know all the facts because BTS has always been there mantra to be kind to all. They only give back when they write their raps.

Because of these toxic haters Army's are very protective of these 7 beautiful souls and sometimes even gets wild however like you said we shouldn't be toxic like them instead kill them with Kindness 💜

The reason South Korean media is pushing down on bts so much is because the music industry and the korean media are so intertwined, and in the korean music industry there are these HUGE companies called the BIG3 (YG, SM, JYP) who have huge influence not only over the Korean music industry, but also over Korean media. We have seen this happen before with another group who was rising and threatened the big companies, and through that the korean media who is so intertwined with these huge companies, and that group was also pushed down until SM bought them, and halted all their activities and made them disappear. This isn't the only time SM specifically has made artists "disappear" after they have threthened the company and its status. This is the reason why both the korean music industry and the korean media tried so hard to destroy bts, music stations, news sites, music events, award shows etc. all treated bts so badly, and still do. The power huge companies and their connections hold is scary.

9:24- I think the word you're looking for here is not American but indie/independent. There are plenty of artists from the US and Western countries who were able to have a large budget and support from a big record company from the beginning of their careers, and there are also artists in Korea who had to start without a company, independently producing with pretty much no budget. That's not a uniquely Americanized or westernized thing. It's important to keep in mind that the K-pop industry is only one small part of the Korean music industry as a whole. They have underground hip hop, they have an indie rock scene, they have plenty of other areas of music that don't fall under the "idol industry" as they call it, and many musicians in these areas don't have the production abilities, budget, or large company to support them just like some American and British bands like you mentioned. (K-pop/idol music may be the most prominent type of music coming out of Korea from an international perspective, but within Korea it's not even the most popular type of music.) 20:35- The guy was a host of a popular Korean variety show, and BTS were still a relatively "unpopular" (according to the biased Korean media anyway) group from a small company. Unfortunately it's pretty common for hosts of Korean variety shows to go a little too far in teasing and harassing rookie groups that come on their shows, but the treatment of BTS on variety shows was particularly bad unfortunately. 24:22- no, she wasn't being mean, Celeste was just using her tweet as evidence that the boys didn't let this particular hardship get to them and were still working hard/staying positive. 36:25- The guy who asked them the inappropriate plagiarism question wrote an article on a rival entertainment company's website, so it's suspected that he worked for a rival company who was trying to sabotage/discredit BTS by getting him to ask thos question. 48:09- The reason this cartoon depiction was particularly horrifying is because it was released during a period where violence against Asians and Asian Americans in the world has significantly increased due to racism and tension surrounding the coronavirus. 48:36- Again, this radio host's remarks are even worse when you consider the constant racism and fearmongering that has surrounded Asian communities during the covid pandemic.

Sorry I keep commenting 😭😭😭 but this explains why many of us don’t want bts to be considered kpop. Bc surprisingly enough SO MUCH of hate for bts comes from other kpop group fans. So many of them are bitter about bts’ success instead of being grateful that bts made kpop go overseas and basically paved the way for other groups to get big in the US….

Your reasoning is so on point, there is such a thing as over reacting.