There are K-Pop fans across the globe who share the same passion. But on online platforms, it is hard to know about each other’s stories and K-Pop life. Even if we are in the same fandom, it is hard to get to know each other. So at Kpopmap, we started the Kpopmap Fan Interview Project to get to know more about K-Pop fans from different countries: more about their K-Pop life and tastes and to give them the opportunity to share with our readers about their favorite group(s) and bias. Anaïs from France is the next fan to answer our questions. She is a fan of BTS, particularly of Jin! Check out how she entered the fandom, the songs and content she advises to new fans, and much more! Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? Hello, my name is Anaïs. I’m French and I’m living in South Korea! More people know me as Bloodykiss in my SNS! How and when did you enter the fandom? I’ve been a big K-Pop fan since 2009, so I discovered BTS during their predebut era, through their vlog. I found them pretty cute and wanted to learn more about them but I fell into the rabbit hole! What are the reasons why you love your favorite group? That’s simple. They make me feel happy. I have a pretty difficult past and BTS helped me during my journey of recovery and acceptance. Besides that, I like the fact that every member is an artist: they all can dance and sing, but they also compose and produce their songs, and I admire that. They’re also very genuine and close to their fans, like a big family. They inspire me, and I can’t see myself living without BTS ahah. I used to like so many groups, but now, I’m devoted to them, and support all of the group and solo activities! Even though they may produce songs that I dislike, I’m still a fan of the members no matter what. Who caught your attention at first and why? Jin, since the first day! He was really cute, but at that time, not my favorite singer in the group. I preferred JiMin’s voice, but Jin was and is always my bias. His voice then grew on me and I love it now (and other members’ of course!). Regarding JiMin, if I must admit, who wouldn’t pay attention to a cute Korean guy showing off his abs in their debut MV… Who is your bias, and why? It’s always a difficult question. It’s having so much to say, but at the same time, not knowing what to say because we just feel it inside us. Jin is someone with a big heart. He takes exemplary care of the other members of the group but also of his animals that he loves so much. He’s always there to prank and tease the rest of the group, and his iconic laugh instantly relaxes me whenever I hear it. He didn’t have nice debut in BTS as many people questioned his singing and dancing skills. He had to fight to assert his place, and I also admire him for that because I, too, constantly have the feeling of having to justify myself when I do or do not do something. He never hesitates to do what he wants, even if it means breaking the rules of the agency, and I like this rebellious side. Finally, he’s a geek, and so am I haha. Can you recommend a title track and a B-side track for new fans? My favorite title track is ‘Blood Sweat & Tears’ for its aesthetic, dance, and the music itself, of course. I really like ‘Baepsae’ as a group B-side, and regarding Jin’s solo songs, it’s very difficult to choose between ‘Moon’ and ‘Tonight’. And only for fun, Jin’s iconic song ‘Super Tuna’! Can you recommend a fancam, V Live, cover video, cover dance, or individual content video of your bias to our readers? As I said previously, Jin is a big gamer, and the last live he did broke the records of the longest live on Weverse! The funny thing is that he came to celebrate BTS’ leader RM birthday, but he spent 3 hours and 20+ minutes playing, screaming, and partying. He’s someone really authentic, and he likes playing around with fans on the internet when he can. During that live, he also wore a pajama that he self-designed, as a proud promoter of his creations (as it is not the first that he’s done that). When the group is filming shows like “Bon Voyage” or “In The Soop”, where they enjoy vacations, Jin is always gaming if a computer is present in the room! That’s why I recommend that live, because it shows who Jin really is! Can you also do the same type of recommendation for the group? I really like the show called “Bon Voyage” as you can witness the group enjoying some time together abroad, and doing whatever they please. They’re doing pretty much the same in “In the Soop”, but this show is more focused on them living in a big house and resting, more than traveling, that’s why I prefer the first more. For some years, they also had a show called “Run BTS!” on V Live every Tuesday, that was really fun. They continue to shoot some episodes, but not every week after a ten months break. They shot more than 150 episodes and choosing one would be too difficult. So, here is my top 10 : EP.11, EP.24,EP.31, EP.33, EP.41, EP.65, EP.84, EP.105, EP.131, EP.145. Can you share with us one of your favorite lyrics? “Even when I fall and hurt myself I keep running toward my dream” -‘Young Forever’. I am not a particular fan of this song as I prefer more energetic ones, but this line is really striking, it echoes my personal story. Are there any words from the members you would like to share? “I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin colour, gender identity: speak yourself.” -RM As someone who’s been bullied for sixteen years, I want to be able, one day, to speak for myself without fear or judgment. I grew up as a gifted child and always felt (and still feel) outside the box. I struggle(d) to understand others, and BTS always comforted me with their words and outgoing personalities. What is your favorite group/bias’ influence on your daily life? It might sound stupid, but they encouraged me not to give up on life. My harassment was really heavy, and I just couldn’t endure it anymore but they gave me a reason to wake up, and to move on with life, particularly Jin. I mean, look at him (below), who wouldn’t laugh and feel happy? What is your best souvenir with your favorite group until now? Even though I’m an ARMY since the predebut era, I saw BTS only once, in 2019, during the “Speak Yourself” concert in Seoul. I’m not lucky in life, and every time I tried my luck in France or Korea, I failed to grab a ticket. When I finally attend a show, it was thanks to the raffle system. I also won a ticket in 2020, but COVID-19 happened and it got cancelled… Since then, I didn’t win any raffle. Thinking of that, I can’t really pick up a favorite souvenir, as I nearly have none. When I attended the “Speak Yourself” concert, it was so unreal that I actually “denied” (amazement state I guess) the moment and don’t remember much of it sadly… Anyway, I couldn’t see much but I saw them for 10 minutes with my own eyes. Living in South Korea doesn’t help you see them, that’s a fantasy. Can you describe your bias in only one word? Kindness. You truly get the feeling he is BTS’ big brother, and that he really likes taking care of the members. He does not hesitate to wake up early to prepare breakfast, drive for them during the early years of the group, and so on. And his love for his pets is quite beautiful. If you are collecting goods, what is your most precious treasure? I actually have Jin’s official banner from Wings Tour in Seoul, the really big one in front of concert stadiums. I bought it for resale at the beginning of the year, and I feel very lucky because it was the first time I saw one on sale, and it was during my favorite era! The cherry on top is that it was Jin’s. I absolutely love it but sadly, I’m living in a really tiny room with two other people, so I can’t hang it on the wall. I can’t wait to move out to exhibit it! I also have four fanmade banners that you can find outside cafe shops during a birthday event. I love this kind of goods, alongside photobooks, paintings, dolls, and standees. Someone also offered me a Jin’s sign, but it was too good to be true so I’m still wondering if it’s an official one. It’s the same for two signed albums I bought ahah. I also nearly possess every packages, albums, DVD and photocards (Korean edition). It makes me feel happy having my BTS museum at home. You can see a tiny part of my collection in this pic: If you have a chance to cook for the group, what will you cook for them? Carbonara pasta and a french cake call “éclair”, which is quite similar to bread filled with coffee cream! But I have no idea how to cook, so I’ll order food ahah. Especially being aware of Jin’s passion for food, he would probably cook anyway. If you can spend a day with your bias, where will you go and what will you do? Spending the day probably in a zoo, the evening watching a movie in a theater, and the night in a cyber cafe! Jin would probably scream “woooh” in the zoo, and maybe compare animals to the members, and I would like to watch a horror movie with him. He’s afraid of a lot of things, and I have the feeling it would be hilarious. He loves the game “Maple Story”, so I guess I’ll give it a try in a cyber cafe, to make him smile and finish the day with a good geek session! Do you have a dream subunit/unit? Actually, Jin won’t be my first choice. Even though he’s my ultimate bias, I would die for a JiMin x JungKook subunit! I love this ship, their friendship is so cute and fusional. I collect BTS goods, Jin goods, and also JiKook goods! I also think their voice, and dance goes really well together! Name a variety show/content show that you would love to see your bias on? Tell us why. I would like for BTS to return to “Running Man”. This show is quite funny, and they seemed to like participating in it in 2016. However, ARMY knows it is nearly impossible to see the group in a variety show as the members stopped going to them due to various mistreatment from shows in their early years. What is your favourite way of communicating with your bias? I like it when BTS and Jin are communicating via live. It feels more authentic than just a picture. I particularly like JungKook’s live, as it usually turned into a karaoke session! What do you have in common with your favourite idol? Love for animals. Jin was surrounded by animals: by his dog (Jjanggu), and sugar gliders (Odeng and Eomuk). Jin is known for his kindness toward people but also animals. He likes to pet any he meets (except bugs) and doesn’t like to pressure them when they don’t want to do something. He wrote a solo song, ‘Tonight’, about his love for the pets he lost, particularly Jjanggu. Their passing broke his heart, and he’s unsure about the time he’ll need to grieve all of them. He also wrote the song ‘Abyss’ about his depression, and the difficulty to live as a famous celebrity because of the pressure he receives constantly. I also love animals, more than humans, and I can’t live without raising one. Regarding depression, I feel concerned too and understand the mask he has to put on his face to pretend to be happy every day. Is your bias different while performing and in real life? What is your reaction to the difference (if there’s any)? I don’t think he’s particularly different. Of course, when he has to sing, he’s acting seriously, but during talking time, he jokes around and plays with others. He has a lot of charisma while singing, but when he’s just standing, he keeps laughing and smiling, like the cute person he is. What is your favorite side of fangirling/fanboying? I’ll guess collecting! Especially his photocard but I’m a “reasonable” fan, I don’t like to spend a lot of money on stuff (I don’t have a lot of money anyway aha), so I’m taking my time to collect. For example, I bought at the beginning of the year a 2015 package that was quite pricey, so I just save money for a few years, and little by little, I’m completing my collection. Mine is already pretty big as I started to collect in 2016. I also really enjoy spending time in cafes for their birthday. I’m making my own itinerary and visiting around ten cafes for each birthday. I like spending time in this kind of place to enjoy my passion, and collect more goods, as fan goods are as beautiful as official ones! Do you feel there are any misunderstandings, things that are not well known, or any prejudices about your favorite group from other fans (non-fans)? A lot of people who do not like BTS assume they’re all pretentious, and some haters also say they don’t have any talent. As a reminder, I would like to say that BTS does not come from any of the top 3 agencies, and that every member struggles to gain popularity. Up to 2015, the future of the group was uncertain, they talked about disbanding and they lived together in a really small underground dormitory. They fought to gain recognition, and even though they are worldwide famous now, they stay really humble, like young adults enjoying life. They did nothing wrong by becoming that famous, and they’re helping a lot of different causes thanks to their influence, like UNICEF, or animal welfare, and education. Whether you like their music or not, they are good people. Anaïs’ message to BTS: Thank you. Thank you for making music. Thank you for creating shows for your fans. Thank you for spending your time with ARMY and thank you for existing as you make my life, and the life of a thousand more, happier. ARMY forever, Bangtan Forever! Thank you for answering our questions, Anaïs. Note: Kpopmap Fan Interview included some of the interviewed fan’s favorite pictures. If you are interested in joining Kpopmap Fan Interview Project, please get in touch with us at [email protected] Everyone is welcome to participate.
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