Beyond the Story

Un parcours incroyable qui nous ai montré dans ce livre. Les BTS ont vécu énormément de choses et c’est très enrichissant de lire leur histoire.

i initially gave it 4 stars, because of a few editing errors and typos. however, after reading the author and the publisher's interviews for Weverse Magazine yesterday, i decided to give it 5 stars: first, because there's a huge amount of research behind this entire book. this book does not only tell BTS's story, it also gives context to their entire experience. with the interview, we learn that the project was initially put on the table as early as 2019, and that it was originally scheduled for a release during the pandemic. however, seeing how much impressive bangtan's success got during the pandemic, the author felt it was important to take current events into account too, and I'm very grateful for that, as a 2020 ARMY. it's quite funny, because with all the bangtan content I've already watched, read and learned about, you'd think there's nothing more I could possibly learn about them, and yet, this book has taught me so much, from facts about the kpop industry in general to facts specific to bangtan's experience. I also really appreciate how it was drafted overall: the QR codes supporting the statements made throughout the book, the thorough descriptions of each album and the songs it includes, the direct. references to lyrics, the pictures representing different eras to begin each chapter, and the timeline of important events at the end, all make it a very useful guide for ARMY, or for anyone looking to learn more about BTS. days after finishing it, i'm still shaken by what I've read, even though I knew about most of it. I devoured those (almost) 500 pages, and it honestly even left myself a little puzzled at the end. I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, and another reason for my initial 4 stars was that I would have appreciated further explanations on what BTS said at last year's FESTA (that they initially intended to enlist after MOTS: 7). BTS not enlisting also turned them into targets of hate from other fandoms and so I really expected it to feature in the book, however, considering how closely it is connected to the SoKor government, I am guessing it might not have been possible let alone feasible for ethical reasons, which is perfectly fine. I've been thinking about the book every day since i finished it. I don't think there's a BTS fan out there who isn't aware that they've been through some very tough times, but in my case, not having followed them since their early days, this book is a real slap in the face that emphasizes not only how much they deserve their current success, but also how much they've suffered to get where they are today. When I think that one of my favorite eras of the group, Dark & Wild, received such hard critiques on its release, or that the beautiful messages Love Yourself era taught me couldn't even illuminate the lives of the members who interpreted them, my heart really does break. However, I am glad that we now have something tangible, something that will remain no matter what, to tell their story. I am so glad they are part of my life and that they pushed through everything despite how hard it must have been for them. They are my silver lining forever.